Supportive Parents - a short film
Setting: The Great Room of a medieval english home. Three people sit close around a rough wooden table in the warm glow of a fire burning brightly upon the hearth.
Daughter: “If I don’t do this, if I don’t make this decision for myself, then I’ll never know. I’ll grow old an unhappy wondering if maybe, just maybe, things could have been different.”
Father holding wife’s hand: “Your mother and I haven’t been unhappy.”
Mother: “Well..”
Daughter: “You’ve never wondered what would happen if you just once in your life took a risk?”
Mother: “I’ve wondered, but I am content to let my imagination take the risk.”
Father smiling fondly at mother: “We’ve taken chances, just of a different sort”
Mother: “But, we’ve talked it over and if this is your decision, we support you.”
Daughter: “Really?”
Father: “Of course.”
Mother: “..and we couldn’t be prouder..”
Father: “..well..”
Mother: “Dear”
Father: “If your mind is made up…”
Daughter: “It is.”
Father pushing a small wash-leather purse onto the table: “..then we want you to have this.”
Daughter picking up the purse gasping: “But this is the last of it!”
Father dismissively: “We’ll survive till winter. I can do without a cold ale for a few months.”
Daughter: “I won’t be needing it, you’ll see, you will get every bit back.”
Mother: “Still, we want you to have it.”
Daughter: “I can’t say what this means to me.”
Father: “No need and no shame in backing out.”
Daughter: “No. no backing out. I guess this is it then.”
Mother: “Yes, I suppose it is.”
Daughter getting up: “Don’t tell grandfather”
Mother: “Not a word”
Daughter: “Here I go”
Daughter walks to the corner of the room turns around, takes a deep breath and then determinedly strides face-first into the mantle piece.
Daughter: “Ow!”
Mother grimaces
Daughter gingerly placing the purse on her face: “That hurt”
Father: “We imagined it might.”
Daughter: “Why didn’t you say so?”
Mother: “We did dear. Do you want to lie down?”
Daughter: “That might be for the best.”
Daughter holding up the purse: “The ice?”
Father: “Keep it, as I said there will be plenty in a few months.”
Daughter putting it back to her cheek: “Thanks …. Perhaps the doorframe?”
Mother: “Another time maybe. Bed for now.”
Daughter: “Alright.”
Father: “Alright.”
Mother: “Alright.”
Cut to credits.