Chapter 176 - Academy Awards (2)

The theater's camera pans to Jouny and friends and they are shown in the huge screen.

"What do we do?" Uranto asks, not knowing how to react.

"Up! Stand up! Let's go up on that stage." Nielg says excitedly, his urging made his friends stand up.

"Jouny! Let me help you." Uranto offers to Jouny.

"I'm fine! Let's just go." Jouny says, smiling widely.

The group then receive high fives and nods from the people they pass on the way to the stage. 

The group soon reach the stage but they do not have an idea what to do. It is not until Thiago hands over the Academy Award statue to Nielg that the group starts to regain their bearings.

"Who's gonna talk?" Uranto asks.

"Jouny?" Nielg asks.

"You! You're holding the statue! Quick! We have limited time." Jouny urges Nielg.

"But I don't have a speech! Iliene, you do it!" Nielg argues, dumbfounded as he expects Jouny to give the speech, and passes the responsibility to Iliene out of panic.

"Hey. We left the interpreter at the table!" Iliene quickly defends.

"Whatever. Just be yourself." Uranto pats Nielg's back and pushes him towards the podium.

Nielg can only step on the podium after almost tripping on it from the push. Meanwhile, *hahaha* the group's interaction amuses the show's attendees. 

"Hello. Aherm. I have no speech." Nielg says to the mic out of nervousness. The crowd is tickled once again.

"The director is supposed to be here, but he's not. I guess because he thought we won't win anything." Nielg continues, further amusing the crowd.

"Anyways… what do I say? Well. Thank you, Academy. I don't know what or who exactly 'The Academy' is, but that's all I've heard tonight." Nielg continues, his words receiving the biggest laugh of the night so far.

Nielg, seeing that the laughter is not mean-spirited, quickly calms down and he regains his confidence.

"But sincerely, I thank you for the recognition. I also thank the people who enjoyed the film. We wouldn't be here without you all. I also thank our absent director for making the film, and finally, our film's dear screenwriter, Jouny Yalen here, for writing a great story." Nielg points the trophy to Jouny.

"Teungeb! We finally have an Academy Award!... that I know of… That's all. Thank you again!" Nielg concludes his speech.

*APPLAUSE* *CHEERS* Nielg and company receives a warm response once again. Some of the attendees are even giving a standing ovation as the group walk to the backstage.

The group soon returns to their seats through the route from the backstage. Nielg meanwhile is surprised at the situation after they took their seat. He is getting more attention compared to his friends. This is evidenced by him receiving a lot high fives from celebrities and other strangers near them. Aside from the customary 'congratulations', words like 'Nice speech man', or 'you were great up there', came his way. 

"Phew." The group sigh in relief as they are left alone once again by their neighbors.

"I don't know what you said back there, but they look like they loved you." Uranto says to Nielg with a certain impressed expression.

"What did you say back there?" Iliene asks.

"Haha-ha! Uranto, you told him to be just himself. That's what he exactly did." Jouny bursts out laughing, remembering Nielg's very novel speech.

"I'll tell you two after I calm down… Phew. F*ck. I almost shit myself back there!" Nielg says, almost hyperventilating.

"Whatever, you did great." Jouny assures Nielg.

"HOPE PRICE!" The group's chatter is interrupted by the entrance of another award presenter. 

"Oh… Here's your award, Jouny." Nielg say, remembering that the next award also concerns them.

"I know." Jouny responds, not distracted. 

"Here are the nominees for The Best Original Screenplay. Polly Marsh, 'Mermaids and Sirens'. Asher Green, 'Hard Ice'. Harleen Novak 'Fallen Memory'. Joel Lu 'MVP For Hire'. Jouny Yalen 'September Ninth'… The Academy Award goes to…" Hope recites, then opens her envelope, not showing much emotion as she read the cue card in it.

"JOUNY YALEN! SEPTEMBER NINTH!" Hope announces dramatically. *CHEER* *APPLAUSE* The crowd once again clamors at the announcement. 

"YES!" Iliene, Uranto, and Nielg almost jumped in surprise before excitedly patting Jouny's shoulders for congratulations.

"Thanks guys…" Jouny says, mirthlessly out of disbelief that she just won.

"Up! Up! Do you want me to assist you on stage?" Nielg asks again, concerned for Jouny and her pregnant self.

"I said I'm fine! Jeez." Jouny got her bearings back from Nielg's ridiculous question. 

As Jouny makes her way to the stage once again, she is met with more congratulations. Right before taking the stairs under the stage, she puts her left hand on her suit's pocket, feeling out a sheet of paper, enclosing it in her hand. After making it on top of the stairs, she shakes her head before releasing the sheet of paper, then pulling out her hand back out of her pocket. Hope, watching Jouny's expression, is puzzled, but passes the trophy and her congratulations nonetheless. 

"Hello. Good Evening." Jouny begins her speech, deciding to wing it, instead of using the cheat sheet in her pocket. She figures that speaking straight out of the top of her head and her heart is better, if she wants to be more genuine to who she is intending to dedicate her speech to. 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

7 PM – West Ouigab

"Congrats man." Chala tells Ongki. The two are currently watching the award show on Chala's TV.

[[["Almost nine years ago, I wrote my third ever screenplay. Just like my first screenplay, it was never accepted by any film studio that I tried selling it to. I was about to scrap it, but my husband believed in my work more than I did. Because of that, for 8 years, we never gave up on that screenplay. Despite the heartbreaks, we are thankful we never gave up. That screenplay is exactly 'September Ninth'." *APPLAUSE* *APPLAUSE*

"Ongki, honey. Thank you for believing in me. This award is not only mine, but yours too." *Applause* *Applause*]]]

"Heh. That's my girl!" Ongki says proudly. Chala can only watch in hidden jealousy. Not at Ongki being addressed on TV, but because of the strong bond of Ongki and Jouny have as a couple. 

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Thank you also to the film's director, Ta- uh.. Isaac Yawat, for being the second person to believe in my script. A year ago, I was still working in a small office cubicle, refining other's scripts, until I met you. If you didn't recognize my work, I believe that I would still be in that office, NOT doing something that I love, full-time.

"I've seen you submit yourself to inhumane working hours just to bring my story to life. To make 'September Ninth' into a film that exceeded my imaginations. Kid, it's been an honor writing your first ever film." Jouny thanks Tayaw. 

"Finally, to the Academy, I thank you for acknowledging my work. I wasn't expecting you to spare an award for a foreigner like myself, so thank you. I'll explain what you guys are to my colleague." Jouny closes. Her final sentence reminding the audience of Nielg's speech earlier, resulting to the audience laugh once again. With that, Jouny walks to the backstage with the sound of the audience's applause behind her. 

---

Jouny returns to her seat just in time for the next award to be presented.

"Man… Look at this big-time screenwriter." Nielg teases Jouny.

"Big time my butt… But thank you." Jouny says, pleased with Nielg's comment.

"I heard Ongki's name. That was sweet." Iliene comments.

"Yeah. And with the---" Uranto is about to say something to Jouny too but their celebration is interrupted once again by the entrance of the next presenter. 

"Good evening everyone. I'm Gary Messick, here to present this year's Academy Award for the best achievement in directing." Gary introduces.

*Cheer* *Applause* He is met with huge applause, proving his popularity and reputation as a great director among celebrities and other show business professionals.

"Asher Green, 'Hard Ice'. Cory McFadden 'Fallen Memory'. Isaac Yawat 'September Ninth'. Polly Marsh 'Mermaids and Sirens'…" The September Ninth people, hearing Gary's enumeration, had their focus once again on the stage.

"Oh. Sh*t. I forgot." Uranto says, to which his friends agree to. They have been absorbed in Jouny's award that they forgot about the absent Tayaw's award. 

"The Academy Award goes to…" Gary opens his envelope to read the cue card. After smiling in satisfaction, "Isaac Yawat! September Ninth!" He gladly announces.

The crowd is quick to get on their feet to applause as they already expected the winner. 

"While it is customary that I be the one to receive the award on behalf of the absent winner, I think it would be best for one of his friends to receive it instead." Gary says, looking towards Nielg and company.

"He's looking at me, right?" Nielg asks.

"Even if he's not. You go." Uranto urges Nielg anyway.

"I just went up there. You go." Jouny also says.

"Uranto and I can't speak English, we didn't prepare a speech. You go." Iliene also says.

His friends' reasons are enough for Nielg to stand up and excitedly, and almost jiggingly walks to the stage. *WHOO!* *APPLAUSE* The crowd is already giving Nielg love before he even steps on the stage. Before he climbs up on stage however, he speaks to a lady in the front row sitting near the bottom of the stairs. Shortly after, that lady takes off her fancy sunglasses and hands it to Nielg. Nielg then continues to climb the stairs to the stage as he pockets the pair of sunglasses.

After receiving a handshake and the trophy from Gary, Nielg finally steps on the podium.

"Thank you. Thank you." Nielg says, calming the audience down. The audience are anticipating once again to whatever Nielg is going to say.

"So. First of all. Thank you, Academy." Nielg says, which initiated another round of laughter among the audience.

"Sorry about earlier. My friend Jouny finally explained to me who you guys are. But thinking about it, I didn't receive a nomination from you folks, so I guess you can excuse my ignorance." Nielg says, receiving more laughter, and even applause from the audience.

"On a serious note. Knowing the director, I think he is honored to receive the award and your acknowledgement for his work. Too bad, he can't be here to accept the award in person as he's busy, making another movie or another album." Nielg says.

His casual revelation silences the audience immediately.

"HAH!" Gary, listening from a few steps away from Nielg, bursts out in an audible cackle at the comment, before nodding, showing the audience that he knows about it. 

"I guess if he's here, he'd be like…" Nielg's continues and he suddenly changes his body language, and puts on the huge, fancy feminine sunglasses he borrowed earlier. His actions confusing the crowd.

"'This award serves as a motivation for me to keep making more films. But for now, let me go play my guitar and write a song about this.'" Nielg says with his best vocal, accent, and body language impression of Tayaw, which entertains the crowd. *LAUGHTER* *APPLAUSE* *CHEERS*. With that, Nielg exits the stage through the backdoor, feeling great at the clamor behind him. 

---

"Man… even though I didn't get an award, speaking TWICE on the stage is great too." Nielg immediately brags to his mates as he sits back down with his friends.

"You're a natural up there." Iliene says, looking at Nielg admiringly.

"Yeah. I mean, he's the life of the party even back at the troupe. Looking at it here, of all places. F*ckin wild." Uranto says, proud of Nielg.

"I almost forgot you guys did comedy. Anyways, Nielg. Get ready again. You might go up there again." Jouny says which settles down her friends immediately. 

"THOMAS SLATER."

"Hello. Good Evening. I'm Thomas Slater, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I am here to present the award we have all been waiting for… These are the nominees for 67th Academy Award for Best Picture: 'Hard Ice'. *Applause*. 'Fallen Memory'. *Applause*. 'Stitches'. *Applause*. 'My Week with Mary' *Applause*. 'September Ninth'."  The orchestra's timpani start rolling the percussions for a suspenseful effect as Damian opens his envelope. 

"And the Academy Award goes to… 'Fallen Memory'!"

*OHHHHH!*' '*WHOOO!*' the response to the winner is very mixed based on the disappointed groans, and genuine applause of the crowd. Amidst the lively theater, the cast and creators of 'Fallen Memory' walk to the stage to receive the award.