Hamlet’s Ghost

by Jane Tara

  “No, you don’t.”

  They laughed, both understanding the truth of that.

  “Why does it affect your career? Doesn’t being recognized help?”

  “Not at all.” Rhi sat up. “It’s different for you and Taran. With your music, and his art, neither of you ask the audience to suspend belief. As an actress, I do—but how can they imagine me as any character when first and foremost I’m the Witchlet—the daughter of Brigid and Lugh Dee? They grew up watching me, wearing my clothing line.”

  “We were hardly the Kardashians.”

  “We paved the way for the Kardashians,” Rhi pointed out.

  “We should be ashamed.”

  “Too true.”

  Long before reality TV was even a genre, cameras followed Brigid and Lugh around to show America how normal witches were. Thing was, they were anything but normal. The show was a hit and it turned Brigid and Lugh and their three children into celebrities. Taran was the first to jump ship. He’d hired a savvy lawyer who also got Finn out of his contract on the basis that being Taran’s almost identical twin meant Taran would still be recognized if Finn continued working. So Rhi became the sole focus for three years, until she turned eighteen and refused to appear on any more shows. Rhi had distanced herself as much as possible, but she was still recognized, especially within the industry.

  Brigid knew that change was necessary, so she revamped the Dee brand and pitched a chat show to the network. They loved it and she scored herself and her husband a mighty deal. Nearly a decade later, their chat show, Afternoon Dee-light was still a success.

  Finn wrapped his arms around Rhi. “I didn’t realize how bad it was, sis.”

  “One director joked that he’d get in touch if he was ever casting the witches in Macbeth. My agent called last week and told me that there was a small role in Sabrina: the Next Reunion.” Rhi began to cry. “My career is a wasteland. My last show was so off Broadway it was closer to the Jersey Turnpike.”

  “Don’t knock Jersey.”

  “Maybe I should give it up. I could teach. I have my degree. I love teaching those summer workshops.”

  “You’d be a great teacher, Rhi.” Finn would support her if she said she wanted to rob banks. He allowed his little sister time to cry and then passed her a tissue. “It could be worse.”

  “How?”

  “You have money. To every negative is a positive. So many people struggle just to survive, Rhi. Be grateful you don’t have to.”

  “Yes, I’ve got such first-world problems.” Rhi sighed. “I need to carve a path for myself. I’d give it all up today, Finn, just to have a life of my own.”

  “What does that even mean, Rhi?”

  “I’ll let you know once I’ve worked it out.”

  *

  Rhi moved out of Chandra’s apartment and into Finn’s spare room. She ignored the constant calls from both Chandra and Victoria, and the other friends who had “Oh my god! Heard about what happened.” She didn’t go anywhere and didn’t see anyone apart from Finn. She took time out to think.

  Rhi quickly realized that she didn’t miss Chandra. He could be charming and entertaining and they’d had some great times together, but for months she’d been bored by his narcissism.

  They’d met at his yoga studio in the village, just as a yoga DVD he’d released was going global. He’d been genuinely surprised by his sudden success, but thrilled at the opportunity to share his yoga message with more people. That humble, sexy, yoga teacher had been missing for some time and in his place was a self-absorbed man who thought he was way more important than he actually was. As Rhi had recently snapped at him, “You teach rich New Yorkers to stretch, Chandra, it’s hardly brain surgery.”

  Rhi had taken up kickboxing instead. Yoga, she discovered, wasn’t her thing. But still, it had taken another six months and a very painful betrayal to realize that the yoga teacher wasn’t her thing either. Yes, it hurt, but she was also relieved to be rid of him.

  She’d recover from Chandra. It was Victoria’s betrayal that cut her to the core. They’d been inseparable since elementary school. Victoria was insecure, superficial and as self-absorbed as Chandra, but she was also funny, smart and generous. They’d had their ups and downs, but they’d always been fiercely loyal to each other. Until now. Rhi couldn’t fathom how Victoria could betray her.

