Life On The Rocks

(The following is a work of fiction written by Christine Senter. No part of this story may be copied and/or used in any other circumstance without the author’s expressed permission. All rights reserved)

Herman Silago was a bit actor who played Uncle Emil in three episodes of the popular television series The Five Sisters. He had hoped it would turn into a regular gig, but the show’s producers decided that his character should have a heart attack at the end of his last episode. It didn’t take much to realize that he wouldn’t be returning the following week.

Herman had been working as an actor for some 18 years, but had never hit that one role that would have made him a star. He had been stereo-typed for most of his career as either a simpleton or as a villain, which usually meant that his character wouldn’t last long in whatever he was playing. Now, his hair was thinning and a few wisps of grey were beginning to show. Though make-up artists and stylists could easily take care of those problems, it was the mere thought that seemed to torment his mind.

As he sat in his modest home, he began to reflect on the past. How his agent had kept telling him that his big break was just around the corner and that he just needed to hang on a little longer. The truth was that his time had come and gone, and he’d missed out on the best years of his life. Herman had never married nor had children, but until that moment, he’d never really thought about it. He had made his career his only focus, believing that once he made it big, the rest would fall into place. Now, it was just him and the bottle of rum he clutched in his arm.

When the phone rang, Herman checked the caller ID to see his agent’s name. There had been a time when he’d have answered in a heartbeat, but these days it just didn’t seem to matter. He heard the beep of the answering machine, and listened to the message as it was being received. “Herman, dude. Michael Valentine here. Say, wanted to let you know I just landed a commercial for you. They need an older guy for a Hair Plugs For Gents spot. Only one line, but it’s a paycheck. Give me a call when you get this. Ciao”. The line went dead while Herman took another swig from his bottle.

He sat there and watched the little red button flash. The idea of doing a spot for hair plugs made him want to throw in the towel. This was not the way it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be a star by now. He should be getting scripts from all the major studios, instead of throwing out one-liners about going bald. He tipped his bottle back one last time, finishing off in a single gulp.

He laid down on his couch, listening to the silent background. He stared at the ceiling, remembering the ways things had started out for him. He’d done a couple commercials for local businesses, then landed a national ad spot. That’s when he contacted Michael Valentine to act as his agent. Within a few weeks, Michael had gotten him a part on a daytime soap opera. Though it wasn’t a major role, it was something worth putting on a resume’. Before he knew it, he won a spot on a pilot for a sitcom. That’s when things took a turn for the worse.

After only two episodes, the show was cut from the network’s lineup and Herman was out of a job. His manager tried to get Herman to change his name, but he refused. He knew his mother would be devastated. She and his father prayed for a son in order to pass on the family name, Herman Melville Silago III. As he lay there looking back, he wondered if he had made the right decision.
As the rum coursed through his body, Herman began to drift off to sleep. He thought he heard the phone ring again, but wasn’t sure. After the answering machine picked up, he was awake enough to know that it was the phone. Thinking it was probably his agent again, Herman drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he saw himself standing on the red carpet, beautiful woman on his arm. The crowds were cheering his name. The flash bulbs were going off all around him, while the sounds of drums beat in the back ground. Soon, the sounds of the crowd was being drowned out by the beating of the drums. He looked around and the flashes were gone, the crowd had disappeared, and he was all alone. Yet, the beating of the drum echoed all around him, with a faint sound of his name in the distance.

Slowly, Herman began to wake. He noticed traces of daylight coming through his living room drapes. Again, he heard the banging he’d heard in his dream. “What is that”, he thought out loud. Once again, the sound of beating came from across the room and the distant sound of someone one calling his name. As the fog began to clear from his mind, it dawned on him that someone was beating on the front door.

“Yeah, just a minute”, he yelled from the couch. He needed a minute to gather his thoughts. Finally, he got up to answer the door only to find his agent standing there. “Dude, why didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been trying to contact you since about 9:00 last night. Where have you been?”. Herman just turned and walked back into the house, Michael right behind.

“Herman, what’s up?”. Michael could tell that the aging actor wasn’t himself. Herman sat back down on the couch, staring at the floor.

“Mike, I think it’s time to give up. I’ve been working at this for almost twenty years now, and I’m still struggling. I just don’t want my career to come down to a hair plug commercial”.

Michael sat down across from his client. “Dude, that’s why I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. After last night’s episode, the phone lines went nuts. Apparently, killing off your character made a lot of the viewers mad, and they’re protesting the studio. You’re a hit”.

Herman sat in silence. He thought maybe the booze from the night before was still reeling in his head. “What?”

The agent chuckled to himself. “Dude, they loved you. The public loves Uncle Emil. This is it. The studio called this morning and they want to talk. This is it, my friend, your big break. I told you it would come if you just waited. Now, get cleaned up. We have some negotiating to do”.

Herman remained still, the words vibrating in his mind. He’d done it. He finally managed to catch his break. After all those years, his talents had been noticed by the people who mattered most, the audience. It was finally time for Herman Silago’s star to shine.

Blue Sky Gray

Back before the sky was blue,
I was sure that I loved you.
Before the clouds had floated by,
You turned to me and said good-bye.
I’ve longed for you since that day,
My sky has gone from blue to gray.

I’ve never loved like that since then,
And I’m not sure I will again.
My broken heart is all I own,
And feels as if it’s turned to stone.
You’ve become a world away,
As my sky’s gone from blue to gray.

I miss the way you made me feel,
My soul was not yours to steal.
I wish somehow that you could see,
Just what it is you’ve done to me.
Now that you have gone away,
My blue eyes are turning gray.

Poetic Happiness

Don’t you just love it when something wonderful happens to you out of the blue?  I had something wonderful happen to me and it was totally unexpected.  I stopped here at the site to check my stats.  Personally, I didn’t think anything exciting would be waiting for me, but boy was I wrong.  I noticed that there was a linkback that needed either approved or deleted.  I almost hit delete out of habit, but something told me to check it out first.  Good thing!

I found that a gentleman by the name of Ollie Lind had read one of the poems I’d posted here and not only liked it, but offered up the link to his own readers.  How cool is that?  So, I spent a little time at Mr. Lind’s site and was amazed at what I found.  Ollie Lind is quite the poet in his own right, and has even released his first book of poetry titled Reflections of Life.

Now mind you, I was a little intimidated about reading Ollie’s work.  Several years back, I’d posted some of my poems to a critique group and almost quit writing poetry all together.  I write in rhyme.  One of the people in the group had told me that it was a sure sign that I was nothing more than an amateur.  I was devastated.  I’ve tried my hand at free verse, but I have to say that I totally SUCK at this form of poetry.  Everything I wrote in free verse sounded forced, so I just gave up.

Anyway, I decided to read a few of Mr. Lind’s poems and fell in love with his writing style.  He’s a rhymer.  His poems come together in a magical way that dances across the heart.  It gave me hope that my poems might not be dead after all.  It also caused me to pull out my dusty old book filled with the poems I’d written so many years ago.  And, it made me realize that just because one person in this world didn’t approve of my style, someone else out there might enjoy it.

Thank you, Mr. Lind.  You helped put a spark back into my soul that’s been silenced for a very long time.  They say that all things happen for a reason, and I believe that you reading my goofy little poem was no accident.  May all your writing dreams come true.