Page 5
TONY'S RESTAURANT
The old Tony at his usual table. Three little boys in front of him. Their hands on their eyes.
TONY Don't peep, OK? Attention...
Emilio arrives and puts down a chocolate cake with five candles on it.
TONY You can look!
The boys shout with joy. Stansfield now gets in the restaurant with six men. Tony immediately stiffens.
Stansfield blows on the candles and leans toward the children with a stupid smile.
STANSFIELD Happy birthday!
Without smiling, he signs one of his men to regroup the kids with Emilio. The children obey. As if they feel it's not the moment to bother.
Tony doesn't oppose.
TONY You'd better talk good, son, because, for the moment, I've got a quite bad opinion about you.
Norman smiles.
STANSFIELD I respect your business, Mister Tony. Every time we asked your help, we were very happy with the result. It's right this that makes me nervous, now. I hope you'll excuse my temporarly bad mood?
TONY Then...
STANSFIELD (to one of his men) Take me the pork!
One takes in the young Rinaldi who had visited Tony. His face is made swell, unrecognizable.
STANSFIELD Do you recognize him?
TONY ...Even his mother wouldn't.
Stansfield looks at Rinaldi.
STANSFIELD You're right.
He pulls out his gun and kills him. Like one kills an insect. Tony strongly stiffens. Emilio looks after the children.
STANSFIELD I've got an offer for you: you keep your 12000$, you call back your shitful cleaner and you tell him the contract is cancelled. You see, the man to be killed is my boss, and I'd be really sorry with losing him because he's a good boss. He lets me work like I wish... It's fine. And 12000$ to do nothing aren't bad, aren't they?
Tony is really disturbed.
TONY Listen, son, you know as well as me this kind of hitmen: they come from nowhere, get the contract and disappear. They're lonely, worse than wolves.
STANSFIELD May we have this wolf's name and address?
TONY These guys have no place. They change virtually everyday. And his name... It's a surname.
Stansfield pauses. He stares at Tony.
STANSFIELD (to his right hand) Bring me the children...
Tony closes his eyes. Stansfield puts his gun on the table. Children make a row in front of the table.
STANSFIELD ...Come on, I make you a favour. Tell me which is the one you love least. I'll kill him first.
Tony slightly sighs.
TONY You know, boy, I know their parents very well; I think they won't appreciate your sense of humour.
STANSFIELD (falsely naive) Huh, really?
TONY (serious) If you touch them, you'll have all the hitmen of the city on your ass!
STANSFIELD (pause) ...You're right. It's a little risky.
Stansfield takes his gun and kills Emilio.
STANSFIELD It's good he had no family. Come on, speak, now!
Tony is petrified. Children shout and get under the table.
STANSFIELD Else, I'll have to ruin this birthday.
TONY (surrendering) ...Léon... Leone MONTANA. I know he's in a small hotel in Noho... But I don't know where... Houston Street, I think... I can't tell you more... Even if you kill all the neighbourood.
Stansfield puts away his gun and stands up.
STANSFIELD Thanks Tony. Justice will be grateful for your precious collaboration. [He points at Emilio's corpse.] ...Would you like me to call the police, for this little incident?
Tony looks down, then shakes his head no.
Stansfield smiles.
STANSFIELD Good!
The group gets out. Children get in Tony's arms.
* * * * * * * * * *
NEW BUILDING
Mathilda sits at stairways' end, in front of a long corridor and a small court.
Five kids, about 13-year-old, play baseball in the corridor.
THE BOSS You're the new one at 5th?
Mathilda nods yes.
THE BOSS Shall we explain her everything, ok? This will avoid misunderstandings.
Mathilda waits, curious.
THE BOSS You can't sit here like that.
MATHILDA Huh? Why?
THE BOSS Because you have to pay. It's like parkmeters: if you stay, you pay. It's the rule...
MATHILDA ...And how much is it?
THE BOSS Ten dollars... A month.
Mathilda looks at them and pulls out a roll of 100$ notes.
MATHILDA Got the change for 100?
The kid is impressed but tries not to show.
THE BOSS (playing serious ...Wait, Poly's the treasurer. [to Poly] Poly, have you got the change for 100?
POLY (shrugging his shoulders) Why do you ask me? You know I haven't a dollar!
Mathilda saves his face. She hands him the note.
MATHILDA ...It's not serious... It means I'll pay ten months in advance.
The kid takes the money, perplexed.
THE BOSS ...OK... Good.
MATHILDA Can I sit on the stairways now?
THE BOSS Huh... Yeah, yeah... Of course.
Everyone is surprised by Mathilda's calm.
A KID ...Would you like a cigarette?
MATHILDA Yes... Thanks.
Another kid lights it. The last one pulls out a bottle of whisky.
THE KID A little draught?
MATHILDA No thanks... Never alcohol.
* * * * * * * * * *
LATER - IN THE COURT
The kids and Mathilda play baseball.
The ball gets to Mathilda. A little too fast: she avoids it.
THE BOSS (shouting) Huh! Mathilda, bitch! Run! Run!
Mathilda runs, gets the ball and launches it very awkwardly.
