The Leopard Man Page #10

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SENORA CONTRERAS

I did not come into this world a

middle�aged widow, mi hijita...

Consuelo shakes her head in agreement -- but looks puzzled.

SENORA CONTRERAS

Anything you think -- anything you

do - - I thought and did before

you. And my mother before me...

Consuelo nods dutifully.

SENORA CONTRERAS

You are so young. I don't want you

to look back on anything lacking in

dignity, a few years from now.

CONSUELO:

(murmuring)

No, Mama --

SENORA CONTRERAS

Naturally, young men will become

interested in you. They should come

here, to our house. They should be

introduced to you by their parents

or your Cousin Felipe or some other

older relative -�

Consuelo nods again. She glances uneasily at her mother and

then her eyes go frantically to the clock. Senora Contreras

lets go Consuelo's hand and leans back against the chaise

lounge. She gives a little sigh of defeat.

SENORA CONTRERAS

Very well -- get Rosita and go.

CONSUELO:

Thank you, Mama -- I'll hurry -

I'll be right back!

Consuelo leans over, kisses her mother hastily and then

rushes out of the room. Senora Contreras looks at the doorway

through which Consuelo has passed. She smiles.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CEMETERY WALL - DUSK

TRUCKING SHOT - Consuelo and her maid are walking along the

wall, quickly. Rosita is carrying the roses in her arm.

ROSITA:

(importantly)

Pedro is waiting for me, too.

CONSUELO:

(shyly)

Rosita �� I have wondered -�

ROSITA:

What, senorita?

CONSUELO:

When you are going to see Pedro,

does your heart beat until you

tremble?

Rosita shrugs. Consuelo lifts one of the roses to her face.

CONSUELO:

Once Raoul took my hand and pressed

it to his cheek �- so gently, so

longingly. Suddenly I was afraid

for him -- afraid of everything in

the world that might hurt or sadden

him. He saw the tears in my eyes --

Consuelo is silent, her face ecstatic, remembering.

ROSITA:

(almost sullenly)

Love is different for different

people.

CONSUELO:

(slowly � thoughtfully)

I suppose so. I suppose it will be

different for us, too �� when

everyone knows. Then we will be

just like other people.

(smiles)

But these last weeks will always be

our secret �� a lovely secret to

remember all our lives.

EXT. GATES OF ALL SAINTS CEMETERY - TWILIGHT

The light is already dimming when Consuelo and Rosita come up

to the gates. In front of the ponderous wooden gates, folded

back like great dark wings, stands the gatekeeper of the

cemetery. Fe is a very tall, incredibly thin, old man,

dressed in a tight black alpaca suit. He has built a little

fire in the gutter and stands warming himself by it. In his

hands is an unfinished wooden necklace which he is carving.

ROSITA:

(hurriedly)

I will see you back at the house,

Senorita...

Consuelo nods and Rosita hurries away down the street. The

gatekeeper looks up.

GATEKEEPER:

You're late today, Senorita.

CONSUELO:

I have brought my birthday flowers

for my father's grave -- it will

only take a moment - -

GATEKEEPER:

Time is strange. A moment can be as

short as a breath --or as long as

eternity -- don't linger - -

Consuelo starts through the gates, not paying any attention

to the old man's words.

GATEKEEPER:

(calling after Consuelo)

The gates are locked at six --

There is no reply. The old man shrugs his shoulders and

hunches over his little Lire again.

EXT. CEMETERY - C0NTRERAS FAMILY PLOT - EVENING

The headstone of Don Rafael Contreras' grave, white stone,

with a bronze wreath, is shadowed by the failing light of

sunset. The headstone reads:

INSERTRAFAEL CONTRERAS y GARCIA

PRAY FOR HIS SOUL

BACK TO SCENE. Consuelo's flowers lie across the grave.

Consuelo is half kneeling, half sitting beside the grave.

CONSUELO:

(low, but speaking

perfectly naturally and

conversationally)

And so you must forgive me, father,

for deceiving mother. She will meet

Raoul soon -- and everything will

be as you would wish. I promise.

Consuelo rises and crosses to a near-by path. She looks into

the growing shadows of the cemetery -- then up into the

trees. Only the tops of them are lighted by the last rays of

the sunset.

EXT PATH LEADING TO BELVEDERE IN CEMETERY - DUSK

Consuelo hurries along a path, with trees and graves on

either side.

EXT BELVEDERE IN CEMETERY - DUSK

Just off the path is a little belvedere, a circular hedge

spaced at intervals by Grecian columns. Inside, a marble

bench curves half-way around the hedge. Consuelo approaches

it. Seeing the belvedere empty, she looks puzzled. She steps

into the belvedere and then turns back and looks into the

lowering gloom of the cemetery.

CONSUELO:

(uncertainly)

Raoul? ... Raoul...

Consuelo waits, Her face is filled with disappointment and

the first faint uneasiness of apprehension as the silence

continues. She turns back into the belvedere.

INT BELVEDERE - NIGHT

On the ground a number of partly smoked cigarettes have been

stamped out -� and another lies on the marble bench. Consuelo

picks it up and looks at it.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. ENTRANCE OF CEMETERY - NIGHT

From the inside of the cemetery, we see one of the wooden

gates swinging closed,

EXT GATES OF CEMETERY

The Gatekeeper is laboriously pulling the other gate closed.

Suddenly, he stops. He pushes the gate back open a little

way and, standing in the opening, takesa whistle from his

pocket and puts it to his lips. It has a high, thin,

quavering sound.

BELVEDERE IN CEMETERY - NIGHT

Consuelo is seated on the marble bench, her posture dejected,

lost in thought. In the distance, the whistle sounds faintly.

She does not stir.

EXT GATES OF CEMETERY - NIGHT

The Gatekeeper gives two mere short blasts on the whistle.

INT BELVEDERE IN CEMETERY - NIGHT

Consuelo raises her head as the quavering notes sound in the

distance. For a moment, she looks puzzled -- then her eyes

widen in horrified recognition of the sound. She jumps to her

feet.

EXT. BELVEDERE IN CEMETERY - NIGHT

Consuelo steps out of the inclosure. She looks up into the

tree tops. They are only darkness now, merging with the

almost complete darkness of the sky above. Consuelo runs down

the path.

EXT. GATES OF CEMETERY- NIGHT

The Gatekeeper stands listening for a moment and then

continues pulling the gate toward him until it clicks shut

with the other gate. He drops the whistle into his coat

pocket and, from the same pocket, pulls out a large key. He

turns it in the lock of the gate. He turns around and moves

toward the street and his little gutter fire. His shadow

moves enormously on the gate.

EXT MAIN AVENUE OF CEMETERY - NIGHT

We see Consuelo running down a broad avenue in the cemetery.

EXT GATES OF CEMETERY - NIGHT

MED. LONG SHOT of the closed cemetery gates. The Gatekeeper

has disappeared. The little fire burning away in the empty

street makes the loneliness of the scene more apparent.

EXT. ENTRANCE OF CEMETERY - NIGHT

Panting, Consuelo flings herself against the closed gates,

tugging at the handle.

CONSUELO:

Let me out! Help �� helps! Let me

out of here!

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