Roadmen Don't Cry
written by Carrie Thomas
EXT. DAY - G'S ESTATE / DREAM SEQUENCE
Germaine or G is walking through his estate, his endz, dressed in the latest grime fashion like he's the king of the road. Girls are checking him out as he walks past and one by one his Mandem join him giving him respect. It's like a Stormzy music video and he is Stormzy. He sees someone he's got an issue with standing by a garage and heads over there with his crew to sort him out. This guy has his back turned as he's repairing his bike and G and his crew surround him. Germaine bangs 3 times on the garage door......
INT. G'S BEDROOM
G is lying in bed and his mum is banging on the bedroom door. He awakes with a start and frowns. He had been dreaming.
MUM (O.S.) You better be up Germaine. It's not
a joke anymore you know this is actually breaking the law. And you're making me break the law. You're 15 school is not optional. And i'm the one that'll get it. i'll be fined and they'll send me to parenting classes - the cheek of it!
Germaine sits up and tries to get up but can't. He is pinned back down on the bed by an invisible force, his 'depression'.
G (V.O) I can't get up. I can't get out of
bed. It's... too... hard.
EXT. OUTSIDE G'S BEDROOM DOOR
Mum's feet can be seen outside the door and an uneaten dinner put there from the night before that she picks up.
(Tuts loudly ) That's a good dinner wasted.
INT. G'S BEDROOM
MUM (O.S.) I worked 2 jobs to support you and
your brother. I've done everything in my power. I set a good example.
G Yeah well you don't have to do that
no more do you - you've got one less mouth to feed.
MUM What's that supposed to mean? I
don't want you going that way too Germaine. Do i have to lose both my sons? I can't take it no more. You got a choice here, you drop out of school and you drop out of this house, is that clear?
G (V.O.) What would it matter anyway?
He opens up his laptop. Notifications pop up, messages and calendar reminders go off and flood the screen. 'English coursework due.' 'Alarm'. 'Lisa commented on a post you are tagged in'. 'Where you been bro?'. 'You have been issued with a school attendance order.' 'This is your final warning.' It's all too much and he closes the laptop throwing the covers over his head.
Screen goes to black. After a period of darkness emojis start flying across the screen.
G (V.O.) (CONT’D) But I can't shut it out, my head don't stop. I can't just turn it
off or take the battery out....... Not anymore. Bro why did you have to go?
G sits on the floor in his bedroom holding a photo of him and his brother. His hood is up, he is crying.
G (V.O.) (CONT’D) You looked out for me. You
represented. I could just get on with my life quietly, no-one ever looked at me......I didn't know that you were taking one for me everyday......
(Beat)
The doorbell rings and ping he gets a text message and his look completely changes.
KWAME (AS TEXT MESSAGE) BRO WHERE'VE YOU BEEN? We're
outside your yard. We're goin park. (MORE)
2.
KWAME (AS TEXT MESSAGE) (CONT’D) Shenae's gonna be there - lets go
check out some choong-ting!
G looks anxious and goes over and stands at the side of the window looking out at two of his mates who are chatting and laughing. One looks up at the window and he pulls back. The thing that pinned him down before, his 'depression', is back. He stares at his phone deciding. The door bell rings again.
G (AS TEXT MESSAGE) I'm not home blud.
KWAME (AS TEXT MESSAGE) Where you at G? Who you hanging
with these days i don't see you no more? You been goin out of the postcode?
G (AS TEXT MESSAGE) No. No-one! Im at the shop.
KWAME (AS TEXT MESSAGE) Safe. I'll wait.
Germaine panics.
G (AS TEXT MESSAGE) Nah don't wait.
KWAME (AS TEXT MESSAGE) Why not? You are in the fam aren't
you? (beat)
G (AS TEXT MESSAGE) (Sighs)
Shut up blud. I'll meet you there innit.
G stands in front of the mirror and begins to get dressed. As he does he psychs himself up, flexing his muscles and talking to himself in the mirror. It is as though he is putting on his mask, the 'role' as a roadman. He wears a cap, gloves, his hood is up and his tracksuit (or a scarf) cover his mouth - only his eyes can be seen. He fakes a gun with his hands and points it at the mirror then turns and points it at his head.
INT. G'S FRONT DOOR
Germaine is ready to leave the house, but freaks out a bit before leaving. He pauses, takes some deep breaths and then leaves the house.
3.
EXT. DAY - STREET
Germaine is walking down the street and passes by a middle aged white woman who looks at him very suspiciously. He then passes a shopkeeper who folds his arms and looks him up and down aggressively. G is breathing deeply and looking shifty. His 'fear' is playing up.
EXT. DAY - PARK
Germaine bowls into the park self trying to look like a rude boy. Up ahead a couple of girls sit on a park bench. His hands clench and unclench.
GERMAINE (V.O.) Don't screw this up. Just be cool,
just be smooth, thats what girls like. Man'd be alright if he had a girl, wouldn't be such a wasteman. I swear i wouldn't be so shaky all the time. Pff who's gonna look at me? Man can't even keep his hands still. Clown. Fix up!
He approaches the girls who are talking and laughing amongst themselves and not really noticing him.
GERMAINE Safe Shenae, how's it going?
SHENAE G... Germaine right? You roll wiv
Kwame and Michael innit? I like your t-shirt - Giggs is bare good. I love the album 'when will it stop.'
