BUST (Zora Howard) PDF

S IN TK BUST An Afro-Currentist Play __________________________ By Zora Howard A TE...

S IN TK BUST An Afro-Currentist Play __________________________ By Zora Howard A TE W U IB TR A IS D D T N O N A O Contact: Byron Wetzel D M Range Media Partners [email protected] John MacGregor & Ally Shuster A Creative Artists Agency [email protected] [email protected]  Cast of Characters RETTA (f): Black. Late 50s. A decades long resident of the Oakwood Hills Apartments & Townhomes. S REGGIE (m): Black. Late 50s. RETTA's husband. Doubles as MR. WOODS. IN TRENT (m): Black. Teens. RETTA and REGGIE's grandson. TOMLIN (m): white. Mid to late 40s. A recently demoted police officer in the Huntsville Police Department. Doubles as JACK. TK RAMIREZ (m): Latino. Mid to late 30s. A recent transfer to the Huntsville Police Department. TOMLIN's partner. BOOBIE (m): Black. Teens. TRENT’s best friend. Hotep in development. A KRYSTAL (f): Black. Teens. Classmate of TRENT’s. Major crush. Very smart. TE W ZEKE (m): Black. Teens. Classmate of TRENT’s. Tries to be a bully, but really is a U sweetie pie. IB PAIGE (f): Black. Teens. Classmate of TRENT's. KRYTAL's best friend. Life of the TR party. A NEWSCASTER (f): white. 30s. Doubles as MS. PINTO. IS D D MS. PINTO (f): white, 30-40s. Teaches American History at Lee High School. T JACK (m): white, M, 40s. School security. Menacing. N O MR. WOODS (m): Black, M, 60s. Regal in stature. Looks like Louis Gossett Jr. and N sounds like James Earl Jones. A O D M A  Scene Huntsville, Alabama and also Elsewhere. Time Now. S Notes on Style IN A speech usually follows the one immediately before it except when: a. one character starts speaking before the other has finished, the point of interruption is marked "/". RETTA TK Lawd God, mak’im disappear! Please, JESUS, you mak’im ‘fore I/ mak’im! REGGIE Yeah, yeah, yeah. b. there are multiple interruptions, which will be marked sequentially by A "/", "//", "///", etc. TE A word enclosed in brackets "[ ]" is a word suggested, but unspoken. W U IB TR A IS D D T N O N A O D M A  S IN TK A TE W For my mama U Julie Renee Butler IB You are my Elsewhere. TR A IS D D T N O N A O D M A  S IN TK A TE W U We are the ones IB We have been waiting for. TR - June Jordan A IS D D T N O N A O D M A  1. ACT ONE Scene 1 A very modest balcony overlooking the parking S lot at the Oakwood Hills Apartments & Townhomes in Huntsville, Alabama. On said IN balcony (let’s call it the porch): a struggling bed of petunias, a now defunct grill used here as a resting place for an assortment of wine coolers, coffee mugs and other makeshift ashtrays. Other various porch fare including two outdoor TK rocking chairs that came with the unit, one currently occupied by Ms. Loretta Hayes, a decade-long resident at Oakwood, known by those who know her as RETTA. A We find her here as we often do, just home from TE work, enjoying her 5 o’clock cup of wine minding everyone’s business but her own. W U RETTA IB (on the phone) TR MmMm... MmMm... MmMm– A Nuh-uh, no. No, Ton– Tony. Well if you shutup fuh a second an’ let me talk t’ya. IS (she listens) D Right, but thas the whole point what I’m sayin’ t’ya is that he ain’ dead. So maybe he D gone somewhere, but he ain’– Right, so we thought he was dead– T Mmhmm. Exactly, which is why whatshisface– huh? N (listening) O Mmhmm. N (listening) A Mmhmm. O (calling into the house) D Reggie, c’mon, this rolled! M (back to the phone) Mmhmm. Chilllllle! Don’ even get me started. Right, cause remember when she brought her lil’ evil ass up in’ere? ‘Specially after what they did to the wife? Girl! Hmm?– No, A thas the cousin. Uh-uh. Tony, I’m tellin’ you thas the cousin– Yeah, cause the cousin the one with the mole that was messin’ ‘roun wid the paraplegic. She the one eye hang low. Go back look at the thing, Tony! (listening) Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  2. Mmhmm. (calling into the house) Reggie, c’mon! (back to the phone) Yeah, thas the one. S (scoffs) Why? You think she did it? IN RETTA’s husband, Reginald Hayes, known by those who know him as REGGIE, comes out to join her on the porch, beer in hand. TK RETTA (to REGGIE, referring to the phone) It’s Antoinette. REGGIE nods at the phone. Sparks up. A TE RETTA (to the phone) W U Reggie says hi. What’s that? Exactly! So I’m thinkin’ it was the nephew killed her. Mmhmm. Cause he prolly tired everyone treatin’ him like that jus’ cause he ain’ have no IB legs. TR A REGGIE and RETTA pass the joint back and forth between them. They continue this way for IS a while, taking in the parking lot before them. D She might’ve started on some sunflower seeds D by now. He might’ve cracked open another beer. T This is their evening business. A little refer and N relaxation before their grandson gets home from O basketball practice (RETTA doesn’t like N smoking when he’s in the house). A O When he’s good and ready, REGGIE will pull D out a small pouch from his pocket and begin to M roll again. RETTA A (still on the phone) Mmhmm. (listening) Mmhmm. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  3. (to REGGIE) You hungry? REGGIE shrugs in a very noncommittal way. S RETTA (still to REGGIE) IN Iono what that mean. You either hungry or you not. And if you is, we fittin’ have to get in the car cause I ain’ cookin’ and ain’ nothin’ in there I wanna be eatin’. (to the phone) Mmhmm. TK REGGIE looks slowly over to RETTA with a suggestive smile. REGGIE I know what I wan’ be eatin’. A TE REGGIE leans over from his chair and makes a tired attempt to rub up on a piece of RETTA: W U leg, thigh, breast, whatever is close and available. RETTA swats him away. IB RETTA TR A (to REGGIE) What? You betta stop. IS (to the phone) D No, not you, Tony. Talkin’ to Reggie ol’ crazy ass. Mmhmm. Jus’ talkin’ crazy. Wait, D Tony, can’t hear you. Nah, you breaking up. Hello? What you said?– Oh, you drivin’? Yeah? Where you goin’?– Grocery store? Why, you cookin’? Oh, yeah? T N (she listens and then busts out laughing) O Girl, you better get on! Oh, yeah? You want me t’ ask’im? N (to REGGIE) A Tony say she fittin’ go to the grocery store and do you need somethin’ since she know I O don’t never be bothered enough to feed that “poor hungry man” and wanna know why D you haven’ upped and leaved me yet. M REGGIE grunts. A RETTA (back to the phone) Silly as hell. (still chuckling) Shid, least mine gots some shape t’im. You feedin’ yours like that is why he look like uh big ol’ sack uh I dunno what. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  4. REGGIE (pleased with this appraisal) I gots some shape to me. REGGIE kisses his lips at RETTA. She rolls her S eyes, but smiles. He begins rolling another joint. IN RETTA (still to the phone) Shid. Speakin’ of ain’ got no shape, guess who just walk right cross the – Hey, Bernadine! RETTA waves to Bernadine in the parking lot TK below. RETTA Yeah, I never seen a grown woman so skinny like that. Skinny as God knows what. My God. Yeah, she prolly is sick. Or dying, God bless her. A (listening) ) TE Huh? Bernadine ain’ got no baby locked up, do she? Oldest one ain’ but sixteen – You sure? W U (to REGGIE) Bernadine son went away for something? I thought he played on the team with Trent. IB Hmm? TR A REGGIE has fallen asleep. IS RETTA D Reggie, you don’t hear me talkin’ to you? What’m I sittin’ here talkin’ to myself? D REGGIE T N (flustered as he wakes) O You said you was talkin’ to/ Antoinette! N A RETTA O (back to the phone) D Naw, I’m sittin’ up here talkin’ to him the whole time he sleep. But, uh, anyways – M Hmmm? Naw, thas Bernadette you thinkin’ bout. Thas why. This here Bernadine But, anyways, Bernadette the one married Lester. Shotgun weddin’, memba? Wasn’ even here a year before he had that stroke. Thas her son went upstate lil’ whiles afta that. Mmhmm. A (listening) Mmhmm. (to REGGIE, though still listening on the phone) Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  5. Oh Lord, here come Randy draggin’ that ol’ Buick in here stinkin’ up the place. I don’t know why he won’t let that ol’ raggedy thing go. REGGIE Good car. S REGGIE continues to roll the joint from earlier. IN RETTA Reggie, don’ even light that one.Trent bout to be home. REGGIE TK So? RETTA So I don’t want the house smellin’ like refer when he walk in here! (back about the car) A Ugh, that car jus’ as ugly as ever. TE (back to the phone) Naw, Randy just pulled on up in the lot with that nasty ol’ Buick. Remember that ol’ W U thang he dragged here from Memphis? Don’t even know how he still get the shit to turn on. Need to let it go. IB REGGIE TR A Look like he got the law on’im. IS RETTA D (to REGGIE) D What? T N REGGIE O (little louder) N Look like he got the law on’im. A O RETTA D (to the phone) M Awww, shit. Look like the po-lice done followed’m in ‘ere. Mmhmm. Look at that. Cain’ even pull into your own driveway. A Sound of police car “whoop whoop”. RETTA Oh, girl! They just gon’ put on the whoop whoop. Loud like that. You heard it? Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  6. And here we see RETTA in her element. It’s one thing to talk about people in the abstract, but there is nothing like a live-action-midday- minding other people’s business and Ms. Loretta Hayes is here for it. It doesn’t even really matter S what is happening, but that it is happening and she, queen of the rundown, is going to give it to IN you play by play. RETTA Mmhmm. Well, now they jus’ sittin’ there. Iono why they got they headlights on bright as TK day outside. Prolly just doin’ that as some kind of intimidation or somethin’, but they got the wrong one ‘cause Randy don’t get intimidated for nothin’. Thas a solid man’ere. Yes, Lawd. REGGIE grunts. A RETTA TE (off REGGIE) What? He is! W U (back to the phone) Though I heard wasn't too long a while back him an’ Martha was on the rocks. Mmhmm. IB Yeah, she just nag’im bout every little ol’ thing. But thas the kinda woman she is, y’know. TR I mean sometimes you gotta jus’ leave a man alone to be a man. Cain’ be callin’ and A fussin’ after him every five minutes – (to Reggie) IS Didn’t I say don’t light that! – D (back to the phone) D ‘specially hard workin’ man like Rand– Oo, girl! Po-lice gettin’ out the car. T N RETTA stands. O N RETTA A Yeah. Little short Mexican lookin’ man. Walkin’ real slow like up to the passenger side. O Short lil’ somebody. Yeah, girl. Hand on his holster, all’at. Mmhmm. Wait uh minute, girl. D Officer bendin’ down talkin’ t’ him in the window now. Shhh! M RETTA gets really quiet as if she might hear what is being exchanged. A REGGIE Hell is you expectin’ t’ hear all the way up here? Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  7. RETTA Hush, Reggie, shid! Sometimes I be hearin’ all the way up here. REGGIE That don’ even make/ no sense. S RETTA IN (to the phone) Hello? Yeah, I was tryna see if I could hear somethin’ but Reggie loud ass in the background yellin’. Okay, wait uh minute now. Look like the other officer gettin’ out. Awww, shucks, both officers is out the car. Nah, this one white. Yeah, look like trouble. I don’t know why they won’ jus’ leave this old man ‘lone. Yeah, the two uh ‘em talkin’. TK REGGIE Awww, shid. RETTA A Yeah, Reggie say it don’t look good. I think they askin’ him to get out his car. Lord have TE mercy, they askin’ him t’ get out the car. I got a bad feelin’ bout this cause Randy don’ really bother no one. He really don’. He really a gentle man. But don’ nobody like to be W U messed with, ‘specially comin’ off work like this and they tired. I should call Martha. But she prolly still at the center. What you said? – Thas a good idea, I should call they IB daughter. What’s her name? Yeah, just in case. Okay, now he gettin’ out the car. He gettin’ TR out the car. What they fittin’ t’ do pat’im down? A REGGIE IS They fittin’ t’ pat’im down. D D RETTA They fittin’ t’ pat him down. Cain’ leave well enough alone! You should see it, Tony, how T N he tower over that little man and they makin’ him bend over like this. I cain’ stand it. O What they gon’ do next, search his car? Ooooo girl, it’s gettin’ tense. Iono, I cain’ hear’im N but it look real heated. A O REGGIE D Mmhmm. M RETTA Yeah, look like Randy standin’ in the way won’t let them get in his car. They gettin’ loud, A shid, almost can hear’im up here. Please, Lord. Girl, this look like it bout to end up on the six o’clock news – I don’t like it. Don’t feel right. I get a feelin’ bout these things. This don’t feel right. Cause girl I’m tryna tell you look like Randy not havin’ it. Yeah, girl. Pacin’ back and forth. Makin’ all these gestures widhis hands. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  8. REGGIE You better cool it, Randy. RETTA (to REGGIE) S You think you should go down’ere? IN REGGIE (incredulous) So my ass can end up dead right next t’im? Hell naw! RETTA smacks REGGIE. Hard. TK REGGIE (out of pain) Ahhhhhh! A RETTA TE Don’t say that! Why you always sayin’ stupid shit like that? You gon’ say some shit like that an’en what you gonna say to Martha? W U (to the phone) Huh? Cause Reggie always sayin’ some stupid fucked up shit. But, anyways, they still IB down’ere carryin’ on. Mmhmm Mainly just the honky now. He is in his face. Who face? Randy! TR A (to REGGIE) We should call Martha. Cause you cain’ even go down there now. IS (to the phone) D Girl, he is liable to get himself shot way he talkin’ down’ere. Cause look how the D Mexican done come back over – T N RETTA and REGGIE both duck down behind O the railing. N A RETTA O (whisper shout into the phone) D Girl. M Tony. Girl. The Mexican just looked right up here. YES GIRL. Looked right at me and Reggie. A RETTA looks over at REGGIE crouched down beside her. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  9. RETTA (to REGGIE) Nigga, if you don’t put that refer somewhere! REGGIE S Where you wan’ me t’ put it?! IN RETTA (to the phone) No, this fool got the refer still tween his lips po-lice looking right in’is face. Don’t got no kind of – TK Enter onto the porch TRENT, RETTA and REGGIE’s sixteen-year old grandson. TRENT... What y’all doin’ on the floor? A TE RETTA (raspy whisper) W U Trent, get down! IB TRENT What? TR A RETTA IS (still in this raspy whisper) D Get down! D TRENT T N... Y’all been smokin’? O N RETTA A No/ O REGGIE D M Yes. RETTA Listen, the po-lice in the parking lot harassing Mr. Woods. A TRENT So? Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  10. RETTA What you mean “so”? TRENT I don’t know Mr. Woods. S RETTA IN You sure do know Mr. Woods – boy, if you don’t get yo’ass down here! RETTA yanks at TRENT’s pant leg forcing him down. TK RETTA (cont’d) Mr. Woods work at yo’ school. Ms. Martha husband? The janitor? TRENT A Okay...? TE RETTA W They harrasin’ him in the parking lot. U IB TRENT And what’s that gotta do with/ us? TR A RETTA IS (to the phone) D No, he still going. Yeah, he still going. No, Trent settin’ right here. D (to TRENT, referring to the phone) Ms. Antoinette say hi. T N O TRENT N (towards the phone) A Hi Ms. Antoinette. O RETTA D M (to the phone) Trent says – Have mercy, this some shit. This some shit this some SHIT. I’m scared they gon’ shoot’im. I’m scared they gon’ shoot’im. A TRENT They ain’ gon’ shoot him, Gran. They prolly jus’ givin’ him a hard time for a ticket. Imma shower. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  11. Just as TRENT is making his way to standing, a new development. TRENT Oh, shit. S Arrested by what he’s seeing, TRENT takes out IN his cellphone and starts recording. RETTA (voice shaky, hushed; to the phone) WHAT did I say! No, I’m tellin’ you the cracker just pulled out his gun. Trainin’ it on TK Randy. And it’s makin’ him mad. It’s makin’ him madder’en mad. Oh Jesus, I cain’ look. I cain’ even look. I DON’T KNOW WHO THE FUCK TO CALL, TONY. Lawdaf mercy. Fuck! Jesus. REGGIE/TRENT A They gon’ shoot’im. TE RETTA W U (whispering to herself) Come on now, Randy. It ain’ worth it, Randy. Come on now, Randy. Why don’t they IB leav’im ‘lone! He ain’ doin’ nothin’! Jus’ leav’im– TR A And then, down in the lot, a quick burst of light followed by a brief, but wiping silence. RETTA IS gasps, jumps back and drops the phone. D REGGIE slowly rises to his feet. TRENT is D paralyzed, but still records on his cellphone. Their eyes ever locked on the view below. T N O RETTA N Oh my– A O REGGIE D What in the– M RETTA Oh my– A REGGIE – hell... Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  12. RETTA (she turns slowly to REGGIE) What jus’ happened? REGGIE S What in the hell– IN RETTA Reggie, what jus’ happened?! REGGIE I– TK RETTA (almost hysterical) You saw that? Reggie DID YOU SEE THAT. A REGGIE TE He– W RETTA U Have mercy, Jesus. IB The muffled sound of someone speaking loudly TR into the other end of a speaker. RETTA picks up A the phone she dropped in the commotion. IS D RETTA D (to the phone) Oh, I have to call you back, Tony. I have to call you back I have to call you back– Tony, T N Imma hafta call you the FUCK back. O (trying to catch her breath) N Naw, Tony. Naw– Lord, Jesus– Naw. NAW. A (to REGGIE) O Did you just see what I– D (back in the phone) M Oh, Lord. Naw, Tony, they ain’– They ain– Naw, Tony, they ain’ shoot’im. They ain’ shoot’im. He was there. He was there and then... A and then... REGGIE – he wasn’t. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  13. Scene 2 The parking lot of the Oakwood Hills Apartments & Townhomes. Moments Later. Officers TOMLIN and RAMIREZ stand at the S scene of the aforementioned. IN TOMLIN... RAMIREZ... TK TOMLIN Where’d he go? RAMIREZ A Fuck. TE TOMLIN W Where the. FUCK. did he go? U IB RAMIREZ gets on all fours. Looks under the car. TR A TOMLIN IS He was just standin’ right there. D D RAMIREZ This isn’t good. T N O TOMLIN N (incredulous) A He was standing right the fuck there and – O RAMIREZ D M No bueno. TOMLIN and then he... he just... he just fuckin – A RAMIREZ Yeah, /he – Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  14. TOMLIN What the FUCK man. RAMIREZ Gotta call it in. S TOMLIN IN DON’T– just, give me a second. RAMIREZ The longer we wait, the more – the further – TK TOMLIN (starting to hyperventilate) There’s no way There’s no way he just – A RAMIREZ TE Tomlin – W TOMLIN U Did a whole nigger just fuckin’ disappear into thin air? IB RAMIREZ TR...It appears that way, yes. A IS TOMLIN D Let’s retrace our steps. D RAMIREZ T N What? O N TOMLIN A He couldn’t have gone far. Let’s retrace our steps. O RAMIREZ D M Tom/lin. TOMLIN (tense) A I think we should retrace our steps. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  15. Protocol. RAMIREZ Fine. S RAMIREZ walks from one side of the lot to the IN other and back. RAMIREZ Ain’ here. TK TOMLIN... This is a trick. RAMIREZ No. A TE TOMLIN The guys at the/ station. W U RAMIREZ IB Not a trick. TR TOMLIN A I didn’t shoot’im. I didn’t shoot’im. I didn’t shoot’im. I didn’t shoot’im. Did I shoot’im? IS RAMIREZ D D No, you didn’t shoot’im. T N TOMLIN O (defensive) N I didn’t taze ‘im either! A O RAMIREZ You didn’t. D M TOMLIN Shoulda. Way the bastard was talkin’. Son of a bitch. A RAMIREZ Well, you didn’t. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  16. TOMLIN And you’re here. So. RAMIREZ I am. S TOMLIN So, that helps at least. IN Better’n me being alone. RAMIREZ... TK TOMLIN (duh) Better’m just seeing a white officer and a missing nigger. Better they find a white officer, a Mexican, and a missing nigger. A RAMIREZ TE I’m Honduran. W TOMLIN U oh. IB RAMIREZ TR Yeah. A IS TOMLIN – which is... close? D D RAMIREZ T Sure. N O TOMLIN N Better. Better for all of us. A O RAMIREZ D Not better for him. M TOMLIN Who? (remembering the situation at hand) A Oh fuck. Fuck fuck FUCK. Jump to: The Hayes’ unit at the Oakwood Hills Apartments & Townhomes. Moments later. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  17. RETTA, REGGIE and TRENT pass a joint, collectively stunned. REGGIE Nigga. S TRENT Nigga. IN REGGIE (he inhales) Nigga. TK TRENT Did the nigga jus –? REGGIE Nigga. A TE They exhale. W RETTA U Imma call Martha. IB... No, prolly should let Evelyn tell’er. Imma call Evelyn. TR Though she should prolly hear it from Joe... A Should I call Joe? IS But then it prolly be easier comin’ from the pastor– Yeah. D D Imma call the Pastor. T REGGIE N O You gon’ call the pastor? N RETTA A Mmhmm. O D REGGIE M You jus’ saw a full grown nigga turn into pixie dust befo’ yo’ eyes and you gon’ call the pastor? What’n hell the pastor gon’ do? Pray in the empty space that nigga lef’ behind? A RETTA Well, hell, what’s yo’ idea? REGGIE Need to call the gov’ment tell ‘em bout these alien ass niggas teleportin’– Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  18. RETTA An’ who the fuck you know in the gov’ment, Reginald? Huh? Tell me who you know at the White House gonna answer your motherfuckin’ call? REGGIE S I’m talm’ bout at the courthouse or somethin’. You talm bout let’s go call on Jesus and the archangels see if they ain’ got nothin’ goin’ on – IN RETTA Don’t you poke fun at my religion! Don’t you do it, Reggie. Just cause yo’ commandment breakin’, heathen ass only go to church two times a year for the dinners– TK REGGIE I gotta go to church for them dinners so I don’t die of starvation since my own woman don’t COOK FOR ME NO/ MORE. RETTA WELL IS YOUR HANDS BROKE LIKE YOUR SPIRIT CAUSE IF NOT YOU CAN A COOK FOR YOUR OWN DAMN/ SELF– TE W TRENT U The news. IB RETTA/REGGIE WHAT? TR A TRENT IS The news. D D RETTA/REGGIE WHAT? T N O TRENT We gotta go to the news. N A Back to TOMLIN and RAMIREZ in the parking O lot. TOMLIN hyperventilating still. D M RAMIREZ Hey, cool it, man. We didn’t do anything. We just tell Sergeant what happened play by play. The department’ll sort it out. A TOMLIN The department sorted out my last three ones! Just got cleared again for traffic patrol Friday. Serg’ said no more chances. Keep the heat in my pants, or else. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  19. Said he was puttin’ his ass on the line for me cause we’re family, but something or other about the Deputy couldn’t take any more hits from the NWCP and the hippie lawyers and all those nigger lovers – his words not mine. RAMIREZ S Sure. Well – IN TOMLIN Looks bad. It looks bad, Ramirez. Prolly be better if I did shoot’im. RAMIREZ Huh? TK TOMLIN Officer shoots a nigger? Sure. Officer pulls his gun and loses a whole nigger in broad daylight? /At least there would be a body to show for it. A RAMIREZ TE It is... tough. W TOMLIN U (talking himself down) IB Alright, Tomlin. Pull it together. (looking around the lot) TR A No one in the lot. No witnesses. Works in our favor. IS RAMIREZ quickly looks up to the Hayes’ D balcony. No one there now. He knows he saw at D least two people watching, but maybe won’t mention that just yet. T N O TOMLIN N We can get ahead of this. It wasn’t violent. There was no blood. No struggle. A O RAMIREZ D He looked pretty tense, man. I don’t know. M TOMLIN Neither of us know. Neither of us really saw what happened. Right? A Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  20. RAMIREZ I mean he was, you know, pretty– (he reenacts the preceding events) And then– RAMIREZ mimes Mr. Woods’ disappearance. S It’s a little ridiculous, this performance. We’ll let the actor figure it out. IN TOMLIN But it was so fast. One second, one millisecond and – TK RAMIREZ gone. TOMLIN So we couldn’t even actually see what state he/ was in. A RAMIREZ TE I mean, he was definitely mad. BIG mad. W U TOMLIN Yeah, but as to what happened right before, all pretty routine, until he... (a decision) ran. IB 10-86. Right? It’s the only thing that makes sense. And he left the car cause, uh, cause, TR he was... equipped – contraband! – which we can arrange. So, yeah. And now he’s, uh, A he is, uh, currently... at large. Which is technically, TECHNICALLY, not a lie. Whadya think? IS D TOMLIN considers RAMIREZ who is D obviously working through some things. T N TOMLIN O... Now Ramirez, we’ll need to get our stories straight. N A Back in the Hayes’ apartment. O D REGGIE M Get our stories straight? Loretta Hayes, have you lost yo’ natural God fearin’ mind? RETTA A Well, we cain jus act like we ain’ see it. REGGIE Why not? Why in the hell not? Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  21. RETTA Gotta do somethin’. TRENT ‘Fore the police get to messin’ with all the evidence. S REGGIE IN Evidence? What evidence? The evidence don’t exist no more. Is finito. Gone AWOL. Done blewed up – Was y’all lookin’ where I was lookin’? TK RETTA Of course we was/ lookin’, fool! REGGIE A Cause y’all talkin’ like this some ol’ regla run uh the mill police meddlin’ on a Tuesday. TE Naw, this some ol’ once upon a time there was a nigga and now – W U RETTA REGGIE would you shut the hell up? PLEASE. I need to think. IB REGGIE TR A Go on think about. Think about what you fittin’ta say to the news. And while you thinkin’ ‘bout that, mightas well think ‘bout what you gon’ do with all your newfound free time IS come Wednesday since y’damn sure won’ haf no job to carry ya revolutionary ass/ back D to. D RETTA T N Oh hush! Miss Margaret wouldn’ do somethin’ like that. O N REGGIE A (a challenge) O She wouldn’? D M RETTA No, she wouldn’ (doubtful) A Would/ she? Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  22. TRENT (reassuring) She wouldn’. RETTA (convincing herself) S After allathese years? No, she wouldn’. IN REGGIE Ain’ neva been in “allathese years” no full grown man to just go “poof” in your parking/ lot, has it? TK RETTA Stop sayin’ it! TRENT Why’d they even stop him? A TE TRENT crosses to the balcony window. Still hidden behind the curtain, he peers down to the W U parking lot. RETTA and REGGIE reluctantly follow suit. IB Simultaneous action. TOMLIN and RAMIREZ TR A in the lot; RETTA, REGGIE and TRENT at the window. IS D TOMLIN D Drove straight through that intersection on Hill. T N REGGIE O (to TRENT) What it matta why they stopped him? N A O RAMIREZ Alabama Vehicle Code Section 2146: "it is unlawful for a driver of a vehicle to fail to D M obey a Stop sign or signal defined as regulatory/ in the federal TOMLIN Yeah, whatever. And so you initiated the stop. A RAMIREZ You initiated the stop. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  23. TOMLIN You got out of the car! RAMIREZ After you initiated the stop! S RETTA What they still doin’ down’ere? IN REGGIE He had no business gettin’ loud like that. Shoulda knew betta. TK TOMLIN Well, you ran his plates. RETTA Come back from the window. A RAMIREZ TE And so? Nothing there anyway. Shoulda been the end of it. W U TRENT IB Ain’ against the law t’ask questions. TR TOMLIN A What are you sayin’, rookie? IS REGGIE D D The law? T RAMIREZ N O You searched the suspect. N TOMLIN A With reasonable suspicion. O D REGGIE M What this gotta do with the law? RAMIREZ You searched the car. A TOMLIN With probable cause. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  24. RAMIREZ /You pulled your gun. TRENT He pulled his gun. S RETTA and REGGIE tense up. Turn to TRENT. TOMLIN approaches RAMIREZ. IN TOMLIN/REGGIE Yeah, but nobody saw that, TK REGGIE (a warning) did they? Another quick glance from RAMIREZ to the Hayes apartment. The Hayes family hurriedly A retreats from the window. TE RAMIREZ W U... IB TOMLIN Did they, Ramirez? TR A RAMIREZ IS The cams. D D TOMLIN The –? T N O RAMIREZ bodycams. N A TOMLIN O So? Serg’ won’t even ask about ‘em. D M RAMIREZ But/ A TOMLIN Little insider tip for you, rookie. If you never turn ‘em on, there won’t ever be nothin’ to see. Don’t even worry about it. No one expects you to. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  25. RAMIREZ Good to know... TOMLIN My pleasure. S RAMIREZ... for next time. IN TOMLIN What? TK RAMIREZ Alabama Vehicle Code 32950: “On duty officers/ shall activate the body-worn camera’s recording capabilities as soon as practical and when safe to do so during all calls for service/ and any enforcement stop or law enforcement-related activities. TOMLIN approaches RAMIREZ. A TE TOMLIN What the fuck are you saying? W U RAMIREZ IB If practical and safe to do so, the BWC/ shall remain activated until the event is TR completed in order to ensure the integrity...” A TOMLIN IS If practical to do so If practical to do so IF PRACTICAL/ TO D D RAMIREZ T IT WAS PRACTICAL. I JUST... CLICKED THE BUTTON! N I didn’t know he was gonna fuckin’ explode, man. O N TOMLIN A Fuckin’ rookie! O D TOMLIN reaches for RAMIREZ’s body cam, M but RAMIREZ dodges his pursuit sending TOMLIN tumbling to the pavement. Incensed, TOMLIN is up on his feet ready to strike again. A Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  26. What follows is quite intense. A potentially dangerous encounter rendered comical because of its players: one mildly obese middle aged pre- diabetic man prone to severe sweating and the other, seemingly well-built, but wildly S uncoordinated.Wherein their respective minds this battle might be an extraordinary act of IN valor, it really reads more like a slow moving, clumsy sumo-wrestling match in which neither of the wrestlers have