Petulia Page #12

71 INT. STAIRWAY DANNER HOUSE

Petulia is hurriedly taking the hurriedly dressed Oliver down the steps. He is protesting. Before they can reach the front door, the door of the master bedroom opens. David is standing there in his pyjama pants.

DAVID:
Hey, "San Francisco".

He pronounces it like Oliver does. He comes down the steps, three at a time. He stops before the kid.

DAVID:
(gently) I sure hope there's no hard feelings.

Oliver understands none of this, and of course David knows this, but it doesn't stop him.

DAVID:
It isn't a question of hospitality, I want you to understand that. I feel terrible. Dragging you all the way up to San Francisco and then not even showing you Fisherman's Wharf. Comprehendo?

Petulia goes into the living room to find the keys to the car.

DAVID:
Hold it a minute.

71A INT. DANNER HOUSE LIT IN ROOM–DAWN

DAVID:
(to Oliver) What's the rush! Where's the fire!

He stoops down beside the boy and shows him a wrist watch.

DAVID:
You've got to have some little memento. Right?

PETULIA:
David, for God's sake!

The wrist watch is much too big for Oliver's skinny wrist so David starts to fasten it around Oliver's biceps. Even this is too skinny so David starts fastening it around Oliver's lower leg. Oliver has no idea what is happening, but his hustler's heart tells him he is being given something very valuable. Petulia is repelled.

DAVID:
(to Oliver) You see, the basic problem is we just don't have the room for all the folks my old lady invites for a visit. We're kinda short of room. I'd give you the shirt off my back. I'm West-Texas and proud of it. But start loading up the house with make-believe kids, plus every Tom, Dick and Harry whose one and only claim to fame is that he knows how to do "it"—

72 EXT. DANNER HOUSE–DAWN

Petulia begins sobbing, and trying to tug the boy toward the lift.

DAVID:
Hands off!

The watch won't fasten to the leg either. David tries to fit it around the boy's neck. David begins to cry.

DAVID:
It won't fit any place.

Petulia somehow gets Oliver into the lift and pushes the button which starts it moving upward.

DAVID:
(calling up) I don't want any hard feelings! It Was nothing personal Hey, we'll look you up sometime! When we're down that way, Have a real old-fashioned fiestas We'll have a ball; "Oliver?"

During the preceding speech we CUT to Petulia and Oliver. Oliver, infuriated at Petulia, defiantly shows her that he has David's watch in his fist.

OLIVER:
He give me!

Petulia stares out toward the sea. Davis is still screaming at them, and his voice sounds so unlikely in all the splendor of morning coming to San Francisco.

73 INT. HOSPITAL'S UNDERGROUND GARAGE–DAY

Archie is maneuvering his car out of his parking space when he sees the nun of the Intense Care Unit cross to another car driven by another nun. There are many cars with many nuns zooming around.

ARCHIE:
How's your patient?

NUN:
Oh, Mrs. Danner.

ARCHIE:
Mrs. Danner, How's Mrs, Danner?

NUN:
She woke up awhile ago.

ARCHIE:
She woke up?

NUN:
Should I have called you?

Archie starts out of the car.

NUN:
She's asleep now. I'm to buy her blue Cornflowers and a hairbrush. Sister Teresa phoned the police, Prayers help, Dr. Bollen. She asked for Mr. Danner. I hope there's no orthopedic problem.

But really she's not all that bad, this nun, mostly she believes that the sanctity of marriage happens to be true. She is not unmoved by the look of exhaustion on Archie's face.

NUN:
Blue cornflowers.

They exchange a smile.

NUN:
I'm also to go all the way across town and deliver a message to the Mendoza family. I'm to tell them everything is okay. And give them this.

ARCHIE:
Let me.

He takes the envelope on which the address has been written.

74 EXT. MENDOZA HOUSE–DAY

This is the house in which Oliver is boarding. Now, as Archie drives up, there is no sign of anybody. Archie crosses to the door, puzzled. He knocks on the door but there is no answer. He goes around to the back. There's an old car without wheels, butane tanks, other junk but no sign of life. Archie knocks on the back door and finally the door is opened. Beyond the screen door is the Mexican we have seen earlier. He has been awakened from sleep and is annoyed.

ARCHIE:
Mr. Mendoza?

Mendoza yawns sleepily.

ARCHIE:
I'm Dr. Bollen, Do you know Mrs. Danner? Petulia Danner?

