"NINTH STEP"
by
Charles Deemer
FADE
IN:
EXT.
CITY - STREET - DAY
A
car is parked on the street. Standing next to it with a
city
map is STU, 20s. He looks at a building's door in front
of
him, then at his watch. He's dressed casually, for travel.
INT.
BUILDING - ROOM - DAY
A
meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous is wrapping up. A circle
of
people have joined hands and in the background they are
reciting
the Lord's Prayer.
The
wall is filled with AA posters and slogans. We note
particularly
a large poster of the 12-steps -- especially
steps
8 and 9:
"8.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became
willing
to make amends to them all.
9.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible,
except
when to do so would injure them or others."
The
group finishes the prayer and concludes with:
GROUP
Keep coming back!
The
circle breaks up. In the group is ROWENA, late 30s,
dressed
casually. She starts for the door. A MAN stops her.
MAN
You're new.
ROWENA
Yes. I'm from out of town.
MAN
Oh. Then we won't see you again?
ROWENA
Probably not!
She
hurries along her way.
EXT.
STREET - BUILDING - DAY
Rowena
comes out of the building and joins Stu. He starts
folding
the map.
STU
The church is on the way to the
Inn. We could stop there first.
2.
ROWENA
No, no way.
STU
I just meant it would be
convenient.
ROWENA
I need to work up to this.
STU
I thought you'd already decided.
ROWENA
I have decided, I just don't have
the nerve to actually do it yet.
I want to soak in a bath.
She
pecks him on the lips.
ROWENA
Now be a good boy and don't ask
me if it was a good meeting.
She
gets in the car.
EXT.
INN - DAY
Their
car is parked in front of an Inn.
INT.
INN - ROOM - DAY
They
have a room with its own small bath.
Stu
sits, looking through a brochure. Rowena calls from the
bathroom.
ROWENA
(O.S.)
Stu?
STU
Right here.
She
enters, wrapped in a towel.
ROWENA
Maybe I'll do it in the morning.
STU
You're stalling.
3.
ROWENA
I know. At least we're here.
Since we are, maybe we should see
some sites.
STU
First the cemetery, second the
tourist stuff. We already agreed.
ROWENA
I'm not sure I'm up to it today.
STU
You won't be any better tomorrow.
ROWENA
I should have spoken up in the
meeting.
STU
What would that accomplish?
ROWENA
I wouldn't have this knot in my
stomach. I could go to a meeting
in the morning, talk, and then we
could go to the cemetery from
there.
Stu
shakes his head.
ROWENA
You don't know how hard this is
for me.
STU
Then fuck it. Don't go at all.
ROWENA
Of course I'll go.
STU
What's the point?
ROWENA
I have to forgive her. And
forgive myself. It's part of my
program.
STU
Whatever.
4.
ROWENA
Jesus. A lot of support I get
from you.
She
storms back into the bathroom. Stu lets out a long
exhale
of frustration.
EXT.
INN - DAY
Stu
waits at the car. He's changed and wears a shirt and tie.
Rowena
comes out. She's dressed for dinner out, looks great.
Still,
the difference in their ages is clear -- she's about
a
decade older than he is.
ROWENA
I must look terrible.
STU
You look terrific.
ROWENA
The clerk called you my young
friend. I feel like an old whore.
STU
You're a long way from being an
old whore. ... That didn't come
out right.
ROWENA
You'll dump me as soon as I turn
forty.
STU
Christ, Ro, must we do this
again?
Did he suggest a restaurant or
not?
ROWENA
Several.
STU
We're going to the cemetery
first.
ROWENA
It's out of the way.
STU
You're going to get it over with
so we can have some fun here. Now
get in the car and shut up.
Stu
gets in behind the wheel. Rowena has to smile. She likes
it
when he takes charge.
5.
EXT.
VARIOUS STREETS - DAY
The
car drives to the cemetery.
EXT.
CHURCH - CEMETERY - DAY
There's
a cemetery near a church. The car pulls into it and
parks.
INT.
CAR - DAY
Stu
turns off the engine. He starts to get out.
ROWENA
Wait.
STU
Ro ...
ROWENA
Two things. First, I want to go
in alone. I don't want you to be
my crutch. This is something I
have to do myself.
STU
Good for you. What's the other?
ROWENA
This.
She
takes a flask out of her purse.
STU
Ro, no, you can't--
ROWENA
It's not for me. It's for her.
STU
I don't get it.
ROWENA
To pour on her grave. It's the
only thing I ever promised her.
STU
You sure you're alright with
this?
I could come and carry it.
ROWENA
I'll be fine. It's not a
temptation.
6.
She
leans over and kisses him.
ROWENA
You can smell my breath
afterwards.
She
gets out of the car.
EXT.
CEMETERY - DAY
Rowena
enters the cemetery. She walks from gravestone to
gravestone,
reading the names.
EXT.
CEMETERY - ANOTHER AREA - DAY
She
still hasn't found what she's looking for. The cemetery
is
larger than it seemed from the parking area.
She
moves from grave to grave, looking.
Ahead,
a man (TONY, 30s) kneels at a gravestone.
As
Rowena passes, Tony looks up.
TONY
Hello.
ROWENA
Hi.
Rowena
sees the name on the gravestone: a shock! It's the
grave
she's been looking for.
ROWENA
My God. You knew her?
TONY
My mother.
Rowena
looks weak on her feet. Tony gets up to steady her.
TONY
Are you all right?
ROWENA
You said, she's your mother?
TONY
Yes.
ROWENA
But she's my mother.
TONY
Then are you ... Rowena?
7.
ROWENA
I have to sit down.
Tony
helps sit down on the grass. He sits beside her.
TONY
Aunt Sara told me about you.
You're my half-sister.
ROWENA
Aunt Sara?
TONY
She raised me. Mother's sister.
You don't know her?
ROWENA
No. I was eight was she abandoned
us. She ran off with an actor
half her age.
TONY
That's mother. I was twelve when
she left me with Aunt Sara. She
got a part in Europe and didn't
want to be bothered with me. Have
you seen many of her films?
ROWENA
I forced myself to miss them.
TONY
I'm a real fan. I forgave her.
ROWENA
I didn't. I mean, that's what I'm
supposed to be doing here,
forgiving her. Forgiving myself.
TONY
Who's your father?
ROWENA
Jason Daniels. He was a
businessman. Too boring for her.
And yours is the actor ... ?
TONY
No, a director actually. I don't
think they were together even a
year.
8.
ROWENA
I never knew I had a brother.
Half-brother.
TONY
I was going to hire a detective
to find you. I'm serious. This
feels really fated, don't you
think?
ROWENA
It's unreal.
TONY
Yes, this must be quite a shock
for you. Would you like a drink?
He
takes out a flask.
ROWENA
I have my own, thanks.
She
takes out her flask.
TONY
Then how about a toast? I'm
really exited about finally
meeting you.
He
unscrews the top of his flask and raises it, waiting for
Rowena
to join him in a toast.
TONY
To miracles!
Rowena
slowly unscrews her flask and raises it to touch
Tony's.
TONY
Down the hatch.
He
drinks.
Rowena
hesitates.
TONY
Is something the matter?
She
shakes her head -- and drinks.
It's
been a while, but the booze goes down comfortably. Tony
raises
his flask again and drinks. Rowena drinks. And Rowena
drinks
again.
9.
EXT.
CEMETERY - PARKING AREA - DAY
Stu
leans against the car. He looks at his watch.
EXT.
CEMETERY - DAY
Rowena
and Tony are still drinking. Suddenly Tony takes out
some
legal papers. He rests them on his leg and hands Rowena
a
pen.
TONY
You never got your part of the
inheritance. I need your
signature.
ROWENA
(intoxicated)
I didn't think she had anything
left.
TONY
That's what she wanted people to
think. She left quite a bit
actually.
ROWENA
You want me to sign?
TONY
So I can give it to the bank.
ROWENA
I don't know what I'm signing.
TONY
If you can't trust your brother,
who can you trust?
Rowena
signs. Tony taps flasks again.
TONY
Down the hatch.
EXT.
CEMETERY - PARKING AREA - DAY
Stu
waits.
Out
of the cemetery come Tony and Rowena. She's really
drunk,
and Tony has to support her.
STU
That took long enough.
TONY
Let's put her in the back.
10.
Stu
opens the door, and together they drop Rowena onto the
back
seat, where she quickly passes out.
STU
You get the Power of Attorney
signed?
TONY
Signed, sealed and witnessed.
Very legal.
He
gives Stu the legal papers. Then he gives him a set of
car
keys. Stu, in return, gives Tony a key to the Inn.
TONY
The car's about fifty yards up
the road.
STU
I'd better get going if I want to
make the bank before it closes.
Good work, man.
He
starts off.
TONY
Aren't you forgetting something?
STU
Hey, the usual place, right?
TONY
At eight. If I'm waiting at
eight-fifteen, I call the police.
STU
Where are you coming from? If you
can't trust your bother, who can
you trust?
He
heads off.
EXT.
ROAD - DAY
Stu
comes to a parked car. He uses the key Tony gave him to
unlock
it. He gets in and starts the engine.
EXT.
VARIOUS STREETS - DAY
as
Stu drives to the bank.
EXT.
BANK - DAY
Stu
parks at a bank and gets out.
11.
INT.
BANK - DAY
Stu
fills out a withdrawal form.
Then
he waits in line for a teller.
His
turn comes. He steps to the window. He hands the TELLER
the
withdrawal slip and the Power of Attorney.
STU
I'm closing my sister's account.
I have power of attorney.
TELLER
Just a minute, please.
The
teller moves away.
Stu
waits nervously.
He
looks at his watch.
The
teller returns.
TELLER
Sir? That account was closed
yesterday.
INT.
INN - BEDROOM - DAY
Rowena
and Tony in bed together, after making love.
TONY
We'd better get moving. He'll be
finding out about now. I expect
this is the first place he'll
come.
ROWENA
I think we should fly to Paris
tonight.
TONY
It's short notice.
ROWENA
What do you care? You're a kept
man.
TONY
That I am.
ROWENA
And much more entertaining than
your brother.
12.
TONY
You're the entertaining one --
for a while there, you had me
convinced you really were drunk.
ROWENA
I've had lots of practice.
They
get out of bed and will dress.
ROWENA
I have a confession to make.
TONY
What's that?
ROWENA
When you first told me this
cockeyed plan Stu came up with, I
thought the telling was part of
the plan.
TONY
That's too complicated for Stu.
ROWENA
Then I was really angry.
TONY
Of course.
ROWENA
Not the way you think. I was
angry he thought I'd relapse so
easily. He just assumed so.
Everything depended on it.
TONY
Well, he's young.
ROWENA
He knew how difficult my
relationship with my mother was
and took advantage of it. He
assumed I'd go to pieces.
TONY
Yes, that was the M.O.
ROWENA
Why didn't you go along with him?
13.
TONY
He showed me a picture of you. I
was instantly jealous.
ROWENA
I'm glad.
TONY
So am I.
A
pause, while they dress.
ROWENA
How old are you?
TONY
38.
ROWENA
I'm 36. It's been a long time
since I've been with an older
man.
I think I'm going to like it.
She
smiles.
EXT.
STREET - DAY
Stu's
car races down the street.
INT.
CAR - DAY
Stu
is fuming.
FADE
OUT