THE BOSS (furious) ...Bitch! You're really nil! Come on, get away! Get back to your stairways!
Mathilda abandons the game, oppressed.
THE BOSS You fear a ball?! I can't believe it!! Gals!... Come on, let's play, not a game for gals!
Mathilda stands up, this time she's really annoyed. She gets upstairs. She opens the violin and takes a gun. Downstairs, kids have a pause.
THE BOSS Good, let's have a break, five minutes. Poly? Cigarettes.
Mathilda joins back the kids downstairs.
MATHILDA Look, the fearful's got a game for you.
She pulls out the gun, opens the cylinder.
MATHILDA ...You can show me your balls! Russian roulette, you know?
* * * * * * * * * *
IN FRONT OF MATHILDA'S BUILDING
Police line. Two cops guard. Open ambulance waiting for its load.
Léon arrives by cab. He immediately realizes something happened. Mathilda. He's worried about her.
He gets off the cab. He stammers something to the first cop.
LÉON ...I live in here...
He breaks through. At the end of the corridor, near stairways, a little corpse, covered by a white sheet. Blood at one end.
Two male nurses easily lift the corpse and lay it down on the stretcher. Léon's scared by that sheet, that little corpse. He lifts one end. Big sport shoes. Far from Mathilda's small feet. He's going to climb upstairs, but a cop blocks him.
COP No entry for the moment.
LÉON I live in here.
The cop puts an hand on Léon's chest to stop him
COP When I say no entry, I mean "no entry".
He said this with a bad tone. Léon stares at him.
IN THE APARTMENT
A plain clothes detective sits in front of Mathilda, who's crying on her couch. Evidently, the cop's waiting for her to stop crying, for interrogation. He looks at his wristwatch.
Another two cops calmly, sweetly check out the apartment. Routine. They pass by the double bass without opening it. Léon gets in. She jumps in his arms. He's relieved. She cries with joy.
LÉON (sweet) Come on, it's over, I'm here.
MATHILDA (in tears) You mustn't leave me, Léon... I do stupid things, when you're not here.
LÉON I'm here, I'll never leave you again, Mathilda, never. I swear.
MATHILDA I love you so much, Léon.
LÉON I love you too, and I don't want to lose you.
The cop is really stunned by Léon's arrival.
COP Can I have a word with you, Mister? Are you her father?
Léon signs him "stop". The cop is slightly annoyed by such an authority.
LÉON (to Mathilda, sweetly) What did you do? What happened? Tell me.
He caresses her hair. She's calming down.
MATHILDA ...Well... The kids. They didn't want me to play baseball. They said I'm a fearful gal.
The cop listens, interested.
LÉON Poor darling, and then?
MATHILDA Well... I proposed them to play roulette... Like we played... [She resumes crying.] ...And I lost.
He takes her in his arms. The cop is stunned.
LÉON Don't cry, Mathilda, please. Take. [hanky] Prepare your case and we get away for a while, OK? We change neighbourood! Come on, go, I wait, OK?
COP (determined) Mister? I'd like seeing your papers.
Léon already pulled out his gun and showed his identity. Thrice.
LÉON Come on, prepare your stuff, we move in a much calmer place, you'll see. Near the country.
Léon doesn't care he just killed three cops.
Mathilda puts her polaroid and her teddy bear in her sack. A photo falls on the ground. They leave the apartment. No more double bass. Just violin and sack.
While going downstairs, one realizes how difficult Léon's climb was: killed cops at virtually every floor.
They get out of the backdoor.
Léon and Mathilda, holding each other's hand, walk across the city.
Sun's tired. City's orange.
* * * * * * * * * *
It's almost night when Stansfield and his men arrive in front of Léon and Mathilda's building.
In the apartment, three corpses covered by white sheets.
Police commander on place. STANSFIELD gets in.
COMMANDER (nervous) ...What are you doing in here?
Stansfield checks out the apartment.
STANSFIELD ...I've been following the guy for a while.
STANSFIELD finds the forgotten polaroid photo.
STANSFIELD is perplexed, then recognizes the girl.
COMMANDER May I know this typhoon's name?
STANSFIELD ...Léon.
* * * * * * * * * *
Léon's having a shower. Face in his hands.
Evidently, he's trying to recover.
New apartment's door opens, after a few knocks that look like a code.
Mathilda gets in. Léon quickly moves in the bathroom. His hand approaches a gun.
LÉON Mathilda?
Mathilda passes before bathroom's door and scratches it without stopping.
MATHILDA Yes... Alright.
She gets in the room and unpacks her things, including cosmetics. She gets close to the window and starts making up herself.
Léon in a towel, small for his size.
He gets in the living room.
LÉON Mathilda?
MATHILDA (out of scene) Yes.... I'm arriving.
Léon gets to the window and looks out.
Something changed in Léon. He's tired by all this, maybe.
He sits on the chair.
Mathilda's walkman is on.
He hesitates, then eventually puts on the headphones.
It's a sweet, almost classical music. Very beautiful, like the arriving Mathilda. She wears the dress Léon offered her, she's made up. She looks 20-year-old.
