Barbra-Que

© Copyright 2006

Part of the July 2006 One Week Challenge.

EXT. BACKYARD – DAY

Sunrays pierce through the thin green leaves of the large oak trees in the large backyard, where birds comfort and protect their babies while chirping at each other.

A crow lands on a branch far from the other birds in the tree, cawing and cocking its head as it watches people converse with one another.

Children, further in the backyard, play soccer with each other, screaming and laughing while getting into the game. A few parents watch on the side while gossiping to each other.

JARED LONG (36), a boss for a corporation and also mortician with a full beard and beady black eyes, walks to the center of the group of people. He clears his throat and looks around.

JARED
Excuse me, people. Attention!

Everybody quiets down and turns to Jared.

JARED (CONT’D)
The bar-be-que is about done so if I could have everybody sit down at the table, your dinner will be served.

Everybody walks to the table and sits down, continuing their conversations with each other. The children sit at a different, much smaller table next to the adults, playing and fighting, hitting and screaming.

Jared walks over to a grill and opens it up, revealing loads of cooked meat and fire sprouting up and out of the grill, throwing smoke into the air.

He begins setting the meat on the plate and closes the girl, serving the food.

DISSOLVE TO:

Everybody’s plates are scraped clean, still sitting on the table. Only a few pieces of meat are left on large serving plates and everybody is back out with their normal groups, gossiping and talking with each other.

Only three people still sit at the table: two women and one man.

One woman, KYLE RIDDLE (27), her hair tied up into a bun and wearing all black, sits on one side of the table. The man and the woman, a couple, sit on the other side.

The man, TRISTIAN BOYD (30), with a five o’ clock shadow and short brown hair spiked up at the front, has his arm wrapped around HILLARY BOYD (29), who rides her hand through her short brown hair and sets it behind her ears.

HILLARY
I just can’t believe she had to go like...that.

KYLE
I’m sure it was quick...Or at least painless.

HILLARY
But she has children here. One’s four and the other’s seven, and already their mother is gone.

TRISTIAN
Well most kids go through that. I’m sure they understood. I mean I lost my dad when I was ten, and I actually got over it pretty quickly.

HILLARY
That was because you and your dad never got along.

KYLE
But when the person who gave birth to you died...That’s a pretty hard thing to just forget about.

TRISTIAN
As long as Jared’s happy, we should be happy, too.

Silence sweeps over them and Kyle stirs her iced tea. She takes a sip and sets it back down.

HILLARY
Come to think about it, how can he be so happy? I mean look at him.

The three look at Jared. He walks up to a small group of about four men, shaking their hands and smiling.

TRISTIAN
Pity.

KYLE
(To Tristian)
Like you said, I guess some people get over it more quickly than others.

HILLARY
Think about it though. I mean, he’s the only mortician in town. He was the one who had to do an autopsy on her body.

TRISTIAN
Poor bastard. It must be hard for him. Not only is he the boss of our corporation, along with being a mortician as a part time job, his wife’s dead and still has to cope with it.

KYLE
I wonder why he didn’t invite us to the funeral. You’d think he’d invite his own employees.

Another silence washes over them. Hillary lets out a loud sigh and looks around. Kyle lifts up her glass.

KYLE
To Barbra. May she rest in peace.

HILLARY & TRISTIAN
(Clinging glasses)
To Barbra...

They take a sip of their beverages.

HILLARY
She was the sweetest person in this town. I mean, she gave money to charity, always had the best and smartest ideas...

KYLE
Please, I don’t want to talk about her. She was probably my best friend and she only died a week ago.

TRISTIAN
Talking about it will make you feel better. Or so it says in psychology books.

KYLE
I don’t like talking about this kind of stuff though. I’ve been through hell ever since she went away.

HILLARY
We’ve all been through what you’ve been through, Kyle. Don’t worry, we’re here for you. If you need someone to talk to, then you can talk to us.

KYLE
You’re pretty much the only people I know here.

Her eyes begin to tear up.

KYLE
We were friends for so long. We used to hang out at the pool together and we were college roommates...We’d just do everything with each other and now all that seems like it had no purpose.

TRISTIAN
Look just because she’s gone spiritually and physically, doesn’t mean she’s gone in our thoughts.

KYLE
I just never thought the day my best friend died would come so soon.

HILLARY
People die, Kyle. It’s a natural part of the human life cycle.

KYLE
(Bawling)
She died right in front of me!

A few people turn around and stare at Kyle. Hillary and Tristian wave and smile at them, and then turn back to Kyle.

Hillary gets up and walks over to the side Kyle is on, sitting down next to her.

HILLARY
Come here.

They embrace, Kyle sobbing on her shoulder.

HILLARY
Look, it’s all going to be okay. She’s in a better place now. I bet she’s hanging out with Mom and Tristian’s dad right now, having their own little bar-be-que to substitute Jared’s.

KYLE
You really think so?

HILLARY
Kyle, I know so. I knew Barbra just as much as you did, and so did Mom.

Kyle lifts her face off Hillary’s shoulder.

KYLE
Why are you so caring and protective?

HILLARY
I’m your big sister. I’m supposed to car and protect you. I told Mom that I would before she passed away.

KYLE
(Stalling)
Thanks.

She smiles and they embrace again.

TRISTIAN
I’m sure Barbra and your mom are doing the same thing right now.

HILLARY
Maybe if you join in with us, your father will do the same.

Tristian smiles and gets up. He walks around the table and joins their group hug.

TRISTIAN
If only I could hug my father one last time...

Kyle sniffs and clings tightly to Tristian and Hillary. She looks up at the other two, and notices a tear coming from both of them, leaving a long streak of water on their cheeks. She smiles.

KYLE
It’s okay guys. We all have to get over this sooner or later.

DISSOLVE TO:

The sky is turning blood red as the sun sets and clouds begin to roll in through the sky, giving off a yellow glow as if they’re on fire.

Crickets begin to chirp and frogs begin to croak, just as the birds in the trees get in their nests and fall asleep with their young, resting for tomorrow.

All the bar-be-que guests are leaving, Jared standing at the front gate, giving everyone a final goodbye. Hillary and Kyle walk off towards the street as Tristian shakes Jared’s hand.

TRISTIAN
I had a wonderful time here, Jared. The food was delicious and the drinks were great. Thanks for inviting us.

JARED
Anyone who’s a friend of one of my fellow employees is a friend of mine, Tristian. Thanks for coming.

Tristian walks off and Jared continues saying goodbye. An elderly woman walks up with her husband to Jared.

ELDERLY WOMAN
This was the best bar-be-que I’ve been too in years, Mr. Long.

JARED
Thank you Mrs. Briggs. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

ELDERLY MAN
Your bar-be-que gets better and better every year!

JARED
Well, that’s my mission, Mr. Briggs. Satisfying my friends and family.

ELDERLY WOMAN
Do you think we could take a few pieces of bar-be-que home with us? We loved it so much that we would like to have it for our next meals.

JARED
Well, no problem Mrs. Briggs! Let me go get some right away in the downstairs freezer. You can have as much as you want. It might take me a while, though, so hang tight, all right?

Jared walks around the house and inside. The elderly couple smiles and look at each other.

ELDERLY WOMAN
He’s such a sweet boy.

ELDERLY MAN
Raised by the best family in the town!

INT. BASEMENT – NIGHT

He walks down the stone stairs and into a large room where about three autopsy tables sit, cleaned and polished with white sheets neatly spread out on top of them.

Next to them are dozens of cabinets and trays with autopsy tools on them.

INT. FREEZER – NIGHT

As he opens the doors, he turns on the light. The fluorescent lights flicker on, and begin glowing a bluish green, making the freezer look alien-like.

JARED
(To himself...or so it seems)
Barbra, they love you so much and they wish you were there with them.

He walks over to a small, metal table that looks exactly like an autopsy table, but smaller.

On the table is a small lump covered by blankets. He unrolls them, revealing a woman’s head. This is BARBRA, her face is pale and her veins are becoming visible. Her hair is frizzy and she has black circles around her eyes.

JARED (CONT’D)
People gave you a lot of compliments; more than you received when you were alive.

He pulls out a butcher knife.

JARED (CONT’D)
But don’t worry, your almost gone. They just love you so much.

FADE OUT

THE END