The Help Page #4

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HILLY:

They'd be a fool not to hire you.

Jolene raises her glass.

JOLENE:

To Skeeter...and her job. Last

stop `til marriage.

Hilly kicks Jolene under the table.

12.

SKEETER:

The Miss Myrna column. Have y'all

read it?

HILLY:

Well, no! But, I bet the poor

girls without any help, in South

Jackson, read it like the King

James.

Everyone laughs. Skeeter's forehead crinkles.

SKEETER:

Elizabeth, would you mind if I talk

to Aibileen? To help me answer

some of the letters? Just until I

get a knack for it.

Aibileen clears dishes as if she hasn't heard a thing.

Elizabeth gets very still.

ELIZABETH:

Aibileen? My Aibileen? What can't

you just get Constantine to help

you?

Skeeter looks to her lap and shakes her head.

SKEETER:

Constantine...quit us.

ELIZABETH HILLY:

What?! Oh, my gosh!

Skeeter nods her head sadly.

HILLY:

I'm so sorry, Skeeter.

SKEETER:

I really don't want to talk about

it. Okay?

The girls nod.

SKEETER (CONT'D)

Anyway...I don't know how to answer

these letters.

Elizabeth looks to Aibileen.

ELIZABETH:

Well...I mean as long as it doesn't

interfere with her work.

A phone rings. Elizabeth nods to Aibileen.

INT. LEEFOLT HOME - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Aibileen rushes in the kitchen and answers the phone.

13.

AIBILEEN:

Leefolt residence.

INT. FOOTE ESTATE (INTERCUT) - KITCHEN - SAME TIME

CLOSE ON:

Pink, fuzzy slippers anchoring bare, sexy legs stand on a

black and white check floor.

CELIA FOOTE (O.C.)

Ah-hem. Hello, is Elizabeth in?

Rising up a slim torso, sizeable cleavage bursts out of a

pink robe's collar.

AIBILEEN:

She having bridge club right now.

May I take a message?

CELIA FOOTE, 28, peroxide blonde, stands in all her country

girl glory.

She speaks with a thick, unrefined, Southern accent, mired in

insecurity.

CELIA:

Please tell her Celia Foote called

again. I'll call back tomorrow.

AIBILEEN:

Yes, ma'am.

Celia nervously twists herself around in the phone cord.

CELIA:

Ah-hem. Miss?

"Miss" strikes Aibileen as very odd.

CELIA (CONT'D)

I'm looking for some help at my

house. You know any maids looking?

AIBILEEN:

No, ma'am.

CELIA FOOTE:

Okay. Celia Foote. Emerson 6-8-4.

Bye, now.

Celia hands up the phone with a frown and sips from a coca-

cola bottle.

INT. LEEFOLT HOME - LIVING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Aibileen enters the living room with a coffee pot.

14.

ELIZABETH:

Who was that on the phone?

AIBILEEN:

Miss Celia Foote called again.

Elizabeth leans over and touches Hilly's arm.

ELIZABETH:

I've never called her back, Hilly.

HILLY:

She can't take a hint, can she?

JOLENE:

Who's Celia Foote?

HILLY:

That tacky girl Johnny married.

ELIZABETH:

Girl? I heard she's twenty-eight.

JOLENE:

Oh my God!

HILLY:

Uh-hmm, worked concessions at a LSU

game and sold him a hotdog. And,

boy, he got a whole lot more.

All the girls laugh.

SKEETER:

Could have been you, Hilly.

HILLY:

And live thirty minutes outside of

town? Anyway, I ran into her at

the beauty parlor, and she had the

nerve to ask if she could help with

the children's benefit.

SKEETER:

Aren't we taking non-members? The

benefit's gotten so big.

HILLY:

Yes, but we're not telling her.

Everyone laughs but Skeeter. Aibileen pours Skeeter a cup of

coffee. Skeeter looks up decidedly and smiles.

SKEETER:

Thank you, Aibileen.

Hilly begins squirming in her seat, obviously making a point.

Elizabeth leans over.

ELIZABETH:

Oh, Hilly, I wish you'd just go use

the bathroom.

15.

HILLY:

Ah-hem. I'm fine.

Missus Walters shouts out from the sofa.

MISSUS WALTERS:

She's upset cause the nigra uses

the guest bath, and so do we.

Elizabeth turns to Aibileen.

ELIZABETH:

Aibileen, go check on Mae Mobley.

Aibileen disappears. Elizabeth leans into Hilly.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)

Just go use mine and Raleigh's.

Hilly hiss-whispers.

HILLY:

If Aibileen uses the guest

bathroom, I'm sure she uses yours

too.

ELIZABETH:

SHE DOES NOT!

Aibileen turns the corner in the hall and stops.

HILLY:

Wouldn't you rather them take their

business outside?

Skeeter sees a reflection of Aibileen listening off of a

picture in the hall. Skeeter tries to change the subject.

SKEETER:

Did y'all see the cover of "Life"

this week? Jackie's never looked

MORE REGAL-

HILLY:

-Tell Raleigh every penny he spends

on a colored's bathroom, he'll get

back in spades when y'all sell.

It's just plain dangerous.

Everybody knows they carry

different diseases than we do. I

double.

Elizabeth takes a puff of her cigarette and fidgets with her

cards.

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