BLACK BEANS: A story of my childhood in screenplay form.

FADE IN:

EXT. THE HERNANDEZ HOUSE, MIAMI — DAY

The two bedroom HERNANDEZ house sits comfortably on a worn down lawn with flowering bushes that designate a path to the front door. The house rests in the middle of the block, and there is a rusted white pick-up truck on the lawn near the side of the house. There is the slow MURMUR of TRAFFIC IN THE DISTANCE.

The SOUND of a LITTLE BOY making TRAFFIC NOISES spills over the SOUND of DISTANCE TRAFFIC in the background as we,

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM — DAY

The inside is brightly decorated, and there is an abundance of flowers in vases all around the room. The furniture is covered with clear, protective plastic. There is a hardwood dining table, which stands near a mirrored wall separating the living room from the kitchen.

JESUS ROMERO BRITTO HERNANDEZ, a three year old healthy looking boy, sits on the floor playing with miscellaneous toy cars and trucks. He is wearing khaki shorts and a pink sweater. Jesus is sitting sideways to a full length floor to ceiling mirror.

In the background we HEAR the Confusion of POTS and PANS CLANGING, caused by Jesus’s mother, Mrs. Hernandez, preparing dinner.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN — DAY

The kitchen is small and compact with a stove-top oven surrounded by cabinets, and the refrigerator at one end. Behind her is a door with jalousie windows, leading to the back yard.

MRS. HERNANDEZ, is a semi-attractive 25 year old woman. Her face shows the signs of hard work. Her hands are rough and her nails aren’t polished. She is wearing a light green shirt and brown polyester slacks. There is the SOUND of FRYING and BOILING.

We see Mrs. Hernandez taking the blender out from the top cabinet above her head. She places the blender on the cabinet and checks on the various pans and pots of food cooking on the stove.

She then takes a pot of beans from the stove top and fills up the blender to the top without without spilling a drop.

CLOSE SHOT OF BLENDER

Mrs. Hernandez turns the blender on and the SOUND of the BLENDER continues as we:

CUT TO:

LIVING ROOM — JESUS PLAYING

As Jesus is playing, he gives occasional looks to the mirror. His face becomes increasingly more stern with each look. The sound of the blender reaches him.

After a series of looks, he sticks his tongue out at his reflection. He then frustratingly turns his back to the mirror and continues playing..

He pauses.

Jesus, slowly turns to look at the mirror. When he sees his reflection again, he quickly stands up, and faces the mirror.

JESUS

(shouting)

Stop it!

He pauses and stares cautiously, waiting for a reaction.

Jesus’s eyes grow wide, and he furiously takes a deep breath and starts running around the living room waving his arms and yelling at the top of his lungs.

MRS. HERNANDEZ

O.S.

Para de gritar!

Jesus freezes mid-yell and looks around causitiosly.

He stops in front of the mirror, exhausted. He looks back up snidely at the young boy in the mirror, squeezes his face and grits his teeth at the boy.

Being very careful not to make a sound he walks away from the mirror.

He turns to face the reflection, and with a bow of his head, runs head first into the mirror as fast as he can.

CUT TO:

KITCHEN

Mrs. Hernandez, startled by the LOUD THUMP, freezes.

She runs out of the kitchen.

CUT TO:

LIVING ROOM

Mrs. Hernandez puts her hands to her face with a look of horrific surprise.

We see Jesus lying unconscious, several feet from the mirror. His mother kneels down next to him with a nervous face and begins rubbing his forehead.

MRS. HERNANDEZ

Aye dios mio!, Aye dios mio!

FADE TO BLACK

We HEAR the LOUD RIP of a long SHEET of PAPER Being TORN as we:

FADE IN:

INT. WESTCHESTER CLINIC — TREATMENT ROOM — NIGHT

PATIENT’S POV

The DOCTOR looks down on us as he flashes a light. The doctor is in his late fifties and has a slight hunch in his back. He is bald except for some grey hair which circles around the back of his head from ear to ear.

ANOTHER ANGLE

We see the doctor hovering a light on Jesus’s startled face. He is laying on a medical bed with a bandage wrapped around his head.

The room is designated by a roll around curtain hanging from the ceiling. There is the SOUND of the QUICK SHUFFLING of NURSES and other DOCTORS RACING back and forth outside the curtain. There is also an OCCASIONAL interruption of a SCRATCHY VOICE paging doctors over the P.A. system.

SCRATCHY VOICE

O.S.

Paging Doctor Leonard, paging Doctor Leonard,

please report to x-ray lab 1.

The doctor goes to where Mrs. Hernandez is sitting, she immediately stands nervously. The doctor speaks to Mrs. Hernandez, occasionally pointing to Jesus. She responds very nervously and seems to carry on.

The doctor takes a prescription pad out from his coat, quickly scribbles on it and tears it off.

She nods, and they both walk over to the side of the bed.

DOCTOR

(reffering to Jesus jokingly)

Bueno, tenga mas quidadito cuando estas jugando, que tu no eres superman, eh?

Jesus responds with a proud grin.

ANGLE ON OTHER SIDE OF CURTAIN

The curtains fly open to reveal the doctor. Mrs. Hernandez is behind him, holding Jesus by the wrist as they walk out into the COMMOTION OF THE CLINIC.

We see a YOUNG NURSE run into the curtained room and we HEAR the RIP of PAPER being TORN again.

The doctor, Mrs. Hernandez, and Jesus walk to the receptionist’s desk, which is near the exit doors.

The RECEPTIONIST, hands Mrs. Hernandez some forms as she is answering a RINGING TELEPHONE.

RECEPTIONIST

Good Evening, Westchester General-treatment, How can I help you?

The doctor is standing over the receptionist’s shoulders and is looking down her blouse as she is listening to the person on the phone.

RECEPTIONIST

(continued)

Are you on Avmed or Medicade mam?

Jesus stands innocently staring at the doctor’s business.

The doctor notices, and winks at him. He then taps the receptionist on the shoulder. She looks up to the doctor without ignoring her phone conversation.

RECEPTIONIST

(continued)(more)

Yes mam I understand, we’re not insured with your agency.

He motions toward one of the drawers in her desk. She smiles as she opens it and pulls out a shiny bright yellow lollipop. She gives it to the doctor, who then hands it over the desk, to Jesus.

The doctor smiles cynically.

RECEPTIONIST

(continued)

I’m very sorry but there is nothing I can do for you with the coverage you have. Thank you very much, goodbye.

Jesus takes the lollipop anxiously and tears off the sticky plastic wrapper. He then slams the lollipop into his mouth.

Mrs. Hernandez signs the last of the forms and gives them to the receptionist.

MRS. HERNANDEZ

Gracias otraves, por todo. Nos vemos.

She gestures a goodbye.

DOCTOR

(gesturing back with a smile)

hasta luego.

Mrs. Hernandez takes Jesus by the hand and they smile at the doctor on their way out the exit doors.

CUT TO:

EXT. CLINIC PARKING LOT — NIGHT

The parking lot is fairly empty with cars placed sporadically throughout.

CARS ROAR by, on the main highway, next to the clinic.

Jesus and his mother walk down the wheelchair ramp toward the white pickup in the lot.

She looks at Jesus who is dutifully licking away at his lollipop.

CONTINUED:

She looks carefully around the lot and then, all of a sudden, smacks Jesus across the back of the head.

Jesus cringes from pain and the lollipop falls to the ground. Jesus looks up to his mother teary eyed, and before he has a chance to say anything:

MRS. HERNANDEZ

No se’as tan estupido, coño.

They reach the truck and Mrs. Hernandez opens the driver’s side door.

CUT TO:

INT. TRUCK — NIGHT

There is a stickiness to the inside of the truck. The seat is beige and the vinyl is worn and dirty. On the dash there is a miniature statue of the catholic St. Christopher.

Mrs. Hernandez helps Jesus in, gets in herself, and slams the door shut.

As she is putting the key in the ignition, Jesus sticks his tongue out at his mother, without her noticing.

The STARTING ENGINE ROARS.

CUT TO:

INT. HERNANDEZ LIVING ROOM — NIGHT

The living room is dimly lit by a lamp hanging from the ceiling. It is accompanied by light coming from the kitchen. The dining table is set with an abundance of beans, vegetables, rice, steak, and salad. The food is setup to accommodate the head of the table.

MR. HERNANDEZ, a tall man with a stern stare, sits at the head, serving himself dinner. He is 27 years old but has the wear of centuries on his face. His dirty jeans and filthy white t-shirt, cling to his fairly muscular build. He doesn’t realize he is still wearing his hard hat.

CUT TO:

KITCHEN

Mrs. Hernandez takes a loaf of cuban bread from a plastic bag on the counter.

She cuts off a large piece and begins dicing it into cubed shaped pieces.

She places the diced bread in a plate and takes some blended beans out of a container on the counter which was set aside for Jesus. She pours the beans into a small pot, warming on the stove.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM — NIGHT

Jesus’s bedroom is that of a typical three year old. It’s a brightly lit room with a bed in the corner. The bed is equipped with a small railing on one side.

There is a picture of Jesus Christ, framed on the wall above the bed. The bed is made to perfection and has a spider-man comforter set. On the bed there is a raggedy teddy bear.

Jesus is sitting on the floor with paper and crayons scattered around him, and the bandage still on his head.

He looks very involved with the picture he is drawing. His tongue is sticking out slightly to one side as he draws.

ANGLE ON HANDS

It is a picture of a bright color figure with a sun crown, smiling.

He throws the color he’s using down, picks another one from the pile, and continues coloring.

He pauses for a moment.

SOUND DISSOLVE:

A HYPNOTIC WAVELIKE HUM of LAUGHING and TALKING

Jesus stares at the ceiling smiling from ear to ear.

SLOW DISSOLVE:

INT. GALLERY — NIGHT — OUT OF FOCUS

We see a bright blinding White space filled with an array of colors moving up and around the space. There are different sized stationary objects in the space, along with flat plains of color that run peripherally delineating some semblance of a perspective.

The space begins to come into FOCUS and some forms can be recognized. The moving colors appear to be people and the stationary objects appear to be sculptures and paintings of some kind.

We see what seems to be a group of people focused on something or someone in the space.

As we approach the crowd,

MRS. HERNANDEZ

(shouting) O.S.

Jesus…ben a comer!

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM — NIGHT

Jesus, torn from his vision, mistakenly makes a rough mark on his drawing, which tears through the paper.

He stares at the picture as a remnant of his spectacular dream. He realizes what he has done to the picture and his look changes to a look of despair.

MRS. HERNANDEZ

(with more impatience) O.S.

Jesus… ya la mesa esta puesta!

He gets scared and quickly puts the picture down.

He stands and looks around the room.

CUT TO:

INT. LONG HALLWAY — NIGHT

ANGLE ON BEDROOM DOOR

The hallway is dimly lit. The door opens and Jesus walks out, quickly.

POV JESUS

At first the point of view, is that of a child. As we proceed down the hall the point of view gradually gets taller.

CUT TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM — NIGHT

The living room has the same composition as before except, the mirror is missing. In it’s place is a wall with a bar cut out of it into the kitchen.

We see Mr. Hernandez sitting in the same seat eating, except he is 25 years older. He is wearing black slacks and the same kind of shirt. His hair has some grey in it and he’s got a belly.

CONTINUED:

Mrs. Hernandez is standing at the edge of the table setting down a plate of black beans and diced bread at the head. She is 25 years older, she has long, luxurious silver hair, and her nightgown fits tight on her semi-chubby frame. She goes back into the kitchen.

Jesus sits at the other head of the table opposite Mr. Hernandez. He is now 28 years old. He is wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He looks down at his plate and smiles with a wry look of contentment.

SLOW FADE TO BLACK

He quickly grabs the spoon and tears into the plate.

Mrs. Hernandez sits at the table and begins serving her self a small portion of everything on the table.

THE END