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2004-06-01
9:05 a.m.
BEVR: CHELL/AI-3 FINAL�S NIGHT, GREENSBORO, NC, MAY 26, 2004
The evening started with Cindy DB, her mom, my mom and I arriving at the coliseum. We had been on the phone all afternoon with Cotton and Shine and knew we didn't have to worry about seats with two Broads at the front of the line. We got into the coliseum, found them and realized that we should have worried at least a little. There weren't enough seats for all of us. Our moms; however, handled this gracefully and planted themselves in seats a few rows above us. As we sat, Shine and Cotton informed us that Clay had just left the area near the stage. He was talking on the phone and "Gahhhh", he had on shorts. OMG, I was gonna' see his legs! Be still my heart! We waited anxiously to see if Mr. Downy Ball would return. HE DID! And, gurrls, let me tell you, I have never seen a cuter, whiter pair of legs in all my life! I had all kinds of thoughts that would have made Mr. Aiken blush.
As Clay took the stage, he announced that the night was about Fantasia. He asked that we not call his name or make him the center of attention. The crowd responded to this favorably and then Baby was gone.
What you saw on the show was, in some ways, a warped view of Clay's demeanor that night. The Broads and other Clay fans around us all commented on the fact that he just didn't "seem" happy. During the off-air times, he hardly ever smiled. We pondered whether or not he was being "low-key" so as not to become the attraction but after much observation and conversation, we agreed that it appeared something else was going on.
There were glimmers of concert-Clay. My favorite moment of the night was watching him dance with the kids at the front of the stage. For a brief moment, he seemed to be having fun. But, the moment ended very quickly and we all waited to see if it would return. It did for another brief moment when Ryan announced that Fantasia had won. There was pandemonium in the coliseum. Even those of us who liked her but hadn't bothered to vote were overjoyed. For once, they got it right. And Clay was happy! That was beautiful to see. He was smiling for another brief moment. But once again, it faded much too fast. As he stood there waiting for his last on-air appearance, his body became rigid again. The smile faded. And, when that last appearance never happened, we all paid the ultimate price. As soon as the show ended, so did our time with Clay. He walked across the stage, said goodnight and was gone.
We were stunned! There was an eerie silence in the arena (or was it just in my head?) Was that it? Was he really gone? We stood there for a second before finally realizing that our time with him was over. It was time to go home.
I loved every minute that he was out there with us. But, I missed the banter, the snarkiness, the Clay-love that I've grown accustomed to receiving. I worried, I think we all did, that Baby had withdrawn somehow. He seemed guarded. I pray it's only temporary. The Cummer Tour is right around the corner for some of us. Take good care of "Our Man". I think he needs us now more than ever.
Written by: Chell
Pictures courtesy of Shine in NC Posted By: Wendy in FL blog comments powered by Disqus