I Walked with a Zombie Page #8

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RAND:

(ignoring her, speaking a

little drunkenly)

One of these days he'll start on

you, the way he did on her.

(imitating)

"You think life's beautiful, don't

you, Jessica? You think you're

beautiful, don't you, Jessica?"

(bitterly)

What he could do to that word

"beautiful." That's Paul's great

weapon -- words. He uses them the

way other men use their fists.

Rand finishes his drink. Betsy watches him, her face deeply

troubled.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. THE CAFE - NIGHT

CAMERA IS FOCUSED ON a ragged, barefooted lamplighter. He is

lighting one of the crude kerosene street lamps of St.

Sebastian with a long taper on the end of the stick. When it

finally lights up he lowers the glass chimney with another

stick he carries.

From the beach comes the sound of a guitar and a man singing.

It is very faint, at first, but as it comes closer we can

recognize the voice of the Calypso singer and the melody he

was singing when Rand interrupted him.

The CAMERA PANS OVER to show Rand and Betsy still sitting in

Ti-Joseph's sidewalk cafe. Rand has slumped down in his

chair, thoroughly drunk. Ti-Joseph stands, arms folded,

leaning in the darker shadows of the wall. Betsy looks off

in the direction of the singing, a little anxiously.

CALYPSO SINGER:

(faint, but growing

stronger)

She saw the brother and she stole his heart

And that's how the badness and the trouble start

Ah woe, ah me

Shame and sorrow for the fam-i-ly

Betsy leans over and touches Rand's arm.

BETSY:

Wes. Wesley -- it's time we were

starting home.

Rand makes some meaningless mumble of words.

CALYPSO SINGER:

The wife and the brother, they want to go,

But the Holland man, he tell them "no."

As Betsy stares nervously into the shadows beyond the street

lamp, she sees the figure of the Calypso singer, moving

slowly towards her as he sings.

CALYPSO SINGER (cont'd)

The wife fall down and the evil came

And it burned her mind in the fever flame.

Betsy shakes Rand urgently.

BETSY:

Please, Wes -- we've got to get

back to Fort Holland.

There is no movement, no sound from Rand. Betsy looks at

him, then looks over at Ti-Joseph. There does not seem to be

much help to be had in that direction. Really frightened

now, she turns back quickly to the approaching Calypso

singer. He never takes his eyes off her, as he walks slowly

toward the cafe. There is a strange menace in the way he

sings.

CALYPSO SINGER:

Her eyes are empty and she cannot talk

And a nurse has come to make her walk.

The brothers are lonely and the nurse is young

And now you must see that my song is sung.

The Calypso singer is now coming directly to the table.

Instinctively, Betsy rises and moves behind the table.

CALYPSO SINGER (cont'd)

(walking very slowly,

singing very slowly)

Ah, woe, Ah me

Shame --

He stops abruptly. In the silence footsteps are heard, light

brisk footsteps coming down the street toward the cafe. The

Calypso singer looks away from Betsy for the first time.

As Betsy also turns, in great relief, to see who is coming,

the Calypso singer moves quickly and silently out of the

scene. A middle-aged white woman, handsome and neatly

dressed in a suit with a Norfolk jacket, appears in the

entrance of the cafe. She glances briefly in the direction

which the Calypso singer has taken and then at Betsy and

Rand. She smiles in a friendly way at Betsy.

MRS. RAND

I think you need some help.

BETSY:

I'm afraid so.

MRS. RAND

Ti-Joseph?

The older woman looks over at Ti-Joseph.

MRS. RAND (CONT'D)

Ti-Joseph, get Mr. Rand on to his

mule, please, and start him for

home.

Ti-Joseph comes down and starts to put his hands under Rand's

armpits preparatory to helping him to his feet.

TI-JOSEPH

Yes, ma'am.

BETSY:

(protesting)

But he's in no condition to ride --

I don't think he can even sit in

the saddle.

MRS. RAND

Don't worry about a sugar planter.

Give him a mule and he'll ride to

his own funeral.

Ti-Joseph gets Rand to his feet and helps him stagger around

the corner. From around the corner we can hear Ti-Joseph

bellowing.

TI-JOSEPH

Hey, boy! Bring up that mule --

that white mule, boy.

Mrs. Rand turns to Betsy.

MRS. RAND

I really intended going out to the

Fort and meeting you long before

this, Miss Connell. I'm Mrs.

Rand -- Wesley's mother.

BETSY:

(dismayed)

Oh, Mrs. Rand --

MRS. RAND

(interrupting)

Come, come, don't tell me how sorry

you are that I should meet you this

way.

(puts out her hand)

I'm even a little glad that

Wesley's difficulty brought us

together.

Betsy takes the older woman's hand and they shake hands.

BETSY:

Believe me, Mrs. Rand, he doesn't

do this often. This is the first

time I've seen him --

MRS. RAND

Nonsense, child! I know Wesley's

been drinking too much lately. I

know a great deal more about what

goes on at Fort Holland than you'd

think. I know all about you --

that you're a nice girl, competent

and kind to Jessica. The Fort

needs a girl like you.

(breaking her mood)

But now we've got to get you back

there. I'll walk you back and stay

over night. It'll be a nice change

for me.

She takes Betsy's arm and they start off.

The CAMERA DOLLIES WITH them as they cross the space under Ti

Joseph's awning.

BETSY:

Thank you, Mrs. Rand. I think

you're every bit as nice as Wes

says you are.

MRS. RAND

So -- he says I'm nice. He's a

nice boy, too, Miss Connell, a very

nice boy. But I'm worried about

his drinking.

She pauses in her speech, stops for a moment at the very edge

of Ti-Joseph's domain and takes Betsy's arm.

MRS. RAND (cont'd)

You could do me a great favor.

BETSY:

(eagerly)

I'd love to.

MRS. RAND

Use your influence with Paul. Ask

him to take that whiskey decanter

off the dinner table.

BETSY:

(protesting)

I've no influence with Mr. Holland.

MRS. RAND

Try it -- you may have more

influence than you think.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. GARDEN -- FORT HOLLAND -- DAY

Holland is walking down the path from the office toward the

gate. He is carrying a piece of sugar cane in his hand and

is followed by a negro laborer in working clothes, who has

several other pieces of cane in his arms. They are talking

as they walk.

HOLLAND:

(over his shoulder as they

walk)

No. It isn't a drought, Bayard.

The rains are just a little late,

that's all.

BAYARD:

I've seen the drought before, Mr.

Holland. The cane's too dry -- it's

dangerous that way -- it's the

drought.

Betsy comes across the garden with a tray of medicine bottles

in her hands and several linen sheets folded over her arm.

She meets the two men at the path intersection.

HOLLAND:

Good morning, Miss Connell.

BETSY:

Good morning.

He waves Bayard on and stops for a moment to speak with

Betsy.

HOLLAND:

I heard about your little

misadventure yesterday, Miss

Connell.

(with a smile)

On your first "day off," too.

BETSY:

Well, I had a good time up to a

point.

HOLLAND:

(sincerely)

Wesley can be very entertaining.

BETSY:

(encouraged by his tone)

Yes, he can. But I've been

wondering -- you know if you could

leave the whisky decanter off the

table --

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