Where are you?’
‘..I’m…uuh…give me a sec… .’
‘..Dude…dude, really? Its quarter to 3 and we have a 4 hour drive ahead of us….’
‘… calm down, I’m almost done’
‘Don’t tell me to calm down! … You know I hate driving at night’
‘Quit whining, you little bitch!’
‘… dude … DUDE!! ..What the fu_ did he just hang up on me? … Hello … hello … crazy bastard!’
‘…’
‘You do see me tapping this window right? So let me in’
‘…’
‘I’m … I’m. Sorry okay … I’m sorry, I lost track of time and you are right. We have a long drive ahead of us.so c’mon, let me in. its freezing out here.’
‘Look man … if you didn’t wanna come, you could have just said it you know. Lord knows I don’t wanna be here either’
‘..just shut up and drive’
‘kids okay? Heard Abby had the flu’
‘yea she’s alright’’
‘Imela? How is she?’
‘…’
‘Still pissed at you?’
‘…’
‘Heard about that predicament you found yourself in with that hot fox of a neighbour of yours. What’s her name again, Ru..’
‘Drop It!’
‘…’
‘I’m sorry, didn’t mean to pry’
‘Yes you did’
‘Maybe a little … but …’
‘But nothing, Imela is of limits’
‘..uhm..she’s … She’s my in law. I think she falls within my limits’
‘Don’t push it!’
‘C’mon man, it’s a 4 hr trip … the least we can do is … ’
‘This…is… not a bonding session brother’
‘…’
‘it’s been a while since you called me that’
‘Piss off’
‘Why are you so mad?’
‘…’
‘You know what, you didn’t have to come, I don’t wanna see him either, but … it would mean a lot to mum … she would have loved this..’
‘Don’t you dare..’
‘You know I’m right’
‘of course you are, you always are’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?
‘Forget it…’
‘…’
‘Hey you, how’s the road treating you?’
‘Hey, so far so good, I’ve put you on speaker…’
‘Oh …. Alright …I miss you’
‘Behave, Dylan is here…’
‘oh yea, slipped my mind… well … enjoy your trip…do tell me when you arrive’
‘Sure … yea … I love … hello…’
‘You two seem to be alright’
‘…’
‘What … Libby’s off limits too?
‘Oh so now you want to talk.’
‘It’s a 4 hr trip oh wise sensei’
‘…’
‘C’mon man’
‘She’s…Libby’s good.. I mean, she’s getting better… ever since …you know…’
‘You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to…’
‘Ever since we lost the baby, she hasn’t been the same man.’
‘Are you looking to try again?’
‘I don’t know’
‘Does she?’
‘i… she… its complicated.’
‘…’
‘How?’
‘She feels trapped, she thinks it’s her fault. … and I…I just don’t know… I don’t know how to bring her back… she’s broken…’
‘Dude…’
‘Maybe I’m not meant to be a father. Maybe it’s a crude way to show me how I’ll just be like him’
‘He’s a deadbeat and a fool… and you are only the latter…’
‘Wow, that’s your idea of a pep talk?’
‘Why did you even force me to come?’
‘…’
‘Force you?’
‘Yea’
‘…’
‘He’s dying…’
‘The world would be better off without him…’
‘You don’t mean that’
‘Yes I bloody well do’
‘He had his reasons…’
‘Look man..i don’t know why you keep kissing his ass after all this time. He doesn’t give a fu…’
‘Just because I made peace with it…doesn’t mean I’m okay with it’
‘So why are you going to see him?’
‘I…I don’t know. It’s just…he doesn’t. He doesn’t deserve to die like this…’
‘Like the animal that he is?’
‘Okay … he screwed up, big time, I get it … he is not going to make up for all those years passed. He missed it all…I mean Abby and Iggy don’t even know him’
‘They don’t need to…they are better off without him…’
‘He’s their grandfather, our sins are not their fault…are you even listening to yourself?’
‘ARE YOU? …he left you! … He left us! … He never wanted us…’
‘He needs us now, we are not our father, we never have been. We have always had each other. But our brute of a father needs us today.
‘He never wanted you man, grow some balls and finally admit it…this…today…it won’t change anything.
‘You bloody…’
‘WATCH OUT’
‘You imbecile, watch where you’re driving!!!!’
‘I’m …I’m … I’m sorry, hey are you alright? …I’m sorry…oh no…the side mirror is ripped off…’
‘Pull over, c’mon…pull over here…I’m driving’
‘…’
‘You hate him, I get it but…’
‘You hate him too, you’re just blinded by the prevalent belief that you still need him…wake up. ..You don’t.’
‘…’
Well, we are almost there, for one day…I need you…I need you to forget this petulance and just be there. If not for me…then for mum’
‘Alright…fine, let’s get this over with then.’
I love how this is written entirely as dialogue. It really pulls you into the tension and emotions between the characters without any extra exposition. Every line feels fresh, raw, and real, and you can almost hear the argument, the hesitation, the anger, and the grief. Whoever mentioned that this should be a short film was exactly right! You should honestly consider it.