Chapter 30
The Light Before the Stage
Danguole prepares for and conducts a phone interview with journalist Urtė from Vilnius Daily, facing questions about the youth track's feasibility and her personal journey. After the interview, she receives a call from Councilwoman Petraitytė, who announces that the presentation has been moved to a larger venue with expanded media coverage, forcing Danguole to confront her fears of visibility and the scale of her commitment.
The alarm rang at six, but I was already awake. The text from Urtė sat on my phone like a sealed envelope, waiting to be opened. I had agreed to the interview at ten, and now the hours stretched before me like a runway I had to cross.
I made coffee, strong and black, and sat at my desk with the press kit spread out before me. Laura had formatted the compact into a one-page flyer. Aldonza had polished the curriculum overview. Mr. Kvedaras had sent the budget breakdown, annotated with his careful notes. The folder felt like a living thing, breathing with the effort of all those hands.
I rehearsed possible questions. Why this program? What makes you qualified? How will you measure success? I wrote answers in the margins, then crossed them out. Aldonza had said to be honest. Laura had said to be transparent. I decided to let the story speak for itself.
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