A Work of Art

A WORK OF ART
Copyright 1997 Deborah Greenspan

Success comes easy to some. For others it takes a lot of work. Passionate, sensuous, and compelling, this story traces the evolution and emotional growth of an artist from child-wife to independent woman. Through bitter divorce, financial hardship, the loss of her beloved mother, and fear for her less-than-perfect child, Evelyn Davies find the strength and courage to change her life. From the sun-swept Aegean Sea to the bowels of New York City, her story weaves life and art into a seamless matrix of passion and joy.

Excerpt: Pages 7-9

INT. GIRLS’ BEDROOM - NIGHT

Evie reads Joanie a story while she drinks her bottle. Diana is on her shoulder and is starting to drift off. She finishes the story and puts down the book, then stands up and carries Diana to her crib. Ever so carefully she lays the baby down, but Diana is not having it. The moment her body hits the mattress she starts to howl. Evie pats her back, praying that she’ll sleep, and after a moment, she seems peaceful. Evie tiptoes out.

INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT

Evie leans against the wall and breathes a sigh of relief. She’s exhausted. She goes into her room.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

The lights are off and Yianni is already asleep. In the dark, Evie gets undressed and pulls on a nightgown. She gets into bed and is reaching for the light, when Joanie, backlit in the doorway, calls.

JOANIE Mommy?
EVIE Go back to bed.

Joanie comes in and puts her head on Evie’s bed.

EVIE Please, honey, go back to bed.
JOANIE Can’t sleep.

INT. GIRLS’ ROOM

Evie lays down with Joanie in her bed. Her eyes begin to close. Diana starts crying and they snap open.

EVIE No... No... No... No... No...

Diana continues to wail and Evie gets up. She picks her up for a moment, calms her down, then gently lays her back in the crib. Joanie is quiet for the moment. Evie tiptoes out and stands in the doorway, out of sight of the children, hoping the baby will quiet down, but she keeps crying. After what seems like a very long time, Yianni storms out of the bedroom, and goes into the girls’ room. He picks up Diana and hands her to Evie.

YIANNI                       Here’s your mother, baby!
EVIE                        She has to learn to sleep through the night!
YIANNI                        What kind of mother are you?
EVIE                        How dare you! I’m a great mother!
YIANNI                        You don’t even know how to care for this baby!
EVIE                        I care for these babies all day without any help
                       from you.   All day...24 hours a day...
YIANNI                        That’s what you’re supposed to do.
EVIE                        She has to learn to sleep through the night! I
                       can’t get up every hour and a half around the
                       clock without a break! I haven’t slept more
                       than two hours at a stretch in three years!
                       I’m tired!
YIANNI                        You don’t know what tired is!
EVIE                        I don’t know what tired is?
YIANNI                        You can’t even keep this little house clean.
                       I run a business. I run a family. I’m
                       responsible for 25 men! Tired! You’re
                       tired? EVIE                        I know how hard you work! I helped you start
                       that business, remember?
YIANNI                        You! You did nothing!
EVIE                        I was doing your fucking requisitions at one
                       in the morning with the baby on my lap! I
                       filled out the contracts. I found most of
                       the jobs,and your first really big one! I
                       did nothing?! I did everything!

YIANNI Go to hell, you bitch. You nothing! EVIE You go to hell! Without me, you wouldn’t
even have that fucking business!

Suddenly, Yianni whacks her across the face. Evie screams. The babies are screaming. He grabs his pants from the bedroom floor where he dropped them, and starts dressing.

EVIE                        Where are you going?
YIANNI                        Anywhere but here!
EVIE                        Good! Go! And don’t come back! I hate you!

She collapses on the floor crying, holding her cheek. Joanie, also crying, is hanging onto her. Diana screams. The door slams.