Trnsito

written by

Dharmesh Patel

Fade In:

EXT. CITY SIDEWALK - MID-MORNING

ELIDA, a 36-year-old Mexican female walks along the sidewalk of a busy street lined with many businesses. She is dressed in a hotel housekeeping uniform and carries with her a small tote bag.

CHRIS (O.S.)Look I just dont understand why youre so late all the time.

INT. CHRISS OFFICE - MID-MORNING

CHRIS is a 28-year-old white male and the manager of the hotel at which Elida works. He is rude and not willing to take the time to understand his employees on a personal level.

CHRISWhat do you have to say for yourself?

ELIDA(in broken English)

I sorry Mr. Chris. I take 4 autobses en morning. I sorry I try more on time. Please Mr. Chris I sorry.

EXT. CITY SIDEWALK - MID-MORNING

Elida continues to walk along the sidewalk.

ELIDA (V.O.)(in Spanish)

Life does not give everyone an equal hand but we have to make the most of what is allotted to us. Oftentimes the little things you take for granted are the same things that hold others back.

INT. CHRISS OFFICE - MID-MORNING

CHRISWait what did you say? Do you even speak English? Do you even understand what Im saying?

2.

Elida stares at Chris with a blank expression and is at a loss for words. She cannot explain herself through her broken English.

CHRIS (CONTD)Whatever. It even doesnt matter. You clearly dont care about your job here. In fact, this isnt working out.

INT. ELIDAS BEDROOM - BEFORE DAWN

An ALARM GOES OFF on the night stand in a small bedroom. The clock face reads 5:30 A.M. Elida reaches her hand out to turn the alarm off. She gets out of bed and heads towards the bathroom door. Elida is dressed in an oversized and T-shirt and baggy pajama bottoms.

INT. ELIDAS BATHROOM - BEFORE DAWN

Elida turns on the lights in the bathroom and sits on the toilet to urinate. She looks at herself in the mirror and ties her hair up in a bun. She then brushes her teeth and washes her face. She leaves the bathroom but leaves the lights and heads back into her bedroom.

INT. ELIDAS BEDROOM - BEFORE DAWN

With only the light from the bathroom, Elida heads over to her dresser and pulls out a housekeeping uniform. She changes her clothes and then heads out of the bedroom.

INT. ELIDAS KITCHEN - BEFORE DAWN

Elida turns on only one light in the kitchen and opens the fridge. She pulls out some food and prepares a lunch including a sandwich, some fruit and other various snacks. All the foods are off brand and the fruit is very ripe. Elida packs the food in a reusable lunch kit. She cleans up the kitchen area.

Elida puts on her shoes, grabs a small tote bag into which she places her lunch kit, a sweater and heads out of the front door.

EXT. ELIDAS HOUSE - DAWN

Elida walks away from her house and down the street.

3.

EXT. ELIDAS NEIGHBORHOOD - DAWN

Elida walks away from her house passing other homes in her neighborhood. You can tell that she is from a neighborhood of lower socioeconomic status. The sky is just beginning to lighten as the sun begins to rise.

EXT. BUS STOP - DAWN

Elida comes to a stop on the side of a street and waits for the bus. A city bus finally comes and she gets on.

INT. CITY BUS, EXT. BUS STOP - MORNING

There is a montage scene of Elida riding the bus and at different bus stops.

EXT. CITY BUS STOP & SIDEWALK - MORNING

Elida exits the bus at her final stop and makes her way to the hotel at which she is employed walking along the sidewalk.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - MORNING

She comes into the hotel and quickly walks through the lobby to the laundry room.

INT. HOTEL LAUNDRY ROOM - MORNING

Elida clocks in for her shift and checks the time stamp. She quickly puts her stuff away including her lunch in the fridge, her coat and tote on the coat rack and gets her cleaning cart ready to make rooms.

Another housekeeper named REYNA is also in the laundry room. Reyna is a 30-years-old Mexican female and Elidas friend. She is also gathering cleaning items.

REYNAYoure late again. You better hurry up before the boss sees you.

ELIDAI know I even tried to wake up earlier today but the busses arent always reliable.

4.

REYNAI know girl. I understand but you better hope that Mr. Chris doesnt find out.

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - MORNING

Elida takes her cart and gets on the elevator.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - MORNING

Montage scene of Elida cleaning various hotel rooms. She cleans bathrooms and picks up the trash. She strips the beds and makes them back up. She dusts the furniture and vacuums.

INT. HOTEL LAUNDRY ROOM - AFTERNOON

Elida eats the lunch she packed earlier that day and listens to her CD player and practices her English. Reyna walks up to her to ask what she is listening to.

REYNAHey girl what are you listening to.

Elida removes her headphones.

ELIDAOh just trying to learn this white mans language.

REYNAIs it working?

ELIDAI dont know. I listen and practice everyday but its just so hard you know?

REYNAYeah I know what you mean. Just keep trying.

Reyna walks away and Elida puts hers headphones back on and continues to listen.

5.

INT. HOTEL LAUNDRY ROOM - AFTERNOON

Another montage of Elida folding towels and sheets. She loads the washers and dryers with dirty and clean laundry respectively.

EXT. BUS STOP - LATE AFTERNOON

The bus pulls away behind Elida as she walks down the sidewalk and towards her house. She has on her sweater and carries her tote bag.

INT. ELIDAS HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON

Elida opens her front door and walks directly to her bedroom.

INT. ELIDAS BEDROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

She gets clean clothes out of her hamper and heads to the bathrooms.

INT. ELIDAS BATHROOM - LATE AFTERNOON

Elida showers and changes into her everyday clothes. With her hair still wet, she heads to the kitchen.

INT. ELIDAS KITCHEN - EARLY EVENING

Elida cooks dinner for her family.

INT. ELIDAS DINING ROOM - EVENING

MARIA along with her family eat the food she prepared earlier.

INT. ELIDAS LIVING ROOMS - LATE EVENING

The kids have gone to bed and Elida and her husband MARCO (age 31) talk about the hardships of immigrant life in America. Both speak in Spanish.

MARCOI thought coming to this country was going to be better for all of us. Back home in Mexico I was a business owner and I was proud. Here I am no one.

6.

ELIDAAy Marco dont say that. You know that our children will get a better education here and can get real jobs and build a life that they couldnt even dream of in Mexico.

MARCOIm just fed up. I cant find a job anywhere. And if you dont speak English no one wants to hire you. Im just tired.

ELIDAAll we can do is pray and it will get better. But until then we gave to thank God that I have my job. Without it we would be lost.

INT. LIVING ROOM - LATE NIGHT

Everyone is in bed and the house is dark. Elida sits at a small table and listens to a cassette player and practices her English.

MARIA(with thick Mexican accent)

Hi my name is...Nice to meet you...Where are you from?Hi my name is...Nice to meet you...Where are you from?

The clock shows a time of 12:34 A.M.

A time lapse of the clock moves the time to 5:30 A.M. An ALARM GOES OFF.

EXT. BUS STOP - MORNING

Elida sits at the bus stop and anxiously waits for the bus that is running extremely late.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY - MID-MORNING

As MARIA walks into the hotel, her boss Chris is standing behind the front desk. He waves for her to come back to his office.

7.

INT. CHRISS OFFICE - MID-MORNING

It is the same scene from the beginning.

The phone rings and Chris answers it.

CHRISHello...Oh hey Cheryl no Im not busy. Hang on one sencond.

Chris holds the phone away and turns to Elida.

CHRIS (CONTD)Is there anything else I can help you with?

EXT. CITY SIDEWALK - MID-MORNING

Elida walks until she gets to a bus stop and has a seat.

ELIDA (V.O.)(in Spanish)

The world doesnt stop moving just because something bad happens to one person. In fact the world doest even skip a beat if millions of people are affected. We have no choice but to take what we are given and keep moving forward.

FADE OUT.