FADE IN:


1 EXT. TOWN HIGH STREET -  DAY


SANDY (12) hair unbrushed, wearing an Arctic Monkeys T-shirt, denims and trainers, drags a wooden stick along the wall of the town street. He observes an occupied hearse coming into view proceeding stately along the High street. He freezes. He watches as the hearse passes. He reads the word MUM (CLOSE ON) in white carnations on the side of the coffin. He turns round as the hearse goes by contemplating the contents of the flower draped box.  He is stupefied. He watches till the hearse is out of sight. He wipes a tear from his eye. He turns and proceeds to his home street walking slowly and contemplatively, gently tapping the stick in his hand.

2 INT. SITTING ROOM - GROUND FLOOR FLAT -  DAY


Elderly grey haired GAIL HANSON (87) sits reading the Daily Record by a lit fire. Her long skirt almost touches the floor. Her cardigan cuffs overlap her wrists. She hears the postman''s delivery splatter to the hall floor, puts down her paper, picks up her stick and moves towards the edge of her chair.  

 
GAIL (V/O)

One, two, three….. up. …….. More fuel for the fire, no doubt.

She slowly gets up, walks through the hall to the front door.  

3 INT.  HALLWAY - DAY

GAIL (V/O)


Ah!, I wish they wouldn''t put leaflets through the mailbox.
She discards the mail drop items to the left with her stick. Then sees an officially marked brown envelope. She drags it with her stick to the hall wall, then props it up. She bends slowly to pick it up. She supports her back against the wall, opens the letter and reads it. She smiles. She shakes her head ruefully.             


GAIL (V/O)

Dearie me,   dearie me.…..£5  of Council Tax rebate!


4 EXT.  PAVEMENT - DAY


Sandy reaches his home street. He sees something lying on the road by the kerb. He approaches. It is a cat. He cautiously bends over it.  His right foot nudges it. The cat is clearly dead. He uses his stick to turn the cat over. His bully classmate MALKY is taller and fatter than Sandy. He approaches. He wears jeans, trainers and blue top marked MIKA with ‘Love Today’ written underneath the singer’s name.

MALKY
Sandy! What are you doing?
Leave it alone. It''s dead…….Come on. 

SANDY
Yup, it''s dead all right. I suppose the bin man will get it.
Malky looks about the houses.

MALKY
Guess who''ll be dead next?
Sandy is puzzled by the remark.
SANDY
I don''t know. (pause)
Expect it could be my Dad.   

 
 MALKY
Your Dad? He''s not old, Sandy.
More likely to be your Mum. She''s an Alki.
Sandy is angry about the remark. He raises his voice.

SANDY
My Mum drinks because my Dad''s in hospital.

MALKY
Ok Ok ...Then what about MR. Clark at number 36?
He''s not got long to go.

SANDY
But He still goes to football matches.
Malky points to Gail’s ground floor flat.
               
 MALKY
Then what about that old lady at number 47?
I think she''s half dead anyway.
Yea, I don''t see much of her.
     
Malky puts his hands on his hips. He turns to Sandy.


 MALKY
Maybe she is dead! (pause) Go and ring her belL Then we''ll know. 
Malky looks threateningly at Sandy. Sandy frowns, he suspects trouble ahead.

SANDY
Don''t Malky. I don''t want to do it.
Malky grabs Sandy by his collar. Their heads are inches apart.


MALKY
 I''ll beat you up!
 You going to do it, or not?

Sandy is terrified. He speaks in a frightened high pitched voice.
      
SANDY
     Ok. Ok Malky, I''ll do it. Let me go.                   
Malky takes his hands off Sandy. He takes a pace back.

MALKY
There''s nothing to it.
Ring her bell.
Then run round to that hedge over there.
Her eyesight''s no good.
Sandy walks along the pavement. He stops and looks back at Malky. 

MALKY
          Go on. …..Remember?…..
Malky raises his fists as if to challenge. Sandy starts off again and sees Malky enter a garden with a privet hedge to hide him. He looks around but no one is about. He walks more quickly to Number 47, he approaches the front door and places his finger on the doorbell.


5   INT. GAIL''S SITTING ROOM - DAY 

Gail turns over a page of her newspaper as the doorbell rings. Gail sets off to open the door.  She reaches the Hallway.

6 INT.  HALLWAY - DAY


GAIL
    I''m coming… I''m coming.
She opens the door but no one is there. An approaching man (GEORGE 76) in a flat cap, old sports jacked, bent and with a stick sees this activity.

7 EXT.   FRONT DOOR PAVEMENT - DAY

GEORGE, 
Miss Hanson, it''s dreadful what these kids are up to.
Nothing to do with themselves.
I know who he is.
I''ll speak to his mother. That is, if she''s sober.
A pity they can''t belt the kids these days.


 GAIL
Ah nonsense!
This gives me some exercise
and they haven''t done any damage George. Let’s forget it.
Gail closes the front door with a smile on her face and a shake of her head.

8 INT.  SITTING ROOM - LATER

The clock approaches three. The telephone rings beside Gail''s chair. She lifts the receiver.

GAIL (V/O)
Hello, …speak up….Aye, Miss Hanson.
…Oh I see… Yes. Oh don''t bother.
It was not so bad. I was not upset....
To hospital this evening? ...OK …Yes……Well, all right then. Tomorrow morning at  10 am?  Aye, that’s fine by me.
Thank you. Thanks for ringing.  Bye.

9 INT. HALLWAY  - NEXT DAY


At 9.55am Gail with her stick walks to the hallway. She takes the latch off the front door and leaves the door slightly ajar. She returns to her Sitting Room, leaving the front door open and the sitting room ajar.

10 INT. SITTING ROOM DAY


She places a log on the fire and sits down. She does not have to wait long. The doorbell rings.
GAIL
(shouts) The door''s open, come in. I''m expecting you.


10 INT. HALLWAY- DAY


Sheepishly Sandy opens the door. He is wearing smart grey trousers and a clean white Tottenham Hotspur jersey. His hair is smartly combed. He steps into the hall and looks around the stairwell. He looks apprehensive. He feels guilty. He stands still in the hall.

GAIL (V/O)
Well, close the front door and come away through. I don''t want to die of a chill!
Come on, I won''t bite you!
Sandy walks through the hall. He stops at the Sitting Room door and knocks twice on the wooden panel.


11 INT SITTING ROOM - DAY

GAIL
Well, well. So you do have some manners after all!
In you come. Come over here.
Let me see you. Aha. Just a young lad.
Sandy stands uneasily looking down. He places his left shoe on top of his right shoe. He looks at his feet.

GAIL
   Well sony, what have you to say?


SANDY
     I''m sorry Miss.


GAIL
   Sorry? (pause) What for?
There is a further pause. Sandy struggles for a moment to think what to say.


SANDY
Sorry for……. ringing your bell.
Gail nods her head. 


GAIL
Then you must have wanted to visit me?
Sandy looks at Gail briefly then looks back at his awkward stance. His hands are clasped behind his back. He does not speak.


GAIL (CONT’D)
Here, bring me two tangerines from the fruit bowl.
Sandy looks up and to the left, he sees the table on which the fruit bowl stands. He approaches it and takes two tangerines. (CLOSE ON) He brings them to Gail. She gives him one then points him to a chair and he sits down.
They peel their tangerines and delicately eat each segment in silence. Gail throws her peel into the fire. Sandy copies her. Occasionally Sandy looks up to catch Gail''s eye. She smiles at him when he does.


GAIL (CONT’D)
      So what''s your name then?

SANDY
      Sandy Grant.


GAIL
Alexander Grant. That’s Your Sunday name. A fine name too.
So do you want to be a campanologist when you grow up?
Sandy draws a blank expression. Gail smiles.


GAIL (CONT’D)
A campanologist rings bells.
So he dose. It doesn’t pay well! But if you want to do that, well, that''s ok.
Gail laughs to herself. Sandy does not laugh but a smile begins to appear on his face as he warms to this seemingly eccentric old woman.

GAIL (CONT’D)
Now, I don''t think a clever lad like you wants to ring bells
all his life.
But let''s leave it there.
You said sorry and I know you''ll not do that again.
Because you know, I''m not so good on my feet you see.
Sandy looks concerned for her.


SANDY
Have you sore feet?

GAIL
Yes Sandy, sore feet…all right,
(Pause) sore back, (pause)…sore legs
and sore eyes too.
It''s not fun being as old as I am.
Sandy looks up at Gail.


SANDY
When you''re old, is it just that you get slow or is it always sore as well?
Gail smiles. She throws her final tangerine skin onto the fire and slowly turns round to face Sandy.

GAIL
I can''t move as quickly as I used to but sometimes it''s my head that bothers me most.
When I think of my life (pause)
I was in charge of all the school cleaners, you know?
Then I think of what''s left of it……(pause)..ah..(pause)
You see that picture on the mantelpiece?
Sandy stands up and approaches the mantelpiece. (CLOSE ON) Picture of a young man is in a frame on the mantelpiece.


GAIL (CONT’D)
That was my son, John. Fell off his motorbike. No crash helmet. Going too fast. He was only eighteen. He was a Spurs fan too! Just like you! I’ll tell you something else.
When he was your age,(pause)
He used to ring doorbells and run away too!

Gail smiles at the memory while Sandy looks reflective.
Sandy looks into the fireplace. (CLOSE ON) The flames lick around the logs. Tears well up in his eyes. He looks distressed.


GAIL (CONT’D)
Now, now, what’s upsetting you?
Sandy wipes his eyes and sobs. He opens his hankie wide and cries into it, slowly revealing more of his troubled face, he talks slowly.

SANDY
The Hospice phoned last night, not long after we visited him.
My Dad died at tea time.
He had cancer.
Gail gathers Sandy to her bosom. She rocks him gently. She pats his back, her head resting on his shaking shoulder.

GAIL
You poor soul. You poor wee soul.

After a few more moments, Sandy breaks away from Gail to face her. He is sobbing. Yet also smiling at Gail.

SANDY
Would you come with me and Mum to the funeral on Saturday?.... Please.


Gail smiles at him. She nods her head. She gives him another hug. While still hugging him, she turns her head towards the mantelpiece to view her deceased son, while her face rests on Sandy’s  shoulder.

GAIL
Of course I will, my wee man. Of course I will.

The camera pulls back then focuses on flames licking the logs. Reds and oranges mingle and slowly go out of focus.
(FADE OUT)

Suggest music of JS Bach  Bist Di Bei Mir from Anna Magdalen Book