Sounder Page #6

REBECCA:

You mean to tell me I can't see my own husband?

SHERIFF YOUNG:

That's the way they do things here in Landsdown.

I just follow orders.

REBECCA:

I got to see my husband, Sheriff Young!

SHERIFF YOUNG:

I'd like to help you, Rebecca. But all that

would do, is git us both in trouble.

REBECCA:

Will they give him a trial?

SHERIFF YOUNG:

Shore thing -- next week sometime, and as soon

as I git the day, I'll ride out and let you

know 'bout it.

REBECCA:

You gotta low-life job, mister sheriff!

REBECCA turns and storms out of the SHERIFF'S office and onto the street.

EXT. STREET - DAY

REBECCA walks in haste and anger away from the SHERIFF's Office on the main

street of Landsdown.

EXT. COMMISSARY - DAY

She even moves past the commissary -- stops and calms herself for a moment,

turns around and enters the store.

INT. THE COMMISSARY STORE - DAY

She moves directly to the counter where an elderly man stands: MR. HOWARD,

the owner of the store and farm owner the MORGAN family share-crops for. She

puts the bag of walnuts on the counter.

MR HOWARD:

Rebecca, you jest the one I wanta see.

REBECCA:

I brought these walnuts to trade.

He looks into the bag -- then empties the walnuts onto a weighing scale --

looks to her...

MR HOWARD:

That's one dollar an' twenty cents.

REBECCA:

I wanta get some things.

MR HOWARD:

I hope it ain't a lot,'cause I can't give you

no more credit till the croppin' season gits

back, that is if Na--

REBECCA:

I didn't say nothin' 'bout credit, Mr. Howard.

MR HOWARD:

Whatcha wanta order?

REBECCA:

I need some nutmeg, flour, eggs, sugar, and...

A few minutes later, he puts her last article up on the counter.

MR HOWARD:

Now what I wanta talk to you 'bout is Nathan.

He oughtn' done what he did: sneakin' into the

James' place and takin' they goods. That looks

bad on me. I been good to y'all -- didn't I go

to all that trouble to get the people of

Landsdown to let your David Lee go to they

school? Didn't I?

With the mood she's in, REBECCA does not have anything to say to this man

concerning NATHAN, DAVID LEE or that damn school. For a moment he waits for

her to say something and then he goes on --

MR HOWARD:

And another thing; with Nathan stuck in jail

and all, how you gon' crop for me when the

spring season comes, huh?

She still can't find words to say to this man, but tries. He is impatient,

and a little snap cracks in his voice.

MR HOWARD:

Dammit, I'm talkin' to you, woman! I gotta farm

to think about and I need answers.

REBECCA:

(pause)

The season is a long way off, Mr. Howard, and

by that time, Nathan oughta be home. If he

ain't, believe me -- the children and me -- we

will grow the crops. We have to because we owe

you all that money -- Mr. Howard.

What she has just said about the money they owe is a frustrated thought in

HOWARD'S mind as he looks to her helplessly.

EXT. PORCH STEPS OF THE MORGAN'S CABIN - DAY

DAVID LEE, JOSIE MAE and EARL are sitting on the steps, looking out on the

road.

JOSIE MAE:

Do you think Sounder is dead, David Lee?

EARL:

Will he stay dead?

DAVID LEE:

He ain't dead, now stop askin' crazy questions!

JOSIE MAE:

You don't havta get mad 'cause you didn't find

the ol' dog!

JOSIE'S words hit him hard. He looks to her for a moment with a pained

expression -- turns his eyes back to the road where he spots someone coming

up the road toward the house from an unidentifiable distance.

EXT. THE YARD - DAY

DAVID LEE stops in the middle of the yard with his eyes dead set on the

approaching figure.

DAVID LEE:

Somebody's comin' here...

JOSIE MAE and EARL move down from the stoop and stand behind DAVID LEE, their

eyes dead set on the road.

DAVID LEE:

It's Mama!

The children run out to greet her.

JOSIE MAE & EARL

Hi, Mama!

They all reach her as she lays some of the packages down on the ground.

REBECCA:

Hi, Children -- here, take some of these

packages.

The children relieve her of all of the packages, and they start moving

through the yard for the house.

DAVID LEE:

Did you see Daddy?

REBECCA:

No, son. We havta wait 'til the holiday comes

-- anyway, they won't let womenfolk see their

men no time.

DAVID LEE:

Can I go when the holiday comes?

REBECCA:

You sure can, son...

They step up on the porch and move into the house.

INT. SITTING ROOM-KITCHEN - DAY

They enter the house and start putting the packages on the table.

REBECCA:

Any sign of Sounder?

DAVID LEE:

No mam -- I looked all over.

REBECCA:

I think maybe he was scraped on the head by

that shot. I don't think he's dead -- just gone

somewhere to heal himself.

She takes out of one of the bags of flour, cocoa, and a small bottle of

vanilla flavoring. EARL takes out from one of the bags an empty cardboard box.

EARL:

Nothin' in here, Mama.

REBECCA:

I'm goin' use it to put a cake in and I'm gon'

let David Lee take it to your daddy!

As the children help their mother put the things away.

DAVID LEE:

Mama... Make a chocolate cake... Daddy likes

things that's chocolate! (smile).

INT. MEZZANINE SECTION, COURT ROOM - DAY

It is a small section provided for "colored only" -- REBECCA is seated with

DAVID LEE and IKE -- A few other black people are seated about in this area,

overlooking the main courtroom.

COURT CLERK:

Defendant will rise and come before the bench.

They don't even bother to sit -- they stand just inside the entrance and

watch in intense silence. NATHAN moves slowly before the JUDGE'S bench and

stops.

JUDGE:

Nathan Lee Morgan, you have been found guilty

of unlawful trespass and robbery -- do you have

anything to say before sentence is passed?

NATHAN LEE:

(almost in a whisper).

No, sir...

JUDGE:

It is the judgment of this court that you be

remanded to the custody of the sheriff of this

county and that you be taken forthwith to serve

a term of one year at hard labor at such county

labor camp as shall be hereafter designated.

Next case, please...

They watch two guards lead him from the courtroom in handcuffs. DAVID looks

on sadly as REBECCA cringes at the sight of the Guards taking him away.

EXT. COURT HOUSE SQUARE - DAY

From the top of the Court House building, REBECCA, DAVID LEE and IKE can be

seen, slowly walking across the square, moving farther and farther away.

EXT. BACKYARD - DAY

REBECCA hangs out clothes - DAVID LEE draws water from the well -- JOSIE MAE

wrings the water out of the clothes -- EARL pours water into the wash tub.

EXT. SCHOOLYARD - DAY

DAVID LEE, on his way to school, is late again -- enters the schoolyard, and

dashes into the building.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

DAVID LEE roams about the woods, alone, in the hope that he might come upon

SOUNDER.

INT. THE KITCHEN - DAY

DAVID LEE reads from "The Three Musketeers" to REBECCA, JOSIE MAE and EARL.

It is very funny -- they laugh.

INT. THE SHED - DAY

DAVID LEE, in the shed takes his father's baseball glove down from the wall

-- puts the glove on -- holds it up, and then slaps his fist into the pocket

several times -- stops and looks off into blank space -- he keeps looking

straight ahead as if he can visually see his father off from a long distance.

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