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Priest

Screenplay By Phillip Ghee (USA)

Chapter Sixteen

Storyline

CHAPTER 16

STORYLINE

DeBaptise arrives at the Boy’s dorm. Jared is not quite ready and informs the desk that DeBaptise may be allowed up. This pleases DeBaptise and his pleasure is only more enhanced when he finds that Braxton is present. Introductions are made. Small talk exchanged, DeBaptise keep trying in his head to place the image of Braxton with that of the blurred figure from the almost accident. DeBaptise notices a battered coat of arms shield hanging from the wall above Braxton’s rack, crudely juxtaposed to a poster of a pin-up girl provocatively adjusting her nylons stocking under and up-turned nun’s habit. The shield has a few words in French, Old French, but is DeBaptise is educated in history enough to roughly translate. Braxton is thrilled to learn what the words are. He informs DeBaptise that his ancestry is French but he doesn’t really know the language or that much about France. When DeBaptise inquires as to how he came across such a keepsake, Braxton and Jared, jokingly refer to their imposed punishment time at the Professor house as extracurricular activities. They go on to further embellish their junior archeological duties. Jared makes his last entries into the computer and he and DeBaptise head off to the center.

After getting Jared acquainted with some of the staff at the center, DeBaptise allows Jared to kind of drift free and reunited and interact with some of the kids and their activities. He continues to marvel at how well Jared, obviously, not being a kid from the hood or the barrio, is able to interact with the kids. During some downtown the two men unite and sit down for some coffee.

                                                DeBaptise

            Jared, my boy, you have some good parenting skills. You are going to make one
            great dad.

                                                            Jared
            Well! Mr. DeBaptise..

                                                            DeBaptise

            Away from that Mob, just call me Jean.

                                                            Jared
            I will try, but you’re like so distinguished and …oh well! Jean, I mean, Mr. Jean,
            Oh! Whatever, anyway, with all that history and archeology talk, you must think
            that I am history major or something but, actually I am majoring in Seminary
            Studies. I want to be a Priest.

                                                            DeBaptise
(trying to sound surprise)

            Well! I’ll be. See I told you, you would make a good father. Hey! I am old
             Catholic Boy, can’t say that attend with any regularity these days but, can’t
             You boys get married now?

                                                Jared

            I just in the studying phase but I believe because of all the scandals with the
            Church and Sex abuse and all that they are relaxing the standards somewhat
            But, I do have some ambition to perhaps one day assume some of the higher
            positions within the church, and there is no compromise of doctrine in that
            Circle.

                                                DeBaptise

            So Braxton’s sexy nun poster is just to keep temptation at bay, I guess, for
            you two?

                                                Jared

            Now, I am only speaking for myself. What my bud’s Braxton goals are. I don’t
            know and honestly (he whispers) I don’t think he really knows.

                                                DeBaptise

            I respect your decision. Unfortunately it’s said that someone with good parenting
            such as yourself, will never be a parent. Your dad must have done a good job.

                                                Jared

            (his expression changes and he focus on the ripples inside the coffee cup)

            He is dead now. (Coldly)

                                   
                                                DeBaptise

            (noting the coldness and change of expression)

            I am sorry; I didn’t mean to bring up anything…

                                                Jared
                                   
            I guess in many ways, I can relate to these kids because my dad was a no show.
            My dad was in the Merchant Marines. I know you only see that in the movies
            But they do exist. He was never in our lives. He was a habitual alcoholic and a
womanizer. He would be gone for months a time and couple of times he simply disappeared for years or more. He treated us kids, his children, as curiosities that sprung forth in between drunks. During his last insertion into our lives. He arrives
sick. It was syphilis, end stage. How my mother didn’t contract it, God knows, I guess it had been many years since she and and him…, well anyway! Here he comes back riddled with sores and broken down and what does my mother do.
She does even skip a beat. She take him in. care for him, basically performs hospice services for him. I mean wasn’t for the insurance or anything, she just did it. She just did it. I don’t know where love like that comes from.  For awhile I wasn’t sure if I hated him or hated her more for not hating him.  You see Jean, I could never be the father, and my mother is.

(There is moment of silence, than Jared breaks the mood, tries to lighten it up and throws it back at DeBaptise)

 So when you are out of ear shot the kids be calling you PMan, Security- CSI
Are you a cop or something cause I though this was your real job?

Continued next week...