AT VENICE BEACH….
The waves are crashing over the shore as the tide comes in. The air is crisp and clear and smells of salt. There are some people but not very many as it is after dark now. Michael and April walk along the bike path and look out over the ocean. Both lost in thought. Michael reaches for April’s hand and kisses it. She smiles over at him.
Michael; Do you ever wonder what you life would be like with out dancing? I…I mean what you would be doing if you didn’t become a dancer?
April; Sometimes, biting her lip, I often wonder if I’d be an artist or maybe a day care operator. Both are my passions too. I love to draw and paint and I love children more than anything so it’s quite possible it would be either of those. Shrugging you just don’t always know what fate has in store of you.
Michael; biting his lip, A painter huh? Looking down, most people don’t know I draw and paint too. I love doing it, just with the music right now, haven’t had much time, but for me it’s my venting, it helps me relax as does this walking along the beach or in a park. You know I just bought a big home in the Santa Ynez area, It was called Sycamore Ranch, but, I’m changing it to Neverland. I want a place that children who are ill and don’t have the money to go to a theme park to come and play and forget the doctors and needles and pain and just laugh and enjoy theirselves. I wanted to be a writer too. Maybe I will do that too. Shrugging, you are right, though, looking at April, one never knows what fate has in store, most times, it’s good but some times it’s very bad.
April; Neverland! I love that. Peter Pan and Wendy and Tink!! We never have to grow up…giggling.. Oh, don’t forget Tiger Lily and the lost boys being chased by Captain Hook and Mr. Smee.!! Laughing
Michael: giggling You know your Peter Pan!!
April; No, well, yes, I know my Disney. I’m a Disney Junkie of sorts. If it’s Disney, I’m so there, giggling. Silly I know, but.. love movies and reading and well, you know…her voice trails off.
Michael; No, it’s not silly at all. I love Disney, Mickey Mouse is my favorite character, to think it all started with a mouse, you know? I mean look at all that Disney has done. It’s truly incredible. I love happy things but I will watch the horror movies and stuff, they world thinks I hate that stuff and am sort of a big chiecken afraid of it but in truth, I love the Nightmare On Elm Street Series. I love Halloween too, Friday the 13th, not so much, I think maybe because my religious upbringing you know superstitions and such. But I do believe myself that there things we don’t know about, just because you can’s see or touch them don’t mean they don’t exist. I guess too , it’s one’s perception of it, shrugging, It’s just what I believe, biting his lip.
April; And the classics or any of those?
Michael; Oh love them especially Elizabeth Taylor movies and films that tell stories of love and far off places. Books of poetry, historical events with real facts, Mysteries and dramas. Romance and adventurous. I really love the musicals like Top Hat and Hello Dolly. Caberet. Michael does a little dance move and April giggles. Then they both giggle.
It got a bit colder and Michael gave April his dinner jacket to wear over her shoulders, they walked and held hands a bit longer and talked about silly stuff and laughed. Michael told her some jokes and then they spoke of his family. April listened intently to all Michael said, asked all the right questions in all the right places..Michael told her about Joseph and the beatings and that a few times Joseph was so angry, if Jackie had not stepped in front of him to take the blow Michael could have been seriously injured. For the longest time he hated Joseph, he’d run and hide when he came in that was how afraid he had him, Said that Tito and Jackie took a lot of the beatings meant for him to protect him. So when they married and left the house he felt alone and scared. Even his baby sister Janet married at 18 just to get out of Joseph’s clutches. Then Michael fell silent, but before April could speak he said.
