The Power of One Page #7

35.

CUT TO:

48 EXT. BARBERTON - DAY 48

TRACK THROUGH Barberton, a small town on the low veldt,

in all its colonial backwater splendor.

PK (V.O.)

Barberton was a very proper

English town with a proper square,

a wide main street, and the

colonials' overblown patriotism

for a homeland most people had

never seen, hanging in the air

like fine dust. Not quite seen,

but there nonetheless.

CUT TO:

49 INT. CONCERT HALL 49

PK plays "God Save the King" on the stage. The town's

population stands -- the men, stoic; the women, deweyeyed,

at patriotic attention. Some people file out -the

men in officers' uniforms of the South African penal

system and their wives -- Boers. They exit to the dagger

stares and some undertoned hissing and booing from Her

Majesty's loyal subjects.

PK (V.O.)

The only Afrikaaners to live in

Barberton were sent there to work

at the government prison, just

outside town. Germany had

covertly supported the Boers in

their two unsuccessful wars

against British rule, supplying

food and medical supplies as well

as ample stocks of ammunition.

PK (V.O.)(CONT'D)

Germany was an old friend, a

trusted friend. And in a country

where a handshake is a friendship

and a friendship a bond for life,

as the war in Europe grew fiercer

tensions in Barberton heated up.

Suspicion was afoot. Spies were

everywhere.

CUT TO:

36.

50 EXT. ROAD TO DOC'S COTTAGE - DAY 50

Doc and PK walk toward the cottage. Doc reads PK's

report card.

DOC:

Grammar:
satisfactory. Science:

satisfactory. Mathetmatics:

satisfactory.

He looks down at PK.

DOC:

P.K., if there is one thing I

know you to be that is a lot more

than just satisfactory. Ja?

PK:

But I don't want to be known as

a brain.

DOC:

Why not?

PK:

Who do you think gets beaten up

on all the time in school?

DOC:

My boy, to be smart is not a

sin. But to be smart and not use

it, that is sin number one. And

as for getting beat up on, use

your brain to figure out how not

to be.

He hands PK the report card, his displeasure obvious.

As they crest the hill the cottage comes INTO VIEW

along with a parked Army car and two armed soldiers

leaning against it. Seeing Doc and PK, the soldiers

smarten up, raising their rifles and advancing.

Doc's face grows pale, his lips tight. PK pulls close to

him for support.

DOC:

Again it begins. The stupidity.

Do not be frightened.

Doc puts na arm around PK's shoulder, drawing him close,

comforting him. One of the soldiers pulls a pair of

handcuffs out of his pocket as he advances.

CUT TO:

37.

51 EXT. BARBERTON PRISON 51

A car pulls up. Doc, in shackles, is escorted from the

car. PK exits after him. Two guards lead Doc toward

the doorway to the prison, a square in the looming gates.

Doc walks, his head held high. PK walks alongside

holding his hand.

BRITISH OFFICER (V.O.)

Karl von Vollensteen, for the

failure to register as an alien

during times of war in accordance

with His Majesty's government

orders to do so, you are hereby

sentenced to be confined at

Barberton prison for the duration

of the war with Germany.

At the door a guard touches PK's shoulder, holding him

back. The door opens. Doc goes through. Just before

the door closes he looks back at PK one last time. The

door slams shut. PK, with tears streaming down his

cheeks, is left outside.

CUT TO:

52 INT. PK'S ROOM - NIGHT 52

Morrie lies in bed, asleep. PK sits up at his desk,

writing.

PK (V.O.)

And again I was alone with nothing

to depend on to see me through

except the power of one.

PK puts down his pen and sits, regarding the pages. He

raises his eyes to a photo on the desk of a boy on a

rock.

PK smiles at hidden memories, caps his fountain pen,

turns off the light. The room is pitched into darkness.

CUT TO:

53 EXT. DOWNTOWN ALLEY - AFTERNOON 53

The seedy side of town. PK carrying a gym bag and Morrie

looking a bit out of place in their school blazers come

striding up the alley.

38.

MORRIE:

Look, even if the scholarshipdoesn't come through, my old mansaid he'd lend you the money.

PK:

Morrie.

MORRIE:

All right. All right. We'll call

it the 'Levy Carpet EmporiumScholarship for Poor but ProudChristian Gentlemen.' How's

that?

PK:

Tell your father I appreciate theoffer.

MORRIE:

God, I hate people who can't bebought.

PK:

Why is that?

MORRIE:

I don't know. Personalitydisorder.

PK nods in agreement.

PK:

Undoubtedly.

The boys come to their destination marked by a rickety,

faded sign:
"GOLDMAN'S GYM." Excitement shines in PK's

eyes. He bounds up the narrow flight of stairs.

CUT TO:

54 INT. STAIRCASE 54

Morrie and PK rush up the stairs, stop at the landing,

and collect themselves before opening the door to the

gym. They take a breath and enter.

CUT TO:

55 INT. GYM 55

A down and dirty boxing gym, humming with the rhythm of

39.

men training. Sweat and smoke fill the air along with

the faint scent of blood. Fighters, both black and

white, train with each other. Morrie is amazed.

MORRIE:

How do they get away with this?

But PK has his mind on other things. His eyes fix on

an OLD MAN across the room standing by ringside.

PK:

There he is.

MORRIE:

Christ, he's old.

PK:

And he's the best. C'mon.

PK leads Morrie across the gym. PK passes an African

fighter. He stops training when he sees PK. He turns

to another African fighter, glancing at PK. One by one

the blacks in the gym stop training to look at PK. PK

and Morrie approach the rheumy Old Man yelling at the

two fighters in the ring above him in a thick Polish-

Jewish accent.

SOLLY (OLD MAN)

No, no. God gave you two hands so

you can knock a man out from

either side. Left-right.

He moves his creaky body back and forth to demonstrate.

PK:

Mr. Goldman?

Solly turns to the boys. A look of bemusement comes over

his face when he sees their blazers.

SOLLY:

What? You boys lost?

PK:

I'm the one who called you

yesterday. From the Prince of

Wales School?

SOLLY:

Oh yeah, yeah. The champeen.

Right?

PK:

(smiling)

Right.

40.

SOLLY:

And who are you?

MORRIE:

The champeen's manager.

Solly rolls his eyes to heaven.

SOLLY:

Oy gevalt.

(beat)

You know you train here it's not

like those nice school fights

you're used to. Three knockdowns

you win.

Just then, as if to underscore his point, one of the

fighters in the ring gets caught witha solid shot to the

jaw. He hits the canvas inches from where they are

standing. Solly, PK and Morrie all look at him, and then

at each other.

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