The Present By Kenneth Matovu

INT. BEDROOM - DUSK EDNA (mid thirties, beautiful, she is not fat but she wears some weight, she looks happy and contented. she is wearing a ring, definitely married) is wrapping a small box with wrapping paper. It is a present. She opens the top desk drawer and searches through for something in vain. Opens the middle drawer. Searches with no luck. She pauses at a folder, it looks official. She wears thoughtful face a bit then smiles at her self. She closes the drawer and opens the bottom drawer. She finds the ribbon that is what she was looking for. She ties up the present and replaces the ribbon. She sees the box of condoms in the same drawer. The thoughtful face reappears. She thinks for a while. She then opens the middle drawer and gets out the folder that had caught her eye earlier. She pulls out a sheet of paper. The paper is a doctors letter. CLOSE UP ON PASSAGE IN LETTER: "And if the guide lines above are followed. Mr. Wamala will be able to live even up to six month today. We realize the magnitude of sadness in the news..." The letter is dated February 3 2003. There is a framed picture of Edna in brides dress, Wamala in suit in a wheelchair dated February 8 2003 She tears a little but one can easily tell that these are not tears of sadness. She crushes the letter and the folder in her hands and walks to the door. At the door she pauses and turns back. She opens the lower drawer and gets the condoms pack out. As she walks away she decides to carry the wrapped gift along. INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS She drops the pack of condoms, wrapped gift and crushed folder into the trash can.

2.

INT. DINNING - NIGHT The place is neat, the lights are a bit deem. The dinning table has six seats. It has a white cloth on it. Two table mats are on the table. They dont seem to have been moved for some time. Edna creates only room for two at the table. She puts a cake and two wine glasses. It is definitely a birthday cake. We hear a door click. She happily moves to the door through the sitting room. INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT WAMALA (early forties, good looking, smart. He is just the guy girls would fall for.) comes in smartly dressed with jacket and tie. He is holding a brief case. He places the brief case at the door way and bends to unties the laces of his shoes. He takes the shoes off picks up his brief case and enters. Edna humbly sits next to him folding her legs. EDNA How was work? WAMALA Today was a really long day. I almost thought it would never end. How are you? EDNA Good. How are you? She smiles. WAMALA (calmly) I am hungry. EDNA Supper is ready. Edna is still wearing her smile. She clearly looks happier than usual. She stands up to see Wamala to the dinning. Wamala notices the charm on her face.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

WAMALA OK I am sorry to ask, but is there something I should know. EDNA Like what? Wamala does not want to push it. WAMALA Ill wait until youre ready to tell me. They are both walking to the dinning table. EDNA Guess what day today is. WAMALA Tuesday? EDNA Yeah... date? WAMALA 11th may? EDNA Yeah?... Wamala does not have a clue. He starts looking around the room for any. And there it is eyes pause on the cake. WAMALA (Guiltily) Oh my God how could I forget. But wait your birth day is in January? Edna shoots him a look WAMALA Its the cake. I almost... Wait its my birthday, isnt it? It took him long enough to figure out. Edna gives him a pitying look. They enter the dinning room.

4. INT. DINNING - CONTINUOUS They are both seated they have cake on their plates. They start to eat quietly. EDNA I have a surprise present for you. WAMALA I cant wait to see that... Can I see it. EDNA Its a surprise. WAMALA Am I going to wait for boxing day? EDNA (seductive voice) Its in the bedroom... you get it after your shower. Wamala and all of us know what this is. He nods slowly and rhythmically as a seductive gesture. He eats his cake. INT. BEDROOM - LATER The bedroom is organized with a big bed in the middle. And a mosquito net is tied just above the bed. It is not covering the bed yet. Edna is covering herself in the bed. she is wide awake with a seductive smile. Wamala is from the shower wearing only a towel. He is first surprised at the sight of Edna and then turned on but he manages to keep himself calm. He gets into the bed. WAMALA I like surprises like this. EDNA This is not the surprise He opens a drawer just next to the bed without looking at it. touches inside searchingly. It is empty. Edna is now getting closer to him and kissing him. He hurriedly opens another. Its also empty. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: He opens the third and last one but it is also empty.

5.

He then pulls away from Edna and tries to search the drawer with his eyes. EDNA I removed them from there. WAMALA Why? Where did you put them? EDNA In the trash. We dont need them. WAMALA What? EDNA We dont need condoms anymore. WAMALA What do you mean? There is no other way. EDNA I want to have your baby. He sits and looks at her in total surprise. WAMALA (confused) But we cant. EDNA The doctors say there is a 98% chance that the baby will be safe. WAMALA We both know this is not about the baby. This is about you. EDNA I am going to spend the rest of my life with you what difference does it make anyway. WAMALA This is AIDS we are talking about you dont just... EDNA Youve had AIDS your whole life. Youre in the best health youve been in a long time. (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

WAMALA Edna I almost died once... Where is this coming from? Her expression is changing now. A little bit disappointed. WAMALA We can adapt a baby. EDNA I dont want to raise an orphan. I want to have your baby... Our baby. WAMALA I am sorry but I cant do this. What if something happens. EDNA Like what? WAMALA I dont know. Anything can happen. EDNA Are you seeing someone else? WAMALA (surprised) What? EDNA What something can happen? Wamala just can not take this anymore. He angrily walks out of the room still wearing only towel. Edna sinks deeper in the bed. She sighs. She is disappointed. She sits up. She walks around. She looks thoughtful. She stops at their wedding picture. She takes a long look. INT. SITTING ROOM - NIGHT Wamala is kicking the sofa. He is extremely angry. He walks back to the bed room.

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INT. HOUSE CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS He is walking with anger. He feels like breaking down anything into pieces. He is breathing hard. He is trying to think. He reaches the bedroom door. He reaches for the handle. He wants to open but he just cant. He stands there for sometime making up his mind to open. He decides not to. He walks to the kitchen. INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT Wamala reaches to the trash can and searches through angrily. He finds the condoms. His eyes pause on the wrapped present. He sits on the floor, pulls the present out and starts untying the ribbon. His eye is caught by something else in the trash can. The letter. He recognizes it but he does not seem to clearly tell what it is. He hesitates to reach for it. He instead starts unwrapping the gift. At once he decides to reach for the paper. When he reads the paper he freezes in total disbelief. He reads through breathing hard. He is out of words. INT. BEDROOM - LATER Tears are dripping down Ednas face, she looks at the wedding picture hopelessly. Wamala comes in holding the condom pack. He looks at her pityingly. He sits on the bed. She looks back at him. she feels relieved. He comes to her. He looks at the picture. He looks into her eyes. She hugs him. She cries on his shoulder quietly for sometime. Wamala breaks the silence. WAMALA what if I die. Edna just continues to cry.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

WAMALA What if I die and youre infected and you just cant be with anyone else. I dont think even in hell I can forgive myself. EDNA (crying) But if I have your child. I wont need anyone else. WAMALA What if you dont get pregnant. What if you get infected and you dont even get the child. EDNA Those are many what ifs, dont you think? WAMALA But thought youd be OK with us not having children EDNA Why? WAMALA I dont know you married me in a wheel chair. I just thought... EDNA (interrupting) What about you? WAMALA What about me? EDNA You are a good man. Youve been through a lot. You deserve... You deserve this. WAMALA I got more than I deserve Edna. I got you. I can never ask for more... Edna does not have anymore hope of convincing him. She just holds him tighter, tears are flowing out of her eyes.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

EDNA Its been ten years. It has been ten years since the doctor said youd die. Wamala pauses and looks at Edna. That had not crossed his mind. He looks into her eyes, looking more vulnerable that ever. WAMALA (looking in her eyes) What are you asking me to do, woman? EDNA I really want to have your baby so bad... In Ednas face is a look of surrender. In Wamalas face is expression of total confusion. EDNA I know youre not yet ready... It was stupid of me to think that I would surprise you. They hold each other for a long while. They stay there in the quiet. Edna turns to the other side of the bed. So does Wamala. They face away from each other. Wamala reaches his hand out to find Ednas. They hold hands for a while. Wamala turns and moves closer to Edna. They cuddle. Wamala kisses Edna in the neck. Edna turns slowly. They start kissing. They get more intimate. They start undressing. They dont say anything. The condoms are on the floor, still sealed. They make love THE END