72 Miles to Go (excerpt) by Hilary Bettis

72

ile

g ...

Hilar Bettis M a ch 4 h, 2020 hila be i @gmail.com

All Sh all . h

CAA e /Ch i Till e @caa.com

People.

Bill - Chicano, 47-55, pa o a a Uni a ian ch ch.

Ani a - M e ican, 42-50, li ing in Nogale , M e ico.

Ch i ian - Chicano, 23-31, d eam of being a M a ine.

E a - Chicana, 17-25, he ca e ake .

Aa on - Chicano, 14-22, lo e cience.

Place.

T c on, A i ona.

The pla pan 8 ea f om 2008-2016

Punctuation.

Da he -- indica e c e o c e, he e' no b ea h f om line o line.

Sla h / i an in e p ion.

Ellip e ... ho gh ailing off.

Pa . a ho bea , a change in ho gh .

S . long and ncomfo able momen , of en beca e no one kno

ha o a .

Production Notes.

W a A a' . Thi ho ldn' be e agge a ed in an a . No image , no p ojec ion , no ac o on age, no god mic. J he oice coming f om he ac al phone. Almo a ho gh he i a gho ...

The e ho ld be no black o happen.

in hi pla . E e . Scene flo

in o each o he a

hif

in ime

"La e pe an a le pe enece a la ida, e la ida mi ma defendi ndo e."

-- J lio Co

a

"Hope belong o life, i ' life i elf defending i elf."

3-4

1.

Prologue C

a . Ma b a a b

,

.

A a a a .

b , BILLY, a

H

a

b a

a .

T

a

.

BILLY Hallel jah and amen.

H

a

.

I don hink I e een he oom hi f ll in m 30 ea p eaching he e. Ya ll eall e ci ed o ee me go?

ha

Tha a m a emp a a joke. The e a ea on he Good Lo d made me a p eache and no a comedian.

I keep h o ing hem o , b

he don

eem o land.

Well, folk , e e ince I anno nced m e i emen , I a ed o king on he e mon fo m final S nda . I e had o mon h o eall p epa e and p ac ice. I o e a lea a do en e ion , hen finall e led on one. I p ac iced on m kid n il he opped alking o me. I p ac iced on m ife n il he h ea ened di o ce.

Ya ll a e o gh. We go

a back, and o

e ill hi o gh on me?

I pen mon h and mon h o king on hi e mon, ing o ge e e o dj Hoping o lea e hi cong ega ion I lo e o deepl i h ome o d ha ll ick af e I m gone...

B

I m anding he e no , and none of ho e o d feel igh .

H

Tha

a a bi d ama ic, b

a

I co ldn e i (MORE)

. he hea ic of i .

igh . ih o

3-4

2.

BILLY (CONT'D) The olde I ge , he mo e I eali e ha a i no he g and e en ha gi e o li e meaning and p po e. I he mall e e da momen e ake fo g an ed.

Like he fi ime I a m ife... He big e e , he hape of he no e, he di finge nail hen I handed he a a e bo le.

nde he

O m kid ... Thei li le ba e fee pa e ing a o nd he ho e, he mell of hei kin and hai af e pla ing o ide all da .

The fi e of ... Si ing a o nd he able, ea ing a meal oge he and making mall alk abo home o k o a eekend picnic o a ong on he adio.

I e gone back o ho e memo ie o e and o e , picking hem apa , i hing I had paid eno gh a en ion o e e li le de ail. B he h i I a al a o p eocc pied i h a million o he hing . A o k deadline o a bill e e e behind on o m o n bbo n p ide and ego.

I don kno

h an of ho e eemed mo e impo an a he ime. B

he did.

I ea o d ell on he b ll hi . And ince e e a Uni a ian ch ch o in he middle of a de e , I fig e e can call b ll hi f om he p lpi hen e ee i . Beca e e ee a lo of i .

And no ha I m anding he e in f on of all of o , I can help b a k h e don eali e ho p ofo nd and bea if l and ac ed he e e e da momen a e n il he e gone?

3-4

3-4.

One A g A

. 2008. a

b a

.T .T a

b

40

.

EVA

b

a a

b

a

.P a

a a

a a

a

.A

.

AARON,

aa a ,

a

.

AARON E a?

E a

a

a

.

AARON E a?

EVA Wha ?

AARON Ch i ian i n in hi bed.

S

a

EVA I be he a ed a Angela la nigh .

