Wednesday, December 20, 2000

Transcribed and edited by Cindy Popiela and Karen Ross.

Nora's House

Sam and Nora are on the couch packing a backpack for Matthew's outing with Sam to see Santa Claus.

Nora: Matthew is so excited about seeing Santa Claus. (holding up a piece of paper) Have you seen his wish list?

Sam: Well, actually, I've only seen volumes one through four. (placing clothes in the backpack) I hope he doesn't expect Santo to get him everything on that list.

Nora: (handing Sam clothing) Oh . . . gosh, I hope not either. I don't know how to gift wrap a pony.

Sam: That's not the hard part. I mean, where do you keep a pony?

Nora: Oh no, actually that's the easy part. In the guest room with the baby elephant.

Sam: (laughing) I wonder why I didn't think of that? You know we have to be careful Santa Claus does not make any ironclad guarantees here to Matthew, cause knowing him being raised around two lawyers, there's a good chance he'd sue Santa for breach of contract.

Nora: You know I found him thumbing through our law books already.

Sam: (laughing) That's scary.

Nora: (looking around) Uh, where's his scarf?

Sam: (looking) Scarf? Scarf? (reaching for the scarf) Um, up, is this it?

Nora: What? Uh, yes. Oh, (picking up a piece of paper) hey, by the way, I told him you would personally see to it that this got to the North Pole.

Sam: North Pole. I will do better than that, (taking the paper) I will make sure that this gets hand-delivered to the guy in the red suite, personally.

Nora: Actually, I think the protocol at the mall is that you hand-deliver it to the elf, and then he passes it on to the guy in the red suite.

Sam: Are you out of your mind? You give it to the bureaucracy. It gets lost like that.

Nora laughs.

Sam: Here, I'll take care of everything. (placing food in the backpack) You know, it does beg the question, is there anything on Nora's gift list?

Nora: (smiling) Nice try Sam, but you shouldn't of taken your son shopping with you. He already told me you picked up a Hannakuh present for me.

Sam: My little son snitched on me?!

Nora: I taught him well.

Sam: Well, I think you taught him too well cause he snitched on you too. (laughing)

Nora: That dirty double-crosser.

Sam: (slipping Matthew's Christmas list in his coat pocket) Ok.

Nora: Is this what it used to be like?

Sam: (sighing) Yeah, pretty much. (a sad look crosses Nora's face) Nora, there's no good time to say this . . . there's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out. I uh, for the sake of my other son . . . I made Will a promise. That I was going to stop trying to prove that Lindsay was in on your kidnapping.

Nora gets up and walks away, her back to Sam. Obviously upset and angry.

Sam: (walking over to her) I'm not forgetting what Lindsay did, believe me, I don't think I ever can. . . This is about Will. He blames me. The whole fiasco at Thanksgiving. He thinks it's my fault, my responsibility and he asked me for this. He asked me to stop going after Lindsay and . . . and uh, he needs a break. I want to give it too him. This is a kid who hasn't had a break in a long, long time. . . I just don't want to hurt you and I hope you understand.

Nora: (turning to face Sam), Sam, I came close to losing my family and in some ways I have. I wouldn't wish that on anybody, certainly not you.

Sam: Thank you . . . You know, I'm actually hoping that if things are quiet, I can actually get Jenn home for the holidays.

Nora: Oh really? That would be great. You really should. You should. I'd love to meet her . . . I haven't, have I?

Sam: (laughing) No, you haven't. (stops laughing) I know. I'm making the right decision. I just don't want to hurt you.

Nora: Come on Sam. Don't sweat it, ok. (walking to the couch) It's my situation and I should handle it myself.

Sam: (turning around to face Nora) Wait a minute. (walking towards her) I . . . I thought when we talked, you decided that uh . . . you didn't want to handle Lindsay. I mean, that was the solution.

Nora: (picking the backpack up off the couch) Sam. Relax. I'm not going to handle Lindsay. I believe in karma. What goes around, comes around. She'll get hers.

Sam: Ok, are you sure your not planning something?

