Chapter 8

The sun was illuminating the room when I next opened my eyes. I felt much better for having had a good night’s rest. I stretched and got out of bed. After washing my face and hands, I put on my pink fluffy slippers and robe before descending to the kitchen to start breakfast. I had decided to make waffles today, and was almost ready to begin cooking when Carol came in. After exchanging greetings, she set the table as I finished mixing the batter. The griddle was hot when Mom came in, so I filled the griddle with batter and closed the cover. While I cooked the waffles, Mom made a pot of tea and a pitcher of OJ from frozen concentrate. Aunt Jessica came in, as the first waffles were ready. The griddle made four waffles at a time, so we all began eating after I had started a second batch. Mom reminded me to take my antibiotic capsule as I started to eat, so I put my fork down and retrieved the bottle from the counter. I washed it down with a gulp of OJ, and returned to my waffle. Halfway through my waffle, I remembered the griddle, and I hopped up to remove the second batch. I had caught them just in time and they were a light golden brown.

After we had eaten, we had a cup of tea. It was still bitter to me, but that might be because of the maple syrup that I had just eaten. I added another spoonful of sugar, and it helped. I felt very full after the two waffles. I used to eat four for breakfast.

Mom said, "Carol, after breakfast I would like you and your sister to clean the living room. Your Aunt Jess and I will clean the kitchen."

"Okay, Momma. Do you have any plans for today?"

"Since Crystal has the day off, I thought that we might all do something together. We could drive up to the lake and have a picnic. Any other suggestions?"

We all agreed that going up to the lake, would be wonderful. It would be a little cooler up in the mountains, and we hadn’t been there yet this summer. We had piece of land on the edge of a lake. It had been in Mom’s family for many generations and had passed to her when Granddad passed away. Because of its remoteness, and the undeveloped nature of the area, taxes were minimal. Most of the land around the lake belonged to a sportsman’s club who wished the land to remain as virgin forest. The big land developers hadn't been able to get ahold of enough land around the lake to justify development. Without huge housing tracts which required roads, schools, fire departments, police, sanitation, zoning, social services, etc., etc., etc., the town’s budget had remained very small. This helped to keep taxes to a minimum, and allowed Mom to keep her small inheritance.

Carol and I hurried to clean the living room. She dusted while I vacuumed. We were almost finished when the phone rang. I shut off the vacuum cleaner and answered it.

I heard Sean’s voice say, "Hello Crystal, is that you?" Memories of last night’s activities came flooding back into my mind, although they hadn’t been far away. I said, "Yes, good morning Sean. You’re up early."

"I wanted to find out if you were free today. Can you come out?"

"I’d really like to, but I can’t. The family is going up the mountains for the day."

"How about tomorrow then?"

"I can’t. I have to work at the theatre. The play opens on Friday night. This is the final week of rehearsals. We’ll be working late each night until opening night. I have to be there. I’m sorry Sean."

"Well, I’m patient. I can wait until you’re available. I had a great time with you last night, and I really want to go out with you again."

"I had a good time also. I really enjoyed going to the movies with you."

Carol came over to the phone and said loudly, "Sean, she can’t talk to you right now. We’re busy. Tell her that you love her and call her tonight." Carol smiled mischievously.

Sean said, "Was that Carol?"

"Who else?"

"What are you busy doing?"

"We’re cleaning the house. We have to finish before we leave. We’re working in the living-room right now."

"Well, I don’t want to be responsible for getting you in trouble so I’ll let you go. I’ll try to call again tonight. Bye."

"Bye, Sean."

Carol was giggling as she resumed her cleaning. I started the vacuum and finished up the living-room carpet. When we were done, we went upstairs to take our baths and get dressed.

By 10 o’clock, we were all ready to go. Mom and Aunt Jessica had prepared a picnic lunch before cleaning the kitchen, so we piled into the car and began our trip. The lake was almost two hours away, but we'd be there by noon. The last few miles were on deeply rutted roads, through heavily treed forestland, but it was great to be back at our small summerhouse again. We opened up all of the windows and swept the floors. When the house was tidy, we went down to the clearing by the lake where we had a picnic bench. We spread a tablecloth over the table and laid out the lunch.

As we ate, we began to hear the sounds of a motorboat on the lake. The sounds got closer and closer until it suddenly burst into view. Traveling at high speed, it passed not more than twenty feet from the shore, and forty feet from where we sat. Immediately after passing us we heard the engine noise cut to almost nothing, and several minutes later, it came back into view. This time it was barely moving along. It came directly towards us until the nose pushed into the soft dirt on our shore. The occupants were two young men who promptly jumped ashore after killing the engine. They walked up to where we sat and introduced themselves. The pilot was Barry, and his companion was Jason. They were staying at Barry’s family’s home, a little further up the lake, and said that we were the first people that they had seen all weekend. Mom invited them to join us for lunch and they quickly accepted. Barry sat down next to Carol, and Jason sat next to me.

After lunch, Barry invited us out for a ride on his boat. Ten minutes later we were flying along the surface of the lake. It was my first time cruising the lake in this manner, and the speed of the boat made for an exhilarating ride. I had only been on the lake in my family’s rowboat before this. As we neared the northern shore of the lake, Barry pointed out his home and invited us to land. Mom accepted, and he tied the boat up at their dock. Barry assisted us in getting out of the boat, and we walked up to the house. Barry’s mother had seen us land and came to greet us. For the next hour we sat in their yard overlooking the lake, and drank iced tea that Barry had retrieved from the house. While Mom, Aunt Jessica, and Mrs. Conroy continued to sit and talk, the rest of us went for a walk around their property. Ultimately, we wound up inside the house listening to the stereo, and dancing. The afternoon passed very quickly.

As dinnertime approached, Mrs. Conroy invited us to stay and share their meal. Mom politely tried to refuse but Mrs. Conroy wouldn’t accept no for an answer. She said that Mr. Conroy wouldn’t be up to the lake this weekend and she was enjoying their company too much for them to leave so early. "Besides", she said, "the children are having such a good time that it would be a shame to leave now."

Mom relented and we stayed for dinner. At 9 o’clock we prepared to leave. Mrs. Conroy had Barry drive us back to the house rather than take us in the boat as he had wanted to do. She said that the darkness would make it dangerous on the lake. With few homes around the lake, and almost no lights to use for navigation, she was right. The trip back to the house took 20 minutes. Although it was only a couple of miles, the roads to this part of the lake were horrendous. Barry said that his father fought any attempt to repair them because good roads would bring tourists and trespassers. Their 4-wheel drive vehicle navigated the roads with ease, but it made for a bumpy ride.

Back at the house, the boys escorted us to the door. They knew that we were leaving tonight and wouldn’t be back during the next couple of weeks. They told us to hang a flag down by the lake during our next trip and they would stop by when they saw it. They said that they were on the lake everyday. After Mom and Aunt Jessica had gone inside, Jason and I kissed while Barry and Carol kissed. We said goodnight and they got back into their SUV and went home.

We spent the next half-hour closing up the house and putting our things in the car. The picnic things were still on the picnic table and we worked by lantern light to clear the table and store everything in the basket. We also had to work by lantern and flashlight in the house since the electricity was not turned on. There was an old generator in a tiny outbuilding, but it hadn’t been used for years.

It was after midnight when we got back home. There were 5 messages from Sean on the answering machine. He certainly was persistent. Since it was so late, I couldn’t call him back now. We were all very tired, so we went up to bed right away. I was glad that I could sleep late in the morning since the theatre wouldn’t be open until after one.

The sun had just risen when I woke up. I turned onto my side and tried to go back to sleep. But it was no use, I was awake and that was that. I got out of bed and put on my slippers. After washing my face and hands, I put on my robe and went downstairs. I sat at the kitchen table and poured a glass of OJ, and took one of the antibiotic capsules. I didn’t start breakfast right away because everybody else would be sleeping in. I was surprised when Aunt Jessica walked in just as I started to drink my orange juice.

"Crystal, I’m surprised to see you up so early. I thought that you’d sleep late since you don’t have to hurry to the theatre this morning."

"I couldn’t go back to sleep after I woke up. I tried to stay in bed but I couldn’t. I’m just too used to being up at this hour."

"I enjoyed the trip up to the lake yesterday. How about you?"

"I enjoyed it also. I hope that we can go again this summer."

"I’m sure that we can make another trip. I’ll talk to your mother about it. Maybe your new boyfriend will still be up there when we go back."

"Aunt Jess, Jason’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends."

Carol came in as I spoke. She said, "You should have seen Crystal kissing Jason last night. The poor boy didn’t know what hit him. I thought that Crystal was going to suck the tongue right out of Jason’s head."

If Carol were going to tease me, I would tease her right back. "You’re one to talk. Barry was on the edge of begging for mercy."

We were all laughing as Mom walked in. She said, "What’s so funny this early in the morning?’

Aunt Jessica said, "Your daughters were just teasing each other about their new boyfriends up at the lake. They were discussing kissing techniques."

Mom said, "I think that both of those boys are very nice young men. I’m glad that you found some new friends up at the lake. And Helen Conroy is a charming and pleasant woman. I thoroughly enjoyed our visit."

Aunt Jessica said, "The girls and I were talking about going back again. What do you think, sis? We could stay for maybe a week next time. Neither of us has to return to work until September, so we have lots of time."

"I’m in favor. I’ll call the electric company and have the power turned on for the month of August. I’ll have a tank of gas delivered also so that we’ll have a stove and hot water."

With everyone downstairs now, Carol and I got up and made breakfast while Mom and Aunt Jessica discussed the house at the lake and began a list of what we would need to bring for an extended visit. After breakfast we continued to discuss the trip. We hadn’t stayed for more than a weekend in years. The house was in reasonable repair since during the weekend visits each year, a part of the time was always spent in its maintenance. This year, Mom wanted to paint all of the window casings. The outside of the house had been covered in aluminum siding years ago, so it was somewhat maintenance free. And the roof had been replaced about ten years ago.

About ten o’clock, Carol and I went upstairs to bathe and dress. Afterwards we sat in Carol’s room and gave each other manicures and pedicures. We had just finished doing our hair when Mom called to say that Sean was calling. I went downstairs to speak on the phone. I talked to him for about a half-hour. He told me that he and Pete had purchased tickets to the play for Friday night and wanted to know if he could meet me there. I told him that I would most likely be busy during the play, but that I would see him after it had ended. When Mom called to say that lunch was ready, we ended our call.

After lunch, I hurried to get ready to leave for the theatre. Carol had to put my shoes on for me since I couldn’t bend very well. It seemed that the corset was tighter than ever. I was wearing a very tight skirt and white jabot blouse. With the 4-inch heels, I was once again dressed ‘sultry’, as Carol put it. Just what I needed, I thought sarcastically.

After leaving the house, I hurried to the bus stop. I must have looked a comical sight trying to run in that tight skirt, with my hips swinging and my breasts bouncing with each stride. I arrived just as the bus did, and I was out of breath as I climbed aboard. The skirt was so tight that I had to pull myself up with the handrails. After paying the fare, I walked down the aisle looking for an empty seat. Every pair of eyes on the bus followed my movement. Many of the eyes never raised above my chest. I was relieved to find a seat and sit down. I felt like a fish in a glass bowl.

Arriving at my stop, I exited the bus. I didn’t have to look back to know that the driver and many of the passengers were following my every movement, until I finally heard the doors of the bus close with a loud whoosh, and then heard it move off into the downtown traffic. I entered the stage door of the darkened theatre and went immediately to the coffee machine. Once the coffee had started to drip, I went to the makeup room to put away my purse. Marge and Barbara were in there talking, so I sat down and joined their conversation. At some point the conversation turned to me.

Barbara said, "How have you been getting by, dear?"

"Fine, Barb."

"You look so sexy today that the male actors are going to be flubbing their lines just so you can prompt them."

"My sister says that if you’ve got it, flaunt it." We all laughed.

