Westpoint Tales - Heroes, pts.9 & 10

Okay - this is the End of this tale. (Don't tell me - i know!)
2 parts this time, because they're short ones and there's a killer cliffhanger and, well, dicky hearts! Enjoy.

Excitement was mounting in the town. The manager of Pointwest, Westpoint’s community radio and TV channel, Conrad Keenan, announced that there was to be a special screening, in the old St. John’s theater, of the original ‘Whozzat’s Movie’.

There was hardly a person in Westpoint who hadn’t already seen Whozzat’s Movie; many times, some of them. Most homes had a copy of it somewhere and it was readily available on DVD and free-to-air channels. It might be prehistoric, but there weren’t that many movies around that featured their town and their people. It even included shots of the first ever Party in the Park, on the day that Billy’s Burgers were launched.

Anyway, not many had seen it in a theater, not for many years. Movies on the big screen in a darkened auditorium had far more impact than when seen on a home screen.

This was not going to be just another screening. For a start, it would begin at precisely 10.30pm on the 2nd of February, which was the exact date and time of the first public screening, the premiere, 40 years ago. They were even going to re-enact the welcoming ceremonies at the premiere, including the helicopter flight over the darkened town and the party in the street afterwards, catered by Billy’s Burgers of course.

Also, songs would be performed live by Whozzthis, the tribute band that was touring the country doing re-enactments of Whozzat concerts. There might even be an appearance of the original members of Whozzat and their supporters.

Whozzthis were going to play a concert on the night before the movie screening. This would be in the Westpoint Community Hall, which was the biggest indoor venue in the town, but the movie would be in the St. John’s. The St. John’s theater was getting old and rickety and it wasn’t used much anymore, but they couldn’t hold the screening anywhere else.

Peter had a part-time job, working on the refreshment counter in the Community Hall, so the others all agreed that he should book their seats and get their tickets for them; which was something he’d regret later.

Tickets were in high demand, of course, but he managed to get the seats he wanted, in the very back row, up at the top, where the courting couples sat and cuddled. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

He was already regretting it when he and Carl came up to Billy T’s room. They walked in, he looked at the chair and said, “Oh, bugger!”

“Bugger yourself, Peter Reynolds,” JH said. “What’s wrong?”

“I got the tickets for Whozzat’s Movie, but I wasn’t thinking. I’ve gone and booked seats right up in the back row. Unless we take the roof off and drop you through, we’re never going to get you up there, Billy T. Sorry. I’ll see if I can change them.”

“Hey. No problems, Peter. Don’t change them, leave them as they are. It’ll be fun to sit in the back row for once.”

“But how?”

“JH will carry me up there. Right, JH?”

“Of course. Leave them as they are, Peter. We’ll do it.”

“I hope you’re right. It’s probably too late to change them anyway; they’ve been selling like hotcakes.”

He still checked next time he was working, but the seats had all been sold out. Unless he could do a swap with someone else, they were stuck with the back row seats.

The big night arrived at last. All over the town, people were showering and shaving, primping and preening. Many were wearing fancy dress – they wore the quaint old-style clothes that were popular 40 years ago. (Uncomfortable and heavy some of them were too.)

It was a long evening because it was such a late start. The sunset faded and day turned into night.

At 9pm, as arranged, all the lights of the town went out. They started coming on again, block by block, marking a shining trail along the main street from west to east. An old, vintage, helicopter flew along above it as the trail progressed.

The noise of it was incredible. It brought back memories for the older generation. The young people had never heard anything like it; it could be heard all over the town. Now they knew why they called them choppers – the rotor blades chopped the air, noisily.

When it approached the St. John’s multicoloured spotlights flashed along the faded murals on the west-facing wall. The wall suddenly went white and seven cartoon faces above the red-block letters, ‘Whozzat’s Movie’, were projected onto the wall.

The waiting crowd was released from the barriers back along the street and, smiling and waving to the cameras, filed into the theater. Billy T sat in his smaller chair, flanked by his granddads, pushed along by JH and followed by Carl and Peter. Fairy lights fringed the red carpet along the sidewalk.

Inside the main doors, Justin and Billy left them and went to sit down at the front with Grandmother Kathleen and Ma Carver. Ma was old and frail. She wasn’t seen around much anymore, she spent most of her days in the geriatric ward in the Kynnersley Home, but she wasn’t going to miss this occasion.

They parked Billy T’s chair against the wall in the lobby. Carl and Peter lifted him up, and he draped his arms over JH’s shoulders. JH held his limp legs up and, with Billy T on his back, started up the stairs, flanked by Carl and Peter. They were also escorted by a group of cousins.

Any of the others would’ve happily helped out, but Billy T wouldn’t let anyone else do this for him. JH was having none of that anyway. This was his boy and he’d carry him.

“He ain’t heavy, he’s my Brother.”

