HARRY
(on the phone)
Hello Richard.
RICHARD
Hello… Helen.
HARRY
Ugh… what do you want?
RICHARD
I want to talk to you.
HARRY
Richard, there’s nothing to talk about.
RICHARD
Hel – Harry, please.
(pause)
I want to see you.
He hears Harry breathing for a few seconds.
HARRY
I can be there in thirty minutes.
RICHARD
No, no, no! Sam might come back.
HARRY
Then where can we talk?
RICHARD
Motel 9. In an hour.
HARRY
I don’t know…
RICHARD
I just want to talk with you. That’s all.
HARRY
Okay. I’ll see you there.
Richard smiles.
RICHARD
Thanks baby.
(pause)
Do you still love me?
SILENCE.
HARRY
Don’t ask me that, Richard.
(pause)
I’ll see you in an hour.
He hangs up.
Richard drops the phone to the floor.
RICHARD
(mocking in a high pitched voice)
Please… I just want to talk to you…
(then in a lower, angry voice)
… and beat the hell out of you.
He keeps drinking.
MEANWHILE AT BETTY’S MOTHER’S HOME:
Betty’s Mother is at the sink, washing dishes.
Betty enters from the darkness of the other room and sits at the kitchen table. Her face is red from her crying.
Betty’s Mother looks her way, but then she returns her attention back to the dishes.
BETTY’S MOM
I’m surprised you’re not glued to
your phone.
BETTY
I couldn’t even stand it.
Richard keeps calling.
BETTY’S MOM
Can you blame him?
BETTY
Mom I don’t need this.
Not you’re perfect marriage
advice. Not right now.
I just, need someone to listen.
Betty’s Mother turns off the sink faucet and lays down the dish she was washing.
She sits at the kitchen table next to Betty.
BETTY’S MOM
Okay. I’m listening.
Betty takes a deep breath.
BETTY
I’m leaving Richard.
Her mother stares at her, expressionless.
BETTY’S MOM
For how long?
BETTY
No I mean. I’m leaving him, for good.
I’m divorcing him.
Betty opens her mouth to speak.
BETTY’S MOM
(pointing her finger at Betty)
Don’t you speak another word.
He’s your husband, Betty!
BETTY
And I don’t want him to be!
Her mother stands and returns to the sink. She leans on it. She keeps her back turned to Betty.
BETTY’S MOM
You and he have problems, Betty.
Everyone has problems, but they work through it.
BETTY
Problems? Mom! You’ve got no idea!
BETTY’S MOM
Oh yes I do. I’ve lived with you and
your pettiness before. Is it because he
(pause)
It’s always bothered you to serve your husband.
Did he forget to pick up his dinner plate?
Is that when you decided to break your vow?
SILENCE.
Then Betty speaks in a low voice.
BETTY
Actually, I decided to leave him when
he downed half a bottle of whiskey and put
his hands around my throat.
(pause)
I used his phone without asking
one time – made him really angry.
SILENCE.
Betty’s Mother touches her own face, and then touches the side of her head, places on her body that remind her of her marriage to Betty’s father.
BETTY’S MOM
Does he hit you?
BETTY
No, Mom.
(pause)
He’s not that much like Dad was.
BETTY’S MOM
Men get… aggressive, Betty.
It’s in their nature.
She shakes her head, almost trying to convince herself when she speaks.
BETTY’S MOM
You and Richard… have problems.
(rubs her face again)
Everyone has problems.
Just work through them, Betty.
That’s what my mother did. That’s what I…
(gazes into space for a moment)
That’s what I did.
BETTY
I’ve tried to work through it.
He doesn’t try at all!
I’m his – property, not his wife!
That’s how he sees me.
That’s how he’s always seen me.
BETTY’S MOM
This crap again…
My daughter – always the feminist!
The forward thinker!
(pause)
And Sam? What about Sam?
Have you even thought about
how this is going to affect your son?
