Page 121 of I Am the Messenger

She stops, and her expression reaches such a point of beauty that I nearly cry. "You've outdone yourself, Ed." The last time I heard that phrase was Marv speaking to Margaret, the waitress. This time it isn't sarcastic.

"Thank you," I reply, and we keep walking. We turn onto Bell Street, and Audrey's arm is still linked with mine. I wish the cinema was further away.

"Here they are!" says Bernie Price when we arrive. He's excited. I'm actually surprised he's not asleep.

"Bernie," I say politely. "This is Audrey O'Neill."

"The pleasure's mine, Audrey." Bernie grins. When she goes to the bathroom, he pulls me aside excitedly and whispers, "Well, she's a bit of all right, isn't she, Ed?"

"She is," I agree. "She certainly is."

I buy the stale popcorn, or at least try (because Bernie, in his words, won't have it), and we go through and sit down near where I watched from yesterday.

He's given us a ticket each.

Coool Hand Luke: 7:30 p.m.

"Has your cool got three o's?" Audrey inquires.

I look down at it, amused. It has and it seems perfect for this night.

We sit and wait, and soon there's a knocking from above, at the projection window. We hear a muffled voice. "You two ready?"

"Ready!" we both call back, and turn again toward the screen.

The movie begins.

I hope as we watch that Bernie's up there, happy, remembering what it was like when he came here himself at my age.

I hope he still believes that Audrey really is my girl as he looks at the two figures sitting in front of the big screen--just two silhouettes.

This message is at the back of me.

It's delivered, but I don't see the look on Bernie's face. I try to catch it in the people on the screen.

Yes, I hope Bernie's happy.

I hope he remembers well.

Audrey lightly hums with the music on-screen, and at this moment she's my girl. I can make myself believe it.

Tonight's for Bernie, but I also take a small piece of it for myself.

We've both seen this movie a few times. It's a definite favorite. We can almost speak the words with the characters in some places, but we never do. We only sit there and enjoy it. We enjoy the empty theater, and I enjoy Audrey. I love the fact that it's only her and me in here alone.

Just you and your girl, I hear Bernie say from yesterday, and I realize that Bernie really deserves more than sitting up in the projection room tonight. I whisper to Audrey.

"Would you mind if I ask Bernie to come down and sit with us?"

She answers as I expect. "Not at all."

I climb over her legs and walk out up to the projection room. Bernie's asleep up there, but I wake him gently with my hand.

"Bernie?" I ask.

"Oh--yes, Ed?" He pulls himself from his tiredness.

"Audrey and I...," I say, "we were wondering if you'd like to come down and watch the movie with us."