“Yes I do,” Craig says as he approaches Tomas. He hands Tomas the envelope.
“Thanks Craig.”
“You’re welcome.” Craig turns and walks away.
Diane D is sitting on the stool with her feet up on the rest bar, her elbows resting on her knees, her chin resting in her hands and her head to the side facing the Dianettes as the Dianettes, Michael, Nicolas and Mickey continue to surround her talking with her. Diane D then turns her head forward and looks straight ahead. She sees Margarita, Tomas, Mary and Barry walking towards her. Margarita, Tomas, Mary and Barry approach Diane D. Mike and Mitch suddenly approach Margarita, Tomas, Mary and Barry and turn around to two of the youth guys coming behind them as Mike shouts to them, “Go ahead and ask them! Go ahead!”
“What’s going on fellows?” Margarita asks.
Mike and Mitch turn around to Margarita as Mitch says, “Miss Margarita, didn’t you and Mister Tomas say that Mike and I can be the captain of the new team?”
“No we didn’t say that.”
“See,” one of the other youth boys says. “I knew y’all were lying.”
Mike turns around to the Youth Boy and shouts, “We’re not lying man!”
“Fellows can we talk about this later?” Tomas says.
“Come on fellas,” Barry says. “We‘ll talk about this once we get the meeting started, okay?”
Mike and Mitch turn around to the Youth boys as they and the other boys rush away back to the middle of the room becoming loud and rowdy again as Margarita looks towards them and shouts, “Let’s quiet down fellas!”
Mike, Mitch and the other boys quiet down.
Margarita, Tomas, Mary and Barry turn to Diane D as Tomas says, “Diane, we got another letter from that elementary school.”
“Another letter from that elementary school?” asks Diane D.
“Yeah.”
“Is that the letter Craig was holding for y’all?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, what does the letter say?”
“The letter is about some three-year old boy,” Mary says.
“A three year old boy?”
“Yeah.”
“Well what about this three-year old boy? What does the letter say about him?”
“Well the letter is right here Diane,” Margarita says. “Read it yourself.” Margarita hands Diane D the letter.
Diane D puzzled looks at the letter as she takes it. She starts to read the letter as her brothers, Marilyn, Michael and the Dianettes look over her shoulders at the letter reading it also.
A week later in the afternoon, Richard is sitting on the bed fixing his bike. Marcus suddenly bursts into Richard’s room with excitement and shouts, “Hey Richard, it worked!” Richard turns to Marcus as Marcus continues to shout, “It worked! It worked!”
“What worked Marcus?” Richard says.
“The letter!”
“What letter?”
“The letter you wrote that we sent out to Diane D‘s family‘s organization! The letter about a three year old boy from the school who has leukemia, whose dying wish is for Diane D to come to the school so he can meet her! Her family received the letter and she wrote back to the school!”
“What! Diane D wrote back to the school?”
“Yes Diane D herself!”
“Oh my god, what did she say?”
“She said she’s coming!”
“What!”
“Yes Richard! Diane D is coming to our school!” Marcus shouts as he excitedly jumps up and down.
“Diane D is coming to your school? I don’t believe this!”
“Yes it’s true Richard! That’s what she wrote in the letter that she’s coming to our school!”
“Wow, that’s great Marcus! I’m really happy for you that you get to have Diane D at your school! My god, when is she supposed to come there?”
“Next Friday evening!”
“Next Friday evening?”
“Yeah! She wrote in the letter that she’s coming to the school on the evening of September 26th! September 26th is next Friday!” Marcus continues to excitingly jump up and down.
“Wow that’s great Marcus! But isn’t school closed during the evening hours?”
“Yeah, but they’re going to open the school up on Friday evening just for Diane D!”
“Wow! I’m real happy for you and your school Marcus!”
“Yeah me too!” Marcus suddenly stops jumping and says, “But there’s only one catch Richard!”
“One catch? What catch Marcus? What are you talking about?”
“Diane D wrote in the letter that she feels real sorry for the three-year old boy who has leukemia and wants to meet him!”
“What! Diane D wants to meet the three-year old boy who has leukemia?!”
“Yes she wants to meet him! What are we gonna do Richard? I was afraid this might happen, that’s why I didn’t really want us to send that false letter to Diane D’s family in the first place! We don’t know any kid who has leukemia! When Diane D comes to the school next Friday evening, she’s gonna expect to meet the three-year old boy who has leukemia! What are we gonna do now Richard? What are we gonna do?”
“I don’t know Marcus,” Richard says as he worriedly looks into the air. “I guess we’re just gonna have to use little cousin Jeffrey to play the kid who has leukemia.”
