Poetic Justice Page #11

COUSIN PETE:
My cousins! My cousins! I'm with my family! My family! (sees a

couple of line women standing together) Mmmm,

how you doing? We related, huh?

The woman nods yes.

COUSIN PETE:
Oh, really? Well, you know, third removed don't count. laughs and

moves on)

'I'he crowd parts to reveal him as he walks toward the foursome.

COUSIN PETE:
My cousins! My cousins! What's up, cousin? You got a pretty

girlfriend here. Y'all make a good couple.

JUSTICE'S FACE As she reacts to being called Lucky's girlfriend.

COUSIN PETE:
What's your name, cousin?

LUCKY:
People call me Lucky.

COUSIN PETE:
With a lady like this, I'd say that too. What's your name, sweet

li'l West Coast thang?

JUSTICE:
Justice.

COUSIN PETE:
Justice? You mean like the law, huh?

JUSTICE:
Yeah.

COUSIN PETE:
How you get a name like that?!

JUSTICE:
It's a long story. This is-

IESHA (putting on airs) Iesha. And this is my husband, Chicago.

We see subtle eye contact between Iesha and Justice.

CHICAGO:
How you doing?

LUCKY:
Yo, ah--cousin, what's your name?

COUSIN PETE:
Just call me Cousin Pete. I want y'all to meet some family.

They begin to walk, Cousin Pete leading the way.

ANOTIFER ANGLE:
MOVING BACK As Cousin Pete begins introducing Lucky, Justice,

lesha, and Chicago to the Johnson family. He

introduces a few relatives, then we switch to a P.O.V. shot and we GO PAST their

faces and see them as he says their names. We end

on three old ladies sitting at a picnic table.

COUSIN PETE (V.O.): This is Aunt Jessica, Uncle Herb, Aunt Aida Pearl, Uncle

Fred and his wife Wilma, Cousin Isaac, Cousin

James, Cousin Kwame, the Kids, I don't know all of they names, and sitting here

is Aunt June, Aunt May, and Aunt April. THE

BENCH Where three old women sit: Aunt April, Aunt May, and Aunt June. From their

faces we can tell they are full of opinions.

COUSIN PETE:
So y'alljust enjoy yourself, and have fun.

Iesha and Chicago go to sit down on the bench across the table from the three

old women. Iesha sits in Chicago's lap.

LUCKY:
That food looks good.

COUSIN PETE:
Don't it? Go on, help yourself

Lucky and Justice walk toward the tables with food.

ANGLE:
MOVING BACKWARD On lesha and Chicago

IESHA (wit to sarcasm): Goodbye. Don't they make such a nice couple?

JUSTICE Turns and throws lesha a nasty look and continues walking with Lucky.

BACK TO TABLE Where lesha and Chicago settle. They are both thoroughly amused by

the game they are playing. The both a them

then turn to notice

THE STERN FACES OF THE THREE OLD WOMEN We PAN past the stern faces of Aunt

April, Aunt May, and Aunt June. We rest

on June's face as she speaks...

AUNT JUNE:
Are y'all in love?

IESHA AND CHICAGO Look at each other.

IESHA:
Yeah.

AUNT JUNE:
Do you know what love is child?

IESHA:
No.

AUNT MAY:
How can you be in love if'n you don't know what it is?

IESHA:
That's just how things go.

The three women are quiet for a moment.

AUNT MAY:
Are y'all married?

IESHA:
Yeah.

AUNT APRIL:
You young. How long you been married?

IESHA (looks at Chicago): Six months.

Aunt June's hawklike eyes probe Iesha.

AUNT JUNE'S P.O.V.: We see lesha's hand on Chicago's shoulder. Then we TILT UP

to reveal her face. She looks at her hand

searching for a ring.

IESHA:
Oh, I don't wear it alla time.

WIDE Of the table. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

AUNT JUNE (to Chicago): You don't mind if she don't wear your ring?

IESHA (answers for him): No, he don't mind.

AUNT MAY:
I think he can answer for himself. If he's a real man. A real man

always answers for himself.

