Adap'Tayshawn.
Inside of a bustling Atlanta restaurant during the lunch hour. The busy workweek has brought together all kinds of fast-moving, slick-talking types from various industries to discuss the trades and sew the seeds for potential business deals.
A man in his 30s is sitting amongst the loud murmur at a table off the the side. This is Tayshawn. One of the baddest women he ever seen in his life is sitting across from him, looking over a stack of papers. There’s one problem: he’s sweating profusely, and he can’t stop taking sips of the lemonade in front of him. A voiceover floats in, granting us access to him:
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
This lemonade could use way more sugar. But I shouldn’t ask the waitress. That’s gonna look way too needy. Is everyone in here just okay with this level of sugar? I feel like these niggas lying. Or maybe they’re all drunk. That would be funny. But yeah, I can’t ask for more sugar. My goal here is to project confidence, no matter how much sugar.
He takes another sip.
The woman across from him, her name is Valyrie. She’s stunning. She looks up from the stack of papers, at him, then looks back down to keep reading.
A larger-than-normal bead of sweat forms on Tayshawn’s forehead and we swoop in to a close up of the bead as it moves down the side of his face and hits the tablecloth below.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Fuck. I’m sweating like crazy. Is it as bad as I imagine it? The way I imagine it, I feel like that one Jordan Peele meme. That’s a funny ass idea. That I sweat so much that I catch it in the lemonade and it suddenly tastes better. I could start serving it to everyone in here with the amount of sweat forming on my damn head. Oh, shit. She finished it.
Valyrie puts down the stack of papers impatiently. She takes a sip of her lemonade. She looks up at Tayshawn.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Aw, damnit. She hates it. She hates me. She’s disappointed in me. I could see it in her eyes when we met. My leg hurts. If some shit broke out right now and I had to run, I would prolly fall and bust my ass. I can feel the sweat. Stop sweating. I’ve got to stop sweating. Can she see it dripping down my forehead? Oh, she looked at my hairline. My shit kinda fucked up right now. I was just trying to keep it real natural, real cool, you know? But she’s thinking, “This nigga is a weirdo.”
VALYRIE
We think you’re great.
TAYSHAWN
Wow, thanks.
VALYRIE
I mean, I wanna take some more time to look over this treatment here. But from everything else we’ve seen of yours, I think you’re perfect for this. So now, forget the paperwork for a second. Tell me in your own words, where do you see yourself going with it?
TAYSHAWN
Like, my life direction?
Valerie throws her head back in laughter.
VALYRIE
There’s that humor. No, silly. With this.
She points down at the book that’s been sitting on the table in between them for the entirety of the meal. It’s a paperback copy of Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo.”
TAYSHAWN
Oh, right! I mean, I think it’ll be tricky. As you know: it’s an account of a woman who’s interviewing a man who was on the last known slave ship out of Africa; who went through so much and is trying to remember it all. What a task to turn that into a whole 2 hour movie, you feel me? Uh ha. But... I think the whole story has to be about Zora, you know? Like, she’s the real hero after all...
Tayshawn zones out while pitching. We move to a close up of Valyrie, fully rapt, listening to him talk. Her round brown eyes sit perfectly spaced on her caramel complexioned face. She might even be 5’5” too. She’s not showing any teeth but the slight smile she wears while listening is devastating. All of this is flanked by her long, straightened hair. Finally, the muted magenta shaded lip gloss she’s wearing is so damn shiny it’s creating lens flares.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
God damn.
TAYSHAWN
...And ummmm, yeah. Like what was she thinking each time she got on that train from New York and headed for Alabama, her birthplace of all places to interview this man? How strong was this black woman’s curiosity, you feel me?! She was such a go-getter.
Another close up of Valyrie.
TAYSHAWN (continued)
And so… beautiful...ly written. Everything about her prose is beautiful. Um. So yeah, we really kick it off with her thought process and then for most of the runtime the movie keeps coming back to those train rides.
VALYRIE
Okay, okay. Well how do you see us turning that into some stakes?
Before Tayshawn can continue, the waiter’s hands thrust down two plates, interrupting his flow. Valyrie’s got a caesar salad with some kind of fish in it and Tayshawn has a plate of chicken and waffles with a lil parsley on top. She immediately stabs her fork into a chunk of the fish, barely getting any lettuce and puts into her mouth. Tayshawn watches her chew, and fixates as she licks clean a tiny piece of loose caesar dressing from the corner of her lip.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Mmmmm.
VALYRIE
(mouth full, holding hand over it)
Stakes? You were saying?
TAYSHAWN
Oh. Well I just think we’ll get there eventually. There’s going to be tension somewhere in her investigation. We don’t want to impose some hollywood limits to it, you know? And I think we also want to avoid a trauma porn angle, too. We just wanna show her being a full three-dimensional person who’s really interested in getting this story about this man and I think the rest that follows is what gets the audience engaged.
VALYRIE
Hmmm, okay. Interesting. You realize this is a movie, right?
TAYSHAWN
I know, I’m just saying. It could be this thing wher—
VALYRIE
(laughing)
I’m fuckin with you. We know you’ll figure it out. The studio’s looking for a slot to fill with this. So between you and me… stretch yo legs and get crazy with it. Fully explored black woman authorship! Who says no?
Tayshawn smiles, a little too much.
VALYRIE
Listen, I gotta run. Other meetings. But: SO glad to have finally met you in person, Tayshawn. Tired of them damn zoom calls!
