Treatments
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Title : T'was the Last Night of Kwanzaa

Genre: Drama/Musical

Logline: A Black bookstore is in danger of being bought out by a New Age bookstore, but a miracle happens on the last night of Kwanzaa to save them.

Treatment : The HARAMBEE BOOKSTORE is a staple in the Black community. The sight was originally built by a Buffalo Soldier. It also served as the Phoenix headquarters for the Marcus Garvey movement and served as lodgings for jazz and blues musicians during Jim Crow. After apartheid, the Black Panther Party bought it and kept it, until the illegal practices of COINTELPRO, drove them underground and wiped them out.

The wife of one of the Panthers (who was murdered by the police, in this house) is named SISTER NEWMAN. She bought the place after the shootout, renovated it and has run the bookstore out of it ever since. She never remarried. Once in a while she speaks to her husband in her loneliness and longing.

Her children GABRIELLE & STOKELY help her run the bookstore. Gabby is slightly materialistic. Stokely feels he must be Black and strong, like his dad. They have a half-sister who lives in Los Angeles who is supposedly rich, named FAITH TWILLY.

Regulars that frequent the place are: their own Book-of-the-Month Club members, the Church ladies, The Rasta, The Old Garveyite, Stokely’s hardcore friends, Gabby’s ‘bling-bling’ girlfriends, One female friend who isn’t bling-bling and is considered an outsider, guy working on his doctorate, Panther survivors, Black Attorney, Director of the Black History degree program at ASU, a rehab counselor and her patients, The Muslim, The ex-con, The Bluesman, The music teacher, the Martial Artist, (The painter?), The Black Poetry society, The local rappers, The Black Student Union, The Photographer (donates blown up pictures of celebrities [use mine])

It is near Christmas and Kwanzaa time, (Dec 1) the bookstore's decorations, reflects that fact. Sister jokes around with the regulars as they check out books. She sees to their needs and encourages reading, self-knowledge, Black History, spirituality and our obligation to those that came before us.

One day, a group of oddly-dressed people come into the store, waving crystals and talking about feeling a strong presence. Their leader, MOTHER APRIL, goes up to the front and makes an offer to Sister Newman to buy the store so that she and her ‘family’ can run a New Age Bookstore and Spa. Sister tells her that it’s not for sale. Mother insists that she MUST buy it and will pay any cost. Mother makes a big deal that she feels a VIBE there like in no other place.

Sister restates her position and tells the Mother about the history of the place. Mother says that she will consult with the mystics and get back to her with a decision. The entourage leaves as strangely as they arrived.

Book of the Month Club meets. They discuss a very important book, then the talk centers on the sale of the store. Sister assures them that all is fine. The son and his crew tell her not to sell, the daughter and her ‘friends’ encourage her to sell, live the good life, but a new Gabby encourages her to be more spiritual.

Next night is a spoken word exhibition. The poetry is like that seen on Russell Simmons, Def Poetry Jam. The Mother and her family arrive after the final poets have spoken and the Church ladies sing a song to end the show. Sister is surprised to see them here, after midnight, to do business?

They said they will honor the building’s memory by mounting a plaque on the wall, but

A) They will be buying it. No matter what.

B) They will level the place and put up a new building that will even be more spiritually attuned and have less baggage.

Sister erupts. Says the ‘baggage’ is what makes the building have the spirituality that it does have. Refuses to sell, EVER! Mother says the place will be her’s by the New Years. A plan is already in the works. “You haven’t paid the piper, now it’s time to pay.” Sister doesn’t know what she means.

Next day, she mentions that to the Black attorney who is a regular. Says that the statement refers to taxes, asks her to check them. Calls the CPA, put on hold a long time, Mother answers. Says their company bought out this one and somehow forgot to file Sister's taxes for the last year. With tax and penalty, they owe about $33K. A levy will be placed on the bank accounts today and a tax lien will be placed against the credit so that borrowing money won’t be possible. If Sister pays that amount before Jan. 1st, they keep it. If not, Mother’s company pays the tax after Jan. 1st, and they can claim ownership.

Sister holds emergency meeting with the regulars. Tells them what is up. Decide to do a talent show and charge admission. Mixture of Gospel music from the church ladies, Poetry, Positive songs, Dramatic readings from Black Authors(Alex Haley, MLK, Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, etc), Photographer auctions photos of celebrities, step dancers in Buffalo Soldier uniforms, memories of the building by the elders and closing statement by Sister. This gains about $11k, still need $22k. People are depressed.

