Remembering
Oh listen sister,
I love my mister man...
It mus' be sumpin dat de angels done plan.
And he ain't coming back no more. So much for the angels.
"Julie, you've got try this costume!"
I laugh, and swat her away. It's green and purple, and hideous.
"Fine, Julie, I'm going!"
No, don't think of that.
"More, darling!" I slur, and hold out the glass. The drink is mesmerising, its colour bright.
"Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly…"
"Julie!"
"… I'm gonna love one man till I die…"
The world spins.
It can't be the drink. No one but a black woman'd know that, and I only taught it to one person…
"Why do you love Steve?"
"The thing I love about Steve is… he's all mine."
All mine! Yes, all mine when things are going well; all mine when he'll come off as being gallant, but only his when things get rough!
"Can't stop lovin' dat man of mine…"
Magnolia.
"Oh, I wish I could do that just like you!"
"Who's the girl singing?"
I don't need to ask, though. It must be Magnolia!
I stand up, unsteadily. As I walk to the door, I see her.
She looks so small and tired, almost smaller than when I left her on the showboat all those years ago.
"… Left by her two-faced husband…"
"I've had men flirt and all, but- oh, you must know what I mean!"
Oh, Magnolia!
Always the sweetest girl, even though your Ma didn't like me from the start, and you stuck by me till the end.
Even when Steve didn't.
No, Steve did stay- until he realised how tough things could get.
I wonder how badly you need the job.
"…Quite good looking, too."
You were always good looking, Magnolia, always a sweet child.
A part of me wants to run out and hold you, but the show only employs one singer, and that singer's me. I need my job, I need it!
"Here… it's not wrapped, it was meant for Christmas."
"I'll never forget."
Dammit, why did you have to come back now?
I walk to my dusty dressing table. It's still there, you know. I've kept it with me these past several years… it's torn, battered- I believe the others think me mad, to keep a "silly little pincushion on me". Why, when 'Melia tried touching it the other day, I nearly bit her head off! She don't understand.
To see you again- here! Here, where I can't greet you!
"Maybe he's lazy, maybe he's slow
Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I know…
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine…"
You are the same as me; one minute, flying high, in love; the next, abandoned, searching for work in a place like this. How can you be happy?
I turn, almost blindly- wrench the door open.
"I hope you will always be happy, dearest."
I hope so, too.
-
A/N: Rediscovered this piece of trash very recently. As you can probably tell, it's based on the 1951 film, with only a few references to the 1936 film. (Haven't yet seen the musical live.)
Anyhoo, just thought I'd put it up here. If it's terrible, just drop a note and I'll remove it quick smart.