Fate
From PhalkeFactory
Fate by Sharofat Arabi
SCENE 1. EX/INT. CAMP OF VAGABOND CIRCUS PEOPLE. TENT OF SOOTHSAYER. DAY.
A boy of 12 years old runs fast to colorful tent and enters into it. There is dark inside. There is a round table in the center and two woman sit around it, facing each other. One of them is gypsy, she holds left hand of another woman, who is fair, young, about 20 years old with long flowing black hair and languid glance. She plays with her hair curls. The boy enters, stops at entrance for a while, then comes near and stops between them. He listens very carefully.
WOMAN What else are you seeing? Tell me...When it'll happen? (impatiently)
She looks up at the gypsy.
GYPSY Well, you have pretty long continuous love line. I am seeing a lot of leaves...Autumn. It will happen in autumn. That's all, I can't see anything anymore.
Gypsy releases woman's hand.
WOMAN You can't imagine how I am grateful to you, Meskhenet! I don't doubt anymore about his feelings...
Women don't notice small boy's appearance. They ignore him. He starts gesticulations by hands to attract their attention and makes inarticulate sounds. He looks very restlessly. The woman translates yeas from gypsy's face to boy.
WOMAN (CONT'D) What is the matter? (irritably) what good is that bastard, if he is dumb! Why should we pick up that one, who was rejected by others?!
She stands up and boy follows her till she walks out of tent. He turns around to gypsy, looking agitated. Meskhenet bends over the table and folds cards.
MESKHENET Well, why are you still sticks out there?
Boy keeps quiet and doesn't move. His chest rises heavily. He wipes face with long sleeve.
MESKHENET (CONT'D) You are unlucky... the way you already were born... you were and you'll be. My boy, you can't escape it.
Boy makes step toward gypsy. She shakes her head negatively and waves hands.
MESKHENET (CONT'D) Don't ask! Get out of here! (deliberately irritably)
Boy runs to door and shuts it loudly.
SCENE 2. INT. RED MANEGE INSIDE THE MAIN CIRCUS TENT.
There are two balancers: a young slim man about 25 years old and a young woman from gypsy's tent trains and flits from one crossbar to another. The crossbars are hanged by ropes and are nonfixed. The woman hooks on crossbar by legs and hangs in air upside down. Her loose black hairs flows down. She looks at manege. The boy stands next to it and looks up at them with unconcealed interest. Woman's face changes and becomes angry.
YOUNG MAN Clarice, let's repeat one more time.
CLARICE I can't concentrate.
She catches the crossbar by hands and sits on it. he always stays downstairs and stares!
YOUNG MAN Who? (looks down)
CLARICE I told it before, he is just a fribble...
A fat redheaded man with red shaggy moustaches about 45 years old, creeps silently from behind and catches him. The boy starts to wrench, but the fat man holds him tightly.
FAT MAN Aha! You caught again!
He turns the boy around and bends to his face. Boy looks in fat man's yeas scary. Animals didn't eat, there are a lot of dirty plates, the costumes aren't ironed yet!
Fat man releases the boy, who runs away.
FAT MAN (CONT'D) There is a performance tonight! What does this, idiot, think, only God knows!
The balancers observes this accident from top. The fat man looks up at them and makes gesture. Continue, continue, my children!
He exists.
SCENE 3. EX. STALL FOR HORSES AND COWS IN THE CAMP. AFTERNOON.
The boy is carrying in a big sack of oats and filling the trough in front of horse. He looks at animal eating, and rubs its mane. He starts to purr some melody. Boy does several dance steps. He moves to a lying beam and jumps on it. He takes help of hands to balance, walks till the end of beam, jumps down and runs toward painted covered vagon.
SCENE 4. INT. CLARICE'S MAKE-UP ROOM. AFTERNOON.
It's a shadow room with many things inside: dressing table with cosmetic boxes and bottles, wardrobe and screen, a soft bed, and Clarice's clothes are spread all over the room. There is a small table in the corner of it. The walls are covered by different circus's posters and pictures of Clarice.
The boy carries heavy coal's iron, puts it quickly on the small table and blows on his hands. He lights the kerasin's lamp and watches posters. He comes to dressing table, looks at himself in mirror, looks at decomposed make-up on it. He wipes his hand on his shirt, takes puff for talc and powders his face, combs his hair and styles them. He assumes a dignified and looks at himself in mirror for a while. He relax body and starts to collect the spread costumes slowly and iron them.
SCENE 5. EX/INT. NEXT TO CLARICE'S VAGON IN CAMP. CLARICE'S MAKE-UP ROOM. AFTERNOON.
Clarice and the young balancer talks. Clarice holds his wrist and looks at him with tear-stained eyes.
CLARICE You are not serious, are you? You can't do it with me...
She tries to hug him, but he recoils. He tries to escape, but she holds him stronger.
YOUNG MAN Let performance finish. Then we'll talk.
He forcefully unclasps her hands and escapes. Grim looking Clarice walks toward small door of vagon and enters into it.
Clarice stops at door and observes small boy, who facing mirror and tries on a part of her scenic costume - glitter wings.
CLARICE Well-well, what are we doing here? (looks wits)
The boy turns back, sees Clarice, and makes step back. She comes to him fast and forcefully takes her costume out of boy shoulders. Take it out! How dare you, cripple, touch my stuff?!
She hits his head. The boy protects his face and head by hands. He tries to scream, but makes only low sounds You want to be an balancer?! I noticed it far ago! Look at yourself! Don't deceive yourself, If they still keep you here, than only for a fun of audience in future.
She becomes quiet for a moment, getting new idea. She laughs hysterically and tils head back. I am very kind, so I will help you with carrier.
She moves toward wardrobe, opens it, takes the most beautiful costume, picks up the iron and press the costume by it on the table. You'll be kick out, parvenu!
She takes up the iron. There is a big hole on the costume. Clarice runs toward door, opens it, screams to call everybody. The fat man, the balancer, Meskhenet comes in the room.
FAT MAN What happened, dear? Why there are tears in you yeas?
She shows them her burned costume. The fat man, Meskhenet and the balancer looks at the hole on the costume and are visible trough it.
CLARICE Look what that foundling did! I can't perform in it!
The boy gesticulates emotionally and shakes his head negatively. He pronounces inarticulate sounds. The tears flows down on cheeks. The fat man comes to him and catches his ear. The boy looks at Meskhenet, the balancer and fat man. Meskhenet depresses eyes. Clarice expresses triumph in yeas.
FAT MAN You would first learn how to earn money! You will pay for it, bastard!
Fat man pushes the boy out of make-up room. Meskhenet looks up at him when he passes her.
MESKHENET Unlucky you...(whispers)
SCENE 6. EXT. CAMP CELEBRATION. NIGHT.
There are a lot of people strolling in camp. Some of them watch performance under the main tent, another roam around, looks at jugglers with fired sticks, gypsy's dances. There are a lot of people gather around sitting Meskhenet, who reads a palm of one of a lady. The boy comes toward her. The crowd spreads around him. He looks pale and hardly stands on his legs. There is a clotted blood around his nose. As he comes near, Meskhenet notices him. She leaves the hand of the lady, and looks at the boy horrified. He stops in front of her. People are looking at both of them curiously. The boy lends a left hand to Meskhenet with wide opened palm. His lips moves. There is a reddish cut crossed whole his palm as a new destiny's line. The blood is clotted already around it. He holds a knife in right hand, which falls down. The gypsy sits on the background.
THE END