Abraham's Son, Chapter 27

 EXT. IN FRONT OF WHITE HOUSE - DAY

ABRAHAM, escorted by a security guard, walks slowly back towards the same White House gate he had entered some time before.  His mood is one of defeat, at least a temporary one.  When he leaves the White House grounds, he turns back to look at the the structure one more time.  Could he or would he be able to return in two weeks as ROBERT said?  What would be the point?  He then hails a taxi that heads towards Union Station.

EXT. ON STREET IN FRONT OF ABRAHAM'S HOUSE - NIGHT

ABRAHAM's taxi pulls up in front of his house on his return from his failed trip to Washington.  He exits taxi and talks to driver.

ABRAHAM:  Here's an extra $10.  I want you to drive the babysitter home.  Just a short distance.  She's up by the door...be down in a sec.

After paying the driver, ABRAHAM walks to front door and greets IKE and LIZ.  He hands her an envelope with cash and tells her about the taxi waiting for her.

ABRAHAM:  (to IKE) Hi, IKE.  I missed you.  Let's say good night to LIZ.

(to LIZ) Thanks for doing this.  Everything was okay?

LIZ:  Yeah.  Everything was fine.

ABRAHAM: Here's your bonus.  The taxi driver will take you home.  Thanks again.  Good night.

LIZ:  Thanks and good night, ABRAHAM.  Night, IKE.

ABRAHAM and IKE wave good-bye to LIZ as she leaves in the taxi.  ABRAHAM and IKE enter their house.

INT. ABRAHAM'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Later, ABRAHAM carries IKE to his bedroom, kissing and hugging him on the way.  

INT. IKE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

With IKE in his pajamas, ABRAHAM holds him on his lap.  IKE is drifting off to sleep as ABRAHAM talks to him quietly.

ABRAHAM:  IKE, daddy loves you very much.  Daddy protects you and makes sure nothing bad happens to you.  You are the most important thing in the world to me.  I love you.  Go to sleep now, my wonderful son.  

IKE falls asleep.  ABRAHAM puts him in his bed and hovers over him for a long time.

INT. ABRAHAM'S BEDROOM - DAY

ABRAHAM awakes the next morning.  He notices door to his bedroom, normally kept open, is closed.  A surprised ABRAHAM doesn't remembers closing it night before.  But, then he is shocked to see the MESSENGER sitting quietly in a chair near his bed.  ABRAHAM gets up and sits on bed facing MESSENGER.

ABRAHAM:  What are you doing here?  How did you get into my house?

MESSENGER:  And a good morning to you, ABRAHAM.  How can you still question my powers?  I'm baffled at that.  I thought you were bright.

ABRAHAM:  Okay.  You're here.  What do you want?

MESSENGER:  Did you succeed with your friend ROBERT?  

ABRAHAM:  Well, it was a temporary setback.  I have an appointment to return for another try.

MESSENGER:  Look, I only asked to see if you were going to tell me the truth.  I know exactly what happened yesterday and it was a failure.  You failed.  No question.

ABRAHAM:  But it's not over.  I have another chance in two weeks.  I'll learn from my mistakes.

MESSENGER:  That will be a waste of time.  There is no point in going back.

ABRAHAM:  Please!  Let me try.  I'll get it done.

MESSENGER:  It's over, ABRAHAM, and now the consequences.  You must sacrifice your son.

ABRAHAM:  Let me tell you, fuckhead, I'm not gonna do that.  I refuse to do that.  You can't make me.

MESSENGER:  You can't refuse God.  This is the price you paid for the privilege of spending an hour with HELEN.  Remember?

ABRAHAM:  I never agreed to that.  You tricked me.  

MESSENGER:  I said consequences and you agreed.  This is the consequence for your failure.  You must sacrifice your son.

ABRAHAM:  I refuse.

MESSENGER:  You can't refuse God.

MESSSENGER stands up as does ABRAHAM.  They are face to face.

MESSENGER:  You dare refuse your God?

ABRAHAM:  If God wants me to sacrifice my son, then, yes, I refuse my God.

MESSENGER:  ABRAHAM, do you fear your God?

ABRAHAM:  I love my son more.

MESSENGER:  Do you refuse to carry out God's will?

ABRAHAM:  I refuse.

Suddenly, a large knife appears in the hand of the MESSENGER.

MESSENGER:  Here, take the knife.

ABRAHAM:  No fucking way.  

MESSENGER:  Take it.

