Stoker Page #4

We would watch everything.

The patterns of tree branches

spreading out...

The thousands

of shapes clouds make.

I could count the number of

leaves on a tree in five hours.

I always thought Dad

liked hunting.

But tonight I realized

he did it for me.

He used to say, "Sometimes

you need to do something bad

to stop you from doing

something worse."

()

Tomorrow, I'm gonna go

to the hairdresser

after I clean out

your father's study.

(DOOR OPENS)

()

CHARLES:

Dear India, happy birthday.

You are five years old today.

I wish I could be there

for your party,

but your uncle is far away

in Africa taking pictures.

Dearest India, I'm writing this

letter to you from Florence.

Yesterday, I circled

Michelangelo's David for hours.

He carries a sling.

INDIA:
His belted weapon

over his left shoulder.

CHARLES:
You are my

dearest and only niece

INDIA:
My silent and invisible partner.

CHARLES:
And these

are the lessons for you

in our many chapters together.

INDIA:
Dear India.

CHARLES:
Happy birthday again.

I've missed your first teeth

coming out.

INDIA:
I'll never see the

holes in your smile or how

they will fill in as you mature

into a young lady.

CHARLES:

Greetings from Saint-Etienne,

where everyone I meet insists

on kissing both cheeks.

This custom of hugging

and kissing.

INDIA:
I think you, too,

would find this uncomfortable.

CHARLES:
If I found it

was you in an embrace,

I could make an exception.

INDIA:

I wonder if you would, too.

CHARLES:
Happy Valentine's.

INDIA:
Happy Halloween.

CHARLES:
Merry Christmas. Though

I never receive a letter back...

INDIA:
I see your messages in the stars.

CHARLES:

Or in the music I hear.

It is a whistling tune

from a lonely man

wandering in a foreign land.

I sense things so acutely

until it becomes

almost too much.

I wonder if for you, too,

life is made difficult by...

INDIA:
The fact that you can

hear what others cannot hear,

see what they cannot see.

CHARLES:
I know that someday

you'll be very special, India,

and you already are.

INDIA:
I know inside you

feels some loneliness.

CHARLES:

Because you are the only one.

BOTH:
Please know that I am with

you as we share the same blood.

CHARLES:
Tonight, I'll fall

asleep as I try to imagine

that you'll grow up

and take over our name.

How I want to meet you.

All my love, Charlie.

All my love, Charlie.

()

(PHONE DIALING)

(LINE RINGING)

MAN (ON RECORDING): You've reached

the Middlebend Sheriff's Department.

If this is an emergency,

please hang up and dial 911.

Otherwise, please hold for

the next available operator.

OPERATOR:
Middlebend Sheriff's

Department, how may I help you?

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

(LINE HANGS UP)

My father had the exact same

sunglasses.

He wore them only

when he was driving

so they were always

in the glove compartment.

Now I suppose they're

all melted up,

along with the rest

of the car.

Please leave before

my mother wakes up.

Aren't you curious

about what happened to Richard?

I'm curious about

what happened to Jonathan.

CHARLES:
That's an inseparable

part of what happened to Richard.

Richard was completely taken

with Jonathan.

That summer,

Jonathan had just learned

how to climb the stairs.

RICHARD:

Let's go again. Let's go.

CHARLES:
He couldn't resist climbing

any staircase he came across.

()

(JONATHAN LAUGHING)

(JONATHAN LAUGHS

THEN THUDS)

(JONATHAN CRYING)

(LAWNMOWER WHIRRING)

()

(FLY BUZZING)

INDIA:
It's been 20

years since your family

donated this building

to Crawford.

It may look old now,

but Charlie's room

is still very comfortable.

As you know, he was the one

who wanted to stay here.

And he insisted on being

discharged on this day.

Today.

Welcome to my home.

Away from home.

(MAN SCREAMING IN DISTANCE)

CHARLES:

Au revoir, Dr. Jacquin.

(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

Oui, Charlie.

Until we meet again.

I'm so proud of you.

It always was

your favorite car.

I think you're gonna

love New York.

I got you your own apartment.

You see?

Aren't we going

to your house?

Everything you need

is in here.

Why aren't we going

to your place?

I'm not gonna

see India?

Here are the keys.

I think you'll see

that I've taken care

of all the details.

CHARLES:
Why are you doing this to me?

RICHARD:

Do I really have to

tell you something

you already know?

Why can't I go?

Charlie.

Why not?

Tell me.

You listen very carefully.

This is the most

important thing.

If anything happens,

you must call...

You still love me,

don't you, Richie?

Yes, of course,

I love you, Charlie.

I just have to love you

a little less now.

I can't have you...

Near my India, my family.

And I said:

But I'm your family.

What kind of family is...

...family you can't

take home?

Jesus.

Excuse me.

Jesus, Charlie.

(LAWNMOWER WHIRRING)

()

(GROANS)

()

RICHARD:

Are you okay?

CHARLES:

I'm fine, Richie.

I'm fine now.

Thank you for asking.

()

Charlie?

(GROANING)

Oh, Charlie.

(BLOWS LANDING)

Of course,

I still love you, Richard.

I just have to love you

a little bit less now.

INDIA:

Why now?

Why come back now?

The day I left Crawford,

the day your father

had his accident,

what day was it,

do you remember?

Yes.

I remember.

What day was it?

It was my 18th birthday.

()

I was waiting.

For you.

Everything

I've ever done.

For you, India.

()

(MOANS)

Happy birthday, India.

(DOORBELL CHIMES)

(POLICE RADIO CHATTERING)

INDIA:

Yes, sheriff.

I was hungry, so I stopped

by Rockets for some fries.

I bumped into Whip

at the parking lot

and we decided

to go for a walk.

At night?

Those woods are dangerous.

Oh, I wasn't scared.

Not with Whip there.

He's so strong.

I see.

INDIA:

So we, uh...

We had a very

nice time.

(CLOCK CHIMES)

SHERIFF:

And then?

INDIA:

And then I went home.

I thought Whip said

he was heading home too.

SHERIFF:
Any idea what time that was?

INDIA:

Well, that was, uh...

SHERIFF:
When did you eat the fries?

INDIA:

Excuse me?

SHERIFF:
Well, you said you went

there because you were hungry?

And then, that is,

after having a nice time,

you would have become

even more hungry,

and if you went

to eat some fries,

I could find some people

that can remember

what time they saw you.

INDIA:

I think I, um...

I think I must

have been...

I must have been

blushing.

It was my first time

outside with a boy

and I didn't want

to be seen.

It was 8:
30

when you came home.

Il Trovatore

was playing on PBS.

Yeah, when I came home,

my uncle was watching TV

so I watched it with him.

SHERIFF:

Um, just one moment.

Il Trovatore.

What is it?

It's a foreign movie?

CHARLES:
No. No, it's an opera by Verdi.

Would you like me

to write it down?

I'm fine.

I do hope

Whip's okay.

Well, his folks

are a mess.

Then again,

I have a feeling

that he'll turn up.

Boys that age...

Well, you know

how they are.

I'm sure I do.

(CHUCKLES)

You will let me know

if you hear anything,

won't you?

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