EVE AND VEE



EVE AND VEE

IN

"WEEKEND GARDENERS"

Written by

©SALDUIA

PILAR HERRERA

©FIRST DRAFT

Date 17-3-2005

35 Berrigan Crescent

O’Connor, ACT 2602

Canberra – Australia

Email: salduia@

FADE IN:

1.int. apartment. kitchen. early morning. Summer. 1.

Vee, 50, tall, slender, brown hair and dark eyes, dressed in her morning gown, is preparing breakfast. She puts two slices of bread into the toaster, then she moves to the fridge, opens the door, and takes the butter. At this moment, the wall telephon rings. She closes the fridge, and goes to pick up the call. On the wall, over the phone, there is an electric clock showing: Thursday 17 March 2005 7:30 a.m. Vee stands next to the breakfast table.

vee

(looking at the clock)

Hello! (pause) Hi, Eve, how’re you?

EVE’S VOICE IS COMING FROM THE PHONE.

eve

(happily excited)

Morning, Vee. I’ve got good news.

YESTERDAY, I PAID THE DEPOSIT. I’M SO HAPPY WITH THE COTTAGE! TO BUY IT WAS A BLESSING, YOU KNOW. ALL THE PROPERTIES AROUND LOOK LIKE AN ENCHANTED COUNTRY, WITH THEIR ORCHARDS AND GARDENS IN BLOOM, THE RUSTLE OF THE TREES, THE TRILL OF THE BIRDS… OH, VEE! I SEE US BOTH IN SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT, WRITING THE BEST OF OUR STORIES AND POETRY.

(COMING OUT OF THE REVERIE)

Also doing something good for our health…

THE TOASTER POPS OUT THE TWO SLICES OF BREAD. VEE TRIES TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT THE VOICE OF EVE CONTINUES TO SOUND WITHOUT STOPPING. VEE PUTS THE BUTTER ON THE TABLE AND SITS ON ONE OF THE CHAIRS.

eve

… because my physio says that working once a week in the garden does improve our…

THE WATER KETTLE STARTS WHISTLING.

vee

(pressing on her)

Evelyn, hold on for a minute.

VEE RESTS THE HANDSET ON THE TABLE, AND GOES TO SWITCH OFF THE KETTLE. THEN SHE POURS BOILING WATER INTO HER CUP, STIRS SUGAR IN IT, AND TAKING THE CUP IN ONE HAND GOES BACK TO THE PHONE.

vee

I’m back, and listening.

EVE

… it also must be a delight to see, week after week, the growing of the plants, the flowering, the trees in blossom,… (she breathes)

VEE

Summing up, Eve…

EVE

Well, (pause) I thought, we could go down tomorrow and spend the weekend in that paradise. Could you..?

VEE

Great, Eve. Let’s say that, during the morning, we could organize things around, and after lunch, we’ll sit down and write our first country story.

EVE

Terrific planning! Pick you up at eight o’clock in the morning?

VEE

(confirming)

Eight o’clock in the morning.

VEE HANGS UP. SHE LOOKS A LITTLE DAZED. MECHANICALLY, SHE TAKES HER CUP OF COFFEE AND DRINKS. IT IS COLD. WITH A GESTURE OF DISGUST, SHE PUTS HER CUP ON THE TABLE. THEN, SHE SEES THE BUTTER, THAT HAS MELTED AND IS IN A MESS ON THE TABLE.

VEE

Damn it!

(SHE CIRCLES WIT HER EYES AROUND)

I’m not superstitious, however, it seems as if… Well, I don’t know.

(REASONING)

In truth, I never did any gardening at all…

SHE LOOKS AGAIN TO THE COLD COFFEE, AND TO THE MELTED BUTTER.

vee

(with resolve)

It looks like a premonition, but I will say nothing to Eve.

2. EXT. ON THE ROAD. EARLY MORNING. 2.

Eve drives her car. A 1960s Holden station wagon. Vee sits next to her. The space behind them is filled with garden tools and plants, shoes and socks, aprons and gloves, boxes, food coolers boxes, and two laptop computers. Eve and Vee seem to be full of expectations.

eve

For this first weekend, we shouldn’t try to do much. I think, if we plant the tomatoes, -they are so expensive now!

(MOTIONING WITH HER HAND BEHIND HER)

that I bought the plants already. Then, time and strength permitting, we could also prepare the soil for the planting of the melons next weekend.

VEE

We’ll see, how things go.

(WITH A SIDELONG GLANCE)

Did you ever do gardening, Eve?

EVE

Never, but I’ve got all the instructions.

EVE TURNS INTO A SIDE ROAD. NOT FAR AWAY ARE HOUSES WITH WELL KEPT GARDENS AND ORCHARDS.

vee

Oh! What a beautiful sight!

EVE SMILES PROUDLY. THEN, SHE DRIVES INTO THE PROPERTY AND STOPS AT THE CARPORT.

eve

Here we are!

3. EXT. IN THE GARDEN. MIDDAY. 3.

Eve and Vee, dressed in their gardening outfits are kneeling, and bent down, busy finishing planting the tomato seedlings, and measuring that they are twenty centimetres apart from each other. Having finished, they try to stand up. Aches and pains in the back and in the legs, causes them to wail and to frown. Once they are upright, they look at each other under the shade of their straw hats and smile.

eve

(with a thin voice)

Done!

VEE

(warily)

Yeah! We should leave the melons for next week, don’t you think?

EVE NODS. TAKES OFF HER HAT, AND WIPING THE SWEAT FROM HER FACE, LOOKS AT VEE.

eve

I think so. Let’s have a shower and something to eat.

4. INT. DINING ROOM. AFTERNOON. 4.

Eve and Vee have finished their lunch and are eating apples.

eve

(balancing the apple on her hand)

Fancy! One day we’ll be able to eat our own home grown apples.

VEE

Most imaginative idea! This evening I’m going to write some poetry about the beauty of orchards.

EVE

(romantically)

Me, too.

5. INT. STUDY ROOM. EVENING. 5.

Eve is typing on her laptop. Vee is sitting on a sofa, and writing on a pad. Both seem to be very much immersed in their literary tasks. The evening light sinks a little. Vee tries to keep open her eyes. Eve types more slowly, and from time to time, her eyelids droop. When she looks at Vee, she sees that she has lain down on the sofa and is asleep.

6. ext. the week after. morning. 6.

Eve stops under the carport.

eve

(excited)

I only hope that the timed irrigation system has worked, and already that the new tomatoes are taking form and colouring in the sunlight.

VEE

(anxiously)

Let’s go, right now, and see.

THEY HURRY INTO THE BACKYARD. THEY SEE THE SEEDLINGS STUCK IN WELL-DRAINED, MOIST SOIL, BUT WITH THEIR LEAVES SCATTERED ON THE GROUND. THEY LOOK DUMFOUNDED. FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE, EMERGES THE FACE OF THEIR NEIGHBOUR, A MEDITERRANEAN WOMAN IN HER 60’S.

woman

(with heavy accent and broken English)

Too late for tomatoes. Next time, you plant them in October.

EVE COMES OUT OF HER DISAPPOINTMENT.

eve

Thanks, Mrs …

WOMAN

Call me Effi.

EVE

Thank you, Effi. I am Eve, and this is my friend Vee.

VEE SMILES AT EFFI.

7. int. kitchen. morning. 7.

Eve and Vee are having a drink.

eve

Never mind, Vee.

VEE

(resigned)

Next year. Cheers!

THEY CLINK THEIR GLASSES.

8. int. study room. afternoon. 8.

Eve is at the table, typing on her computer. Her expression is one of sadness. Vee is sitting on the sofa, typing on her laptop. Down her cheeks, run the tears. She sobs, stops typing, produces a handkerchief and blows her nose. Eve stops typing, and turns towards Vee.

vee

(still sobing)

Why? Why should adults kill children in stupid wars?

EVE GAZE AT VEE THOUGHTFULLY.

eve

Are you writing…

VEE

(blows her nose, then points to the computer screen)

… these innocent creatures, playing in the sun, now lie flat… like seedlings.

VEE SOBS AGAIN.

eve

We’d better stop writing. I’m not producing a happy story, as well. Be gone with it!

(SHE ERASES IT. THE SCREEN APPEARS BLANK)

vee

Yes, tomorrow is another day.

SHE ERASES EVERYTHING AND CLOSES HER LAPTOP.

9. EXT. IN THE GARDEN. MORNING. 9.

Eve carries a hoe, and Vee a big plastic bin. They walk towards the corner where the tomato seedlings lie flat.

eve

(all high spirits)

Today we will take off the tomato seedlings, clear the site, and plant the melon seedlings we brought.

VEE

(cautiously)

Do we know whether it is the right time of the year to plant them?

EVE

Well, if seedlings are sold now, it is because it is the right time.

VEE

When did you buy the tomato seedlings?

EVE

Last week. The day before we came to plant them.

VEE

It’s something I don’t understand. Why don’t we ask Effi, just to make sure we do the right thing.

EVE

I don’t want to show myself so ignorant as a gardener.

VEE, DOUBTFULLY, MOVES HER HEAD. EVE RAISES THE HOE. AT A FRANTIC PACE ALL THE TOMATO SEEDLINGS DISAPPEAR, NEW HOLES ARE DUG, AND THE MELON SEEDLINGS ARE PLANTED CAREFULLY.

eve

(with a thin voice)

Done.

