The room gradually became quiet. Jennifer checked her running sheet. Erica, Issy and Mackenzie hung back along with Peggy, Walter, Jimmy, Gemma, Roy, Phillipa, Lloyd and Chloe. There was still plenty to do behind the scenes and for everything going on tomorrow.
Jimmy looked a little frazzled, but was smiling; he was clearly in his element, Erica thought. She was the same – actually quite enjoying this type of stress and excitement.
She gazed around, taking another moment to admire Jimmy’s set – well, sets, plural. There was the interior of the nursing home, which when the panels were turned around became the garden outside of it, and then there was the bedroom of the young hacker that also quickly became the bedroom of her grandfather – one of the residents of the old folks’ home. He’d cleverly put concealed wheels on everything so each piece could be turned around or moved quickly by just one person and with minimal effort. The way he’d thought it all through had blown Erica’s mind and shown him to be a man of many skill sets and a very clever mind.
Her gaze idly followed Jennifer as she walked across the room, thinking how incredible she was. Not only was she full of energy and passion, but there had been no shouting and everything had been run smoothly: like a well-oiled machine, as her dear old dad would have said.
Erica frowned. What’s happened? There, over by the wall, were Jennifer and Robert, Ingrid and Claire. Even from this distance Erica could see the paleness of all their faces and the strain in their features, the slump of their shoulders. She stood up and made her way through the chairs towards them, but then stopped. Jennifer was making ushering movements and saying, ‘Go, go. Of course, you must go.’ Claire was speaking too, but her voice was inaudible, though her waving hands seemed to be reiterating Jennifer’s words.
Suddenly the room was quiet, the only sounds being Ingrid’s and Robert’s hurried footsteps clattering on the wooden floor – clack, clack, clack – and then the clunk of the heavy timber doors closing behind them. Then Jennifer was calling for a bit of shoosh from those still assembled. That was the rest of the cast and crew, actually, Erica realised. As one, they turned and watched while Jennifer, followed by a teary-looking Claire, clomped her way purposefully across the front of the first row of chairs and then sat down heavily on the stage, her legs dangling. She began rubbing her hands across her face.
‘What’s happened?’ Walter said.
They all got up and crowded around.
‘Sorry, folks, but the show’s off.’
Claire nodded and with her head lowered concentrated on drying her eyes and blowing her nose quietly.
Exclamations of ‘What?’ ‘But why?’ ‘What’s happened?’ rumbled through the group.
Jennifer held up her hand. To Erica it seemed she was making an extraordinary effort to stay calm. Her face was ashen now, and her features seemed to have aged a decade during that walk across the hall. Tears were in her eyes. Erica’s heart lurched towards the woman – their indefatigable leader appeared broken.
‘Sorry, everyone. It can’t be helped. Robert and Ingrid needed to leave. Robert’s parents have had a car accident. It’s serious. They’re being airlifted.’
There was a collective gasp and Erica experienced a déjà vu flash in her mind of the same occurrence with Stuart’s parents, his almost identical words to her on the set of the film she was working on all those years back in the US. She shuddered at how her career had all but ceased to exist from that moment. Of course they’d discussed that she would pick up where she’d left off later – return to the US in due course or perhaps work on local film and TV. But it had never happened. All that flashing in her mind made her dizzy and nauseous. She felt behind her for a chair and sat down.
‘No,’ and ‘Fuck,’ were the murmured words filling the space.
And then Mackenzie’s clear, earnest voice cut through the rabble: ‘No. You can’t give up.’
‘But we don’t have a leading pair of actors and we never had enough interested parties to have understudies,’ Jennifer said. ‘We have to cut our losses.’
‘But it’s not just any old play. It’s Claire’s play,’ Phillipa said. ‘It’s your rare and really important chance to have your play properly performed, isn’t it?’
Claire nodded again. ‘Yes, but it is only a play. I’m sure there’ll be other opportunities.’ Though to Erica’s ear she didn’t sound convinced.
‘And the fundraising,’ Issy said. ‘It’s such an important cause.’
‘Yes, there’s got to be a way,’ Mackenzie said.
Jennifer shrugged helplessly. ‘Ingrid and Robert urged us to replace them, didn’t they, Claire? But they’re in shock: there is no one else,’ she said, rubbing her face.
‘I know! Mum. You and Jimmy can play the leads – I saw you guys in the wings, ready to give the lines. You know them, don’t you? You said you’ve been helping Walter rehearse all this time.’
‘And, Jimmy, you’ve been helping me,’ Peggy said.
