The Indian Runner Page #3

Think it was me.

Wanna get dressed, Frank?

Take you to see your lady.

Pass me my drawers, would you?

I just hope he doesn't hurt himself.

He'll be fine.

Joe will bring him home.

So where did you and Frank meet?

Shoot. Everywhere, I guess.

Excuse me.

Do you have a 6?

Go fish.

Look, I got what I asked for!

- Do you have a 9?

- Am I losing here?

Go fish.

Welcome back.

Feel sort of funny,

showing up like that.

I'm glad you're here.

And Dorothy too.

Finally got lucky, huh?

Well, I sure hope so. 'Cause...

...she's got my little monkey

in her belly.

You're gonna be a pop?

- Joe! Dorothy's pregnant!

- So I just heard.

Come here, Slappy.

I knew Frank came back

because of Dad's suicide.

It was an unsettling thought,

but that he came back at all...

Help me with this!

...and that he was gonna have a baby...

...was enough for me to feel

that he'd not gone numb.

What am I? Black?

Messy.

What are you doing?

This is where you used to be

a little boy.

It's where I grew up, yeah.

We're gonna be in the big room.

I know. I just want to smell it.

Sorry.

I love you more than anybody

ever loved anybody.

Come on, Frankie. It's our first night

alone together in a big house.

I love you back, okay?

Honey, I gotta go.

I told Joe I'd meet him at 11.

I'm late.

You're a beauty!

Frank!

What?

If you see a shooting star...

...or if you see anything else,

will you think of me?

You really asking me

those questions...

...or are you just stalling me?

Both.

I'll be back soon.

Used to be bears out here.

Yeah, not so damn long ago.

It wasn't even timbered

when we were kids.

New ground!

New ground, sh*t!

New ground!

- Not new ground!

- What do you mean?

Old ground!

Old ground, sh*t!

- Old ground, Dad said.

- Said what? What did Dad say?

You had a Sioux village

...and another 10 miles southwest.

He said when this was all wood...

...you had Indian runners taking

messages through here.

- Getting chewed by wolves.

- Safe from wolves!

- Shredded by grizzlies.

- Safe from grizzlies.

Safe, sh*t!

Safe, Dad said.

Said what?

Independent of time and space, the

runner becomes his message.

Ain't no wolf, no bear

gonna eat a message.

Since when do you...

Wait a minute!

Oh, I get it.

I get it.

I know you think that way.

What way?

What way?

I still love you.

Dad finally did something you respect.

Pop should have been

an Indian runner.

This place looked better

when I had it.

I'll bet it did.

You know why?

Because you had the fire in you.

People now don't even live

on the land they work.

Ain't got no fire. Never had it!

The fire?

The fire's out now! So what?

Between the cradle and now

you happened.

- You burned, brother!

- So...

What do I have to show for it?

What you got, Farmer Joe,

is knowing...

...knowing you once was.

On fire!

Sh*t. Sh*t. Sh*t!

Man!

I burned!

- The land was churned.

- I burned.

- Soil was turned.

- I burned.

They took what you earned.

A lesson learned.

Meeting adjourned.

I've missed this, Frankie.

I've missed having a laugh with you.

Me too.

What did you do that for?

Come on.

Okay, big bear!

I'm an Indian runner!

I'm a message.

And the message is...

...bet you can't find me!

I'll get you.

Ready to give up?

Goddamn it.

All right.

All right, you win!

You're a message. You win.

- Oh, Joseph!

- Oh, Joey!

The message is...

...never trust a bear.

I thought you were a tough guy.

Frank worked hard...

...every shift he could get on...

...and Dorothy tended the house,

got the old place looking new.

Me...

...I wanted to burn again.

- How much longer do I have to do this?

- Forty seconds.

I don't think this is

good for the baby.

Shh! Thirty-five seconds.

Frank?

Why do I have to do this?

I gotta know. 25.

Gotta know what?

Shh! 20.

Ten, nine...

...eight, seven...

...six, five, four...

...three, two, one.

Okay, good.

I'll marry you if you want.

Did you say you'd marry me?

If you want.

Oh God, I'm gonna be your wife!

Go, Frankie, go!

Good, little sister!

It's kicking! Frankie, it's kicking!

Let me see.

There?

That's a punch!

That's the last wild son.

Is that right, what your papa said?

You gonna be a big, strong dude...

What about me?

I got some mosquito bites

that need scratching.

How about you and me go

fiddle with the hydraulics?

Frank. Don't talk like that!

Frank, why are you

looking at me like that?

Come on, Frankie, you're scaring me.

Frank, you're scaring me.

Did I say the wrong thing?

Is it you don't know when

I say something nice?

Don't.

Don't know good things from bad?

That it?

Is it that we're strangers?

- We're not strangers!

- What are you talking about?

Frankie? Let's eat.

You eat!

You eat!

Stop it.

Wait. Where are you going?

It's okay, baby. Shh, it's okay.

He's just restless, that's all.

You go put your hands on him,

and you can't file charges!

- You didn't see. He blindsided me!

- You listen to me!

- Let me in there!

- No, you're not going in!

Clyde, I'm gonna run you in, man.

- F*** you guys, man.

- Watch your language!

Maria said she didn't know

where you were.

Inside. It's Frank.

This guy Frank busted up is

talking about pressing charges.

Keep him there, Jim.

- Where is he?

- In there, boss.

I had to cuff him to the bar rail.

Frankie.

He ran up a tab tonight,

huh, Caesar?

He did that. He tells me

he can sell some furniture.

- Can you give us a minute, Caesar?

- All right.

Is that right, Frank?

You can sell some furniture?

- Yep.

- That's good.

You blow off some steam,

Dorothy's got nothing to sit on.

What can you sell to keep this

other fella from pressing charges?

You could do a year.

What can I say? I f***ed up.

I get in a violent way.

I look around and

I want to bust it all.

I see that guy, I want him to

look at me cross-eyed.

I want that excuse to do him.

So you spend your life in jail?

That's a bear, man.

I'm a message!

Jail can't touch me.

Give me a cigarette.

I thought you were done with this.

Well...

What about Dorothy and the baby?

- Outside parties.

- What?

Outside parties! Give me a light.

Look, I'm tired.

I'll just sit here, okay?

- I'll sit here, relax.

- Fine.

Let's clean...

Wait a minute, wait a minute!

- You gotta let me get in there!

- Listen!

Boy, I had some Western times

in this joint.

Frankie, you got a job.

- Oh, yeah.

- You got a great girl.

- Yeah.

- You got a baby coming.

Give me your free hand.

Give me your hand.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

- I'm gonna cut you a break.

- Oh.

Randall!

Yeah, boss?

Bring that fella in here.

Well, Joe, he'll just

jump all over Frank.

I know.

- You're bleeding!

- Goddamn rocket scientist, I tell you.

I'm gonna go, Frank.

Make sure he comes by tomorrow.

I'll keep the car keys, all right?

Good night.

Good night.

What happened?

Ask Joe.

You've done everything you can.

I know.

I know.

I look at him...

...and I see this little boy...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes