LEGACY
Mark scanned the shelves of the video store. God don't they ever get anything new here? I'm not sure which is more depressing. The crap people call movies, or the fact that I've seen just about everything here.
"Hey Cohen, I got that independent thing you wanted." The counter guy called to him.
No, the most depressing part is the fact that I'm here so much, all the video store people know my name. "Thanks." He called back while stepping around a woman looking at video. "Excuse me." He smiled at her as she looked up. Something about her eyes stuck him. Like he'd seen her before.
"Mark?" She asked timidly. "Mark Cohen?"
"Yeah?" He turned to look at her. He didn't think he knew her, but something about her was familiar. Like when you look at someone's sister and see a family resemblance.
"Oh my god, it is you. I can't believe it. I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses." She realized by the look on his face he had no clue who she was. Well, years change people. He certainly had. He'd grown up from that skinny college boy she had once known. Into a pretty good- looking man. But at the same time he had a worn and tired look about him. More than just a hard day look. Like a lot of hard days look about him. "It's me, Chelsea. Chelsea Curtis."
Mark's mind racked his brain, as she started talking to him he realized he did know her, or at least had, somewhere along the line. She looked so familiar, but yet different. Not different, older. That was it, she was from long ago, when they were all so young and stupid and naïve.
Then it clicked and he started to smile. She had hung out with them when he had first moved into the city and moved in with Roger. Back in the very beginning. She used to hang out with Roger for a time, in the early band days. He remembered her singing with them once and awhile. Then nothing. He couldn't remember why she wasn't around anymore. "Chelsea. Wow. You look incredible. What are you doing here? How are you?"
"I just moved back to the city a few months ago." She grinned. "God I can't believe I ran into you. How are you?"
"I'm doing okay. Wow. God how long has it been since I've seen you?"
"Nine years." She said without any hesitation. "It's so good to see you."
"You too." He smiled. It was. He had really liked her back then. She was so sweet and nice. Mark wished he could remember why she had disappeared.
When Mark didn't really say anymore she didn't push it. "Well, I should go. I've been running around all day. It was great to see you Mark."
"Yeah, you too Chelsea." He shook his head. As she started to turn away he heard the words coming out of his mouth. "Hey, you want to get a cup of coffee or something?"
"Sure. I'd like that."
**********
Mark set the two coffees down on the table and sat down. "Wow I still can't believe I ran into you after all these years."
"Me too." She stirred her coffee. "Like I said I just moved back to the city a few months ago. I never dreamed anybody from back then would still be living around here. God you aren't still living in that horrible 4th floor loft are you? I mean, like I said, I never expected to see anyone around here because I just figured everyone would have moved by now."
"No." He grinned for a second, thinking back on the loft. "We all moved out of there a couple of years ago, but we were there for a long time. A real long time. But I like the East Village. It's home. So I stayed."
"I know what you mean. My mom couldn't understand why I wanted to move back to here when I could stay on Long Island. But I was ready for a change. Something different. And you can't get more different than the East Village at times." She laughed. Mark remembered her laugh. It was soft and quiet, yet still full of life. Memories ran through his brain like random film clips he had shot over the years. Her long brown hair and her laughter. But there was something else about her laugh. Then he remembered what it was. He wasn't just remembering her laughing, he was remembering all of them laughing together. Him, Chelsea, Collins, Maureen and Roger. Roger laughing, that what it was.
"Earth to Mark? You okay?"
"What? Oh sorry, just spacing out a little. I just remember some footage I shot of you once. Of a all of us, doing something.stupid probably." He laughed a little.
"And cheap. Whatever we were doing it was cheap." She grinned. "God knows together none of us had two cents to our names!"
"Too true. And for too many years!"
"So what are you doing now a days? Still making movies?" She sipped her coffee.
Mark could tell she was genuinely interested. That was nice. He hadn't felt like anyone had been genuinely interested in what was going on with him in a long time. He told her how he was working at a production house and what he had been up to work wise the last few years. "So what about you? What are you doing?"
"I'm an oncology nurse at Sloan Kettering. That's why I moved back to the city from the island. Horrible commute."
"Wow. But that's not what you were going to NYU for was it?" He felt bad he couldn't remember. Actually, he felt like he couldn't remember a lot.
"Uh, no." She let out a little laugh. "I went to NYU for a liberal arts degree. You know, real good use of my parents' money. Especially considering how many classes I skipped so I could sleep after being up with the band all night. But now I love my job. And it works out great. I work three twelve-hour shifts a week. Once a month I pull a fourth shift. Works great and gives me plenty of time at home with my son."
