The Legendary Actor - Chapter 32

New York City at nights always had a special flavor, just like the Broadway stage of the 20th century performing cancan dance, singing and dancing, as if wallowing in decadency, even if you know that this is a dark place, even if you know this is a swamp of fame and fortune, but you still reluctant to leave, so you just let yourself go, stay for a while and for a while more, until you sink to the bottom.

The homeless man squatting at the street intersection is cursing the Obama administration’s health care system; the man and woman waiting at the red light next to him are laughing loudly, their thin suspenders and sexy stockings inducing cold in others, particularly in the chilly March wind; not far away, a woman, supported by a Cadillac in a parking space, was vomiting incessantly, as if she wanted to throw up her guts. On the sidewalk, white-collar workers who had just finished their job tightened their trench coats and walked quickly through the busy and bustling streets of ….

It’s been a long time, really a long time. From Australia in the southern hemisphere back to North America in the northern hemisphere, the scene in sight seems to be both strange and familiar to Renly.

Not far away, the subdued lemon yellow neon lights of Pioneer Village were submerged in the multicolor of the neighborhood, the dark brown wooden doors exuded the charm of olden days, and the yellowed newspapers in the display windows at the entrance told of “fresh” news from the 1920s, seemingly out of place in the atmosphere of New York City, and strangely similar to that of Sydney. Greenwich Village blends in. That’s why old New Yorkers like Woody Allen have always had a soft spot for this area.

Surprisingly, Renly’s pace couldn’t help but pick up. Although he had only lived in the city for three months, he could smell home.

Pushing open the heavy, creaking wooden door, a red curtain separates the reception room from the rest of the room, and the warmth of the air comes into view, “Good evening and welcome to Pioneer Village.” Receptionist Janis Black’s familiar old smoking voice immediately rang out.

“Good evening, one, are there any seats available?” Renly smiled, and Andy, an old acquaintance, looked appalled and was about to say something, but Renly put his finger on his lips and made a “shh” gesture.

But unfortunately, Renly’s trick didn’t last long, as Janice looked up and then showed a big surprise, “Hey, man! You’re back!” Janice is fifty-five years old and very fat, with that typical pear-shaped figure of a middle-aged American woman who always likes to sit at the back of the welcome desk if she can, but now comes running out with a heavy stride, cheerfully, and gives Renly a big hug, “Jesus Christ, you look like a bumpkin from Australia. ”

The cheerful quip made Renly laugh, and Janice slapped Renly hard on the back, “How long have you been gone, anyway? I’ve kind of lost track of time now.”

“That’s not the point, the point is that I’m back now, isn’t it?” Renly’s words made Janice nod her head in satisfaction. In fact, Renly had only been working here for three months, but had been gone for more than seven months, and despite this, it was clear that he had left a deep mark on the bar, as if he had never left.

It’s Wednesday, the bar is about half full, and there’s a female singer sitting on a high stool on the stage, humming a jazz-influenced malaise. “Hey, Renly, you’re back.” “Great actor, you finally showed up, I almost thought you’d disappeared.” “Oh my God. The Australian aborigines actually let the hostages back in.” … Regulars sitting in their seats, enjoying the music, saw the figure of Renly, and greeted him. The seven months shortened under the footsteps until they disappeared.

When Renly arrived at the bar, Neil Tuckson held up a shot of tequila and placed it on the table, “Welcome back! How about it? Dare you accept the challenge? You’re not going to be as stupid and boring as them after half a year in Australia, are you?”

Renly didn’t answer, raised his glass high, turned around and motioned toward the bar, the regular customers raised their own glasses, while the strangers watched the scene with great interest, the free and friendly atmosphere of the pioneer village was vividly illustrated at this moment, then Renly put the glass to his lips, drank it all, then put the glass on the bar with a direct buckle, neat and tidy.

“Good job!” There was applause, and then everyone drank their alcohol, and the jazz diva sitting on the stage couldn’t help but cast her eyes toward the bar to witness the unexpected scene.

