ÿþ Live In The Moment Disclaimer: All characters belong to Jonathan Larson, writer of the best play ever put on Broadway. Thanks, Jon.
"You are BAD, Roger Davis! He is going to kill you!" Mimi Marquez laughed as she clung to her boyfriend's hand. The two were running through the streets of New York City towards Central Park. It was just the two of them, along with one special, totally off-limits item.
"Relax, Mimi," Roger yelled back at her. "He'll never find out!" They kept running until they reached the park gates, where they stopped to catch their breath. Roger pulled Mimi in towards him and did a goofy impromptu dance right on the spot. Mimi giggled.
"What's got you so giddy?" she asked him. Roger beamed.
"Spring fever," he answered simply. "No more winter."
"So spring fever gives you the incentive to kidnap Mark's camera for the day?" Mimi pointed to a large black backpack on Roger's back. He smiled deviously and shrugged it off, pulling Mark's camera and tripod out of the bag.
"He'll never find out, I told you. He's laid up with a stomach virus, and we've got to be out of the loft so we don't catch it. He's not using it." Roger pulled the camera close to his face and examined the buttons on it. Mimi folded her arms across her chest and cocked and eyebrow.
"Do you even know how to work that thing?" Roger brushed her question off impatiently.
"Mark and I took the same filmmaking class in high school. He, however, chose to take it farther than I did. I can edit film and everything." Roger wound the film and pointed the camera at Mimi. A gentle whir told her the camera was running. She smiled and waved, making faces at the camera.
"Close up, Mimi Marquez," Roger commentated. "Self-proclaimed feline of Avenue B, goofing off in the park. Her devilishly handsome boyfriend-" (Mimi made a snort of mock disagreement that Roger smoothly ignored.) "-Roger Davis, accompanies her on this little rendevous." He turned the camera to his face and spoke directly into it.
"Let's see what trouble they can get into." He turned the camera off and grabbed Mimi's hand again, leading her into the park. They set up the tripod near the duck pond and set it to the record function. Then, they just let loose. ROger and Mimi spent the afternoon acting like little kids on the first day of summer vacation. Mimi chased the ducks, laughing as they waddled off as quickly as their squat little legs could carry them. The couple bought ice cream and from a vendor who was passing by and fed it to each other, "fed" meaning stuffing it in each other's faces and smearing it all over. They took the camera with them to the Central Park Zoo, where Roger had fun making corny Steve Irwin-like comments in a phony Australian accent while Mimi posed in front of the enclosures, imitating the animals. Other random shots were just of ROger and Mimi doing what couples do, kissing and holding hands, Roger pushing Mimi on the swings in the playground. The camera ran all day, never stopping or shutting down. It captured one random day in the life of two very much in love Bohemians to perfection, a day that would live on forever. The final shots it captured that day were of Roger and Mimi cuddled under a tree while the sun set. Their legs were too sore to run anymore at the moment, and their throats hurt from laughing so much. Roger gently kissed Mimi on the head.
"Mimi," he whispered. "This day was..."
"Amazing," she finished sleepily. She sat up and waved at the camera. "Hey, Mark," she said. "I know you'll see this sooner or later, and we're sorry we kidnapped your camera. But, it's just days like this you have to remember. And what a better way than to film it?"
"Yeah, man," Roger added. "It was so great. You should try it. Just...spend a day in complete spontaneity. It will really do you some good." Mimi blew a kiss to the camera.
"We love you, Mark!" she called. Roger nodded and stood up quickly. He pulled a Swiss Army knife out of his pocket and turned to the tree behind him. He carved something in the bark, and then motioned for Mimi to come with him. The camera switched off, and the two headed home.
Mark Cohen was having one of those days. He had this dull headache pounding in his temple, but he couldn't decide whether that or the heaviness in his heart hurt worse. It had been almost five months since Roger had died, the last of his HIV-infected friends to do so; first Collins, then Mimi, and then Roger just three months after her. All that were left were Maureen, Joanne and him. Maureen and Joanne were wonderful people, but they had each other. Mark couldn't help feeling utterly alone.
He walked into the loft after a long day at work, dejectedly throwing his scarf and coat on the couch. He hit play on the blinking answering machine; one from Benny and the other from his mother, both checking to see if her was okay. He deleted them both. He glanced in the corner and saw Roger's old guitar still in the spot he'd left it the last time he'd played it. Mark hadn't had the heart to move it. He sighed and was suddenly hit with the urge to go into his darkroom area. This was strange because it had been a long time since he'd filmed anything, probably not since all of his friends had been living, in the wake of Angel's death. He flopped into his chair and ran his hands over his many film canisters. One fell out of the rack he had them on.
"Damn it," Mark muttered, bending to retrieve it. The canister was covered with dust, which he blew off. The label on the canister read "RD and MM". Mark couldn't remember ever making this, or even seeing it. Suddenly curious, he put it into his old projector and hit play, sitting back to watch. Mimi's face appeared on the screen, looking perfectly happy and healthy, her tongue sticking out of her mouth.
"Close up, Mimi Marquez," Roger's voice filtered through the speakers. "Self-proclaimed feline of Avenue B..." Mark watched, speechless, as the movie played on. He couldn't remember ever seeing this before, but it was wonderful. It was just candid, happy shots of two of his closest friends being goofballs. The camera whirred as it ran on. Mark couldn't tear his eyes away. Finally, the final moments of the movie came.
"Hey Mark..." Mimi was speaking to him now, apologizing for stealing his camera and telling him it was one of those days you had to remember. Roger spoke next, telling him to try spontaneity one time. Then, there was Mimi again, telling Mark they loved him as Roger carved something into the tree. The screen went blank. Mark sat completely still for a few seconds that seemed like years. There was a slight ringing in his ears as he wordlessly stood up and walked out of the loft. It was raining, and he had no coat, Regardless, Mark ran through the streets, knocking into frustrated passersby. He was getting soaked to the bone, but he couldn't feel it. He couldn't feel anything but the pounding of his head as that movie played on in his mind. He saw Roger and Mimi, and then suddenly, Collins and Angel. He saw the whole gang at the Life Cafe after Maureen's "Over The Moon" protest. He saw happy times.
Before he knew it, his feet had brought him to his destination. He was standing at the very tree Roger and Mimi had done those final shots at. His eyes scanned the trunk until he found the small carving Roger had done. "RD e&'s MM NO DAY BUT TODAY" it read. Mark ran his fingers over the rough carving. Suddenly, it was as if the world had turned itself on around him. He felt the rain on his skin, but he didn't care. He would do as Roger had said, and try some spontaneity. He thrust his arms straight out at his sides and put his face towards the sky. He let the rain wash over him as his face broke out into the first real smile he's let himself do in a long time. Passersby may have thought he looked insane, a grown man just standing in the rain, but four happy people beamed down at him as they watched their good friend, their Mark, finally live in the moment and just enjoy now. Mark knew they were beaming at him too, as he blew a kiss heavenward, and Mark knew then that everything would be okay.
A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please tell me what you think.
Diana