BETTY
I’m still going to love him.
Betty’s Mother shakes her head.
BETTY’S MOM
This will ruin him.
(pause)
If you knew you were this
unhappy why would you adopt the poor boy?
BETTY
(speaking fast)
Because I didn’t know I was
unhappy in the beginning!
I was just following what everyone wanted!
Especially Richard!
I didn’t even want Sam!
Suddenly Betty stops and covers her mouth; she is stunned by her own words.
BETTY
(softly)
That’s not what I meant.
Her mother glares at her.
BETTY
I love Sam. I do.
But in the beginning,
I didn’t want that.
The housewife life –
I don’t want that.
Betty’s Mother lowers her head.
BETTY’S MOM
You people. You young people.
This is why families don’t last anymore.
You people aren’t willing to work through things
anymore.
Betty stands.
BETTY
And you people. You old people. My old mother.
(pause)
Who would rather me be with a bastard
than be happy.
BETTY’S MOM
God help you, Betty.
BETTY
Same to you, Mom.
Betty leaves towards the kitchen exit. She pauses before she goes.
BETTY
You know, Mom, your generation
wasn’t any better than ours is now.
You all were just used to accepting
bad situations.
They look at each other a few moments longer. Her mother rubs the same spot on her face, and Betty remembers being there when her father had put a bruise there on her cheek. She sees in her mother, her own future… and she refuses to let that happen.
BETTY
You want to hear something really
sick?
(pause)
I think about killing him sometimes.
Killing Richard.
Her mother glares at her, her nostrils flaring and muscles tensing.
BETTY’S MOTHER
I wish I’d had any other daughter than you.
For a few more moments they stare each other down…
BETTY
Bye Mom.
Betty leaves.
Her mother turns around. She sniffles, but she doesn’t let herself feel anything after her daughter leaves, and she starts doing the dishes.
XVI
“THE FINAL HOURS”
LATE THAT FRIDAY NIGHT IN BETTY’S CAR:
Betty drives along the empty highway through the night and the pouring rain, listening to talk radio.
RADIO HOST
The fact is that we are changing as
people all the time. Who we are now
is not who we are going to be in ten years,
so how can we expect someone who is right
for us now to be right for us in the future?
People change, and a lot of times they change
to be different than their significant other eventually.
Betty begins crying.
RADIO VOICE
Some people get better. Others
become worse. It’s something we can’t help…
Through the windows, she sees a vacancy sign at Motel 9 and grunts.
BETTY
Good enough.
She pulls off the highway and heads for the motel.
IN THE MOTEL 9 PARKING LOT:
Betty’s car pulls into the parking lot.
There’s an old piece of board with rusted nails jutting upward from it, and it lies on the pavement in one of the parking spots.
Betty drives her car straight for this spot and her tire runs over the board…
BOOM! The tire busts and air spews from it.
Betty gets out of the car and kneels quickly next to her busted tire.
BETTY
Shit!
She yanks out the board with nails out of the tire and drops it.
BETTY
Shit! Shit! Shit!
She slams her car door shut and runs off to the cover of the motel to get out of the rain.
OUT ON THE COUNTRY ROAD:
Trey’s truck is pulled off to the side of the road, headlights and flashers on under the rain.
INSIDE TREY’S TRUCK:
Trey turns the key, and turns it again. The engine makes a “verring” sound, but it does not turn over and the truck will not start.
TREY
(hitting the steering wheel)
Son of a bitch!
He leans back and lights a cigarette.
TREY
Guess I deserve this.
(pause)
God, I’m a liar. We’re all liars.
Please don’t let my baby girl…
grow up to be like me.
He takes another drag.
TREY
I’m fucked. It’s all fucked.
He starts crying.
TREY
And I’ll never see her again.
(pause)
I lost Roseanna, and I lost…
I lost my baby girl! Oh God!
He is bawling.
A few moments pass, and then he sees headlights come down the highway through the back windshield of the truck.
He gets himself together. He throws out the cigarette and wipes his eyes.
Out on the highway:
Trey gets out of his truck and stands in the rain.
He waves down the car, which turns out to be Harry’s.
The car pulls over and the driver’s window rolls down.
INSIDE HARRY’S CAR:
Harry, dressed as a man now, sits at the wheel and Trey approaches the rolled down window
TREY
Hey man! Could you give me a ride?
Harry motions for him to get in.
Trey races around the car and hops into the passenger seat as Harry presses on the gas.
TREY
Thank you so much!
HARRY
You’re welcome.
TREY
Not a lot of people would pick up a stranger.
HARRY
It’s all right.
(pause)
Someone did me a favor tonight,
so I owe it to them to pay it forward.
Where are you going?
TREY
Motel 9. It’s just up here about ten miles.
HARRY
What are you doing there?
Harry seems surprised.
TREY
Meeting someone.
HARRY
Funny. That’s where I’m headed.
Trey stares at him with a puzzled expression.
TREY
What are you doing there?
Harry shifts uncomfortably.
HARRY
Meeting someone.
Lightning strikes in the sky, illuminated the dark highway before them.
Trey looks forward and they ride in awkward silence.
OUT IN THE MOTEL 9 PARKING LOT:
Lilly’s car pulls into the parking lot and stops next to Betty’s car.
INSIDE LILLY’S CAR:
Lilly turns off the engine. She takes a deep breath.
LILLY
This is where he wants to do it?
She looks around frightfully at the Motel.
Lightning strikes in the sky behind it.
LILLY
Is this place even open?
She gets out her cell phone and presses the screen. She holds it to her ear, but there is no ringing.
She looks at the phone screen, and it shows there are no bars for a signal.
LILLY
Are you kidding me?!
OUT IN THE PARKING LOT:
Lilly remains in her car, struggling with her cell phone.
Meanwhile, Betty leaves her room and walks hurriedly to the snack machine at the corner of the motel.
As she reaches the snack machine, Harry and Trey arrive in Harry’s car. Harry parks it at the far end of the parking lot near the ditch in between the parking lot and the service road.
INSIDE HARRY’S CAR:
Harry turns around looking out of his back windshield. He seems nervous.
Trey looks back in the direction.
TREY
What are you looking at?
HARRY
What the hell is she doing here?
TREY
Who?
HARRY
My fiancé!
They see Lilly get out of her car and run underneath the motel cover, still trying to use her cell phone.
Trey gulps and slowly looks at Harry.
TREY
That’s… your fiancé?
HARRY
Yes, well, she was.
Suddenly Trey’s cell phone vibrates. On the screen is an UNKNOWN NUMBER. He stares at his phone.
HARRY
I’ve gotta talk to her.
Come on, get out!
OUT IN THE PARKING LOT:
Trey and Harry get out of the car into the pouring rain.
Lilly sees both of them and puts her cell phone down. She stands still, her hands beginning to tremble with nerves.
HARRY
Lilly! What are you doing here?
Trey stands silent under the rain. He and Lilly make eye contact and look guiltily at one another.
Lilly forces herself to look away from him, though, and back to her former fiancé.
LILLY
Harry? What are you doing with him?
HARRY
With him? How do you-
Harry looks at Trey and puts the pieces together. He starts laughing.
HARRY
(to Trey)
You were going to meet her?
Oh my God!
TREY
Hey man, I’m sorry!
I didn’t know that you were… her guy!
Harry keeps laughing.
Betty is wat
ching the scene from near the snack machine.
BETTY
Idiots.
Harry approaches Trey and puts his hand on Trey’s shoulders.
Trey raises his hands and his shoulders tense up in defense.
TREY
I don’t want any trouble, man.
HARRY
It’s okay!
Trust me, it’s okay.
Suddenly, Richard’s car comes barreling into the parking lot.