Closing the Ring Page #2

---

It's not a bloody band.

It's an airplane, you eejit.

Oh, right.

Crashed here.

Ten people killed.

Blown to bits.

They've all forgotten,

but I remember.

You remember it crashing?

I heard it.

I lived down the bottom,

Murray Street.

Still do.

What do you do this for,

Mr Quinlan?

What are you looking for?

Why should I be

looking for anything?

Why do you dig all this up then?

Just shut up and

give me a hand here.

See if we can lift it.

Hey, Ethel Ann, come on.

But... okay.

Wilbur?

Oh, no.

Okay, chocks in and checked.

Come on out, sirs.

That was the most incredible

thing I've ever done!

Hello, fellas!

That was fantastic.

Jack, those B-17s are

just the greatest!

It's a piece of cake to fly, too.

Pilot showed us how.

Oh, sure.

You wanna take us up now then,

Chuck?

You know.

I feel like I could though,

you know.

You look swell, Ethel Ann.

Yeah, okay, come on.

Who wants a soda?

Let's go to Joe's.

But I thought you all had classes?

So, we skip one.

You'll get in trouble.

We're all gonna get in trouble,

there's a war coming!

Yes, trouble!

Big trouble!

So, it's supposed to be

the final approach...

...and we're thinking

something's wrong...

We're flying at the runway at,

God, 200 knots!

And the instructor says,

"Well, buddy... " well

...how about putting down

the flaps?".

And the pilot goes,

"Oh, shoot!".

And wham!

Puts down the flaps,

but he pulls back the stick

at the same time.

That airplane must have been

standing straight on its tail.

No, wait,

I saw you guys coming in.

You were like that was me.

Anybody want another soda?

No, thank you.

No, thanks, Jack.

I wish I'd been up there with

you I really wanna fly.

I don't think the Air Force

would like that.

You got any cash?

There's plenty of girl pilots.

Amelia Earhart.

Yeah.

But not in a B-17.

Not with a bunch of hairy

apes like us.

So what about pilot school?

Still going?

I don't know.

The other guys are okay,

but I got problems with math.

They won't stop me

from going up there.

Bombardier, gunner.

I don't care.

Nor do I,

so long as you're happy.

I'm happy.

I've never been so happy.

Seems the whole town is

in love with that girl.

Never thought she'd choose

the country boy.

Country boy?

I trust him with my life.

Don't worry, my lips are sealed.

Young love, huh?

Come on.

One hamburger and three fries.

Chuck

Come on, lover boy.

Come on, guys.

Marie.

Marie?

I guess you upset her.

Not hard to do.

Stupid tune.

Oh, come on,

they were great tunes.

I need a drink.

Steady, you've had a few already.

Why not?

I can have anything I want now.

Yeah.

What do you want, Ethel?

Go inside.

Well, at least let me

get the door for you.

I can get the door, thank you.

I've lived here long enough.

Well, just as you please.

This house.

Yeah.

Does seem kind of strange,

doesn't it?

Coming back to the house that he

built without him in it.

Yes.

Sure.

Jack, thank you for

the air raid and all.

My pleasure, girl.

Scared me half to death.

You ought to lose your licence.

Yeah, that's what the Sheriff said.

But I told him it was

an old tradition.

Class of June '42.

Go home, Jack.

What do you mean, now?

Yes, now.

Come on, dad.

Okay.

You won't forget

to do something for me,

will you, Ethel?

What's that?

Grieve.

Your father's picture

at the Air Academy.

Put it back, please.

Sorry.

You never talk about those times.

Neither did dad.

No.

Did you know a lot of these boys?

Yes, they were

a great bunch of guys.

We had some good times.

Could you tell me about it?

Could you tell me about them?

What you want to know

is whether I did it

with one of them and which one.

No.

Well, why not?

It's notjust a picture,

they were flesh and blood.

Okay, just forget it.

Have you been with Pete yet?

What?

Jack's boy, Pete.

Have you been with him yet?

Mom, what has gotten into you?

How much have you been drinking?

Time you got something

for yourself, Marie.

Life is passing you by.

Peter is a nice guy.

I'm just not ready.

But you must never,

ever let a man build you a house.

No.

As long as you stay there,

he'll stay with you.

You may try to hide him

but he'll be there, inside it.

Why don't you try it with Peter?

Would you stop talking about sex?

You shouldn't be thinking about

that right now.

Really?

Well, what the hell else

should I be thinking about?

Daddy! We just buried him!

Yes.

Right.

I guess this means I won't be

getting any any more, huh?

I'm sorry, sweetheart.

Me, too.

Your father was a fine man.

I guess I should be

grateful to him.

Grateful?

The boys at the Academy I didn't.

I mean, it wasn't like that.

I was faithful.

I was always always,

always, always faithful.

So, how do you say three

I's in Spanish?

I, ya, ya.

It's so big.

He had his cousins

helping him over the winter.

But they're back at the farm now,

so we're helping him finish it.

That's it.

Good morning.

Morning.

Teddy around?

Back at the house.

Thank you.

It's beautiful.

He's sure been working hard.

Hey!

I wasn't expecting you so soon.

I fell asleep upstairs.

You've framed out

the upstairs already?

Sure have, I there's

so much more to do though.

Could you guys help me

bring up the latest delivery?

That pile up by the road?

Yeah.

Sure

Yeah, we can do that for you.

Come on, Chuck.

Jack, these are my best clothes.

Come on.

How come you've told me

so little about this place?

It's no secret.

Where did you

get the money for it?

My dad left

me this piece of land.

A little cash.

I worked in a sawmill last summer,

and they they paid me in lumber.

I wanna look upstairs.

I thought you told me you were

away getting an education?

That was it, I guess.

I read books, too.

Place is solid.

Building up to a standard,

not down to a price,

is what the lumber guy said.

Oh, I'll bet he did.

Hey, buzzard.

He's around here all the time

Keeps me company.

You've almost moved in.

Yeah.

I may be running out of time.

What do you mean?

The war I guess.

So it's gonna come, then?

That's why we all

joined the Air Academy.

Why are you doing all this?

Your folks wouldn't

like me one bit.

But when I do ask them,

I've gotta have something I can show.

Something I can give you.

You're building this house for me?

If I get into the Air Force

become a Sergeant maybe, then

that'd be something.

And then I could ask your folks.

I'd be some kind of gentleman.

You are a gentleman, Teddy.

I sure don't smell like one just now.

Let me try.

Excuse me?

Let me smell you.

Are you kidding?

No.

I wanna remember you.

Just as you are now.

Don't move.

I wanna remember

this moment all my life.

Teddy, Ethel Ann?

No.

Teddy?

Come on, Chuck... Let's go.

You're so beautiful.

Sometimes I can still smell it.

What?

Aviation fuel.

That was 50 years ago.

And you said it burnt.

Some soaked into the ground,

maybe.

I can't smell it,

but, look, I found this.

What is it?

Granny says

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes