Santa Rita: Short

Still grieving his mother-figure LISA, devastated after being rejected by his first boyfriend RAMÓN, ROBERT sees himself as unloved and unlovable, and heads into the Mojave to die. With him is his beloved bougainvillea, all he has left of Lisa. While Robert drives, his old friend JAMES frantically calls anyone who might have heard from him. James urges Ramón to try to reach Robert, but Ramón, still deeply mistrustful, resists. When a garbled message from Ramón comes through, Robert crashes his truck and destroys his phone. Unable to go forward, too close to the road to not be found, he hikes toward the nearest town. The relentless sun beats him down. Within sight of a motel, he rests in the meager shade of a bush. Robert cannot get up. Knowing he will die there, he tries to save the bougainvillea by planting it. He hallucinates from heatstroke, first the green plant in rich soil, then Lisa reassuring him that James and the others he will leave behind will benefit from his death. Disappointed by his failure but accepting his fate, he passes out. A thunderstorm rises. Rain falls. Ramón appears, first furious and repeating his words on the night he threw Robert out of his bed, then gentle and concerned as he was in his message. Cooled by the rain, Robert rallies, and sees reality. The plant is bone dry, and he is alone. Frightened, confused, but with a glimmer of hope, he scoops up the plant and trudges toward the motel.