“Sunday CHI” Episode 1

“Sunday CHI” Episode 1

FADE IN: 

INT.  THE OAKLEY KITCHEN – EARLY MORNING

It is SUNDAY MORNING. We SEE YVETTE BOULANGER-OAKLEY sitting at a very large, rectangular, oak kitchen table, she is studying a crossword puzzle, her iPad is opened and a variety of newspapers are strewn across the table, alongside her is a kitchen stool holding several hardcover books. She is very busy. She is doing a number of things while writing her daily column for Newsday.  We SEE the family Golden Retriever and a tabby cat.  There is classical music playing from an iPod cradled in a sound machine.

We HEAR FOOTSTEPS coming from the staircase that borders the hallway entrance.

YVETTE

(Happily)

Good Morning, sweetheart!

Did you sleep well?

LISA

(Sleepily, in pajamas)

Mommy, I did not sleep good.

YVETTE hugs LISA, tickles her playfully to stop her pouting.

YVETTE

You silly! If you didn’t stay up

so late watching TV on Saturdays

you would be able to face this beautiful day!

LISA

(Shrugging)

Oh, mom.

You look at everything so happy.

YVETTE

Not everything, my little one.

But when it comes to you,

 

(Yvette begins to sing)

You are my sunshine, my

Only sunshine,

You make me happy

When skies are gray…

LISA

(laughing)

Mommy, you are so weird…

WE HEAR laughter and running footsteps from the hallway stairs.

LISA

See now you woke them up.

The OAKLEY SISTERS are all in the kitchen now. WE SEE OLIVA OAKLEY kissing her mother “good morning” and pirouetting across the kitchen in ballerina-style fashion. She opens the refrigerator door. CLAUDIA OAKLEY examines the papers on the table. LISA OAKLEY is under the kitchen table, playing with the cat. The Golden Retriever, MOLLY, starts barking at the sight of LISA playing with the cat, GRANDPA. Suddenly the kitchen comes alive with lively banter and laughter.

CLAUDIA

(breezily, without care)

Hey, mom, you may want to clear

the table, uh, some of us

may want to use it.

OLIVIA

(cheeky, saucy, to her sister)

Darling, eat on top of the

paper, who cares.

Look at it like a canvas –

Mommy’s creation.

If you move the papers

as mommy writes –

who knows what could happen!

You could move her Chi and

we don’t what that.

Right, mommy?

(she kisses her mother again)

LISA

What’s “Chi?”

CLAUDIA

(not angry, matter-of-fact)

Yeah, well, what about my “Chi?”

My Chi tells me that

If I eat on top

of smelly old newspapers

I’ll get a sinus infection.

 

WE SEE YVETTE at the kitchen sink, she begins preparing Sunday breakfast.

LISA

(Now standing, facing Claudia)

What is a “Chi?”

 

OLIVIA

It’s a Chia Pet.

You know the commercials?

CLAUDIA

(quickly)

It is not.

Lisa, she’s teasing you.

LISA

(rolls with joke)

Well, what is it?

 

WE SEE OLIVIA leaving the conversation. She joins her mother in preparing breakfast.

CLAUDIA

How do I explain. All right.

You know how Grandpa the cat

gets when you rub him in

one spot too long-

LISA

He freaks out!

CLAUDIA

Right. He’s starts hissing, growling.

He doesn’t like it. He’s very touchy.

That’s Grandpa’s Chi. A little

spirit inside of him tells

him when it’s good to be

rubbed and when it’s not.

OLIVIA

(calling)

That’s why his name

 is “Grandpa” he’s  a

Grump!

WE HEAR a voice coming from the garage:

RICHARD

Who you calling a Grump?

Standing in the kitchen with rolled pants and wet socks is RICHARD OAKLEY. He is returning from an early morning fishing trip. He pulls a wide-mouth bass from a cooler; the fish is still hooked, clearly dead and very large.

YVETTE

(not turning)

Is that my dashing husband?

What adventure, pray-tell,

Have you been on?

LISA

(somewhat shocked, can’t help

but notice the dead fish)

Dad! You killed his CHI!

RICHARD

(in a gallant voice, to his wife)

Yes, yes, it’s really me!

And I’m not alone!

(and then to Lisa, sweetly)

What are you talking about?

YVETTE

(to Olivia)

See what you started?

OLIVIA

(laughing slightly)

Mom’s it’s not a big deal.

Look at it this way:

she learned a

new word.

RICHARD

Tonight’s dinner!

Fresh fish.

YVETTE

(kisses her husband “hello”)

That is a beauty, Richard.

How long did it take

to get that one?

LISA

That’s dinner? Ewweeh.

RICHARD

(jovial, he pulls the fish

Out again and rushes

It to Lisa’s face)

I’m coming to eat you!

CLAUDIA

Now THAT’S what I call

Bad Karma, dad.

LISA screams and runs in circles around the kitchen table. RICHARD continues running after her with the dead fish.

OLVIA

(to everyone)

Let’s face it:

we were adopted

by two crazy,

eccentric parents.

FADE OUT.

MUSIC BEGINS and CREDITS ROLL.

Tags: TV