Monday, July 1, 2013

# 5 SHIPS IN THE NIGHT


…following on from # 4 SHIPS IN THE NIGHT…

26 EXT. TAXI. CITY STREET. NIGHT

MATT drives in silence, BLUE in the passenger seat. MATT is in a foul mood. BLUE plays absent-mindedly with the silver ring on his middle finger. It is identical to the one Tracy was wearing. MATT notices.

BLUE
You ever been addicted to anything?  Cigarettes, Maccas…porn.

MATT shakes his head.

BLUE 
Not even to footie?

MATT
I don't want to talk, Blue, about anything! Okay?
BLUE nods, thinks a moment, looks at MATT.

BLUE
You pre-menstrual or something? I mean menopausal…men can get menopause too, ya know? When ya testosterone levels drop. (A BEAT) My dad, when...

MATT
There's nothing wrong with my testosterone levels!

BLUE nods, holds up his hands in a playful gesture of surrender; looks at MATT'S bloody knuckles.

BLUE
Loved footie when I was a kid but I was skinny little cunt and...That's what my friends called me before 'Blue' - 'Skinny'.

MATT nods but does not want to talk with BLUE.

BLUE (NODS) 
Yeah, so how'd you get to be called Tubba?

MATT makes it clear he does not want to talk to BLUE.

BLUE 
I'm a porn addict. Internet. Recovering, but…

Tracy's phone rings.

BLUE 
Want me to get that?

MATT nods. BLUE answers phone.

BLUE 
Yo!

SERENA'S VOICE
I can see what you're up against! What planet is that girl from?

BLUE
She's fucking amazing, ay, Serena?

SERENA'S VOICE
Is that Blue?

BLUE
'Blue', 'Skinny', call me anything but just not late for dinner, ay!

SERENA'S VOICE
You got Matt there?

MATT grabs the phone from BLUE.

MATT
It's more like he's got me. Tracy and…I've been kidnapped.

SERENA laughs.

MATT 
Help!

SERENA'S VOICE
You mean you've allowed yourself…

MATT (LAUGHS)
Yeah, yeah, yeah…Blue's just about to tell me about being a porn addict.

BLUE leans close to the phone at MATT'S ear.

BLUE
Recovering, Serena. I found the cure.

SERENA'S VOICE
You want a job? Half my male clients are porn addicts.

BLUE
Yeah, Trace told me you were a shrink…

SERENA'S VOICE
Therapist…

BLUE
Whatever…Google.

SERENA'S VOICE
Google?

BLUE
Best cure there is!

SERENA'S VOICE
Google! How's that?

BLUE
Fuck! Hard to know where to begin.

SERENA'S VOICE
Beginning's a good start, Blue.

MATT
Hey, I'm driving. I'm down to my last point. This is not a good idea.

BLUE
Why don't you have one of these hands free things?

SERENA'S VOICE
Good question, Blue. Practical matters…hang on…gotta go. Got another call coming in...Tracy.

MATT
Jesus! What are you two talking about?

SERENA'S VOICE
Secret women's business.

BLUE
Me and Matt's talking secret men's business.

Serena laughs, hangs up. MATT looks at BLUE, incredulous.

MATT
Okay, you and porn! Tell me…

BLUE
Yeah, OK, but first...you were gunna tell me how you got to be called Tubba.

MATT
No, I was very definitely NOT going to tell you...(A BEAT) I was fat as a kid and my best friend called me 'Tubalard'.

BLUE
Tubalard?

MATT
Tub of Lard. Tubby.

BLUE
And it hurt you heaps, ay?

MATT looks at BLUE, nods.

BLUE 
And ya cry yaself to sleep even if ya laugh along with it, ay? Just coz you're a hopeless skinny little cunt doesn't mean ya got no feelings…ay?

MATT
Lucky for me being bigger than the other boys at 11 made me star of the footie team…And when it turned out I could run too and then the puppy fat turned to muscle…

BLUE
I'd die for a bit of puppy fat.

MATT smiles, turns to BLUE.

MATT
So, you and porn?

BLUE
Well, Trace is a porn star, see. Major! (A BEAT) Hot. (A BEAT) The hottest! (A BEAT) The best. Vegetables is her speciality. (A BEAT) Nah, just taking the piss Tubba…

MATT
Matt.

