Chapter 2
Chapter 2
When Mimi left the apartment, Roger knew he had to see her one more time to see if she was really the Mimi that he grew up with. After getting his jacket and scarf on he started to head out when his roommate Mark and Tom Collins came in with a new addition Angel.
“Oh I see someone is finally eager to leave the apartment.” Mark said in a joking manner.
“The girl that lives below us stopped by and I swear I think that it’s Mimi Marquez.” Roger explained his eagerness.
“Really? Our Mimi?” Mark asked in ‘aw’. “Well if it was Mimi then why did you let her get away?”
“She said she had to get to work. She works at the Cat Scratch Club.” Roger said as he tried to get to the door.
“Si. Mimi does work there.” Angel said. “She said she’s picking up her paycheck. Then she’s going to Maureen’s protest. She told me that she knew Maureen since elementary school.”
“You know Mimi?” Mark and Roger asked in shock.
“Si. I’ve been her sister since I think it was five years ago going on six. My name’s Angel by the way. If you want we can all go to Mimi’s work and meet her before she gets to the protest.” Angel suggested her hand in Collin’s.
“Well you heard the lady lets go.” Collins said a he saw the look of eagerness on Roger’s face.
~Cat Scratch Club~
“Hear you go Mimi. Now you sure you can’t work tonight?” Maurice the manager said as he handed Mimi her paycheck.
“I told you I have to go to my friend’s protest tonight. I promise to work tomorrow night like we agreed.” Mimi said taking her paycheck and putting it in her purse.
“I’m gonna hold you to that. I’ll deny this if you repeat it but I think that your one of my best dancers.”
“Aw thank you and I promise that I won’t let it go to my head.” Mimi said leaving the room.
Once she closed the door she headed to the exit when she saw three familiar faces. “Angel!” Mimi called out as she made her way to her best friend.
“Mimi!” Angel called back. Once Mimi made her way to Angel they embraced in a sisterly hug. “Mimi this is Tom Collins.”
“Hey girl.” Collins said as he took Mimi’s hand and shook it.
“And I think that you already know these two.” Angel said gesturing towards Mark and Roger.
“Let me guess you must be Marky. And I already know that you are Roger.” Mimi said in a friendly voice.
“Mimi I can’t believe that it’s you.” Mark said as he hugged Mimi with a smile on his face.
“Aw did you miss me Marky?” Mimi said in a joking manner.
“Do you really have to ask?”
“And what about you Roger? Did you miss me?” Mimi asked.
“I’ll repeat what Mark said and that is, do you really have to ask.” Roger said pulling Mimi into a warm embrace.
“Well I just got paid and we have a protest to get to.” Mimi said, her eyes not leaving Roger’s.
~After Maureen’s Protest~
“Benjamin Coffin the third. The enemy of Avenue A.” Maureen said as she started to take off her jacket and take her seat at the table.
“You got a whole lot of nerve showing yourself here after what just happened.” Collins said as he took his seat.
“Guys this was not my fault.” Benny said with innocence.
“Go to hell.” Maureen said in anger.
“Why did Muffy…?”
“Allison.” Benny corrected Roger.
“Miss the show?”
“There was a death in the family if you must know.” Benny said.
“Who died?” Angel asked.
“Our Akita.”
“Evita.” Mark and Roger said in unison making everyone at the table laugh.
“BENNY
You make fun - yet I'm the one
Attempting to do some good
Or do you really want a neighborhood
Where people piss on your
Stoop every night?
Bohemia, Bohemia's
A fallacy in your head
This is Calcutta,
Bohemia is dead
MARK
Dearly beloved we gather here to say our goodbyes
COLLINS & ROGER
Dies irae - dies illa, Kyrie eleison
Yitgadal v'yitkadash
MARK
Here she lies, no one knew her worth
The late great daughter of Mother Earth
On these nights when we
Celebrate the birth
In that little town of Bethlehem
We raise our glass - you bet your ass to -
La vie Boheme
ALL
La vie Boheme
La vie Boheme
La vie Boheme
La vie Boheme
MARK
To days of inspiration
Playing hookey, making
Something out of nothing
The need to express-
To communicate,
To going against the grain,
Going insane, going mad
To loving tension, no pension
To more than one dimension,
To starving for attention,
Hating convention, hating pretension
Not to mention of course,
Hating dear old Mom and Dad
To riding your bike,
Midday past the three-piece suits
To fruits - to no absolutes-
To Absolut - to choice-
To the Village Voice-
To any passing fad
To being an us for once ... instead of a them!!
ALL
La vie Boheme, La vie Boheme
MR. GREY
Ahhemm
MAUREEN
Hey Mister - she's my sister
WAITER
So that's five miso soup, four seaweed salad
Three soy burger dinner, two tofu dog platter
And one pasta with meatless balls
ROGER
Eww
COLLINS
It tastes the same
MIMI
If you close your eyes
WAITER
And thirteen orders of fries
Is that it here?
ALL
Wine and beer!
MIMI & ANGEL
To hand-crafted beers
Made in local breweries
To yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese
To leather, to dildoes, to curry vindaloo
To huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou
MAUREEN & COLLINS
Emotion, devotion, to causing a commotion
Creation, vacation
MARK
Mucho masturbation
MAUREEN & COLLINS
Compassion, to fashion, to passion when it's new
COLLINS
To Sontag
ANGEL
To Sondheim
FOUR GIRLS
To anything taboo
COLLINS & ROGER
Ginsberg, Dylan Cunnigham and Cage,
COLLINS
Lenny Bruse
ROGER
Langston Hughes
MAUREEN
To the stage
BOHEMIANS
To Uta. To Buddha. Pablo Neruda, too.
MARK & MIMI
Why Dorothy and Toto went over the rainbow
To blow off Auntie Em
ALL
La vie Boheme
MR. GREY
Sisters?
MAUREEN & JOANNE
We're close
ANGELS & COLLINS
Brothers!
MARK, ANGEL & MIMI
Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens,
Carcinogens, hallucinogens, men,
Pee Wee Herman
German wine, turpetine, Gertrude Stein
Antoniotti, Bertolucci, Kurosawa
Carmina Burana
ALL
To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstacy
Vaclav Havel - The Sex Pistols, 8BC
To no shame - never playing the Fame Game
COLLINS
To marijuana
ALL
To sodomy, it's between God and me
To S & M
BENNY
Waiter ... Waiter ... Waiter ....... Waiter!
ALL
La vie Boheme
COLLINS
In honor of the death of Bohemia an impromptu salon
will commence immediately following dinner ...
Maureen Johnson, just
back from her spectacular one-night engagement at the eleventh street lot,
will perform Native American tribal chants
backwards through her vocoder, while accompanying herself on the electric cello -
which she ain't never studied.
ROGER
And Mark Cohen will preview his new documentary about his inability
to hold an erection on the high holy days.
MARK
And Mimi Marquez, clad only in bubble wrap,
will perform her famous lawn chair-handcuff dance to the sounds of iced tea
being stirred.
And Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet, evocative song.
That doesn't remind us of "Musetta's Waltz!"
COLLINS
Angel Dumott Schunard will model the latest fall fashions
from Paris while accompanying herself on the 10 gallon plastic pickle tub.
ANGEL
And Collins will recount his exploits as anarchist -
including the tale of the successful reprogramming of the M.I.T.
virtual reality equipment to self-destruct, as it broadcasts the words
ALL
"Actual reality - Act Up - Fight AIDS"
MIMI
Excuse me - did I do something wrong?
I get invited - then ignored all night long
ROGER
I've been trying - I'm not lying
No one's perfect. I've got baggage
MIMI
Life's too short, babe, time is flying
I'm looking for baggage that goes with mine
ROGER
I should tell you
MIMI
I got baggage too
ROGER
I should tell you
ROGER & MIMI
Baggage
ALL
Wine and beer!
MIMI
AZT break
ROGER
You?
MIMI
Me. You?
ROGER
Mimi”
Roger looked around and knew that he had to talk to Mimi alone. “Come with me.” He then led her outside using the side door.