Songs

Years ago, Stevie Wonder recorded an album titled, Songs in the Key of Life.  The title seems apropos for this segment of stories.  Come along as we explore some of the songs that add to the flavor of the conversations or situations that Evangeline Williamson and John McBain encounter in their relationship. Some songs may be original by the original artist and some might be covers of the original song done by other singers.  

Song 1

Music playing in the background - Queens Cast, Brandy - Wrecking Ball (Official Video).  View it on Youtube 5PePLP6glnA.  Cover of the Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball song.

Evangeline confronts John about Cristian, 9/23/2005
 
A line from that scene really stands out. John says, “And if my memory serves correct, you ended it with me, you ended it with me …”
 
 
Evangeline looks at John and stares at him so hard and so long because she can’t believe that he justifies his actions with that statement.
 
No longer able to repress her anger, or overcome her frustration or quell her sadness she slowly and purposefully responds,
 
“Don’t you ever say, I just walked away.  I will always want you.  All I ever wanted was to break your walls.  All you ever did was wreck me.”
 
She finally realizes that she never knew John at all.  How could she have been so wrong about him.  She loved him so much and was willing to take him ‘at face value’ but it was all false.

Songs
 
Song 2
 
“At My Best”, Machine Gun Kelly w/Haile Steinfeld. YouTube, tgvbhxb9yk8
 
The guys all meet at Angel Square Park but none of them know why the others are there too.  They each received a note from Evangeline asking them to meet her there but with no mention that any of the other men would also be in attendance.  They start talking with each trying to figure out why she wanted to see them together.  At first, they don’t see her but then Todd sees here in a far corner of the park sitting on a bench.  He points her out to the other men, and they all walk towards her.
 
From her vantage point Evangeline saw each of the men as they arrived in the park.  She chose this exact bench so that she could watch their arrival.  She knew that they would question each other as to why the other was there.  It amused her to see their puzzled facial expressions.
 
Todd was exasperated.  He thought that he would have her all to himself.  He had not spoken with her in a few days because they were both so busy with work and because when last he spoke with her, they argued, and he felt bad about that.
 
John was surprised to receive a note from her.  They had not spoken for some time, not from lack on trying on his part, but she has kept her distance from him.  When last they spoke, she told him that she didn’t want to talk with him again until he had something worthwhile to say to her, meaning the truth about his feelings. 
 
Cristian knew something was amiss with her because after all that he had done to support her while she was blind, she did not encourage him when he wanted to take the relationship to a more romantic level.
 
Antonio had no idea why she wanted to meet with him.  He had not spoken with her at any length for several weeks.  Maybe that was the problem.  After all that she had done to help him gain custody of his daughter and to free his brother, he didn’t have time for her anymore.
 
 
They all approach her bench at the same time and start talking.  She looks at each of them without responding and they get the message that she is in command of this conversation. 
 
“Since my recovery from the coma all of you, each of you in your own way, have so vocally informed me of how I now respond to or do things is ‘not how Evangeline would do that’. I AM EVANGELINE!  You’ve all been through things, Todd you were executed, Cristian you were brainwashed, John you almost died in a car crash, and Antonio your battles with RJ and Tess would change anyone.  And let me tell you from observation that each of you have changed in some way.  But did I come at any of you the way that you have responded to me!  I was left for dead and lapsed into a coma.  You all got to see that, but I lived it!  So let me make this clear to you, ‘I shout, I swear, I get angry, I get scared/ I fall, I break, I mess up, I make mistakes/ But if you can’t take me at my worst/ You don’t deserve me at my best’”
 
With those words Evangeline leaves the park. Those four men stand there looking at each other and shake their heads and smile.  ‘Now that’s Evangeline!’ they all say together.

Song 3

“Wait for You” by Elliot Yamin, on Youtube, xaHyvAMLk7U

Reference the episode that aired on 5/21/07 when John learns that Evangeline is in the hospital after being gassed at Cristian’s studio.  

John stands in the doorway of Evangeline’s hospital room as Layla and Cristian stand around the bed where lies Evangeline.  A multitude of regrets overwhelm him.  He wonders if they had never broken up would she have been spared this.  Memories of the many moments that they shared flash through his mind.  Their first meeting in Angel Square, their first kiss and the time that they were intimate in Mary Barnes’ basement.  Why couldn’t he tell her how he really felt about her?  He tried when they were in the park after they encountered each other at the Love Center, as John returned to survey the crime scene and Evangeline returned to see the spot where she survived near death after being tied up and the area around her feet set ablaze to ultimately consume her.  He told her that she was all that he ever wanted, and she challenged him to prove it and his response was to kiss her, but she told him that was not enough.  He even showed up at her apartment one night after drinking enough to get wasted and said that he didn’t want to lose her, but he didn’t do anything to keep her.  And now is it too late?

John knows the loss of losing someone for whom he cares.  He lost his father and his fiancé.  He does not want to lose Evangeline again.  In that moment he avows that he will be there for her through recuperating from this trauma.  He will be there for her whether she wants him to or not.  He has given up too easily so many times with her, but this will not be one of those times.

