Third Fade

Fade in

EXT. – LINU´S RESTAURANT – SIDEWALK IN FRONT – PRESENT.

Judie looks at her heels and sees blisters on her feet. She shows Helen and takes her shoes off walking, with difficulty. Helen looks at the number of the restaurant and confers with the newspaper, signaling to Judie.

Helen

This is the place...

Judie

Thank God, my feet are killing me... and, for God’s sake, I won’t leave this place without eating anything, even if they cook guts of black vultures in African monkey skulls, got it?

Helen

This is the last one, and don’t even mention being hungry. At this very moment I would even

eat that cat biscuit, at the Chinese... remember?

Judie makes a disgusted face and passes her hands over the tongue trying to clean it. Helen opens the door of the restaurant and Judie enters the place walking with great difficulty. Helen comes in and closes the door.

Cut to

INT. – LINU’S RESTAURANT – SALOON – PRESENT

In an open take the camera shows the interior of the restaurant, a simple place, modest, clean. A man (Jean Pierre) is sitting behind the counter, in front of the cashier, doing crosswords in a folded newspaper; a lady (Rose) with an apron, sets the tables and cleans the saloon.
Helen and Judie attentively observe the place, when the lady walks towards them and invites them to sit down.

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

No, Giles, you idiot... You’re wrong again, admit it... You just know how to toast pancakes and grill steaks.

Embarrassed, the lady gives Helen and Judie the menus.

Rose

Guys, please, behave yourselves... We have clients... Welcome to Linu’s!

Giles (off screen)

In 30 years I haven’t burnt one single pancake. And if I’m only good for grilling steaks, why do you still ask me? Try at least once to finish the crossword yourself... and, by the way, storage bin in three letters, no, it’s, Fox... stupid Cajun.

Startled, Helen, Judie and Rose are quiet listening to the shouting from the man in the kitchen.

Rose

I’m sorry about the guys. You see, we haven’t had many clients lately. You know how it is...

Judie

You bet!

Rose

It’s an epoch of fast food. Well, make yourself at home.

Judie

We came here because my friend is interested in...

Helen

A good meal, and two soft drinks, please!

Rose

Diet?

Judie

Why? Am I very fat?... Oh no, gosh, I told you... This skirt is terrible!

Rose (smiling)

I’ll be right back.

The lady withdraws.

Helen

“Skirt”... terrible, oh no, gosh...

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

Cajun... If you were really smart, you wouldn’t be single until today, watching videotapes of pornographic movies at night... Well, you’ll see the garlic smell from your hands... or because they are very quick, take your choice.

Giles (off screen)

Are you calling me a thief? Is that it? With some luck I steal your wife. And garlic frightens vampires, even though... it can’t be very efficient, since you come back every day... It doesn’t matter how much garlic I use...

The camera changes the taking plane showing Helen and Judie talking in the foreground and Rose in the background, taking the newspaper from Jean Pierre, showing the two guests and sending him to the kitchen. While serving the beverage, Jean Pierre takes out the hearing aid from his ear.

Judie

Why didn’t you say that you’re interested in buying the place?

Helen

And spoil the argument over the crossword?... Absolutely not!!

Judie

You’re the one who knows... This place seems nice, don’t you think?

Helen

Modest, cozy... It’s without question a beautiful place and by the smell from the kitchen it’s Cajun food.

Giles (off screen)

It’s box, you old silly... box.

Jean Pierre (off screen)

What? Noxx... the strong ... what the hell is Noxx?

Judie

Cajun is animated...

Helen

New Orleans... carnival, binge, Stevie wearing skirt the whole day... Oh, my God...
Jean Pierre comes out from the kitchen as if he were pushed. Rose takes the drinks to Helen and Judie’s table. You can hear pans falling on the floor. Smiling, Jean Pierre goes back to the cashier.

Giles (off screen)

You only come back to my kitchen after putting in the hearing aid, you old deaf...

Jean Pierre (putting the hearing aid – in a loud voice)

What?

Rose comes up to the table and serves the drinks.

Rose

I hope they don’t bother you. Age has made them more unbearable... Although, thinking about it, they’ve always been like this.

Helen

No... it’s funny. It reminds me of my uncles... in Kansas.

Judie

OK, great... Hello? Hungry?

Helen

Oh yes, OK... It’s a beautiful place you have here...

Rose

Yes, we’re very proud of it. It has been like this for the last 35 years.

Helen

Have you been here for 35 years?

Giles (off screen)

Has she begun the story?

Jean Pierre (loudly)

Not yet... but she will.

Rose

Oh, yes... I, my husband and his brother...

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

Here we go...

Giles (off screen)

I’ve already turned down the fire.

Rose

Well, Jean Pierre and Giles came here looking for a job and my father hired them. They were escaping from their mother and the police of Louisiana, I think... Well, I fell in love with Jean Pierre...

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

Giles, the inevitable, five letters.

Giles (off screen)

S.N.T.A.M.

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

What is that, man?

Giles (off screen)

She, not, tell, about, mammy, but maybe that’s what already should have happened to you...

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

What, have you been drinking again...

Giles (off screen)

Yes, I have... in order to stand your stupidity. The word is death... death, fool.

Jean Pierre (in a loud voice)

Daddy. What does it have to do with this? She only spoke about mammy.

Helen

Do they argue all day?

Rose

Yes, every day for 35 years. Can you imagine that? I need a vacation... in a very distant place. It seems like yesterday... their coming in through that door. It was love and hate at first sight.

Jean Pierre
I’ve always been the most handsome...

Giles (off screen)
And I the most intelligent. She married you out of pity. You just didn’t realize how many times she turned you down...

Helen

And they are both very modest.

Rose

And impertinent, but together we transformed this place to what it is today; it’s not much, I know... but, for us, it’s extraordinary. We’ve had a good life here...

Jean Pierre steps out from behind the counter and throws away the newspaper. Then he walks up to Rose and hugs her, leading her for a dance (without music).

Jean Pierre

It’s time for my sweet Rose to know the city of light, in your lover’s arms...

Rose

Free from your brother...

Giles comes out from the kitchen holding two plates with fillets in his hands. He walks to Helen and Judie’s table, making way for the couple that is dancing around the saloon, and serves them the meal.

Giles

If I had known how beautiful our guests were, I wouldn’t have argued with my stupid brother... Enjoy your meal.

The camera closes-in on Helen and Judie eating in the foreground. In the background it shows Jean Pierre and Giles, who take turns in dancing with Rose.

Helen

You know what, Judie? I’ve found the place... this will be my restaurant!

Cut for

INT.- LINU’S RESTAURANT – SALOON – PRESENT.

Helen and Judie enjoy a good meal and when they finish, they invite Jean Pierre, Rose and Giles to join them at the table. They open one, two, three bottles of wine. Giles and Jean Pierre dance and sing songs from Louisiana and an air of diversion takes hold of the dinner. It ends with Helen and Rose shaking hands on the selling of the restaurant.

Cut for

INT. - HELEN AND JUDIE’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - PRESENT

Helen and Judie enter the door dancing. Judie falls on the sofa and Helen takes her shoes off by flinging them to the bedroom with her feet. Spinning round she walks to the sofa, sits down and opens the button of her trousers, looking at her heels.

Helen

Do you know if blisters on the feet are contagious?

Judie

Gosh, how I ate... and drank...

Helen

It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?

Judie

It’s a fantastic place... my God, the world is spinning round...

Helen

In your head... It was very kind of Giles to stay...

Judie

What could he do? Follow his brother on the honey moon? I don’t think so.

Helen

You’re right... and after all that place is his life.

Judie

You will do very well there... You can bet on it.

Helen

If I can get rid of old Giles’ hands...

Judie

You too? I’ve never seen an oldie moving so fast. There is still some ice-cream in the freezer.
They look at each other, stand up and run to the kitchen.

Cut for

INT - LINU’S RESTAURANT - KITCHEN - PRESENT

Helen arrives and sees Giles setting the new pans and wares in order. Impatient, he doesn’t see her.

Giles

I’ve never seen so much modern and useless rubbish...

Helen

It’s to facilitate your life.

Giles
Forgive an old Frenchman being lost in his own kitchen... You see, it’s been long time since we didn’t open on a Monday.

Helen

Don’t worry, it’s only until the papers are ready. Soon we’ll open the doors again. You’ll see.

Giles sits down at the table, takes a newspaper and starts doing a crossword.

Giles

I hope that someone enters... (this time Giles disguisedly puts his hand on his left arm).

Helen

Is everything all right, Giles?

Giles

Yes, it is. Those idiots should be on the ship now...

Helen

Does that bother you?

Giles

I forgot to tell Rose some things...

Helen

Like what?

Giles

You wouldn’t understand... You’re very young.

Helen

You didn’t tell me that you loved her... Is it that?

Giles looks at Helen. Judie enters the door with a cardboard box. She throws it on the table startling Giles.

Judie

It was difficult to get here... There are a lot of things arriving out there, and here are the invitations.

Giles

I better take a look at the merchandises.

Giles leaves the scene. Judie realizes the sad climate.

Helen

Giles loves Rose, poor fellow...

Judie

Really... complicated, isn’t it?

Helen

Very (pause)... let me see the invitations.

Judie opens the box and Helen takes up an invitation.

Helen

Let me see... Heavens, they got very beautiful...

Judie

Did you like it? Do you know who made them?

Helen

No...

Judie

Three-Finger-Eddie... remember?

Helen

My God, Eddie...

Judie

The Three-Finger.... he himself. He really put his back into it, didn’t he? There is still hope, I think...

Helen

Did you overcome the problem?

Judie

It’s hard... After all it’s only three fingers...

Helen

You’re a very bad person, you know....

The deliverers and Giles carry with difficulty a big box through the kitchen. Judie takes the invitations and leaves the scene.

Giles

My God... what is in here?

Deliverer

Let me see (looking at the board) I think this is the new stove... Where do I put it?

Giles

What?

Giles feels a strong pain in his breast and falls on the floor. Everybody looks at him lying outstretched on the floor, and surprised Helen puts her hand over her face...

Cut for

INT. - HELEN AND JUDIE’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - PRESENT

Helen and Judie enter the door, dressed in black. Helen, discouraged, walks to the sofa and Judie takes her shoes off and sits down on the other sofa.

Helen

This is ridiculous. How is it possible that he dies days before the reopening?...

Judie
You just had to buy a new stove, hadn’t you?

Helen looks down and throws out her arms.

Judie

Death is unforeseeable... The hard thing is that you didn’t tell me before I sent the invitations. That, if something, is bad luck...

Helen

Did you send the invitations?

Judie

Yes, I did... All of them.

Helen

Aaaaaahhhh... I wanna die...

Helen leans her head against the sofa and kicks about.

Judie

Well, this was a hectic week, wasn’t it? One separation and one burial... what a thing!

Helen

The only thing missing is you going out with Eddie...

The telephone rings and Helen answers it.

Helen

Hello... (pause) She’s here... just a moment; Judie, it’s for you.

Judie

Who is it?

Helen

Eddie!

Judie

I’ll take it in my room.

Judie leaves the scene and Helen puts the phone on the hook.

Helen

Oh, my God... what am I gonna do now???

Fade Out