Monday, July 1, 2013

# 3 SHIPS IN THE NIGHT


…following on from # 2 SHIPS IN THE NIGHT…

17 INT CAB. NIGHT

MATT drives. TRACY sits in the passenger seat studying him. 

TRACY
Why'd you change your mind?

MATT 
Lousy judge of character, I guess.

TRACY
Leaping to the conclusion I was a 'runner'?  

MATT smiles but before he has a chance to respond:

TRACY 
Or leaping to the conclusion that I'm not a liar.

MATT
Guess I'll find out soon enough.

TRACY
Guess so. (A BEAT)You get many runners?

MATT
Not too many…but…too many. Had a couple tonight.

TRACY
Two in one night!?

MATT
No, a 'couple'. As is boy and girl. About your age. Lovers.

TRACY
Lovers! What's love, ay? Ya know the answer to that one. GQ?

MATT
'Fraid not. (A BEAT) Matt.

TRACY
Complex and convoluted, ay, Matt! Love?

MATT laughs, looks at her.

TRACY  
What?

MATT (LAUGHS)
Hadn't picked you as someone who would use a word like 'convoluted'.

TRACY
Love it. con-vol-oo-ted...You know how you fall in love with particular words?
Mellifluous… love that word…sounds so…mellifluous (LAUGHS) Convolve… convolution… convolvulus…you know what that is?

MATT
Flower?

TRACY
Yes, from the Latin 'convolvere'…

MATT (INCREDULOUS)
You do Latin at school!?

TRACY
No, it's a game me and my boyfriend and I play on google - just, you know, searching randomly for…you know, when things just happen by chance. Fate. Whatever. Like you giving me a ride. Serendipity. Or me taking you for a ride!

MATT (LAUGHS)
You got a pause button, Tracy?

TRACY
Nup, just fast forward, Matt.

The muffled sound of a rooster crowing emanates from the pocket of Matt's jacket. MATT takes it out, looks at the screen, puts it back in his pocket.

MATT
Mind if I ask you a question?

TRACY
'Long as I can ask you one.

MATT (NODS)
Deal. (A BEAT) How can your dad know you all your life and not know he's your dad?

TRACY
Duh! He's a man! Clueless! 

MATT nods, smiles to himself.

TRACY  
Do passengers…like…tell taxi drivers all sorts of personal stuff? You know, like secrets and shit?  (MATT NODS) But if you had a choice, they'd keep their mouths shut, right?

MATT smiles. TRACY zips her mouth shut, pauses a moment before starting up again.

TRACY  
I guess some people just like to talk about themselves, ay?

MATT
Most people… 

TRACY looks out the window thoughtfully, her forehead creased with worry. MATT watches her for a moment.

MATT  
You like to talk about yourself?

TRACY shrugs ('I don't know'), closely followed by a tentative nod ('I guess, maybe!'), closely followed by a shake of the head ('no'). MATT smiles.

MATT  
I don't know…I guess, maybe…and no?

TRACY (LAUGHS)
Okay, yes, because I find myself pretty fucking fascinating… And no because I get bored shitless being fucking fascinated by myself.

MATT
Too much of a good thing?

TRACY
Too much of something. Way too much! You ever get, like, you know, bored with being fascinated by yourself?

MATT 
When I was young..(A BEAT) maybe.

TRACY
How old are you, Matt? (A BEAT) Old enough to be my dad, I reckon.

MATT
I'm not. (A BEAT) Your dad, I mean.

TRACY bursts out laughing. MATT smiles.

MATT  
Least I don't think I am! What's your mum's name?
TRACY
Merily.

MATT
As in merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, gently down the stream?

TRACY
But with only one r. And 'gentle's' not a word I'd use to describe mum!

MATT
Nup, don't remember any Merily.

TRACY
Can you remember all the women you've slept with?

MATT raises his eyebrows; doesn't answer.

TRACY  
Maybe there's a little Matt out there somewhere with your genes. Or a little Matilda. Wondering who her dad is. You ever think about that?

MATT shakes his head, looks of at TRACY - whose slef-confident banter is now tinged with vulnerability.

TRACY  
What would you do if a young woman turned up on your front doorstep one day and said, “Hey, dad!”?… Would you be…like…all excited or would you be more like…“Oh shit!”?

MATT
A young girl like you? Woman!

TRACY bites her lip nervously, shrugs. MATT looks at her. She becomes self-conscious.

TRACY
Don't suppose you want another daughter, ay?

The muffled sound of a rooster crowing again. MATT ignores it. TRACY’S attention focuses on the ringing phone.

TRACY  
What if it's to tell you you've won Lotto? And you miss out on...?

MATT
You still at school?

TRACY
Another year or so.
MATT
Good student?

TRACY
Not 'good', but I do well in exams.

MATT
Any idea what you want to do when…?

TRACY
…I grow up. Actress. I think. Yeah… actress! Be so cool to get paid pretending to be someone else.

MATT looks at her, smiles - definitely enjoying her company now. TRACY’S next line has a flirtatious edge to it.

TRACY  
Reckon I'd make a good actress?

MATT
Yeah, but…you're so full of questions I was thinking…maybe… journalist, private eye…therapist…

TRACY (LAUGHS)
Shrink! That'd be a joke! (A BEAT) Wanna know why?

MATT
You're going to tell me anyway, right?

TRACY laughs, looks at MATT for a moment.

TRACY
When I was 13 my mum sent me to see a therapist. I called her The Rapist. But she didn't get anywhere with me…The Rapist…so then mum sent me to see The Shrink. And she's not getting anywhere either.

MATT
Why do you need to see a shrink?

TRACY
Well The Rapist thought it was pathological and The Shrink thinks it's just obsessive-compulsive.

MATT
What is?

TRACY
I'm a nymphomaniac.
MATT is dumbfounded, tries to think of something to say but nothing occurs to him. The beginnings of a smile appear at the edges of TRACY'S lips. When MATT glances at her, TRACY'S smile broadens and becomes a laugh.

TRACY  
I'm not a nymphomaniac. Promise. I'm a pathological liar. At least that's what The Rapist thought. The Shrink thinks its just compulsive.

MATT
There's a difference?

TRACY
Mega.

MATT
So you can't stop yourself lying?

TRACY
If I want to. It's just mostly I don't want to.

MATT
What kind of lies?

TRACY
Oh, telling taxi drivers that I've lost my wallet…that I'm a nymphomaniac.

MATT
So, you haven't lost your wallet? (A BEAT) And you're not a nymphomaniac?

TRACY
No, one of those is not a lie.

MATT
Which one?

TRACY
If I told you, you wouldn't believe me.

MATT
Because you're a pathological liar?

TRACY (GRINS)
Right.

MATT looks at her, smiles, shakes his head.

TRACY   
If I lived in Cronulla, would you've given me a ride even if you thought I was going to do a runner?

MATT
Probably.

TRACY
So it's not losing eighty bucks worries you most, ay?

MATT
Nah! I'm a millionaire, driving a taxi for fun…ay!

TRACY  
Lucky you got a fun-loving passenger.

MATT
Who shouldn't be out looking for fun at this time of night.

TRACY (SMILES)
Yes dad! (A BEAT) So, what are you looking for late at night, GQ?

MATT
A good night's sleep.

TRACY
I guess that's an age thing. (A BEAT) Plenty of time for sleeping when you're dead, ay? You think a lot about being dead? D'ya reckon it'd be worse being boiled alive in oil or bitten to death slowly by carnivorous ants?

MATT laughs, shakes his head.

TRACY  
Or being stuck in a taxi with a motor-mouth like me?

MATT
I reckon the boiling oil'd be less painful.

TRACY laughs. Again, the muffled sound of a rooster crowing emanates from MATT'S jacket pocket.

TRACY
I don't want to be rude or nothing, but seems like you've got cock in your pocket that wants to get out

MATT  
It's a rooster.

TRACY
What ya doing with a rooster in ya pocket? (MATT LAUGHS) Ya not going to let it out?

MATT
How old are you, Tracy?

TRACY
Old enough for your to not get into trouble if you let your…rooster out!

MATT looks at her. It is difficult to read his thoughts.

TRACY  
You ever get girls…women…you know, offering to pay their fare with sexual favours?

MATT
You make a habit of talking to taxi drivers like this?

TRACY
Only when I haven't got any money to pay my fare. (A BEAT) Just joking, Matt.

MATT
You could get yourself into a lot of trouble joking like that.

TRACY
Yay! Trouble rules, ay! (A BEAT) But if I wasn't joking, would you be able to resist…the temptation? 

MATT looks at her, his face giving nothing away.

TRACY  
Has it ever happened to you? What would you do if a young woman offered…?

MATT
Don't, Tracy! You talk this way with total strangers, dressed like that…

TRACY (ANGRY)
Stop trying to be my fucking father.

MATT holds up his hands: OK. She looks out the window, plays with her hair nervously. MATT watches her.

TRACY  
Sorry, but…I've had a shit night.

MATT
Me too.

TRACY
Bet mine was shittier than yours.

MATT
Mine's been pretty shitty.

TRACY
Even before I got in? (A BEAT) You probably think I'm mad, ay?

MATT 
As a cut snake.

TRACY
Really?

MATT 
No, a little unusual, maybe…

TRACY (DELIGHTED)
Loveable?

MATT smiles but says nothing.

TRACY  
My friends think I'm peculiar. At least I think they do, but its heaps hard to know what other people really think, ay! And just coz they say they think something doesn't mean they do, know what I mean!

MATT
Do you think you're peculiar?

