Fish

By
LALA

olawalelala011@gmail.com
EXT. RIVER BANK
It’s a hot day by the riverside. A lone man is on his knees
opposite his reflection in the water. His hard face rises
away from the water as he washes the sweat off it. He stands
confused, holding a fishing net in his hand and looks on at
the river.
CLOSE UP:HIS PERPLEXED AND FRUSTRATED FACE
He crashes back down on his knees, raises his hands up and
begins praying to the empty sky. He wipes his face and
begins in a tone as if trying to hide his anguish from God.
The camera moves to the sky as he continues his words of
prayer.The camera then begins to move sideways and then
downwards away from the clouds. Trees and vegetation
landscape come into sight and the same man is on the move
this time with worry and defeat very evident on his face.
CUT TO

EXT. HOMESTEAD/SHED
(’Laughing fit’ scene dialogue from eyes wide shut 1999
playing on the radio)
Outside a shed roofed with palm fronds, a lush of green
covers the earth, a radio in the background is whistling a
dialogue from a movie. A young lady is sitting up with her
laps lying flat on a mat in front of the shed, lazily
turning the cloth she is supposed to be washing inside a
bowl filled with foamy water.

She squeezes the wet piece of cloth and hangs it on a rope

suspended in mid air while mouthing the words being said on
the radio and bursts into a laughing fit along with Nicole
Kidman on the radio. She rests lightly on the rope as her
laugh fades off suddenly into a straight face.

Yvonne chaka chaka’s - im in love with a dj- plays fussy in

the background
She picks up a magazine or the ghost of a magazine from
under the mat and turns around the tired pages admiring the
outdated fashion printed on the pages.
The man from the river comes into view from where she sits.
She looks to his direction and her look changes to disgust.
He enters the shed and there is an uncomfortable silence for
a moment, the eyes of the woman follows him in, as he
reaches for a big beat-up plastic bottle of water. As the

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.

lady stares him down he brings out four small fishes and
starts-
MAN
i managed to...

she cuts him off, with a high sarcastic laugh

MAN
listen-

WOMAN
-what is your problem.
It’s like you don’t think again.
Even if you cant think can’t you
hear
How many times will I tell you I’m
tired of eating this nonsense!?
MAN
What do you want from me, its not
my fault we’re stuck here.

WOMAN
Not your fault eh. Why are we still
here then? When everybody else was
leaving why did we wait? uh?
MAN
Now my dear, forget about that,
don’t forget what pays for all
this.
camera pans to the radio lying on the floor
Those people will be sorry they
left, the fish will come back.I
know that God is hearing me-
WOMAN
Listen to me, I haven’t anything
eaten in days
MAN
but i always bring you fiss-
WOMAN
(screaming)
i don’t want your FISH.I’m tired, I
want to leave this dirty place
I want to go home and eat meat
This isn’t the life you promised
me.Remember, remember o

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.

MAN
Oh I remember well, how you and
your crook of a father
Took all the money I won from
Argungu
In exchange for a wife that does
nothing but give me bad luck, and
complain
WOMAN
Ehen ehnnn see this bush man.
It’s not your fault, out of all the
people I could have married.
I had to pick the most useless.
Doesn’t even have his own canoe not
to talk of car.
(fake sobs)
No, I deserve I real man
MAN
Car? How many people do you know
that have a car?
You think you’re better than
everybody because you went to
school
Does your father have a car?
WOMAN
You’re stupid, infact you’re mad
I don’t deserve this, god knows I
don’t deserve this
man steps across to her to embrace her, she pushes him off

No! No!!
You’ve said everything you want to
say
I’m tired Look
Look around, there’s bush
everywhere
Your mates would have gone out and
kill for their wives
man starts to walk away towards the sun, the woman goes back
into the shed and comes back racing after him, she throws
the fishes at him and they bounce off his back
Take your rubbish with you!!!
CLOSE UP ON THE FISH LYING IN THE GRASS
CUT TO
 4.

INT. MOVING CAR

car radio: Welcome to the news at 10, riots continue as the
new president of the federal republic of Nigeria was
announced this morning by INEC. AUGUSTINE OKARFOR of
(inaudible) was announced to have secured majority votes in
a tightly contested election. (inaudible)party chairman in a
statement , has rejected the results and condemned the
electoral body officials for conducting a sham election and
the opposition for succumbing to a dubious practices. Now
riots have broken out in several parts of the country. A
numerous number of violent incidents have been reported in
the northern states where many residents say they are being
targeted and attacked by locals because of their tribe. The
inspector general of police said the police are firmly on
top of the situation although some reports suggests the
thugs have had cooperation from local police. Many have
begun to flee from these affected states while others
haven’t been so lucky. Bodies are reportedly piling up on
the Street Side . The incumbent president is expected to
address the nation at 8pm today .
The car is moving fast on a lonely road littered with signs
of unrest, broken bottles and debris litter the road, along
with blood stains and trails of ashes showing the evidence
of the carnage that has passed through there. A woman rests
her head on the glass window looking out. Her face wears a
blank expression and the drivers seat is occupied by a stern
looking young man.

The car suddenly brakes. From nowhere, a boy appears in the

middle of the road. Through the glass we see him waving the
occupants of the car to stop.
We observe from the windshield as the driver of the car
comes out fuming and hold the obstruction by the shirt. The
two begin to speak inaudibly. The boy pointing hysterically
to the front, the driver lets go of his shirt and replies
while pointing to the direction of the car. The boy is now
more hysterical clearly agitated by the reply, puts his hand
on his head and runs into the bushes.
The driver comes back to the car, this time to the
passengers side and opens the door. He starts to talk to the
lady in the passenger seat now audible ;
DRIVER
get out

PASSENGER
(Puts her feet out of the car and stops)
What’s wrong? What was that? What
did he say?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.

DRIVER
We don’t have time, we need to
leave the car. now
A loud explosion is heard from afar. She quickly runs out as
they begin heading towards the bushes beside the road. She
runs back to car in a flash and takes a duffel bag from the
trunk. The driver turns his head, and without slowing down
heads beyond the bushes, she catches up with him and
crouches down beside him.

DRIVER
You can’t be serious
PASSENGER
Its vintage, it was a gift

DRIVER
You act like such an idiot. you
couldn’t even close the boot-
she tries to reply but he shushes her

The couple watches from behind the bushes as a man walks

around and inspects the abandoned car menacingly. He stops
at the opened trunk and pushes around the contents with a
machete. He pauses, looks up first, then at the direction
where the couple are watching from, on seeing the distorted
leaves he begins to run towards them.
The couple runs further into the bushes
CUT TO

EXT FOREST
The couple from the car, now weary, the lady more so,
evidently from carrying her vintage bag. They have slowed
down their pace as a result although the man chasing after
them has also been long forgotten. The man leads the way
meandering through the plantation of trees as his lady drags
behind
PASSENGER
where are we going?

silence
I’m talking to you
silence
okay listen I’m sorry

the driver lets out a half-sigh, half-laugh

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.

After a few more seconds of silence the passenger puts down

her bag and reaches inside, brings out a pack of cigarettes
and throws it at him. She breaks into a hopeful smile.

He picks up the pack and chuckles

DRIVER
Come here silly girl

She runs over to him and she puts herself under his arm
I can hear water, I think a stream
is down there.
He puts the cigarette in his mouth and brings out a lighter
from his pocket
We can wait there and then we’ll
call for help
(cont’d)
She brings out her phone
Well... there’s no network, and
certainly nobody’s going to come
and help us now. We are all on our
own
CUT TO

EXT. RIVER BANK

The driver, cigarette in his mouth, stands behind as his
girlfriend bends at the river for a drink.

