Carol Page #16

---

INT. CENTRAL POST OFFICE. PHONE BOOTH. CHICAGO. DAY.

CAROL in a phone booth placing a call. She can see THERESEfrom the booth, who stands in line to collect generaldelivery mail.

INT. CENTRAL POST OFFICE. CHICAGO. DAY. CONTINUOUS.

THERESE on line to pick up her mail. She looks around forCAROL, spots her dialing in the phone booth...

INT. HARGE’S OFFICE. NEW YORK. DAY.

His private phone rings. He picks up.

HARGE:

Hargess Aird. Hello.

Nothing from the other end.

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
43:07 PM

blank)

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
43:15 PM

blank)

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
43:27 PM

blank)

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
43:48 PM

blank)

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
44:02 PM

blank)

HARGE (CONT’D) (CONT’D)

All right, Carol. Enough is enough.

Now where are you, goddamnit?...

Hello?

INT. CENTRAL POST OFFICE PHONE BOOTH. CHICAGO. DAY.

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
43:41 PM

blank)

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
43:52 PM

blank)

CAROL, suddenly unable to respond, leans her head against thephone box a moment, then quietly hangs up the phone.

INT. CENTRAL POST OFFICE. CHICAGO. DAY.

CAROL joins THERESE at the post desk. THERESE has picked up afew letters.

CAROL:

(refers to the letters)

Someone’s popular.

THERESE:

All from Richard. (she puts theletters in her bag) Aren’t yougoing to check your mail?

CAROL:

Nobody knows I’m here.

THERESE:

Were you... making a call?

CAROL:

What? No - Ladies room.

Carol throws her scarf over her head and starts out. Therese

watches her a moment as she goes, then follows.

EXT. LAKE SHORE DRIVE. CHICAGO. NEW YEAR’S EVE. DAY.

CAROL and THERESE stand at the side of the frozen road,

considering a flat tire. CAROL starts rummaging through herpurse when she looks up and hears a car coming.

CAROL:

Here’s one.

THERESE tries to flag down the approaching motorist for help.

A dark-colored ‘42 Chrysler Sedan slows to a stop and pullsover ahead of them. The driver backs up, revealing it to beTOMMY TUCKER, the notions salesman.

THERESE:

Well - what in the world. (to

Carol):
Look who just...

TOMMY TUCKER:

What do you know? I thought thatmight be the two of you.

TOMMY hops out of his car and approaches the women. He

inspects the tire.

TOMMY TUCKER (CONT'D)

Yep, that’s a flat alright. Justhope you didn’t dent that rim.

CAROL:

I felt something pulling, and then

a grinding

TOMMY TUCKER:

Right. Well. Can I jack her up foryou?

THERESE:

We - don’t think there is one.

TOMMY TUCKER:

No jack?

THERESE:

(glancing at CAROL)

We think it might have been left at

home.

CAROL:

Long story.

THERESE:

Bigger problem is, we think it

might be flat. The spare.

TOMMY TUCKER:

Gotcha. Well... I got a jack. I canjack her up for you. We just use my

spare.

THERESE:

But what about you?

TOMMY TUCKER:

Me I’m heading home from here - I

got plenty of spares back home.

(inspecting the flat)

Don’t think there’s rim damage.

Shouldn’t take too long I don’t

expect.

THERESE:

There’s just... one other thing...

TOMMY TUCKER:

What’s that, ma’am?

INT/EXT. TOMMY’S CAR. LAKE SHORE DRIVE. LATER. DAY.

In the front seat, THERESE offers CAROL some coffee from a

thermos. Radio softly plays. Up ahead, TOMMY leans over the

hood, his hands black from a lengthy operation.

CAROL:

I’m ravenous.

THERESE:

So am I.

CAROL:

(watching him work)

We’re lucky we found him.

THERESE:

I’ll say.

Silence.

THERESE (CONT’D)

Are you sorry we came?

CAROL:

On the trip? No. Are you?

THERESE:

No.

They look up to the sound of CAROL’s car starting up again.

TOMMY climbs out of the drivers seat and approaches, dusting

himself off. CAROL and THERESE get out to meet him.

CAROL:

Wonderful!

TOMMY TUCKER:

Well... It’ll get you to your next

stop, but you best get it checked

at a garage. New hose. They’ll tell

ya the same.

THERESE:

Thank you so much.

CAROL:

Tommy, what do we owe you.

TOMMY TUCKER:

Oh, please - nothing at all, ma’am.

CAROL:

Well for the tire at least.

TOMMY TUCKER:

No need. Like I said, I’ve got a

collection. Occupational hazard.

CAROL:

Well. Thank you. Again. For

everything.

TOMMY TUCKER:

You are surely welcome, ma’am.

CAROL starts off to the car, leaving an uncertain beat

between TOMMY and THERESE.

TOMMY TUCKER (CONT’D)

And Happy New Year.

THERESE:

Yes, that’s right. Happy New Year

to you.

TOMMY TUCKER:

Yep, well, I’m counting on a bignight for sales. Stocking up onhats and sparklers. I’m hopeful.

THERESE smiles as he back-steps, tips his hat and gets into

his car. She glances at CAROL, climbing into the car - and

feels a sudden surge of longing.

EXT. WATERLOO, IOWA. EARLY EVENING.

On the road leading into Waterloo, CAROL’S car speeds by abillboard sign with a cartoon of Napoleon being strangled byNelson. In fancy script below the cartoon is written:

WATERLOO BECKONS. POP. 12,070. The sky is a deep red.

INT. CABIN. JOSEPHINE MOTOR LODGE. NIGHT.

Twin beds, quilted headboards, the usual. Radio tuned intoGuy Lombardo’s New Year’s Eve broadcast from the WaldorfAstoria. It’s almost midnight. A couple of chipped plastictrays carrying the remnants of some ham and cheese sandwichesare set on one of the beds. CAROL sits sipping beer from aChampagne flute, her hair wrapped in a towel. Each dressed inrobes, CAROL watches THERESE brush out her hair at a dressingtable. The countdown to the New Year begins on the radio.

Five. Four. Three. Two. One: HAPPY NEW YEAR! And the familiar

Lombardo signature “Auld Lang Syne” begins, but neither womantakes notice. Instead CAROL gets up from the bed, takes thebrush from THERESE and begins to brush THERESE’S hair,

slowly, carefully. When she’s done, she puts the brush downand turns THERESE around to face her.

CAROL:

Happy New Year.

THERESE:

Happy New Year.

They face each other in silence, listening to the farawayradio broadcast - a moment when anything could happen.

THERESE, for the first time, reaches out ever so slightly tobrush her fingers against CAROL’S. CAROL looks down at theirfingertips touching.

CAROL:

Harge and I never spend New Year’sEve together. There’s always abusiness function, always clientsto entertain.

THERESE:

I’ve always spent it alone. Incrowds. (beat) I’m not alone this

year.

THERESE squeezes CAROL’S hand ever so slightly. The GuyLombardo band strikes up a bright New Year’s tune.

CAROL unties her robe and lets it fall open, revealing hernakedness to THERESE. It’s so still, it’s as if all breath inthe room were suspended. THERESE stands up to join her, andCAROL takes her face gently in both her hands. She kissesTHERESE’S lips. It’s a wondrous kiss for them both, slow andunhurried. Afterwards, CAROL removes her hands from THERESE’Sface and eases off the towel from her head.

Rate this script:4.3 / 19 votes