Knowing You

Chapter Eight - MEMORY TOUR

Lying in his bed with eyes wide open and mind flooded with thoughts, Louis laid awake for hours after the long drawn out meeting which unexpectedly ended with an interesting conversation with Carlyn. He never thought of how such a seemingly strong and confident lady had so much to endure and he thought his story couldn’t even amount to hers. He never counted himself as the one with the special life story because he has already met his friends from the Waldens and he knew some of them enough to have had the most difficult times. He felt blessed yet he can’t keep himself from sympathizing with Carlyn. A spark of curiosity hits him.

“Why? Why am I thinking of this?” He wondered.

Then a smile drew on his face and he just closed his eyes and went to sleep. It was two o’clock in the morning.

In the meeting room a few hours after, everyone is intrigued about the sudden notice for an emergency meeting. They all thought everything was set the last time they were gathered and now they wondered just what Louis intends to discuss with them. The waiting ended soon as Louis comes through the door.

“Settle down everyone!” said Louis. “I know you have a lot of questions since we already agreed on a decision the last time yet now I’ve requested everything to be put on hold and I assure you it is for a good reason. To put everyone’s confusion at ease, I would like to recall what we decided the last time which is to do the shows inside the academy but I gave the idea a thought once again and judging from the current financial status of our group, it would take us a lot of time before we can raise enough funds. I mean let’s be realistic here. Time is of the essence and we have to fast track our activities if we want to reach our target. So let me ask all of you. Are you ready to accelerate?!”

“YEAH!!” exclaimed everyone.

Meanwhile, Tom had something else in mind. All the while during Louis’ speech, he could only think of one reason for this change of course and that is Carlyn. Somehow he noticed how Carlyn’s face lit up in relief after hearing those words from Louis. After all, Tom knows so much about her past but he is still uncertain of what might Louis’ reason be for covering up Carlyn’s past. As everyone raise their affirming voices, he raises his hand and asks, “And how are we supposed to do that? You can’t just steer us on a different direction without any plans. You must have thought of something right?”

“True! Don’t worry, I am not the type who would act impulsively. What I want to do from now on is to expand our horizons by not limiting our performances in one place but rather to take it to several venues where we can be seen and be known. We need to market our talents. Renaissance must have a precedent fame even before it can truly be called a successful theatre company. Did I answer your question Tom?”

“Absolutely!”

Louis notices Carlyn smile and found himself relieved as well. He also notices how she has been silent the whole time.

“What can you say Carlyn?” asked Louis.

Carlyn promptly stands and replies, “I think that’s amazing! That’s exactly what I have been telling all of you guys the last time. That is marketing! What a brilliant idea Louis!”

Tom turns to Carlyn with an I-know-there-is-something-fishy look and teases, “Right, marketing…”

“What? Don’t give me that look.”

As the days went by, the members of the Renaissance grew busier. They had to constantly practice while carefully mentoring and at the same time babysitting some of Louis’ younger students.

Maggie notices how Louis grows happier day by day with the progress of the theatre company and noticeably every time he is with Carlyn. She chats with Carlyn once and when asked about Louis’ family, she tells her Louis did not have a family anymore— he was an orphan.

“Louis didn’t grow up with his real parents. They died when he was still very young. Just a boy of ten years. He doesn’t even know where they are buried now.” said Maggie.

Carlyn is stirred by this revelation and wants to hear more about his story but Maggie felt it was not her story to tell.

“How did he carry on with his life then? Why didn’t he even try to look for them? He could have at least tried to dig through the registries maybe he could have a chance.” exclaimed Carlyn.

“I don’t have all the answers you want my dear. If you really wish to know, why don’t you ask Louis instead?” replied Maggie.

“I absolutely agree! Why not ask me instead Carlyn?” interrupted Louis as he leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed.

The women turned to the source of the voice and found him there with a stern expression on his face. Abashed, Carlyn and Maggie look at each other as they both blushed. Carlyn swallows her breath and turns to the spectator.

