S4 E2 Pass the Tabu

Pass the Tabu

Written by Tam Spiva

Greg almost drowns in a surfing contest while wearing a tabu idol around his neck. I hope you enjoy the script.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

MIKE BRADY

CAROL BRADY

ALICE NELSON

GREG BRADY

MARCIA BRADY

PETER BRADY

JAN BRADY

BOBBY BRADY

CINDY BRADY

DAVID, construction worker and Greg’s friend

MR.HANELEI, construction worker

MANDY, girl on beach

(The episode picks up from the last one. Greg was wiped out from surfing with the family searching for him. We get a narrated voice-over depicting the previous episode’s happenings. The family arriving to Hawaii, Bobby and Peter finding the tabu. The heavy wall decoration almost hitting Bobby. Alice’s back going out and Greg getting struck by the wave. Mike finally sees him struggling to stay afloat.)

Mike: There he is!

(He goes to help him to safety and Carol helps him.)

(The next scene has Mike and Carol bringing Greg out of the water surrounded by the family.)

Cindy: Greg, Greg what happened?

Jan: Are you all right?

David: Hey, I better go get the car.

Mike: Are you all right, son?

Greg: Oh, wow, what happened?

Mike: Greg, you understand what I’m saying.

Greg: Yeah, yeah, Dad.

Carol: Honey, you hurt anywhere?

Greg: No. (Carol starts touching him) Yeah, yeah, everywhere.

Peter: Boy, that was some wipeout.

Greg: I know, I was there. (He feels pain in back of his head) Have I got a lump on the back of my head.

Jan: You must  have hit your head on the surfboard.

Alice: The back of his neck is all skin.

Greg; Hey Bobby, I’m afraid I lost your little tiki statue.

Bobby: Well, it’s a good thing you had it, you could’ve been drowned.

Carol: Mike, you think he’s all right?

Mike: I think to be on the safe side, we better have the hotel doctor take a look at him. Greg, can you get up?

Greg: Yeah, Dad, I can make it back to the car kay.

(He starts walking towards the water.)

Carol: Uh, Greg, Greg, sweetheart, the car is this way, Okay. Just take it easy.

Greg: I’m okay.

(They all walk toward the car. Alice and the girls are now collecting their belongings from the beach.)

Cindy: I’m sure glad Greg didn’t het hurt. It would’ve ruined our picnic tomorrow.

Alice: That’s sure looking on the brightside of things. Jan, honey, will you please do me a favor and  make sure we haven’t left anything.

Jan: Okay.

Alice (to Cindy and Marcia): Get the sand off, get most of the sand off if you can, kids.

(Jan walks down to the shore and finds the idol.)

Jan: Oh, what luck.

(She puts it in her beach bag and catches up with Alice and her sisters. We next see Mike and Carol in their hotel room.)

Carol: We’ll drop you off to work on the way, dear.

Mike: Hah, that’s a life. A man goes to work and a woman goes on a picnic.

Carol: Ah, don’t worry. (she kisses him) Someday there will be men’s lib. (They hear a knock on the door) Come in.

(Greg comes in.)

Greg: Mom, if you don’t mind, we guys would like to stay here. Knock around the beach for a while.

Carol: You mean you don’t want to go to the picnic?

Greg: The beach with all those girls. That’s my kind of picnic.

(Carol playfully hits him with Mike’s cylinder and he leaves.)

Mike: The doctor was right. That hit on the head didn’t hurt him at all.

Carol: Yeah, he’s back to normal, all right.

Mike: Yeah, come to think of it, I’m with Greg. That’s my kind of picnic too.

Carol: Oh yeah, you just stick to work, buster. (She hands him the cylinders) Would you put these in the car, please? I’ll get the girls. (She goes to the door to the next room) Come on, girls, hurry up.

(Alice whistles through her teeth) Hey, come on, let’s go, time’s a wasting. Come on, kids.

(They start to run out but Jan stops.)

Jan: Oh, my camera, darn it.

(She gets the camera and puts it in her bag, where the idol still is.)

Marcia (calling): Jan!

Jan: I’m coming.

(Next, we see Greg on the beach checking out girls that walk by. Then he sees a very attractive blonde girl setting herself up on the beach. He goes to approach her.)

Greg: You shooting from the mainland?

Mandy: Yeah, you too?

Greg: Well, no, I guess you can call me an old island hand.

Mandy: Really?

Greg: Yeah. Say, the sun here is pretty strong. I think you better use plenty of that suntan lotion.

Mandy: Thanks.

Greg: Just an old island know how. Let me help you with your back. Island hospitality.

(Peter and Bobby come over.)

Peter: Hi.

Bobby: What you doing?

Greg: I thought you guys went to go look for your statue.

Bobby: We did. We couldn’t find it.

Greg: Maybe you missed it.

Peter: No way, it’s not there.

Bobby: You go look.

Peter: Yeah.

Greg: Say, why don’t you guys go play in the water, or build sandcastles. They have some great sand. (He points) Way down there.

Peter: You coming too?

Greg: Not right now.

Bobby: We’ll wait.

Peter: Yeah.

Greg: Can’t you guys see I’m busy?

Bobby: Doing what?

Greg: I’m helping….

Mandy: Mandy.

Greg: Mandy. You see, I’m helping Mandy put on some suntan lotion (snarling) And I’ll see you later.

Peter: Hi, Mandy. I’m Peter.

Bobby; I’m Bobby.

Mandy: Hi. (to Greg) By the way, who are you?

Greg: I’m Greg. (to Bobby and Cindy) Like I said, I’m helping Mandy with some suntan lotion.

Peter: That’s okay. I’ll give you a hand.

Bobby: We’ll all give you a hand.

Mandy: Wow, this is what I call real island hospitality.

(Next, we get a glimpse of the island and Carol and Alice are sitting on the beach, enjoying themselves.)

Carol: Oh boy, Alice, what a perfect day.

Alice: Oh yeah, it’s nice to look up there and see all that blue stuff.

Carol: You mean the sky?

Alice: Yeah, back home, all that blue stuff is behind all that brown stuff.

(Suddenly, a spider starts crawling around the bags.)

Carol: We better get a move-on if we wanna do some sightseeing before we go back to the hotel.

Alice; That’s a good idea, Mrs. Brady. (She calls to the girls) Hey, kids! Gang! Come on, kids, we’re gonna do some sightseeing.

(The girls exit the water wearing goggles, flippers and other swimming equipment. Alice and Carol start to get their things ready as the girls go over to join them. They are looking at some things on the island through viewfinders.)

Alice: That is what they call rabbit island.

Marcia: Does anybody have a tissue? This lens is dirty.

Jan: Oh, I think I do.

(She reaches into her bag, where the spider jumped into.)

Carol: Oh, never mind, Jan. here’s one, honey.

(She hands it to Marcia.)

Marcia: Thanks, Mom.

(She smiles. Next, they encounter a bird.)

Jan: Oh, look at that funny looking bird?

Cindy: What kind of a bird is it?

Alice (looking it up): Well, it says here it’s called a red-footed booby.

Carol (surprised): A red-footed booby.

(The bird squawks.)

Alice: Yeah, and it doesn’t look all too happy about it, either.

Jan: I’m gonna take a picture of it.

(She reaches to get her camera and again, almost gets bit by the spider.)

Marcia (taking her camera): No, I’ll take one of you and the bird.

(She takes her camera out and stands by the bird.)

Marcia: Smile, both of you.

(She takes the picture and the bird squawks again. They move on.)

Carol: Bye, bird.

(Meanwhile, the guys are hanging out on the beach with David. Guess Mandy decided to take off. Jan approaches them.)

Jan: Hi. (She hands it to Bobby) Here, Bobby.

Greg: Hey, the tiki.

Bobby: Where did you find it?

Jan: On the beach yesterday. I forgot to give it to you.

Bobby: Thanks, Jan.

Jan: You’re welcome. See you later.

