Shortly after that, Claudia�s father David Haygood O�Wesley also bit the sand. He was rafting at the beach, his favorite pastime, when this time Bruce the Shark got lucky. This particular raft ride cost David an arm and a leg � and his life.
Frank Butler must have seen something admirable in the character of Claudia O�Wesley � only who knows what � and he asked her to marry him. Since he promised her she could fix up the Tabby House the way it was before the fire, she agreed to the marriage, even though his name wasn�t Mark. Frank and Claudia went to live in a palatial beach house on the most exclusive piece of property on Sea Island. Now all of Claudia�s neighbors were Kermit-green with envy � even Ashley and Melanie. They lived in the run-down shack across the street. Claudia loved Frank�s money, but her heart still belonged to Ashley. Frank and Claudia soon had their own child. They called her Tabby Blue Butler, and she and Thaddeus Oglethorpe became playmates �
on her tan,
and Thaddeus plays
with his rubby ducky.
(We see the white sands of Sea Island and the Butler�s garish beach house in the background. CLAUDIA is in a beach chair, working on her tan. Her attire is as garish as the house. FRANK is nearby, flexing his muscles, which he continues doing throughout the scene. THADDEUS OGLETHORPE is building sand castles and looking toward the water. His favorite Rubber Ducky is at his side.)
MAMMY: (Running on, lifting her colorful skirt to keep it out of the sand) Mr. Frank! Mr. Frank! It ain�t fittin� to let Miss Tabby Blue ride out on the waves in that little boat with all her fine clothes on.
FRANK: Oh, it�s all right, Mammy. I�ve taught her well. She�s going to be the greatest yachtswoman the world has ever known.
MAMMY: (Shaking her head) No, that just ain�t the one. Little girls ought to stay on the beach and build sandcastles. (Gives THADDEUS a look.)
FRANK: (Still flexing) Oh, now, Mammy � be reasonable.
MAMMY: Well, I still say it just ain�t the one. (She begins to apply sunscreen to CLAUDIA�s shoulders.) Miss Claudia, I ain�t aimin� to have you get all freckled after the buttermilk I done put on you all this winter.
TABBY BLUE: (Running up to where THADDEUS has been watching her) Hello, Thad.
THADDEUS: Oh, hi. Sure likes looks like fun, Tabby Blue.
TABBY BLUE: (Proudly) Well, maybe sometime, when you grow up, you can be like me. (To FRANK) Daddy! Daddy! Watch me this time! I�m going out farther this time!
TABBY BLUE: I will so go out farther, cause I�ve grown. Watch me! Watch me! (She starts to run off.)
LIFEGUARD: (He is the football player type with red hair and speaks with a South Georgia drawl. He runs on and stops TABBY BLUE.) Hold on a cotton pickin� minute. It ain�t swimmin� time �til I say it�s swimmin� time. (After a short pause, he blows his whistle and shouts.) Swimmin� time! Swimmin� time!!
(TABBY BLUE runs off to her boat.)
FRANK: (Still flexing) Okay, but if you fall out and drown, don�t blame me.
CLAUDIA: Oh, Frank. Don�t let her do it.
FRANK: (Calling after her) Tabby!
CLAUDIA: She�s just like Pa.
FRANK: Tabby!
CLAUDIA: (Thinking) Just like Pa?!
(The Bruce-the-Shark theme is heard, and then a blood-curdling scream. After a moment, the LIFEGUARD walks on carrying TABBY BLUE�s lifeless body. CLAUDIA buries her head in FRANK�s chest, and MAMMY falls prostrate on the sand. FRANK flexes one last muscle.)