The girls look at each other singing a bit, bopping and nodding at each other in approval. One of the girls takes a phone out and starts filming the others girls singing.
SHENAE (CONT’D) What's your favourite Giggs album?
G Erm..... It's the one with the....
er.... er....you know the one with dark cover and.....
The girl has now started filming him and we are now seeing the scene through the camera phone. G is struggling, looking really anxious, stammering, sweating. Girls start laughing.
4.
SHENAE Yeah spit it out. You don't even
know a Giggs album and you're wearing a Giggs t-shirt...!? You on drugs breh?
Germaine opens and closes mouth speechless. Girls get up and stand next to him - dancing around him, mocking him and pulling faces for the camera while he stands there floundering. They knock his cap off and walk off laughing. Video stops.
EXT. DAY - PARK
Germaine has left the girls and is walking towards a group of boys. He looks agitated and is muttering to himself.
GERMAINE (V.O.) You fool. Idiot. You fucked that
up. What's wrong wiv you? Why can't you just be normal?
Germaine stands still in the park puts his hand to his head as if to try and stop his thoughts. He slaps his face. Nearby a couple of people in mid conversation point at him and stop talking to watch him talking to himself. They laugh and point exaggeratedly,
G (V.O.) Fix up! Sort it out!
EXT. DAY - PARK BENCH WITH THE GIRLS
The girl are laughing and joking together watching something on someone's phone. The message pops up on the screen to share/upload the video. They press "POST" and the message on screen is 'please wait while your video is uploading'.
EXT. DAY - IN PARK WITH THE BOYS
Germaine arrives and sits down with small group of boys and they shake hands. He is anxious but they don't appear to notice.
MICHAEL G !!! My man, where you been? I
ain't seen you for time. What's up? Germaine pauses for a minute looks at him and nods his head.
5.
G Not much.
KWAME I thought you been lock arf.
JASON he been on lockdown.
MICHAEL
KWAME Yeah he's been on lockdown by his
mum!
The boys laugh. Out of nowhere another boy appears and gets G in a headlock
CASSIUS Gimme your phone.
(laughs)
G Wah! Get off me! Get off!
CASSIUS Chill cuz it's only me! Saw ya
online, you been basted, you got owned by Shenae. You got to see this!
Cassius shows them the video and they all laugh. G runs off.
MICHAEL Jeez what's up with him bloodclot?
EXT. DAY - PARK
Germaine walks along face twitching and muttering to himself looking v distressed. He goes into a public toilet. A scream or cry of frustration can be heard and a bang.
Aghhhhh
GERMAINE (O.S.)
EXT. DAY - BUS STOP / STREET
Germaine stands at the bus stop he is pacing up and down, muttering to himself v obviously and twitching. People at the bus stop are staring at him - a woman pulls her child away from him. There are two girls stood there watching him - one girl is clearly concerned.
6.
GIRL FROM SCHOOL 1 It's that youth from school, from
the video innit? Do you think he's ok?
GIRL FROM SCHOOL 2 Nah, he's got issues - bait!
GIRL FROM SCHOOL 1 We should talk to him.
GIRL FROM SCHOOL 2 Don't be stupid! What you doin?
It's not our problem gal! Leave it!
EXT. DAY - STREET CORNER
G's paranoia escalates on seeing the girls at the bus stop looking at him and talking about him. He panics and heads round the corner not looking where he is going. He is muttering loudly to himself and walks slap bang into a local rude boy.
G No phones. No phones.
RUDE BOY What was that? Oi what did you say
to me? You starting?
Man pushes him and G continues to mumble incoherently.G can't handle the confrontation and runs away.
Pussy.
EXT. DAY - BUS STOP
RUDE BOY (CONT’D)
A bus arrives and the GIRL 2 waves goodbye and gets on it. GIRL 1 is still concerned about G. She stands there thinking and looks over to the street corner G walked down.
EXT. DAY - STREET
A distressed G is limping down the street. He gets out a bottle of vodka from his bag and takes a gulp.
7.
EXT. DAY - STREET CORNER
GIRL 1 turns into the street and sees G up ahead and decides to follow him.
EXT. DAY - WALL NEAR TRAIN TRACK
G walks towards a wall behind which is some wasteland going down to a railway track. The sound of a train can be heard loudly as it goes past.
Germaine thinks for a minute and then starts to climb the wall. It appears that he is contemplating ending his life.
He jumps as the sound of a train goes past. GIRL 1 arrives out of breath from running but it's too late.
As he's falling or in mid-air he looks at the camera and says.
G What was i thinking? I don't want
to do this!?
Then we see 'in reverse fast forward', as though someone pressed the reverse button on his life, on this film, Germaine goes back in time to the moment when he sits down earlier in the day with his mates in the park.
EXT. DAY - IN PARK WITH THE BOYS
Germaine arrives and sits down with small group of boys and they shake hands. He is anxious but they don't appear to notice.
KWAME G !!! My man, where you been? I
ain't seen you for time. What's up?
Germaine looks at Kwame for a moment, pausing before speaking, after some reflection and a deep breath he says.
GERMAINE You know... I ain't been so good.
I've been really low actually that's why you ain't seen me - my head's a mess at the moment...... And i just got owned by Shenae!
8.