Wadjda Page #15

Abdullah stands at the end of the row, dressed up in his

thobe and gutra. Wajda points down at her Father, excited.

75.

WAJDA:

See! My Father is there.

MOTHER:

(intrigued, searching)

Where?

WAJDA:

(points down firmly)

There!

MOTHER:

(excited)

Oh! I see him. Look how handsome he

is!

Wajda looks at her Mother from the corner of her eye. She is

busy looking at her Father. Wajda throws a little stone where

Abdullah stands and he looks up. He sees her without a veil

or head covering in the golden lights he himself strung up,

and smiles.

He fixes his gutra by throwing its ends on his shoulders, to

show how well dressed and important he is.

Wajda smiles back and gestures that there’s something on his

cheek. Abdullah looks worried and tries to clean his face.

Wajda laughs. Her Mother looks at her, disapprovingly.

Another man, standing next to Abdullah, looks up. Both Wajda

and her Mother duck behind the wall quickly, laughing softly.

Wajda's Mother lies down on the roof and stares at the stars

in the clear sky. Wajda lies next to her and smiles.

WAJDA:

So do you love him?

MOTHER:

(a little shy, surprised)

Who? Your Father?

WAJDA:

(smiling, teasingly)

No, the neighbor's boy?

MOTHER:

(also teasingly)

I don't think I am the one in love

with the neighbor's boy!

Wajda gets embarrassed, laughing dismissively at her Mother.

76.

Her Mother laughs. Wajda flips to her side and rests her head

on her arm in order to face her Mother.

WAJDA:

You didn't answer!

MOTHER:

I was in high school when he asked

for my hand. All the girls were so

jealous when they saw his picture.

He was the first man in my life,

and most probably the last! And I

have to admit, he's a lot of fun.

WAJDA:

You are way prettier than any other

woman I have ever seen. You'll give

my Father a heart attack with your

red dress.

MOTHER:

(suddenly sad)

Yeah. He won't see it. He'll be

busy in the men's section.

The man I know… he talks big, but

he would never burn my heart with a

second wife. I don't know who fills

his head with this nonsense.

She sits up, quickly, changing the subject.

MOTHER (CONT’D)

Enough. Let's practice one more

time for your competition tomorrow.

And don't tell anyone about that

crazy bicycle story of yours,

they'll never let you win.

Wajda makes a face, sits up, determined, and recites.

WAJDA:

And of His Signs is that he creates

for you mates out of yourselves, so

that you may find tranquility in

them; and He has put love and mercy

between you.

MOTHER:

(warmer inflection)

…Mercy between you...

WAJDA:

…Mercy between you.

77.

MOTHER:

Let it come from your heart, and

forget everyone around you.

She takes Wajda's hand and places it over her heart.

WAJDA:

(more sincere)

And of His Signs is that he creates

for you mates out of yourselves, so

that you may find tranquility in

them; and He has put love and mercy

between you.

Her voice echoes across the empty roof while the election

lights sway in the breeze.

105 INT. WAJDA'S PARENTS’ ROOM - NIGHT 105

Wajda lies in her Father's place in the bed. Her Mother

sleeps next to her in a semi-fetal position. Wajda stretches

her arms in the vast empty space of the bed, occupying only a

small part of it.

106 INT. WAJDA'S PARENTS’ ROOM - DAY 106

Wajda now sleeps in a semi-fetal position. Her Mother wakes

her up, already dressed in her abbayah to leave for work. She

caresses Wajda's hair.

MOTHER:

Now, you've got a big day today.

When you go up on the stage, say

this after me:
God inspire me, make

things easier for me. Untie my

tongue so I speak fluently.

Wajda squints to see her Mother, struggling to remember.

WAJDA:

Where are you going so early? God

inspire me, make things easier for

me..

MOTHER:

(while fixing her veil)

I have to open up the school today.

I'm the teacher on duty… Untie my

tongue ...

Wajda yawns and runs her hand through her hair.

78.

WAJDA:

...Untie my tongue...

MOTHER:

...So I speak fluently

They hear a car HONKING at the door. Wajda touches the beads

on her Mother's abbayah.

WAJDA:

...So I speak fluently.

Her Mother kisses her forehead and gets ready to leave.

MOTHER:

I wish I could come today. You know

this damn long commute. I know

you'll nail it! And don't forget,

your Grandmother wants you to wear

the vest she made you for luck.

WAJDA:

I hate that vest. I only ever wore

it that day I went to visit her.

MOTHER:

I know you hate it, but do it for

her.

Wajda stares out into the hallway as her Mother pops her head

back into the doorway.

MOTHER (CONT’D)

And whatever happens, for

God's sake, act wise. No

bargaining, no fighting, and no

crazy ideas about bicycles. Watch

that tongue of yours. Understand?

She smiles and leaves. Her black shadow stretches across the

wall and then disappears. Wajda sighs and falls back onto the

bed. She reaches over and touches her Father's prayer beads

on the night-stand.

107 EXT. THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS - DAY 107

Wajda walks, whispering to herself the tajweed rule from a

note-card. She throws her Father’s rock at a bottle.

WAJDA:

Man yajaala, Mayyjaal, edgham

beghunah.

79.

PING! The bottle spins. She smiles and walks on to school.

108 INT. THE TOY SHOP - DAY 108

The Owner puts on his glasses and looks skeptically down at a

tape labeled “Wajda’s Awesome Mix Tape Volume 8.” He puts it

in the player and presses “play.” A ROCK SONG starts. He

shakes his head disapprovingly, smiling.

109 INT. SCHOOL CORRIDOR - DAY 109

Wajda and several other girls practice their recitations.

Wajda goes through her note cards, pulling pieces of paper

out of her pockets and scanning them. Ms. Hussa enters.

MS. HUSSA

Alright girls, make sure you empty

your pockets and leave all your

study material behind. No note

cards, no reasons of descendence,

no vocabulary cards. Alright?!

NOURA:

Vocabulary? Reasons of

Descendence?! We were supposed to

know all of that?

Wajda empties her pockets, pulling out note cards and pieces

of paper. She takes out her Father's prayer beads and the

black rock. She notices Salma, sitting on a bench with her

hands tucked between her shaking knees, looking around

nervously. Ms. Hussa moves to leave.

MS. HUSSA

If we find any type of study

material on your person you will be

disqualified.

Wajda slowly walks over to Salma, bends down next to her,

holds out her rock and shows it to her.

WAJDA:

With this rock I can’t lose.

SALMA:

I'm not clean, I can't read the

Koran.

Wajda looks at her, perplexed. Overhearing, Noura approaches.

80.

SALMA (CONT’D)

(whispering)

You know…… after you sleep with

your husband… you have to wash

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote