KA-TALK

Screenplay by
Jhaylorde Parungao
Naomi Lorbis
SCENE 1

INT. COFFEE SHOP. AFTERNOON

Open on Melba and first guy eating together.

First guy is eating loudly and sloppily.

He looks up at her, Melba cringes.

FIRST GUY
(looks around)
Mmm. Nice place ah. Sarap ng food.

Melba nonchalantly smiles.

FIRST GUY
(while chewing)
You know what? Buti na lang
madali kang kausap, alam mo agad
kung saan tayo pupunta. Karamihan
kasi ng mga babae diyan,
napakahirap kausap.

First Guy laughs, Melba puts a slight wince.

FIRST GUY (CONT’D)

Like yung ex ko. Masyadong magulo;
masyadong sineseryoso at
dinidibdib mga bagay-bagay. Kaya
lagi kaming nag-aaway nun eh.
Hayyy, babae nga naman ‘no, am I
right?

Pause. First Guy is nonchalant to her

reactions, preoccupied with himself.

The guy scans her up and down, eyeing her

clothes.

MELBA
(suddenly becomes self-conscious)
Bakit?
 FIRST GUY
Ganyan ka ba talaga manamit at
mag-ayos?

MELBA
(stutters, picks at her clothes,
and feels her face)
Ah, bakit, m-may problema ba?

FIRST GUY
Balot na balot ka kasi (chuckles).
Tapos parang (sucks in breath and
clicks his tongue) medyo maputla
kang tingnan. Di ka ba
nagmamake-up? Kung hindi, you
really should, you know, para mas
magmukha kang babae (laughs).

MELBA
(Dismayed, to camera)
Ay putangina ‘di na pala ako
mukhang babae neto? (scoffs) Aba
ayos din ‘to ah! Siya nga ‘tong
mukhang ‘di nagbibrief. Well hindi
na kailangan (eyes travel down).

(whispers)
Baka kasi walang maipagmamalaki…
Baka juts(chuckles)

The crew gives the bill holder, the first

guy feels for his wallet. Melba waits.

FIRST GUY
(drags his words)
Naku! Wala pala yung wallet ko,
naiwan ko ata sa kotse. (squints
his eyes and bites his lips) Okay
lang bang…

He nudges the bill holder to Melba.

 Melba looks at the camera, deadpan.

CUT TO:

SCENE 2

EXT. MELBA’S PLACE. LATE AFTERNOON

Shot of Melba and the first guy walking towards

Melba’s door. They are laughing together. Melba
looks at the camera, cringing.

FIRST GUY
(claps his hand or slaps it
against his thighs in resolution)
Huy. Salamat nga pala…Mercy?

MELBA
Melba…

Melba is about to shut the door. The guy

resists.

FIRST GUY
Ops ops ops! Wait lang, wait lang–

MELBA
Uhhh–gabi na oh! Gagabihin ka
pa. (nervously laughs) Tapos
yung alaga ko kasi di pa
kumakain. Um, hanggang dito
na lang siguro muna tayo… So,
uh, goodnight!

FIRST GUY
(agreeing in resignation)
A-ah, sige, o-okay. Chat na
lang kita ah kung saan
 susunod nating date (smiles).

MELBA
(overlapping)
Ah–oo, oo. Chachat na lang
kita (murmurs and whispers to
herself) pag ‘di mo na idol
si Digong. Sige na, sige na.
Bye!

With the door slightly ajar, the guy sees a

dog stuffed toy from a distance. He cocks his
head in slight confusion. He then leaves.

Melba shudders and grimaces at the camera.

CUT TO:

SCENE 3

INT. MELBA’S HOUSE

Shot of Melba looking disappointed. Her back

towards the door, she kicks the stuffed toy,
exasperated.

MELBA
(to camera)
Ganito na ba talaga kahirap
humanap ng ka-date sa panahon
ngayon?! Ang bastos eh.