  “How long do you think it will take me to get over this?” Rhi was perched on a kitchen stool while Finn cooked.

  “You were with him for two years.”

  “Not Chandra. I mean Vic.”

  Finn stopped stirring his pasta sauce and looked at Rhi. “Maybe never.”

  “I was googling—”

  “Ah, the great oracle.”

  “Yes…and a lot’s been written on the pain of losing a lover, but not much about losing a friend. And this is worse than any breakup. Some mornings I wake up and realize I’m in your spare room, remember why and for a moment think, ‘I can’t face the day.’”

  “It will pass.”

  “I know. But right now…I miss her, which makes me furious. Why would I miss someone who did that to me?”

  “Why indeed.”

  “I just miss her.”

  “That might not pass.”

  “I know that too.”

  Finn passed Rhi a spoon of his pasta sauce. “Taste that.”

  She did as she was told, blowing on the spoon first to cool it. “Delicious,” she said, watching as Finn turned the flame on the stove off. “What about you, Finn? You’ve had some pretty horrendous betrayals. How did you forgive?”

  “He’s my brother. I had no choice.”

  “Forgiveness is always a choice.”

  Finn thought about it for a moment. “Those women weren’t as important as my relationship with Taran. And I understand why he did it.”

  “I understand why Victoria did it too—she’s been out of control since her dad died. But does that mean I forgive her?”

  “Maybe you will forgive but not forget?”

  “It would take amnesia to forget that.” Rhi screwed her face up. “Oh god, on my coffee table!”

  “And I always thought Chandra was more a taker than a giver.”

  “I’m giving him the coffee table.”

  “One day you might look back at this and realize it was the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  “I might,” Rhi said. “Or it might break my heart every time I think of it.”

  Chapter 3

  A week after she discovered Chandra helping Victoria with her kundalini, Rhi drove to Boston to attend a friend’s wedding. The bride was an old friend from school. She was also the friend who had originally introduced Rhi to Chandra at the yoga studio.

  “I hear you and Chandra broke up.” The bride looked surprised, although that was from an overzealous Botox shot rather than any real emotion regarding Rhi’s relationship woes.

  “He was screwing Victoria behind my back.”

  The bride seemed confused. “Really? I thought he was doing Minnelle.”

  That was how Rhi discovered Chandra was sleeping with a number of her friends. And why she decided against driving straight back to New York after the wedding. She was in no hurry to return. She needed to do something about the pain in her chest; needed time to think, to plan and to work out where to go from here. So she hit the gas pedal and headed north.

  She flew along the freeway. The more distance she put between herself and New York, the better she felt. She wound down the window and let the wind play wild in her hair. She turned on some music, and sang loudly. Cars, towns, the world passed her by. She could’ve driven like that forever, only she noticed her gas light was on and her tank was hovering on empty.

  She scanned the road for a place to fill up, saw a sign for a town called Hamlet, and took the turnoff. Rhi marveled at the gorgeous houses and neat gardens as she drove into town; it was like something out of a picture book. She took a left turn and found herself at the beach. Her gas t
ank could wait. This was what she needed, to fill up her own tank. She parked and gazed out at endless white sand. It was empty, gloriously so, apart from a handful of people jogging along the boardwalk. She grabbed her coat and scarf and locked the car behind her then headed down onto the beach. There was an icy chill but the sky was a vibrant blue. Rhi took a deep breath of fresh air. It filled her lungs and her soul. She could smell, taste the salt. How long had it been since she’d taken time to breathe deeply? She couldn’t remember.

  She sat on the sand and watched the ocean heave into shore. What the hell was she going to do? Perhaps she could stay right where she was forever.

  “What do I want?” she whispered.

  For the first time in a long time, her head cleared, and she knew.

  “I want to work…and I want it to be meaningful.” She took a breath.

  “I want to step away from my parents’ version of the craft.”

  She gave a slight nod and continued softly, so only the waves would hear her.

  “I want to carve out a space, a life for myself. I want to find me.”

  A gull cried its approval.

