SHOULD SHE, SHOULD HE, SHOULD THEY, WOULD YOU, WOULD I.

Often when one of our favourite actors/actress plays a villainous role that triggers our response we are incensed and irate. I must admit, that when I saw Denzel Washington in FENCES, I was not very happy, nor was I impressed. I abhorred his role and was angry with him in on several fronts. I must say though that I fully understand his stand, but might have not, a few years earlier. Viola Davis, who played his wife, struck some cords in me as well, hence the aforementioned title. I saw her as subservient and to laid back, yet immensely strong and forward minded, kind and conscientious.

But, should she, he, they and would you or I, given their situation. Here was Denzel, a hardworking man yet somehow stuck in a dead end job, not much going on for him. He had a leaky roof that he had not bothered with in years, failed to complete a simple fence for too long and did not even see it necessary to purchase a television. He appeared affectionate enough to his wife but seemed unwilling, afraid or unable to show her his vulnerabilities, perhaps because of fear or ego and so found solace in the arms of another woman. While I hated that, I sort of understood his difficulty and felt a bit sorry for the man. He appeared broken and helpless in measuring up as a whole man to a wife who he claimed to loved and knew loved him.

Viola, on the other hand, was a dutiful, faithful wife who seemed to have accepted the simple , yet unfulfilled life of her husband in completing basic tasks, tried her hardest to make him feel comfortable, yet was unable to fill his void of helplessness. Additionally, she had not verbalised her own wishes maybe for fear of placing added pressure on him or simply because she though it was not acceptable as a wife. So she remained in a dead-end situation and finallly blew up when he confessed his malaise.

I watched her, a wounded dove with a broken wing that hung limp and irreparable when her husband stated his error. Then she with fury of a howling wind declared how she had repressed her dreams and aspirations to Stand with her Man. He, on the other hand, seemed at a loss for words, fearful of her reaction, yet expected her to understand his stance as he attempted to verbalise and even rationalise his doings. To me he appeared arrogant yet sheepish at the same time.

So the questions are;

Should she have ignored and abandoned her dreams and aspirations to live a simple state that brought no fulfilment, yet was her duty, she felt. Should she have remained faithful and dutiful to someone who was uncomfortable being vulnerable to her and preferred to take flight in the arms of another Belle, even forming a fruit. Should she have raised the child he brought , a defilement of their marriage vows. as her own . Should she have kept him in the house, unhappy, angry even, yet dutiful after the revelation.

Should he have remained content and relaxed in a dead end job that did not uplift his family and their status. Should he have chosen to find another to release his pressing matter, find solace when it was too much for him to carry. Should he have dared asked and expected her to stand with him while he found relief and then dared ask and expect her to raise that child,, that fruit sown by the way, rather in their garden both.

Should they have stayed together each with repressed dreams, eager vulnerabilities undisclosed yet heavily pregnant. Should they have loved each other, despite those chains that they wished not to share, yet which weighed them down painfully inside.

Would you if you were either of them, Would I if it were me. Just what would our vibe be like. Would we start a conversation, would we run away and not look back, would we be uncaring and violent, would we.

SHOULD SHE, SHOULD HE, SHOULD THEY, WOULD YOU, WOULD I.

Garden Conversations.