Beloved Page #35

Denver gets her from behind and Sethe grabs her from the

front, pinning her down - trying to stop her from hurting

herself. Beloved screams and strikes out at Sethe, pulling

her hair, clawing at her as well...

EXT. 124 BLUESTONE RD. - DAY.

Denver exits the house because she sees something unusual in

the yard;

POV - THE STUMP;

On the same stump that Beloved first appeared, sits A BASKET

OF EGGS. Denver crosses to it, lifts it and a PAPER flutters

to the ground. She reads it;

M. LUCILLE WILLIAMS...

EXT. M. LUCILLE WILLIAMS HOUSE - DAY.

Denver returns the empty basket to M. Lucille Williams.

DENVER:

Thank you.

M. LUCILLE

WILLIAMS:

Your welcome..

INT. 124 BLUESTONE RD. - DAY.

Beloved eats ravenously from a bowl of white beans. Sethe

sits in the corner, as if waiting to serve her...

EXT. 124 BLUESTONE RD. - DAY

Upon the stump, sits a plate of cold rabbit meat, which

Denver brings inside.

INT. GRACE'S HOUSE - DAY.

Denver is returning a bowl to Grace, a friendly woman.

GRACE:

No, darling. That's not my bowl. Mine's

got a blue ring around it..Would you like

to come in a spell?

INT. 124 BLUESTONE RD. - DAY.

Beloved sleeps curled up on the kitchen floor after eating -

her mouth still dirty from the meal...

Sethe, unwashed, her hair uncombed, sits in her corner chair.

She is trying to mend a torn dress.

Denver eats a little from the latest neighborhood gift. She

hears her mother mumbling to herself like a madwoman.

SETHE:

Nobody..no sir..that's right..nobody's

going be doing that..nobody going be

writing my daughter's characteristics on

the animal side..no sir..I don't

care..ain't laying that down..no sir. I

refuse..that's right..that's right...

DENVER:

Mama...Mama she's asleep. Why don't you

eat something.

SETHE:

She likes this dress...

DENVER:

But you'll hurt your eyes doin it there.

Come sit at the table.

Sethe considers this. She rises cautiously, then sits at the

table. Denver rises and gets her some food, placing it before

her.

DENVER:

Please mama, eat something...

Sethe nods...Denver is getting more and more frightened of

losing her mother completely...Instead of protecting Beloved

from Sethe, she must protect her mother from Beloved.

EXT. THE BODWIN'S HOUSE; BACK DOOR - DAY.

A white family home in a white Ohio neighborhood.

JANEY WAGON, a benevolent black servant woman, opens the back

door for Denver.

JANEY:

Yes?

DENVER:

May I come in?

JANEY:

What you want?

DENVER:

I want to see Mr. and Mrs. Bodwin.

JANEY:

Miss Bodwin. They brother and sister,

darlin.

DENVER:

Oh.

JANEY:

What you want'em for?

DENVER:

I'm looking for work. I was thinking they

might know of some.

JANEY:

(smiles)

You Baby Sugg's kin, ain't you?

DENVER:

Yes ma'am.

JANEY:

I heard your mother took sick, that so?

DENVER:

Yes ma'am..

JANEY:

Well, come on in. You letting in flies.

INT. THE BODWIN'S HOUSE - DAY.

The house is filled with books and pearl white lamps and

glass cases filled with glistening things.

Denver pushes her feet into the soft blue carpet as she sits

with Janey.

JANEY:

You know what? I've been here since I was

fourteen and I remember like yesterday

when Baby Suggs, holy, came here and sat

right where you are. Whiteman name of

Garner brought her. He and Mr. Bodwin

were good friends. That's how she got

that house you all live in. Other things

too.

DENVER:

Yes ma'am.

JANEY:

I never went to those woodland services

but she was always nice to me. Always.

Never be another like her.

DENVER:

I miss her.

JANEY:

Bet you do. Everybody miss her. That was

a good woman...Well, I don't know whether

the Bodwins think it or not but they sure

could use some extra help.

DENVER:

(hopeful)

Ya think?

JANEY:

They getting older now and I can't take

care of 'em like I used to. More and more

they keep asking me to sleep over night.

Now, I don't want to quit these people

but they can't have all my days and

nights too. I got my own family needs me.

It'll take some convincing but maybe you

could come after supper - take care of

your mama during the day, then earn a

little something at night, how's that?

DENVER:

Fine. But what would I do at night?

JANEY:

Be here. In case.

DENVER:

In case of what?

JANEY:

In case the house burn down or bad

weather slops the roads so bad I can't

get here on time or late guests needed

cleaning up after. Anything.

(laughs)

Don't ask me what whitefolks need at

night.

During Janey's lines, Denver looks about the house imagining

herself here at night...her eyes happen upon A STATUE OF A

BLACK BOY on his knees, his head thrown back farther than a

head could go, his mouth wide open like a cup and filled with

money for delivery tips. On the pedestal are the words' AT YO

SERVICE;

DENVER:

They good whitefolks?

JANEY:

Oh yeah. They good. Can't say they ain't

good. I wouldn't trade them for another

pair, tell you that. But you come back in

a few days - give me a chance to lead'em

to it. All right?

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