Altered States part 1
Bo could not believe he was sitting
at the bar, here at the Palace, torturing himself. Right next
door, in the palace banquet hall, his life was swirling down the
proverbial toilet. Right next door, Nora, the love of his life,
was celebrating her new marriage to Sam Rappaport. Bo thought
his world ended after the car accident. At least when
she returned, he still stood a chance. Not now.
Bartender: Another beer?
Bo: Bourbon, double, straight up, leave the bottle.
He could hear the party in the next room, the laughing, the happiness,
the love. Everyone he cared about was in there. It was tearing
him up inside and out.
Bo: How could I have been so stupid? (pause)So stubborn?
Bartender: Sir? (putting the drink and bottle down)
Bo: Ah...nothing. (to himself) Nora, Nora, Nora...why didn't I
talk to you? You begged me...(drinks) Why did I let Sam...SAM...slip
in...(drinks) and steal you from me? Ah...Red..(gulps down the
last of the drink)
Woman's voice: Always talk to yourself in public?
Bo turns around. It's Lindsey.
Lindsey: Bo, honey, why are you tormenting yourself so?
She tries to put her arm around him.
Bo: Lemme alone.
He shrugs her off.
Lindsey: The last thing you need is to be alone...
Bo: I have my self pity to keep me company and this bottle of
fine Tennessee whisky, and not to forget my new best friend here...hey,
buddy, what's yer name?
Bartender: Ken
Bo: My friend Ken. So you, YOU leave me alone!
Lindsey: She's not worth this Bo. She hurt you. They both hurt
us. They are evil and they deserve each other.
Probably end up with a half dozen whiney drooly brats...
Bo stood up, turned around and in one swift move had Lindsey against
the bar, with his hand at her throat.
Bo: Get this straight, you witch, she is worth it! And whole lot
more. We had something beautiful, she was my world. Now she's
gone. Married to that..that..waste of a bad hair cut. You stay
away from me. Got it?
He lets her go and walks out. He stops as he passes the closed
banquet hall doors. He looks at the doors and then walks out of
the Palace. He starts his car and turns on the radio. Percy Sledge,
"When A Man Loves A Women" is playing. He shuts it off.
Bo: I am done with oldies songs. Damn it anyway!
He starts to drive away. In his anger, drunkeness or maybe the
pain in his heart, he put the car in drive instead of reverse
and drives over the parking stump and right into the car in front
of him.
Bo: Damn, damn, damn!
He gets out and slams his fists on the hood of his car then trudges
back in to the Palace. It started to snow, lightly.
At the desk, Bo begins to tell the clerk about the accident and
to call the motor club. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches
Nora, along with Rachel, walking back into the hall. He rushes
over to them.
Rachel: Bo! Oh...uh...how are you?
Nora looks at him, then looks away.
Bo: You look beautiful, Red.
Nora: Thank you.
Rachel: Mom? We have to go Bo...Mom, Sam's waiting...
Bo keeps staring at her. She is obviously uncomfortable with this
unexpected meeting.
Nora: Uh, yes, I have to go. Sam is waiting.
Nora and Rachel walk into the hall. As the door is slowly closing,
Bo catches a glimpse of Nora with Sam. She is smiling as Sam kisses
her on the cheek. She looks truly happy.
Bo: It should be us.
The door closes, he goes back to the parking lot, were the motor
club was finishing the removal of his car from the stump. He gets
in and drives away. He doesn't realize Lindsey has been watching
him and is now following him.
Along the drive home he finally sees the headlights following
him. He turns on to his street. The headlights follow. He pulls
up his drive way, the headlights follow. He pulls his gun from
its holster. He waits. The headlights shut off and the door opens.
Bo takes a bead on the door, ready to fire. At the last second,
he realizes its Lindsey. She walks up to his car as he replaces
his gun in the holster. He gets out of his car.
Bo: What the hell are you doing? Do you realize I carry a gun,
and I had it drawn?
Lindsey: No. I didn't. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.
I was worried. You were drinking. I had to make sure you got home
ok. That's what friends do. For each other.
Bo: I am fine. And we are not friends! Why can't you get it?
Lindsey: You're not serious. It's just the alcohol talking. I
love you Bo.
Bo: Yeah, well, I don't love you. I love Nora. I always have loved
her, I always will love her, forever. I will die a
bitter shriveled old man, still in love with her. I asked you
before, this is the last time I will ask you, LEAVE ME ALONE!
He goes into his house and slams the door behind him. In the house
he has pictures of Nora everywhere. From their wedding, the fishing
trips with Hank, candid ones, vacation photos. He walks over to
his desk and sits down.
Bo: Red (he picks up the frame on the desk) It should be our wedding
night.
He loved the picture on the desk, it was the best candid shot
he ever took. It was more of a surprise shot. She had just gotten
out of the shower, she thought he was asleep. She sat down on
the edge of the bed, towel drying that
beautiful mop of red hair. He watched her through little slits
in his eyes, she was so beautiful! In that old navy blue robe
of his. He took her totally off guard, popping up, camera in hand
yelling out "HEY!" and snapping the picture. She jumped
a foot off the bed! She tried to snap him with the damp towel,
but he was too quick. He grabbed her and pinned her to the bed,
tickling and showering her with kisses. Pulling off the robe,
they laughed and loved the entire day away.
Bo: (looking at the picture) I can't live like this...
He puts the picture down and heads upstairs. He get undressed
and heads to the shower. He spots the small red candle on the
corner of the sink.
Bo: Don't know why I keep that stupid thing...
He steps in the shower and turns on the water. The hot water starts
to relax him. His mind focus on the times when she would surprise
him. After a long day at the station, he would take a shower.
Once the water was running, she would sneak in and light those
candles, then turn off the light and slip in behind him, hugging
from behind, her breasts pressed against his back. He would turn
around in her arms, facing her. Feeling her body, kissing her.
With the water showering over them, the candle light, the moment
was perfect. He would make love to her so slow, he knew it would
last forever...
The water got cold, he realized he was alone.
He stepped out of the shower and put on his robe. He looks at
the clock.
Bo: 9:15. My days are so long.
He looks at himself in the mirror.
Bo: What kind of man have I become? Who are you Bo Buchanan? How
could you have told her to leave? You
blamed her for Drew's death.
He was crazed that night. He flashed back to the night that would
be the end of his marriage...
Nora: Bo, why can't you just talk to me? Sweetie, it's been a
month now. I'm here for you. I love you. You don't
have to go through this alone. Your family is here.
Bo: I am alone.
Nora: Honey, you're not. Asa, Renee, Clint, Vicki, me, we are
all here.
Bo: Yeah, you're here. But you know what? It really doesn't matter.
Drew is not here. My boy is dead. Dead, Nora. Do you understand?
Dead, because of you.
Nora: What?
Bo: You heard me. You. You weren't happy leaving things how they
were. No. You always have to fix things. You wanted my son back
in my life...
Nora: Bo, you wanted him...
Bo: Shut up! You wanted us closer. If he would have stayed with
Becky Lee, if he would have went with his Mother, he'd still be
alive! But no. No!! You....
Nora: Bo, this is the pain talking...
Bo: Quit diagnosing me! You are an attorney, not a damn doctor!
Quit trying to fix everything! Just...just go away! Go fix Rachel's
life! Leave me alone! I don't even want to be in the same room
with you!
The words still echoed in his head.
He turned away from the mirror, disgusted with himself. After
that night they began to drift apart. Hours of not talking turned
to days, days to weeks. Nora took on more intricate cases that
kept her away from home. He threw himself into his work, spending
endless hours at the station. Even Hank could not get through
to him.
He came home one night, the house was cold, it had been for a
while. The love and laughter had died with Drew. He knew she was
gone. He walked up to their room, her things where gone. He found
a short letter on his dresser:
"Dear Bo,
I can no longer bear to live life like this.
I have tried for months to hang on. Hang on
to the hope that we could work things out.
I have come to the realization that this
cannot be repaired. The more I try, the
worse it gets. Please know, it is breaking
my heart to do this. But I'd rather live
with a broken heart, than watch you die with
one. I will always, always love you.
Nora"
And what did he do with it? Did it phase him? Did he go after
her? No! He crumpled it up. Threw it in the trash and filed for
a no contest divorce within two days.
Bo: How could I have hurt her so terribly?
He looked at the clock agian--9:50. He sat in the window and watched
the light snow falling. He felt trapped in the house, so he got
dressed again. He threw on his jeans, a flannel shirt and slid
on his riding boots. He went downstairs and grabbed his leather
jacket and gloves and headed out to the garage.
Bo: This is so stupid. (backing his motorcycle out) But I am stupid!
He put on his helmet and took off into the night.
The bike handled well, in spite of the snow. He rode through town,
noticing the hanging sign on Nora's office was changed "Rappaport
and Rappaport--attorneys at law"
Bo: Hmmmph!--Rappaport, doesn't fit her!
The snow started to get heavy. He stopped at the Palace. Unconscience
plan? He went in, looking at the grandfather clock in the lobby-10:45.
He noticed guests leaving the reception. Selma and Len going up
to their room. Bo went to the desk and spoke to the clerk, then
returned to an inconspicuous spot, where he could keep an eye
on the door.
Hank and Sheila, Rachel and RJ head to the elevator...11:15...Clint
and Vicki...Renee...11:25...Sam walks out, right past Bo, not
even realizing it was him. Sam talks to the clerk and heads to
the elevators.
Bo: He makes me sick...
The doors open again, Nora walks out with Suzanne. They hug, Suzanne
heads toward the bar, Nora to the elevator.
Bo puts his helmet on. As the doors open, Bo runs toward Nora,
he grabs her around the waist and pulls her into the elevator.
The doors close. He stands behind her, silently holding her arms
at her sides.
Nora: Who are you? Why are you doing this? Let me go!
She struggles, but it is no use. The elevator stops on the ninth
floor, They exit, he pulls her to a room, opens the door and pushes
her in. He walks in and slams the door behind them. Bo stands
silent, still wearing the helmet, gloves and jacket. Nora turns
to face him.
Nora: I know it's you Bo.
He remains silent, partly because he can't believe how beautiful
she looks, partly because he never thought he'd have the nerve
to make it this far with his plan.
To be continued....
|
|
|