A Town Unlike Alice
RECOGNISING THE MOTIF
“Who is that in the corner, glaring,
a big strip of adhesive tape across her mouth?”
“That's Alice. Shake hands nicely Alice. The tape?
It's bad enough having to see her face work, not have to hear
her babble showing us all up. Alice suffers from her nerves.”
Alice squirms, red faced.
Cathy pauses, this is weird. Their eyes meet.
But Bolt has produced the latest party newspaper, Frog
solemnly reads the important article whilst Bill and Herrick
talk intialese and party politics right across Alice. Cathy feels uncomfortable,
but everyone else accepts it. A banner headline accuses:
“Tory Lunacy!”. “This policy is insane” says Bolt.
Alice stares – Alice suddenly snatches
the Party newspaper – her hands are free – she rips
the bandage off her mouth and simply shouts:
“That headline uses my illness as abuse! Do you think I like
being mad when this is how you think of madness?
When you use terms like nutter, schizo, to my face?”
Frog, Herrick, Bill and Bolt fall flushed, uncomfortable and silent,
Alice is making an embarrassing scene, they shift their feet,
won't meet each other's eyes. Cathy hustles Alice outside,
people in the pub are staring. Outside earth shifts
in moonlight, Alice is desperate: “I won't have this abuse!”
Her madness is infectious, Alice breathes, breathes hard.
Cathy is struck by recognition, this rage is human,
Alice is a real person yet the atmosphere is darkling and the heavens
as yet are silent, unperturbed.