Bobby (to David): I got my good luck piece back.

David: Good luck? Where did you get that?

Bobby: I found it. Isn’t it neat?

David: It’s tabu.

Peter: Tabu?

David: Yeah, it’s supposed to make all kinds of terrible things happen to you.

Greg: Like my wipeout yesterday.

David: Yeah. It’s just an old island superstition. I don’t believe in any of that tabu stuff.

Greg: Me either.

Peter: Me either.

Bobby (checking it over): Tabu?

(Next, Mike is back from work and ready to relax.)

Mike: Oh, man, this is really living. Home from work and time to take a swim.

Carol: Honey.

Mike: Yeah.

Carol: Did you happen to notice all the nice shops they have in the lobby?

Mike: Oh, yes.

Carol: Honey. (He stops) Did you notice any particular one?

Mike: You mean the one with the display case in the window with all the jays and crawls in it?

Carol (excited): That’s the one!

Mike: No, I didn’t notice that one.

(He heads to the bathroom to change into swimming attire.)

Carol: Uh, uh, Mike. (He stops) Next time you don’t notice it, don’t notice the beautiful little coral pin in the window.)

Mike: Okay, I won’t notice it.

(The spider crawls out of Jan’s bag and around. The boys are in their room talking out the tabu.)

Bobby: Do you think what David said was true?

Peter: How could a dumb piece of wood give you bad luck? Unless it hits you in the head.

Greg: Forget about it, Bobby. He said it was just an old superstition, didn’t he.

(Meanwhile, the spider crawls around their room.)

Bobby: Yeah, well, anyway, I don’t think I want it anymore.

Peter: That’s dumb.

Bobby: You want it?

Peter: Sure, why not. It would make a great souvenir.

Bobby: Okay, take it.

(He hands it to him. Peter puts it around his neck.)

Peter: Bad luck, come and get me.

Greg: Look you guys, I’m kind of bushed, so good night, okay.

(He puts the light out and the guys go to sleep. Meantime, the spider crawls onto Peter’s bed and right onto him. Peter wakes up and looks at it in terror. The scene fades.)

(The next scene has Peter waking up extremely terrified. Greg wakes up.)

Greg: Pete, knock it off.

Peter: G-g-g get off me, please get off me.

(Bobby wakes up.)

Greg: Get what off you?

(He turns the light on and noticed the spider and gets frightened.)

Bobby: Wow. (He moves closer) Is that thing ugly! Yuck!

(Greg grabs a slipper to get it off Peter.)

Greg: Pete, don’t move.

Peter: I won’t move if he won’t move.

Greg: Lie still.

(He is about to swat the spider.)

Peter: Not on me.

Greg: I won’t. Try not to flinch.

(He moves the spider off Peter and to the floor. They all shout in fear until Mike comes in the room.)

Mike: Boys, hold it down to a dull roar.

Bobby: Look, it’s a monster.

Peter: It was right on top of me.

Greg: Dad, there’s a spider right down here.

Peter: Is it dead?

Mike: I don’t know. Maybe he’s only stunned.

(He takes his slipper off.)

Bobby: No, don’t squoosh him.

Peter: He could’ve killed me.

Mike: Oh, Peter, there aren’t really any poisonous spiders in Hawaii. He couldn’t have killed you.

Peter: Yeah he could, he almost scared me to death.

Mike: I’m gonna take him outside. Give me something to put him in. How about that sack.

(Greg grabs a sack and empties it.)

Mike: Give me something to scoop him up with.

Greg: Here, use this.

(He hands him a spoon. )

Greg: Bleah.

Bobby: He’s all hairy.

Mike: He’s an ugly looking dude, isn’t he. Listen, I better take him out of here before your mother sees him because she gets uptight when she sees a ladybug. Go to sleep.

Greg: Good night.

(He goes out into the hall and is met by Carol.)

Carol: Uh, hi, honey. What are you doing?

Mike: Uh, uh, nothing.

Carol: Nothing.

Mike: Yeah, that’s right. Nothing.

