As Told By Paramours

prologue

December 25th, 9:03 p.m., Jameson Retirement Home, Christmas Get-Together

[Josie plays with the hems of her skirt, sitting on the chair with her legs elegantly crossed. Elijah sits beside her stiffly, though he isn't necessarily uncomfortable; he's just naturally stark. The audience at Jameson Retirement Home wait patiently for the story to start]

Josie: So. Let's start, then? My Grandmother, Rosemary, met John on a playground when she was, I think, 6 years old, with a mint-ice cream cone in her hand. She was wearing a frilly, pink dress. Her friends had left her, and so she was alone, and tried to swing on the monkey-bars when John pushed past her and made her fall off-- [nudges Elijah] right, Elijah?

Elijah: Yes. My Grandfather, also 6, met her there. But they didn't meet again until they were, err, 16? [verifies silently with Josie, who smiles at him as agreement]. He asked her to the dance, and at the time, they didn't exactly remember each other, but she agreed anyway.

Josie: Because her friends were with their dates dancing, so. Nothing she could really do without losing a limb.

[Audience laughs]

Elijah: Right. Um, from that night on, they sort of fell in love. [looks to Josie with an expression she knows well; one that tells her he is done talking and exerted himself in a half-joking way]

Josie: Yeah! But when they hit 18, things got a bit blurred with their relationship. There were race discussions, college discussions, breaking up discussions. They argued a lot, mostly about how no one seemed to want them to be together, but Rosemary wanted John to be with her, she was willing to drop any other college acceptances to go with him. He didn't want her too, he was pretty adamant against that notion.

Elijah [humming in agreement]: They thought it would be okay in the end, though, since they loved each other a large sum. A little later, they had a big argument regarding how everyone hated John with Rosemary. Thought he was a bad influence, and all.

[Audience awes sadly]

Josie: [puts a hand up to her face as though she's whispering to the audience] It was racism. Anyway. She said "do you not want to be with me?"

Elijah: He said "your whole family hates me, Rose. how is that supposed to make me feel?"

Josie: Then my Grandmother said "what matters more? What I think of you, or what my family says? I can be with who I want to be."

Elijah: My Grandfather didn't reply. He left, and then, everything basically went downhill.

Josie [laughs slightly]: Right. My Grandmother received a note from John, saying he wanted to meet her at Legacy Ridge, so she went, obviously.

Elijah: My Grandfather was out of the loop, because he'd gotten a call from her and she said she didn't want to be with him anymore and said a few... nasty things.

Josie: Yeah, so it as basically a big misunderstanding. My Grandmother is great at holding grudges, so she ended up hating him.

Elijah: I don't think my Grandfather despised her, he was sort of hurt. They moved on to other people though, or I reckon we wouldn't be here.

[Audience laughs]

Audience Member: Hold on-- how did you two end up together when your grandparents both had these feelings left over of anger and hurt?

Elijah [smiling at Josie, who scrunches up her nose]: I suppose we should tell them?

Josie [smiling as well]: I suppose we should.