I Remember It Well and Other Short Stories
to Buy Now
.........the first few paragraphs
Charles Gilbert & Sophie Tessa Sullivan. Brother and Sister, now in their twilight years. Charles being 97 years of age confined to a wheelchair a bachelor, and his sister Sophie a spinster of 86 supported by two walking sticks.
When Sophie was 30, she became engaged to Henry Carte. She dithered between getting married in her Mother’s gold brocade wedding dress or a simple blue dress she had purchased the year before, but never worn. It hadn’t mattered because she was jilted by the groom who suffered from amnesia and forgot to tell the bride of his problem.
Charles and Sophie, whether it was because of their name, or their age were invited by a well known entrepreneur to visit the one time theatre that they used to perform in, being avid singing and acting members of the local Gilbert and Sullivan Society.
The theatre is closed for refurbishments and while they reminisce about their acting abilities, the workers who were cleaning, painting and sculpturing laid down their tools to listen to this unrehearsed performance by two old people who once in their younger days strutted this stage.
Sophie said ‘Can you remember the first time we performed on this stage?’
Charles remarked ‘Vaguely! It was a long, long time ago!’
‘I can remember it as if it was yesterday, memories like that don’t fade away that quickly.’
Charles stated that when you're 97 they do.
Sophie said, ‘Oh don’t be daft, you must remember. We often partnered each other in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, I particularly remember my role as Lady Sangazure, your beloved wife in the Sorcerer.’
to Buy Now
‘Yes! I do know that! You wouldn’t let me partner anybody else, and especially when I was a principal lead.’
Sophie remarked, ‘We were both principal leads, darling!’
Charles said. ‘Besides all that, didn’t we have our rehearsals on a Friday?’
Sophie said, ‘No! They were every Monday and Wednesday, starting at 7:30 to 9:30pm’
‘Are you sure about that?’
‘Don’t be silly Charles, you can’t have forgotten that quickly, you were still acting and singing till your 80th birthday, that was only 17 years ago.’ And Sophie sighed and in almost a whisper repeated ‘17 years ago.’ .........................
