Waterloo

WATERLOO

By

Cate Sweeney

(A ten minute playlet)

e.mail: catesweeney@hotmail.com

JUST BEFORE SUNRISE ON WATERLOO BRIDGE.

HE IS SMOKING A CIGARETTE AND LOOKING
TOWARDS ST PAULS. SHE WALKS UP FROM THE DIRECTION OF
WATERLOO STATION. SHE STOPS, PIVOTS ON HER
WAIST TO LEAN OVER THE METAL BARRIER, AND
EMITS A LOUD WAIL.HE TURNS TO LOOK. HESITATES WHETHER TO GET
INVOLVED OR NOT. MEANWHILE SHE SWINGS HER FEET BACK TO SOLID
GROUND. HE DECIDES TO MOVE A BIT CLOSER, BUT NOT TOO
CLOSE.

HIM: I should be careful if I were you.

SHE LOOKS AT HIM.

HIM: The barrier. It's quite low.
Be easy to accidentally--
It's the view?.makes you forget.Great isn't it?

SHE NOTICES THE VIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME.

HIM: My favourite view of London. At night. All these huge
fuck-off
buildings lit up like stage sets on either side of the river.
You'd think it'd make you feel isolated, alone, insignificant.
But it doesn't. It's quite calming. I think, anyhow. Makes me
feel like I'm part of it you know?

HER: You're not a nutter are you?

HIM: Me?

HER: Isn't London full of 'em? Just be my luck the first person I
bump into turns out to be one.

HIM: Well I'm not. When d'you arrive?

HER: Just got off the train at Waterloo.

PAUSE.

I was only groaning.

HIM: Sorry?

HER: Just now. Don't you ever do that? When there's no one
around. Give out a long awful groan?

HIM: Well?

HER: You should try it. Might help with the insomnia.

HIM: I've been clubbing. Just walking home. Stopped for a ciggy.
OK?

HER: There a hotel near here?

HIM: The Savoy?

HER: Doubt they'd let me in eh?

HIM: Praps not without luggage.

HER: Soon be daylight anyhow.

HIM: A new day, a new dawn, a new life?

HER: You what?

HIM: Like in the song?

HER: What's your problem? Wandering about all hours of the
night, quoting songs at people?

HIM: I was only trying to help. No skin off my nose.

HE STARTS TO GO. THEN TURNS BACK.

No. This is my bridge. I'm from London. You're not. Hop it.

HER: I don't know which way to turn.

PAUSE.

I've never been to London before.

HIM: What? Never?

HER: First train was to London. Milk train. Mail train. Whatever.
It's accident I'm here.

PAUSE.

HIM: Me too. He wouldn't let me back in the flat.

HER: Your dad?

HIM: My partner.

HER: Oh. Right.

HIM: Just over there. Riverside apartment. Exclusive. His place.
Bit above my league.

PAUSE.

HER: Won't he let you have a key then?

HIM: Yeah. But he's dead-bolted the door. Doesn't like me
clubbing.

HER: I see. Make or break time then eh?

HIM: Something like that. You?

HER: Don't need keys where I live. Can leave the door open all
night, no problem.

HIM: Really?

HER: So don't go thinking I was locked out. I wasn't. I left. My
choice.

PAUSE.

HIM: It'll be a nice day. See the sky over St Paul's? Clear. Just
going pink at the edges.

HER: And no smoke at all in The Big Smoke.

HIM: Yet. Blow your nose tonight. Black snot. Guarantee you.

HE MOVES CLOSER, HOLDS OUT HIS
CIGARETTE PACKET. SHE TAKES ONE. THEN HE
TAKES ONE , LIGHTS THEM BOTH.

HIM: I'm supposed to have given up.

HER: I think living longer's over-rated.

HIM: He's making me give up too much. He always seems to get
his own way in the end, you know?

HER: Makes you take your shoes off at the door, I'll bet.

