Read Online Ditch by Beth Steel - Free Book Online

Burns and Mrs Peel look at each other, at Bug stood in the distance between them, then back at each other.
    Burns I’ll be goin’ then.
    Burns makes to leave.
    Mrs Peel How long you gonna be?
    Burns Few hours.
    They look at Bug (oblivious that he is an obstacle) and then at the floor .
    Mrs Peel How many?
    Burns Four.
    Mrs Peel Four?
    Burns Five, maybe.
    They look at each other .
    Burns Can’t say for sure.
    Mrs Peel No, course not.
    Burns makes to leave; stops.
    Burns About yesterday . . .
    Mrs Peel looks at Bug .
    Mrs Peel What about it?
    Burns The way I . . .
    Burns looks at Bug .
    Burns Don’t want yer to think that I just wanted . . .
    They both look at Bug , then at each other.
    Burns I could sit and listen to you say the alphabet.
    Beat.
    Turner ( Offstage. ) Burns!
    Burns I gotta go now.
    Burns leaves. Mrs Peel stands still for a few seconds; feels his absence. She starts folding the washing that Megan left behind. The rain continues to pour.
    Bug You remember the drizzle, Mrs Peel?
    Beat.
    Bug Constant . . . steady. Never seemed to end, did it? People complained about that. But it dint really affect us much. we were used to it. But now, it’s different. Violent . . . unpredictable. I been out in the worst a’ it. Laid there at night listenin’ to it. Thinkin’ to myself this can’t go on . . . and it always did. But now . . . I think the atmosphere’s finally broken apart.
    Mrs Peel has stopped folding.
    Bug You understand what I mean?
    Beat.
    Mrs Peel I was out walkin’ one time just after a downpour a’ rain. The kind we weren’t used to back then. I’m walkin’ close to a stream and further down on a rock I see a deer. Mindin’ its own business, grazin’ it was. When out a’ nowhere, and at a deadly speed, a ragin’ current a’ water is comin’ right at it. Deer freezes as the water rises all around it. Before, life was like a meanderin’ stream. Takin’ its time. Movin’ casually. Now, it’s like a flash flood. Deceptive. Can get you anytime.
    Mrs Peel picks up the pile of washing.
    Bug What the deer do?
    Mrs Peel It got the fuck out a’ there.
    Mrs Peel leaves .
    Bug Too late.
    Scene Six
    Kitchen. Afternoon. Four hours have passed. Rain.
    Megan is sat peeling potatoes. Mrs Peel is tuning the American radio – various scraps of news, weather, music – she switches it off. She goes to the window, stares out for a while. She comes away from the window and sits at the table. Pause.
    Mrs Peel Takin’ too much skin off.
    Mrs Peel fiddles with the potato peelings.
    Mrs Peel Look at that, waste a’ tater. ( Suddenly alert. ) That horses?
    Mrs Peel rushes to the window.
    Mrs Peel Wind . . . just hearing the wind.
    Mrs Peel comes away from the window.
    Mrs Peel I need to get that bird in the oven, it’s as old as me and it’ll end up as tough if I don’t have it in long enough. You muckin’ out them stables after that. Mulch some a’ the shit inta soil. Then yer can give me a hand gettin’ them sheep inta the byres . . . winter’s on its way in . . . gotta pluck that bird . . . I’ll peel them taters.
    Mrs Peel goes to Megan .
    Mrs Peel Give me the knife.
    Megan I know how to peel a’ tater.
    Mrs Peel You abusin’ that tater.
    Megan lobs the tater.
    Megan That’s abuse.
    Beat.
    Mrs Peel Pick it up.
    Megan You pick it up.
    Mrs Peel I dint throw it.
    Megan You thrown away everythin’ else.
    Mrs Peel Watch your mouth.
    Megan Say what I want.
    Mrs Peel Not to me you won’t.
    Megan You don’t want a’ hear it.
    Mrs Peel Damn right I don’t.
    Megan None a’ you did, none a’ you ever did, all this is cause a’ you.
    Mrs Peel You have no right –
    Megan I have my right cause you had everythin’ and left me nothin’.
    Mrs Peel We’re all payin’ for it.
    Megan You made your bed and you lyin’ in it.
    Mrs Peel How