Nora: (irritated) I'm planning Hannakuh with my son and my daughter. Even found a fool proof recipe for potato latkas and not even I can screw that up.

Nora's attention turns to Matthew, who is running down the stairs.

Nora: (walking over to the stairs) Hey, you guys better hurry off to the mall. Daddy's here. Daddy's here. Off to see Santa. You be a good boy. You promise.

Sam: (putting on Matthew's coat) Ok, here we go, one arm there. First arm through. There we go, very good.

Nora: (kneeling in front of Matthew, straightens his coat) Now you do me a favor young man. You keep that hood ON when your outside.

Matthew: Yes, Mommy.

Nora: Okay. (handing him his gloves) And another thing, do NOT make snowballs with your mittens on.

Sam: Yes, Mommy.

Nora: (scowling at Sam) Not you. (pointing at Matthew) Him. The last time you had him out, he made snowballs with his mittens on, his mittens got wet, and his hands got frozen solid.

Sam: Oh no!

Nora: Yeah. (looking at Matthew) And you know what else. If you don't dawdle with Santa Claus, you could probably go back to daddy's hous and decorate the tree.

Sam: (helping Matthew with a glove) Ooh, that would be cool. Let's do that.

Matthew: Yes Mommy.

Sam: I've got wonderful ornaments and stuff.

Nora: (watching Matthew put on his gloves) Wait a minute. Fingers, fingers.

Sam: Oh no!

Nora: Alright!

Sam: You've only got four fingers. That's why?

Nora: (standing) You've got to hurry. Your going to miss Santa.

Sam: (picking Matthew up) Come on Matt. (takes the bag from Nora) Let's go.

Nora: Alright.

Sam: (walking towards the door) Alrighty.

Nora: (following them) Hat on, hood on.

Sam: (opening the door) Bye.

Nora: Bye sweetie. (holding the door open) You be a good boy.

Sam: (walking out the door) Ok, see ya.

Nora walks out on the porch and waves to Sam and Matthew.

Nora: Drive well . . . Matthew. (laughs)

As soon as Sam leaves the driveway, Nora rushes inside and grabs her coat and purse from the chair in the foyer and leaves.

At Colin's House

Colin opens the front doors and enters carrying a paper sack and is followed inside by a woman. Nora walks up from behind them.

Nora: (hesitantly) Hi.

Colin turns and sees Nora. He is obviously pleased to see her and smiles.

Nora: Um . . . is this a bad time?

Colin looks at Nora, then turns to look at the other woman.

Colin: (turning to the woman) I'll tell you what, why don't you head back to your condo, and I'll give you a call later.

The woman is obviously upset at being asked to leave. About to protest, she shakes her head in disgust and gives Nora a nasty look as she walks past her.

Colin turns around, embarrassed by the situation.

Colin: Just an acquaintance. It's nothing serious.

Nora: (nervously) Hey, it's your life. You don't have to explain it to me. Okay? I don't care. I really don't.

Colin: So you uh . . . you want to come in for a drink?

Nora: Oh, I don't think I'd be quite as much fun (tilting her head towards the woman) as she would have been.

Colin: Ouch! (pleased by her jealousy) Thought you said you didn't care?

Nora: I don't. (shaking her head) Oh, I don't . . . No. Oh you know what, let's not talk about your guest. How about that?

Colin: Oh, I agree.

Nora: Ok.

Colin: The subject of Brittany is officially closed.

Nora: (laughing) Brittany. Oh my goodness, Brittany! Her parents couldn't come up with anything better than that? . . . Oops, sorry. We weren't going to talk about your guest, were we? (looking down at the ground)

Colin: No, we weren't.

Nora: (looking down) I guess I don't have much resolve, do I?

Colin: (seriously) Let me tell you something Nora, when you were upstairs in that room, you had unbelievable resolve.

Nora stares at him for a moment, then shudders.

Nora: (wrapping her arms around herself) It's cold.

Colin: (stepping back) Then why don't you come inside?

Nora: No!

Colin gets a puzzled look on his face from her refusal to come in.

Nora: (looking at the bag in Colin's hand) Do you have anything hot in that bag?

Colin: (studies her for a moment) Yeah, uh . . . (shaking his head) yeah, I have tea with lemon. (opening the bag)

Nora: (nodding her head) That would be perfect. Yeah.

Colin: Yeah? Okay. (hands her a cup)

Nora: (taking the cup) Great. Thank you.

Colin: Your welcome. (still bewildered by Nora's behavior) You seem upset. You're sure you're not jealous about Brittany?

Nora: (removing the lid) No! I don't . . . No! I mean . . . could I be? No. (shaking her head) You know what. You know what, Colin? (fiddling with the lid) It's not . . . It's not Brittany that's got me upset . . . it's you.

Colin: Me?!

Nora: Yeah.

Colin tilts his head in a questioning manner and waits for Nora to explain herself.

Nora: (sighing) I'm so confused about who you are. I'm so confused about what you are . . . I mean, I know the Colin that I know now, and then there's the Colin I know from . . . you know flashes of memory. Good memories.

Colin: And then of course there's the Colin you heard about. The man who did all those bad things.

Nora: I just don't know how bad they were. I'm no sure they were bad. I . . . I'm not even sure I should be holding them against you. . . When I'm not with you, I know exactly how I feel, but when I . . . the more I get to know you. . . (turns away confused, tapping the top of her lid)

Colin: (pleased to see her reconsidering how she feels about him) Look, Nora! This doesn't have to end. I mean, come on. Let's not say hello and good-bye out here on the doorstep. Why don't you just come in? . . . Give me five minutes. That's all I ask. Come on.

Nora peeks into the house, but is hesitant about entering.

Colin: My tea is a whole lot better than that takeout. (turns and sets the bag on the table in the foyer)

Nora starts to go in, then turns back looking confused.

Nora: I nedd to think. That's what I need to do. I need to think.

Colin: You wouldn't have to think if you had your memories of this house. This house is the place that made you whole again, Nora. And through it all, I was there by your side, no matter what else anyone says.

Nora: I really want . . . to KNOW that to be true, you know. I wish I KNEW that were true.

Colin: (putting his hand on his chest) Nora, the proof is standing right here in front of you . . . Look, you know how I feel. You know I like you and you know I think of you as a friend. Now how could I possibly have those feeling if . . . if this place was some kind of house of horrors? Don't you think you'd feel it?

Nora: (crinkling her nose) Yeah . . . sort of.

Colin: Of course you would! . . . You would feel something wrong. And the reason that you don't is because in spite of your memory loss, you know I am NOT a monster.

Nora: Humph. (laughing) It seems right, but then, you know . . .

Colin: But what?!

Nora: Because, I don't want to take your word for it. I CAN'T take your word for it.

Colin: (excited) Ok, so then don't . . . so then let's go somewhere else. Let's go someplace public, huh. Somplace where we can . . . we can dance. I know plenty of places. We'll dance, we'll just talk, whatever.

Nora: Where you take Brittany and your other girlfriends? (laughing)

Colin: (he looks at her for a moment before answering) I'd much rather be with you Nora.

Nora: (shaking her head) Ok, why? . . . I want to know why? Why would you want to be with me? Why are you so interested in me? Ok, cause I know my jokes weren't that good. They weren't, were they?

Colin: No. (shaking his head) No, they weren't. (smiling)

Nora: (laughing) Ok.

Colin leans forward against the doorframe and looks at Nora with such intensity that it causes her to look away.

Colin: Let me tell you something Nora. I have never met anyone like you before.

Nora raises her head to look into his eyes.

Colin: I know I told you this the place that made you whole again, but this is also the place that made me whole again . . . the day you came into it.

Nora: (shifting uncomfortably) I really need to think. (smiling)

Colin: (sly smile) Ok, so you take your time. Think it over. (devilish grin) Then you say yes.

Nora: (laughing) You . . . (handing him back the paper cup) Goodnight Colin. (walks away)

Colin: (watching Nora leave) Goodnight Nora.

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