TRACY (SHRUGS)
Don't feel peculiar. I just feel…me…

MATT
It's everybody else that's peculiar?

TRACY
Yes.

MATT nods. The muffled sound of a rooster crowing emanates from Matt's sport's jacket pocket again. 

TRACY  
Who's driving you crazy this time of night apart from me?

MATT does not want to pursue this line of conversation. TRACY zips her mouth shut, looks at the pocket of MATT'S jacket. The ringing stops. She looks at MATT'S face, his jaw clenched tight. Suddenly she leans over, reaches into the pocket of MATT'S jacket, extracts his mobile.

TRACY  
Hey, same as mine.

MATT (ANNOYED)
Give it to me, Tracy!

MATT reaches for his mobile. TRACY slides out of reach, holds up her mobile in one hand, Matt's in the other: Identical.

MATT (ANGRY)  
I'm serious. Give it to me.

TRACY laughs, shakes her head, looks at the LCD screen. The smile disappears from her face. She looks at MATT. He can't hold her gaze, looks away. TRACY reads:

TRACY
'Please dad, talk to me'.

MATT'S breathing is deep, rapid.

TRACY 
That's one minute ago. This one's five minutes ago. (SHE READS)”I need to tell you something…” Hello! Juliet needs…

MATT holds out his hand, snaps angrily at her.

MATT
Give me the fucking phone…

TRACY slides further out of his reach, continues reading:

TRACY
“…something important.” Hello! Your daughter has something important to tell you at 2 in the morning and you don't want to know…

MATT swerves on the road as he reaches out to grab his phone. The cab screeches to a halt. TRACY, oblivious to being thrown up against the dash when the car suddenly stops, ploughs on:

TRACY 
Twenty minutes ago. (READS) “I'm sorry I hung up on you”. What kind of a fucking father are you?

MATT, a little out of control, wrestles with TRACY to get his phone back. He succeeds, but his grip is not firm and it drops to the floor - along with Tracy's phone and her hand bag. TRACY is shocked and hurt by this moment of anger in MATT - a moment that he is already regretting.

MATT
I'm sorry, Tracy…So so sorry…

TRACY plays nervously with her hair. Tears well in her eyes.

TRACY
What if she's in trouble?

In a highly emotional state TRACY picks her hand bag up from the floor, puts into it the items that have fallen out.

TRACY 
What if she feels she can’t cope? 

TRACY
If she needs her daddy?

TRACY'S eyes fill with tears as she retrieves her mobile.

TRACY 
Why are you driving me home when you daughter needs you?

MATT wants to say something, but he is at a loss what! He reaches out to her. TRACY recoils, holds up her hands.

TRACY 
Fuck off!

She opens the door, gets out of the cab.

MATT
Don't! Please, Tracy!

TRACY walks away from the cab. MATT opens his door.

18 EXT. CAB. ROADSIDE. NIGHT

TRACY walks fast from streetlight into shadow. MATT runs after her, stops, calls out.

MATT
Please! I'm sorry, Tracy. I…

She stops, turns, looks at MATT from the shadows, expecting something. MATT shakes his head. He has no understanding of what is going on. He is in unchartered emotional territory.

MATT 
I don't know...I'm so fucking...I don’t know...lost!? I even thought of asking…but no I can… 
MATT looks at TRACY, immobile in the shadows. Frozen. The silence is deafening. Then the soft sound of TRACY crying.

MATT 
Tracy?

He takes a tentative step towards her. Then another. He is close to her now. She looks up at him, her eyes filled with her need. She leans toward MATT. He opens his arms. She falls into them, holds him tight. MATT'S face is a battleground of emotions. Suddenly TRACY yelps like a wounded animal, pushes him away, turns and run off. MATT shouts after her.

MATT 
Please…Juliet…

She is gone. MATT stands alone in the dark, shaking. He tries to control his deep rapid breathing; puts his wounded hand on his heart, sees that his knuckles are bleeding again. He wipes his moist eyes, walks back to the cab, around to the driver's side, looks at the crack in the window. It has grown a couple of inches and now has three small branches, tributaries. He reaches into his pocket for his mobile. It is not there. He remembers, moves to the open passenger door, reaches down and picks it up from the floor. He opens the keypad, types 'J', then 'U', pauses. Nothing happens. He types 'L', pauses, then 'I'. He is puzzled now. The mobile rings but it is not the crowing of a rooster. It is the distinctive sound of Tracy's mobile. MATT presses the appropriate icon. Onscreen, the image of:
A naked young man with curly red hair, his hands joined to conceal his genitals. It is BLUE, the young red-headed man from the opening sequence. The frozen image comes to life.

BLUE
Babe!

He opens his arms wide, revealing a codpiece in the shape of an elephant's head - replete with big ears and, of course, a trunk!

BLUE 
Love you heaps!

…to be continued…


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