Babel Page #11

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56.

ALARID:

If you're lying to me I'm going to

come back and cut your balls off.

Ahmed breathes nervously. Yussef continues in cold blood.

YUSSEF:

You can come back whenever you like.

Alarid smiles and gestures at the driver with his head that

they should go on. The police vehicles drive off in the

direction Yussef pointed them in.

97 EXT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- DAY

Ahmed and Yussef run home. Their mother and sisters are

milking some goats into a tin bucket. When they fill, Abdullah

empties the milk out into a barrel.

AHMED:

Papa... papa...

Abdullah puts the bucket down on the floor and turns to look

at his kids, who stop before him, panting, exhilarated.

ABDULLAH:

What happened?

Ahmed can barely control his gasping.

AHMED:

The police... they're looking for

you...

ABDULLAH:

Me? Why?

YUSSEF:

No, they're not looking for you...

they're looking for us...

ABDULLAH:

You? Why?

YUSSEF:

Because of what happened to the

tourist...

Yasira and her two daughters stop milking and approach.

Abdullah can't seem to understand what their talking about.

ABDULLAH:

What tourist?

AHMED:

The American... Yussef killed her...

57.

YUSSEF:

That's not true, we both did.

YASIRA:

What are you saying?

Ahmed fires his words out.

AHMED:

Yussef started shooting at the cars

because Hassan said that the bullet

could go really far...

YUSSEF:

That's a lie, you started shooting

at the cars.

AHMED:

Yes, but you killed her.

Abdullah loses his patience and grabs Ahmed by the shoulders.

ABDULLAH:

What the hell are you talking about?

Ahmed looks at his father straight in the eyes.

AHMED:

Yussef killed the American and he

spies on Zora naked and Zora lets

him watch her...

Abdullah turns toward Zora. In his mind, everything is

confusion.

ABDULLAH:

What is your brother talking about?

ZORA:

That's bullshit.

AHMED:

It's not bullshit; she's a whore and

my brother spies on her...

As soon as the words leave Ahmed's mouth, Yussef decks him

and leaves him sprawled on the dust.

Ahmed shoots right back up and runs at Yussef kicking, until

they're both entangled in the fight and end up rolling on

the ground. Abdullah tries to get between them.

98 EXT. HAMLET "LOS LOBOS" -- DAY

Debbie and Mike are almost like spectators at a soccer match

between the other kids, as they play in the dirt with an

orange plastic ball.

58.

Nobody passes to them. Mike just runs from side to side

without saying a word. Frustrated, Debbie just watches.

99 INT. HOUSE, HAMLET "LOS LOBOS" -- DAY

Inside the house, Amelia is checking on the food.

AMELIA:

(All in Spanish)

How many pots of rice did you make?

DAUGHTER 1

I made two.

Amelia looks out the window and sees the vast amount of guests

that have arrived and which have transformed the hamlet into

a large parking lot of trucks, horses, carts, etc.

AMELIA:

Too many people have come, that's

not going to be enough. Make two

more pots.

She turns to another of her daughters.

AMELIA (CONT'D)

And you Maria Eugenia, warm up more

tortillas.

She sees Santiago walk past the window.

AMELIA (CONT'D)

Santiago... please go kill another

six chickens, or there won't be enough

food.

Santiago stops and looks through the window.

SANTIAGO:

Sure thing.

Out back, Santiago sees a car arrive. A priest steps out.

100 EXT. HAMLET "LOS LOBOS" -- DAY

Luis is standing under a shack drinking beer with some

friends. Amelia, worried, approaches him.

AMELIA:

(Both in Spanish)

Luis, the priest is here and Patricia

hasn't arrived. Where is she?

LUIS:

No idea.

59.

AMELIA:

Fifteen minutes left before the

wedding and you have no idea?

LUIS:

What if she doesn't want to get

married? Shut up and come help me

look for her.

101 EXT. HAMLET "LOS LOBOS" -- DAY

Santiago arrives at where the children are playing. He calls

out to them.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

Who wants to help me with the

chickens?

Everyone raises their hand and go toward him. Mike and Debbie

stand still without knowing what to do. Santiago calls them.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

Mike and Debbie. Come with me.

102 EXT. CHICKEN COOP -- DAY

The chickens walk around a rustic chicken coop made with

wire mesh and mesquite posts. Santiago opens the door to

the coop and lets the kids in, Mike and Debbie among them.

Once inside, Santiago tells them to catch the chickens.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

I'll give ten pesos to the first one

of you who catches a chicken.

The kids start chasing the chickens, which scamper as soon

as they feel hands trying to grab them.

At first, Mike and Debbie don't know what to do, but they

are soon amused and run to catch them. After a while, Debbie

catches one and holds it up.

Santiago applauds her.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

Debbie is the winner. Now we need

another five.

The kids get back to their game of catching chickens.

103 EXT. DESERT ROAD -- DAY

Santiago's car drives down the road, with a terrible sun

beating down on it.

60.

104 INT. SANTIAGO'S CAR -- DAY

Luis drives while Amelia looks out the window.

AMELIA:

(Both in Spanish)

Did you get into a fight with

Patricia?

LUIS:

No, not at all.

AMELIA:

I didn't bust my hump to pay for

this wedding for Patricia not to

show. So she's either coming or

she's coming.

105 EXT. CHICKEN COOP -- DAY

Santiago has several chickens tied up. One of the kids

catches the last one and hands it to Santiago.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

Ready. Now who's going to help me?

Several children raise their hands. Mike and Debbie raise

theirs as well, excited. Santiago picks Mike.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

Let's see, Mike, you can help me.

Proud, Mike walks toward Santiago and stands next to him.

Santiago unties a chicken and gives it to Mike.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

Hold it tight, like this.

He shows him how to hold it. Mike grabs it and holds it

between his arms, smiling, oblivious to what will happen.

Santiago grabs the chicken by the head and pulls it off.

The chicken starts to shake, spurting blood everywhere.

Mike, stunned, lets the animal fall to the ground and the

chicken starts its mad race.

The Mexican kids start screaming excitedly, chasing the

headless chicken. Nobody notices that Debbie and Mike,

completely shocked, are about to cry.

106 EXT. PATRICIA'S HOUSE -- DAY

They arrive at the bride's house. A car adorned with ribbons

is parked outside. There is no one to be seen.

61.

107 INT. SANTIAGO'S CAR -- DAY

Luis honks the horn. Nobody shows.

AMELIA:

I'm going to see if they're inside.

108 EXT. PATRICIA'S HOUSE -- DAY

As Amelia gets out, Patricia's mother appears, upset.

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