2
The next day. It is morning. THIBAULT enters wheeling his Chez Momo’s delivery bike down the lane. TOM comes out of the house with toast, coffee, cigarettes, and his guitar. When he is finished his toast and coffee, he begins to practise his guitar.
MURIEL
(from inside her house) Tom, you left the goddamn toaster on again.
TOM
Yeah?
MURIEL
Yeah well, I’m the one who pays the electric bills.
THIBAULT
(looking at the tire on his delivery bike) Câlice, how did that happen? The tire, c’est fini.
TOM
A flat.
THIBAULT
Eh?
TOM
A flat tire.
THIBAULT
Ben oui, un flat tire. The other one, she’s okay … That’s funny, eh? Very funny, that.
TOM
Don’t worry, Thibault, it’s only flat on the bottom.
THIBAULT
You think so? Well, I got to phone the boss.
He goes up the stairs and steps over the broken step.
TOM
Hey, watch the step!
THIBAULT
(knocking on PAQUETTE’s door) Paquette, Paquette …
PAQUETTE
(from inside his house) Tabarnac, c’est quoi?
THIBAULT
C’est moi, Paquette. J’ai un flat tire.
PAQUETTE
Cécile, la porte …
CÉCILE
(from inside the house) Oui, oui … Une minute …
THIBAULT
C’est moi, Paquette.
CÉCILE
(at the screen door) Allô, Thibault. Comment ça va?
THIBAULT
J’ai un flat tire sur mon bicycle.
CÉCILE
Oh, un flat tire.
PAQUETTE
Que c’est qu’y a?
CÉCILE
C’est Thibault, Claude.
PAQUETTE
Thibault? Thibault?
THIBAULT
Oui. Bonjour.
PAQUETTE
Es-tu tombé sur la tête, tabarnac? Il est sept heures et demie du matin, hostie de ciboire.
CÉCILE
Claude a travaillé tard hier soir.
THIBAULT
That’s not so good, eh?
PAQUETTE
Que c’est qu’y veut?
CÉCILE
Y veux savoir c’que tu veux.
THIBAULT
(yelling at PAQUETTE through the window) J’ai un flat tire. Je voudrais téléphoner à mon boss.
PAQUETTE
Cris pas si fort, j’suis pas sourd. Cécile, dis-lui rentrer.
JOHNNY
(from inside his house) What the fuck’s going on?
THIBAULT
C’est-tu, okay?
CÉCILE
Oui, oui. Entre.
THIBAULT goes into PAQUETTE’s house. JOHNNY comes out on his balcony.
JOHNNY
What’s going on?
TOM
(from below) Thibault’s got a flat tire.
JOHNNY
Flat tire? Big fuckin’ production!
He goes back into his house.
THIBAULT
(inside PAQUETTE’s house) Allô, Paquette. J’vas téléphoner à mon boss. C’est-tu, okay? C’est-tu, okay?
PAQUETTE
(from inside his house) Ferme ta gueule! Tu m’as réveillé asteure. Fais ce que t’as à faire.
THIBAULT
(on the telephone) Oui, allô, Monsieur Kryshinsky … This is the right number? This is Monsieur Kryshinsky? … Bon. C’est moi, Thibault … Oui … Quoi? … Yes, I’m not there. I’m here …
CÉCILE
(from inside the house) Veux-tu ton déjeuner, Claude?
PAQUETTE
Non, fais-moi un café. Ça va faire.
THIBAULT
Un flat tire, oui … Okay. Yes, sir. I’ll be there … Oui. I’ll be there tout de suite … Okay, boss. Bye … Allô? Bye. (He hangs up the telephone.) Faut que j’m’en aille. C’était mon boss. Tu le connais, “I don’t like it when you’re late. When I get to the store, I want you there at the door. Right there at the door.”
PAQUETTE
(at the door, pushing THIBAULT outside) Salut, Thibault. Salut, Thibault.
THIBAULT
Okay,
