If you have the will there is a way
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The Journey - Scene II
by
Lisa Whelan
Based on fleeting moments in the lives of Anne and Lisa
Photography by
Anne Carr
FUN FUN FUN!
INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT.
LISA stands in the Kitchen, empty sweet packets, empty takeaway cartons, dirty plates are scattered on the work surface.
LISA
Well I guess it was fun!
ANNE
I have never seen you cook, like you did today.
LISA
No. Don’t take a photo,it’s a tip.
ANNE clicks away. LISA grabs a flash wipe, frantically wiping down the side.
LISA (CONT’D)
See that bit’s clean, take a photo there.
ANNE clicks away. LISA munches on a tea cake.
LISA (CONT’D)
We have to go to bed, it’s 1am.
INT. LOUNGE. NIGHT. 1AM
ANNE get’s into her PJ’s. LISA enters carrying sleeping bags, peeping over a furry blanket.
LISA
Oh I like your PJ bottoms.
ANNE
They're my moms late husbands bottoms.
LISA
They look comfy. I love pj’s. Are you cold?
ANNE
Yes, freezing.
LISA
I’m sorry! I don’t have any heating I can’t afford to get it done. Here just get inside the blanket, I will put the fan heater on.
ANNE snuggles into the sleeping bag on the sofa, the sofa is 5ft. ANNE is 6ft.
LISA (CONT’D)
Oh! I’m sorry. That must be so uncomfortable.
ANNE
It’s ok. I can sleep anywhere.
LISA
I can’t believe we are on the sofa’s like this. We are mad.
LISA pulls on her cosy furry slippers dashing into the bedroom to check on the girls, they are sitting in bed eating maltesers watching a movie.
LISA (CONT’D)
Are you ok?
They are both engrossed in the film munching away, hardly able to keep their eyes open.
LISA (CONT’D)
If you need anything just shout out ok?
INT. LOUNGE. NIGHT. 1.30AM
LISA
Oh god! They look exhausted I think we have worn them out.
ANNE giggles.
ANNE
Can we turn this light out?
The luminous light in the hallway shines through the lounge.
LISA
No, it’s broken.
LISA runs to the hallway.
LISA (CONT’D)
I don’t know what’s wrong with it the swiich won’t turn off.
ANNE giggles.
LISA (CONT’D)
Seriously!
LISA switches the light switch back and forth nothing happens.
ANNE
No worries. It’s fine.
LISA
Oh well it doesn’t matter at least we have a roof over our head.
They giggle.
ANNE
How amazing was today?
LISA
I know. I can’t believe how they talked in the interview, how grown up they were. I can’t believe we cried.
ANNE
You looked at me and that was it.
LISA
I know I couldn’t help it, it made me realise that we know so little and children know so much.
ANNE
It was so cute, when they started laughing and said you’re not meant to cry.
LISA
I think we are the children.
They burst out laughing.
ANNE
I need to smoke.
LISA
Well you will have to be sneaky.
ANNE giggles.
ANNE
I have to go outside.
She gets up putting on her coat and boots, dressed in her pj’s she sneaks outside. FUDGE enters jumping onto her sleeping bag snuggling up. LISA gets up getting a packet of Jaffa cakes and begins eating through the whole packet.
ANNE enters.
LISA
I’ve got the munchies.
ANNE tucks into a tea cake.
ANNE
We’ve eaten so much this weekend.
LISA
I can’t stop.
The both laugh.
LISA (CONT’D)
I had the best day.
ANNE
Me too, it was so incredible we were all so happy.
LISA
The energy in the flat was amazing. Did you feel how happy everything felt, how calm we all are and how the cat is so calm.
ANNE
I know, it’s because we are in that zone of being focused and at peace.
LISA
Can you feel it now.
ANNE
Yes.
LISA
They seem so happy don’t they. I’m so excited about the follow up project. Did you see their faces when you suggested it.
ANNE
It was funny! They looked petrified but then they started laughing. It will so work, it will show that it is all about stereotypes.
LISA
Definitely. I feel so pleased we did this.
ANNE
Me too. It’s going to work.
They sit in silence both thinking, they look at each other across the room.
LISA
It is going to work.
They both smile.
ANNE
It’s effortless isn’t it when you are in this zone.
LISA
Totally, it’s almost like it just happens, the ideas just come and it feels right.
ANNE
It’s when you open up, they have opened up today.
LISA
I know. I think we have all changed, imagine we all changed in 8 hours of pure good positive energy.
They look at each other again in silence, thinking, they smile.
ANNE
It was fun.
LISA
Yes, it was fun. God that light is so bright.
ANNE bursts out laughing.
LISA (CONT’D)
We are never going to sleep.
They both burst into laughter.
LISA (CONT’D)
We are mad how many other people are spending their weekends sleeping on sofas with luminous lights shining in their eyes, no heating, freezing cold.
ANNE
No one but that’s what’s so perfect.
LISA
It is isn’t it. It’s 3am.
ANNE
I know.
INT. LOUNGE. MORNING. 8AM
CHARLOTTE stumbles in half asleep, she pulls a cushion up plonking down onto the floor.
CHARLOTTE
You two kept me awake last night.
ANNE and LISA stir. LISA opens her eyes looking up out of the window.
LISA
Oh oh oh! It’s snowing. We have to go outside.
CHARLOTTE
It’s freezing.
LISA
Oh sorry babe.
LISA gets up putting the heater on.
LISA (CONT’D)
We have to go out in the snow I love it when it snows, I love that silence after the snowfall you know that hush, the silence.
