GOOD GIRL GONE BAD (Episode 3) by Solomon Enweremmadu

INT. RITA’S OFFICE DESK

Rita is typing a proposal on her PC. She stops for a moment, pulls her wallet out of her bag and looks thoughtfully at a photo of a MAN, early fifties.

MRS. OJO (O.S.)

Rita my dear, are you okay?

RITA

(jolts) Yes, yes, I’m fine. Thank you.

Mrs. Ojo is standing beside Rita’s desk carrying some files.

MRS. OJO

Is it the wedding? I know it’s not easy but just remember that the most important thing is that you love him and not how much you spend on the wedding day.

Married life is one step at a time but you have to start from where you are now.

RITA

Maybe I don’t even know where I am right now. I don’t think I know what I’m doing.

MRS. OJO

You’re a good girl Rita, don’t look at what’s happening around you right now, just follow your heart and it will take you where you belong.

Mrs Ojo walks off to her desk. Rita is lost in thoughts for a

moment.

Rita finds her mobile phone in her bag. It’s switched off. She switches it on to see ten missed calls mostly from Jenny and a text message. The message is from David.

Close shot on phone.

Message reads; HEY BABE DON’T FORGET WE’RE MEETING AT THE

JOINT BY 6PM. Xxx.

Rita looks up at the office wall clock. It’s 5:30PM.

 

INT. N.G.I.T OFFICE HALLWAY

RITA’S POV

MUSIC CUE: SUSPENSE

We push towards the exit door. Open exit door to reveal the busy Lagos street outside the office.

Angle on: Rita flagging down a taxi.

Behind Rita We see a MAN, late thirties, trousers round his stomach, tucked in T. Shirt, multi-colored socks and very pointed shoes. He approaches Rita with his arms spread out.

MAN

(strong Igbo accent)

Baby, baby, baby.

Rita is startled, turns and moves away from his reach.

MAN (CONT’D)

Baby it’s me your boy MEKUS. Where

are you going like this?

Rita has her hand on her chest.

RITA

(upset)

Could you please not scare me like that again. I could’ve jumped into the road.

MEKUS

Hew mba nunu, baby you jump, I jump.

RITA

And I’ve told you to stop stalking me.

MEKUS

(shocked)

Me Mekus stock you? Mba mba, baby I get plenty goods wey I keep for stock inside workshop but you? You are too beautiful for stocking. Na you be my front market, my showcase hew my center table.

A taxi stops.

RITA

You’re crazy.

Rita hops into the taxi.

MEKUS

I crazy for you fine girl, I crazy

for you.

Taxi zooms off with Rita.

 

 

INT. JENNY’S OFFICE

Jenny sits behind a desk full of paperwork and files.

Phone rings. She picks.

JENNY

Hello.

(pause, listening)

Yes Jenny speaking.

(pause for a moment)

Oh hi Richard, how are you? How’s work?

(pause)

Work is fine? That’s great.

Jenny signals a thumbs up in excitement.

JENNY (CONT’D)

(pause)

You want us to meet, okay where do you have in mind?

(pause)

Okay, but bear in mind I’m not too good with faces so you may need to hold a placard or something with your name boldly written on it.

(laughing)

Well I look forward to meeting you.

 

 

INT. RESTURANT

MUSIC CUE: SLOW JAZZ.

We slowly pan across a nice classy restaurant not too crowded. Rita is sitting at a table for two, checking her wristwatch. David arrives, kisses her on the forehead and goes to sit.

RITA

You’re late.

DAVID

Sorry babe, I had to pick something up on the way here.

RITA

Yeah yeah. Whatever.

DAVID

(smiling)

So. How was work today?

RITA

Dave, I’m not sure I’ll have a job by next week. That man has put me on a deadline to bring in N1million naira by Monday.

DAVID

Where does he expect you to get that kind of money from in a week? That man gets on my last nerves babe. I’ve told you to apply for a job with MicroTech, they are

multinationals, the pay is fantastic, not the peanuts you’re getting for all this headache and they operate very professionally.

