Day 99: The Journey to This Moment

The Journey to This Moment
by
Matt Zurbo

Dedicated to Marianne

 

Today, I decided to put one foot in front of the other.

(View of small girl’s red shoes, as seen by small girl.)

I know, I know… that doesn’t seem like much, but it was my entire plan.
(Girl in nice, modest dress and red shoes standing in front of open front door.)
“Okay feet, take me! Let’s see where I land!”

Down the street we went. “Any Street” I call it.

Past the dog lady. Maybe I was meant to talk to her?
And Pirate and Marmaduke and Teddy Bear!
(Lady with flowing velvet dress and shawl, lots of warming, clunky jewellery, an old bull terrier, a bitsa with three legs and a bandana on, and a great dane.)

So I did!
“I’m from the country, I paint and love to dance,” she said.
Then she danced! There, in the street!

Our feet lead us past the zoo.
Poor Teddy didn’t know what to think!
(Great dane sniffing, picturing elephants and leopards and monkeys and zoo worker sitting in the toilet.)

Then, my feet took me into the market!
(Dog lady by her side.)

Con, the greengrocer, was spruiking! He’s my favourite.
“Git yer apples! C’m’on! Everybody loves apples! What a bargain! Git yer apples!”

I wish I had money, but there was still colour,

noise,

movement!

Down at the skate park it seemed everybody was using their feet really hard,
(Four or five kids, going down half pipe, sailing into air, jumping, pushing off…)

or not at all!
(Four or five more kids, cool/bored sitting on edge of half pipe, or leaning against poles. Most have feet lazing over side.)

But my feet kept walking.

Balancing on the old disused railway tracks I really had to put one foot in front of the other!
(View from above of her walking/balancing.)

It was great out there. I had space, quiet.
(Long side shot of her walking on track, wheat mills behind her, lots of sky.)

I could imagine things.
(Horizon filled win image of giant red octopus slinking over it, flowers curled up in every tentacle. Above it Valkyrie women are riding their winged horses.)

Nothing spectacular was happening at the park. But two boys were playing in dead leaves.

They looked like explosions! Crashing waves.

When I walked through them I closed my eyes. They sounded like pushing through snow, the crackle of fire,

Shhh, shhh, cold water falling…
(Close up of girl, eyes closed, leaves falling about her as she is smiling.)

My feet took me forward, to where people were having a picnic.
They looked like… me?
“You’re cousin Ada’s child…”
“You’re my relatives?”

“What a coincidence!” they carried on. “What are you doing here?” they asked.
“My feet brought me,” I told them.

They asked me to go get my parents.
We had a great time!
(Adults laughing, eating, catching up. Kids playing.)

But my feet weren’t quite done walking yet.
I could feel they had a little way to go.
(Girl looking down at her feet while kids play in background.)

(Girl walking across park clearing to clown on other side, loosely surrounded by park goers.)

The clown was loud and funny.
Everybody laughed.
(Closer, on unicycle, juggling, squirting water.)

But as I approached he stopped,
and smiled,
and bowed…
(Side on of clown stopped, facing girl. Everybody in background has turned to look at girl.)

as the afternoon sun lit up the park!
(Close up of streaks of light lighting up the warm face of the smiling clown.)

And he gave me a rose.
(Lots of white streaks of light as the clown’s hand, with the white rose, is reaching down to girls hand, that is out.)

The day had been a journey to this moment.
(Girl smiling, light everywhere, rose in her ear. A few people in the background, washed with light, framed by trees, clapping.)

Thank you feet,
(Girl’s feet.)

thank you world!
(Eyes, rose and top of head of girl, light and trees and birds and sky around her.)

 

The End.