“Hi! We didn’t see you there. Me and Maggie, we were just…”

Carlyn stopped as she noticed how the sternness of Louis’ face suddenly turned into much the opposite. He has a huge smile on his face almost like he is about to burst into laughter. She then understands and expectedly turns to see Maggie who is also smiling as she shakes her head. Louis just fooled them.

“I can’t believe both of you fell for that!” Louis said chuckling.

“Louis!” exclaimed Carlyn as she reaches a gentle slap on Louis’s arm.

“When I came in you both looked serious. Then I came closer and I heard my name. It’s not good to talk about other people behind their backs, you know.”

Maggie took her clip board along with some papers and tucked them in her right arm as she walks towards the door where Louis stands.

“Oh Louis, we were just chit chatting. We did not mean to make you the topic. But Miss Carlyn here seems interested with your life story. You might wanna give her some help.” She smiles and turns away, “I’ll be in my table when you need me.”

“I didn’t know you were interested in my past?” He asked with a gently voice as he moves closer to the table where Carlyn and Maggie talked.

“Let’s just say it would be fair if I hear your story after you heard mine.” She said as she sat on the wooden chair beside the table. Louis’s eyes followed her as she moves before he replied.

“You could have asked me. I am more than willing to share it to you. So, would you like to go with me on a memory tour?”

“A memory tour?” she repeats the words with childlike curiosity and smiles.

Their eyes meet as they both smile in silence. For a second they don’t blink and sparks from their eyes seem to bring forth warmth that feels so much like being at home. Like they’ve known each other for so long and that they don’t have to hide anything.

“Sure. I’m free this weekend.”

“Why wait that long? You’re not doing anything right now. We can do it today.”

Louis stands and grabs Carlyn by the hand. She groans in protest but let’s Louis lead her to the receiving area where they left their things and their coats. Watching with wonderment as the two quickly gather their things and took their coats, Maggie sends them off with words of safety instead of an inquiry. The two take off immediately after waving goodbye to Mags.

“Where in the world are we going?” Carlyn demands with a smile.

She comfortably sits on the passenger seat as Louis steers the SUV, passing along other vehicles on the high way. The view from the window blurs as they speed through the road.

“Relax, we are just about...right…here.”

The car decelerates and Louis carefully turns the steering wheel towards the right, swiftly turns it to the left and steps on the brakes parking by the side of the road just a few inches from the concrete pavement. Carlyn unbuckles her seat-belt and pushes the door open. She lifts her sight to the seemingly old and abandoned building just in front of their parked car. Her eyes focus on the faded signage and reads “Burrow Theatre”. Louis walks up to Carlyn and they slowly tread towards the entrance.

“I know this place. I mean, I’ve never been inside but I heard stories about its glory days and how it fell to closure.”

“How were those stories then?” Louis asked.

“Sad…” Carlyn said without looking at Louis. Her eyes were focused on the door entrance. It’s almost as if Carlyn was a part of the sad story she heard and retelling them means opening old wounds. Only it would truly be the case for Louis who was a witness of it all.

“Don’t go crying on me now. We are just about to start the tour.”

He gently pats Carlyn’s back and steadies his hand on her shoulder as he leads her inside. The door was not locked. Dust flies in the thick, humid air inside as they ascend the aisle down towards the stage. Carlyn waves her right hand in front of her to brush off the fluttering dusts.

“This place looks old and abandoned. Are you sure we are even allowed to come in here?” she blows air from her nose as she speaks and wrinkles it to get rid of the entering particles of dust. A clear statement of the age of the place.

“Sorry about the dust. A single person could hardly keep a huge place like this clean. Don’t worry, I know the care taker. Besides I’m always welcome here. This is my home.” He turns to Carlyn and smiles.