“So, how’s Steven Spielberg really doing?” Neil probed with a curious face, no barriers or special greetings, as if they were standing at the bar last night, working and chatting.

Renly shrugged, “He is an asshole” That blunt statement made Neil nod seriously, echoing, “I knew it.”

It was a joke, of course. Steven, like Tom Hanks, was on the Australian set for about a month and a half, and they were in almost daily discussions with executive producers, directors, writers, and cinematographers to make sure the show was on the right track from a macro point of view, and even when they came on set, they were all huddled behind monitors, fully engaged in their work.

As an actor, Renly had very limited access to Steven and Tom, the producers, let alone the opportunity to communicate. This gave Renly a firsthand understanding of the positions of producer, director, and actor.

In the middle of the conversation, a customer came over and ordered eight beers, and Neil immediately turned on the tap next to him and started pouring beer, placing one after another on the bar table, looking at Renly with his chin up, “What are you waiting for, do you think it will deliver itself to your customers?” He looked exactly the same as he did seven months ago.

Renly put his backpack in the bar – he had just gotten off the plane, and instead of going home, he had come straight to the bar, “Dumbass, when did you see me serve four glasses? I’m not a little girl.” There was no jet lag, and Renly was back to her original form.

When all eight beers were ready, Renly moved his fingers, then spread them wide, four in one hand and four in the other. Grasping all the beer glasses firmly, he turned around and raised them high, “Alcohol alert, alcohol alert.” Mouths shouted as he quickly walked away.

After delivering the beers, Renly greeted the other waiters at the bar, and returned to the bar again when he saw from a distance a smiling Stanley Charlson, that kind smile with a fatherly warmth, standing in place, waiting for the traveler to come home. Renly stepped forward quickly and bumped Stanley’s shoulder hard, “Old man, I came here for a special interview today, I wonder if you still have a shortage of waiters here?”

The shooting of “The Pacific” was over, and the credits would be coming in one after another. But Renly knew that the fees were just a start-up money, and that it would be a huge expense to cover the next promotional period, as well as an investment in the future; so, until he found his next job, he needed to go back to his old life. Some things changed, some things didn’t.

“You’re hired!” Stanley wagged his sweet and spicy index finger and said with a smile.

Although his relationship with Stanley was good, the pioneer village was not a charity, and after seven months away, things must have changed a lot. He never expected that today, just by showing up, he would feel the same familiarity and connection as before.

Isn’t this life ten or a hundred times more exciting than the rigorous minute-by-minute schedule?

“Right.” Renly remembered an important thing, “Neal, give me my backpack.” After taking the backpack from Neil’s hands, Renly pulled out a large pile of leather braided bracelets and set them on the bar, “These are the bracelets I learned to weave them from the Australian aborigines.” Renly shook his right wrist, with a large series of blue and red bracelets on it, “Each one has a different meaning.” Renly picked from it and handed it to Stanley, “This one is for good health.”

Stanley took it, “Ah, you make me look like one of those stallions who runs along the beach with a surfboard.” The quip made Renly laugh.

Neil was even more rude, picking out four or five and tying them directly to his wrist, “Dude, is this how you use to deceive those youthful and ignorant girls?”

“You know, even without that, I could easily find a date.” Renly’s confident reply made Neal choke, then roll his eyes and decided to ignore the guy with the incredibly bright smile in front of him. “Stanley, you don’t have to wear them up, they’re just a blessing, and they don’t go well with your suit. You go home and hang it on your dresser mirror, that’s all you need.”

Stanley, however, still tied the bracelet on and just smiled while patting Renly’s chest, “I love this gift, I’m sixty-five years old and some blessings are very important to me.” This made both Renly and Neil smile, “But you know, I like the other gift more than this one.”

Renly was stunned, and then he saw Stanley’s eyes cast over toward the stage, where the jazz diva had just finished her performance, “That was the last show of the night, but I think tonight would be a good time for an encore.”

Renly pursed his lips and laughed softly, spreading his hands helplessly, “So, my work starts tonight?”