SOUNDTRACKS

The huge church that could hold over a thousand people, held less than thirty that cold morning. Everyone sat far apart from each other in compliance with the laws regarding the 'sitting pattern during the pandemic', (even though it was only observed during morning masses). We looked at and listened to the priest, as he delivered his homily.

"There was a wedding that took place in the Cathedral. Right at the reception, the couple separated."

"Hmm!"

I didn't need to look around the church to know where the sound had come from. It was Auntie Susie reacting to the homily.

"And why? Because of food."

"Eww!" I looked in her direction in time to see her add a shake of her head.

"People that just got married could not exercise the virtues that had just been preached to them."

"Hmmm." This 'hmm' was different from the first. There was no sharpness to it. Just a long sigh.

"We come to church everyday, but fail to put what we hear into practice in our lives."

This time it was a clicking sound that went on for a few seconds. It was similar to my sister's go-to sound whenever she disagreed with something.

As the homily progressed, so did the commentary of sounds. Occasionally, other women would join her, but she was the main producer.

While a book I once read had called these sounds, the Right Noises, my sister and I called Auntie Susie's, soundtracks. When I had first heard the phrase, the right noises, it had been in connection with making out. It had gone along the lines of, "While his hands grazed, she made the right noises." Two words, such meaning.

In the ideal sense, no noise should be right since its own definition states that it is an unwanted sound. But there are no restrictions to the use of words, even those joined almost in unlawful matrimony like 'bittersweet'. And like the manner of usage in that book (I cannot even remember its title), these right noises have a variant that has proven its worth in our daily life. Another book referred to this variant as non-committal sounds. Also used in conversations, these sounds are used for fall back especially by those who are caught between not wanting to be rude and expressly refuse a conversation and do not, at the same time, engage in that conversation.

"Sarah called."

"Uh huh."

"She went into school today."

"Mmhmm."

"She'll come to my house."

"Hmm."

Sometimes, they are used for dramatic effect.

"And that was how I told him to leave my sight"

"Ah!"

" Yes o. No time to waste!"

Just like in every movie, the soundtracks add an essence, as well as in real life. Aunty Susie might never know, but her sounds add a peculiar spice to every mass she attends. Almost like a show, where a slight incident can make a whole event stick to memory, her soundtracks make the homily stick.