Tengukuri...Copyrighted in the US 2023 Page #21

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56 - INT - COMMUNITY HALL - NIGHT

It sounds like the whole village is in this one room. The sound of a huge party is in the air. Traditional Japanese instruments can be heard, stone wear, sizzling food, laughter and conversation. The view is looking upward through the open roof to a perfect starry night. But there are clouds at the edge of view, ominous clouds. The camera pans downward on Mason who is with Yua and her two cousins. One of the girls is asking a question in Japanese.

YUA:

She asks if you know anything fun in Los Angeles, they will be there for two days before New York City.

MASON:

Yeah, I love it down there, I’ve mostly stayed in the Echo Park area, but well…Disneyland, right? Uh, about 50 miles south, if they can make the trip, is Laguna Beach, and my favorite spot in Southern California. It’s f***ing beautiful…’scuse me, sorry.

YUA:

***He says Laguna Beach is the place to go. He is pretty hip right, so he probably knows. You could go to Disney land but I say just stick to the beaches. That’s where all the boys will be.***

Mason doesn’t understand. He’s stuffing food into his mouth. Notably…meat.

MASON:

Laguna, that’s the way to go. It’s a beautifully unique place.

The girls nod and laugh.

COUSIN 1

Laguna. We go. Danke Mason.

MASON:

Ja, ja, bitteshoen. ***(German) It was nice to meet you. Excuse me please.*** I need to find my…

JUKU:

Mason-san!! ***You come drink Tengukuri sake tonight!!!*** Come Mason-san!!!

MASON:

I understood “sake” and “tonight,” and really that’s…fine…that’s enough.

The two laugh together, Mason looks back at Yua. She gives him a smile and a look that encourages him to “go & have a good time.” The Garden Man heads to the back door and Mason follows. He walks over to a bench near the fountain where bottles of sake are being warmed and several other older members of Tengukuri are sitting and drinking. Yua can be seen behind him.

YUA:

Mason! Wait for me!

Mason turns, slightly relieved. He nods as though it’s party time. She reaches him.

YUA:

I come too.

Cut.

57 - EXT - COMMUNITY CENTER - NIGHT

Some of the evening has passed, everyone still there is in the process of being quite drunk. Separate stories are being told here and there. Mason and Yua are sharing a stool, listening to a beautiful older Japanese woman finish a story. Hakaima is there. Yua translates.

YUA:

The boy finally say to the Dragon King, “And the worst part was, the man never say thank you even once.”

Everyone shakes their heads, the woman smiles, quite proud of her story.

MASON:

My father used to tell me that story. Like, when we would screw something up and he would get pissed off at me and Meg, then cool down and take responsibility for getting so damn angry. Ya, that’s when that story came out. He would say things like, you guys have given me all my best gifts in this world. Thank you. He’d say he was sorry that he didn’t say it sooner. That happened more than once. Domo arrigato gozaimas.

Yua studies him intently.

YUA:

You have religion in your home Mason-san?

MASON:

Umm, well my mom was a church-goer, I spent some younger years in the Bible. Not my old man though. Especially after she passed, I guess Judo was our religion. I mean, if we’re talking about the thing we worshipped, the thing we devoted our time to, and the thing that got us through so much of the tough stuff, AND the thing we were handed from our parents, it was Judo for sure.

YUA:

Mmmm…I would like to see you. See you in worship.

Mason doesn’t understand.

MASON:

Hm. What about you? Religion isn’t really something I’ve seen highlighted here. Which really is pretty f***in weird. A place untouched by it. Especially Christianity…and Buddhism. I bet there’s Christians out there that would accuse…like, literally accuse a place like this that it’s guilty of some sort of nature worship, paganism horse sh*t. …Ya, I bet.

YUA:

Yes. Tengukuri very connected to the land, but we know gods and devils are real. Life is all around us and we cannot see it. In San Francisco I go to church. Jesus forgive everything. I like that. Jesus replace everything, I don’t like that. Jesus in everything, I like that. Everything sound and look like Jesus in Bible, I don’t like that. Everything different but from same place. Okay to draw blood for your people. Honor not taught inChristianity very well.

Mason is visibly loaded, but somehow fixed on her, sober in his analysis.

MASON:

Hmm. That’s beautiful Yua. It actually sounds like you spent more time with the church than I was kind of … imagining. I mean, to have that kind of insight.

The woman was sitting and watching their interaction. She now gets up to leave.

WOMAN STORYTELLER

***You two have a beautiful night. I hope you get some time alone. I’m going home to bed. The weather is changing. Thank you for a wonderful evening Yua.***

YUA:

***I love you Aunt. Thank you for your stories and your smiles. Sleep well and be safe on the the way home. Shall we walk you?***

MASON:

Where the f*** is Mikki?

His countenance has changed. His eyes have changed. It startles Yua, she notices. Mason is drifting into a different place. Sound in the room changes. Yua can be heard talking with The Woman Storyteller in the background noise now. A ringing in the ears.

MASON:

(Slurred slightly) Hey!…where the f*** is Mikki?!

Mason slams his cup down and gets up, he stumbles a bit. Others have started cleaning up and they begin to close the roof. The wind is picking up. Mason walks about the grounds, he is in a**hole mode a bit, people want to engage him, but he is focused and almost rude, they look away when they see his face. He walks out a side door and down three stares, he has forgotten he is barefoot. Mason hates being barefoot outside.

MASON:

Mikki!!!! Michelle Elizabeth Neely!!!!

He closes his eyes and imagines the waterfall, the wind blows not only his hair but his whole body to the side. His senses are all over the place. He smells the air. Nature is speaking to him. An arm grabs him as he opens his arms ready to destroy someone. It is The Horseman.

THE HORSEMAN:

Come, Mikki, come, Mason-san.

Mason trusts him with abandon. Wind and leaves and debris can be seen blowing about. Our view moves up into the trees as we see the men walk out of view.

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