Babel Page #6

---

(He swallows)

Apparently some terrorists killed an

American tourist.

Ahmed and Yussef shoot each other a nervous glance.

YASIRA:

An American?

ABDULLAH:

Yes, the terrorists attacked a tour

bus on the road.

YASIRA:

But there aren't any terrorists here.

Abdullah finishes his mouthful. He wipes himself with his

sleeve. Ahmed doesn't even dare raise his eyes.

ABDULLAH:

You never know.

Yussef, nervous, looks up.

YUSSEF:

And how do you know the American

died?

ABDULLAH:

That's what they were saying. The

police are looking for the culprits.

Yussef and Ahmed again exchange a furtive glance.

43 INT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- NIGHT

Night. An oil lamp in a Nescafe jar lights the house. The

family sleeps in the only two rooms in the house. One of

them is the parents room, the other the children's.

We hear a goat bleating in the darkness. Abdullah's snoring.

Yasira's breathing. The crunching of wood in the night cold.

Neither Yussef, nor Ahmed can sleep. They both look at each

other, anxious.

44 EXT. BORDER CROSSING -- DAY

Santiago's car crosses the border between San Diego and

Tijuana. They drive through a green light at the crossing,

easily entering Mexico without being stopped by three Mexican

customs officials.

29.

45 INT. SANTIAGO'S CAR -- DAY

Debbie and Mike stare through the windows, amazed at the new

world they are entering: other people, other architecture,

other colors, other noises.

Santiago turns towards them while he's driving.

SANTIAGO:

See how easy it is to get into

paradise?

DEBBIE:

Is this Mexico?

AMELIA:

(In Spanish)

Yes, this is Mexico.

MIKE:

My mom told us Mexico is really

dangerous.

Santiago turns toward the kids.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

Yes, it's full of Mexicans.

Amelia and Santiago look at each other and smile.

46 EXT. TIJUANA -- DAY

They drive through Tijuana.

47 INT. SANTIAGO'S CAR -- DAY

Mike and Debbie continue to gaze awestruck through the

windows. Santiago turns to them.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

Are you hungry?

They both nod.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

Do you like popsicles?

Santiago pulls over next to some stalls, and the street

vendors run out to offer them their products.

48 EXT. PARK, TIJUANA -- DAY

The children eat their popsicles as they walk through the

endless aisles of stalls, past the vendors and their incessant

banter.

30.

MIKE:

What's this flavor called?

Santiago answers before Amelia.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

Cajeta... it's called cajeta.

MIKE:

(Mispronouncing)

Cayeto...

Santiago laughs.

SANTIAGO:

No, cajeta... cajeta...

MIKE:

Cajeto, cajeta... It's the best thing

I've ever tasted in my life.

(A beat)

Can I buy some for my mom? She's

gonna love them.

Amelia smiles and nods.

49 EXT. TIJUANA -- DAY

The car drives out of the city and gets on a highway. The

desert rises in all its magnitude and severity.

50 EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY -- DAY

Santiago parks the car next to a junkyard. Amelia and Debbie

run out and hide behind a fence.

Debbie pulls her underpants down to pee. Troubled, she looks

at the mound of destroyed cars.

DEBBIE:

Are they crashed cars?

AMELIA:

Yes...

DEBBIE:

Did lots of people die?

AMELIA:

I guess so...

DEBBIE:

I don't like Mexico.

31.

51 EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY -- DAY

They drive down the highway and then turn onto a path. They

drive down the path at high speed, lifting up clouds of dust.

52 EXT. HAMLET "LOS LOBOS" -- DAY

They arrive at a dusty hamlet in the middle of the desert; a

few houses, no more than twenty, some adorned with

multicolored paper.

Several crates of soda are stacked up against a makeshift

shed built out of yucca fronds. A group of musicians who

play Norte.a music are setting up their instruments.

There are various pickup trucks and smuggled cars parked

around the hamlet. The guests are wearing their best: fresh

shirts, big buckles, almost new boots.

Santiago parks. Amelia gets out first. A group of people

sees her and comes over to greet her.

COMADRE 1

(All in Spanish)

Hey, so you finally made it.

Amelia smiles. Her friends notices Mike and Debbie.

COMADRE 1 (CONT'D)

You brought them?

Amelia nods. Luis (24), Amelia's son, a typical Norte.o

cowboy with long sideburns and moustache, his face tanned

from days under the sun, wearing a pistachio-colored tuxedo

with a cloth flower in the lapel, greets Amelia with a kiss.

LUIS:

Hi mom, how're you doing?

She looks him up and down.

AMELIA:

Son, you look like Pedro Infante.

COMADRE 1

More like Luis Miguel.

AMELIA:

Where's the bride?

LUIS:

She's not here yet.

AMELIA:

What d'you mean she's not here yet?

32.

LUIS:

Well, she ain't here.

Mike and Debbie, struck dumb by the language and the

strangers, hide behind Amelia, who introduces them to Luis.

AMELIA:

Look son, these are Mike and Debbie,

the kids I take care of.

Luis holds his hand out ceremoniously.

LUIS:

Pleased to meet you Mike.

Santiago calls out to some kids who are running around.

SANTIAGO:

Psst. Lucio, come here.

Lucio (10), the oldest of the gang, approaches. Santiago

gestures toward the two American kids.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

These are Mike and Debbie. Keep an

eye on them for me.

Lucio gives them a scornful glance and calls them over halfheartedly.

LUCIO:

Come with me.

With her hand, Amelia signals to the kids that it's ok to go

with him. Shyly, Debbie and Mike follow.

53 INT. ROOM, HAMLET "LOS LOBOS" -- DAY

Amelia is in a room with her two daughters standing in front

of a peeling and broken mirror putting on her violet gown.

One of her daughters helps her and pulls the zipper all the

way up.

DAUGHTER 1

(All in Spanish)

Oh ma, I don't know how you did it

but it zipped up perfectly.

AMELIA:

And it's been 15 years since I last

wore this dress.

DAUGHTER 1

You haven't changed a bit, ma.

33.

AMELIA:

Working, dear, working, that's what

keeps one young.

The two sisters realize that the dress has a hole just below

the seat, exchange looks and smile, which doesn't please

Amelia.

AMELIA (CONT'D)

What are you guys laughing about?

DAUGHTER 2

Nothing ma, nothing.

Amelia looks at them suspiciously, turns around and leaves

the room with her dress elegantly torn.

54 EXT. DESERT ROAD, MOROCCO -- DAY

The bus is in the middle of the road.

Several of the tourists are hiding under their seats,

frightened. The driver, still ducking, looks toward the

mountains to try to piece together what happened.

Richard holds Susan against his shoulder, blood gushing from

her neck. Her eyes are open and staring at a fading world.

Richard takes Susan from under her armpits and carefully

lays her down on the aisle. Anwar runs over to help.

RICHARD:

Take it easy honey, take it easy.

Anwar takes his shirt off - left only in his undershirt and

puts it under Susan's neck.

Rate this script:1.0 / 2 votes