Away from Her Page #10

GRANT:

Fiona. I know where your

grandparents lived. It’s where we

lived. Live.

Fiona is distracted by Aubrey’s look. He is looking at her

quite intensely, with a kind of command in his eyes.

FIONA:

Really?

Fiona turns back to Grant nervously.

49A.

FIONA:

I better go back. He thinks he

can’t play without me sitting

there.

(MORE)

50.

FIONA (cont'd)

It’s silly, I hardly know the game

anymore. I’m afraid you’ll have to

excuse me.

GRANT:

Will you be through soon?

FIONA:

Oh we should be. It depends. If you

go and ask that grim looking lady

nicely she’ll get you some tea.

She indicates a particularly stern looking attendant behind a

coffee urn.

GRANT:

I’m fine.

FIONA:

So I’ll leave you then, you can

entertain yourself? It must all

seem strange to you, but you’ll be

surprised how soon you get used to

it. You’ll get to know who

everybody is. Except that some of

them are pretty well off in the

clouds, you know - you can’t expect

them all to get to know who you

are.

She leaves Grant and goes back to her chair at the table. She

whispers something into Aubrey’s ear and taps her fingers

across the back of his hand. Grant watches them for a while.

Then gets up and leaves. As he does Aubrey gives him a

suspicious look. Fiona gives him a polite little wave.

96

INT BRIGHT HALLWAY-FEBRUARY 2004-AFTERNOON 96

We watch Grant as he walks alone down the long hallway,

bathed in late winter afternoon light.

97

EXT GRANT’S VEHICLE/ANDERSSON’S DRIVEWAY - FEBRUARY 2004-97

AFTERNOON:

Grant drives home.

98

EXT ANDERSSON’S COTTAGE- FEBRUARY 2004-AFTERNOON 98

Grant gets out of the car. Pauses before he puts the key in

the door. Sighs. Leans his head against the door.

51.

99 OMITTED 99

100 INT DINING AREA - FEBRUARY 2004-MORNING 100

Grant sees Fiona at the same table she was at the day before.

Right beside Aubrey. He catches her eye. She waves politely.

Indicates that she’ll be a few minutes. Aubrey gives her a

stern look. She places her hand on his. Grant, defeated, sits

down on the sofa with the wilted flowers on his lap. Kristy

sees him and sits down next to him.

KRISTY:

You caught her at sort of a bad

moment. Involved in a game.

GRANT:

She’s not even playing.

KRISTY:

Well, but her friend’s playing.

Aubrey.

GRANT:

So who is Aubrey?

KRISTY:

That’s who he is. Aubrey.

She looks up to see the look on Grant’s face.

KRISTY:

They get these attachments. That

takes over for a while. Best buddy

sort of thing. It’s kind of a

phase.

He goes to say something. It’s hard to get the words out.

GRANT:

Does she even know who I am?

KRISTY:

She might not. Not today. Then

tomorrow - you never know, do you?

Things change back and forth all

the time. You’ll see the way it is

once you get used to coming here.

(MORE)

52.

KRISTY (cont'd)

You’ll learn not to take it all so

serious. Learn to take it day by

day.

They watch Aubrey and Fiona. It is difficult for Aubrey to

manage the cards. Fiona shuffles and deals for him, and

sometimes moves quickly to straighten a card that seems to be

slipping from his grasp. A wisp of Fiona’s hair touches his

face and he gives a husbandly frown.

Fiona pushes her chair back and comes over to greet Grant.

Grant stands, and awkwardly goes to kiss her on the cheek.

She politely accepts, though it’s clear that this makes her

uncomfortable. She shoots a nervous glance back at Aubrey who

intentionally drops all of his cards to the floor.

FIONA:

(to Grant)

Oh I’m sorry. I’ll have to go fix

that now.

Grant watches as Fiona bends down and picks up all of

Aubrey’s cards. Aubrey calms down as she takes her place

beside him and continues on with the game.

101 OMITTED 101

102 INT MEADOWLAKE TV AREA -MARCH 2004- DAY 102

Grant watches as Fiona and Aubrey watch golf on television

with the other residents. He sits a few chairs away from

them. They are totally transfixed. There is silence as the

player makes his swing and the ball makes its lonely,

appointed journey across the sky. Aubrey and Fiona hold their

breaths. Aubrey’s breath breaks out first, expressing

satisfaction or disappointment. Fiona’s chimes in on the same

note a moment later. Grant notices this with irritation.

53.

He gets up to leave, trying to make eye contact with Fiona,

but fails.

103 OMITTED 103

104 INT BRIGHT HALLWAY -MARCH 2004- MORNING 104

Grant sees Fiona pushing Aubrey down the hall.

GRANT:

Hello Fiona.

FIONA:

Oh hello there. You’re very

persistent aren’t you.

Grant awkwardly holds out some books.

GRANT:

I brought you some books. I notice

they don’t have all that many

around here.

GRANT:

Letters From Iceland by Auden. We

always meant to read it together.

Remember?

She looks at him blankly. He looks at Aubrey who is staring

up at him, irritated at being interrupted.

GRANT:

Fiona. Do you think... would it be

possible to talk alone?

FIONA:

Oh. I’m not sure. Aubrey’s card

game starts in a few minutes and

then we usually go walking and then

he does his drawing.

54.

GRANT:

(irritated)

Well perhaps you could make some

time a little later. I’ll wait

here. Or I’ll come back in a few

hours.

FIONA:

(playfully)

You are persistent aren’t you?

She continues walking with Aubrey, leaving him alone. Aubrey

is holding a few drawings on his lap and as they walk away,

one flutters loose. Grant picks it up and is about to hand it

back to him. He stops as he gets a good glimpse of it. It’s a

very precise drawing of Fiona as she looked when she was

younger. He stares at it, and then after Aubrey and Fiona.

105 OMITTED 105

106 INT MEADOWLAKE STAIRWELL -MARCH 2004-DAY 106

Grant stands looking through the window watching Fiona

pushing Aubrey around. Fiona catches his eye. Now she looks a

little concerned. She turns Aubrey around in the other

direction before he can see Grant.

Eliza comes up behind Grant giggling.

ELIZA:

That Fiona and Aubrey. They’ve

really got it bad, haven’t they?

Grant smiles, uncomfortable.

ELIZA:

Maybe it’s time you started

branching out too you rascal.

He gives her a polite smile and leaves.

107 INT MEADOWLAKE TV AREA- MARCH 2004 - AFTERNOON 107

Grant sits watching a hockey game with some of the residents.

Frank is doing play by play to the game. Grant goes over and

turns of the sound on the TV. The residents clap as Frank

takes over the commentary.

55.

Fiona approaches him from behind. Puts her hand on his

shoulder. He looks around with a start. Grasps her hand,

thinking she remembers him. She politely pulls it away.

FIONA:

I just came down to say. Aubrey is

having his afternoon nap. If you’d

like to talk.

GRANT:

Yes. Shall we go somewhere a little

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