Paul, Karla, and Karla’s Mom live in Chula Vista. On a long weekend, they go on a quick surf vacation in Baja. Three people cross the border.
Two come back.
Karla’s Mom
Why?
I wrote this script because I needed a story that could be a script you wanted to read of less than ten pages – a Short. Luckily, my short stories tend to be dialogue rich, and I had more options than I imagined. Karla’s Mom is horrific simple, but complex, because of the border.
Karla’s Mom is based on The Orange Madonna, a tale I wrote was vaguely based on a snippet of text written by my father based on his experience working on the border. The story is part of another book three border stories.
Paul and Karla
Paul and Karla are loathsome in their mediocrity, sharing an apartment with Karla’s Mom in a nondescript Chula Vista complex. Paul, a surfer who works for the Postal Service, steps up to the challenge posed by circumstances, in his own way.
The names Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka mean little to most Americans, but almost everything to Canadians. The Wayne Gretzky’s of abject depravity, the names alone signal any Canadian that Karla’s Mom isn’t just another hockey night in Letterkenny.
The Script, all eight pages
Baja is Baja, a San Diego minus a little bit of the rule of law. It’s a beautiful place with excellent waves, cheap beer, and weed. As more and more by American expats, both alive and undead, populate the cliffs of Baja, the stories unfold. Read the script below.