Labor Day Page #2

than you'll see in that paper there.

How did you escape?

I told the guard at the hospital if he left,

I was going to jump out the window.

He heard that and went to have a smoke.

Nothing misleads people like the truth.

You have any brothers or sisters?

(STAMMERS) No. My mom tried, but...

I've got a stepbrother and a half-sister.

My dad takes me out to dinner

with them on Sundays.

How does a fellow

let a woman like your mother get away?

He got together with his secretary.

Good riddance.

Good morning.

We won't be needing that any longer.

But if the day comes and you have to

say I tied you up, you won't be lying.

Haven't heard any trains go by.

Holiday weekend.

Breakfast?

You have to try one.

Okay.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

FRANK:
Hey, give me

a three-quarter-inch ratchet wrench.

Ratchet wrench.

ADULT HENRY:
That day,

Frank changed the oil in the car

and replaced the {use for the blinkers.

Then he replaced

the filter on the furnace.

He checked out the cord of firewood

that just got delivered

and informed my mom

that the guy was shorting her.

Then he washed the oor and waxed it.

FRANK Then you rotate {he bait.

Grip it loose.

Two fingers up top, thumb on the bottom.

Just let it rest there.

Barely tight enough to hold.

And when you release,

snap your wrist down, like a whip.

Just crack.

And then you grab those seams

when the ball leaves your fingers.

You bite your lip when you sew.

(EXHALES SOFTLY)

I'm trying not to stick you.

How'd you get that scar?

(ADELE CHUCKLES)

Stars and Stripes Forever

routine for my dance recital.

Halfway through rehearsal,

they got rid of the ramp.

I tapped myself right off the stage.

(POUNDING ON DOOR)

Come here! Come here!

Answer the door, Hank.

Let them know your mother's out.

And I trust you're not gonna get nervous

and say something.

Now go.

Oh.

Hi, Henry. I was looking for your mother.

(STAMMERS) I'm sorry, Mr. Jervis,

she's not home.

Oh. Well, that's...

That's not like her.

Has she been following the news,

do you know?

Did she leave you here by yourself?

No, I just mean

she can't come to the door.

- She's taking a bath.

- MR. JERVIS:
Oh.

Are those for her?

Yeah. I had so many'

I didn't know what to do with them.

I thought your mother might like them.

Thank you.

I'm sure she'll appreciate them.

Let her know there's something

I'd like to discuss with her.

Is everything okay?

MR. JERVIS:
Well, uh...

Look, Henry, I don't know if

you've heard, but there's a guy loose.

Broke out of Stinchfield.

He's probably long gone by now,

but till they find him,

I wouldn't be opening the door

without an adult.

Thank you for telling me.

Look, I doubt

he's anywhere near here by now.

Just remember,

I'm right across the street.

You have any problems,

just give me a jingle.

(ADELE PANTING)

He had more than he needed.

You did good, Hank.

Um...

Henry, why don't you go check on Joe?

I'm sure he's fine.

It's a hot day.

Make sure his water hasn't dried up.

Yeah.

You can't do that again.

What? What did I do?

My son is not your lookout.

He's not your accomplice. And I don't...

- It was just a neighbor.

- It doesn't matter!

Don't forget what's going on here.

Not for a second.

Now, I see the way he looks at you.

What he wants.

That encouragement,

pat on his shoulder.

And I want it for him.

But not for that.

I can't promise

what's going to show up at the door.

I know.

Okay, then.

(EXHALES)

It's a good peach.

It's too bad they're all so ripe,

you'll never get through them all.

We should throw most of them away

before they rot.

No, I have another idea.

Take a peach.

HENRY:
Thank you.

FRANK:
Now, the filling is easy.

What I want to talk about is crust.

You've got to keep your ingredients cool.

Hot day like this is challenge enough.

The phone rings while you're making

a crust, just let them call you back.

Mix it up.

(SIGHS)

Pie crust is a very forgiving thing. Forks.

You can make all kinds of mistakes,

but don't forget the salt.

ADELE:
All of it?

FRANK:
Yeah, before it gets too warm.

Keep everything cool.

Then mix it up.

Take that knife.

It's all about instinct.

Pay too much attention to recipes,

you forget how to feel.

It's like reading a book on gardening

when all you've got to do is get dirt

underneath your fingernails.

All right. Put it in there.

That's it.

Now, don't over-handle.

You want it right on the verge of

crumbling at any moment.

There you go.

Now grab the outside.

Heel of the hand.

People buy all these fancy gadgets,

but sometimes the best tool

is attached right there to your own body.

Okay.

Scatter a little tapioca,

like salt over an icy road.

Cure for a soggy crust.

The whole thing.

Make a little mountain out of it.

Perfect.

Okay, moment of truth.

Can't go loo fast.

You can't hesitate.

ADULT HENRY:
I don't know

when my mom's hands

started shaking exactly.

But eventually,

it was beyond her control.

(TREMBLING)

Help me put a roof on this house.

Perfect.

(BEEPING)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWING

IN THE DISTANCE)

I should go.

They won't come back for a few hours.

This is as good a window

as I'm gonna get.

Maybe tomorrow,

once your stitches

have had a little more time.

They're not going to stop looking, Adele.

HENRY:
They have dogs

that can smell your blood.

You should probably

let your stitches heal.

You should stay.

ADELE:
Thank you. I'm really nervous.

You have to...

FRANK:
I understand.

We'll just lay here a while.

ADELE:
We haven't had anybody

in this house for such a long time.

Let me get my...

(ADELE AND FRANK MOANING)

ADULT HENRY:
Rhythm.

This was the word

that burrowed into my brain

as I listened to their late nigh!

conversation quietly dissipate.

I thought about that word, rhythm,"

and whether my mom

thought Frank had it.

These were the images

I returned to at night.

Particularly now that the evening

was no longer silent.

(MOANING CONTINUES)

ADULT HENRY:
The next day, Frank

fixed the loose oorboard on the stairs.

(SQUEAKING)

He got the squeak

out of the kitchen door,

then cleared the debris

out of the gutters.

Thank you.

I'll tell you this.

You don't want to wait to learn to fix it.

Especially if you got a lady

in the seat beside you when it happens.

ADULT HENRY:
They did laundry.

He ironed.

And in return,

my mom taught him to rumba.

Two... three... four.

Shift your weight this way.

Two... three... four.

ADULT HENRY:
For lunch,

Frank thought

it only right that we fire up the barbecue.

So, he sent me to pick up groceries.

(BELL JINGLING)

You know, drinking from aluminum

gives you Alzheimer's.

Is that true?

Uh-huh.

It's the perfect crime

'cause you can't remember

how you got it.

Is there anything to do in this town?

There's bowling?

Bowling.

GROCER:
If you ask me, I think

he's holing up in someone's house

waiting for things to cool down.

SHOPPER:
I just can't

get his face out of my head.

The worst part is knowing that

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