Poetic Justice Page #3

THE COUNTER Where Justice joins Jessie, who is busy checking the receipts of the

morning.

JUSTICE:
So.

JESSIE:
Yeah.

They both start laughing. A Delivery Man arrives with boxes of shampoo. A few

sistahs throw him an in terested eye. Jessie is

checking him out also,

JUSTICE:
So he's out, huh? Y'all got buckwild last night? Where'd y'all go?

JESSIE:
Could you put 'em over there? Snooty Fox Motor Inn. (to the stylists)

Y'all make sure to fill out them receipts!

JUSTICE (laughing): They still got them red walls?

JESSIE:
Yep, mirrors on the ceiling. Same ole, same o'. They been filling out

them receipts?

JUSTICE:
Yeah.

JESSIE:
What you know about mirrors on the ceiling? When the last time you been

there?

JUSTICE:
Snooty Fox? Don't remember.

17B INT JESSIE'S BEAUTYSALON--DAY

DOORWAY Where we see a brother, Rodney, come in with this woman.

RODNEY:
Hey, my girl need her hair and nails done.

JESSIE:
She got an appointment?

RODNEY:
Naw.

HEYWOOD (O.S.):
She ain't got no hair, either!

Some people laugh. We see the Woman. She got about as much hair as a Snap.

JESSIE:
Make an appointment. (lights a smoke, touches Justice's hat) Why you

keep wearing these hats? What you hidin?! Ooow,

keep it on.

JUSTICE (pulling her hat on): Stop.

JESSIE:
You need to let me do somethin to that head of yours. Man, I'm tired.

Got a poem for me today? Lord knows I need one.

JUSTICE:
I left my notebook in the car. I'11 get it in a bit.

JESSIE:
When you gonna get a man? Asking all these questions about mine. You

still in mourning? Sportin black, don't make time to

do your own hair. Lookin tore up from tha floor up. You can always tell when a

woman ain't givin up no coochie.

JUSTICE:
I like black. Besides, I don't have no time for no man right now.

JESSIE:
See, your problem is you make bad choices in men. You don't know how to

pick 'em.

CUT TO:
EXTSTREET-DAY Where we come down out of the sky to see a small U.S.

Postal Mail jeep turn in the street and come to

the curb. We hear the heavy bass beat ofhip-hop coming from the jeep.

JUSTICE (O.S.):
Look who's talking.

19 INT. POSTAL JEEP--DAY Inside the jeep a hand presses the stop/eject on the

recorder and flips the tape.

19A EXT.CITYSTREET--DAY THE GROUND Where the jeep door opens and a pair of sharp

Nikes come out. We travel up to reveal

the face of a young Black brother, twenty-two years, well built, rough looking,

a close fade under a cap that reads U.S.MAIL. This is

Lucky. Not your everyday postman, but just another hard-working young South

Central brother trying to make that hard-to-come-by

daily dollar. ANOTHER ANGLE As Lucky gets his bag and walks toward the salon

entrance.

PANHANDLER (singing): Hey, hey wait a minute, Mr. Postman! Mr. Postman, got some

spare change?

LUCKY:
Naw, muthafucka, but I gotta spare stamp so you can mail your ass a job

application!

CUT TO:
20 INT. JESSIE'S SALON-DAY Where Lucky enters. His eyes take in the

sight of all these fine, beautiful sistahs. This is his

favorite part of his route. One or two women pass in front ofhim.

ANOTHER ANGLE Lucky makes his way to the counter, where he gives the mail to

Justice, who is organizing the outgoing mail.

Jessie sits nearby.

LUCKY:
Y'all didn't get nothing but bills.

Lucky looks at Justice, trying to make eye contact, which she skillfully avoids.

JUSTICE'S P.O.V.: Lucky's hands pull out mail and place it on the counter. 36,

48, f.p.s. Justice is licking stamps and placing them on

outgoing envelopes. Lucky notices her sexy tongue.

LUCKY:
Why you always looking so mad? You too fine to be looking so angry. .. .

You must ain't got no boyfriend 'cause you always

angry!

Justice finally looks up. Blank eyes. Blank face. No interest whatsoever. Then

her face breaks out into a mischievous smile. She looks

Lucky up and down, checkin him out.

JUSTICE (with attitude): What do you want? What do you want from me?

LUCKY:
Well, I think you kinda fly. We could start with your number.

JUSTICE:
Come here.

Lucky looks around.

JUSTICE (sexy):
Come closer. I want to whisper somethin to you

Lucky leans in closer.

JUSTICE (coolly): Let's cut to the chase. What do you reeaally want? ... You

wanna smell my poonani?

Lucky is taken aback. Surprised.

LUCKY:
. . Uhh, yeah Here?

JUSTICE:
Wait a minute, baby. (turns to Jessle, loud) Jessie! He said he wanna

smell my poonani!

JESSIE (coolly, smoking): Really.

JUSTICE:
Yeah. Should I let him smell it?

JESSIE:
Yeah.

Jessie coolly walks from behind the counter and comes face to face with Lucky.

She leans in close to his face and blows air into his

face. Lucky is surprised. Justice and Jessie start laughing. Justice hands Lucky

the outgoing mail and walks across the shop to attend

to lesha's hair. She laughs her ass off. Lucky coolly closes his mailbag and

walks out of the salon. Jessie looks at his exit and then in

Justice's direction. She just smiles in amusement and puts out her cigarette.

Same ole, same o'.

21 EXT. JESSIE'S SALON-DAY Lucky exits the salon, retaining his cool despite

being dissed.

LUCKY (Under his breath, looking back): Crazy Black b*tches.

The Panhandler comes nearby. Lucky reaches into his pocket and gives him a

quarter.

LUCKY:
And don't smoke it. Here, take a stamp too. He hops into the jeep and

drives off.

DISSOLVE TO:
22 INT SOUTH CENTRAL POST OFFICE: CENTURY BOULEVARD-DAY

A TIME CLOCK CLOSE: A second hand flows past the frame. The minute hand is

steady. The hour hand clicks to 4:30 P.M. A time

card isplaced in. Someone is checking out. THE HALLWAY Where we see Lucky is the

one checking out. We PUSH IN to him as he

takes his card out and places it in a slot on the wall. He then goes in his

pocket to pull out an envelope.

THE ENVELOPE As it is opened, we can barely see that it is a paycheck.

ANOTHER ANGLE As Lucky notices the amount of the check. He looks frustrated.

Offscreen We hear the clock tick once more.

Lucky looks around to see if anyone is watching. Then he hits the clock,

breaking the glass.

23 INT. BATHROOM--DAY A DUFFEL BAG Being stuffed with a postal uniform. A

handpulls out a baseball cap.

24 EXT:
BATHROOM--DAY Where Lucky emerges in more comfortable clothing. As he

walks up the hall and into...

25 INT. THA SORTIN ROOM-DAY

We start on a large CLOSE UP of George Bush's face. Suddenly, it is hit with

many darts. Maybe a shot on dart P.O.V., as in Robin

Hood.

WIDER Where we see that we are in a Sorting Room. This is the place where mail

is sorted by ZIP code. There are eight guys at

work. Three are brothers; the other five are Hispanic. Chicago and a Mexican

dude, E.J., are playing darts.

CHICAGO:
You see that? I tore that muthafucka's nose up!

E.J. goes up to the dartboard, to which they have taped a picture of George

Bush.

E.J.:
Yeah that was nice!

Lucky comes into the room.

LUCKY:
Y'all need to get y'all asses to work before y'all get Ared!

CHICAGO AND E.J.: F*** you.

LUCKY (gestures to Chicago): What up, souljah?

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