The Ark Page #4

---

The flood will happen, I swear it.

You're a good friend, Noah.

I respect your beliefs, I really do, but...

Just not enough to share them?

No.

At least think about sending your family

to the ark.

Oh, Emmie said this would happen.

What?

Thanks for helping me.

Kenan.

Kenan.

Come on.

So how did it go?

Oh, exactly as you said it would.

So what now?

The world has become what it has...

...because man has lost his faith.

I will not do the same.

There's nothing wrong

with building a giant boat,

though I'm not sure the

edge of the desert...

...would have been my

first choice as its home.

I mean, any fool would know that boats

struggle to float in sand, wouldn't they?

Hasn't anyone explained to your father...

...about the rather simple relationship

between boats and water?

My father isn't a fool.

It isn't supposed to float in the sand.

He believes there's going to be a flood.

Oh, yeah,

the whole God sending a flood thing.

So not only does he not understand...

...the basic laws of science,

he's also delusional.

Can we talk about something else?

You see, the problem with

ignoring everything...

...science has taught us...

...and believing that one person

designed the whole world...

...is it leaves you with the rather obvious

question of who designed the designer?

No, I'm interested, really.

I mean, does anyone

really believe in God any more?

What about you, Kenan?

- Do you believe in God?

- I don't know.

You don't know?

Do you at least have an opinion?

I think...

You can say 'l don't know.'

I mean, at least that's honest.

But only an idiot would

say 'There is no God'

because to say that, surely,

he must first understand everything.

And only an idiot would think he did.

You can't blame them

for thinking the way they do.

Can't I?

No, because what he's

doing is really stupid.

- He believes in it.

- That doesn't make it right.

Have you ever believed in anything?

Not in God.

I believe in what I see.

I answer to no-one but myself.

It doesn't matter what people think or say,

does it?

What matters is us.

(Hammering)...

...(Hammering continues).

So, let's build a boat.

I brought a hammer.

It's what you men seem to use

to fix just about everything.

Figured I might need it.

I'm sorry, it's just me.

That's the trouble with

the 'Let them make their...

...own decisions' approach

to bringing up kids.

Maybe we should just beat them instead,

make them do as they're told.

'Get in that desert

and build a giant boat with your father.'

Am I rambling?

A bit.

That's because I've just seen the outline

of your boat.

Please tell me you've made

some horrible sizing mistake.

Sorry.

Think I'm going to need a bigger hammer.

Why did you come?

Because although you've

clearly gone mad...

...and you've made the leap

from farmer to idiot...

...in one fell swoop,

you're my idiot.

And I love you.

But do you believe what I told you?

I believe in you.

What have I ever done to deserve you?

I have no idea.

Come on.

Come on. Ham.

You seem to be making good progress.

- For a madman.

- I never said that.

It's not what you're thinking?

You taught us to have minds of our own,

and then when we do,

you suddenly don't seem so pleased.

That's a fair point.

You always taught me to value the things

that are important.

Family.

Our home.

The land that supports us.

And now you've abandoned

all those things.

When you were small...

...and I used to ask you to collect kindling

for the fire to make everyone warm,

you used to rush out with

your basket to fill it.

Yeah.

And every now and then,

when you were only half

way through doing it.

I'd call you back for another errand,

something more important.

An animal had escaped,

I needed an extra pair of hands.

You didn't question why I'd told you

to leave something that I'd sent you to do.

Do you know why?

Because I was your father.

You never questioned it,

because you had no doubt

that I loved you...

...and whatever I was asking you to do

was for the best.

God has told me to leave

the path that I was on...

...and to take another.

I can't question it, or doubt him.

I must do as he asks,

knowing that he loves me and whatever

he's asking me to do is for the best.

Just as you did for me

when you were a child.

(Chuckles).

You've grown into a good man, Shem,

and I couldn't be prouder of you.

But your heart is telling you to look after

your wife and your family,

so that's what you must do.

(Neighing).

No...

Emmie, Emmie.

It's all right, it's all right.

I've got you.

I'm sorry.

(Low conversation).

Thank you.

Well?

She has a fever.

She needs rest, drink water.

You'll stay with her, yeah?

She shouldn't have been out there

working in this heat.

I know.

No, he has to understand what he's doing.

Look at what he's doing to us.

It's not right.

I am still the head of this family.

Well, then, you should be taking care of it,

providing for it, looking after the farm.

Helping your sons with their homes

like you promised to.

But you're not, are you,

Dad? You're building...

...a boat, because 'God has told you to.'

Tell him.

Tell him.

Did you do as he said?

Did you tell your family?

My parents had already heard about

the madman building a boat in the desert.

You?

I think someone should burn it

before it kills him.

- You're not serious?

- We can't.

- You'd rather see him die?

- Of course not.

Look at it.

It's insane.

There isn't a river or lake deep enough

to take that hull.

It could only float in the sea

and the coast is 70 miles away.

Even if we could get it

there, which we can't.

We still can't burn it.

I just want my dad back.

He hasn't gone anywhere.

He's never left your side

for more than a day,

since the moment you were born.

None of you.

- What are you doing?

- Going to help my husband.

No, you can't.

I won't allow it.

Which one of you is man enough

to stop me when your father couldn't?

I'm going to help him build his ark.

Not to pander to his madness,

and not because he believes

that it's God's will...

...but because I remember what love is.

And faith.

Not the kind of faith that

your father has in God,

but the faith I have in him.

Faith that's grown over

years of watching him...

...work to take care of all of us,

with no thought for himself.

Bathing his broken and bloodied hands

every night...

...after he got back from working the fields

on his own, year after year after year.

Faith he deserves because he's only

ever taught you kindness and love.

I've watched him go without food

so his children can eat.

I've seen him work when he's so crippled

with pain that I had to help him out of bed.

So if it's his faith in God

that's got him through...

...everything he's had to endure...

...and it's that faith that brings us here,

then I'm going to help him finish his ark.

If I die in the process

then I'll die happy.

Happy and proud because I found a way

to show him how much I love him.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes