Beloved Page #12

Once again, Denver is surprised to hear what she's never

heard before. She looks to Paul and knows what he is

thinking. Paul looks back and knows Denver realizes it. But

Denver returns his glance with a defensive dismissal of the

eyes.

SETHE:

...She opened up her dress and right on

her rib, right here, was a circle and a

cross burnt right into the skin....

PAUL:

(interrupts her)

Sethe.

SETHE:

What?

Paul doesn't want her to continue but doesn't want to say so.

PAUL:

Any more beans?

Sethe rises to get him more food and she continues:

SETHE:

...anyway, she points to this mark and

says to me "This is your ma'am. I am the

only one whose got this mark now. The

rest all dead. If something happens to me

and you can't tell me by my face, you can

know me by this mark"..Scared me so...

I couldn't think of anything to say so I

said "Yes Ma'am..but how will you know

us? Mark me too. Mark the mark on me

too."

DENVER:

Did she?

SETHE:

No. She slapped my face. I didn't

understand it then. Not until I had a

mark of my own...

Paul is disturbed. He can see Sethe getting upset. He is mad

at Beloved for her damn questions..

BELOVED:

What happened to her?

Something inside of Sethe stops, a wall erected. Something

unwanted is coming into her consciousness. Paul notices it.

She rises;

SETHE:

Don't know. Everybody done?

Sethe collects a few dishes and crosses to the sink as Paul asks:

PAUL:

Well, as long as we're all asking

questions, getting to know each other..

(to Beloved)

Why don't you tell us a little bit about

yourself?

Camera follows Sethe as she arrives at the sink, placing the

dish inside. We hear the others O.S.:

DENVER (O.S.)

(defensively)

She don't remember nothing.

PAUL (O.S.)

You be surprised what you start

remembering once you start talking.

BELOVED (O.S.)

Can I have some more pudding?

Camera stays on Sethe as we drown out the voices at the

kitchen table. She is staring out the window above the sink

as if watching the MEMORY BEING RELIVED IN HER YARD;

POV - OUT THE WINDOW;

MEMORY:

EXT. A LARGE TREE IN A FIELD - A DAY REMEMBERED.

A CROWD of people surround a tree. SEVERAL WHITE MEN are

preparing to hang a group of black men and women standing in

line, awaiting their turn.

Among the crowd is A CHILD (SETHE) holding the hand of an

OLDER BLACK SLAVE WOMAN (NAN). Nan is pointing to a WOMAN

(SETHE'S MOTHER), who is one of the people waiting in line to

be hanged. Nan whispers to Sethe:

NAN:

That's your mama - right there.

Little Sethe looks up and sees her mother - her face a mask

of courage and rage and tears. She looks straight ahead - not

at anyone in particular, especially not her daughter.

NAN:

..I'm telling you, small girl Sethe...Me

and your Mama was taken by the men many

times..She threw them other babies

away..the others from the whites, without

names, she threw them away..But you she

gave the name of the black man. She had

her arms around him, child. The others,

she did not put her arms around.

Never...Never...

The child Sethe listens, watching her mother move further

down the line.

END of MEMORY as WE CUT BACK TO:

INT. KITCHEN -

Sethe, the memory passing, hears the voices in her kitchen:

PAUL (O.S.)

Ain't you got no brothers or sisters?

BELOVED (O.S.)

I don't have nobody.

She finds Paul interrogating Beloved who eats a second

pudding. Denver tries to interfere.

DENVER:

She has us now!

PAUL:

You been here five weeks, we still don't

know nothing bout you..

SETHE:

Paul, Stop it. Denver bring those dishes.

PAUL:

What was you looking for when you came here?

BELOVED:

This place. I was looking for this place

I could be in.

PAUL:

Somebody tell you about this place?

At the sink, both Sethe and Denver pause, obviously interested.

BELOVED:

She told me. When I was at the bridge,

she told me.

Paul looks quizzically at Sethe, who shrugs;

SETHE:

Must be somebody from the old days.

PAUL:

How'd you come? Who brought you?

BELOVED:

I walked here. A long, long, long, long

way. Nobody bring me.

PAUL:

You had new shoes. If you walked so long

why don't your shoes show it?

SETHE:

Paul D. stop picking on her.

PAUL:

I want to know! Where'd you get them

shoes and that dress you had on?

BELOVED:

I take the shoes! (coughs) I take the

dress! (coughs) The shoe strings don't

fit! I...

Suddenly, she begins to CHOKE on a raisin from the pudding

and falls backward, off the chair.

Denver and Sethe rush towards her. Beloved thrashes around

until they help her turn over and spit up the raisin.

She breathes in Sethe's arms as Denver wipes up the mess,

glaring at Paul.

SETHE:

You all right?

BELOVED:

(whispers)

I want to go to sleep now.

DENVER:

Come to my room. I can watch out for you

up there.

Sethe gets Beloved to her feet. Denver takes her up the

staircase to her room - glaring at Paul.

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