Following Flora (17 page)

THE FILM DIARIES OF BLUEBELL GADSBY
SCENE ELEVEN (TRANSCRIPT)
Mr. Rudowski comes for dinner

INTERIOR, EVENING, 32 CHATSWORTH SQUARE.

On the top floor, FLORA paces her bedroom, trying on and throwing down clothes, wailing things like
What shall I wear? I have no clothes! OH, what am I supposed to wear?
Pan to kitchen, where MOTHER moves heavily about the kitchen. For once, the kitchen is not a mess. A stew bubbles gently on the stove. A salad nestles in a bowl on the table, which is perfectly set with mostly unchipped china. A pan of boiled potatoes sits on the side, waiting to be mashed. Mother grunts as she bends down to check on the pineapple cake in the oven. “Perfect,” she murmurs. She waddles over to the sofa and falls asleep.

Pan to study where FATHER sits hunched over his laptop, typing with a look of furious concentration.

Pan to landing, where TWIG sits on the floor, practicing card tricks on JAS.

JAS

Do you really think card tricks are going to impress her?

 

TWIG

Everybody loves card tricks.

 

Front door bell rings. Flora appears on the landing, wearing a navy blue trouser suit, sensible shoes, a silk scarf around her neck, and a slash of fuchsia lipstick.

FLORA

How do I look?

 

JAS

(awestruck)

Really, really
boring.

 

TWIG

Except for the lipstick. The lipstick makes you look mad.

 

Downstairs, Mother (now awake) has opened the door to ZORAN, GLORIA, ZACH, and MR. RUDOWSKI. Mr. Rudowski wears a hat, a natty blazer, and a spotted bow tie. Gloria is magnificent in her usual skintight black and glossy knee-high boots.

MR. RUDOWSKI

(raises Mother's hand to his lips)

Mrs. Gadsby, thank you so much for inviting me to dinner. I have heard so much about you from Zach.

 

ZACH

(looks up, spots Flora on the landing)

Flora, come and meet Grandpa!

 

FLORA

(wailing)

I can't, I have to get changed!

 

FATHER

(bursts out of study)

I finished my book! I finished my book!

 

The fire alarm goes off. Black smoke begins to waft up from the kitchen.

MOTHER

I forgot the cake!

 

ZORAN

(to Mr. Rudowski)

I'm afraid they're often like this.

 

Mother starts to waddle toward the kitchen but suddenly stops with a startled squeak. All turn to look at her. She stands in a state of shock, looking down at her bump.

MOTHER

I think my water has broken!

 

FATHER

Call the midwife! Put the kettle on! Where are my car keys?

 

He runs upstairs, shouting something about Mother's hospital bag. Mother watches him go and smiles. Then, as her first contraction starts, she winces. The contraction passes. She smiles again.

MOTHER

Turn the camera off, Blue.