THE STARLET

by

KIYOMI BOWMAN

The jangle of her new jewelry roused The Starlet. Relieved of the repugnant chain slung across her doors, she drew in the crisp morning air and blew out a breath of stale popcorn and soda pop. She stood alone across a shabby parking lot from new buildings with modern faces. Their silent masks lacked any hint of souls. The humans who passed within their walls left no trace of themselves. Her own paint was faded and her windows boarded. Her marquee said only, “For Sale by Owner.” Whatever that meant. Still, The Starlet knew the eyes of the community still saw her through the misty filter of their memories and she shone like the day she was built.

The soft murmur of voices echoed in her foyer. Chester, the former proprietor of The Starlet, died and she languished for months lost in her memories of the golden age of the cinema. She waited for the touch that would bring her to life again. The crowds would follow, and she would embrace them within her velvet-curtained walls as they lost themselves in the dream on the big screen.  

“Star” as Chester called her, caught the familiar female voice that floated in on the frosty air. Tina Jacobs, the wife, and Star’s rival for Chester’s attention all these years, murmured greetings and introductions to two new voices. The visitors were not patrons. They carried with them none of the anticipation of heroes and villains, or hunger for entertainment. Buyers?

“You’ll find the building is in sound condition and isn’t this a great location? We’ve been closed since my husband passed, so please pardon the mess. He was the one who took care of her.”  Tina sounded apologetic.

“Mess, indeed!” Star bore her indignation in helpless silence. Her attic was free of cobwebs; doubtful anyone would say the same for Tina.

With the flick of a switch, the glamour of a past era sparkled before the trio. Light danced around the room from antique chandeliers. Red velvet ropes blazed a path across a field of royal blue blooming with golden fleur-de-lis, but Tina seemed determined to point out every blemish. “I told Chester he needed to do something about this snack bar. This old floor…I don’t think they make this flooring anymore.” then walking around front, “These carpets…I wish there had been time to vacuum before you folks came in.”

“It is a bit dated, but these are things that any new owner would want to change before reopening,” said a man’s voice.

“Is this the original equipment?” the young female voice held admiration. “This is classic!”

“Yes, my Chet was a bit old-fashioned. He never wanted to change anything here. He always said he loved her just the way she was, and he wouldn’t change a thing,” Tina said nostalgically.

“My Chet!” Star could have blown a fuse. Her beloved stayed with her from dawn till dusk nearly every day of the year. “‘Morning, Star!” he would greet her at the start of every day. “Night, Star!” he whispered sleepily at the end of their time together.

“They don’t build staircases like this anymore,” the young woman stroked the polished wood railing. As the visitors explored the balcony, Star thought of the children and of their laughter as they made their childhood memories in her heart. She had watched generations of boys and girls staring at the silver screen rows apart to grow into snuggling together in the balcony, and then back again to the main floor with children of their own.

“It has good bones,” the man said. “The square footage can handle several more screens. I’m confident my partners and I could make this into a fine multiplex. Multiple screens are the only way to go these days.”  He handed Tina a piece of paper, which she pocketed without a glance. He leaned close to her and lowered his voice just above a whisper. “I’m sure you’ll find our offer is more than fair. Think it over and give me a call at my office. The number’s on the card.”

Multiplex? Star wished she could weep. Some faceless company wanted to rip out the aged wooden walls that held the whispers and sighs of dreamers across eight magical decades. This was not the first time she had changed hands through the years, but usually the new owners were old friends. She had watched them grow up and shared many adventures with them. This stranger was going to strip her of everything special and leave her a dark and sterile box.

Tina turned back to the grand staircase as the man walked out. “Not so much as a squeak from these old boards,” she said with some pride in her voice. “We old girls are made of solid stuff. Aren’t we, Star?”

“It must be hard for you, Mrs. Jacobs,” the young woman said sympathetically, “Letting go of such a treasure as the Starlet.”

Star braced herself for some scathing remark. Tina’s eyes scanned the room as if for the last time. “We gave everything we had to keep her in fine fabrics and crystal. We never found the time for children, so she was everything to us.”  A deep sigh escaped her lips and her façade shattered. “It was never a sacrifice to keep this fine lady looking so beautiful. But I just can’t do it without Chester. I have no choice but to let her go.”  She wept for the husband and provider they both had lost. Now they were losing each other. Star wished she could weep with the friend she only just realized was hers all along. Tina tried to recover her composure. “I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, please,” the young woman took the older woman’s hands in her own. “Don’t apologize. I’m honored that you have shared Starlet’s story with me.”  Then, almost hesitantly, the young woman said, “Mrs. Jacobs, I probably can’t compete with your other offer. I can barely offer you fair market value, but I can promise to keep The Starlet as she is and continue caring for her as she deserves.”

Tina looked in the young woman’s eyes and squeezed her hands, “Welcome to The Starlet, my dear. She’s a grand old gal and worth every bit of love and attention you can give her.”

The young woman glowed as she looked around her and called to walls around her, “Hello, you beauty, my name is Alice and I’m going to take good care of you.”  Her voice was soft and warm. “Not like Chester’s,” Star thought, but she always wanted a daughter.