BLUE
Well, one night, see, Matt, I went to type 'p-o-r-n' into google like I had heaps before but I typed 'p-o-r-b' by mistake and before I knew it I was looking at a map of a town in Poland called Szklarska Porbe but I didn't have a fucking clue where Poland was so I typed 'P-o-l-a-n-d' into google and before I knew it I was finding out things about Poland I had no idea I wanted to know.Ask me any question about Poland and I'll probably know the answer - like how Mount Kosciuszko is named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko …then there's another Polish guy called Roman Polanski - a ped film  director who got into trouble fucking a 13 year old girl And...so, next time I felt like looking at some porn I typed C-U-N…Y and instead of, you know, and next thing I'm looking at City University of New York  and all the courses they have…4,000 fucking courses and it was then I realized how much I didn't know and…google became my…you know…place to go when the old porn thing reared its ugly head. All I have to do is make a little spelling mistake and fucked if I  know what I'll be finding out about next! And that's how I come across this word I'd never fucking heard of - 'serendipity', you know…looking for one thing but finding something else that's way better than the thing you were looking for and when I met Tracy at one night - we both had double cheese burghers with the works - and I dropped 'serendipity' into the conversation trying to show off and figuring she wouldn't know what it meant and she grinned like a fucking Cheshire cat…and there was this song on the radio…'Ships in the night', and it was some fucking thing at first sight. Love or whatever…Soul mates or something, I don't know and Trace and I disagree on it but…

BLUE starts singing. He has an awful singing voice!

BLUE (SINGS) 
“Like ships in the night
You keep passing me by,  Just wasting time, trying to prove who's right…” Yeah, I know, shouldn't give up my day job, ay? It's like…our song, know what I mean? Me and Trace.

MATT laughs, looks at BLUE in amazement.

MATT
What is your day job, Blue?

BLUE
Y'know how there's some songs make you want to take all your clothes off, take a running jump off the roof, free fall 21 floors, land in the snow, make a snow angel, shiver from the cold, get hypothermia, DIE!, go the pearly gates, say “what's up” to Saint Peter, do your secret hand shake with him, look in the
directory for Buddha, find Him, ask Him  to reincarnate you into a frog, meet a princess like Tracy, kiss her, turn into a prince…know what I mean? (A BEAT) Furniture removalist. You got anything needs moving, I'm your man…So that's how I went looking for porn and found Trace. Beautiful Tracy. My soul mate. But…because…Can I ask your advice on something? Personal? Seeing as how you're…well, old and everything? You've been in love, right?

MATT (SMILES)
I'm not that old…

BLUE
Well, when a boy and girl are going out together and…
Tracy's mobile in MATT'S pocket rings. MATT takes it out.

BLUE 
Want me to (answer it)?

MATT nods, hands the phone to BLUE.

BLUE 
Yo.

TRACY'S VOICE
Put Matt on.

BLUE
Hey, babe…

TRACY'S VOICE
Put Matt on.

BLUE
Tracy wants to talk to you.

MATT looks in the rear-vision mirror and in his side mirror, takes the mobile reluctantly.

TRACY'S VOICE
Change of plan. I want you to meet me in Parramatta. Serena's cool with it.

MATT
Great to know that you and Serena have sorted my life out for me.

TRACY'S VOICE
There's club called 'Stardust', do you know it?

MATT
I'm a fucking taxi-driver, Britney, of course I know it.

BLUE
Britney!

TRACY'S VOICE
Great, Tubba…see ya there in ten. Hey. That photo is so cool. You with a six pack!

MATT
What photo?

TRACY'S VOICE
I sent it to Blue. You didn't get it!?

BLUE
Sorry babe, I forgot. I'll…Britney!

TRACY'S VOICE
I'm not your babe, Blue!

BLUE takes out his mobile phone.

MATT
Tracy, what photo are you talking about?

The sound of a police siren. The inside of the cab lights up with the flashing orange light.

MATT 
Fuck!

MATT sees the police car in his rear vision mirror, pulls over, drops the phone into his lap, shakes his head. He can't believe this is happening. A POLICEMAN walks up: 

POLICEMAN #1
Driver.

MATT nods, looks at him quizzically: 'What's this all about?'

POLICEMAN #1
Can I see your driver's license please?

MATT hands his driver's license to the POLICEMAN #1.

As POLICEMAN #1 looks at it, MATT glances down, sees BLUE'S hand between his legs, grabbing his mobile.

POLICEMAN #1 
Mr Patterson? (MATT NODS) You're aware that it is contrary to the Traffic Act to speak on your mobile phone whilst driving a vehicle on a public road?

MATT nods.

BLUE
He wasn't.

POLICEMAN #1
I beg your pardon!

POLICEMAN #1 leans over, shines his flashlight in BLUE'S face.

BLUE
He wasn't talking on his phone.

POLICEMAN #1
Think I'm blind, mate?

BLUE
Wouldn't let you be a cop if you were blind.

POLICEMAN #1 indicates the mobile between MATT'S legs, holds out his hand.

POLICEMAN #1
Driver?

MATT picks up the decal covered mobile, his eyes meeting BLUE's for a moment before he hands it to POLICEMAN #1.

POLICEMAN #1 takes the phone, looks at the screen, presses an icon. MATT looks at BLUE - who winks conspiratorially. MATT looks back through the window at:
POLICEMAN #1, eyebrows raised, looking with some surprise at the mobile screen. He leans down, looks past MATT at BLUE for a moment. He then turns, signals to POLICEMAN #2, standing beside the patrol car, to join him.

POLICEMAN #2 walks up, looks at the mobile phone screen, exchanges glances with POLICEMAN #1.

POLICEMAN #2
Could you step out of your vehicle please driver.

MATT opens the door, gets out. As he does so, BLUE glances at the slim parcel tied with a ribbon on the seat beside him.

27 EXT. TAXI. CITY STREET. NIGHT

POLICEMEN #1 and #2 look at photos on Blue's mobile, exchange glances.

POLICEMAN #2 leans down, looks through the window at BLUE, holds up the mobile to compare BLUE with the photo of:
     
Blue, naked, his hands joined at his crotch.

MATT glimpses the photo. His heart sinks. POLICEMAN #2 flips through other photos of Blue in his elephant-cod-piece naked state. Clearly Blue has done several similarly posed photos. POLICEMAN #2 presses 'play' on one of them.

Onscreen:

Blue, removes his hands with a flourish, holds them wide, revealing his elephant's head codpiece.

BLUE
Surprise! Love you heaps.

POLICEMEN #1 and #2 look in through the window at BLUE, then at MATT, then back at BLUE - Matt's slim parcel in his lap.

POLICEMAN #2
How old are you, son?

BLUE
Eighteen.

POLICEMAN #2 nods, looks at MATT, then down at his feet (one green, one red sock), only one with a slip-on shoe on it.

POLICEMAN #2
You aware of the traffic regulations regarding appropriate footwear for taxi drivers, Mr. Patterson?

As MATT tries to formulate an answer, POLICEMAN # 1, checking out photos on the mobile, taps POLICEMAN # 1 on the shoulder. Together look at a particular photo for a long moment, exchange glances. MATT'S attention has been caught by:

BLUE, in the cab, has taken the greeting card out of Matt's slim parcel and is reading it. MATT is not happy about this.

POLICEMAN #1
This you?

He holds the mobile up to MATT.

Onscreen, a photo from the sporting pages of an old newspaper with the caption

TUBBA TOPS:

Matt, mid 20s, smiles triumphantly, in football shorts only (with a six-pack to die for!) holds aloft a huge silver cup as his proud team mates shower him with champagne. Matt and his team, on a football field, are surrounded by footie fans.

MATT nods.

POLICEMAN #1 
You're the Matt Patterson who played for Roosters right?

MATT nods. POLICEMAN #1 smiles.

POLICEMAN #1 
Hey, awesome! You signed my football for me. You wouldn't remember me of course. I was just a kid but I thought you were…hey…do you mind if I ask you something? There was this one game against the Sea Eagles with only a minute to go and…

MATT smiles and nods as POLICEMAN #1 remembers.

POLICEMAN #1 
…the Roosters were one point behind and you intercepted this pass, and ran the length of the fucking field and…

28 INT. TAXI. CITY STREET. NIGHT

MATT, smiling, settles back into the driver's seat, fastens his seat belt.

POLICEMAN #1
Great to meet you, Matt. (A BEAT) And you'll get that windscreen fixed first thing tomorrow, right?

MATT nods. POLICEMAN #2 leans in a little closer, glances in at BLUE again, speaks sotto voce to MATT.

POLICEMAN #2
He really is eighteen, right?

He winks at MATT conspiratorially.

29 EXT. TAXI. CITY STREET. NIGHT

POLICEMEN #1 and #2 get back into their patrol car as MATT pulls back onto the road and drives off.

30 INT. TAXI. NIGHT

MATT drives, BLUE in the passenger seat. The police car passes them. POLICEMAN #1 waves from the passenger window.

MATT
Thanks, Blue.

BLUE
No worries, Matt.

MATT looks at the slim parcel on the seat between them with the envelope attached, then up at BLUE. 

BLUE (SHEEPISH) 
Yeah, sorry, I know I shouldn't of, but…

MATT
You don't read other people's private...stuff…ever! 

BLUE
What about if ya trying to find out something someone's trying to keep secret from you but which they shouldn't keep secret from you?

MATT ponders this question for a moment but before he can think of a response:

BLUE 
For Juliet?

MATT
None of your business.

BLUE
For Serena?

MATT
None of your business.

BLUE
For someone you love though, ay? (A BEAT) Ay?

MATT
Yes.

BLUE
Then why've you written, 'you know how much I care about you?' 

MATT
Jesus, Blue! It's none of your business. (A BEAT) Because…I do care about her.

BLUE
Who?

MATT (ANNOYED)
None of your business.

BLUE
But caring for someone's not the same as loving them, ay? And loving someone's not the same as being in love with someone! Or is it? (A BEAT) Love's fucking weird, ay?

MATT smiles, nods, looks at his watch.

MATT
You any idea why Tracy wants to meet me at 'Stardust'?

BLUE (GRINS)
Yeah, but it's a surprise.

MATT
What sort of surprise?

BLUE
Won't be a surprise if I tell you and I can't tell you anyway because I promised Trace and…

MATT
…it's important to keep promises.

BLUE
Right.

31 EXT. CITY STREET. CLOSE TO 'STARDUST'. NIGHT

MATT parks his cab a little down the road from STARDUST - outside of which a couple of dozen YOUNG MEN and WOMEN stand talking. He gets out of the cab, looks across the road for Tracy. He can't see her; makes a gesture to that effect to BLUE - who sits grinning in the front passenger seat.

BLUE
She'll be there somewhere. Maybe you need to take a closer look.

MATT
Is this some kind of joke?

BLUE
No, its some kind of surprise. Live dangerously, Tubba…I mean, Matt. What doesn't kill ya…

BLUE gestures to MATT to get out of the cab. MATT, annoyed, heeds Blue's command, gets out, heads along the pavement towards STARDUST.

32 EXT. 'STARDUST'. NIGHT

MATT looks around for Tracy, can't see her, looks at his watch, scans the crowd more closely. He does not notice a YOUNG WOMAN, late teens, standing in a darkened doorway 20 or so feet up the road, partly obscured by shadow. She looks at MATT for a long moment before she steps tentatively into the street light but MATT is looking in another direction now. She calls out to him:

JULIET
Dad.

MATT turns, looks at JULIET; shocked. JULIET is a young woman now - not at all like the girl with braces on her teeth in the photo on Matt's mobile. She raises her right hand and waves in a girlish gesture similar to the one Tracy used - thumb outstretched and four fingers moving, flapping up and down exaggeratedly: 'ta ta'.

MATT smiles, makes the same gesture, moves through the crowd towards her. JULIET walks towards him also. They both slow down just a couple of meters from each other. There is a momentary awkward pause before JULIET steps close to MATT as if to hug him. She picks up MATT'S hesitancy (his reluctance to hug her) and kisses him on the cheek. He kisses her on the cheek, looks at her, laughs.

MATT
What…! When…why?

JULIET (LAUGHS)
I flew up this morning…

MATT
With your mother?

JULIET
Dad, I'm 18! (A BEAT) Thought I'd surprise you…

MATT
I'm surprised.

MATT shakes his head; bewildered.

MATT 
But how…why…(are you here?) Tracy?

JULIET (NODS)
Serendipity.

MATT laughs, shakes his head, looks back to his cab. BLUE is standing beside it, smiling broadly and waving to him. MATT laughs, still not quite believing that this is happening.

JULIET 
Tracy's sure made good use of your phone.

MATT shakes his head, still in shock; surprised by how much Juliet has grown. 

MATT
Look at you! What's mum been feeding you?

JULIET laughs, pats MATT'S tummy.

JULIET
You've grown too.

MATT laughs, tucks his tummy in, rubs it.

