Thank You for Ten: Short Fiction About a Little Theater

by Ty Unglebower

  *

  A small flock of children tore through the already open door to the green room as she approached the building a week later. They almost, but didn't quite run into her. The pony-tailed girl at the lead of the small platoon shouted "Excuse us", and Alicia had to laugh.

  A middle aged woman in jeans and an old paint-splattered sweatshirt appeared in the green room doorway.

  "Don't just tear off into a parking lot like that," this woman hollered. "Are you crazy? You always check."

  "Sorry," Ponytail called over her shoulder as she and the others disappeared into a small convenience store on the other side of the parking lot.

  Alicia stepped toward the door.

  "Don't worry, I think it's safe now," said the woman. "I'm Emma. Are you the one fixing the painting in the lobby?"

  "Yes. Alicia." She extended her hand. Emma took it. "Trying to at least."

  The two stepped into the green room, Emma shutting the door behind them.

  It was a stark contrast to what Alicia was accustomed to in the green room. What had been a quiet entryway to her project now teemed with life. About a dozen children, mostly girls about ten years old or younger she guessed, meandered around the room with papers, crayons, and other instruments of creativity. It was boisterous but not chaotic.

  "We're on a bit of a break here," Emma told her as they made their way into the green room. "Children's production workshop. Today we're working on some of our homemade set pieces before rehearsal. Kids, say hi to Alicia, please."

  A symphony of "Hi Alicias" filled the room, though almost nobody stopped what they were doing. One child, however, a girl with green glasses and unbound dirty blonde hair that reached past her backside walked right up to her.

  "I'm Sarah, are you going to help us paint our set?"

  Alicia stooped down to Sarah's level, setting her equipment on the floor next to her.

  "Actually, I'm here to work on one of those big paintings out in the lobby," Alicia told her. "Make it a little prettier."

  "The one behind the curtains, right?" Sarah asked.

  "That's the one," Alicia told her. "It's pretty old. I'm trying to make it look clean again."

  "I like that one," the girl said. "I don't like the other painting. He's boring. I paint sometimes too."

  "Really? Well maybe someday I can see some of what you do."

  "Come see our show, and you can," Sarah said. "I'm painting the mountains in the background, but they're not done yet."

  "I'll do that. And when I'm done, maybe you can tell me what you think of what I did. But I think your job is harder."

  "I practice," said the girl, as much with her huge green eyes as with her mouth.

  "That's great, Sarah," Emma said. "Why don't we let Alicia work, and we can talk to her later, okay?"

  "Okay," the girl said. "See you soon, Alicia." Sarah waved and walked away.

  "Bye Sarah," Alicia said as she stood back up, equipment in hand.

  "She's a great kid," Emma said. "They all are, really. I love to work with them."

  "So is all of that lumber out on the stage for your show?" Alicia asked.

  "Heavens no,” Emma said. "That's for the main stage show. We'll be doing our show in front of their set. That's what Sarah's working on, a backdrop that will cover the other set."

  "What's the show? When is it?"

  "Heidi. And it goes on in about three weeks. God willing."

  "I'll come. I'd love to see it," Alicia told her, excited about seeing a kids-only show.

  "They'd appreciate that, I'm sure," Emma said. "I'll get you some details later, but I know you've got work to do now, so…"

  The outside door flung open with a bang, and the whirlwind that had nearly knocked Alicia over in the parking lot stormed back into the room.

  "Walk inside please," Emma called to them. "And please close the door."

  Alicia smiled. "It looks like you've got work to do as well."

  "It never ends," Emma said laughing. "I'll get that info to you before you leave."

  "Thanks, good luck."

  Alicia passed through the skinny hallway. It was less scary today with all the people in the building and the lights on. She made a note of where the light switch was this time. She bet Sarah wouldn't be nervous walking through there in the dark, though.

  "Yes, I'm feeling better this week," she told Dionysus, who seemed to ask the question as she opened the curtain. "Truth be told, it would be hard not to feel better being around kids like that, having fun. Creating. I was one of those, you know." She began to mix her paints. She said little that morning, as the faint sounds of squeals and laughter from theater kids on the stage provided the only soundtrack she needed for this session. Both she and the Greek God spent most of the morning smiling.