Return to the cabin to look for clues.
From Create Your Own Story
Cabin Ending (The Return of JMJ Barnes)
Emily is in her uncle’s cabin as in the opening scene. It is late at night. She searches about the cabin, calm at first and building into frantic. Underscoring music should refelect this development. Eventually she gets so fed up and kicks the wall out of frustration. The wall gives and reveal a secret space behind a hidden door. Inside, she finds boxes and boxes of letters: correspondance between Lige and Josefine Barnes.
Emily: (reading bits of the letters) “My dearest love….the fateful day I had to leave…I will never stop loving you. Yours always, Josie...” what is this?
A door opens downstairs. Footsteps are heard in the house. Emily stands and looks for a blunt object for defense as the steps are heard coming up the stairs. Emily prepares to face the intruder. Josefine enters. Both women are surprised to see one another, but do not percieve the other as an imminent threat.
Emily: Who are you? What are you doing here?
Josephine: My name is Josefine. This cabin belonged to a friend of mine and I’m here to pay my respects. Who are you?
Emily: Josefine? Josie?
Josefine: Yes, that is my name, now who are you?
Emily: I’m Emily, Lige’s great niece.
Josefine: I’ve heard so much about you. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.
Emily: Are you the Josie from these letters?
She hands Josefine the stack of letters.
Josefine: (Overwhelmed) He kept them...after all these years...(She begins to cry silently)
Emily: You wouldn’t happen to be Josefine Barnes?
Josefine: Yes. Barnes is my married name, although my husband is no longer alive. He died serving his country in World War 2.
Emily: I think I have something of yours.
Emily hands her the bracelet.
Josefine: Oh my. I thought I would never see this again!
Fondling the bracelet.
Josefine: I married Jim before the war. We were very young. High school sweethearts. When he enlisted, I wanted to sign up as well. They didn’t allow women to fight then, so I was assigned to a base near my home and packed parachutes. The job was tedious and meticulous, but I wanted to do anything I could to ensure the safety of our men. In January of 1942, a man arrived at our base looking for me. He approached me and asked my name and shook my hand. He told me that he was in a jet flying over enemy territory when his plane was shot out of the sky. Him and his men were ordered to evacuate the plane. His parachute deployed and he was saved. He found my name stitched inside of his ‘chute. While on leave, he commissioned a jeweler to make me this bracelet, to thank me for saving his life. I have never been so instantly infatuated in my life. It may sound foolish, but it was love at first sight, but no one could know, we had to be discreet: me being a married woman. He had this cabin. It belonged to his father. We spent every minute here...engrossed in each other’s company. Soon, his leave ended and he left. He told me that he loved me. We wrote each other every day. I was so confused. Jim was overseas and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t tell anyone about Lige and when I got the news that Jim had died I felt so guilty. It was as if my infidelity lead to his death. I wrote him this letter (Indicating the letter Emily is holding) when I left town. I loved Lige. I still do, but I couldn’t be with him as long as I felt this guilt. I moved to the states with my cousin, tried to forget what happened. When Lige came home and found that I was gone….I don’t think he ever accepted it. Years later, I heard from my aunt that he had married. I was glad to hear he was no longer alone. When news arrived that he had passed I….I got the earliest flight I could. I couldn’t be at the funeral, but I needed to find some closure, so I came here. And here we are.
Emily: I didn’t know….
Josefine: No one did. He was truly an amazing man.
A moment passes. Josefine hands Emily the bracelet.
Emily: You should keep it.
Josefine: I couldn’t. I’m a different woman now than I was with Lige. I’d rather you have it. (beat) Well, I see you have a lot to sort through here. I should be going.
Emily: Stay. I mean, I could use the company. And I’d love to hear more about you..and my uncle….if that’s okay?
Josefine: Surely.
Emily: And I think I know where this belongs. In memory of my uncle...
The two women begin sorting through the things. Josefine tells Emily stories from the war (silently) as the lights fade.
