INT/EXT. SLAVE QUARTERS - EVENING
1862, Confederate America
Kamama's doll fades to another doll, black fabric for skin, small button eyes, and a simple dress.
The doll is picked up by a small hand, LIZA, a 4 year old dark skinned little girl.
The building is one room, made of decaying wood, nothing but dirt for the ground, there's a small rope bed, a tiny table. In a corner ABRAHAM, 13, Liza's brother stacks straw mattresses.Liza holds the doll in her arms and dances. She giggles as she does so.
ABRAHAM: Cut that out. You gonna get us in trouble.
LIZA: Nuh-uh.
ABRAHAM: Yeah huh.
Liza grunts. She puts her doll away.
Abraham finishes with the mattresses and grabs a small piece of bread from the table, he rips it in half.
ABRAHAM: (Handing half the bread to Liza,) Here. Eat somethin'.
LIZA: Your piece is bigger.
ABRAHAM: No it ain't.
LIZA: Yeah it is. See.
She holds up her piece of bread. She's not wrong, it is slightly smaller.
ABRAHAM: Well, I'm bigger. I get more.
LIZA: That ain't fair!
Abraham shrugs it off and they eat.
Then,
Screaming starts. It's outside, a woman BETTY, mother to the children.
BETTY: (O.S.) (Screaming,) No! No! You can't! I won't let you take me from my babies!
Liza's head pops up.
LIZA: Mama?
Abraham goes to the door, opens it. Liza follows, she tries to run outside but Abraham holds her back.
Betty stands a few feet from a white man, MR. GABEL, 35-50, he's unhappy. Betty is the embodiment of rage, and fear, and grief.
BETTY: I ain't gon' leave my children! Never!
GABEL: Ain't up to you.
BETTY: They're my babies!
GABEL: And I own you!
BETTY (Overlapping with above,) You bastard!
Gabel slaps Betty, quick, sharp.
Betty backs away, sobbing. She breaks down collapsing in front of the slave quarters.
BETTY: (Sobbing,) Please... Please, sir.
Gabel stands there, stone-faced.
GABEL: Get out of my sight, bitch.
He walks away.
Betty cries.
LIZA: Mama?
Betty looks behind her to her children, they stare back, eyes wide, scared.
Betty stands and shoos the children inside.
BETTY: Come now, get inside.
ABRAHAM: What's goin' on?
Betty pulls Abraham and Liza into a tight hug.
BETTY: (Whispering,) My babies. I love you so much.
ABRAHAM: What's goin' on, mama?
Betty breathes heavily for a few moments.
BETTY: Abraham, baby, you and your sister ain't ever gon' work a day in your life. You ain't ever gon' work for free, ain't gon' be whipped, ain't gon' skip meals, or be fed shit, or called names. Ain't gon' be owned by nobody.
LIZA: Mama, you cursed.
Betty franticly grabs a bag from the corner of the room and fills it with essential items she can find in the room, stray clothing, food, etc.
BETTY: Liza, go to Martha, tell her we gonna need a drinkin' gourd tonight. Ask her if she can come over and give it to me. Quickly, please.
LIZA: Yes, mama.
Liza exits quickly. Leaving Abraham and Betty alone. Betty continues gathering things.
ABRAHAM: Mama? What's goin' on.
Liza kneels in front of a candle. Tears roll down her cheeks, but she smiles.
BETTY: We gonna be free.
She blows out the candle
The screen goes dark.
YOU ARE READING
Generations & Genocide
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