Being in a Band

m.mcd

EXT. ROADSIDE – MIDDAY

We see WAYNE walking into the sunset with an acoustic guitar on his shoulder. We see THE VALIANT MAN sitting on a fence pole. WAYNE is shocked to see him, as he hasn’t seen another male besides his band mates in days. Still, he with his newfound vigor, he does not slow his pace, and he keeps his eyes averted toward the ground. He walks passed THE VALIANT MAN.

THE VALIANT MAN:

Hey! Whoa! Hey there, brother man. Hey, slow down there, brother man. I’m a song smith, too, my friend. I see you walking that way. I see you walking that way and I have to ask myself: “Now is this son of the rock ‘n roll faithful that I see here in front of me walking that way down the road because he has felt the burden of his own kind sharpened to the point of a blistering poignancy, and he has decided that he has something to say to any and all that will listen; or is he walking down this old road merely because he has given up all of the hope that he had once housed in his head that there is something left to be told; that there is something left for man to say to man and there is something that all need to know?” And I hope it’s not the latter, my friend, because, a kid with your kind of mind, that would be no less than a felonious crime. What I know that you hold down deep in your skull is something that should be shouted from all of the rooftops that you see; it should be stamped onto all of the passing subway cars. Because,

(Extremely emphatic) you’ve got to sing the songs, my friend…

(Slight BEAT)

THE VALIANT MAN (cont’d):

That’s what we do. And you’ve got to dig it out of your head that we’ve got to be “species conscious” these days. So, if you are walking down that road with the intention of telling us all about that, then go on, my brother, because we really need to know allllll about that right now. There have been others before you, you see, and there will be others after you, too, but each of us is completely necessary to this earth and all of its entirety of people. We have all traveled this road before, and we have all visited this place in our dreams. We have swilled down its nectar. We have washed ourselves in its waters. We have loved within its boundaries. We have left hulking hunks of our own flesh behind, my brother. And now I see that you have, too. That’s good. That’s really good.

He hops off the fence.

THE VALIANT MAN (CONT’D):

But… bless your soul, little one. I’ll be seeing you around.

MUSIC: THE KINKS – “STRANGERS”

THE VALIANT MAN stares into the eyes of WAYNE. They connect in a moment of clarity. His long hair is flowing in the gentle wind, and his eyes are squinted. He raises his palm and spits directly into it. He then smashes his spitty palm in the middle of WAYNE’S forehead.

THE VALIANT MAN:

Oh, and uh, when you are drivin’ on down the highways, flick your lights a couple of times to the other drivers when you see an old cop out there baitin’ speeders in, you know?

THE VALIANT MAN turns and begins to walk away, back toward the town. WAYNE watches him leave. We see WAYNE, guitar over shoulder, start to continue down the road. He is walking directly into the sunset. His image begins to become more distorted the further he walks away.

CUT TO BLACK.