Episode 18

The Art Gallery

PART 1

1 ICE-CREAM PARLOR—EVENING
2 Ramón and his son are eating ice-cream cones.
3 ALEX Why did you and Mom have to get divorced?
4 RAMON We’ve talked about his before, Alex. Your mom and I changed. We can’t be
5 together anymore.
6 ALEX Is that why she got married again?
7 RAMON Your mother wanted. . . she and Norman.. . I don’t know why she got married
8 again.
9 There is silence for a moment. It’s a little uncomfortable for them both. Finally, Alex speaks.
10 ALEX Are you gonna get married again?
11 RAMON Only if I meet the right person. But, for now, it’s just you and me, OK?
12 ALEX OK.
13 RAMON Don’t forget, this weekend, you’re with your mother.
14 ALEX I wish you could come, too.
15 RAMON Thanks, but, I don’t think so.

16 MENDOZA RESTAURANT—EARLY EVENING

17 Ramón arrives back at the restaurant after he has dropped off his son. His mother is changing the menus
18 from lunch to dinner.
19 RAMON Hello, Mama. Anything new?
20 MOTHER I’m tired. Maybe it’s really time to retire.
21 RAMON Yes, it won’t be long before you can sit back and relax.
22 MOTHER Sounds too good to be true.
23 RAMON Any mail?
24 MOTHER Yes, a letter came for you. I left it next to the cash register…Oh, and Alberto is
25 trying to reach you.
26 RAMON (He gets the mail and opens the letter.) What does he want?
27 MOTHER He didn’t say. He’ll call back, tomorrow. Is Alex at Christine’s?
28 RAMON Yeah. . . (reading letter) I don’t believe it. I knew something was up!
29 MOTHER Bad news?
30 RAMON It’s from Christine’s lawyer.
31 MOTHER What does your ex-wife want now?
32 RAMON She and her new husband are moving to Los Angeles.
33 MOTHER Los Angeles? Good riddance.
34 RAMON She wants Alex to go live with her.
35 MOTHER Ay, no me digas eso. Alex belongs here, with his family, his friends. You have to
36 stop her.
37 RAMON I agree, but what can I do? She’s his mother. He loves her.
38 MOTHER Of course! But he loves his father, too. Alex is just a child. He needs you. He
39 needs you to be strong for him now.
40 RAMON I’ll die if I lose Alex.
41 Ramón picks up the receiver of a nearby phone and begins dialing.
42 MOTHER What are you doing?
43 RAMON Calling Christine.
44 He dials a number.
45 RAMON Chris? This is Ramón. I got a letter from your lawyer, today. 1 think we’d better
46 talk.

PART 2
47 ART GALLERY—LATE AFTERNOON
48 Rebecca and Alberto are all dressed up. They enter an art gallery in San Francisco.
49 There are photographs and color prints by local photographers hung on the walls. People sip white wine, look
50 at the photographs, and talk. Alberto and Rebecca walk around. She looks sophisticated in the dress she
51 bought in Boston, and Alberto looks elegant.
52 ALBERTO All these photographs are by local artists.
53 REBECCA Some of then are quite good…aren’t they?
54 ALBERTO Mm.
55 Rebecca is introduced to several people.
56 ALBERTO Hi, how are you? This is Rebecca Casey. (They greet her.) Nice seeing you again...
57 Hope you have a good time.
58 Rebecca and Alberto continue to look at the artwork.
59 ALBERTO (to Rebecca) I especially like this one, lemme show you...
60 A woman and her date notice Alberto and Rebecca and walk over to join them.
61 DIANA Hello, Alberto...
62 ALBERTO Oh, hey! How are you?
63 DIANA Alberto.. . (They hug.)
64 ALBERTO You look beautiful.
65 DIANA Thank you. Introduce me to your friend...
66 ALBERTO Oh, yes. Diana Marshall, this is Rebecca Casey. Diana’s one of the architects at
67 my firm.
68 REBECCA Very nice to meet you.
69 DIANA Nice to meet you. And this is my friend, Bob Greenwood.
70 REBECCA (shaking Bob’s hand) Bob. . . Rebecca.
71 DIANA It’s a very nice opening, don’t you think?
72 REBECCA Yes, um. . . Some of the photographs are quite striking.
73 DIANA You know you look so familiar to me. . . Have we met?
74 REBECCA I. . . don’t think so.
75 DIANA I just realized. . . You’re the woman in the...
76 Alberto puts a finger to his lips.
77 DIANA No. (to Alberto) Sorry! She doesn’t…?
78 ALBERTO Not yet.
79 REBECCA I don’t what?
80 ALBERTO It’s a surprise. Why don’t you come with me?
81 REBECCA (to Diana) Nice to meet you.
82 ALBERTO Nice seeing you.
83 DIANA Mm-hm, bye.
84 He leads her to the exhibition area where a sign announces: “Photographs: Impressions by Alberto
85 Mendoza.”
86 REBECCA Alberto Mendoza! Your photographs are part of this exhibit?
87 ALBERTO That’s the surprise.
88 There is a wonderful photo of Alex with his arms around Ramón.
89 REBECCA Oh, Alex and Ramón. What a stunning picture.
90 A crowd of people are gathered around a very large photo. At this point, Rebecca can’t see the picture.
91 REBECCA That picture looks like it’s drawing quite a crowd. What is it?
92 She looks over the shoulders of the people in the crowd. A large photo-collage hangs on the gallery wall.
93 REBECCA Oh, my gosh! It’s me!
94 It’s a picture of a young woman looking straight into the camera, the desert sun and open spaces behind her.
95 There are many images of Rebecca in the photo.
96 ALBERTO Well, what do you think?
97 REBECCA It looks. . . it looks like...
98 ALBERTO Like one of America’s pioneer women.. . full of adventure. . . full of fire. . . a
99 little pain. . . and dreams...
100 REBECCA It looks like I just rolled out of bed.
101 ALBERTO No, not at all! Did you see what I called it?
102 REBECCA ‘Dream Catcher.’