PASSENGER
hey this is beautiful isn’t it. And
I’ve been begging to go to the
beach, who would have thought-

The driver does not respond, he brings out his phone and
starts to search for a signal. He walks across the bank of
the river. He hears suddenly hears faint sounding music and
looks around for the source.
A lady silently climbs out from the water, he cautiously
looks behind before a perverted smile appears on his face as
he looks forward again. She stands beside her dress lying on
the floor as his eyes travel upwards and down again over her
wet skin
The girl from the shed examines the driver with wonderful
excitement, unashamed with her naked body on display. She
then crosses her arms on her breasts she breaks into a smile
of unconvincing shyness. The voice of the refreshed
passenger from behind snaps both parties back to reality.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.

PASSENGER
hey, what’s that
The Shed-girl has her gaze on passenger now as she comes
into the frame, an almost fascinated look, then suddenly as
if just realizing she’s naked nervously reaches for her
clothes by the bank
PASSENGER
oh
(in poor Hausa)
hello, sorry, don’t be scared, we
were just...
SHED-GIRL
chuckling
....you can speak English
Hearing shed-girl’s voice for the first time, passenger
pauses and shamefully looks away to the lover who is still
staring at shed-girl in admiration.

DRIVER
Excuse us, these thugs were trying
to kill us,
We don’t exactly know where we are,
Do you live around here?

SHED-GIRL
H mm.. well
There are no houses around
here(Mutters)My God

DRIVER & PASSENGER

what?
SHED-GIRL

You said, you don’t know where you

are?
They both affirmatively shake their heads she pauses for a
second then starts again
You both look tired and you must be
hungry.
The same thing happened to me, but
we can talk later
For now, I have some meat where I’m
staying.
(pause)
well...

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.

PASSENGER
well...

SHED-GIRL
c’mon this place isn’t safe
come with me.
She grabs her refilled bottle of water and radio from the
floor. The couple look to each other in agreement. Passenger
runs back to grab her bag. Shed-girl reaches out to him and
the driver starts to follow. Shed-girl looks back at him and
then the running girl, cracks a smile and continues to walk
ahead-

EXT. HOMESTEAD/SHED
Passenger is lagging behind and shed-girl is setting down
her things from the stream,the driver is looking around and
the shed-girl is looking at him.

PASSENGER
what is this place
SHED-GIRL
i don’t know,i think maybe like a
shed for fishermen
PASSENGER
hmm.. smells like it. This place?it
doesn’t look as safe as you
suggested.

Have you been here for long.

SHED-GIRL
a while..? who knows it has been
forever
DRIVER
all by yourself?
SHED-GIRL
Now you know why I’m so happy to
see you.- people.
Shed-girl turns around and sees the passenger searching
through her bag and really notices it for the first time,
she goes over and touches it
How did you manage to grab such a
big bag. i thought you were chased
from your car.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9.

PASSENGER
(smiling)
I’m just lucky that way
DRIVER
or "crazy that way"
PASSENGER
Okay but, without it you wouldn’t
have gotten those cigarettes you
love so much.

she hugs the driver as if suffocating him

Shed-girl still has her eye on the bag
SHED-GIRL
its very beautiful
PASSENGER
thank you,
she turns to the driver
this one just expected me to leave
it to burn.
she looks back and sees shed-girl bringing out a dress from
her bag. As if surprising herself she screams
DO NOT TOUCH MY SHIT !

shed-girl drops the dress on top of the bag, and a spiteful

remorse appears on her face. Passenger realizes her sudden
harshness is also in a state of remorse
I..I’m sorry. I’m just not used to
people touching my stuff.

SHED-GIRL
its okay I’m sorry. uhmm alright
let me get your food.

The driver of the car points to his head offensively to his

partner. she bares her hands out mouthing few words in her
defense, inaudibly to avoid their host from noticing their
argument, she fails.
The fire for the meal is lit

DISSOLVE
 10.

EXT. HOMESTEAD/SHED
The floor is littered with cigarette butts, the driver of
the car is sleeping on the floor beside them, beside him the
passenger. Above them appears a leg belonging to the
shed-girl. She crouches down and lifts a stick from the
cigarette carton that lay beside him. She then pauses and
looks at his unconscious face and kisses it, he moves a
little in his unconsciousness. Scared, shed-girl jumps away.
He starts to rise from the bare floor where he sleeps, looks
over to his side and his girlfriend still snores peacefully.
He looks up in the direction of the shed-girl who is already
walking away in a distance, he rubs his eyes as if trying to
snap out of a dream, reaches for the pack of cigarettes and
starts to walk towards shed-girl. He calls out to her
DRIVER
Good morning!
SHED-GIRL
shhhhhh.... do you like my new
dress?

