I saw in Marvin many things. He had a comical look supported by a natural comedic ability. He had a funny demeanor and speaking voice. He was highly animated and could mug with the best of them. (Mug: to make funny faces) He could act and he could sing, even though he hadn't sung live in years.
Although Marvin needed to constantly promote his own self-worth, and seemed lazy and critical, I truly thought his talent was worth the challenge. But the challenge I got was not the one for which I had bargained.
My goal was to make Marvin feel safe and at home, to create some magic in the script that he could get excited about, and to help him get settled in his new apartment as quickly as possible so that Gene and I could go back to our private lives. Marvin had already been in our home for nearly two weeks with no money coming in at all. His disability checks were still missing and he had already told us he had sent $2,000 back to his friend in Florida in order to avoid any meddling in his personal life. So, I asked him if there was anyone else he could borrow money from until he got his disability check problem handled.
Marvin's next move to prolong his stay in our home was to state that he would have his ex-roommate, "Father Jamie," place $1500 onto an old credit card that he had not used in years. This should only take a few days and then Marvin would have the funds for his new apartment. This sounded like a plausible solution.
Meanwhile, I'm still writing the musical and trying to have some fun with Marvin. I tried some of my wigs and headpieces on him to make us laugh. I never would have dreamed he was a seasoned con man.
"Father Jamie's" deposit never got onto Marvin's credit card. Marvin was very adept at explaining it away as a fluke. He recounted his many conversations with Jamie regarding this unexplainable ordeal. He told me how upset Jamie was and that Jamie even yelled at him, which he never does.
Of course, I helped to calm Marvin down and even took sides with Jamie, telling Marvin that he was just frustrated and upset. The ending to this small scene was that Jamie had the credit card company put his money back into his bank account because of the delay. Marvin was still broke and living with us.
Meanwhile, Marvin is still speaking with his "lawyer, Howard Newman" about the problem with his disability check. But he must have sensed that Gene and I were getting a little impatient with all of his excuses. This is where Marvin kicks his scam into high gear and baits us with a con I have since found out has been highly successful for him on many past occasions. THE PROMISE OF BIG MONEY TO COME IN so that we will not only be reimbursed for the money we've put out, but we will also be rewarded with a little extra as a "thank-you."
Marvin tells me that he has decided to name me and Gene as the beneficiaries of the life-insurance policy his mother took out for him at birth. He explains that he has no real family and that we are his family now. He does this convincingly and with tears in his eyes. He further explains that he has come full circle because he has always loved the theater and that he wants the money to go people who will make audiences happy with their creative works.
Little did I know that I was the audience at that moment, and that the play that Marvin was acting out had been acted out upon prior audiences whose ticket price was more than they could bare.
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