"Wow. So you had a baby? That's great. I mean I guess it's great." Not sure if he said the right thing or not.
She couldn't help laughing at him. "No it is great. He's an incredible kid." She beamed. "He's real smart, can read way above his grade level. And he's a great piano player. He can pick out bits and pieces of stuff and play them by ear. Which I have to say is very impressive seeing as he is only 8 ½!"
"Cool." Mark couldn't help smiling back.
"Yeah, going to nursing school was hard with him being so little and all, but I was lucky. I lived in the basement apartment at my parents. They really helped me out a lot. I never could have done it without them. But when I started working as a full time licensed nurse, it was great. Having to depend on your parents like that makes you really appreciate it when you can finally make enough money to move out and take care of your child on your own. People don't realize the kind of money you can actually make in nursing. And believe me in the beginning I needed every cent."
"Don't you get child support or anything."
"No." She looked down at her coffee cup.
"But I thought it was a lot easier to collect now a days."
"Oh, I guess it is. I never asked for it. Of course it meant living with my parents, but that was okay. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Besides, his father could barely support himself. There was no way he could help support a baby. And at the time I found out I was pregnant, his father wasn't in a good place in life. I didn't want my child exposed to that. I had to make a choice, but I decided we were better off him not being involved. I mean I know he would have probably been a great dad. He was a good person, but like I said, he wasn't in a good place then. And it was only going to get worse if he kept on the way he was going. After awhile, I lost track of him. It was a shame, and I hate that he doesn't know his father, but it was better for my baby."
"Wow. That's pretty incredible. So what's his name?"
"Adam. Want to see a picture?" She was already pulling it out of her wallet and handing it to Mark.
Mark studied it. He could see the resemblance to her in the cheekbones and the hair. But the eyes were different. Defiantly not her. They were a vivid green with an intenseness about them. "He's cute."
"Thanks." She smiled.
"How did you get to nursing from liberal arts?"
"Well," she set down her coffee cup and took a deep breath. "Not long after after I moved home, and I had the baby, one of my brothers came down with liver cancer. It hit him quick. He was dead within a year and a half. I was home with the baby, so I ended up taking care of him the most. That's when I realized I wanted to become a nurse. So here I am now." She shrugged.
"Wow. Sorry to hear about your brother."
"It's okay. It was a long time ago now. You get over things like that."
No you don't he thought.
"Or at least you get used to the idea more and learn to live with it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." He said sadly, playing with his coffee cup. "So, um, where's your son now?"
"Out on Long Island with my parents. I took him out today. He'll be there for the next ten days. Hence the movie rentals. I have the TV, all to myself. I was really excited about a tiny bit of solitude, but I already miss him." She gave a slight pout. "But he was really excited. He's going to day camp for the next week with all his old friends from his old school."
"Well, I guess it's just the day to run into old friends then." Mark clinked his coffee cup against hers.
"I guess so." She grinned back at him just as his stomach growled. "Hungry?" She laughed.
"Actually, yes. I haven't eaten since about six this morning."
"Well do you want to get a bite to eat? I mean if you don't have any plans for tonight."
"Sure. I was just going over Maureen's. She got some new speakers for her entertainment system and wanted me to hook it all up and clean up the mess of wires currently running out of the back of it, but I can do that tomorrow."
"Are you sure? I mean I wouldn't want to get her mad at you or anything. But it's kinda cool you guys are still together."
Mark laughed. "That's right, you don't know. Maureen and I are not still together by a long shot. We broke up about seven years ago. But we're still really good friends. All three of us. Me, her, and her girlfriend, Joanne." He grinned.
"Maureen? Girlfriend? I never would have guessed!" She laughed.
"Unfortunately, while we were dating, I never would have either." He laughed. "But Joanne is wonderful, and good for Maureen. Really calmed her down." He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing. "Let me just call her."
He waited for her to answer. "Hey, it's me."
"No, I can't make it. I ran into somebody and I'm having dinner with them."
"Because you'd make me box macaroni and cheese, and because we're talking. I'll do it tomorrow."
"Give it up, you've survived this long with out stereo, you'll make it one more night."
"Just a friend. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"I told you, a friend."
"A friend. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye Mo." He hung up before she could say anything more.
Chelsea was grinning. "You didn't want to tell her it was me."
"You obviously don't remember Maureen. Telling her that would produce either a vast amount of questions, or her coming down here to meet us. Either way, I'd never get any dinner."
"Good point. Hey how about I make us dinner. I don't live far from here, and I've got a great bottle of wine sitting at home. And I promise I won't make you box macaroni and cheese. Even though Adam does consider it one of my specialties." She laughed.
"As long as you don't make that, you got a deal."
Mark scanned the shelves of the video store. God don't they ever get anything new here? I'm not sure which is more depressing. The crap people call movies, or the fact that I've seen just about everything here.
"Hey Cohen, I got that independent thing you wanted." The counter guy called to him.
No, the most depressing part is the fact that I'm here so much, all the video store people know my name. "Thanks." He called back while stepping around a woman looking at video. "Excuse me." He smiled at her as she looked up. Something about her eyes stuck him. Like he'd seen her before.
"Mark?" She asked timidly. "Mark Cohen?"
"Yeah?" He turned to look at her. He didn't think he knew her, but something about her was familiar. Like when you look at someone's sister and see a family resemblance.
"Oh my god, it is you. I can't believe it. I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses." She realized by the look on his face he had no clue who she was. Well, years change people. He certainly had. He'd grown up from that skinny college boy she had once known. Into a pretty good- looking man. But at the same time he had a worn and tired look about him. More than just a hard day look. Like a lot of hard days look about him. "It's me, Chelsea. Chelsea Curtis."
Mark's mind racked his brain, as she started talking to him he realized he did know her, or at least had, somewhere along the line. She looked so familiar, but yet different. Not different, older. That was it, she was from long ago, when they were all so young and stupid and naïve.
Then it clicked and he started to smile. She had hung out with them when he had first moved into the city and moved in with Roger. Back in the very beginning. She used to hang out with Roger for a time, in the early band days. He remembered her singing with them once and awhile. Then nothing. He couldn't remember why she wasn't around anymore. "Chelsea. Wow. You look incredible. What are you doing here? How are you?"
"I just moved back to the city a few months ago." She grinned. "God I can't believe I ran into you. How are you?"
"I'm doing okay. Wow. God how long has it been since I've seen you?"
"Nine years." She said without any hesitation. "It's so good to see you."
"You too." He smiled. It was. He had really liked her back then. She was so sweet and nice. Mark wished he could remember why she had disappeared.
When Mark didn't really say anymore she didn't push it. "Well, I should go. I've been running around all day. It was great to see you Mark."
"Yeah, you too Chelsea." He shook his head. As she started to turn away he heard the words coming out of his mouth. "Hey, you want to get a cup of coffee or something?"
"Sure. I'd like that."
**********
Mark set the two coffees down on the table and sat down. "Wow I still can't believe I ran into you after all these years."
"Me too." She stirred her coffee. "Like I said I just moved back to the city a few months ago. I never dreamed anybody from back then would still be living around here. God you aren't still living in that horrible 4th floor loft are you? I mean, like I said, I never expected to see anyone around here because I just figured everyone would have moved by now."
"No." He grinned for a second, thinking back on the loft. "We all moved out of there a couple of years ago, but we were there for a long time. A real long time. But I like the East Village. It's home. So I stayed."
"I know what you mean. My mom couldn't understand why I wanted to move back to here when I could stay on Long Island. But I was ready for a change. Something different. And you can't get more different than the East Village at times." She laughed. Mark remembered her laugh. It was soft and quiet, yet still full of life. Memories ran through his brain like random film clips he had shot over the years. Her long brown hair and her laughter. But there was something else about her laugh. Then he remembered what it was. He wasn't just remembering her laughing, he was remembering all of them laughing together. Him, Chelsea, Collins, Maureen and Roger. Roger laughing, that what it was.
"Earth to Mark? You okay?"
"What? Oh sorry, just spacing out a little. I just remember some footage I shot of you once. Of a all of us, doing something.stupid probably." He laughed a little.
"And cheap. Whatever we were doing it was cheap." She grinned. "God knows together none of us had two cents to our names!"
"Too true. And for too many years!"
"So what are you doing now a days? Still making movies?" She sipped her coffee.
Mark could tell she was genuinely interested. That was nice. He hadn't felt like anyone had been genuinely interested in what was going on with him in a long time. He told her how he was working at a production house and what he had been up to work wise the last few years. "So what about you? What are you doing?"
"I'm an oncology nurse at Sloan Kettering. That's why I moved back to the city from the island. Horrible commute."
"Wow. But that's not what you were going to NYU for was it?" He felt bad he couldn't remember. Actually, he felt like he couldn't remember a lot.
"Uh, no." She let out a little laugh. "I went to NYU for a liberal arts degree. You know, real good use of my parents' money. Especially considering how many classes I skipped so I could sleep after being up with the band all night. But now I love my job. And it works out great. I work three twelve-hour shifts a week. Once a month I pull a fourth shift. Works great and gives me plenty of time at home with my son."
"Wow. So you had a baby? That's great. I mean I guess it's great." Not sure if he said the right thing or not.
She couldn't help laughing at him. "No it is great. He's an incredible kid." She beamed. "He's real smart, can read way above his grade level. And he's a great piano player. He can pick out bits and pieces of stuff and play them by ear. Which I have to say is very impressive seeing as he is only 8 ½!"
"Cool." Mark couldn't help smiling back.
"Yeah, going to nursing school was hard with him being so little and all, but I was lucky. I lived in the basement apartment at my parents. They really helped me out a lot. I never could have done it without them. But when I started working as a full time licensed nurse, it was great. Having to depend on your parents like that makes you really appreciate it when you can finally make enough money to move out and take care of your child on your own. People don't realize the kind of money you can actually make in nursing. And believe me in the beginning I needed every cent."
"Don't you get child support or anything."
"No." She looked down at her coffee cup.
"But I thought it was a lot easier to collect now a days."
"Oh, I guess it is. I never asked for it. Of course it meant living with my parents, but that was okay. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Besides, his father could barely support himself. There was no way he could help support a baby. And at the time I found out I was pregnant, his father wasn't in a good place in life. I didn't want my child exposed to that. I had to make a choice, but I decided we were better off him not being involved. I mean I know he would have probably been a great dad. He was a good person, but like I said, he wasn't in a good place then. And it was only going to get worse if he kept on the way he was going. After awhile, I lost track of him. It was a shame, and I hate that he doesn't know his father, but it was better for my baby."
"Wow. That's pretty incredible. So what's his name?"
"Adam. Want to see a picture?" She was already pulling it out of her wallet and handing it to Mark.
Mark studied it. He could see the resemblance to her in the cheekbones and the hair. But the eyes were different. Defiantly not her. They were a vivid green with an intenseness about them. "He's cute."
"Thanks." She smiled.
"How did you get to nursing from liberal arts?"
"Well," she set down her coffee cup and took a deep breath. "Not long after after I moved home, and I had the baby, one of my brothers came down with liver cancer. It hit him quick. He was dead within a year and a half. I was home with the baby, so I ended up taking care of him the most. That's when I realized I wanted to become a nurse. So here I am now." She shrugged.
"Wow. Sorry to hear about your brother."
"It's okay. It was a long time ago now. You get over things like that."
No you don't he thought.
"Or at least you get used to the idea more and learn to live with it."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." He said sadly, playing with his coffee cup. "So, um, where's your son now?"
"Out on Long Island with my parents. I took him out today. He'll be there for the next ten days. Hence the movie rentals. I have the TV, all to myself. I was really excited about a tiny bit of solitude, but I already miss him." She gave a slight pout. "But he was really excited. He's going to day camp for the next week with all his old friends from his old school."
"Well, I guess it's just the day to run into old friends then." Mark clinked his coffee cup against hers.
"I guess so." She grinned back at him just as his stomach growled. "Hungry?" She laughed.
"Actually, yes. I haven't eaten since about six this morning."
"Well do you want to get a bite to eat? I mean if you don't have any plans for tonight."
"Sure. I was just going over Maureen's. She got some new speakers for her entertainment system and wanted me to hook it all up and clean up the mess of wires currently running out of the back of it, but I can do that tomorrow."
"Are you sure? I mean I wouldn't want to get her mad at you or anything. But it's kinda cool you guys are still together."
Mark laughed. "That's right, you don't know. Maureen and I are not still together by a long shot. We broke up about seven years ago. But we're still really good friends. All three of us. Me, her, and her girlfriend, Joanne." He grinned.
"Maureen? Girlfriend? I never would have guessed!" She laughed.
"Unfortunately, while we were dating, I never would have either." He laughed. "But Joanne is wonderful, and good for Maureen. Really calmed her down." He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing. "Let me just call her."
He waited for her to answer. "Hey, it's me."
"No, I can't make it. I ran into somebody and I'm having dinner with them."
"Because you'd make me box macaroni and cheese, and because we're talking. I'll do it tomorrow."
"Give it up, you've survived this long with out stereo, you'll make it one more night."
"Just a friend. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"I told you, a friend."
"A friend. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodbye Mo." He hung up before she could say anything more.
Chelsea was grinning. "You didn't want to tell her it was me."
"You obviously don't remember Maureen. Telling her that would produce either a vast amount of questions, or her coming down here to meet us. Either way, I'd never get any dinner."
"Good point. Hey how about I make us dinner. I don't live far from here, and I've got a great bottle of wine sitting at home. And I promise I won't make you box macaroni and cheese. Even though Adam does consider it one of my specialties." She laughed.
"As long as you don't make that, you got a deal."
