Wadjda Page #7

WAJDA:

Good morning, Grandmother. Hope you

are doing well today. Look what I

got you!

Wajda gives her a plastic bag filled with green leaves. She

then opens her abbayah, exposing a navy-blue vest on top of

her gray uniform. She smiles wider.

WAJDA (CONT’D)

See, Grandmother, I'm wearing the

vest you made me.

GRANDMOTHER:

(smiling but suspicious)

It's nice of you to think of me

this early in the morning!

She looks happily at the vest and smells the leaves. She

pulls her braided hair from her veil and replaces the

withering leaves with the fresh ones Wajda brought.

14.

WAJDA:

(reluctantly)

Only 10 riyals! I brought some for

your friend Um Khalid too!

The Grandmother, twisting her lips in annoyance, slips her

feet into her shoes, sighs, lifts herself slowly out of her

chair and walks toward the next room.

GRANDMOTHER:

Did your Mother send you?

She struggles to get herself down a small step. Wajda looks

at her sympathetically and helps her. Her Grandmother gently

pats Wadja's back.

WAJDA:

No, Grandma! I'm trying to save

some money… to buy a nice abbayah.

GRANDMOTHER:

I don't know what to do with you or

your Father. He’s always nagging

me, "Should I take a second wife? I

need a son." I tell him, "Go home

to your wife and daughter and leave

me alone," but he keeps coming here

with a list of families I have to

call for brides.

The Grandmother gets her wallet and gives Wajda 10 riyals.

GRANDMOTHER (CONT’D)

He can't even buy an abbayah for

his daughter. Where would he get a

dowry for a second wife?

WAJDA:

Thanks, Grandma!

Wajda runs out, avoiding looking at her Grandmother.

21 EXT. INSIDE THE FRONT GATE OF THE SCHOOL - DAY 21

Wajda walks past Ms. Hussa, tea-cup in hand, bored, watching

the crowd of girls flow through the gate.

Noura approaches Ms. Hussa coyly. She gathers up her courage

and holds out a single flower with a note attached.

NOURA:

(sweetly)

This is for you.

15.

Wajda watches from the corner of her eye. Ms. Hussa looks

questionably at Noura, takes the flower and reads the note.

MS. HUSSA

Thank you for your feelings, but

you know you are not supposed to

bring flowers to school.

Noura reddens. Ms. Hussa gives her back the flower then heads

over to the gate, not noticing the note falling to the

ground.

Wajda rushes over, picks the note up, stealthily looks at it,

laughs, sticks it in her vest pocket and hurries inside.

22 INT. CLASSROOM - DAY 22

Wajda enters. One girl cleans the blackboard while others

copy each other's homework.

ONE OF THE GIRLS

(to another girl)

Change the sentence a little, she

will know you copied it!

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