Gimlet and Finchley 12 - The reading of the will

The reading of the will

Ted’s will is being read in his solicitor’s office. It is a small room for such an occasion, with a dozen chairs crammed in, barely leaving room between for such inconveniences as legs and arms. Gavin, Ted’s agent, is there front row, centre stage.  Ted’s family are there, his three children, Becky, Blake and Mario.

On the solicitor’s desks there are two other bodies, the starts of the show, the wolf puppet Gimlet and the alligator puppet Finchley.

“Thank you all for coming today,” the solicitor says.  “I will be reading the will and testament of my deceased client, Ted Elliot.  There is an unusual request within the text of the will, Mr Elliot has asked me to wear the two puppets as I present the will’s contents.”

“Who is this?” asks Finchley to Gimlet.  “Bradley Walsh?”

“No silly,” Gimlet says. “It’s the solicitor.  He’s reading the will.”

“He’s not very good is he,” says Finchley. “We’re both speaking in the same voice.”

“I should like to reassure you all that I haven’t gone mad,” says the solicitor to the assemblage. “I am reading a script contained in the will.  We get to the crux of the matter now.”

“I Ted Elliot, being of sound mind, leave my entire estate, including both properties (that’s the house in Eaton Crescent and his Eastborne flat), along with all possessions, and any money the Inland Revenue has left me with, to be divided equally between my three children, Mario, Becky and Blake.”

“That is the three children present,” adds the solicitor, for no obvious reason. The children look back blankly at him.

“It is my intention,” the solicitor continues reading, “That my puppets Gimlet and Finchley, should continue their act without me. With this in mind, I leave the puppets to my three children, on the condition that two or more of them continue the act.”

“That’ll piss of Gavin,” says Finchley to Gimlet, though the whole room can hear, including Gavin.

“Just as well,” says Gimlet. “He’d have only given us to Bradley Walsh, or someone equally unsuitable.”

“Two of them, though?” says Finchley.

“I think he wanted to make sure that the next puppeteer isn’t outnumbered,” said Gimlet.

Gavin slurks out of the room without speaking. He is clearly unhappy at the public humiliation.

The reading continues, but we will leave it there.