Belasco X

A timid fire

An aloof person, distant from anything besides his work. Logical and overly practical on the surface, but behind it all artistically inclined. He had dreams of being an architect at General motors, the most desired job in the world at the time it seemed. His name was Todd, Todd Xavier. School was odd, and separated. While most kids saw black and white, ate lollipops and drunk from coke bottles, Todd often read books, and disregarded the reality in front of him. Todd hated the staple brown corduroy pants the grownups wore, and saw no sense in having colored restrooms, and white ones. He was scolded for hanging out with black kids, and when he didn’t listen he was hit with a metal pallet. “Oh Todd, it breaks my heart ‘disiplin’ you such as this. You know better. Black is bad, and white is good, were opposites. You cant mix the two, ole sweetie cant you see?” After that she would run upstairs to her room and and cry until it was time for supper. Todd’s father was never home because of work. His ideals were different from his wife’s. In world war 2, he had befriended many black people, and saw blacks as an equal to whites. Out of the seldom memories Todd had of his father he clearly remembered one. Something he had said on the way to work. The ears that were usually closed from the external life opened to his fathers message. " We fear what we cannot understand, son. Ignorance is a restrictor.” Todd was left wide eyed staring at the door trying to process what he meant. He instantly connected this to the news on the tv that reported of a black hanging. Todd was connecting the dots.

Raging flames

While at school one day Todd was eating lunch in the cafeteria at his all white school. He sat at the end of a rowdy bunch that played with red yoyo’s. “Hey Todd want to skid rocks by the lake after school today”. A blue eyed boy with blonde hair n and a ham sandwich asked Todd the question as a drip of snot oozed down his nose. His name was Andrew was known around school has having rich and strict attorney parents.” I can’t”. Quietly said Todd. “Well why cant ya?” Todd eyed down his favorite book which was the epitome of the rebellion against his people. The book was in his backpack, and he tried to so desperately to grab it. “Hey, I asked why you cant throw rocks with me. And hey, how come you never bring ham. Everyone at this table eats ham and cheese sandwiches. My parents say that every kid should have a balanced ham on rye for lunch. " Todd had an answer for this question, he wasn’t allergic or disgusted by ham, but it was now against him. His recent book he was reading alongside the news and flashbacks of his fathers words had swayed him. “Well I cant eat ham”. Responded Todd. “Huh? What are you, M-” Andrew was interrupted by the school bells signaling class to resume. Todd joined the stampede of kids leaving the cafeteria, and held closely to is book.

After class Todd had began to walk home only thinking about continuing his book when he got home. Most kids were heading to the playground or the bus , but not Todd. While walking home he noticed the next-door school for Colored people. He instantly noted the worse conditions of the next-door school. Kids began to aboard their busses, but they couldn’t help but stare at Todd. He had on an expensive blue uniform, while the the black kids had a less quality brown uniform. A girl with pigtails and black flats named Jaz, stopped before getting on the bus to wave at Todd. She was the reason Todd had gotten hit by his mother. They were dear friends, which was forbidden. “Come by the Belasco, and meet me in our usual spot” . From a distance she had mouthed the playdate to Todd. A big warm smile covered Todd’s face as he ran to the theatre. His mom was at work and encouraged him to play with friends, as long as they weren’t black. Todd dashed to the glorious theatre.

The music was heard on and from every block. Lines of people waited to see the buzz of Belasco, a famous theatre in midtown Manhattan. Of course Todd and Jaz couldn’t afford tickets at the time, so they thought of other ways. The theatre had opening for circulation, and around the theatre were certain areas you could watch the show from. “Hey Todd, your mom wont be mad about us hanging out right? Todd didn’t stop to think. “No of course not, look its starting.

Watching the Belasco theatre shows had inspired Todd to be a playwright. His early memories of watching the show with Jaz, had moved him to write a play of his own. Years later in his teens It was a controversial look on everything he had seen from white and blacks. It featured a blind white character, and an enduring black character with bruises covering his body. Every time they spoke the blind character hurt the black character either physically, emotionally or spiritually. But, he had seen no wrong in his actions. He took his play straight to a director at Belasco. He waited to get a letter back. Eventually one came, but only to his fault.

His script was reviewed by 50 workers at Belasco all to be disapproved for its raunchy and controversial message. The work that he had spent years perfecting and improving was shut down as awful, and described as a story that should never be told to anyone. Todd couldn’t believe it, he had closed himself off even more than ever, not even speaking to Jaz anymore. No-one could break his walls of sadness. 

Re-extinguished light

The years that followed Todd after his failure were disappointing and methodical. He never stepped out of his comfort zone, and worked an average car job. Just like the one his parents wanted him to work. He ate ham sandwiches and had long forgot about the special book in his bookbag that had moved him when he was younger. His father had passed away soon after his late teens, and left an even bigger hole in his heart. When he stepped outside to get groceries or go to work he could never keep up with the new technology and fast pace of the 2020s. Oblivious to any world news he walked to the bank to pay a long overdue bill. As he neared the entrance he saw protestors and signs of social immorality. This peeked his eye. A familiar heartbeat began to bang in his chest. “No justice, No peace. Say her name!” Yelled the protestors with rhythm. “No justice, No peace” Todd couldn’t help but move in standing place. His movements were noticed by a protest leader. “here take tis flyer, I see the way you move to the song, we can use all the help”. There was a brief silence under the protest hymn. “I write” The protestor looked intrigued in Todd’s words. “I have a complete script that’s been refined since earliest times of racism. All I need is actors.” “If its actors you need, then its actors you got. We’ve been wanting to create a story for Belasco theatre, and here right in front of us comes a writer. Life is crazy isn’t it.”

“It really is”, said Todd as he closed his eyes to darkness and reopened them to a bright light of change.