DRIVER
(nodding) of cours-mmhmn. wait
isn’t that-
SHED-GIRL
shhhhhh

Their eyes both go to the sleeping girl, the driver laughs

and lights his cigarette then runs to catch up with
shed-girl who is already on the move again. He grabs her
from behind. She tries to shriek but this time he shushes
her. They both laugh.
CUT

EXT TREE ON THE ROCK.

Underneath the shade of a tree shed-girl stands with a

cigarette in her hand. She coughs slightly, then brings it
back to her mouth, posing, she looks in deep thought while
the driver sits on his leg behind her. Much farther away
from but still in sight, the passenger still sleeps.

The driver lets out a light laugh at the amateur smoker

DRIVER
you know you shouldn’t be doing
that.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.

she turns to him and opens her mouth like she wants to say
something but she remains silent.
what’s wrong
SHED-GIRL
what do you mean?
he replies her with a suggestive look that causes her to
blush
I.. Err

never losing her guard, she drops the cigarette, turns

round, goes on her knees and kisses him in a flash. Breaks
away then looks at him for some seconds biting on her lower
lip
SHED-GIRL
You’re so beautiful. Have you ever
been to Paris.
He chuckles and kisses her for longer this time, she breaks
it again.
You don’t love her do you?
(he shakes his head)
well do you love me?
DRIVER
what?

SHED-GIRL
DO-YOU-LOVE-ME?
DRIVER
I do?.. of course i do

SHED-GIRL
She lets out a loud laughter kisses him again
then i think we should kill her

DRIVER
(laughing after an awkward
pause)
God knows I’ve tried
Maintaining her pensive mood she brings out a hammer with
wooden handle seemingly out of nowhere and hands it to him.
The forced smile on his face disappears.
You can’t be serious? what?
SHED-GIRL
Listen,listen Listen I would have
done it
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 12.

SHED-GIRL (cont’d)
But I need you to prove that you
don’t love her anymore
(His look of confusion deepens)
It is fate, our fate, if we’re
meant to be-

DRIVER
I don’t understand (now scared)
nobody needs to kill or die
Listen I don’t care about her
I’ll end it with her as soon as she
wakes up
We.. can send her away.
SHED-GIRL
Then what? Ehen
You think she won’t be jealous of
me
Or you think I’ll wait for anyone
to come and cut my throat when I’m
sleeping? pah!
DRIVER
You won’t understand, you don’t
know her
(forced laugh)
She can’t...she couldn’t...
SHED-GIRL
(Mimicking)
"She couldn’t"
You don’t know what she would do.
Have you ever dumped her in the
middle of nowhere? For a prettier
girl
Where she’s going to go?
You’re not safe either, she may
kill you too
God what would you do?

DRIVER
You don’t..
He looks away, shaking his head with a kind of laughter one
does when he does not know how else to react

SHED-GIRL
Don’t be scared baby, it’s called
natural selection
It’s when..

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 13.

DRIVER
(irritated)
I know what it means
SHED-GIRL
Good then, good boy, you know what
to do
She puts the hammer firmly in his hand. The grim look on the
drivers face worsens and she moves closer to his face still
smiling.

DRIVER
You’re crazy, I’m leaving this
fucking place.
He throws the hammer and begins to stand as she grabs onto
him.
CUT
At the shed where the passenger has woken up from a bad
dream she sits upright and rubs her face and looks around
lost. She sees the duo under the ’tree on the rock’. Now the
shed-girl’s face quite close her boyfriend’s. Seeing this
from afar, she scoffs and hisses, picks up her phone to
distract herself but without much success as she steals
continuous backward glances at the tree. There is still no
signal on her device. She curses silently on seeing this and
shoots another look at the tree where she sees something
that makes her freeze and drop her phone.
CUT

Back at the tree where shed-girl is now leaning towards the

driver, inches away from his face, she’s unbuckling his
jeans and kisses him, “relax” she says as she begins to
encourage him with a hand job, he moans lightly, his hands
uproots the grass as he looks skyward in bliss

Passenger watches from a distance as her face of changes

from confusion, to disgust and finally into furious rage,
she begins to approach the tree.
The shed-girl has now noticed the oncoming girl, their eyes
meet and the smile on her face is now as large as ever as
she tugs at the oblivious driver’s torso with more intent.
Shaking from his climax, the driver, falls back across the
floor and lands in front of his girlfriend’s foot, dazed he
stretches out his hand and grabs her foot. Passenger begins
kicking and lashing out. She goes down and begins hitting
his face, a struggle ensues. He grabs her neck tightly while

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 14.

she struggles for breath. she sees the hammer within her
reach, stretches to grab it and sends it to the side of his
skull.
Shed-girl watches on, standing in the back with shock and
excitement written on her face, as if seeing the climax of
an action movie.
CUT

EXT. HOMESTEAD/SHED
A butcher’s knife is seen going up and down until it reveals
shed-girl as the source of its motion.She is cutting a chunk
of meat into pieces.The camera pans to passenger who is
sitting in the grass a few meters away, her tears fall
silently and the occasional jerks in between sobs is the
only thing that gives her away.Shed-girl comes down to her
side
SHED-GIRL
whats the point of crying over
someone that didn’t care for
you.ehn.. you should even be glad.
now you’re free.
she takes passenger’s arm an action the passenger responds
to with disgust
look there’s still blood on your
hand
Shed-girl stands up to get some water and a piece of rag to
clean it. Passenger watches her go and stares back into an
empty space.
PASSENGER
whats the point.huh whats the use.
his blood is never going to leave
my hand

Shed-girl comes back and begins to scrub off the now dry
paste of red on the passenger’s hand. The passenger notices
the watch on her wrist
PASSENGER
ha you’re ridiculous, is that his
watch
Shed-girl withdraws her hand and stands up.

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 15.

SHED-GIRL
You’re not the only ones beautiful
things were made for.

PASSENGER
(Disgust)that’s what this is to
you?
SHED-GIRL
(showing her arm)Look at how well
it fits me.
I didn’t kill anybody.
Remember, you killed him, he’s
dead, he doesn’t need it anymore

she turns and exits the frame.

EXT. HOMESTEAD/SHED
A butchers knife is moving in similar motions as before
cutting a slightly smaller chunk of meat. This time it
reveals the passenger as the one doing the cutting.The
camera pans to the grass in front where shed-girl is
lying.Radio by her side, she is now looking rather
contemporary in a white turtle neck short sleeve top and
blue boot-cut jeans. Now smoking a cigarette rather
smoothly,she pulls down the shades shes wearing, drops the
dead mans phone and starts:
SHED-GIRL
you know there’s cooked meat in the
pot
PASSENGER
shut up! please!
SHED-GIRL
all I’m trying to do is help
PASSENGER
ah help(sarcastic chuckle). i
honestly don’t blame you.

The radio song that has been playing in the background

lightly changes, shed-girl jumps up with the radio in hand
and increases the volume.
As kali uchis- in my dreams beings to play loudly,
shed-girl stands up and begins to dance to the poppy tune in
a careless manner- jumping and dancing around in a spin.
A wig appears on her head as she starts to spin in mid air
and begins to hallucinate herself in a speeding red car with

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 16.

a glass of bubbly champagne,hanging out of the window of the

passenger seat and these fantastic moments are intercut with
her spinning face with its natural hair and the passengers
expression change into a smile, then laughter, then spite at
the end as shed-girl crashes on the floor and the song ends.

EXT. HOMESTEAD/SHED
Its moonless,pitch black, the fire burning in the background
lights up the ladies faces who are having a leisurely
conversation.The voice in the radio is rambling inaudibly.
SHED-GIRL
So what next. I mean when this is
all over.

