Love Songs for a Lost Continent by Anita Felicelli

Author:Anita Felicelli [Anita Felicelli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2018-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

***

One July at daybreak, we erect my set design in the old colonial marketplace building. The village president is thrilled the building is finally being put to use. The players, a mix of teenagers and adults, arrive in a haze of excitement. They try on their final costumes, squeezing into tight mid-century British attire.

As the drama begins, Howl is sitting on my lap. Solomon plays the most critical role, the part of the judge. When Howl watches the scene where the group finds the judge dead—executed by an unknown murderer, dressed up in judicial robes—he bounds onstage. Squeaking, he seizes Solomon’s face between his black paws. Solomon extricates himself and tries to resume his death stare, but Howl jumps on his head, steals his silver-grey wig, and dashes around the stage. The audience whoops and laughs. The atmosphere of menacing gloom is ruined. I suppress a laugh.

Leon storms onstage. “Tarini! Grab that fucking lemur!” His voice shakes with rage as he continues. I chase Howl. The laughter grows deafening. Finally, the lemur pivots, wig in mouth, and leaps into my outstretched arms.

“Désolé a propos de ça,” Leon says to the audience. He whispers to me, “Get him out of here.”

Afterward, the actors and the audience join around a long table at a wealthy villager’s house to eat. Leon sits down across from me with his plate of food, leaning forward with an accusation. “Why’d you have to bring him? You couldn’t leave him home even for a few hours, could you?”

“I didn’t want to leave him alone there in the house for so long.”

“You wanted this to fail. You were against the play from the start.”

“You guys worked so hard. Why would I want it to fail?”

“I want that lemur gone.” Leon wags a finger at Howl, who shrinks back against my breasts.

“It wasn’t so bad.” Alicia slides into the seat next to me. “He’s a wild animal, it was natural for him to be confused.”

“Are you kidding me? It was your script—you should be more upset than anyone.”

Alicia shrugs. “It was meant to be fun.”

Leon shakes his head.

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