Loving Page #9

okay to return home together for

the birth of their child. It uh,

it was my mistake.

This foils the Judge’s response. He re-calibrates for a

moment, pretending to study a paper in front of him.

FRANK BEAZELY (CONT’D)

Your Honor...

Judge Bazile holds up a hand.

JUDGE BAZILE:

Okay.

86

EXT. CAROLINE COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY 86

Richard and Mildred stand beside Frank Beazely in front of

the Courthouse doors.

Richard holds his hand out to Frank.

RICHARD:

Thank you.

Frank doesn’t take it.

FRANK BEAZELY:

Don’t come back here again. You do

and you go to prison. This doesn’t

happen a second time.

With that, Frank Beazely straightens his tie and relieves

himself of their company.

Mildred and Richard are left alone in front of the

courthouse. The town goes about its business around them.

Mildred straightens her coat.

87

EXT. D.C. NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - DAY 87

Winter has arrived in the city.

45.

A light sleet falls but doesn’t stick to the streets. The

tree in front of the row house has lost its leaves.

88

INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - DAY 88

Mildred stands at the ironing board. She bobs slightly to

soothe the crying baby on her hip.

89

EXT. JOB SITE - DAY 89

Richard works in the snow.

The rhythmic routine of brick after brick.

90

EXT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - DAY 90

The tree out front is covered in lush green leaves. A box

fan at the top of the stoop fights against a hot summer day.

Richard plays on the sidewalk with SIDNEY, now a two-year-old

toddler. Richard marks the sidewalk with chalk and Sidney

jumps across the newfound lines.

Mildred emerges from the house holding a new baby, DONALD.

She eases herself onto a step in front of the box fan and

watches Richard and Sidney as she feeds Donald a bottle.

91

INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C./CHILDREN’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 91

Sidney, now age four, rushes into the bedroom closely trailed

by Donald, a two-year-old.

Sidney leaps onto the twin bed against the wall and bounces

on his knees as Donald scrambles up to join him.

Mildred enters. She is once again PREGNANT.

She pulls back the covers on the twin bed as the boys climb

in together. She covers them up as they fidget into place.

Mildred grabs a children’s book off the floor. She holds up

a patient hand to quiet the boys and opens the book to read.

92

INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - DAY 92

IN THE KITCHEN,

46.

Mildred spoons applesauce to PEGGY, a baby, sitting in a high

chair wearing a pink dress.

The doorbell RINGS.

Mildred quickly wipes at Peggy’s face and scoops her out of

the high chair.

IN THE FRONT ROOM,

Mildred rushes to the front door and calls upstairs.

MILDRED:

Sidney! Don! Come on down!

She opens the door to find Garnet standing there.

Mildred throws herself at her sister. Hugging her fiercely.

Garnet smiles at this, but the hug is severe.

Mildred pulls back and Garnet sees the tears in her eyes.

Mildred takes her by the hand and drags her inside.

93 INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - LATER 93

Garnet sits on the couch holding Peggy. Mildred sits close

to her. Donald and Sidney run up, then down the stairs.

GARNET:

...and Sue and Terry send their

love. They just had a little girl

too.

MILDRED:

Really?

GARNET:

Their second.

MILDRED:

Oh.

A BOOM as Sidney jumps from a high stair and hits the floor.

He dares Donald.

SIDNEY:

You go.

MILDRED:

Sidney, don’t jump in the house.

The boys disappear back up the stairs. Garnet smiles as she

watches them go.

47.

GARNET:

They’re big.

MILDRED:

Yes. I hate it for ‘em. It’s like

they’re caged. Not even any grass

to run in.

Garnet can’t think of a response.

MILDRED (CONT’D)

And Daddy?

GARNET:

He’s fine. He stays up in that

chair more than in the field. I

told Momma if he don’t start

getting some work done Mr. Banks

liable to find someone else for it.

Clay said he’d have to...

As Garnet continues, Mildred watches her but can’t help

feeling distant even with her there.

94 EXT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - DAY 94

Mildred holds Peggy in one arm and keeps Donald at her leg

with the other. Sidney is on the steps behind them.

Garnet honks the horn and throws a wave from the window as

she drives away.

Mildred watches her go.

95 INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C./KITCHEN - NIGHT 95

Richard holds baby Peggy on his lap at the dinner table and

helps Sidney put a puzzle together. Donald watches intently

from his seat.

Mildred is at the sink washing dishes. Her back is to them.

RICHARD:

How was your sister?

MILDRED:

She’s fine.

Mildred doesn’t turn, doesn’t engage. Richard picks up on

it. He watches her slowly scrubbing at the dishes.

48.

96 INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - DAY 96

Mildred sits on the couch brushing Peggy’s hair. She is now

two-years-old.

The television plays in front of them. Images of the 1963

civil rights march on Washington show on the screen.

Laura walks in the front door carrying two grocery bags. She

pauses in front of the television to watch the march.

A commotion upstairs sends Mildred’s attention there.

MILDRED:

You boys stop that wrestlin’! Come

help Miss Laura with these

groceries!

LAURA:

They say over a hundred thousand

people are there.

Laura moves into the kitchen. From there,

LAURA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

Can you imagine?

Mildred speaks low, to herself.

MILDRED:

Might as well be half way ‘round

the world.

LAURA (O.S.)

What?

MILDRED:

Nothing.

Laura walks back in holding items from her grocery bags.

LAURA:

You know what you need to do?

MILDRED:

What?

LAURA:

You need to write Bobby Kennedy.

Mildred laughs this off.

49.

LAURA (CONT’D)

I’m serious. That’s what he’s up

there for.

Laura goes back into the kitchen, continuing her thought.

LAURA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

All this talk of civil rights. You

need to get you some civil rights.

Mildred shakes her head at this. She watches the images.

She notices Peggy’s face, engrossed by the TV.

Mildred’s eyes go back to the images.

97 EXT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - CONTINUOUS 97

A view from the rooftop of their row house in D.C. The

neighborhood expands into the distance.

A faint din can be heard. It’s the sound of the civil rights

march, just over a mile from their house.

98 INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C./BEDROOM - DAY 98

Mildred stares blankly at the wall. She’s lost in thought,

and this continues for a long moment.

She sits at a desk in the bedroom holding a pen. Eventually,

her eyes move down to sheets of loose notebook paper set out

in front of her.

She puts the pen to the paper and begins writing in a

handsome cursive.

It reads:

“Dear Sir:
I am writing to you concerning a problem we

have...”

99 INT. COUSIN’S ROW HOUSE IN D.C. - NIGHT 99

Richard enters the dark house carrying his items from work.

His clothes are dusty from a day’s labor.

He walks into the kitchen.

IN THE KITCHEN,

Richard takes a seat at the table. He sets his lunch pail

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes