Neighbourhood Watch by Lally Katz

Author:Lally Katz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Currency Press

Scene Fourteen

CATHERINE comes into the house. KEN is there. He is playing World of Warcraft.

KEN: Where have you been? That’s right. I’m not meant to ask.

CATHERINE: It’s okay. I’ve been at the Neighbourhood Watch meeting.

KEN: What? No you haven’t.

CATHERINE: It was really interesting.

KEN: You mean to tell me you really, actually went to a Neighbourhood Watch meeting?

CATHERINE: Yeah.

KEN: Why?

CATHERINE: You know, if we all knew our neighbours, our neighbourhoods would be real communities.

KEN: Who are you? Do you know why people move to the city?

CATHERINE: Why?

KEN: Because in small towns everyone knows everything about everyone else. And everyone minds everyone else’s business.

CATHERINE: What business do you have that you want to hide from the neighbours?

KEN: Lots of stuff.

CATHERINE: Like what? I mean, is it really so terrible if they know you just sit here at the table and play World of Warcraft? I mean, what are they going to see, you hardly even leave the house.

KEN: You’re being pretty uppity for someone who’s been to just one Neighbourhood Watch meeting. I don’t know if you can really talk as though you’re ‘Miss Involved with the World’. And I don’t have to justify myself to you—but I’m going to. World of Warcraft is a community. It’s a global community. Tonight I went on a raid with members of my guild—one is a housewife from Toronto, one is a high school student from Wales, one is a computer programmer from Miami, Cathy—

CATHERINE: Catherine.

KEN: Catherine. The point is, World of Warcraft introduces me to people I normally have no access to in life. And I get to know them.

CATHERINE: Listen to yourself. You just said people who you have no access to in life. This isn’t life. Just sitting at the table, looking into that screen.

KEN: Catherine, stop picking fights with me.

CATHERINE: I have to be honest.

KEN: If we were both honest about one another’s lives, I don’t know if we could be friends.

CATHERINE: What do you mean?

KEN: Don’t ask.

CATHERINE: What?

KEN: Don’t ask unless you’re ready to hear the truth. Because once I say it, I can’t take it back.

CATHERINE looks ill at ease for a moment. She realises she doesn’t want to hear it.

CATHERINE: Okay. Don’t then.

But KEN says it anyway.

KEN: You have to get over him.

CATHERINE: I said don’t say it.

KEN: You do. You have to get over Martin.

CATHERINE: You don’t know anything about me.

KEN: I know everything about you. I’m like your Neighbourhood Watch.

CATHERINE: Well, stop watching.

KEN: I can’t. It’s my job.

CATHERINE: It’s not your goddamn job. Leave me alone.

KEN: Catherine—

CATHERINE: Get fucked.

KEN: Did you just tell me to get fucked?

CATHERINE: Get fucked! Get fucked!

CATHERINE leaves.

KEN sits by himself. In front of his laptop.

KEN: I need a minute to think about that. That was quite full-on. I just need to be on my own for a bit, actually.

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