Suddenly, the knife is in ABRAHAM's hand.  A frightened ABRAHAM tries to drop the knife, but it is stuck in his hand.

ABRAHAM:  What the fuck's goin' on?  

MESSENGER:  Use it!  Now!  Obey your God.

ABRAHAM:  Never!  I love my son.  You want blood?  Kill me.  I'll die in his place.  Gladly!  

MESSENGER:  That's not the deal.  You need to prove you fear your God.  That is your obligation.  Do it!  Now!

ABRAHAM:  I can't and I won't.  Get the fuck outta here.  Now!  

MESSENGER:  This is your last chance, ABRAHAM.  The child must be sacrificed and if you won't do it...then I, as God's MESSENGER, will do it.  And you won't be able to stop me.  

ABRAHAM and the MESSENGER stare at each other, waiting a few seconds.  Then, suddenly the knife is magically transferred back to the hand of the MESSENGER.  A startled ABRAHAM sees this.  The MESSENGER heads for the door and opens it.  IKE is asleep in the next room.  A paralyzed ABRAHAM tries to move, but can't.  He struggles, but he can't move an inch.    

ABRAHAM:  (screams):  No!  Stop!  Please!  Don't touch my son.  I waited my whole life for him.  I thought it was God's will that I have him.  And now God's going to take him away.  I can't believe it. I won't.

MESSENGER:  Too late, ABRAHAM.  He must be sacrificed.  

The MESSENGER walks out ABRAHAM's bedroom.  

INT. IKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

Messenger enters IKE's bedroom holding the knife.  He walks menacingly towards Ike who has just awakened.  IKE, sitting on his bed, shows no fear of the MESSENGER.  He holds one of his favorite toys.  MESSENGER walks closer and closer to IKE.  ABRAHAM's voice can be heard from his bedroom.  

ABRAHAM (O.S.):  Don't touch him, you son of a bitch.  He doesn't deserve this fate.  I am the one who is to be punished, not him.

MESSENGER:  You are right, ABRAHAM.  You are the one to be punished.  And this is your punishment, the loss of your son.

The MESSENGER slowly raises his knife over IKE's head.

INT. ABRAHAM'S BEDROOM - DAY

Suddenly, ABRAHAM's cell phone rings.  Luckily, he can reach it without much movement.  It is a call from ROBERT.  ABRAHAM answers. 

ABRAHAM:  Hello?

ROBERT SILVER (O.S.):  ABRAHAM.  It's ROBERT.  I have news I think you're gonna like.

ABRAHAM looks at the MESSENGER who has returned to ABRAHAM's bedroom.  The knife is gone.  ABRAHAM drops the phone and is able to rush into his son's bedroom.  

INT. IKE'S BEDROOM - DAY

ABRAHAM finds IKE untouched by the MESSENGER.  He hugs and kisses IKE and carries him back to his own bedroom.

INT. ABRAHAM'S BEDROOM - DAY

After entering his bedroom, ABRAHAM discovers the MESSENGER has vanished.  He hears Robert's voice from cellphone.  

ROBERT (O.S.):  Abraham?

ABRAHAM picks up phone.

ABRAHAM:  What news?

On black background with white lettering:

Genesis 22: And God said to Abraham, "Do not lay your hand on your son..."  

FADE OUT

The End

Clyde Barrow

Clyde Barrow was born March 24, 1909 (115 years ago) into a poor farming family in Ellis County, Texas.  In the early 1920s, the family moved to Dallas.

In 1926, Clyde was arrested for the first time when he failed to return a rental car on time.  His second arrest was for possession of stolen turkeys.

Clyde met 19 year-old Bonnie Parker in January 1930.  They developed a romantic interest.

Clyde was imprisoned in Texas in April 1930 for stealing cars.  He was paroled in 1932.  Bonnie joined Clyde's criminal gang around that time.

In August 1932, Clyde killed a police officer who approached him at a dance in Oklahoma.  He eventually killed nine.

By May 1934, Barrow had 16 warrants outstanding against him for multiple counts of robbery, auto theft, theft, escape, assault, and murder in four states.

In the early morning of May 23, 1934, a police posse set up an ambush along Louisiana State Highway 154.  About 9:15 AM, Bonnie and Clyde drove by and were fatally gunned down by 130 rounds fired at them by police officers.

Thirty-five years later Bonnie and Clyde were resurrected in a film directed by Arthur Penn and which starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the title roles.  Bonnie and Clyde was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning two.