MATT
So, what are you doing…(in Sydney)?

JULIET
Girlfriend's 18th. Remember Harmony?

MATT
From pre-school?

JULIET (NODS)
We connected up on Facebook and…she invited me to her 18th and I thought… hey, why not.

JULIET gestures to a little red sedan parked across the road. In the driver's seat: a YOUNG WOMAN is reading a magazine.

33 EXT. CITY STREET. NIGHT

BLUE, standing by Matt's cab, looks at MATT and JULIET talking 30 or so meters up the road. He hears MATT laugh, smiles to himself, takes out his mobile, accesses 'google'.

34 EXT. 'STARDUST'. NIGHT

MATT and JULIET talk on the pavement a little up the road from the 'Stardust' entrance. JULIET shows MATT her teeth.

MATT
They look great. When did you get the braces off?

JULIET
For my 18th. (A BEAT) Still have to wear night braces, but…

MATT
Sorry I couldn't make it…

JULIET shrugs, tries to pretend that it doesn't matter.

MATT 
Thought I had a relief driver but he cancelled at the last minute, and…

JULIET
It's OK…

MATT
It's hard for me to get to Melbourne weekends and…

JULIET
It's OK, dad…

MATT
And I don't think your mother really wanted me there. She more or less said…

JULIET
Jesus, dad! It was my party, not mum's!

MATT holds up his hands: OK.

MATT
Sorry…I've had a shit night. (A BEAT) If you'd told me you were coming…

JULIET
You'd have what? (A BEAT) Taken the night off? Taken me to a movie? Buy me a Jumbo Popcorn? Quality time?

MATT
Why do you do this?

JULIET
Do what?

MATT
You don't see me for…a long time…

JULIET
Six months, dad. Six fucking months…

MATT
And the first thing you do is attack me.

JULIET
No, the first thing I did, remember, was to try and talk to you. You know, conversation… communication…!

MATT
Communication! You're the one who always hangs up on me!

JULIET
Because you don't listen.

MATT
Because you're shouting at me. Like your mother.

JULIET
Because you never listen.

MATT
If you didn't hang up and give me a chance…

JULIET
Hey, here's your chance. I'm here now, right! Standing in front of you!

MATT
So what do you want to talk about?

JULIET
Jesus, dad! (A BEAT) Anyhow, I called to say I'm sorry for hanging up on you…at my 18th.

MATT
Your mother's taught you well.

JULIET
Don't, dad!

MATT holds his hands up: OK.

MATT
Let's forget about it. It's nothing.

JULIET
It's not nothing. It's something.

MATT
What.

JULIET
Something we can't just pretend...isn't there.

MATT
So what are we pretending isn't there?

JULIET
Jesus, dad, are you really stupid or is it just an act? (A BEAT) Sorry. I didn't mean that.

MATT
'You're a useless waste of fucking space, Matt…Sorry, I didn't mean that'.

JULIET
And she didn’t...doesn't. You know that.

MATT
Well, why did she say it?

JULIET
You've never said anything when you're angry you regret?

MATT shakes his head - hurt, wallowing in self pity. JULIET throws her hands up in frustration.

JULIET 
Grow up, dad.

MATT looks at her, hurt.

JULIET 
And don't give me that 'poor me' look. I'm over it.

MATT is unable to respond. JULIET regrets having pushed as hard as she has.

JULIET 
Hey, can I call you in the morning? I should…

She gestures to the car across the road, the YOUNG WOMAN with the magazine looking at she and MATT. MATT nods.

JULIET 
I'm sorry…I didn't want it to be like this. I hoped…

MATT holds his hand up: 'It's OK, let's drop it'.

JULIET 
I'll never hang up on you again. Promise.

MATT (NODS)
Okay.

JULIET hesitates a moment, leans forward, kisses MATT on the cheek. She hesitates again, hoping for a response. She doesn't get it. She kisses MATT on the cheek again, turns and heads across the road.

MATT watches JULIET cross, get into the little red sedan parked there. He hesitates a moment, makes a decision, walks across, stands by the passenger window.

MATT 
Can we…?

MATT remembers his manners, leans down, looks past JULIET to the YOUNG WOMAN driver.

MATT 
Hi Harmony.

HARMONY
Hi, Mr Patterson. MATT hesitates a moment, kisses JULIET on the cheek.

MATT
Call me in the morning.

JULIET (NODS)
Okay.

…to be continued…

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