Helen gets a sudden promotion from Stephen. Elijah learns the struggle of raising a Black child after Ashley’s born in this 1989 flashback.
EXODUS
Helen gets a sudden promotion from Stephen. Elijah learns the struggle of raising a Black child after Ashley’s born in this 1989 flashback.
Season 2 Cast (bold denotes cast appearing in this episode):
Natalie Wachen as Ashley Allen (Ester Edelman)
Chris Osbrink as Spencer Wilson
Joe D. Reitman as Stephen Sly / Elijah Edelman
Janora McDuffie as Monica Edelman
Andia Winslow as Effie Edelman
Brian N. Taylor as Vinnie Valient
Nan McNamara as Elizabeth Ellis
Eddie Goines as Wahlid Walid and Tommy
Ashley Chaney as Helen and Charlie Cole
John Kassir as Coach and Rabbi
Christian L. Scott as Tanya and Desiree
Rebecca Johnson Wendy Wilson and Yael
Jacques Derosena as Jamie Johnson
CREDITS:
Written & Directed by Natasha Lewin
Produced by DaVida Chanel Smith of Creating, Etcetera
Engineered by Tom Fritze
Casting Director Medge Ross
Music courtesy of Brian Babylon
Copyright 2021
THIS EPISODE CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT
INT. HOSPITAL - EVENING Hospital MELEE. Baby CRIES.
ELIJAH
She’s so beautiful, honey.
MONICA
I know. Now come on Eli, it’s my turn. You keep hogging her.
ELIJAH
I can’t help it. She’s perfect.
MONICA
Yes she is. Come to mama, sweet girl. There you go. There you go.
ELIJAH
Wow. Got the magic tough already.
MONICA
Pfft. Magic. Esther knows herfamily.
(to Esther) You know yours, don’t you?
ELIJAH
Hey! I couldn’t get her to stop crying and she’s mine too.
MONICA
Of course she is, she looks like just you.
ELIJAH ...does that bother you?
MONICA
Oh Eli, I didn’t mean it like that.
ELIJAH
I know. I mean... is it because she’s a newborn .....?
MONICA That she’s light??
ELIJAH
Yeah.
Monica LAUGHS.
MONICA
I don’t know. This is my first kid too, remember.
ELIJAH
I guess I expected her to be a little more you, you know.
MONICA
She is me. Just as she is you.
ELIJAH Yeah, but I meant --
MONICA
I know what you meant. Light-skinned Black folks are as common as dark-skinned Black folks. Esther may just come out fair. Almost every Black family’s got someone fair in it. We got Martin’s wife.
ELIJAH Margo’s Black??
MONICA Yes.
ELIJAH
Why didn’t she tell me?
MONICA
Tell you. That’s not her job.
ELIJAH
Then you should’ve told me.
MONICA
What’s it matter? She’s no different is she? And skin color doesn’t determine what race a person is or isn’t. It’s family. Blood. I’m Black so Esther’s Black. Same as you’re Jewish, so she’s Jewish.
ELIJAH That’s crazy.
MONICA Which part?
ELIJAH Why I didn’t know!
Baby COOS.
MONICA
Maybe you weren’t looking for it. Or maybe you just assume everybody who looks white is white.
ELIJAH
Maybe. Jeez, I’m awful. Ugh.
MONICA
Go easy on yourself. Margo gets a lot more opportunity from people thinking she’s white. Sadly. Even nowadays in 1989.
ELIJAH She passes???
MONICA
No! Never. But she doesn’t go around wearing a sign reading ‘I’m Black’ either. She knows who she is. Just like Esther, don’t you baby? You know who you are.
INT. SLY STUDIOS
Office MELEE. Typewriters CLACK. Phones RING.
ELIZABETH ELLIS (in phone) Sly News, how may I direct your call?.... Hold please.
HELEN Psst. Liz...
Phone RINGS.
ELIZABETH ELLIS
Sly News, how may I direct your call?... Hold please.
HELEN Elizabeth!
ELIZABETH ELLIS That one’s for you.
Phone RINGS.
HELEN
This is Helen. Hiya, Paul. Sure thing, honey. I got it in Mr. Sly’s calendar now. Twelve tomorrow. I’ll make sure of it, bye!
Phone DOWN.
ELIZABETH ELLIS You beckoned?
HELEN (whispering) Meet me at the water cooler. I gotta an update.
Chairs SCOOT. HEELS on linoleum. A water cooler GURGLES.
ELIZABETH ELLIS Did you go out again??
HELEN
We sure did. Only this time we skipped dinner and went straight to his place.
ELIZABETH ELLIS No!? What’s his house like?
HELEN
That’s the question you wanna ask?? I dunno. Nothing special.
ELIZABETH ELLIS Was it big?
HELEN
His house? No. Him on the other hand --
STEPHEN SLY
I need my calendar for the day, Helen.
HELEN
Yes, Mister Sly, coming right up.
HEELS hurry away. Water POURS from water cooler.
ELIZABETH ELLIS Hello Mister Sly, sir.
STEPHEN SLY
Hello uhh... do you work for me?
ELIZABETH ELLIS
I do, in the secretary pool.
STEPHEN SLY
Ah, I got some great girls there.
ELIZABETH ELLIS Yes. Indeed.
STEPHEN SLY And you are...?
ELIZABETH ELLIS Elizabeth. Ellis.
STEPHEN SLY
Nice to meet you, Miss Ellis. It’s Miss, right?
ELIZABETH ELLIS Yes, miss. Not married. Yet.
HEELS
HELEN
Here you go, Mister Sly.
STEPHEN SLY
Nice chatting with you, Elizabeth.
ELIZABETH ELLIS You too, sir.
STEPHEN SLY
Helen, bring it in my office.
HELEN (whispering) More later. (to Sly) Coming!! HEELS chase after.
INT. HOSPITAL - BABY WARD - Babies CRY. TAPS on GLASS.
ELIJAH
Hi Esther. Hi baby. Hiii. Hello.
FOOTSTEPS. TAPS on glass.
PETE
Hey Petey, boy. Over here. Hey.
ELIJAH
Congratulations, which one’s yours?
PETE
That one there. Third from left. Peter Dillion, Junior.
ELIJAH Handsome fella.
PETE Ain’t he though? Built like a Hoosier already. How bout you, where’s your new bundle of joy?
ELIJAH
The one with the pink cap and her mom’s eyes. Esther Edelman. Hi hon!
PETE Edelman? Sounds ethnic.
ELIJAH Okay.
PETE You a Jew?
ELIJAH I'm Jewish.
PETE
Better than being Black I guess.
ELIJAH Fuck you.
PETE You’re the one’s who fucked, Jesus killer, not me. Hey Petey. Hiya JR.
TAPS glass. Babies CRY.
INT. SLY’S OFFICE - MUZAK plays.
HELEN
Here’s your calendar, Mister Sly.
STEPHEN SLY Thanks. Shut the door.
Door SHUTS.
STEPHEN SLY (CONT'D) Take a seat.
She SITS.
STEPHEN SLY (CONT'D) Your friend out there. At the water cooler ...
HELEN Elizabeth.
STEPHEN SLY
Have you told her anything?
HELEN About what?
STEPHEN SLY Me.
HELEN No, nothing.
STEPHEN SLY
Good. It’s gonna be difficult for us to keep going out, what with sweeps week coming up. I’m too busy. I’m sure you understand.
HELEN
Oh, uh, yessir. Okay.
STEPHEN SLY
But, you’ve been doing such a good job on my desk I feel like it’s time you moved up the ladder.
HELEN
A promotion? Already???
STEPHEN SLY
You’re great at what you do. Let’s advance your career, right?
HELEN
Yeah, great! Thank you!
STEPHEN SLY
I’m thinking of expanding the HR department and I’d like you take over as the new head.
