Movie -:- Greener On The Other Side

SCENE 1. LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

The door opens, we see the shadow of a young lady, AGNES, walk into the room, the light comes on as we hear;

VOICES

Happy birthday. She looks around to see her FRIENDS, all smiles. She looks at CHUCKS, late 30s, a medium sized birthday cake in his hand.

CHUCKS

I wanted to surprise you, so I called your friends and they were corporative… Not waiting for him to complete his statement, Agnes just walks out on them into the room, leaving a surprised Chucks standing, the cake still in his hand. GENNY and CINDY, mid 20s turn to look at each other.

GENNY

What is wrong with her?

CINDY

I have no idea. A worried Chucks turns to them.

CHUCKS

Do you think we overdid it? Do you think I…

CINDY

Calm down OK? We’ll go and talk to her.

CHUCKS

Thank you. Should I give you the cake?

CINDY

Just hold it, we’ll come back with her.

CHUCKS

OK, thank you. Cindy and Genny leave. An embarrassed Chucks stands, fakes a smile.

SCENE 2. AGNES’ ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Agnes lies on the bed busy with her phone. We pull up on her phone to see what she is watching; a young Lady is being surprised by her boyfriend with a car.

GIRL ON THE PHONE (V.O.)

Oh my God babe, a car? Thank you baby, I love you so much… We hear a knock at the door, Cindy and Genny walk in. They go to sit by her.

GENNY What’s up babe?

Fine.

AGNES

CINDY Come on now, you’re not fine.

.

GENNY

Yeah

AGNES

I said I’m fine, Jeez. Can you both just leave me alone?

GENNY

Girl I will slap you, I won’t even mind that it’s your birthday today.

CINDY

No she won’t.

GENNY

You know I will. Agnes looks at Genny, they all laugh. Cindy drags her up.

CINDY

Seriously babes, talk to us, what’s going on?

AGNES

I’m just tired.

GENNY

Tired of what?

AGNES

Life, everything.

GENNY

Don’t say that.

CINDY

Well, I’m tired of life too, we’re all tired of life. Cindy laughs. I’m serious. OK, what’s the problem?

AGNES

I’m thirty today…

CINDY

Hip Hip hip! Agnes and Genny give her a stare.

CINDY (cont’d)

My bad, continue.

AGNES

Yet it seems like I’m a failure. I don’t like the job that I do, they pay me peanuts, I can’t afford the lifestyle that I had envisioned for myself and most of all Chucks.

CINDY

No, not Chucks.

GENNY

What’s wrong with Chucks?

AGNES

He is just, not what I want in a guy, I mean it’s my birthday today, other girls get cars, tickets to travel to their favorite places, designer bags and so on, but here I am with a stupid cake…

CINDY

I baked that cake Agnes, and with lots and lots of love, I didn’t even use a machine, I used my hand to whisk and mix the batter and you are calling my efforts stupid?

AGNES

OK I’m sorry, you know I love your cakes normally.

CINDY

Yeah you do.

AGNES CINDY

AGNES

I’m just saying, I want more from life. At this age I don’t even have a car of my own, other girls have two to three cars but look at me, I am still trekking, I am tired of trekking for crying out loud.

GENNY

I understand what you are trying to say, we all feel that way sometimes.

CINDY

Remember that time I nearly quit baking because my madam said I was never going to be good at it.

AGNES

Yeah, none of us actually believed you could ever turn out to be great at it.

CINDY

Exactly, I never believed I would get here today but here I am baking cakes for celebrities, charging an arm and foot for it yet still getting patronised.

Cindy holds Agnes hand.

CINDY (cont’d)

So Aggie, I just feel it’s a matter of time and everything will fall into place. Stop putting yourself under unnecessary pressure, when your time is right, you’ll have everything you deserve.

GENNY

I agree with Cindy, plus most of these things you see online are false.

CINDY

Exactly, I told you of the one I heard about the lady that normally goes to rent cars and says her boyfriend buys them for her.

AGNES

I know some are fake, but some are real too.

AGNES (cont’d)

Take for instance the both of you, your lives are perfect, your boyfriends rich, mine is just the opposite of both your lives.

CINDY

Chucks is a great guy.

AGNES

But he is broke!

GENNY

It could change tomorrow.

AGNES

And if it does not? I want a perfect life.

CINDY No one has a perfect life.

AGNES

GENNY

I agree with you on that, Zinny’s life is perfect.

CINDY

Who is Zinny?

AGNES You don’t know Zinny?

GENNY

When she is not active on Instagram, how will she know her?

CINDY

Insult me na.

GENNY

You know I love you. Agnes takes up her phone, searching through Instagram.

AGNES

Look at her. Cindy takes Agnes phone.

CINDY

Wow, she is so pretty.

AGNES

And fucking rich. I would give anything to have her life.

Not Zinny.

CINDY

Don’t say that, you don’t know everything about her life other than what she shows you online.

GENNY

OK, I believe people live fake lives on the gram but for this particular girl, her life is perfect.

AGNES

That’s what I want… A knock comes at the door. The door opens, Chucks walks in.

CHUCKS

I was waiting for you guys and I didn’t see you so I decided to come in.

AGNES

I’m still talking to my friends.

CINDY

Actually we’re done. Cindy drags Genny as they leave.

CINDY (cont’d)

Happy birthday baby girl, we’ll talk on phone.

GENNY

Your gifts are in the living room.

CINDY

Yeah, bye. They leave, shutting the door. Chucks goes to sit by Agnes. Agnes stands, leaves. Chucks watches her leave.

SCENE 3. AGNES LIVING ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

Agnes lies on the couch. Chucks walks out.

CHUCKS

AGNES

I’m tired from work.

CHUCKS

Are you OK? Should I give you a foot massage.

She sits up.

AGNES

I don’t want a foot massage.

CHUCKS

Should I fix you a bath then?

AGNES

I don’t want a foot massage, I don’t want a bath Chucks. It’s my birthday for God sakes.

CHUCKS

I know, that’s why I…

AGNES

What? Baked me a stupid cake? How much did this cake cost you? Of course it wouldn’t have cost you much because my friend baked it.

AGNES (cont’d)

Just leave me alone Chucks, I’m not in the mood to talk to you.

She sighs.

CHUCKS (stands)

OK, I’ll call you later.

AGNES

You’re buying me cake, people are buying cars for their babes, you’re buying me cake, what is cake? What will I do with cake? Babe… Leave! Please! She tuts. Lays back down to sleep.

SCENE 4. ANNABEL’S ROOM – DAY

NNENNA, 14, sits on the bed, staring at a picture.

EMERIE (O.S.)

I miss her too.

CHUCKS AGNES

Nnenna looks up to see

EMERIE, a man in his late 30s, standing and staring at her. He goes to sit by her. Together, they stare at the picture in Nnenna’s hand.

EMERIE

She’s in a better place.

NNENNA

I miss her so much. Emerie draws his daughter closer to himself, she rests her head on his shoulder. He fondles her head.

SCENE 5. AGNES LIVING ROOM – DAY

The door opens, Agnes walks in, sees Chucks sitting on the couch. She ignores him, makes to walk in but he obstructs her.

CHUCKS

I’m sorry that I can’t give you the type of life you want, the life you deserve, but I promise to be able to give that to you some day.

AGNES

When? Tomorrow? Next tomorrow? Next month? Next year?

CHUCKS

Babe…

AGNES

Babe… Chucks leave my way abeg. That is all I’ve heard from your mouth and I’m tired of hearing it, I’m tired of being an understanding girlfriend Chucks, I want to live life, I want to flex life like other ladies, the ladies doing it are not better than me, they don’t have two heads Chucks, they don’t.

CHUCKS

Babe…

AGNES

I don’t have strength for this, I don’t want to see you either, please go.

She leaves.

SCENE 6 AGNES’ ROOM – DAY

Agnes lies in bed, going through instragram.

AGNES

Omo, Zinny has gone to Dubai for the twelfth time this year. God, am I your step daughter? am I a spoon? Even if I am a spoon, use me na, eh? Her phone starts ringing, it’s Chucks.

She tuts.

AGNES (cont’d)

Oh, what is this boy’s problem na? Why is he disturbing me?

AGNES (cont’d)

You will see who will pick this call. But he keeps calling, she has no choice but to take the call.

AGNES (cont’d)

Chucks what is it?

CHUCKS (V.O.)

A delivery man is outside your house knocking, he says no one is getting the door.

AGNES

Delivery man?

CHUCKS (V.O.)

Yes, just check.

AGNES

Hmm, OK o. She ends the call, leaves.

SCENE 7. AGNES LIVING ROOM – MOMENTS LATER

Agnes walks into the living room, a package in her hand.

AGNES

Ha, Chucks is sending delivery man to me, hmm. Hope it’s not all these five hundred naira food sha.

She opens the package, it’s a handbag bag.

AGNES (cont’d)

Aba made bag. What was I even expecting? She tuts, flings the bag on the floor, goes to sit.

AGNES (cont’d)

He did not see the designer bags his mates are buying for their girlfriends, he is buying me Aba made bag, what will I do with Aba made bag? Her phone which is in her hand starts ringing. She ignores the call.

But Chucks wouldn’t stop calling. She sighs, picks the call.

AGNES (cont’d)

Chucks, what is it? Do you want to kill my phone battery?

CHUCKS (V.O.)

I wanted to know if you’ve gotten it.

AGNES

You mean the Aba bag?

CHUCKS (V.O.)

Agnes, I just need some little more time, soon things will fall into place and I will give you all the fancy things in life and…

AGNES

Chucks abeg I’m busy, let’s talk later.

CHUCKS (V.O.)

OK, just… But Agnes just ends the call.

AGNES

The same statement everyday. She tuts, stands and starts leaving the room, walks over the bag.

SCENE 8. AGNES LIVING ROOM

Chucks sits, Agnes lies on the couch, resting her head on his lap as they watch a movie, Agnes is busy on her phone.

AGNES

Babe, what do you think of this hair? She hands the phone to him as he takes it.

CHUCKS

It’s beautiful o.

AGNES

It’s called a bone straight hair and I want it.

CHUCKS

It will look really good on you o, so how much is it?

AGNES

Three hundred thousand naira.

CHUCKS

Three hundred thousand naira?!

AGNES CHUCKS

AGNES

Yes, why are you shouting?

CHUCKS

Wait, is the hair coming with an extra head? Agnes sits up to look at him.

AGNES

What kind of stupid question is that?

CHUCKS

Because I don’t understand how they sell a hair for three hundred thousand Naira, do you know what we can do with that amount?

Agnes stares unbelievably at him.

CHUCKS (cont’d)

We can pay your house rent and…

AGNES

What is wrong with you Chucks? Do you know that most of my friends have these bone straight hairs in different colors and lengths? Yes. For hair?!

AGNES (cont’d)

Here I am, just asking you for one and you’re talking about house rent.

CHUCKS

Babe, you know your house rent is almost due and I have to pay for that, I can’t possibly afford a hair of three hundred thousand naira, for now at least.

AGNES

Are you the only person paying his girlfriend’s rent?

CHUCKS

Babe…

AGNES

No don’t babe me Chucks, answer me, are you the only one paying his girlfriend’s rent? Just three hundred thousand Naira hair that I am asking for and you are telling me that you have to pay my rent, you have to pay my rent and so?

Chucks stares back at her quietly.

AGNES (cont’d)

Is it not people that are paying rent for their girlfriends that live in duplex? Here I am in this one room flat and you are making a big deal out of paying my rent, you should be ashamed of yourself. She tuts, stands, leaves. Chucks sighs.

SCENE 9. AGNES LIVING ROOM – DAY

Agnes and Genny sit.

AGNES

Just common bone straight, this boy cannot buy it for me.

GENNY

If it were such an easy thing to buy, why not buy it yourself then?

AGNES

What kind of talk is that one Genny?

13.

GENNY

I’m just saying that things are difficult in the country.

AGNES

Oh really? How many bone straights do you have?

GENNY

Agnes…

AGNES

No, don’t Agnes me, just answer the question, how many bone straights do you have?

GENNY

About ten of them I guess.

AGNES

You guess, you are not even sure, that’s how many they are.

GENNY

I could give you one if you want.

AGNES

I want my own Genny, I want my boyfriend to buy it for me, the same way your boyfriend buys them for you.

GENNY

But babe, you can’t compare Osaz to Chucks na, Osaz is from a rich home, Chucks is hustling his way up.

AGNES

Is he the only one hustling his way up? Is he? Genny I want more from life, I want more from Chucks but he just keeps disappointing me, what kind of life is this?

GENNY

Aggie, Chucks is a great guy that loves you and he is willing to do anything for you…

AGNES

Yet he cannot give me the kind of life that I want. Genny I will not eat love o, love is not ice cream, which one is that common bone straight hair that all the girls in Nigeria own, he cannot get for me.

GENNY

Because he doesn’t have the money, don’t you get it?

AGNES

Yet If you ask him to do what will give him money just like the other boys, he will refuse.

GENNY

Babes, men like Chucks are very hard to come by, better hold him tight because if you loose him, you may not get someone like him ever again o. Agnes stares back at her friend.