The Mutual Broadcasting System brings you another episode of Life in Hyperion.
Today's episode: "Believe Me When I Tell You", Part 9
Yesterday, Cy and Thomas arrived at the Baker Street Apartments and the home of Mary Hartman, the hippie. Once inside, the two saw the trappings of the hippie life. They then sat down to dinner when they saw the food of the hippie diet. As we begin today, Cy has just explain the meaning of Mary's name in his ever-complicated life...
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"Let us talk about another subject." says Thomas.
"I was hoping to get to you." says Mary.
"I was just hoping you and Cy would move on." says Thomas.
"But I wanna talk about you. We have a deep connection." says Mary.
"Just being relatives doesn't help." says Thomas.
"We're more than just relatives, Thomas." says Mary.
"We are?" asks Thomas.
"Tell me something, Thomas. Do you remember your childhood?" says Mary.
"I do. Why should that matter?" says Thomas.
"Do you remember your mother?" asks Mary.
"She died giving birth to me, or so I'm told." says Thomas.
"Who told you?" asks Mary.
"My father, when I asked about her one day when I was three." says Thomas.
"And are you sure that's the truth?" asks Mary.
"My father was a liar but I doubt he'd lie about that." says Thomas.
"I remember your father. He was stubborn about things and didn't see eye to eye with your mother." says Mary.
"What else do you know about my father?" asks Thomas.
"I know he was a man who came from Kentucky, looking for work and met up with a young woman, looking for love." says Mary.
"Sounds like a good story." says Thomas.
"Anyway, the two soon married and had a young son." says Mary.
"And the mother died giving birth to him." says Thomas.
"No, she lived through the delivery of her son and spent the next three months with him." says Mary.
"But she died... " says Thomas.
"That's what your father told you. She left him after three months because he just couldn't get used to being with a hippie for a wife." says Mary.
"What a story." says Cy.
"Your mother's still alive, Thomas." says Mary.
"She is? Where is she?" asks Thomas.
"Right here." says Mary.
"Where right here?" asks Thomas.
"In this room." says Mary.
It takes a moment for Thomas to get the idea. When he does, he just grows silent, along with Cy, who stops eating.
"You mean... you are Thomas' mother?" asks Cy.
"I am, and it's so nice to finally see my son again." says Mary.
"You can't be my mother. She's dead." says Thomas.
"I just told you, your father lied about that." says Mary.
"That she did, Thomas." says Cy.
"You keep out of this. How can you be my mother?" says Thomas.
"I am. I know it and I think Cy knows it." says Mary.
"I think I get it." says Cy.
"I told you to keep out of it." says Thomas.
"Thomas, this woman just told you that she is your mother. Don't you think you could break down into tears?" says Cy.
"I don't, because it's not true." says Thomas.
"Believe it." says Cy.
"Listen to your friend there, Thomas. I am who I say I am." says Mary.
"How can I believe you? We just met today." says Thomas.
"It took me a long time to get back to you." says Mary.
"Yeah, long enough for me to go to prison and long enough for me to believe I was alone in this world." says Thomas.
"Calm down, Thomas." says Mary.
"I can't. I've just been told by someone I don't know that they are my mother. If you excuse me, I must go." says Thomas, who then takes his leave.
"You think he would be happy to have his mother again." says Cy.
"Well, he's right. Maybe I should have done it differently." says Mary.
"You did the best you could." says Cy.
"From you, it's very helpful." says Mary.
"Unlike Thomas, I'm sticking around to finish my dinner. Pass the lettuce." says Cy.
"Thank you for staying." says Mary.
The morning sun has yet to peek itself over the horizon as another day begins for Hyperion. At Cy's house, Thomas sleeps as the alarm clock reads 5:30 am and goes off, stirring Thomas from his slumber. As Thomas exits his bedroom, he runs into Cy, standing in front of him.
"Good morning, Cy. You're supposed to be asleep in your easy chair." says Thomas.
"I would be, if it weren't for what happened last night." says Cy.
"Cy, do you actually believe what that woman said?" asks Thomas.
"I do, because it sounds to be the truth." says Cy.
"Cy, there's no way that woman is my mother." says Thomas as he moves past Cy.
"Sometimes, we must put aside our views of the world to welcome information that doesn't fit to make it fit." says Cy.
"Don't use that double-talk. I have to go to work today, so please go back to your easy chair." says Thomas.
"Thomas, don't you know how many times I wish my mother was still alive?" asks Cy.
"That doesn't make sense in my case." says Thomas.
"It does, because after years of believing her dead, she turns up alive. You should be happy about that." says Cy.
"I don't know what to think." says Thomas.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts." says Cy as he departs for his easy chair again.
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Tomorrow, Cy shares the news with Conrad and Phil, who offer their advice on Thomas, his mother, and her name, all repeated as all things are in soap operas.
Join us, won't you?
Yours truly, John Maxwell.
A production of WGN Chicago. All rights reserved.
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