INT. DINER IN LOS ANGELES – NOON

There are a few guests in the booths and chairs of a diner being cooled by a small ceiling fan. The booths sit beside large windows allowing a view of the street. The diner is quiet beyond the typical noises of chatter and movement in the kitchen. SIMON is sitting in a booth near the diner entrance drinking water. MIGUEL enters the diner, signaled by the ring of the door chime. MIGUEL’S eyes immediately find SIMON. MIGUEL smiles and walks towards SIMON. SIMON starts to chuckle as he stands up and puts his arms out. 

SIMON

Long time, no see baby brother.

The two hug. MIGUEL speaks as they sit down at SIMON’s booth.

MIGUEL

I’m 52, SIMON. I’m not your baby brother anymore.

SIMON

Yeah and I’m 55 so you’re my baby brother until I say otherwise.

MIGUEL sighs. 

MIGUEL

How are you feeling about it?

SIMON

I’m not sure, once he hit 100 I thought he would live forever. He really had a hell of a life 

MIGUEL

I only hope to be at least half the grandpa he was when my kids have kids.

SIMON

How are my nephews by the way?

MIGUEL

They’re doing fine. Chris is back in…

Someone walks past the camera and the scene changes while the camera is black.

CUT TO:

Time has passed and the sun begins to set. SIMON and MIGUEL are laughing about a teacher they shared. 

SIMON

What about Mr. Dawson’s flute? He’d be playing that every day before class. I felt like a rat being summoned by the pied piper. 

MIGUEL and SIMON both laugh for a few seconds then SIMON sighs.

SIMON

Uh, Miggy, there actually is something important I wanted to bring up about abuelito.

MIGUEL

What is it?

SIMON coughs.

SIMON

He left us some of his money. All those jewels and gold and cash that he talked about burying? He told me where they were… said I could take them and share them with you. 

MIGUEL

I thought he was just joking about that. You mean he actually brought gold and jewels and buried them in the desert? 

SIMON

Yeah, out here. You know how he was with the banks and the Depression and all that. 

MIGUEL

So what are we gonna do?

SIMON

Let’s go dig it up.

SIMON gets up.

MIGUEL

Right now?

SIMON chuckles.

SIMON

Yes right now.

SIMON starts to walk out of the diner.

MIGUEL

What about the bill?

SIMON

They know me, I’ll pay it later.

MIGUEL stands up and takes out his wallet. He places two 20s on the table and follows SIMON out of the diner towards his car. The camera stays inside the diner and follows the two as they walk back into view through the window and enter the car. 

CUT TO:

INT. SIMON’S CAR – EVENING

MIGUEL is driving his car. Next to him is SIMON, coughing irregularly and looking out the window. A song is playing on the radio and SIMON is singing it under his breath. 

MIGUEL (V.O.)

Simon and I would always play in this desert. Our father wasn’t around very often and our grandpa let us do whatever we wanted. 

MIGUEL chimes in for the chorus of the song.

MIGUEL (V.O.)

You’d be surprised how many unique things you can find in a desert. We would always find the best things…

MIGUEL and SIMON are loudly singing the song in unison now, clearly enjoying themselves.

MIGUEL (V.O)(CONT’D)

…by digging.

CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT ROAD – SUNSET

SIMON slams the trunk of the car shut and is holding a shovel and a piece of paper. MIGUEL is holding a shovel as well and looks up at SIMON. The sun is beginning to descend beneath the hills.

SIMON

Here we are.

MIGUEL

This is it? There’s nothing here.

SIMON

Well if he marked the spot of his secret treasure, it wouldn’t be so secret, would it?

SIMON starts coughing violently.

MIGUEL

Are you alright?

SIMON

Yeah, just a cold. Let’s start digging, we’re burning moonlight.

MIGUEL chuckles and they begin to dig.

FADE IN:

EXT. EMPTY DESERT – MIDNIGHT

Multiple shots fade in and out as they dig and the hole gets progressively bigger. SIMON stops digging and throws down the shovel. He grabs his knees and catches his breath.

SIMON

I’m gonna take a break and sit in the car.

MIGUEL

Alright.

CUT TO:

MIGUEL looks up from digging and a disconcerted look washes across his face.

MIGUEL

Hey, Simon? 

MIGUEL puts his shovel down and looks over at the car. He puts his arm up to shield his eyes from the bright headlights. 

MIGUEL

Simon?

MIGUEL walks over to the passenger’s side of the car and opens the backseat door. SIMON is lying still in the backseat. MIGUEL grabs SIMON’s wrist and checks his pulse. MIGUEL’s expression turns from concern to acceptance. MIGUEL puts his hand on SIMON’s shoulder, looking at him one last time.

MIGUEL (V.O.)

Simon and I had a falling out 23 years ago. Neither of us remember why. 

CUT TO: 

EXT. EMPTY DESERT – DAWN

MIGUEL returns the last mound of dirt to the grave and jabs the shovel into the ground. He holds onto the shovel and looks at the grave.

MIGUEL (V.O.)(CONT’D)

We saw each other twice in the years between then and today. 

MIGUEL picks up the shovel and walks over to the trunk.

MIGUEL (V.O.) (CONT’D) 

The first was at our mother’s wedding. The second was at our abuela’s funeral.It was at this funeral that Abuelito told me SIMON had stage four cancer. 

MIGUEL opens the trunk and puts the shovel in. He walks towards the car door and looks into the now empty back seat.MIGUEL opens the driver’s seat door and steps in.

MIGUEL (V.O.)(CONT’D)

I don’t know why he refused to get treated. 

MIGUEL starts the car.

MIGUEL (V.O.) (CONT’D)

But he got his last day with me. And I got my last day with him.

The camera holds on the grave for around ten more seconds as MIGUEL drives out of the frame and the sound of the car gets more distant.