Misunderstood.

Rnie
(The lights are dim and the ambience depicts a sombre room tinged with reminiscence, right in the middle is a man in a rocky chair busy with his hookah. The puffs from his hookah almost seem synchronous with the movement of his chair, A teenage girl walks in)

Ernest :- (Turns to face the teenage girl) Right, so our special number. You work me hard everynight, if it isn't karaoke night, it's a special brand of night time ventriloquism an_

Burby :- (Interrupts) But Ernie I was the puppeteer that one show that made you laugh your as__

Ernest :- (Feigns a huge scowl) Language young lady!

Burby :- (Rises atop her sit) Tonight Ernie, I want to feel my heart in its chest. (Places hand on her chest) Right here's where the language of love resides, its the perfect love sounding board.

Ernie :- (Grimaces) Hopefully its good enough of an armor too when Cupid's arrow strikes.
(Reaches for his brightly colored walking stick and paces thoughtfully around the room)
A love story then! something to fit the spiritus mundi.

Burby :- (Sits and glances wistfully around the room) We shall ride the tides of love tonight!

Ernie :- Alright kid, sit tight. (Settles on Chair, takes a deep dramatic lungful of air).
19th, was a particularly somber year for the Asalan's. It was the third year of drought in the community and things seemed to be a taking a terrible nosedive. (Adjusts his seat).
Right but, the good part was that people could leave the community, but only if they did something truly worthwhile when they ventured outside.

Burby :-(Twitches In her seat eagerly). Is this where a guitarist comes in?

Ernie :-(Looks her straight in the eye and grins) Well, there are several guitarist's in this story. (Pauses)
Yeah so, the Asalan's had this Music loving, guitar playing son. He could play the guitar with his teeth.
The plan was that he would go out to the city and liberate the Asalan's.
The idea was quite brilliant, Jolly Asalan was rarely outplayed.
The problem however wa_

Burby :- (Rises dramatically) Love! Love! Love! Love!

Ernie :-(Sighs) Not quite my love. The problem was money. The Asalan's were dirt poor and going to the city was no small feat.
(Looks at Burby wistfully)
Anyho, Jolly had a girlfriend who unlike him, wasn't dirt poor. Her name was Ana and eventually, she was able to loan jolly enough cash for travel.

Burby :-(Interrupts eagerly) (Claps eagerly) Cupid saves the day!!

Ernie :- (coughs) It wasn't that simple. Ana was practically in love with jolly. The Sky, wind and the sun itself recognized the fact.
Jolly couldn't think straight without her too. They were a match made in heaven.

Burby :- (Interrupts) But

Ernie :- The money was stolen (Pauses) Ana's parent's resented the Asalan's for "brainwashing" their daughter and would not have given the money willingly.
(Coughs)
Ana gave Jolly the money on the condition that when he was finally rich and famous, he would payback tenfold, swoop in and they would get married.

Burby :-Sounds Fair.

Ernie :-(Laughs cynically) All's not fair in love and War. (Pauses)
Jolly was able to build his reputation in the City. He was much like a pup in a city of wolves.
But Eventually, he was able to grow.

Burby:- And Ana?

Ernie :- (sighs) Things were a bit different for ana.

Burby :- The Hampton's had found out?

Ernie :-Yes, and it was worse.(Turns to Face her) The Hampton's were going to give out Ana in marriage as a cover up for the fact that they were running low on funds.(Pauses)
It was the perfect strategy to use.

Burby :-But Jolly was going to Save Ana wasn't he?

Ernie :- (Stammers) Jolly was in a negative headspace.
He_

Burby :-But he loved Ana!

Ernie :- (Sighs regretfully) Jolly had a record deal that required him being on tour with the cities best bands based on certain specifications.
By the time he had been able to save up what Ana had given him, the Hampton's had moved out.

Burby :- And his parent's were not able to tell where they had relocated?

Ernie :- (Smiles) Jolly had hired the best investigator the city had for that sole purpose.
But still it yielded nothing.

Burby :- Ernie, (Looks inquisitively) remember today's theme speaks only of love.

Ernie :- (Laughs cynically) All's fair in love and war.
In time, the media caught wind of (Raises air quotes) "Jolly Asalan's search for the love of his life".

Burby :- Yes! Yes! Cupid swoops in for the lead. (Rises and faces Ernie) So, the Media aided Jolly's search?
Ernie? Did he find Ana?

Ernie :-(Coughs) No well, the media made a bitch of_

Burby :- (Interrupts) Language Ernie!

Ernie :- (Gives the ghost of a smile) Sorry, as I was saying, the Media made quite a mess of the story. (Grunts)
Started to make up stories about Jollys pregnant ex-wife and his long queue of girlfriend's.

Burby :- What? How's that supposed to help?

Ernie :- (Rocks on his chair) Their excuse was that it was the perfect way to drive the "mystery woman" out. The false news would make her so jealous she would have to reveal herself.

Burby :- (Shakes head in disbelief) And how did that work?

Ernie :- Terribly. Ana was still nowhere to be found. Jolly had toured the entire country.
Twice.
(Sighs) In fact, it seemed like the press was exploring the story only for their own gain.

Burby :- (Twitches eagerly) But bad press is good press. Any sort of audience in the show business is good audience?

Ernie :- Not in all cases. (Pauses) Certainly not in this one.
Jolly was sick and tired of the hand the media regularly bequeathed him.
Soon enough, he became pressured to (employ's air quote's)
Stabilise himself.

Burby :- (Jumps out of seat) What do you mean Ernie?

Ernie :- Jolly's team felt he had to stabilise the press and their excessive badmouthing.

Burby :- (Folds arms and frowns) Jolly got married?

Ernie :- (Rocks his chair and takes a puff from his hookah).
Seems like you already know the story burby.
But yes, Jolly had to get married. He didn't love the woman as much as he did Ana, she was in fact a friend but at that time, he couldn't think of any better idea.

Burby :-(Shakes her head) Certainly not a good headspace Ernie.

Ernie :- Certainly not. (Prepares to stand) Shall we end here tonight?

Burby :- (Leaps from seat) No Ernie! (Makes to pull him) i want to know how it ends!

Ernie :- Alright, Alright. (Sits comfortably) You work me too hard Woman!

Burby :- (Interrupts) But Ernie I was the puppeteer that one show that made you laugh your as__

Ernie :- (laughs) Language woman!

Burby:- Alright, Alright you can continue now.

Ernie :- (Coughs) Remember how you thought the press's strategy was a bad idea?
It was, sure. But that's where the irony is. Not long after his sham of a marriage, Jolly finally found Ana working as a waitress, unmarried.

Burby :- That's a tad bit too late isn't it?

Ernie :- It wasn't, its never too late for love. Ana and Jolly had rekindled her spark.(Pauses)

Burby :- Where had Ana been all the while?

Ernie :- (Smiles) The Hampton's had a day set for Anna's wedding. However, she was able to escape before the set day the brave woman.
(Rocks chair)
The Hampton's had began to develop their fortune however and Ana had to remain low-key in other to prevent her parents from making out where she was.

Burby :- (Looks inquisitively) The Hampton's were still bent on Ana marrying some stranger for money?

Ernie :- You have to understand back then, marriage was more of a deal between both families. Somewhat like an exchange in certain cases.
They were quite a lot of promises made between the Hampton's and that family.

Burby :- (nods) So Jolly and Ana fall in love all over again?

Ernie :- (Smiles wistfully) It seemed just like they were young again.

Burby :- And his wife? What about her?

Ernie :-(Shakes his head) She was a friend just like I said. She didn't love Jolly and was quite okay with the arrangement.

Burby:- (Sits up) Jolly's Fake wife had someone else too?

Ernie :- (Nods) Yes. But it wasn't that simple. People were reacting badly, saying all sorts of things about Ana, never mind the fact that Jolly himself was an accomplice.

Burby :- But Jolly could have gotten a divorce or his wife maybe_

Ernie :- (Chuckles) Divorces were (Coughs) tough to handle back then. Quite a lot of unnecessary drama. Also, how do you think the press would have reacted if either one of them sort for a divorce?

Burby :- The press would have torn them to shreds.

Ernie :- (nods) Jolly and Ana had no choice but to wait. Keep all appearances and be together the only way they could.

Burby :- (Frown) So they never got to be truly together? Why wouldn't they elope?

Ernie :- Jolly was already well known, also Ana's job has a waitress wouldn't cut it.
(Stands and faces burby)

Burby :- Is that where the story ends? But (turns to face Ernie)
But the_

Ernie :- (Laughs) Alright, Alright. Cupid did come through but it took quite a while. Much After the death of Jolly's wife, Ana and jolly finally got married and had quite a lot of kids.

Burby :-(Jumps eagerly) Cupid finally came through!

Ernie :- (Sighs wistfully and whispers to himself) My Ana, you look so much like her.

(Burby goes out for a drink and Ernie continues to rock gently on his Chair, Light fades out)