The Swan Chapter Six No One Preaches Like Pastore! A Musical Interlude by Andrea Lena DiMaggio   It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was going to be okay.

Pastor Pastore:
Who do they think they are?
Those freaks have tangled with the wrong man!

Elder Buffone:
Yep

Pastor Pastore:
No one comes into my church dressed like that
Shameful, Shocking
A public disgrace. Never in my life...

Buffone:
Are you alright?

Pastor Pastore:
What? No...It’s a slap in my face!

Buffone:
Who, you? Never! Pastor...you've got to do something.

No one preaches like you
No one teaches like you
Not a single one reaches the heights that you do
There's no one who is quite as pious
So perfect in ev-e-ry way
You speak to those people that try us
Those sinners that plague all of us ev’ry day

Buffone and Choir:
No one knows what you've seen
No’s been where you've been

Buffone:
No one points out just how awful when sinners sin
As a preacher you’re more than righteous!

Buffone and Choir:
Oh what a man our pastor!
Hal-le-lu-YAH
A-men, a-MEN

Buffone:
He'll take up the fight
Our pastor’s alright!

Choir:
No one shows us what’s true
No one does what you do!

Buffone:
No one wrestles with demons and angels like you!

Choir:
There's no one who's quite charismatic

Pastor Pastore:
As you see I've charisma to spare

Buffone:
No one living is quite empathetic

Pastor Pastore:
That's right!
I'm really the only one who'll really care!

Choir:
No one feeds us like you
Meets our needs like you do

Buffone:
No one comes close to being a savior like you.

Pastor Pastore:
I'm especially good at pontifficating
Ha!

Choir:
Praises galore for Pastore!

Pastor Pastore:
While in seminary I preached night and day
My biblical know-el-edge grew
And now that you've placed me in charge of your lives
I know best what's best for-ore you!

Choir:
Oh, ahhh, wow!
My what a mentor you are
You're preacher you are
Such a teacher you are

Buffone:
You're the number one sinner impeacher by far!

Pastor Pastore:
There's no one as expert at condemnation.

Choir:
We need nothing more!
Pastore!

 
“Noooo!” Annie screamed, sitting bolt upright in bed. Connie walked into the bedroom and went to Annie’s side.

“Honey…what’s wrong? Another nightmare?” Annie nodded as her father walked into the room.

"Somethings going to happen Mom...something bad."

"No, honey..it's just a nightmare."

Annie looked at her dad, whose expression was anything but pleased. He struggled with the fact that he no longer had a son but a daughter. Nodding in the doctor’s office was one thing. Setting aside fifteen years of dreams and hopes was something entirely different. Nevertheless he was determined to walk out his decision. No matter how he felt, he would love and accept his daughter, hoping the feelings would follow.

“Here….Andy...Annie, let me?” He pulled his daughter in for a comforting hug, receiving almost as much encouragement from her as she from him as they awkwardly embraced. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was going to be okay.

Colleen and Dina had just come out of the AMC Theater and were walking across the dark parking lot when a figure stepped in front of them.

“Well, if it isn’t the little fag?” Danny Carlin stood between Dina and Colleen and the car.”

“Go away, Danny…just go home, okay?” Colleen pled, holding her hands out.

“No…Me and the girly boy here have a score to settle. I heard about fucking freaks like you in church!” Danny seethed. He stepped toward Dina but Colleen stepped in between them.

“See…he can’t even fight a fight for himself. What a friggin’ fairy.” Danny went to push Colleen out of the way and she lost her balance and fell to the side walk, hitting her head on the pavement. Dina stepped closer to help Colleen and Danny reacted.

“Oh you want some of this?” Without waiting he punched Dina in the face, knocking her to the ground. He laughed and pointed until he noticed that neither girl moved. Danny looked down and saw blood coming from Dina’s nose. Colleen moaned and Danny panicked.

“Oh, fuck…shit shit….fuck…..” He danced around the two holding his hands in the air as if to plead for forgiveness. He looked at Colleen who was holding the back of her head and crying. Danny leaned over and cried.

“Colleen…I’m sorry…I’m sorry. Oh Christ I’m sorry.” Danny knelt over the two girls. Colleen had sat up but Dina hadn’t stirred. Danny stood up in a panic. He turned and came face to face with Ben Colavito and ….Jimmy McKenna.

