Never Stop Singing. Denise Lewis Patrick

Dwayne into the room.

      “Well, I declare!” Tish laughed.

      “When did you get here?” Lila asked.

      Melody noticed that the only people who didn’t seem surprised were her mother and father.

      “Parents know how to keep secrets, too,” Daddy said. “And it was a good one, wasn’t it?”

      “The best ever!” Melody agreed. Since Dwayne had started working for Motown, he was rarely at home. And when his singing group did come back to town, he spent more time at the studio and at his bandmate Phil’s house than he did with the family. Their father wasn’t very happy about that, but now they were both smiling, and Melody was glad her birthday had brought them together.

      “Let’s cut this cake. I’m starved!” Dwayne said. He turned to Melody and gave her a bow. “Birthday girls first, of course.”

      Melody sat on the floor between Diane and Val with her paper party plate balanced on her knees. Everyone was listening to her brother’s stories about traveling around the country with the famous Motown singers. He was telling how he’d accidentally almost tripped one of The Supremes backstage when Val nudged Melody with an elbow.

      “When are you going to open your presents?” she whispered, not very quietly.

      Dwayne stopped mid-sentence. “Val, they call that a ‘stage whisper,’” he laughed, “because the audience is supposed to hear it, too.”

      Val ducked her head in embarrassment. “Sorry, Dwayne!”

      Charles shook his head. “I believe our Valerie likes watching other folks open presents as much as she likes opening presents herself!”

      Val had already scrambled up to get Melody’s gifts and cards, bringing them to her.

      “Open mine first,” Sharon said eagerly.

      “No, wait.” Dwayne went back into the kitchen and came out carrying a record album. “I didn’t exactly have time to wrap it,” he told his sister.

      Melody looked carefully at the bright red cover, and the three young black women looking over their shoulders in the picture. Big orange letters announced the album’s artists, Martha and The Vandellas. The album was called Heat Wave. That was the name of one of Melody’s favorite songs.

      Scrawled across the lower corner was a handwritten message. Melody read it out loud: “Happy Birthday, Dee-Dee. Stay Cool. Martha.” Melody’s mouth dropped open.

      Sharon, Val, and Lila crowded around to see.

      “Wow, Dwayne! Martha Reeves is one of the hottest stars at Motown right now,” Yvonne said. “She’s world famous!”

      Melody looked at Dwayne. “You got Martha Reeves to autograph it for me?” she asked.

      Dwayne shrugged and nodded, but he looked pleased that Melody liked her gift.

      “Do you really know her?” Sharon asked, starstruck.

      “Sort of,” he said. “I mean, we’re at the studio at the same time…sometimes.”

      “Thank you, Dwayne,” Melody said. “You’re the best brother ever.”

      “That’s something special,” Big Momma said. As Melody passed the album to her grandmother, she saw her father squinting at it.

      “How long before we see your face on something like this?” Daddy asked, looking over at Dwayne. Melody shot a look at her brother.

      “Dad, I know I have a long way to go. I’m working real hard at it. I’m hoping to get into the studio to record my own music soon.”

      “I know you’ll be just as famous as Martha Reeves one day,” Melody said confidently. But Daddy just shook his head.

      Melody picked up Sharon’s gift. She didn’t waste any time unwrapping carefully, the way her sisters did. She tore everything open. The tissue paper ripped away easily, and a length of shiny purple satin ribbon fell into Melody’s lap.

      “It’s for Matching Mondays,” Sharon said. “My mom says purple is really hard to find, but she got enough for both of us.”

      “I love it!” Melody said. Almost every Monday since she and Sharon had met in kindergarten they’d worn the same color hair ribbons to school. Melody carefully wound the ribbon into neat loops. “I got a purple plaid skirt for Christmas,” she told Sharon. “This ribbon will go with it perfectly.”

      Melody was curious about the tube-shaped gift from Diane. When she pulled the paper off, she discovered a tin kaleidoscope. “Neat,” she said, holding one end up to her eye and twisting the other end. A colorful burst of patterns shifted inside the tube. “Thanks, Diane.”

      Next was Val’s small box. Inside was a bright new set of jacks and a tiny rubber ball to go with them. “I know you lost one of your other set,” Val said.

      “I did.” Melody gave the ball a quick test bounce, and it flew right into Yvonne’s Afro. “Oops!” Melody made a sheepish face. Yvonne simply pulled the ball out, patted her hair back into place, and smiled.

      “No ball bouncing indoors!” Daddy said sternly, scooping the ball away from Yvonne. Then he reached to drop it back into its box, which Melody shut quickly. She moved on to her parents’ gift, which was wrapped in Christmas paper. It was heavier than she expected. What could it be? she wondered.

      “Be careful there,” Daddy warned. Melody slipped one finger under the lid and popped it off. Inside, nested in crumpled newspapers, was a green transistor radio.

      “Ohhh!” she sighed. “My very own radio. Now I can play the music stations I like whenever I want! Thank you, thank you!” Melody immediately turned the radio on and began turning the dial to tune in a station.

      Dwayne snapped his fingers when music began to play. “Isn’t this a dancing party?” He reached for Melody’s hand and pulled her up from the floor. “Come on, Dee-Dee Double Digits. Let’s dance!”

      Melody followed Dwayne’s smooth steps toward the dining room where the floor was clear. In seconds, Charles had gotten Tish up, Lila and Yvonne were moving to the beat, and Val and Sharon were doing a silly bird-like step.

      “Are you back to stay? Did you write any new songs? When are you going to make your own record?” Melody asked Dwayne all at once.

      “So many questions!” he laughed. “Am I on a quiz show?”

      “No,” Melody answered. “I missed you, that’s all.”

      “In that case, we’re in town for a few weeks to sing backup for some folks and work on a new song I wrote.”

      “How does it go?”

      Dwayne sang:

       Girl, it’s time that I move,

       Time for movin’ on up.

       Yeah, it’s time for my move,

       Time to start changing my luck.

      “Oh, that sounds good,” Melody said. “I like it.”

      “I do, too,” Dwayne told her. “I think it could be a hit. When we get studio time, I want you to sing it with me. I’m not kidding!”

      “I know,” Melody answered. “I’ll do it.” But right now she couldn’t imagine anything better than this wonderful moment.

      Dwayne took her by one hand and spun her around. She almost felt as if she were flying. Everyone was laughing. Her grandparents were clapping. She looked over her shoulder and saw her mother and father dancing, too. She closed her eyes to take a picture with her mind.