CREATIVE RESPONSE: Holding The Man

April 10, 2024

 

Dear John (Alternate Epilogue)
Creative Response by Alexandro Gould-Arocha

 

10th October 1994 
 
Dear John, 
 
As I count the days until my last breath, I can’t stop thinking of you. Without you my world has fallen apart.  
 
I completed the memoir, I’m calling it Holding The Man, in reference to our high school days when you were captain of the footy team. I can’t stop thinking about them, how special they were but we didn’t realise it at the time. I will never know what people think of the memoir, or if it will become a best-seller or anything like that. I just hope that it eternalises our love and if it could reach just one person, I would be happy. If only we had something like this to read when we were all figuring it out. I just hope that whoever it does reach has a much happier ending than we did.  
 
I will never see that world that we dreamed about when we were younger. That world where we could hold hands in public, openly share our love. A world where we wouldn’t have to hide, where we would embrace our true selves. I wish that one day, that world will become a reality. I wish that one day, people like us wouldn’t have to go through what we did.  
 
It’s been a rough few months, but “I guess the hardest thing is having so much love for you and it somehow not being returned.” I’ve made peace with the fact that I will be gone soon. I hope to see you again.  
 
Ci vedremo lassù, angelo. 

 

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You can read Alexandro's review of Holding The Man here. 

Holding The Man is playing at Belvoir St Theatre until 14 November 2024. Tickets can be purchased here.

Production images by Brett Boardman