A friday, in four parts, with an entr'acte

I'm nearing the end of a much needed reprieve. After two weeks straight {Aliza's estimate, I lost count around day eight} of work at Capella market I got a weekend. & O, what a nice weekend it was.

Characters:

Aliza Fones (an accomplished twenty-something)
Jeremey Terrell (Closet Comedian & Vet)
Pumpjerk Ronnie (inhaling your gas fumes since 1988)
Rainbow
and
Thor
and
Mikeal (Intentional community members)
Wesley Dukes (Kidnap victim)
Mary Schlapoff (Medical assistant)
Brian Gerow (Jetsetter)
Jared Smith (Wounded virtouso)
Alex Times (Plays well)
Various other personae, onstage & off

Scene I

Dukes & Terrell in the living room of 47 Monroe St, thursday evening, catching up.

"...for two weeks straight."
Jeremy nods, "no, I understand your situation but what has Brian been up to? He said something about practicing over spring break."
"O, he's been out of town in Idaho. Visiting family. I guess he didn't tell you. I know you're anxious about the show coming up. Things are slowing down at work & Brian gets back into town tonight."
"So we'll be able to practice this weekend?"
"Yeah, certainly."
Off stage, sounds of a car parking & then the odd ticks & rattles of an engine cooling off.
A knock on the door followed by Fones' entering, she looks good & she has a pair of woman's underwear in her hand.
"I'm kidnapping him!" pointing at Dukes & walking over to the couch. "You have to wear this over your head," motioning with underwear, "so that you don't know where we are going."
Fones lunges at Dukes, securing the underwear tightly around his head & begins marshalling him out the door.
From underneath the underwear, "I'll call you tomorrow about practice, Jeremy."

Scene II
Economy Inn in Florence Oregon. Thursday night.
Fones succeeds in her kidnapping. For the whole drive to Florence Dukes was unaware of the destination, blindfolded by the underwear.
Via candlelight we see a cheap hotel room.

Sounds of voices.
Sounds of laughter.
Sounds of love.

Entr'acte
Friday morning. Parking lot of Cackleberries, a restuarant on I-105 in Florence. Across the highway is a Chevron station.

Fones: "Two nineteen. That's the best price so far. We'll get gas there after breakfast.
Fones & Dukes enter Cackleberries. Some time passes. They both exit the restuarant.
Dukes: "Why do they call an egg a cackleberry? I mean honestly, it isn't cute, it isn't... What the hell?!?!"
Fones: "What?" Dukes points to the gas station across the street.
Fones "Two twenty-two! What in the world! They raised their price three cents in an hour?"
The two decide that, though incorrigible, this Chevron, even at $2.22, is still the cheapest. They pull up to a pump & wait as the pumpjerks assist other vehicles.
Fones: "Isn't this calendar great? It was my christmas gift from Aman... Gahhhh!!!!"
As if from thin air Pumpjerk Ronnie has appeared at the car's window. His grin highlights teeth to make any Brit jealous.
Pumpjerk Ronnie: "Mymha gah haha mymm" (mixture of smirking & monosyllabic grunts)
Fones: "Ahhh, hello. Uhm, how do you feel about having the cheapest gas prices in town?"
Pumpjerk Ronnie: "hagha hha there's cheaper hghas? Where?"
Fones: "No, your, ah, fine establishment is the cheapest."
Pumpjerk Ronnie: "hh hh"
Fones: "Ten in regular, please."
Pumpjerk Ronnie heads to the rear of the vehicle. Fones & Dukes shake their heads in sympathy.
Fones: "Creapy."
Dukes: "Makes you short of wish you could tip the poor shit."

Scene III
Alpha-bits, a cafe/bookshop ran entirely by members of an intentional community, "Alpha". On any given day you can go in & find a bunch of hippies lolling about at their business, humming songs from eras past, complementing each other & in general living an extremely simple life.

{If I were to go into detail of Aliza's & my time spent here, well you'd just get really bored. Suffice it to say we played cribbage, relaxed & ate pie. For three hours. Faith.}

Scene IIII
47 Monroe St once again, evening. Aliza is standing with one foot up on the arm of a chair. Jared Smith is sitting on the couch, left arm in a sling. Times is by the drumset, looking awkward. Schlapoff is in the kitchen. Terrell & Gerow are in the bathtub. Dukes is by the phone table. Everyone has a beer in their hand.
Dukes: "This might be the best game ever."


And that is how I finished off my friday, playing our own little version of an Easter egg hunt where the eggs were Milwaukee's finest & the only rule was once you found a beer you had to drink the whole thing where you found it. O yes, I know.
Lucky.