The Leopard Man Page #9

---

Rosita nods contritely. Walking with exaggerated care, she

joins them and they all start up the stairs.

The CAMERA FOLLOWS them as they go upstairs.

INT. UPPER HALLWAY - EARLY MORNING

SHOT of Senora Contreras, Marta and Rosita as they come up to

the landing and start on tiptoe toward a door. The Senora

Contreras puts her hand on the knob softly. Cousin Felipe

pulls a single rose from Rosita's armful. Marta sees him -

she glares but says nothing.

INT. CONSUELO'S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

Although the curtains of the room are drawn, the softly

filtered daylight shows this to be a room of delicacy and

lightness. The simplicity of the white walls, the sheer

curtains hanging across the barred, embrasured windows, the

lovely lace coverlet and the pretty young-girl trinkets on

the dressing table give the room an air of lightness.

As the door swings inward, the sunlight fills the room. Then

we see, lying in the bed, serenely asleep, Consuelo

Contreras. This is her eighteenth birthday.

Senora Contreras walks to the foot of the bed and stands

looking down at her daughter. She smiles sadly. In still,

untroubled sleep, the full vulnerability of Consuelo's youth

is touchingly apparent.

Marta stands to one side, a little behind Senora Contreras.

Cousin Felipe remains in the background, near the open door.

Rosita tiptoes cautiously to the head of the bed and

carefully puts down the roses, so that the blossoms lie in

the curve of Consuelo's outflung arm. She has to drop on one

knee to do this and she stays in this position, slowly

drawing her hands away from the flowers. They start singing

"Las Mananitas" the traditional birthday song of Mexico --

singing very softly at first.

Consuelo stirs slightly and then opens her eyes. Lying as she

does, the first thing she sees are the roses, lying beside

her.

She lifts her eyes from the roses to see Rosita's eager

smiling face, almost on a level with her own. Rosita's smile

broadens but she goes on singing dutifully.

Still bemused, but beginning to smile faintly herself,

Consuelo looks beyond Rosita and sees Cousin Felipe standing

back by the door. Very much the gallant, he touches his

stolen rose to his lips and tosses it to Consuelo.

Consuelo continues her survey of the room and turns her eyes

to the foot of the bed.

CONSUELO:

(happily and lovingly)

Madrecita!

Senora Contreras nods slowly, but continues to sing with the

others as they go into the chorus.

Consuelo starts to sit up, pulling the roses to her.

Rosita gets up, too, and props the pillows behind her young

mistress. Senora Contreras comes around the bed and sits on

the edge of it as the song finishes.

ROSITA:

Good morning on your birthday,

Senorita Consuelo --

Marta goes to one of the windows and motions Rosita to the

other.

MARTA:

It is a good morning, nina -- see

how the sun is shining for you - -

Marta draws back the curtains and the room, already light,

seems to grow even lighter. Senora Contreras leans forward

and kisses Consuelo's forehead.

CONSUELO:

What a lovely way to wake up!

She looks from the bouquet of roses to the single rose that

Cousin Felipe threw onto the bed. She picks it up and holds

it to her face.

CONSUELO:

It is so beautiful, Cousin Felipe.

Thank you for buying it!

At Consuelo's first words, Cousin Felipe begins to beam. But

he glances across the room and encounters Marts's grin,

sardonic glance just as Consuelo says "How carefully you must

have picked it out!" Abashed, he murmurs something

unintelligible and quietly slips out of the room.

At the window, Rosita has been standing with her back to

Marta, staring fixedly at Consuelo to attract her attention.

She makes a little notion with her hands now and Consuelo

glances at her. Smiling secretively, Rosita draws a white

envelope part way out of her apron pocket, just enough to let

Consuelo see what it is. Then she hastily puts it out of

sight again. There is a sudden light in Consuelo's eyes. She

is transfigured with a really exultant happiness.

SENORA CONTRERAS

(amused)

Had you forgotten that it was your

birthday? I believe you had --

Consuelo gives a helpless little laugh of delight, throws her

arms around her mother end puts her head down against her

mother's shoulder.

CONSUELO:

I'm so happy -- so happy!

Senora Contreras pats the girl's head fondly. Marta, leaving

the room, smiles at mother and daughter.

MARTA:

(turning at the door)

Rosita!

Rosita slowly walks away from the window and toward the door,

But as soon as Marta has gone out of the door, she stops at

the dressing table on the pretext of dusting the bottles with

her apron.

Senora Contreras rises, with difficulty, and also goes to the

door.

SENORA CONTRERAS

Hurry now, my sweet, or we will be

late for mass.

As Senora Contreras leaves the room, Rosita whirls around

from the dressing table.

CONSUELO:

(excitedly)

Quick! Give it to me!

Rosita hands Consuelo the letter, Consuelo tears it open and

reads the few lines. From her expression, one sees that even

the handwriting of her beloved fills her with happiness.

CONSUELO:

He will be waiting...

ROSITA:

(eager to help)

You must say that you went to take

some of the roses to your father's

grave...

CONSUELO:

(reading the note again)

At four. He will be there at four.

She goes to the window and looks out.

CLOSE SHOT of Consuelo at window.Beyond her we see the sun

dial on the wall.It is seven o'clock and the shadows lie

thick and heavy in the morning quadrant.

CONSUELO:

The time will never pass.

DISSOLVE:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

At a French window in the living room downstairs, Consuelo is

pulling aside the heavy lace curtains and looking out. Beyond

her we see the big sun dial and the shadows lie heavy in the

afternoon quadrant. It is nearly 5:00. She drops the curtain

and turns back into the room.

MED. LONG SHOT - living room. Senora Contreras is half

reclining in a chaise lounge. Consuelo is sitting on a petit

point footstool beside the chaise lounge. Both of them have

embroidery frames in their hands. They are working on very

fine, sheer pillow cases,

CONSUELO:

(nervously)

It seems to be getting darker in

here.

Senora Contreras glances over at the bright sunlight in the

windows.

CONSUELO:

Aren't you afraid you will have a

headache from working so long,

Mama?

SENORA CONTRERAS

If we don't work on these a little

each day, they will never be done -

and you will be a poor bride.

Consuelo looks at her mother curiously and a little

apprehensively. Senora Contreras smiles but does not reply. A

clock on the mantel strikes five in tiny bell tones. Consuelo

looks at the clock desperately. Senora Contreras puts down

her embroidery frame.

SENORA CONTRERAS

It is late, isn't it? Too late, I'm

afraid, for you to go to the

cemetery now.

Consuelo jumps to her feet.

CONSUELO:

But I must go to the cemetery,

Mamas! It's my birthday -- I must!

Senora Contreras studies the girl's troubled face. She

reaches out her hand, takes Consuelo's hand and pulls the

girl to her.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes