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"It's so dark in here. This can't be good for you. You should ask them to
open the curtains and the windows. Fresh air is better for you. Air has
to circulate to be healthy."
There, that's better don't you think? A little sunshine for my little
sunshine. Although now I can see all the dust on this windowsill. They're
supposed to be keeping this place spotless. Cleanliness is next to
Godliness! Ha! Well, next to me anyway, which we both know is the same
thing. I'll have to have words with the Superintendant. Have the cleaners
fired."
Wait, here, let me help you with that. There you go, there's my girl.
Drink it all up. You'll feel better in... well, you'll feel better."
I see they've finally taken the flowers away. I know you liked them, but
they really weren't doing you any good. All that pollen dust. Clogging
your lungs. And now that I've opened the curtains you can see the flowers
outside. So much better because they're alive, strong, growing."
Just like you should have been."
Sunnydale's coming along nicely, expanding. We have a lot of new
immigrants this year. They're coming from all over the world now. They've
heard about us. About our open door policy. I knew it would be a winner!
Of course, I had to go a few rounds with some of the councillors. Keenan
for one. He wasn't terribly enthusiastic about some of our more exotic
newcomers, but then he never really was a team player. He became a bit of
a problem in the end actually. But it's no use dwelling on what might have
been. He's dead now, and standing around being gloomy won't prevent him
from having that unfortunate, albeit timely, accident. No, no dissent in
the ranks. Never could abide it."
You always understood that. You knew I wouldn't stand for any
distractions. Which is why it's a bit puzzling that you didn't choose to
support me. Why? Was it too much to ask? A little show of unity, some
small public togetherness for the sake of the greater goal? You knew all
along that I have promises to keep. I can't turn back on my word. If
Sunnydale starts doubting my word all hell will break lose. Prematurely
that is."
And it wasn't all just about me you know. Well, alright, it was in the
beginning, back before I'd met you. Then it was just about me."
But afterward, after I'd met you, then it became about us. You and Me. We
were going to be great together. Gosh, we would have been a force to be
reckoned with. Well, until I ate you, but that would have been over
quickly, and in the meantime you would have had so many years, so many more
years. We would have been together for all of them."
I won't pretend. I still don't understand why you couldn't have chosen to
take my offer. Do you even know how much that hurt me? I wanted you here,
by my side. Strong, powerful, beautiful, for the next 4 decades. Wouldn't
that have been something?"
I'll go on without you of course. Couldn't stop now if I tried. Not that
I want to. But oh!... to have you at my side! What a team we would have
been."
Now, now. Stop, please don't do that. Calm down. Calling me names won't
solve anything. We all have to make our choices, and you've made yours.
Please sweetheart, quiet now. Do you really want the nurses to come and
sedate you again? That's it, that's m'girl."
It's ok you know. It's perfectly natural to feel scared and upset at a
time like this. But the pain will be over soon. And you won't be
forgotten. I promise you that. The biggest memorial in Sunnydale cemetary
will be yours. I'm having the law changed so no one else can build one
bigger. And you know how much that means in a town with as many deaths as
this. Our town. My town now, I suppose."
Here, your hair's a mess. Let me fix it for you. Can't have the staff
seeing you less than perfect."
Not that you aren't always a vision. I remember the first time I saw you,
it was at your father's house. You were wearing your perfect buttercup
yellow dress. It made that soft swishing noise that silk does, and it
fitted just so. Not at all like the hideous nylon tents that pass for
women's clothing these days. I've half a mind to outlaw them."
Oh but listen to me going on and on. Anyone would think I was lobbying.
I'm not actually sure why I'm finding this so hard. If anyone can explain
to me how I can be sophisticated and erudite in front of crowds of cynical
politicians, and become an incoherent idiot when I'm trying to explain how
I feel to you, well, then I'm all ears. Not literally of course. Because
that would just be unnatural."
Your hair shone, I remember that too. And I remember wondering what you
put in it to make it that soft. And the color. Dark chocolate brown.
Something else that changed."
But not as dark as your eyes. I was supposed to be canvassing opinions on
the new Cityhall, well, telling them which way to vote actually, but I
forgot to do it. The minute you looked in my direction I found an entirely
new purpose for being there. For simply being at all, truth be told. You
were so full of life, so full of potential. I knew at that moment you saw
me exactly as I was. The entire person, not the mask. You saw straight
through me."
Your eyes haven't changed. You still see right through me."
I wonder whatever happened to that dress?"
I wonder whatever happened to us?"
When did it become so painful for you to be with me? Why couldn't you have
just said yes? What was wrong with an offer of near immortality? You'd
rather choose death by this, this... insidious cancer? You'd rather have
it creeping through you, than spend any more time with me? What did I do
Edna? What did I do to you? All I ever wanted was to give you the world.
You know I'm capable of it. And now I'll have it to give to you, but you
won't be around to accept it from me. It's kind of taken the joy out of
the anticipation. And that's one hell of a long time to be joyless."
But I don't regret one thing. Not one single moment with you. The good,
the bad. You were always the centre of it all. I never stopped loving
you. Even when you shut me out of your life, your heart. There was never
a single moment when I didn't need you so much it hurt. And there was
always the hope that you'd come back to me. Realise how much you still
loved me. But you never did, did you?"
Well, I guess that's all. I've said what I wanted to say. Your family is
waiting to see you. They're not very happy with me being here, but as I'm
still the mayor there's not much they can do about it. Did they really
expect your husband not to visit you in your last hours? They can say what
they like about me, I'm not that callous."
Hmmm? Oh yes, I'm just leaving now. Would you give me one more minute?
Thank you."
The nurses are insisting I leave Edna. It's time for your next dose of
morphine."
I may not get another chance to see you, so I'll say goodbye now."
I promise I'll always remember you."
My sweet Edna Mae."