"Don’t flaunt it too much, we have a play to put on here. We want the actors to be able to remember their lines. Do you have something formal for Friday night?"

"No, I hadn’t thought about needing anything formal."

"You’re the ‘Assistant to the Director’. Mr. Tucker will be wearing a tux. You should be wearing a formal gown. You'll be greeting theatergoers as a representative of the organization, and in the event of a problem, may be called upon to substitute for Mr. Tucker. Come on in to the wardrobe department later. We’ll find something for you. I think that I have a lovely dark blue satin gown that would look perfect on you. It’s a floor length, strapless evening gown that we used in a production last year. I think that you’re just about the right size. I can alter it if it needs it."

"Thank you, Barb. I’ll stop by when I can. Right now I have to get Mr. Tucker’s notebook caught up to date. See ya."

"Bye, dear."

I went to the back stage area where the word processing computer was and entered Mr. Tucker’s notes from Saturday. I printed out the new pages, three-hole punched them, and then inserted them into Mr. Tucker’s notebook. I had finished all my work and was playing solitaire on the computer when Mr. Tucker came in, so I shut the machine off and brought him a cup of coffee and his script notebook.

He said, "Ah, the incomparable Crystal, and she brings with her the fabled fluid of festive flavor."

Mr. Tucker took the cup and drank a mouthful before taking his notebook. Then he motioned me to sit down and we ran through the rehearsal schedule for tonight. He instructed me in what he wanted me to watch for, and where I should stand backstage in order prompt any actors who might forget a line. The rehearsal was to be handled as if it was an actual performance. The actors would be in full makeup and costume. The stagehands would handle the scenery and lighting as if there was an audience in the theatre. Cast members not required in a scene should be well out of the way, in the wings. The play would not be stopped unless a major problem developed. Reviews of the performance would be conducted at the end of each act.

When Mr. Tucker had covered what he expected of me, he worked with each actor who was available. He discussed their deficiencies, and gave them pointers on improving their performances. By 7 PM, all cast members had arrived and donned their costumes. The schedule called for actors needed for Act 1 to receive priority from the makeup people. At 7:30, the curtain opened and the play began. I stood backstage to prompt the actors while Mr. Tucker sat in the last row of the theatre with his notebook.

At the end of Act 1, the curtains closed temporarily then opened again as the stage was fully illuminated. Mr. Tucker came down from the back row to his normal seat in the front row. All cast members came out onto the stage for the review. Mr. Tucker read through a list of notes that he had made. Some actors had missed their marks. Some were not projecting well enough to be heard in the rear of the theatre. And some had botched their timing. At the end of the review, the curtain was closed and we proceeded with Act 2 after a short break. Once again, Mr. Tucker sat in the rear of the theatre.

The review at the end of Act 2 was similar to the one following Act 1.

The same actors were chastised for not projecting well enough to be heard. Other actors were criticized for missing marks or botching their timings. When Mr. Tucker had covered all of his notes, we took a short break and went onto Act 3.

At the end of Act 3, we again gathered to have our errors pointed out. This time, Mr. Tucker included comments to the stagehands about their handling of scenery. After Mr. Tucker had criticized the performance, he stood up and said, "Not too bad for a first dress rehearsal. It’ll be much better tomorrow. Thank you, people. Let’s call it a night."

Everybody started to remove costumes and head for the makeup department. Mr. Tucker gave me his notebook so that I could type his notes tomorrow. I put it on the word processor desk and went to help out in wardrobe. As the actors removed their costumes, I hung them on hangers and placed them on the rack. Tomorrow, Barbara would examine each costume for rips and tears. She would patch any that she found, and clean makeup off collars and cuffs. When all of the costumes had been put away for the night, Barbara had me try on the gown that she had talked about earlier. It was beautiful. She pinned or marked the dress where she would have to make adjustments and had me take it off. I had just finished putting my own skirt and blouse back on when Debbie came into the wardrobe room.

She said, "Crystal, do you want a ride home?"

"Yes, thanks."

"Okay, girl. Let’s get going. Goodnight Barbara."

"Goodnight Debbie. Goodnight Crystal."

"Goodnight Barbara. And thanks for the dress."

Debbie and I retrieved our purses from the makeup room and left the theatre.

Debbie said, "What dress?"

"Barbara is altering a dress for me to wear for opening night. She said that I should be suitably attired since I'll representing the company in the front of the theatre."

"Oh. What’s it look like."

"It’s a costume from last year. It’s a floor length, strapless, dark blue satin gown. It’s really beautiful. I can’t wait to wear it."

"Sounds nice. Sounds sexy. I can’t wait to see you in it."

We had arrived at Debbie’s car. She opened the passenger door and held it until I was inside. I reached over and unlocked the driver’s side and she walked around. We talked about the rehearsal as we rode. She asked me to critique her performance, and to be brutally honest, so I did, and was.

"My God. Was I that bad?"

"No, not bad. You just act a little wooden. You appear to be playing a part, rather than appearing as a participant in a true-life experience. Please don’t be angry, Debbie. You wanted my honest opinion. You’re my friend. I don’t want to lie to you when you ask for the truth."

"What do you think I should do?"

"I think that you need to more closely identify with the character of the role. You have to BE Daphne while your on stage, rather than acting like Daphne."

"Maybe your right. I have been trying to act like I think Daphne would act rather than acting as if I was Daphne. Will you work with me tomorrow when we get to the theatre?"

"Of course."

"Great. How about if I pick you up and take you downtown? Around one?"

"Okay. I’d love a ride. I get so tired of being stared at on the bus."

"Better get used to it, beautiful. With your looks, men are going to be staring at you for years. It’s when they stop staring that you should become depressed."

We had arrived at my house and Debbie had parked in front. She leaned over and we kissed. A long, sexy, provocative kiss."

When she backed off, I got out. I didn’t want the neighbors to see me kissing another woman in front of the house. I had enough problems right now.

Debbie said, "See you tomorrow, love."

"Goodnight, Debbie."

Inside the house, I checked my makeup before going upstairs. I took a tissue from my purse and wiped off a smear of lipstick. Mom came out of her bedroom as I climbed the stairs.

"Hi sweetheart, how was the rehearsal."

"Great, Mom. But am I tired."

"Did you lock the front door behind you?"

"No, Mom."

"That’s good. Your sister’s not in yet. She’s still at Heather’s house. Goodnight, dear." She kissed me on my cheek.

"Goodnight, Momma."

I went into my bedroom and removed my clothes. I took off my makeup and washed my underthings. Carol was still not home. I was so tired that I put on my sleepwear and went to bed with my corset still tightly laced. It didn’t prevent me from falling asleep almost as soon as I lay down. I usually remember my dreams when I wake up, but the following morning, I couldn’t recall a single one. I must have been really tired.

Mom and Aunt Jessica were already in the kitchen when I went down. I was a little later than normal. Mom had made sausage patties, hash browns, and eggs. She brought me a glass of OJ and my antibiotic capsule. I couldn’t believe how hungry I was until I realized that I hadn’t had dinner last night. We had worked straight through the afternoon and the evening. Carol came in as I ate my breakfast.

She said, "Morning everybody."

We all echoed back, "Good morning."

Mom made Carol’s breakfast and then sat down to have a cup of tea. As we ate, I told them about yesterday’s rehearsal and about the beautiful gown that I would get to wear on Friday evening. I had long ago secured tickets for them to come to opening night if they wished. Mom wanted me to bring the gown home so that we could get shoes and accessories that would match. I told her that Barbara had everything already, except shoes. And all I would need would be a pair of black, or navy blue, 4-inch heels. I already had a pair of Carol’s that would be perfect. Barbara would give me the opera length gloves, and the jewelry that I would need.

After breakfast, I luxuriated in warm bath water until my fingers stated to wrinkle. When I had dried myself off and powdered, I played with my hair for a while, trying to see how it would look piled atop my head in a formal hairstyle. Carol came in after completing her bath and helped me. After more than an hour of playing around, we finally settled on a look. Carol would help me prepare it that way on Friday morning before I went to the theatre. It was so wonderful having a big sister. I told her how much I appreciated her.

