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