Next day she finds a note from the ex-con. Says if all goes well, he will be leaving a nice chunk of money for her. Says how much the bookstore means to him and that he can help 'the cause' better from inside prison. Says not matter what, he wants her to use the money for the store. Only asks that he still be included in Book of the Month club, send him the current selections and visit occasionally. A map is with the letter. She is perplexed, then gets a call to turn on the TV. The ex-con is being chased by cops after just robbing a bank. They manage catch him, but can’t find the $10k he stole.

Sister and the crew go out with the map and comically retrieve the money from its hiding spot. She decides to keep it. Now $12 is needed. The Rasta drops down $3k for her and tells her it is from the Bob Marley Appreciation Society. Now $9k is needed.

Sister is against it, but she lets the kids contact their half sister Faith, in Beverly Hills. She tells them that they can have the money, no problem. She says she will be there next week Friday and will pay the entire amount. Everyone is happy but Sister says she will believe it when she sees it. They say, “You gotta have faith in Faith.” The bookstore plans its annual Kwanzaa celebration.

Friday comes and goes, no Faith. They call, leave messages, no return call. Stokely and his friends drive out there. Report back that she is only a live-in maid, lied to everyone and let a whole week lapse, dealing with her foolishness. It is now Christmas Eve. The Church ladies pick up spirits with high-energy, X-mas songs.

Each night of Kwanzaa is celebrated and the ceremonies are conducted by Sister. The true meaning is conveyed with emotion. The Professor asks for another meeting of the inner circle. Says it’s strange that these people would go through all this trouble to buy this ghetto bookstore. Must be something else. They have tried to sabotage the business for over a year. Must be a big deal. He looked into it, found out that this place used to be a Spanish Mission before the Buffalo Soldier bought it, but it had burned to the ground. Maybe it has to do with the Spanish era, he will continue with the research, because something is up.

Last day of Kwanzaa is celebrated early so that people can get ready for New Years Eve parties. The proceedings are very emotional. People exit crying. After the participants leave, Mother and her tribe stop by to rub it in. Stokely and his boys rough them up a little and kick them out. Sister asks to be alone.

She gets the picture of her dead husband out. She also takes out a bottle of wine from the drawer. Sister speaks to the picture. She says, “Remember when we bought that case of wine in Napa Valley when we were coming home from Oaktown after meeting Huey P. Newton for the first time? Well, this is the last bottle. What a better time to drink it?” She puts on an oldie that they used to like, (perhaps, "Just My Imagination") sings along, and drinks. She passes out.

She is awaken by someone tapping her shoulder. The lighting is different in the room. It is a Buffalo Soldier. He asks if she is okay. She says she is and that she liked the step dance performance. He says he liked it too but those kids wouldn't last 5 minutes on the open prairie. He says he wants her to meet someone. He walks her to the back of the room. Her husband appears. The Buffalo Soldier excuses himself and leaves. The husband and wife hug. Husband has to be brief. Says he loves her, proud of her, etc. Will show her how to pay the Piper and have plenty left over for 20 orchestras. He tells her to follow him. He goofs around and plays tag with her, they laugh, they stop, they kiss, slowly, he disappears into the floor, during the embrace.

Gabby walks in. “Mom, are you OKAY?” Her mother says that she just had the strangest dream. Tells her about it and walks over to where her husband disappeared. There is a small drop of Black ink on the floor. She touches it, it is fresh. Gabby passes out. Sister smiles at it through tears of joy.

Later that night, she has regulars there with shovels and picks, whacking away at the spot. They dig through layers and layers but find nothing. Finally they find something just before midnight, it is an old, metal box, they dig it out. They open the ancient trunk just as midnight hits. Twelve chimes are heard in the background as it's contents are revealed. Rather than screams and kisses, there is awe and slack jaws. A bright golden light emits from the trunk and almost blinds all that are looking. Sister says, “Gold coins. Hundreds of them. My God, look at that.” The professor says, “Look, Spanish Coins, it must have been hidden in the Mission before it burned down.” Sister is in tears and thanks her husband.

January 2nd. Sister is on the phone. It is 9AM. “It’s done? Excellent. Just in time.”

Suddenly Mother and the entourage come in, smirking. “Since this is a new year, I decided to buy the place from you so I don’t have to kick you out later and leave you penniless. Of course it is for only half of what I was going to pay last month. Ha ha.”

Sister asks, “So was buying the accounting firm and sabotaging my taxes by not filing them, all part of the plan to ruin me and take this place?”

“Damn right”

“So by making this offer, you mean that no paperwork has been filed yet?”

“Right, but where are YOU going to get $9k? It’s over. Take the offer. It will keep you off of food stamps for a while.”

“Food stamps are better than prison food. Mother, let me introduce you to Agent Matthews and Agent Shamus from the IRS. They heard every word you just said.” Sister smiles and laughs as Mother and her crew are taken away in cuffs.

The church ladies start singing a positive, Gospel song, then all join in.