Mikey

Once upon a time, there lived a handsome fellow who went by the name of Mikey. Mikey was an interesting chap, though had a strange and misunderstood fear of birthdays. He was well known throughout the town of Douglas, and to his fortune, was also well liked. Being as acquainted as he was, stories began to precede people’s initial encounters with him. These stories were so interesting and told in such a manner that they were written and recorded and passed from generation to generation as they were exaggerated to fairytale status. The most well known story was that of his love affair with a fair young maiden from the neighbouring village.

One midsummer’s eve, three squires arrived in the village of Douglas, announcing a performance extravaganza to be held the following week in the next village. Mikey was in luck, often he was asked to assist such musical performances and paid handsomely for his skill. Surely enough, a messenger arrived within the hour to request his services. Approval was gained immediately when sixteen gold pieces were placed in his hand, with the promise of twenty-three more to come. Mikey was to travel to the village in four nights time where he was invited to stay in the courtly guest house adjacent to the theatre, and reserved only for very important guests. He was quite happy with this arrangement and settled back to his daily tasks, eagerly awaiting the day of travel.

Brightly shone the sun, down onto the little carriage as it bounced along the cobbled road. An air of excitement had already filled the town: anticipation of the following nights event. Mikey stepped out onto the gardens of the large estate to be welcomed by the theatre troupe. The two girls who regularly teamed with him, Laura and Emily, crowded him into the house, propelling him towards his chambers and explaining their plans for the show. He was not entirely fond of Laura, already he could see that she had organised everything and left him jobless once more. She had a tendency to tenaciously discover non-existent problems and stress about them far more than was necessary until she saw fit to save the day. Sighing inwardly to himself, he wondered if the week was worth the eagerness he had before felt. Suddenly he felt old and tired, ready to collapse into the soft bed. Laura and Emily were not ready for this though, and thus continued to propel him around the house, and then towards the theatre where he was seated and watered in the pre-show chamber.

The theatre was a grand old building, all stone on the outside. Rows of wooden seats filled the inside; seats where the ladies would place their cushions and the men ignore the pins and needles in a manly way. The stage was the biggest he had seen, several feet larger than the one in Douglas. Beneath the stage was an area for actors, pooling from the labyrinth of corridors leading to changing rooms, and practising rooms, and rooms like the one he was in now. The pre-show chamber was large, to the extent that it contained a cooking fire against one wall. He sat on a chair at the head of the main table. Laura and Emily were at his sides, prepared to discuss arrangements with him as mapped on the large sheet of parchment in front of him that they had prepared earlier. Hours spent in deep conversation later, they were ready for the last rehearsal; Mikey had all faith that the show would be a success. Taking his place at the back of the auditorium, Mikey settled to watch the actors enchant him.

Two men entered the stage, dressed in rags and tatters. They began to converse about education, and such matters- it became apparent that they had once been tutors, teaching young students and such. Mikey was not sure whether the play was supposed to be tragic or comedic, though he hoped it was the later. Two new men took the stage, dressed as ladies and began the first song. A well-known melancholic tune that was astonishing to fall upon Mikey’s ears. He hoped that it was a comedy, otherwise there was no hope for the plays success. Relaxing back into his chair, he closed his eyes and tried to block out the terrible noise. Once the tuneless voices had ceased wailing, he opened his eyes and glanced about the room. Before unnoticed, it was now apparent that another was sitting in the auditorium. A dark shadow flickered in the corner. As the actors began another wailing tune, an exotic dancing song also crushed by the voices performing it, he began to edge towards the corner where the figure sat.

A girl watched the show with an intense look of disapproval shaping her face. He crept toward her, watching in awe and amusement the expressions that danced about her face. The banister creaked as he leant over it, and she looked up at him in shock before casting her eyes shyly towards the floor. Unsure of what to do or say, they sat for a moment in silence before Mikey retreated to his seat, unable to keep his eyes off the strange girl. One question resounded through his thoughts, what was she doing in the theatre watching the performance?

Finally the show had ended. Mikey’s head was screaming as he set to ask Emily whether the show was meant as a tragedy or a comedy for it seemed to him to be both. Tragic because the voices of the actors made tears well in his eyes, and yet comedic for if their singing was not a parody made on the original songs then the actors deserved to be fired. He knew it was harsh, but as a musician he felt that songs were sacred, and not to be destroyed in such a manner. Glancing at the girl in the corner in a way that he hoped seemed casual; he tried to capture her image in his mind, crouched in the corner, legs tucked beneath her skirts and large dark eyes glancing cautiously around the room. He was intrigued, though puzzled, by her presence.

Laura and Emily knocked on the guest house door and chided Mikey as they had spent the last half hour searching for him. In truth, he was avoiding hearing of the catastrophes that Laura had imagined, as his head was still sore from the rehearsal. They pushed past him into the room, Laura heading for the stove and chatting loudly about not eating anything. Emily sat beside him, talking in their usual friendly manner about all things theatre related. She was interested in learning his skill, he gathered that much, and he knew that she would be good at it but he was not keen to give up his job. Mikey got up as he heard a soft knock at the door but was pushed back into his seat as Laura hurried past from the kitchen to answer it. Several moments later, the girl from the auditorium was being boldly thrust through the doorway by an insistent Laura. For a moment, she stood awkwardly in the doorframe with her eyes fixed upon her feet. Mikey rose as Laura began the introductions. The girls name was Frances, and she curtseyed slightly when he acknowledged her. She was so very intriguing, he watched her as a rose-coloured blush spread across her cheeks and her gaze returned intently to her shoes.

