Gayle’s fireside tale continues…
The fireside chat continues… Gayle is deep into a story that closely resembles “Allegory of the Cave.”
Okay, so now our Mr. Stretch is crumpled in a lump on the ground-in broad daylight. …Stop and think about that for a minute (pause)… Here’s someone who has been in a cave for an extended period of time, suddenly being out in broad daylight…
GAYLE
Needless to say, his voice could be heard echoing throughout the cave.
We see the one talkative Ex-Prisoner shaking his head.
EX-PRISONER
Silly fool! See? What’d I tell you? Nothing of value there… nothing at all. All the rest start laughing and the sound echoes through the cave walls and back at Mr. Stretch, who is sitting on the top landing pondering his next move. He’s talking out loud to himself.
MR. STRETCH
Can’t go back down there, that’s for sure. Those guys will just ride me about this adventure for days… (pause) I mean like what else do they have to talk about.
He looks over towards the light.
MR. STRETCH
Humm… The thing is… I sense that there’s something out there. Something for me to see … and discover… I just need to be smarter about how I do it…
He holds his chin in his hand like Rodin’s thinker for a short while he tries to figure out his next steps.
The Thinker
MR. STRETCH
Maybe I just need to give myself some adjustment time. What’s out there is radically different from what I’ve been doing…
GAYLE
So after giving his mates one last look he turns and crawls on his hands and knees towards the light.
We see him steadying himself and keeping his eyes shut. After he crawls some distance from the cave entrance, he stops and sits on the ground.
GAYLE
He gets into a familiar position… sitting on the ground.
We see Mr. Stretch cover his eyes with his shirt sleeve.
GAYLE
He covered his eyes with his shirt-sleeve and then gradually opened them, so that the light was actually filtered through the shirt.
JULIE
That’s pretty smart of him… especially considering how quickly he came up with the idea.
GAYLE
No doubt that this time it hurt too -but just not as badly as before. And this time, by making sure he was grounded, so to speak, he kept himself from getting into trouble.
Julie and Fran are at the edge of their seats.
JULIE
So what happened?
They as watching Mr. Stretch sitting — patiently adapting to the light. He has shifted from his shirt sleeve to his hands covering his eyes.
The camera goes to his view– from through his fingers where a minimal amount of light is getting in.
GAYLE
Through tears in his eyes, he looks around to get a sense of his surroundings. The tears are partially from adjusting to the light… and mostly from being overwhelmed by the beauty of what he sees.
The camera continues with the POV of Mr. Stretch as he observes the amazingly vibrant colors that surround him.
GAYLE
Before long, he’s well acclimated to his new environment.
We see Mr. Stretch walking with a bounce in his step as he examines his surroundings.
BENNY GOODMAN’S GREAT DAY is playing as a montage of images is seen that lets the audience explore along with Mr. Stretch. Gayle continues.
GAYLE
So he spent the afternoon exploring this new world. And as the light began to fade, he thought about his buddies down below.
MR. STRETCH
They’ve got to see this. This is awesome… and so much better than what they’re looking at. (he pauses) Yeah, but they’ll never believe me… then again, maybe some one will have the courage to join me.
GAYLE
With his mind now made up, he works his way back towards the opening of the cave and re-enters.
The camera has turned back to POV Mr. Stretch, so we experience the abrupt change he experiences upon re-entering the cave. His surroundings turn to pitch black. Then we hear the “familiar sounds” of a crash on the stairs.
GAYLE
That wasn’t the entry he was counting on, that’s for sure. And, of course, the place is in an absolute uproar as they realize who just stumbled back in.
From the darkness we hear a lot of commotion and laughter.
EX-PRISONER
Yo, Stretch! Welcome back. Why don’t you settle in and stay awhile? I think your spot is still warm.
More laughter can be heard. Standing back up on the stairs, steadying himself with the wall, Stretch replies.
MR. STRETCH
That’s not why I’m here.
Even more laughter as one of the ex-prisoners calls out, “yeah right!”
MR. STRETCH
Guys, it’s beautiful up there. Trust me! It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen or imagined. You gotta check it out. Come on. I’ll show you.
EX-PRISONER
The only thing we gotta do is get you to quit yer yammering. So if you ARE back, please take a seat…
Voices in the background can be heard admonishing him to sit down and “chill already.”
MR. STRETCH
So that’s it?
EX-PRISONER
I speak for all of us… and we’re happy right where we are. Besides, it’s not like we believe you anyway.
A voice yells out “That dude’s whacked!” Then there’s more laughter.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. BEACH HOUSE
Quickly cut back to present day.
FRAN
Whacked? They used the word whacked back then?
GAYLE
Alas, you are not familiar with one of the primary rules…Fireside Storytelling 101–License to adapt story to the present audience.
FRAN
Oh…
GAYLE
It helps to make the story resonate with the listeners.
JULIE
So now what happens?
DISSOLVE TO:
POV Mr. Stretch. We watch as he looks up at the light which is beckoning him. Then the camera turns to look back down at the ex-prisoners.
GAYLE
And what he sees when he looks towards his former mates, is very dull. Even the images on the wall appear to have slowed down… So without further ado, he bounds up the stairs and leaves.
We see Mr. Stretch now attacking the stairs — two at a time– with new found energy. A reprise of GREAT DAY is heard in the background. At the top, he turns one more time and shouts to the folks below.
MR. STRETCH
I’m outta here. See ya when I see ya!
He disappears from sight as a voice can be heard shouting back.
EX-PRISONER
Yeah right! Like drop in anytime. We’ll be here.
And all the prisoners are laughing.
GAYLE
And to the sounds of laughter, Mr. Stretch moves farther and farther away from his former mates. And that, ladies, is THE END.
JULIE & FRAN
The End??
FRAN
For real? Aren’t you going to tell us what happens to Mr. Stretch?
GAYLE
It’s not important.
FRAN
What about the rest of his mates?
GAYLE
That’s not important either.
JULIE
For real?
FRAN
Yeah. So what’s the point of your silly story?
GAYLE
The story is an allegory… it stands for something bigger than just some guys in a cave.
JULIE
Oh yeah… I remember now. Your story was based on the Allegory of the Cave, wasn’t it? It sounded a bit familiar.
FRAN
Huh?
JULIE
My teacher covered that too.
FRAN
I wish I had your teacher when I was in school.
JULIE
I’m a bit fuzzy on the meaning of this allegory though. Mind explaining?
GAYLE
No problem. And actually, it has several levels of meaning… For example, if you asked my Grandma– she’d say this was all about choices. She applauds Mr. Stretch for having the courage to do something– to pursue something… to be proactive. She has told me over and over again that the only way to live is to be proactive. She’s very much a do or do not, there is no try type of lady.
FRAN
I love it when you talk Yoda.
It’s clear that the “wheels are turning” in Julie’s mind as she is absorbing the story and its meaning. The look on her face is unlike anything we’ve seen so far… She speaks up.
JULIE
So what’s the other level you mentioned?
GAYLE
Taking that thought yet further, it is about destiny… trying to figure out who you are and how you fit in with things in the world.
It’s about having the courage to find your own way… your own path. You aren’t going to find it staring at shadows in a cave. No matter how “real” and comfortable those shadows are.
If you think about it… in this story, the shadows are representative of “a reality”-but not necessarily the reality that is your destiny.
For a moment things go silent as the girls ponder what Gayle has said.
###
To be continued in Toll House Tales #120
Yoda speak reference here:
[…] To be continued in Toll House Tales #119 […]