LEADING IDENTITY #1

(AMINAH CLOUD)

Written by

Abolaji Abimbola
INT. TAXI - DAY

MISSY, a voluptuous and lively black woman in her thirties is

driving. She’s dressed in a colourful outfit; a turban,
supported by a cardboard cut out of a billowy cloud, with
rows of beaded necklaces around her neck.

MISSY
Missy, you’re going in circles ...
just use the Sat Nav.

She switches on the Sat Nav on the dashboard. She’s alone in

the taxi. On the passenger seat are colourful “Nollywood”
magazines. Resting on them are a wooden sword and a plastic
crown.

Missy parks and a MAN/PASSENGER speaks to her through the

passenger side window.

PASSENGER
Second Avenue, twenty-three road, E
close. How much?

Missy adjusts the beads on her neck as she responds, barely

looking at him.

MISSY
It’s free, sponsored by Aminah
Cloud, a leading Nigerian identity.

PASSENGER
Free?

MISSY
Enter if you want a free ride.

The Passenger opens the back door and enters the taxi,
sitting in the back seat. He is dressed in an African attire.
Missy types in the address into the Sat Nav. She turns to
regard the Passenger for the first time.

MISSY (CONT’D)
Oh my daze! Ramsay Noah!

PASSENGER
What? Who?

MISSY
It’s you! I was just reading about
you in a magazine! I’m an actress!
I’m driving a taxi to make ends
meet until I get my big break.
 2.

Missy moves aside the sword and crown, rummaging through the
Nollywood magazines on the passenger seat.

PASSENGER (O.S.)
I’m not him. You’re mistaken.

Missy shows the Passenger the cover of a magazine.

MISSY
That’s you on the front page! I’ve
been a fan of yours since Fortunes.
You inspired me.

PASSENGER
That picture looks nothing like me.

MISSY
It’s you without make-up and photo-
magic. Of course you’re different
in real life ... but those eyes ...
umh, umh, umh, they can never lie.

PASSENGER
For the last time, I’m not Ramsay
Noah.

MISSY
Of course.

Missy winks at him and starts to drive.

MISSY (CONT’D)
How are Emelia and the children?

The Passenger ignores her.

MISSY (CONT’D)
I’m supposed to talk about Aminah
Cloud products and services during
the ride but it’s you, I won’t
bother. What is your professional
opinion of my outfit though? The
turban, the beads, I came up with
it myself.

She shows the Passenger the sword and crown.

MISSY (CONT’D)
Get it? The sword, the crown ...
plus the cloud.

Missy points to the cut-out of a cloud on her turban. The

Passenger has no clue.
 3.

MISSY (CONT’D)
Queen Aminah of Zaira, plus the
cloud. Aminah Cloud. Get it now?

PASSENGER
How did I miss that?

Missy turns the car into a street.

MISSY
Can I ask you something?

PASSENGER
If you must.

MISSY
You know your way around Lagos,
don’t you?

PASSENGER
What do you mean?

MISSY
You’re a leading identity yourself.
You’re experienced, women must
throw themselves at you right, left
and centre. How did you know Emelia
was the right one for you?

PASSENGER
I am not Ramsay Noah.

MISSY
We both know that isn’t true.

Missy’s mobile phone rings. She checks the number calling and
hisses with irritation, ignoring the call.

PASSENGER
Don’t you have to answer that?

MISSY
I mean, I’m a full-bodied beautiful
woman. Why should I keep finding
myself in the same place over and
over again? I don’t have much luck
with men. I’m getting tired of
looking for love. What’s your
secret? What does a woman have to
do to get a leading man?

Missy’s mobile rings again.

 4.

MISSY (CONT’D)
Do you mind if I pick up the call?
I’ll use bluetooth.

PASSENGER
Not at all!

Missy takes the call.

MISSY (ON CALL)

Hello?

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Babe, why the cold shoulder? I’ve
been trying to reach you all day.

The CALLER is male. Despite being on bluetooth, the Passenger

can overhear the conversation.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER) (CONT’D)

Are you there?

MISSY (ON CALL)

Where were you yesterday around
3.15 p.m.?

