A Year and Change Page #8

- I'm nothing like you.

- Owen.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry don't go.

I'm sorry, I just miss her.

- I miss her.

- Stop!

- I just need to

see her, please!

No!

No, don't go!

- Please!

- Get the f*** off me!

- Owen! Owen, please!

- I don't wanna hit you.

- Please, Owen! Don't go!

Please, Owen.

Owen!

Wasn't supposed to be like this!

Owen! Please!

- You guys okay?

- Yeah.

Dad?

- Yeah?

- You know the other

day when I came to see

you and Uncle Kenny

at the store?

- Yeah.

- I kind of...

Well, I took some

lollipops without

telling Uncle Kenny.

Do you think maybe he knew

and he was upset about it?

Do you think that's

why he did...

- No, no, no.

I'm sure Uncle Kenny would've

wanted you to have them.

- But then why did he do it?

- Why?

- Adam.

It's...

There's people in this world

who are just really unhappy.

It's like they, they

have so much pain inside

of them that they don't

they'll ever be happy again.

And so they make themselves

believe that the only way

to end the hurt is

to leave this life.

And I think Uncle Kenny

was one of those people.

Unfortunately, there's

nothing that anyone

could've said or done

to take his pain away.

No one is responsible

for what he did.

No one is to blame.

Especially, not you. Okay?

- Okay.

Sometimes I feel like

you're really unhappy too.

- Well, I know that it might

seem like that sometimes.

But I will never

do what Kenny did.

I'll never leave you

like that, okay?

I love you, all right?

- I love you too, Dad.

Dear Jen,

Mom always loved the fall

when the wind was blowing,

the leaves were all

turning different colors.

All I could think of was

how the leaves were dying.

But she thought it looked

like a shimmering fire.

You know what?

They kinda do.

- Adam! Hey!

- Hey Dad.

- How are ya?

- Good. How are you?

- Good.

Cindy.

- Hey.

- Look at this.

You wanna gumball?

- Sure.

- How about all of them?

- What?

- Birthday gift.

- Really? It's mine?

- Yeah.

I don't have much to

give in this world

but it's better than

a pair of shoes

that you'll grow out

of in three months.

- Thanks, Dad.

- Yeah.

So, key goes in the top here

that's where you put

the gumballs in.

And then in the back,

just open it up,

and that's where the money is.

- Three dollars and 25 cents.

- Mm-hmm.

- I get to keep this?

- Sure do.

I don't give you an allowance.

So, I thought this

might be a nice way

to keep some money in your

pocket before you moved.

- Mom, you want some gum?

- I'm okay, sweetie.

Why don't you go inside?

See what you want.

We'll be right in.

- Thanks, Dad.

- Yep.

Hope you don't mind.

- Not at all.

- Just figured might give

him some responsibility,

but you know I'll take care

of it when you guys move.

- It's pretty

thoughtful actually.

- Cindy, I don't want

you guys to move.

Look, I know I...

I've been absent.

But I'm here now.

I feel like

I'm just gettin' to know him.

Like I can hear him, you know,

for the first time.

- What's he saying?

- He's saying he needs his dad.

He's saying who's

gonna help me shave

this thing I have

growing on my lip?

You?

- I guess I thought

I would, yeah.

- Cindy, I need him.

I do.

- I decided not to go.

- Really?

- Yeah.

I can't do that to him.

And I can't do that to you.

- Thank you.

- Plus there's like sharks and

earthquakes in San Diego.

F*** that.

- Let's go eat.

- Yeah.

I'm buyin'.

- All right. Oh.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

- Hope they take quarters.

- What are you thinking?

- Nothin'.

- You sometimes get this

very far away look.

Where do you go?

- This might sound

a little funny.

- Tell me.

- When I was born I

had a twin sister,

her name was Jennifer,

but she died after six hours

'cause she had a bad heart.

- Wow, I'm sorry.

- I keep a journal for her.

- Yeah?

- Well, we were suppose to spend

our whole lives together.

I think we still do, but I'm the

only one that's still here.

I don't write anything

down I just talk to her.

She doesn't talk back.

It's not something

I do everyday.

- It's kind of like praying.

- Yeah, except I don't

ask her for anything.

- And do you think

that she hears you?

- Yeah.

It sounds really crazy when I

say it out loud, doesn't it?

You know Elvis had a

stillborn twin too.

So, in a way I'm

kinda like Elvis.

- You've never told anyone this?

- Except for the other

managers at the bank, no.

Jen!

You know that bolt of

lightning you said

you could strike somebody with,

now's a good time.

- No, you said that she

couldn't talk back to you.

- Well, I just didn't want

you to think I was crazy.

- It's too late for that.

Dear Jen,

I can't help but think

that you had a hand

in bringing this new

family into my life.

- You know, you could

help me out with this.

- Yeah, I'm not sure I'm ready

for that responsibility.

No offense Jen,

but I've always hated

coming out here.

It just didn't seem fair

that most of my family

was gone so soon.

But that's the whole point

of a graveyard I guess.

To make you appreciate being

on this side of life.

I don't know that

I'll be able to keep

a very extensive journal

for you this year, Jen.

I sort of owe it to Vera and

Adam, and everyone else,

to be there for them.

They have to be the ones

that I share my thoughts

and dreams with.

- Oh, there you are.

- C'mon Dad, you're

gonna miss it.

- I'll be right there, buddy.

- You okay?

They say what you're

doing on New Year's Eve

is what you'll be doing

all of the next year.

- Yeah.

Jen, I really hope that's true.

- Happy New Year!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes