The promise Bob made
to Alma six months ago is now an amazing reality. Such a big win can make you
lose your head, sometimes. But that can’t happen to Bob who has won back his
own dignity swearing to himself that with that fortune not only can he start
searching for his son again, but he can also help others that, like himself, a
part of their lives has been stolen of by some sick mind who ruins someone
else’s happiness for malice or pure madness.
Two months ago he
bought an office with four rooms with a view of the Empire State Building. That
imposing building reminds him of the last hours spent with his son twenty years
ago. The kid overstressed him with the request to be taken to the top of that giant
that fascinated him so much in the film. – Dad, take me to King Kong.
Pleaaaase! – he went on never growing tired of repeating that. – Come on dad,
please take me there! – In the end Bob gave up and once at the top, watching
that unreal scenario the kid said – Dad, when I grow up I will save King Kong
and his fiancé so they will live happily ever after. – All right -, Bob replied
giving a tender faint smile. They took some pictures and one, with them
together, shot by a Japanese tourist they asked the favor of. A photographic
enlargement stands lonely at his back in front of the desk where he receives
his clients. – I will find you – is clearly written on it. This is the message
of hope for himself and for all the people asking for his help.
People search for him
and want him because they know they will be totally understood in their drama. His
good example encourages even the most desperate to never give up and to start hoping
again.
He decides not to ask
for money because he doesn’t want inequalities between rich and poor people. He
accepts offers, but only if he solves the case. Every day he receives tons of
emails and letters of requests. He reads and carefully examines all of them and
when he sees even a frail hope, no matter if the disappearance happened many
years ago, he accepts it. He works simultaneously on hard and relatively easier
cases.
He spends more time
in the office than at home. He has chosen a very bright room for himself, with
most of the walls made of glass. The windows can’t be opened but a great air
conditioning system makes the stay pleasant.
The wall with the big
photo in it is brown. His desk is made of a tabletop of black crystal not
totally opaque which stands on a steel structure. The chair is black, in synthetic
leather, that too with a steel structure.
Few things on his
desktop: a silver-grey laptop, a penholder, a notebook, a white lacquered wooden
dice 10x10 cm with rounded corners hand made by an artisan on each side of
which the six winning numbers of the lottery have been carved. And…. the box,
the object that changed his life but that he hasn’t wanted to open anymore
since the lucky event. But he is never seperated from it, he takes it everywhere
so that when he bought the bag for the laptop he chose a model suitable for
putting the box in it too.
Bob is reading some
news on the laptop when gets a phone call. It’s Alma Dulce.
“Bob, a homeless guy was found near to
death in a suburban area. It seems he has been away for some days. He has now been
taken to the hospital. It seems another homeless is missing, reach me here”.
(Editor’s note: I
know I should go deep in the describing of the environments indicating the
names of places and streets but I’ll do it in the second draft. Now I’m giving
priority to the story so that you can evaluate the content.)
“I’m on the way” – Bob replies. He takes
note of the address on his smartphone, he stands up, takes the bag, puts the
box inside it, takes the jacket and leaves. When he arrives at the car he
enters quickly, he starts the engine and sets off.
Bob is a tough cookie
but today he feels nervous. It’s his first case in collaboration with the
Police since he abandoned his job twenty years ago. His ex-boss has seen the
excellent results he is having with his private cases and the high consideration
Alma Dulce has for him, decides to give him a chance by involving him in the cases
of missing people and wants Alma Dulce as his partner. She already knows Bob
very well and can supervise and evaluate his psychological situation and so his
attitude to go on or quit this cooperation.
When Bob reaches Alma
she is already taking notes from the homeless people.
When he exits the
car, in that environment so familiar to him (even if that wasn’t his old home),
he feels tense. Looking around searching for Alma Dulce the first impact is
painful. Thousands of images of his past life run through his mind, how many
memories? But he takes a deep breath and goes towards Alma who he has seen not
so far. She is talking with a man who is looking more sober than the others and
he is telling her there’s another of them who has been missing for some days.
He comments that it’s common enough for them to take “a vacation”, or so he
calls it, in another place, sometimes; for a woman for example. But usually they
turn back, he explains.
(Editor’s note:
if I was making a
pilot and I was starting the episode from this chapter. I, as the audience, I
was unaware of the story of the genius, the win, etc.. I was meeting the
protagonist by the camera starting showing me a not so slow – I hate slowness,
I love action! – complete view of the office dwelling upon some details zooming
toward the desktop starting from the dice, sliding on the box and then stopping
on Bob, that we see behind the laptop screen while reading. The camera zooms
back showing the giant photo on the wall previously described. The phone rings,
he takes the call and talks with Alma Dulce. He hangs up and before leaving he
takes the bag, then the black box. He keeps it in his hands for some seconds
clasping his fingers on the box and closing his eyes as to take strength from
it and then puts it into the bag.
In fact, if I was the
audience I would ask myself the reason for that gesture. What does the box
represent for the protagonist? It is ancient, amidst the modern furniture. Is
it a family jewel? Something that belonged to a loved one now deceased? Could
someone think of a Genius? Possibly not, if I change the title, lol!)
