ANOTHER DEPARTURE...

INT. A WELL LIVED IN LIVING ROOM - DAY A PRETTY MEXICAN WOMAN 30'S IS SPEAKING ON THE PHONE TO HER MOTHER. SHE EXPLAINS TO HER MOTHER . PRETTY MEXICAN WOMAN HE DOESN'T WANT TO MARRY ME...(FEELING HURT) CUT TO INT. A DIFFERENT APARTMENT - THE MOTHER OF THE PRETTY MEXICAN WOMAN IS SPEAKING TO HER DAUGHTER, SHOWING CONCERN: MOTHER WELL WE'LL JUST SEE ABOUT THAT...I'LL CALL BISHOP SANDERS" INTERCUT: BETWEEN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER: PRETTY MEXICAN WOMAN OH THE CHICKEN MAN?! MOTHER NO...NO...THAT'S THE COLONEL...IF YOU WENT TO CHURCH MORE YOU'D KNOW HE'S NEW...I'LL CALL YOU BACK. SHE HANGS UP AND DIALS, AND WAITS. CUT TO OFFICE, WHERE AN OLDER MAN IN RELIGIOUS ATTIRE, GENTLE, YET CRUSTY, FANNING AWAY CIGARETTE SMOKE AS HE ANSWERS THE PHONE, INTERCUT BETWEEN MOTHER AND BISHOP BISHOP (PICKING UP PHONE) BISHOP SANDERS HERE. MOTHER BISHOP THIS IS VELDA RODRIGUEZ MENDES MY BABY GOT HERSELF PREGNANT BY A NO ACCOUNT AND HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO RIGHT BY HER...CAN YOU HELP! BISHOP VELDA, THANKS BY THE WAY FOR YOUR GENEROUS TITHE LAST WEEK...AND DON'T THINK I HAVEN'T NOTICED YOUR CONSISTENCY IN GIVING...SO OF COURSE I'LL HELP...BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, CLOSING THE BARN DOOR AFTER THE BULL HAS BEEN FED SELDOM IS AS EFFECTIVE AS NOT OPENING THE BARN DOOR AT ALL. MOTHER YOU'RE RIGHT I TELL HER THAT ALL THE TIME. BISHOP (INHALING LETTING OUT SMOKE RINGS) HOW MANY GRANDCHILDREN DOES THIS MAKE? MOTHER I'M ASHAMED TO SAY I LOST COUNT AT THREE...BUT SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO PLEASE. BISHOP SURE WILL...LET ME GRAB SOMETHING TO WRITE WITH. RINGING PHONE OVER: THE NEXT DAY - INT. BISHOP'S OFFICE & ROMEO'S BATHROOM, INTERCUT: BISHOP'S OFFICE AND ROMEO'S BATHROOM BISHOP HELLO IS THIS ROMEO? ROMEO A GOOD LOOKING GUY HOLDING CELL PRIMPING IN MIRROR ROMEO YEAH, WHAT'S IT TO YOU? BISHOP (CHUCKLES) I'M BISHOP SANDERS... ROMEO OH YEAH, I LIKE YOUR BROTHER'S CHICKEN. BISHOP (KEEPING IT LIGHT) THANKS WE APPRECIATE THAT...I'M CALLING ON BEHALF OF ONE OF MY FAMILIES AT ST MARY'S...MRS MENDES...I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE BEEN DATING HER DAUGHTER... ROMEO THAT'S A NICE WAY OF PUTTIN' IT. BISHOP WELL WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT? ROMEO LISTEN, I RESPECT THE CHURCH KINDA...BUT I'M NOT MARRYING HER...SHE'S ALREADY GOT 3 LITTLE RUG RATS...COLLECTING SSI ON ALL OF 'EM PLUS SUIN' HER LAST BOSS FOR DISABILITY ON A SLIP AND FALL...AND HER MOTHER DRINKS TOO MUCH TEQUILA,...AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY... BISHOP NO TELL ME SON. ROMEO FIRST I'M NOT YOUR SON, SECONDLY LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTER...YOU KNOW HOW I GOT HER NAME AND NUMBA? BISHOP NO I DON'T ROMEO IT WAS WRITTEN ON THE WALL OF THE MEN'S ROOM. BISHOP ARE YOU MEXICAN?" ROMEO I AM! 100% BISHOP 'SCUSE MY MANNERS, WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? ROMEO I DIDN'T SAY. BISHOP THAT'S TRUE...COULD YOU OR WOULD YOU MIND TELLING ME? ROMEO SINCE YOU ASKED NICELY...IT'S ZAPATA!. BISHOP ROMEO ZAPATA...WELL, WELL, WELL, QUITE A NAME...I THINK I KNEW YOUR DAD BACK IN THE DAY. ROMEO WHAT DAY WAS THAT? BISHOP (SLIGHT CHUCKLE, ANGER BREWS) LET'S REALLY TALK MAN TO MAN...YOU MOTHA FUCKA...I'VE GOT YOUR ADDRESS AND IN 15 MINUTES THEY'LL BE TWO GENTLEMEN WEARING SUITS THAT'LL BE ESCORTING YOU OVER HERE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS YOU MADE! ROMEO (SHOOTING BACK) OH REALLY! WELL TELL EM TO BE SURE TO BE WEAR'N THEIR BULLET PROOF VESTS MOTHA FUCKA! (CUTTING OFF THE CELL; LOOKING INTO MIRROR SHOWING DIMPLES) CAN I HELP IT THAT ALL THE CHICKIES LOVE ROMEO ZAPATA? NO! I CAN'T. HE PICKS UP HIS MAGNUM FROM THE SINK AND AIMS IT IN THE MIRROR AND WINKS AT HIMSELF. SUDDENLY WE HEAR AN OS SWEET VOICE. ROMEO'S MOM ROMEO YOUR BREAKFAST IS GETTING COLD. ROMEO THANKS MA...I'LL BE RIGHT THERE. INT. KITCHEN - SPARKLING CLEAN, A PRETTY MEXICAN WOMAN ABOUT 50-60-70'S OR OLDER IS SITTING EATING A MEXICAN BREAKFAST ROMEO WITHOUT THE GUN ENTERS AND GENTLY AND LOVINGLY KISSES HIS MOTHER'S CHEEK. ROMEO (cont'D) YOU KNOW YOU ARE STILL MY BEST GIRL DON'T YOU... ) MOTHER YES SON I KNOW...YOU TELL ME ENOUGH ROMEO SITS HANDING HER ENVELOPE. MOTHER (REACHES, TAKING ENVELOPE) WHAT'S THIS? ROMEO BUY YOURSELF A DRESS AS PRETTY AS YOU (AND HE REACHES LIFTING HER HAND AND KISSES IT) YOU'RE THE BEST. MOTHER YOU'RE A GOOD SON, BUT YOU KEEP GIVING ME...MAKES ME THING YOU'VE BEEN DOIN' SOME BAD THINGS. ROMEO NEVER MA...YOU RAISED ME RIGHT. SUDDENLY THERE'S LOUD OC (OFF-CAMERA) BANGING ON THE DOOR. BOTH MOTHER AND SON STOP EATING EXCHANGE CONCERNED LOOKS, AND ROMEO PUTS HIS FINGER TO HIS LIPS TO BE QUIET. THE MOTHER'S EYES GROW WIDE AND SHE NODS. THIS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER FURY OF BANGING ON THE DOOR AND EVENTUALLY THIS IS FOLLOWED BY SILENCE AS WE HEAR HEAVY FOOTSTEPS MOVING AWAY. MOTHER AND SON LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND THEY BOTH START EASY LAUGHTER AND HE HUGS HIS MOM. MOTHER (HUGS HIM BACK) I KNOW YOU'RE A GOOD SON...THAT'S ALL I KNOW. (PATTING HIM ON HIS BROAD BACK) FADE OUT (C)COPYRIGHTED BY GWENDOLYN MITCHELL ON THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016 AT THE WILL AND ARIEL DURANT HOLLYWOOD LIBRARY, EDITED AT THE WEST HOLLYWOOD SAME DAY, AT 4:02PM.