TITANIC: AFTERMATH
Chapter Thirteen
EXT. CAL'S NEW HOUSE ON THE DELAWARE RIVER
(5001 GRANT AVENUE) - HALLOWEEN DAY - SUNSET
Cal slumps in a lawn chair by the river,
disheveled and unshaven, his eyes fixed upon the water.
CAL (VO)
Being alone proved a great comfort to me.
There was no more strain of living a falsehood, no more cowardly pursuit of
impossible relationships with those around me. All I had done in the past year
and a half was play an elaborate game with myself.
Convincing others of his sanity has kept him
within its realm, but now he quickly lets himself go. Cal feels he is achieving
a moment of clarity, but he is going off the deep end.
CAL (VO)
I began to listen to the small voice within
me that spoke the cold truth. It told me I had cheated death, and that I had
died on April 15, 1912. I was merely a ghostly shadow that lingered unnaturally
on, lurking in dark corners in a world in which I did not belong. Each day that
I filled my miserable rotten lungs with air, I prolonged my hideous unnatural
presence in the world of the living, only to disturb its inhabitants with my
incongruous presence.
Cal lets out a wheezy little cough.
A small band of children nearby swish through
the fallen leaves, planning to cut through the yard. A boy tries to frighten
the girls with a ghost story.
BOY 1
...and then a shadow appeared in the corner
of the room--
BOY 2
Look! There's a ghoul!
The children see Cal turn his gaunt, pale
face toward them. Spooked, the children run off, the girls shrieking wildly.
They're giddy with the holiday fervor, but Cal thinks they have perceived him
with an uncanny accuracy, as only children can. A car drives up nearby, but Cal
doesn't see it.
Cal absently rises from his chair, drawn
toward the water by an invisible force. He feels he is halfway to the nether
world already, but the world of the living calls him back.
ANNA
Mr. Hockley...
Anna's hand appears gently on his arm.
Confused and in a daze, Cal glances down at it. He turns toward Anna.
She holds a picnic basket covered with a
cheerful red and white cloth. Cal is slow to respond--even his voice feels
weighted down--but he does his best to play the usual game.
CAL
Anna...what are you doing here?
ANNA
I've brought you something from Mrs.
Bingham's kitchen, sir.
Cal glances at the basket, and lets out a
mirthless, cynical little chuckle. What would a corpse such as him do with such
a thing? His sense of decorum returns.
CAL
That's very kind, but I don't require
anything.
Anna feels rejected, but her concern for Cal
predominates in her mind. He appears half-mad.
ANNA
Do you wish me to take it away?
CAL
No, of course not. I'll take it on inside.
You needn't concern yourself with me further.
Cal reaches for the basket. Deeply hurt, Anna
refuses to let go of it until she has an explanation.
ANNA
Sir...why?
CAL
I just need to be alone for a while, Anna.
Thank you again, for your kindness. I must be going.
Cal turns abruptly, taking possession of the
basket. He walks quickly toward the house.
A chilly breeze blows through Anna, as she is
left alone in a tempest of swirling leaves. She wills away her frustration, and
replaces it with the persistence of love.
ANNA
I'll be calling again tomorrow, sir!
INT. CAL'S BEDROOM - 5001 GRANT AVENUE -
NIGHT
Cal lies on top of the bed, asleep. He is
awoken by the sound of footsteps. Terrified, he jumps up off the bed.
Soon, a shadow of a man holding a small sack
and a liquor bottle can be seen.
The intruder, SAMUEL WOOD (40), shuffles
along. He pauses in the doorway, then cries out with a start.
CAL
Who are you? What are you doing here?
SAMUEL WOOD
What? I thought I was the only one here.
CAL
So did I, obviously.
Samuel takes Cal for a fellow vagrant.
SAMUEL WOOD
Been sleeping on the bed, have you? That's
plenty bold of you. They'll be moving in the rest of the furniture any day now
and find you snoozing away. So, you're new at this, eh?
CAL
(sleepily) Pardon?
SAMUEL WOOD
Me too, but I'm not that green. Hey, you got
anything to eat?
CAL
What? Yes, yes. There's food in the kitchen.
You're hungry?
SAMUEL WOOD
Starved. Haven't had much to eat since I got
fired from my job.
Cal sees Samuel is harmless, and ushers him
off to the kitchen.
INT. KITCHEN - 5001 GRANT AVENUE - NIGHT
Cal turns on the light, but Samuel quickly
switches it back off.
SAMUEL WOOD
What, are you mad?
Samuel removes a candle from his pocket. He
lights it, and places it in a cup on the countertop. Cal realizes that Samuel
thinks he's another bum.
Cal regards the picnic basket tenderly. He
removes a loaf of bread, and hands it to Samuel.
CAL
Well, here. Take all you want.
Cal continues to remove items from the
basket.
SAMUEL WOOD
You're a real pal, buddy. Nice find, this.
So, what's your story? Life giving you the bum's rush too? Woman got you down?
What?
Cal is caught off guard.
CAL
Well, I suppose that's part of
it...eh...you're out of work are you?
Samuel grabs off a chunk of bread and eats it
hungrily. He offers Cal a swig of liquor.
CAL
No. I don't drink...any longer.
SAMUEL WOOD
You're smarter than me then, mister. It's
drinking that got me fired. My wife and my boy died from cholera this past
winter...so I'm alone now, see? I needed something to help me along.
Samuel finds strength in another drink.
CAL
Really? Why, that's horrible! What kind of
work did you do?
SAMUEL WOOD
I was working in Kensington making railroad
ties. It was a great place to work for a while. Mr. Hockley was the grandest
sort of man to work for. Really cared about us working stiffs, you know?
Cal becomes intensely interested.
CAL
Something's changed there, has it?
SAMUEL WOOD
...but he went off and left Mr. Blair to run
the place. Now, he's a real good fellow too...but he's been out sick, and this
nasty old codger, Peebles, took to firing folks...good men who's been with the
company for years!
CAL
Oh, he has, has he? He can't do that!
Samuel laughs uproariously.
SAMUEL WOOD
What are YOU going to do about it?
CAL
Got an extra change of clothes in that sack,
have you? I've got a plan.
EXT. STREET - KENSINGTON - NEXT MORNING
Cal and Samuel walk swiftly to the Kensington
plant. Cal sports a two-day beard, and wears a pair of grubby overalls.
SAMUEL WOOD
If I'd known it was you, Mr. Hockley, I...
Cal grabs the cap off of Samuel's head, and
puts it on.
CAL
Forget it. Now, just make it look like I'm
one of the boys.
INT. KENSINGTON PLANT - DAY
Cal and some workmen huddle together to
discuss the situation.
FOREMAN
It's Peebles!
The workmen spread the word, muttering
"Peebles, Peebles". All rush to look like they're working.
Cal catches a glimpse of Peebles, pompously
descending the stairs. He turns away to hide his face.
Peebles parades authoritatively through the
work area, flanked by two of the other buzzards Cal despises.
A nervous man drops a tool on his foot.
Peebles is on him in an instant.
WORKMAN
Ow!
PEEBLES
I've had enough of your clumsiness! Be off
with you!
Cal makes eye contact with the workman as he
hurries out the door.
The workman's face is flushed with anger and
hopelessness. But his eyes widen when he sees Cal.
Peebles saunters toward Cal and Samuel, ready
to sniff out more troublemakers. Turned away, Cal pretends to work.
PEEBLES
What are YOU doing here? You were fired last
week.
SAMUEL
Eh, well, sir...
PEEBLES
And who are you? I don't know your face.
Peebles grabs Cal's shoulder and wheels him
around. Cal is livid.
CAL
Oh, I think you do, Peebles.
PEEBLES
What? Mr...
CAL
You're fired, Peebles! And your insipid
groveling lackeys as well! Get out!
PEEBLES
Mr. Hockley! I...
Samuel grins as Peebles quivers obsequiously.
CAL
I said GET OUT! All of you! (turning toward
Samuel) Mr. Wood, would you please chase down that man who just left?
SAMUEL
Yes, sir!
Peebles et. al. scurry out the door. Samuel
cheerfully follows. To Cal's surprise, a loud cheer rises up behind him. Cal
reels around. He's astonished by what he sees.
Scores of workmen are lined up, tools raised
in the air, cheering him on.
Cal sees his men love him. This worries him.
INT. PARLOR - 1811 WALNUT STREET - DAY
Cal sits with Mr. Blair and Samuel. Mrs.
Bingham serves the men tea, while Anna, Max, Sheila and Mrs. Spivey look
curiously on. Mrs. Spivey decides that maybe Cal isn't so bad after all.
SAMUEL WOOD
...and Peebles' desk was cleared out an hour
later!
MRS. BINGHAM
So that's what this was all about, going to
that house all by yourself! Well, you could have told us, Mr. Hockley. You had
us worried sick!
Cal stares beseechingly at Mr. Blair and
Samuel. Samuel plays along.
SAMUEL WOOD
He's a smart one, our Mr. Hockley.
Anna stands off in the corner. She looks upon
Cal with loving admiration, but is still deeply concerned that this is not the
whole truth.
Samuel glances over at her, and knows she's
the one Cal is hung up on.
INT. FRONT DOOR - 1811 WALNUT STREET - DAY
Molly Brown makes a dramatic entrance with
flamboyant style, wearing a magnificent dress and huge, jaunty hat with
billowing plumes.
She shakes hands warmly with Mrs. Spivey. Max
grabs her bags and cheerfully takes them to her room. Mrs. Bingham and Anna
approach to welcome their guest.
MOLLY
Mrs. Bingham! Good to see you again...and you
must be Anna.
ANNA
Thank you for coming on such short notice,
Mrs. Brown.