The Letters

INT. ANTIQUE STORE

The proprietor, Ms Johnson (Auntie Mae)

Well groomed southern woman in her 60’s

(behind counter facing front glass door).

Linda

Young woman in her early 30’s, attractive

(walks through door)

Auntie Mae

Well! Do my wondering eyes deceive me? Is that you Linda Sue?

Linda

(Politely)

Hello Miss Johnson. It is good to see you again.

Auntie Mae

(Walking from behind counter, gives Linda a hug, smiles has prominent southern acent)

Now what’s with this, Miss Johnson?

You just call me Auntie Mae like you did when you were a youngster.

Linda

(Chuckling)

Ok, fair enough Auntie Mae.

Antie mae

How long are you visiting us?

Linda

I am not visiting.

Auntie Mae

(Auntie Mae puzzled look)

Oh?

Linda

I moved back couple weeks ago.

Auntie Mae

(Smiling)

And it took you this long to come see me?

Linda

I’m sorry Auntie Mae, I was settling into my new place.

Auntie mae

New place?

Linda

Yeah, I bought the old Kramer cabin out by the lake, been fixing it up.

Auntie Mae

I see. What will you be doing here in Rockfield? I thought you were enjoying working for that greeting card company in the cities.

Linda

I still work for them, I just told them I would do the writing from my office,, at home.. in Rock field.

Auntie Mae

(Little surprised)

And they let you do that?

Linda

They do. I told them I was burning out and if they wanted me to continue coming up with fresh limericks I needed a fresh place to do that in. A place where I can be inspired, and I could not think of a better place than here, out by the lake. Which brings me to the other reason I stopped in here.

Auntie Mae

What’s that dear?

Linda

(Looks around store of various furniture pieces)

I am looking for a writing desk,, I kind of remember pictures of a desk my great, great grandmother had. I guess I would like to fid one like it.

Auntie Mae

Well, then you just look as long as you want dear I will be right back, just gonna step back in my kitchen for a bit. .

(Auntie Mae walks back to her home’s entrance)

A few minutes later

Linda

(Linda running hand over shaker style writing desk with small hutch on top)

(Voice hopeful)

Auntie Mae?

Auntie Mae

(Walking over to Linda wiping hands on apron)

Did you find something dear? I just stepped back into the house to get the cookies out of the oven.

Linda

(Sniffing the air)

Mmm. I thought I could smell your homemade oatmeal cookies.

Auntie Mae

Your favorite. Now while the cookies are cooling. Why don’t you show me what you found

Linda

(Excitedly showing auntie Mae the desk)

This is the one, it looks so much like what I recall my great, great grandmother had.

Auntie Mae

Well if this is the one you want it should be the one you get.

Linda

(Sighing as she looks at price tag)

Auntie Mae

(Smiling, as she takes the tag off desk and pulls out a pen from her apron, marks on tag)

Well aren’t you lucky, this desk is 75% off!

(Winks at Linda)

Linda

Oh Auntie Me, are you sure?

Auntie Mae

Hush child, I said it was didn’t I?

Linda

(Throwing her arms around Auntie Mae)

Oh Auntie me I love you!

(Pulling back slightly and in child like voice)

But do I still get cookies?

Auntie Mae

(Laughing)

Sure do.Come on. I will get you a plate to take home.

Linda

One more thing Auntie me, Do you deliver?

Auntie mae

I think I can get Howard to bring the desk over on Wednesday, if that is ok.

Linda

Day after tomorrow? Perfect.

(Auntie Mae gets plate of Cookies from her residence and returns)

Linda

(Takes cookies from Auntie Mae and gives her a hug)

Thank you Auntie Mae. I will talk with you soon.

Auntie Mae

You best be coning around here often to say hello. And

Linda

(finishing Auntie Mae’s sentence)

And sample some of your home baked goods.

Two days later

INT LINDA’S CABIN

Linda

(Looks around the rustic/farmhouse style cabin and the view of lake through picture window)

It is so peaceful here.

Linda

(Linda sits at desk and begins curiously looks through the hutch, pulls out drawers, the center drawer seems to be stuck Linda yanks on it, the drawer falls out)

Oh dear.

(Linda bends down to pick up the drawer as she does she sees a few envelopes on the floor, she picks them up and looks in the space where draws was and sees many more envelopes.

She pulls them out and straightens them into a pile on desk)

Linda

(Sitting back in desk chair, looking at the pile of envelopes, amazed at what she found)

No wonder the drawer was stuck

(Linda gathers the letters and looking at post mark,

September 20,1917

France

Linda

(Linda looks at return address

Marvin Gibbs,CPL

CoMPANY C, 1 BATTALION

APO 3431 A.E.F. FRANCE

(Gasps)

Grandpa Marvin

(Looks at the addressee)

(Speaking softly)

Mary Brooks. Grandma May!