Léon's mouth is open. She smiles and heels down before him.
He gets off the headphones.
LÉON What's going on?
MATHILDA (surprised) Nothing... Why?
LÉON Well... I don't know, suddenly, the make up... All this... How are you? Are you OK?
MATHILDA Of course! I'm fine! I put on your beautiful dress, I slightly made up... I tried to get beautiful! Don't you like it?
LÉON (shy) ...Yes.
MATHILDA So say it!
LÉON (pause) ...I like it...
Mathilda smiles and stands up.
She gets in the kitchen.
Léon feels weird, like he was falling in a trap, without being able to do anything.
Mathilda comes back with a glass of milk she hands to Léon.
She lowers the tents to dim the strong sunlight.
Mathilda heels down in front of him. Léon doesn't dare moving any more.
MATHILDA ...Don't you drink?
LÉON I prefer waiting for a while... I feel it would go the wrong way.
Mathilda takes the glass from his hands and drinks half.
She passes her tongue along her lips to dry up the milk.
Léon looks at her, like a child in front of a sweet.
She returns his milk. Mathilda looks like a calm cat.
MATHILDA (sweetly) I love you, Léon... Totally. It's the first time I feel it that strong. It's also the first time I trust a man. I trust you.
She caresses his hand.
MATHILDA ...I love your hands... [pause] Léon... in your hands... I'd like you to be my first lover.
Léon retracts his hand and finishes the milk.
He looks at Mathilda with as much sadness as happiness.
By a fingertip, Mathilda takes the milkdrop on Lèon's lips and gets it in her mouth.
Léon is going to cry.
LÉON (feeling bad) ...I can't, Mathilda... I can't.
MATHILDA (with a sad smile) ...Have you got a girlfriend?
LÉON ...No...
MATHILDA ...Don't you like me?
LÉON (sincerely) ...Yes... [pause] ...You're the most beautiful, Mathilda.
Mathilda looks relieved by these magic words.
She puts her face on Léon's lap, who caresses her hair.
MATHILDA You know, girls think about their first boyfriend for a long time... I imagined him with grizzled hair, elegant... A little like Georgia's father. Georgia is a classmate of mine... Kinda guy makes you feel sure! Cool, isn't it?
Léon nods yes, without really knowing what he's saying "yes" to.
MATHILDA My mates told me the first time they made love was awful. They had pain everywhere, afterward... But that's because they made it with men they didn't love. In fact, they did it just to show off, at the beginning. Later, they liked it. ...Like cigarettes.
Léon closes his eyes. Kind of pain on his face.
MATHILDA How many girlfriends did you have?
LÉON ...I don't know.
MATHILDA Well... 1... 2... 10... 100... 1000? How many, approximately?
LÉON ...Mathilda, I don't feel like talking about this.
MATHILDA Why? Did you have too many and you fear it may shock me? I won't get shocked. I'm used to this! My father was a true pork. He fucked the bitch I'd as mother all around the apartment. Whenever a door was closed, you could be sure they were making sex behind it! And my sister, if you didn't sleep with her, you're building's exception!
LÉON Stop, Mathilda! Don't talk like that!
Mathilda's going to cry.
MATHILDA I talk because you don't talk, Léon. I declare my love and you say nothing. That's why I'm nervous and I can't stop talking. Tell me you love me, or you don't love me, or you love someone else. ...But tell me something.
Léon tries to recover, before speaking.
LÉON ...I had a girlfriend... A long time ago. Before coming here, in my country. I was 14-year-old... We flirted like kids... Her father didn't want her to meet me. My family was not very respectable.
MATHILDA Then? You didn't give a shit about her father, didn't you? You met anyway?
Léon pauses for a long, then nods yes.
LÉON ...He killed her, a bullet in her head...
Mathilda is stunned.
MATHILDA ...That's awful. I hope you killed, that asshole?
LÉON ...Yes. The day he got out of jail. I allowed him to make ten steps... No more. And bang. Two hundred meters. By telescope. That night, I left my country and came here, to join my father, who worked for Tony. ...I was 17. Then, I never left the city... And never had another girlfriend... [Léon sweetly looks at her.] ...You see, I wouldn't be a good lover, Mathilda.
MATHILDA Léon, I don't know life very much... I just know I love you... And love is stronger than anything else.
Léon is more and more nervous, like a child.
LÉON Maybe... Sure... But... I'm scared, Mathilda.
Léon cries. Mathilda caresses his face.
MATHILDA Don't fear, Léon. You mustn't fear love, when it's this beautiful. [She caresses his chest.] I want you to be the first to touch me... The first to make love with me. Nobody before you.
She stands up and modestly gets off her briefs without taking off her dress. Léon cries, unable to oppose her. Mathilda is too young, but she's also too beautiful and lovely and sweet and tender...
She sweetly, very sweetly, gets on him.
LÉON (crying) Why me, Mathilda, why me?
Mathilda leans over to speak in his ear.
MATHILDA ...Because you deserve it, Léon...
Léon embraces her.
He's full of happiness, shame, so many emotions, he can't control very well.
But, hell, how beautiful it is seeing them sweetly making love.
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