John knows that it will not be an easy journey for him or for her.  There is the police case to resolve and there is the medical case.  He must find out who did this to her, and she must recover.  He will not accept defeat in either case.  His life depends on succeeding in both cases.

“So baby I will wait for you/Cause I don't know what else I can do/Don't tell me I ran out of time/If it takes the rest of my life/I’ll wait for you”

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  

A year later

It’s not what he really wanted but he had no choice.  The risks were too great and, he could not afford to take any chances or involve anyone else.  Never did he think that it would take this long.  This was tearing him apart.  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the guilty parties were brought to justice, and he could finally breathe.  

Without a moment’s thought he drove like a man possessed to the only place where he would find ‘peace’.  It had been months since the last time that he had a chance to visit but nothing could keep him away this day.  His heart was pounding in his chest just thinking about what was about to happen.

It was dark by the time that he arrived.  There was one light illuminated in the upstairs bedroom.  He let himself in with his key and walked upstairs.  He didn’t waste any time by turning on any lights because he could find his way blindfolded.

He opened the door and his eyes fell upon the delight of his heart.  Finally, all was right in his world. The wait was over!  

Song 4

A - (Bill Withers – “Lean On Me”, YouTube, dtC1W-6hwIU)

They stand there, face to face, each trying to convince the other that their opinion is the right one.  Neither wants to yield but they both know that one of them must yield for them to move forward.  These two have been through things together that no one else can understand.  

“Why can’t I go with you?  I know Chicago.  I have contacts who might assist us.  You can’t go alone.  You tend to barge in and ask questions later and this time it may cause more harm than good.  I thought that we had decided that I would go with you to help find your son.  What changed your mind, Todd?”

Todd anticipated her question and had an answer ready.

“Evangeline, I can’t risk it with you.  I may need to do some things of which you might not approve, and I don’t have the luxury of wasting time justifying my actions to you.  Please understand that I am looking out for your best interests.”

Evangeline’s brows raised when Todd said, ‘wasting time justifying my actions’ and in any other instance she would have taken offense, but she knew that Todd was really thinking about her.  

“That’s exactly why you need me to go with you.  I can keep you focused and help you find solutions of which we both will approve.  You bend the rules when you rush into things and yes, we probably won’t have time to discuss every decision, but we can minimize the ones that break the law.  Before you make your final decision let me say this, you have been there for me Todd, when I was blind, when I needed encouragement, you were there with your wise cracks to make me laugh.  Let me be here for you now.”

Just as Todd began to respond he heard Evangeline say,

‘Lean on me/When you’re not strong/And I’ll be your friend/I’ll help you carry on/For it won’t be long/Till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on

Just call on me brother/When you need a hand/We all need somebody to lean on

If there is a load you have to bear/That you can’t carry/I’m right up the road/I’ll share your load/If you just call me’

Todd couldn’t help but smile and just shook his head.  “Okay friend, let’s go find my son.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

B - (“Friends”, Kevin Olusola cover of song by Marshmello & Anne-Marie, YouTube zD9Sddo0IlY)  

The Capricorn Club wasn’t too crowded tonight, but it was busy.  Antonio was working in his office and Layla was mingling with the customers.  The music was good and if only she could enjoy it, but she knew that she could not delay doing this any longer.  She tried several times to make her point clear, but it wasn’t working.  This was a last-ditch effort because she couldn’t take this any longer. Gee, golly she was the one who had been blind, but she could see well enough to know that the two of them would not work.  She tried talking to him in private but that didn’t work, as a matter he grew quite aggressive in trying to convince her that she was wrong, and she would not risk that again.  

So here she is in a public venue, hoping that such a surrounding will temper his response.  Finding a booth reasonably situated should she need to make a quick exit; she awaits his arrival.  The wait was not long.

“Okay I’m here Evangeline.  What did you want to talk about?  I already told you that you are wrong about us.  We would be good together.  Why won’t you give me a chance?”

“As I said before Cristian, I don’t feel that way about you.  I know that you were there for me when I was blind, and I really appreciate all that you did for me then, but I don’t have any romantic feelings for you.”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?  You didn’t seem to mind me being there when you were blind but now you just want to kick me to the curb now that you have your sight?  I know that you feel something for me Evangeline.  You’re just confused.”

Evangeline had to breathe deeply and count to ten before responding.  This would not be pretty for either of them, but she could not allow Cristian to continue misinterpreting her actions.  She said:

‘Don’t go look at me with that look in your eye/You really ain’t going away without a fight/You can’t be reasoned with,/I’m done being polite/I’ve told you, one, two, three, four, five, six thousand times/Haven’t I made it obvious?/Haven’t I made it clear?/

Want me to spell it out for you?/F-R-I-E-N-D-S/ F-R-I-E-N-D-S’

Evangeline knew from the look on Cristian’s face that he finally understood that friendship was all that he would get from her and if he pressed the issue that he wouldn’t have even that.

