Calvary Page #12

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(CONTINUED)

70.

CONTINUED:

73 73

OTHER DINERS glance around. One of whom is LEO MACARTHUR.

He laughs as he picks at his teeth with a toothpick -

VERONICA rubs her reddened cheek. Tears in her eyes. But

still defiant. She glares at FIONA.

VERONICA:

Nice shot. But I’ve taken better.

LAVELLE:

What is this, exactly?

The Theatre of the Absurd?

VERONICA:

Oh you’re very fond of your highfalutin’

phrases, aren’t you, Father.

I do think you do look down on us

country people.

She knocks back her drink. Glancing out the window, she

sees SIMON ASAMOAH approaching.

VERONICA:

There’s my ride, as it were.

Let’s do this again some time.

She exits. Leaving startled DINERS in her wake.

FIONA:

Do you have to put up with that

kind of sh*t on a regular basis?

Through the window we can see VERONICA as she reappears

and throws her arms around ASAMOAH. ASAMOAH looks blankly

at LAVELLE and FIONA.

LAVELLE:

There’s a lot of it going around,

let’s put it that way.

EXT. BEACH - EVENING 74

LAVELLE and FIONA walking along.

LAVELLE:

We really should talk, you know.

Get it all out.

FIONA:

Like in one of those sh*t plays at *

the Abbey?

LAVELLE:

I don’t know what the third-act

revelation would be, though.

FIONA:

Neither do I.

(CONTINUED)

71.

CONTINUED:

74 74

LAVELLE:

Your mother dying killed a little

something in both of us, I know that.

FIONA:

It was a long goodbye if ever there

was one. I sometimes wish she hadn’t

hung on as long as she did.

LAVELLE:

She was stubborn, alright. But brave,

too. I wonder if I’ll be that brave, *

when it comes down to it.

FIONA:

It wasn’t just her dying. You were

missing in action a long time.

Before and after. When I needed you

the most.

LAVELLE:

Was it really that bad?

FIONA:

I don’t know, maybe I’m exaggerating.

You were a highly-functioning

alcoholic, I’ll give you that.

LAVELLE:

I’ve always thought the “highlyfunctioning”

part should cancel out

the “alcoholic” part. Like a double

negative.

FIONA smiles. They come upon MICHE.L sitting in an old

wooden boat, staring out to sea, a Davy Crockett hat on.

LAVELLE:

What are you up to, there, Miche.l,

if you don’t mind me asking?

MICHE.L

Thinking.

LAVELLE:

Thinking. Thinking about what?

MICHE.L

Things.

LAVELLE:

Thinking about things. How profound.

FIONA:

What’s that you’re wearing?

MICHE.L

A hat.

(CONTINUED)

72.

74 CONTINUED:
74

LAVELLE:

A hat. You don’t give much away, do

you, Miche.l? You should’ve been in

the French Resistance, they could’ve

done with men like you.

FIONA laughs.

75

EXT. EASKEY SHORELINE - EVENING 75

LAVELLE and FIONA manoeuvre between the rock-pools.

LAVELLE:

I was never neglectful, I don’t think.

I never hit you or-FIONA

There are other forms of violence.

LAVELLE:

I know there are. Attempting suicide,

for one.

FIONA:

Jesus. I walked into that one.

LAVELLE:

Not only violence against yourself,

either.

FIONA:

It wasn’t intended that way. I wasn’t

trying to hurt you.

LAVELLE:

How could it not hurt me? I love you.

FIONA:

I love you, too. Don’t doubt that.

They look at each other. Put their arms around each other

and walk on.

FIONA:

And just when I thought I had you

back and you were all ship-shape

and raring to go, go you did.

I thought it’d be another woman.

*

*

*

LAVELLE:

I have a vocation. I wasn’t trying

to escape or-FIONA

I know that. I know you’re sincere.

But the fact remains, first she went

away and then you went away. I lost

two parents for the price of one.

(CONTINUED)

73.

75 CONTINUED:
75

LAVELLE:

I never went anywhere. I’m still here.

FIONA:

I think you’re being a little naive,

there, Father.

They stop as they reach the edge of the rock-face, looking

out over the sea.

LAVELLE:

I’m still here. I’ll always be here.

FIONA:

Will you?

(with a sad smile)

You promise?

LAVELLE:

(pointing to her heart)

I’ll always be here.

(pointing to his heart)

And you’ll always be here.

FIONA’s eyes well up with tears.

LAVELLE:

How’s that for a third-act revelation?

FIONA:

It’s corny. But I like it.

76

INT. COTTAGE (BEDROOM) - NIGHT 76

RYAN is lying fully-clothed on his bed, a multicoloured

quilt beneath him. The shillelagh by his side.

LAVELLE pours him a bourbon.

RYAN:

You know how you can tell when you’re

really getting old?

LAVELLE:

How?

RYAN:

Nobody says the word “death” around

you anymore.

LAVELLE looks at him. Holds out the glass. RYAN pops two

large pills from a vial into his mouth. Takes the glass -

RYAN:

Here’s mud in your eye!

Tosses back the bourbon in one go. Motions for another.

(CONTINUED)

74.

76 CONTINUED:
76

RYAN:

That’s great stuff! Makes me feel

like bursting into song.

LAVELLE takes the glass. Fixes him another.

LAVELLE:

Go on ahead for yourself.

Nobody’s stopping you.

RYAN raises the shillelagh as if it were a conductor’s

baton and sings -

RYAN:

“You will eat, by and by, in that

glorious land above the sky--”

LAVELLE smiles. Shakes his head.

RYAN:

“--Work and pray, live on hay, you’ll

get pie in the sky when you die!”

LAVELLE:

God, you’re an awful man altogether.

RYAN cackles. LAVELLE hands him the bourbon.

RYAN:

Like the fella said, “There has to

be a Devil before there can be holy

water.”

77

EXT. FIELDS - NIGHT 77

LAVELLE walks through the fields behind the rectory,

lighting his way with an old oil lamp.

LAVELLE:

Bruno! Bruno!

He goes on through the fields. Pauses, having spotted

something up ahead. Walks on -

LAVELLE’s POV -- the dog lying dead.

LAVELLE looks down at the dog. Its throat has been cut. A

puddle of blood around its body. He crouches beside the

body. Touches its coat.

LAVELLE:

Ah what has he done to you?

(crying softly)

What has he done to you, Bruno?

He strokes the glossy coat, still crying.

75.

78

EXT. FIELD - NIGHT 78

LAVELLE finishes digging a hole. Puts the shovel to one

side, where Bruno lies enveloped in a bright red blanket.

He hefts the bundle and places it gently in the hole.

Shovels earth onto the bundle until it is completely

covered. Pats it down.

He puts his hands together atop the shovel and says a

prayer.

79

EXT. SLIGO TRAIN STATION - DAY 79

TITLE -- “Friday”.

The convertible screeches to a halt. FIONA jumping out

with her suitcase. LAVELLE getting out -FIONA

Oh no! I forgot to say goodbye to

Bruno!

LAVELLE:

I’ll give him a big kiss from you.

Oh do!

FIONA:

They hug and kiss -FIONA

I’ll be fine, you know.

Will you?

LAVELLE:

FIONA:

Well let’s just say, today I’m fine.

So you say.

LAVELLE *

*

She smiles, and disappears into the station. *

80

EXT. COUNTRY LANE - DAY 80

LAVELLE strolls along, brooding. He comes up alongside a

young GIRL on her own. Picking petals off a flower.

LAVELLE:

Hello. Where are you off to?

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