By Misti Velvet Rainwater
Date: 24 January 2000

SCENE 18

SCENE 18- INT.- Nursing home. Day.
Derek walks through the front door.
Sees his grandfather sitting in the
lobby reading *Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland*. 
Derek: Hey, Papaw.
His grandfather puts down the book and 
glares at Derek.
Derek: I brought you some circus peanuts.
Waves a bag of circus peanuts (orange peanut shaped
marshallow candy)at his grandfather. He snatches the
bag out of Derek's hand.
Derek: How've you been?
Sits down in a chair across from his grandfather.
Grandfather/Papaw/Carl Crenshaw: Apparently, the 
snakes are all running loose this summer. You're the
biggest snake in the garden. 
Rips open the bag of candy and begins throwing the
marshmallows at Derek.
Derek: I see you're in one of your red moods today.
Grandfather: Do you think I didn't graduate from
kindergarten? I know red when I see it. Most snakes
are green. You're yellow. I'll knock the teeth out
of your head if you try to bite me.
Derek: Do you want me to slither away?
Grandfather: I'll tell you one damn thing and I'll
only tell you once. You aren't equipped to handle
human emotions. What do you know about human nature?
You've been in the garden so long you've got grass
stuck to your belly.
Derek: Why am I a snake, all of a sudden?
Grandfather: Alright, then. Alright. Abracadabra!
You're a slimy little weasel. Either way, you lose.
I lose just by looking at you.
Derek: You aren't being very nice to your favorite
grandson, Papaw.
Grandfather: My grandson is not in this room. He
died when he was a little boy.
Derek: I guess I'll leave, then.
Grandfather: You can leave. I don't have that option.
I'd rather be dancing with my sweetheart. I'd rather
be hearing her sing "My Guy." I'm her guy, the only
one she loves. All the other fools just think they
know the tune. They don't even own the record.
Derek: I miss Mamaw, too. Remember, she loved you.
You had a lot of dances with Mamaw. She sang you
a lot of songs.
Grandfather: I didn't know you were there. I thought
there was only two of us.