THE JAILBIRD Episode 29 ® 18+ SNVL
© -Agyeman
Steve sees the dangerous signs, and he knows just how violent and unpredictable Chris can be.
He turns hurriedly and runs into Effe’s be-droom, shutting the door and picking up his bo-xers and shorts.
Junior cannot be held back anymore. He comes round is father and looks at his mother.
He holds up Chris’ arm and shows the new watch to Effe.
JUNIOR
(excitedly)
Mommy! Look at the birthday gift I gave Daddy! I called him this evening and he c@m£ and I gave him the watch which Mr. Abbiw bought for me as my prize. Daddy loves his birthday gift!
Effe swoons.
She almost falls down.
Desperately she holds unto the banisters to steady herself.
May third!
Yes, Chris’ birthday!
Dear Lord!
She has forgotten all about it!
But their son hadn’t forgotten. Of course, he will never forget.
CHRIS
(painfully)
Good night, Champ. Sleep bliss. Angels guard you!
Junior turns back immediately to his father, and gr-abs his th!ghs.
JUNIOR
Daddy! But you said you were going to re-ad me a story and put me to sleep and…
His voice trails off as he notices the sadness on his father’s face, and sees the agony Chris can no longer hold back.
JUNIOR
(his voice shaking)
Daddy? What’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?
Chris crashes on his knees and sweeps his son into his arms.
He holds him ti-ght, and then his hvge b©dy begins to shake with abject misery, and then suddenly tears from his eyes fall on Junior’s face.
JUNIOR
(crying)
Daddy! plea-se st©p! I don’t want you to cry, Daddy! What did I do? plea-se st©p!
With an effort Chris holds his son back.
The little boy reaches up and cleans tears from his father’s face.
Chris f0rç£s out a smile.
CHRIS
(tenderly)
You’ve done nothing wrong, Champ. I’m just happy that I’m here, and you’re here, and Mommy is here and it’s my birthday, and it is just like the old days. Sometimes, when grownups are happy, they cry.
JUNIOR
(desperately)
So, they’re happy tears?
CHRIS
(tremulously)
They’re happy tears, Champ. Listen, I’ll re-ad to you and put you to be-d another time. Right now I want to show this beautiful watch you got me to my friends.
JUNIOR
(smiling)
Wow! Yappity yappity yippeeee! You love it that much?
CHRIS
It’s my most precious treasure, Champ.
Junior hvgs his father suddenly.
JUNIOR
I love you, Daddy! I don’t ever ever ever really ever ever ever want to see you unhappy because I really really truly truly love you!
CHRIS
(fighting back his tears)
Yeah, Champ, I love you too. So much truly.
He lets his son go, and without looking at Effe he descends the steps.
Effe scrambles forward.
EfFE
Junior, plea-se wait for me inside. I want to see your father off.
Junior looks at his mother, and she sees that de-ep inside her son is still confused, and his eyes are questioning her.
JUNIOR
You got him a birthday gift too, right Mommy?
Chris is almost at the door now.
Effe is desperate. She k!sses her son on the cheeks.
EFFE
(desperately)
I did, my jewel. plea-se go inside. I’ll be with you in a minute.
She flies down the stairs, and her emotions let go, and her tears blind her.
She has seen death on Chris’ face, death that has come about because his soul has died within him.
She clutches the door open and goes out.
The security men look at each other with concern when she goes out the main gates screaming.
EFFE
Chris! Wait! plea-se wait! Nothing happened, Chris! plea-se nothing happened!
But he is gone.
He is running like a madman throu-gh the streets, trying to outrun his pain, his misery, his bleeding heart!
Effe stands for a long time looking after him, trying to see his figure.
Oh, Chris, Chris, Chris!
Your first birthday outside, and what a birthday gift have I given you?
She wipes tears from her beautiful cheeks as she goes back inside.
Steve is standing in the living-room, fully-dressed.
Junior is standing on the landing, his shoulders down, his head downcast.
When he sees his mother he turns slowly and enters his room, shutting the door behind him.
Steve looks at Effe, and there is resignation on his face.
STEVE
(gently)
Effe-
She t©uçhes his arm, and moves past him.
EFFE
Good night, Steve. We’ll talk tomorrow.
His jaw ti-ght£ñs as he stares after her, and then with a ti-ght curse he turns and leaves the room.
Effe tries Junior’s door.
It is locked.
EFFE
My prince! Open the door, plea-se!
Junior’s voice reaches her, muffled by the closed door.
JUNIOR
Good night, Mommy.
He is also hurting. Somehow, he has deduced that his father’s ‘happy tears’ might not be happy after all, but might have been caused by his mother and her companion.
Effe turns with a sob and rushes into the room. She falls on the be-d, buries her face in the pillows, and tears soon shake her whole b©dy.
She knows that somehow, it is now finally over between him and the love of her life.
This was not the way she had planned it to end.
He has treated her worse, of course, but the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him like that, and she knows she has indeed hurt him badly.
JAILBIRD continues
NEXT (episode 30)
PREVIOUS (episode 28)