“Use cousin Jeffrey?! Oh come on Richard! I don’t think we’re gonna be able to use or get Jeffrey to come to my school, Jeffrey doesn’t have leukemia! When Diane D comes to the school next Friday evening, she might become determined to meet the three-year old boy who has leukemia!”
“I think she’s already determined to meet this boy who has leukemia since she’s coming to the school in the first place!”
“That‘s the only reason why she‘s coming to my school at all is because she thinks she’s going to meet the little boy who has leukemia and thinks that this kid’s dying wish is to meet her!”
“Well Marcus, when the day comes and Diane D starts looking for the little boy who has leukemia, maybe you can just tell Diane D that the kid who has leukemia couldn’t make it to the school because of his illness. Can’t you tell her that?”
“She still might become determined to find out who the kid is or try find out who his family is or where they live! What if she starts looking for him Richard?! What if she starts looking for him?!”
“Well if worst comes to worst Marcus, I guess we’ll have no choice but to let Diane D know the truth,” Richard says as he worriedly looks into the air. He then turns to Marcus and says, “You’re gonna have to be the one to tell Diane D that there is no kid in your school who has leukemia.”
Marcus nervously looks at Richard.
The following morning at an old elementary school in Jamaica, Queens, New York, excited teachers and a bunch of students jump up and down screaming all out in the hallway, looking at the flyers and posters that read, ‘THE DIAZ-DAVIDSON ORGANIZATION presents ‘DIANE D’ coming next Friday evening!’. Marcus nervously looks at the flyers and posters. He turns and looks at the students. He sees some excited students turning to each other as one of the girls shouts, “Can you believe it?! Diane D is coming here next Friday! She‘s going to be right in our school!”
“Yeah, I can’t wait to see her!” says a second girl.
“Me either!” says a third girl.
“Is she gonna have the Dianettes or the rest of the Diaz-Davidson Organization with her?” asks one of the boys.
“I sure hope so!” says the second girl. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Mike and Mitch here! They are so hot!”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing them either!” says the third girl. “Ooooh they are so fine!” The girls scream with excitement as they jump and down, cheering with each other as the boys cheer with them!
Marcus sadly looks back at the flyers and posters and says to himself, “What have I done?” Marcus nervously looks back at the students, then looks back at the flyers and posters.
That same afternoon, a sad looking Marcus enters Richard‘s room and sees Richard at the desk on the computer. Richard turns to Marcus and says, “Hi Marcus. Wow, you don‘t look too happy. What‘s wrong? I thought you‘d definitely be in an excited mood knowing that Diane D is gonna be at your school next week.”
“That‘s the point Richard,” Marcus says. “Diane D is gonna be at my school only because of the lie you and I sent to her family! There were flyers and posters all over the school this morning about Diane D coming next Friday! All the kids in the school were so excited while they were looking at the flyers and posters! They all were saying that they can’t wait to see and meet Diane D and hopefully meet the Dianettes and some of the other performers of the Diaz-Davidson Organization! Boy Richard, I don‘t feel right about this. I don’t feel right about this at all. I feel so guilty about this whole entire thing! My conscious is really bothering me Richard! I want Diane D and her family to know the truth! I want to let them know that there is no kid in my school who has leukemia and I want to let them know the truth right now before Diane D makes a trip to my school next Friday. I’m gonna write another letter to Diane D’s family and tell them the truth about the kid who has leukemia.”
“But Marcus, if you let Diane D and her family know the truth now before Diane D even gets to your school, her family will get upset and change their minds and not let Diane D come to your school at all. The children in your school are already excited about Diane D coming next Friday. They’re looking forward for her to come there. They will surely be disappointed if her family change their mind and not let her come there. I’ll tell you what Marcus, if you really want to let Diane D and her family know the truth that there is no kid in the school who has leukemia, then you should wait till after the kids in your school get a chance to see and meet her. Then you can tell Diane D the truth.”
“Okay Richard, I will do that because I can‘t live with this guilt of lying to Diane D and her family just to get Diane D to come to my school. Once all the other kids finish seeing and meeting Diane D, I’m going to let her know the truth, that there is no kid in the school who has leukemia, that it was all made up.” Richard and Marcus nervously and worriedly stare at each other.
A week has passed. It is now Friday morning. Marcus is in his bedroom dressed in a school uniform ready for school wearing a knapsack, looking sad. Richard suddenly comes into the doorway and enters the room. He approaches Marcus and says, “Well Marcus, today is the day that Diane D will be at your school this evening.”
“I know Richard, that’s what worries me,” Marcus says. “So far, we’re not able to use cousin Jeffrey to be the boy who has leukemia. Aunt Wanda’s not going for it. She doesn’t want Jeffrey to be involved in a lie.”
“I know.”
“So what are we gonna do now Richard? Diane D is coming to my school tonight to see and meet the little boy who has leukemia.”
“I know Marcus. Just let Diane D come to your school, once she’s there and all the kids get a chance to see her, then you can tell her the truth that there is no little boy in your school who has leukemia.”
“Richard we don’t know how Diane D or her family might react to that. We don’t know how they might take being lied to like that.”
“I know Marcus, but we aren’t allowed to use cousin Jeffrey as the little boy who has leukemia and we have no other kid to use. What else can we do?”
Marcus worriedly looks at Richard.
It is now Friday evening. It is still daylight outside. It is slightly windy. There are some clouds hovering in the sky. A large excited crowd of students, teachers and parents are waiting outside the elementary school. A white female teacher approaches a black female teacher and asks, “What time is Diane D supposed to arrive here?”
“Any minute now,” says the other teacher.
A male student shouts, “Hey, I see a limousine coming this way! Is that her?” The teachers and the crowd turn and see a limousine coming towards the school.
“Hey!” an excited girl shouts. “That might be Diane D coming in that limo!” The crowd becomes excited and start to rush to the street. They rush towards the limousine. The limousine stops as the people crowd around it and try to peek into the dark tinted windows, but are having a hard time seeing inside. “Is Diane D in there,” the crowd says. “Is she inside this limousine?”
“I can’t see a thing in there!” a male student shouts. “The windows are too dark!”
“Diane D! Diane D,” the crowd shouts. “Come on out! Diane D!”
The entire school continues to try to peek inside the windows of the limousine.
Down the next block, Michael is driving in a regular mini-van as Diane D sits beside him on the passenger side dressed in a short dark green blazer with a white turtleneck shirt beneath it and matching dark green tight pants as Mary and Barry sit in the middle seats and Marilyn and Tonio sit in back seats.
“Well, here we are folks,” Michael says. “This is the school with the three-year old boy who has leukemia, right Ma?”
“Yes that’s what the letter said Michael, that this is the school,” Mary says. Michael, Diane D, Mary, Barry, Marilyn and Tonio look forward and see a heavy crowd outside the school, excitingly standing around a limousine. They puzzled look at the limousine.
“What’s going on down there?” Tonio says.
“I don‘t know Uncle Tonio,” Michael says. “It looks like a limousine down there and a lot of people crowding around it.”
“Why are those people crowding around that limousine?” Mary asks. “Diane, is this school expecting anybody else here besides you?”
“Not that I know of Mom,” Diane D says. “But whoever that person is inside that limousine must be real important.”
“Real important?” Barry asks. “Like who?”
“I don’t know Dad. Maybe an activist or someone like that.”
“An activist?” asks Marilyn.
“Yeah Aunt Marilyn, maybe.” Diane D, Michael, Mary, Barry, Marilyn and Tonio continue to stare at the people crowding around the limousine.
“My god,” Michael says. “Whoever the person is inside that limousine, everyone seems excited to see them.”
“I don’t think we’re gonna be able to pull through there Michael,” Barry says. “You’re gonna have to back the car up and go around the corner.”
“Okay Dad.” Michael backs the car up as Diane, Mary and Barry, Marilyn and Tonio continue to look at the crowd surrounding the limousine.
Several minutes later, Diane D, Mary and Marilyn are walking in the empty back yard of the school building carrying shopping bags of stuffed animals as Mary holds on to Diane D and Diane D holds a basket of fruit. They walk up the school yard steps to the school. They suddenly hear a noise of something about to drop. They stop at the top of the school yard steps and turn around towards Michael as Diane D asks, “You got that Michael?”
“Yeah I got it Diane,” Michael says as he, Barry and Tonio walk up the school yard steps behind Diane D, Mary and Marilyn as Michael carries a big ride-in toy car and Barry and Tonio carry shopping bags of toys. Michael, Barry and Tonio stop on the middle of the school yard steps as Michael sighs and says, “Wow, you really went out of the way for this little boy, didn’t you Diane?”
“She sure did,” Barry says. “I mean whoever this little boy who has leukemia is, he’s sure lucky to have you bring him these gifts Diane.”
“I know Dad,” Diane D says. “It‘s the most I can do for him. I mean if I can‘t save his life, at least I can try to brighten up his spirit for the time being. Boy I can’t wait to see his face light up once I give these gifts and fruit to him.”
“Before you give these gifts and fruit to him Diane, let me have a fruit,” Michael says as he reaches for Diane D’s fruit basket. Diane D quickly turns the fruit basket away from Michael. Michael then says, “What, I can’t have a fruit?”
“No you cannot have any fruit Michael. It’s for the little boy who has leukemia. I thought maybe he can use a snack.”
“Use a snack? Diane I’m sure this kid got school lunch today. School lunches usually do come with a piece of fruit you know. The kid already had a piece of fruit right from his own school lunch. So what do you say, huh? Can you at least spare me a pear?” Michael reaches for Diane D’s fruit basket again.
Diane D quickly turns the fruit basket away from Michael again and says, “No pear to spare Michael! It’s for the little boy! You can get fruit later!”
“Diane it’s evening time now and none of us has eaten all day, that’s because you had us all going around shopping all morning and all afternoon in all the stores buying toys, gifts and fruit for this little boy!”
“That’s right! Look everybody! This little boy’s dying wish is to meet me! I came to this school to make sure his dying wish come true and I’m going to make every effort to make sure this little boy is happy during his last days on earth, alright?!”
“Diane, if we don’t get to eat, our days on earth will be numbered too! We‘ll die from hunger!”
“Michael, you all are going to eat right after we leave out of here okay?! I don’t want to hear anymore about how hungry you are!” Diane D glares at Michael. She then reaches into the fruit basket and takes out a little cup of yogurt. She holds it up to her family.
“Wow is that for any of us Diane?” Marilyn asks.
“No Aunt Marilyn, I was just wondering, do y’all think this little boy would like yogurt?”
“Do we think the little boy would like yogurt?” Michael says. “Diane can you please get this little boy out of your head for a few minutes and think about your hungry family?”
“That’s right Diane,” Tonio says. “Now I don’t know if this little boy likes yogurt, but I know I like yogurt.”
“So do I,” Barry says.
“Me too,” Michael says. “If only I‘m able to eat it! If only I‘m able to eat anything!”
“Michael, cool it okay?!” Diane D says. “You will all get to finally eat after this little boy gets a chance to meet me! Once I find out who this little boy who has leukemia is, I’m going to invite him and his entire family over to our organization for dinner!”
“Invite him and his entire family to the organization for dinner?!” Michael asks.
“That’s right! We’re all going to have dinner in the banquet room and the little boy and his family will be our honored guests, so come on everybody, let’s hurry and get inside the school.” Diane D turns around and quickly heads to the back entrance.
Michael turns to the others and says, “You know guys, I’m feeling a little jealous here. I feel she rather take care of this little boy who has leukemia than take care of us. We‘re hungry, but yet she bought food and snacks for this little boy, and now she‘s talking about feeding him and his entire family while her own family is hungry right here? I feel real neglected here.”
“I know,” Barry whispers. “I think Diane has become sort of obsessed with this little boy.”
“Not only obsessed Barry,” Marilyn says. “It seems like she’s adopting this little kid and his family.”
“I think she already has. I’m sorry we even showed her that letter about the little boy who has leukemia.”
“I‘m sorry too,” Michael says.
“Uh excuse me!” Diane D’s voice shouts. Barry, Michael, Mary, Marilyn and Tonio turn to look. They see Diane D standing in the back doorway of the school shouting, “The little boy is waiting! Let’s not keep him waiting any longer!” Diane D turns around and heads back in the building.
Barry turns to Michael and whispers, “See what I mean?”
“Yeah I see what you mean Dad,” Michael says. “I guess we all have to play sick in order to get Diane‘s attention.”
Mary turns to Michael and Barry and says, “It’ll be alright guys. Let’s just have this little boy meet Diane so we can all get this whole thing over with, because we did allow for Diane to come here.”
“Mary,” Barry says. “We didn’t know that Diane was gonna become obsessed with this little kid.”
“Yeah,” Michael says. “We didn’t know that she would practically have us starving over this little kid.”
“I know,” Mary says. “Listen everybody, once this kid gets a chance to meet Diane and she grants him his dying wish to meet her, maybe her obsession of him might ware off.”
“Yeah let’s hope so,” Marilyn says.
“Let’s just hurry and do this so we can get out of here then go out to eat because I’m hungry myself.”
“So am I,” Tonio says. Tonio, Michael, Barry, head up the school yard steps to Mary and Marilyn. They all go to the back door.
Diane D, Michael, Barry, Mary, Marilyn and Tonio enter the side of the lunchroom carrying the fruit basket, shopping bags of toys, stuffed animals and gifts. They go to a desk where a black male security guard around his late 40’s sits. The security guard sees Diane D and her family. He becomes excited and shouts, “Diane D!” He gets up from the chair and says, “Oh my God, Diane D it‘s you! You‘re here! I can’t believe it! You are actually here! How are you?!”
“I’m okay,” says Diane D.