Sweetest Revenge

chp. 3

-Monica-

"Monica dear heart, just what are you up to now?" Madame Queen purred from her vanity table. She was surrounded by a handful of girls she was teaching how to apply make-up. Madame had successfully turned her little corner of the center into a studio that would bring everything in Hollywood to shame. At least in her mind she had. In reality, her and Stormy were forever arguing over her budget. Madame with air of the Queen of the Nile Valley, would ask for five golden swans flown in from Paris. Stormy would bring her five Papier Mache swans made by the kids in the art department.

Madame would demand caviar for her post show party. Stormy brought cookies and juice boxes. She said Stormy had it in for her, because Strom thought the theater department was a waste of time and money. Madame like my Nana had performed on Broadway in the 30's. Madame had a slightly longer career than my grandmother. But like most black performers of that time she didn't make the money her white counterparts did. When her money ran out and no more work came her way, she showed up at the center and asked Nana for a job. That was thirty years ago.

If you let Madame tell it, she was responsible for the career of every actor that had come out of Chicago sense then. Stormy said, there was the real world, that the rest of us lived in. And then there was that strange thing that went on in Madame's head. If you ever want a good laugh, sit back and watch Stormy and Madame have it out. Most of the time it's because Madame has gone behind Stormy's back to talk to Shelomoh about funding something extravagant for her next stage play production.

Stormy who was always calm of course would just shake her head and say, 'No, we can't afford to hire a professional team of stage designers... However, that would be a lovely job for the kids in the art department.' Madame's would suck in her breath as if Stormy had just called her a vile name.

"How can you speak to me this way, I performed with on stage with Eartha Kent and Lena Horne?" She would elongate her neck and throw her head back as if she was in fact Queen of all us mere mortals.

Stormy would just shake her head so use to the theatrics. "No, is not a disrespectful word." She would say. Now by this time Madame is in full drama queen mode. Keep in mind when she speaks she always over enunciates every word. Without fail she pops every P, and tot every T.

"It is a disrespectful word if it means, No, I can't be all that I can be. No, my young talented pupils cannot be all that they can be. And No, I must limit myself to rags when I am worthy of riches!" She would say with her arms waving in the air causing whatever brilliantly colored garment she was wearing to flutter around her like beautiful clouds. Because everything she did was a production.

Stormy wouldn't even look up from whatever paper work she was going over.

"Oh, Madame, no one is asking you not to do the very best you can. I'm just telling you, you're going to have to do the very best you can with the budget that was set for the play." She would speak in a sunny tone that I know grated on Madame's nerves.

"You know young lady I helped raise you."

"How can I forget Madame."

"You would think you would have more respect for me." This would make Stormy look up with a sympathetic look.

"Aww Madame, I have the utmost respect for you, which is why I haven't gotten rid of the theater program all together. We really could use the money elsewhere." Madame would throw her head in the air as if such a thing could not be considered.

"Who knows what cesspool this neighborhood would become if not for my productions."

I chuckled thinking back over their arguments, as I looked through the costumes in Madame's closet.