Forever Audrey

by E. Motketsan

A short story for all Audrey Hepburn fans.

"Very cute short story! I like it." Sean Hepburn Ferrer (Audrey's son)

    Will grabbed his TV dinner from the oven and peeled back the tinfoil. The steam rose as he carried the food with a hot-pad into the living room. He set it on the sofa and picked up the remote control, waiting for the odd-colored meat to cool off. He began to flip through the channels when he came upon an old classic movie. Setting the remote down, Will put the dinner on his lap. Taking a small forkful of meatloaf, or whatever it was, he blew across it and put it into his mouth. "One of these days I

must learn to cook," he said before swallowing the chunk.

    Will finished his dinner while he watched "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" with one of his favorite actresses, Audrey Hepburn. He took a sip of beer from his glass to wash down the last bite of meatloaf and then polished off the brownie. At least the dessert was good but then, it would be difficult to screw up the brownie.

    "Oh come on!" he yelled out at the TV, which began to flicker. "Not now. I like this movie."

    He stood up and walked up to the TV, hitting the side of the console. Still, it flickered between channels. Will placed his beer on top of the TV and adjusted the antennas. The screen came back to its normal state.

    "There we go, that’s more like—you son-of-a …" he said as the picture started to scroll upwards. "What is wrong with this piece of garbage?"

    Will moved the TV out away from the wall, careful not to spill his beer on top of the set. He went into the closet and retrieved his toolbox, carrying it over to the old, dilapidated set. After popping it open, he retrieved a screwdriver and unscrewed the back panel, then placed it on the floor. He searched inside for those loose wires and jiggled them back and forth. "Phhhssssssss, phhhhssssssss," the set called out. "I hate this piece of electronic junk!" yelled Will at the set as if he were actually conversing with it.

    He was adjusting the signal potentiometer when Audrey’s voice returned. "Ah, there we go."

    He stood up and went back to the couch, not bothering to place the back cover on the TV, knowing it would act up again. Sitting on the couch and watching the movie, he frowned at the picture, not recalling this particular scene. "I’ve seen this movie a thousand times and I don’t ever remember that scene," he said aloud.

    "Well, what are you staring at?" Audrey asked in her innocent voice.

    This is a very odd scene—no wonder they edited it out, Will thought.

    "It is not very polite to not answer a person when they ask a question," Audrey said.

    "I wonder who she is talking to? Why is she just staring into the camera? Blake Edwards really was stretching the creative mindset on this scene," he said aloud.

    "I’m talking to you. Why do you stare at me like that?" Audrey asked.

    "Because TV is crap today and the only movies worth watching are the classics. And besides, you’re the best actress I have ever seen," Will replied with a smile. I’m losing it. Now, I’m talking to my television. I need to get out more, he thought to himself.

    "Thank you," Audrey said.

    Will lowered his eyebrows and got up to get another beer from the kitchen.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I was just getting another beer," he laughed.

    "I could use a drink myself. And a cigarette—it’s been a long time since I had a cigarette. Do you smoke?"

    Will closed the refrigerator door slowly and turned around. A look of puzzlement and alarm came over his face. He moved slowly toward the living room and peeked around the corner. He stared at the TV. Audrey stared back at him.

    "Well, what’s wrong, darling?"

    He swallowed the lump in his throat and managed to ask, "Are you talking to me?"

    "Well of course, darling! Do you see anyone else here?"

    Will stumbled back into the kitchen and ran the cold water in the kitchen sink. He pushed his head into the cold, running water and splashed it on his face. "This can not be happening to me. I’m too young to be going crazy. It must have been that damn dinner—the meatloaf looked odd. I knew I shouldn’t have eaten it." He grabbed the dishtowel and dried his face and hair. There we go. I feel okay now, he thought.

    He went back into the living room and sat down on the sofa.

    "I thought you were getting a drink?"

    "This is impossible! You are not talking to me!" Will said as he jumped from the sofa.

    "But of course I am, darling. I am talking to you and you are talking with me." Audrey smiled her innocent smile that only she was capable of.

    "But how?" Will moved closer to the TV and sat on the floor in front of it. "How is that possible?"

    "Energy is a funny thing, not even Einstein had it right, although he was closer than most. We are made up of energy and it lives on forever in the universe. There are certain moments when energy occupies time and space. Sometimes, that energy can pair up with other energy—like yours. What is your name, darling?"

    "My name?"

