‘’A SCARF’’

Written by

Jes Ouen S. Romo

Jes Ouen S. Romo

HUMSS 12 - Mother Inviolate
December 6, 2023
FADE IN:

INT. EDITH’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

EDITH (75) is in bed, knitting. Her bony fingers manipulate

needles and yarn slowly but steadily - she’s not new to this.

The door cracks. She looks up.

EDITH:
I see you.
The door opens wider. NOAH (8) enters running.

NOAH:
What ya doing Nana?
He watches her.

EDITH:
Knitting you a scarf.

Noah tries to follow her movements with his eyes, but soon
his patience runs out.

NOAH:
But Nana, why?
EDITH:
Why what, my dear.
He jumps by her bed impatiently.

NOAH:
It’s gonna take you forever.
As she keeps knitting:

EDITH:
It’s okay, I have time.
The boy sighs. He sits next to her, keeps watching.
After a moment:

NOAH:
You know, you can buy a scarf at
a store and you won’t need to
knit.

Edith puts the yarn down and smiles at him.

EDITH:
you a little secret,
Noah. When people make something
 they fill it with their energy.
Let’s say, when an artist paints on
canvas his spirit becomes embedded
in his work. And when a musician
writes a song he sings his energy
into it. And guess what, that
energy will live forever.

Noah sighs.

EDITH: (CONT’D)
What are you having for dinner?

NOAH:
Chicken and roasted potatoes.

EDITH:
When your mother makes dinner for
you it’s important to her she makes
it herself. She puts her energy
into it. See, she doesn’t have to
make it. She can go pick up
McDonald’s, it’s easy and it’s
convenient. So my question to you:
why does she go through all the
trouble marinating chicken and
slicing potatoes?

NOAH:
Um, she want me to eat her energy?

Edith laughs.

EDITH:
This energy is called love.

She starts knitting again.

EDITH: (CONT’D)
You know we don’t really need to do
anything, we choose to do it
because we think it’s the right
thing to do. We want to do it.

NOAH:
So you want to knit.

She nods.

EDITH:
I want you to remember about my
love, even when I’m not around.
 Noah takes her words into consideration.

MOTHER (O.S.):
Noah, did you finish you homework?

Noah slaps himself on the forehead.

NOAH:
Sorry Nana, I gotta go.
She blows him a kiss as he runs out.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Noah walks down a sidewalk, backpack behind his shoulders. He

starts skipping, passing houses one by one, then stops in his
tracks. He sees commotion by his house. Cars parked nearby.
An ambulance.

He runs towards his house. The ambulance peels off the curb
right in front of him, speeds away.
Noah runs into the house.

INT. NOAH’S HOUSE - DAY, CONTINUOUS

Noah’s DAD (40) is in the hall.

DAD:
Mom had to take Grandma to the
hospital. Sorry, bud.

Noah runs up and hugs his Dad. He proceeds to his

grandmother’s room.

INT. EDITH’S BEDROOM - DAY

The bed is undone. A glass of water is on a side table.

Noah stares at the empty room as his eyes well up with tears.
He steps up and fixes the blanket corner that is touching the
floor.

Partially under the bed, the unfinished scarf and tangled

yarn left on the floor. He kneels down and gently picks up
the yarn. His hand feels around. He crawls around the bed.

Retrieves the knitting needles. He sits on the floor,

carefully studying the stitch work.

DAD (O.S.)
Noah?
Noah hides the yarn.

Dad enters.

DAD (CONT’D)
Here you are. Let’s go. I’ll make
you an ice cream, you’ll feel
better.

Noah follows him.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. EDITH’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Noah’s fingers untangle the yarn.

Noah’s fingers take the knitting needles and poke them into
the stitches. The boy can’t grasp how it works.

An old book on knitting catches his attention, it’s on a

shelf. He opens it. Flips through, looks at pictures and
diagrams. Takes the knitting needles and attempts to follow
the book instructions.

Noah scoops all the yarn, the book and prowls out to the
hall.

INT. NOAH’S BEDROOM - NIGHT, CONTINUOUS

Noah puts the yarn and unfinished scarf under his pillow.
Slides into bed. Turns off the light.
It’s quiet in the room. Dark. Light wheezing from Noah’s
direction.

The door opens slightly. A shadow grows next to his bed.

Edith’s hand touches his hair lovingly.

EDITH’S WHISPER:
Is it the easy way or the right
way, Noah? Every time you have a
choice.

Noah opens his eyes. No one is in the room. He stares into

the darkness. His eye lids are heavy and eventually shut.

He’s asleep.

An elderly hand tucks him in gently.

INT. A FUNERAL HOME - DAY

A coffin. Edith is in it, surrounded with flowers.

Noah, neatly dressed and groomed, stands next to it. He takes
out the scarf and places it next to her hand. It’s finished.

Most of it - nice even stitches, a small portion - tangled

and completely uneven, out of pattern, but somehow loops form
unity and a look of flow.

He whispers a prayer. His parents step up to him and put

their hands on his shoulders.
An inaudible soft whisper rustles around the room. Everyone
looks around but can’t see anything.

FADE OUT