Mr. Write's Page

FADE IN:

INTERIOR, HOME DEPOT STORE – DAY

A bearded, grandfatherly man is waiting in the self-checkout line. Ahead of him are a couple in their 20s and a BOY about four years old. The MOTHER is massively pregnant. The FATHER wears a Duck Dynasty t-shirt and a Georgia Bulldogs baseball cap. All is quiet except for the beep beep boop of the checkout scanner.

The boy stands next to their shopping cart, watching with interest as the mother hands purchases to the father. The father scans them and places them in the bagging area. He breaks the silence.

FATHER
What about wood glue? Aren’t we out of wood glue?

MOTHER
No.

FATHER
I thought we were out.

MOTHER
No.

BOY
(Pointing to a rack of candy atop the scanner)
Mama, look! They got Snickers bars! Can I have a Snickers bar?

MOTHER
No, you don’t need no candy.

BOY
Aw, Mama, please! Lemme get a Snickers bar!

FATHER
(Harshly)
Yore mama said no! End of story!

BOY
(Scowling)
You never let me git NOTHIN!

FATHER
Boy, don’t you start! Yore mama said —

MOTHER
Son, we’re gonna eat lunch in just a minute. You know you can’t have a Snickers bar right before lunch.

(With difficulty, she leans down, intending to pick up the child and put him in the shopping cart. The father quickly intervenes and lifts the boy into the cart.)

BOY
(Standing up in the shopping cart)
Can I get a Snickers and not eat it till after lunch?

FATHER
You don’t need no damn Snickers bar!

(The boy stretches forward and grabs a Snickers bar from the display rack)

FATHER
Goddammit! Put that thing back!

MOTHER
Oh, let him hold it till we’re done. He knows we ain’t gonna buy him one.

(She continues handing items to the father, who scans them and places them in the bagging area.)

(Meanwhile, the boy is studying the Snickers bar, turning it over in his hands, looking closely at the wrapper.)

(The father scans the last item. As he leans aside to place the item in the bagging area, the boy lunges forward and passes the Snickers bar over the scanner.)

SCANNER
Beep beep boop.

FATHER
(Outraged)
Goddammit to hell! Did you see what he did! Did you see that!

(He looks around for a store clerk, apparently to void the purchase of the Snickers bar.)

MOTHER
Oh, never mind. Let’s just go. I’m tired.

FATHER
(As he feeds cash into a slot in the checkout station)
Boy, I have HAD it! You know what? I’ve got a mind to eat the damn thing myself! You wanna watch me eat it?

(The boy bursts into tears. All customers and staff in the vicinity turn in their direction.)

(The boy continues bawling. They load up the shopping cart and head to the exit. The automatic doors open.)

MOTHER
(Addressing the father in a serious tone)
You are NOT gonna eat that Snickers bar and make him watch, you hear me?

FATHER
Hell, I didn’t mean it, and you KNOW it. He can HAVE the damn thing — after lunch. OKAY?

MOTHER
Okay.

(Immediately, the boy stops sobbing. The doors close behind them.)

FADE OUT.