    "Yes, or do you prefer darling?" Audrey said with a devious smile.

    "My name is Will.

    "Well hello, Will. I’m Audrey. It is so nice to meet you."

    "This is unbelievable. I’m talking with Audrey Hepburn! Or is this some marketing ploy to get people to watch more TV? Tell me something about yourself that nobody would know," he said.

    "If I do that, would you know I was telling you the truth?" Audrey smiled.

    "Okay, you have me there. But I just …"

    "Why don’t you ask me the more important questions. After all, Will, I can not stay very long."

    "Why not? How long can you stay?"

    "I’m not sure exactly, but remember how I was telling you about time and space and energy?"

    "Yes?"

    "They are small bits of energy and they don’t occupy it sequentially. It’s such a dynamic universe we live in." Audrey smiled.

    "What did you mean, the important questions?" Will asked.

    "Is there life after death, is there a God or what is the most important thing to do while we are living?" Audrey smiled again. Her innocent smile and dark eyes were even more engulfing than Will had ever seen in any movie.

    "Is there life after death?" he asked.

    "But of course, darling. Aren’t I proof of that?"

    "I guess so. What is God like?"

    "God is the fabric that holds all the energy together. It’s not only the space but also the time in which all energy can call its home. Whoever said that God was everywhere was quite right," she said. "He is everywhere and everytime."

    "What is the most important thing for me to do while I’m living?" he asked.

    "Nobody can tell you that, Will. I will tell you that things you do for yourself is energy wasted. The more you do for others and the more your energy becomes intertwined with theirs will make for a much happier time later on. That is the best part of our world—the relationships that we start, tend to, and nurture our whole lives. And even after our lives, we still build new relationships."

    "Is that what you are doing now, building new relationships?" Will asked.

    "But of course, darling," Audrey said with a huge grin. "Well, I think my time is just about up, Will."

    "No wait! Not yet. Will I see you again?" he asked kneeling in front of his TV.

    "You never know when or where two energies are going to meet up. But the probability that we will meet again in your lifetime is pretty slim. But in your afterlife, I can guarantee that we will meet again and again, somewhere, sometime," she said.

    "I would like that. You have always been my favorite," he smiled.

    The picture began to get fuzzy. Will jumped up and hit the sides of the set.

    "It’s time for me to go, Will. We shall meet again, darling. Oh, and Will …"

    "Yes?"

    "I’m not sad anymore. I’m very happy. Bye."

    "No wait!"

    But the picture had turned all to snow. Will slammed his hands against the sides of the set but nothing. She was gone. Audrey was gone.

    Will opened his eyes and looked around. He saw the inside of the back of the TV set. He was lying on the floor behind it with the screwdriver in his hand. Something dripped off the back and hit the carpet. He looked at the top and saw that his beer had spilled over and had ran into the box. The inside was smoldering and appeared to have shorted out.

    "I must have gotten a shock."

    He stood up slowly and felt somewhat unstable. Walking down the hallway and into the bathroom, he pushed cold water into his face again and then dried it with the hand towel. Did it happen? Or was he just knocked unconscious when the beer spilled into the TV and he got electrocuted? It was a pretty bizarre dream, that was for sure, one that he would never forget!

    A few months later, Will was walking through a bookstore and noticed Audrey Hepburn’s photograph on a book cover. It was a new release by her son. Will picked it up and smiled. He purchased the book and brought it home. Sitting in the living room, he took it out. The TV was still broken and he hadn’t bothered to get it repaired. He started to read the biography that Audrey’s son had written.

    "My mother had a secret," he said. "And that secret was that she was very sad."

    Will just stared at the words on the page. Was it a coincidence? Did that night really happen? He remembered asking Audrey to tell him something that nobody would know. Well, no one except maybe her son. He remembered how their conversation ended when Audrey told him that she wasn’t sad anymore that she was very happy now.

    Will grinned and looked up at the TV. "I’m happy for you, Audrey. You so deserve to be happy," he said aloud and then immersed himself into the book.

Sean Hepburn Ferrer's biography of his mother is available at www.audreyhepburn.com. The proceeds go to the Audrey Hepburn Children Fund (AHCF) to help support children around the world. Please pick up your copy today and help those children who need it. The book is a terrific read for all of Audrey's fans!

Other Audrey Sites

Official Audrey Hepburn Site

Audrey Hepburn L'Ange des Enfants

Audrey Hepburn Italian Site