Speedy, Meri & Me Martha Rose Crow

 

ACT 4: MERI

 

SOUND OF LOUD BRASS HORNS PLAYING REGGAE.

 

FADE IN TO WHITE BEFORE THE IMAGES DEVELOPS INTO A MEDIUM SHOT OF A REGGAE BAND

PLAYING. CAMERA PANS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND THERE ARE TEN BAND MEMBERS. EIGHT ARE WHITE

AND HAVE DREDLOCKS. TWO ARE BLACK AND THEY ARE BALD.

 

CAMERA STOPS AT SPEEDY PLAYING THE DRUMS AND PANS DOWN TO THE NAME OF HIS BAND ON HIS

DRUMS. IT SAYS

"RASTA KINGS"

 

LONG SHOT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE ROCKING THE JOINT. MUSIC PLAYS LOUDLY FOR A FEW SECONDS

UNTIL IT FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND.

 

CAMERA ZOOMS OUT AND PANS LEFT TO A TABLE WHERE DIVA IS SITTING WATCHING SPEEDY PLA Y

THE DRUMS IN THE BAND. CAMERA SLOWLY ZOOMS IN

 

DIVA (narrating) I met Meri when Speedy's band was playing in a little pub in Alkmaar. She was dancing her ass off.

 

CAMERA PANS RIGHT TO DANCERS AND FINDS LITTLE MERI IN THE CROWD. IT WATCHES HER DANCE.

 

DIVA(narrating) I was watching the band play and having a good time when she came up to me and asked me

 

CLOSE SHOT OF MERI. MERI IS SMALL AND LOOKS LIKE A BOY WITH HER SPIKED, SHORT BURGUNDY

HAIR.

 

MERI (smiling) Wil je met me dansen?

(Will you dance with me?)

 

DIVA (narrating) I'm a feminist. I've never had a problem dancing with another woman.

 

CLOSEUP OF DIVA.

 

DIVA Sure.

 

VARIETY OF SHOTS OF DIVA AND MERI DANCING.

 

DIVA (narrating) She danced very well and moved her hands like a gymnast. Later, I found out that she had studied gymnastics

for twelve years.

 

VAR IETY OF SHOTS OF DIVA AND MERI DANCING

 

DIVA (narrating) Meri was one of those people you liked right away. Happy, full of energy. Like me. A refugee. Like me.

 

MORE SHOTS OF DANCING.

 

DIVA After we danced, I invited her to our table and we partied.

 

TWO SHOT OF DIVA AND MERI SMOKING A JOINT AT THE TABLE AND DRINKING BEER.

 

MERI (in a thick Croatian accent) I've been working as an escort (searches Diva's eyes for a response)

 

DIVAA girlfriend's gotta do what a g irlfriend's gotta do. Personally, I don't like it, but it seems like its the only way a woman

will ever be able to make a decent wage in this world.

 

MERI I don't mind it.

 

DIVA (begins to laugh) That's a new one. A prostitute who likes her job.

 

MERI (smiling) It pays the bills.

 

CAMERA CUTS TO A GROUP SHOT OF THE BAND ROCKIN' THE HOUSE.

 

TWO-SHOT OF DIVA AND MERI.

 

DIVA(narrating) What Meri didn't tell me was that b ecause she was 35, the escort rarely sent her out. See, Western Europe is

flooded with desperate women who can't get any kind work in their own country. Customers prefer pretty, young girls. As

beautiful and fun as Meri is, she is way past her prime.

 

MERI(batting her eyes at Diva) I'm a bee-sexual.

 

DIVA(begins to laugh at Meri's pass) A lot of people are around here are. Just like they are in America. Truthfully, I thought

you were a lesbian.

 

MERI (eyes twinkling) Thank you for the compliment. Why did you think I was a lesbian?

 

DIVA Because you look like a boy.

 

MERI(eyes twinkling and face smiling) You have given me another compliment. (Diva begins to laugh) Why are you laughing?

 

DIVA Because you also remind me of a pixie. (Meri looks confused) A pixie is an English word for a elf. They're little, cute,

energetic and athletic looking like you.

 

MERI(smiling) I know what they are. We have them back in Croatia. So what do you think about me being a bee-sexual?

 

DIVAI don't care where people go to get their love as long as they get it. Of course, I know what my mother would say

 

MEDIUM SHOT OF DIVA'S MOTHER AS SHE GETS READY TO PREACH.

 

MOM(shaking and trembling as she speaks, clutching her bible to her chest) The Lord made man and woman to procreate his

earth. He did not make sex for pleasure or for comfort or for persons of the same sex.

 

(Points arm and index finger in the air) The Bible prrrreaches about it. That is why he judged Sodom and Gomorrah and that is

why he will destroy all the godless queers in the end. Says so here in the bible (holds the Bible out)

&nbs p;

Homosexuality is a part of Satan's plan to take over the world. You hang around with them Diva and you will become one of

them. Like it says in the good book, if you lay with dogs, you will catch the fleas.

 

CLOSEUP OF MOM, TEARS IN HER EYES AND PLEADING IN HER VOICE

 

MOMJust knowing a homosexual is a sin. Do you really want to go to hell for a friend?

 

TWO SHOT OF DIVA AND MERI.

 

DIVABut I don't care what my mother would say. . . She and I are at different poles on everything. I guess you could say that

she's real religious.

 

MERIMy mother is also religious. She goes to Mass every day and knows all the saints and their birthdays.

 

DIVA (laughs) My mother goes to church four times a week unless there's a revival. Then she goes every day. She doesn't

know any of the saints' names because believing in saints is a sin. (Stops for a moment and begins to laugh) But Does your

mother stand on street corners and preach the Word of the Lord to everyone?

 

MERI (shrinking) She does that?

 

DIVA(nodding seriously) She does. And she does it on streetcorners in Texas. Then she's a religious writer. She gets her

writing published more than I do. Of course, she writes what people want to hear.

 

MERI(laughing, looks at Diva's notebook on the table) Is that why you have a notebook in the bar? You're a writer?

 

DIVA (smiling) All my life. (Holds notebook up a little) I have to have something to write on around me all the time. I never

know when I am going to be inspired.

 

MERI What do you write?

 

DIVAA long t ime ago, I used to write research books on American Indians. Now I write novels and poems, although I have been

thinking about writing a screenplay. One of my four degrees is in Film and Television. I think I could write a good screenplay.

 

MERI About what?

 

DIVAI'm still figuring that one out. Hemingway always told aspiring young writers to write what they know about. I know a lot

about a lot of things. If I just sit and be cool, the idea will come to me. It always does.

MERI Who was that guy you were waving at when we were dancing?

 

DI VA That's my boyfriend Speedy.

 

MERI (looks a little disappointed) Are you in love?

 

DIVA Do you want to know if I am faithful?

 

MERI(starting to laugh) You Americans are very forward. . . Yes, I want to know.

 

DIVA(laughing and smiling, looks towards Speedy) I'm faithful. And its love. He treats me good, too. Better than any man in

America ever did. Even if I wasn't faithful

 

CLOSEUP OF CUTE GUY WITH LONG HAIR FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD

GREEN GROCER'S WEARING DIFFERENT CLOTHES. HE'S SMILING.

 

BACK TO TIGHTER TWO-SHOT OF DIVA AND MERI

 

DIVA It wouldn't be with a woman. I love women but I don't want to make love with them.

 

DIVA (narrating) I knew better than to tell her that. I knew better. I also knew what she would say next. They always do . . .

 

MERI(batting her long, dark eyelashes) Have you ever made love with a woman?

 

DIVA No, and I don't want to. I like dick.

 

MERI I like it, too, but I also need a woman (winks seductively).

 

DIVAI like you, Meri, but I just want to be friends. Lovers of any sex are easy to get in this place, but a good friendship with

another woman is almost impossible to find. The world does this to us. It divides and keeps us from each other and it forces us

to fight each other over the few scraps it allows us.

 

MERI(thinks for a moment before she smiles) You're right, Diva. Friendship is better. Let's be friends.

 

THE LIGHT IN THE ROOM BECOMES GOLDEN BEFORE IT FADES BACK TO THE DARKNESS OF A PUB.

 

< FONT COLOR="#000000">DIVA (narrating) It was the beginning of a great friendship. I didn't care if she was a prostitute. I liked her fire and who she was

as a person.

 

CAMERA MOVES BACK TO ORIGINAL POSITION.

 

REGGAE MUSIC ENDS AND SPEEDY COMES TO THE TABLE AND SITS BY DIVA. HE IS SWEATY. HE PICKS

UP A GLASS OF BEER AND DRINKS IT TO THE BOTTOM. HE BELCHES BEFORE HE NOTICES MERI. OTHER

BAND MEMBERS SIT AT THE TABLE AND MERI WONDERS IF SHE SHOULD LEAVE.

 

SPDY Don't go. Stay. Any friend of Diva's is a friend of mine. (Smiles friendly)

 

DIVA This is Meri.

 

SPDY (friendly) I'm Speedy.

 

MERI(always charming) Diva told me (Speedy looks at Diva). She told me nice things about you.

 

SPDY (a little curious) Oh. . . What did she tell you?

 

DIVA That she's faithful to you.

 

SPDY (smiling at Diva) That's nice to hear (Diva smiles back).

 

CAMERA TRUCKS BACK AND SLOWLY ZOOMS OUT AT THE SAME TIME

UNTIL THE IMAGES OF SPEEDY, DIVA, MERI AND THE OTHERS AT THE TABLE BECOME BLURRED AND

DARKER.

 

DIVA(narrating) Meri and I danced all night. Sometimes together, sometimes with other partners. We kept in touch and in time,

she moved in with us.

 

FADE TO BLACK.

 

 

 

 

 

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