Reunion on Amity Island: Part One

Reunion on Amity Island
Part One

~~~

Featuring the representations of:

Kevin G. Schmidt as Noah Hunter
Marcia Cross as Bree Hunter
Bryan Cranston as Walt
Lee Tergesen as Tobias Hunter

From the pen of:
R. Steven Frame

~~~

It is mid-morning on Amity Island.

Seventeen-year-old Noah Hunter stands on the docks holding the bag of outgoing mail containing all the confirmation details for the reservations made so far for The Amity Inn, an inn run by his parents during the summer months. The rest of the year the inn serves as home to him and his parents. He stands on the docks waiting for Claude to come around the bend for the daily mail pickup. As he stands there looking out at the waves crash onto the beach, a gentle breeze blows and the waves crash against the dock splashing him a little with the dew. He shivers a little as there is still a little nip in the air at this time of the year off the coast of Maine.

Finally he hears the motor running on Claude's boat, and soon sees Claude's boat coming closer. Claude blows the whistle, and he and Noah wave to one another.

When he gets close to the dock, Claude yells to Noah. "Hey Noah. How are reservations coming in?" he says as he tosses the bag of incoming mail to Noah.

At the same time Noah tosses the bag of outgoing mail to Claude and says, "Coming in slow right now, Claude."

Both men catch the bags and Claude turns the boat back toward the open ocean. Noah throws the bag over his shoulder, jumps on his scooter and heads back toward the main house.

Back at the main house Bree Hunter, already on her third glass of vodka, stands looking down at the docks and the ocean taking everything in. She watches her son Noah as he drives back up the coast to the inn.

Near her Walter Harper, the inn's only handyman, works on putting a fresh coat of paint on the outside of the inn; the inn that definitely looks as if it is in need of more than just a fresh coat of paint.

Bree yells to him that the mail is in and begins walking toward the house. As she walks by Walter, finishing off her vodka, she looks at him and says, "Stretch the paint thin Walt. There's no money for more and you have a long way to go. Just use enough to put up a good front and get us by until the end of summer."

Walt tips his head to her and says, "Yes, ma'am."

When she gets by and goes into the house, Walt says to himself. "Paints not the only thing running thin around here."

Noah arrives back at the inn, and comes running by Walter, says hi and heads into the house. He kisses his Mom.

"Mail seem any heavier today Noah?"

"It seems a little heavier Mom."

"Let's hope so or this may be the last summer The Amity Inn stays in business."

Noah watches as Bree sits the mail bag down and begins to pour herself another glass of vodka. He knows he shouldn't say anything before he even says it but he does anyway.

"Mom let me fix you something else to drink. It will be better for you."

"Noah, I think I am old enough to know what I want to drink. Why don't you get outside and see if you can help Walt with the painting. The first guests arrive in a few weeks and at the rate he is going he will be nowhere near finished."

Noah hesitates, but finally goes out the door.

Outside Walt is talking to himself, mocking Bree: "Paint it thin she says. Quality means nothing around here anymore. When old Mr. Hamilton was alive things were sure different. This house was full of elegant guests all summer long. Real guests not these paying kind she lets come around here......"

Walt is startled when he hears Noah's voice, "Grandpa was rich and we aren't, Walt! Mom and Dad are just doing what they have to do to get by."

"Sorry Noah. I didn't know you were there. I shouldn't have said anything." Walt says apologetically.

Noah just looks at him as he gets his paint brush ready. "Just get back to work Walt. We have to get this done."

They both return to painting.

Back inside the house, Bree begins to open the mail. She begins to believe it is all bills. Then she comes across an envelope and the name on the return address surprises her. She reads the name: "Chris Jorgenson"

"Wow I haven't heard that name in years. What in the world could he want?" she says to herself tearing into the envelope.

As she sits there reading, her husband Toby comes into the room. He has been on his regular morning jog. He goes past her to the bar area to pour himself a cold drink of water. "Anything interesting in the mail?"

Bree doesn't say anything at first as she continues to read.

"Finally she speaks," laughing between words, "Oh my God this is so amusing.....almost hillarious...."

"What is it?" Toby asks going over to the stack of mail and sorting through it, continuing to listen to her at the same time.

"Remember that young boy my dad hired about twenty years ago to work as a lifeguard for the island. You remember.......Chris Jorgenson don't you?"

When Toby hears the name he turns to look at his wife. "What in the world made you think of him. I haven't heard that name in almost 18 years now. Didn't you have a crush on him or something?"

"More like he had a crush on me. He tried to make it with me one night. Of course I wasn't about to do anything with a lifeguard. He was my Dad's hired hand. I have no idea what he was thinking. I'll admit he was cute, but he had no chance with me."

Toby leans against the desk holding the mail and listening to her go on and on about how she was too good for the lifeguard for a few minutes. Finally he catches a chance to speak. "So anyway what made you think of him after all these years?"

"Well listen at this. It is hillarious. Evidently the lifeguard has money now."

She begins to read from the letter.

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hunter,

My wife, daughter and I are currently on an extended cruise up the East Coast in our new yacht. We would love to make a stop for the Summer on Amity Island.

Bree looks at Toby. "This is so hillarious. Oh the nouveau riche. Look at how he worked it in. The yacht. The extended cruise. Oh brother. It is just so hillarious isn't it."

"Just what's so hillarious Bree?" Toby asks.

"Isn't it obvious. He's heard about us, how we're wiped out and having to run this place as an Inn. He just wants to come back here and gloat. What better way for him to get back at me for spurning his advances than to see me be at his beck and call all summer. He had better think again? The day I take a tip from Chris Jorgenson will be the day I die." She turns, swallows the last of her vodka, and says, "Obviously we are turning his request down."

"For the love of God why Bree? In case you have forgotten what started out as a hobby with running this Inn is no longer that. It's not just a hobby anymore Bree, this damn Inn is our livelihood. As much as we need the money right now, why in the world would you even want to turn this down!"

"I'm sorry if I don't feel like being reminded all summer how far down I've sunk. And that is what it will be Tobias. I may not have my Father's money anymore, but I do have my pride."

Toby begins to hold up different bills. "Is your pride going to pay the god damn mortgage payment Bree? Or what about Walt's pay? Or the food bill for the summer? Or what about the bill for your damn vodka? We need the money Bree and we are accepting this. If we don't there won't be an Inn for us to even live in at the end of the summer."

Bree pours herself another glass of vodka. "It doesn't matter anyway. He's asked for accomodations we don't have? So that ends it."

Toby grabs the letter from Bree and begins reading, "Two bedrooms with a connecting sitting room. So what, we can give them our rooms upstairs."

"And where do you suppose we sleep Tobias?"

"The gardener's shack in the back is big enough for the three of us. We will be fine out there."

"The gardener's shack. The same shack that HE slept in when HE worked here. You expect me to sleep in the servant's quarters Tobias? And I thought his request was ridiculous. Ha. Yours beats even his." Bree says turning away from him.

"Listen Bree. We can make almost three hundred dollars a day for that suite. For three months that's almost $27,000 dollars Bree. As of right now Bree we are flat broke."

"I don't care Tobias. Just because we are broke doesn't mean we have to give up our dignity. I refuse to sink that low. I've given up a great deal in recent years but I won't lose my dignity."

"Dignity Bree!!! Fuck dignity. Look around Bree. This place is run down. It needs a lot of repair. The roof leaks. The garden has gone to seed which means there won't be any food to live off this winter. We don't have any one to call on for credit anymore. No one will give it to us. Our son wants to go to college this fall. I'm not about to tell him he can't. Dignity Bree. How in the world can you even think of turning down twenty seven thousand dollars for dignity. I hope your damn dignity keeps you warm this winter."

Bree turns and starts to walk away. Toby goes to her and spins her around, making her look at him. "You don't seem to realize it Bree, but we are fighting for our damn lives here. We're taking the reservation."

Bree looks at him. She starts walking toward the door defeated. "I'll tell Walt when he gets through to start moving our stuff to the gardener's shack," she quietly says.


Fade out

Announcer: Be sure to come back every Wednesday for the next part of Reunion on Amity Island.