Millie Is Forced To Remember .... Again

Millie must face up to her past once again!

Millie Is Forced To Remember … Again

 

Millie(M), John(J), Gordon(G) and Julie(JL)

 

Millie popped out to the shops to pick up shoes that she had ordered.

4 ½ hrs later she arrived home.

 

J: “Where have you been?”

 

John enquires as she walks through the front door.

 

M: “I got my shoes & then looked around a few other shops and before I knew it, I’d bought some more things. Look … I’ve bought you a new jumper.”

J: “WHAT! No, no, I don’t need another jumper.”

M: “You’re not wearing that yellow one any more, it’s all out of shape and rubbed looking.”

J: “There’s now’t wrong with that yellow jumper. I’ve had that for years.”

M: “Exactly! Now try this on and lets see how it fits.”

 

John knew he’d lose the argument. He always did, so he gave up. In all fairness to Millie, he did think it was nice �" it was cream with brown stripes �" but he wasn’t going to make it easy for her.

 

M: “There, that’s alright.”

 

John grunts and groans and takes it off and goes to make dinner. Millie knew he liked it but just left him to have his little strop.

Dinner passed and Millie thought “oh no, not football again” so decided to soak in a bath as John watched Man Utd play Chelsea.

Millie came down in her dressing gown with her knitting and started to complete a baby’s cardigan. 20 mins later, the door bell sounds. She looked at the clock �" it was 9.13pm. She looked at John, who hadn’t even registered the door bell.

 

M: “Oh, I’ll get it will I?”

 

Millie said as she saw John was focussed on the match which was 1-1 with a free kick to Chelsea, he wasn’t moving anywhere.

 

M: “Hello, can I help you?”

G: “Millie Hamilton? I’m Gordon Marshall, you probably won’t remember me …”

M: “Oh my god! …. It’s you!

 

Millie said and takes a step back as she instantly recognises those eyes. He had her eyes.

 

G: “I just wanted to meet you and see …”

 

Gordon gets cuts off as Millie slams the door shut & slides down to the floor leaning against it.

 

M: “GO AWAY! Please GO Away. I’m Millie Gray. I don’t know any Millie Hamilton. Now please go away.”

 

Millie starts to sob, and John, who now stands in the hall towering over her at this point, wondering what is going on.

 

J: “What on earth has happened? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”

M: “It’s HIM! He’s found me!”

J: “Who? Who’s found you?”

M: “Gordon! Gordon Marshall! Remember? 47yrs ago.”

J: “47yrs ago! I don’t remember a Gordon Marsh…. Oh God. It’s not him, surely? It can’t be?”

 

As John realised where the name was familiar from, he looked up and saw a frosted shadow still standing under the light at the front door.

 

M: “It is. It’s him. He still got my eyes. Oh John what am going to do?”

 

They both embrace each other for support and comfort, until a voice disturbs them.

 

G: “MILLIE? Millie I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to …”

 

Again the movement of the door stopped Gordon in his tracks, but this time, he met John for the first time. Millie’ shadow can be seen disappearing to the living room.

 

J: “My God! It is you. You shouldn’t have come here son. You don’t know anything about my wife, and now you’ve upset her. I’ll give you 2 mins to get away from our house and never return or I’ll …”

G: “But sir, I didn’t mean to cause Millie any upset, but I needed to know … is Millie my mum? I was given her information by my mum, Margaret … she died last year. She always told me not to blame Millie and that she probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me, but I just had find out if she would talk to me. To explain why she gave me away? I’ll understand if she never wants to see me again, but please believe me that I don’t want to cause trouble.

J: “Gordon, you seem like a genuine enough guy, so yes I do believe you. But Millie is really upset by you turning up late at night wanting speak to her. I mean what did you think she was going to do? Welcome you with open arms after 47 yrs? I don’t think you should come back here again. Wait a minute. Is it you that’s been doing the dodgy phone calls lately?

G: “…. Yes, it was me phoning you. But once you answered I was not able to say anything. I couldn’t think what to say over the phone. I’m sorry. I thought if I heard her I’d feel something”

J: “Look I can’t speak for Millie, and yes I do remember you, in fact I’ve never really forgot about you. You were …”

M: “John, its fine. I’ll speak to him.”

 

Millie gently says as she bravely walks round behind John, with her left hand on his right shoulder.

 

M: “Yes I did give birth to you on 22^nd April 1962 at 1.26pm & you weighed 7lbs 3ozs. I’ve never forgot. And up until you told me who you were, I didn’t think I wanted to remember.”

G: “I just want to get to know what happened to me. Margaret and David were brilliant at raising me and I love them but the not knowing just niggled away at my curiosity. There’s no rush. No pressure. Whatever you decide I’ll accept. Here is my card business card in case you want to meet, or if you just want to talk.”

M: “Thank you, I … I will be in touch but just give me time to adjust to the shock & time to fight my mixed emotions”

 

Millie says as she takes the card and stares at it. When she looks up again … he’d gone! He’d been out of her life for 47yrs, arrived back unexpectedly and now he had gone from her life again. A car drives off and Millie closes the door and walked back with John to the settee.

 

M: “That was my son!”

 

She says, still in a state of shock.

 

M: “What am I going to tell Julie? How do I compare the day that I need to forget and remember the feelings of that day 47yrs ago?”

