Scene 2

Question 1

Can you for one second just listen to me without actually just thinking about yourself?
Think about me
For a moment
Like I’m a different country.
Even better – we’re continents.
Imagine that we’re fucking continents on opposite sides of the world.
No borders shared. Not even an ocean.
As far apart as you can get.
Just –
Keep that image in your head, for just a minute.
Because I actually came back here, this weekend, out of respect for you.
I wanted us to have a conversation before I –
You know what. Fine.
I lied before. I did.
I’m not planning on getting in touch with Mum.
I’ve already done it.
And she wants to come and say goodbye to Dad.

Answer 1

Get out.

Question 2

You can’t tell me / to get out!

Answer 2

I think you should leave.

Question 3

You can’t tell me to leave. This is just as much my house as it is yours.

Answer 3

You don’t live here anymore.

Question 4

Legally – it’s just as much mine.

Sorry did you not think I was enough of an adult to be aware of our legal situation? He’s had conversations with me, too, Pauline. I’m well aware of what we’re both entitled to. – I’m not the villain here.

Answer 4

But you’re siding with her.

Question 5

There’s not sides any more.

Answer 5

Yes there are.

Question 6

He doesn’t even remember it. How can there be sides when one person can’t even remember what it is that the other did to hurt them?

Answer 6

I remember.

Question 7

She didn’t do it to us.

Answer 7

Yes she did.

Question 8

She didn’t mean to.

Answer 8

There’s no such thing as not meaning to when you’re a mother.

Question 9

Bullshit. Just
bullshit!!
We’re all just human at the end of the day and
– Like I get that she fucked up back then but
I was really young, actually. To lose her.
To lose that person from my life. The woman who should’ve…

Answer 9

The woman who should’ve been there. The woman who should be here. – That’s what she signed up for.

Question 10

That’s what I mean though.
I mean it’s not contract law.
It’s sex followed by a collection of cells.
It’s the easiest fucking thing in the world
I could head out right here right now and come back in ten minutes
and have ‘signed up’ for it.

Answer 10

Pop round Jez’s?

Question 11

– What the fuck was that?

Answer 11

Nothing.

Question 12

Are you jealous of Jez??

Answer 12

Of course I’m not jealous of Jez.

Question 13

Cos he’s fucking stupid.

Answer 13

I know that.

Question 14

And really just normal looking.

Answer 14

I never said I wanted to sleep with Jez.

Question 15

And I’ll be brutally honest has a below-average-sized

Answer 15

Give the lad a break he was like sixteen years old.

Question 16

I’m not sure that’s the sort of thing that gets better with age Paul.

You had the bonfire. You got to decide. And I was fifteen years old and I didn’t have anyone.

Answer 16

Yeah I guess.
I suppose you needed her when
When you needed coaching through your maths GCSE, when you
were about to fail it for the third time or
You probably needed her to pick you up from all those parties?
When you were being sick? On god-knows-what.
You probably needed her that time when you got your period and it
was so bad you needed hot-water bottles holding to your stomach
when you were sitting on the loo
You needed someone to literally wipe the blood from your thigh
And from where it’d dripped on the floor
Someone who’d never mention it to anyone
Someone who’d just sit there and do it for you.
Holding the bog roll.

Question 17

I never asked you to do any of that stuff.

Answer 17

And I supposed it’s too much to get a thank-you.

Question 18

Why should I have to thank you for stuff I never asked for??

Answer 18

You just take/ take take

Question 19

Oh and I guess you think you’re just all give give / fucking give

Answer 19

This isn’t about me.

Question 20

OF COURSE IT’S ABOUT YOU.

Answer 20

It’s about her.

Question 21

It is about US. I’m here Paul. I’m standing right here. I came back for this. I didn’t have to do that.

Answer 21

You did.