  “I want to be happy—”

  Something caught her eye. She noticed a jogger nearby, moving toward her.

  “Holy crap.”

  Rhi watched as the guy ran by, oblivious to her. He made the men in the J. Crew catalogue look plain. Tall, dark hair, athletic build and a face that deserved its own billboard.

  “And I want one of those.” She giggled to herself. Hey, she might as well put it out there while she had the universe on the line.

  Rhi stood and dusted the sand off, and then returned to the car. What was she going to do now? She really felt lost. Geographically, she didn’t mind. Internally was a major problem.

  She found a gas station and filled her car up and then drove along the beachfront, past a lovely set of restaurants and cafes on a wharf, and into the center of town. She parked her car and wandered down the main street. There were a handful of restaurants, grocery stores and cafes, a mouthwatering confectionery shop, a bookshop, an Irish bar and a travel agent. It seemed like a town that knew how to relax.

  Further along were a fruit shop, a health food shop and a bakery. The pavement was neat and lined with trees. The storefronts were well kept and quaintly decorated.

  She bought some chocolate and bottled water from the supermarket and some pastries from the bakery, eating one as she continued to walk. She turned left into First Avenue. The business district petered off and Rhi passed a library, a daycare center and a swimming pool, closed until summer.

  A woman pushing a pram passed her and smiled. A teenage boy on a bike rode by. Hamlet looked like a nice place to live. She almost wished she lived somewhere like it. Chandra and Victoria who?

  And then she saw it. Heard it. It almost screamed out at her. The Hamlet Majestic Theater, boarded up and desperately run down, conspicuous in its decay. While the rest of Hamlet was shiny and well kept, the theater was dilapidated and heart-breakingly shabby.

  Rhi stood still. One endless moment where the Fates met to discuss what path she should take. Rhi knew. She sensed their silent conversation. She could turn around and keep walking. It was her choice.

  Instead, she chose to step forward onto the broken pavement and the theater steps. The overgrown lawn sprouted through the cracks in the pathway. The Majestic sign was faded and the paint peeling, like huge sad tears dripping from boarded-up eyes.

  Rhi reached for a window and tried to see through a gap in the boards. She had a view of a cobweb and little else. She did a full circle around the crumbling theater. She didn’t see the rats, or the weeds, or the broken glass and peeling paint. She saw possibilities, and plays and people milling around laughing. She saw the future of the old theater. She saw her own future. She saw a life, a normal life, unfold before her eyes.

  Rhi stepped back and took the old building in. Beautiful. She smiled and silently thanked Chandra and Victoria for being such assholes. Their betrayal had led her here. Rhi knew, without a doubt, that she was meant to bring the Majestic back to life. And with it, find her own.

  Chapter 4

  Rhi headed back to Main Street, her head buzzing. First things first, she needed to find out more about her theater. As delightful as the town was, it was a Sunday afternoon, so most of the shops were closed. She could ask in the supermarket or the deli, which were open. She stood for a moment and looked around, rubbing her hands together. There was an icy wind and she was freezing. She noticed a shop called Crystal’s Balls. The window display was filled with tarot cards and self-help books. It was everything she wanted to escape in New York, but it was also open and the sign in the window said, I predict you’ll love our coffee. She could get a coffee, warm up and find out some information.

  The door jangled a welcome as she entered. Inside was a jumble of bookshelves on one side of the room and tables on the other. Framed vintage movie posters lined the walls: Bell, Book and Candle and I Married a Witch and Vincent Price’s The Witchfinder General. There was a sign that said, Feel free to read our books while you try our coffee. In one corner was a spiral staircase, with a sign shaped like a pointed finger aiming upward: Tarot readings this way.

  The whole place was a welcoming mess of delicious smells, unusual artwork and books. Rhi felt at home and annoyed all at once. She’d grown up around all this. If she was going to make a normal life for herself, places like these were out of the question.

  “Can I help you?” A woman was watching her from behind the counter.

  “I didn’t see you there.”

  “I blend in when I want to.”

