a lot of things I don’t like either, but I do them.
TOM
Well, I don’t.
MURIEL
Anyhow, your father phoned. He’s not coming home.
TOM
I don’t blame him.
MURIEL
What’s that?
TOM
Forget it.
MURIEL
Don’t you get into one of your moods, mister, ’cause I’ll give it to you right back.
MURIEL goes into her house.
TOM
Fuckin’ bitch!
JOHNNY
Hey, don’t worry about it.
TOM
Just ’cause she’s frustrated, don’t mean she’s gotta take it out on me.
JOHNNY
Let them scream, that’s what I do.
JOHNNY leaves TOM and starts up the stairs for his balcony. TOM goes into his house to get his guitar. CÉCILE comes out on her balcony with a handful of bread crumbs. 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
