Week 5 Storytelling: Melodrama

The dim dive bar was smoky. Sita knew her throat would be dry tomorrow. The dark wooden paneling on the walls made the room feel smaller; it wasn't a comforting smallness until about four drinks in, usually. Ahalya and Sita went to the bar on Saturday nights to watch other people karaoke, stumbling drunkenly through lyrics they only half knew. It was endearing, watching people put their all into something that had no reward, other than the joy of belting into a microphone.

"You could do that, you know," Ahayla commented after a particularly drunk man had powered through a spot on rendetion of a Taylor Swift song. The shouting coming from his table was deafening. They were obviously enjoying themselves.

Sita shrugged. "We come to watch. You know I'm really not a performer."

Still Ahayla persisted. "Come on. You finally got rid of Rama. We're not just watching tonight. We're celebrating. If you sing something, you can pick a song for me too. As stupid as you want."

Sita sighed. "One more drink, first."

Ahalya clapped her hands and ordered drinks for the both of them while Sita bashfully went to the front to add their names to the list.

"Rum and Dr. Pepper," Ahalya announced when Sita returned to their spot at the bar.

"My hero." Sita rolled her eyes. "You know I hate you, right?"

"No you don't." Ahalya sipped her drink with smug satisfaction. "You love that I encourage you. You're too rigid."

"Rigid? Your ex used to say you were made of stone."

Ahalya laughed. "He did, didn't he? I completely forgot. Gosh that was so long ago. What an ass."

Sita was only halfway through her drink when the man working the karaoke system called her name.

"Just take it with you," Ahalya said, shooing Sita towards the stage.

"What are you singing?" The man seemed unenthused. His tip jar was mostly empty.

"Do you have Sober two by Lorde?"

"Yup."

Sita didn't sing loud. She didn't dance like some of the others. She enjoyed herself though. When she was through, Ahalya was screaming, and it was clear that she had filmed the whole thing on her phone. Sita made faces as she approached.

"Your turn."

Ahalya laughed even louder. "And what am I singing?"

Sita grinned. "I don't even know. You pick."

Ahalya ended up singing Don't Play by Halsey, belting the word 'motherfucker' proudly. She was edgy enough to pull it off; Sita would just feel silly. Before Sita knew it though, she was up singing again and again, enjoying it more and more. Ahalya pulled her into a duet. They sang until the bar closed, and sang all the way home.

Sita's throat was sore in the morning, but she didn't mind.

Author's Note: This was loosely inspired by Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley. Rather than singing the blues, though, Sita and Ahalya (the woman who was turned to stone) are friends at a bar, enjoying themselves. My girls just really deserve to enjoy themselves.

Source: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley, 2008.

Photo: Brown wood panel by Alexandre Boucher