VEE

(warily)

Yeah!

(LOOKING AT THE FENCE)

And now, we should drive home, don’t you think?

EVE

Yes, let’s pack up and go.

AS THEY WALK TOWARDS THE HOUSE, THE FACE OF EFFI EMERGES OVER THE FENCE. SHE THROWS A LOOK, SCANNING THE SEEDLINGS. SHE SIGHS, AND SHAKING HER HEAD NEGATIVELY, SHE DISAPPEARS DOWN BEHIND THE FENCE.

10. EXT. ENTRANCE TO THE PROPERTY. MORNING. 10.

The weekend after. Eve stops under the carport. Eve and Vee are very serious, as if lacking confidence.

vee

We’d better take our things inside, and then we’ll have enough time for the garden. What about having a cup of coffee first?

EVE

That’s not a bad idea.

BOTH ALIGHT FROM THE CAR AND START TAKING THEIR THINGS INTO THE HOUSE. HALF WAY TO THE ENTRANCE, EVE STOPS.

eve

Honestly, I can’t wait to see…

VEE NODS. BOTH PUT WHAT THEY WERE CARRYING DOWN ON THE FLOOR. SLOWLY, EVE IS THE FIRST TO MOVE TOWARDS THE BACK YARD. VEE FOLLOWS HER AT THE SAME PACE. THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER, WITHOUT SPEAKING, LIKE BURGLARS. THEY ARRIVE AT THE SPOT. SUDDENLY, THEY STOP, THEIR FACES ARE PETRIFIED. ON THE SOIL THERE IS NO TRACE OF THE SEEDLINGS. INSTEAD, THE SILVERLIKE PATHS LEFT BY THE SNAILS, APPEAR EVERYWHERE. IN SILENCE, THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER. EFFI’S HEAD APPEARS OVER THE FENCE.

effi

You forgot to spread pellets.

EVE

(not giving in that she didn’t know)

No, we didn’t, on purpose, we don’t want chemicals, we want an all organic crop.

EFFI

Then, you put all around containers with water and salt in them.

EVE AND VEE LOOK AT EACH OTHER SURPRISED.

Eve

Wow! That’s something…

VEE

… we shouldn’t forget.

EFFI’S FACE STARTS LOWERING BEHIND THE FENCE; ONLY HER FINGERS ARE STILL GRIPPING THE TOP OF THE FENCE.

eve

Never mind!

VEE

Next year.

EVE

This weekend, we could start digging for the fruit trees to be planted next weekend.

VEE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING, WHEN THE FACE OF EFFI APPEARS OVER THE FENCE.

effi

You’d better wait with the trees till June.

EVE AND VEE TURN TOWARD EFFI. EVE, HALF SMILING OPENS HER MOUTH.

eve

Thanks, Effi, very kind of you.

VEE

(very much relieved)

Many thanks, Effi. You’re like an angel (she moves her hands up and down)

EFFI GIVES THEM A GREAT SMILE, AND DISAPPEARS.

11. int. study room. evening. 11.

Eve, at the table, types on her computer, and smiles. In front of her, at the table, Vee types on her computer, and smiles. Vee pauses and looks at Eve. Eve stops typing. Eve, smiling, reads from her screen.

eve

Once upon a time, there was an angel called Effi…

VEE LOOKS ANGRY.

vee

Eve, are you pirating my idea?

EVE

Me? Not at all… or?

VEE

(reading from her screen)

Once upon a time, there was an angel by the name of Effi…

EVE SEEMS TO BE UPSET.

eve

Vee, I didn’t mean…

VEE

Never mind, Eve.

(COMING OUT WITH AN IDEA)

Why don’t we continue with our story, and see how they differ from each other, and how they end?

EVE

Great!

THEY CLASP THEIR HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE.

12. ext. on the road. afternoon. 12.

Eve and Vee drive home singing.

eve and vee

“We’re weekend gardeners, and have nothing to do till June: Effi said.

WHAT TO DO THIS SUMMER? WE DON’T KNOW.

EVE

Back to my husband?

VEE

Back to my partner?

EVE AND VEE

Never! No! let’s go to the coast and enjoy the waves!

A CAR PASSES AND GIVES THEM A LONG AND LOUD HOOT. THE DRIVER GIVES THEM THE FINGER. EVE MOVES INTO THE RIGHT LANE.

eve

Oops!

VEE

(to the obscene driver)

Go and crash!

A CRASH IN THE DISTANCE IS HEARD. VEE PULLS INTO THE SIDE AND STOPS. EVE AND VEE LOOK AT EACH OTHER FRIGHTENED.

FADE OUT.

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