‘Yes, but I don’t think I know all of them – well, not well enough,’ Jimmy said.
‘No, me neither. I’m always reading from the script,’ Erica said.
‘You’ve got hours before the opening. You could learn them,’ Issy said. ‘I bet you know more than you realise,’ she added.
‘Exactly. You’ll have soaked them up during rehearsals, too. You’ve both been at all of them, haven’t you?’ Mackenzie said.
‘Well, yes,’ Erica said.
‘True, but …’ Jimmy said.
‘Yes, at least give it a shot. That’s better than giving up,’ Gemma said.
‘I agree,’ Roy said. ‘If it’s a flop – and I absolutely know it won’t be, sorry to even suggest that, but – well, then we can apologise and give everyone’s money back. Or they’d totally understand, what with the last-minute substitutions.’
‘And if the worst happened – and I agree, it won’t – it’s such a worthy cause that I really think people wouldn’t even want to be reimbursed. It is, after all, only the cost of a main meal in the pub,’ Peggy pointed out.
‘True,’ Lloyd said.
‘I agree,’ Phillipa said.
‘Hang on a second,’ Walter said, raising his voice and holding up a hand. ‘I love your enthusiasm, everyone, and belief in your mother and Jimmy, Issy and Mackenzie, but I rather think it’s up to them to agree to do it – be comfortable doing it – and not for us to badger them into anything.’
‘Yeah, sorry,’ Issy said.
‘You’re absolutely right, Walter. We’re getting carried away. Mum, Jimmy, it’s completely up to you,’ Mackenzie said. Both girls looked downcast.
‘Yes, please don’t feel you have to do this for me,’ Claire said.
‘I’m to blame too. My apologies,’ Roy said.
‘Yes. Sorry,’ Phillipa said.
‘Entirely up to you. Knowing the lines is one thing, but getting the nerve to get up onstage is a whole other ballgame,’ Lloyd said.
‘It’s okay, everyone, I’m the one who should be apologising. I’m as much to blame,’ Jennifer said. ‘I’m in a bit of a state of shock, to be honest. But, yes, thank you, Walter, you’re absolutely right. When it comes down to it, as Claire said, it is only a play – this is not life and death. My apologies, Jimmy and Erica. Please don’t feel pressured. At all. It is a big ask, I know, and you have every right to decline, for any reason. And without explanation.’
‘Thanks, Walter and Jennifer, but I think I’d really like to try and step up, actually. Remember, I was originally keen to have a part but Gemma and I thought we’d be too busy this weekend – and the wedding that was meant to be tomorrow has been cancelled. Gemma?’
‘I’m good if you’re good.’
‘Everyone has put in so much work. It’d be a real shame to just let it go to waste. Count me in,’ Jimmy said.
‘Yes. I really appreciate you saying, too – letting me off the hook,’ Erica said. ‘But I’m with Jimmy. I’m keen to give it a go. If you’re okay to take a risk on me, that is?’
‘Yes, it’s your play, Jennifer, and yours, Claire – do you want to take the risk with me?’ Jimmy asked, looking from Jennifer to Claire.
‘If you want to do it, I’d absolutely love to have you on board. But only if you’re sure,’ Jennifer said.
‘Oh my god, it would mean the world to me,’ Claire said. Her eyes glistened with tears. ‘But, as Jennifer says, only if you’re absolutely certain.’
Jimmy looked at Erica with his eyebrows raised in question. ‘So, we’re doing this?’
Erica nodded. ‘Yep. If you’re in, I’m in.’ While she wasn’t entirely convinced she wanted to do it, she did feel she needed to – for herself and for Jimmy, first and foremost.
‘Oh, I’m so pleased,’ Jennifer said, regaining some colour and movement. ‘Thank you.’
‘Thank you,’ Claire croaked, dabbing at her eyes.
‘Good on you, Mum and Jimmy – you’re going to be awesome!’ Issy said.
‘I agree. You totally are,’ Mackenzie said.
‘No pressure, then,’ Erica said, smiling wryly at them. ‘Just kidding,’ she added, putting a hand on each of their arms when they again looked a little chastised.
‘Okay, folks,’ Jennifer announced, ‘the show is going ahead, thanks to Jimmy and Erica.’
A spontaneous round of applause erupted.
‘Jennifer, I’ve had an idea for something that might help Mum and Jimmy with remembering some lines,’ Issy said, once it was quiet again and some people had moved away to chat amongst themselves.
‘What’s that, Issy?’ Jennifer asked.
