Birthday Girl Page #10

John watches Nadia looking at the table. She glances up once

and catches his eye.

Alexei suddenly slams his hand down on the table. He raises

his palm. There is an ant squashed there. He shows Yuri.

ALEXEI:

Nasyekski.

EXT. JOHN'S GARDEN - NIGHT

The small party has moved outside to the patio, where they

sit around a low wooden table in the mellow candlelight. A

huge late Summer moon hangs over the fields. Alexei tinkles

beautifully on his guitar.

He stops asks a question in Russian.

JOHN:

What was that?

YURI:

Oh nothing.

JOHN:

Tell me.

YURI:

No. It is too judgmental.

JOHN:

Tell me what he said.

YURI:

He says why did you send to Russia

for a wife.

Silence. John suddenly looks sick.

YURI:

You are not ashamed of it? It's no

surprise to want to love.

JOHN:

No. It's not that.

YURI:

Do you believe in love?

JOHN:

I suppose it's... I mean define your

terms.

YURI:

It's very strange. How many people

are truly themselves with their love?

It is the greatest human disaster

and it is never in the newspapers.

There are no Marches Against

Heartache, no Ministries Against

Loneliness, no Concerts Against

Disappointment. We look away. And

still we know in secret that nothing

is more important to us. The one

thing we all share but don't say.

Look John I will show you something.

He takes a plate and starts reaching for the food.

YURI:

Here look, something beautiful from

Russia. Here is Life, there, take

it.

John accepts the plate.

YURI:

Here is bread. Khylep. This is work.

We all need this, here eat.

John eats.

YURI:

Good. But we cannot survive with

just work, so here is meat and blood.

Myasa. This is family and country,

flesh, strength, eat.

John bites the sausage.

YURI:

But again this is not life. Here is

joy and pain. Chyesnok. Without these

life has no flavour, is too serious.

Eat.

John nibbles some pickled garlic.

YURI:

But this vodka.

(pause)

Is love. Only this magic changes you

inside. The moon and the stars and

the sun.

Yuri offers John the glass. He looks at Nadia, takes it and

swigs it down in one. He looks across at Nadia, wiping his

mouth, his eyes watering. She looks back at him.

Alexei begins softly singing a song. As he sings:

YURI:

This is a love song, a soldier's

song to his beloved -- Alexei, he's

Afghanstya, a veteran of Afghanistan.

He saw terrible things.

They listen to the beautiful, sad voice. For the second verse

Yuri joins in, a slow stirring lament. For the end Nadia

joins in too and the three of them begin harmonising

beautifully. John watches in the candlelight.

John, Nadia and Alexei pose with the cake. Nadia puts her

arm round John and Alexei. With a FLASH! Yuri takes a

Polaroid.

The guitar theme returns as we see the Polaroid on the table

in close up, developing speeded up. John comes into focus,

beaming.

INT. LOUNGE - NIGHT

We track across the sleeping faces of Yuri and Alexei tucked

into their sleeping bags with guitar cases for pillows. John

switches the light off and closes the door.

INT. JOHN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

John and Nadia seen from above lying asleep, with their heads

together, in the moonlight. Nadia whispers something in her

sleep, in Russian. Fast asleep John mutters something in

English. Their sleeping, unintelligible conversation, drifts

on in the night.

INT. BANK - DAY

John sits at his desk in the open plan office. He looks

nervous.

This is because he is wearing Nadia's ring. People pass his

desk, a couple say hello, but they don't notice. He rubs his

chin. Nobody notices.

Eventually his manager approaches.

BRANCH MANAGER:

Quick word John?

He leans over the desk.

BRANCH MANAGER:

This is sensitive. Your car. Lovely

car. Doesn't necessarily give the

right impression.

JOHN:

Ch...

BRANCH MANAGER:

To customers approaching the bank

from the rear

JOHN:

(thrown)

Right.

BRANCH MANAGER:

You can see why it's sensitive?

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