The Canary
“So, what do you say doll? Can we sign you on for the year?”
Atop of the paper was her name, Mimi Ryer, written in black ink like so many other papers before them, confirming that the name on the page was the one she was stuck with. She had never liked her name, and hated it even more seeing it plastered on the billboards and papers that advertised her, but it seemed too late to throw it away now. This was her life, stuck in the endless cycle of signing these papers with a pen almost out of ink, singing for a crowd who barely knew her, seeing her name in lights that were too bright, all to appease other people.
“She’d love to, slide it over here,” her manager said. He was a dirty scumbag, a man who had dated her mother for a month and had brought her to the nearest stage the minute he found out she could sing. Her mother had been lucky, she left him as soon as she could for a bank worker; but Mimi was shackled to him, locked in a contract she had been too young to know would become her jail. His voice was as greasy as him, reminding Mimi of a dead fish she had once picked up at the market, slimy and smelly, with eyes that stared at her, unfeeling. Pen on paper she signed her name, hating how her signature looked even more than the typewriter font at the top.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Mimi,” the man said, his face so generic she didn’t even bother trying to remember it. Mimi took her leave after that, high-heeled feet trudging outside as she heard her manager and the man talking further, probably about prices, or worse, backstage privileges. Whatever it was, she didn’t want to be part of it, and chose rather to let the dimmed lights of the street turn her invisible. Mimi appreciated the streets, found them to be a comfort. She pulled a cigarette out, lighting it with a match she fished out from the bottom of her purse. She smiled at the people passing, their eyes downcast, uncaring of who she was. To them she was just another girl on the streets.
“Got an extra smoke?” a liquid voice flowed, causing Mimi to jump in surprise at the sudden flooding of the person’s voice into her drifting thoughts. Turning toward the voice, Mimi was greeted by a beautiful woman, her features reminding Mimi vaguely of a painting she had always loved as a child.
“Uh, oh yeah, here” Mimi stuttered, rooting around in her bag again for her cigarettes. Finally finding one, Mimi handed it over to the woman, feeling their fingers momentarily brush in the exchange. Mimi ripped her hand back, a sudden shyness flooding through her. The woman just laughed loudly, the sound echoing along the wall of the building in a way that comforted Mimi. “So, uh, what is your name?”
The woman did not answer at first, choosing rather to light the cigarette in her hand and take a drag from it, but as smoke billowed across her dark, red lips she finally spoke, “Dana Vason, though, if I’m being honest, I think my mom made that last name up at the hospital.” Mimi laughed at Dana, enjoying the vibrancy she seemed to radiate. “So, what brings a lonesome girl like you out this late, shouldn’t you be sipping fine champagne with a man in a penthouse suite?”
Mimi sobered at Dana’s question, glancing over her shoulder into the club where she could still see the two men she had left deciding her life without her, “Business, I suppose. Have to make an honest living.” Mimi laughed bitterly, taking the last drag of her cigarette and throwing the bud on the ground a little more aggressively than she intended. Dana followed Mimi’s eyes, staring at the two men for a moment, and then glancing up at the unfinished sign that read in bright yellow letters “Mimi Ryer co-“ the rest waiting to be put up.
“Oh damn, you’re THE Mimi Ryer?” Dana asked in astonishment, earning herself a light blush and a nod to her question. Dana smiled even brighter, excitement evident in her eyes that shown in renewed interest. “That’s amazing. I’ve heard your songs before on my friend’s record players, but I never knew you would be this beautiful.” Mimi blushed harder, not used to such a genuine compliment that was not wrapped in an ulterior motive. “If I can comment though, you don’t look very happy.”
Mimi looked at Dana in shock, unsure how to react to someone who showed actual interest in her happiness. “Well… No, no I’m not.” Mimi felt herself growing hot with rage as she admitted her unhappiness, the floodgate of her emotions she had kept so tight spilling now that she finally had an audience, “I hate it. That man in there took the love I had for something and destroyed it, treating me like some circus tiger that’s only purpose is to jump through hoops, just so he can earn a buck.”
Dana watched Mimi carefully, seeing the rage burn across her irises, and let the fire die down a bit before she spoke again, “Why not leave?”
“But... I’m in a contract”
“Leave anyways,” Dana said finitely, taking another drag from her cigarette as Mimi looked at her in confusion. Was it really that easy, she thought, could she just leave? “I’ll get you out of here if you want, little canary, this cage seems too small for you.” Mimi glanced back into the club seeing the two men shaking hands and laughing. Could she trust Dana, after all, she just met her. As Mimi contemplated this, she saw her manager walking toward the door, greasy hands stuffed in his pockets while his even greasier smile greeted her.
“Let’s go,” Mimi said with conviction, turning back to Dana who smiled, grabbing Mimi’s hand and dragging her down the street quickly, their heeled feet clicking as they ran. Mimi thought vaguely about how soft Dana’s hand was, but that thought was cut off quickly when the sound of her manager’s loud voice echoed behind her.
“Looks like he’s not ready to let you go,” Dana laughed, turning down a side road Mimi didn’t recognize. As they ran, Mimi felt her heart racing, breath coming in short shallow puffs, but even in her discomfort she had never felt more alive. Dana turned off the side road onto another main road, dragging Mimi around the corner so fast she almost lost her footing, but luckily Dana stopped, allowing Mimi to keep herself upright. “Here we go, hop in.” Dana said with a sweeping hand, she motioned to a red car Mimi had seen many people driving, including her manager at one point, but she could not name it further than the color.
“Is this yours?” Mimi asked, walking toward the vehicle with curiosity.
“Mimi you better get your ass back here or-“
“Get in!” Dana yelled, quickly opening the driver’s door as Mimi’s manager rounded the corner, his hair tousled giving him the look of a devil. Mimi reacted immediately, running toward the passenger’s side and flinging the door open and throwing herself in as Dana started the car up. “Hold tight.” Dana shifted the car, pressing down on the gas so fast it skidded for a moment, giving Mimi’s manager a chance to get closer to the door, but as he was about to yank the door open, the car shot forward, leaving him alone on the street in a cloud of car smoke. Watching him fade away, Mimi took note of how small he looked in the middle of the road, left with nothing but dust about him.
“Oh my god, we actually-- oh my god,” Mimi said in disbelief, turning around and leaning back in her seat as Dana laughed and cheered loudly, driving through the town so fast Mimi felt like she would get whiplash.
“Alright, canary bird, where to? I have a tank full of gas and an open road to explore,” Dana asked, turning on the radio and letting the upbeat jazz fill the car. Mimi smiled back, humming along to the song. Who knew where they would go, but Mimi was excited. She had been shackled for so long the mere thought of being on the road left her feeling giddy and as she looked at the beautiful features of Dana, drawn up in a smile that still held laughter, Mimi felt happy. “You’ll finally see freedom Mimi, you and me.” Hearing her name from Dana, Mimi suddenly loved it, the way the syllables bounced off her teeth playfully. For so long she had despised that name, but as Dana turned another corner, the car coasting passed the tall towers of the city into a long strip of road leading into the country, Mimi felt she could learn to love it again. Like Dana had said, she was a canary bird, but now she was out of the coal mine, heading for the green meadows beyond the quarry.
