Beloved Page #18

Sethe picks her up and the tears flow. She can't stop kissing

them - their necks, their heads, their hands...The Boys

inspect her strange looking feet and ask;

HOWARD:

Pappie come?

SETHE:

Soon.

Baby Suggs seems doubtful but appreciates the lie for the

children.

BABY SUGGS:

All right boys - mama's home now, you be

seeing her all the time..Go downstairs

and get your supper...Go on...

Sethe hugs and kisses them as if for the last time - as if

she still doesn't believe she can just get out of bed, walk

downstairs and be with them. The Boys leave as Sethe cradles

the Little Girl.

Sethe anxiously undoes her dress and carefully guides her

breast to the Little Girl. She winces with pain and smiles -

she got her milk to her baby girl.

Baby Suggs gathers the rags Sethe wore when she first arrived.

BABY SUGGS:

Nothing worth saving here.

SETHE:

Oh wait..Look and see if there's

something knotted up in the petticoat.

Wedding present. From Mrs. Garner.

Baby Suggs finds TWO CRYSTAL EARRINGS.

BABY SUGGS:

Be nice if there was a groom to go with

it. What do you think happened to him?

SETHE:

I don't know. He wasn't where he said to

meet him at. I had to get out. I had to.

He'll make it. if I made it, Halle sure

can.

BABY SUGGS:

(skeptical)

Well put these on - maybe they'll light

his way.

As Sethe takes the earrings, the Little Baby Girl reaches for

them.

Through her eyes, we see them sparkle and shine - like

diamonds.

Baby Suggs hands gently massage Sethe's neck as she says;

BABY SUGGS:

Whatever happens now...God lead you home.

So now lay'em down Sethe...Sword and

shield..Don't study war no more. Lay all

that mess down. Sword and shield...

Sethe surrenders herself to Baby Suggs firm, safe hands -

letting go of the "diamonds", one of which lands in the hands

of the Little Girl...who plays with them in fascination...

END OF MEMORY.

CUT BACK TO:

PRESENT DAY;

EXT. A CLEARING IN THE WOODS - DAY

Sethe is remembering these last images, she eases her own

hand up to her neck - rubbing herself the way Baby Suggs did.

She realizes how much she misses her...and wonder who can

touch her now and help her "lay it all down". And then, quite

suddenly;

AN IMAGE FLASHES ACROSS HER MIND;

- PAUL GENTLY EASING HIS HANDS AROUND SETHE FROM

BEHIND...TENDERLY KISSING SETHE'S BACK

Paul...There is Paul. Sethe realizes, as IMAGES FLASH ACROSS

HER MIND'S EYE:

- PAUL SITTING ON THE PORCH THE FIRST DAY HE ARRIVED.

- PAUL BATTLING THE BABY GHOST.

- PAUL SINGING AS HE FIXES THE KITCHEN TABLE.

- SETHE WRAPPED IN PAUL'S BIG ARMS AS THEY LAY IN BED.

Sethe rises from the ground, as if with a new realization.

She begins to walk out of the clearing and into the woods,

her pace increasing with each image....

EXT. WOODS - DAY.

Sethe walks through the woods, passing Beloved unawares - who

has fallen asleep by a tree. Beloved is awakened as Sethe

walks by, and gets to her feet to follow.

Further on, Sethe passes a sleeping Denver, who also awakens

upon hearing the footsteps of her mother, followed by

Beloved. Sethe walks on, unaware of them following her.

EXT. FIELD OF 124 BLUESTONE - DAY.

Wide angle of Sethe walking well ahead of Beloved and Denver.

Sethe is walking with great purpose and energy.

INT. 124 BLUESTONE ROAD - DAY.

Sethe enters and runs through the house to the kitchen;

SETHE:

Paul? Paul, you home?...

Paul sits in a tub under the white staircase. He smiles.

Sethe is relieved...grateful to find him there, for her.

PAUL:

Where else would I be on a Sunday off?

Sethe smiles, almost in tears.

PAUL:

Why don't you come on in here?

SETHE:

Paul D. What if the girls came in?

PAUL:

I don't hear nobody.

SETHE:

I have to cook.

Paul D. stands up in the tub and holds Sethe against his wet,

naked body.

PAUL:

What you gonna cook?

SETHE:

(loving his body and his

attention)

I thought I'd make some snap beans.

PAUL:

Oh yeah.

SETHE:

Fry up a little corn?

PAUL:

Yeah.

He kisses her - and that's exactly what she wanted.

SETHE:

Oh Paul...

PAUL:

I'm right here baby.

SETHE:

Thank you Lord.

Camera slowly moves out of the kitchen as Sethe and Paul

begin to make love, revealing;

Beloved watching from the doorway, unknown to Sethe or Paul.

She is disgusted, envious...and runs out..

EXT. 124 BLUESTONE ROAD - DAY.

Beloved runs out of the house and heads back for the woods.

She passes Denver as if she weren't there.

EXT. STREAM IN THE WOODS - DAY.

Beloved reaches the stream and steps in. She begins to

violently hit the water around her, then begins hitting her

own face and head, clawing at it as if to escape from the

boundaries of flesh. Suddenly she submerges herself

underwater and holds herself there, as if to drown herself...

She bursts out of the water, gasping for air...Slowly, her

rage subsides, replaced with a calm, ruthless understanding

EXT. THE FIELD OF 124 BLUESTONE RD.- DAY.

Beloved is walking back toward the house. She stops.

She looks back at the house to the kitchen window - knowing

Paul and Sethe are in there. She approaches the kitchen

window and looks in.

POV - Sethe is drying off Paul's body and rebuttoning her

dress.

Camera moves slowly into a C.U. of Beloved, this time her

focus is on Paul.

INT. 124 BLUESTONE ROAD - EVENING.

The inhabitants eat dinner in silence.

Denver awaits a look from Beloved. As Beloved passes her a

bowl of peas with a smile, Denver is satisfied.

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