(loudly, sounds like she’s giving

up)
Putanginang pag-ibig kasi. Akala
mo puro kilig, puro saya - pero
hindi. Hindi lahat ng binibigay mo
binabalik sayo! Lalamunin ka tapos
isusuka ka lang.
There’s a knock on the door.

SCENE 4-8

Melba opens the door.

SECOND GUY
(thrilled)
Babe!

MELBA
Babe?

SECOND GUY
(clears throat) Alam mo… para
sa’yo, kaya kong gawin ang lahat!

Handa kitang panindigan at

mamahalin kita nang sobra-sobra
pati magiging pamilya natin.

Basta pakasalan mo lang ako

please. Pleaaaaase (begging)

MELBA
(grossed out)
Ugh. No way!

Closes door. Someone knocks. Melba

opens the door.

THIRD GUY
(weirdly seductive)
Hi, Miss

Seductive music plays.

Ready ka na ba?

Third guy shows his packets of condoms

 THIRD GUY (CONT’D)
Saan tayo punta. To the moon?

MELBA
(seductive in a joking manner)
Moon-tanga ka

Closes door. Someone knocks

continuously. Melba is about to open
the door.

MELBA
Wait lang (knocking) sabing wait—

LALAMOVE GUY
Lalamove ma’am.

Melba lags.

MELBA
(apologetically smiles)
Ah, sorry.

Melba closes the door again, but opens

it at the sound of another knock.

FOURTH GUY
(singing off-key)

Oh oh oh-oh oh. Na-nasa ‘yo na ang

lahat.

Oh oh oh-oh oh. Na-nasa ‘yo na ang

lahat.

MELBA
(sarcastically amazed)
Awww My Kathniel heart.

Che!
She shuts the door.

Chapter closed.

Someone knocks.

Melba sees nothing at eye level. Until she

bows her head. She’s shocked…and confused.
(camera pans down)

FIFTH GUY

Hi Miss.
(sniffling)

Melba is speechless. She slowly closes the

door in slight disbelief, looking at the
camera whilst doing so, with mouth agape.

Someone knocks. Melba opens the door.

Shot of Melba in awe with what she sees.

MARK
Oh, hi.

MELBA
(shyly) H-hi, I’m Melba

Show Mark.

MARK
I’m Mark
(shakes hand)

MELBA
Mark-Melba, parehas na M!
Pwede na natin yan icross out sa
FLAMES. (giggling) Parang meant to
 be tayo (jokes).

MARK
(sweet, serious)

Yeah, I feel the same way. (shyly

smiles)

I can already see us together in

the long run. We can travel the
world together. Just you and me.

(Mark’s voice begins to trail off)

Actually, there's this new cafe we
can check out now, it's–

Melba's bright smile slowly fades and Mark’s

words suddenly become incoherent.

Melba
Uhm, Mark? Y-you know, you're a great
guy, nasa 'yo na ang lahat actually eh.
(offers an apologetic smile). But I-I
don't think this is gonna work out.

Mark
Huh? But we haven't even started t-

Melba
I'm really sorry, Mark. It's not you,
it's me.

Melba closes the door on a despondent and

confused Mark.

SCENE 9

Shot of Melba's finger swiping

Phone’s POV

DISSOLVE/TRANSITION
TO:
INT. MELBA’S BEDROOM. NIGHT

Shot of Melba’s finger continuously swiping

left and right to the camera. Phone’s POV

The swiping continues with the shot of the

phone. Reveal of the dating app interface
showing random guys. Melba’s POV.

Shot of Melba now with her phone.

MELBA

Bakit ba ang hirap mong palitan?

Melba falls in bed, feeling resigned.

She looks to the right.

Shot of the picture frame with her ex.

MELBA
(to camera as if it is the picture
frame she is talking to)

Oh. Tinitingin-tingin mo diyan?

Shot of the picture frame with her ex held

by Melba.
Zooming out to put Melba in the frame.

Melba smiles at the camera, looks back down

at the frame, and sighs. Pushes the frame
down.

END