The Power of One Page #9

A bell at the top of a strongman's game sounds. A big

Boer farmer, mallet in hand, roars in triumph, swinging

the mallet again and ringing the bell again.

66 ANGLE ON PK AND MARIA 66

walking through the carnival, munching popcorn.

MARIA:

You took a big chance talking to

my father the way you did.

PK:

Not really. Going in I was behind

on points with him. I'm English.

I attend a politically suspect

school. I'm a boxer.

MARIA:

He likes boxers.

PK:

All men like boxers. But not for

their daughters. So I had to find

some way to make an impression.

They get on line for the Ferris wheel.

MARIA:

You could have picked a more

agreeable topic.

PK:

And made much less of an

impression. Talk to someone

about their passion. Even if they

disagree they'll remember you.

It was really the most logical

strategy if you think about it.

MARIA:

Do you spend hours thinking

about how to deal with me, too?

PK:

Days.

MARIA:

Know what I think?

(beat)

48.

You're dangerous.

Their turn comes to mount the Ferris wheel. They get

into the seat and strap in.

MARIA:

When I was little we would go to

my grandfather's farm in the high

veldt for holiday.

The Ferris wheel starts to go up.

MARIA:

My father would take me to the top

of the highest hill and we'd play

this game, 'What Do You See' until

we ran out of things to see. Do

you ever play that?

PK:

No.

MARIA:

Want to try?

PK:

Sure.

The Ferris wheel stops to let more people on. Johannesburg

glitters beyond.

MARIA:

I see a forest. It goes on

forever. There are giant trees

which keep getting bigger and

bigger over thousands of years.

Now you.

The wheel begins to move a little higher and then stops.

PK:

I see little trees growing on the

forest floor, learning to grow

with the little bit of light the

big trees let in. Now you.

MARIA:

I see the big trees getting bigger,

their leaves and branches making

one great green umbrella over all

of Africa.

The wheel stops again at its highest point.

PK:

49.

I see the sun growing weaker,

giving off less light. I see the

big trees dying because they

cannot live without a lot of

light. I see the little trees

take over the forest because they

learn to adapt.

MARIA:

You tell a very good story.

Her eyes sparkle, making her irresistible. PK leans

forward. Maria turns her face towards him. Her lips

part slightly. They kiss tenderly.

The CAMERA RISES FROM them TO the star-littered sky

twinkling above. The sky goes from black to grey as

the CAMERA PANS DOWN.

GEEL PIET (V.O.)

(sing-song)

Can't hit you, can't hurt you.

Can't hit you, can't hurt you.

Can't hit you, can't hurt you.

That's it. Good. Good.

CUT TO:

67 INT. PRISON BOXING ROOM 67

Geel Piet is punching at PK, slowly, with a large pairof gloves. The seven-year-old bobs and weaves quiteexpertly. Geel Piet stops, winded.

GEEL PIET:

You wear out this old man. See?

See how it can work? How little

beat big?

PK:

Yes, sir.

punch?

But when do I get to

GEEL PIET:

You not going to just punch, man.

You going to combination.

He demonstrates.

GEEL PIET:

One-two. One-two. C'mon. Now

you. One-two. One-two.

50.

PK does his best to mimic.

GEEL PIET:

Oh do we have a boxer here. Yes

sir. We build you to eight-punch

combination. The Geel Piet eight.

Then you catch afire. One-two.

One-two.

Doc appears in the doorway.

DOC:

How is the next Joe Louis this

morning?

PK:

Try and hit me.

Doc chuckles.

PK:

No. C'mon.

Doc takes a half-hearted swing. PK bobs expertly.

PK:

No. Try hard.

Doc sets up and swings left, then right. PK avoids

both swings.

DOC:

You are amazing.

PK:

And I'm going to learn the Geel

Piet eight.

DOC:

Yes, yes, yes. But right now

you have to come learn the

Beethoven Fifth for one hour so

we can get to the cactus before

it's too hot to plant. Did you

bring her?

PK points to a nearby bucket.

PK:

Parchypodium Namquanium.

DOC:

Excellent. Excellent. We make

from you a champion and a brain.

51.

GEEL PIET:

(furtive)

Excuse me, big baas. But can I

talk to the small baas?

DOC:

Of course.

Geel Piet looks hesitantly from the man to the boy and

then begins.

GEEL PIET:

Every day I see you bring the

bucket and in the bottom is some

tobacco leaf.

PK:

It keeps the roots wet.

GEEL PIET:

What happens to the leaf after?

DOC:

A little I use in some water to

make a bug spray for the plants.

PK:

And the rest we throw away.

Geel Piet fidgets. He drops his head, speaking low.

GEEL PIET:

If you leave the pail when you go

plant is a problem, small baas?

PK:

I don't understand.

GEEL PIET:

Is like this. You see how hard

the life is for the people here in

prison. Only little pleasure they

take from this hard life maybe

sometimes when no one watching

late at night -- a little smoke.

Now with the big war in Europe

tobacco is plenty hard to get

outside. Inside it is gone.

We are the forgotten in here.

PK:

We have bunches of leaves at home.

I'll bring a whole bucketful

tomorrow.

52.

GEEL PIET:

No, no. Mustn't do that, little

baas.

PK:

I don't understand.

DOC:

What Geel Piet means is it can be

dangerous. Something the guards

might not want the people to have.

PK:

What's wrong with tobacco? Why

wouldn't they want them to have it?

DOC:

What's wrong is people whose job

it is to punish. After a little

while it is all they know how to

do.

PK:

What should I do?

DOC:

This is for you to answer.

The sound of a TRUNCHEON on METAL turns them to the door

where SERGEANT BORMANN, a side of beef with a sadist's

eyes, stands, truncheon in hand. He enters the room and

circles the trio.

BORMANN:

I smell something not right here,

ay, kaffir?

He pokes Geel Piet with his truncheon.

GEEL PIET:

(submissive)

No, meneer sergeant. Everything

okay here.

Bormann swings his truncheon into the back of Geel Piet's

knees, buckling the little man to the floor.

BORMANN:

I don't f***in' believe you.

He glares at Doc and PK.

BORMANN:

If you're up to something I'll

find out.

53.

Bormann, still eying them suspiciously, exits. Doc and

PK help Geel Piet up.

DOC:

Schweinhund.

GEEL PIET:

No, no. This old kaffir's okay.

Sorry to make any trouble, little

baas. We just stick to the boxing

now on. Sorry, sorry.

Geel Piet goes hobbling off, picking up towels. Doc

and PK go to exit. At the door PK turns.

PK:

Geel Piet.

Geel Piet turns.

PK:

I leave my bucket on the side by

Doc's toilet when I practice

piano.

Geel Piet breaks out a smile he usually keeps to himself

and exits. PK looks up at Doc who tossles his hair

approvingly.

DOC:

PK, to me you are the champion of

the world already. Come. Let us

go box now with Mr. Beethoven.

PK and Doc exit.

CUT TO:

68 INT. SOLLY'S GYM 68

PK in the ring is about to start sparring. Solly gives

him instruction as Morrie stands by.

SOLLY:

Now at the end of the Geel Piet

eight you do this... one-two...

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