CHICAGO (a beat): No. No-I don't mind.

The three women shake their heads. One says, "Shoot, my husband kill me if I

didn 't wear no ring. "

CUT TO:
87 EXT. THE JOHNSON FAMILY REUNION--DAY THE FOOD TABLE Where Lucky is

filling his plate with food. Justice

is nearby. Next to her is a woman with a baby. The woman is trying to fix a

plate of food and hold the baby at the same time.

JUSTICE:
Damn you greedy.

LUCKY:
Gotta eat to live.

Justice notices the woman having trouble juggling baby and plate.

JUSTICE:
You need help?

WOMAN:
Thank you.

Justice takes the baby in her arms. Lucky looks at her out of the corner of his

eye and continues surveying the food.

JUSTICE:
Aww, she's so cute.

We see the baby's face. She is a black angel.

LUCKY (with sarcasm): You be seeing them professional men, huh? Doctors,

lawyers, pharmacists. (tastes something, then adds)

Street pharmacists?

Justice looks at Lucky, then down at the baby.

LUCKY:
Ah huh, I knew you was like that.

Justice says nothing.

The Woman finishes fixing her plate.

WOMAN:
Here, I'll take her.

JUSTICE:
She's beautiful. What's her name?

WOMAN:
Her name is Imani.

The Woman walks off to a table and sits with another group of relatives.

JUSTICE:
You got a kid?

LUCKY:
Why?

JUSTICE:
'Cause you look the type.

Lucky begins to walk.

ANOTHER ANGLE:
WIDE TRAVELING As they walk together and talk. In the background

we see kids playing, and some old men

throwing horseshoes, etc.

LUCKY:
What's the type?

JUSTICE:
Dunno, you just look like--like--

Lucky looks at her for a second, stops walking, and walks on.

LUCKY (changing the subject): Anyway! You got any kids?

JUSTICE (vehemently): Hell, naw. I don't like kids.

They arrive at some chairs and sit down.

LUCKY:
Don't look like that to me! (looks around) This is good. You ever been to

one a' these?

JUSTICE:
No. I don't have a lot of family. The family I have ain't that close.

LUCKY (looking around): Well, I never seen this many Black folks in one place

where there wasn't no fight. Hmmm. ... Now what

about these street pharmacists you useta go out with?

JUSTICE:
Yeah, I only went out with one.... He was my first boyfriend--my first

love.

LUCKY:
So you was out for tha money, huh?

JUSTICE:
No. Just 'cause somebody does a certain something for a livin don't

make 'em a bad person. Some people don't choose their

path in life. They let other folks write their story. Most of them in jail now.

(adds)

There's some fine niggas in jail.

LUCKY:
You used to count his money?

JUSTICE:
Yep.

LUCKY:
Write letters to 'em while he was inna county jail?

JUSTICE:
Mmmm-huh. That's right.

LUCKY:
You used to send 'em naked pictures while they in jail too?

CLOSE:
JUSTICE'S FACE

JUSTICE (a beat): You getting too personal. ... Oh what do you know. You don't

even keep your nails clean!

She gets up and walks awtty. Lucky just looks at her, grins, and shakes his

head.

DISSOLVE TO:

DIFFERENT IMAGES Kids playing. Two little boys fight and are broken up by Cousin

Pete, who says, "Y'all family. Don 't fight. "

OLD MEN THROWING HORSESHOES. Some young people are dancing. A few older folk

join in on the fun. Lucky and Chicago

playing a game of spades with Cousin Pete and another man. Iesha going to an ice

chest to get a Bacardi Cooler. Justice playing with

some children. The three old women sitting like statues. Lucky and Chicago

winning a hand, then starting the game up again. Cousin

Pete shouts out, "Awright then, let's play for money, play for money!" Iesha

getting another drink. Justice resting on the beautiful

green grass as a little girl puts a flower in her hair. Suddenly, she turns to

notice something. One of the old women taps another as all

three direct their attention toward Iesha, who is talking to some brother, a

fly-looking Johnny Gill type. There is definite interest in both

their eyes. Justice looks from this sight over toward Chicago.

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