The Key Chased the Blade

I got dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and that stupid hippie jacket. It was still snowing outside. I felt a little unnerved, but I just followed Mrs. O'Neill to her car and let her drive me to the theatre. She said, "I'll have Simon's dad take him to work with him once he wakes up," she said. "That way he won't be alone."

"Okay. That's good," I said. I was worried about Simon, but I didn't have much time to think about him. Mrs. O'Neill quickly drove up to the theatre where she worked.

It wasn't some dinky little place, it was actually pretty top-notch. Everybody went there for musicals and plays. At least all the "cultured" folk did. I actually hadn't been there in a really long time. The last time I'd been in there was when I was eight on a school field trip to see a ballet. I hated it. The kid that sat next to me had a bad cold and was wiping buckets of snot off on his sleeve. Then he tried to hold my hand because he was "in love with me". God. I pretended I had to go to the bathroom and hid there until the teacher came and got me. I lied and told her I had diarrhea.

Mrs. O'Neill convinced the director to let me sit in the audience and watch. They were almost done with their winter show and were doing run-throughs. I sat in a middle-row and kicked my feet up on the seat in front of me. They were doing Hamlet. Mrs. O'Neill was a lady called Ophelia. I didn't really understand the play until they did it a few times.

"Valerie, dahling, your left cheek has too much blush on it. Go back to the makeup room," the director would say. "Katherine, in that next scene, reach out and touch Bruce's shoulder. You're concerned, go act like it!"

It was the strangest experience of my life.

It was strange in different ways as well. I watched that uptight, anal woman become someone else. Her blond hair was curled into ringlets and blush was powdered all over her cheeks. She was put into a Shakespearean dress and shoes. When she stepped onto that stage, she was not Mrs. O'Neill, but the tragic woman Ophelia.

After all the makeup was washed off her and Mrs. O'Neill wasn't Ophelia anymore, we went out. "That was really awesome," I said. "I'm not even kidding. It was really cool."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." Mrs. O'Neill laughed and drove out of the icy parking lot. "I thought you'd be bored to tears."

"Once I could get the language and stuff, it was interesting," I said. "We're going to read Hamlet next term in English, so I'll have you know I'm going to ace the final on it."

We both laughed and she started heading toward the mall.

"I thought it would be fun to do a little shopping," she said. "I don't think you get to do a lot of that with all those boys in your house."

"It's fine with me," I said. "My brothers aren't much shopping people anyway, so they'd be a pain to take around even if I did decide to go."

"Well, then this'll be an experience for you."

She drove up to the mall and we got out of the car. I kind of felt weird. I hadn't ever done this before, let alone even spend time with Simon's mom. But for some reason, it was okay. I realized I'd never even gone shopping like this before. I'd just wear the same clothes over and over until they fell apart and then Dad would go to Wal-Mart and get me some new ones. I'd never had a girl's night out with my...

"Hey Mrs. O'Neill?" I asked.

"Yes?" She stopped and turned to me.

"Thanks," I said. I suddenly felt like I was exposed, like my chest had cracked open and everyone could see my insides. "I don't have a mom to do this with, so I really appreciate you doing this for me. Really. I do."

Something in her expression softened and I had to look down at my shoes. I was a little embarrassed. I couldn't really believe I said that. I hadn't talked about my mom in a long while and most of the time I tried to forget her. I was kind of ashamed.

But she said something I didn't expect. "Noah, I appreciate you doing this with me too." So I looked up and Simon's mom was smiling warmly at me. "I don't have a daughter to do this with, so I'm glad you're here too."