Riot (8 page)

IAN

I got a bad feeling about this. This morning, me mum was praying and her rosary beads broke. It never happened before and she was saying I should stay home.

MARY POOLE

The soldiers wouldn’t shoot at us. Not right at us, they wouldn’t.

KELLY

Ian, you got to become a man sometime in your life. You can’t be a blinkin’ boy forever.

JOHNNY

I’m not running, Kelly. All I’m saying is that I got a bad feeling about this.

MARY POOLE

I think it’s going to be all right, Ian. I do. I’m scared, but I think it’s going to be all right.

CUT TO:

The SOLDIERS, led by CAPTAIN ROBERTS. He is unshaven, and there is a look of weariness about his eyes.

CAPTAIN ROBERTS

We had two men hurt this morning. They’re throwing rocks and bottles, and I hear that some muskets were taken from the armory. They’re dancing in the streets as if this was some bloody game.

CUT TO:

LONG SHOT of the opposing groups. The CROWD is beginning to pick up speed down the street. The SOLDIERS almost nonchalantly raise their weapons.

CROWD

(voice-over)

They’re shooting to kill!

Oh, sweet Jesus! My leg’s on fire!

Get down! Get down!

CUT TO:

PRIVATE LANCASTER as he reloads his rifle. He glances down the street and sees the mangled bodies from a distance. The camera blurs slightly, and it might be that LANCASTER is crying. We see him touch the front of his jacket where he is keeping the letter CLAIRE wrote for him. We see him raise the rifle again.

Finally we hear the sound of the heavy breathing again, and then that, too, subsides as we begin to FADE OUT.

CAPTAIN ROBERTS

Ready! Aim!

BLACK OUT as we hear another deafening volley.

INT. A DILAPIDATED TENEMENT BUILDING—SAME DAY

There is debris on the floor, and the curtains are torn. In one corner there is a small potbellied stove on which there sits a kettle. We see an OLD IRISH WOMAN sitting near the stove with a cup of tea in her hands. There is an OLD MAN standing near the window. His hand shakes as he peers through the yellowed curtains.

OLD IRISH WOMAN

What’s left after the young men fall? When the young fall, there’s no hope for the old ones. There’s faith and family and not a whit more to fill the belly or turn away the cold on a winter night. And the saints, God bless them all, what are they doing? Having tea with the swells or a sour pint with the likes of Mickey Mud? I don’t know. For all my faith in the Almighty, I don’t know. What’s left after the young men fall?

The OLD MAN nods silently.

CUT TO:

LONG SHOT: There are a few people in the street below. From the distance we can’t tell whether they are young or old, rioters or innocent victims. But we see them move cautiously down the street, clearly afraid of what is happening.

FADE OUT

FADE IN

EXT. THE WATERFRONT—SAME DAY

The CHILDREN from the Colored Orphan Asylum are lined up, fairly orderly and holding hands. A YOUNG BLACK MAN is leaning casually against a piling. Under his jacket we see a glimpse of a club.

CUT TO:

A BLACK TEENAGER sitting on the edge of the pier, next to a large cloth bag from which a stout stick protrudes.

CUT TO:

The face of a six-year-old BLACK GIRL. Her eyes are wide, and there are tears on her face. We see that she is holding someone’s hand. As the camera moves back, we see that it is PRISCILLA’s.

CUT TO:

The first CHILDREN being passed into a small boat. They have pulled up along the pier next to the Hoboken ferry. The CHILDREN are being put quickly into the smaller boats. Two female ATTENDANTS from the home—one white, the other black—shelter the CHILDREN from the spray of water rising from the boats’ engines.

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: JOHN stands face-to-face with CLAIRE. He seems huge as he faces his daughter.

JOHN

(pleading)

Claire, don’t fight me on this. Please! I need you to be safe. And yes, I know you’re not a child.

CLAIRE

Then why are sending me off with the children? Why?

JOHN

It’s for my sake. I need not to worry about you.

POLICEMAN

(not realizing that JOHN and CLAIRE are related)

You need help, miss?

CLAIRE

No. No.

JOHN

The very moment things have settled down, the very moment…

CLAIRE

Father.

JOHN turns CLAIRE and pushes her to the boat where the white woman ATTENDANT takes her.

JOHN

(calling)

I love you!

JOHN, on the verge of tears, looks over the water, then a group of SOLDIERS passes in front of him. JOHN moves down the pier, checking the other boats. Some of the CHILDREN in the boats are anxious; some are playing. JOHN nods to an older, white-haired BOATMAN, then the boats begin to pull away. JOHN watches the boats pulling away.

CUT TO:

MARGARET ADDAMS (32), a white matron at the Colored Orphan Asylum. She is watching the last
of the CHILDREN board the boats. Next to her is PRISCILLA, and just beyond them, in the prow of a boat, we see CLAIRE.

MARGARET ADDAMS

Priscilla, get in. You’ll be safe with us.

PRISCILLA

I’m not going. I have to see about my great-aunt. She’s lame and she lives in Broadway Alley.

MARGARET ADDAMS

Well, you can’t do that! You won’t be safe on the streets, and we’ll need you on the island to get things—Priscilla!

PRISCILLA turns on her heel and strides purposefully away.

CUT TO:

CLAIRE sees PRISCILLA on the shore. We see a CLOSE-UP of CLAIRE’s face as her eyes widen. We see CLAIRE look around quickly, and then push her way through the crowd. We see her jump to the ladder, scrambling desperately not to fall into the water as the boat pulls away.

