MY FATHER'S SON – PART THREE

Opening scene: Max sits in the VA office and stares at the colonel, who has just told him that his father is missing.

Max: Gone?

Baker: (shakes his head) Gone. He was devastated when they took Jake…and he disappeared.

Max: But…but how long has he been missing?

Baker: Several years now. I've done all I can to try to find him. And we just returned to New York in hopes that Rob will come here.

Max: You…you think he'll come here?

Baker: (sighs) It's a long shot. But out of all the places we lived, this was where Rob was truly happy. He had wonderful friends here…including your mother. There's a chance he'll come back here to find her.

Max runs his hand through his hair as the colonel puts a hand on his knee.

Baker: Believe me, Max. I wish I had better news for you.

Max: (nods) I wish you did too. I mean…what am I going to tell Mom?

Baker: Well I was actually hoping to get in touch with her. She found him before.

Max: (raises an eyebrow) Before?

Baker: Yes. Back when we lived here before, Rob went looking for a friend of his…who was also a veteran with PTSD. Wound up getting trapped in a subway tunnel.

Max: Oh yeah. Mom said they found his friend…and he was able to help her and her friends find him.

Baker: Yes she did. But please don't look for your father anywhere dangerous, all right?

Max: Well if he got trapped in a tunnel before, I kinda doubt he'd go down there again.

Baker: It's very unlikely. Rob's had a phobia of using the subway ever since. How your mother was able to find him down there still amazes me.

Max: (eyes light up as he whispers) Of course. She must've had help.

Baker: What's that?

Max: Um…I'd better be getting home. But thanks a lot, Colonel.

Baker: My pleasure Max. (shakes his hand)

Max leaves the VA office with a wild grin on his face. He pulls out his pen and writes Rally M on his hand.

CUT TO: Carlo's house. Carlo is reading the book from Jake and gets the rally message.

Carlo: Um…hey Dad? Can I go over to Max's place?

Alex: The old one or the young one?

Carlo: Dad. It's the same house either way.

Alex: (laughs) All right. Go ahead. But be back for dinner.

CUT TO: Torres Hardware. Gina's playing with her phone at the counter when she gets the rally message. She then goes outside and sees Jackie coming up on her bike.

Gina: Did you see it?

Jackie: Yeah. Max may have found out something at the VA.

CUT TO: Hurston Middle School. Linda hands a cell phone back to another student, who gives her some money. Jake leans on a locker and shakes his head.

Jake: Done now?

Linda: That's the last one. But you really don't have to wait around.

Jake: Colonel's orders.

Linda blushes but then looks over and sees the rally message. Jake jumps back with wide eyes.

Jake: What is that?

Linda: (gasps) You can see that?

Jake: (peers at her) Well…yeah. What is it?

Linda: Um…it's a long story. I'll tell you on the way.

Jake: On the way…to where?

Linda: To Max's house. Come on.

CUT TO: Max's house. Gina and Jackie are at the counter and Carlo is standing with Max. Max opens the door and raises his eyebrows when he sees both Jake and Linda.

Max: You brought Jake with you?

Linda: Well…he kind of saw the rally message.

Max: (looks at Jake) You saw it?

Jake: I saw letters moving.

Carlo: Awesome!

Jackie: But…did your parents see Ghostwriter too?

Jake: (frowning) What do my parents have to do with it?

Gina: Well…we can all see Ghostwriter because one of our parents could when they were our age.

Carlo: Or in my case, both of my parents.

Jake: (looks at Linda) You did mention that.

Linda: Right. So um…one of your parents…must have been able to see Ghostwriter.

Max: (crossing his arms) Probably your dad.

Jake peers at Max, who takes a deep breath.

Max: Look. The reason I called the rally, is that I went to the VA today…and met Colonel Baker.

Jake: You met my grandfather?

Linda: Did you say…Baker?

Max: Yeah. The guy I'm looking for…is his son.

The team looks at each other as Max nervously looks at Jake, who narrows his eyes.

Jake: Why are you trying to find my dad?

Max: Because…he's also…my dad.

Jake glares at Max, who swallows hard. Carlo raises his eyebrows as the girls look at each other.

Carlo: Oh wow. You two are brothers?

Jackie: Well…look at them. You can tell.

Linda: Holy cow.

Gina: Of course. Rob was on the list.

Everyone turns and looks at her as she digs in her bag and takes out a memo pad. She flips through it to a page.

Gina: I asked Ghostwriter to name everyone who could see him before…back in 1993.

Linda: 1993?