.

(A tear begins to fall on Linda’s cheek, speaking softly)

This is my great,great grandmother’s desk. And these must be letters written between her and Grandpa Marvin

Linda

(Linda sorts through envelopes placing the oldest on top)

This is just so unbelievable.

(Running her hand gently over the surface of the desk)

My g great, great grandmother must have sat at this very desk writing and reading letters from her love.

(Linda pulls out first letter and opens it carefully)

(Reads aloud)

My dearest Mary,

It is cold and damp here but we are pressing on.

1900’s VITORIAN PARLOR

(Winter 1916, young woman sitting on a chair holding a letter)

Mary

(young, face not seen, back of head hair in chignon bun starts to read letter)

We are pressing on, My darling Mary. I miss you so much.

INT ARMY TENT

Marvin

(22 year old WWI soldier using crate as

table speaking as he writes)

I miss you so much. It is cold and damp here. Some guys are getting sick. I am doing ok for now. Keep praying for us, Mary. I know you are, I can feel that God is protecting us. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms. Until that day. Keep looking up and I will do the same.

Love Marvin

Present Day

INT CABIN

Linda

(Holding letter, repeating line)

Until that day. Keep looking up and I will do the same.

(Sighs puts the letter back in the envelope, gently lays it aside as if she was handling something rare and delicate.She opens the next letter)

Linda

My dearest Marvin, I miss you so much. I am counting the days…

Mary V.O. (voice over)

I am counting the days till you return and we can be husband and wife. Everyone at church has been praying for yours and everyone in your unit, safe return. Til we see each other again. Know that I will always love you.

Love Mary

ANTIQUE SHOP

Linda

(enter excitedly through front door)

Auntie Mae! Auntie Mae!

Auntie Mae

(Coming in from her home’s entrance in the back of store. Wiping hands on apron)

My goodness child! What is it?

Linda

(Excited)

Do you remember that desk I got from you a few weeks back?

Auntie Mae

(Nods)

Linda

Well the other day I was going throughout and a drawer was stuck I yanked and out it came and that’s when I found them!

Auntie Mae

Found them?

Linda

Yes, the letters.

Auntie Mae

(Confused)

Who were the letters from?

Linda

(Excited to tell what she discovered)

The desk must have been my great, great grandmother Mary’s desk I found letters my great, great grandpa Marvin wrote to her during WWI.

Auntie Mae

That is exciting! You know, several months ago, your grandmother Eileen’s executor had brought in several objects that did not sell at auction and were not designated in the will. I was out and Tracy recorded what was brought in. Let’s go take a look at the books.

BACK ROOM OF ANTIQUE STORE

(Auntie Mae and Linda hunched over desk, looking at ledger)

Auntie Mae

(Pointing to entry, straightening up)

Here! Here it is. One Shaker desk with Hutch, from estate of Eileen Gilvan

Linda

Do you think Grandma Eileen knew about her grandmother and grand father’s letters?

Auntie Mae

I don’t know. I guess it doesn’t really matter. God has led you to the desk and you found the letters. What a gift to be able to see a glimpse of your family history.

INT CABIN

(Linda sitting desk, pulls out letters and begins to silently read)

Few hours later

(Laying letters down, Linda leans back in chair)

Linda

Such a beautiful story of young love, so strong and rooted in God’s love. Even the horrors of war could not diminish it.

(Linda takes in a deep breath and gathers the letters, places them on side of desk. Gets up from desk, Walks over to kitchen island, takes laptop out from tote, sits at desk and begins to type)

Linda V.O.

I never knew this part of my family history. The story in these letters is fascinating and I think it should be told.

(Linda sits and continues to type)

Sometime if the future

LARGE AUDIENCE AT AWARD CEREMONY

(Linda formally dressed, sitting at table with other guests)

Announcer V.0.

and the winner for best screenplay is is Linda Carson for the screen play,Love in War

Linda

(Shocked and stunned gets up and walks to stage, accepts award)

Linda

(Graciously speaks)

I would first like to thank my Lord for leading and directing me in this chapter. There are so many special people that I need to thank, especially my Great, great Grandfather,Marvin Gibbs and his bride, my Great,great Grandmother,Mary Brooks. The love poured out to each other in letters written during a time when all the world was in turmoil and discovered almost 110 years later in an antique desk, became the basis for Love in War.

Present day

INT CABIN

(Linda sitting at desk, laptop closed in front of her, cup of coffee in hand)

Yes, there is a powerful story in these letters, and I’m going to tell it.

(Takes a sip of coffee, sits cup down and opens laptop.