CACTUS

Written by
Alessandro Molatore

EXT STREET LATE AFTERNOON

JAMES, a huge Nigerian guy in his early thirties, walks on

a busy street holding a big Cactus placed in a marmoreal
vase.

People walk by him, ignoring him and the cactus he

awkwardly carries.

It is an old part of the town; a colourful quarter

populated by people of different nationalities.

James walks determinedly, though very carefully.

His tense face and his size, combined with his gangster
look, give him an aura of danger.

He looks around scrupulously, making sure that people do

not walk too close to him, and giving serious looks to
people, who show a certain curiosity in what he is doing.

James is beginning to strain under the weight of the

cactus. He stops for a few seconds to take a breath.
He looks at the green plant. It seems safe and healthy.

He continues on his way, passing sex shops windows and old

ladies selling fruit and shouting the prices of their
goods.

EXT STREET LATE AFTERNOON

GEORGE, another big black fellow in his middle thirties,

stands in a doorway further along the street, almost
hiding.

His aspect is more human.

He wipes perspiration from his face with a large red
tissue. He looks around worriedly.
He is anxious.

EXT STREET LATE AFTERNOON

James has stopped. He is taking a break, smoking a

cigarette on the margin of the street.
The cactus is close to the wall of a building. James is
standing in front of the plant, like protecting it from the
people walking on the street.

He puts a zip lighter in the pocket of his black leather

jacket. He throws the cigarette just after a couple of
drugs and he smashes it on the ground.

He lifts cautiously the cactus and keeps walking along the

road. His expressions towards the people around him remain
hostile.

EXT STREET LATE AFTERNOON

George, is still in front of the doorway, stretches his

shoulders with circular movements. With long breathes he
tries to decrease the stress.
His face sweats.

James appears with the enormous cactus.

He stops exactly in front of George, who brings to an end
his gymnastic.

They look at each others saying nothing. A moment passes.

George removes the sweat from his face and puts the tissue
back in his pocket. James gets closer and passes the big
cactus to George delicately.

He looks at him intensely, then turns and walks away,

leaving George alone on the street with the thorny plant.

George takes a long breath and starts to walk on the

opposite direction carrying the precious cactus very
carefully.

Just after a few instants and his mobile phone rings.

George stops. He looks around confused.

He tries with difficulty to hold the cactus with one hand

He almost balances the weight of the plant on one arm, when
he looses the cactus for a moment. Just before it falls
down, he saves it with help of the other hand.
The phone stops ringing.

George continues to walk straight, annoyed.

He takes a secondary street on his right. It is almost
deserted even though we can hear far voices of young boys.

He reaches the door of a modest building from the sixties.

He leaves slowly the cactus on the ground and knocks at the
door. No answer.
George snorts heavily and looks at the sky.

Suddenly, the door opens, little by little, revealing an

old lady around her seventies dressing home clothes. She
looks suspiciously at George and, then, at the cactus.
She touches her mouth, moving the fingers on the lips. She
looks back severely at George.

She moves her head slowly, indicating the answer is ‘no’,

and locks the door leaving George completely astonished.

Discouraged, George holds the cactus and leaves the front

of the lady’s flat.

He starts to walk when out of the blue another guy with a

cactus passes by him.
The guy stops for a second looking curiously at the cactus
George is carrying. He continues to walk fast and
nervously.

George preceedes slowly to walk when we see various people

carrying cactuses.

The End

A plant belonging to a large family of spiny leafless

plants with fleshy stems and branches, found in dry desert
regions of the Americas. Many varieties produce brightly
colored flowers. Family: Cactaceae