CHARLOTTE
It’s too cold. What time did you go to sleep.
ANNE looks at LISA they look at each other like two naughty children.
ANNE
We were chatting about the day.
CHARLOTTE
I know I could hear you getting all excited.
They all laugh.
LISA
Oh sorry babe. You should have shouted out.
CHARLOTTE
It should be the other way around you shouting at us to go to sleep.
ANNE and LISA burst out laughing, ANNA enters sleepy.
ANNE
Morning! How are you?
ANNA
Yes, ok.
ANNE
Did you sleep ok?
ANNA
Yes thank you.
LISA
Well, I thought we would go to the park for breakfast as you now know I’m rubbish at cooking and you should eat healthily I think that’s the best bet.
They all laugh
INT. PARK CAFE.
They are all laughing. ANNE clicks away on her camera.
CHARLOTTE
I can’t believe you are taking photos of us eating.
LISA
You look beautiful.
CHARLOTTE smiles, they sit in silence eating.
CHARLOTTE
I don’t feel very well I have a tummy ache.
She starts crying.
LISA
It’s ok darling, don’t worry we can go home let’s go outside and get some fresh air.
They walk outside a little jack russell comes up to CHARLOTTE and perches at her feet.
LISA (CONT’D)
Look, he knows you don’t feel well.
She laughs.
CHARLOTTE
Look he won’t put his bum to the floor because it’s too cold.
They all start laughing.
INT. BEDROOM.
CHARLOTTE is crying holding her tummy, in agony. LISA is stroking her hair. ANNE enters.
ANNE
Do you mind if I touch your tummy Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE nods. ANNE places her hands on CHARLOTTES tummy, LISA holds her hand, ANNA sits perched at the end of the bed, they all sit in silence for several minutes. CHARLOTTE begins to relax, gradually dosing into a deep sleep. ANNE glances at LISA smiling, they slowly creep out of the room.
ANNA
I can’t believe she was in so much pain and she just went to sleep.
LISA
We can all do that if we know how. We can all learn to control pain it’s within us all.
ANNE
I just used my energy.
All of a sudden CHARLOTTE comes bouncing in....
CHARLOTTE
I feel fantastic! The pain has gone but I feel amazing.
They all burst out laughing.
LISA
You just have to focus.
ANNA
How do you focus?
ANNE
You can do it by meditation. If you light a candle and just stare into it for ten minutes, you will clear your mind and focus.
LISA
Say you have homework and you can’t concentrate if you do that it will just make everything much clearer.
ANNE
If you can’t do it with a candle just close your eyes and imagine there is a candle in front of you.
LISA
Just try it and see.
ANNA and CHARLOTTE are engrossed, listening intently, they smile.
ANNA
Maybe we should try it. I find it so hard to focus on my homework sometimes, I will try it.
LISA glances at the clock.
LISA
Talking of homework we have to get going soon, your mum said you had to be home by 2am to do your homework.
ANNE
Well before we go I have a confession to make.
ANNE glances at LISA.
LISA
I’d rather you than me.
ANNE
Well we are all about truth so I have to tell the truth. I smoke. I have gone outside all weekend because I didn’t want you to know.
ANNA and CHARLOTTE burst out laughing, looking horrified.
CHARLOTTE
Oh no! what did we say.
They look at each other trying to remember.
ANNA
Oh it was about how we hated it. We’re sorry!
ANNE
No it’s fine. It’s your opinion. but I had to tell you.
LISA
She has been sneaking off all weekend up the road.
They all burst out laughing.
INT. CAR. TRAIN STATION.
The car pulls up outside the train station, ANNE leans backwards into the back seat.
ANNE
Thank you so much for the weekend. You were amazing.
She reaches her arms out hugging and kissing CHARLOTTE, she is stuck between the two front seats, her legs up in the air, she reaches across to ANNA.
ANNE (CONT’D)
Thank you!
She kisses ANNA.
ANNE (CONT’D)
Ahhhh! I’m stuck.
They are screaming and laughing.
ANNE (CONT’D)
Ahhhh! I can’t get back.
LISA holds her arm, pulling her back. ANNE grabs her huge bag and camera clambering out of the car, she closes the door shouting through the window. They all laugh.
ANNE (CONT’D)
Bye, thank you thank you thank you!
INT. CAR
CHARLOTTE
I can’t believe we made her feel so bad about smoking.
LISA
It’s ok. You were being honest and telling the truth that’s what we wanted.
CHARLOTTE
Ahh bless! I feel so bad. No I can’t feel bad because it was my opinion.
ANNA
Yes, we didn’t do it to intentionally hurt anyone if we had known we wouldn’t have said it.
LISA
But that’s the whole point you told the truth and that’s all that matters. She’s fine, you made her think which is good. You made her react which is the whole point of doing this interview.
CHARLOTTE
Yes, that’s true.
LISA
Thank you both so much for this weekend, it’s been amazing, we have so much more than we ever expected.
CHARLOTTE
I don’t want to go back home, I feel like we are in a bubble and I don’t want it to burst.
LISA
Oh my god! You have to tell Anne that.
LISA dials ANNE on the hands free.
ANNE
Hello!
LISA
You have to listen to what Charlotte just said.
LISA looks at CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE
I said. It’s like we have been in a bubble all weekend and I don’t want it to burst.
ANNE screams down the phone laughing, LISA, CHARLOTTE and ANNA burst out laughing.
LISA
The bubble was amazing wasn’t it.
CHARLOTTE and ANNA shout in unison.
CHARLOTTE AND ANNA
AMAZING!
