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'At Debt's Door' - Draft 1

 

Scene One.

Ext.                                    Jessie's House.                                                Day.

Balloons on the gate signify a birthday party inside. There are many cars parked in the driveway and children run past screaming.

Int.                                    Jessie's Kitchen.                                                Day.

A child's birthday party. There are many children and parents.  They all look working class apart from two well dressed women standing talking in the corner. Jessie is serving sausage rolls. She hesitantly approaches the two women, her sisters.

JESSIE:

"Okay then! Mum can stay with me when she arrives."

The two sisters look at each other with relief.

"But when she starts pissing me off one of you have to take her."

SARAH:

"Of course, of course. Oh your great. Isn't she great Margaret?"

MARGARET:

"She's the best. This is the only place Mum will have peace to sort out her (whispers) little problems.

JESSIE:

"There's just one thing."

CUT visually to Brigid on the train. Jessie is still talking.

"It's a long journey from Roscommon. We have to have some sort of welcome party."

SARAH:

"Definitely. Of course. We'll even come over and help you cook."

Brigid takes out a letter from her handbag. It is from a debt collecting agency. 

JESSIE:

"She's had a bad few years. Quite frankly I'm worried about her."

Brigid takes out a bottle of pills and looks at them and then looks thoughtfully out the window.

MARGARET:

"Of course. Of course."                 

CUT to Taxi driver closing boot of car and Brigid lifting a small bag. Jessie comes running from her house and they embrace. Sarah and Margaret stand at the door. Brigid and Jessie go into the house talking.

Track in.

SARAH:

Surprised.

"She took a taxi all the way from the station."

MARGARET:

"Oh  but of course. She couldn't possibly be expected to catch a D.A.R.T.."

They laugh.                                                                       

Inside they  all sit at the dinner table. Jessie comes into the dining room, she has just finished serving everyone at the table.

JESSIE:

"Okay everyone, don't wait."

BRIGID:

"Just a moment! I'LL say grace!"

They all glance at each other as she recites the prayer.

"For the food we are about receive may the Lord make us truly grateful."

CLOSE-UP.

"Now everyone. Please. Begin."

CLOSE-UP Jessie.

She looks annoyed.

FADE OUT.

 

Scene Two.

Ext.                                     Front Door Of Margaret's House.                        Day.

The front door has many doorbells. Brigid walks into shot and presses one of them. The buzzer sounds faulty.

Int.                                    Margaret’s Kitchen.                                                Day.

There is the sound of noisy maintenance work being done somewhere in the house.

We see in close-up a boiling kettle, water being poured into a teapot, chipped tea-cups being put on the work-top and tea poured into them. These sounds are exaggerated.

The kitchen is plain, less lived in than Jessie's. Margaret walks to the table with a pot of tea. She sits down opposite her mother.

BRIGID:

Looking at the tattered wallpaper.

“So Margaret. How is Frank? Any luck?”

MARGARET:

CLOSE-UP.

“No. He’s been trying loads of places. ”

BRIGID:

“And he hasn't found anything yet? Strange, and him looking so hard.”

She sips her tea.

“You must get so depressed on the dole though. It’s so degrading.”

MARGARET:

“But. But what can you do?”

BRIGID:

“Jessie and Sarah work so hard.

Is that the time? I have to say my Holy Hour before I go to Jessie's.”

MARGARET:

Sarcastically.

“What? Priests say a Holy Hour.  You’re not a priest are you?”

BRIGID:

CLOSE-UP.

“WHAT?"

CUT.

 

Scene Three.

Int.                                    Sarah’s Kitchen.                                                Day.

The house is old and very large, far beyond Sarah's financial capabilities. The screaming voices of many children can be heard outside. Brigid is sitting at the kitchen table filling in a Lotto card while Sarah dries the dishes.

BRIGID:

“Quick Sarah. Give me two numbers for the Lotto. I’ll go to the shop before mass.”

SARAH:

Feigning interest.

“Oh. Right ..... Twenty-eight and .......... five.”

(She tiredly turns on hearing screams from outside but decides to ignore them.)

BRIGID:

“Right. If I win I’m telling no-one. RIGHT! “

SARAH:

"You could buy Jessie her dream house just like that."

"Mum. Have you sorted everything out. I mean I don’t like to ask...”

BRIGID:

CLOSE-UP.

“Oh I’ll talk about that as soon as I get back. I’m still working everything out. ”

She looks round the kitchen. There is a crashing sound from outside. The children's voices stop.

“I’ll help you tidy when I get back. You know. Jessie always has her place lovely.”

Sarah rolls her eyes.

“Right, have to go. I’ll see you soon. God Bless.”

SARAH:

“Bye.”

“Oh and God Bless.”

When the door slams shut she raises two fingers to her unseen mother.

CUT.

 

Scene Four.

Ext.                                    Front Of Cafe Where Jessie Works.                        Day.

Several men enter. They look like lorry drivers.

Int.                                    Margaret And Jessie Talk On The Phone.

                                     Margaret Is At Home And Jessie Is At Work.            Day.

JESSIE:

Children's screaming voices can be heard.

CLOSE-UP.

“But Margaret, I know she wants somewhere permanent. But what about money?”

CUT Visuals. The following dialogue is dubbed over images in bold.

Brigid shopping in a small grocery shop and signing the credit book.

MARGARET:

“She can get a pension. That’s pretty straight forward. She'll have to live with all of us equally and the money Dad gives her can pay off her debt.”

Brigid standing in a long bus queue with heavy bags.

JESSIE:

Getting irritated at Margaret's over-simplified and incorrect version of the facts.

“She has no pension yet because she never paid stamps. She can’t live with Sarah because she won’t have enough room and Dad never gives her money regularly. Look, I don’t want the debt collectors around at MY house.”

Brigid approaching her house. She sees someone at the front door and turns and walks away in fear. She looks very depressed.

MARGARET:

Without thinking.

“OK she can live with me.”

Visuals Cut Back To Jessie.

JESSIE:

“Jesus Christ Margaret get a grip. You can’t put her up either. Look I've got a job to do. I’ll see you later.”

She puts the phone down. A child is standing in front of her with a ketchup bottle. He sprays it over her and runs.

“WHY? WHY me?”

FADE TO BLACK.

Scene Five.

FADE-UP.

Int.                                      Jessie's Bedroom.                                                            Evening.

[Long-Shot. Track In To Mid-Shot.]

Jessie takes a brown box with a bow on it from under a floorboard. She is dressed in her cafe uniform. The clock can be heard ticking. She takes her wage packet from her uniform and pulls out the money. She counts out two ten pound notes and puts them in the box.

Brigid is in her own room writing. She empties a whole box of tablets neatly on the table and signs the paper. She lifts the glass and leaves to get  water.

When walking past Jessie's room she sees Jessie holding the money.

Then she fills in the amount on a slip of paper from the box and replaces the lid. She puts the box under the floorboard.

[Track In to Close-Up of Brigid.]

Brigid's eyes light up.

CUT.

 

Scene Six.

FADE UP.

Int.                                    Jessie’s House.                                                Day.

Some weeks later. Hand-held camera moves from the front door through the house to the kitchen to reveal Brigid in the kitchen alone drying dishes. She hums contentedly. The doorbell rings, she looks up nervously and walks to the front door. The camera follows her and watches from behind as she opens the door to a young man with a leather bag. The street is noisy with traffic and children.

YOUNG MAN:

"Hello. Mrs Coyle? Mrs Brigid Coyle?"

BRIGID:

"Yes."

YOUNG MAN:

"I'm from the Kerwan Debt Collecting Agency. I believe you have some outstanding debts."

BRIGID:

CLOSE-UP.

"I see."

Cut to Brigid bursting into Jessie's room and goes straight to where she saw Jessie put the box of money. She lifts the floorboard but the box is not there. She mouths the word "Shit!"

Cut to Close-Up of the young man at the door.

CUT.

Scene Seven.

Int.                                    Jessie's Workplace.                                                Day.

Traffic sounds fill the room. Many people are talking. The camera tracks past Jessie talking to a friend and circles round the cafe as they speak to show the occupants, lorry drivers, labourers.

JESSIE:

"She's freaking me out. I can't take much more. And the mortgage forms are so complicated. I thought saving the money was hard but filling in those forms is murder. I'm amazed they don't ask for your cup size."

They roar with laughter.

CUT.          

                                                                                                 

Scene Eight.

Int.                                    Jessie’s House. Front Door.                        Day.

The young man with the case hands Brigid a receipt and thanks her. He says good-bye and she closes the door (we view the door closing from behind).  A clock can be heard ticking the passing of time in the front room.

She walks into Jessie's room and looks around. The place is a MESS! She stoops out of frame and stands up again with the box in her hand. She looks around again and says,

"Tut! Tut! This will never do!"

She starts tidying.

FADE TO BLACK.

END.