O-k-l-a-h-o-m-a Oklahoma opened yesterday (3/31/06) to a sold out audience and Itmakes me happy that we did sell out.No one made a mistake and It makes the experience even better.
I would like to thank all the people eho put so much effort into our production especially Nathaniel who plays Jud,Laura who plays Laurey, Stephanie who plays Gertie, Brittainy who plays Aunt Eller, Randy who plays Will, Marina who plays Ado Annie, James who plays Curly, Matt who plays Ike Skidmore, Kevin who plays Andrew Carnes and Nick who plays Ali Hakim. Since it is Laura's, Randy's, Stephanie's, Nathaniel's, Emily's, and Kelsey's last playI would like to dedicate this story to them.
Back to the story this is the final chapter... kinda dumb in my opinion... but due to excesive pleas from my friend they think I should attach my alternate ending to this... maybe I will just to make them happy...
Chapter 4The Song into Silence
Virginia had managed to climb the great tree outside Laurey's window and had perched herself on the branch with her feet hanging below her. If anyone passed below they would get a view of her pink calico patterned bloomers, but she did not care. No one would be coming around today.
It had been three days since Jud's death and she had refused to eat and had barely gotten any sleep, it was beginning to take its toll on her. She could not get the feeling that what had happened was her fault. Since that day Jud passed away, Mike had refused to leave her side. She had managed to slip away from him and found her way out here. She looked out across the field that was painted golden by the rays of the glowing white sun that hung overhead.
The soft sound of muted jingles met her ears, which could only mean one thing: The Peddler Man was coming around. Virginia looked over in the direction of the dusty road to catch sight of the beautiful chestnut horse pulling a blue and red colored cart behind it. The woman in the tree slipped down to the ground and broke into a run toward the dirt road.
She finally broke through the golden grass and jumped in front of the slow moving cart. The horse stopped automatically, as the cart following it halted also. The dark man sitting in the seat, dressed in his usual pinstriped suit and straw hat, looked from under the brim of his hat to see who it was.
"Oh, Hello Miss Virginia." He said as he tipped his hat in her direction
"I thought you was runnin' the store down in Bushyhead?" Virginia asked with her hands on her hips. She must have looked very odd to him with the dark circles under her eyes and her slightly disheveled hair.
"You know me. A Peddler man, always on the move…"
Virginia gave him a long stare.
"I'm just getting rid of the items in the back." He gestured over his shoulder.
Virginia looked him over. "D'ya mind if I look?" she asked.
"Not at all, Miss Virginia." He slid off the driver's seat and scurried around back. In a few moments he had everything set up as he always did when he sold to a crowd of people or as many people who would mind looking. Virginia came around to see what he had. Everything imaginable was back there in the carriage, but the one thing that caught Virginia's eye was a gold pendant with a blue stone attached to it. Whichever way she turned her head the stone seemed to change color with her angle.
"Wus 'at?" she asked as she pointed to the gold pendant the hung lazily on a small metal hook.
"That?" The Peddler man took it off the hook. "This was made in Egypt. It was supposed to protect a person as they made the long journey to the afterlife."
Virginia tilted her head as she examined the stone once again.
"That's very interestin' Mr. Hakim."
She turned her blue eyes to him.
"How much will this cost me?" she asked.
Ali Hakim thought about it for a few moments. Than with a nod of his dark head and deep bow to her he said. "Six bits"
Instantly that amount of money appeared in his hand and Virginia held the golden amulet tightly in her ivory fingers. Virginia curtsied to the peddler man to show her gratitude.
"Thank you." She said to him "Where are you going next?"
Ali Hakim was climbing back into the driver's seat of the horse-drawn carriage. When he was posed this question. He looked back at her and shrugged.
"Dunno, perhaps back to Bushyhead. Business has not been good." He grabbed the reins for the horses. "But first I want to stop and see old Eller. Let me give you a ride to the house." He offered her his hand to help her up into the carriage.
Virginia shook her head.
"I'm quite capable of walkin'"
Ali Hakim pulled his hand back and shrugged once again.
"Alright then…"
With that he slapped the reins and the horse drew the cart away toward the house. Virginia watched it go down the road and turn sharply in front of the little white house with blue trimmings. She sighed as a surreal feeling came about her. Jud's funeral would be in a few hours and she had to get ready, in the back of her mind a shadow of doubt grew that no one would come.
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The small, rickety, wooden surrey came to a halt in front of the old church. Aunt Eller slowly got out of the left side of the surrey and went to tie the horses to the post that was situated outside the church. The church itself was built of wood that had been originally painted white, but years of weather had peeled the paint away and exposed the gray wood underneath. The building leaned at an angle and looked as though if a strong wind hit the steeple at the right angle it would tumble over.
Virginia slowly got out of the surrey; the faded black dress that she wore swirled around her ankles. She pushed a stray strand of golden hair that had gotten free of the green bow she wore behind her ear. She felt Aunt Eller come up next her. The dumpy woman took her arm and started to lead her toward the door of the church.
"C'mon… We'd better get inside." She said.
Virginia let her lead her to the door, but before Virginia crossed over the threshold she stopped hesitant to go in for fear of what she might see. Eventually she followed Eller in who had politely waited at the door for her.
The church was all but empty except for four people. Two of them she did not know, but she was not interested in finding out that they were. The other two she recognized off the bat as Anna and Susan. Both were dressed in black and had their heads bowed.
Virginia stopped walking down the aisle when she saw the coffin lying open in front of the alter waiting for people to pay their respects. She felt something tug at the corner of her eyes as her mouth started quivering. She looked to Aunt Eller, the old woman bowed her head and took a seat in one of the aisle motioning for Virginia to go up and pay her respects.
She drew a breath and held it to try and stop herself from crying she walked almost mechanically the rest of the way, pausing next to the aisle her friends were in. Both of them looked up. Susan's once friendly eyes were dark and Anna's smile had gone away and was replaced by a thin frown. Both of them looked at Her; they bowed their heads and then looked away from her, avoiding her eyes.
Virginia finally let the tears fall from her blue eyes. She came up beside the coffin. The brown coffin was not elaborately decorated, yet had a simple beauty about it, which echoed its inhabitant. Virginia lifted her eyes just enough to catch a quick glance of Jud before she tore her eyes away unable to look at him as the salty tears clouded her vision.
It took her a few moments to build up enough courage to bring her eyes back around to look at Jud who was lying in the coffin. She tilted her head when she looked at him. He was lying out and his hands were folded across his chest. He was dressed in a clean white shirt with light brown pants that were help up with black suspenders. His tawny hair was combed back.
"Well, once 'gain, I'm cryin' by your side." A weak smile crossed her face as she tilted her head in another direction.
"I'm sorry Jud…" She placed her hand gently on his cold fingers.
"I wasn' fast enough…" She drew her hand back and drew something from her sleeve. She held the golden amulet in her hand and let the feeble rays of light that shifted through the frosted glass of the church glint off the gold inlay around the stone.
She put the amulet in the pocket of the white shirt that Jud wore.
"I'm so sorry…" Virginia turned away and with tears falling freely form her eyes started to walk back to the pew where Aunt Eller was.