It's a Wonderful Terry Terry Life…
Terry was sad and drinking like hole. He lived alone. His fiancée had left him, when she saw that he would never be in love with her and would never marry her. Life was too short to waste your time uselessly. Terry was realizing the mess he had made of his life. He had broke up with the woman he loved, for a woman he didn't love. It didn't make much sense… His passion for the theatre, he didn't care anymore, because it was for her he wanted to act… What was he doing in the universe? He was alive, but he was unhappy… the world could've been better place without him…
- I wish I was never born…, he said.
He took the glass he had in his hand and he threw it against the wall of his apartment. The glass broke into a thousand pieces, messing up the wall by the same occasion. He will have to clean that up… he went to sit on the couch in his living room. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. He heard some noice and he opened his eyes. He saw the window of his living room opened and a cold wind coming in. He stood up to go close it and breathe a little fresh air, because he felt like puking. He took a deep breath and then he closed the window. He turned around and was startled. Someone was there…
- Who's there? He asked.
The person came closer and Terry was able to see his face.
- Alistair?
- Good evening Terry.
- I must be dreaming, because you're dead, right?
- I came to see you for a reason.
- I must've really drank too much, If I'm talking with someone who's dead… what are you doing here? Did you come to get me?
- I'm not the angel of death, fortunately for you…
- Fortunately? I feel like dying because life doesn't make any sens…
- What about Candy?
- We broke up… don't you get the memo up there?
- I know that you broke up… what is she going to think about you?
- I'm a looser! I'm useless… I wish I never existed.
- Be careful what you wish for…
- What do you mean by that?
- I mean that your wish is granted…
- What wish?
- For a moment, I'm going to show the world without Terrence Granchester…
- You're the inventor… the world might be different without you, you might have invented something very useful in the world… butme? An actor… there are a lot of actors in the world…
- Don't sell yourself short Terry, you're important…
- Me? For whom?
- For those who love you… you marked their lives…
- Really? Like whose?
- Let's start at the very beginning… your mother…
They arrived in a house full of women wearing lace underwear…
- What is this?
- A brothel…
- What?
- Yes… look at the boss…
He saw Eleonor Baker with a very thick make up, laughing with business men who came to have some fun.
- My mother is a Madam? Said Terry surprised.
- Yes…
- What about her acting carreer?
- She met your father and she was a little actress… but since you never existed, she wasn't distracted by motherhood and she didn't waste her time trying to make it. Business men wanted to have fun, it paid better than the small roles in theatre…
- I'm going to be sick, said Terry.
- Let's move on… since you were never born, your father had for an heir, your stepmother from hell's son…
- There's a thing I don't regret…
They found themselves at Saint Paul saw Candy alone in the woods and he saw Daniel and his friends, but he also saw a shape approaching Candy, and put his hands before her eyes…
- Guess who?
- Wait, said Candy smiling, wouldn't it be… Alistair!
- No… try again!
- No wait, then it's Tom?
- No…
- Albert?
- Try again…
- I have it on the tip of my tongue… Archibald!
She turned around and Archie took her lips and kissed her slowly for a long time… Terry was dying.
- Do I really have to watch that? Said Terry to Alistair.
- Wihout you…
- You don't need to tell me. Without me, the dandy got my girl! I almost wanted Daniel to attack her! My heart hurts! Where's her shy friend?
- Apparently, when she saw how much Archie and Candy were close, she took herself out of the equation…
- How noble of her, said Terry ironically.
- Since you're not there to fight with Archie, there's no fights, no midnight meeting, and Candy doesn't need help for the summer vacations…
- What else is new?
- The May Festival, Scotland, no expulsion either… every body went back to America at the beginning of the war… Candy and Archie got engaged when they got back to America. And despite the schemes from Daniel and Eliza, they had a very big wedding…
He saw Candy and Archie married and his heart got broken again… Then they were having their baby, they were happy…
- Alistair, I'm begging you… you're killing me…
- Alright… let's go elsewhere…
They were now on docks and they saw a young boy getting attacked by thugs…he was beaten to death… Terry looked…
- It's Cookie, he said sadly.
- Yes, without you… he wasn't safe and some thugs were passing by…
- No! He was only a kid!
- You are important Terry…
They saw another boy… Mark, who was getting arrested by the police for stealing…
- Oh my God! Why would he do that?
- Because he had no one to call "big brother". Your father's son couldn't stand him… so he ended up on the streets and started stealing…
- Did I really made a difference in those two kids lives?
- You have a purpose in life Terry.
They were now in America… They saw the Stratford troupe, poor, the actors dressed in rags…
- But what's happening?
- Without their new rising star Terrence Grandchester, Hathaway's troupe couldn't get back on top…
- But the troupe was fine…
- It was kind of in trouble before you got there and your arrival made their success bigger…
- Oh… what about Susanna? At least she didn't lose her leg without me right?
