Colder Than Here-Scene 1-Myra

Start of Scene

Here.

Here?

Yes, I think so. Don’t you think so?

I’m not—I don’t know

I think here is good. Flattest bit. Under a tree—I like that, nice and shady. Let’s stay here.

Fine.

Yes?

Fine.

Bring the basket over.

You want to eat here?

Yes.

You want to eat. Here.

Yes, let’s eat, you’ll eat here lots. It’s out of the sun, it’s…

It’s morbid.

It’s happening, Jen, come on

Did you see the. Did you see the baby?

No.

There’s a baby. Under some holly, a holly bush

That’s lovely. Never dies, that’s lovely. (Pause) Could you, um?

Yeh.

Was there at marker?

Two months old.

Can’t say that’s a good innings, can you?

Basket smells funny.

Found it in the cellar. I wiped it, it’s fine. Everything’s in plastic it’ll taste fine. I brought things you like.

I don’t want anything

Sausage rolls, I’ve got sandwiches, posh crisps, Jaffa Cakes, quiche, you might turn your nose up at that—

Bloody hell, mom, this lot don’t eat anymore, you know

You’re picky. Lots of options.

You’re not supposed to be cooking and—

I didn’t. Mark’s. Jaffa Cakes might be a bit-own brand. Lots of sandwiches.

I don’t like sandwiches

You don’t—Since when?

I woke up on morning and realized that I have been living a lie all my life.

Oh for God’s sake. Sausage roll? Vegetarian sausage roll?

Not a sausage roll, then, is it?

There isn’t one.

One what?

Toilet. You’re looking for a toilet to go to after you eat that.

I’m not. I don’t Mom, I don’t

How would I know?

I don’t do that anymore. There isn’t one anyway.

Jen

What just a point of information—there’s one by the caretaker’s house. I happened to see it on the way in.

You were looking.

No I just—we were driving in and I saw it and I thought ‘oh a toilet, you need a toilet al the old biddies that come here’ It’s not a toilet I want to yak into. It’s a habit, isn’t it? You get used to all the little—things you do kind of around the main thing, even when you stop doing the things you still have the little habits.

Do you like it? Here. Do you think we should bury me here?

I don’t want to bury you anywhere.

That was almost affectionate.

I don’t like—

It’s just that we haven’t got long.

How long?

Six months or so. Up to about nine.

Jesus…Does it—Does it hurt?

Just aches and pains. I’ve started to make a noise when I bend down to pick things up.

Like what?

Kind of ‘Uhh”. “Uhh” Like an old lady. Mind you, your dad does that already, I might have just picked it up off—(sees Jenna start smoking) So you’re smoking in front of your mother now?

Won’t have the chance soon, will I?

You giving up? You learned to smoke in a graveyard, didn’t you? You and that boy from the comprehensive—What you think we didn’t—You came home smelling of mints and Impulse. Of course we knew about it. Why I asked you to come, prior knowledge. Haven’t told your dad yet. We always said cremation but now it—Think he might find it a bit odd. Cardboard coffin, no headstone or—

Cardboard?

Or wicker, you can get wicker ones. Yes, alright. Cardboard ones come flat pack. Self-assembly. You could help.

You’re kidding right?

No.

That’s fucked up. Next level fucked up, I’m not doing that.

Have a think about it.

Fucked up.

Maybe plant a holly bush

Does Harriet know?

No.

Sounds like one of hers.

I read a book. You have to find things to do. When you’re off work with dying. Leamington Library’s got loads of death books, shovels and shelves of cancer. And then this one saying you can be buried somewhere pretty if you want to. Hadn’t even thought about it…Harri had nothing to do with it. I wanted to tell you.

Tell her everything first.

You had a lot to deal with at the time.

Like what?

You’d just gotten together with Mark. You were—Busy.

You’d been to three appointments before anyone said anything.

We didn’t want to worry you. You worry.

It was important and I missed it. ‘Hello love, just had my thyroid gland whipped out, how’s the new boyfriend?

Does it matter, Jen? Does it really matter. Now. (Pause) Rowan Tree, maybe?

Ugh, squishy berries.

Cherry. Flowering cherry. Just blossom, nothing squishy.

Palm tree, get some fucking monkeys..Why do they have the lawny bit there and then this bit here?

Give you a choice?

So ugly, all laid out in straight rows, shiny marble, plastic fucking buckets. Someone should go around and take the dead flowers off. Looks like a fucking mess.

This bit’s nicer…Perhaps you could tell your dad about it, the burial things. You could tell him for me.

Oh mom, I—

I mean there may come a time when you two need to learn to talk to each other..

We talk

Not really.

We get on fine, we don’t argue

No, it’s a shame. Give a reason to come round and see us. Haven’t seen you properly in months, when did you last sit and chat to him?

Dad doesn’t like me.

Of course he likes you, he loves you.

He doesn’t like me.

He doesn’t like Mark very much.

Yeah well….cause he’s flirting with he manger everyday and when I question it he says I’m paranoid or possessive or—And he’s just. Being a wanker. And—

And?

Oh you know. Love him. Twat.

How’s the sex?

I don’t—I’m not talking about that with you, we don’t talk about that.

Maybe we should.

Why?

I’ve never managed to get to the bottom of this relationship you’re so disastrously having, and we’ve. We’ve never had a talk. It’s important. Isn’t it?

Mom, I don’t want to—

Isn’t it?

You and daddy don’t have sex

How do you know?

You’ve slept in separate rooms for years

You’ve moved out, how do you know what goes on?

So what, you’re at it all over the house usually, and you? Then when me and Harri come home you move back into separate bedrooms just to keep us feeling secure in the pair of you not fancying each other…

Tablet time. Would you pass the bottle?

Sorry.

While I’m still here I can help. After I kick it you’re on your own. (Cough/more water) Ugh two big these ones. What?

Nothing. I. Sorry.

So we’re happy with here, yes?

Sure…Actually, no I think it’s a bit—

Yes.