FADE IN:
EXT. LILYDALE, VICTORIA DAY
JOEY'S P.O.V.
A beautiful lake surrounded by trees. On the shore, sit two small sail boats, side by side, with the sails down. He takes a deep sniff in of the pure country air and smiles. Flapping wings overhead and he gazes up at the sky at a flock of geese flying overhead.
Suddenly, a tennis ball flies into his view. He steps forward and competes with his teenage daughter, BETH, to catch the ball.
JOEY
This one's mine!
BETH
No, it's mine, Dad, get away!
Beth ends up catching the ball. Joey lovingly grabs his daughter round her waist and spins her around a few times. She cries with joy.
BETH (CONT'D)
Ahhhh!
AMY, Joey's wife and Beth's mother, who hit the ball in the air with a bat, smiles at them playing.
EXT. LILYDALE, VICTORIA DAY (LATER)
Two sailboats glide across Lilydale Lake. In one boat, sits Joey's brother, MIKE and his friend, CHRIS. Mike holds the tiller and glances across at the boat sailing next to them.
MIKE
We've got them now, mate! Got their wind!
The boat next to them drops behind. In it sits Joey, Amy and Beth. Joey's at the tiller.
CHRIS
Get ready to pay up!
MIKE
Yeah, one hundred big ones bro!
AMY
It ain't over until the fat lady in the life jacket sings!
Joey angles his boat behind Mike's and hits them.
AMY (CONT'D)
Come on speed up!
MIKE
Hey, I'm lodging an official protest for that!
Chris reaches over the edge with the bailing bucket, scooping water onto Joey, Amy and Beth. Beth and Amy retaliate by splashing them back.
JOEY
Protest away fellas. The protest committee's getting smashed at the pub!
The two boats go around the buoy together. Chris shows Mike a shackle. Mike smiles and nods. Chris tosses the shackle into the sail of the other boat. It falls into the cockpit between Amy and Joey. They look up at the sails.
AMY
Oh, crap! Find where that came off.
Joey picks up the shackle, stands and searches the rigging. Chris and Mike sail ahead smiling at each other.
Joey watches Mike and Chris in the boat ahead, "high fiving" each other.
JOEY
It's not one of ours.
He indicates the boat ahead.
AMY
Bastards...
EXT. YACHT CLUB NIGHT
Joey hoses down his boat. Beth rolls up the sail.
MIKE
Don't think I'm gonna forget about our little wager.
YOU ARE READING
an original screenplay by Amy B. Jonson
SpiritualA depressed man whose marriage is failing is offered a second chance at freedom and happiness by his brother’s fiancé who wants to sail away with him, but to do so, he must overcome his crippling guilt of leaving his teenage daughter and fight off h...
