Your Big Break

FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Written by
Jane Evans
Based on a true story by Bill Rogers

EXT.QUEENSTOWN - EARLY MORNING
The early morning sun casts long shadows over a spectacular mountain scene.
A lone peach tree stands. Perfect, laden with fruit.
A door to an old shack opens. An old man (Bert 76) walks out, takes a deep breath of the fresh morning air and smiles as he
looks at the magnificent tree.
The peaches are hanging ripe and inviting. Bert looks at each and everyone of them whispering to himself. He then settles
on one absolutely perfect fruit, smiles and gently picks it.
He looks at the fruit in detail, rolling it in his hand then throws it in the air and catches it with the same hand.
Bert takes a long, slow bite of the luscious peach.
He eats the fruit slowly savouring every bite till all that is left is the stone. He pulls a tissue from his pocket and gently wraps the seed in a tissue, smiles to himself, cups
the precious stone in his hand and walks back to his front door.
As he approaches the door he turns and looks at the beautiful vista smiling with pride.
Bert goes back inside, and closes the door.
A rifle leans against the wall. Waiting.

Laying on the grass out of sight are two young Mauri boys
(BILL 7 and JAI 10), when the door closes they pop their heads up.

JAI
See I told you. He counts them.

Bill jumps up undeterred and runs toward the tree.
Jai stays where he is.

JAI (CONT’D)
Bill get back here.

Bill doesn’t listen, he stands under the enormous tree looking up in wonder.

BILL
Come here I need you.

Jai shakes his head.

JAI
No way man, I’m staying here.

Bill’s not surprised.

BILL
Chicken.

The small boy looks up at the tall tree and smiles as he notices a knot on the trunk.
Bill jumps up and grabs hold of the knot, gets a toe hold on the trunk and nimbly shimmies up the tree.
Jai shakes his head in frustration, reluctantly gets to his feet and saunters over to the tree.

JAI
You know he’ll shoot if he catches you.

Jai looks at the young boy crawling along a branch, then looks over at the shack in trepidation.

BILL
He won’t catch me.

Bill swings his legs over the branch and sits surrounded by the tempting fruits.

JAI
Bill don’t be an idiot

From where Bill perches he can see through the window to the old man’s kitchen. Inside Bert fills a glass of water, gently unwraps the stone and drops it in the glass.

BILL
It’s fine - he’s busy, come on.

Jai looks up in frustration as Bill grabs a perfect peach, clutches it in his hand and takes a massive bite, juice and flesh running down his chin.
The peach is delicious, Bill grabs another and takes a bite, and another and another, he grabs peach after peach eating with gusto.
Jai looks on in frustration, but seeing his friend eating the delicious juicy fruit is too much to bear, he starts to climb the tree.
As Jai reaches the bottom branches he loses his footing and falls to the ground with a thud.

JAI
Aaagh!

Inside the kitchen Bert hears the commotion and runs to the porch and grabs his gun.
Jai scrambles across the ground to get away.
Bill hangs tight in the tree, hiding behind the trunk, holding his breath trying hard not to move.
Bert surveys the scene through his rifle sight.
There is no one to be seen.
Bert drops the gun and starts looking at the tree in detail, he counts every single fruit.
Bill holds his breath.
Bert shrugs his shoulders and walks back inside, the tree is perfect - his fruit is intact.
Bill jumps down from the tree and runs away.
Behind him the tree stands with the peaches still hanging - a single bite taken out of the back of every fruit.
THE END