Song 5

“Lady” by Kenny Rogers, written by Lionel Richie, see on YouTube ZYRfUoR9Q4Y

John and Evangeline

Through their many ups and downs they have always found their way back to each other.  So many times they both lost hope of ever finding true love and happiness but their faith in God and each other allowed them to prevail.  And now they see the evidence of their love made manifest.  In this moment he tells her what is in his heart. 

“Lady, I'm your knight in shining armor and I love you

You have made me what I am and I am yours

My love, there's so many ways I want to say "I love you"

Let me hold you in my arms forevermore”

Antonio and Layla

A relationship that began as a ruse to help him to gain custody of his daughter Jamie, blossomed into love.  Not to say that it didn’t have its stops and starts and doubts and regrets but after all of that they both realized that they were good for each other.  She challenged him and he fought hard to break through the shell that she had built around her heart.  This new life was unexpected but never doubt that it is welcomed.

“You have gone and made me such a fool

I'm so lost in your love

And, oh, we belong together

Won't you believe in my song?”

Todd and Simone (original character, a lawyer in Evangeline’s firm)

He never saw this coming.  So set in his ways he thought that his life was to be one of misery, but his best friend made it her mission to help him find happiness.  Setting him up on a blind date that turned into a lifelong commitment.  And he has been so rewarded for his patience.  A new Manning is in the fold, and he could not be happier.

“Lady, for so many years I thought I'd never find you

You have come into my life and made me whole

Forever, let me wake to see you each and every morning

Let me hear you whisper softly in my ear”

Bo and Nora 

Their back and forth was like a bad movie.  He had others and she had others and yet there was this invisible pull between the two of them to be together.  They were their own worst enemies in the relationship.  Finally the light lit in both their hearts at the same time and thank goodness because their friends were getting tired of their nonsense.  And believe it or not so were they.  This time he made certain that he made it clear just what she meant to him.  And a new Buchanan was added to the mix.

“In my eyes, I see no one else but you

There's no other love like our love

And yes, oh, yes, I'll always want you near me

I've waited for you for so long”

All of the men express their undying love to their wives and the mothers of their children 

John, the husband of Evangeline and the father of Dylan McBain

Antonio, the husband of Layla and the father of Roberto Vega Santi

Todd, the husband of Simone and the father of Noelle Manning

Bo, the husband of Nora and the father of Ashleigh Buchanan

“Lady, your love's the only love I need

And beside me is where I want you to be

'Cause, my love, there's somethin' I want you to know

You're the love of my life

You're my lady”

(A/N: The children listed are the newly born additions to the families)

Song 6

The four best friends, Dylan McBain, Roberto Vega Santi, Noelle Manning, and Ashleigh Buchanan are loved and cherished by their families.  They can be mischievous sometimes, as all children can be, but for the most part they are kind and considerate and well behaved.

This was the day that they had been waiting for and they cannot contain their excitement.  Three months ago while they all were at the Buchanan house their babysitter Destiny  Evans introduced them to something so wonderful they have not been able to resist doing it almost every day.  

During that evening, months ago, they heard for the first time a sound so beautiful that they were mesmerized.  Destiny shared with them a YouTube video that introduced them to music so spectacular that they just felt that they had to be a part of such an experience.  So for the last three months every day, at each of their homes, they watched that video again and again and any other videos that their parents could find of the same type of music.  For ones so young they had acquired a taste not common to those in their age group.

They never thought that they could have that same wondrous experience face to face.  But leave it to their beautiful mothers to provide an opportunity to share that experience live.  It just so happened that the performance that they viewed on YouTube was coming to Philadelphia and they would have their wishes granted.

So they are all dressed in their finery and the mothers rented a van to transport everyone and they arrived at the sold-out matinee performance on time and found their seats.  No one had to be reminded not to talk during the performance because the four darlings were transfixed on watching the performance.  Some moments they would look at each other with big smiles on their faces and then immediately return to watching the stage.  

After the performance they had a surprise waiting for them.  Auntie Nora had arranged for them to meet the singer and the little ones almost tripped over themselves trying to hug her to thank her for such a treat.  Backstage they met with the singer who had enthralled them with his performance.  He was so kind and thanked them for coming to the performance.  They thanked him profusely for sharing his talent and wished him much continued success.  

After a stop for a brief meal they returned to Llanview to meet at the Manning home for dinner because the fathers wanted to hear all about the trip.  Layla and Simone thought that the children would be tired, but they were still so excited, and they wanted to tell their dads about everything.

Needless to say between chewing and talking it was a delightful evening and everyone went home totally satisfied with the day.  The children will never forget this trip and the parents are so glad to have been able to share the experience with their children, either in person or as a listener to their child’s delight.

Everyone agrees that music is powerful and universal.

This selection focuses more on the performer, Malakai Bayoh.  A treble singer in London, England.  Treble refers to the high frequency tone of a boy ages eight to sixteen while soprano refers to the high voice or higher pitch of a female.

These two YouTube videos display his beautiful voice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05p9m_Tr_qc – Mozart solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0jNsQUWKBw  - Handel solo