The Here and This and Now by Glenn Waldron

Author:Glenn Waldron [Waldron, Glenn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: epub, ebook
ISBN: 9781780018751
Publisher: Nick Hern Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

B: ANOTHER PRESENTATION

There’s a table, a laptop, a projector and various cables in the space plus a large holdall. For several minutes, HELEN is moving around the space setting things up – plugging cables in sockets, nervously fiddling with the laptop, attempting to get it all to work. Throughout, NIALL is seated on a high-backed chair, very still, his hands in his lap, looking at HELEN.

HELENI think this goes in… nope.

Just gonna…

Really old equipment so…

Ah.

They sit there waiting for it to load.

Sorry!

Won’t be [long]. Just waiting for it to –

Pause. A nervous smile from HELEN.

How’s Martine? Is she okay?

NIALL just looks at her.

And the children? What about – I think it’s Jack and – and Molly?

NIALL continues to look at her.

Must be, wow, teenagers by now I suppose.

Ah, here we go.

Finally a slide is projected on to the wall behind.

The slide says: ‘Presentation to Niall Barnett by Helen Smith, 20th May 2023’.

HELEN adjusts the sizing of the slide on the wall, then finds a place to stand.

Okay.

(Remembers something.) Oh.

She takes out a series of crib notes from her pocket. Composes herself.

Um. First of all, I want to thank you all for coming here today.

NIALL looks at HELEN.

I mean, not. Not all of you.

Because there’s only…

(Explains.) That’s – because I wasn’t sure how many of you there’d be so – not all of you.

Just – you.

Niall.

She takes a pen out and crosses that out on the card.

Also, you didn’t really come here today, did you? Because I came to you so.

So that’s – that’s Not A Thing, either.

Crosses that out on her crib card.

Sorry!

Bit nervous!

Okay. Um.

Looks at notes.

Sorry, do you mind if I just – start again?

NIALL looks at HELEN.

Won’t be a second, sorry.

HELEN attempts to compose herself. Perhaps writes something else on the card.

Starts again. Second attempt.

Good morning. Niall. And thank you for seeing

me today.

I know that you’re a very busy person and I don’t want to take up any more of your time than is necessary.

I know this is not – not ideal circumstances

I suppose, but I just wanted to say right now that

I really appreciate your… your…

Looks at NIALL.

Yep.

Goes to the next card.

Now. I know you’re probably wondering what’s – what’s going on.

Well, let’s start with the basics.

She clicks a button. A new slide appears with the words ‘Who am I?’

Who am I?

She clicks again and there’s a picture of her. Maybe a holiday snapshot.

Who am I?

My name is Helen Agnetha Smith.

I mean, you probably know that.

Probably remembered that.

Not my middle name.

I don’t know if you knew my middle name.

Just –

The first one.

Beat.

Soooooo. My name is Helen Smith.

I just said that.

Clicks and ‘Helen Smith’ appears on the slide.

Helen Smith.

And I’m:

She clicks. The words appears on the screen, each time she clicks, maybe in some kind of bad spider diagram.

Click.

A mother.

A…

Click.

businesswoman.

Click.

A former Christian Scientist.

Click.

Your former employee.

That’s – yep.

Click. ‘Badminton player’.

And a keen badminton player.

Beat.

You possibly don’t need to know that but –

Just a thing I thought I’d –

(Nervously looking at notes.) Regional runners-up so –

NIALL continues to look at her.

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