The Christmas Stockings
by Joseph L. Puente
Based on the short story by Maria Alvarez
This screenplay was based on a short story written by my late mother and was made into a short film in time for Christmas 2004. It was my Mom's last Christmas and after she saw the film, she called me to say that it was the best Christmas present she ever received.
1 EXT - CITY STREET - NIGHT 1 Carol of the Bells is heard OS as people are walking the streets of a medium sized city in winter. They are window shopping, picking out Christmas presents and enjoying the holiday season. 2 INT - CITY MALL - NIGHT 2 More people are touring the shops and buying gifts. A child is laughing as she picks up her new puppy at a pet store. A group of teenagers are eating and joking at the food court. A woman is sitting quietly by herself reading in a bookstore. 3 EXT - CITY PARK - NIGHT 3 Couples and families are walking through the city park, decorated with lights and holiday decorations. Tourists are having their pictures taken in front of a life size nativity scene. A homeless man asks a pedestrian for some money but is turned down. 4 EXT - CITY STREET - NIGHT 4 Deeper into the city streets, the decorations and Christmas lights are more sparse. There are fewer people walking the streets and more destitute individuals making it their home. 5 EXT - OFFICE BUILDING ALLEY - NIGHT 5 A man named JOE, unshaven and dressed in ragged clothes, is standing outside of a dumpster by an office building. He's looking around cautiously as rustling is heard coming from the dumpster. After a few moments, the head of a six-year-old girl, Joe's daughter, MISSY, pops up from the dumpster. MISSY Daddy, please get me out. Missy puts up her arms for her dad to take. She is holding a collection of paper and cardboard in her hands. Joe reaches into the dumpster and picks his daughter up, raising her over his head, and gently placing her on the ground next to himself. 6 EXT - CITY STREET - NIGHT 6 As Joe and Missy walk along the dark street, their breaths come out in little puffs of steam. Missy is holding her findings close to her chest with one hand and holding onto her dad's hand with the other. Joe looks to his daughter and tries to smile but then looks straight ahead and realizes what little he has to smile about. 7 INT - HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT 7 Joe, clean shaven, dressed in slacks and a sweater, is walking down the corridor holding his daughter's hand. He looks down to Missy with a concerned smile on his face. Missy pulls her father's hand closer to her and holds it with both her hands, leaning her head against his arm. They arrive to a nurses' station where they are already known to the nurses on duty by their first names. NURSE (Speaking quietly) Hi, Joe. Would you like to see her now? JOE Yes, please. The nurse comes around the station and kneels in front of Missy. NURSE Missy, would you like to wait in the playroom? MISSY But I want to see my mommy. JOE You'll be able to see Mommy in a few minutes, sweetheart. For now, why not go with the nurse. MISSY But I wantÐ NURSE I'll take you in to see your mommy in a few minutes, alright? Missy looks up to her dad then to the nurse. She then takes the nurse's arm and follows her to the unseen playroom. Joe walks across the corridor to his wife's hospital room 8 INT - HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT 8 Joe's wife, MARY, is lying in a hospital bed, an IV tube in her arm, miscellaneous hospital equipment by her side measuring her vital statistics. Joe walks into the room and quietly moves a chair next to the bed so he can sit by her side. He takes her hand into his and she awakes. She looks into her husbands eyes and smiles. MARY (whispering) Hey, stranger. JOE (holding back tears and struggling to smile) Hi. We came as soon as the doctor called. MARY So, you know already. JOE Yes. MARY What about Missy? JOE (hesitantly) I couldn't bring myself to... I just couldn't, Mary. MARY Joe, we're going to have to tell her. There's a knock at the door. Joe and Mary look to the door to see the nurse and Missy waiting quietly just inside the room. MARY (cont'd) (seeing Missy and smiling) Hi, baby. Missy runs to the side of Mary's bed and holds her mother's arm. She looks to her mother longingly. MISSY Mommy, when are you coming home? Mary looks to Joe, then to Missy and smiles. MARY Sweety, give Mommy a hug. Joe lifts his daughter onto the bed so she can hug her mother one last time. 9 EXT - APARTMENT BUILDING ALLEY - NIGHT 9 Joe and Missy arrived at their makeshift home under the stairwell of the condemned building which had once been their home. Missy hurried along, eager to get out of the cold wind. Their shelter was not much more than a lean-to -- a refuge against wind, rain, and snow constructed of cardboard boxes and plastic bags stacked in such a way as to camouflage the entrance and deter the dregs of humanity from prying too closely. But Missy and her dad had managed to furnish it with a modicum of comfort if one is to stretch the meaning of the word almost to the breaking point. The curtains they had salvaged from their old apartment had been carefully hung to line the cold, damp walls and create partitions. The area furthest back had been