Character Study- Bill Fordham in August, Osage County

“Barbara's estranged husband and Jean's father, age 49. A college professor, has left his wife for a younger woman named Cindy, one of his students, but wants to be there for his family. His marriage is disintegrating and his patience is slowly running thin.”

This little snippet doesn’t quite tell the tale, although it is factually correct.

I was born in Saint Louis Missouri in 1969, after the strife and unsettled time of the 60’s.  My childhood in the 70’s was unremarkable as was the whole decade.

I went to school in the archdiocesan system there; parochial grade school and Catholic High School.  Since my parents weren’t all that well off, I went to South East Missouri State College in Cape Girardeau and finished with  Master’s and Doctor’s Degrees from the University in Columbia, Mo.  I immediately started teaching in the college and became an associate professor and finally a professor of Education at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis.

I met Barbara at a conference in Tulsa Oklahoma in1993, we were mutually attracted to each other right away.  It was a relatively fast courtship and marriage.  I noticed that her family was a bit on the eccentric side but she was considerably cool headed and sane.  We married in Oklahoma in 1995 and came back to live in Saint Louis County where I was now a tenured professor.

In 2015, when at age 46, I suddenly discovered that I was quite attractive to the younger females on campus.  They devised all sorts of fun little schemes to find themselves alone with me and often had their way with me.  I was a willing victim (?) and the, what I thought of as, peccadillos were many and often.

Then came along Cindy.  She was mature for her age and unfortunately for Barbara, we fell in love and I announced it to her and to the world.  Barbara and I split up immediately and now we are in the process of getting a divorce.  Cindy and I are living together in a small apartment near the school.

I received word from Barbara’s sister Karen that Beverly, Barbara’s father was missing in action and feared, perhaps, dead.  She thought it would be nice if I went to Oklahoma to be there with Barbara since it hasn’t been all that long since we split up and she, Karen, thought that Barbara would need some moral support.  I think highly of Barbara, still love her and want to be there for her if she needs me.  So I went.

Barbara’s mother, Violet, is the mother of the Weston family, aged 65. Undergoing treatment for oral cancer, she is addicted to several prescription drugs, mostly depressants and narcotics. The family's focus is keeping her clean. Despite her drug-induced episodes, she is sharp-tongued and shrewd; she is aware of the family's many secrets and not hesitant to reveal them for her own benefit.  She is Barbara’s nemesis and has an unwholesome influence on her.

The moment before this episode takes place, I have been re-reading a book of Beverly’s poems.  I close the book and say…