Gina: Right. When our parents were our age. Jamal, Lenni, Alex, Gaby, Tina, Craig, Rob, Hector, Casey, Becky and Sam.

Max: Woah. So both of my parents are on the list.

Jake: Your mom too?

Max: Uh…yeah. Lenni is my mom…and I just found out that…Rob Baker was my dad.

Linda: (to Jake) So…your name is Baker?

Jake nods and crosses his arms. Max also crosses his arms and Gina laughs.

Max: (glaring at Gina) What?

Gina: Sorry. It's just…you two look so much alike now.

Carlo: Yeah. I mean…aren't you guys happy about this?

Jake and Max look at each other. Just then, the door opens and Lenni walks in, carrying a bag of groceries.

Max: (looks at her) Oh. Hi Mom.

Lenni: Hi Max. Looks like you're having a…friends over again.

Max: Yeah.

Lenni nods but then notices Jake and stops short. Jake looks at her and her mouth drops open. She almost drops her groceries but Gina quickly grabs the bags.

Gina: I'll take that for you, Miz Frazier.

Lenni says nothing but continues staring at Jake, who raises his eyebrows.

Jake: (leans towards Max) Uh…you say your mom knew my dad?

Max: (leans back towards Jake) Um…your dad…is also my dad. Of course she knew him.

Lenni puts a hand over her mouth as Carlo and Jackie go behind her and help her onto the sofa. But she can't take her eyes off of Jake, who bites his lip. Max finally goes over to his mother and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Max: Mom…this is Jake Baker.

Lenni swallows as Jake holds up a finger.

Jake: You're Lenni Frazier.

Lenni: I…I am…Lenni Frazier.

Jake gives a nod.

Jake: You wrote letters to my father.

Lenni stares as Max looks at Jake.

Max: She did?

Jake: (looks back at him) Yep. Dad never let me touch 'em though. Read 'em by himself every night.

Lenni: Rob…

Jake looks back at her as her eyes well up. He gives a sigh and goes over to her. Max scratches his head as his mother runs her hand over Jake's face.

Lenni: You look…just like him.

Jake: Yeah. I get that a lot.

Lenni: (weeping) Rob…

Jake: (sighs) Easy now. I'm Jake. Rob is my dad.

Lenni takes a deep breath and gives a nod.

Lenni: Sorry.

Jake shrugs as Lenni strokes his hair.

Lenni: And…your mother?

Jake: (frowns) In Australia. Doesn't want me.

Lenni: (taken aback) What? But…why wouldn't she want you?

Jake sighs and pulls off his bandanna. Lenni strokes his hair again and nods as she fingers the hearing aid.

Lenni: You're deaf…like Jason is.

Jake raises an eyebrow.

Jake: You know Uncle Jason?

Lenni: (shakes her head) We've never met. But Rob…your father…wrote to me about him. Said he was going to a boarding school for the deaf in Chicago.

Jake: He still lives there. Grandma is staying with him for now…just in case Dad shows up.

Lenni: (does a double-take) Shows up? What do you mean?

Jake bites his lip as Max takes a deep breath.

Max: Mom…Jake's dad…my dad…is missing.

Lenni gasps and jumps up but both Max and Jake help her sit down. The rest of the team also gathers around.

Carlo: He's missing?

Max: What I found out at the VA. Met Jake's grandfather there…and he told me he got PTSD after serving in the middle east…and has been missing for three years.

Lenni: Three years?

Jake: He went nuts.

The others look at him as he gives them a dark look.

Jake: Dad was already nuts from the war. But then the state butts in. Says he can't look after a deaf kid…and a deaf kid can't look after him. And they send a load of social workers to my school and drag me off to foster care like a criminal.

The others stare at him and Jake shakes his head.

Jake: (eyes welling up) I hated it there. It didn't matter to me if Dad had gone nuts. But they wouldn't even let me see him. And by the time the colonel got there…

Jake isn't able to continue. He sits down and Lenni takes him into her arms. Max gives a nod and turns to the team.

Max: He was already gone. The colonel has no idea where he went…but thinks he may come here.

The others look at each other as Jake looks up at Max, who narrows his eyes.

Max: We will find him, Jake.

Jake: How? He's been missing three years.

Lenni: The same way I did.

Jake looks at Lenni, who peers at Max.

Lenni: You know what to do, Max. You know how to find your father.

Max narrows his eyes and nods, although Jake looks confused. Lenni turns to Jake and kisses his head before she gets up and leaves the room. Once she is alone, she starts weeping into Jake's bandanna.