Carol Page #9

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HARGE:

What do you suggest I do? - Youthink I prefer traipsing off toWest Palm Beach for the holiday? Itwas all mother’s doing-

CAROL:

But I’m not - ready - She’s notpacked - she’s asleep in bed! Whatabout my Christmas with my daughter?

HARGE:

I’m sorry, Carol, but it can’t behelped. The flight’s in the morning

-You think I’ve packed?... (the

sound of dropped tools)-Goddamnit!

INT. CAROL’S HOUSE. KITCHEN. CONTINUOUS.

HARGE emerges from beneath the sink, having hurt his hand.

CAROL goes to help him up. But as he does he spots THERESEthrough the door. He marches over and opens it fully. THERESElooks caught, startled. A silence.

HARGE:

How do you know my wife?

CAROL:

Harge, please...

THERESE:

I - work at Frankenberg’s. The

department store.

CAROL:

I ordered a gift from her desk. Iforgot my gloves. She returnedthem. I thanked her.

HARGE:

(to CAROL)

That’s bold.

HARGE sizes THERESE up for a moment before he turns back intothe kitchen. He walks past CAROL and exits into a cloakroomat the back of the house where we hear sounds of his cleaningup. CAROL, exasperated, approaches the living room doorway.

THERESE:

Can I - do-

CAROL:

Just... leave it be.

CAROL gently shuts the door. THERESE is left standing there,

shut out.

EXT. CAROL’S HOUSE. NIGHT.

A UNIFORMED CHAUFFEUR sits at the wheel of Harge’s car, alertand silent, as CAROL bundles RINDY into the back seat.

FLORENCE puts her bags in the trunk as HARGE waits with acigarette and drink outside the front door.

CAROL:

Remember:
in bed by seven. I knowhow you take advantage of GrandmaJennifer.(beat) Okay, snow flake.

Gimme a big one.

(she hugs RINDY tightly

and kisses her)

You’re going to have the mostwonderful Christmas, I promise.

RINDY pulls back from the hug. She has an idea.

RINDY:

There’s room for you in the car,

Mommy. You can come with us!

CAROL:

Oh, darling, I - wish I could...

but sometimes... Mommies and

Daddies decide there isn’t enoughroom for them both in the same

place at the same time-(unable togo further) And Mommy has to behere to make sure Santa’s elf

doesn’t give your presents toanother little girl. You wouldn’twant that, would you?

RINDY gives her a bright smile and CAROL hugs her, and kissesher eyelids. CAROL clocks the CHAUFFEUR watching her throughthe rear view mirror, and quickly looks away.

INT. CAROL’S HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. CONTINUOUS

MUSIC PLAYS softly from the phonograph (”El Americano” byXavier Cugal and his Orchestra) as THERESE tidies up, tryingto make herself useful. She can see CAROL through the baywindow, shutting the car door and starting back toward the

house, wearing only a thin sweater around her shoulders.

She sees HARGE step off of the front porch, stub out hiscigarette, and walk towards CAROL.

EXT. CAROL’S HOUSE. CONTINUOUS.

CAROL heads to the front door, but HARGE pulls her backtowards him. A silence, as he takes her hand in one of his.

He can hear the MUSIC from inside the house. He sways alittle.

HARGE:

You smell good.

CAROL:

You’re drunk.

He pulls her closer to him, he closes his eyes, tries todance with her.

CAROL (CONT’D)

Harge, I’m cold.

INT. CAROL’S HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

Through the open front door THERESE can see HARGE stumbleback slightly, away from CAROL and CAROL grabbing his arm toright him.

CAROL:

Let me get you some coffee.

HARGE:

(a bit drunk)

I’m not drunk.

HARGE takes a step towards CAROL. THERESE ducks back into theliving room, not wishing to overhear any more.

HARGE (CONT’D)

You can still come with us. Go packa bag.

CAROL:

I can’t do that.

HARGE:

Sure, you can. It’s easy. We canbuy you a ticket in the morning.

EXT. CAROL’S HOUSE. CONTINUOUS.

HARGE tries to take her hand, she backs away.

HARGE:

What? You’re going to spendChristmas with Abby? Is that it? Orwith your - shop girl?

CAROL:

Stop it, Harge.

HARGE:

I put nothing past women like you.

CAROL:

You married a woman like me.

INT. CAROL’S HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

THERESE goes to the phonograph, increases the volumeslightly, so that she can hear only the rising and falling ofthe voices outside.

EXT. CAROL’S HOUSE. CONTINUOUS.

HARGE reaches out to grab CAROL, she backs away. He stumbles,

falls onto his knees. A silence, as he catches his breath.

HARGE:

Come with me now. If you don’t - ifyou - let me - open that car door -

if you won’t come-

CAROL:

(she interrupts him)

Then what? Then it’s over?

HARGE is about to respond, but he suddenly realizes he’s onhis hands and knees, drunk, before CAROL, who is very stilland very silent.

HARGE:

Goddamn you - You were never...

cruel.

CAROL:

Harge...

CAROL takes a step towards HARGE. She cannot bear to see himin this state. But HARGE won’t accept her help now. He rises,

and takes a quick look at his waiting car, RINDY in the backseat. HARGE takes a few deep breaths, smooths his clothes,

wipes his face with the palm of his hand. CAROL takes anotherstep towards him.

CAROL (CONT’D)

I’m sorry.

HARGE stiffens, recoils, digs his hands deep into his coatpocket and turns away, striding briskly to his car. CAROLwatches as he piles in and shuts the door. The car drivesoff. CAROL hugs herself tight against the cold.

INT. CAROL’S HOUSE. EVENING. CONTINUOUS.

THERESE hears the front door quietly shut, standing at thephonograph - still, silent. She looks up and CAROL is there,

watching her, but it’s almost as if CAROL is looking throughher. Then CAROL goes to switch off the phonograph and movesoff to pour herself a drink. She opens the cigarette case.

THERESE:

I should call a cab.

CAROL:

And just when you think it can’tget any worse, you run out ofcigarettes.

THERESE:

Oh - I - tell me where to go. I’llbuy some for you. Really, I don’tmind-

CAROL:

(snaps)

You don’t have to run out in the

middle of nowhere to buycigarettes. Not for me. I’m fine.

A pause. CAROL drinks. THERESE covers her upset.

CAROL (CONT’D)

The next train’s at 6.50. I’ll

drive you to the station.

INT. CAROL’S CAR. NIGHT.

CAROL drives THERESE to the station. There’s no one else on

the road; it’s utterly noiseless. At this moment therecouldn’t be more distance between them.

INT. TRAIN CAR. NIGHT.

THERESE sits against a window as the train speeds its wayback to Manhattan. A couple of HOLIDAY REVELERS, laughing andtipsy, bump against THERESE’S seat as they make their waythrough the car. THERESE turns to watch them as they maketheir way to the end of the car. Their joyfulness isunbearable to THERESE. She makes herself as small as she can

against the window. She is crying.

INT. SEMCO APARTMENT. NIGHT.

It’s a warm, ramshackle apartment full of overstuffed,

mismatched furniture and bowling trophies. In the kitchen,

RICHARD washes up a pile of dinner plates while MRS. SEMCOsits at the table with THERESE. She takes a thermometer out

of THERESE’S mouth and holds it up to the light to read it.

MRS. SEMCO

(refers to the

thermometer)

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