TAYSHAWN
Shiddd, right! You too!
Valyrie gets up, leaves a wad of five 20 dollars bills on the table and walks off. He looks at her plate and sees the fish portion is all gone, the lettuce is barely touched.
VALYRIE
(almost out the door)
Let me know when you have something!
He looks back out toward her, as she slips out of the restaurant. A waiter slides into frame, blocking his view.
WAITER
More lemonade, sir?
TAYSHAWN
Uhhhhhhh… pshhhh… Sure?
Off the sound of the waiter’s pour we hear a whooshing sound, INTO—
WHOOOSH!
The outside world whizzes by through a glass window pane.
We’re on a train. It’s 1927. We find ZORA NEALE HURSTON, sitting by herself in a seat. She’s looks much younger than her age and wears a coat with a high fur collar, a pearl necklace and tilted-style hat with a long feather laid horizontally across it. She’s writing into a journal. Her voiceover floats in, granting us access to her:
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
I’m hungry. They ain’t got no food on this train? Look at this corny nigga over here. Ugly ahh WHITE man, just sitting there.
There’s a white man in the opposite aisle, peacefully looking out the window. He looks at Zora, then looks back.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
I just know he racist as shit. Look at him, he gotta be. It’s the early 1900s, everybody IN this mf racist.
Zora looks around at the other passengers. All of them white.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
And look at these dumbass fits everybody got on. Look like they bout to rob the juke joint in Sinners smh. I’d never be caught dead in no shit like that. Me? I’m mf Zora Neale Huuuurston and my fit gooo stuuuuupid! Blah blah blah. Mf head ahh asksjsjkshjkdsjskdkjsjd
We hear the loud sounds of typing stop. We’re close up on a white page and the letters “asksjsjkshjkdsjskdkjsjd” populate the screen.
TAYSHAWN (O.S.)
Fuck!
Inside the room of an apartment, it’s night time. Present day. Tayshawn is sitting behind a computer in a wife beater with a pencil tucked behind his ear. He looking kinda musty. There’s a browser tab open with a google image search of Zora Neale Hurston. His stomach growls.
TAYSHAWN
This isn’t gonna work.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Like, what am I supposed to do here? I ain’t live in the fucking 1900s. I just assume: everyone was racist as shit and she was fighting for her life. They had trains back then? What, Amtrak? The fuck? I might not be cut out for this. I need to do more research.
Tayshawn takes out his phone and scrolls through his contacts. We hear the sound of a FaceTime call initiating.
TAYSHAWN
Hey.
On the screen is a woman in her 30s with locs down to her shoulders. This is Paige.
PAIGE
Hey you.
TAYSHAWN
What you up to?
PAIGE
Oh, nothing much. Watching this new show Snakes on a Plantation. It’s not bad so far.
TAYSHAWN
Huh. What do you know about Zora Neale Hurston?
PAIGE
Uhhhh. I mean. I know who she is. Ain’t that that writer lady or whatever. Got classics…? Fuck is this, a history test?
TAYSHAWN
I’m adapting Barracoon.
PAIGE
You’re doing what? Who’s a coon now?
TAYSHAWN
Bro, It’s a book. By Zora Neale Hurston.
PAIGE
Oh! You got the job!?
TAYSHAWN
Yeah, I did. But I’m stuck. I pitched them this whole thing and now I don’t even know what the fuck to do. Shit is hard.
PAIGE
Hell yeah, Go Tay! We should celebrate.
TAYSHAWN
I just. I just don’t even know how to approach this. It happened 100 years ago. It’s a story about a woman who’s writing a story about a slave ship survivor who’s now in America and his story is even crazier back in Africa. And like, the more I dig into it he be sounding crazy with the way he talks but it’s also kinda cool…?
PAIGE
Sounds… deep. Why don’t you just copy and paste the contents of the book and then just write around it. That’s what I would do.
TAYSHAWN
That’s so amateur! Ew!
PAIGE
Ok, nigga, damn. I’m hangin up then.
TAYSHAWN
No, no no. My bad. I’m just stressed. But typically I like to just start from a blank page and let it flow. That’s how I know I got somethin.
PAIGE
Well, it’s clearly not flowing right now. Or else you wouldn’t be on here taking up all my rollover minutes.
Tayshawn chuckles.
TAYSHAWN
Hah. That was good.
Paige smiles.
TAYSHAWN (continued)
You think I could get away with just copy and pasting the whole thing? That sounds insane. Like… plagiarism, basically.
PAIGE
I mean, obviously you wouldn’t keep it that way. But I’ve seen what you can do once you get rolling. You can create anything, Tay. So if you’re stuck… it might help. That’s all I’m saying.
TAYSHAWN
Huh. Maybe.
Tayshawn looks up and off. A long pause between them. Action sounds are coming from Paige’s side of the call, from her TV.
PAIGE
(yelling at the TV)
Get him, girl! I know that’s right! Yup. Now run, bitch! Go!
Tayshawn sighs, to himself, at somewhere around 70% acceptance of Paige’s suggestion.
PAIGE (continued)
You ever wonder if the actors are really like running running, or is it camera tricks? I swear I’m faster than most of these ThespiANAS.
TAYSHAWN
I do wonder that sometimes.
Tayshawn’s stomach starts growling, loudly.
TAYSHAWN
Ah shit.
PAIGE
Ooooh! Look at you! I heard that. Get yoself something to eat and get off my phone!
Tayshawn shakes his head as the call ends and Paige’s face disappear’s from view.