turned into a sleeping alcove. A couple of wooden pallets raised the old mattress above the level of the floor, and an apple box from Mr. Balthazar's store held a civilizing set of sheets and a couple of towels while another box held the few pieces of clothing they owned. An old lidded chamber pot found in the refuse pile of another condemned building supplied the relief for those needs which could not wait for the opening of Mr. Balthazar's little shop. The front "room" contained some makeshift furniture. An old carpet folded in fours gave the floor a bit of spring as well as keeping out some of the cold that seeped up from the cement. An egg crate full of books (Missy's only ticket to knowledge) was topped with a piece of foam rubber and served as the chair. An old TV tray was their table, and a twisted set of metal shelves which Joe had pounded into submission held a sterno burner, a kerosene lamp, a small saucepan, a few meager staples, two cups, and a mess kit. Everything else they had owned had been hocked, sold, bartered, or stolen. Joe looks down at his daughter carrying her newfound wealth from one dump to another, and could not help a rueful smile. Missy grows increasingly impatient to get to work on her Christmas "treasures" as Joe walks in. (He always went first, just in case there was an uninvited guest who needed evicting.) 10 INT - ALLEY SHELTER - NIGHT 10 Joe crawls into the shelter. After he turns on the kerosene lamp Missy walks in stomping her little feet against the cold. While Joe warms up a melange of soup and beans for their supper Missy bustles about setting out her work table. She has no glue, just some paste made from a bit of flour she mixed with water and set aside. Missy spreads out the goodies she has fetched out of the dumpster behind the office building. There are several sheets of colored paper, some crumpled giftwrap from somebody's office party, a large sheet of cardboard, ribbons, bows, a box, and a couple of magazines which she has managed to hide from Joe. These were going to be his Christmas present. Missy gets a pair of scissors with a broken tip from their hiding place. She draws a Christmas tree on the piece of cardboard and cuts out its outline as she softly hums Christmas carols to herself. She then cuts some of the green paper she has found into strips and fringes it, gluing the strips on to simulate branches. Next, she cuts out circles from the crumpled giftwrapping and glues them onto the tree. A bow on top, some of the ribbon as garland, and she has a very commendable tree which she leaned against the corner of the room. Joe makes it a point not to look at what his child is doing because he doesn't want to encourage her dreams. The little girl looks about her decorations and knows that something is missing. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she realizes what it is. She takes off her sock and lays it atop a folded piece of red paper. With a black marker she draws its outline and cuts it out. Now she has two socks which she labels with her and Joe's names and trims with colored bows. She displays them next to the ersatz tree and admires her handywork while thinking of a Christmas two years earlier. 15 INT - LIVINGROOM - NIGHT 15 Missy, still sitting in front of the Christmas tree, is holding the baby Jesus from the nativity scene, examining it by the lights of the tree. Mrs. Balthazar enters the livingroom and Missy places the baby Jesus back in his place in the scene. MRS. BALTHAZAR Missy, come here. I have a gift for you. Mrs. Balthazar sits down on a rocking chair and beckons Missy to sit on her lap. Missy sits with her and Mrs. Balthazar brings up the stocking. MRS. BALTHAZAR (cont'd) This Christmas stocking is for you, Missy. Missy reaches for the stocking but Mrs. Balthazar holds it just out of reach for the briefest of moments then gives it to her. MRS. BALTHAZAR (cont'd) Now, I told your mother that I wouldn't let you spoil your dinner. Of course, if you have just one piece of candy, I don't think that will spoil your dinner. Mrs. Balthazar laughs and Missy laughs with her as she takes a piece of candy from Mrs. Balthazar's hand. As she chews on the piece of chocolate, she rests her head on Mrs. Balthazar's shoulder, content to remain there for the rest of the night. 16 INT - ALLEY SHELTER - NIGHT 16 The rest of the colored paper has been cut into strips and glued into interconnected loops which Missy festooned around the room. Next came her dad's present. Joe is just about finished preparing their supper, so Missy decides to wait for a more opportune moment. Joe serves himself and Missy some soup and starts to eat. Between bites, Missy tries to bring some Christmas cheer to her father. MISSY Do you like the tree I made, Daddy? Joe nods in agreement, turning his attention to his dinner. MISSY (cont'd) I also made stockings for us. Like Mrs. Balthazar used to do before she died. Do you remember? JOE (struggling to smile) Yes, Missy, I remember. Missy smiles and points to the trimming she has placed around their shelter. MISSY Do you like the paper chain I made? Mr. Balthazar gave me some paste for it. Do you think Santa will like it? Oh, Daddy, do we have any cookies for Santa? Joe stops eating. He feels he has to be blunt with his daughter. JOE No, Missy. There are no cookies. All we have is what's for dinner tonight. MISSY Then can I leave Santa what's left of my soup? Joe is getting frustrated. He doesn't want to crush his little girl's dreams, but he doesn't want to set her up for disappointment either. JOE MissyÐWe have no permanent address; how is Santa going to find us? Missy quietly finishes her dinner. When she places her spoon into the empty bowl, Joe takes it outside to wash in the snow. When her father is outside, Missy takes out the magazines she had found for her father and wraps them in the crumpled gift wrapping paper. 