Act One-Scene Three - Jerry's Story

Act one

Scene three

               [Lights dim. four figures are seated and one figure rises and walks to front]

JERRY

               [speaking to the audience, Placing his fingers to his lips}

I know that you are out there. I’m the one who has reached

through that purple cosmic curtain and pulled all of you in.

And So, welcome to my nightmare.

The name is Jerry Fostor and I was born in the narcoleptic

town of Vincennes, Indiana. Our most famous son in

Vincennes was Red Skelton, who became a world renown

comedian and brought joy to millions while my dear Dad was

the banker at First Bank of Vincennes. I’m sorry to say dear

old Dad foreclosed on the Skelton home during the

depression and it makes me so proud.

Did you know that poor Red Skelton’s father died before he

was born. A circus pole went right through his chest and

the family was left destitute and hungry. So young Red

Skelton left home at fourteen years to work in a traveling

show to support his mother and brother working in the exact

same trade that killed his father.

Myself, I followed Dad in the trade which I hoped would

someday kill him at the First Bank of Vincennes.

Once I started working in the fine old bank, I was married to

 a big boned girl from High School named Amy Phlueger. Now

everybodys got a big-boned girl in their past, don’t they? But

then I just felt like my clothes just weren't fitting me right.

Do you have any idea how that feels? Like you we living

someone else’s life. I knew that I “definitely” did not want

to be married or even worse yet work in a bank. And then a

powerful blue fever fell over me and I lay bedridden for two

weeks. While in my deathbed bed, I had delirious dreams of demons

 and faraway lands as  great tremors shook and shuddered my

sickened body.

The next Saturday the doctor looked me over and told my wife

So very quietly that she had better buy my piney box. The very

next day On Sunday by some miraculous Midwestern miracle

bestowed onto me by providence the fever suddenly abated and

I made a complete recovery by nightfall of that very same day.

The very next morning; it was a Monday in July, I arose from

 My sickbed and proceeded to the bank and withdrew half of

The account and within thirty minutes was on a bus to New

York.That moment, sitting in a tattered seat after

cheating death and a marriage I felt really alive.

Never will I forget that feeling. Never. Never. Never.

              [Three figures arise and come forward. Sonya enters the side stage.]

                           JERRY

And where have you been?

SONYA

Visiting the house of that infamous murderer Nicholas

Solway. I dropped some dishes and frightened their animals.

And yes; young master Solway was in his chamber with a very

young mulatta and at their precise moment of animalistic

ecstasy, I slammed a door and that mulatta let out such a

scream that the entire house woke up . It was just

beautiful; So beautiful!

ERNESTINE

My dear, You must leave them alone. You will never find

Peace until you let go.

SONYA

Never! The descendants of Solway must know who is Sonya

Petrov and what was done to me. Before last night, the

little Solway daughter had left a journal and I wrote an

inscription.

The inscription read:

“ In the month of October in the year of our Lord 1904,

A beautiful young woman’s voice was silenced forever

By a crime committed so foul and obscene that the heavens

rained for seven days and seven nights in a vain attempt To

cleanse an innocents blood from these cold paving stones.

Signed “ Sonya Petrov residing in  All Saints Cemetery”.

JERRY

It’s just that kind of behavior that gives us ghosts a bad

name. So tell me how on earth did you amuse yourself before

you took up breaking plates and slamming doors.

SONYA

My letters and my loves were my muse.

DOMINIC

And where did you sell your poems? Were you on the street

corner beneath a lamp post?

SONYA

Why yes, I stood on the street corners with sonnets for

sale. That was my profession was it not? A poetess, Yes, a

wonderful poetess. So Many fine gentlemen would come up to

me and simply beg for my services. I sold many to young boys

like yourself. First, I would then attentively listen to

what they had to say and then would oblige them if I could.

ERNESTINE

My dear, that doesn’t sound very good at all.

SONYA

Well some of the verse wasn’t that fresh after all. If they

needed something quick. Well, then that is what they

received.

Something like:

“Thine eyes Rowena shine like heavenly beacons in a starry

 night.

Into my very soul, capturing and enrapturing with earthly

delights.

Until I gladly submit to eternal servitude and forsake all

others.

Forever yours, Edwin.”

That will be thirty five cents please.

JERRY

And did you find it profitable to stand in front of the

florist shop?

SONYA

Oh yes and in front of the chocolatier also. Some days I was

given the most heavenly chocolates and candies. They were so

rich and delicious.

JERRY

Am I to believe that you carried a placard that read

“Sonnets for sale”.

SONYA

Not at all my “doubting Thomas”. My business was made by

personal introduction. My good clients would introduce me to

their acquaintances and that is how my trade flourished.

The best were of course married and  enjoyed many

dalliances and were always in need of a special verse to

get them back in the house .

ERNESTNE

Was there anything else that you did my dear. That work just

seems to be so unsteady.

DOMINIC

Yeah that does seem unsteady.

SONYA

Yes, there were times a cold wind would blow down Fifth

Avenue and the gentlemen’s faces would turn cold and gray.

Their eyes would look straight forward and see nothing

around them. For I was but a beautiful small flower growing

between the paving stones. So miniscule; only asking to be

noticed and cared for by a fine and generous gentleman.

Sometimes I would abandon my art for a short time to put

food on the table.

ERNESTINE

And do what? I mean to put food on the table?

SONYA

Fr a time,  I was a private nurse for a fine old gentleman

on Fifth Avenue. A very wealthy man who made his fortune in

Fedoras, I believe. Smithers was his name and when I met him

he had a gray complexion and coughed up the most vile green

phlegm. With love I nursed him back to health with my love

and he favored me with fine gifts; Silver goblets and gold

necklaces. He even asked me to marry him.

ERNESTINE

And did you marry him?

SONYA

No, I was summarily dismissed by his sons and quite

literally thrown dwn the steps. Poor Mr. Smithers died three

days hence of a broken heart. What a pity. So much good

could have come from that purse.

ERNESTINE

Where did you go?

SONYA

I fell unhappily into the arms of Nicholas Solway. And that

was the beginning of my demise.

              {Henry enters acting despondent}

DOMINIC

Welcome back soldier boy. We all were just discussing our

lines of work. Myself, I worked at the Todd Shipyard. We

built cruisers and destroyers for the United States Navy.

You know that's in our blood, we Italians... Building

things. What about you?

              [addressing Rosa with a hint of sarcasm}

what kind of work did you do?

ROSA

              {looking at her hands}

I spent my life scrubbing, chopping, peeling, cleaning,

mending, washing with these black hands. Do you know what

it means for a woman when she has black hands like mine. It

means that she will have a hard life.

DOMINIC

Hey sister, it wasn't easy for any of us. It was damned hard

all the time. Look at this soldier boy over here. What did

he have? twenty years? Twenty two years? That's not much

time to do the things you want to do in life. Like get

married or have a family.

              (looks over at Henry}

Henry, you remind me so much of my boy Joey. Doesn’t he

remind you of Joey?

ERNESTINE

Yes he does.

DOMINIC

Soldier boy, you and Joey would have been great pals. Don't

ya think Ernestine?

               Scene fades.