18. Trinity’s New Testament #4
“Trenton Sarantino made a romantic comedy about Bigfoot, and he knocked it out of the park,” Ronald said.
“I trust him to handle the Big Guy’s biopic more than most televangelists.
Plus, just imagine the craft services. I bet they’ll have black liquorice, gummy fish, and ketchup chips on speed-dial. ”
“We have to,” Rebekkah said simply. “We have to. After everything? After the arson and the CSIS investigation and after Ricky Martin basically stalked us about Livin’ La Vida Santo. After Micah! After not taking the bus to Los Angeles…”
“Or Toronto,” Japheth chipped in.
“After Ronald not joining the Harlem Globetrotters,” Rebekkah continued.
“After Emma-Lou’s parents disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle,” Suwarna jumped on the bandwagon, “and then emerging we’re not quite sure where but evidently, they remembered to wear their life jackets. It’s okay, we can say that word again. By the way! You should all be wearing yours!”
“We haven’t left the dock,” Carrington shrugged.
Suwarna simply pointed to a sign that read, Life Jackets Shall Be Worn while sailing, docking, eating, drinking, sleeping, singing, broadcasting, shaving… the list continued for a while until it was all very small print.
“After we started to get listeners and advertisers, after we started to gel musically, and after we finally started having fun and believing in ourselves,” Rebekkah continued.
“And being ourselves,” Japheth smiled.
“After all that? This is the universe, no this is God saying, ‘Hey you, hey humans, do you wanna go even bigger?’”
“We just launched a pirate radio station on a boat,” Japheth pointed out. “How much bigger are you thinking?”
Rebekkah grinned, eyes bright with the kind of sparkle that had terrified and delighted Japheth for years.
She adopted a nondescript accent that could have been nearly believable as either Tennessean or Yonkers, “Hollywood North, baby! I’m seeing our names in lights! I’m seeing our stars in cement!”
The ON AIR light was still glowing. Out there, in living rooms and coffee shops and maybe one slightly shabby chic cottage kitchen where a blonde-banged woman stood twisting a dish towel in her hands, people were listening.
Rebekkah leaned into the mic, regaining her broadcaster poise with a little effort after all the excitement and said, “We are going to take a quick musical break while we all internally scream about something we’re not allowed to tell you yet.
In the meantime, here’s a little number about saying yes when the Holy Spirit, or the casting director, lets you know you’re on their mind. ”
Japheth leaned in for a further share, “It’s about rising up when you hear adventure calling and deciding to be louder than your own fear.
This one’s an original and it’s really personal to us because if you hadn’t heard, we’ve been through a lot!
But we’re still here, proudly queer with more than a few allies.
Turn it up and feel free to bust a move to this groove. It’s called Ashes? Never Heard of Her.”
Ronald slid faders. Their pre-recorded track started, filling the Ark and the airwaves with a disco beat and shameless hope. As Ashes? Never Heard of Her played, Trinity ripped off their headsets and huddled together in the cramped space between the mixing board and the couch drowning in pillows.
“Okay,” Ronald said, “one way or another…”
“Or some other way we’re not thinking of yet,” Rebekkah added.
“We have to be in that movie,” Japheth finished.
They stuck their hands in the middle, and Ronald readied them, “On three! One, two, three!”
“Trinity!” they shouted.
Outside, Rino laid down on the dock and rested his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky.
He listened to the muffled laughter and cheers spilling overboard and the music from his boyfriend’s band playing out of the rigged-up megaphone on the mast. He thought about the weird little station his money and their madness had made possible.
He chased the clouds through the blue skies over Greater Napanee and, for the first time in a long time, felt like the future might not only be prosperous but a heck of a lot of fun.
Before he knew it, his toes were tapping along to Ashes?
Never Heard of Her and by the second chorus Rino was singing along,
“We rise up, rise up, louder than fear
Every past doubt finally brought us here
Side by side by side, it’s crystal clear
We rise up, rise up and sail away from this pier.
