Our fathers

by

Karl Agapuu

FADE IN

INT. SHIP'S COMMON ROOM - DAY

A tight common room in a ship that has no unnecessary items. A brand new top of the line coffee machine that gets limited amount of cleaning sits on a table with coffee stains and motor oil stains. An oily washcloth hanging on the hand sanitising bottle next to the coffee machine along with an opened box of sugar and aluminium mugs with the cargo company logo on them. A worn out leather couch next to the wall, a low coffee table in front of it with solved crosswords and no pen. Cheap plain analogue clock is on the wall, it shows 7. Calendar next to it with two weeks coloured light blue, two weeks coloured yellow. A plywood kitchen cupboard set with an aluminium sink, company mugs in the sink. An internet router is on one of the cupboards.

REED(55) a short man with a massive belly is drawing the next two weeks blue on the calendar with a highlighter. He is wearing a white tank top with suspenders, a flannel shirt on top with blue jeans. His clothes are clean.

SAM(30), a navy blue sweater and overalls with oil stains, a toolbelt, and a simple wedding ring is washing the mug with company logo it. It has "Haul cargo, Haul ass" written on it.

Reed opens a cupboard, looks for something, opens another one, he pushes Sam gently out of the way to open the next cabinet.

Sam gets a text from Emma that says "it's happening!!!"

SAM
No! Not now!

Reed stops looking for his mug and looks at Sam. He shows him the text. Reed goes in for an agressive hug, his mass pushes Sam almost over. When Sam was a little emotionless before, he is happy now and hugs Reed back.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 1993

EXT. ROADSIDE PHONE BOOTH - NIGHT

A long haul truck's lights are lighting a phone booth. Mountains are in the background. DAD(30) is in the phone booth, on the phone. He is wearing a 1970s watch.

Dad's eyes light up, he can't hold the smile and excitement back any longer. He hangs up the phone and runs to the truck with the biggest excitement.

END FLASHBACK - 1993

INT. SHIP'S ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Sam is screwing a maintenance board to a boiler. He constantly touches his pocket as if he has gotten a text, but does not feel the phone vibrating. He screws the last screw in and takes out his phone as if he's getting a call, but nothing. He calls Emma, but there is no service.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. SAM'S CHILDHOOD HOME - DAY

A small not so well run house. Second hand couch and a chair with no backside as a coffee table. Old TV that has turnable buttons to change the channel. A phone with a dial in the corner.

Mom is smoking inside the house, going through a CD binder.

Phone in the foreground, Sam(7) in the background, in front of the couch, playing with a barbie. He takes glances at the phone as if waiting for a call.

END FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. SHIP'S COMMON ROOM - DAY

Sam sits on the couch with his dirty clothes. He is Facetiming Emma who is home from the hospital. He is trying to hold back tears.

EMMA
(OS, chuckling)
Sam, honey. It's okay. You'll be
home in eleven days.                

Sam is not saying a word, he is trying to not cry.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2000

EXT. SAM'S CHILDHOOD HOME

A small older house, paint hanging from wood, overgrown vegetation. A truck running behind the wire fence. Sam is hugging his dad, he wants to go with him, but dad tries to explain he can not go. He'll take Sam the next time. Dad drives away, leaving Sam standing behind the fence, sad.

END FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. VERN'S OFFICE - DAY

Sam is in Vern's office. A plain windowless room, similar furniture to the common rooms. A desk in the middle, facing the door, barely any room to get behind it, bookshelves all over the room with folders in each one of them, a lot of AAR folders.

VERN(40), a stern, straight to the point mechanic, wears navy blue sweater with a white shirt and black tie under it, navy blue pants, shiny black shoes and shirt stays. Perfect permanent buzzcut. Vern wears a Big Timex Ironman watch. Everything is immaculate.

VERN
          Sam, the company comes first. You
        have signed a contract and duties
            to your company can not be waived
in favour of family. During the
    two weeks you are on ship, your
        duty lies within the company. That
        baby needs food in its mouth and
       it won't get it when the boilers are
not working.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. SAM'S CHILDHOOD HOME - DAY

Sam(7) is sitting on packed luggage, looking eagerly at Mom. Mom is on the phone, talking expressively, occasionally looking at Sam.

Sam puts his head down in the middle of the talk and looks disappointed.

END FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. ENGINE ROOM - DAY

The room is filled with large machines and tanks with buttons, screens, levers on them. The platform is raised with railings on each side to not fall between the machines. Sam is holding a size 42 wrench, tightening a nut on one of the boilers. Reed is looking over the railing, there is an oily old coin Reed dropped two years ago. He is holding a mug with "#17 Alex" written on it.