 

John gives Millie a supportive hug & then they sit & talk.

They went to bed later that night but neither of them got much sleep.

 

Millie phones Julie the next morning, but just gets the answering machine.

 

M: “Hi Julie, its mum. Can you come over tonight, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

 

Later that morning, Julie gets the voicemail on her phone.

 

JL: “Mum, I just got your message. Is everything alright? You’ve got me worried, you sound terrible.”

M: “I’ll tell you everything when you come over. I’ll see you soon. And Julie … I love you”

JL: “I love you too mum.”

 

Julie anxiously goes over to her mums that night not knowing what to expect. Julie and Millie sit on Millie’s soft bed and Millie takes Julie’s hands and holds them tight.

 

JL: “Mum, what’s wrong? Are you ill? It’s not cancer is it?”

M: “No, I’m not ill. I don’t know where to start or how to tell you … there’s a secret I’ve always kept from you, hoping that you’d never have to find out …

you have got a half brother.”

JL: “WHAT? No I can’t have. When? Why didn’t I know? Where’s he been?”

M: “I gave birth to him 47yrs ago when I was 17. My mum told me I wasn’t keeping him and my dad agreed. I never forgot about him though - 22^nd April 1962 at 1.26pm weighing 7lbs 3ozs.

JL: “I don’t know what to say. What’s his name? Why didn’t they want anything to do with him?”

M: “I named him Gordon. Eh Julie, you know how I always tried to protect you, well, Gordon was a result of … Julie, I was raped”

Tears started to flow and they embraced.

JL: “Oh mum, why didn’t you tell me?”

M: “How could I? I didn’t want to remember it at all. I wanted to keep you safe, that’s why I was so protective.”

JL: Why are you telling me this now?

M: “He’s found me! He turned up last night. He’s got his own business and a family. His mum died of cancer last year and he wanted to find me.”

JL: “He’s what? You spoke to him. How could he put you through that?”

M: “Julie! Stop. He didn’t know and I’ve still not told him everything. When I saw his eyes I knew who he was. My son! I don’t know, I can’t explain it. I felt something.”

JL: “I’m not meeting him. How can you even look at him, let alone call him your son? What happened to the guy who raped you? I couldn’t have kept it. A rapists’ baby!”

M: “Julie, please! It wasn’t his fault. Please understand. He’s part of us. It’s like a second chance I’m getting. I couldn’t kill him. You know how religious I am.”

JL: “And the man who did this to you. What happened to him?”

M: “Nothing! I didn’t know who he was and the police couldn’t find him. Your granddad nearly got arrested after arguing with the police. He didn’t think they did enough.”

JL: But, what about his DNA? You’ll get it from Gordon now!”

M: “DNA advances had not got advanced by then. And now, well, a long time has past now. He’ll be an old man now if he’s alive.”

JL: “But isn’t it worth getting justice. What if he’s done this to somebody else?”

M: “Oh Julie, don’t you think I’ve thought about that for a long time after the attack. I don’t know. Let me think about it. I’ve got Gordon back and I don’t want to push him away again. I’ve got a second chance to decide whether to be a mum again. It hurt so much giving him up, yet I had to. Now I don’t.

Please Julie, I need you with me on this. I’m terrified. You’ve got a brother. Dad seems to think he’s alright.”

 

JL: “Ok, ok, I’ll help you. But how do I explain this to the children, and to Mark?”

M: “Tell Mark the truth. And tell the children that granny had another baby before you were born.”

JL: “You really want this, don’t you?”

M: “Yes, … yes I do. I can’t explain it. I shouldn’t and I know it won’t be easy but something tells me I have to.”

 

JL: “Well see what he’s like. Don’t be too quick to accept him. His dad was obviously a psychopath, make sure he doesn’t have his fathers traits.”

 

Millie tilts her head to the side and looked at Julie

 

JL: “Ok, I know, give him a chance. I get it. Lets’ go see dad now.”

 

Mother and daughter travel down the stairs, still holding each others hands. When they reach the bottom of the stairs, Millie goes to make tea for everyone while Julie goes to see dad in the living room.

 

JL: “Dad, what do you think we should do?”

J: “Well, what do you think? He seems nice enough and your mother wants to get to know him. We should give her that chance. We should give them both that chance actually. They never got that option all those years ago so I can’t stop her now. It wouldn’t be fair. Come here.”

 

Julie gets a reassuring cuddle from dad just as mum comes in with the tea.

 

3 days later, Millie took up the brave decision to phone Gordon.

 

M: “Hello Gordon, it’s Millie”

G: “Hi, thank you for phoning. How have you been?”

M: “It’s been difficult, but I think we should meet & talk. Can you meet me on Saturday at 2pm in The Old Oak Tree in the town?

G: “Of course I can, I’ll see you there and thank you … it really means a lot.”

M: “I feel I have to do this, and I’m still not sure how we’ll get on, so don’t get too optimistic.

G: “Ok, I’m sorry. I’ll see you on Saturday.”

 

He then hung up the phone.

 

When Millie met Gordon, it went well and was more relaxed than expected and she learned more about Gordon’s parents and was happy he had enjoyed a good life. It would take a long time but Millie’s now larger family looked like it may get the chance to come together. Her second chance was here.