Beloved Page #7

Denver sits on the porch steps, alone once again. Miserably

eating the biscuit and jelly off of a half broken plate.

INT. BABY SUGGS BEDROOM - MINUTES LATER.

Sethe and Paul lay in bed, after lovemaking. They are still

fully clothed. The lovemaking was fast and finished quickly.

Now, there is an awkwardness that is without humor or

excitement - but sits like a chasm between them.

As Sethe lays there, SHE REMEMBERS:

MEMORY:

EXT. THE CORN FIELDS OF SWEET HOME - A DAY REMEMBERED.

A brilliant bright yellow and green corn stalks in a tiny

corn field.

Sethe and a slightly older HALLE - handsome, strong - run

through the field until Halle stops them at an isolated spot.

HALLE:

How's this?

SETHE:

Here?! out in the open?!

HALLE:

Look around - can you see anybody?

Sethe looks and can see nothing through the corn stalks. She

shakes her head no.

HALLE:

Then nothing can see us neither.

He takes off his shirt. Seethe giggles as she gets on the

ground, keeping her ankles crossed.

Halle lays her back and gently separates her legs. She

giggles. Halle pauses before laying on top of her.

HALLE:

You are a beautiful sight.

SETHE:

Don't talk stupid.

HALLE:

You're my wife now! I can talk as stupid

as I like about you!

(she giggles)

I ain't never loved nothing like you

before, Sethe.

(Sethe is moved)

And after I get mama out...then I get us

out too. And you'll see, baby girl...

(smiles)

we're gonna have us a liiife..

He sings the word "life", so that Sethe laughs. Then, Halle

lowers himself slowly to her and they begin to make love. As

camera pans up to a HILL above the field, we hear Sethe ask;

SETHE (O.S.)

You sure nobody can see?

We hear Halle grunt "uh-huh" as we arrive on the hill where a

GREAT TREE sits.

EXT. GREAT TREE ON THE HILL - DAY.

Beneath the tree, PAUL D, SIXO and Paul's brothers Paul A.

and Paul P. are pouring water over heads and watching;

POV; Unbeknownst to Halle and Sethe, their lovemaking is in

clear view to anyone on the hill...

PAUL A:

Damn. I don't get why she picked him.

PAUL D:

Halle's got that way about him. That way

a woman feels he's doing it all for her,

not for himself at all.

PAUL A:

I can't see nothing so special about Halle.

PAUL F:

What about what he's doing for his mama?

PAUL A:

Fool thing, if you ask me. By the time he

buys it, freedom won't mean a thing to

somebody that old and worn.

SIXO:

Freedom mean something anytime it come.

The men watch the corn stalks swaying to the lovemaking.

A YOUNG PAUL D., in particular, watches with tender yearning.

INT. KITCHEN AT SWEET HOME - EARLY EVENING.

MR. GARNER, the man who owns and runs Sweet Home. He offers

cooked corn to the men.

MR. GARNER

Raccoon must've got into my corn. Damaged

a few so, no use throwing them out...

The men looks to each other, suppressing a laugh.

MR. GARNER

Sethe, get the butter there.

Everyone looks at each other as they thank No. Garner and

begin to smear butter on their corn and eat.

A NEIGHBORING FARMER visiting the Garner's cautions him;

NEIGHBORING FARMER

You spoil these n*gger boys.

GARNER:

Maybe you got boys on your farm. My

n*gger's are men. Not a boy among'em.

Bought 'em thataway, raised'em thataway.

NEIGHBORING FARMER

Beg to differ Garner. Ain't no n*gger men.

GARNER:

Not if you scared. But if you a man

yourself, you'll want your n*ggers to be

men too.

NEIGHBORING FARMER

Wouldn't have no n*gger men around my

wife.

GARNER:

Neither would I..Neither would I.

Sethe hides a smile as she hands a piece of corn to Halle.

Paul A and Paul F hesitate as they think of eating the corn

which the lovers consummated. But Sixo digs right in.

Paul D eats slowly, his eyes never leaving Sethe as she moves

Around the kitchen, her eyes never leaving Halle...Paul's

Attraction and love for her are apparent.

END OF MEMORY;

INT. SETHE'S BEDROOM - EARLY EVENING.

C.U. on PAUL, on his back, turned away from Sethe.

What began as Sethe's memory, has blended into Paul's.

Sethe rises off the bed, breaking the thick silence between them:

SETHE:

I'll call you when there's something to

eat.

She exits, leaving Paul alone on the bed.

EXT. 124 BLUESTONE RD. - THE FOLLOWING DAY.

We see the house now. No creaking or sounds of breaking

furniture. Just the sound of Paul D. singing.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY.

Paul is singing as he fixes the table he broke while driving

the baby ghost away.

Denver is sweeping the floor - irritated by Paul's presence

and voice.

They both hear the front door open as Sethe arrives home from

work.

They look to each other to see which one will make a move for

Sethe first. Paul knows enough to bide his time with Denver.

He watches as she places the broom down and exits the

kitchen.

EXT. 124 BLUESTONE RD. - NIGHT.

Paul and Sethe sit on the porch together. Sethe is sewing.

Paul nervously gets up his nerve to ask:

PAUL:

Sethe.

(she stops and looks)

I was thinking of looking for work around

here. What do you think?

SETHE:

Ain't much. River mostly. And hogs.

PAUL:

Hogs is fine.

Paul moves to where Sethe is sitting.

PAUL:

I don't need much, Sethe. Eat, sleep,

sing a little when it strikes me. I don't

ask for more to..to live somewhere.

Sethe realizes what he is asking and tentatively responds:

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes