Poetic Justice

IESHA

You can't do that.

CHICAGO

Yeah, I can. Just put it in damage pile. It's fourth-class mail anyway.

(reads)

A love letter.

He smells the paper.

CHICAGO

Obsession.

(to Iesha)

You wear that too. Don't you? I like the way you smell.

Iesha sits across the way. Arms folded.

IESHA

I don't like the way you smell!

CHICAGO

(reading letter)

"I can't wait to see you again. My heart arches with every day that you are gone. I had a dream last night, you were here, with me."

(reads on to himself)

IESHA

You know you wrong.

Chicago looks up for a moment, then back to the letter.

IESHA

I'ma quit you when we get back to L.A. I'm young. I need to be alone for a while. Find myself and shit.

Chicago keeps reading the letter, acting like this isn't affecting him. Iesha snuggles into a corner and closes her eyes. Chicago looks over at her sleeping.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. AFRICAN MARKET FESTNAG – DAY

We see images of dancers on a stage, people shopping at booths, carnival games. The air is alive with the sounds and smells of an African market festival. What follows is a Felliniesque scene on the Afrocentric tip. The sounds of African drums fill the air. Between the dialogue some striking visuals are intercut.

ANGLE

As we see Justice and Lucky walking together. Justice is taking in the sights and sounds of her environment. She is almost childlike but very much an alive woman for once. She is blowing soap bubbles. Lucky seems lost in his own thoughts.

JUSTICE

What's wrong with you? Why you so quiet now?

LUCKY

Nuthin. I'm just thinking. I like to get out the city. Too much shit going down there. This is the only time I get to think. Or when I'm with my cousin and shit.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Where we notice both Iesha and Chicago are not walking together.

IESHA

I'm getting tired of all this walking, J!

CHICAGO

Me too.

BACK TO JUSTICE AND LUCKY

JUSTICE

So what you wanna do with your life?

LUCKY

Survive. Live. Shit. What you wanna do?

JUSTICE

I'm talking about goals, aspirations, shit like that.

LUCKY

I don't know yet. Music maybe.

JUSTICE

So what does your cousin rap about?

LUCKY

Stuff. Life.

JUSTICE

You sure he don't talk about typical shit?

LUCKY

What you mean typical? Like what?

JUSTICE

Like "I'm bad, I'm tha shit, I'll shoot a nigga in a minute, I get all the pussy." Stuff like that.

LUCKY

What you write about in that notebook you carry?

They stop to notice. A large Black bald muscular brother standing before one of those amusement things where you hit a peg with a sledgehammer and it goes up to a certain height. Several spectators are waiting to see the man hit the peg.

JUSTICE

Poetry.

LUCKY

You trying to say my cousin's shit ain't poetry?

THE STRONGMAN

Hits the peg! It flies up!
 

JUSTICE (V.O.)

It ain't if he just talk about himself. You gotta have something to say. Somethin different, a perspective.

The peg hits a bell, under which is written in red letters the word "REVOLUTION".

JUSTICE

A voice.

They turn to walk out of the crowd.

LUCKY

What you write about?

JUSTICE

I write about what's in my heart.

LUCKY

And what's that?

(touches her shoulder)

She says nothing.

JUSTICE

I dunno. What's in yours?

LUCKY

I'm still trying to find out.

(notices the fact that he has touched Justice)

CHICAGO

Stands in a crowd. We are looking over his shoulder at Iesha throwing baseballs into holes. She wins a little bear, which brings a smile to her face. When she notices Chicago looking at her, it turns to a frown. Chicago then turns to look in Lucky and Justice's direction.

LUCKY AND JUSTICE

They are interrupted by Chicago's shouting.

CHICAGO

(shouting)

Why do we keep stopping? Don't we have a schedule to keep to?

LUCKY

(shouting)

We got plenty o' time. What you worried about, nigga? We always do this.

CHICAGO

We need to hurry up and get where we got to go. You keep proscratinatin.

(joking)

You keep trying to gib to that bitch! That's tha problem.

JUSTICE

(ignoring Chicago)

There's a fruit stand over there. I wanna get some plums.

(walks away)

CHICAGO

You can't pull that. She outta your league.

