Away by Michael Gow

Author:Michael Gow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Currency Press
Published: 2013-05-24T00:00:00+00:00

SCENE TWO

A tent and caravan city.

GWEN carries a twelve-inch fake Christmas tree.

GWEN: If you want to have a Christmas you’d better get started now so we can get it over with. Hurry up. I don’t intend spending half the day sitting around waiting for people to open their presents.

MEG enters.

Everyone else has been up for hours and got the thing over with. Look, they’re all down on the beach already. Most of the boats have gone out. There’ll be no fish left out there for us. [Calling] You kids there! Get those bikes away from the tent ropes! Go on! You’ll fall off! You’ll end up with a tent peg through your skull! Won’t be much of a Christmas then, will it?. Go on! [Back to MEG] Why would you give a kiddy a bike in a camping ground? They should think about what they give their children for Christmas. And the salt water’ll rust them in a week. And on Christmas morning you can’t walk to the shower block without being mown down by a whole pack of scooters and bikes.

JIM enters.

JIM: Has anyone seen a little carton?

GWEN: No.

JIM: A cardboard carton about so big.

GWEN: What carton?

JIM: One of those cartons you bring home from the supermarket. I kept it from going out in the garbage.

GWEN: I haven’t seen it.

JIM: Not when we unpacked?

GWEN: No.

JIM: It must be somewhere.

GWEN: What do you need a cardboard carton for?

MEG: What was in it?

JIM: Oh… something.

GWEN: You packed the car.

JIM: I was sure I left it with the cases.

GWEN: Well, I didn’t see any cartons, cardboard or otherwise.

JIM: Don’t tell me it didn’t come with us. It can’t have been left behind.

GWEN: Well, what was in it that was so important?

JIM: You sure you haven’t seen it?

GWEN: Do you want to search the place?

JIM: It must have come. Oh, no.

MEG: What was in it?

JIM: All my presents for you. I hid them in a little carton and put it with all the other stuff so you wouldn’t notice it.

GWEN: Oh, well, it looks like you hid them a bit too well. That’s a shame. Well, we may as well have what’s left of Christmas anyway. Margaret, Merry Christmas. These are the books you’ll need. This one’s underwear. Jim, there are your socks. That’s your fishing reel. I hope it’s the one you asked for. Merry Christmas.

JIM: I can’t believe it. How did it happen? I’m sorry.

GWEN: Now don’t throw the wrapping paper everywhere. I’m not spending the day chasing wrapping paper all over the State. Though it doesn’t look like there’ll be much this year.

JIM: I hid them in a cardboard box. I left it with the suitcases so it would just get packed, no questions asked, and you wouldn’t suspect and look inside.

GWEN: That backfired. And we go without Christmas. [To MEG] Are you going to hand yours over? Or can I go and start lunch?

MEG: Here you are. Merry Christmas.

GWEN: Thanks. Are these the…?

MEG: Yes, the plastic mugs.

GWEN: Marvellous. Thank you.

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