Saheed did to Kidal, we can't let him get away with that!
LEON: And what should we do? I mean, he's got the upper hand, we don't even have a finger!
EDWIN: We've got to make him pay, and the only way is to find that money...
A cynical grin as he turns to look outside the window.
EDWIN: ...then find a way to expose him when we'll pay him his bribe.
INT. SAHEED'S HOUSE – ZIMBABWE – DAY
Saheed's wife drinks an expensive brandy as she sits bored in front of her sat TV. She's about to turn it off when --
NEWS HOST (V.O.): ...and now we move to London, where it looks like some Zimbabwean Olympians must have paid quite a visit to one of the local pubs.
Saheed's wife bugs her eyes out at the TV SCREEN, where through the footage from a cell phone we see Edwin run across traffic with a poodle in his arms and a pair of bobbies on his heels. Then inside the newsstand, where Edwin puts on a red lipstick and kisses a photo of his President on the cover of a magazine. He winks at the camera, hugs the poodle and runs away.
Saheed's wife is petrified. Her glass hits the floor as she slowly reaches for the phone.
INT. SAHEED'S ROOM – LONDON – DAY
Saheed holds the receiver five inches from his ear, wincing in pain while he nods obediently.
SAHEED: Sure, darling. Count on it, dear. (Nodding like a puppy) Sure, I'll inform those ratbags they will be arrested on their return, I'll be hard as a stone and I won't let you down, my dear.
He gets a last shower of shouts before hanging up.
SAHEED: Sure I'll tell them, right after I get my money and the visa for England.
EXT. OLYMPIC VILLAGE – DAY
A wild crowd of young boys and girls pressing and pushing each other over a small gate, stretching arms to get paper and pens over the barriers as Gold and his team return from a trip to the city.
INT. OLYMPIC VILLAGE – CONTINUOUS
One of the Jamaican masseurs pushes Gold into an elevator as the huge crowd keeps shouting in the background.
JAMAICAN MASSEUR: We need to talk with the security guys, the situation is getting out of hand out there!
JAMAICAN STAFF MEMBER: Yeah, and in here too. Daevon is too exposed, we need more men around him.
As they step into the elevator Leon's face appears behind a cooking magazine.
LEON: And there goes Edwin's plan...
He stands up, moves for the stairs when --
JOSEFA (O.S.): Leon, where are you going?
Josefa stands right in front of him, hands on her hips and a look of command.
JOSEFA: We had an appointment, do you remember? You're not ditching me again, are you?
LEON: Me? No, I was just --
JOSEFA: Yeah, you, who else? Yesterday you disappeared, and now it's --
LEON: Enough!
She frowns at him in surprise.
LEON: Stop telling me what to do, okay? You've got to drop it, all of you! Right now my friends need my help, and whether you like it or not I'll be there for them, and not 'cause they told me to, but because I want to!
Josefa stares at him, confused to say the least.
JOSEFA: I just wanted to have a coffee together, but okay, no problem.
LEON: (taken aback) Okay. I'm sorry, I'm just a little tense because of, you know... (gets moving) see you later for the coffee, okay?
He bites his lip as he hurries up the stairs.
EXT. OLYMPIC VILLAGE POOL – DAY
Kidal wears his hairnet and a bright blue satin swimsuit as he recounts a group of female fans the report of his debacle.
KIDAL: I was going strong, only missed two shots throughout the game, I was ready to bring home the third set when I feel something's wrong with the racket. I try to hang on, pretend that it's nothing, and here comes a twinge in the calf...
ACROSS THE POOL
Leon and Edwin glance at their friend as they keep patrolling the garden with their map.
LEON: There's just one race left, Gold will be guarded more than ever, and we're on our own while Kidal tells his fables by the pool!
EDWIN: Another race means another chance for us, and we'll have to make do with just the two of us.
He pats on Leon's shoulder when he spots TALITA on a lounger, tenderly joking with her javelin thrower friend. He hands Leon the map and walks over to her.
EDWIN: Good morning.
TALITA: (smile fading) Good morning.
JAVELIN THROWER: Well, what do you want?
EDWIN: I'm not talking to you, okay?
TALITA: Talk to me, then, what do you want?
EDWIN: (another glare at her friend) I was wrong and that's a fact, okay? I apologized, though, and you didn't even deign to talk to me.
TALITA: Well, it's not like you did insist that much, you know?
EDWIN: How could I if you're always with --
JAVELIN THROWER: That's true, you didn't insist at all.
EDWIN: Listen, just keep out of this, okay, don't make me angry.
The javelin thrower stands up, towering ten inches at least above Edwin's head.
JAVELIN THROWER: Or what?
TALITA: Will you stop it? If you wanted to talk to me you just needed to ask, and you didn't!
EDWIN: Will you tell me how could I talk to you if you're always with your tall, handsome, big Russian boyfriend?
Talita looks at Edwin for a long beat.
TALITA: Her name is Alina, and she's from Estonia.
ALINA: Thanks for the handsome, anyway.
Edwin stares at her in astonishment, turns agape to Talita. A beat and they both burst in laughter.
TALITA: I can't believe you really thought...
EDWIN: You don't know how I'd like to disappear!
And probably that wouldn't be a bad idea...
MALE VOICE (O.S.): Miss, is this guy annoying you?
Saheed materializes behind her, disgusted eyes on Edwin.
TALITA: No, all in all I must say he isn't. (Smiles at Edwin) In fact, I thought maybe it was me who was bothering him, that maybe I wasn't up to him and his transport company, but I hope I was wrong about that, too!
Edwin closes his eyes, already sees it coming.
SAHEED: A transport company?! Well, that's quite a fanciful way to call a postman on a bike!
Talita bugs her eyes at Edwin as Saheed keeps glaring at him.
SAHEED: I can't get why but this young lady must really like you. Or maybe she's just making fun of you, who knows? Just behave yourself anyway.
As he moves away Edwin doesn't dare to open his eyes.
TALITA: You don't know how I'd like to be the one who's been fooling someone. I can't believe how wrong I was...
Her eyes fill with tears as she starts to move away.
EDWIN: Wait, I tried to tell you, I didn't want to... just let me explain!
TALITA: There's nothing to explain, Edwin, or whatever your name is. I thought you were a good person, now I know you must be the worst one I've ever met!
She barely holds back her tears as she walks away with her friend. Edwin's sad eyes follow her across the pool, before crossing Kidal's glacial stare as he keeps addressing his small audience.
KIDAL: ...if only there had been someone by my side maybe I could have made it, but it just seems true friends are a rarity nowadays.
A shaken Edwin hands the map back to Leon.
EDWIN: He's right. I put you into one hell of a mess, and I'm just continuing to make things worse.
For some inscrutable reason Leon doesn't seem to disagree. Edwin disconsolately looks around to the usual parade of perfect bodies and smiling faces all around him.
EDWIN: You know what, I thought I had little in common with our country, and yet it is right here that I'm really out of place. Wherever I turn I see champions and extraordinary people, and I can't even get to use a snack dispenser!
A sad sigh, defeat stamped on his face as he starts to move away.
EDWIN: I don't know, maybe we really sho
uld give it up.
LEON: Give it up? After you took us to the other side of the world? (Stands right before him) Now that Saheed can't wait to slam us in jail?
Determined like we never saw him he keeps his eyes into Edwin's.
LEON: No way, bud! We just need to step up, think out a more aggressive plan and to stop being sissies!
Edwin looks away, shakes his head all but persuaded when he spots KERIEME, the Sudanese swimmer, catching up to a small group of newfound friends. He's got wet eyes and a patched-up sack on his shoulders.
KERIEME: Well, seems like it's time to get back to my real life. It didn't last long but I will always remember you guys, you know? And I'll remember something else, too, that there's another world out there, a whole big world beyond my own.
Edwin is touched as one by one Kerieme hugs the companions of his brief adventure in the other world. Only a short dip, a nice memory for the old age, maybe, nothing more. Edwin stares at Kerieme's jute sack, just like his own, and sees the too clear path to the end of his journey. He takes a deep breath, then turns back to Leon with a newfound light in his eyes.
EDWIN: You're damn right, my friend, we just need to stop being sissies! I won't return home defeated, at least not without having tried 'til the end!
A smile crawls up his face as he takes back the map.
EDWIN: And you know what, I already have something in mind...
INT. JAMAICAN RUNNING TEAM ROOM – DAY
Drake and a pair of masseurs dance in the middle of the room, belting out over Jimmy Cliff's REGGAE NIGHT as Gold lies silent on his bed, trying to concentrate for his next race.
DRAKE: (off-key as a broken bell) ...we come together when the feeeeling right!
GOLD: Alright, I'm going to the bathroom.
He stands up, moves for the door.
DRAKE: Why, can't you use this one?
GOLD: Too much noise. (Off Drake's look) Yours, not mine!
DRAKE: Just watch out, okay, the race is in a few hours.
GOLD: (stops on the doorway) Well, what on earth
The Games Plan Page 11