17 EXT - APARTMENT BUILDING ALLEY - NIGHT 17 Joe washes the old mess kit they used for their dinner as best as he can in the snow. He tries to dry his hands when he was finished and turns to the entrance of the shelter, hesitant to go in despite the cold night air. 18 INT - GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT OFFICE - DAY 18 Joe is sitting across from the desk of a government CASEWORKER. She is looking over some paperwork then turns her attention to Joe. CASEWORKER You are a widower? JOE Yes. CASEWORKER Have you been working? JOE Yes...well. I've been doing some odd jobs for a friend of the family. Mr. Balthazar, I have him as a referenceÐ CASEWORKER I know about Mr. Balthazar. But you need to be looking for something more than odd jobs. You have a daughter that you need to take care ofÐ JOE I am taking care of my daughter. CASEWORKER I'm sure you're doing the best that you can but your daughter needs a stable home environment. She can't be moving around from place to place as she's been doing. JOE I am doing my best... CASEWORKER No one is saying that you aren't... Where are you living now? JOE (hesitantly) We just moved in to a new place. CASEWORKER Do you have an address for me so I can update your file? JOE Actually, no, not with me. CASEWORKER (suspicious of Joe's demeanor) Is your daughter currently enrolled in school? JOE (feeling trapped) Of course she is...Do you think I would keep my daughter out of school? CASEWORKER perhaps...if you had no permanent address to put on her records... Joe, I'm not here to judge you. I'm just trying to help you. (taking a business card from her desk and handing it to Joe) Here's a place in town where I think you might find some work...And when you get a chance, call me or stop by with the address to your new...place. JOE Of course... thank you. Joe gets up, obviously upset, and walks out of the office. 19 INT - GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT OFFICE CORRIDOR - DAY 19 Missy is sitting quietly on a bench outside of the office. Joe comes out and takes her hand. They start to walk down the corridor but Joe pauses by a wastebasket. He looks at the business card the caseworker gave him, then throws it away. They continue down the hall. MISSY What was that, Daddy? JOE It was nothing sweety. MISSY ...Daddy, when can I go back to school? JOE Soon, Missy. I promise. As they continue down the corridor, the caseworker comes out of the office in time to see them slip around a corner. 20 EXT - APARTMENT BUILDING ALLEY - NIGHT 20 Joe finally decides to go inside the shelter. 21 INT - ALLEY SHELTER - NIGHT 21 As Joe enters the shelter, Missy is already in bed pretending to be tired. She lets out an animated yawn and lies down facing the wall so her father can't see her crying. Joe sits on the "chair" and holds his head in his hands. His eyes grow dim and lose their life as he ponders the future. Slowly, he raises his head and looks at the flickering light of the kerosene lamp. His eyes well up with tears. JOE (longingly) Please... Hunched over with cold and worries he rises from his seat, blows out the flame and crawls into bed beside the sleeping child. 22 EXT - BALTHAZAR'S STORE - NIGHT 22 Through the front window, in the back of the dark store, Mr. Balthazar closes the door separating his store from the small apartment in the back he had moved into when his wife died. 23 INT - BALTHAZAR APARTMENT - NIGHT 23 Mr.Balthazar sits down to a simple meal of bread and milk while his old mouser timidly tastes the contents of the bowl from the other side of the table. After a few moments of picking at his food, the old storekeeper gets up from his seat and paces the confines of his minuscule living quarters. In his pacing, he comes across a Polaroid snapshot of Joe, Mary and Missy taken the last time they had visited him and his wife on Christmas Eve. He picks up the Polaroid and walks to a picture on the wall of his deceased wife. MR. BALTHAZAR MamaÐYou've got to help me. It's Joe and Missy. Ever since Mary passed away, they've been having a really hard time of it. Their apartment was condemned, Joe hasn't been able to find work. They're living under a stairwell for God's sake...If you can call that living. Mama, I don't know what to do. If only you were here...You always knew what to do in times like this. Mr. Balthazar looks down at the photo again and thinks for a moment. He then gets his coat and cap and goes outside. 24 EXT - CITY STREET - NIGHT 24 Mr. Balthazar shields himself as best as he can against the cold night air and walks down the street toward the alley where Joe and Missy are staying. 