The Green Mille

(a new prisoner has arrived; the guards interview him)

PAUL: Your name is John Coffey.

COFFEY: Yes sir, boss, like the drink, only not spelt the same.

PAUL So you can spell, can you?

COFFEY Not boss

PAUL My name is Paul Edgecomb. If I'm not here, you can ask for
Mr. Terwillig.
This isn't like the rest of the prison. It's a quiet place, we
like to keep it that way.

COFFEY Wasn’t me making all the noise, boss.

BRUTAL Are you having a joke on me, John Coffey?

COFFEY No, sir.

BRUTAL Your time here can be easy or hard, depends on you. If you
behave, you get to walk in the exercise yard every day.

We might even play some music on the radio from time to time.

Questions?

COFFEY Do you leave a light on after bedtime?

( Paul blinks. It's the last thing he expected.

Coffey smiles
uneasily, as if they might think him foolish for
asking.)

COFFEY Because I get a little scared in the dark sometimes. If

it's a strange place.

(Paul looks to his men. The guards are trading

glances.)
PAUL It's pretty bright in here all night long. We keep half the
lights on in the corridor.

(after a few days Paul is doing the rounds in

jail)

COFFEY looks sick boss let me help you

PAUL What are you doing? let go of me, let go of me

(in that instant Coffey hugs Paul and the lights

start to go on and off)
(Coffey lets Paul go and sits on the bed while he
starts coughing expelling from his mouth a kind of
mosquitoes that dissipate in the air)

BRUTAL What's wrong ? You look bad, you're sweating and your
uniform is messy, is everything okay?

PAUL I don't know what happened but you remember that pain I
had, it has disappeared, I think Coffey has cured me

BRUTAL are you crazy? like so Coffey heal you ??

PAUL Yes, I don't know what happened, but I hugged myself and
something happened

PAUL If the mayor is right for you to say that, he will think you
are drunk
 (After a few months, the prison receives the order
for the execution of Coffey)

COFFEY Hello, boss.

PAUL Hello, John.

(Brutal unlocks his cell. Paul enters.)

PAUL I guess you know we're coming down to it now. Another

couple of days. Is there anything special you'd like for dinner
that night? We can do anything.

COFFEY Meatloaf be nice. Mashed taters with gravy.

BRUTAL What about a preacher? Someone you could say a little

prayer with?

COFFEY Don't want preacher. You can say a prayer, if you want. I
could
get knee bound with you, I guess.

BRUTAL Me?

PAUL John, I have to ask you something very important right now.

COFFEY I know what you going say. You don't have to say it.

PAUL I do. I do have to.

John, tell me what you want me to do. You want me to take you out
of
here? Just let you run away? See how far you can get?

COFFEY Why would you do such a foolish thing?

( Paul hesitates he tries to find the right words.)

PAUL On the day of my judgement, when I stand before God, and He

asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what am I going
say? That is was my job? My job?
COFFEY You tell God the Father it was a kindness you done.
I know are worry, I can feel it on you, but you have to quit on
it now. Because I want it over and done. I do.

COFFEY I'm tired, boss. Tired of being on the road, lonely as a

sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be
with, or tell me where we coming from or going to, or why. Mostly
I'm tired of people being ugly to each other.

I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world ever' day.
There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all
the time. Can you understand?

(Paul is blinking back tears)

PAUL Yes, John. I think I can.