Wadjda Page #3

Her eye then shift to the sign and the price as the MUSIC

drifts out of the store.

15 EXT. THE CONSTRUCTION SITE - DAY 15

Wajda counts the small wad of money she made at school today

and stuffs it back into her pocket in frustration. She takes

out the black stone from her pocket and throws it across the

field at a coke bottle. A group of WORKERS yell suggestive

insults at her.

INDIAN WORKER:

Nice throw! Come up and play

with us! Let me touch those little

apples.

Wajda freezes and pretends she didn't hear him.

They laugh vulgarly at her. As she hurries towards the rock,

Abdullah appears and picks it up. He throws it far across the

lot, knocking another coke bottle out of its place.

Wajda relaxes, relieved to see him, but then acts upset as

she runs and picks up the stone. She picks up another one and

throws it back towards him.

WAJDA:

Take this! And stop following

me. I don't want to play with you

any more. They made me stand up all

day at school in the sun for not

having a veil today.

The rock falls short of Abdullah's feet. He looks at Wajda,

ashamed. Wajda puts her stone in her pocket, glaring at him.

He picks up the rock and runs to his bicycle and pulls out a

package.

11.

ABDULLAH:

Here, I got you this.

Wajda looks at him, walks over and takes the package. She

opens it and unfurls a new black veil with a yellow flower

made of beads on the corner. She acts defiant as she puts it

in her bag.

WAJDA:

This doesn't make us even, you

know. We'll get even when we race.

I’ll have my new bicycle very soon.

ABDULLAH:

What? Girls can't have bicycles!

WAJDA:

Then I guess it will be that much

more embarrassing for you when I

beat you!

Wajda walks away in a huff. Abdullah looks at the stone she

threw at him and stuffs it in his pocket.

Abdullah rides away on his bicycle as a small pick-up truck

passes by causing a huge cloud of dust over Abdullah. Wajda

looks back and laughs.

The CONTRACTOR gets out of his car and heads towards the

workers.

He looks at Abdullah.

CONTRACTOR:

Hey, you, go away little boy!

Abdullah is upset. The Contractor goes over to the workers.

CONTRACTOR (CONT’D)

All day and only one pillar? 5 men

working and I get only one pillar?

He slaps one of them on his neck.

CONTRACTOR (CONT’D)

Go to car go.. We have to finish

working on the other building.

He stuffs the workers onto the back of the truck. Some of the

workers put wet towels on their heads to avoid the unbearable

heat.

12.

16 EXT. THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS - DAY 16

Wajda’s sneakers kick up small clouds of dust as she heads

home. Green bushes have just been planted on the side of the

road. She leans over and smells them. She smiles and picks

the leaves off, one by one.

17 INT. WAJDA'S ROOM - DAY 17

Wajda sits at her desk with her money out in front of her.

The green leaves are now sorted into small plastic bags to

the side. She writes "500 Riyals" on a piece of paper and

draws a chart underneath. She sorts the notes and counts

them.

WAJDA:

10 riyals, 15 riyals, 17, 18, 19,

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 riyals.

She writes "25 Riyals" on the chart. Then Wajda sits on the

floor with her foot extended and wraps strings around her big

toe making woven bracelets. She checks a list of girls' names

and football teams.

She hears the DOOR opening and goes to meet her Mother.

18 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 18

Wajda's Mother's face is puffy and red. She falls down on the

couch exhausted, removes her veil and fans herself with it.

Her hair loks messy but full of ribbons and curls.

Wajda turns on the air conditioner, grinning. Her Mother

looks at her as she struggles to lift herself from the couch.

MOTHER (O.S.)

I don't like this look. What are

you up to?

WAJDA:

(excited)

I'm going to buy a bicycle to

race Abdullah Al Hanofi!

MOTHER:

Three hours in the car without AC!

I swear this commute is going to

kill me and you tell me bicycle?

She takes off her shoes and black socks, rubbing her feet.

13.

MOTHER (CONT’D)

Absolutely forget about getting

a bicycle. Have you ever seen any

girl riding a bicycle? (pause)

I'd rather sell fruit down at the

hospital than go on this hideous

trip every day!

Wajda makes a face and stomps off to her room. Her Mother

goes to her bedroom and picks up a man's dirty blue uniform

from the floor.

19 EXT. THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS - DAY 19

Wajda hurries off through the gate of a house.

20 INT. LIVING ROOM OF WAJDA'S GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE - DAY 20

She enters and finds her GRANDMOTHER, an overweight woman in

her 60’s, watching TV, the remote in her hand.

GRANDMOTHER:

(surprised)

Wajda! What are you doing here so

early?

Wajda smiles. She goes up and kisses her forehead.

WAJDA:

Good morning, Grandmother. Hope you

are doing well today. Look what I

got you!

Wajda gives her a plastic bag filled with green leaves. She

then opens her abbayah, exposing a navy-blue vest on top of

her gray uniform. She smiles wider.

WAJDA (CONT’D)

See, Grandmother, I'm wearing the

vest you made me.

GRANDMOTHER:

(smiling but suspicious)

It's nice of you to think of me

this early in the morning!

She looks happily at the vest and smells the leaves. She

pulls her braided hair from her veil and replaces the

withering leaves with the fresh ones Wajda brought.

14.

WAJDA:

(reluctantly)

Only 10 riyals! I brought some for

your friend Um Khalid too!

The Grandmother, twisting her lips in annoyance, slips her

feet into her shoes, sighs, lifts herself slowly out of her

chair and walks toward the next room.

GRANDMOTHER:

Did your Mother send you?

She struggles to get herself down a small step. Wajda looks

at her sympathetically and helps her. Her Grandmother gently

pats Wadja's back.

WAJDA:

No, Grandma! I'm trying to save

some money… to buy a nice abbayah.

GRANDMOTHER:

I don't know what to do with you or

your Father. He’s always nagging

me, "Should I take a second wife? I

need a son." I tell him, "Go home

to your wife and daughter and leave

me alone," but he keeps coming here

with a list of families I have to

call for brides.

The Grandmother gets her wallet and gives Wajda 10 riyals.

GRANDMOTHER (CONT’D)

He can't even buy an abbayah for

his daughter. Where would he get a

dowry for a second wife?

WAJDA:

Thanks, Grandma!

Wajda runs out, avoiding looking at her Grandmother.

21 EXT. INSIDE THE FRONT GATE OF THE SCHOOL - DAY 21

Wajda walks past Ms. Hussa, tea-cup in hand, bored, watching

the crowd of girls flow through the gate.

Noura approaches Ms. Hussa coyly. She gathers up her courage

and holds out a single flower with a note attached.

NOURA:

(sweetly)

This is for you.

15.

Wajda watches from the corner of her eye. Ms. Hussa looks

questionably at Noura, takes the flower and reads the note.

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