103 NANCY’S HOUSE—NIGHT

104 Alberto escorts Rebecca to the front door.
105 ALBERTO I got you home so late! But it was worth it, wasn’t it?
106 REBECCA (looking at her watch) Oo. I’m gonna have to pull an all-nighter. But, I must admit, I
107 enjoyed the opening.. . and I loved your pictures, Alberto, especially the one of
108 little Alex.
109 ALBERTO You were the star of the evening.
110 She looks away, a little embarrassed.
111 REBECCA I suppose I should start my homework.
112 ALBERTO When will I see you again?
113 REBECCA Maybe next week.
114 They stand facing each other on the porch. He hands her a wrapped package.
115 ALBERTO For you.
116 REBECCA What’s this?
117 ALBERTO Go ahead, open it.
118 She opens the package and finds the dream catcher from the desert.
119 REBECCA Oh, Alberto. . . the dream catcher! Thank you. That’s very kind of you. I won’t
120 have any more bad dreams now, right?
121 ALBERTO Right. It just lets… the good dreams through.
122 Alberto leans close; their lips meet. There is a slow, romantic kiss.
123 ALBERTO (smiling) Bye.
124 REBECCA Bye.
125 Rebecca opens the front door and walks inside.

PART 3

126 BACK ROOM OF THE MENDOZA RESTAURANT—MORNING

127 Mr. and Mrs. Mendoza are listening to Alberto discuss selling the restaurant. Ramón is not happy with the
128 way things are going.
129 FATHER Well, we have been thinking about retiring, but, um…Alberto, that’s a lot of
130 money. Are you sure these investors are serious?
131 ALBERTO They’re very serious. I checked with their bank and the money’s there.
132 MOTHER But is it a good idea. . . to sell the restaurant?
133 Ramón and Alex look at each other.
134 MOTHER Well… it makes me nervous, very nervous. Ramón, speak up.
135 RAMON I don’t think we should sell. This restaurant has been in the family for thirty
136 years. It’s not only our business; it’s our home.
137 ALBERTO I disagree with Ramón. My argument is simple: sell and take the money. We can
138 always build a restaurant somewhere else. (to his parents) Don’t you want to retire
139 without worrying about money?
140 FATHER Yes…
141 ALBERTO (turning to Ramón) Ramón, you’ll need the money to pay for Alex’s education, to
142 buy your own home...
143 MOTHER Your father and I don’t need a lot of money...
144 ALBERTO (interrupting) One can never have enough...
145 RAMON The restaurant makes enough to take care of all of us.
146 ALBERTO147 RAMON I like hard work. . . good, hard work.
148 ALBERTO What does that mean?
149 RAMON Nothing. (Ramón looks upset.)
150 ALBERTO This would give you more time with Alex. . . We may never get an offer like this
151 again...
152 FATHER Alberto, your Mother and I need to discuss this some more. Ramón, you’d better
153 take Alex to his picnic, huh? We’ll talk again. . . soon.
154 Ramón still looks upset when he leaves.
155 ALBERTO Excuse me...
156 Alberto leaves the room as well. He follows Ramón.
157 ALBERTO Ramón, listen. We’ll blow this deal if Mom and Dad don’t say yes right away. I’m
158 telling you—the investors will walk.
159 RAMON It doesn’t seem like the right move to me. There’s nothing I can do.
160 ALBERTO You can change your mind! If you do, Mom and Dad will sell in a minute.
161 RAMON I doubt that.
162 Alex sticks his head out of the car and calls out to his father.
163 ALEX Dad! We gotta go!
164 RAMON Hold your horses. I’m coming.
165 Ramón heads toward the car, opens the door, and gets in. Alberto walks over to Alex’s side of the car.
166 ALBERTO You know, you’re losing a chance of a lifetime.
167 RAMON That’s your opinion. I’m sorry, Alberto. I gotta go.
168 ALBERTO We’ll talk later. Enjoy your picnic, Alex.
169 ALEX I will. Bye, Uncle Alberto.
170 ALBERTO Ramón, do me a favor. . . give this note to Rebecca, will ya?
171 Alberto gives Ramón an envelope for Rebecca. Ramón has mixed emotions as he finds himself with this
172 unexpected note for Rebecca.
173 RAMON You serious about her?
174 ALBERTO (joking) Don’t you know, Ramón, I’m always serious. I’m a serious guy.
175 Ramón starts the car.

176 MENDOZA RESTAURANT

177 Mrs. Mendoza is joined by Alberto as Mr. Mendoza heads to the kitchen.
178 ALBERTO Mama, you look beautiful!
179 MOTHER Is that what you tell all the girls?
180 ALBERTO Absolutely not! Only you, Mama. Only you.
181 MOTHER You’re so silly.
182 Alberto swings her around in a little dance.
But why work so hard, Ramón?
183 MOTHER Why are you in such a happy mood?
184 ALBERTO ‘Cause when we sell this place, we’ll be on easy street.
185 MOTHER You are in love!
186 ALBERTO I’m always in love, Mama.
187 MOTHER What’s her name?
188 ALBERTO Carmen Mendoza! My mama!
189 MOTHER (laughing) Ah, you’re so silly.