They came out into the upstairs area and stopped for a rest. JH sighed as he looked up at their destination, away up at the top of the hall, and then he started again, doggedly plodding up the aisle, lifting their combined weight on every step along the way. They were all relieved when he finally reached the top and lowered Billy T into his seat.

“This is so sweet!” Billy T beamed. “Thanks, JH. You’re my hero.”

“You’re welcome, My Love.” JH sank into his own seat, next to him. “But what’s your granddad been feeding you – bricks?”

“No, just good food. I’m a growing boy you know.”

“’You are, and a gorgeous one too.”

A hush came over the chattering crowd as the lights went down in the auditorium and up on the stage. An out-of-sight guitar began the long introduction to North’n West Coast Sun and the curtains opened to reveal the members of Whozzthis.

They were all dressed in old-style black suits and white shirts; all except “Sandie’ who wore her trademark leathers. The crowd went wild.

Whozzthis followed with a selection of the old Whozzat songs. The local crowd were loving it, especially the older generation. It was almost like being there, way back when. They saved the best until last. People were dancing in the aisles when they played Simply the Best. Everyone knew that song. There was thunderous applause as the group on the stage bowed and the curtains closed.

The Mayor of Westpoint, Dorothy Matthews-Taylor, walked out in front of the curtains and delivered a short speech. She finished with an extract from the speech by Tom Craddock at the premiere. “Our town, our kids, Whozzat’s Movie.”

As the Mayor left the stage, the curtains opened again to reveal the original members of Whozzat standing there ready to play. Some of them had aged much better than others. Only one of them was not the original group member. Kadie Green had died long ago and her place was taken by her daughter.

They waited until the audience had settled down, and then Peter began to play on his keyboard as the black back-drop behind them rose up above their heads. Everything stalled there and Peter repeated the chords over and over again. Two guys in high-visibility overalls came out, carrying an aluminium ladder.

They stood it upright and stood holding steady while Tony climbed down to the stage. He flung his arms out. “Wow!” And they played, ‘And We Danced’.

The song finished, the group bowed and came down from the stage as the movie began.

“Damm. It’s getting hot in here.” Billy T said, fanning himself with his souvenir programme.

“It is, JH replied. “I suppose that it’s always hot at the top of a crowded hall, but this is over the top. I wish someone would open the doors.”

“They already have,” Peter said. “It’s not helping much. It’s a warm night out there anyway.”

“Toughen up, Guys,” said Carl. “It’s no worse than a sauna. Not much worse anyway.”

The temperature continued to rise as the movie played on. The whine of the over-worked air-conditioners filled the hall, threatening to drown out the soundtrack.

Peter said, “It’s getting ridiculous. This is way too hot. What’s that? Can anyone smell smoke?”

Carl said, “You’re right. I can smell smoke and – ohmigod!!”

Their world turned into hell when a section at the front of the upstairs area collapsed and a raging inferno flared up. Screams filled the air as a stampede started for the exits. The hall was full of smoke and flames, coughs and crashing noises. The movie stopped and the lights all died. Peter dropped to his knees on the floor, coughing and retching.

“JH. Help me!” Billy T yelled.

“I’ve got you. It’s okay, I’ve got you.” JH pulled Billy T up out of his seat.

“Carl grabbed hold of his arm. “Give me his legs. I’ll help you.”

“Don’t be fucking stupid. I can do this. Save Peter and get yourself out of here!”

“Carl! Where are you?”

“I’m here! I’m here, Peter. Come on, I’ll get you out.”

They disappeared into the darkness and JH started down, feeling his way in the dark. He was gasping and choking on the thick, black smoke. At the bottom of the aisle, he sank, coughing, to his knees. His eyes were streaming and his lungs ached.

Billy T screamed, “JH! It’s too much! You can’t do it. Don’t worry about me. Leave me, get out. Save yourself!”

“Shut the fuck up, Billy Carver! No way am I leaving you here. Shut up! I love you, Billy.”

He staggered on in the semi-darkness. Heat and flames and smoke were all around them. A charred section of floorboards broke under their weight and he dropped, pitching Billy T forwards as he fell.

“Fuckit! Sorry.” He gasped. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Are you okay? You have to get up, JH. You have to get out of here.”

“Billy, I, ahh!”

JH’s world went black as a section of the ceiling collapsed and a flaming rafter crashed down on him.

“JH, no!” Billy T’s wail was the last thing he heard.


Westpoint Tales - Heroes, 10

It was the worst disaster in Westpoint’s long history. Seven people were killed; one of them was just a baby. Dozens were hospitalized; some with moderate injuries, some serious and severe. The worst cases were flown to Christchurch and to Auckland as Westpoint’s small hospital couldn’t cope with the influx, it was all too much.

