Fadi Zaghmout

Read first scene 1

INT Kitchen next morning 7am

SALMA looks terrible. Her eyes show that she hasn’t slept the night. She still has tears in her eyes. She is having a cup of coffee and moving nervously back and forth.
Her mother enters the kitchen

MOTHER
Here is my beautiful bride

SALMA
I am not beautiful, and I am not a bride. I told you, I won’t marry him!

MOTHER
Don’t say no before you meet him. He is a good wealthy man with good reputation. Besides, I want to see your child before I die

SALMA
I SAID NO, NO WAY. Over my dead body

MOTHER
you can’t stay single forever, I won’t let you!

SALMA
Can’t I be good enough without having a man by my side?!

MOTHER
You are a woman, and people don’t like single women
Mother comes closer and touches SALMA’s shoulder tenderly

MOTHER
Remember when you came crying from your friend’s wedding reception party? The bastard had your seat on the kids table!

SALMA in disbelief of her mother places her coffee on the table

SALMA
Ok..stop it

MOTHER
And when your car tire broke down and our neighbor tried to help you, only to stop when his wife yelled at him?

SALMA
stop it I SAID

SALMA, shaking, places her coffee on the table. She picks her bag, slams the door and leaves

MOTHER yelling
ABO OMAR is coming tonight. DO NOT BE LATE

INT Manager’s Office 12pm

SALMA is arguing with her manager

SALMA in a high tone voice
WHY did you promote Hussam instead of me?

MANAGER
you are so good at work, but after taking everything into consideration, we decided that Hussam is more appropriate for this position.

SALMA
More appropriate?! Why is that? I have more experience than him

MANAGER
But he can travel, and you can’t. Your family doesn’t allow you.

SALMA
OMG! You are basing your decision only on that!

INT SALMA’s Office 12:30 pm

SALMA is crying hysterically while talking on the phone.

OLA (O.S.)
Calm down

SALMA
I can’t, everything is driving me crazy

OLA (O.S.)
I know something that might help you. Check out the news paper, page 3
SALMA grabs the newspaper; she opens it on page 3. There is an article about an abandoned child in trash

SALMA reads
‘Because of the current phenomena of abandoned babies, the social development ministry opens the custody door of abandoned babies to Jordanian couple’

OLA (O.S.)
Do it, I will back you up
SALMA grabs a pen and draws a circle around the article. She picks up her bag and leave