Balconville. David Fennario

exits. IRENE comes out on her balcony to take the underwear off the clothesline.

      JOHNNY

      What time is it, Irene?

      IRENE

      (looking at him) You look a wreck.

      JOHNNY

      You don’t look so hot yourself.

      IRENE

      You’re beginning to look like a boozer. Ya know that?

      JOHNNY

      Hey, all I want is the time.

      DIANE comes out on the balcony carrying her school books.

      DIANE

      J’perds mon temps avec ce maudit cours stupide, surtout l’été.

      CÉCILE

      Diane, est-ce que tu vas venir souper?

      DIANE

      Peut-être.

      CÉCILE goes back into her house. DIANE comes down the stairs. She is wearing shorts and high heels. JOHNNY and TOM both look at her.

      JOHNNY

      Hey, Diane, ya look like a flamingo in those things.

      DIANE makes a face at him and exits down the lane.

      IRENE

      You like that, eh?

      JOHNNY

      Just looking.

      IRENE

      Well, no more meat and potatoes for you.

      JOHNNY

      Eh?

      IRENE

      You know what I mean.

      JOHNNY

      What?

      IRENE goes back into the house.

      JOHNNY

      Fuck!

      TOM

      She’s mad, eh?

      JOHNNY

      Ya ask her for the time and she tells you how to make a watch.

      He listens to TOM practising his guitar.

      JOHNNY

      Hey, softer on the strings. Strum them, don’t bang them.

      TOM

      (trying to strum) Like that?

      JOHNNY

      Yeah, sort of …

      TOM

      You used to play, eh?

      JOHNNY

      Yeah. Ever heard of “J.R. and the Falling Stars”?

      TOM

      No.

      JOHNNY

      You’re looking at “J.R.”

      MURIEL comes out of her house carrying a bag of garbage.

      MURIEL

      (to TOM) What are you doing?

      TOM

      The UIC don’t open till nine o’clock.

      MURIEL

      Yeah, but there’s gonna be a lineup.

      TOM

      It’s a waste of time. They never get ya jobs anyhow.

      MURIEL

      Well, don’t think you’re gonna hang around here doing nothing.

      TOM

      Okay, okay. Ma, I need some bus fare and some money for lunch.

      MURIEL

      You can come home for lunch.

      TOM

      Ma …

      MURIEL

      I’m not giving you any money to bum around with.

      TOM goes into the house with his guitar.

      MURIEL

      And you leave my purse alone in there, too.

      TOM

      (coming back out with her purse) Ma, I want my allowance.

      MURIEL

      What allowance? You don’t go to school no more.

      TOM

      I want my money.

      MURIEL

      Gimme that purse. Gimme that goddamn purse.

      She snatches her purse away from TOM, opens it, and gives him some bus tickets.

      MURIEL

      That’s it … that’s all you get.

      TOM

      Fuck!

      MURIEL

      Don’t you swear at me. Don’t you ever swear at me.

      TOM exits.

      JOHNNY

      (singing) “Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work we go.”

      MURIEL

      (to JOHNNY) You’re not funny.

      JOHNNY

      You’re a little hard on the kid, aren’t ya, Muriel?

      MURIEL

      Yeah well, look what happened to you.

      JOHNNY

      Fuck! What’s with everybody today? Is it the heat or what?

      He goes into his house. CÉCILE comes out on her balcony. She notices MURIEL’s wash hanging from the clothesline.

      CÉCILE

      It’s so nice to see that, madame.

      MURIEL

      See what?

      CÉCILE

      To see you put up the washing the right way. First the white clothes, then the dark ones. The young girls, they don’t care anymore.

      MURIEL

      Yeah well, why should they?

      CÉCILE

      Having children is not easy today? Eh?

      MURIEL

      Ah, they don’t know what’s good for them.

      CÉCILE

      Oui, I suppose.

      MURIEL

      When I was a kid, you just did what you were told and that was it.

      CÉCILE

      Yes, I remember that, too.

      MURIEL

      Everybody got along all right. Now, nobody knows their ass from their elbow.

      CÉCILE

      Elbow? … Yes …

      THIBAULT enters on his bike again. He is looking for his cap.

      CÉCILE

      Allô, Thibault. Comment ça va?

      THIBAULT

      Ma casquette …

      CÉCILE

      Ta casquette?

      THIBAULT

      Ben oui, j’ai perdu ma casquette. Oh, elle est en bas.

      He