progress, but despite this, Mr. Gould does not lose optimism: even at seventy, he believes that theater is the highest art that will live forever. But if the play fails and Mr. Gould is forced to leave the theater, then I will follow him.
– Julie, let’s not exaggerate before the premiere and put aside pessimism. Mr. Gould is a talented director and perhaps he will be the one who will be able to attract new viewers, and the hall will again be filled, as in the old days.
Dorothy looked at her watch; it was almost ten o’clock in the evening. After a short pause she added:
“I’ll tell you a secret: Mr. Gould, realizing that the theater has no money for advertising, believes so much in the success of the production that he paid for all the posters in the city with you and Chuck from his own pocket. Just please don’t tell anyone that you heard this from me.
“Mr. Gould never ceases to amaze me,” Julie sighed. “This is so typical of him… The theater is his whole life, and in order for this performance to be a success, Mr. Gould will do anything.” He believes that the prime minister will be a great success.
– Unfortunately, I won’t be able to come, we will have rehearsals, but my son and daughter-in-law have already bought tickets to your performance. “I wish you, Chuck and Mr. Gould a successful premiere,” the elderly actress ended the conversation.
Miss Blunt thanked her colleague for the kind words and, saying goodbye, went home. She loved to walk in the late evenings, and even more so in the fall. The weather was no longer so hot, and the leaves rustled pleasantly underfoot.
Stopping at a bakery on the way home, she bought her favorite chocolate croissants. After dinner, Julie, as usual, watched a little TV, checked her email on the Internet and, after reading a book before bed, went to bed.
SECOND CHAPTER
SATURDAY
The next day, despite the rain, Miss Blunt, as planned, headed towards Mr. Gould’s small one-and-a-half-story house in the afternoon. There were many such buildings in the city.
At the door she ran into Chuck; he had already told Mr. Gould about the latest events and preparations for the premiere. Miss Blunt’s colleague said after the greeting that the director was very excited, as he had high hopes for the production.
“There will certainly be success,” said Miss Blunt, said goodbye to Chuck and went into the house.
She took off her shoes, hung her wet raincoat on a hanger and put the umbrella in a specially designated place, after which she headed to Mr. Gould’s spacious office, where he spent most of his time. On the left was a rich library; There was a desk on the right by the window, and opposite the entrance there was a fireplace, next to which there were two armchairs and a small table littered with books and newspapers.
On this Saturday morning, Mr. Gould, as usual, was sitting in an armchair by the fireplace. The thin old gentleman’s head had long been covered with gray hair. He looked carefully at the flames, thinking about something, until he heard Miss Blunt’s voice:
– Good afternoon, Mr. Gould.
When he saw Julie, he smiled and even stood up to hug her.
– You shouldn’t have gotten up…
“Julie, please don’t ever say that again!” A gentleman must stand up in the presence of a lady,” the director replied with a kind smile.
– Mr. Gould, you never cease to amaze me. Even with all the fuss that accompanies the premiere, you do not lose your spirit.
“Sadness is bad,” the director said instructively. – Over my long life, I have understood a lot and learned several lessons, and the most important thing is that you should not be sad and despair. We must enjoy every moment. It’s a pity that this realization comes at an old age.
The owner of the office invited Julie to a soft brown chair that stood closer to the bookshelves. After waiting for Mr. Gould to take the second seat, the actress said:
– You are right, as always, Mr. Gould. My fate is not easy. In early childhood, I was left alone, I was raised by my aunt, I experienced many difficulties, and sometimes I had thoughts of committing suicide, but someone always appeared who helped me overcome the difficult period. Do you know what I call such people?
– How? – asked the director.
– Angels. Yes, yes, exactly angels. Although I am not a religious person, I am convinced that they exist and in human form descend to earth to help people go through trials. Do you believe in angels? Do you believe in God?
Mr. Gould smiled and replied:
– You know, in life you often meet people who, for unknown reasons, try to help, to guide you to something. It doesn’t matter what you call them – angels or something else. Regarding your question about faith in God… I was born into a Jewish family in Poland and, as an infant, I survived the Holocaust with my family. They were thrown by the Nazis into concentration camps and died, but my mother and I remained alive because a Polish family hid us. I don’t remember much from that time,’ Mr. Gould paused, then continued thoughtfully: ‘All my long life, due to the horrific events of the Holocaust, I shunned religion, because I was convinced that God simply did not exist, and man himself I am the master of my own destiny, but now I feel that everything that happens has a plan. As sad as it is to realize this, over the years you realize that you had practically no control over your life, someone was directing you somewhere all the time, you were an actor in a global performance called Life, and who directed this performance – God or some other person? then other forces – I don’t know.
– Why did you take me then, took pity on the aspiring actress? – Julie decided to ask a question that had been tormenting her for a long time.
– No, that would be unprofessional on my part. The director first of all looks at a person, trying to discern his potential, his inner world, and I took you because I thought that you would become a good dramatic actress. And, as you can see, I was right.
– Thank you for giving me the chance. After meeting you, I began to look at many things differently.
Looking at the actress, Mr. Gould remarked:
– Julie, you must understand that theater is not the main thing in your life, you are still young and should try to start a family.
– What are you talking about, Mr. Gould?! – Julie exclaimed. “I’m already forty, and at that age it’s hard to get used to someone.” Besides, you know what men are like now: there are practically no gentlemen like you and Chuck left. You are like a father to me, and Chuck is like a brother.
“You still have a long way to go,” Mr. Gould repeated.
Miss Blunt shook her head sadly.
“I’m completely alone and have never really loved.” All I have is work in the theater. My personal life didn’t work out: I once really liked one guy, he looked after me so beautifully… But shortly before the wedding, he met someone else, left me and married her. Since then I’ve been alone.
Mr. Gould said nothing.
“If it weren’t for you and the theater, I don’t know what would happen to me now…” Julie added.
“You are a wonderful actress and I am grateful to fate that you continue to play in my productions,” said the director. “You could have performed on the best stages in the country, but you stayed here.”
– You know that I asked you for leave many times, went to auditions, but they didn’t take me anywhere.
The director sighed and said:
“I’m tired of telling you that these snobs have absolutely no taste, they understand nothing about the theater.” You are a wonderful dramatic