- Susanna Marlowe? A very beautiful woman…
- I wasn't seeing her like that… I only saw Candy.
- Yes, she was lucky and so were you… we were all dreaming about being with her… and she chose you, said Alistair.
- You had the wisdom not to fight with me for her…
- I let my brother do all the work…
They arrived somewhere and they saw Susanna Marlowe who was a very big actress.
- Well someone made it better without me…
- That's true, without you, she didn't lose her leg… and she concentrated on her career and she managed to make it big, because she was not distracted by her feelings for you…
- Which is a very good thing, said Terry smiling.
They found themselves in a cemetery…
- What are we doing here?
- Well look at the tomb…
- Charlie Sanders?! But what does he have to do with me?
- You remember when he fell off the train? They took him for you, because he was on the train you had just took … but this time, since you didn't exist… no one cared about the fugitive, and help arrived late…
- Charlie is dead?
- Without Candy to care of him, thinking he was you and without the money you sent… he was neglected and got an infection that was fatal to him…
- Oh my God! Said Terry outraged, poor Charlie!
- When he took your place, he had decide to change because your name had protected him. He wanted a new start and with Candy's influence… but without ou…
- Life is really that different for all these people without me? Asked Terry.
- You're going to stop feeling sorry for yourself and take back your life? Only you have the power to do something… Candy loves you for a reason, because she saw you were a good man… She had asked you to take care of Susanna, you did your best, Susanna is gone… Life goes on Terry!
- Life is sad without me… I really have an impact in the universe?
- Ask Cook, Mark and Charlie…
- Candy is married to your brother! That's enough to give me the will to live! Candy is mine! And I want my friends, Charlie, Cookie and Mark to be live! They deserve to live! More than me!
- That's the right attitude!
- My mother is a Madam… God almighty, I want to get my mother back, the great Eleonor Bake, who shines on stage! Not at the head of a brothel…Hathaway in a miserable theatre… and most of all, I want to get my Candy back…
- Very well, said Alistair, at least you're not down in the dumps anymore.
- Thank you for coming to help me…
- I think I've succeeded in my mission…
- How would I know?
- You'll hear some bells chimes… which would have mean that I earned my wings.
- I'll pay attention… Now I'll go back to sleep and tomorrow morning, life will be beautiful for everbody?
- As a matter of fact…
Terry went back to bed and closed his eyes to sleep. He had to wake up from that nightmare to go get Candy… Life is was wonderful! He had to have his Candy.
Terry woke up with the sun in his eyes.
- Where is that sun coming from? Said Terry, I left the curtains opened… But…I'm awake! Thank God, it was a horrible nightmare… Candy married to the dandy and my friends dead… That's an horror!
He stood up and went to shower, he shaved and got dresses and got out of the apartment to go see his mother for Christmas. He wanted to see her. He saw a lot of cars outside her home. He rang the bell…
- Master Terrence, Merry Christmas!
- Happy Christmas Hilda! Said Terry smiling.
He got in the big luxurious mansion and he found his mother very beautiful , entertaining her guests. That's what she deserved!
- Mum!
She turned around and she smiled. Terry clean and sober. She approached him and Terry took her in his arms.
- Oh mum, how good it is to see you! I love you!
- I love you too Terry… but what's going on?
- I see life differently. It's a wonderful life mum!
- Well, I have a surprise for you…
- For me?
- Yes… comme with me.
She took his hand and took him to the living room where she found a lot of guests.
- Candy? Said Eleonor to a young woman.
- Yes? Said Candy.
- Look who's here…
- Terry?
- Candy! Said Terry taking her in his arms very fast, like he was afraid she would disappear , or that the dandy would appear. You're really here? I'm not dreaming?
- I'm here Terry, said Candy laughing.
- And I will never let you go again! Oh my beloved Freckles…
- Terry, everybody is looking at us, said Candy blushing.
- I don't care! I just woke up from a horrible nightmare which lasted for months…Now you're here. The sunshine of my life… I'm happy! Happy Christmas my love.
- Happy Christmas Terry, said Candy smiling.
There was a big Christmas tree with little bells decoration. Bell chimes were heard.
- That's funny, said Candy, Sister Maria and Miss Pony used to say at the Pony Home when I was little, that everytime a bell rings, an angel gets its wings…
- They were right, Freckles, said Terry smiling.
"Good job Alistair!" Said Terry in his head.
He leaned and took his her lips in a fiery kiss. What was she doing there? He was going to ask her later, for the moment, he had to kiss her, his life depended on it. The dandy's image kissing Candy had to be erased from his memory…
- I love you Candy…
- I love you Terry…
He took her lips again… the dandy's image kissing Candy disappeared for good from his memory.
THE END