They sat around the dinner table, Laura keeping the conversation flowing. Mikey wished that he could speak to the girl but she sat and stared at her plate with disinterest, poking at her vegetables with her fork and the same look of disgust as she had worn in the theatre flickered each time she glanced at the meat. Dinner seemed to last a lifetime, and it was much later than he would have liked when Laura and Emily announced their departure. Smiling apologetically, Frances was pushed out of the door ahead of them, and the party disappeared into the dark night. Lying down in his bed, he thought about the day and performance that was to come, and the girl who had intrigued him so, but he was sure had made her last appearance to him. Sleep enveloped him almost immediately.

Mikey was hit by a cacophony of noise as he opened the theatre door the next day. The show was to start in three hours and everyone was excited and perhaps a little too merry from efforts made to calm their nerves. Mikey got into the full swing of it, preparing himself for the show and engaging in conversation with all those around him. Suddenly a great hush spread through the room, the house had been opened and the show would soon begin. Mikey left the backstage bustle and resumed his seat from last night in the auditorium. He was surprised to see Frances walking towards him, he had forgotten about her during the night. She approached him and smiled a little more boldly than she had last night, asking if she could sit by him. Mikey did not refuse and conversation flowed readily between them. How differently their characters seemed when not around other people. As the show began, they continued to whisper at the horrific singing coming from the stage. After a while, he noted her persistent gaze as they laughed at the same confusion the audience experienced as they both had experienced last night. Laura had informed them that the play was of a new type, and not meant to have a genre, as it was both comedic and tragic. They had had to accept this answer and pretend that it did not appal them.

Once the show was over, they returned to the small room where Laura and Emily sat waiting to congratulate Mikey on the smooth running of the show, and bring forth any new catastrophes that had occurred. Mikey and Frances entered the room laughing and joking like old friends, much to Laura’s confusion, as she had judged them both as quiet, shy characters; not at all the ink streaked pair that stood before them. Frances skipped to the corner and cowered behind Emily, informing the girls that they were having an ink fight and laughed while telling them how mean Mikey was. Again he noted her constant gaze upon him, a familiar gesture though he did not understand completely. Furthermore she intrigued him, and worse he had begun to feel a slight attraction to her. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and Laura handed him a filled plate and sent him back to his accommodation.

For the duration of the show, not a night passed where the newly acquainted pair did not learn more about one another. Hours spent whispering in the shadows, or scribbling messages on a torn scrap of the script had started something, though they were not quite sure what. The last night came more quickly from the enjoyment of company, and the time when sweet goodbyes would be in order crept upon them like an unwelcome stranger in the night. As they fondly bade each other good fortune, the brightness shared between them faded to a dull tarnish. Tears welled in Frances’s eyes as she turned boldly and disappeared into the cold night. Mikey sighed and hoped desperately that they would meet again, doubting that his wish would be granted. For now, he would return home to his deeply unhappy situation with his mistress and pray that all would be well. He tucked his hands into his pockets to discover a carefully folded corner of parchment. Immediately he recognised the childish messy script, it contained her contact details. Tomorrow he would return home and write to his new confident.

The journey back to Douglas was uneventful and Mikey spent most of the trip drafting the letter to be sent that afternoon. At last he was content, folding the message in half and searching for a penny for the messenger. Two nights later he received a fond reply, Frances expressed a tender desire to see him again, though both parties knew that this was near impossible. He had divulged details to her about his mistress; it would be a sin to let their attraction for one another to grow into affection.

Not more than a month after his first meeting with Frances, Mikey was informed of another play that was to be performed, this time in his own village. As soon as he could, he sent an invitation to Frances requesting her involvement in this fair event. More than happy to oblige, she arrived three mornings later, perched grandly on the back of a handsome grey mare. Mikey somehow managed to control his delight at her presence as she greeted all the theatre regulars. She was disappointed at his guarded reaction. A month apart had proved to her that the fluttering sensation that filled her at their first meeting was not just fickle, though it appeared that Mikey had not responded in the same way. Perhaps all they were meant to be was friends, time would tell for certain.

Theatre performances blurred together, the show was a boring one and both Mikey and Frances were finding it hard to stay awake for the duration as they sat together at the back of the auditorium. Occasionally, Mikey would reach for Frances’s hand, clasping it to his and gently tracing shapes on her palm. To do such a thing required him to question himself, a task he avoided as best he could. He was still sharing his mistress’s bed, though his heart was unsure of to whom its loyalties had strayed. She desired these moments, the rare affection, her heart racing at skin gently caressing her own. At night she returned to her lodgings in the nearby convent. Lying in bed she was thankful that she did not believe in God, for if she did she would surely be punished for her improper thoughts and dreams. They puzzled over their worries separately but while in each other’s presence, all troubles were forgotten.

Again the time to part was unavoidable and swooped down on them, separating the unsure lovers once more. Time ticked by slowly, though not a day passed where one did not receive news of the other. They anticipated these moments, the small token of existence and hope that they shared.

On the 5th of July, Mikey heard a knock at his door early in the morning. Reluctantly he opened it, revealing the face of his young lover. The couple embraced, for once not caring who witnessed their affectionate gesture. Finally Mikey and Frances would get to be together.

And they lived happily ever after…