Heart of Clouds
by Adrienne Wilson
*adaptation of my novel for film
(for Walter Halsey Davis of the SB Writers Conference)
Chapter “Love Tokens” page 134, in the novel
EXT. HONEYGARTEN HOUSE. AFTERNOON
Teenie at Honeygarten’s gate, Melloman wagging his tail, happy to see her again.
TEENIE
(softly to Melloman)
Wait til I tell Mr. Honeygarten about Devlin
Look what he gave me, Melloman
(pulls Devlin’s rose out of her pocket)
I met a boy Melloman. I met the cutest boy.
INT. HONEYGARTEN PARLOR. GOLDEN LIGHT
(Teenie knocking on his door, entering)
HONEYGARTEN
Would you like a cup of tea, my dear
I’m afraid I haven’t got any of those special teacakes but I might have some cookies about
(catches sight of the rose in Teenie’s hand)
Oh my what a lovely rosebud that is
TEENIE
A boy gave it to me
HONEYGARTEN
He did?
TEENIE
(shyly hands the rose to Mr. Honeygarten)
His name is Devlin
It’s a little like your roses
HONEYGARTEN
(thinking of Claire, but present)
That it is, Teenie.
TEENIE
(at china cabinet, getting the tea things for the two of them)
These are so beautiful Mr. Honeygarten
Which spoon would you like?
HONEYGARTEN
I’ll let you choose, dear
Would you like to tell me about Devlin, my dear?
TEENIE
I think so Mr. Honeygarten. He’s the nicest boy I ever met
HONEYGARTEN
Why, that’s wonderful
Where dd you meet him?
TEENIE
He built a castle out of driftwood
HONEYGARTEN
He did?
TEENIE
It’s magical
HONEYGARTEN
It is? What was magical Teenie, dear?
TEENIE
Everything I guess. Mostly the shell though.
HONEYGARTEN
The shell?
TEENIE
The beautiful abalone shell he left for me that very first day
HONEYGARTEN
Oh my, that sounds very intriguing
TEENIE
I left him a little note
HONEYGARTEN
I see
TEENIE
He left me a note too
HONEYGARTEN
He did?
TEENIE
It was a feather
HONEYGARTEN
How extraordinary
My dear I once gave Claire a feather
She used to wear it in her hat
TEENIE
She did?
HONEYGARTEN
Let me show you something dear
(on the table beside him, a stack of ancient journals and letters, he reaches for one and puts on his spectacles)
This my dear is the first poem I ever wrote to Claire
TEENIE
You wrote poems to her?
HONEYGARTEN
(smiling, wistfully, dearly)
I did but I was only a lad and I don’t suppose they were terribly good Teenie
She seemed to like them though, my dear
TEENIE
(reaches to take a letter, petals fly out)
You wrote poems to her
HONEYGARTEN
I did. Sometimes it was the only way I knew how to speak to her. I was quite in awe of her, actually
TEENIE
(quietly sipping the tea, lost in thought, close in on her face)
(sounds of an old grandfather clock ticking)
HONEYGARTEN
She was the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, Teenie. I was a bit afraid of her, I expect. Because of that.
TEENIE
How was she beautiful?
HONEYGARTEN
Her hair, my dear
TEENIE
(thinking of what Devlin had said)
Her hair?
HONEYGARTEN
That was only one thing. I felt that everything about Claire was beautiful
HONEYGARTEN
(takes a locket from his pocket)
Look my dear
TEENIE
(looks at the perfect curl inside)
HONEYGARTEN
I’ve carried it always
TEENIE
She gave that to you?
HONEYGARTEN
I asked for it my dear
(smiles, laughs a bit)
Of course that was many poems later, you see?
In the days that Claire and I were young, that was the sort of thing people did. I expect it might seem quite strange to you, but for us it was a love token
TEENIE
(puzzles at concept of love tokens, intrigued)
Mr. Honeygarten? Would you read me one of your poems for Claire?
HONEYGARTEN
I thought you would never ask
(recites a love poem)
I worked on that for quite some time before I dared to give it to her, my dear. I wanted it to be just perfect
TEENIE
Is a poem like a love token Mr. Honeygarten?
HONEYGARTEN
(nods)
(the two of them begin to look in all his old sketchbooks of his drawings of Claire, and all her hats)
(smiling)
She had so many of those. One hat for each day it seemed
TEENIE
Can a love token be a rose?
HONEYGARTEN
Yes Teenie. I was especially thinking of this poem.
TEENIE
(watching as he unfolds a poem with a rose petal inside)
HONEYGARTEN
She once put a rose in my lapel. I have saved this petal all these long years
TEENIE
I’m going to save my rose like that too
(puts Devlin’s rose in her pocket)
Do you think it might be a love token?
HONEYGARTEN
I daresay it was my dear. And I expect the feather he left for you was as well
*establishing first crush for young teens
*to page 140 in my novel Heart of Clouds
Adrienne Wilson 