any real physical adeptness, strength or instinct. TK Back to the Hayes’. Let’s not think of these as transitions. It’s all happening at the same time somehow. RETTA A Carol Ann from church, she work at the news station. We could at least see what she say. TE REGGIE W We ain’ meddlin’ people, Loretta. U IB RETTA We ain’ sittin’ people either. TR A REGGIE Who ain’? I love to sit. Nothin’ wrong with sittin’. Sit on the porch, sit in the car, sit in IS the tub. Cain think of a place I won’ sit. Matta fact, jus came from/ sittin’– D D RETTA T I cain stop thinkin’ bout Martha. N O REGGIE N You was talkin’ shit ‘bout Martha not eem a minute ago. A O RETTA I don’ – I do not remember that! D M I’ll just call Carol Ann. Ain’ no harm in askin’, right? REGGIE A (a warning) Meddlin’ people end up missin’, Retta. RETTA pauses. Considers. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  27. RETTA (convincing herself) Ain’ no harm in askin’. Just as RETTA reaches for her phone, REGGIE S dives for it. But too slow! TRENT anticipates his move and blocks, snatching RETTA’s phone and evading REGGIE’s grasp just in time. IN REGGIE Give it to me, Trent! TK Back with TOMLIN and RAMIREZ. TOMLIN Give it to me, Ramirez! RAMIREZ A “Employees shall ONLY deactivate their BWC when the incident has transitioned to a TE controlled orderly – ORDERLY – manner, when the interaction has been completed by W the employee, or as instructed by their supervisor.” U TOMLIN IB I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you, rookie! TR A RAMIREZ STOP. CALLING. ME. THAT. IS TOMLIN makes one last linebacker rush D D towards RAMIREZ, knocking his bodycam off into the surrounding flowerbeds. They both T N make a dash for it, tussling in the dirt. Utter O buffoonery. N A Back in the Hayes apartment. TRENT throws O the phone to RETTA, who lunges, almost fumbles, but recovers just in time. REGGIE D M goes in for a sack. RETTA dodges his advance, climbing onto the couch. TRENT runs interference on REGGIE as RETTA dials. REGGIE is on edge. Makes several attempts to A get to RETTA, which TRENT thwarts. REGGIE Don’t do it RETTA! Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  28. TRENT It’s the right thing to do. REGGIE (to TRENT) Little nigga, if you don’t get out my way. S RETTA IN Reggie, think about what Jesus would do. REGGIE Think about what they DID to Jesus! TK REGGIE pushes past TRENT and chases RETTA into another room. RETTA screams, barely escaping his attempt to grab her. TRENT follows. A Back in the parking lot: TOMLIN and TE RAMIREZ, both outmatched and out of breath, W have given up. Lying in the grass: U RAMIREZ IB I’m not a rookie, man. I’m a lateral – from Fort Payne. Six years in the force. TR A TOMLIN Oh? IS RAMIREZ D D Yeah. T TOMLIN N O... and you’re starting again? N RAMIREZ A Yeah. O D TOMLIN M Why? RAMIREZ A Chief retiring. An, uh, better opportunities for my family. Oldest gonna be a sixth grader. You know, schools. (deciding whether or not to confide) And... another on the way. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  29. TOMLIN...congrats. RAMIREZ Yeah! yeah. Hoping for a boy. Fifth time’s the charm, right? S Nothing from TOMLIN. Pause. IN RAMIREZ Look man, I, uh, follow the rules. Cause I need this job to work out. TOMLIN TK Yeah. Me too. RAMIREZ reaches for his radio. He looks to TOMLIN before he puts in the call, hoping at least for a sign of acquiescence if not A encouragement. TOMLIN looks away. TE RAMIREZ W (into his radio) U Unit 201 to dispatch. IB His radio responds in the affirmative: “Unit TR 201.” A RAMIREZ IS (cont’d) D D Ten Seventy-Three. Suspect is a Black male, red shirt, about 6’3”. Last seen at the corner of Hill Street and Cave Avenue, parking lot of the, uh, Oakwood Hill Apartments & T Townhomes at around 1800 hours. Need a couple of units on the scene to investigate. N O (Pause) Be advised that the suspect has used an unconventional means of escape. N His radio confirms: “Ten Seventy-Three 201 A standby.” RAMIREZ and TOMLIN wait. O D M TOMLIN (referring to Mr. Woods) Think he’s dead? A RAMIREZ Probably. Don’t think you can come back from somethin’ like that. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  30. TOMLIN Yeah, probably. RAMIREZ... Or could be, like, religion? S TOMLIN Religion? IN RAMIREZ I don’t know. Spiritual, I mean. I was watching his eyes. TK First they were just trained on you, y’know. Intense. Unblinking. Full of rage, man. And, towards the end there, they kind of – I don’t know. A TOMLIN TE What? W RAMIREZ U Glazed over. IB Didn’t go empty. But did go elsewhere. TR Like he left his body before his body left. A Like he knew it was coming before his body did. IS And then, maybe – D D TOMLIN What? T N O RAMIREZ A split second before he went, before he, you know, N A The gesture again. “Poof.” O D RAMIREZ M there was something settled in his eyes. Almost peaceful.... A But, I don’t know. All happened so fast. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  31. TOMLIN... horse shit. RAMIREZ’s radio comes in: “201.” RAMIREZ S Well, it’s what I saw at least. (to radio) IN 201 copy. As RAMIREZ sits up to speak into the radio, TOMLIN hops up and rushes to where the body TK cam still lies in the grass and stomps on it fiercely. Once he’s given it a good stomping, he picks it up and throws it clean across the parking lot. The adrenaline rush has once again knocked the wind out of him. He’s not built for A all of this high-level activity. TE TOMLIN W (after catching his breath) U Good luck ‘xplainin’ that to Serg, rookie. IB TOMLIN and RAMIREZ quickly clear as, TR seemingly out of nowhere, A NEWSCASTER A appears. IS NEWSCASTER D Thank you, Jim. What started as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated to what key D eyewitnesses on the scene are simply calling “the devil”. It was just after five PM this T evening when Mr. Randall Woods, a janitor at the local high school, was followed by a N traffic patrol car into the parking lot of this complex. The real story, however, is in what O happened next. N A O D M A Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  32. Scene 3 A bell indicating the start of a class period propels us forward in time. The next day and we’re in the classroom with MS. PINTO, S instructor of 11th grade American History at Lee High School. She calls roll over a boisterous class of students who pay her very little mind. IN TRENT, BOOBIE (he probably wears a new- age dashiki), PAIGE and ZEKE are amongst those students, the latter three hovered above TK BOOBIE’s iPhone 7000, intently watching the news broadcast from earlier. BROADCAST NEWSCASTER (VO): I’m here now at the site with Loretta and Reginald Hayes and A their grandson, Trenton Palmer/, fellow residents of the Oakwood Hills Apartments & TE Townhomes. Now Ms. Hayes, if you could try your best to describe what transpired between Mr. Woods and the– W U TRENT (VO): The white one, he pulled a/ gun. IB REGGIE (VO): Made a RUN for it. Ran after him real fast. Certainly didn’t see no– TR A NEWSCASTER (VO): I’m sorry, young man, are you saying you saw the white officer pull a gun on Mr. Woods? IS D D TRENT (VO): Unprovoked. Forced him out his car. Patted him down. T REGGIE (VO): Trenton– N O TRENT (VO): And when Mr. Woods said something back, he jus pulled a gun on ‘im. N Pointed it right at his chest. A O REGGIE (VO): Trenton! D M TRENT (VO): But before they could shoot him, Mr. Woods...uh... well, he uh... got out of there. Fast. A RETTA (VO): Real real fast. PAIGE pauses the recording. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  33. PAIGE Ohmagod, Trent. You like famous. TRENT S...Naw. IN MS. PINTO (calling roll) Mr. Palmer? TRENT TK Yeah, I’m here. BOOBIE My dawg is a motherfuckin’ local celebrity. A MS. PINTO TE Mr. Sands? W BOOBIE U (to TRENT) IB So break it down for me, mayne. TR MS. PINTO A Mr. Sands? IS D BOOBIE D (calling out) Presente! T N O TRENT N Ion really wanna talk bout it. A O BOOBIE Don’ really wanna talk ‘bout it? Nigga, the whole school bout to be talkin’ ‘bout it. D M Shid already got 3,000 views and it ain’ even been a day. And then on IG – look, I posted it. 163 likes. Most likes I eva got! And I at’ed Gucci. I mean he ain’ respond yet. But once this shit get to like 2 mil, he ain’ gonna have no choice. A TRENT You at’ted Gucci? Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  34. BOOBIE And Lil Baby. All of Migos. I feel like they’ll definitely get it. You a young prophet. And this some prophet shit. ZEKE S Was there blood? Did you see any brains? Was there brains? PAIGE IN (sucking her teeth) Nigga, was you listenin’? He pulled his gun, he ain’ shoot the damn thing. Play it again. TRENT TK Please don’t. MS. PINTO Ms. Wallace? BOOBIE plays another portion of the clip. A TE BROADCAST (via the cellphone) W NEWSCASTER: And based on what you saw, would you say this altercation was U racially motivated? IB RETTA (VO): Now,/ wait a minute, we don’t necessarily know if – TR A REGGIE (VO): He wouldn’t say that. He wouldn’t say anything else. Would he? IS BROADCAST D D TRENT(VO): I would. Sure would. T ZEKE N O Nigga look like a punk too. Standing behin’ his granny like he gonna cry. N PAIGE A Zeke, you a hater. O I think you look good on TV, Trent. D You could be an actor or something. M BROADCAST NEWSCASTER: Wow. A shocking new development as one eyewitness alleges the police A altercation at Oakwood involved an unidentified officer pulling his gun on the now missing person Randall Woods – PAIGE pauses the clip. Copyright Zora Howard 2.22.22 - Do Not Distribute  35. PAIGE But, then – I don’t get it. Mr. Woods is dead? TRENT Ion think he dead. I think he... he just...