Chapter XIII - Misdirection and Mischief
1293 Words
JEAN-THOBY’S ASYLUM - FOLEY’S ROOM - 2004
Foley is still seated at the edge of his bed, reaching the c****x of his story as he is getting more agitated, his lips moving with every pen stroke. Foley is remembering his parents, his siblings and his grand-mother, the only surviving Neptenu.
YMOR NEPTENU’S MANSION - YMOR’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Ymor is confronting his wife about the rumors spreading about her having an affair with the family doctor.
YMOR
“Lehci, I have heard some disturbing news. I have been reluctant to believe them, but I cannot live like this anymore. I need to know.”
LEHCIM
“What, darling?”
YMOR
“I do not know how to put it.”
LEHCIM
“YMOR Just say it.”
YMOR
“Okay if you insist. Are you having an affair with Doctor Jered?”
LEHCIM
“How dare you?”
YMOR
“I need to know if it is true.”
LEHCIM
“You are accusing me, you are not asking me. You already believe it because if you did not, you would not even bother asking me at all.”
YMOR
“It is a simple question. Yes or no?”
LEHCIM
“Pick one. Or both. I really can careless.”
YMOR
“Lehcim, just answer the question.”
LEHCIM
“Ymor, who approached you with this nonsense?”
YMOR
“If my mother knows, probably everyone, grown men and women in this house, in this town knows as well.”
LEHCIM
“Your mother? Again? She accused me of being a gold-digger, now an adulterer?”
YMOR
“Well, you can start by answering yes or no?”
LEHCIM
“I cannot believe this. I have had it with this woman. She just does not want us to be happily married.”
YMOR
“Since you are evading the question, I have a revelation for you. My mother and I told Fofo about the family secret together.”
LEHCIM
“You promised me.”
YMOR
“Well, you promised me a lot of things also.”
LEHCIM
“I do not want this woman in my house. She will be the cause of our failed marriage.”
YMOR
“Do not blame my mother for your disgraceful acts.”
LEHCIM
“Ymor, you are so blind, she is trying to get in between us. She never liked me. She wants us apart. I do not want her near us.”
YMOR
“She is my mother. She is always welcome to my house.”
LEHCIM
“Over my dead body.”
YMOR
“Lehci! She brought me to life.”
LEHCIM
“She is ending our happiness. And I will not let her win.”
YMOR
“Lehci. I will never agree to such a thing.”
LEHCIM
“Darling, you never have to agree to anything but it will still happen.”
YMOR
“Lehcim, you are very cold.”
LEHCIM
“Well, Ymor, what about my family?”
YMOR
“What about them?”
LEHCIM
“You never cared about them, about what I wanted to do with them, you never cared.”
YMOR
“Well, that is your problem. I never placed a ban on them.”
LEHCIM
“You might as well do, by the way you refer to them.”
YMOR
“Please, Lehci, do not turn this around on me. I never talk ill of your family, you do.”
LEHCIM
“But you never stop me.”
YMOR
“It’s your family. You know them better than I do. If you refer to them as pedestrians, that is how they will be remembered.”
LEHCIM
“Exactly, that makes you as guilty as me by not saying otherwise.”
YMOR
“But that is immaterial.”
LEHCIM
“Your mother is not welcomed here as much as my family is not.”
YMOR
“Lehcim!”
LEHCIM
“End of discussion. Sweet dreams darling!”
YMOR NEPTENU’S MANSION - BIRTHDAY PARTY - EVENING
It’s Foley’s 18th birthday party; everyone is invited but his grand-mother, Ellis. The twins are having the time of their lives as they are turning 21 on that very same day.
LEHCIM (Talking to one of her friends)
“Finkster and Freckster took a break from college to celebrate their birthdays with us.”
JOSIE
“They are such great kids.”
LEHCIM
“I know they never miss a birthday party thrown by their one and only mother.”
JOSIE
“I wouldn’t either if I were them.”
LEHCIM
“I still cannot believe they are 21. It was only yesterday. It feels like they were just six years old.”
JOSIE
“Kids are like plants, you pour water on them and they just keep growing.”
LEHCIM (Seeing Ellis entering the mansion, Lehcim turns red and walks towards Ymor) (To Josie)
“Excuse me Josie; I’ve got to attend to a family matter.” (To Ymor) “What is your mother doing here?”
YMOR
“She came to celebrate her grand-son's birthday.”
LEHCIM
“I thought we talked about this and came to an agreement.”
YMOR
“No, Lehci, I never agreed.”
LEHCIM
“Ymor, do not do this to me. We are a united front, remember.”
YMOR
“The only unity we have Lehci, is through our children.”
He paused.
“But one of them, you cannot even love like your own child.”
LEHCIM
“Here we go again, the broken record.”
YMOR
“Yes, I see that you can read my mind. Fofo needs your attention too. As a mother, you know, he just graduated with honors from private school, you did not even congratulate him, but the twins keep dodging college, but you take it as them taking time away to be with you.”
LEHCIM
“Ymor, the twins do not really need an education, they are already wealthy. They went to college because you forced it on them. Foley is very clever, I presume, but still has a twisted handle on my future and the future of this family, which I do not like at all.”
YMOR
“Now who sounds like the broken record?”
LEHCIM
“Well, if you already knew what my answer would be like, why ask it? Why go through the same repetitious fights over the very same person that could end us on his 31st birthday?”
YMOR (Ignoring Lehcim, walking towards Ellis)
“Hey mom, thanks for making it.”
ELLIS
“You know I would never miss it for the world.”
LEHCIM (Approaching Ellis)
“You need to leave now, you are not welcome here.”
ELLIS
“My son invited me to my grand-sons’ birthday party.”
LEHCIM
“Did you receive a personalized invitation card?”
ELLIS
“No, but my son’s word of mouth will suffice.”
LEHCIM
“I do not think you understand me clearly, Ellis, you need to leave my premises immediately.”
ELLIS
“Lehcim, for the sake of the guests and the children, I will stay civil, but you need to get off that high horse, my dear.”
THE TWINS (Approaching, with their friends, teasing, and laughing at the situation)
“Ouch, granny has to leave, that’s too bad! Hi grand-ma, Bye grand-ma!”
YMOR
“Hey, show some respect, this is your grand-mother.”
THE TWINS
“Well, if mother says she is not welcome here, she is not welcome here, father.”
YMOR
“No, she is my mother; she will always be welcome here.”
THE TWINS (Escorting Ellis outside and ignoring their father’s statement)
“Grand-ma, you have to leave now.”
- Writer
