The Help Page #12

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We continue with the interview seen on page one.

SKEETER:

What does it feel like, to raise a

white child when your own child's

at home, being...looked after by

somebody else?

AIBILEEN:

It feel...Uh.

Aibileen glances up to the framed picture of Treelore.

SKEETER:

Is that your son?

42.

AIBILEEN:

Yes, ma'am. He dead two years now.

Got run over at the lumber yard.

Lungs were crushed.

SKEETER:

I'm so sorry. That's horrible.

And, Aibileen, you don't have to

call me "ma'am." Not here anyway.

Aibileen nods. Skeeter stares at her list of questions.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

Do you want to talk about the

bathroom? Or, about Elizab--Miss

Leefolt? Anything about the way

she pays you? Has she ever yelled

at you in front of Mae Mobley?

Aibileen shakes her head.

AIBILEEN:

I'm sorry, I-

Aibileen covers her mouth with her hand. Skeeter becomes

disgusted with herself.

SKEETER:

No, I am.

She pulls out a stack of Miss Myrna letters.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

Let's just do a couple of Miss

Myrna letters, and I'll run on...

AIBILEEN:

I thought I might write my stories

down and read them to you.

SKEETER:

Well, sure I guess.

AIBILEEN:

It no different than writing down

my prayers.

SKEETER:

You don't say your prayers aloud?

AIBILEEN:

Prayer like electricity. It keep

life going. Writing it down make

it more powerful. Lot a ailing,

sick peoples in this town.

SKEETER:

I'm sure.

AIBILEEN:

I didn't get a chance to pray for

Treelore.

43.

AIBILEEN (CONT'D)

God took him fast `cause he didn't

want to argue with me. He was just

twenty-four years old. The best

part of a person's life.

SKEETER:

Oh, Aibileen.

AIBILEEN:

But he'd like we's doing this. He

always said we gone have a writer

in the family one day...After my

prayers last night, I got some

stories down too.

Skeeter nods. Aibileen opens her notebook and reads.

AIBILEEN (CONT'D)

My first white baby to ever look

after was named Alton Carrington

Speers. It was 1938, and I'd just

turned fourteen years old. Daddy

had left us, so I dropped out a

school to help momma with the

bills.

INT. MOUNT ZION BABTIST CHURCH - MORNING

A congregation of three hundred stand singing lively with the

large choir.

Aibileen stands next to Yule May and is whispering in her

ear. Yule suddenly leans back, shocked, shaking her head

"no."

Minny watches from two pews back. Her curiosity is peaked.

AIBILEEN (V.O.)

Alton's momma died a lung disease.

I loved that baby, and he loved me.

That's when I learned I could make

children feel proud of theyselves.

INT. HARPER AND ROW PUBLISHING - OFFICE - NEW YORK

Miss Stein sits at her desk reading Aibileen's stories.

AIBILEEN (V.O.)

Alton used to always be asking me

how come I's black...

INT. AIBILEEN'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

AIBILEEN:

It just ate him up, so one time I

told him it cause I drank too much

coffee. Oh, law, you should a seen

his face.

44.

Skeeter laughs as she writes down Aibileen's story.

SKEETER:

This is great. You have no idea

how much I appreciate this...But I

just have to ask. What changed

your mind?

AIBILEEN:

(WITHOUT PAUSE)

Miss Hilly Holbrook.

INT. JUNIOR LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS - MORNING

Hilly stands at a podium banging a gavel. The pleats of her

navy blue sailor's number fan out like an accordion.

A room full of JUNIOR LEAGUE MEMBERS sits up and quiets down.

Half the girls are pregnant and most all drink TAB and are

smoking. Skeeter sits in the back next to Elizabeth.

HILLY:

We're running behind on our "coat

drive," girls. So hurry up and

clean out those closets...But our

Christmas Benefit, however, is

right on schedule as y'all have

already filled all our baked goods

raffle slots.

The girls applaud, turning to each other with praise.

HILLY (CONT'D)

Y'all think we can put a dent in

the African Children's hunger this

year?

More applause. Those who aren't pregnant, stand. Hilly

beams. Elizabeth nudges Skeeter out of her chair.

HILLY (CONT'D)

Now for some exciting news...I

wanted y'all to be the first to

know...My William is seeking

election to the State Senate this

November!

Now, even the pregnant women stand. Elizabeth grabs

Skeeter's arm and pulls herself up.

HILLY (CONT'D)

He's runnin' on a platform of

health. Protecting our children.

Protecting our way of life. So, I,

with William, have drafted The Home

Health Sanitation Initiative.

This sets off a room of whispers.

45.

HILLY (CONT'D)

Skeeter, when can we expect to see

the initiative in the newsletter?

I gave it to you a month ago.

Everyone turns to Skeeter. Elizabeth panics.

ELIZABETH:

I gave that to you myself!

SKEETER:

I, ah...Well, I-

HILLY:

Would you please stand, Skeeter?

As Skeeter rises, several women shake their heads.

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