Act I
EXT. Funeral Home—Day
CARLOS, 10 years old, sits on the bench looking somber and pensive. He is holding a BLANK PIECE OF PAPER and A PEN. While a few FUNERAL GUESTS walks into the home, Carlos’ MOM comes out the building.

MOM
OH! CARLOS, ANAK! I’VE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER
THE PLACE FOR YOU. EVERYBODY IS HERE NOW.

CARLOS
I’M NOT READY, MOM.

MOM (SITS DOWN NEXT TO HIM)
YOU HAD TWO DAYS TO PREPARE SOMETHING.
COME NOW, EVERYBODY IS READY.

CARLOS
JUST HAVE ATE OR KUYA GO FIRST THEN.
I’M STILL THINKING, MOM.

MOM (HUGS CARLOS)
I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR YOU, ANAK. YOU TWO
WERE REALLY CLOSE. GO IN THERE WHEN YOU’RE
READY, OKAY.

MOM kisses him on the forehead and EXITS.
CARLOS stares at the blank piece of paper and TEARS start rolling down his cheeks.
Meanwhile, FOOTSTEPS approach the bench and CARLOS looks up. Camera reveals INANG.

INANG
CARLOS, WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE? YOU
SHOULD BE INSIDE.

CARLOS wipes his tears.

CARLOS
INANG, I DON’T HAVE MY SPEECH READY. I WANT
THIS TO BE PERFECT TO MAKE GRANDPA PROUD.

INANG (SITS NEXT TO CARLOS)
YOU KNOW YOU NEVER HAD TO WORRY WHAT YOUR
TATANG THINKS. HE’LL ALWAYS BE PROUD OF YOU.

CARLOS
I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY, INANG.

INANG
TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU REMEMBER.

CARLOS
LIKE WHAT, INANG?

INANG
AH. THIS IS A GREAT STORY. REMEMBER WHEN I
MADE SOME LUMPIA?

CARLOS
OH, YEAH. TATANG AND I ATE ALL OF IT.
YOU WENT BACK INTO THE KITCHEN AND WONDERED
WHO ATE ALL THE LUMPIA. WE THOUGHT YOU WERE MAD!

INANG
THAT WAS REALLY FUNNY BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR
TATANG KEPT BLAMING EACH OTHER.

CARLOS
I REMEMBERED YOU LAUGHING BECAUSE YOU SAID IT WAS
FOR US ANYWAYS. THEN YOU MADE SOME MORE.

INANG
THAT’S A GOOD STORY. YOUR GRANDPA WILL LOVE
THAT STORY.

CARLOS
OH, REMEMBER WHEN TATANG TAUGHT ME HOW TO RIDE
A BIKE? I KEPT FALLING AND HE KEPT GETTING MAD.
I SAW YOU WATCHING ME AND YOU KEPT SAYING, ‘KEEP
GOING, KEEP GOING.’

INANG
YES, I REMEMBER. BUT I WASN’T TALKING TO YOU,
CARLOS. YOUR GRANDPA WAS GETTING TIRED OF
TEACHING YOU. BUT I TOLD HIM TO KEEP GOING.
AND NOW YOU CAN RIDE YOUR BIKE EVERYDAY.
THAT’S A GOOD STORY.

CARLOS
INANG, I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING. DO YOU
REMEMBER WHEN YOU GOT MAD AT TATANG FOR
SPILLING YOUR PERFUME?

INANG
YES. YOUR TATANG SAID IT WASN’T HIM. BUT I
BLAMED HIM BECAUSE HIS HAT WAS NEXT TO THE
BOTTLE.

CARLOS (LOOKING AWAY FROM INANG)
IT WAS ME, INANG. I NEVER GOT TO SAY I WAS SORRY.
I WANTED TO BORROW TATANG’S HAT BUT I COULDN’T
REACH THE TOP OF THE DRESSER. I JUMPED AND TRIED
TO GRAB IT, BUT THE HAT KNOCKED YOUR PERFUME.
I KNEW IT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PERFUME AND I
DIDN’T WANT YOU TO HATE ME. AND I DON’T WANT
YOU TO HATE TATANG.

INANG
LOOK AT ME, ANAK. I WILL NEVER HATE YOU. I
WILL NEVER HATE YOUR TATANG. I LOVE ALL OF
YOU. I WAS UPSET, BUT IT’S JUST PERFUME.
EVERYTHING IS OKAY.

CARLOS
INANG, YOU THINK EVERYONE WILL LIKE MY SPEECH?

INANG
IF YOU SPEAK WITH LOVE, YOU DON’T NEED TO
WORRY WHAT OTHERS WILL THINK. I WANT YOU TO
REMEMBER THIS, CARLOS. ALWAYS SPEAK FROM THE HEART,
YOU CAN NEVER DO WRONG. NOW GO INSIDE, ANAK.
TELL EVERYONE THE STORIES AND YOUR TATANG WILL
BE VERY HAPPY WITH YOU.

ACT II.
INT. FUNERAL HOME—DAY
CARLOS is on the podium ready to talk. The camera pans to show all the family members crying and we slowly see TATANG’s face crying.
The camera closes up on the casket and reveals INANG.