MENDOZA:
No hablo ingles. Lo siento.

ARCHIE:
Petulia Danner, She gave me this address.

The Mexican shakes his head in complete indifference, is already thinking about going back to sleep, and starts closing the door.

ARCHIE:
She was beaten. Almost to death. Are you Mr. Mendoza?

MEXICAN:
"Mendoza," si.

ARCHIE:
(giving envelope) This is for you.

MEXICAN:
Gracia.

He starts to open the envelope. It contains a twenty dollar bill.

ARCHIE:
Can I talk to you for a minute?

Mendoza, with no idea what Archie is saying, starts closing the door and pocketing the money.

ARCHIE:
Hey!

He pounds on the door. The door opens. The Mexican says in Spanish:

MEXICAN:
(in Spanish) I work all night. Go away.

He closes the door. Archie pounds on the door again.

He hurts his hand. He sucks on the slight wound. He kicks at the door. He crosses around to the front of the house. A negro and a white teenager are passing.

ARCHIE:
Do either of you fellows speak Spanish?

NEGRO:

TEENAGER:
I speak a lot of Polish, if it would be any help, sir.

ARCHIE:
I've got to talk with, this man in here. A woman was almost beaten to death.

TEENAGER:
Here?

ARCHIE:
Not here.

TEENAGER:
You said here.

NEGRO:
Almost, but not quite to death, sir?

ARCHIE:
Yes.

TEENAGER:
Here but not quite here?

ARCHIE:
Listen, just find a cop, huh;

NEGRO:

TEENAGER:
He'd better speak Polish, sir. I'm on a fantastic Polish kick.

The two chase each other down the street yelling "Da!" and "Paderewski!" and even "Yawohl!", etc. Archie looks at the house and then at his car and then at his bruised hand. He's furious. A police car passes, Archie looks, but somehow can't bring himself to hail it. He wonders why he let the police car pass. He goes back to his car.

75 INT. INTENSIVE CARE UNIT–DAY

Archie moves swiftly to the screened cubicle that held Petulia. He goes inside. He stops short. An old man lies in the bed with a rubber stop in his mouth to keep him from swallowing his tongue until he regains consciousness. His false teeth lie on the table beside him. Archie is plunged deeper into the sense of the unreal.

76 INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM

Petulia is in a two-bedded room. She has blue Cornflowers and a hairbrush. She is conscious now but looks quite wan. In the next bed is a middle-aged lady looking at T.V. Petulia sees Archie.

PETULIA:
Why weren't you there when I woke up? You better not say you were when the bill comes, Dr. Bollen.

ARCHIE:
Who is this guy, Mendoza? Why am I always finding you in a different bed? What are you?

PETULIA:
A very sick girl.

ARCHIE:
Who beat you up?

PETULIA:
What happened to your hand?

ARCHIE:
Nothing happened to my hand.

PETULIA:
I love your hands. I want plaster of Paris molds for bookcases. Bookends.

ARCHIE:
Did David beat you up? Was it Mendoza? Why did you send him money?

PETULIA:
I'm still very sick.

ARCHIE:
I don't care.

OTHER PATIENT This man. is a doctor?

PETULIA:
The world's best, madam!

The patient turns her back on the two of them.

ARCHIE:
Petulia, you're turning me into a nut. Why hasn't David been here?

PETULIA:
Ask me questions.

ARCHIE:
Petulia, is it possible for you to tell the truth about anything?

PETULIA:
(drowsily) Mrs. Mendoza was looking after Oliver for me. She's our cleaning lady's sister.

ARCHIE:
There was no Mrs. Mendoza.

PETULIA:
(drowsily) I had to have some place for him to stay, David would never have let me bring him home.

ARCHIE:
Bring who home?

PETULIA:
I'm beginning to hurt.

ARCHIE:
Petulia, I don't understand the kind of world you live in. Come on. For Christ's sakes, a pretty young girl, what the hell is going on, who would lay a hand on you, how could you get so screwed up??

Through this Petulia simply lies there, just looking Archie.

ARCHIE:
I can't stand it.

PETULIA:
I'm asleep. They gave me a pill and I'm asleep. Really. I am really very sleepy. Can we talk later, Archie? When I'm asleep kiss my forehead—

She closes her eyes and sleeps. Archie gives her forehead a kiss and she giggles. He leaves.

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