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Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru

Mean Time

MANDRAKE Pot starts at 50, you in you out.

LEFTIE Rich for me.

MANDRAKE You in you out. [LEFTIE looks at OSCAR who nods.]

LEFTIE We in.

[RUMY spreads herself over one of the sofas].

OSCAR Fat arse, get yourself up an’ fix us some drinks.

RUMY [A finger up.] Go ask your mudder. [Gets up reluctantly an’ starts pouring.] You have peanuts?

MANDRAKE Me look like monkey?

RUMY Food?

MANDRAKE Kitchen, don’t disturb nothing.

RUMY What I got to disturb but your wife. [ Kisses teeth an’ throws him a I’ll do you later look.]

MANDRAKE You want me to put you out on this cold night.

RUMY Then who’d keep you warm?

LEFTIE Ladies and Gentlemen we have a game of poker to play. [She leaves and the cards are dealt.]

[The sitting room lights dim, then shine again as RUMY returns with hot snacks, sitting next to MANDRAKE like a cat getting cosy. The game continues furious, with money changing hands more than should. MANDRAKE’S losing badly but doesn’t stop playing. The sitting room lights dim, then shine again].

LEFTIE I’m out.

OSCAR Royal flush. [Cradles all the notes piled up, pulling them to his chest.] Think we’ll call it a night. [MANDRAKE stops his hand. Goes to a cabinet an’ pulls out more money from a box.] Don’t want to rob you of your life savings. [Laughing.]

MANDRAKE You shit, don’t min’ where my money’s coming from jus’ play da' game.

OSCAR Always pleased to tek’ you money pretty boy. [CECILIA walks in.]

MANDRAKE You, get out. [Hides the box.]

CECILIA Where’s mum?

MANDRAKE Resting, get out, can’t you see adults in the room. [CECILIA looks at RUMY.]

RUMY Yeah, night night kid you’re dad’s busy. [CECILIA keeps staring at RUMY until she moves away from MANDRAKE.]

CECILIA Why you bring her in the house polluting everything. [OSCAR looks CECILIA up an’ down.]

[CECILIA circles the table, picking up a card next to OSCAR then putting it back slowly, bending too much to let OSCAR look down her top. MANDRAKE stands].

OSCAR You, smart mouth, fix me a drink.

MANDRAKE [MANDRAKE staring hard at OSCAR.] You lost the power of movement- get your own blasted drink. You asking my daughter to fetch and carry drink for you, what you think she is.

OSCAR Cool nah man. [Getting up for a drink, winking at CECILIA, who winks back.]

CECILIA [Looking at RUMY.] Mum know you polluting the place with that anybody pussy.

RUMY You should know about anybody pussy, you’s anybody’s from what I hear.

CECILIA Heard you were deaf, old age does that to you.

RUMY You too old for your own good.

MANDRAKE [Stepping between them.] You out, I’m having a quiet game with my friends.

CECILIA Won’t be quiet after your friends have left an’ it’s just you an’ baggy knickers. The walls of this place ain't that thick. You an’ her will be f-king in here all night until the red bitch comes out of her coma.

MANDRAKE Soon as she wake up you apologising to you mother.

CECILIA Hay Oscar, you winning? [Sidles up to him.]

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