25 EXT - APARTMENT BUILDING ALLEY - NIGHT 25 Mr. Balthazar approaches the old stairwell slowly, contemplating what he is going to say or do. As he approaches, he hears the sounds of a man crying. He stops and thinks for a moment. JOE O.S. Please... Mr. Balthazar can't bare to go any further. Thinking there must be something he can do, he turns around and walks back to the street. 26 EXT - CITY STREET - NIGHT 26 Mr. Balthazar walks back in the direction of his store. He is across the street from it and looks at it thinking. He walks on. 27 EXT - CHURCH - NIGHT 27 Mr. Balthazar walks ahead looking down at the sidewalk. He then lifts his head and sees a small church. It had just opened recently across the street from his store. From inside, he hears Christmas carols. He walks toward it. 28 INT - CHURCH - NIGHT 28 Mr. Balthazar walks in and takes a seat in the back of the church. The little congregation is singing a carol while the minister's wife accompanies them on a second-hand keyboard. When the song is finished, the minister walks up to the podium. MINISTER I have a very special announcement. It has come to my attention through the good offices of the superintendent in this building that his basement apartment, as well as his job, have become available since he is retiring and moving to Florida with his daughter. Now I have seen this place, having visited the good man as part of my pastoral duties, and I just know that there must be somebody out there who could benefit from such a situation as has been placed in our hands through the great mercy of the Almighty. Let us pray. . ." The service ends and the congregation slowly files out, but Mr. Balthazar hangs back, waiting for an opportunity to speak to the pastor. MR. BALTHAZAR Reverend, I own the little shop across the streetÐ MINISTER (smiling) Yes, of course, I stopped by for some supplies for our service this morning. What can I do for you, brother? MR. BALTHAZAR That announcement you made earlier, has anybody made a request for it? The minister's wife approaches the two men. Other members of the congregation have stopped their march out the door to hear what the old man has to say. MINISTER No, nobody has said anything to me, how about you, dear? MINISTER'S WIFE No, I haven't heard either. Did you have somebody special in mind, sir? MR. BALTHAZAR (hesitantly) I have this father and child, their mother is dead...The apartment building where they lived has been condemned and he hasn't been able to find work. And the child hasn't been able to go to school because they have no permanent address. MINISTER Where are they now? MR. BALTHAZAR They're livingÐif you can call it thatÐin the stairwell of their old building. The minister turns to the congregation. MINISTER Brothers and sisters, who among us can possibly go into a warm house, fill our bellies with good food, and crawl into a soft bed while a father and child suffer such want as this? The superintendent has given me permission to hire his replacementÐÐand I can think of no worthier soul. Members of the congregation look to one another and one by one set forward. PARISHIONER 1 Minister, I can bring in some food for this family. PARISHIONER 2 And I've got some clothes I was going to give away, they can have them. PARISHIONER 3 I've got some extra pots and pans. PARISHIONER 4 I have a bed that's not being used, Minister. The other parishioners offer what they can as the minister and Mr. Balthazar smile. MINISTER This is wonderful. Brothers and sisters, bring what you can right back here as soon as you can. (to Mr. Balthazar) My friend, bring this father and daughter here. They needn't stay one more cold night like this under a stairwell. (he takes a key out of his pocket and gives it to Mr. Balthazar) Here is the key he will need. 29 EXT - CHURCH - NIGHT 29 Mr. Balthazar leaves the little church with a new spring in his step. The restlessness which had once pursued him now became purpose, an urge to get his plan into action before this holy night was over. 30 EXT - BALTHAZAR'S STORE - NIGHT 30 In a few quick steps Mr. Balthazar reaches his store. He unlocks the front door and goes in. 31 INT - BALTHAZAR APARTMENT - NIGHT 31 Mr. Balthazar enters his small apartment and rummages through some old boxes he finds a couple of the stockings like the ones his wife would give to the neighborhood children. He fills one with candy, some coloring pencils, a notebook, and a little bottle of hand lotion. The other, he simply drops the key into. He walks out of his small apartment. 32 EXT - APARTMENT BUILDING ALLEY - NIGHT 32 Mr. Balthazar walks down the cold alley and peeks under the stairwell where Joe and Missy are trying to sleep. After a brief moment, Joe comes out into the cold, surprised to see the old storekeeper. Mr. Balthazar holds up Joe's stocking. Joe takes it and turns it upside down, dropping the key onto his hand. He looks to Mr. Balthazar, asking for an explanation. Mr. Balthazar explains and Joe hugs him. He then peeks into the stairwell himself to bring Missy out. The little girl comes out of the stairwell and Mr. Balthazar gives her a stocking. Joe kneels beside her and explains the situation. Missy hugs her father and he picks her up. Together, they walk out of the alley. THE END