"Bedtime Story"
FADE IN:
INT. DELIA'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
A little girl's bedroom. There's a chair, and there's a
window near the bed. It's raining hard outside. Everything
is dark and ominous.
DELIA (8) is in bed, and scared, and a little grouchy. She
peers out at the rain from under the covers.
A THUNDERCLAP. Delia lets out a little scream and pulls up
the covers.
FOOTSTEPS.
The door CREAKS open a tiny bit.
Delia gasps.
DELIA
Who's there?
GRANDPA (O.S.)
Oi?
The door creaks open.
GRANDPA (60) appears. Grandpa looks like he used to be a
thug in a Guy Ritchie movie, but his manner is incongruously
warm and peaceful. He speaks with a strong Cockney accent
(unlike Delia, who has an American accent).
Grandpa turns on the light.
GRANDPA
Jus' granddad.
DELIA
Oh.
GRANDPA
You all right, luv?
Another THUNDERCLAP; Delia whimpers.
DELIA
I'm not scared!
GRANDPA
No reason you should be. Storm
like this can come in handy.
DELIA
Why?
GRANDPA
Well, once it... sorted out a
business dealing of mine.
DELIA
Why?
Grandpa sighs slightly, settles into the chair.
GRANDPA
Right. Years ago, I did this job
for Charley Gold.
DELIA
Who's Charley Gold?
Grandpa wonders what he's gotten himself into, and struggles
to come up with an innocent-sounding phrase.
GRANDPA
He, er... he worked with ponies.
DELIA
Ponies!
GRANDPA
And if you wanted to bet on who was
the fastest pony of the lot, you
gave your money to Charley Gold.
DELIA
Wow.
GRANDPA
And this bloke named "Smooth," he
was a...
DELIA
What?
GRANDPA
It's not important.
DELIA
What?!
GRANDPA
Smooth... helped blokes find
girlfriends.
And that's how he knew Charlie. He
got him this great girl.
DELIA
Was she pretty?
GRANDPA
She certainly was. So Charlie had
let his new friend Smooth bet on a
pony without any money. And Smooth
promised to pay him back the very
next day.
DELIA
"Always always keep your promises."
GRANDPA
Your mum tell you that, eh?
Delia smiles proudly.
GRANDPA
Smooth made that promise, but he...
forgot about the promise, right?
DELIA
Oooh.
GRANDPA
And my job was to... remind people.
When they forgot things.
He leans forward a bit.
GRANDPA
It was raining, just like this. And
outside Smooth's flat, he had this
big, strong, toothy guard... puppy.
DELIA
A puppy! Did he play with you?
GRANDPA
He would have. But I had my job to
do. An' it was raining so hard,
and the storm was so loud, that he
couldn't smell me, and he couldn't
hear me. He just stayed in his
little doghouse, and slept.
DELIA
Awww.
GRANDPA
And I got into the flat, and I sat
Smooth down, and took out my
pliers....
He stops, looking like he wishes he could un-say that last
word.
DELIA
What's a 'pliers'?
Grandpa gestures vaguely.
GRANDPA
It's a... little... feathery thing.
For... tickling.
DELIA
You tickled him! Did he laugh?
GRANDPA
Oh, he made all sorts of noises.
But I said, "You promised Charley
his money, Smooth."
DELIA
He should have kept his promise.
GRANDPA
You know? Smooth agreed. He said
he was very sorry, he gave me the
money, and we all lived happily
ever after.
Another THUNDERCLAP. They look at the window.
GRANDPA
If it hadn't rained that night, I
might have spent that whole night
playing with the little puppy.
Grandpa gets up.
DELIA
Grandpa, why don't you work for
Charley Gold any more?
GRANDPA
One day, Charley's friends decided
he'd worked for him long enough,
and... they gave him a big...
retirement... party.
DELIA
Wow! Was it fun? Did they have --
GRANDPA
Delia, if you promise to go to
sleep now, I'll tell you all about
it before I go to the airport.
Delia nods solemnly.
DELIA
I always keep my promises.
GRANDPA
So do I, luv.
Grandpa walks to the light switch. The look on his face:
"What have I gotten myself into now?"
Grandpa turns off the light, walks out the door, and closes
it behind him.
Delia watches the rain.
There's another THUNDERCLAP; Delia flinches and giggles.
FADE OUT.