She said, "My pleasure, sis. I’ve loved every minute of it. I always wished that I had a little sister. I’m so happy that I do, now."

We spent the rest of the morning in her bedroom talking about clothes, hair, and boys. Carol said that she had seen Sean at the Mall yesterday. He was with Pete and some other guys. Heather tried to capture his attention, but he didn’t seem too interested in her. He told Carol that he couldn’t wait until we could double again. He wanted to know if we could go out after the play on Friday.

I said, "There’s going to be a cast party after the play. But, I can duck out early if you want to go out."

"Yes, that would be great. I’ll tell Pete later and he can pass the word to Sean."

We had lunch at noon and then I got ready to leave. Debbie would be here at about one and I didn’t want to keep her waiting.

I was all ready to go when Debbie got to the house. She drove at a leisurely pace to the downtown area and parked in the lot behind the theatre. I made the coffee and worked on the word processor while she put on her costume and makeup. When I had finished updating Mr. Tucker’s notes, I went to the makeup room. Debbie was just finishing up.

She said, "Crystal, will you work with me on my delivery?"

"Of course, Debbie."

We went onstage and started from her first appearance. I assumed the role of whomever Daphne was supposed to be interacting with, while Debbie played her character. She had asked me to be blunt with my appraisal and suggestions for improving her performance. I told her how I felt about her performance at every opportunity. I praised her when I felt that she performed well, and criticized her when I thought that she didn't do well. We spent the entire afternoon going over her role. Her lines were not that numerous, but she spent a lot of time on stage. I tried to behave as if I was Mr. Tucker directing her efforts. I talked about her posture, facial expressions, and body english. I constantly reminded her that she must remain in character even when she was not actively involved in dialogue. Debbie had a tendency to step out of character when she was not speaking.

From having spent so much time working with the play, working with Mr. Tucker, and transcribing his personal notes, I felt that I had a certain insight into what he was looking for, and how he expected all of the characters to behave. When we had run through her entire role, I applauded her efforts. My clapping echoed wildly in the empty theatre. Or so I thought. When I stopped, the clapping continued for several more seconds. That’s when I realized that we were not alone. Mr. Tucker had come in and was sitting in the last row where he had sat during yesterday’s performance. He stopped clapping and walked down to the front of the theatre.

He said, "Debbie, very, very good job. You keep working on it and following all of Crystal’s suggestions." Turning to me, he said, "Crystal, I’m impressed. You’ve obviously been paying attention and learned a great deal working here. I could not have directed Debbie’s rehearsal any better myself. I am promoting you from ‘Assistant to the Director’ to ‘Assistant Director’. That’s a major step up even though we are only removing two words from the title. You’ve been the best assistant that I've ever had…Uh, do you think it would be beneath an Assistant Director to get me a cup of coffee?"

I smiled warmly at the compliments that he had just paid me. "Not at all Mr. Tucker. I'll have it for you in 15 seconds."

"Ah, beauty, brains, and even humility. What a wonderful combination."

I hurried backstage to the coffee maker and poured a cup. As I was returning, I grabbed Mr. Tucker’s notebook from the desk. He was still talking to Debbie when I returned. He was giving her more pointers about her performance. I stood and listened to his remarks and marveled at his insight of the character Debbie was portraying. He took the coffee that I held, and between comments, sipped at the hot liquid. It was getting later now, and cast members were arriving and beginning to wander around backstage, having donned their costumes and visited the makeup technicians.

The play started right on time, with Mr. Tucker sitting in the back row, and me standing just offstage. It was a repeat of last night’s rehearsal. In between acts, Mr. Tucker conducted an evaluation session where he criticized and complimented.

At the end of the evening, Debbie gave me a ride home again. I was very grateful that I didn’t have to wait for the bus at this time of night, especially dressed as I usually was. I didn’t want any more occurrences like I had had with Joey Barton.