Lucky just gives him a look. Then he turns, and...

ANOTHER ANGLE

Lucky and Chicago in a crowd of people. Chicago walks away, frustrated, as we PULL BACK and around to see the source of the drums we have been hearing through this entire scene. It is the Last Poets, beating out the last couple of lines to "Niggas Are Scared of Revolution."

BLACK MAN
"But I'm a lover too! I'm a lover too! I love niggas! I love to see them walk, talk, and shoot tha shit! But there is one thing about niggas I do not love! Niggas are scared of Revolution!"

The crowd applauds.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT.THE TRUCK – DAY – MOVING THE FRONT

Where we see Justice bite into a plum with her juicy lips.

LUCKY

You didn't wash it.

JUSTICE

Yeah, I did.

LUCKY

How?

Justice rubs the plum back and forth between her hands and kisses it up to God. Lucky looks on in amazement. All that is left is the seed, which Justice holds up proudly. She laughs.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. GRASSY FlELD – DAY

We see Justice walking toward us through a field. She walks slowly, almost dreamlike. Over this we hear Justice's voice reading a poem. It is "Phenomenal Woman. "Suddenly, a zebra (yes a zebra) walks into the shot. First one, then another, then another. Soon there is a herd. Now we know we are in a dream – Until we hear Lucky's voice shout out.

LUCKY

Whatcha you doing?!

WIDE

Where we see the truck at the top of a hill that overlooks a field, in which we see Justice walking among African zebras. Chicago and Iesha get out of the truck and look down. Lucky has the hood up and is checking the engine.

JUSTICE

(shouting)

I wanna pet one of them!

ON THE HILL

IESHA

OOOOH!

BACK TO FIELD

Where Justice pets one of the animals.

LUCKY

They came from that castle over there. Hearst Castle! They have a some kinda private zoo there.

CHICAGO

They musta got out or somethin.

Chicago looks at Iesha. She senses she is being watched, then she looks over at him and walks away. He follows her.

THE ROAD

Where we see the truck by the road with the castle in the background. Iesha has walked to the back of the truck. Chicago comes around the corner and tries to talk to her.

He tries a smoother approach.

CHICAGO

(smoothly)

So you wanna quit me, huh?

He puts his arms around her waist.

CHIAGO

Don't you know how much I love you? Can I have a kiss?

She turns around to face him, and they kiss.

CUT TO:

INT. THE TRUCK – MOVING – DAY

Where Chicago and Iesha are still kissing. They are getting hot and heavy. Iesha is still doing this with some reluctance.

THE FRONT

Where Justice and Lucky sit. They are chummy-chummy now; they talk like old friends.

JUSTICE

My first boyfriend used to get into a lot of shit... He got killed, though. Tried to jack the wrong person.

LUCKY

Tha jacker got himself jacked!

He laughs. Justice doesn't find it funny.

JUSTICE

He got killed over some stupid shit.

Lucky looks at her.

LUCKY

Then why you date fools like that?

JUSTICE

That's who I fell in love with. Didn't know no better.

LUCKY

What about now?

Justice has no reply. Lucky changes the subject.

LUCKY

How many brothers and sisters you got?

JUSTICE

None. My momma didn't have no more kids... She didn't get a chance to.

There is a somber moment. Lucky understands, vaguely. They hear a moaning sound. Justice motions for Lucky to be quiet. She peeks through the curtain.

THE CURTAIN

Where Iesha is now on top of Chicago. Riding him. Slowly she moves back and forth, her legs around his waist.

Suddenly, something is wrong. Iesha gets up.

THE BACK

Where we see Iesha looking frustrated.

IESHA

Is that it?!

CHICAGO

Shhh! Give me a coupla minutes.

IESHA

(louder)

Fuck that! You can't even hang that long! Couple minutes shit my ass!

CHICAGO

Fuck you.

IESHA

You can't! That's the muthafuckin problem! They begin arguing loudly.

THE FRONT

Where Lucky and Justice listen to Iesha and Chicago going at it.

LUCKY

I'm getting sick of this shit.

JUSTICE

Pull over somewheres.

LUCKY

Here we go again.

CUT TO: