Grandmothers house -- Layla's decision

Grandmothers house -- Layla's decision

A Screenplay by Salem Fitzgerald
"

I had to write a short for a class that I am in. I liked how it turned out. It's a glimpse into my screenplay

"
INT.grandmas house.Evening.

Layla enters her Grandmother's house through the front door. The house is small and in need of major repairs. She sees her Grandmother sitting on her rocking chair watching television. She sets her purse on the couch and proceeds to the kitchen. Layla looks defeated and exhausted from her non-date with Alan, a boy who hopes to become her boyfriend. Layla goes to the fridge and grabs a bottle of water. She re-enters the living room, leaning against the wall.

LAYLA
Grandma, how come you never talk about grandpa?

Layla's grandma smiles softly, never taking her eyes off the television.

GRANDMOTHER
What would you like to know? I sometimes forget that you barely knew him

LAYLA
Well, how did you meet? I mean, was it love at first sight or was it a work in progress sort of thing?

Layla's grandma motions for her to come sit beside her on the ottoman. She obliges.

GRANDMOTHER
Your grandfather and I met when I was very young; I was nineteen and he was twenty-four. It was the summer after I graduated high school. In Kimberly, there wasn't much to do but every summer the community put on an event called Paperfest. They had carousel rides, face painting... The whole bit.

LAYLA
Did he hang from the ferris wheel and demand a date?

They both laugh

GRANDMOTHER
Hardly. Charles was drunk the night I first met him. I was at Paperfest celebrating. I was picked out of the entire state to be a part of the Chicago symphony and a friend of mine, John Marsick, was there and had come to congratulate me. Charles and John were best friends, so that's how we met.

She paused for a moment, staring into space, clearly remembering the events of that night.

LAYLA
I thought grandpa was from Texas? What was he doing up here?

GRANDMOTHER
He was in the Army. They moved him around a lot. After he died, I moved back here to be with my family. And the rest you know. But why the sudden interest in your grandfather?

LAYLA
Just curious.

Layla gets up from the floor and reaches for her pocket as she walks towards the kitchen. She pulls out a piece of paper with the name ALAN written on it with a phone number. She stops and turns to face her grandmother who is still in her rocking chair smiling now.

LAYLA
Grandma, what ever happened to your spot on the Chicago Symphony?

GRANDMOTHER
Oh, I gave it up. Eventually the distance that the Army put between your grandpa and I got to be too difficult, so I decided to go with him. I moved around state to state wherever he was stationed.

LAYLA
So you just gave up your life and your chance to be a musician to be with him?

GRANDMOTHER
Well, yeah. That's what you do when you're in love. You sacrifice it all.

Layla looks at the piece of paper in her hands with a disappointed and melancholy look on her face. She turns toward the kitchen and drops the note in the trash.

© 2011 Salem Fitzgerald


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This is very sweet. I liked it a lot. Though on thing that I'm confused about is how old Layla is. At first I thought maybe she was like 13 but at other points I think she might be 18ish.
I really like the flow of how the two of them talk. Makes me think of me and my grandmother.

Posted 10 Years Ago



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Added on February 16, 2011
Last Updated on November 8, 2011
Tags: script, decision, screenplay

Author

Salem Fitzgerald
Salem Fitzgerald

Small Town, WI



About
I walk through life imagining events that have yet to happen. I yearn for adventure and passion. I'm let down so often by everyone I meet so I spend a lot of time alone. I'm a writer, a philosopher, a.. more..

Writing