Episode 5
FADE IN
DP and Radish have known each other since elementary school and their families go back even farther. Although nearly everyone in town is familiar with the origin of Radish’s nickname, few people have actually seen the inexplicable but distinguishing physical characteristic that is the origin of the term. Naturally this does not include the other members of their high school gym class who showered with Radish or the half dozen local women who surrendered their respectability to him, some claiming it was only to confirm the story for themselves.
As high school buddies, DP and Radish were nearly inseparable and were widely known as the class clowns.
DP and Radish, the class clowns
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If there was a smoke bomb under a teacher’s hood in the parking lot or semi-amusing graffiti aimed at the principal’s overweight wife, DP and Radish were always the first suspects. These suspicions were nearly always correct and this gave them precious little time for any actual schoolwork. Both eventually did earn their G.E.D. certs, majoring in auto shop and metal shop, respectively.
They are also distantly related. Radish’s uncle “Sonny” and DP’s father “Red” are both second cousins to Jolene’s aunt Loretta. The three of them came with their extended families as children from the old country – Conk County, not far from Pittsburgh – in the olden days before Trailways eliminated the twice-weekly stop at Shooter’s World.
back when Trailways used to stop here
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Red and Sonny, too, were once as close as DP and Radish until a woman came between them. To be fair to Mona’s mother, the original argument had more to do with the accident with her Airstream than with her, but with time and many retellings of the story she is remembered as the cause of the split. Red and Sonny once did nearly everything together: first day at school; first sex; first sex involving a girl; several shared girlfriends; a shared paper route; and, nearly winning the county-wide spelling bee.
Sonny and Red were always close
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While they have not spoken in many years, Red and Sonny are both secretly glad that their sons are best friends. None of them have yet heard of Shvoo excepting through her "Dream Weaver" column in the Trading Times which they both enjoy. Sonny sometimes sends in dreams for analysis under a false name, but none have yet been used in the paper.
They will soon be very disappointed and recriminations will start anew when they begin to learn of the complications just starting to arise between DP, Radish, Jolene, Mona and, perhaps Shvoo.
MUSIC UP
