Rest Is Silence
By Jeremy Linnell
The following should be accompanied by a suitable musical score,
underscoring and punctuating certain moments.
We are in a small grotty, studio flat. Kitchen, living room, bedroom all
in one, with a door leading to a bathroom on one side and a door leading out on
the other. It is cluttered and messy, strewn with toddlers toys. In one corner
is a cot with a baby in it. Sitting at the table listening to some music with
headphones on is Alice. The front
door opens with a creak. Alice
cringes, looks at the cot, and in comes Brad.
She gives him a pointed look, going from him, to the crib. Finger on her
lips. The babies asleep. Can’t wake him. She points at the crib for emphasis.
He nods. Walks in. Takes his shoes off. Slams the door behind him and then has
to rapidly go to grab it to stop it closing with a bang.
Alice gives a roll of the eyes. This is so fucking typical.
She pauses her music, takes out her headphones and stands up, walks over and
slaps him upside the head. He starts to yelp and she jams a hand over his
mouth. Another sharp look.
He roughly pushes her hand off his mouth and with a sarcastic roll of the
yes and a “yeah yeah yeah” look starts to walk across the floor. He stands on a
piece of lego. Ouch. He draws in a sharp breath to scream, remembers the baby
and jabs a fist in his mouth, exhaling sharply. Alice gives a nod of approval.
Brad sits down and nurses his foot. Alice takes pity on him and makes a “T” shape with her hands. He
nods. She goes and flicks on the kettle. He gives her a quizzical look. Makes a
“whistling face”. It’s quite silly. She shakes her head. Points at it. It’s a
new one. Turns itself off. No noise.
As Alice is attending to the
kettle Brad starts going through the
paperwork on the table. Looks with concern at some bills. Then, idly, he pulls
the laptop over. Opens it. Gets an irritated look on his face. He stands up,
storms over (very carefully) and angrily taps Alice on the shoulder. She turns.
Brad points angrily at the laptop. Makes “fucking motion”
with his hands. Alice shakes her
head and angrily walks over and slams the laptop shut. Comes back. Finishes the
tea. Gives it to him, roughly. Points at the bed with a head gesture. He slinks
off to sit on the bed. Drinks his tea. Stews.
Alice sits down at the table with her tea, sips and enjoys
the silence. Pops her headphones back in. Opens the laptop. Begins to type. It’s
loud. Irritating. Brad looks up.
Puts his tea down. Walks over. Slaps her hand. Makes mocking typing motion then
waves his hands by his ears. Points at the baby. Alice looks confused, then at the baby understanding. Nods. Starts
to type more delicately. Satisfied Brad turns
to leave, gets caught on the headphone wire and yanks them out.
MUSIC BLARES. Alice and Brad panic, fighting to get to the
laptop to shut it down. Frantic glances at the baby. Manage to stop the music.
Relieved sigh. Aaaaaah.
The baby still sleeps.
Alice goes to get Brad’s
bag to unpack his work things. A pair of panties fall out. Brad gets a panicked look on his face.
She picks them up and turns round with fire in her eyes. He feigns innocence.
It doesn’t take. She stalks towards him, picking up a knife as she does. He
back off. She stalks. He backs. Stalks. Backs. He slips on a toy truck and goes
down hard. She laughs loudly, then abruptly stops herself. THE BABY!
Suddenly a knock on the door. They look to each other. To the door. To
each other. Who could it be.
Brad picks himself up. Alice
goes to answer the door. She gives whoever it is a reproachful greeting,
again, making gestures to the baby and ones of silence. Ushers the newcomer in.
Hannah shows them both some ID. They nod in understanding.
Point to each other, make arguing gestures, point to her, make calming ones. Give
a joint thumbs up. Hannah nods. They’ve
got it. She’s a marriage councillor.
They all sit at the table. Immediately Brad and Alice break in
to frantic, gesticulated arguing. Pointing at bills. Each other. Making fucking
motions. Mock wringing of necks. All in silence. Hannah looks bemused. Brad
and Alice point to the baby. No talking!
Hannah stands up. Makes soothing gestures. It’s ok. She
points to herself, makes rocking motion, then to the baby. She’ll soothe the
baby and mediate. It’s her job. She walks over to the crib. Picks up the baby.
It’s limp. Dead, in fact.
Hannah turns to Brad
and Alice with a mixed look of horror,
regret and empathy. She holds their child out to them, showing it’s unnatural
pose and listening for breath. She finds none.
Brad stands up. Goes over. Takes the baby from Hannah. He nods understandingly. Places
the body back in the crib. Points to himself and Alice. Mimes incredibly vicious, loud arguing, then to the baby,
makes clasping motion with his hands. Then
lowering motion. It brought us together, he’s saying, stopped us arguing so
much.
Alice nods in agreement. Points upstairs and downstairs.
Holds up an ASBO noise complaint. Points to the baby. Makes shushing motion
again.
Hannah backs away and out of the apartment very, very slowly.
Brad and Alice return
to having some sort of mad, mimed argument over nothing.
End
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