Protection

Scene 15

Small flat in Manchester, New Age décor. Leftovers from a meal for two. Angela and Jeff having after-dinner drinks, Angela smokes a spliff. Jeff Manchester accent, dreadlocks, rolls another.
Angela	And his mother right – God I hate her, the bitch – his mother only goes and tells him on his birthday doesn’t she?
Jeff	That’s heavy shit.
Angela	Fucking tell me about it. So its suddenly clear to the poor kid why his Dad’s been such a non- entity for the past two years – his Dad, who’s now not his Dad any more -
Jeff	How old is he?
Angela	Fifteen. I mean if she’d just worked with us ‘stead of bloody fighting us every step of the way – I mean he’d have to have found out soon anyway, he’s getting to that age –
Jeff	Sorry – you got anything I can roach?
Angela	Yeah, hang on.
Angela	rummages in her bag.
She unearths various things, including the GPS handset from Scene Five.
Angela	But anyway, she has to go over our heads and whack him with it on his birthday. I mean no wonder the poor kid’s off his head all the time smashing and burning shit, no fucking wonder – I mean the mind boggles that you’ve got parents out there that can -
Jeff	Finish the bottle?
Angela	Yeah cheers.
Jeff tops them up. He notices the GPS.
Jeff	What’s that?
Angela	(still rummaging) Oh, a – you know, one of those – it’s a Star Trek thing, tells the office where I am.
Jeff	Oh. Why?
Angela	I dunno. Protection. So anyway the call comes in from the police that he’s nicked off from the home and they’re all out there – ‘cos we sort of do that, sort of let the police do the running around – and ‘course the first place they look is round his foster parents, and of course he wasn’t there, but d’ya know what they found?
Jeff	He hadn’t burned it down again had he?
Angela	No, worse. A torn up guinea pig.
Jeff	What?
Angela	He had this guinea pig. Harold or Harvey or something. Dad got it him for his birthday. Tore it up.
Jeff	What -
Angela	Yeah.
Jeff	You mean like –
Angela	Yeah. Legs, head, tore it up.
Jeff	Oh, man.
Angela	I know.
Jeff	A real guinea pig?
Angela	Yup.
Jeff	That is … fucked.
Angela	This is not a happy child.
Jeff	God, I can’t get it out of me head.
Angela	So thank fuck I mean thank fuck he turns up here – he’s got an auntie here or summing – ‘cos he’s fifteen and – and – and despite everything – two years of working with the kid and he’s still out of control. It’s useless.
Jeff	Oh mate. ‘Course it’s not. Stoppin em getting worse – that’s progress int it?
Angela	Well. Thanks. Here.
Angela has found what she was looking for and hands Jeff the legislative document that Dawn gave her in Scene One.
Jeff	Cheers.
Jeff begins tearing it up for the spliff.
	What is this?
Angela	Children Act 1989. Anyway, next morning – like this morning - there’s the letter. And it’s all there. The abuse. Years of sexual abuse from the maternal grandfather. Anyway, that’s how it all comes out isn’t it, in arson and pill-popping and – and – and fucking pet murder. I mean I believe him, frankly I believe him, it explains so much. But Dawn right, Dawn, that’s the bald one, she’s alright when you get to know her is Dawn, anyway Dawn reckons it’s revenge tactics from Adam – sorry, shouldn’t mention names, you didn’t hear that -
Jeff	Yeah, man.
Angela	She reckons it’s malicious to get at Jackie for -
Jeff	That’s the Mum?
Angela	That’s the Mum – to get at Jackie for the revelation about the affair. I mean you couldn’t fuckin make it up.
Jeff	But I mean Ange, right – how are you gonna convince him to go back down with ya?
Angela	Oh I’ve got his number. I’ll talk him round. Don’t worry about it. This is what I do.
Jeff	You have a mad job.
Angela	Fuckin tell me about it.
Jeff	No I don’t mean it bad, like. Just stress, man. You gotta learn to let it go.
Angela	How? You tell me how. My life’s not me own.
Pause.
Jeff	It’s good to see ya.
Angela	Yeah, you too baby. It’s been too long hasn’t it?
Jeff	Yeah. Life gets in the way don’t it?
Angela yawns.
Angela	God, I’m suddenly wasted.
Jeff takes the spliff off her.
Jeff	Hey. You’ve got a hell of a day tomorrow. I made up the spare room.
Angela	Oh, you’re lovely.
Jeff	Might smell of paint a bit, had all me materials in there.
Angela	Oh and you moved them all? For me? Ah, Jeffy.
Jeff	S’alright.
Angela	God. I’ve whinged on about work all night haven’t I? I’m sorry. How’s things with you?
Jeff	It’s alright. Yeah it’s alright. Exhibition and that comin up. Sold a few.
Angela	Ah nice one. Good for you. Yeah this kid paints a bit. He’s good, been trying to encourage him.
Jeff	Hey Ange.
Angela	What?
Jeff	Forget about him.
Angela	Oh. Yeah. God I’m so sorry.
Jeff	It’s alright man. You should crash. Chill out an that.
Angela	Yeah.
Pause.
	You, er, you hitting the sack?
Jeff	Yeah. Y’alright for T-shirts an that?
Angela	Yeah. Don’t wear anything these days. Au naturelle, you know.
Jeff	Right. I’ll er – I’ll -
Angela	Jeff.
Jeff	What?
Angela	I’ve been screwing my boss.
Jeff	Oh. (Pause) Not that bald woman?
Angela	No. Her boss.
Jeff	Oh.
Angela	And it’s a disaster. Everything’s just a disaster.
Jeff	Oh dear.
Angela	I’m gonna have to quit. (tearful) I’m gonna have to quit my job.
Jeff	Is it that bad?
Angela	Yeah. I don’t know what I was thinking of. We’re chalk and cheese. He’s my complete opposite. He’s your complete opposite. I hate him. There’s just something … animal there. I can’t stop fucking him.
Pause.
Angela	How do you feel about that?
Jeff	Erm. Well. It’s a pity it’s gone that far. Innit.
Angela	I mean, how do you feel?
Jeff	I don’t get ya.
Angela	Does it make you jealous?
Jeff	Oh. No. Not any more.
Angela	Oh. (Pause) Jeff?
Jeff	Yeah?
Angela	Can I … can I come in with you tonight?
Pause.
Jeff	Ange …
Angela	Just like we used to. Just like old times.
Jeff	Ange, I can’t.
Angela	Jeff. Make love to me. Tonight. Please.
Jeff	Ange. It’s not like that now. It’s not. Stuff’s … changed. I’m sorry.
Angela begins to cry, quietly.
Angela	Then just … just love me. Please.
Jeff goes to her, hesitantly. Angela clutches him.
Jeff	Hey. Ange. Ange, man.
Angela	I can’t do it anymore. I can’t do it. Every day … all the time … the knives are out … and I just … I just don’t have the strength.
Jeff	Hey. C’mon. You’re the strongest I’ve ever met. If you can’t do it, no-one can.
Angela continues to cry.
Jeff	One last time.
Angela	What?
Jeff	For this boy. Tomorrow.
Angela	Oh.
Jeff	You’re all he’s got.
Angela	Just love me, Jeff. Just love me.
Beat.
Jeff	I do love you, Ange. I do.

Copyright © Fin Kennedy 2006 - Not to be reproduced or performed without permission