Carl and Peter were not among the casualties. Peter almost was; it's not good to hyper-ventilate when you've already got asthmatic tendencies, and he was nearly overcome by the smoke and fumes. However, Carl hauled him out of the burning theater and, after a session on a nebuliser, he was as good as new.

Carl had a few small burns, but nothing serious. A nurse swabbed him clean, sprayed on some plastic skin and he was free to go home. There were far more serious injuries to be seen to.

The St. John’s Theater was lost. What was left would be demolished and it would not be rebuilt. The emergency services had not been able to save it; all they could do was to help the casualties. It was a shame that the St. John’s was lost, but people were much more important. Westpoint wept.

Justin and Billy had saved their grandmothers, taking them out of the emergency exit at the back. Billy’s brothers, Wayne and Robert, helped him to carry Ma across the street and they laid her down on the sidewalk. Their mother sat cradling Ma’s head in her lap and crying as she waited for a medic.

Justin took his grandmother to a neighbour’s house and left her there, with Claudette and Lana, while he went back to the theater. Kathleen insisted that he did.

“For fuck’s sake, Justin! I’m all right. Stop fussing and your arse back over there. If ever Westpoint needed their Superboy, they need him now.”

Nobody argued with Kathleen Reynolds; he went back. Where was his grandson?

Ma Carver was not injured, but she died in her sleep a couple of nights later. It was probably due to the shock and trauma. Her old heart couldn’t take it.

Four days after the disaster, JH woke up. He opened his eyes and looked at Bobby.

“Oh, thank heavens! Hello Son, welcome back. Don’t move. Stay where you are and I’ll get your dad.”

JH lay back and looked up at the ceiling. He was in a hospital. He’d never been in the Westpoint hospital, but he knew that this was not it. Wherever he was, this was a huge place. He heard Bobby coming back.

“Come on, Old Man. Get a move on, our boy’s awake and waiting for you.”

JH smiled as he heard Jon reply.

“He’s got terrible timing. He could’ve waited while I had a pee!”

JH turned his head and gasped as he saw Jon in the doorway. He was in a wheelchair and was swathed in bandages from his waist to the top of his head. All that he could see of his face was his eyes and his beaming smile.

“Hello, My Lovely Boy! How are you?”

“Better than you look, Dad.”

“Phaw! This?” Jon waved his hands around. “This is nothing. Just superficial injuries and a burn or two. I’ve lost my hair, but it’ll be back, unfortunately.”

“A burn or two or three hundred, more like.” Bobby came in behind him.

“It’s nothing! A few days and I’ll be good as new.”

“Billy?” JH croaked. “Where is Billy T? Is he all right? How did I get out of there? Did you save me, Dad?”

“No, not me. I couldn’t even find you in there. Billy T is fine. He’s in the next ward with his granddads. He looks better than you do.’

“I’ll tell them that you’re back – he’s been hanging out for news and, at last, it’s all good.” Bobby hurried out again.

He came back towing a hospital bed. Justin and Billy were pushing it from behind and Billy T lay on it, beaming his smile.

“Hey, JH! Welcome back.”

“Thanks, Billy. Oh, Billy, it’s so good to see you!”

“Good to see you too!”

They lay in their beds, smiling and crying as they looked at each other. Most of Billy T’s glorious red hair had gone. His head was covered in a short stubble and there was an angry looking pink-flesh patch on the side of his head. He had a bandage on his right shoulder and both of his hands were bandaged. He was a mess, but he was beautiful – so, so beautiful.

A nurse was fussing behind Justin. “You just can’t do this. You can’t move hospital beds around! Doctor is going to go ballistic.”

“Settle down, Girl,” Justin said. “It’s done now. I’ll deal with the doctor, don’t worry. Hello Handsome, how are you?”

“I’m good, Granddad, really good. Oh, Billy, it’s so good to see you.”

“You already said that, Dork!” Billy T grinned.

“Well it is! I thought that I’d lost you.”

“I thought that I’d lost you too, but that was not going to happen – no way!”

“But I couldn’t get up. I couldn’t move. Who got us out of there?”

“Oh, nobody,” Billy T smiled.

“Nobody? But we’re here. I couldn’t save us. Who did?”

“JH,” Granddad Billy said. “Billy T saved you. There was nobody else, so he did it himself.”

“You did? But. But, how?”

“How, we’ll never know,” Justin said. “His hands are burnt because he pulled that bloody great rafter off you. He picked you up and he carried you, down the burning stairs and right out of the front door of the theater. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Nobody could.”

“You carried me? Did you walk out, Billy?”

“Yes, I walked. I had to, so I did. I’ve lost so many people who I loved; I couldn’t let that happen again, not to you – especially not to you. I love you, JH. I love you very much and I’m not going to lose you – ever! So there.”

(That’s it. Their stories go on, but I’ve finished. I think. Cheers.)