Labor Day

1

(FOLK ROCK MUSIC PLAYING)

ADELE:
Good morning.

(SIGHS)

(ENGINE STARTING)

ADULT HENRY:
It was

just the two of us after my father left.

He said I should

count the new baby he had

with his new wife, Marjorie,

as part of my family, too.

Plus Richard, Marjorie's son.

For the most pan,

my mother never mentioned my father,

or the woman he was married to now.

GERALD:
You could always

come live with Marjorie and me.

I mean, if that was something you

wanted, we can have her evaluated.

No. Mom is great.

She's learning to play the cello.

I just asked because

I get the feeling her...

(SIGHS) That she's getting worse.

ADULT HENRY:
I don't think losing

my father broke my mother's heart

but rather, losing love itself

Even at that age, I understood this

and wanted to make up for

some of the neglect.

ADELE:
Oh, what did you do?

- You made all this for me?

- Mmm-hmm.

ADELE:
"Husband for a Day."

ADULT HENRY:
I made her

a coupon book.

- I cleaned.

- "One week of clean dishes."

Did little chores around the house.

"Handyman."

There was a coupon for a shoulder rub.

A bubble bath.

I even took her on a date.

A man should know how to dance.

When a man can dance,

the world is his oyster.

Some men just set their hand

on your shoulder or against your back

but there has to be

strong pressure there.

ADULT HENRY:
At the time,

I was too young to understand

the part of being husband for a day,

I was not equipped to carry out.

But I sensed

my own terrible inadequacy.

I could feel her loneliness and tonging

before I had a name for it.

BANK TELLER:
Hey, Henry.

How's your mother?

Fine.

I hope to see her in here

one of these days.

ADULT HENRY:
I understood

who my real family was.

(EXHALES)

Her.

(ENGINE STOPS)

Even if that mean!

only leaving the house once a month

to pick up supplies at Pricemart.

I think it's this way.

Is it all right if I go

check out the comics?

Um...

Okay. Just don't wander.

I'll be right over there.

I wonder if you could

give me a hand here.

You're bleeding.

Yeah, well, I fell out a window.

We should get help.

No, I wouldn't want to upset anyone.

Did you come here with

that woman over there?

My mom.

She looks like

the kind of person that could help me.

I... I don't know.

What I want to ask is,

you think she'd give me a ride?

Hmm?

This is my mother, Adele.

Mom, this is Frank. He needs our help.

You got a good boy here, Adele.

He was kind enough to offer me a ride.

Oh.

Um...

Well, he may have, but...

We have a big afternoon.

I don't think we can help you.

Well, that's a shame.

I thought we could have a catch.

- I suck at baseball.

- Hey

Maybe you used to.

Don't you throw around a ball

with your dad'?

I only see him on Sundays.

- Oh.

- ADELE:
No. I'm sorry.

I won't be any trouble.

We really (STAMMERS) can't help you.

FRANK:
Frankly,

this needs to happen.

(BEEPING)

Oh, here. Why don't you get in back?

(SIGHS)

Where do you want to go?

Your house.

Just for a few moments, to rest my legs.

(SIREN WAILING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

You'll have to excuse the mess.

We've been busy.

Nice place.

ADELE:
How do you, uh,

take your coffee?

As is.

- How did you hurt your leg?

- (SIGHS)

I'm going to be straight with you,

here, Henry.

I'm not going to lie.

I hurl my leg jumping out

of a second oor window at a hospital

they'd taken me to

to get my appendix out.

At the prison. That's how I got out.

When?

This morning.

You escaped?

So, now, the police are looking for you.

I would have gotten further

except for the damn leg.

(WATER BOILING)

(CUTLERY CLANKS)

I'd be grateful

if you let me stay till nightfall.

I'd try and help out.

I wouldn't ask anything of you.

You just did.

Nothing more than a place to lay low

and rest my leg for a few hours.

How do I...

How do I know you won't hurt us?

I've never intentionally hurt

anyone in my life.

You understand

how that could be hard to believe.

Yeah, I do.

How far are the train tracks

from your backyard?

Running?

Limping.

Twenty minutes, maybe.

People come over. Often. Randomly.

Friends, salesmen, religious people.

I'll make a run for it tonight

and I can stay out of your way until then.

I mean, they'd notice if I went quiet.

Even for a little bit.

I just escaped from prison.

The last place I want to go is back.

I'm stronger than you think.

I don't doubt that.

And I won't let anything

happen to my son.

He's in good hands.

(PANTING)

ANCHORWOMAN ON TV:

Welcome back to Action News.

Commuters

may have experienced delays

on their drive home {his afternoon.

Roadblocks on Route 73.

Who are police looking for?

Frank Chambers,

an inmate at Stinchfield Prison,

who escaped earlier this morning.

MALE REPORTER:
Captain!

Where is Frank Chambers?

Considering his injuries,

we believe he hasn't gotten far.

Now keep in mind that he is dangerous

and quite possibly armed.

ANCHORWOMAN:
Chambers was

recovering from appendicitis

on the second oor of this hospital

when police say,

he just made a jump for it.

Urn, I went to check on him and the next

thing I knew he was out the window.

Authorities would like to

remind our viewers

that this kind of leap

can spell desperation.

Especially in an inmate

serving 18 years for murder.

ANCHORMAN; Coming up next

on the Channel 7 News,

the hottest day in 11 years

in New Hampshire.

Didn't happen that way.

Isn't it against the law

to hide a fugitive?

You got a wise son here, Adele.

It's good to know he's looking out for you.

It's all going to be fine.

It would only be a problem

if someone found Frank here.

And that doesn't need to happen.

He can just lay low for a few hours,

and then keep moving.

That's true enough.

It's still not acceptable to place

you and your family here in jeopardy.

If someone were to come by' it would

need to look like I kidnapped you.

That's why

I'm going to have to tie you up.

It's about keeping up appearances.

I think you understand what I mean.

- Who are you going to...

- Only you.

Henry here knows he doesn't want

anything to happen to his mother.

Right, Henry?

Hmm?

Open these.

(SIMMERING)

Grab a bowl.

(BLOWING)

ADELE:
I don't suppose your father

has told you anything about sex.

Most people put all this focus

on the physical changes

you'll be going through soon.

HENRY:
It's okay.

They explained everything

in a health assembly.

Well, there's another aspect that your

health teacher is unlikely to explore.

People act as if making love is all about

secretions and body functions.

Mom. It's okay.

For all the discussions

of body parts and hormones,

they forget to mention how it feels.

There's another kind of hunger.

The hunger for human touch.

Desire.

People never tell you about how it feels.

The longing;.

What time do the trains start

in the morning?

I don't know.

I'll just have to keep an ear out for them,

I guess.

(SLURPS)

FRANK:
I don't blame you for wondering.

Just know that there's more to this story

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes