Away from Her Page #12

She looks away. She doesn’t want to see him. Keeps her head

locked to the side.

GRANT:

Fiona. It’s Grant. Your husband.

We’ve been married for 45 years.

Look at me. Fiona. We live in your

grandparents cottage. We ski every

day together on the lake. Every

night we make dinner together and I

read to you and you fall asleep in

my lap and I carry you to bed. You

proposed to me when you were 18.

That is not your sweater. We’ve had

a good life together. Those are

your words, not mine. Fiona. That

is not your sweater.

Fiona won’t look at him. Has tears streaming down her face.

Aubrey is making panicked sounds. Wants to help her get free

of Grant but can’t move. She pulls her wrist away from him

violently.

62.

Then pulls the sleeves of her sweater straight and composes

herself. She helps Aubrey to sit back down in his wheelchair.

He is making desperate animal sounds. She coos to him trying

to settle him down. Grant puts his face in his hands. Once

Aubrey has settled somewhat, Fiona takes Grants hand and

leads him around the corner. Aubrey’s sounds grow louder and

louder.

Fiona looks sternly at Grant. Seems about to say something. A

long pause while she looks at him. Whatever it was she was

going to say, she decides not to say it.

FIONA:

I’ll see you again tomorrow I

suppose. Please don’t...Please

Don’t.

Grant nods, devastated. Fiona laughs, embarrassed by

everything that has just happened.

FIONA:

You are persistent aren’t you. I

wish I knew what...

She laughs lightly. Brushes her tears away.

FIONA:

We’ll see you again tomorrow I

suppose.

She walks away from Grant. Gets Aubrey out of his chair again

and supports them as they walk down the hall.

112A INT BRIGHT HALLWAY - DAY 112A

Grant watches them go as they walk, together, away from him,

down the long, sun bathed corridor. (36 fps)

113 INT MARIAN’S KITCHEN -FEBRUARY 2005 - MORNING 113

Grant sits nervously at Marian’s table. He is gearing up to

say something. Not sure how to begin. He stirs his coffee,

thinking. Marian watches him closely.

MARIAN:

You’re not doing too well are you?

No big surpirse. What we’re dealing

with here isn’t so easy. I thought

I’d married someone who’d be there

with me to the final stretch. And

I’m betting you thought the same.It

didn’t work out that way.

(MORE)

63.

MARIAN (cont'd)

So. I think you came here for a

reason. I’m the kind you can just

say things flat out to. So shoot.

Grant takes a breath and then takes the plunge.

GRANT:

I’m wondering if you could consider

taking Aubrey back to Meadowlake.

Maybe just one day a week for a

visit? It’s only a drive of a few

miles, it wouldn’t be too difficult

would it?

He has an idea.

GRANT:

Or...if you’d like to take the time

off - I suppose I could take Aubrey

out there myself. I wouldn’t mind

at all.

This wasn’t part of what he had planned to say, and he’s

rather dismayed to hear himself suggest it.

GRANT:

I’m sure I could manage it. And I’m

sure you could use a break.

While he talks she moves her closed lips and her hidden

tongue as if she is trying to identify some dubious flavour.

She gets up and gets some milk. Pours it into his coffee.

Goes back to the counter and grabs a plate of ginger cookies.

They are perfectly round. She sets the plate down in front of

him.

MARIAN:

Homemade.

GRANT picks one up. Marvels at its perfect roundness.

GRANT:

Really.

64.

She pours milk into her coffee.Stirs it. GRANT waits in the

interminable, awkward silence. Glances at AUBREY’s feet,

visible through the door.

MARIAN:

No. No I can’t do that. And the

reason is, I’m not going to upset

him.

GRANT:

(earnest)

Would it upset him?

MARIAN:

Yes, it would. It would. Bringing

him home and taking him back.

Bringing him home and taking him

back, that’s just confusing him.

GRANT:

But wouldn’t he understand that it

was just a visit? Wouldn’t he get

into the pattern of it?

MARIAN:

He understands everything all

right.

She says this as though he has just insulted AUBREY.

MARIAN:

If I go to all that trouble I’d

prefer to take him someplace that

was more fun.It’d make more sense

to take him to the mall where he

could see kids and whatnot. If it

didn’t make him sore about his own

two grandsons he never gets to see.

I’ve got to get him all ready and

pack up his chair and maneuver him

into the car, and he’s a big man,

he’s not so easy to manage as you

might think. All that and what for?

GRANT:

But even if I agreed to do it? It’s

true, you shouldn’t have the

trouble.

MARIAN:

(flatly)

You couldn’t. You don’t know him.

You couldn’t handle him.

(MORE)

65.

MARIAN (cont'd)

He wouldn’t stand for you doing for

him. All that bother and what would

he get out of it?

Grant considers saying something about Fiona. Decides not

to.She gets up and fetches her cigarettes and lighter from

the window above the sink.

MARIAN:

You smoke?

GRANT:

No, thanks.

MARIAN:

Did you never? Or did you quit?

GRANT:

Quit.

MARIAN:

How long ago was that?

He thinks about it.

GRANT:

Thirty years. No - more.

Grant’s mind wanders momentarily, remembering the

circumstances in which he quit.

MARIAN:

I’ve quit quitting.

She lights up.

MARIAN:

Just made a resolution to quit

quitting, that’s all.

She looks at him, sizing him up.

66.

MARIAN:

So your wife’s depressed? What’s

your wife’s name? I forget.

GRANT:

It’s Fiona.

114 INT CONSERVATORY-MARCH 2004- NIGHT 114

Aubrey and Fiona sit by the fountain. They sit among the lush

and tropical looking plants. Fiona talks softly to him. We

move around the fountain to find Grant sitting alone,

catching glimpses of them through the leaves. Mixed in with

the sound of the leaves rustling and the birds in the cages

and the sound of splashing water is Fiona’s soft talk and

laughter. Then a sort of chortle which sounds like it might

be coming from Aubrey. Then some words, which are definitely

coming from Aubrey. His voice is soft and strained. Grant

squints his eyes, trying desperately to make out what he is

saying. Then there is silence. Then a few clear words.

AUBREY:

Take care. He’s here. My love.

Grant looks into the blue bottom of the fountain’s pool.

Stares at the coins.

KRISTY (O.S.)

And how old were you when you met?

115 EXT MEADOWLAKE - MARCH 2004 -DAY 115

Kristy takes a smoke break. Grant sips a coffee to keep her

company.

GRANT:

She was 18.

KRISTY:

Holy. That’s pretty young to get

married eh?

GRANT:

It wasn’t my idea. But it was a

good one I think.

KRISTY:

She proposed to you?

Grant nods.

67.

KRISTY:

Well that’s lovely. That’s what I

think. How’d she do it?

GRANT:

I don’t think she planned it

necessarily. We were in Tobermory,

waiting for the ferry to

Manitoulin. It was raining and

miserable and she was happy and

sick of my sour mood.

KRISTY:

So what’d she do? What’d she say?

GRANT:

She said, “Do you think it would be

fun - Do you think it would be fun

if we got married?”

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