Chapter 6- Friend from the Past
Amidst from all of the newspapers and flashing photographers, Velma kept her cool and proudly posed to the cameras. Old habits never die. Meanwhile, a thin man dressed in a dark blue suit walked behind the media phenomenon holding a hat in his hands. He winked at Velma where she caught notice and smiled back, giving another signature pose to the cameras. The man placed the hat onto his head covering his dark brown eyes. He grabs hold of the knob, turned, and opened the door slowly inside of Roxie's room. Roxie still faced towards the window with her on one side of the pillow, sighing heavily.
"Go away Velma! I don't feel like talking again." The man cowered over Roxie and insisted in making Roxie speak more than a few words.
"What did I just say? Leave me alone!!" Roxie yelled with irritation in her voice. She cocked her head to the other side to see the silent imposter. She looked from the black shimmering shoes and slowly up the dark blue suit and caught a glimpse of that smile that she had known long since past. "My God! Billy Flynn? Is that you?" The man lifted his hat and indeed, it was she. His face never changed except the growth of more gray hairs but remained the charming lawyer that Roxie had known at the beginning of her career into show business. He took a seat next to Roxie's bed and placed his hand into hers.
"How's my little star?"
Roxie chuckled to the use of his words. "Little? You speak to me as if I was a five year old. What brings you here?" After the question, Billy unfolded the Chicago newspaper with the headlines reading ' Roxie Hospitalized, Show Uncertain.
" Well, those silly newspapers. Always making a big deal out of something."
"Why did you collapse?"
Roxie shrugged and began playing with her fingers.
" Well it's not like I collapsed on purpose or anything. I first received a letter and after that, I just pushed myself too hard. So hard, just to get these thoughts out of my had. I could not help but feel a sense of. guilt. I couldn't get the steps right, so I kept on repeating and repeating. No good came out of it. I just kept going and going until to the point I just couldn't take not only the physical, my emotional pain too. Therefore, Velma comes in the next day, and poof! Here I am"
" You know there are limits." Billy said, releasing his grasp from Roxie's hand and sat back against his chair with his arms crossed. He had a stern look upon his face. He knew what fame, fortune, and the past can lead people to do.
"I know. However, I've learned my limits now, and I'll be careful next time. It's just..I didn't .I didn't expect him to remember me, after all that I've done to him."
"Him?" Billy questioned, releasing his crossed arms and head toward Roxie. "Him who?"
"Amos. He still wrote to me after all these long years. I thought he'd forget, but he didn't in New York. His daughter gave me this letter, not him. Probably think that I would get angry at him."
"Amos?"
"Yeah. I still feel a little guilty of how I treated him before. I mean, that was my particular reason for rehearsing so much, I just felt guilty totally for him. I know that he really did love me, but I never really did." Tears began to fall out of Roxie's face. At that moment, she reached for a hanker chief and wiped her face dry. Billy was in deep thought and finally broke the silence and said:
"Well, do you think it would be better to.see him again?"
"Oh, I wouldn't know. I guess that will relieve the grief and guilt, but I won't have the heart to confront him but.."
"But what? Do you still love him?"
"I don't know! I don't know! It's just I'm afraid if we do actually meet.. I feel so sorry for him." Roxie began to cry again but this time, tears came down like water from a leaking faucet. Billy placed his hand on Roxie's and dried the tears with his own handkerchief. He lifted her chin slowly to eye-level and smiled back right at her.
"Do you want to see him?"
'Well, like I said, I don't think I can have the courage or heart to see him."
"Well, what about now?"
Amidst from all of the newspapers and flashing photographers, Velma kept her cool and proudly posed to the cameras. Old habits never die. Meanwhile, a thin man dressed in a dark blue suit walked behind the media phenomenon holding a hat in his hands. He winked at Velma where she caught notice and smiled back, giving another signature pose to the cameras. The man placed the hat onto his head covering his dark brown eyes. He grabs hold of the knob, turned, and opened the door slowly inside of Roxie's room. Roxie still faced towards the window with her on one side of the pillow, sighing heavily.
"Go away Velma! I don't feel like talking again." The man cowered over Roxie and insisted in making Roxie speak more than a few words.
"What did I just say? Leave me alone!!" Roxie yelled with irritation in her voice. She cocked her head to the other side to see the silent imposter. She looked from the black shimmering shoes and slowly up the dark blue suit and caught a glimpse of that smile that she had known long since past. "My God! Billy Flynn? Is that you?" The man lifted his hat and indeed, it was she. His face never changed except the growth of more gray hairs but remained the charming lawyer that Roxie had known at the beginning of her career into show business. He took a seat next to Roxie's bed and placed his hand into hers.
"How's my little star?"
Roxie chuckled to the use of his words. "Little? You speak to me as if I was a five year old. What brings you here?" After the question, Billy unfolded the Chicago newspaper with the headlines reading ' Roxie Hospitalized, Show Uncertain.
" Well, those silly newspapers. Always making a big deal out of something."
"Why did you collapse?"
Roxie shrugged and began playing with her fingers.
" Well it's not like I collapsed on purpose or anything. I first received a letter and after that, I just pushed myself too hard. So hard, just to get these thoughts out of my had. I could not help but feel a sense of. guilt. I couldn't get the steps right, so I kept on repeating and repeating. No good came out of it. I just kept going and going until to the point I just couldn't take not only the physical, my emotional pain too. Therefore, Velma comes in the next day, and poof! Here I am"
" You know there are limits." Billy said, releasing his grasp from Roxie's hand and sat back against his chair with his arms crossed. He had a stern look upon his face. He knew what fame, fortune, and the past can lead people to do.
"I know. However, I've learned my limits now, and I'll be careful next time. It's just..I didn't .I didn't expect him to remember me, after all that I've done to him."
"Him?" Billy questioned, releasing his crossed arms and head toward Roxie. "Him who?"
"Amos. He still wrote to me after all these long years. I thought he'd forget, but he didn't in New York. His daughter gave me this letter, not him. Probably think that I would get angry at him."
"Amos?"
"Yeah. I still feel a little guilty of how I treated him before. I mean, that was my particular reason for rehearsing so much, I just felt guilty totally for him. I know that he really did love me, but I never really did." Tears began to fall out of Roxie's face. At that moment, she reached for a hanker chief and wiped her face dry. Billy was in deep thought and finally broke the silence and said:
"Well, do you think it would be better to.see him again?"
"Oh, I wouldn't know. I guess that will relieve the grief and guilt, but I won't have the heart to confront him but.."
"But what? Do you still love him?"
"I don't know! I don't know! It's just I'm afraid if we do actually meet.. I feel so sorry for him." Roxie began to cry again but this time, tears came down like water from a leaking faucet. Billy placed his hand on Roxie's and dried the tears with his own handkerchief. He lifted her chin slowly to eye-level and smiled back right at her.
"Do you want to see him?"
'Well, like I said, I don't think I can have the courage or heart to see him."
"Well, what about now?"