Petulia Page #8

40 EXT. SUPERMARKET

Petulia and Archie leave the supermarket with their rolling basket of groceries. There is no one else on the street. In front of the market is a clown on a pedestal gesticulating with arms and mouth at people who are not there, but making no sound. Petulia quizzically looks up at the silent violent clown, while Archie waits for her at the car. Finally he taps the horn and she turns and looks at him. She starts running toward the car, suddenly wanting very much to be with him. They kiss lightly.

41 INT. ARCHIE'S BEDROOM–NIGHT

Archie is sound asleep, breathing heavily. Petulia sits wrapped in a blanket on the floor near the window, her head resting on the sill, lonely.

42 INT. ARCHIE'S BEDROOM–NIGHT

Petulia is sound asleep. Through the open bedroom door we see Archie drinking a lonesome Coke.

43 INT. ARCHIE'S BEDROOM–NIGHT

Petulia and Archie are both in the bed, asleep and somehow as far apart as two human beings can be.

44 INT. ARCHIE'S BEDROOM–NIGHT

In the midst of her sleep, Petulia begins jabbering in some language all her own. Archie's eyes open and he looks at her and he smiles. Still sound asleep, Petulia finishes her statement, whatever the hell it was and settles down on the pillow. Archie looks at her. She wakes up. They look at each other so gravely that they both begin to smile. Neither one is having the best night of their life but both are aware of a sense of tenderness that has caught them unexpectedly.

45 INT. ARCHIE'S BEDROOM–MORNING

Petulia wakes up suddenly. Though she is nude under the sheets, Archie is fully dressed for his day with the boys. Though his clothes are very sporty he looks anything but sporty as he talks quietly into the phone.

ARCHIE:
(into phone) Okay. Well, why not do some slides anyhow? (in sudden anger) To satisfy myself, that's who. Okay.

He hangs up the phone and sees Petulia looking at

ARCHIE:
Well, we knocked off another one. Another notch in the old stethoscope.

PETULIA:
You're a wonderful doctor, Archie.

ARCHIE:
I keep a little black bow tie in my desk. In case the services are in the morning and I have no time to go home. The neckband's all stained with sweat.

PETULIA:
Why are you dressed?

ARCHIE:
Have to pick up the kids. I'm already late.

PETULIA:
You're not abandoning me? I mean, I wasn't all that bad, was I?

ARCHIE:
Amateur night.

He leans over and kisses her mouth..

PETULIA:
Before I've brushed my teeth? Are you a communist, Archie?

ARCHIE:
I guess so ...

PETULIA:
Tell Mike to watch that weight.

ARCHIE:
Will you be here when I get back?

PETULIA:
(smiling) Dumb, Archie. Dumb.

Archie starts out, then stops, troubled.

PETULIA:
Yes?

ARCHIE:
Well ...

PETULIA:
I'm divorcing David, if that's what you mean.

ARCHIE:
(sharply) That's none of my business.

Petulia is suddenly hurt.

PETULIA:
Phone me.

ARCHIE:
Where?

PETULIA:
Here.

ARCHIE:
Listen, this worries me. Really.

PETULIA:
Write the number down so you won't forget.

Archie grins, sighs, and starts out. Petulia will do anything to hold him one second more.

PETULIA:
Hey, you.

Archie turns at the door.

PETULIA:
Don't have any illusions about all those groceries. I can't cook.

ARCHIE:
And you hate loganberry jam.

PETULIA:
No, as a matter of fact, I rather like it.

He smiles, continues out

46 EXT. CORRIDOR & STEPS OUTSIDE ARCHIE'S APT

He has barely gone ten steps when he is stopped by a whistle. He turns. Her head is popped out the door (or window). Anything to hold him, anything.

PETULIA:
If somebody calls and wants medical advice on something really obscure, is it okay if I wing it on my own?

He makes an amused "you nuts" gesture and leaves, but not before Petulia says:

PETULIA:
Phone.

He is gone.

47 EXT. A WHARF ON SAN FRANCISCO BAY

A cruise boat that takes tourists across the bay is ready to go.

Mike and Steven, Archie's sons, are anxiously waiting for their father to join them. Archie is in a phone booth next to the ramp that leads to the boat. The boys are yelling to Dad to come on.

ARCHIE:
(into phone) Hi. (to boys) Shut up, you guys.

PETULIA'S

VOICE:
Hi. What's all the noise?

ARCHIE:
Mike.

PETULIA:
Fat Mike?

ARCHIE:
He's not all that fat.

During this series of dumb, ordinary telephone conversations to follow, we begin seeing the moments which have brought on Petulia's current crisis with Oliver.

48. INT. BULL RING TIJUANA

It's a hot summer afternoon. Petulia and David have driven down from San Francisco. They are members of the "San Francisco Matador Club". David has drunk too much wine from his bota bag and the sour wine and the hot sun have made him violently ill. Though there are still two bulls left to kill, David and Petulia are leaving. As she moves down the spindly stairway, Petulia becomes aware of Oliver. He is with a gang of other kids at the butcher shed where the previous bulls are being dressed for market. They are all soaking banderillos in blood so they can be sold as "the real thing".

49. EXT. A STREET IN TIJUANA

Petulia and David in their convertible. David has passed out in the back seat and Petulia is having a hell of a time trying to move the car out of the parking space. Again kids swarm about her like wild animals, trying to sell hats, cushions, gum, pottery, etc. Again she sees Oliver among them (or is it another kid who looks like Oliver?)

50 EXT. BORDER GATE AT TIJUANA–LATE AFTERNOON

Thousands of cars are waiting to get through. Hot, noisy, dusty, unbearable. Kids storm every car, hustling their captured audience. Among them is Oliver. Have the others been Oliver? In Petulia's exhaustion and discomfort, the heat, the flies, the blaring horn, she can't be sure. (NOTE: All through the Tijuana scenes, we HEAR Archie and Petulia's telephone conversation. It is utterly banal and they know it and are amused by its banality.)

PETULIA:
I was dozing.

ARCHIE:
That's good.

PETULIA:
You left without having breakfast.

ARCHIE:
I had a cup of coffee on the way.

PETULIA:
A cup of coffee. You should have had eggs or waffles.

ARCHIE:
I'm fine.

PETULIA:
Me too.

Pause.

PETULIA:
I had a tall glass of pineapple juice.

ARCHIE:
Make some toast, too. And milk. Breakfast is a very important meal.

PETULIA:
I wish you'd remember that.

ARCHIE:
Well, goodbye.

PETULIA:
Archie?

ARCHIE:
Yes?

PETULIA:
You won't forget to phone.

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