Wednesday and Thursday proceeded like Monday and Tuesday. When Friday finally arrived, I was as tense as an air traffic controller whose computer screen had just gone blank. Carol helped me to do my hair up. I had applied several coats of fresh nail polish to my inch long nails. My gown was at the theatre waiting for me. Barbara had made the alterations and it fit beautifully. Mom, Aunt Jessica, and Carol were all coming to the opening night production. I hoped that they would enjoy it after the big buildup that I had given it.

Debbie picked me up right after lunch. I had been too nervous to eat anything, so I only had some tea. I was getting used to the bitter taste and looked forward to it as you would lemonade. I had a lot to do when we arrived at the theatre. I would not put the gown on until about 6 o’clock. Curtain time was 8 o’clock. The programs had been delivered and I brought the opened box to the front of the theatre. I took several copies for myself. Mr. Tucker had changed my title before the printing, and I was now officially named as Assistant Director. I was very proud of my contribution to the play.

When I had handled all of my chores, I sat down in the theatre to try to relax. Mr. Tucker came in and sat next to me. We talked for a few minutes, and then I hurried to get him a cup of coffee. I returned and sat down next to him.

"Well Crystal, nothing left to do now except to let the production run its course. We’re either ready or we’re not. I think that no matter how the critics judge our efforts, you’ve done a splendid job. You’ve been diligent and hardworking since the start and I want to thank you for your efforts. I hope that you'll work with us on future productions."

"Thank you Mr. Tucker. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve learned so much from you, and I appreciate the opportunity that you have given me to participate in the company. I hope that I can be a part of future productions."

Just then Marge and Barbara hurried over to where we sat.

Barbara said, in a very agitated voice, "Mr. Tucker, I’ve just received terrible news. The hospital called to say that Pam has fallen down a flight of stairs. She has a compound fracture of her left leg. She won’t be able to play the role of Miss Prudy."

Mr. Tucker just closed his eyes for a minute and breathed deeply. He said, "Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes, but she'll be off her feet for at least two months."

"Well, thank heaven that she'll recover. I’m not so sure about our production though. She’s the lead female character." Looking at me he said, "Who’s her understudy?"

"Debbie. All of the other female characters are older women. Miss Prudy is only supposed to be 19."

He looked at Marge, "Would you call Debbie please?" Marge hurried away.

Looking at me again, he said, "Who is Debbie’s understudy?"

"There is none. We only have understudy’s for the main characters."

"Good heavens. I thought that things were going too smoothly." He closed his eyes and appeared to be deep in concentration.

He opened his eyes when Marge returned with Debbie.

He said, "Debbie, terrible news. Pam has fallen and broken her leg. She is going to be alright but we need you to go on in her place."

"I can’t Mr. Tucker. I don’t know her lines well enough. I’ve never rehearsed her role at all."

"You’ll have to go on and do the best that you can. Crystal will take your role of Daphne."

I did a double take. "Me?", I said. "I can’t go on. I’d be too nervous."

"People, people, the show must go on. We have four hours until the curtain rises. Grab your script books and study your lines. The only other alternative is to cancel the production. Does anybody think that we should do that?"

We all sat there in numbed silence.

Barbara spoke up and said, "Mr. Tucker, Miss Prudy has four costumes, and Daphne has three. I can’t possible modify seven costumes in four hours. Debbie is taller than Pam and the costume alterations will take half a day, at least."

"What choice do we have? I’m open to suggestions."

Barbara said, "Debbie should stay as Daphne. Let Crystal play the part of Miss Prudy. She’s almost the same size as Pam and the costume alterations will be minor."

Mr. Tucker looked at me, smiled, and said, "Excellent suggestion Barbara. Debbie, you’re off the hook. You’ll stay as Daphne."

Debbie breathed a sigh of relief. But I hadn’t breathed since Barbara had made the suggestion. Mr. Tucker continued to look at me.

"Crystal, we need you. You’re the only one that can help us now. Whether or not the play goes on depends on your decision. You know all of the lines, and you’ve stood in for Pam when she couldn’t be here. Will you save the play?"

Talk about being on the spot. Everybody was looking at me and waiting for my decision. If I said no, the play might have to be cancelled. And it would be my fault.

 

(Continued in Chapter 9)

 

 

 

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