Jerome O'Connell

All Things Equal Jerome O'Connell

Harold Head, a middle aged misanthropic widower in contemporary America has exaggerated masculine traits for comedy's sake. Harold falls under the spell of a twice jilted spinster, Janet Hooper. Can Janet save Harold? Is this selfish, chauvinistic curmudgeon redeemable? Will anyone help Janet convert such a resolute crab? Is Harold a credible match for such a strong and appealing seductress? Not a chance. Harold criticized and stifled his wife Vanilla to death with the worst of social diseases, miasma; a condition where Vanilla melted away from countless corrections brought on by Harold's grumblings and censures. Harold also deplored Vanilla's friends and her physical fitness ventures. Harold retired from a bank where he displayed disloyalty, duplicity, exploited women and coveted Vanilla's assets before her demise. He then lives with his housekeeper Ida and Francesca his cook. He berates these ladies who watch over him, and their supposed incompetence dumbfounds him while he provokes his few friends till they abandon him. Harold spends his days alone reading the classifieds and examining his coin collection. From the classifieds he learns Janet Hooper has a worn but never used wedding dress for sale as well as coins that would add so much to his collection. Harold, with a ridiculously low price, tries swindling the coins from Janet while she exposes him to a world of caring and kindness, transforming this glum, cheerless cynic into what he should have been. Janet, with Ida and Francesca, lead Harold to a live and vibrant world where laudable qualities not only exist but flourish. These qualities though missing in Harold, he gradually assumes he already had. Does Harold thank the ladies for what they've done? Do Ida and Francesca seek retribution for the poor way he treated them? Do the ladies expect recognition for the kindness they extend him, and do they prevail in their monumental undertaking?