HIM: Yeah. Cream shagpile. Drives me mad. Having to shove the
doors over it all the time.

HER: Why do you stick it then? Just cos he's got a posh flat?

HIM: No! Course not.
Well? yeah? at first. Not now.

PAUSE. THEY SMOKE LOOKING AT THE VIEW.

HER: Does that really say OXO?

HIM: Yep. As in cube. As in family.

HER: He's fucked my daughter and got her pregnant.

PAUSE.

She's fifteen. I suppose I should feel sorry for her but I could
kill her? after I've killed him first of course.

PAUSE.

They're in love. They say they're in love. Jesus Christ!
Sorry. Too much information. Eh?

HIM: A bit. 'S OK.

HER: I'm not one of those women. Tell you their life history at
the
bus stop. I keep myself to myself. Usually.

HIM: Puts the shag pile into perspective, anyhow.

PAUSE.

HER: You should go and try again. Knock at the door. If you want
to, that is.

NO REPLY.

Everything's a compromise. Unless you want to spend your
life alone.

HIM: He wants a kid.

PAUSE.

HIM: Can't understand it myself. Thought of it as a kind of
bonus.
Not having to go through all that meaning of life shit, you
know?

HER: Nobody ever thinks about the baby. Only themselves.

HIM: So? The kid won't know any different. It'd have a better
life
than?. And he'd be a great Dad. He's funny and kind and-

HER: I wasn't--- I was on about me? my family?my?. grandchild.
Christ. A grandmother at 35. Now I really am going to jump.

HIM: Then you intended to?.?

HER: Haven't the bottle. Won't solve anything.

PAUSE.

You need to go home. Talk things through.

HIM: I think talking things through is over-rated.

HER: Though when he asks where you've been, don't mention this.
He'll think it's a lie. Then you'll bristle and go off in a huff
slamming doors.

HIM: Can't do that. Shagpile. Remember?

HER: Just tell him what you told me, that at first you only stuck
around because he had a posh flat, but that now-

HIM: I can't tell him that!

HER: It's what he believes isn't it?

HIM: You don't know him. Or me.

HER: It's obvious he's testing you. Trying to make you give up
things. For him. If he knew the real truth then-

HIM: He might still let me go clubbing?

HER: Praps.

HIM: And forget about the kid?

HER: Well? one step at a time eh?

PAUSE.

HER: Go on then.

HIM: You'll be alright?

HER: Course. Tough as old boots me.

HE STARTS TO GO THEN TURNS BACK.

HIM: Look. Why don't you come back? Stay a couple of nights. Get
your head together?

SHE SHAKES HER HEAD.

He won't mind. I told you he's-

HER: How do you know I'm not some nutter?

HIM: Instinct.

HER: You might be though. This could all be part of some plan.
Act
nice. Pretend you've got this flash pad. Then once you get
me there, you'll steal my kidneys.

HIM: Yeah. Either that or it's just a favour.

HER: No thanks.

HIM: What will you do?

HER: Which way is the centre?

HE POINTS. SHE STARTS TO HEAD THAT WAY.

HER: I'll find a nice hotel, buy some clothes, see the sights:
Buckingham Palace?. The Tower?.that Big Wheel thing? all
on his credit card.

HIM: And then you'll go back?

HER: What? No chance. Never.

SHE GIVES A BACKWARD WAVE AND
CONTINUES ON HER WAY. HE WATCHES HER
EXIT, THEN TURNS AND HEADS THE OPPOSITE
WAY TO GO HOME.

SHE RE-ENTERS. HEADS FOR THE MIDDLE OF
THE BRIDGE. STOPS. ROCKS FORWARD ON THE
RAIL AGAIN, HESITATES. JUST THEN THE SUN
RISES. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. SHE SWINGS HER FEET
BACK ONTO THE BRIDGE, WATCHES THE VIEW
A MINUTE, THEN TURNS AND WALKS TOWARDS
WATERLOO STATION.

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