PREDICTION
BY
BARATHA GIHAN HETTIARACHCHI
INT.OLD TYPE OF ROOM - MORNING
An old type room with sun rays comes in from the windows and most parts of the room are dark. The room full of books and documents. And in the middle there is a coffin.
Kumar (older character) looks bath side. Murmuring to himself. Looks frustrated. Went to a corner and sat there. Look at the floor. Few ants are fallowing each other. Kumar looks at them.
KUMAR (OLDER)
Hmm… this is the end. May be you guys will know how will be the world after today. I’m happy to see you all as my last thing.
Camera is focusing on the ants.
CUT TO
EXE.DAVID’S OLD HOUSE- AFTERNOON
Camera moves up from the ants which are walking on the floor.
Old man (David) was sitting on the chair at veranda, Relaxing. He heard the noise someone open the gate. He looks at it.
Kumar’s mother and Kumar enter to the veranda
KUMAR’S MOTHER
Bus was late. I had to walk all the way form the town and carry him also. (Showing little kumara.)
And she sat on the steps at the veranda.
DAVID
These days buses are late. Always doing strikes. Don’t care how normal people
face to this. I don’t care what they ask for. Because they always have something to ask. After few days they have a new thing to ask. Here have this
(He handover the betel box to Kumar’s mother.)
David saw kumara is still sitting near to his mother and looking at ants that fallowing each other in a line.
DAVID
How is he holding on?
(Looking at Kumar and asked from his mother)
KUMAR’S MOTHER
Last few days went to work with me. Didn’t say anything. And didn’t want to go to school again. Death of his father makes him so much different. He doesn’t go to play anymore. Sometimes I’m afraid about him. Kumar’s father is the closest friend he ever had. Bothe is looks like brothers. Now he is gone.
She looked at the Kumara how went to the ground in found of the house. Kumar looks at the empty sky.
David looks at the roof. Corner of the roof there is a bird nest. One bird is feeding her kids.
DAVID
Parents always afraid about their kids. That’s the love. It’s the way it was always. I don’t have much of the experience. But I’m sure my mother also had same feeling you have when I was young.
Kumar’s mother calls to Kumar and hug him.
KUMAR’S MOTHER
This is all I got. Don’t want to leave him.
(Looking at Kumar’s face.)
KUMAR’S MOTHER
He got his father’s eyes.
David stood up and walk to the ground. Look around. Spit the betel he was eaten to a corner of the garden. Looked at kumara and his mother.
David
Hm... (Call Kumar near)
Kumar walk to David. We walk slowly (Look down). When he comes near, David kept his hand on Kumar’s shoulder.
DAVID
Hm...Do you want to learn little one?
Kumar didn’t say and thing. He just looks at his mother.
DAVID
Enough looking at your mother. You and I have to learn many things. You can’t learn anything by looking at your mother. I’ll teach you how to predict about the future. You can help other people and save them by knowing their future.
Kumar look at David’s face.
KUMAR (LITTLE)
Uncle if you know how to help and how to save, why didn’t you help my father? Why did you let him die?
(David start to walk to the house)
DAVID
There are some things that we never can stop even though we knew it will happen.
CUT TO
EXE.NEAR TO A REVER.AFTERNOON
Kumar sat down and looking at the river. Few birds flew away from the river. Sun is getting down in the horizon. Beside the river the paddy field glowing in gold color because of the sunshine. Kumar throw some stone to the river. It skips on the water few times and disappears under the water.
KUMAR (V.O)
Life always finds one way to get rid of sad memories. Soon as my father died my life changed more than I thought. I never thought I will be a predictor. But here I’m. A thing in life never happens as we want. Always changing. No matter its good or bad we have to accept it. But we can make it as we want. That’s what my uncial say. If you ask do I believe it? Yes I do...
Sometimes I want to ask why we have to do all of these things. No matter what we do we will die some day. We waste all of our life time to achieve something and when the final call comes we leave all the things we care and all the things we earn and go. But as humans we have to do something. I think that’s why we do all these things.