B Yo

AARON ha if he didn ? Wha if he go opped? e gonna gi e o

EVA elf ano he lce . Come he e.

Aa

.

,b

.

3-4

EVA Take a deep b ea h.

Aa EVA Wh a e o p o ea l ? I ll ake o pancake i h hip c eam?

.

p in an ho . Wan me o make chocola e chip

AARON And bacon.

EVA Oka , I ll make bacon.

AARON Wha if no one like me?

E e one like

o ! Pl

EVA o ll ha e S e e and Diego.

AARON We e no in an of he ame cla e .

.

3-4

Yo ha e me and if an one a

EVA an hing o o , he ll be in he bigge

.

o ble.

AARON P omi e?

EVA I p omi e. Go back o bed.

AARON I can leep. I d eamed he e a hi h ge flood and i po ed in o o ho e and no one co ld im e cep me, b I co ldn hold o and Dad and M om and Ch i ian and hen e all d o n // and EVA Shhh... Feel m face.

Aa

.

AARON I kno , I j

...

EVA All o ha e o emembe i ha pi i eek i e e hing o o ha e o ho co ga p ide, P incipal T jillo i eall cool, he like o gi e high fi e , oh, and don i a he l nch able b he oda fo n ain beca e ha a ed fo he Special Ed kid .

3-4

AARON

Wha if I fo ge co ga p ide?

Yo

.

EVA

on . I lo ed nin h g ade.

AARON

Reall ?

EVA Yeah. I made o man ne f iend . Rebecca! I me Rebecca in home oom.

AARON Wha if Diego make ne f iend and hen he doe n Aa on, o ha e o

op

Wha if people a k abo

o

EVA ing.

M om?

AARON S

.

EVA J

a

he a a on b ine .

She been gone

o

I don kno , bab .

AARON eek . When i he coming home?

EVA BILLY

.

an o be m f iend // an mo e?

3-4

So m ch fo me bea ing he

BILLY o of o p. I

.

a gonna

p ie o

i h b eakfa .

AARON E a gonna make pancake and bacon.

BILLY

I can do // ha .

B J

AARON i h chocola e chip and

o ha e o make i le me make i // Dad.

Am I eall

O i Tha

EVA

hing.

na and noodle . a aple! He ,

EVA BILLY

ha bad?

Yo b n e e

hip c eam like // E a doe .

AARON

BILLY ha do o call a fake noodle?

EVA

Wha ?

BILLY An Impa a.

Ch i ian didn come home.

AARON

3-4

.

EVA He p obabl

a ed a Angela .

...He a g o n man. I kno

I kno , b

BILLY o an o p o ec him, b

e go a le him li e hi life.

AARON he peed and he ho ldn e en be d i ing!

Well I ll ha e a alk

BILLY i h him abo ha // oka ?

AARON

He ho ldn // Dad. BILLY Wha a e o mo e ci ed abo ?

AARON Biolog . Yo ge o di ec f og , hich I didn p hem o leep nicel and he aid i he onl ha .

an o a fi , b S e e aid he j a o be a e e ina ian. So I g e

CHRISTIAN,

a

, a

CHRISTIAN He b dd .

AARON Yo ha e o call if o don come home! FUCKING ASSHOLE! BILLY He , he , lang age!

EVA Aa on!

CHRISTIAN Whoa, oka , d de. Rela . I b o gh o don .

AARON I m no h ng .

.

3-4

Fine. No one gonna fo ce o

CHRISTIAN o ea don . M o e // fo me.

AARON

I ho gh

o

e e // gone.

CHRISTIAN

I m anding igh // he e.

BILLY I ll ea one. Yo go a bea cla in he e?

CHRISTIAN I b o gh hem fo E a // and Aa on.

I don

EVA an mine, // o o can ha e i , Dad. BILLY

A do en don

?

CHRISTIAN

And? BILLY Al igh . I ll make pancake .

AARON I

I

an pancake .

o do ome hing nice, b

CHRISTIAN fine.

AARON

I

an bo h --

EVA Oka , o g do no ge o be a hole in M Y oom on M Y fi da of enio ea . If o an o be dick go o in he a d and do i o o don in M Y good mood!

10.

3-4

R

11.

.E .

Hi, bab . No, no, e e one i

BILLY p. I ll p o on peake .

ANITA, a W a ,a

M ,a

a a a

,

.

a

a

a .

ANITA Hola, mi p ecio o // hijo CHRISTIAN Speak Engli h // BILLY He !

CHRISTIAN She go a ac Ame ican if he e e gonna come home.

Sh

EVA p, Ch i ian. Hola, mam , c mo e

?

ANITA I m fine, bab .

T

S a

.

BILLY Whe e a e o ?

ANITA In line a he o p ki chen. I hink oda i h e o

anche o

o ha

// e

e ci ing.

3-4

I

an h e o

I ho gh

o

12.

AARON anche o fo // b eakfa .

EVA an ed pancake and don

.

AARON I changed // m mind.

ANITA Yo e gi ing him don ? Do no feed him j nk food. If he ge fa -- E a, o ha e o cook n il I come home. Onl ege able and mea and heal h .

E a

Coneji o,

ha a e o

b

.

ANITA ea ing o chool?

AARON

M pajama .

ANITA Yo

e le ing him ea pajama ?

EVA Ye , M om. I m le ing him ea pajama o hi fi i oned hi fa o i e hi . He ll be fine.

Don

ANITA ea oo m ch make p. Tha bl e e e hado

I lo e o , M om. I

ih o

EVA e e he e.

da of chool. I a hed hi clo he , I

make

o look cheap.

3-4

M i Re . I m o happ

ANITA o came home! I m o

13.

e mi ed each o he .

CHRISTIAN M e oo.

ANITA Be nice o Bill , oka ? I need o bo h o...make p. Fo me.

He been

AARON a ing a hi gi lf iend -CHRISTIAN ing o ge me in // o ble?

He ! Yo

ANITA Don ge he p egnan .

CHRISTIAN We e ca ef l.

Ye , b

ANITA ome ime hing happen. And... I don ... I don Pa

an

o go h o gh hi .

.

ANITA I poke i h M . Gome la nigh . He a I can appl fo a eq e fo e-en app o e i , I can appl fo h mani a ian pa ole. Then I can come home fo a fe CHRISTIAN If he don ?

ANITA The

ill.

. If he eek .

3-4

14.

CHRISTIAN M om -ANITA THEY WILL! I am NOT mi ing m da gh e A e o aking he b ?

EVA Eddie i picking //

p.

AARON

The

ong e // ki !

EVA

We don // ong e ki !

Ye

AARON o do. I e een hem ong e // ki CHRISTIAN

M om, E a

ong e // ki ing!

BILLY

I ll ge he ho g n // loaded.

g ad a ion! Send lo

of pic

e , hijo .

3-4

1 .

EVA We don e en ha e a ho g n!

BILLY I be e go b

Im o

one.

ANITA I m no he e o h g o . And hoo Eddie if he ong e ki e m da gh e .

AARON

M om? Can

e come ee o ?

ANITA No, bab . No he e. No like hi . I ha e o go.

Plea e a

afe, j

BILLY ... Don go o a nigh .

The lock he hel e doo

ANITA o I m afe. I mi

o .

BILLY Yo ll be home oon. I p omi e.

E a

ANITA a ... I m o , Ch i ian. Engli h...b e babie .

A a a T

a

BILLY Aa on, go ge in he ho e .

. , a

a

a

.

3-4

Aa C

a

1 .

.

a

a

.

EVA Dad -BILLY Ch i ian, hold on a min e.

I m almo

18, and i

Ca a e deadl

m

EVA enio ea . I need m licen e o I can ee M om.

BILLY eapon . Do o an o fl

h o gh he ind hield and die?

EVA Fine. I ll a b eakfa .

E a

Yo

ab

b

C

a .

EVA ho ld ha e called f cking a hole.

S

a

.

BILLY We e e happ o e home, b a long a o li e nde m oof, o li e b hi famil le . We ha e a plan in place. Yo al a call. Al a . Tha i non-nego iable.

CHRISTIAN I m no a eenage , Bill .

The kid need o . La

Yeah,

ell, i

BILLY ime he a gone, i almo

CHRISTIAN a n e ac l f n fo me --

killed hem -- e peciall Aa on.

3-4

Yo

e en he e! Yo

1 .

BILLY an a a -CHRISTIAN

No like I had a choice -BILLY Yo didn ha e o li e i h he ab ence e e da . Yo go ahead, b no in f on of hem.

Don

o

CHRISTIAN , I on be he e long.

C

a

a

BILLY He .

CHRISTIAN Wha no ?

BILLY Don

anna ake o

peed.

a .

ange o

on me,