Away from Her Page #15

Grant looks vaguely hopeful.

KRISTY:

But not for long. You think, wow,

back to normal. And then they’re

gone again.

She snaps her fingers.

KRISTY:

Like so.

Grant stares off. Tears in his eyes.

GRANT:

Are you married? I haven’t even

asked you about yourself.

KRISTY:

Technically I guess yeah. Got three

kids. Their father’s somewhere in

Alberta I think. Makin it rich

maybe. I wouldn’t know.

80.

GRANT:

How old are your kids?

KRISTY:

Ten, three and eight.

GRANT:

Must be a struggle.

KRISTY:

Oh, ya know. It knocks the wind out

of ya every now and then. But you

pick yourself back up like everyone

else.

Grant looks at her, thinking.

GRANT:

I suppose... I suppose our lives

must seem easy to you. We got

through life without too much going

wrong. What we have to suffer, now

that we’re old hardly counts I

suppose. That’s what you must

think.

Kristy stares at him, shocked at the condescension in his

tone. And thouroughly insulted by the sentiment. There is a

lot of anger in her eyes. She half smiles, glaring.

KRISTY:

You don’t know what I think. To

tell you the truth I’d rather be

the one who stayed than the one who

left. I’ll bet you weren’t always

the doggedly devoted husband. Am I

right? When you said you thought

maybe she was punishing you for

something. I’ll bet maybe you had

something pretty specific in mind

didn’t you?

He looks at her for a moment.

KRISTY:

You see a lot in this job. You see

the end of things, all day long. In

my experience, at the end of

things, it’s almost always the men

that think not too much went wrong.

I wonder if your wife feels the

same way.

80A.

Grant looks off into the distance.

GRANT:

I wonder that too.

KRISTY:

I’ll bet you do.

81.

He turns to look at her. Decides to confide in her, now that

she seems to have lost all respect for him anyway.

GRANT:

Do you remember the day we came in

here? How badly I didn’t want to

let her go?

141 EXT COUNTY ROAD -FLASHBACK-JANUARY 2004- MORNING 141

We’ve seen the beginning of this scene before. Grant and

Fiona drive in silence. “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young plays in

the tape deck. Fiona spots something just off the road.

FIONA:

Oh. Remember?

Grant looks and sees the conservation area where they saw the

skunk lilies.Grant smiles at her. Looks ahead. It’s all he

can do to not turn the car around.

FIONA:

You look surprised Grant.

GRANT:

Not surprised. Just grateful. I’m

grateful you can remember that.

FIONA:

I’m not all gone Grant. I’m just

going.

82.

She leaves a pregnant pause. The scene continues.

FIONA:

There are things I wish would go

away but won’t. Things we don’t

talk about.

Grant looks very unsettled. Fiona continues on. Sincere. No

venom at all. Almost lightly.

FIONA:

You never left me. You still made

love to me in spite of disturbing

demands elsewhere. You never stayed

away from me a single night. There

was no making up elaborate stories

in order to spend a weekend in a

tent on Manitoulin Island. You went

easy on the dope and the drink. You

continued to publish papers, make

progress in your career. You never

had any intention, so far as I

could tell, of throwing up work and

marriage and taking to the country

to practice carpentry or keep bees.

Thank you for that. That would have

been ugly.

She means it. He is stunned.

FIONA:

But all those sandals Grant. All

those bare female toes.

CUT TO:

142 INT UNIVERSITY CLASS - 1970’S 142

GRANT’S MEMORY: We see glimpses of long hair, toes in

sandals. A University class, full of young women looking up

at us with adoring eyes.

FIONA (O.S.)

What could you do but be a part of

the time you were a part of. All

those pretty girls. It didn’t seem

like anyone was willing to be left

out. And hey. You got in shape.

CUT BACK TO:

83.

143 EXT COUNTY ROAD - JANUARY 2004 - MORNING 143

FIONA:

You quit smoking even. A wife of

twenty years knows that it isn’t

for her. Do you remember how hard I

tried to get you to quit when we

were first married. You felt so

sick when you finally did it. But

you kept to it. And I thought. “A

big reward must be coming his way.”

But you seemed happier. Even though

you were...away from me sometimes.

You were easier to live with in

many ways. I think you did alright.

Compared to your colleagues. The

ones who left their wives. And the

women who wouldn’t put up with it.

She gets wistful.

FIONA:

I never quite understood those

women to tell you the truth.

She loses her train of thought. Is silent for a moment.

FIONA:

I think people are too demanding.

Aren’t they? People want to be in

love every single day. What a

liability.

Grant goes to say something. She interrupts him.

FIONA:

And then that silly girl. That

silly girl Veronica. Girls that age

are always going around talking

about killing themselves.

CUT TO:

144 INT 70’S CLASSROOM 144

GRANT’S MEMORY: of Veronica. Close on her face, looking into

our eyes. Pain and anguish in her eyes.

84.

FIONA (V.O.)

That was it for then. No more New

Year’s or Christmas Invitations for

the Andersson’s.

CUT BACK TO:

145 EXT MEADOWLAKE PARKING LOT JANUARY 2004 - MORNING 145

They pull into the parking lot.

FIONA:

We moved out here. Without making

the mistake of confessing. You

promised me a new life. We moved

out here. And that’s exactly what

you gave me.

She smiles fondly.

FIONA:

How long ago was that?

GRANT:

Twenty years.

Fiona shakes her head.

FIONA:

Well that’s shocking.

She smiles serenely.

FIONA:

So you see. I’m going but I’m not

all gone.

Fiona goes to open the car door. Grant grabs her hand.

GRANT:

Fiona.

FIONA:

Yes dear.

GRANT:

Don’t go.

She pats his hand. Gives him a kiss.

FIONA:

That’s what is happening Grant.

It’s happening right now.

84A.

She gets out of the car. Like a zombie he follows her. Takes

her bags out of the trunk and follows her, blindly into the

building.

145A OMITTED 145A

85.

146 INT MEADOWLAKE CHECK IN AREA -JANUARY 2004- MORNING 146

Fiona approaches the front desk, Grant following behind,

trying to keep up with her with all the bags.

GRANT:

Fiona...

FIONA:

(to receptionist)

I’m checking in today. My name is

Fiona Andersson.

GRANT:

Fiona let’s come back another time.

The receptionist brings up a file.

RECEPTIONIST:

Yes Mrs. Andersson. We have your

room all ready for you.

FIONA:

Perfect. Will you show me to it

please?

RECEPTIONIST:

Absolutely. We’ll have our

supervisor Mrs. Montpellier show

you. Now you haven’t taken the tour

yet. Is that correct?

FIONA:

Yes. That’s correct.

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