I recently did tech for a production of the play "The Curious Savage" by
John Patrick. If you've seen it, you know it's one of those plays that
can't really end happily. It's been bugging me for a while, so I decided to
write a continuation of it. This play doesn't belong to me, and I won't be
making any money off of this story, but enjoy it anyway.
The Picture Album
"Hannibal, that was wonderful!" Florence exclaimed, as he finished his sawing, two-note recital. Jeff wondered if she and Fairy were both tone deaf, or if they pretended just the way he did. Ever since Mrs. Savage had left, he had begun to notice just how much pretending went on in their wing of The Cloisters. Fairy, Hannibal, Mrs. Paddy and he pretended Florence's doll was really her dead son John Thomas, Everyone pretended Hannibal could play the violin, that Fairy was really beautiful, though she was not, that they were free to leave, though none of them really were. He wondered what sort of pretending they did for his sake.
"Jeff," Doctor Emmett said, drawing him out of his thoughts, "Have you seen Miss Willie this morning? She came in here to clean several hours ago, and I haven't seen her since."
"No, I haven't." he replied,
"Neither have I," Hannibal said, putting away his violin.
"Oh! Maybe we should search for her!" Fairy exclaimed, "I've always wanted to be part of a search party, What fun!"
"Oh, Fairy, really, Miss Willie doesn't need to be searched for." Florence rebuked her.
"Actually, Florence, maybe this time she does." Doctor Emmett replied, thoughtfully. "Will all of you search your rooms?"
"Of course," Hannibal replied.
"Come Mrs. Paddy, we've got to find her." Fairy giggled, reaching for the sullen woman's hand.
Jeff followed the others out of the room. He slowly walked up the stairs, uncovering the scar on his face only long enough to turn the knob of his bedroom door. He looked quickly about the green walls, and saw Miss Willie sitting on the floor in the corner, looking at a picture album that he'd forgotten he had. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, and almost came when she saw him standing in the doorway.
"Hello, Bingo," she said softly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, sitting next to her.
She nodded weakly. "Yes, this album just brought back memories, that's all."
"What?" he asked. "How on earth could my album bring back memories?"
She cringed, realizing her mistake. "I was an army nurse, remember? Some of these pictures were taken during the war," she tried to amend quickly, shutting the book.
Jeff took it from her, "Let me see."
He turned the pages slowly, with his left hand. There were a few shots of him in his uniform, of Miss Willie as well, more of the two of them together. One of his squadron taken the day before his plane was shot down. One of Miss Willie and him on their wedding day. He closed the book. Tears began to fall from Willie's face.
"I can't ignore it anymore," he said, quietly. "They're all dead. They've been dead for five years." He nodded, slowly, as if he had made a decision. "I can't let it hold me back anymore." Willie sobbed. He put his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Willie, you know I am. Five years, what a stupid fool I am."
She looked up from his shoulder and placed her hand on his right cheek, feeling where he had thought the scar to be all these years. He put his hand on hers, as if to pull it away, and then stopped, and felt the ring on her finger.
"Oh, Bingo," she said.
"I'm not good enough for you, Willie, truly I'm not. You waited five years for me. I really don't deserve you."
"Yes you do, Jeff, I've never loved anyone else."
Doctor Emmett stopped at the door, hearing the last bit of their conversation. He smiled, then turned on his heels and walked out the door. It was time for him to talk to Dr. Johnson about effecting the release of Jeffery Meredith.
The Picture Album
"Hannibal, that was wonderful!" Florence exclaimed, as he finished his sawing, two-note recital. Jeff wondered if she and Fairy were both tone deaf, or if they pretended just the way he did. Ever since Mrs. Savage had left, he had begun to notice just how much pretending went on in their wing of The Cloisters. Fairy, Hannibal, Mrs. Paddy and he pretended Florence's doll was really her dead son John Thomas, Everyone pretended Hannibal could play the violin, that Fairy was really beautiful, though she was not, that they were free to leave, though none of them really were. He wondered what sort of pretending they did for his sake.
"Jeff," Doctor Emmett said, drawing him out of his thoughts, "Have you seen Miss Willie this morning? She came in here to clean several hours ago, and I haven't seen her since."
"No, I haven't." he replied,
"Neither have I," Hannibal said, putting away his violin.
"Oh! Maybe we should search for her!" Fairy exclaimed, "I've always wanted to be part of a search party, What fun!"
"Oh, Fairy, really, Miss Willie doesn't need to be searched for." Florence rebuked her.
"Actually, Florence, maybe this time she does." Doctor Emmett replied, thoughtfully. "Will all of you search your rooms?"
"Of course," Hannibal replied.
"Come Mrs. Paddy, we've got to find her." Fairy giggled, reaching for the sullen woman's hand.
Jeff followed the others out of the room. He slowly walked up the stairs, uncovering the scar on his face only long enough to turn the knob of his bedroom door. He looked quickly about the green walls, and saw Miss Willie sitting on the floor in the corner, looking at a picture album that he'd forgotten he had. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, and almost came when she saw him standing in the doorway.
"Hello, Bingo," she said softly.
"Are you alright?" he asked, sitting next to her.
She nodded weakly. "Yes, this album just brought back memories, that's all."
"What?" he asked. "How on earth could my album bring back memories?"
She cringed, realizing her mistake. "I was an army nurse, remember? Some of these pictures were taken during the war," she tried to amend quickly, shutting the book.
Jeff took it from her, "Let me see."
He turned the pages slowly, with his left hand. There were a few shots of him in his uniform, of Miss Willie as well, more of the two of them together. One of his squadron taken the day before his plane was shot down. One of Miss Willie and him on their wedding day. He closed the book. Tears began to fall from Willie's face.
"I can't ignore it anymore," he said, quietly. "They're all dead. They've been dead for five years." He nodded, slowly, as if he had made a decision. "I can't let it hold me back anymore." Willie sobbed. He put his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Willie, you know I am. Five years, what a stupid fool I am."
She looked up from his shoulder and placed her hand on his right cheek, feeling where he had thought the scar to be all these years. He put his hand on hers, as if to pull it away, and then stopped, and felt the ring on her finger.
"Oh, Bingo," she said.
"I'm not good enough for you, Willie, truly I'm not. You waited five years for me. I really don't deserve you."
"Yes you do, Jeff, I've never loved anyone else."
Doctor Emmett stopped at the door, hearing the last bit of their conversation. He smiled, then turned on his heels and walked out the door. It was time for him to talk to Dr. Johnson about effecting the release of Jeffery Meredith.