Little Pieces by Andrew Pilkington

Revisions by Thom Bruce

Current Revisions by Thom Bruce, 25/03/2010

Sun in a Jar Productions

EXT. GREGS HOUSE - MORNING THE POSTMAN walks through Gregs open gate and up Gregs garden path, whistling a pleasant tune as he sifts through letters. It is a highly unkempt garden; grass over-grown, fence splintered and dull, gate rusty and loose. The postman bends over to pick up a discarded letter from Gregs doorstep and puts it with the other letters in his hand addressed to Greg. He posts the pile of mail and turns down the path out of Gregs garden. The sound of his closing the gate behind him is heard. Within only a moment, two of the letters emerge back out from the letter box and fall to the doorstep below. One is worn from a while of having already been there, the other fresh, but each carries a stamp from the local care home. Briefly afterward, GREGs door is heard to open. His feet step out onto the discarded letters and are turned as he closes and locks his door. The feet then turn and are heard walking down the garden path. As Gregs garden gate is heard to open but not close, then squeakily swinging on its un-greased hinges, the title Little Pieces is shown across the boot-prints left on the discarded letters to Greg. EXT. PARK - MORNING GREG walks along the path, stopping every so often to lift and examine a piece of interesting, discarded rubbish. He makes his way towards a park bench. He stops to examine something, finds it of no interest and allows it to flutter away. He continues toward the bench, finds another object of interest, lifts it, examines it and puts it into his pocket. Finally, he sits on the bench, examining an object on the floor by it. He lifts the object and looks more closely then pockets it also.

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At the bench, he simply sits and examines the events going on around him; a subtle smile on his face. He removes a crumpled cheese-slice sandwich from his pocket and unwraps it. As he eats, he watches people in the park with seemingly little interest. He raises no attention from anybody himself. EXT. PARK - AFTERNOON GREG is sat on the park bench, still slyly examining the people around. A small group of teen boys pass chatting, eating crisps and drinking cans of soft-drink. One of them discards their can, throwing it toward a bin and missing. Greg watches as they pass by and leave the area. He then stands from the bench and goes to collect the can; it is in good condition. He picks it up, examines it, then carries it with him as he takes the path out of the park. Occasionally he stops to examine more pieces of rubbish but finds very little of interest along the way. EXT. GREGS HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON GREG arrives home with a bag of shopping, mostly canned goods which clatter as he carries them; he has a loaf of bread under his other arm. He enters his open gate and continues down his path, not stopping to acknowledge KRISTINE sat on his doorstep holding a professional clip-board, Gregs two discarded letters and attired in a carers uniform. She stands to greet Greg. KRISTINE Mr. Peterson. He doesnt acknowledge her as she steps out of his way. He fumbles with his keys in the door. KRISTINE (CONT'D) Mr. Peterson, Im Kristine; assigned to be your carer.

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She shuffles the letters behind her clip-board. KRISTINE (CONT'D) I only need to get a signature from you, here... Greg has opened his door. He walks inside and slams it closed behind him. Kristine stands on his doorstep, taken aback. She checks her watch. With a professional sense of haste, she shuffles the letters back to the front of her clip-board and posts them into Gregs letter-box. She strolls back down his garden path; the sound of the garden gate can be heard closing behind her. The two letters re-emerge from Gregs letter-box and fall to the doorstep below. EXT. GREGS HOUSE - MORNING The sound of a car pulling up and coming to a stop is heard. As the engine turns off, the door opens and closes, THE POST MAN strolls past Gregs garden gate whistling his usual tune. KRISTINE walks past him and up to Gregs gate. She opens it and strolls down his path. She lifts the discarded letters from his door step and knocks on his door. She stands and waits patiently. The door is heard unlocking and it opens. GREG emerges and bumps into Kristine. In the fumble, he lets the door go for a moment. Kristine gets her first glimpse inside at the mess. An inhibited look of shock jumps onto her face. Greg quickly captures the door in his grasp again and closes it. He locks the door and turns past Kristine to walk down his garden path.

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She follows hastily after him. As he takes on ahead, she dashes back momentarily to close his garden gate. Then she takes to the chase again. KRISTINE Mr. Peterson! EXT. PARK - MORNING GREG takes his usual method of travel, stopping to examine pieces of rubbish. KRISTINE follows behind him slowly, only observing. He finally takes a seat on his bench and she sits down next to him. As she fumbles with her clip-board, he takes his usual cheese-slice sandwich from his pocket and unwraps it. Reading her clip-board, Kristine speaks. KRISTINE Mr. Peterson, Im sorry to insist but weve had a number of reports. Greg is unresponsive to her and simply eats his sandwich. KRISTINE (CONT'D) ...about your behaviour. She takes a look at his hands, blistered and covered in worn out plasters. KRISTINE (CONT'D) It could be... She chooses her words carefully. KRISTINE (CONT'D) ...hazardous to your well-being. Greg is still unresponsive. Kristine flips through papers. KRISTINE (CONT'D) It says here that your previous carer, six months ago, was a Mrs. Peterson. Greg throws his sandwich softly to the floor with an apathetic frustration.

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Kristine is hesitant and concerned for her notes. KRISTINE (CONT'D) Your mother... Im sorry. Greg stands and moves to the nearest adjacent bench. Kristine and Greg sit apart on different benches. He takes to his usual examination of the world as she sits and wonders how best to take the situation. Greg stands from the other bench and walks back to where Kristine is sat. He sits back where he had been beside her. GREG Wrong bench. He looks down at his discarded sandwich. It causes him to well up now, almost ready to cry. GREG (CONT'D) Always used to make me those. Kristine takes great interest in Greg as he speaks. KRISTINE We only want to ensure your safety, Mr. Peterson. Greg is silent and looking around, in his usual way, at people in the park who might discard some rubbish, tears in his eyes which he refuses to let out. KRISTINE (CONT'D) I dont mean to be any sort of replacement. Greg stands from the bench and walks away. He hardly takes time to examine any litter as he leaves, only stopping to pick up one interesting piece as he exits the park. Kristine follows him slowly, only to watch him from a safe distance; not to disturb, just to ensure he is safe. EXT. GREGS HOUSE - NOON GREG walks up to his garden gate. He opens it and walks through his garden, leaving the gate open behind himself.