 

   

Oswego Friends

 In the summer of 1963, I was preparing for the next stage of my life.  I would be moving from my home town of Oswego, NY to Philadelphia, PA where I would matriculate as a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania.

In my mind I believed I should reject all of my past in order to get ready for my new life.  That meant ending my relationships with my Oswego friends.  I would make new friends at college.

In retrospect, this was a terrible idea.  I could have friends from both, new and old.  My children did this, maintaining friendships with their childhood friends, even as they are now adults.

Twenty-five years after 1963, I started to realize the error of my ways.  I attended my high school reunion looking to reconnect with my old Oswego friends.

I met Frank Ruggio in seventh grade and we became fast friends for the next six years.  In December 1962, we made a memorable trip to New York City to watch two live sporting events on the same day.

What a shock it was learn that Frank had died of cancer six months prior to the reunion.  How I had wasted so many years without Frank's friendship.

Frank wrote in my yearbook, "You are the most stubborn person I have ever known.  Maybe that is why we are friends."

I met Billy Richards in sixth grade when he called me an Einstein because I could answer many of the teacher's questions.  Like Frank, Billy and I were fans of spectator sports.

By coincidence we were fans of rival teams.  I was a fan of the San Francisco baseball Giants and the New York football Giants.  Billy loved the the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cleveland Browns.

Billy wrote in my yearbook, "One of these days I will convince you LA (Dodgers) is the best team."  So many years of sharing this great rivalry lost.

I recently discovered that Billy died in Rome, NY in 2018.  He had been a math teacher for thirty-nine years.

I'll write about more of my Oswego friends in future posts.      

Daylight Saving Time

This morning, on the east coast of the United States, the clocks will add an hour, going from 2 AM to 3 AM.  This morning, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the clocks will remain the same.  Thus, there is currently a one hour difference between the two areas.

Why will the clocks change in the US?

Some say British builder William Willet was the architect of Daylight Saving Time which encouraged advancing clocks in the spring so people could get out of bed earlier. Longer and lighter days were supposed to save energy, reduce traffic accidents and help people become more active.

The United States, adopted summer Daylight Saving Time during World War I to conserve fuel by reducing the need for artificial light.  During World War II, clocks were kept continuously advanced by an hour in the United States from February 9, 1942, to September 30, 1945.

In the United States, Daylight Saving Time formerly began on the last Sunday in April and ended on the last Sunday in October. 

In 1986 the U.S. Congress passed a law that, beginning the following year, moved up the start of Daylight Saving Time to the first Sunday in April but kept its end date the same. 

In 2007 Daylight Saving Time changed again in the United States, as the start date was moved to the second Sunday in March and the end date to the first Sunday in November. 

In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro eliminated Daylight Saving Time.

There's an old joke that farmers oppose Daylight Saving Time because their crops would get too much sun light.

Picnic

Picnic is a 1955 romantic drama film which stars William Holden, Kim Novak and Rosalind Russell.  It was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two:  Best Art Direction-Color and Best Film Editing.

Hal (Holden), a former college football star, but now a homeless, penniless young man, arrives by freight train in a small Kansas town on Labor Day.  He is there to try to reconnect with a rich former fraternity brother.  

By chance, Hal asks for help from a kindly neighbor of the fraternity brother's girlfriend, Madge (Novak).  Later, he meets up with his friend and asks him for a job in his father's grain elevator business.

Hal is invited to join a group that will be going to the town's annual Labor Day picnic.  The group includes a middle-aged spinster school teacher named Rosemary (Russell).  

In the evening, a picnic band is playing beautiful dance music and Hal tries to encourage Madge's younger sister to master the steps.  Instead, Madge cuts in and the two move well together to the music which ignites a mutual passion with Hal.  

A drunken Rosemary tries to come on to Hal, tearing his shirt.  Madge's boyfriend arrives, and angry over what he sees with his girlfriend, humiliates Hal and drives him away from the picnic.

Madge follows Hal, sensing a budding relationship.  She is a beautiful young woman who wants to be taken seriously as more than just a beauty.  Madge identifies with Hal's difficulties.

Madge's single mother wants her to marry her rich boyfriend and live a life of comfort.  Madge wants something else.  

Madge and Hal spend the rest of the evening together getting to know each other.  In the morning, being in love, they decide to run away, he by freight train, she by bus, to Tulsa, Oklahoma to be together.  

Will their relationship succeed?  We'll never know, but I'm an optimist.