ça?
THIBAULT
Oh oui. C’est la vie. (He checks his transistor radio.) Hey, thirty-two degrees. That used to be cold. Now, it’s hot.
CÉCILE
Comment va ta mère? Est-ce qu’elle va toujours à Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs?
THIBAULT
Oh oui. Tous le jours. Mes frères sont tous partis, mais moi, j’suis toujours avec.
CÉCILE
C’est bien ça. Ta mère doit être contente.
THIBAULT
J’fais toute pour elle. Toute. Dans un an, elle va recevoir sa old-age pension et puis on va pouvoir s’payer un plus grand logement. On va déménager à Verdun.
CÉCILE
À Verdun. Ça va être bien ça. Thibault, ton boss.
THIBAULT
Oh oui. Mon boss. I better go now.
THIBAULT exits. MURIEL’s phone rings. She goes into her house to answer it. CÉCILE goes into her house.
MURIEL
(on the telephone) Yeah, hello … Who? … Bill, where the hell are ya? … On the docks … shipping out to Sault Ste. Marie … Are you coming back or what? … Don’t give me that crap. What’s her name, eh? … Yeah, I’m getting the cheques … Tom? No, he’s not here … Yeah … Yeah … Look, I’m busy … Bye. (She hangs up the telephone.) Christ, I wish I knew for sure.
IRENE and JOHNNY come out on their balcony. JOHNNY is sipping a cup of coffee. IRENE is wearing her waitress uniform. She is on her way to work.
IRENE
I want to talk to you when I get back, Johnny.
JOHNNY
Yeah, yeah. (sipping his coffee) Agh! What are you trying to do, poison me?
IRENE
I used brown sugar instead of white.
JOHNNY
Shit.
IRENE
It’s healthier for you … You going down to the UIC?
JOHNNY
Yeah.
IRENE
Today?
JOHNNY
Yeah, today.
IRENE starts to come down the stairs.
JOHNNY
Irene, what shift are you on?
IRENE
Ten to six this week.
JOHNNY
Why don’t you quit that fucking job? Get something else.
IRENE
(stopping) Like what?
JOHNNY
Like anything except a waitress.
IRENE continues down the stairs and exits down the lane.
JOHNNY
(shouting after her) Pick me up a carton of smokes, I’m sick of these rollies.
Blackout.
Scene 3
TOM and JOHNNY enter from the lane. JOHNNY is carrying a case of beer.
JOHNNY
I’m telling ya, they’re all fucking separatists at the UIC. If you’re English, you’re fucked.
TOM
The phones are always ringing and nobody ever answers them. Ever notice that?
JOHNNY
Too busy having coffee breaks. (He hands TOM a beer.) Unenjoyment Disappointment Office.
JOHNNY sits at the foot of the stairs. TOM leans on the railing.
TOM
Hey, I went down to Northern Electric. I figured I’ve been breathing in their smoke all my life, so the least they could do is give me a job. Didn’t get one … They’re automating.
MURIEL comes out of her house.
JOHNNY
Hi, Muriel.
MURIEL
(to TOM) What are you doing?
TOM
Standing up.
JOHNNY
Wanna brew, Muriel?
MURIEL
I told you to keep your goddamn beer to yourself. Tom, come here.
TOM
What?
MURIEL
Never mind what. Just come here. (TOM moves toward her.) So, did you go to that job interview?
TOM
Yeah.
MURIEL
So?
TOM
So the guy didn’t like me.
MURIEL
He didn’t like you? How come?
TOM
I dunno.
MURIEL
What do you mean, you dunno?
TOM
He wanted to send me to some stupid joe job way out in Park Extension. Minimum wage.
MURIEL
Since when can you afford to be fussy?
TOM
I’d have to get up at five in the morning.
MURIEL
