THE SHOE SHINER
BY
INGENIOUS
FADE IN
EXT.UP TOWN KAMPALA-DAY
Its rush hour.people,cars,boda bodas and bicycles hurry
about.The noise is deafening.
ON NVANNUNGI
25,beautiful caramel skinned career woman with long black
braids wearing a grey suit,kente shirt,a necklace and muddy
black boots.Walks down the street as she checks her watch.
Her phone rings but she rejects it.It goes off
again.Frowning she ends it.It rings once more...she answers
it.
NVANNUNGI
Naye mbwa gwe,lwaki tondeka
nosigala ne bu malaaya bwo.
(she ends the call)
EXT.SHOE SHINING BOOTH-SAME STREET-DAY
Suuna(28)fairly chocolate skinned handsome man with an
overgrown hair cut.He's wearing faded blue overalls and
brown leather sandals.
He picks and scrapes mud off and washes a pair of
shoes.Later wipes his clients'bench.
Nvannungi walks in.Excitedly he grins and hugs her.He lifts
and swirls her around.She seems unhappy.
SUUNA
Ndabirawa omumbejja wange amakya
gano
NVANNUNGI
Nga amakya g'olwaleero
tegankeeredde bulungi
SUUNA
Nga bwozze,buli kimu kijja kuba
bulungi
Nvannungi seats on the bench unaware of a whitish powder on
it as Suuna removes her boots and hands her flip flops to
wear.He starts working on her boots.
Nvannungi takes out her phone and scrolls through Tik Tok
Immediately a notification pops up,she jeers and keeps
scrolling.
EXT.OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SAME STREET-DAY
A black vintage 1938 VW Beetle parks in the availabe parking
spot of a two lane road.
2.
INT.VINTAGE 1938 VW BEETLE-(CONT'D)
LUKWAGO dressed in a black velvet blazer and Ankara shirt is
seated in the driver's seat. He pulls out his phone from his
front left-side pocket of his trouser and starts texting.
He poses and rests his head on the headrest as he rubs his
face and then sighs heavily.
He reaches into his shirt pocket,pulls out a black ring box
and opens it. Inside the box is a golden ring. He stares at
it for a few seconds and places it back into his pocket.
He reaches for his phone again and attempts to make a call
but its not answered. He jeers and throws the phone in the
back seat.
EXT.SHOE SHINING BOOTH-(CONT'D)
Suuna places Nvannungi's boots in the sun to dry. He picks
up a flat brown box and hands it to Nvannungi. She's
surprised but she smiles as she nervously opens it. She
clasps her mouth and stares at him. She then reaches for a
hug.
INT.VINTAGE 1938 VW BEETLE-SAME STREET(CONT'D)
Lukwago fixes his blazer and he glances at the ring box as
he steps out of the car. He checks for oncoming traffic as
he fixes his gaze across the street and clenches his fist.
He half mindedly starts to cross the road. An oncoming car
loudly honks at him and he quickly turns towards it and
steps backwards.
He intensely stares across the street and notices a hardware
shop. He rushes to it and buys a hoe handle.
EXT.SHOE SHINING BOOTH-DAY
Nvannungi chuckles as she rubs off detergent off her
trouser. Suuna gets a cloth and helps her wipe her
posterior.
She compliments his service on her boots and holds his
shoulder smiling. She thanks him for the gift and reaches
for her wallet but realises she's short on change.
NVANNUNGI
Oyinamu change w'etaano?
SUUNA
Mumbejja tofaayo
NVANNUNGI
(wags her finger)
Nedda Ssebo!
3.
She looks around and notices a mobile money station and
walks over to it. She requests for a deposit on her mobile
money account and asks for change for her balance.
She turns back to see a sharply dressed man hitting Suuna's
head with a hoe handle and he passes out.
FADE OUT.