Rendezvous at The Marigold and Crown

Rendezvous at the Marigold and Crown

She always caught the train before the one she needed to catch because if there was one quality that Grace possessed, it was her pride in not letting others down.

Today she was going to see Maggie, in person. Maggie didn’t know this however. It had been at least a year and a half, more, since she had chatted over messenger to Maggie, attempted to chat would have been a better way of putting it. Maggie had never forgiven her. Grace had always felt like trying to communicate through messenger and the like, a poor second to face to face interactions. She had had plenty of time to get over that particular belief during these strange disconnected times. However it felt peculiar, even now, to be doing what she wanted to do. Something she felt she should have done many years ago. Before everything went crazy.

NEW NORMAL

The world, or at least that particular corner of it, had mostly returned to “normal” a new normal certainly. But the plan to see her friend in person at an iconic performance place was a perfectly reasonable one now. Except her friend didn’t know about it.

ICONIC

The meeting place was a famous landmark in their city … a tiny cottage like building, dwarfed by the high rise offices and apartments … a cafe bar and performance space with a dinky little stage. Its most magical feature was a front garden bed which was carpeted with many beautiful flowers but notable for the stunning display of marigolds. The space was in fact called the Marigold and Crown.

Maggie was going to take to the stage in a stand up performance she’d written herself. It seemed to Grace that it was a public performance in a public place, so her just happening to be there could not be looked at askance by anybody.. except perhaps Maggie.

THERE’S HISTORY

They had both hurt each other with thoughtless words, cruel and over dramatic actions. Both had valued their connection… but had fumbled badly attempts to heal the rift.

But it was clear that both at different times wanted to do just that… but ego and fear had ensured that it just never happened.

DIFFERENT PATHS

Maybe then the friendship had not meant to be enduring or have any depth, however there was no reason or excuse for it to have ripped apart so horribly. A respectful good bye was all that had been required. They may have crossed paths again, or may not. Either way no bad feeling would be there.

Unfortunately that’s not what Grace was dealing with. She had no idea how Maggie would behave when she saw her in the audience. She hoped that she would be calm, and maybe even grateful that someone she knew had taken the trouble to come and see her.

She just didn’t know. She had forgiven Maggie for her cruel actions and words. She understood why she had spoken and acted in these ways ,but she also knew Maggie had had the wrong idea about her, and she’d tried to talk to her and explain, she needed her help … not her condemnation. This was denied her. Primarily, though, she needed space and time, but the time just expanded, until the last positive feeling drained away, for both of them.

SAD

Grace wondered if Maggie had felt as sad about that as she had, though she didn’t any more. At times, however anger sparked in Grace’s chest… she had been misled, triggered and falsely accused, and a simple moment of listening, a touch of empathy would have prevented their falling out. She was no Angel, she had responded stupidly to the triggering, but she knew that she had apologised and had been prepared to take steps to preserve their connection.

But would their friendship would have carried on..? Grace wasn’t sure .. good feeling could have lasted forever, continued interaction in person, which old fashioned Grace still believed was what really mattered, much more unlikely, pandemics notwithstanding.

I’M HERE

The beautiful orange and golden yellowy hues blanketing the ground outside the Marigold and Crown took Grace’s breath away. Ok, her stomach was flipping now. But really what could go wrong? What was Maggie going to do, leap off the stage and order her to leave the building?

STEADYING NERVES

She walked up to the beautiful ornate bar, and ordered a sparkling wine, although she was in good time, there were quite a few people seated for the performance already. On the bar top she saw some bunches of marigolds, wrapped in tissue paper and foil, and presumably culled from the front garden bed. Impulsively, she bought a bunch, grasped her wineglass, and made her way to the rows of fold out chairs.

She sat away from the handful of already seated audience members, not too close to the front, she could duck out unnoticed if it came to that.

A few bars of “My Life” by Iris Dement rang out. The lights dimmed and an orange spotlight illuminated the striking dark haired figure that was Maggie.

She launched into her routine

Apparently the overarching theme was “shit friends”

Her face burning, Grace looked down at her feet. She couldn’t move… she tried to tune out the performance, but suddenly the energy changed, and the rapid fire delivery seemed to soften. The gales of laughter became more of a nervous tittering.

“And I say thank you to that friend who showed me who I was, and once I started concerning myself about my own business and the life I already had, everything started to get better, I appreciated my family more and saw how good my situation actually was… so thank you Grace, you BITCH!

Grace took a deep breath and jumped out of her seat, she felt all the eyes on the room on her. Maggie looked momentarily confused. Grace threw the bouquet at the stage, and catching Maggie’s eye, poked out her tongue.

Maggie’s words resonated with Grace. They had gone about it in a horribly uncomfortable and painful way. But they had brought each other a gift.

THE GIFT

There was no way the old Maggie would have been able to stand up on stage, and Grace’s experience with her partner and work had echoed her own, and in many ways she was happier than she’d ever been.

Maggie bounded off the stage, and grabbed her by the hand, she was smiling… she pulled her onto the stage

“And here she is.. the bitch!”

The confused audience laughed awkwardly then began to applaud, they recognised they were possibly witnessing a reconciliation, of sorts.

Maggie pulled Grace close and whispered in her ear, thank you.

And for the flowers too…

Grace sighed deeply, but she was smiling too. “It’s good to see you”

“How have you been?”