Page 87 of The Wish
Ian shuffles his feet. ‘You don’t mind me being here? I mean . . .’
‘You’re fine, I’m glad you came. You get to see what you told me to do, make Jesse’s wish.’
‘Thanks, Alex, I mean it. Thanks.’
The crew watch the interaction, not knowing what is being said or what will happen next. They all breathe a sigh of relief when Frank and Ian are introduced to Jesse and her family. Dean thanks them both profusely for their part in making Jesse’s wish. The crew roll their eyes as they hear this conversation, register Ian nodding and taking the credit.
Over the next hour, the family are filmed having fun in the park. They sit underneath trees and listen to a poem, the rotunda on the stage replaces the one filmed, and Sam and Jesse run to it and step inside. Dean takes Mandy’s hand, and they slowly walk to join their children.
The family is sent back to their dressing rooms to change into beach clothing. On set, they play on the beach and when Sam runs into the water a crew member to the side splashes real water onto him. Alex calls cut so they can set up another scene on the rocks and, while they position themselves, he tells Kelly the others have arrived.
On the other side of the curtain Kelly approaches Amy, Ryan, Luke and their parents, her finger held to her mouth indicating that they are to remain silent. Shown to their dressing rooms, they are asked to wait until someone comes to get them and explains what they are to do. The parents will be shown where to stand off-camera to watch the filming.
Jesse and her family are asked to change into other casual clothes. Next, they are going to be filmed visiting Jesse in hospital. Back on set they see the video of the room Jesse and Amy shared at the hospital. They are asked to walk over to Jesse’s pinboard and look at the photos. With the cameras rolling they look at the photos and cry out in surprise when one of Sam’s drawings flies off the screen and around him. They don’t hear the others enter the set, and the shock is obvious when Amy runs to join them.
‘Hey, girl, hi, Sammy, Mr and Mrs Morgan.’
Jesse squeals with delight as she and Amy embrace and dance on the spot. Their room continues to revolve around them, transporting them back to the hospital. Sam, Mandy and Dean hug Amy and they all talk at once. The noise levels increase as Ryan and Luke walk onto the set.
‘You two having a party without us?’ Ryan jokes.
The four friends embrace and chatter. The boys greet Sam, Mandy and Dean before the three of them walk off the set and watch from behind the cameras the beauty of friendships forged from the most difficult of shared experiences.
As scenes are shot, reshot, played out in different ways, the parents stand together supporting each other, wiping each other’s tears, hugging and wordlessly acknowledging the pain they all know so well. Sam has been taken to sit with Steve and see what the camera is capturing.
With the hospital scenes shot, Alex asks Amy and the boys to join their parents: they want Jesse and her family to change one last time for another family picnic scene at the park. While they are changing, picnic food, drinks and utensils are placed on a large red and white check tablecloth on the floor of the rotunda.
The family come back and once again walk through the park to the rotunda and sit around the food. Jesse nibbles on a sandwich, before asking if she can be excused, she wants to go to the bathroom. Kelly walks off with her and Alex explains he is keeping the cameras rolling as it would be perfectly natural for one of them to leave the picnic and return.
Sam, Mandy and Dean are laughing, popping food into each other’s mouths, relaxed. Mandy and Dean have their backs to where Jesse will re-enter the scene. Sam sees her first.
‘Jesse, you look beautiful,’ he breathes.
Mandy and Dean turn around to see Jesse walking towards them dressed in a long, soft cotton dress, gathered gently aroundher neck, pinched into her petite waist, delicate spring flowers dotted over it. A dress in the style of the sixties – it suits her perfectly. Kelly has chosen well. A shoulder-length wig, the colour of her natural dark hair, with soft curls, frames her face, in her hand she carries the small posy of daisies.
Mandy collapses sobbing into Dean, who gasps for air. Jesse sits beside her mother who can’t speak.
‘I heard you whisper to Dad one day that this would be a lovely place for a wedding. I can’t give you a wedding, but will this do?’
The sobbing and whispers of amazement of the parents, crew, Amy, Ryan and Luke are picked up by the microphones, but Alex doesn’t care. He pans a camera around to capture everyone in the room witnessing a moment that they know will never really happen. Amy runs into the scene and joins the family, and the crew look to Alex for direction. Amy wasn’t meant to be in the family scenes at the park. He indicates to keep rolling, then motions for the others including the parents and any crew not operational to join the family in the rotunda.
It takes some time for everyone gathered in the rotunda to calm down enough for Alex to join them. He has one more scene to film. He asks that everyone except Jesse, Mandy, Dean and Sam leave the rotunda, telling them Steve will now direct them in how the final scene is to be shot. As Steve starts talking, no one notices Alex disappear.
With Steve behind the console directing the cameras, he calls action. Jesse and her family follow the directions he gave and slowly walk from the rotunda towards the middle of the stage. Behind them videos of the park play out, placing them in the scene, in the park. Several people are seen walking and running past them, many of whom have dogs running around them. Alex comes onto the stage from the far side and places a small puppy, a golden retriever – a miniature Max – on the floor and pushesthe pup gently towards the family. Mandy, who is in on the surprise, sees the puppy first and takes out a packet of doggy treats. It is enough to get the puppy to run towards them.
‘Sammy, turn around,’ Mandy says softly. Jesse, Dean and Sam all turn as the puppy bounds towards them. Jesse grabs Dean’s arm as Mandy places a treat on the ground and steps back with Dean and Jesse, leaving Sam standing frozen, as the puppy gobbles up the treat and comes to him.
‘Somebody’s lost their dog,’ Sam says, bending down to pat and play with the puppy.
‘I wonder who he belongs to?’ Mandy says as she kneels beside her son and the puppy.
Twisting the collar around she reads the small disc on the collar. ‘It says, “I belong to Sam Morgan.”’
Sam looks at his mother. ‘No, it doesn’t. Does it, Mummy? Is he really mine?’
‘No, my darling, he is not yours,sheis, she’s a girl.’
Jesse and Dean kneel with them as Sam clutches the puppy to his chest sobbing uncontrollably.