REED
          I was supposed to buy a Milky Way with that.

Sam is not responding and keeps turning the nut.

REED
  You'll be fine, kid. You've only been here
      for two months. I'm sure you stayed away
      for more than that when you did Offshore
rigging.

Reed takes a sip of coffee.
                 

REED

          Two weeks of uninterrupted time with your
      kid? You'll want to get back to the boilers
after three days with the rascal.          

He senses discomfort in Sam and puts his mug on one of the machines.

REED

       When Alex was born, I went through the
       same thing. But the two weeks of family
        time will be worth it. If I was working nine
     to five I would have never been able to
      take. Alex on week long training camps,
          just the two of us. I once took him....            

Reed senses that he is only talking about himself and stops himself.

                    REED
You'll be home in no time, kid.

Kids are making car noises.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2000

EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY

Parking lot of a small village store. A 1992 black Lincoln Continental with leather seats is parked in front of it. SAM(7) and KEVIN(7) are playing in the car, Sam is in the driver's seat, Kevin has a map of British Columbia in his hand. They are both making car noises.

Dad comes out of the store, pushes the door open with his back, two already opened plain chocolate ice creams in his hands.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - DAY

Kevin is sitting on the passenger seat, seatbelt on, no booster seat eating ice cream. Sam is sitting in dad's lap and driving. Dad is eating ice cream.

END FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. SHIP'S COMMON ROOM - DAY

Sam gets a text. The coffee machine is brewing a coffee. His phone screen is a photo of Emma and the baby. The text says: "Well, I just got my first barf to clean up." It is complimented with a photo of Emma in makeshift hazard gear of a towel in front of her mouth and nose with a laundry pin on the nose, it is exaggerated.

Sam lets out a smile through sadness of not being there.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. TRUCK - DAY

A long haul truck. Bunkbeds behind the seats, top one is folded up, curtains are tied to each of the walls. Mountains can be seen from inside the truck.

Dad is driving. Sam has a brand new film camera. Sam is taking photos of the mountains and passing cars.

He takes photos of Dad who starts making weird and funny faces.

Dad grabs the camera from Sam and takes a photo of him.

EXT. HARBOUR - NIGHT

A well lit harbour, trucks are waiting in line to drive on the ferry. A CUSTOM'S OFFICER is talking to Dad through the truck window. He has "CUSTOMS" written on the back of his jacket.

INT. TRUCK - NIGHT

The curtains in the truck are closed, Dad is talking to the customs officer.

The customs officer passes Dad's passport and truck documents back to the dad from the window and moves on to the next truck. Dad lifts his right arm up in a fist and a small fist comes from between the curtains and bumps it. Sam climbs down from the bed, they both start laughing and dad rustles Sam's hair.

END FLASHBACK - 2000

INT. SHIP'S COMMON ROOM - DAY

Sam is sitting on the couch, he has a laptop in front of him.

Sam is wiring Emma money with explenation "Ice cream allowance"

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2008

INT. SCHOOL - DAY

A class of 15 year olds. Not a fancy school but rather a small school with 15 people per class. They are all dressed well, it is graduation day. Sam is wearing a suit that is too big for him.

He gets a text from Simon: "Congratulations champ! Wired you $100"

Sam deletes the text like it means nothing to him.
END FLASHBACK - 2008

INT. HARBOUR'S SHOP - DAY

A shop in the harbour. Mostly full of alcohol and cigarettes. A small section of souvenires and candy. Sam is looking at blue toy bears with sailor hats, there are different sizes at different prices. He is looking at the bears, then prices.

BEGIN FLASHBACK - 2008

INT. SAM'S HOUSE - DAY

A table full of not fancy food and wine, vodka and cognac bottles with 40+ year olds behind it. Sam stands at the end of the table with a bunch of envelopes and a box. He holds a small box.

Sam opens the box and pulls out a metal watch with a metal wristband. He inspects it and finds engravings on the inside: "From father to son". He tries to brush it off like he did with the $100, but this means something to him and he holds back tears. The guests around him raise their glasses toast Sam and wish happy birthday to him. No one is upset about Sam crying, they are there to have a good time.

END FLASHBACK - 2008

EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY

Sam is holding the biggest blue bear, standing over a grave. He puts down a plain chocolate ice cream and photo of happy Sam(7) in the truck. Sam is wearing the watch he got for his birthday.

He walks off with the big blue bear.

FADE OUT