Flygirls by Jeannette de Beauvoir
Harriet: Oh, good: you finally got here. They told me you'd be coming,
but I thought I must be early. They sent me here to wait for you. Sort
of a welcoming committee.
Amelia: (looking around) Is this the right place? I feel like I've
been in transit forever.
Harriet: Well, it took you a while to show up. It didn't seem like
they were ready to let you go. Every time I thought you'd be here,
there was another headline about someone saying they'd heard from you,
or someone else saying you'd been seen, or rescued, or something.
Amelia: Can you blame them? People really didn't want to let go. They
adored me - they were my fans. Fans don't give up. Even when they
have to invent sightings. I stayed around a while to see how it would
turn out. But they weren't ever going to find the plane, so I gave up.
You can't haunt a stretch of empty ocean, can you?
(pause)
So this is what it's like. Can I get a drink?
Harriet: No one drinks here. It's a filthy habit, anyway.
(she lights a cigarette)
Amelia
Speaking of filthy habits ... but what the hell, I'll take one of
those, too, if you don't mind.
(Harriet tosses her the pack. Amelia misses catching it and picks up
the pack from the floor, holding it in her hand and looking at
Harriet.)
Um, excuse me? Have I offended you in some way?
Harriet: You could say that.
Amelia: (puts the cigarettes on the table and stretches out her hand
as though to shake Harriet's) Oh, of course. Silly me. It's my fault.
Manners were never my strong point. We haven't been introduced. I'm
Amelia. Amelia Earhart.
Harriet: (doesn't take the offered hand) I know.
Amelia: (looks at her) You look familiar to me. Have we met?
Harriet: Never. I was around years before your time.
Amelia: Still, you're awfully familiar.
Harriet: Well, you should know me, though now apparently nobody else
does. I'm -
Amelia: You're -
Harriet and Amelia: (together) - Harriet Quimby!