Carol: Oh, you are sneaky. Sneaky but sweet.

(She kissed him.)

Mike: What do you mean?

Carol: Were you gonna put that under my pillow?

Mike: What, what, under your pillow?

Carol: That (the bag), it’s the coral pin.

Mike: No, honey, it’s not the coral pin.

Carol: It’s not the Jay bracelet.

Mike: No it’s not the Jay bracelet.

Carol: Then it’s the coral pin.

Mike: No, it isn’t the coral pin.

Carol (getting excited): It is the coral pin. (She grabs the bag) Blah, it isn’t the coral pin.

Mike: Told ya.

(Cut back to the boys room.)

Peter (taking the idol off): Here, I don’t want this anymore.

Bobby: Me either, that’s a bad luck charm.

Greg: Come on, you ding-a-lings, that idol’s got nothing to do with it.

Peter: Then here, you take it.

(He throws it at him and it hits him in the head.)

Greg: Ow!

Bobby: See, I told you it was bad luck.

(Next, David is showing the guys some other sites of the island.)

David: You see those deep freezes on the side of the full mountains?

Greg: Yeah.

David: Well, the old Islanders say those were made long ago. When the great war canooza Maya Maya were dragged from the mountains to the beaches.

Greg: Sounds kind of wild.

David: Yeah. But I told you before this whole island is full of those foolish stories and superstitions.

Peter: You mean like the idol we found.

David: Yeah. (Pause) Hey, you guys don’t really believe that jazz, do you?

Greg: Now look, David, a lot of goofy things have been happening since we got this thing. We’d like to find out a little more about it.

David: Well, the only one I know who might be able to tell you anything about it is old Mr. Hanelei.

Greg: Mr. Hanelei?

David: Yeah, he believes in all that stuff.

 Peter: Can you tell us where he lives?

Bobby: We got to talk to him.

David: You know, I think you guys are all a little wiped out but if that’s what you want, okay. (He takes a stick and points it at a map on the ground) Here’s your hotel, right?

Greg: Yeah.

(Next, the guys are over to see Mr. Hanelei.)

Hanelei: Yes, tabu, Very old, very evil. Bad things come to those who touch.

Bobby: Then we should throw it away?

Hanelei: No. Once you touch, tabu stay.

Peter: Then there’s no way to get rid of the bad luck?

Hanelei: There’s only one way if you have the courage to take it back.

Greg: Back, back where?

Hanelei: To burial ground of ancient kings.

Bobby: Burial ground?

Hanelei: Tabu will be gone once you take it back.

Greg: Could you tell us a little more?

Hanelei: Long ago, before the great kamai ahia there was sacred burial place for island kings. To guard them, they make strong tabu.

Greg: This must be the tabu.

Hanelei: Yes. It was placed on burial place of first king.

Bobby: How did he get out?

Hanelei: Tabu stolen by bad warrior. Soon, he found dead. Evil comes to those who touch. It will always come, my children. Until idol is put back.

Greg: Do you know where this burial ground is?

Hanelei: When I was a little boy, my grandfather tell me away. He tell me never go there, I never go.

Greg: Can you tell us where it is?

Peter: We got to get rid of this thing.

Bobby: Please, Mr. Hanelei.

Hanelei: I will tell you.

(The next scene has the boys telling the parents about their newfound superstitious briefs. )

Bobby: Honest, Dad, it’s a real terrible tabu.

Carol: Oh, honey, that’s just a story from a superstitious old gentleman.

Peter: Then how do you explain all the awful things that have been happening to us since we found it?

Mike: Very simply. Coincidence. Greg gets wiped out by a wave, Alice hurts her back, a spider crawls across the room. Coincidence, that’s all. None of that happened because of some ancient tabu.

Carol: Of course. That little statue only has the power that you imagine it to have.

Mike: Sure. Take it home and show it to your friends, they’ll get a kick out of it.

(Mike and Carol leave the room and playfully slap Peter on the head.)

Bobby: What are we gonna do about it?

