Babel Page #5

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Chieko, Mitsu and another of their friends are playing a

pinball game that makes noises whenever the ball hits a wall.

The young man in the Milan jersey approaches Chieko.

YOUNG MAN:

Hello.

Neither Chieko, nor her friends answer. The guy turns to

look at one of his friends, who signals for him to insist.

YOUNG MAN (CONT'D)

Can I play with you?

Chieko, obviously, cannot hear him. She keeps playing.

Suddenly, Mitsu notices the young man's presence and taps

Chieko on the shoulder. Chieko turns around and is surprised.

The young man turns to look toward his friends as he speaks.

YOUNG MAN (CONT'D)

Do you want to come have a drink?

Chieko gets frustrated; she cannot read his lips. He stops

looking at his friends and awaits an answer, but all he sees

is three silent girls staring at him stupefied.

Chieko talks to Mitsu in sign language.

CHIEKO:

Tell him I couldn't read his lips.

The young man, upon seeing them communicate, is caught off

guard. He turns around and walks toward his friends without

saying a word.

35 INT. BATHROOM, EVE'S -- DAY

Chieko leans on the sink while Mitsu pees in one of the

stalls. Chieko is noticeably upset.

Mitsu walks out of the stall, fixing her skirt. She sees

Chieko is distressed.

MITSU:

(In sign language)

What's the matter?

CHIEKO:

(In sign language)

They look at us like we're monsters.

MITSU:

Oh, come off it.

24.

Chieko is at a loss for words. Mitsu stares at her: it looks

like another one of many tantrums.

Chieko hikes up her skirt and starts to pull down her panties.

MITSU (CONT'D)

What are you doing?

CHIEKO:

Now they're going to meet the real

hairy monster.

She makes the gesture of sticking her finger up a hole, then

goes to the toilet, throws her panties in and flushes. She

turns to look at Mitsu defiantly, who cannot help but laugh.

36 INT. EVE'S -- DAY

Chieko sits on one of the restaurant's benches. Before her

is a new group of young men. Mitsu and Chieko exchange a

look. Provocatively, Chieko crosses her legs slowly revealing

her p*ssy.

One of the young men seems to notice, and is stunned. Chieko

smiles and does it again. He watches Chieko again and

discretely turns to one of his friends to tell him.

Chieko turns her back to him and faces the bar. She looks

over at Mitsu, who shakes her head, amused.

A beeper rings on Chieko's skirt. She picks it up and reads:

"Don't forget your appointment with the dentist. Papa."

She puts the beeper away and turns toward Mitsu.

CHIEKO:

I'll see you later at my place.

She mischievously turns toward the table where the young man

was, and as she gets off the bench she spreads her legs wide

open, flashing him shamelessly.

She struts out.

37 EXT. DESERT -- DAY

Ahmed and Yussef run full speed, herding their goats as they

go. Some of them get left behind and Yussef hurries back to

them. As they climb a hill, he slips and falls, rolls

downhill and drops the rifle, which slides a few meters away.

Ahmed runs to help him. Yussef gets up, covered in dust and

with a scratch on his forehead. Ahmed picks up the rifle.

AHMED:

Hurry up, man, hurry...

25.

Ahmed runs off, hands flailing, to herd the straggling sheep.

Yussef follows him, limping.

38 EXT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- LATER

The brothers make it back home. Agitated, they put the goats

back into their corral. Zora walks out and approaches them.

ZORA:

What's wrong?

Yussef, busy closing the corral gate, pays no attention.

Ahmed, breathing agitatedly, doesn't answer.

ZORA (CONT'D)

I asked you what's wrong.

Ahmed, full of adrenaline, glances angrily at her.

AHMED:

What do you care, whore?

Yussef gets in the way.

YUSSEF:

Don't talk to her like that.

Yussef steps up to defend her, but Ahmed spins around and

goes into the house. Yussef turns to Zora.

YUSSEF (CONT'D)

Something we ate make us sick so we

came back.

Without another word, Yussef also goes into the house.

39 INT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- LATER

Yussef and Ahmed are sitting on their mats, looking at each

other, pale, scared and quiet. Yasira walks in to see them,

followed by her daughters. She turns to Ahmed.

YASIRA:

What are you doing here?

Ahmed, livid, cannot answer.

YUSSEF:

Something we ate gave us a stomach

ache.

Yasira stares harshly at Ahmed.

YASIRA:

And is that why you're insulting

your sister?

26.

Ahmed looks at Zora, then Yussef, and then is silent.

YUSSEF:

We were feeling really ill.

Yasira points toward the corral.

YASIRA:

The goats are going to feel even

worse if they don't eat. Take them

out again.

AHMED:

Our stomach really hurts.

YASIRA:

Then start jerking the meat.

Yasira walks out. Yussef and Zora exchange a look.

40 INT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- DAY

Yussef and Ahmed are jerking a couple of young goats with

very sharp knives. They set the thin strips on newspaper.

They look nervous. They talk in whispers.

AHMED:

D'you think something happened?

YUSSEF:

I don't know.

AHMED:

People were screaming.

They are silent for a long while.

AHMED (CONT'D)

It was your fault.

Yussef stares at him in disbelief.

YUSSEF:

It was both our faults. We both

shot.

(A beat)

Swear to me you'll never say anything.

Ahmed won't answer. Yussef looks around the room to make

sure nobody is listening to them.

YUSSEF (CONT'D)

Swear. Nobody, never.

Ahmed remains pensive. He sighs and answers.

27.

AHMED:

I swear. Nobody.

41 EXT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- EVENING

The brothers are hanging the strips of meat on ropes to dry

them in the sun.

An old Valiant packed with seven men parks in front of the

house and Abdullah gets out. He raises his hand to say

goodbye.

ABDULLAH:

Thank you, I'll see you tomorrow.

The driver also raises his hand and then drives off. Abdullah

turns to Yussef.

ABDULLAH (CONT'D)

Tell your mother to prepare dinner.

Abdullah turns towards the house. Yussef comes out running

towards a little field below the house. Yasira is plowing

with a manual plow.

YUSSEF:

Mother, mother, father says he wants

to have dinner now.

42 INT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- EVENING

Abdullah and his children sit at the small table while the

women prepare the food. A column of smoke rises from the

fire where they are roasting goat meat and toasting bread.

Yamil, the youngest of the daughters, sets some bread on the

table. Abdullah takes it, tears some off and starts to eat.

He turns to Yussef.

ABDULLAH:

Did you kill any jackals?

YUSSEF:

We shot at them, but didn't hit them.

ABDULLAH:

You have to kill them. If not they're

going to eat all the goats.

Yasira sets the strips of goat meat on the table. Abdullah

serves himself some. His children wait until he's done to

serve themselves.

YASIRA:

Why are you home so late?

Abdullah starts talking with his mouth full.

28.

ABDULLAH:

They closed the road, and we had to

take the long way around.

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