In
that same moment, Roscoe turns to me and says, “I’d be honored if you would.
But with one condition!” He then points to the cannisters still in my hands,
“Start with that one!”
I
look up at him and ask, “Why this one?”
“Hey,
I went to a lot of trouble to finish that one,”
he explains, “And your time to shine has been way overdue, pal.”
“No
one’s going to see me,” I point out, “That’s why we had to scrap the whole idea
of making more movies together, remember?”
“Yeah,
but today’s technology can capture your image,” he
grins back, “And I know you’ve already made a couple of appearances in those
Hallmark and Lifetime adaptations of your work. Don’t be afraid to do some
more. Show ‘em what me, Al, Mae, the Marx Brothers and the rest I taught you! And
have a blast, while you’re doing it! Remember. I’ll be in the audience cheering
you on with Lisa, Otto and the rest of that big old extended family you got.”
Looking
at that big, huge smile on his face, along with Lisa beaming at me, there’s no
way I can say no. So, I don’t.
“All
right,” I concede. “But I have to know one thing. HOW, can you be here? You
don’t have any unfinished business, do you? I mean if you do, I’ll do
everything…” but he’s already shaking his head.
“It’s
nothing like that,” he chuckles, “You just don’t know your
own strength.”
Once
again, I find myself shaking my head. “How do you mean?”
“Do
you remember how you had to put the bite on me that one time to save my life
when those thugs tried to burn down the theater with everyone in it?”
“All
too well,” I sigh. That had been the night he had learned the truth about me
and my condition. He’d been seriously hurt and wasn’t going to last long enough
for the ambulance to arrive and take him to the hospital, so I’d done to him
what I had once done to Richard and a number of others. I’d bitten him and put
a bit of myself into him in the process, using my powers and will to keep him
alive. This also meant a special mental and emotional bond had been formed
between us, one that always allowed me to know if that person was in danger or
needed me in some other way. It was a bond that would only be severed when that
person passed on. Or so I had always thought.
I
looked up at Roscoe who was smiling fondly at me, “News flash! That bond of
friendship, doesn’t always end at the grave.”
After
several seconds of stunned silence, I breathed the words, “Thank God!” and
meant every word.
I
could hear Brian starting to make his way back towards us, so I said quickly.
“But it only works with the people…”
“You
gave a bit of yourself to,” my old friend finishes for me. “The
rest are exactly what you thought. Made up from your memories of them. But me
and a few others will always be here for you.”
“Thank
you,” I reply and give him a huge hug, just before Brian rejoins us.
“I
cannot believe you’ve had all these films restored and transferred, without
telling me!” my godson exclaims, as he comes over to me. “People have been
scouring the world for a complete copy or at least pieces of some of these films,
for decades. You have to share these with the world! Do you realize the number
of archivists, celebrities, and other important figures who’d come pounding at
your door get just a glimpse of some of these?”
To
be honest, I’d never really thought about that before. Such an event would
certainly bring a lot of people to Pointer. They would need places to stay,
eat, and shop, during their visit. And with Pointer’s parks, forests and
historic sites, there’d plenty of other things for our visitors to explore.
Such
an event could really revitalize the town. I mean I’ve done what I could to improve
the community with donations and other events, but this could really put us
back on the map.
But
simply showing the films, didn’t feel like enough to me. I wanted to give people
something more, something special and really memorable…
Just
then, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Roscoe and Lisa. He’s
teaching her a few of his dance moves from one of his more famous films, “The
Cook”. And that gives me an idea…
BONUS MATERIAL: Clip from Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle's Silent Film "The Cook"
TO BE CONCLUDED...
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