Beloved Page #17

MONTAGE - MORE DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SETHE, NOW WITHOUT AMY - A

NEW BABY STRAPPED TO HER BODY - MAKING HER AWAY ALONG THE

OHIO RIVER...THROUGH HOT SUNNY DAYS AND RAINY NIGHTS WITHOUT

PROTECTION...SEARCHING FOR FOOD AND SHELTER...

FINAL IMAGE IS:

EXT. RIVER BANK - OAK TREE - NIGHT.

A thunderstorm cracks across the sky and floods the river.

Sethe is sitting beneath the oak - the rain soaking her as

she breast feeds her baby. She cries out loud - but her sobs

and tears are lost in the rain and thunder.

EXT. RIVERBANK - LATER THAT DAY.

Sethe walks downriver with Denver tied to her chest. She

stops when she sees:

A FLATBED gliding down river. She can't make out if they're

white people or not, so she hides behind a tree until it

passes;

Waiting behind the tree, we see that Sethe is sweating a

fever. But Denver seems to be doing fine.

She sees the flatbed pass her and continues on her way. She

sees;

THREE COLORED PEOPLE - AN OLDER MAN and two boys - fishing.

She approaches cautiously.

One of the boys is the first to see her. Sethe's bloody and

torn clothes and her feverish face make her quite a sight to

the young boy. He taps the Old Man on the shoulder and

motions for him to turn around.

The Old Man takes in Sethe and instantly knows where she's

been and why she's there.

STAMP PAID:

Headin cross?

SETHE:

Yes sir.

STAMP PAID:

Anybody know you coming?

SETHE:

Yes sir. My mother-in-law over in...

Stamp Paid raises his hand to stop her. He looks around to

see that no one else is in sight, then motions for her to sit

on a rock. As she does, he gets a water jug and hands it to

her - she drinks like a madman in the desert. The Boys watch

in fascination. Stamp Paid turns to one of them and says:

STAMP PAID:

Take off that coat?

BOY:

Why?

STAMP PAID:

You heard me?

The Boy slips out of his jacket, complaining.

BOY:

What am I gonna wear?

STAMP PAID:

You want it back...

He unties the baby from Sethe and wraps it in the coat.

STAMP PAID:

..then you go head and take it off this

baby. And if you can do that, then go

'way somewhere and don't come back.

EXT. RIVER - DAY.

On a flatbed, Stamp Paid crosses the river with Sethe, her

baby and the two boys.

EXT. OPPOSITE RIVER BANK - DAY.

Stamp Paid helps Sethe walk up a very steep bank while the

Boy without a jacket, carries the baby who wears it.

INT. BRUSH-COVERED HUTCH - DAY.

Stamp Paid leads Sethe and the others into the hutch.

STAMP PAID:

Wait here. Somebody be here directly.

Don't move. They'll find you.

SETHE:

Thank you. What's your name - so I can

remember you right.

STAMP PAID:

Name's Stamp. Stamp Paid. Watch out for

that baby, you hear?

She nods as he and the boys exit.

LAP DISSOLVE:

LATER - SAME LOCATION:

Sethe is asleep with the baby when ELLA enters the hutch;

ELLLA:

Saw the sign a while ago but I couldn't

get here no quicker.

SETHE:

What sign?

ELLA:

Stamp always leave the old sty open when

there's a crossing. Knots a white rag on

the post if it's a child too.

(kneels)

My name's Ella..Where you headed?

Ella empties a sack with a wool blanket, cotton cloth, two

baked sweet potatoes and a pair of men's shoes.

SETHE:

My mother-in-law's. Name's Baby Suggs. She

got my other three children I sent ahead.

ELLA:

When was this one born?

SETHE:

Yesterday. I hope she makes it.

ELLA:

Hard to say.

(gives her men's shoes)

Let's try to get these on your feet.

EXT. 124 BLUESTONE ROAD - NIGHT.

Baby Suggs rises off the bench on the porch when she sees

Sethe coming up the walk. She runs to her and embraces Sethe

and the baby, tears in her eyes.

BABY SUGGS:

Oh my Lord...My sweet Lord thank you.

Baby Suggs welcomes Sethe into the house, kissing her hard on

the lips....Sethe can't believe she's in her arms.

BABY SUGGS:

Where's Halle?

Sethe looks at her with confusion and exhaustion.

SETHE:

He wasn't there.

A flash of fear is quickly transformed into pragmatism.

BABY SUGGS:

Well, he be along presently, I'm sure.

SETHE:

Where are the children?

BABY SUGGS:

Not now. You too ugly looking to wake 'em

up in the night. First we get you well..

INT. KEEPING ROOM - NIGHT.

Baby Suggs bathes Sethe - first her face, her body...hands,

arms, legs...

When she gets to her unrecognizable feet, she touches them.

BABY SUGGS:

You feel this?

SETHE:

Feel what?

BABY SUGGS:

Nothing..

Baby Suggs notices roses of blood on Sethe's back...She looks

and covers her mouth when she sees the remnants of the whipping.

BABY SUGGS:

Girl...

INT. KEEPING ROOM - LATER THAT DAY.

Baby Suggs with two other grown women attend to Sethe's back -

greasing it and pinning double thicknesses of cloth to the

inside of a newly stitched dress...

INT. KEEPING ROOM - STILL LATER THAT DAY.

Sethe, sitting in bed with her new dress and her wounds

dressed waits for her children.

Baby Suggs opens the door and the boys are ushered in. Sethe

welcomes them to her arms...They run to her, jumping on the

bed. The startle causes some pain but Sethe doesn't care.

The Little Girl (Beloved) is crawling and ushered toward her

mama.

BABY SUGGS:

Already crawling - ain't that somethin?

..Come on, baby girl..right this

way..Mama's waiting..

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes