Balconville. David Fennario

She starts to feed the birds.

      CÉCILE

      Hi, Johnny.

      JOHNNY

      Hi, Cécile.

      CÉCILE

      Nice day, eh?

      JOHNNY

      Yeah, but it’s too hot.

      CÉCILE

      Oh yes, too hot.

      She continues to feed the birds.

      JOHNNY

      Feeding your Air Force?

      CÉCILE

      My what?

      JOHNNY

      Your Air Force … Cécile’s Air Force.

      CÉCILE

      Ah oui. Air Force.

      JOHNNY

      Just kidding ya, Cécile.

      He sits on his balcony with his beer.

      CÉCILE

      You just kidding me, eh, Johnny?

      She throws some more bread crumbs over the railing. They fall on MURIEL as she comes out of her house carrying a basket of washing.

      MURIEL

      Jesus Murphy!

      CÉCILE

      Oh, excuse me, madame. Excuse me. Hello!

      MURIEL

      Yeah, hello …

      CÉCILE

      Aw, it’s so nice, eh?

      MURIEL

      What?

      CÉCILE

      The sun. It’s so nice.

      MURIEL

      Yeah, I guess it is.

      CÉCILE

      It’s so good for my plants.

      JOHNNY

      How are your tomatoes?

      CÉCILE

      My tomatoes? Very good. This year, I think I get some big ones. Last year, I don’t know what happened to them.

      JOHNNY

      The cat pissed on them.

      CÉCILE

      The what?

      JOHNNY

      The big tomcat that’s always hanging around with Muriel. He pissed on them.

      CÉCILE

      You think so?

      JOHNNY

      Sure.

      CÉCILE sits on her balcony. TOM comes out of the house again and sits practising his guitar.

      JOHNNY

      (to TOM) Too heavy on the strings …

      PAQUETTE enters carrying his lunch bucket. He is coming home from work.

      JOHNNY

      Hey, the working man!

      PAQUETTE

      Somebody has to work, eh?

      He starts to climb the stairs. JOHNNY stops him.

      JOHNNY

      Have a brew here.

      PAQUETTE

      Okay.

      He takes a pint from JOHNNY and sits down on JOHNNY’s balcony.

      PAQUETTE

      Hey, my car, it’s not working again. That goddamn carburetor … (to CÉCILE, on her balcony) Cécile … Hey, Cécile.

      CÉCILE

      Oui.

      PAQUETTE

      J’vas manger plus tard.

      CÉCILE

      Quoi?

      PAQUETTE

      (shouting at her) J’vas manger plus tard.

      CÉCILE

      Tu vas manger plus tard?

      PAQUETTE

      Oui, tabarnac!

      CÉCILE

      T’as pas besoin de sacrer, Claude.

      PAQUETTE

      C’est correct. As-tu appelé Chez Momo pour faire venir de la bière?

      CÉCILE

      Oui, Claude.

      JOHNNY

      Hot, eh? Can’t breathe in the fuckin’ house … Can’t sleep.

      PAQUETTE

      Hey, don’t talk about it. Today in work one guy, he faints.

      JOHNNY

      Oh yeah?

      PAQUETTE

      No, the bosses say there’s some energy crisis or something, so they stop the air conditioning in the factory, eh? Not in the office, of course.

      JOHNNY

      Tell the union.

      PAQUETTE

      Hey, the union. It’s too hot to laugh, câlice.

      JOHNNY

      Another fire last night, eh?

      PAQUETTE

      Ah oui. What street?

      JOHNNY

      On Liverpool.

      PAQUETTE

      Liverpool encore. Tabarnac.

      JOHNNY

      Fuckin’ firebugs, man. This block is gonna go up for sure.

      PAQUETTE

      Oui, that’s for sure.

      JOHNNY

      Soon as I get my cheque, I’m gonna pull off a midnight move. Fuck this shit!

      PAQUETTE

      Oui, midnight move, for sure. Hey, just like the Arsenaults en bas. Fuck the landlords! It’s the best way.

      JOHNNY

      Yeah … Whew, hot. Going anywhere this summer?

      PAQUETTE

      Moi? Balconville.

      JOHNNY

      Yeah. Miami Bench.

      THIBAULT wheels in on his Chez Momo’s delivery bike.

      THIBAULT

      Chez Momo’s is here.

      JOHNNY

      Hey, Thibault T-bone.

      TOM

      Hey, ya fixed the flat?

      THIBAULT gets off his bike. He takes a case of beer from the bike.

      THIBAULT

      Oui. Hey me, I know the bike, eh? I know what to do.

      JOHNNY

      Hey, T-bone.

      THIBAULT

      Chez Momo’s is here.

      Coming up the stairs, he trips on the broken step.

      JOHNNY

      Watch the step!