CUT TO:

JOHN, thinking that all of the children plus CLAIRE are on the boats, gives a hand signal.

CUT TO:

GRIFFIN, who stands and throws the bag he is carrying casually across his shoulder as he walks away from the waterfront.

CUT TO:

TWO BLACK TEENAGERS, who are leaning against a shed on the pier. They see GRIFFIN and follow him casually. We see that one of them is carrying an ax handle.

CUT TO:

JOHN as he peers anxiously at the boats. He is shielding his eyes from the late-afternoon sun, and his brow shows concern as he doesn’t see CLAIRE.

CUT TO:

LONG SHOT of CLAIRE on the pier. She looks around and sees JOHN looking for her.

CUT TO:

JOHN. He is looking for CLAIRE and thinks he sees her, but his vision is blocked by the SOLDIERS headed away from the pier.

CUT TO:

CLAIRE, who ducks down and walks alongside the SOLDIERS until she is off the pier.

CUT TO:

PRISCILLA going west on Morris Street toward Broadway. She keeps stopping and turning around as people pass her. She is clearly afraid but moves on. We see a figure coming up behind her. It is CLAIRE.

CUT TO:

CLOSE-UP: PRISCILLA sees CLAIRE and stops as her friend catches up with her.

PRISCILLA

What are you doing here? I saw you on the boat.

CLAIRE

What are
you
doing here? Where are you going?

PRISCILLA

I’m going up to Broadway Alley to see about my great-aunt. She’s so old and…fragile. I’ve been trying not to think about her. Is that terrible?

CLAIRE

There are a lot of things I’ve been trying not to think about, Priscilla. I’ll go with you.

PRISCILLA

That’s stupid. It’s much too dangerous for you.

CLAIRE

Too dangerous for me? You’re the one that’s—

PRISCILLA

Black?

A beat as both girls assess their position.

CLAIRE

Priscilla, it’s dangerous out here for both of us.

PRISCILLA

(turning away)

She’s my aunt—I have to go. You go home.

CLAIRE

(hurt, on the verge of tears)

Then go!

PRISCILLA

All right, come along. But don’t get in my way.

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: We see the two girls hurry along Morris Street and then turn the corner at Broadway.

They are walking cautiously.

CLAIRE

I think things might be calming down a bit now that the soldiers are on the streets.

PRISCILLA

Claire!

We see a young BLACK MAN running out of Rector Street. He is being chased by a group of white RIOTERS. He is fairly young and runs well, with most of the rocks and sticks thrown at him missing him.

PRISCILLA reaches out and stops CLAIRE.

PRISCILLA

Lord, when will it all end?

The camera pans down the street, and we see a knot of SOLDIERS watching the whole affair. None of them moves.

Then we are back on PRISCILLA and CLAIRE and see them turn and face each other as the RIOTERS, mostly young men, pass them. The young men stop when they see the SOLDIERS. One or two of them begin to throw rocks at the SOLDIERS.

CUT TO:

A rock skips along the cobblestoned street and bounces at the foot of a SOLDIER. Another rock hits the side of a building and ricochets against a knapsack.

CUT TO:

MEDIUM SHOT: We see the SOLDIERS back away a few feet. One rubs his palm on the stock of his rifle. Another fixes his bayonet. Yet another begins to unbutton his jacket. It is clear that they are ready to respond. The RIOTERS sense this and move away uptown, grumbling.

EXT. BROADWAY ALLEY—SAME DAY

Broadway Alley is a narrow, unpaved street, barely twelve feet across, running between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Streets just west of Third Avenue. On the uptown end, there are poorly kept stables from which there is a constant stench. There is smoke coming from the windows of the west side of the alley. A BLACK MAN is passing clothing through an open window to a FRIEND. Both men are wary. The camera moves cautiously down the alley.

RIOTER

(from off-camera)

More darkies!

The MAN inside the window jumps out in a single move, and both MEN run toward the stables. They are chased by a group of RIOTERS. One of the BLACK MEN is hit in the back with a stick, but the assailant falls, tripping his laughing companions.

The attackers are bizarrely dressed, in regular clothing and some looted clothing, especially outlandish hats. They stop to see what the two black men were carrying out and pick up a Bible, which one shoves into his pants. The RIOTERS move out of the alley and saunter aimlessly down the street toward Third Avenue.

Two figures come into the alley from the Twenty-seventh Street side, and we recognize PRISCILLA and CLAIRE. As they come through the alley, a teenage BLACK GIRL climbs out of the same window that the BLACK MAN left moments before. The GIRL, startled by the presence of the two women, freezes.

BLACK GIRL

I don’t have anything! Please don’t hurt me!

PRISCILLA

We’re not here to hurt you. Do you know my aunt? Her name is Esther.

CLAIRE

Mrs. Stephenson. She’s an older woman. A friend. We wondered if she was all right.

BLACK GIRL

(obviously frightened)

She’s all right. She’s fine.

(points to a door opening)

She lives there, on the left side.

PRISCILLA and CLAIRE start toward the door as the BLACK GIRL leaves quickly.

PRISCILLA and CLAIRE enter an incredibly shabby room. CLAIRE instinctively covers her nose and mouth with her hand but still almost gags on the stench. There is a figure on the bed that we take to be PRISCILLA’s great-aunt. PRISCILLA moves quickly to the bed and starts to speak as she touches the old woman’s shoulder.