CUT TO
EXT.DAVID’S OLD HOUSE. MORNING
Kumar is sweeping the sand floor of the garden. Few people are at the house. They are talking with David.
DAVID
(Looking at Kumar)
Someday he will be one of the best predictors. He learns fast. Sometimes doesn’t want to listen to me. But I love that kid. After his father died his mother had to face many problems. But this little one is lucky. He doesn’t have any problem in here. I will teach him well. I do my best. After all someone has to take this prediction methods to the future generation.
People listen to the David and talk some things and went back. Soon as they pass the gate David calls Kumara. Kumar came near to David and sat at the little chair beside David.
DAVID
Pass me that betel box.
Kumara give the betel box to David.
(David took betel and mixes it with some things and starts to eat. And then handover the betel box to kumara. Kumara took a betel leaf and start to bite the edge of the betel leaf.)
Working as a predictor is not easy thing. You have to learn perditions and also you have to learn how to read the people. See that old man who carrying that bag. He wants to know how his son’s future is. According to the horoscope of that boy has a bad time. He is at army. In the fount line. I don’t want to say that to the old man who only have that son.
KUMAR (LITTLE)
Is he going to die?
David
I didn’t look at the part. Don’t want to know the things that going to happen anyway. It only makes things worse. Remember never look at someone’s death in the horoscope. Sometimes it can be stopped if you didn’t know it will happen.
KUMAR (LITTLE)
But if that old man knows his son is going to die he can bring his son back and save him. Isn’t it uncial?
(David stood up from the chair and went to the edge of the veranda. Then split out the betel.)
DAVID
There are some things in this world that man should not know. So keep it in that way. Don’t try to change the nature’s rules.
David looks at the Kumar and start to walk in to the house. When he passes the Kumar he gently keeps his hand on Kumar’s head.
DAVID
You will learn
CUT TO
EXT.CEMETERY.RAINING
Kumar is standing near to the place that his mother buried. He is wearing white color shirt and blue color shorts. (School uniform). From few meters behind form Kumar David looking at him. David has an umbrella. After few seconds David walk to Kumar and took Kumar under to the umbrella.
V.O
KUMAR (OLDRE)
After the mom’s death I didn’t have any one from my own family. Uncial is the only one who I knew as my family. I really miss mother. She took care of me after father died. Now I lost her too.
CUT TO
EXT. David’s small prediction office. Morning. (V.O)
David’s small perdition office at village closing. Few people packing things to a lorry. Kumar is instructing them.
INT.INSIDE A THE NEW OFFICE. AFTERNOON. (V.O)
Few people are arranging things inside the office. Unpacking things that they brought form old office. Kumar is with his wife. She is helping Kumar to unpack things.
INT.INSIDE A ROOM FULL OF HORESCOPES.MORNING. (V.O)
Several years later after moved in to new office. Older Kumar is sitting on a chair. He is reading a few horoscopes. And some people are sitting in front of him. They are customers that come to know their future. Kumar is talking to them. And after few minutes (when V.O over) the people stood up and moved out.
KUMAR (V.O)
After few years my uncial gives me his business. He thought he is too old for it. I also thought it’s time for him to take rest. Soon because of my hard working I was able to become one of well known predictors in the country. Things start to change. I got married to a girl form near town. And moved to the town. Opened a new office and start to do my work in proper way. I start to teach others about prediction. And I didn’t have much time to think about my uncial. That is my excuse to give up my past. I didn’t want to show people that there is someone greater than me, the person who teach me. One thing I understand about human behavior is when time comes one can change totally different person than you know. Same happens to me. I’m also no different from other people at outside world.
Kumar stood up from his chair and move to the cabinet near to the wall. He starts to search something. He opens a drawer and starts to take out things one by one.
KUMAR (OLDER)
Ramya, where is that horoscope I gave you last time to keep.
(No reply)
Ramya…
(Murmuring to himself)
Don’t know where she put these things. She can’t keep something in one place. Now I have to waste my time to search it.
Ramya…
RAMYA (O.S)
It’s in the drawer that you ask me to keep. I’m cooking. Can’t you do find something without me?
