Heart of Clouds
by Adrienne Wilson
(for Walter Halsey Davis, of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference)
*chapter FIRST KISS p. 89 in my novel
EXT. DEVLIN’S CASTLES. LOON POINT. SUNNY
Devlin watches Teenie walking by the sea, she is the first girl he has ever thought of as pretty.
*establishing first feelings for a girl
Shakes his head, to and fro. He runs down the beach like a race horse to get back to the driftwood hut, finds her note hidden in the abalone shell.
FLASHBACK
Teenie kissing her note to him with an invisible kiss. Then pocketing his note to her.
*establishing first feelings for a boy
Devlin has paper and pen in his uke case. Scribbles a next note, in all CAPS.
MEET ME HERE TOMORROW AT TEN O’CLOCK
Love, Devlin
EXT. HONEYGARTEN HOUSE. GARDEN GATE. MELLOWMAN
Teenie rides her bike to Mr. Honeygartens, and Melloman has been waiting for her at the gate. Her feelings for Devlin make her want to ask Mr. Honeygarten about Claire. She stops to inhale one of his exquisite old red rambler roses along the picket fence.
TEENIE
(calls up to his upper windows)
Mr. Honeygarten are you home?
HONEYGARTEN
(his face appears smiling down at her, from the high window)
Hello, my dear
Would you like some tea?
TEENIE
Yes I would Mr. Honeygarten
HONEYGARTEN
Why don’t you go and get the shears and bring some of those roses in, my dear. Take Mellowman along with you.
(Mellowman leaping and clowning around, tail wagging, garden scenes, tangled English garden look)
(Teenie moving along the fence picking the lush red roses)
INT. HONEYGARTEN HOUSE. PARLOR
Mr. Honeygarten has made tea and is arranging his delicate cups and saucers for the two of them, as well as petits fours.
HONEYGARTEN
Aren’t they the loveliest?
TEENIE
(arranging roses in a vase)
They are, Mr. Honeygarten
HONEYGARTEN
Sit down my dear. Tell me how you have been?
TEENIE
Fine
HONEYGARTEN
Any wild adventures?
TEENIE
(looks away shyly thinking of Devlin)
Well….
Mr. Honeygarten?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes my dear
TEENIE
Who was Claire?
HONEYGARTEN
Ah, Claire. Why Claire was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen
TEENIE
She was?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes my dear. She was.
TEENIE
When did you know her?
HONEYGARTEN
When I was fifteen
TEENIE
Really?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes my dear, and I have never, ever forgotten her. Not once in all these years.
*image of Mary Pickford in Stella Maris — Mr. Honeygarten’s “Claire”
HONEYGARTEN
(eyes, dreamily remembering Claire, he takes a sip of tea and reaches for a petits four)
TEENIE
She must have been very special Mr. Honeygarten
HONEYGARTEN
She was my dear. In fact she stole my heart.
TEENIE
(puzzling over what Mr. Honeygarten has just said)
HONEYGARTEN
(sighs deeply)
Claire was the love of my life, my dear
TEENIE
She was?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes, Teenie she was
TEENIE
Well how did she. I mean
HONEYGARTEN
How did I fall in love with her?
TEENIE
(smiling at Mr. Honeygarten, while secretly thinking of Devlin)
HONEYGARTEN
Oh my dear, where shall I begin?
(pauses, close in on kind eyes smiling at Teenie)
I suppose my dear, she was a bit like you
TEENIE
She was?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes, she was. I suppose I shall just have to tell you that story, won’t I?
I don’t suppose you might bake another apple pie for me once I finish?
TEENIE
Mr. Honeygarten if you tell me about Claire, I’ll make you an entire pie. Just for you.
(Fire crackling in the hearth, Mr. Honeygarten and Teenie savor the petits fours and cakes, while sipping tea, as Teenie pours, watching the little elf on the teaspoon, it seems to smile at her)
Where did you get these little teaspoons, Mr. Honeygarten
HONEYGARTEN
Claire gave them to me, my dear. I’ve had them all these years.
TEENIE
She did?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes, in fact we had tea together almost every day as children
TEENIE
You did?
HONEYGARTEN
(nods, solemnly)
All these little spoons were given to me by her. I have four. For the four birthdays we shared together.
TEENIE
You saved them all these years?
HONEYGARTEN
Nothing in the world would ever make me part from these spoons
TEENIE
You must have loved her very much Mr. Honeygarten
HONEYGARTEN
I did my dear. More than anything in the whole world.
*to page 94 in my novel, Heart of Clouds
Adrienne Wilson 