‘Well, maybe we can enlarge and print out some pages and stick them to the coffee table you sit near and the floor, for just in case,’ Issy said.
‘Oh. That is a good idea,’ Jennifer said.
‘And, you know, even if it all goes wrong and the worst happens, you could simply pull the chairs back and have a dance floor – turn up the music,’ Issy said.
Oh dear, Erica thought. She loved her girls’ enthusiasm and efforts to help, but turn it into a disco? Or nightclub, or whatever they were thinking?
‘I could tell some jokes,’ Roy offered. ‘If it came to it. Some are even clean,’ he added with a slight chuckle.
‘No, it won’t come to that. I’m sure,’ Walter said. ‘Sorry, Roy, I didn’t mean that about you and your jokes. I was thinking aloud and stuck back a bit in the conversation.’
‘No worries. All good, Walter, old mate.’
‘You’re all brilliant,’ Jennifer said, looking around the group. ‘We’re going to give it a damned good shot. And like you’ve said, I’d put money on people not wanting a refund anyway.
‘Right. Jimmy, you and Erica go and swot up. If you’re still sure, that is?’ she added, looking at them.
Erica nodded and stood up. She felt decidedly queasy now. But she couldn’t let Jennifer and everyone else down. And she wouldn’t let herself down like she had last time she’d tried acting many years ago.
‘We can do this,’ Jimmy said, threading his arm through hers.
She nodded and whispered, ‘I’m terrified.’
‘So am I. But I can’t let Jennifer down. Remember there is nothing to fear but fear itself. If I can make the progress I have and you can pack up your life like you did to move up here, then this’ll be a piece of cake. It’s one night. Just one night.’
‘But I had stage fright last time,’ she whispered. ‘Like, really badly.’ While somewhat curious to discover what had happened, Erica was also very glad not to know the cause of the shame that burnt inside her, though, thankfully, less intensely now.
‘That was then and this is now. You’re not that person any more.’
‘You should be on the inspirational speaking circuit,’ Erica said. She wanted to laugh, but couldn’t manage to push aside her anxiety enough to.
‘Well, I’ve been listening to you,’ he said.
‘You’ve got this, Mum. And Jimmy,’ Issy said, coming up to them.
‘Yep. You’re going to be fantastic; we know you are. We wouldn’t have suggested this if we didn’t believe in you.’
‘Yeah, thanks for dumping me in it,’ Erica said wryly. ‘Again, just kidding.’
‘It will do you good,’ Mackenzie said, phraseology and tone Erica recognised as her own and her mother’s before her.
‘Well, I’m going to give it my best,’ she said.
‘Me too. Come on, let’s go and find a quiet spot,’ Jimmy said.
‘That’s the spirit,’ Mackenzie said. ‘And our birds fly the nest. Here, we see the adults being coddled by the children. Life has come full circle,’ she said in her best David Attenborough drawl.
‘Yes: fly, butterflies, fly,’ Issy said, making ushering movements with her hands.
‘Oh haha, you two,’ Erica said. She pulled away from Jimmy, turned and wrapped her arms around both of them, gave them each a kiss and then released them.
‘Your girls are awesome. Cute and funny too,’ Jimmy whispered.
‘Yeah. I got lucky,’ she whispered back.
‘Nothing to do with luck from where I’m standing.’
‘Right, Jennifer, give me a pen. I’m going to change the actors’ names on the programs,’ Mackenzie said.
‘But there are hundreds of them,’ Jennifer said. ‘It’s not simply a matter of typing in a few lines – like I’m about to do for the online stuff.’
‘So we’d better get cracking, then,’ Issy said. ‘Unless there’s something you’d rather we do?’
‘I’ll help,’ Chloe said.
‘No. No, that would be great. If you’re happy to do it,’ Jennifer said. ‘Here you go,’ she said, handing her a pen. Walter pulled two from his pocket and handed one to Mackenzie and another to Chloe. ‘Thanks, girls,’ Jennifer said. ‘The programs are at the front on the table.’
‘My pleasure,’ Mackenzie said.
‘Mine too,’ Issy said. ‘Mum and Jimmy are going to pull this off and I want everyone to know who they are,’ she added.
‘Good for you. But we could reprint them. Or print stickers to go over that bit,’ Walter said.
‘Nope. We’re not wasting paper and ink – it’s twenty-twentytwo, Walter! Sorry, no offence. Really.’
‘Oh, Walter,’ Chloe said with exaggerated exasperation complete with a deep sigh. Erica had to turn away to stop from cracking up laughing.
‘Okay. Good point. And no offence taken,’ he said cheerfully.