Feet of the Angels (2 page)

PAUL IS BORN

A hospital room a few years earlier.
CHARLES
is filming
MONIQUE
.

CHARLES

Ready honey? It's rolling.

MONIQUE

(
to the camera
)
…Okay, good, well, hi. It's 5:07, um on February 2, 1972, and here we are in the hospital, and, well, we can't wait for you to be born. It shouldn't be long now. I'm at seven centimetres… and I'm talking between contractions, so I can't talk much longer, because they're every three minutes… the people are very nice here at the hospital…
(
to
CHARLES
)
I don't really know what to say…
(
CHARLES
signals to keep talking.
)
Um… I'm the one that's been talking to you for months, though we can't see each other, and I kind of wonder what your expression is when you hear all this. I hope we'll recognize each other when we finally meet face to face. I hope you'll be a happy boy, or girl, with us—I don't know which, but soon you'll be called something. Boy, I can't wait! Paul or Pauline, I just wanted to say… to say be brave, because I know it's not easy being born, but that's life, isn't it? It isn't always easy.

She has a strong contraction, and
CHARLES
stops filming to help her. A phone rings.

CHOIR B

(
birthing-room personnel
)

1.
Paul's birth was like a sign.

2.
Not a sigh like a dying swan.

3.
Push!

4.
He would have liked to be a bird though.

5.
Or a ballet dancer.

6.
Push!

7.
It's not up to us though.

8.
It's not up to us.

9.
Almost there. Push again!

10
. So, anyway, Paul's birth was like a sign.

11
. A sign like some kind of foreshadowing.

12
. Not like… well, we've been through that.

13
. Almost through.

14
. Almost …push again!

Long cries from
MONIQUE
, still in front of
the
eye
.

15.
It's a boy!

CHARLES
is in the same phone booth as
KARINE
was earlier.

JEAN-PIERRE

(
answers the phone
)
Hello?

CHARLES

Hi, Jean-Pierre, it's me, Charles.

JEAN-PIERRE

What's happening?

CHARLES

Paul is born.

JEAN-PIERRE

Wow! Congratulations!
(
He calls to his wife.
)
Suzanne, Suzanne! Come here. It's your brother on the phone! He's here! The baby's come! It's a boy!

SUZANNE
arrives, all worked up, a baby in her arms. She stays by the phone through the following conversation.

SUZANNE

Yeah? I knew it! I knew it was going to be a boy! I told you, eh, carrying it low?
(
into the phone
)
Congratulations!!!!
How's Mummy?

JEAN-PIERRE

(
on the phone
)
Everything go okay?

CHARLES

Sure.

JEAN-PIERRE

He's healthy?

CHARLES

Yep.

SUZANNE

What does he weigh?

JEAN-PIERRE

Monique's okay?

SUZANNE

How long did it take?

CHARLES

Fine, she's fine.

SUZANNE

Ask him the weight.
(
baby-talking to her own child
)
And you, you weighed lots and lots, and it reeeeeaally hurt Mama lots and lots too!

JEAN-PIERRE

They're both all right then?
(
to
SUZANNE
)
Shhhh!
(
to
CHARLES
)
Both all right?

CHARLES

They're both fine.

JEAN-PIERRE

Who's he look like?

SUZANNE

(
trying to be funny
)
His mother, I hope!

CHARLES

Doesn't look like anybody.

JEAN-PIERRE

Eh?

CHARLES

Nobody.

JEAN-PIERRE

Well, that's normal… at first. You can't see much at this stage.

CHARLES

I've got to tell you something.

JEAN-PIERRE

You sound weird. What is it?

CHARLES

Okay, listen carefully.

JEAN-PIERRE

Now you're scaring me. What's going on?

CHARLES

Okay… Paul… is black.

JEAN-PIERRE

what
?

SUZANNE

(
to
JEAN-PIERRE
)
What's happened?

CHARLES

He's black.

JEAN-PIERRE

He's black…

SUZANNE

What's black?

JEAN-PIERRE

(
to
SUZANNE
)
Shhhh. The baby is. He says the baby's black.

SUZANNE

WHAT
?

JEAN-PIERRE

…How do you mean?

CHARLES

What do you mean, “How do you mean?” He's black, that's what. The baby's black!

SUZANNE

What do you mean, “black”?

JEAN-PIERRE

You mean like sick… kind of like jaundice, only…?

CHARLES

No, Jean-Pierre, no! Not jaundice, for Chrissakes! Black, I told you! Black… as in African, okay? Black. Black.

JEAN-PIERRE

I'm sorry. I really don't get it… African?

SUZANNE

Ah, right, okay, black like he's a black?

CHARLES

I talked to the doc a long time, and he says it's possible. It's happened before.

SUZANNE

What the hell, they got the wrong baby, that's all.

JEAN-PIERRE

You sure the hospital gave you the right one?

CHARLES

Hey, Jean-Pierre, I saw him come out! I'm the one that cut the cord! That's MY SON. She swore he was mine, and I believe her.

JEAN-PIERRE

(
to
SUZANNE
)
No, it's really theirs…

SUZANNE

Is it like…
permanent
?

CHARLES

There's an explanation. Everything has an explanation. It has to do with genes. It's rare though, like sort of “sleeper genes” from some African ancestor way back.

JEAN-PIERRE

“Sleeper genes”… You mean it'll go away?

CHARLES

What? What do you mean?

JEAN-PIERRE

Well, our Chloe, I mean, she had blue eyes, and
it
went away. The blue.

CHARLES

No, Jean-Pierre, it doesn't go away. It's there for good, okay?

JEAN-PIERRE

Look, I'm really sorry… no, that's not what I mean, I mean there's nothing to be sorry about, what I mean is… oh, never mind, it's not important. Look, it doesn't change anything, does it? Well, it does actually, but it's not like a handicap or anything. He's healthy. That's what matters, right? Excuse me. I was in a bit of a shock, so yeah, I'll say anything, I guess. Hey, you want to talk to Suzanne?
(
SUZANNE
signals “no” frantically.
)

CHARLES

Listen, I've got a bunch of people to call. I just wanted to let you know, the two of you, you know, so you can get used to the idea and accept Paul just as he is.

JEAN-PIERRE

Oh, sure, sure, Charles, definitely! We love him already. Right, Suzanne? My black nephew. I love him already.

CHARLES

His name's Paul.

JEAN-PIERRE

Right, Paul, I meant to say that.

CHARLES

Bye.

JEAN-PIERRE
hangs up in a state of shock, then hugs
SUZANNE
and their daughter Chloe tightly.

JEAN-PIERRE

(
as though he has just escaped something terrible
)
Boy, am I ever lucky!

MONIQUE

(
to the camera
)
Paul? Would it have been better to hide all the mirrors as though you were some kind of burn victim? Should we have waited till you were more self-aware before we let you see your own reflection?

During what follows,
the
choir
lifts up
MARIE
2 and changes her into a ballerina. Under her clothes she is wearing the usual classic ballet outfit (tutu, etc.) worn by young girls… if possible, two small angel wings as well.

MARIE 1 & 2

…I was still quite small when it happened, so I inherited all the attention, appreciation, protection, encouragement and marks of affection for lack of which my brother must have suspended himself in time and in mid-air. Suddenly, it was as though my parents' lives were given over to celebrating mine, day in, day out. It was in that perpetual state of celebrated existence that I grew up, thinking how exceptional I must be to deserve such tribute.

Finished with the change, she delivers a typical ballet curtsy. It is the end of a childhood ballet recital. The group of funeral-home attendees becomes her family, now watching the performance. Their applause is exaggerated, and they offer her the bouquets of flowers from the previous scene as well as hugs, compliments, etc.

THE BALLET PERFORMANCE

CHOIR C

1.
You were the best.

2.
Bravo.

3.
You really are the best.

4.
What talent!

5.
Bravo.

6.
You were so beautiful. You were a standout!

7.
You stood out from everyone.

8.
Here, some beautiful flowers for my great ballerina.

9.
Beautiful flowers that are your due.

10
. You deserve them.

11
. What progress you've made!

12
. You just keep making progress.

13
. After progress like that, you must be tired, eh?

14
. A fine show.

15
. A very fine show.

16
. 'Specially your part.

17
. Your part was the best.

18
. You have so much talent.

19
. So much talent.

20
. We're all very proud of you.

21
. Very proud, you've made us all very proud.

22
. Proud, and it's all thanks to you.

23
. Paul would have been proud.

24
. Yes, your brother would have been proud.

25
. And I'm sure he is proud.

26
. You had me in tears!

27
. Me too, I was in tears.

28
. I got it all on film.

29
. You had us in tears.

30
. I got it all on film as well.

31
. We both got it all on film.

32
. But it was just you I filmed… in close-up.

33
. We'll edit it.

34
. We'll make copies for everyone.

35
. And pictures too. I got lots.

36
. We're going to look at them all.

37
. Great souvenirs.

38
. I can't wait.

39
. We can't wait.

40
. Let's have a party.

41
. Yes, a party!

42
. That's it, we'll have a party.

43
. A party where we can watch the movie of your show.

44
. That's it, a party, and we'll all watch you!

45
. Would you like it if we had a party and watched you?

MARIE 1

It wasn't just my parents that gazed at me adoringly, but everyone around them, because my parents would not put up with anyone who didn't partake in the mystique of me. I always thought that one day I would understand why I was so special. It was some sort of gift that I would no doubt eventually discover, though others already knew about it. That was exciting, the very thought of being exceptional. I couldn't wait to find out what it was that stood out so much and what flamboyant destiny awaited me.

Salsa music.

Years later in a salsa class. Everyone is dancing in couples.