Tayshawn puts his phone down and leans back in his chair. His stomach growls loudly again as we move INTO—
A new scenery, much less ambient sound. It’s 1927 again. Lush greenery and a bright blue, sunsoaked landscape: Plateau, Alabama. Just outside of Mobile. We’re close on a flowery dress, covered in orchids, moving through a field, until it stops. Pulling back, we see Zora standing at the gate to a property.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
It was summer when I went to talk with Cudjo so his door was standing wide open. But I knew he was somewhere about the house before I entered the yard, because I had found the gate unlocked.
Zora steps into the property and looks around. She walks up to the porch and sees an elderly darkskinned man (in his 80s) with stark silver hair on the sides of his head up to a shiny bald top, sitting down eating out of a pan.
ZORA
Kossula!
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
I hailed him by his African name as I walked up the steps to his porch, and he looked up into my face as I stood in the door in surprise. He was eating his breakfast from a round enameled pan with his hands, in the fashion of his fatherland. The surprise of seeing me halted his hand between pan and face. Then tears of joy welled up.
The man, CUDJO LEWIS, stops eating and holds his hand between his pan and face. Tears of joy begin to well up at the sight of Zora. He greets her excitedly:
CUDJO LEWIS
Oh Lor’, I know it you call my name. Nobody don’t callee me my name from cross de water but you. You always callee me Kossula, jus’ lak I in de Affica soil!
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
I noted that another man sat eating with him and I wondered why.
ZORA
I see you have company, Kossula.
CUDJO
Yeah, I got to have somebody stay wid me. I been sick in de bed de five month. I needa somebody hands me some water. So I take dis man and he sleep here and take keer Cudjo. But I gittee well now.
The man makes eye contact with Zora and continues eating. Zora fixates on the food on his plate.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
Damn. That look good as shit. Fuck. I’m so hungry. But I’m here to finish the job, not to hang out. Let’s get him talking.
Zora sits down across from them. Then she looks out into Cudjo’s bountiful garden.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
In spite of the recent illness and the fact that his well had fallen in, I found Cudjo Lewis full of gleaming, good will. His Garden was planted. There was deep shade under his China-berry tree and all was well.
We see Zora look back at Cudjo and smile. Frailly, he smiles back. We watch as her and Cudjo chat it up AS time passes, the man beside Cudjo leaves, and the sun lowers slightly in the distance. The voiceover continues:
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
He wanted to know a few things about New York and when I had answered him, he sat silently smoking. Finally, I told him I had come to talk with him. He removed his pipe from his mouth and smiled.
CUDJO
(smiling)
I doan keer. I lakee have comp’ny come see me.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
Then the smile faded into a wretched weeping mask.
CUDJO
I so lonely. My wife she left me since de 1908. Cudjo all by hisself.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
After a minute or two he remembered me and said contritely:
CUDJO
Excuse me. You didn’t do nothin’ to me. Cudjo feel so lonely, he can’t help he cry sometime. Whut you want wid me?
ZORA
First, I want to ask you how you feel today?
A long muted silence.
CUDJO
I thank God I on prayin’ groun’ and in a Bible country.
ZORA
But didn’t you have a God back in Africa?
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
His head dropped between his hands and the tears sprung fresh. Seeing the anguish in his face, I regretted that I had come to worry this captive in a strange land. He read my face and said:
CUDJO
(through sobs)
Excusee me I cry. I can’t help it when I hear de name call. Oh, Lor’. I no see Afficky soil no mo’!
Another long silence.
CUDJO (continued)
How come you astee me ain’ we had no God back dere in Afficky?
ZORA
Because you said you ‘thank God you were on praying ground and in a Bible country.’
CUDJO
Yeah, in Afficky we always know were was a God; he name Alahua, but po’ Affickans we cain readee de Bible, we doan know God got a Son. We ain’ ignant—we jes doan know. Nobody doan tell us ‘bout Adam eatee de apple…
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
Mmmm. Apple.
Zora’s stomach growls as Cudjo continues.
CUDJO (continued)
… we didn’t know de seven seals was sealee ‘gainst us. Our parents doan tell us dat. Dey didn’t tell us ‘bout de first days. No, dass a right. We jes doan know. So dat whut you come astee me?
ZORA
Well, yes. I wanted to ask that, but I want to ask you many things. I want to know who you are and how you came to be a slave; and to what part of Africa do you belong, and how you fared as a slave, and how you have managed as a free man?
Cudjo lowers his head and begins to weep.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
Again his head was bowed for a time. When he lifted his wet face again he murmured…
CUDJO
Thankee Jesus! Somebody come ast about Cudjo! I want tellee somebody who I is, so maybe dey go in de Afficky soil some day and callee my name and somebody dere say, “Yeah, I know Kossula.” I want you everywhere you go to tell everybody whut Cudjo say, and how come I in Americky soil since de 1859 and never see my people no mo’. I can’t talkee plain, you unnerstand me, but I calls it word by word for you so it won’t be too crooked for you.
Cudjo sits up straight in his chair.
CUDJO (continued)
My name, is not Cudjo Lewis. It Kossula. When I gittee in Americky soil, Mr. Jim Meaher he try callee my name, but it too long, you unnerstand me, so I say, "Well, I yo property?” He say, “Yeah.” Den I say, “You callee me Cudjo. Dat do.” But in Afficky soil my mama she name me Kossula.
My people, you unnerstand me, dey ain’ got no ivory by de door. When it ivory from de elephant stand by de door, den dat a king, a ruler, you unnerstand me. My father neither his father don’t rule nobody. De ole folks dat live two hund-ed year befo’ I born don’t tell me de father (remote ancestor) rule nobody.
The scene shifts. We’re close on a backlit blank white computer screen. We see characters populating onto the screen as Cudjo continues, mimicking his words as we hear his voice continue over top:
CUDJO’S VOICOVER
My people in Afficky, you unnerstand me, dey not rich. Dass de truth, now. I no goin’ tellee you my folks dey rich and come from high blood.
TEXT POPULATING ON THE SCREEN SIMULTANEOUSLY:
My people in aft icky you understand me they not rich. That’s D truth now. I know going Telly you my folks they rich and come from high blood.
Back to 1927. Cudjo is still going:
CUDJO
Den when you go in de Afficky soil an’ astee de people, dey say, “Why Kossula over dere in Americky soil tellee de folks he rich?” I tellee you lak it tis. Now, dass right, ain’t it?
My people in Afficky, you unnerstand me, dey not rich. Dass de truth, now. I no goin’ tellee you my folks dey rich and come from high blood. Den when you go in de Afficky soil an’ astee de people, dey say, “Why Kossula over dere in Americky soil tellee de folks he rich?” I tellee you lak it tis. Now, dass right, ain’t it?
My father’s father, you unnderstand me, he a officer of de king. He don’t live in de compound wid us. Wherever de king go, he do, you unnerstand me. De king give him plenty land, and got plenty cows and goats and sheep. Now, dass right. Maybe after while he be a little chief, I doan know. But he die when I a lil boy. Whut he gointer be later on, dat doan reachee me.
My grandpa, he a great man. I tellee you how he go.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
I was afraid that Cudjo might go off on a tangent, so I cut in with…
ZORA
But Kossula, I want to hear about you and how you lived in Africa.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
He gave me a look of scornful pity and asked:
CUDJO
Where is de house where de mouse is de leader? In de Affica soil I cain tellee you ‘bout de son before I tellee you ‘bout de father; and derefore, you unnerstand me, I cain talk about de man who is father till I tellee you bout de man who he father to him, now, dass right ain’ it?
Zora nods her head.
CUDJO (continued)
My grandpa, you unnerstand me, he got de great big compound. He got plenty of wives and chillun. His house, it is in de center de compound. In Affica soil de house of de husband it always in de center and de houses of de wives, dein in a circle round de house dey husband live in.
He don’t think hisself to marry wid so many women. No. In de Affica soil it de wife dat go findee him another wife.
S’pose I in de Affica soil. Cudjo he been married for seven year for example. His wife say, “Cudjo, I am growin’ old. I tired. I will bring you another wife.”
Before she speakee dat, she got de girl who he doan know in her mind. She a girl she think very nice. Maybe her husband never see her. Well, she go out in de market place, maybe in de public square. She see disa girl and astee de girl, “You know Cudjo?” De girl tellee her, “I have heard of him.” De wife say “Cudjo is good. He is kind. I like you to be his wife.” De girl say “Come with me to my papa and mama.”
Dey go, you unnerstand me, to de girl’s parrents together. Dey astee her questions and she answeree for her husband. She astee dem questions too and if both sides satisfy wid one ‘nother de girl’s parents say, “We give our daughter into yo’ care. She ain’ ours no mo’. You be good to her”
De wife she come back to Cudjo and makee de ‘rangements. Cudjo got to pay de father for de girl If she be a rich girl dat been in de fat-house long time, you unnerstand me, he go to pay two of everything for her. Two cow, two sheep, two goat, chickens, yam, maybe gold. De rich man, keepee his daughter in de fat-house long time. Sometime two year. She gittee de dinner in dere eight times a day and dey don’t leavee her git in and out de bed by herself. De one whut keep de fat-house he lift dem in and out, so dey don’t lose de fat.
We watch Zora as she listens closely to Cudjo. Her stomach growls again, but she locks in:
CUDJO (continued)
De man not so rich, he cain keep his girl dere long so she not so fat. So po’ man don’t send his daughter—
Midway through the testimony, Cudjo’s voice changes. The natural, weathered gravel of his old man tone that wraps seamlessly around his pronunciations has all of a sudden turned to a sweet, sultry voice of a modern, vocally clear black woman, still aiming for the same pronunciation:
CUDJO (woman voice)
Derefore, you unnerstand me, de man pay different price for different girl. If she de daughter of a po’ family, or she been married before or somethin’, he don’t pay much for her.
Across from Cudjo, Zora continues listening, unphased by the voice change coming from the black man’s mouth.
CUDJO (woman voice, continued)
When de new wife come first to her husband compouns she live in de house wid de old wife———
Present day. The Atlanta city scape moves fast past a car window.
We’re close on a CarPlay screen that says “Barracoon: Chapter 1, (Zora Neale Hurston, Narrated by Robin Miles)” We pull back and Tayshawn is driving.
The same womanly voice from before floats though the car speakers:
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (Narrated by Robin Miles)
When de new wife come first to her husband compound she live in de house wid de old wife. She teach her what to do and how to take keer de husband. When she learn all dat, den she have a house by herself.
Tayshawn is scanning the horizon for food options, as the audiobook continues playing. He looks through the passenger side window and sees “COOK OUT” several blocks down. Oh hell yeah. He rejoices heads straight for it.
We pan down from the window and see an open laptop facing Tayshawn that has a single text document open, but the “Dictation” feature is triggered and it’s automatically typing out the contents of the audiobook as it plays out of the speakers.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (Robin Miles)
When dey gittee ready to buildee de new house, de man takee de machete and chop de palm tree to mark de place where de house goin’ be build. Den he throw down a cow and have plenty palm wine. Den all de people come and eatee de meat and drink de wine and stomp de place smooth and buildee de house.
ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN WE SEE THESE WORDS POPULATING:
When they giddy ready to (?) D new house, the man take heed the machete and chop the palm tree to mark the place where the house going to be built. Then he throw down a cow and have plenty palm wine. Then all the people come and E-D-D meat and drink D wine and stomp D place smooth and Billy D the house.
Tayshawn’s stomach growls as he pulls into the drive thru.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (Robin Miles)
My grandpa, he buildee wife house many time.
Tayshawn rolls down the window.
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE (V.O.)
Welcome to Cook Out, may I have your order please?
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (Robin Miles)
(really giving it her all)
Some men in de Affica soil don’t gitee no wife ‘cause dey cain buy none. Dey ain’ got nothing to give so a wife kin come to dem. Some got too many. When you hungry it is painful—
TAYSHAWN
Oh shit. Hol up.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (Robin Miles)
—but when de belly too full it painful too.
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE (V.O.)
Huh? Hello?
TAYSHAWN
My fault! One second.
Tayshawn fumbles all over the interior of the car trying to manage the dictation but instead just pauses the audiobook after a number of different button presses. It cuts off mid-sentence:
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (Robin Miles)
All de wives make food (udia) for de husba—
TAYSHAWN
Uh. Hi. Yeah, can I get a Big Double burger tray?
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE (V.O.)
Ummmmmm. Yeah. You want bacon on that?
TAYSHAWN
Yeah.
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE
Okay. What are your two sides?
TAYSHAWN
I’ll take two orders of chicken nuggets.
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE (V.O.)
Got you. And your drink?
TAYSHAWN
Uhhh, a pink lemona—actually, wait. Hold on. Is the watermelon milkshake in season?
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE (V.O.)
Yes, it is.
TAYSHAWN
I’ll take one of those.
COOK OUT EMPLOYE (V.O.)
Aight. Pull up for your total.
Tayshawn sighs a sigh of relief. He looks to his right.
ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN WE SEE THESE WORDS:
Hol’ on. Iz da waTAHmelon milkshake in seezuhn?
Yessuh, it iyis.
I’ma take wunna dem, puhlease.
Aight’y now. Pull on up fo’ ya total.
*Deep sighing sound*
TAYSHAWN
(squinting)
The fuck?
THE COMPUTER SCREEN TYPES OUT AFTER THE ABOVE:
Da fuk?
COOK OUT EMPLOYEE (V.O.)
Huh?
TAYSHAWN
Nothing!
Tayshawn turns off the dictation and drives up.
It’s 1927 again. Plateau, Alabama. Zora stands at the entrance to Cudjo’s property.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
The next day about noon I was again at Kossula’s gate. I brought a gift this time. A big ass Watermelon. He received me kindly and began to eat the Watermelon. Mary and Martha, the twin daughters of his granddaughter, wandered up to the steps.
Two young black girls wearing colorful dresses walk up to Cudjo, and smother him.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
The old man’s love of these children was quite evident. With glad eyes, he selected four of the finest slices of watermelon and handed two to each little girl. He scolded them on off to play with affectionate abuse. When they were gone, he looked lovingly after them and pointed to a little clump of sugarcane in the garden.
Past the outstretched finger of Cudjo we see the girls running off into a garden. Zora looks in the direction of his finger.
CUDJO
See dat cane?
Zora nods.
CUDJO
Well, I plant dat cane. Tain much, but I grow dat so when Martha and Mary come to me and say “Gran’pa I wantee some cane,” I go cut and give ‘em.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
There is a large peach tree in the yard that bears small but delicious clingstone peaches. They were beginning to ripen. The old man gave me one or two and put away one for each of the twins.
We see Zora and Cudjo roaming his lush garden. He plucks things and gives them to her, while keeping a few for himself.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
I was shown all over the gardens. Kossula was genial but not one word about himself fell from his lips.
We see Zora looking longingly at Cudjo as he moves about his garden, saying nothing. She wants to pry, but instead just watches.
ZORA’S VOICEOVER
So I went away and came again the following day…
TAYSHAWN (PRE-LAP)
Huh??
Back to present day. Inside Tayshawn’s apartment. We hear the loud sound of a space bar being struck. Tayshawn pauses the audiobook.
ON A COMPUTER SCREEN WE SEE THESE WORDS:
I was shown all over the gardens. Kossula was genial but not one word about himself fell from his lips. So I went away and came again the following day.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
She just hung out with the nigga? Quietly? Like just sat there and let him do his thing, without talking? What kinda journalism… idk, that’s… too much work. I’m not doing all that listening. Where’s the good stuff, Unc? I can’t write this.
Tayshawn is sitting hunched at his desk, back in a wife beater, and he’s eating out of a economy-sized bag of Sour Patch Watermelon. The decimated styrofoam of the Cook Out meal is nearby, alongside some balled up napkins.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
This is… kinda slow? It’s all these long monologues of him talking. What if… we introduce voiceover and then we like, see Cudjo back in Afficky. Oops, I mean Africa. Lmao here I am trying to talk like him. It’s kinda fun, I’m not gonna lie. “You unnerstand me?” Lmao. But fr, what if we add voiceover to Cudjo and then we get to see Africa and shit. Hmmm.
Tayshawn puts his hand on his chin.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
I don’t want to take the focus away from Zora though. She’s the hero after all… But: we’ll come back. Just need to switch it up.
Tayshawn leans forward in his chair, begins typing.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER (PRE-LAP)
I doan fuhgittee nothin. I member everything since I de five year old.
The year is 1865. We’re somewhere near the coast of Dahomey.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
Yeah, my grandpa, he a officer of de king. He be wid de king everywhere he go, you unnerstand me.
We see an African man in his 40s who looks much like Cudjo, walking down a dirt road. He’s flanking another African man, muscular, tall and with a bald head. This is the King. We pull back and there’s a whole group of men surrounding the king, walking with haste. They mean business fr.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
Derefore, you unnerstand me, one man he kill a leopard, well, de king doan keer ‘bout he kill a leopard, but de law say dat when a man kill a leopard, he got to bring it to de king.
Black and white footage. We’re deep in the jungle and a wide-eyed man is breathing heavily. He has a large spear in his hand. Opposite him: a snarling leopard with long black whiskers.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De king doan want take de beast away from de man what kill it, you unnerstand me, but he got to take de big hairs (whiskers) dat grow round de mouth. Dey very poison, and de king doan want none de people to gittee kill. Some mens dey wicked, you unnerstand me, and dey take de hairs and make de poison. Derefore, you know, de king say when any man kill de leopard, he got to cover de head so no women kin see it and bring de leopard to de king.
The leopard lunges at the man and he dodges it. The leopard resets and readies another attack. The man’s eyes are alert with focus as he maintains distance. The leopard lunges again. The man stabs the leopard in its side and files the spear down the side of its torso. Instant kill. The leopard falls on its side, wheezing.
The man stands over the leopard looking directly into its eyes. We zoom in on the man’s eyes.
CUDJO’S VOICOVER
Den de drums go beat and callee all brave chiefs come discuss dis leopard dat been kill.
Back to color. BIG, LOUD drum beat sounds fall into our frame AS: The King and his cohort are still walking, fast.
CUDJO’S VOICOVER
De king he keep de head, de liver, de gall and de skin. Dat always belong to de king. It all makee different medicine. All de body, it he dried and makee more medicine too. But some tribe make fetish and eat de flesh, so dey eatee de medicine, you know.
Derefore when a man kill de leopard and take de hairs before he let de king know he kill de leopard, dey kill that man. He a wicked man.
The king walks up to a tree where the body of the leopard is tied up and covered. Across from him, the man who killed it, bloody and sweaty, but: satisfied.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
One man you know, he kill a leopard. He cover de head and tie de body to a young tree.
The King removes the cover and he and the corhort of chiefs all fixate on the face of the leopard. There’s a hole where one of its whiskers used to be. They all look amongst each other.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
Well de king call all de chiefs and dey come lookee. Dey take off de cover from de head and de king look at de hairs. He see one hair it gone from de hole in de face where it grow. All de chief dey lookee too. Dey see de hair ain’ dere. So dey call de man.
The king looks at the man, still sweaty.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De king say,
KING (Cudjo Lewis)
Well, you killee dis beast?
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De man say,
MAN (Cudjo Lewis)
Yeah, I kill him.
KING (Cudjo Lewis)
How you kill dis leopard?
MAN (Cudjo Lewis)
Wit de spear, I kill him.
KING (Cudjo Lewis)
Did you touch de head?
MAN (Cudjo Lewis)
No, I doan touchee de head at all. I only a common man and I know de head belong to de king. So I doan touch it.
The king looks at the leopard’s head and then looks at the man.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De king lookee at de head and lookee at de man. He say,
KING (Cudjo Lewis)
How is it dis beast got de hole for de hair but one hair not dere. Tell me where de hair is. I see where it pull out. Who is it dat you want kill?
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De man say,
MAN (Cudjo Lewis)
I doan want killee nobody. I ain’t touchee de hair. Dats de truth now. If I touchee de hair, let in-si-bi-di (that is, may I be turned over to the executioner)
The king and his men search the man. They find something.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
Well dey search de man and find de hair. Den dey try him. All day dey talk palaver. So nex’ day dey find him guilty. So dey say he got to die. He a wicked man what speck to killee somebody wid de hair.
Derefore, you unnerstand me, dey tie him by de left foot and wait for aku-ire-usen (King’s day) den dey takee him to de place of sacrifice.
We’re at a new location. The man is tied up in the middle of an open space, while the King and the chiefs are in a group nearby, sitting down on stools, waiting.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De king come wid his seat and all de chiefs bring dey stool too. Dey seatee deyself and de drum beat. It speak wid de voice of de king.
We see the drummers nearby hitting the surface of the drums with wooden sticks, every beat more thunderous than the last. We move to a close up of the man, tied up and wide eyed, fear in his eyes awaiting his fate.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
Den three insibidi come in de place and dance. One have a mouth-piece dat rattle. He shake de mouth-peice dat rattle.
Three men, executioners, waltz out into the open space together and dance around the space, one of them with a rattling mouth piece. They slink around freely in their own directions but eventually converge and then disperse again, smiling at each other, nodding with approval like a team of seasoned professionals. Between them is a precious glee that only the 3 of them understand. The king looks on, deeply amused.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
He shake de mouth-piece and sing. What he sing? Cudjo goin’ tellee you…
The one with the mouth piece opens his mouth and launches into song. Cudjo’s voiceover fills in the tune:
insibidi (Cudjo Lewis)
(singing, not well tho)
On a great day like this, we kill de
One dat is evil
On a day like this we kill de bad one
Who would command the poison one
from the leopard to kill us.
On a great day like this we kill him
Who would kill the innocent?
This insibidi, clearly the ringleader, is a true showman. He walks over to the closest drummer, puts his arm around him and smiles while bobbing his head to the beat. He cheers excitedly under the blanket of percussion. The other two men join him. It’s a party. Meanwhile, the king looks on.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
He dance some more wid de drum and de other two dancee wid him. Den he sing some more:
insibidi (Cudjo Lewis)
A great knife dat eats no other blood but human blood.
Let it killee him.
It a great knife—it feed de earth
A great knife dat eats no other blood but human blood.
The showman makes eye contact with the king. He slinks away from the drummer, back into the open space. The other two follow suit.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
Dey dances some mo’ when de king makee de sign, dey dance up to de man where he tied at…
Close up on the king’s eyes, as the dancing insibidi look back at him. The king nods subtly. That’s the cue. They approach the tied up man, still dancing but shoulders heavier than before. One of the inisbidi raises a machete and strikes the open neck of the tied up man.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
…and wid one lick, choppee de head off.
The head of the man falls to the ground, mouth still open and moving, while the insibidi dance around it.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De head fall to de ground and de mouth work so—it open and shut many time.
Present day. We hear the sound of typing, then see words on a backlit white computer screen.
TAYSHAWN (O.S.)
Hell yeah. There we go.
Back to the execution.
The insibidi reach down and place a stick into the mouth of the severed head. Then they reach down and pick it up.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
But quick, they put a piece of de stick from de banana tree in de mouth. Den dey kin open de jaw when dey gittee ready. If dey don’t do dat, de jaw close and dey cain git open no mo’.
De body of de man, dey bury it in de ground. De head, dey put it in de sacrifice place wid de other heads.
We see the king close up, as he is very satisfied with the event. He raises his arm in approval to the insibidi. They nod back.
CUDJO’S VOICEOVER
De king go back to his village, but de chief have court every day. All day somebody say to him, “Dis man, touch my wife! Disa man commit adultery!”
We look at all the other chiefs, they nod amongst each other. They congratulate the king. Then, we pan to Cudjo’s grandfather, an officer standing off to the side, watching all of this happen. Cudjo continues:
CUDJO (PRE-LAP)
Everything be done open dere. Not so may secrets. When a man kills somebody dere, he be tried open an’ all de boys and men in de village hear de trial.
We’re back in Plateau, Alabama. Close on Cudjo as he speaks, he’s super animated right now.
CUDJO
(gesturing with his hands)
I doan know how come he done it, but one man killee anudder one wid de spear. So dey ‘rested dat man an’ tie his hands wid palm cord. Den dey pick up de dead man an’ carry him to de public square, de market place, you unnerstand. Den dey send message by de drum to de king in de village where he at to come set on de trial an’ ‘cide de case. In Afficky, you unnerstand, if somebody steal or commit adultery, de chief of de village, he try him. But if a man killee somebody, den dey send for de king an’ he come an’ ‘cide de case. Therefore, when dis man spear de udder one through de breast, dey send word for de king to come.
Zora sits across from Cudjo, listening, wearing a different flowery dress. She makes a face like “oh my”, but says nothing.
TAYSHAWN (PRE-LAP)
And so yeah…
Present day. We’re looking at a computer screen, a pitch deck with Cudjo’s words laid out on a slide. In the corner of the screen is Valyrie, on a zoom call, listening. She’s wearing a robe and some reading glasses.
TAYSHAWN
…that’s where we’re at so far widdit!
VALYRIE
Wow! Okay! I see you with the Cudjo voice!
TAYSHAWN
(blushing)
It keeps going too! Like the whole next part is about the trial and how the murderer, de man who killee de other man, has to be tied face to face with the corpse for days. Wild!
VALYRIE
Fantastic! I think I see it. That part about the executioners. That’s a moment right there.
TAYSHAWN
Right!?
Tayshawn clicks out of presentation view and Valyrie is now full screen.
VALYRIE
Okay, and so the way you see it. It’s Cudjo’s voice coming through the African men?
TAYSHAWN
Yup.
VALYRIE
Huh. That’s interesting. Not bad. Less speaking roles. More on the backend.
TAYSHAWN
Mmm.
VALYRIE
I like it! That brain of yours.
TAYSHAWN
Thank you!
VALYRIE
And so, what about Zora? What’s going on with her?
TAYSHAWN
(trying to find the words)
Uhhh… well— Uh…
VALYRIE
Oh, I know you’ll figure it out! No worries there!
TAYSHAWN
Yeah, it’s one of those things—
BRRNG! The doorbell rings on Valyrie’s side.
VALYRIE
Whoops! Hold on! One sec.
Valyrie gets up from her desk and leans over slightly. The robe that she’s wearing comes a little bit loose and exposes some cleavage from her v-neck underneath. She leaves the frame.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Whoa.
After a few moments, Valyrie returns to frame, but the robe is still undone. As she sits back down, there’s some noticeable jiggle coming from her t-shirt.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Oh my god.
VALYRIE
(out of breath)
Phew! Damn packages.
TAYSHAWN
Oh. Yeah. Aha.
