Departure By Tex Larson

mother flight neon

EXT. AIRPORT - DEPARTURES AFTERNOON. One of those dismal winter days that Chicagoans brag about: a combo of harsh wind, dirty rain, and biting snow. The sound of an airplane taking off overhead. DARRELL and BOBBY in skycap uniforms, huddle in the doorway. DARRELL Most the time you dont get the whole story. Where a passenger is going or why. A romantic getaway, or goin ta funeral? Goin on a business trip? You gonna make a million dollars, or lose your whole company? All we can do is try our best. And then therere those people thatre just never happy. A black SUV pulls up. A CHAUFFEUR rushes around to open the rear passenger door. RAHUL, 40s, in an impeccably tailored wool overcoat and scarf steps out, CELL PHONE to his ear. CHAUFFEUR shuts the door and hustles to the rear of the SUV. RAHUL Hold on a second. (To BOBBY) Wheres the wheelchair? DARRELL, rolling a luggage CART behind him, goes to assist the CHAUFFEUR, leaving BOBBY to deal with this guy. RAHUL I told the concierge to call and have a wheelchair ready. Chakravarthi. BOBBY Sir? RAHUL The name. Is Chakravarthi. Qatar Aiways, Chicago to Doha. (On phone) Listen, we just got the airport. Ill call you back. BOBBY For your information, Qatar 992 to Dohas been delayed, sir. RAHUL No. It has to leave on time. We have a connecting flight to Kolkata. Where is the wheelchair? (CONTINUED)

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BOBBY Darrell! Wheres the wheelchair! DARRELL Rodrigos got it. Said it wasn emergency. INT. AIRPORT - COFFEE STAND RODRIGO, in his skycap uniform, stands with with back to the camera. He turns around carefully, a hot COFFEE in each hand and walks over to a cute SKI BUNNY sitting in an airport WHEELCHAIR, a CAST on her raised foot. He hands her a coffee. She smiles. He smiles back. EXT. CHICAGO OHARE AIRPORT - DEPARTURES BOBBY Mr. Kra-, Mr. Ch-, Cha-carva... Behind RAHUL, the flow of LUGGAGE being unloaded from the SUV shows no sign of stopping. RAHUL Chakravarthi. Its a common name. BOBBY Mr. Cha-kra-varty. Im sorry, Im gonna hafta get a wheelchair from inside. Ill be back in a minute. RAHUL Whatever it takes to get it. But hurry. INT. AIRPORT - STAIRCASE BOBBY runs down a flight of stairs. INT. AIRPORT - BAGGAGE CLAIM BOBBY runs, dodging LUGGAGE CARTS and weaving through the crowd of PASSENGERS.

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EXT. AIRPORT - ARRIVALS Curbside, an OBSESE MAN with a nasal cannula is being helped into a TAXI. Another SKYCAP starts to roll a WHEELCHAIR away. BOBBY runs up and offers to take the wheelchair. INT. AIRPORT - BAGGAGE CLAIM BOBBY runs in the opposite direction with the WHEELCHAIR. INT. AIRPORT - ELEVATOR The ELEVATOR doors are about to close, when BOBBY hits the UP button. The doors open, revealing a towering, scowling SCANDINAVIAN FAMILY and LUGGAGE taking up the entire space. The doors close. BOBBY gazes up at the staircase behind him. EXT. CHICAGO OHARE AIRPORT - DEPARTURES Bobby rolls the WHEELCHAIR outside. The CHAUFFEUR opens the door of the SUV. Elderly MRS. CHAKRAVARTHI steps out, assisted by RAHUL. Her neon colored sari flutters in the wind, vivid against the black SUV and the dark sky. She doesnt have a care in the world, so much is she looking forward to her trip. She whispers to RAHUL. RAHUL Are you sure, Mum? The wheelchair is here. She dismisses it with a sweet smile. RAHUL kisss her hand. RAHUL Whatever makes you happy, Mum. (to Bobby) We dont need the wheelchair. Lets go. BOBBY, incredulous and still panting, just stares. DARRELL You heard the man, Bobby! Lets go! DARRELL handles two full LUGGAGE CARTS. BOBBY grabs the third CART and walks next to RAHUL into the airport. RAHUL (to Bobby, gesturing with his head to MRS. CHAKRAVARTHI) Never happy.