Sean J. White was awarded Third Place in Drama in the 2015 Prison Writing Contest.

INT. EFFICIENCY APARTMENT – NIGHT

The apartment is dimly lit. Furnished sparsely with makeshift shelves and tables, and a beat-up recliner obviously filched from a curbside. The place appears unkempt—laundry lies on the floor where it was dropped, dirty plates and bowls sit in odd places. An old foldout sofa-bed dominates the room.

WIDE SHOT on the sofa. GEOFF SMITH, a not-so-handsome man in his early- to mid-twenties wearing somewhat ratty baggy gym shorts and an old T-shirt, unfolds the bed from the sofa with a seemingly practiced hand. Geoff, full of uncertainty, looks up from time to time at CONNIE, a beautiful foreign woman, perhaps 20, dressed in sweatpants and a loose-fitting t-shirt over a long underwear top, all of it brand new. Connie stands back, fidgeting, watching Geoff, almost reaching out to help with the bed now and again.

 

GEOFF

I’m sorry, Connie. We’re gonna have to—um—

Connie crosses her arms.

CONNIE

Ah—eesz okay. Ay—ah—ay don’—

GEOFF

Still. I’m sorry. This is the best—

CONNIE

Ay un-nayrstahn. Eesz…Ay—ah—ay don’ mine.

A pause.

CONNIE (CONT’D)

Wee haaf to, yays?

Geoff finishes with the sofa-bed.

GEOFF

(suddenly nervous)

Well—um—it’s…well, you know…

Geoff clears his throat. A long silence. Geoff tries to avoid eye contact with Connie.

CONNIE

The low-yar, hee say—ah—hee say wee stay een saym hows, yays?

GEOFF

Yeah. Um—yeah. I—uh—

Geoff laughs, his eyes walk up Connie’s body to her face.

GEOFF (CONT’D)

I didn’t think—uh—I didn’t think I’d take a woman to bed like this.

Geoff crawls under the blankets still sitting up. Connie continues to stand on the other side of the bed with her arms crossed, biting her lower lip. Silence consumes the room.

Geoff looks up at Connie, his face reddens and he looks away.

GEOFF

(embarrassed)

Listen. I’m sorry. You don’t gotta worry ‘bout nothin’. I can’t—I mean, this is the—uh—best I—uh—the best I can do.

CLOSE-UP on Connie. She doesn’t budge, staring at Geoff (O.C.) as if she were a raccoon in the headlights, though continues to bite her lower lip. After a few moments, Connie visibly swallows and her eyes drop to the floor.

CONNIE

(afraid and slightly angry)

Ay juice slip on flor.

WIDE SHOT on the bed. Geoff shoots up rigid.

GEOFF

(determined)

No. You don’t gotta do that. If anyone’s gonna sleep on the floor, it’s gonna be me.

CLOSE-UP on Connie. Conniee meets Geoff’s (O.C.) gaze. Anger washes over her face.

CONNIE

Ay ahm geest.

WIDE SHOT on the bed. Geoff jumps out of the bed, grabbing a pillow.

GEOFF

Technically you’re my wife.

Connie scoffs then mutters in her native language. Geoff reddens.

GEOFF (CONT’D)

(embarrassed)

But that’s—that’s not what I mean. I mean—um—look, I’m—I’m just tryin’ to be—

CONNIE

(patiently)

Ay ahm—all-ray-dee know-eeng.

GEOFF

I’m not gonna—

Connie bites down on her lower lip, rolls her eyes and shakes her head, and fights back a giggle of nervous amusement.

CONNIE

Ay ahm all-ray-dee know-eeng.

GEOFF

But—

CONNIE

(stern)

Ay ahm-juice…

CLOSE UP on Connie. She sighs then looks away. A long silence. GEOFF strangles the pillow in his hands and avoids looking at Connie. Gently twisting her hips, CONNIE bites down on the first digit of her index finger while her other hand holds the elbow.

CONNIE

(suddenly)

Wee kahn chair.

CLOSE UP on Geoff. His face expressionless, Geoff stares at Connie (O.C.).

GEOFF

(surprised and nervous)

Oh—um—okay.

A pause. Geoff’s gaze darts around the room.

GEOFF (CONT’D)

Um…okay. Yeah, okay.

WIDE SHOT on the bed. Geoff and Connie ease into the bed from opposite sides. Connie immediately lies down facing away. Geoff remains sitting up.

GEOFF

(uncertain)

Um—Connie?

Connie doesn’t move.

CONNIE

Yays, Jaff?

GEOFF

Do you—um—do you wanna have—uh—

GEOFF (CONT’D)

some kinda party?

Connie rolls over, sits up and looks at Geoff.

CONNIE

(confused)

Ay don’ un-nayrstahn. Watt doo yoo say?

Geoff chuckles nervously.

GEOFF

I mean—uh—well—um—what I mean is—well, we should have some kinda party. I mean, even if it’s—uh—just on paper, you know, we’re still married, right? Don’t—don’t you think it’d—uh—be—uh—fun just to—uh—you know, have a party?

CONNIE

Eesz eet yoo wahnt?

CLOSE UP on Geoff. Geoff starts to speak again and again, but fails to produce any words, creating instead a long silence.

GEOFF

(uncertain)

Um… I—uh—I dunno. I mean—um—I mean—uh… I dunno.

CONNIE (O.C.)

(quietly pleased)

Eef yoo wahnt, wee weel haaf.

GEOFF

It’s not—it’s just an idea. It—it doesn’t matter to me. I just thought—I dunno—I just thought that—um—maybe—maybe you’d like to—um—

WIDE SHOT on the bed. Connie leans over and kisses Geoff on the cheek. Geoff blushes.

CONNIE

Yoo our sweet.

GEOFF

I—

Connie lies back down facing away.

GEOFF (CONT’D)

Yeah—um—we’ll talk about it more in the morning. Maybe—I guess…

Connie doesn’t move.

CONNIE

Okay, Jaff.

GEOFF

All right, then.

CONNIE

Good en-niyt.

GEOFF

Good night, Connie.

Geoff lies down facing away from Connie. CLOSE UP on Geoff’s face. He lies there wide-awake staring into the camera. After a long uncomfortable silence, SNAP CUT.