Freefall by Michael West

Author:Michael West
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9781408135624
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-11-27T00:00:00+00:00

Episode Four

4.1

Hospital – Friday night

A is alone again in a corridor.

Medical personnel pass by and ignore him. The sound of their movements is amplified.

B (voice over speaker) Hello, are you there? Hello? I know you haven’t called. And I’ve no way of reaching you if you don’t pick up. Are you going to answer? Where are you?

Cars pass and drown out her voice. Other voices are audible.

B Jack? Jack, are you there? I don’t know what to do now. I was going to stay out for a bit, but I wanted to know if you’d heard from Jack.

A woman’s voice can be heard asking if she wants another drink.

B (away from phone) In a minute. Actually, no. (Intimate.) Maybe you’re in bed. I’m just going to come home then. (Away from phone.) No, I’m not staying, I have to—

She hangs up.

4.2

Hall door – Thursday

A burst of laughter from B, C and D, off. A enters, still wearing the knickers, followed by Denis, laughing.

D Relax, come on. We’re just having a laugh. I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.

This sets him off again.

A I have to get the food.

D I’m coming too. Leave them. They want to talk about us anyway.

A You don’t have to . . .

D But I do, I do. Let me buy the dinner.

A No, no, you can’t.

D Nah-ah. I insist.

A You’re our guests, we invited you. You can’t be buying us . . .

D Why not?

A Because I burned the food!

D Hey, hey! It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. All these attachments, they mean nothing.

A What?

D I’m telling you, you have to let go of everything – the past, the future. Because we’re all going to die.

A The food will be getting cold.

D It’s true. Losing everything, my job, my house, my wife, my family – it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

A I’m happy for you. Now we should . . .

D Because you don’t have these things anyway, and holding on tightly like I did, like you do . . . I mean, wouldn’t you like to walk away, leave all this behind?

A I’m not quite at that stage yet.

D She’d probably thank you for it. You’d be doing her a huge favour . . .

A Denis, you may think it’s ok to walk away from your responsibilities . . .

D I’m just winding you up. You’re right. I am walking away. There’s nothing to keep me here any more. That’s why I’m leaving.

A Have you told Lydia?

D What?

A Have you told Lydia.

D Ah, Lydia. Lydia’s been good for me. Helped me see things. Helped me let go of my attachment to things. That’s a nice car. Is it your neighbour’s?

A I, em . . .

D They just leave it out here? You know what these cost? Look it’s not locked. Let’s get in.

A Don’t, you’ll set off the alarm.

D Why don’t we go? Right now. You and me.

A Denis, it’s not yours, you’ll set it off.

D We’ll just borrow it. We’ll bring it back.

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