INT. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON
Two sisters. Woman 1 (36) is fiddling with food for a family barbeque happening outside, the sounds of which come filtering in. Probably wearing 'slacks'. Woman 2 (27) is slouched on the counter.
WOMAN 1
(chopping, slicing etc)
...you disconnect yourself too much. You don't try
to meet people, or make friends. You sever all of
your relationships. You don't try.
WOMAN 2
(munching on a bowl of nuts)
Ah, what? I try! I just don't try if I don't see the
need to. If a person doesn't interest me, they don't
interest me. Why continue the charade?
WOMAN 1
Ha! Are you listening to yourself? When they don't
interest you?
WOMAN 2
Yeah, when they don't interest me. Friends - people -
are supposed to interest you. Engage, challenge, make
you look at things in a different light... Or what's
the point right?
WOMAN 2 throws a nut into the air tries to catch it in her mouth. She fails.
WOMAN 1
Is that all people are there for, to entertain you?
... Pick that up.
WOMAN 2
(rolls eyes tiredly, languidly grabs the nut,
surveys it, throws it in her mouth)
Ah, what are you doing?
WOMAN 1 (CONT'D)
To be your "entertainment"? To perform for you? But
only when you want, of course, only when you want.
WOMAN 2
Um... What?
WOMAN 1 (CONT'D)
Don't do that. You know what I mean. When you,
critical you, who we're all just waiting for a little
bit of recognition from - just a little, not much,
just a fu... nod in our direction - when you want
people to perform, we do it. And when they're, we're,
good at it, you want us around. If not, then no.
WOMAN 2
(almost sarcastic)
Gosh... Blowing it a bit out of proportion don't you
think?
WOMAN 1
Am I? Why does it feel like I've wanted to say this
for months? You are unforgiving, Woman 2. Unforgiving.
One, two slip-ups and that's it. You don't... hold
out, you don't try.
WOMAN 2
(a bit angry, struggling with her words)
Maybe... God, if you want to get into this... Maybe I
just don't want to settle, alright? Hey? Maybe it's
because... because I don't want to fake it! I don't
want to waste my time, to want to drill my head in
out of boredom just for... what? For 'comfort'? For
'contact'? For WHAT? I don't want...
I don't want to settle, alright?
WOMAN 1
So are you saying that I settled for Mark?
WOMAN 2
No, fuck! I'm fucking not. Did I mention you...
Trails off as a boy (4) wanders into the kitchen, clutching at his pink-stained shirt.
WOMAN 2
(gives him a nod)
Sup.
BOY
(stares at her with interest, while speaking)
Mommy...
WOMAN 1
(glaring at Woman 2, she picks the child up)
What is it, sweet?
BOY
(staring only at his shirt)
I spilt...
WOMAN 1
(puts him down and takes off his shirt)
That's okay, don't worry, just give me this...
And go have a swim to get rid of the sticky. Ask
Daddy to help you if you want another shirt, ok?
BOY
Okey-dokey...
The boy wanders aimlessly away, puffing and depuffing his cheeks, repeating 'okey-dokey' underneath his breath. His head narrowly grazes underneath an open cupboard door. He feels it, hovers there for a few seconds letting his arms rise by his sides. 'Okey-dokey' grows louder and louder and then drops, and he carries on.
WOMAN 2
(watching the boy walk away)
Does that kid have access to marijuana?
WOMAN 1
(unimpressed, chopping vegetables)
Don't...
WOMAN 2
(sighs)
Look... If you're happy, you shouldn't be getting
upset about this. If you haven't settled, Woman 1,
then why do you care? Or more importantly, why
can't you understand why I won't? ... If you have
what you have always wanted, and if it's worth it,
if it's as good as it should be, Woman 1...
Maybe this conversation has more to do with you
than it does me.
WOMAN 1
You're not as young as you think, Woman 2...
WOMAN 2
You're not as old!
WOMAN 1
Ah, always! You're always just deflecting, making
sure the conversation doesn't land on you!
WOMAN 2
No, no I don't think so. I'm just looking at things
a little bit more rationally than you.
WOMAN 1
Oh, of course, of course you are. More rationally,
'better'. What makes your way right, hmm? What makes
you right?
WOMAN 2
God, I don't fucking care if it's right! ...
WOMAN 1
(interjecting)
Stop swearing!
WOMAN 2 (CONT'D)
Ah, I don't care if it's right! Or right in your
eyes anyway! It makes sense to me, doesn't it?
I've thought it through! Rationally, logically,
emotionally, to me, it's right. Christ, if we're
not living to our own expectations and standards
in this world, whose are we fucking living for,
Woman 1?
WOMAN 1
(after a few seconds)
Your family's? Your friend's? The ones who love
you? Who only want to see you happy. Sometimes -
not all the time for you of course, you couldn't
handle it - but sometimes, Woman 2, sometimes
you can live up to your loved one's expectations.
Everyone's always trying to make you happy Woman
2. Why can't you want the same for us?
A few seconds of silence.
WOMAN 2
(avoiding eye contact)
Jesus. I do want the same for...
WOMAN 1
(interjecting)
The potatoes are getting cold.
WOMAN 1 grabs a pan and walks out, leaving WOMAN 2 alone.