KUMAR (OLDER)
Ya I can. If you keep it in the place I told you to keep.
RAMYA (O.S)
Do you want me to come?
KUMAR (OLDER)
No no. no need. It’s more than enough what you have done. I’ll find it. Please make sure not to put more salt like last time you did. And don’t tell it’s because of me.
Suddenly he found his own horoscope from a corner of the drawer.
KUMAR (OLDR)
(Murmuring to himself)
I thought it is lost. This woman put everything in everywhere. No wonder I didn’t see it for past several years.
Kumar drag a chair near to him and sat on it. Adjust his glasses and start to read the horoscope.
KUMAR (OLDER)
I know uncial you don’t want me to do this. But now I have everything. So I don’t think you will mind if I do it.
He is reading the horoscope and writing some notes. Suddenly he starts to write fast. Suddenly he becomes so different. He starts to swat. His eyes become wider. He pushes the papers and horoscope a side. He tried to stand up but he couldn’t lift his body.
Suddenly He fell down with the chair, making a huge noise. Before everything getting bluer he saw his wife rushing to him from the door. Then he becomes unconscious.
KUMAR (V.O)
At that moment I knew I’m doing something wrong. But my pride stops my thinking. I didn’t want to think that there is someone out there who stops me from reading my own future. No matter who you are how rich you are still you are a human. Human wants to know everything. Sometimes that curiosity leads him to the guillotine.
CUT TO
EXT.DAVID’S OLD HOUSE-AFTERNOON (V.O)
A car enters to the garden. David standup form the chair he was setting and adjusts his glasses.car stops near to the veranda and Kumar got out form the car. He looks like dead man. They sat on chairs at veranda. Kumar starts to tell his story. What happen and how it happen. And David tells him he can’t help in this one. Kumar went home sadly.
Cut to
INT.KUMAR’S HOUSE. NIGHT (V.O)
He tells about his death to his wife. And she cried. But he can’t do anything.
OLDER KUMAR (V.O)
In the moment I couldn’t understand what should I do. I know I did something wrong. How can I give up my life? According to the horoscope I only have 2 days. I know even uncial can’t help me. But when a person going to die he tries to get hope and help from anything he can. So do I. but It didn’t make any difference. All I can do is just think about how I am going to face it. And be ready for it.
CUT TO
INT.OLD TYPE OF ROOM - MORNING
OLDER KUMAR
(Looking at the ants.)
My time is getting over. But you all have to work hard every day. When the final time comes we all have to go.
It’s ok. When a life starts it should be end too.
Kumar walk to the window and looked outside. Brings sun rise comes from the window. He can see nice view of the environment form the window. He stood there for few minutes and then leans against the wall. He took his diary and starts to write something.
CUT TO
INT.OLD TYPE OF ROOM – MORNING (V.O)
After some time someone open the door. To see their loving predictor’s death. They saw Kumar had hanged himself by a rope. He took coffin as a helper to bind the rope to the roof bar. Coffin was at the floor. Open. And Kumar’s dear body is hanging over the coffin.
CUT TO
INT.OLD TYPE OF ROOM – MORNING (V.O)
David is reading Kumar’s diary. He turns page by page. His face becomes sad. Behind him many people come to the room and took down the body and put it in the coffin.
OLDER KUMAR (V.O)
I waited for my death. I thought it will be painless. But it didn’t come out. It should happen before few minutes ago. But it didn’t happen. But I can’t go out form this room. I can’t face the world again. People will laugh at me. This closed door is the only thing that protect me form the humiliation I’m going to face. May be I’m wrong about my death. But it’s too late to make it correct. So I think it’s time to choose am I walk out form this room can make myself and my family humiliated or stay in this room and die with my pride. I will choose pride.
CUT TO
INT.OLD TYPE OF ROOM - MORNING
David is sad. A tear comes to his eyes.
DAVID
(CLOSE THE BOOK)
I told you not to read it. After all you are the best predictor. You are correct about your death.
He put the book down and walks out form the room.
