As
time went on, the show seemed to do great, the Circus was now nearing
the end of the third season, the Pythons' fan base was enormous, ever
since the beginning of Season 2. All of the persons involved were
tickled pink, save one.
John became indifferent, unenthusiastic, just plain bored
throughout the tapings, not his usual
funny, happy self.
One day, at the writing meeting for the last show of the season,
it all came to a head.
"I'm done!" he bellowed.
"What?"
"It's over. I'm done with the lot of you. I WANT a divorce."
The other Pythons looked as if they'd all received a slap in the
face.
"Johnny?" asked Mike timidly.
"What'd you mean a divorce?" asked TJ.
Graham puffed away on his pipe, a frown on his face. Eric was looking
back and forth, unsure if it would be safe to speak. Gilliam was
drawing aimlessly, nervous circles, pictures that seemed to have no
meaning.
"What I MEAN?" snarled John. "What I mean is we always do whatever
rubbish you three write."
"Rubbish?" squeaked Mike.
"Gray and I had only two sketches done this season. TWO! As for
you lot, you got every bloody other one."
Mike, TJ, Eric and Gilliam shot puzzled looks at each other.
"I'd told you to shut up," muttured Graham. "Keep your opinion to
yourself. But since you can't do that, there's no one to blame but
yourself."
"You
lot wouldn't be HERE if it wasn't for me!" said John angrily. "You
think you can do better without me? FINE! C'mon, Gray, we don't need
pillocks like this lot."
"I'm not going anywhere," said Graham, the stem of his pipe
clenched firmly in his teeth.
"FINE!"
And with that last angry word, John stormed out, and was gone.
The silence seemed to go on forever.
"What do we do now lads?" asked TJ.
"It bloody feels like that when Lennon left his lot," said Mike.
"Only we don't have a Yoko."
"Gray? What happened?" asked Gilliam. "He was fine not so long
ago."
"Yeah! I mean, this isn't like John, I mean, if any of our stuff
was done he always had a place, you both did," said Eric.
"You
guys are right, I know that. It's the truth, just as his and my writing
had places for all of you. I dunno what's bloody got into him,"
answered Graham.
In the meantime, Carol and Julia were at odds themselves. Carol'd
been upset for quite sometime about the parts that had seemed to slip
her grasp, ones that would wind up going to Graham or TJ. Julia
tried to be sympathetic.
"I went to bloody RADA for God's Sake! I had training, I had
experience!"
"I'm sorry, Caro," said Julia.
"Oh what do you know? They just pulled you off the street."
Julia went pale, seeing Eric coming out of the corner of her eye.
"Let's go," he said, grabbing hold of her hand.
"Where?"
"Away
from here, just bloody far away from here," said Eric, who caught
Carol's dirty look she was giving Julia. "Enough of that too!"
Michael came round the corner, he too seeing the exchange. TJ, Graham
and Gilliam appeared alongside him. The five had decided to take the
day off, to just get away after the disaster.
When everyone had calmed down, then they could get back and
decide what to do, how to go on without John. But they were taken aback
at the venom Carol had for Julia.
"She's white as a ghost!" whispered Gilliam. "What's happened?"
"I dunno, mate," answered TJ. "All I know is, I'm sick of
fighting, no matter who's involved."
"Aye," whispered Mike, thinking how if he were in Eric's place,
he'd defend Julia too.
"Enough of what? Enough of people seeing the little street urchin
all over the place?" said Carol.
"Urchin?" whispered Graham.
"She's NOT a bloody urchin you daft cow," Eric retorted, his grip
tightening hard on Julia's hand.
"You lot must have 'ad pity when you hired her."
Julia fought to keep her composure, tears pricking at her eyes.
"That's enough, Carol," said Eric, blue eyes ablaze.
Carol seemed to have caught the wickedness bug from John, judging
by her behaviour.
"And
now! I was here longer than she, but look who gets all the parts! Not
me! No no no no. It's either one of you going girly, or its this one.
NOT ME!"
"That's a lie!" hissed Mike under his breath to the other three
men. "Jules doesn't talk half the time! Carol ALWAYS does!"
Graham frowned. "Almost seems as if Carol and John are bloody in
cahoots," he muttered.
As Eric and Carol continued to argue, the four men watched
sadly. Mike, especially, was devastated as he watched Julia struggling
not to cry, fighting a losing battle as she sobbed silently. He felt
his own eyes starting to sting.
"Poor Julie!" whispered TJ.
"Don't let 'er see you cry, Julie," whispered Graham under his
breath. "She's not bloody worth it."
"I'd defend 'er too," said Gilliam.
The three nodded.
"Come on, Julia," they heard Eric say. "Let's get going."
"Okay," answered Julia in a small voice.
"Go on! LEAVE!"
"You can't tell me what to do, you daft cow," said Eric, then,
with Julia, walked away.
After a few minutes, Carol turned around and saw the others. "Did you
hear what he called me?"
"Aye," said Mike in a low voice. "He hit it right on the nose too."
Carol made a hmph noise and stomped off.
"Lads!" said TJ, holding up a cassette tape. "I found this."
"What is it?" asked Mike.
TJ shook his head and shrugged.
Graham rummaged around and found a little dictaphone machine. TJ slid
the tape in and pushed play.
The Pythons stood there, as a female voice could be heard singing
these words:
Childhood living is easy to do
The things that you wanted I bought them for you
Graceless lady you know who I am
You know I can't let you slide through my hands
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away
I watched you suffer a dull aching pain
Now you decided to show me the same
No sweeping exits or off stage lines
Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses couldn't drag me away
I know I've dreamed you
a sin and a lie
I have my freedom but I don't have much time
Faith has been broken tears must be cried
Let's do some living after we die
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday
Wild horses, couldn't drag me away
Wild wild horses we'll ride them someday
Graham was deep in thought, but Mike closed his eyes, lost in the
sound. He knew.
"Who is that?" asked Gilliam.
Just like an angel, thought Mike.
At the end, Gilliam pushed the stop button, snapping Mike out of his
reverie.
"Wonder who that was then?" asked Graham.
Gilliam and TJ looked at each other, then said, "No clue."
"I know," said Mike softly. "It was Jules."
"JULIE?" exclaimed Graham.
Gilliam's eyes went wide.
TJ caught the look Mike had on his face and said briskly; "And on that
note, lads, we all should go home."
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