He takes her hand and leads her to the front seats just a meter away from the edge of the wooden floored stage. He shows her the only clean seat among the lined foam laden foldable seats. She sits down and wonders why of all the seats this was maintained and cleaned. Louis explains that he visits the care taker every now and then so that single seat is reserved for him. Once or twice in a week or every time he has to face problem or to make an important decision, this is where he goes. He sits on the clean chair and just watches the blank stage. Carlyn notices how the stage is also cleaned. The wooden floor is kept shiny and dust-free. Even the curtains still look dazzlingly red and thick covering most of the portion of the stage.

“This place must be very special to you.” said Carlyn. “How did you find this?” she adds.

“I never found this place. It found me.” He looks Carlyn in the eye.

Carlyn could see through him that he was not lying and he is sincere yet something sad lies in those water-blue eyes as well. A memory he may be clinging to even when it is painful yet it keeps him headstrong. A memory that keeps him coming to that old abandoned theatre or a hope he may still have in him that the single clean seat will no longer stay one and the shining stage will soon be occupied by talented performers. Maybe, just maybe, thought Carlyn, he hopes to see a day that this old and abandoned place will once again come to life.

In Carlyn’s head she could still recall all the sad stories she heard from senior theatre actors back when she was still starting as a neophyte theatre actress. It was a story of separation and demise. A sweet beginning that turned sour as a company reached its peak of greatness only to fall to a bitter end. A story any thespian belonging to a company will fear. Suddenly a rush of sadness and curiosity cuts through her. Questions start to flood in her head.

If he calls this place a home, if this was where he grew up…how in the world did he get through all those terrible things? I never would have thought what he has been through. Just who is Louis Travis and how did he become this person standing in front of me?

Louis climbs the stage and disappears behind the curtains. Carlyn marveled as the heavy red curtains slowly slide to each side of the stage. From the right side came Louis who starts singing a soft melody from “Les Miserable” – A Heart Full of Love.

Carlyn felt a rush through her cheeks and smiles, recognizing the song. Putting her bag behind her, she leaps out of the cushioned seat and runs to join Louis. After a couple of steps up the stairs, Carlyn’s feet turn from a run to slow walk carefully as she moves closer to Louis. She is singing Cosette’s part of the duet to Marius. Louis extends his hand to her. Carlyn places her hand over his and they both sing.

As the sound of their voices reverberating throughout fades away, Carlyn saw for the first time a deep longing in Louis’ eyes. It runs deep into his very being and turns his smile into a sigh.

“Wow! You would make a great Marius!” Carlyn exclaimed. Then she noticed the shift of Louis’ energy and sudden silence. “Is there something wrong?”

He snaps out of the trance and shakes his head, “Nothing. Let’s just say this brings back a lot of memories to me. It just sort of caught me off guard.”

All of a sudden, they hear a sound of applause from a single pair of hands not far from the side of the stage. It came from an old bearded black man. He looked way past his fifties and he wears a faded blue denim jumpsuit. Resting on his right shoulder was a wooden handle of a cloth mop down the floor just between his shoes.

“Rusty!” greets Louis. “Where have you been? I didn’t see you when we got here.”

Rusty drags the mop behind as he approaches the front of the stage, looking up at the two guests. “Just took a nap in my quarters. You know how it gets boring just humm’n and sweep’n around with nobody.” His eyes move to Carlyn who stood next to Louis. “Aren’t you gonna introduce me to this beautiful lady here?”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Rusty this is my friend Carlyn. Carlyn, this is Old Man Rusty. The one I told you about who maintains this place…”

“Hardly maintained it…my age has taken its toll on me.” He raises his hand to hers, “Pleased to meet you Miss.”

Carlyn reaches down to Rusty’s hand and they shake hands. “Pleased to meet you too, Rusty. Louis here just wanted to show me the place.”

“Are you a buyer?” He asks Carlyn then turns to Louis. “Since when did you start working as a broker for Mr. Gibbs?”

“No…I’m not a buyer. I’m his friend and we’re here for a memory tour…”

“A memory tour?” he said while eyeing Louis.

“Yes!” Louis jumps down to join the old man. “I wanted to show her around so she could get a glimpse of my past, that’s all.”

“Louis, mind helping me here?” Carlyn sits on the edge of the stage waiting for Louis to help her.

Louis gently yanks her down to the floor.

“So, Old Man Rusty, would you mind making this tour a bit faster? You seem to know a lot about my friend here. Perhaps you could share those memories you have of him.” said Carlyn.

“It’s a pleasure Miss Carlyn.”

Old Man Rusty takes Carlyn’s hand and puts it on his right arm. Louis did not protest to this and he just smiled and walked along. Rusty brought them to the theatre’s dressing room where all the used costumes are hanged and covered to prevent the envelope of dust from damaging their color and shine. The room is larger than any dressing room they’ve ever had. Carlyn is amazed. On one corner, all the costumes were arranged and covered with a protective sheet which is already covered in thick dust. Not far from the lines of hanged costumes is where the props are placed. Masks, swords, head dresses and many more. Carlyn couldn’t help but check out some of the props. She took a sword and swung the synthetic blade in the air. Then she took a dusty blonde wig and shakes it off to remove the dusts before trying it on.

“Louis how do I look?”

Carlyn turns to ask Louis only to find that he was not paying attention. He is rather busy taking out some books from an old box and Old Man Rusty is helping him. Only that it weren’t books at all. She figured it out when she saw that some of the things they took out had frames. Carlyn walked towards them and finds a bunch of old framed pictures.

“Wow! Now, that looks ancient.”

“I know. We didn’t have digital cameras then remember?”

“Yeah, it so happens that we grew up in the same generation so I guess I could totally relate. Polaroids and films really remind me I’m not getting any younger. You should feel that way too Louis, shouldn’t you?” she says with a mischievous smile.

Louis and Rusty laughed to her sarcastic but joking remark.

“You could be old but you ain’t older than me. Right now, you’re the youngsters and I’m just plain old.” said the old man.

“We wouldn’t object to that Rusty.” Agreed Louis

“Time indeed passes by so fast. But when it comes to keeping memories alive, nothing beats old photographs in bulky albums. This is my sweetest collection.”

“I have to disagree old man…”interrupted Louis. “This is a shared collection of memories. Everyone in the company owns it. At least Mr. Gibbs didn’t get rid of any of these stuff. He could have sold everything yet he kept everything here intact.”

“Let’s just say you don’t know him as much as I do. That old man’s got a heart Louis. He’s still human. And besides, where would I be if it weren’t for him?”

“That’s not exactly how I knew him. I think he is just another dream crushing capitalist who only cares for the gain and taking pleasure in taking away people’s dreams.”

“He did what he needed to do back then Louis…”

Carlyn was feeling out of place in the conversation and she did not like it. She stood between the two men and waived her hands to both of their faces.

“Hello! In case you didn’t notice, Carlyn Stanley is still here. And whatever it is or whoever it is you two are talking about, it would be totally nice if you could share it with me. And another thing, I really don’t like being left out of the conversation. So please, tell me who these people are. Who Mr. Gibbs is and why am I even here?”

“Sorry Carl, just got carried away…Sure, I’ll introduce you to my family. But only if you will take the wig off just for a moment. It’s distracting.” he said jokingly.

“Oh, I forgot I had it on this whole time. Fine, I’ll remove it just go on with your story.”

Louis clears his throat and shows Carlyn a group photo. They stood real close to each other.

“Can you identify me in this picture?”

“Hmm…”

Carlyn had her hand on her chin, thinking and scanning the faces on the faded photograph. Then her face lightens up and she points on the youngest member of the group.

“Yup! That’s me. I was twelve when this picture was taken. The lady on my right is my Tiya Matilda and on my left is my Nana Josie.”

“You mean Jose. She was in fact a HE.” And Rusty started laughing.

“Thanks for ruining the introductions old man.” sighed Louis.