Greg: There’s only one thing to do, according to Mr. Hanelei. Take it back to the burial ground.

Bobby: That sounds kinda spooky.

Peter: Besides, Mom and Dad will never let us go.

Greg: No. Not if they knew about it.

(Next, Greg tells the girls about their plan.)

Marcia: A burial ground?

Cindy: With dead kings? Yuck!

Jan: Sh, Cindy, not so loud!

Marcia: We don’t want Mom and Dad to hear what Greg’s telling us.

Cindy: I don’t even want to hear what Greg’s telling us.

Greg: Tomorrow we’re gonna take a bus to the other side of the island. We want you to cover for us.

Jan: How?

Greg: If they ask, tell Mom and Dad we went sightseeing and that’s all you know. Okay?

Marcia: Okay.

(Jan and Cindy nod.)

Greg: Thanks.

Marcia: Greg, aren’t you and the boys afraid of going to a burial ground?

Greg: Yes, but we’re even more afraid of not going.

(He leaves. We next see the boys getting off the bus outside the burial ground. Bobby is eating popcorn. )

Greg: Okay, from what Mr. Hanelei said we go that way.

(He points.)

Peter: The bus driver thought were crazy for getting out here.

Bobby: Maybe the bus driver’s right.

Greg: Come on, we’ll stick together.

(They cross the street to enter the burial ground. They walk several feet but can’t find any tombs.)

Greg: This has to be the way.

Peter: I bet Mom and Dad are worried about us.

Bobby: Not as worried as I am.

Greg (frustrated): That burial ground has to be around here. I followed Mr. Hanelei’s directions to the letter.

Peter: Even if we find it, how are we gonna find our way out of here?

Bobby: Yeah.

Greg: Well, let’s leave a trail. (He notices Bobby’s popcorn) The popcorn, we’ll leave a trail of popcorn.

Bobby: Hey, I like my popcorn.

Peter: What do you like better? Your popcorn or your life?

(Greg takes the popcorn and throws it on the ground. Meanwhile, Carol and Mike are back at the hotel and Carol is starting to worry.)

Mike: Hi, sweetheart.

(He kisses her head.)

Carol: Hi, honey.

Mike: Boy, that building is really beginning to take shape.

Carol: Oh, good.

(He notices her worried look.)

Mike: What’s the matter?

Carol: Well, it’s getting late and the boys aren’t back from sightseeing yet.

Mike: Well, they said they’d be gone all day.

Carol: I guess so.

Mike: Well, you know how time flies when you’re having fun.

(Cut back to the burial ground. The boys finally realize where they are.)

Greg: This is it, you guys.

Peter: If this is the burial ground, it sure is a great place for one.

Bobby: Why don’t we just put the idol down and get out of here.

Greg: Mr. Hanelei said we have to put it on the hidden burial place of first king.

Bobby: Won’t any old king do?

Greg: Hey look!

(They notice a cave right behind them.)

Peter: A cave.

Bobby: Mr. Hanelei didn’t say anything about a cave.

Greg: Maybe he didn’t know about it. Let’s take a look.

(He puts more popcorn on the ground as they make their entrance.)

Bobby: It looks kinda scary.

Greg: Hey, there’s a light. Maybe it’s a caretaker.

Peter: Yeah, maybe he’ll take care of us

Bobby: Let’s not go in there.

Greg: Come on, guys, maybe he can tell us about the first king.

(They go inside the cave. They are not aware that someone is following them. The scene fades.)

(The final scene of this part of the episode has them wandering around the cave, trying to find the first king.)

Bobby: I think this is part of the burial ground.

Peter: Well, it’s not the tunnel of love.

Greg: Sh, you guys. Hello, anybody here?

Bobby: Why don’t we just leave the idol here with a note.

Peter: And put on it, please return to first king.

Greg: There’s gotta be somebody here, let’s take a look down one of those passages. Stick close behind me.

(He turns around and Peter bumps into him.)

Peter: If we were any closer, we’d be in front of you.

(Meanwhile, the man following them is trailing then.)

END OF PART 2