Sc.01 INT INSIDE THE PUBLIC BAR OF THE DUKE OF YORK - DAY
Bob is sitting on the
stool at the bar. His walking sticks are hooked on the rail. He has
four glasses of brandy in front of him. He is looking for some one.
He looks up in
recognition and waves. Steve joins him at the bar. They shake hands.
Steve sits on the vacant
stool. Bob passes a glass of brandy towards Steve.
Steve Bit early for me
thanks, how are you doing? Sorry I couldn’t make the funeral. You
know how it is these days.
Bob I understand, thanks
for coming today I know how busy you are
Steve I heard it was a
good send off
Bob How
long have we known each other? Forty years, ever since we were at
school. It’s hard; I really miss her you know.
Steve I know
Bob Now
the kids have gone, no children around the house, we were looking
forward to our time again. Time to be together, close, do what we
want; now it’s all gone.
Steve I know
Bob Are you and Marjorie
close, you know, not bothered with protection, pills and stuff?
Steve A bit personal!
Bob Well are you using
protection.
Steve No, not now, too old
for that.
Bob Still
close?
Steve Of course we are.
Still married, still, well expressing our feelings.
Bob takes a drink of
brandy from one of the glasses.
Bob Barbara was raped.
Steve what!
Bob Yes,
raped while I was in Brussels.
Steve Where?
Bob At
the school. That PE teacher Jeffers, he raped her in the gym, in
broad daylight during the lunch break. She screamed but no one came.
Would you believe it, a fellow teacher? How can the children learn
respect?
Steve Did she report it?
Bob Oh
yes, did it by the book, went to the police, had the medical, swabs,
and the humiliation. But they didn’t prosecute. You know they even
said that if she told the school she could get done for malicious
behaviour unless they had a good case.
Steve Well did they have
a case?
Bob No they said her
bruising was not enough to show a real struggle.
Steve Did she tell you?
Bob Oh yes, when we were
driving back from the airport. She was upset, didn’t want to talk,
but I pestered her. She told me in the car. I was more concerned
about her than the road, and well, that was the cause of the
accident.
Steve I’m sorry I never
knew.
Bob Three months in a
coma, but I could hear her voice. Talking to me every day, telling me
she loved me, she cried a lot. I came back because of her, didn’t
let go. She stood by me throughout the stay in hospital, every day of
the eighteen months she visited. Then!
Steve Must be tough
Bob Tough, she killed her
self, the day before I was to be released from hospital. I never had
a chance to be, close.
Steve We feel for you,
Marjorie and I.
Bob Do you now.
You see she wrote a
note. Twenty-seven pages why. You get a mention. She was depressed
had all the facts from the police and hospital, still in her
night-dress.
What was it Steve, too
much boob showing, Marjorie not that rounded, not big enough for you?
Steve Look
Bob No you look, you
forced your way in, forced yourself on her. She let it happen. Never
moved, she just cried. Not very satisfying was it not what you
expected?
Steve It
Bob It was like that,
it’s in the note. She trusted you, you were friends, all those
years, and you.
Well
you: how could you.
Steve But
Bob Don’t
but, Steve. It wasn’t because of that, you were not the reason. It
was Jeffers he was the reason. He has HIV she had results from the
hospital that she had full blown AIDS.
Bob slides the remaining
two glasses of brandy to Steve.
Bob Here,
you have them, tell Marjorie I am really sorry, she doesn’t deserve
it.
Goodbye Steve
Bob swivels off the stool
collects his walking sticks and staggers out the bar.
End
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