“Fuck…Jimmy…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to…I didn’t mean to.” He turned and tripped over Dina before running down the block and around the corner.

“Shit…Ben…Call 911.” Jimmy said, tossing his cell to his friend. He got down on the ground and cradled Colleen in his arms.

“Col…Colleen…???” She looked into his eyes and muttered something before turning and facing Dina’s body.

“NOOOO…noooooo…..Jimmmmy…Dina…Dina!!!!” Colleen screamed. Ben leaned over Dina and turned to Jimmy.

“She’s breathing, but she’s out cold. Must have hit her head. The ambulance is on its way.” Colleen struggled to stand up.

“Sit down, Col. Don’t try to get up.” Jimmy held his sister in his arms and rocked her gently. She had calmed down and was sobbing softly into his chest.”

“It’s okay, honey…it’s gonna be okay.” Jimmy said, trying to convince himself as much as his sister.

The loud noise of the siren of the approaching ambulance did nothing to drown out Colleen’s sobs, but Jimmy hoped that it would be loud enough that Ben didn’t notice that Jimmy was sobbing too. He'd tried to be strong, but it was no use. He had taken every precaution for Colleen, but something bad happened anyway, despite his father's encouragement. What about his own life; his own secret? He tilted his head against Colleen’s and wept as he looked back and forth between Dina’s prostrate form and Ben Colavito, feeling closer to his friend Dina and hopelessly like a hypocrite and hoping that nothing like this would ever happen to him.

For the second time in a month, Marie Mangano stood in the waiting room of the Emergency Room at Mercy Hospital. And for as many times as well, a very sympathetic Persis Javit stood with her.

“She’s going to be alright. The punch just missed breaking her eye socket. She’ll have a huge bruise there for a while and her nose broken. She hit the back of her head and she’s got a concussion. We’ve moved her upstairs and you can go up after we’re finished here.”

“Mom? Mom….” Jack put his hand on his mother’s arm and spoke softly.

“Dad’s on his way from work and Tommy is getting a ride from one of the kids on the track team. I’ll wait down here and we’ll meet you upstairs. It’s going to be okay, Mom…right?” Jack pled as his eyes filled with tears. She turned to face him and hugged him. Her embrace gave him the safety and permission to finally feel, now that the adrenaline rush had subsided. He sobbed in her arms.

“Mommy…it’s my fault. Danny was talking about her in the cafeteria the other day and bragging. I should have said something but…I …..”

“You didn’t think Din was serious.” Pete Mangano had just walked into the waiting area and was standing behind his son.

“Jackie…neither did I…I didn’t want to think about it…I didn’t want to lose my boy…I was wrong…Your mom has been right all along…If anyone bears any blame it’s me. I’m her fa…a father.” Pete broke down and Marie hugged him, kissing his cheeks.

“We’re going to get through this. It is going to be okay.” In the midst of the pain and anger and gullt and sadness, Marie’s resolve broke through, energizing her family.

“Let’s go see our little girl!” She said as she wiped her face with her sleeve.

“How…how is she doing?” Jimmy and Colleen stood in the 2nd floor waiting room with Pete.

“She’s got a concussion and her face is very bruised and she’s got a broken nose. Who could do something like this?” Pete’s eyes were teary, but he maintained control.

“One of the kids in the neighborhood…he got it into his head that he was Colleen’s boyfriend…..”

“There’s something else…what is it…tell me, boy.” Pete wasn’t trying to be rude, but he was angry and scared and afraid.

“Mmmm.mmister Mangano?” Colleen put her hand on his arm.

“Tthhee…theres…sssome…something I have to tttelllyou.” She sobbed softly, trying to regain enough composure to continue. Jimmy put his arm around her and shushed her.

“It’s okay, Col…I’ll tell him, okay?” She nodded and he walked her to a chair where she sat down next to her brother Archie and her sister Maureen. Kellan McKenna was on his way from his job.

“There’s a guy in town…some church pastor has been preaching…against kids like Dina and your nephew. Col said that Danny said something about hearing it in church….freaks….fuck…oh sorry.”

Peter McKenna nodded and shook his head before uttering his own epithet.

“Sonofabitch!”

Next: The Beauty and the Freak

based on Gaston
from the movie, Beauty and the Beast
words and music by
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhG9hKiplfQ