Meet Joe Black Page #19

JOE:

I'm only following the Parrish

bywords. Looking for that 'ounce

of excitement', that 'whisper of a

thrill' -- What there is no sense

living your life without. You know

what I mean, Bill.

Parrish's jaw sets.

PARRISH:

You're violating the laws of the

universe.

JOE:

This universe?

PARRISH:

Any universe that exists or ever

existed. You may be the pro, Joe.

But I know who you are. And you're

all f***ed up.

JOE:

I don't like your tone, and I don't

like your references.

PARRISH:

And I don't give a sh*t.

JOE:

May I remind you this is not just a

dispute with a putative suitor, this

is me. So watch it...Bill.

PARRISH:

Cut the 'Bill' crap out -- you

sonofabitch.

JOE:

I told you, 'watch it'.

Silence. Now Joe turns on his heel, heads right out the

front door. Parrish is left solitary, confounded, staring

at the closed door.

INT. EMERGENCY ROOM AREA, NEW YORK HOSPITAL - DAY

Joe walks down a hallway, a bouquet of flowers in hand,

looks around the usual feverish activity, he seems lost for

the moment, but a Receptionist catches his eye.

RECEPTIONIST:

Can I help you?

JOE:

Dr. Parrish.

RECEPTIONIST:

She comes on at 6.

JOE:

Oh.

He looks at the flowers, regards them for a moment, then

heads for an elevator.

INT. EASTER'S ROOM, NEW YORK HOSPITAL - DAY

Easter is sitting up in bed, hooked up to an TV and moni-

tors. She glances over at the doorway, Joe is standing

there, observing her. An awkward silence, he looks at

his flowers again, now sets them respectfully on Easter's

bedstand.

EASTER:

Mistah Bad News. 'Bout time you

show up.

Joe speaks to her in the dialect.

JOE:

Don' be facety, woman.

EASTER:

None facety, mistah. You come for

me? Dat's good news.

JOE:

No, I come to see Doctor.

EASTER:

Doctor? What could be wrong wit'

you?

JOE:

Nuthin'.

Silence, then Easter smiles.

EASTER:

Oh, you come to see Doctor Lady?

JOE:

Yes.

EASTER:

My Doctor Lady?

JOE:

Mine, too.

She thinks about this for the moment, Joe grows uncomfort-

able.

EASTER:

You in love?

Joe seems slightly tormented by the question, Easter senses

him trying to frame a respect.

JOE:

Yah.

EASTER:

You loved back?

JOE:

I am.

EASTER:

She knows you real self?

JOE:

She knows how she feel.

EASTER:

(scoffing)

Rass!

JOE:

(irritably)

Don' need you okayin'.

EASTER:

Schoolboy tings is you head.

Badness for you, badness for her,

badness for me, lyin' here tumor,

big as breadfruit, poison my inners

an' waiting.

JOE:

Brung you flowers and all I gettin's

facety back.

EASTER:

(stubbornly)

Only flowers I wan' see's one's

over my peaceful self restin' in

the dutty.

JOE:

Can do no right by people. Come to

take, you wan' to stay, leave you

stay, you wan' to go. Rahtid!

Silence, Easter waits, watching Joe.

EASTER:

You not in you right place, mistah.

Easter's response stops Joe cold, he looks away and then

back at her, she had clearly reached him.

EASTER (cont'd)

I ain' either. No more. You come

wi' me now. Take me.

JOE:

But I not lonely here. Somebody

want me here.

Easter considers Joe, she smiles sympathetically.

EASTER:

It nice it happen to you. It like

you came to Cat Island and you had

a holiday, sun didn't burn you red,

just brown, sleep no mosquito eat

you, rum no pound you head nex' day.

But trut' is, dat bound to happen,

you stay long enough. So tak dat

nice picture home wi' you, but don'

be fooled. We lonely here mostly,

too. If we lucky, we got some nice

pictures.

Easter drifts into silence, her eyes and Joe's meet, a sense

they understand each other. Easter shifts, trying hard to

ease her discomfort.

JOE:

(gently)

Got enough nice pictures, Easter.

She looks at him and nods gratefully and closes her eyes.

Joe watches her, now his eyes close. Easter exhales

raspingly, falls still. The monitors flatline. A beeping

alarm sound somewhere down the hall.

Joe opens his eyes, takes a deep breath, he seems troubled.

JOE (cont'd)

G'bye, sistah.

He slips out of the room.

INT. LIBRARY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON

Parrish is playing solitaire. The SOUND of the front door

closing, HEELS crossing the foyer, he looks up, at the foyer

door is Susan.

PARRISH:

Hello, honey.

He starts to get up, she motions to him to stay, looks

around now.

SUSAN:

Where's Joe?

PARRISH:

Joe?

A silence.

PARRISH (cont'd)

Joe's not around.

SUSAN:

Where is he?

PARRISH:

I don't know.

Susan seems distracted.

PARRISH (cont'd)

Why are you looking for Joe?

SUSAN:

Because I was sitting in a staff

meeting, incredibly bored, my mind

kept wandering and the only place it

landed was -- Joe.

PARRISH:

I don't understand.

SUSAN:

Love. Passion. Obsession, all

those things you told me to wait

for. Well, they've arrived.

Parrish blinks, stares down at his cards.

PARRISH:

This is crazy --

SUSAN:

Why? A man appears at your side,

almost never leaves it, you clearly

trust him, depend on him, I sense

you value him deeply, why aren't

those things good enough for me?

PARRISH:

You don't know anything about Joe --

SUSAN:

What are you afraid of, Dad? That

I'll fall head over heels for Joe --

well, I have -- as you did with Mom.

(a moment)

That's always been standard,

whether you like or not.

Parrish tries to get hold of himself, changes gear now.

PARRISH:

Susan, I don't think Joe is going to

be with us long.

SUSAN:

Where's he going?

PARRISH:

I don't know, I can't say --

SUSAN:

C'mon! The guy's working with you.

You always know chapter and verse

about everyone who works --

PARRISH:

In this case, I can't. I - uh -- I

just can't help you. I only would

tell you -- that with Joe, you are

on very, very dangerous ground.

Susan doesn't answer for a moment.

SUSAN:

I love him.

PARRISH:

I don't care if you love him! I'm

telling you he's no good for you!

A moment.

SUSAN:

Of course not, Daddy. I'm sorry.

There is something in Susan's tone that lets him know not a

word has sunk in. Parrish slumps.

SUSAN (cont'd)

I love you, too.

She kisses Parrish, rearranges one of his ranks of cards,

shuffles through the deck, turns over the top card, lays

down a card Parrish needs.

SUSAN (cont'd)

Lightning does strike.

Parrish watches as Susan turns, disappears out the door.

EXT. THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY - TWILIGHT

Joe walking disconcertedly up the street, bumping shoulders

with the rush hour crowd, trapped in the life of the city,

he peers intently at faces, cars, into store windows. He

stops now at the window of a Korean grocery, something has

caught his eye, he steps inside.

Through the window, Joe can be seen making a purchase, he

hands the Korean Clerk some money, walks out.

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