PASSENGER
I don’t know, go home?- I only care
about the safest route out of here.
The rest is easy.
SHED-GIRL
Hmm I think I’m going to do that
too, fly wherever city breeze takes
me.
(passenger laughs)
what is funny?

PASSENGER
nothing, nothing don’t mind me
An awkward silence ensues but passenger keeps her smile and
evidently has her mind on something

SHED-GIRL
yunno over the past couple of days
have felt like a weird dream.
Everything happening is just so-
ugh I’ve been flying for a week!.

PASSENGER
huh?
SHED-GIRL
no. no disrespect for- yunno how
everything turned out
but-(she breaks into a smile)
How come a woman like you that has
everything ends up with someone who
doesn’t even care about-

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 17.

PASSENGER
Please stop, it wasn’t always like
that.You can’t understand, we had
so many memories, incredible ones.
We went through so much together,
even all these would have just been
been another story if you hadn’t-
if i hadn’t-
Please can you not mention him
again

SHED-GIRL
Okay o, I don’t know what you’re
scared of. I mean you’re
free.Nobody is going to ask you
anything there are one hundred
people dying over there. He’s not
going to make any difference.And it
doesn’t matter what you say he was
a piece of shit.
PASSENGER
(covering her mouth as she
laughs)
Yunno, I’m sure wherever city
breeze blows you,I’m sure it’s
never hard for you to find
desperate boys like that huh?
oh,Lucky for you there’s always
space for more prostitutes out
there.

Shed-girl’s smile turns

what? what’s your story again. How
did you end up here?(silence) see I
know what you are, you can’t fool
me.Or anyone for that matter
You think anybody will fall for
this shit, you’re joking
Oh my God, do you know how you
smell, disgusting awful fish smell
Nothing is going to take it from
you,with your kind, its in your
blood. Just stay where you belong.

Shed-girl’s eyes begins to swell in rage

What? you want to cry?
Passenger suddenly gets a slap across the cheek, shed-girl
tries to hit her again but passenger grabs her hand and face
and spits in her face. The shed-girl cleans the spittle off

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 18.

her face, grabs passengers shirt and begins to continuously

hit her face.
PASSENGER
(Sobbing)
Stop it, I beg you, please, please

shed-girl pauses then smiles then brings her eyes close to

hers
SHED-GIRL:
Sorry your boyfriend wan- fuck me
CUT

EXT.HOMESTEAD/SHED

Its morning,the two girls are still sleeping on the ground,

the murmur radio can be heard, they’re announcing the end of
the riots, “after a week of horror many displaced persons
who took refuge in the bushes have been reported to have
started making their way out to their homes. The police
expected to continue their search today to rounding up
bodies of victims and hoodlums alike”
Passenger wakes up first and makes out the words being said
on the radio. She contemplates for a few seconds, looks
round at the sleeping shed-girl, stands up and begins to
shove her things back in her bag and closes the zipper. She
sees a little knife beside the bag and hesitantly picks it
up, looks at shed-girl again. She appears beside shed-girl
and anxiously steadies the knife in her hands and then with
conviction lowers the knife but the vigilant shed-girl turns
and grabs her arm. They struggle, the frame is now similar
lower bodies on top of each other.
PASSENGER
(Screams) animal! I’ll kill you

(LOUD SCREAM)
We hear a knife stab, a girl stands up grabs the bag, drops
it, starts to remove spoils from the body of the woman on
the ground who is still moving in pain across the floor with
a knife stuck in her, then walks off.
 19.

EXT. OPEN ROAD

A wide shot of the survivor walking out in the middle of an
empty tarred road flanked by a thick vegetation of tall
plants, and the wind blows the leaves. Shes dressed in her
greatest imitation of bourgeois fashion.
A whisper is heard from a male voice from beyond the trees
VOICE
Salim! Salim!
Look, Infidel!!(Translate)

A loud bang is heard, and the woman drops to the ground.

CUT TO
Shots of a flowing steam flowing

The leaves above to dead woman blowing in the wind

Two white chickens fly high out of the sides of the bushes
THE END