From Laura Wade's Other Hands (2005)
Scene 1
Lydia's studio flat. Late morning.
Lydia is standing in front of the computer, looking at Steve. He stands by the door, a motorbike helmet in his hand. The air fizzes.
| Lydia | You've got an hour. |
| Steve | Um |
| Lydia | What? |
| Steve | It's. I can't predict how long it's |
| Lydia | How long |
| Steve | I mean, it can take longer |
| Lydia | Longer than an hour? |
| Steve | Well, it. I don't always know till I. Start. How long I'm going to be doing it for is all |
| Lydia | Right. Well / I |
| Steve | Sometimes it's just thirty seconds or so sometimes and sometimes it's I do try and keep it as quick as possible but |
| Lydia | OK |
| Steve | But it can take longer and I can't really tell until I, you know, get down to it |
| Lydia | Get down to it |
| Steve | Have a go |
| Lydia | You don't think with your, your experience you should be able to predict
Because I did tell you quite clearly what I wanted on the phone |
| Steve | There's lots of |
| Lydia | And you are a professional so |
| Steve | I mean it just isn't possible to |
| Beat | |
| Lydia | I can only afford an hour. |
| Steve | Right. |
| Lydia | Sorry. |
| Steve | No |
| Lydia | I should have said on the phone |
| Steve | OK |
| Lydia | So |
| Steve | Well let's give it an hour and see how we go. |
| Lydia | OK. |
| Steve puts his helmet down and moves towards the PC. | |
| Steve | It's the modem, you said |
| Lydia | God, I don't know, I mean
God knows what's going on in there just won't connect to the internet |
| Steve | Since |
| Lydia | Monday |
| Steve | OK well let's |
| Lydia | I might not be using the right words, the terminology |
| Lydia is still standing in front of the PC, barring Steve's way. | |
| Steve | Can I |
| Lydia | Um |
| Steve | Have a look? |
| Lydia | Um, yeah |
| Lydia starts to move away, then darts back to stand between Steve and the computer. | |
| Sorry | |
| Steve | What? |
| Lydia |
Sorry I just
Thing is I can't let you start, you see, because If you start and then we get to the end of the hour and it isn't fixed, and you. I'm not questioning you know, but. If it isn't fixed and you go away, or it's worse because I don't know, you've run some kind of programme on it and now it's worse it's made all sorts of crawlies come out of the. I mean I'm not saying you would, you know, but I mean then I'm Then I'm really stuck |
| Steve | Yeah |
| Lydia | I really need it, I |
| Steve | Yeah Yeah |
| Lydia | And you, you did say that. You know, sometimes, doesn't it, it takes more than an hour you said and I can't afford it because
And you can't tell, can you, with people, sometimes it's an hour and five minutes and you get charged for the second hour, for breaking into it but I really I mean, when I say I can't afford it it's not that I think it shouldn't take longer than an hour, like I'm opposed to the idea of paying for this this service that you do, which I actually think is a great idea and you know it's a godsend for people like me so it's not that I don't agree with the idea of paying more than forty pounds it's just that I mean I just don't have it, I really can't. I'm sorry |
| Steve | No, I |
| Lydia | I should have said before |
| Steve | No |
| Lydia | Stead of making you come all the way over here from |
| Steve | Fulham |
| Lydia | Fulham. Oh, not too far |
| Steve | Not too far, no |
| Lydia | Quite direct on a bike I should think |
| Steve | I, um |
| Lydia | I'm sorry. I really am. |
| Beat | |
| Steve | I could |
| Lydia | Yes? |
| Steve | You could just pay me for the hour and I'll. I'll stay till it's done. |
| Lydia exhales. Smiles. | |
| Lydia | Yes. Yeh. Thank you |
| She moves away from the PC. | |
| You see that's. That's kind. That's kind
Thank you. |
|
| Steve | Sure |
| Steve sits down at the PC. He flexes his fingers. | |
| Lydia | So what if it's less than an hour? |
| Steve | What? |
| Lydia | Joke. Sorry, joke. Just, joke. |
| Steve smiles. Lydia sits down on the bed. | |
| Steve | You don't have to stay with me if you |
| Lydia | It's a studio |
| Steve | Right, sorry |
| Lydia | Unless you'd like a cup of tea, or |
| Steve | No thanks |
| Lydia | Or water or
I think I've got some squash, some kind of weird combination like strawberry and apricot or |
| Steve | I'm OK |
| Lydia | Don't know why I bought it really, sounds disgusting. Not very grown-up, is it, squash? |
| Steve moves the mouse, then frowns. | |
| Steve | Does it always crash like this? |
| Lydia | Oh. Yeah, always. All the time. Hit 'Save' every five seconds now. |
| Steve | You work from home, do you? |
| Lydia | No, I. No. |
| Pause. Steve reboots the PC. Lydia watches him. | |
| God, you must. You must really see some stuff
Things people have on their machines |
|
| Steve | Don't really look |
| Lydia | No? |
| Steve | Not really interested |
| Lydia | No |
| Beat. | |
| No? You must be a little bit? | |
| Steve | Maybe a / bit |
| Lydia | A little bit. Curious. |
| Steve | Most people there's not |
| Lydia | Well you won't find any porn on there |
| Lydia laughs and looks away. | |
| Steve | What you do with your personal |
| Lydia | My personal |
| Steve | It's none of my business |
| Lydia | I don't have anything personal on |
| Steve | I'm just here to fix it |
| Beat. | |
| Lydia | There's someone I email, OK?
And if. If I can't email, then And I haven't been able to email for days so I feel a bit |
| Steve | OK |
| Lydia | But I wouldn't
I wouldn't want you to read any of the emails, so |
| Steve | I won't |
| Lydia | I haven't met him
I It's ridiculous really, but |
| Steve | I won't |
| Lydia | Read them, no |
| Steve peers at the screen. | |
| Steve | Shit |
| Lydia | What? What? |
| Steve | I'm going to be here a while. |
| Fade. | |
©Laura Wade 2005.
We are grateful to Oberon Books for the permission to reprint this extract from Other Hands. Please visit www.oberonbooks.com for further information on Laura Wade's published work.