Excerpt: Once Threre Was, Once There Wasn't

Once There Was, Once There Wasn't -15-

10. INT. BENJAMIN'S APARTMENT, FRONT DOOR, DUSK.

Camera centers on front door from inside apartment. Knocks are heard. BENJAMIN appears in frame.

BENJAMIN

I've got it. [opens door] Sarina?

SARINA

Emine left work today at lunch. Something about a plane crash. Is she alright? Can I talk to her?

BENJAMIN

[looks into apartment, closes front door behind him.] You've got to keep quiet about this. It's of vital national importance.

CUT TO

EXT. STREETCORNER, DUSK.

SARINA argues against Benjamin's decision to call the police on Emine. BENJAMIN becomes increasingly absorbed in his own world.

SARINA

So the police are going to interrogate Emine now? Monitor her emails, tap into her cellphone?

BENJAMIN

Whatever it takes.

SARINA

I don't see how you can be so sure. Even if Hasan was on that plane, how can you know that this was some...suicide thing?

BENJAMIN

Pieces never fit together perfectly. You've got to use fuzzy logic, think in probabilities. Look, I don't know a lot. I'm a lousy bond salesman, okay, who spends his time reading conspiracy theories...But I’m also an American citizen.

SARINA

So am I. So is Emine.

BENJAMIN

With them, it's always there, underneath the surface, in the way they talk about food, or family, or some dumb dervish dance.

SARINA

[quietly] She said that's how you met.

BENJAMIN

She tells me these...fairy tales...when we're falling asleep...about this Muslim priest. Hoca.

SARINA

Listen to yourself. You make it sound like you're the victim. You're the one who called the police.

BENJAMIN

It hurts me as much as anyone, okay? Things aren't black or white. People aren't good or evil. I alerted the police because I had to-

SARINA

[Interrupting] Because you were-

BENJAMIN

[Interrupting] I had no choice. There was my love for Emine on the one hand, and on the other, our safety. The safety of our country. And for Emine, there was me versus loyalty to her brother. Betray him and she hurts her family, her religion, her country. Betray me and she keeps them. I’m a realist. I don't buy that 'Love Conquers All' crap. In real life there aren't happy endings. You can't save the world and get the girl. You compromise.

BENJAMIN and SARINA walk down the street. SARINA looks over her shoulder. Her eyes linger (as does the camera) on the Turkish grocery.