HELEN
Are you kidding me?? Head of HR??
STEPHEN SLY
Well kinda. You’ll be head of HR on a different level of the building. It’s a great opportunity for you.
HELEN
I can’t believe this is happening. I’m so honored!
STEPHEN SLY
You should be. I don’t do this for just anybody, you know. But you’re a good girl. I trust you.
HELEN
Thank you Stephen. That means a lot.
STEPHEN SLY
You’re welcome. Also... I don’t want people getting jealous or spreading rumors. You got this job for being great at what you do, so let’s keep stuff between us, okay?
HELEN The promotion or --
STEPHEN SLY Or.
HELEN
No problem. My lips are sealed.
STEPHEN SLY
Great. Then your promotion is effective immediately. Start cleaning out your desk.
INT. HOSPITAL - Hospital MELEE. FOOTSTEPS.
ELIJAH Monica? You asleep?
MONICA
Resting my eyes. Where’s the baby?
ELIJAH
The nursery. Did you happen to notice how no one who works here is Black? Like visibly Black?
MONICA
Of course I noticed. Why?
ELIJAH I don’t like it.
MONICA
You wanna go to another hospital?
ELIJAH Further.
MONICA
Uh oh. What happened?
ELIJAH
Nothing, just you said that there’s a lot of fair Black people --
MONICA
Light-skinned, honey, but go on.
ELIJAH
And since this place doesn’t have any darker-skinned people working here --
MONICA Because of racism.
ELIJAH
Because of Indiana, where they’re racist to Blacks and Jews. Does Esther even have a chance here?
MONICA That’s a good question.
ELIJAH
I want our kids to have the best chance of success.
MONICA
Kids?? I’m not a machine, Eli.
ELIJAH
I’m serious. I don’t want Esther living in a place where casual racism’s the norm. I’m tired of it.
MONICA
So am I. So if you think of a place where racism and anti-semitism don’t exist, I’m all for it. Until then... California sounds nice.
ELIJAH
Oh honey. Thank you.
MONICA No Eli, thank you.
INT. SLY STUDIOS - Office MELEE. Phone RINGS.
ELIZABETH ELLIS
Sly News, how may I direct your call?... Hold please.
HEELS. File drawer OPENS.
ELIZABETH ELLIS (CONT'D) (whispering) Hey. So what happened??
HELEN (loudly) I got a promotion.
ELIZABETH ELLIS What??!
HELEN
I’m moving into human resources, effective immediately.
ELIZABETH ELLIS
Wow. Congratulations. Guess I won’t see you anymore now that you’ll be on the 5th floor.
HELEN
Actually, you won’t see me anymore because I’m going to a new division, on B.
ELIZABETH ELLIS B like basement??
HELEN
Not anymore. Stephen-- Mister Sly, said they’re building it out.
Phone RINGS. And RINGS.
HELEN (CONT'D) You gonna get that?
ELIZABETH ELLIS
Uh Sly News, how may I direct your call?... yeah, hold. (whispering to Helen) Don’t you find this a little odd? You’ve only been on his desk for a few months then you.... Now this?
Phone RINGS.
HELEN (whispering) Come on, Liz. It’s a promotion. How long you wanna be stuck doing this?
ELIZABETH ELLIS Sly News, hold on.
Hold BEEPS.
HELEN
I’m moving off the desk and into my own office. A girl’s gotta eat too, you know. (louder) See ya around.
File drawers SHUT. HEELS exit.
ELIZABETH ELLIS Bye.
Elizabeth SIGHS. Phone RINGS.
ELIZABETH ELLIS (CONT'D) (to self) Shit.
Hold BEEPS.
ELIZABETH ELLIS (CONT'D) Sly News, who you looking for? .... Oh. Oh! Hello Mister Sly. How can Idirect your call?... (sotto) Uh...Lunch?? Sure. What time should I meet you? And where?
Pen SCRATCHES.
Stay tuned for the next episode of WHITE PRIVILEGE: RADIO PLAY next Friday.