We found love, found strength, found our voice
Every setback led us right to this choice
Now the whole world’s gonna hear the noise
We rise up, rise up–everybody rejoice!
We’re risin’ our way back to joy, now
Thought all hope was gone, but we survived
Showin’ and growin’ love out loud now
No way that we’d run and hide
Won’t let this ship drift away
Together, stronger every day
With every voice and every prayer
Spreading joy to the world–we swear!
Spreading joy to the world–like a flare!
Spreading joy to the world–love to share!
Spreading joy to the world and everywhere!
We were down in the dust, hearts heavy and tired
Carried all the weight, walked through the fire
Thought we lost the way somewhere in the muck
But we pushed right through, didn’t give a F—
We found the ashes, then started to blow
Didn’t know for sure, if they’d ever glow
But one tiny spark grew into a flame
And nothing, no nothing, could keep us the same
We’re risin’ our way back to joy, now
Thought all hope was gone, but we survived
Showin’ and growin’ love out loud now
No way that we’d run and hide
Won’t let this ship drift away
Together, stronger every day
With every voice and every prayer
Spreading joy to the world–we swear!
Spreading joy to the world–like a flare!
Spreading joy to the world–love to share!
Spreading joy to the world and everywhere!
There were nights I thought I was to blame
Didn’t think I’d ever outrun the shame
But you saw me clearly through all the doubt
And showed me what love’s really about
I was lost, tryin’ to stand alone
Now measure this man, see how he’s grown.
I was scared of time, didn’t wanna get old
Now I see the future in stories untold.
We’re risin’ our way back to joy, now
Thought all hope was gone, but we survived
Showin’ and growin’ love out loud now
No way that we’d run and hide
Won’t let this ship drift away
Together, stronger every day
With every voice and every prayer
Spreading joy to the world–we swear!
Spreading joy to the world–like a flare!
Spreading joy to the world–love to share!
Spreading joy to the world and everywhere!
If you’ve been knocked down, get up again
If you lost your faith, let it start within
If you feel alone, hear us say
You’ve got friends in us today.
We believe in you–(we believe!)
You believe in me–(You believe!)
We believe in love–(set it free!)
A high tide lifts all boats,
That’s the way it’s meant to be!
We’re risin’ our way back to joy, now
Thought all hope was gone, but we’re alive!
Showin’ and growin’ love out loud now
No way that we’d run and hide
Won’t let this ship drift away
Together, stronger every day
With every voice and every prayer
Spreading joy to the world–we swear!
Spreading joy to the world–like a flare!
Spreading joy to the world–love to share!
Spreading joy to the world and everywhere!
Yeah, we’re risin’… (we’re risin’!)
Yeah, we’re risin’… (feel the love now!)
From the ashes to the light
We’re gonna shine,
We’re on fire tonight!
Yeah, we’re risin’ our way back to joy, now
Together… we rise.”
LISTEN to Ashes? Never Heard of Her
The Ark bobbed gently on the river, tethered but free, its antenna catching invisible currents in the air and throwing them back in the form of jokes and songs and messy, sometimes earnest but always earned faith.
Behind them in town lay the ashes of WWJD.
Ahead of them–the endless certainty of crests and troughs of the waves of whatever came next.
Somewhere in the speckled jade and navy of the Thousand Islands, listening to a cottage’s kitchen radio, Emma-Lou laughed through her tears and hoped for the town’s forgiveness.
Somewhere in the bustle and hustle of a Toronto production office, an over-caffeinated production assistant put a pin in a map labelled NAPANEE and scribbled, Weird local radio people? Worth a look and a listen.
And on a boat that was also a radio station that was also, somehow a community church, three fast friends and their found family leaned toward the future with hearts open, absolutely unqualified, gloriously and blissfully unprepared, yet very much ready for all that might come next.
The End (for now)