  Rhi doubted this woman ever blended in anywhere. She was tall with an athletic build and a closely shaved blond head. Although androgynous, her beauty hit you like a sledgehammer. Her haircut added to her stunning looks by making sure nothing detracted from her gorgeous face. She was a strange mix of ethereal beauty and rock’n’roll. She was decked out in cargo pants and a tight sweater with a green pea on the front, Give peas a chance written underneath. The rest of her was incredibly and elegantly bare: no shoes, no jewelry and not one scrap of makeup.

  Rhi tried not to stare. “Do you own this place?”

  “Half of it. I’m Tye.”

  “Who’s Crystal?” asked Rhi.

  “My mom. She owns the other half. And she’s the one with the balls.”

  “Crystal ones?”

  “So they say.”

  Rhi laughed. “Can I have a coffee?”

  “You sure can. Take a seat.”

  Rhi took her jacket off and sat at a table close to the counter. Perhaps Tye could give her the rundown on the theater. “It’s a nice town. What’s it like to live here?”

  Tye worked the coffee machine while she spoke. “I love it. We’re from New York, but we used to spend our holidays here. About five years ago, Mom got it in her head to move here. I came along to help her settle in. I had no intention of staying…but I did. You couldn’t kick me out if you tried.”

  “Don’t you miss New York?”

  Tye shrugged. “What’s to miss? It’s only a few hours away.”

  Tye placed the coffee in front of Rhi and slid into the seat opposite. She moved like a cat.

  Rhi took a sip of the coffee and sighed. “Perfect.”

  “I came here and couldn’t find a decent brew, so rather than leave, I decided to provide one myself.”

  “You take coffee very seriously.”

  “It is serious,” Tye said with a smile.

  Rhi placed her cup on the table. “Do you know anything about the theater up the road?”

  The smile faded. “The old Majestic?”

  Rhi nodded. “Is it still in use?”

  “Not since I moved here. There was an accident there in the late eighties.”

  “And it’s been closed since then?”

  “It’s been reopened a couple of times—a community center and a dance school, but they didn’t last
long.”

  “Why not?”

  Tye leaned forward and her voice dropped to a melodramatic whisper. “Local legend says it’s haunted.”

  Rhi laughed. “No theater is complete without a ghost. Do you know who could give me more information about it?”

  Tye gave Rhi a calculating stare. It wasn’t threatening; it was as though she was trying to protect something. “The owner wants it left alone, so you’re wasting your time.”

  Rhi matched Tye’s stare. “That’s okay. I have some time to waste.”

  There was a long moment, and then Tye seemed to relax again. “I’d try Annie Anderson at Captain’s Realty. She has the rundown on everything in town, even if it’s not on her books.”

  “How do I get hold of her on a Sunday?”

  “There was an auction this morning and she’s still in her office, a few doors up. I just took a coffee to her.” Tye peered at Rhi in interest. She had the eyes of a sage. “You’re going to move here.”

  Rhi chose to ignore Tye’s predictive abilities. Instead, she tossed back the last of the coffee and placed the empty cup on the table.

  “I’ve just discovered a gorgeous abandoned theater and the perfect cup of coffee. I’m left with no choice.”

  *

  Rhi stepped into the cold, pausing to wrap her scarf and button her jacket. What was she thinking? So she liked that old theater? So what? She liked the Lyceum Theater as well but she’d never once asked about renting it. Opening her very own theater was a completely unrealistic dream. She needed to harden up, get back to New York and keep trying to crack it. She wasn’t the only actor there who was struggling.

  She felt her phone ringing in her pocket. She checked the number: Melanie from EUA, her agent. Timing! She turned and headed toward her car as she answered.

  “Hi Melanie. Working weekends now?”

  “I’m going on vacation next week so need to catch up on a few things. There’s a job if you’re available.”

  Rhi pumped her fist. It paid to be positive. “What is it?” A film? A series?

  “It’s a series of ads for Joe’s Car Yard. They’ve asked especially for you.”