VALYRIE
Well. You seem to be in GREAT shape. I think we’re headed somewhere real good! Great work. If there’s nothing else Tayshawn, I’m gonna get going.
TAYSHAWN
Yeah! Of course. Thank you again!
VALYRIE
Exciting! Byeeee!
Valyrie clicks off the call.
Tayshawn leans back in his chair, with a sigh of relief.
After a moment, he takes out his phone and opens Instagram. He scrolls past a few reels, then he opens the search tab. In the search field he types the letter “V”, then pauses.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Hmmmm.
He types in the rest of Valyrie’s first name.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
What’s her last name again?
Before he can remember, he looks at the results. The username “@valygrlfolife228” is like 6 names down in the results. 2 mutual followers. The avatar is a picture of Valyrie with her hair up at some restaurant. Tayshawn clicks the profile. He scrolls through. There are different photo dumps of Valyrie on vacation in many locations all over the world. Some with her dog. Some at awards shows. He stops on a picture from about 3 years ago. It’s her in a bikini. He taps on the photo.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Okay, okay. Here we go.
The geotag says “St. Lucia” and Tayshawn scrolls through the dump. She’s got sunglasses on and is posing with her hands up in some of them, others with a drink in her hand, but all of them in the bikini. There are many different angles. Tayshawn reaches in his pants and begins masturbating.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
God damn.
Tayshawn is going hard. This continues for about a minute or two, before he gets a DM notification at the top of his screen:
“@yanville sent a video”
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Fuck. I fuckin hate this nigga, bro. Always buggin’ me.
Tayshawn doesn’t stop masturbating, but the notification stays at the top of the screen. So while stroking with one hand, he takes the other hand holding the phone and tries to swipe the notification away. He instead taps on it and a selfie video of “@yanville”, whose real name is is Bryan, plays full screen:
BRYAN
Yooooo! What’s good bro! Saw you were online. Don’t know if got my last message but been trying to link with you for a minute to talk shop! As you can see I’m driving—oh shit, look at that I got a boogie up my nose HA HA—but yeah, bro. Hit me back man, I got an idea I wanna run by you!
Tayshawn looks down and sees he hasn’t stopped masturbating and has been doing it while watching Bryan’s video. He throws the phone on the table and lets go of his dick.
TAYSHAWN
(horrified)
Man what the fuck!
Deep sigh from Tayshawn. He picks the phone back up. There’s another DM notification from Bryan:
Ayeee you opened it! What’s up??
TAYSHAWN
Fuck.
Tayshawn picks up the phone, opens the IG chat, and starts typing:
Whats good bro
Bryan responds immediately:
Nothing much, at a stoplight. But I had a question for you bro
Tayshawn responds:
What is it
Bryan:
You ever thought about putting your writing online, like publicly? I feel like that’s the new wave I’m seeing people on. You know, with everything changing in the industry. 2026 shit lmao. And I wondered if that’s something somebody on your level ever thought to do
Tayshawn:
Hell no. Why would I do that. That doesn’t even make sense. Someone could steal it. All kinds of issues.
Bryan:
I mean, isn’t everything stealing?
Tayshawn:
Not where I’m at w/ it bro. My producer wouldn’t have none of that. Just got off a call w/ her
Bryan:
I feel that.
A lull, but Bryan begins typing again:
What you working on rn?
Tayshawn:
Couple adaptations. Some rewrites. Super busy.
Bryan:
Damn, that’s fire bro! Good shit!
Tayshawn liked the message.
Bryan again:
Yo can I send you something I wrote bro. I posted it online lol. It’s super rough but I’d be honored if you could check it out.
Tayshawn:
I mean, it’s w/e bro. I won’t get around to it anytime soon, but feel free
Bryan:
Bet! Thank you so much my guy!
Bryan sends a link through to a Substack article and the embededed thumbnail pops up. It’s titled “Snakes on a Plantation: The Mars Colony”
Bryan sends a follow up message:
So like a little backstory fr there’s that really popular show Snakes on a Plantation idk if you heard of it, but its all set in the past. So im thinking like damn what if we take this shit to the future? Plantations on mars and shit? It’s like a little fan fiction pilot type thing bro, you know. Just trying shit out
We’re close up on Tayshawn, looking at his phone. He wants to put it down but he’s kinda intrigued.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Interesting.
Tayshawn starts typing into his phone:
Cool bro. Got another meeting, but have a good one
Bryan:
yessir!!!
Tayshawn put his phone down. He leans back into his chair again. He looks at the half-finished screenplay for Barracoon on his computer screen. A long pause. After awhile, he sucks his teeth, picks up his phone and clicks the link Bryan sent him.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Lemme see this shit, man.
It opens to a article page with the title and the subheading is just a tagline that says:
IN SPACE, CAN”T NOBODY HEAR YO ASS SCREAM
Tayshawn lets out a chuckle. But then covers it up with a cough. He looks around his empty room to see if anyone saw him. Obviously not, but we cut to a wide and see his room: unfolded laundry and a trash can filled to the brim and an unmade bed. He keeps reading.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Oh wow. Okay. Interesting.
He stands up, still reading. He goes to lay down in the bed.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Ha ha. Huh.
Tayshawn holds the phone above his head as he lays in bed, backlight illuminating his face as night falls.
TAYSHAWN’S VOICEOVER
Daaaamn. Aight. Aight.
Before long, he finishes. He put the phone down and we move to a close up of him, laying down. Out loud:
TAYSHAWN
It’s actually not a bad idea.