“Oh, wow! That’s revealing. I guess that is where you got your own “gay” personality Louis. I mean, it’s better to know that you were influenced by someone. Unlike me, it just came out of nowhere. I just felt it and I knew then that I was gay.”

“You were a He as well Miss Carlyn?” Rusty is both confused and amused.

“Oh, no! Of course not. I’m a gay woman. I prefer to sleep with girls but I’m a female through and through.”

“Oh...you’re quite a pair, you two.” Rusty chuckles.

Carlyn and Louis looked at each other and laughed.

“Me and Carlyn? Yeah, I guess we are meant to become friends…”

“That’s what I meant. You are friends, right. I wasn’t implying anything else.”

Rusty raises an eyebrow to both and went back to wiping off dust from the photos. Carlyn is blushing but manages to divert the topic.

“So what happened to Nana and Tiya? Would you care to enlighten me on your history?”

Louis revealed to Calryn that his first experience on stage was on Burrow Theatre. He performed with the people he considered as family. His parents died when he was ten and he was brought to an orphanage when none of his own kin cared to take him in. He had to transfer from one foster family to another until two ladies, as what he knew then, volunteered as foster parents after witnessing his performance on a school play. They loved him as their own and eventually they took him in. They were both a part of a large theatre performing company in Burrow Theatre. Louis became acquainted with different sorts of people, of different color, race and gender. He performed with them and he grew up with them. It was in their love and patience that Louis was molded into the artist and the person that he is now. Even Nana Josie’s confession as a drag queen did not come as a surprise. He appreciated each and everyone of them. He was happy with them and he thought he finally found a family and he never thought it will come to an end. Soon, it was found out that majority of the performers in that theatre were illegal immigrants including Nana and Tiya who stood as parents to Louis. Tiya Matilda is from Mexico and Nana Josie is from Argentina. They had to be deported but they could not take Louis with them because they could not adopt him legally. They had to bid him farewell, the theatre was closed since majority of the performers are gone. Mr. Gibbs, the owner of the theatre was enraged. He claimed that he did not know anything about the irregularities of his foreign employees. He also asserted that the person who introduced him to the members of the company had tricked him. The agent was arrested but Mr. Gibbs was only taken for questioning. But Louis knew everything although he did not say a word. Curious journalists were very good at peeking through the covers and eventually found a scandalous event behind it all. Mr. Gibbs made the headlines as it was reported that he bribed the authorities. Although he never got arrested, his reputation was now notorious. He became depressed after it and he prevented anyone of the remaining members of the company from entering the theatre. All shows were canceled and the theatre was closed. Louis was once again alone. He was back to the orphanage but he did not go to any foster parent. He refused them. Everyday he went to the Burrow theatre to ask Mr. Gibbs to re-open the theatre. He was sixteen then. This was when Tony came into the picture. He was an occasional audience in the theatre and he saw Louis perform with the rest of the members before. He saw Louis’ desperation but beyond it is the hope to once again perform on stage. He decided to take Louis and adopt him but Louis declined. He insisted that Tony could take him, to train him but he does not want to be adopted because he does not want to change his last name. He wanted to carry the memory of his parents and of his family in the Burrow theatre with him. Tony respected his decision. Years passed and Louis did not hear from his Nana Josie and Tiya Matilda. Rusty, who was the maintenance man in the theatre, remained to keep the place clean. Louis did not stop visiting the Burrow theatre until one day, it was opened. No shows, no music and no people, only the old man Rusty. The empty hall became his sanctuary when troubles come to him. The silence somehow comforts him. Never did he bring anyone else in that place because no one was interested. Not until Carlyn.

“Carlyn, these are snap shots of my past. Please be careful with them. I’ve never opened up this much to anyone else.”

Carlyn swallowed hard, “This is heavy but I appreciate the effort of returning the favor.” She smiles and takes Louis’ hand between hers. “I was the one who opened up to you first and it’s my honor to keep your past memories safe with me…if you keep mine as well. Deal?”

“Deal.”

And that seals it.