"For you? I'd hold the skies on my shoulders, if it came down to it."
*****
He didn't think she'd ever look his way. Let alone, stumble into him- and into his life. But all things happen for a reason, and sometimes- when you love someone from afar...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"THE SHOW MUST go on."
"What does that mean?" eleven-year-old Ophelia had asked her nan who had been knitting her a sweater, while she sat on the ground next to her feet- playing with her favorite rock.
"It means," her nan had said, "that sometimes in a play, regardless of problems that might arise, the characters must keep playing their parts till the very end. No matter what."
"I see," little Ophelia had nodded very somberly, "That doesn't work in real life though, does it?"
Her nan laughed.
"Oh, sweet child," she had said gently, reaching over to stroke her hair, "You have much to learn."
I think I understood what it meant now.
Bad things could happen to you, but to most others- those things were inconsequential.
The earth continued to spin, and life went on.
And you- youhad to go on too. No matter what.
In the literal sense as well, the date of Midsummer Night's Dream was only growing closer, which meant things were getting a whole lot busier. Whether it was in terms of the costumes, props, or even stage accessories.
But that didn't mean that I wasn't miserable about everything else going on in my life- even as I stepped back after making one of the final modifications to Helena's gown.
Andrea, who was playing Helena, scrutinizes the gown in the floor-length mirror backstage and gives me a begrudging nod of admiration.
"It's," she pauses, forcing a stiff shrug, "good. Very good."
Jade, who had been standing next to her, gives her a playful little shove.
"Very good? Come on," she shakes her head with a little laugh, "I think you can do better than that. Give her credit when it's due."
"Yeah, whatever," Andrea rolls her eyes but turns to give me a tight smile, "Thanks, Ophelia. I'm going to get changed out of it."
She brushes past me before anything else can be said, and I stare at her back as she retreats into one of the dressing rooms. I had always gotten the distinct sense from her that she didn't like me very much, but I could never figure out why.
"Don't worry about her," I hear Jade say noncommittally, and when I turn to her she's running a hand down her Queen Titania gown with a smile, "You've done an fantastic job on all these costumes."
I offer her a small smile and nod in thanks, but I can't help the way my eyes flit in that direction again.
"She's just..." Jade continues, when she sees the expression on my face, ".. to put it very bluntly, jealous. At least, that's the sense I've gotten from her so far."
