E.J. Ra - The Enthusiast! - A Disturbing Development III

(The opening shot shows a very tight close-up of the skin of an orange, above it hovers a mustachioed nose. SNIFF! Then the shot shows Billy’s bespectacled face looking up at E.J Ra as he again sniffs the orange. Both are at a neighborhood fruit stand. Again, close up of Billy's face as E.J. suddenly thrusts the orange under Billy’s nose.)

E.J.: You smell that Billy?

(Billy nods hesitantly.)

E.J.: That…that is the smell of freshness. (Turning to the balding stand owner.) Mr. Ramuchi? We’ll take a half dozen.

Ramuchi: Sure thang, Mister Ra! Say, have you folks tried my pomegranates?

E.J.: Why no, why not put a couple of those in the bag as well. And do you happen to have any Chinese gooseberries, Mr. Ramuchi…also known by the more common name of kiwi fruit?

Ramuchi: Ya sure know yer fruits, Mr. Ra. A half dozen OK?

E.J.: Yes. It is important to know what we put in our bodies, right Billy?

Billy: Sure, E.J.

Ramuchi: (handing E.J. bag of fruit) That’ll be two-fifty, Mr. Ra.

E.J.: (handing over change, E.J. gives bag of fruit to Billy) Thanks, Mr. Ramuchi. See you later.

Billy: Bye, Mr. Ramuchi.

Ramuchi: Bye, Billy, good bye Mr. Ra, and thank you! Enjoy your Saturday!

E.J.: We will.

(Funky bass music begins. E.J. and Billy walk out from under the fruit stand’s canopy into the spring sunshine. There is not too much traffic, it being a Saturday and all, but there is still a bit of bustle on the streets. They walk along toward E.J.’s building. Three black boys, one with a basketball, are walking toward them. As they approach, the oldest yells out.)

Boy 1: Yo, Mister Ra! You still up for our hoops at two?

E.J.: Hey, Jamal! You bet! (meets Jamal and they greet each other with elaborate handshake ritual.)

Jamal: You know my bros, Gordon and Sly?

E.J.: Sure. (handshake ritual begins) How are you guys doing ?

Gordon: Alright.

Sly: Cool, Mister Ra.

E.J.: Have you met my nephew, Billy?

(All say hi, high fives, etc.)

E.J.: We’re going to have some lunch, then I’ll see you guys on the court. Later.

Gordon: Later, Mr. Ra.

Sly: Bye.

Jamal: Take it easy, Mr. Ra.

(Funky urban music transitions out. As the boys depart, E.J. and Billy walk a few yards more, coming to the stairway going up to their apartment building. It is a somewhat run-down, brownstone type building. Trish greets them from the other direction.)

Trish: Hi, guys! Gee, Ra, you are looking pretty fit even after last night.

(Billy looks at E.J. confusedly.)

E.J.: Uh, yeah, whatever, Trish. I still got my four hours.

Billy: Hi Trish!

Trish: Billy, you know what I did this morning?

(Billy shakes head.)

Trish: I baked chocolate chip cookies! You want some?

Billy: Sure! Can I E.J.?

E.J.: It’s almost lunch time, Trish.

Billy: Aw, come on, E.J.! Can I please?

E.J. OK, alright. But don’t eat more than one before lunch!

Trish: Come with me, Billy, and I’ll get you a bag of cookies to take home…you can even give Mr. Ra some, if he’s nice. (smiles)

(E.J. looks annoyedly as the both ascend the stairs into the apartment building. He calls out…)

E.J.: Hey, Billy, I’ll be right up, I want to get a newspaper.

Billy: (turning around) OK. (Door to building closes.)

(E.J. then walks about 10 yards down the street to the newspaper machine. He fumbles in his pockets for quarters. Suddenly, two men dressed in dark blue suits with Beatle haircuts and sunglasses get out of a green Chevy Nova parked alongside the street. E.J. puts his quarters in the machine and opens it up to get a copy of the Times.)

Man 1: Excuse me, Mr. Ra?

E.J.: (turning to the man) Yes?

(The second man then pulls out a revolver. E.J. reacting lightning fast, dodges to the side and simultaneously grabs the weapon, prying it backwards from the right hand of the attacker. One shot is squeezed off, BLAM, hitting the Chevy Nova in the middle of the right door. A woman across the street screams and runs. E.J. still has his hand on the weapon, but can’t get it from the man. The first man brandishes a billy club and swings at E.J.’s head, but misses. E.J. slams the second man into the side of the Chevy Nova while kneeing him hard in the groin, the weapon falls on the ground. As E.J. reaches for it, the first man connects with the billy club to E.J.’s head. CRACK! E.J. is stunned and drops to his knees. As the first man swings a second time at his head, he is suddenly grabbed from behind and rendered unconscious by a tall, blond man dressed in a purple pinstripe suit, walking stick and round sunglasses. The same man blows a powdered substance into the face of the second man, recovering from being racked hard. He, too, is instantly unconscious. E.J. has now recovered enough to get on his feet but still a bit stunned. The stranger speaks to him:

Stranger: (British accent) Mr. Ra, I think you should come with me, now.

E.J.: Thanks for helping me out, but I don’t even know you.

Stranger: We don’t have much time…please. (Police sirens are heard in the distance.)

E.J.: I need to wait for the cops and explain to them the situation.

Stranger: That wouldn’t be a good idea. (A crowd is gathering across the street. Some can be seen looking out windows in adjacent buildings.)

E.J.: My nephew, Billy…he…

Stranger: Don’t worry about him. He’ll be OK. Come with me, please, we have no time.

E.J.: Who are you?

Stranger: You have my card, I think, from the Defensemaster. I am Gottfried Onar.

E.J.: (startled) Really? Wow. OK, OK, if the master trusts you…

Stranger: Please, let us depart, now!

(A police car is racing up the street. G. Onar takes out a packet of powder and blows it surprisingly, directly into E.J.’s face.)

(Fade to black.)