“A CHRISTMAS STORY”

By

Mafae Braceros

Reel-Living Films
Davao City, 8000
09324103216
mafaebraceros14@gmail.com
FADE IN:
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY (MORNING)
Wide shot of the living room with a finished decorated
Christmas tree.
Enter ISKO, 15, high school student, introvert, keeps his
emotions to himself, has a hard time expressing to his
mother how he is bullied in school for being gay. We see
ISKO leaving for school.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Wide shot of the living room with the finished decorated
Christmas tree. We see ISKO arriving from school. He wears
a different set of clothes indicating this is another day.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY (MORNING)
Wide shot of the living room with the finished decorated
Christmas tree. We see ISKO leaving for school. (Different
set of clothes).
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Wide shot of the living room with the finished decorated
Christmas tree. We see ISKO arriving from school. This time
he seems to be dragging himself. He limps as if he fell
down and is trying to walk it off.
CUT TO:
INT. ISKO’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
An above angle shot view of ISKO lying down on the bed
listening to music. He gets lost in trance with his music.
He tries to sleep but he can’t.
He flusters and moves all around to get a good sleeping
position. This fails him so he gets up, leaves his
headphones and exits his room.
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT

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A back shot of ISKO entering the kitchen.
We see his SISTER, late 20s, cooking and preparing for
Noche Buena.
SISTER
Buti nama’t na isipan mo tumulong.
ISKO forces his smile and approaches his SISTER.
ISKO looks around the table and puts his finger in one of
the bowls for a taste test. His SISTER gets annoyed by this
and slaps her brother’s hand.
SISTER
Ay linte! Yung kamay mo madumi!
ISKO
Aray!
His SISTER gives him a knife, chopping board and some
Onions.
SISTER
Oh, heto para naman may pakinabang ka
kahit konte.
ISKO rolls his eyes and begins to chop the onions.
Silence looms over the kitchen while ISKO is chopping some
onions. His SISTER keeps observing ISKO then finally breaks
the silence.
SISTER
Musta school?
ISKO just nods.
SISTER
(imitating ISKO)
Anong ganun? Kamusta pag-aaral? Gusto ko
lang naman malaman kung may na pupunta
yung binabayad ko. Hirap mag trabaho sa
gantong edad. Bata ko pa pero may
binubuhay na akong kupal.

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 ISKO
(annoyed)
Meron ho, ate.
ISKO cuts aggressively now.
SISTER
Isko, hinayhinay naman dyan. Wala na tayo
malalasahang sibuyas nyan sa kaka-tad tad
mo na.
ISKO realizes this and stops.
ISKO
Ay, sorry te.
His SISTER sighs. She looks at ISKO’S face then holds this
she focuses on the bruise on the left side of ISKO’s face.
ISKO immediately moves out of the way.
ISKO
Gumagaling na siya nay wag kanang mag
alala.
FADE TO:
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT – CONT’D
Time has passed and they continue to prepare food for Noche
Buena. They seem to be happy and playful, dancing to
Christmas songs being played on the background. ISKO and
his SISTER laugh as they are having a good time.
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT – CONT’D
Close-upshot to ISKO’S SISTER.
SISTER
Kamusta na nga pala yung parati mong kine-
kwento sa akin?
ISKO
Wala na ho yun.

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 SISTER
Bakit naman?
ISKO
(shrugs)
Nakita kong may kasamang iba.
SISTER
Ikaw? May bago ba?
ISKO
Wala naman.
SISTER
Isko, kilala kita. Kapag pineperfume mo
yung cologne ko sa kwarto alam kong may
pinopormahan ka. So sino?
ISKO chokes at embarrassment.
SISTER
Kala mo hindi ko alam ano?
ISKO smiles.
ISKO stops for a while.
ISKO
Hmmm. Meron yung isa. Classmate ko.
SISTER
Ah talaga? Oh tapos?
ISKO
Tapos ewan, wala yun.
SISTER
Tago?
ISKO laughs and throws a piece of cut onion at his SISTER.
They both laugh.

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 ISKO
Hindi kaya! Alam ko lang na hindi siya.
SISTER
Sigurado ka? Tiningnan mo ba sa mata?
ISKO looks at his SISTER while raising his eyebrow.
SISTER
Nasa mata lang talaga yan. Kahit anong
tago nang isang tao. Nasa mata yan.
Tingnan mo lang.
(winks)
ISKO
Sa kada tingin ko naman ho sa mga mata
nya, binabatukan ako.
Before his SISTER could speak, we hear the doorbell ring.
They both look at each other wondering who could be ringing
the doorbell at the night of Christmas Eve.
ISKO
Si tatay?
SISTER
Ulol, nasa Dubai yun kasamang bagong
pamilya.
ISKO
Eh, si Kuya Carlo?
SISTER
Ay sus! Wag kang ano dyan, tatlong buwan
na kaming break nun.
ISKO
Edi sino?

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 SISTER
Sagutin mo na baka si Kabayan yan
namamasko.
ISKO rolls his eyes while his SISTER laughs at her own
joke.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT – CONT’D
ISKO is about to approach the door when he sees his
classmate LUCAS, 15,highschool student already in the
living room near the decorated Christmas tree. LUCAS is
carrying a box this looks to be a Christmas gift. LUCAS
looks into ISKO’S eyes remorseful. ISKO is very surprised
by multiple things, first is that LUCAS is one of the boys
who bullies ISKO because of his sexuality. Second, he is
unlikely to be in the same breathing space as ISKO looking
sorry and with a Christmas gift. Third, he already let
himself in the house without waiting.
WIDE SHOT:
ISKO doesn’t say anything because he is too shocked.
LUCAS tries to slowly approach ISKO.
ISKO moves a step back.
LUCAS stops.
LUCAS
Sorry pinapasok ko na sarili ko.
ISKO
Ano bang ginagawa mo dito? Hindi pa ba
sapat yung pagtatadyak’ suntok niyo sa
akin sa kanto? Pati ba naman dito? Kasama
ko nanay ko, Lucas.
LUCAS is startled.
LUCAS
Hindi, hindi, hindi. Wala akong gagawin.
Wala akong gustong gawin.

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 ISKO
Ba’t ka andito?
LUCAS
(looks at the floor)
Hindi ko nga rin alam ba’t ako andito.
ISKO seems to be frustrated.
They don’t talk. Silence looms over the scene. You can
already hear some of the Christmas music coming from the
kitchen.
LUCAS
Regalo nga pala. Hindi ka pumunta sa
Christmas party ng klase natin kaya
naisipan ko nalang ihatid sa inyo. Ako nga
pala naka bunot sayo.
LUCAS raises the gift towards ISKO.
ISKO doesn’t say anything and gets the gift.
ISKO
Paki-sabi nalang din sa na bunutan ko na
ibibigay ko nalang sa Enero. Wala pa kasi
akong pambili. Si Jania na bunutan ko,
kapitbahay mo lang.
LUCAS
Ah sige, sige. Ba’t ka ba hindi naka-punta
nga pala?
ISKO looks to the right showing LUCAS the left side of his
face where the bruise can be found.
LUCAS doesn’t respond. They just look at each other.
Silence continues again.
LUCAS
Isang umaga gumising nalang ako…ang bigat
sa pakiramdan. Hindi ako maka-hinga. Hindi
ko alam anong problema ko. Yun pala…ganun
lang naman pala.

8
ISKO doesn’t respond.
LUCAS looks at ISKO.
LUCAS
Ba’t bakit ka inaapi? Tanong ko sa sarili
ko. Wala ka naman ginawang masama. Ba’t ka
tinitira parati ng barkada ko? Gusto ko
lang naman maki-sama sa kanila kaya
sumasali nalang ako pero ni hindi ko naman
naisip kung bakit.
ISKO is now holding back tears.
LUCAS
Pero nung nalaman ko…sa sarili
ko…naintindihan na rin kita. Sapagitan ng
lahat. Natakot lang ako, isko. Patawad.
LUCAS approaches ISKO.
Wide shot: They are both closer to each other now.
Close-up shot: ISKO and LUCAS.
They stare at each other.
Wide Shot: LUCAS with all of his bravery and courage that
took out of him, kisses ISKO. He whispers an inaudible
confession to ISKO and hugs him tightly.
ISKO is baffled by what just happened. ISKO holds back.
They seem to be embarrassed and shocked by what happened.
LUCAS looks away.
ISKO grabs him and kisses LUCAS.
They fall into each other’s arms. They hug.
LUCAS
(looks at ISKO)
Maligayang Pasko, Isko.
ISKO
(chuckles)
Maligayang Pasko, Lucas.

9
 CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT – CONT’D
From the kitchen, ISKO’S SISTER looks and smiles. You can
see some tears in her eyes as she tries to hold them back.
CUT TO:
INT. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT – CONT’D
Wide Shot of both of them hugging. The camera moves farther
and farther away. The Christmas music coming from the
kitchen gets louder and louder as the camera looms out.
FADE OUT:
FADE TO BLACK:
CREDITS ROLL.

THE END.

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