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

3.15? I was at work, where else?

MISSY (ON CALL)

Wrong answer, try again.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

What’s this about?

MISSY (ON CALL)

3.15 yesterday, you were having
drinks with a twenty-something in a
trashy black dress and tacky white
shoes. You were kissing her.

Beat.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

I swear to you, it wasn’t me. I’m
stunned you’d think that my love
for you is not true.

MISSY (ON CALL)

You’re stunned? You should be
electrocuted.

CALLER
You don’t believe me.
 5.

MISSY
What I don’t believe is that I’m
back here again. Another leopard.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Sweetheart please, you’re becoming
upset over nothing --

Missy disconnects the phone call.

MISSY
What a waste of my time.

Missy turns to look at the Passenger.

MISSY (CONT’D)
How can you trust a man who lies to
your face?

PASSENGER
You gave him little chance to --

MISSY
To what? Lie some more?

PASSENGER
He says it wasn't him.

MISSY
I don’t believe him. Do you believe
him?

PASSENGER
Actually, it’s none of my business.

Missy’s phone rings. She considers, looking from the

Passenger to the phone. She takes the call.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Missy --

MISSY (ON CALL)

Listen liar, you’re on speaker and
I have none other than leading man
Ramsay Noah in the backseat of my
taxi.

PASSENGER
Wait -- no.
 6.

MISSY (ON CALL)

As I don’t trust you anymore, I am
relying on Mr. Noah’s experience in
these matters. State your case and
if he’s not convinced, it’s over.

Beat.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Good day Sir.

MISSY
Mr. Noah?

PASSENGER
Good day to you too?

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Thank you for being an advocate of
true love. I’m sure with your
wisdom, the truth will become
apparent.

The Caller takes a moment.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER) (CONT’D)

Missy, rather than disprove the
loyalty of whoever told you they
saw me, I will prove my love for
you. In the hope that knowing this,
you will realise that I could not
possibly do anything to hurt you.

MISSY
Talk, talk, and more sweet talk. A
leopard can change the spot that he
is in but he can never, I repeat,
never change his spots. And you are
spotted.

Beat.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Remember when we first met? What
was the first thing I said to you?

MISSY
“Who’s looking after you?”

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

What did I say after that?

MISSY
You said, “... because I want to”.
 7.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

When I met you, it was like a dream
come true, someone who was honest ,
trustworthy and faithful. My feet
left the earth. I was transported
to a planet with only two rings,
one for you and one for me. We were
on a cloud and you were my queen.

MISSY
A digital planet with invisible
rings.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Have I ever let you down? When you
were preparing for this job, who
helped you do the research? Who
designed your outfit? Why? Because
of you.

MISSY
Then who is the girl and why were
you kissing her?

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

It wasn’t me.

MISSY
Leopard!

CALLER (ON SPEAKER)

Why would I want to jeopardise what
we have? I appreciate and value
your need to feel safe. I love the
fact that you like to try new
things. I admire how you run your
own business while you’re going for
your dream. How you love to be a
part of the community. How you want
other people to gain from your
knowledge and experience. You’re
who I aspire to be if I wasn’t a
man.

Beat.

CALLER (ON SPEAKER) (CONT’D)

You’re only woman for me and our
love can’t be duplicated. You are
my queen and we’ll always be on
that cloud. I was here in the
office yesterday having a meeting.
(MORE)
 8.
CALLER (ON SPEAKER) (CONT’D)
I can provide minutes of the
meeting and if you want, I will
bring in my assistant now to verify
what time the meeting took place.
He was with me.

Missy looks the Passenger.

MISSY
Mr. Noah, do you believe him?

PASSENGER
Well ...

MISSY
A simple yes or no?

PASSENGER
He thinks you’re honest,
trustworthy and faithful.

MISSY
Yes or no?

PASSENGER
He seems to support you.

MISSY
Yes or no?

PASSENGER
Ok. I don’t really know either of
you. This is not my business.

MISSY
Yes or no!

PASSENGER
Yyy --.

Black.

SUPER - In honour of Aminah Cloud. The first Nigerian company

to ..... A leading Identity.

End/