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KRISTINE walks along his garden fence as Greg continues not to acknowledge her. KRISTINE Ill see you tomorrow. Greg walks into his house and closes his door behind him. Kristine returns to her car. EXT. PARK - MORNING KRISTINE is walking into the park. She is carrying a bag with her today, but maintains her clip-board folded beneath her arm. She finds GREG at his usual spot and walks to the bench to join him. Greg is just finishing his sandwich as she sits down beside him. KRISTINE Hello. Greg doesnt acknowledge her presence much. He seems almost more at ease though by simply grumbling some form of welcome. Kristine sits with Greg for a little while, looking where he looks to see perhaps what he sees. She puts her clip-board down ignoring the formalities of her duty. KRISTINE (CONT'D) I have something for you. Greg looks out of the corner of his eye, as Kristine reaches into her bag and retrieves a strange piece of junk. She offers it to him. Intrigued, he takes it and begins to examine it. It is an unusual sort of thing, unlike any random piece of rubbish hed ordinarily see but it does seem essentially like junk, having no obvious purpose. Its design and rareness are somewhat of a wonder to Greg. He plays with it between his fingers for a little while before putting it in his pocket and looking up to Kristine.

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The brief moment of eye-contact causes him to shy away and he quickly returns to looking about the park. GREG Thanks. Kristine smiles. KRISTINE I had hoped youd like it. Greg continues to sit and stare. Kristine chooses to sit and look around with him, relaxed for having hopefully made a decent outreach to Greg. EXT. GREGS HOUSE - AFTERNOON GREG is carrying a shopping bag with a couple of tins, a loaf of bread and some cheese slices. He walks into his garden gate. KRISTINE is following behind, stopping outside of Gregs fence. He turns to her, not meeting her gaze. GREG See you tomorrow. Kristine smiles. KRISTINE See you tomorrow, Mr. Peterson. Kristine strolls away to her car as Greg walks toward his door and enters his house. For a moment, Kristine attempts to look into his house as he is entering. She notices the mess is still there. Unable to do anything about it for now, she gets in her car. EXT. GREGS HOUSE - MORNING THE POSTMAN walks through Gregs garden gate and down the path, whistling his usual tune while he sifts through letters in his hand. As he pushes some letters through the letter-box, there is distinctly one from the care-home.

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It drops through to the other side and the post-man turns down the garden path. We hear him walk away and close the garden gate behind him. The letters do not return from the other side. Instead, the door opens. GREG walks out of his house, closes and locks the door behind himself, then strolls down his garden path. Meanwhile, KRISTINEs car can be heard pulling up, her doors opening and closing. Greg opens his garden gate, walks out of it and sets off down the street leaving his gate open. Kristine takes immediately to following him. KRISTINE How are we today, Mr. Peterson? Greg continues walking, barely acknowledging her presence but smiling slightly. Kristine acknowledges his smile and smiles in return. KRISTINE (CONT'D) That good, huh? EXT. PARK - MORNING GREG and KRISTINE are sat, somewhat face to face, on the park bench. Greg is eating his sandwich while looking at Kristines paperwork for the first time. He takes a pen and he signs it. Kristine closes up her clip-board, happy to have finally gained Gregs trust. Greg returns to looking about the park. Kristine only sits with him and watches with him. EXT. GREGS HOUSE - AFTERNOON GREG walks ahead of KRISTINE, down his garden path. She waits outside of his gate. He says nothing as he opens his door.

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KRISTINE See you tomorrow then, yeah? Greg only opens his door and walks inside. Kristine is taken aback, confused. But Gregs door is left open. She sees this and she sees inside; still a mess. Taking the invitation, she walks down Gregs garden path, stands in the doorway for a second, then enters and closes the door behind her. INT. GREGS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS The interior of Gregs house is dark and dingy. Rubbish is strewn all over the place. KRISTINE struggles to find her path through the cluttered hallway and along to the door where Greg must have gone. It is slightly ajar. The sound of curtains being drawn open is heard, and Kristine can see a beam of light emerging suddenly from the crack in the doorway. She pushes the door open. INT. THE AMAZING ROOM - CONTINUOUS GREG is sat at a desk with an assortment of tools and some random works of incredible junk sculptures on it. He is unloading his pockets, his take for the day. KRISTINE stares in wonder around the room. Bottles gleam in the light from the window, dangling like intricate arrangements of chandeliers from the ceiling. Around the rooms surfaces, are flowers made of metal emerging from plant-pots where the grass is broken greenglass. A whole array of intricate sculptures gleam in the new light all around the room and Kristine struggles to take it all in. She finally looks towards a table in the rooms centre where there is a new sculpture. With the sculpture is a piece of paper that says, in quite clumsy handwriting, To Kristine.

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The sculpture itself is an arrangement of coloured cans, tins, glass and plastics which accentuate the form of one object at its centre. She steps breathlessly towards it. At the structures epicentre is the strange, rare piece of junk she had given to Greg the day before. KRISTINE Greg... He turns from his work, a pair of strange glasses adorning his face for the sculpting work. She turns to him. KRISTINE (CONT'D) Wow! Greg smiles. He looks around the room and nods knowingly; this is clearly his sanctuary. Smiling, he turns back to his sculpting. FADE TO BLACK.