Radically Happy

Concluding from Hello, Family.

The kids — Friendship, Affection, Stranger — have all gone to bed. I’m outside having drink with Resilience while Dialogue preps for a case tomorrow. Suddenly we hear footsteps.

Reapparence

Resilience: [pointing] There they are, Earnest.

I look and see Officer and Debater heading our way. I’m curious whether they have resolved the fate of Stranger and myself; and perhaps their own.

R. [frowning] Something’s… off.

My first instinct is that the stuffy Officer committed a faux pas with the stunning Debater, aka Romance. But no, they seem to be holding hands. However, Officer looks like he’s being led to the guillotine.

Resilience motions to me. We put down our drinks and rise to meet them.

Officer has been looking down, but when he stops he steels himself, raises his head, and looks me in the eye. Without preamble, he speaks. Not in his usual monotone.

Officer: I… have a confession to make.

He takes a deep breath. Romance strokes his hand, comforting him. He seems to draw strength from that.

O. I have wronged you. When I saw you leading Stranger out of… that place… my mind immediately jumped to conclusions. I thought I had to protect him from you.

Earnest: [surprised] That was a perfectly natural assumption. No need to apologize.

Officer shakes his head sadly.

O. No. I was wrong. You weren’t the danger.

He pauses and glances at Romance. She nods encouragingly and squeezes his hands. He squares his shoulders and looks back at me.

O. I am. I am the villain. I am… the one who locked Stranger in there.

We hear a gasp, crash, and the sound of glass shattering. We all turn and see Dialogue with a hand to her mouth, the coffee tray she was carrying in ruins at her feet.

Resilience — as usual — is the first to recover. He steps to assist his wife while motioning us into the house.

R. Everyone. Inside. Sit. Make yourself comfortable. [turns to look at Dialogue. Something unspoken passed between them, and she nods affirmation. He looks somberly at me and Officer] This is going to be a long night.

Living Room

The room is tense.

Officer is staring at his hands in his lap. Romance is seated next to him on the couch, speaking softly to him, her hand on his shoulder.

I perch uncomfortably on the edge of an overstuffed chair, unsure what will happen next. Res and Di come in from cleaning up. He lowers himself into a loveseat while Di perches on the arm next to him.

Res: [looking at Officer] How much do you remember?

My breath catches. Res doesn’t seem surprised by this revelation. If anything, he seems to know more than Officer. Then I remember that, as Defender, his wife works in (or at least with) Memory, so she probably just found out everything. If she hadn’t done so even before she sprung me from Officer at the police station…

O. [blushing] Not much. I remember being scared. Stranger wanted to come with me, but I… I just wanted to get away. I didn’t want him following. I couldn’t handle the responsibility. So I… I locked him away. In… there. [buries his face in his hands and sobs]

Dialogue gets up and gently lays a hand on his other shoulder. Romance looks at her gratefully and smiles.
But when Di speaks, it is in her Defender voice.

Def. Officer… Joe. Look at me. [soft but commanding]

Joe reluctantly dries his tears with his sleeve and looks up. Def crouches down to look him in the eye.

Def. That was not your fault. You were right. You weren’t strong enough to care for a child. You did the best thing you could for him, putting him somewhere.

Joe laughs bitterly.

O. Oh, really? Someone has to pay the price for the terrible things done to Stranger. Whose fault is it, then?

A voice says quietly: “Mine!”

Everyone turns.
They are looking at me.
And I suddenly realize…
I was the one who spoke!

Ego Altar

We are back at Director’s projection room.
Me, Officer, and Stranger.
Staring at the satanic altar, behind which Stranger had been hiding.
Been hidden by Officer, before I found him.

Officer is still arguing with me.

O. You can’t do this. It ought to be me.

E. [shaking my head] No, you were right the first time. You are his protector. You wouldn’t have faced that horrible choice if I had done my job. This happened on my watch, so the responsibility is mine.

O. But I don’t know anything about raising kids!

E. [snort] That’s why you have Romance. You do want to marry her, right?

His blush is all the answer I need. I sigh, and continue more gently.

E. It’s okay, Joe. You have something — someone — to live for. I was never supposed to be here anyway. It is time for me to go. Right, Stranger?

Stranger’s eyes are reddened, though I haven’t seen him cry. He has barely spoken since we woke him up and explained the situation. He runs up, gives me a hug, and nods fiercely. I hold him close, and pat him on the back.

E. When we first met and I asked if you were me, you said, “Not yet.” I didn’t understand then, but I do now. [look him in the eye] Do you?

Stranger nods once more, then buries his head in my chest and finally bursts into tears. I look at Joe. He frowns and seems about to speak. Instead, he picks up Stranger and cradles him against his chest, as if he would never let him go again.

I turn and see Director entering. He’s wearing a crimson robe with matching hood, and carrying a wicked sharp knife. He looks implacable and deadly; but I can see the trail of tears flowing down his collar.

He doesn’t want this anymore than I do. But neither of us has any choice. Not if we want Stranger to survive to grow up.

I lay myself down the altar of my forbidden desires, ready to pay the price for all my sins. The sins of every part of me.

Director lifts the knife in what might be prayer. He lowers it silently, gently, perhaps even lovingly. It slices through my diseased heart like a surgeon lancing a boil.

As the corruption — and my life — leak out of me, I hear Stranger finally speak.

Stranger: “My name… is Navaroop. The next generation. Thank you for setting me — us — free. Well done, good and faithful servant.”

As the darkness slowly closes in around me, I smile.

For at last, I am at peace.

Finit (at least for Earnest)

Sequel in Hello, Dread (First Reconciled Part) after interlude with Navaroop