RITA

And I’ve told you how impossible it is to get into MicroTech. All the checks and requirements, they want so many years of experience and not to mention the fact that they get like a million applicants a week or something.

DAVID

Nothing is impossible.

RITA

Yeah right.

David motions for the WAITRESS.

RITA (CONT’D)

You know we can’t afford to eat anything here today.

DAVID

(smiles)

Yes we can.

David slides a cheque across the table to Rita.

DAVID (CONT’D)

Just made a quick sale today of one of those my small portraits.

RITA

25K?

DAVID

Yep, so relax, eat and drink and we’ll have plenty of change left over.

The waitress arrives.

RITA

(shaking her head)

You just don’t get it do you. First of all this cheque hasn’t cleared and you’ve obviously gone and dipped into the savings to cash whatever money you’re planning to spend here. Secondly even if it clears, has it dawned on you that we’re less than six weeks away from the wedding date and we haven’t paid for the venue, haven’t bought the rings, haven’t paid the balance to the canopy people and we are yet to balance the lady making my gown.

David signals her to lower her voice.

RITA (CONT’D)

don’t tell me to lower my voice.

Dave turns to the waitress.

DAVID

Please, I’ll call you later.

The waitress leaves.

RITA

If I tell you to talk to your dad and raise the money from him, your pride won’t let you, I don’t know who you’re posing for but you’re suffering in silence.

DAVID

Babe I’m not posing for anyone and I don’t need my father’s money to succeed.

Rita snaps in.

RITA

Yeah of course, you’re a big boy now but how many big boys are struggling the way you’re struggling? How many of them are waiting for miracles and manner to fall down from heaven?

DAVID

don’t even talk to me like that ‘cos you know how hard I work, you know I don’t just sit down and wait for some manner to drop from heaven. But miracles, yeah I believe in miracles ‘cos that’s how I paid my rent, that’s why I have favor with my customers. Do you know how many artists out there who haven’t sold anything this year? I mean look at you…you’ve forgotten so quickly how hard we prayed for you to get this job and you got it in a very miraculous way.

(pause, calms down)

Please let’s not…let’s…I’d appreciate it if you just stop despising our humble beginnings.

RITA

Humble beginnings? don’t even go there with me, I will teach you what humble beginning is about ‘cos you can’t sit there and yap nonsense after growing up in a

mansion, doing primary and secondary school in England, throwing all that money around in University and just because you’ve decided to become a religious nut

case who has sacrificed the pleasures of this world to become a suffering commoner doesn’t qualify you to lecture me about suffering. I’ve had my fair share of suffering

and I’m done with it. Now I want my share of financial security, (pauses for a moment) And you know what, with each passing day you make me more and more afraid that I’m never going to get it if I stay with you.

DAVID

What do you mean by that?

RITA

I don’t know Dave, but I’m just telling you how I feel right now. I just know that I’m not having any sham, knock together, budget wedding with anybody.

David gazes at Rita for a while.

DAVID

I know you’re under a lot of pressure right now but try and trust me babe. I promise we’ll be fine. Just watch and see.

(David motions again to the waitress)

Just two bottles of malt please, thanks.

RITA

By the way, my mum called.

DAVID

Oh yeah, what have I done this time?

RITA

Well, she just needs to know why we didn’t send her any money last month.

DAVID

Oh come on, are you serious? And you say she knows we’re planning our wedding right now?

RITA

She’s fully aware.

DAVID

She’s just going to have to hate me a lot more than she already does right now.

RITA

She doesn’t hate you Dave, she just hates the amount of money in your

bank account. (chuckles) Nothing personal.

The drinks arrive.

DAVID

It’s not funny. That’s even worse.

RITA

Look who’s talking. So now you see what I’m talking about. Every time I start to complain about my mother you’re always the first to shut me up and tell me how she’s my mother and we have to honour her etc, etc. Oya find the money and honour now.