Opening Night

A new drive-in theater opens its gates, but trouble threatens opening night.

The rain hammered against the tarmac, and puddles began to gather between the white parking lines. Beyond them, a great screen towered over the field, its blank face gleaming in the fading light. Strings of bulbs hung from poles, and their yellow glow reflected upon the wet ground. A crowd had also begun to gather at the gates. Matias stood beneath the archway, and adjusted his Bomber jacket. Above him, bright letters spelled out STARLINE DRIVE-IN. The sign had cost quite a fortune, and his father had reminded him of that fact at least a hundred times over.

"Stop starin' at it," he said. "It ain' goin' anywhere."

Matias rolled his eyes. "I know."

His father grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. "Tonight's the night."

Six months. That was how long it had takento have it completely finished. Six months of building, electric work, inspectors and many delays. More than once he had heard people call it a waste of money. People hardly used drive-ins anymore. That's what half the people had told him. Yet as he looked, the queue stretched on down the road. The first of the cars rolled forward. It was an old blue Ford. The engine rattled like it was moments from death. The driver lowered his window.

"Two tickets."

Matias took the money and handed him two stubs.

"Enjoy the film."

The old man smiled. "I've been waiting for this a long time."

His wife leaned across the passenger seat. "It reminds me of the old drive-in."

"The one they knocked down?" Matias asked.

The woman nodded. "Yeah. I had my first date there."

The old man laughed. "And my last if she'd had her way. Spilled a whole drink down her dress."

The woman slapped his arm. The Ford rolled through the gates. More cars followed. A black SUV. A campervan. A bright red hatchback packed with teenagers. The field soon filled with headlights and voices. Children ran between parked cars, and parents hurried after them. Music drifted from open windows. The scent of burgers and chips filled the air. Matias found himself smiling. Maybe his father wasn't mad after all. The sky darkened overhead, and one by one, the lights around the drive-in flickered on. People settled into their seats.

Some remained inside their cars, whilst others unfolded their camping chairs and sat beneath blankets. A cheer went up as the projector hummed to life. Light burst across the screen, and the film began. His father folded his arms.

"I told you."

Matias was about to answer when the screen went black, and the cheering died almost instantly. Silence swept across the field. Then came the horns. One car went off, followed by another and so on. Matias's stomach dropped.

"No."

His father was already moving.

"It's the projector."

They both ran, and rain lashed against Matias's face as they crossed the field. They burst through the door of the projector room. A red warning light flashed above the machine.

"What's wrong with it?" his father asked.

Matias hurried to the control panel. The system had overheated. Of course it had. Hundreds of cars, and hundreds of radios. Every screen and light running at once. He swallowed, and outside, the horns grew louder.

"You can fix it?" his father asked.

"I think so."

The words sounded far more confident than he felt. His fingers flew across the controls, and he shut down half the decorative lights, restarted the broadcast, cleared error messages, and the machine issued a shudder. For a moment, nothing happened, then the projector roared back to life. Light flooded the room, and seconds later, cheers erupted outside. Matias slumped against the wall, whilst his father laughed.

"Head of technology, you are."

"Don't you start."

They returned to the field, and the film played once more. Nobody seemed angry. If anything, they were enjoying themselves more than before. Matias glanced across the rows of cars. Families sat together beneath blankets, whilst teenagers laughed beside open boots. The old blue Ford remained near the front, and the elderly couple sat in folding chairs, watching the screen. For a moment, nobody looked at their phones. Nobody seemed in a hurry to leave. They simply sat beneath the night sky, watching a story unfold upon a screen the size of a house.

Matias looked at his father.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I think it's going to work."

His father smiled. The rain eased, and the stars began to emerge overhead. Beneath them, the new drive-in theatre came to life.