Scenes 17 to 20

A co-production between BBC Radio 4 and Franco-German Company Arte

• SCENE 17

• CLAIRE’S BEDROOM.
  
  AHMED AND CLAIRE ARE IN BED. SILENCE BETWEEN THEM. A POLICE SIREN GOES PAST OUTSIDE. THEN SOME NOISY DRUNKS.

• HER: I should get double-glazing.

• HIM: Quoi ?

• HER: It never used to be this noisy.

• SILENCE.

• HER: Ahmed?

• HIM: Yes.

• HER: I think you should make a complaint.

• HIM: Et c’est reparti avec cette plainte. C'est pas possible.

• HER: There are procedures here. That’s what he said, isn’t it?

• HIM: Je veux juste qu'on oublie cette histoire, on peut ?

• HER: Well, I can’t just forget about it. They questioned me as well.

• HE SIGHS.

• HER: Personal questions. About us. Our relationship.

• HIM: Tu lui as dit qu’on ne faisait plus l’amour ?

• HER: Don’t make jokes.

• HIM: So you complain.

• HER: Maybe I will.

• HIM: Ta plainte, elle n'ira nulle part.

• HER: Why are you being so … defeatist?

• SILENCE. MORE NOISE FROM OUTSIDE.

• HIM: C'est mieux que d’être en colère.

• HER: I’m not angry. I’m just scared.

• THE SOUND OF ANOTHER POLICE SIREN, IT IS ALMOST IN THE ROOM.

• HER: Something’s changed. What’s wrong?

• HIM: Nafisa called. My mother needs to go to the hospital.

• SHE SITS UP.

• HER: What’s happened?

• HIM: Un souffle au coeur. Heart … irregular. They want to do some test.

• HER: You’re going back.

• HIM: Yes.

• HER: When are you going?

• HIM: Tomorrow.

• HER: Maybe I should come over. In a few weeks. You know. Visit her.

• BEAT.

• HIM: Sure.

• SCENE 18

• PARIS METRO.
  
  SHE IS LISTENING TO HER LANGUAGE TAPE.

• TAPE: How long have you known him? Je le connais depuis huit mois. Do you sleep together? Oui, nous couchons ensemble. What’s your favourite position? … Pardon ? … Which side of the bed do you sleep on?… Á droite. How big are his feet? Je ne vois pas ce ... Do you love him?

• HER: [INTERNAL] Je l’aime, mais ...

• SCENE 19

• HOTEL ROOM, PARIS.
  
  A LONG SILENCE BETWEEN THEM.

• HER: Are you coming to bed?

• HIM: Je suis pas fatigué.

• HER: I didn’t think we’d be going straight to sleep.

• HE GRUNTS.

• HIM: You want to have sex.

• HE GETS INTO BED.

• HER: No … I don’t just want to have sex. I want to talk, Ahmed. What is wrong with you? I haven’t seen you for a month. I want … you to hold me … I want you to talk … To know how your mother is …

• HIM: Rien.

• HER: I haven’t seen you for a month. I want … you to hold me … I want you to talk … I want to know how your mother is …

• HIM: Tu veux ci … Tu veux ça … Et moi, tu sais ce que je veux ?

• HER: Tell me.

• BEAT.

• HIM: I want you to understand. But you can’t.

• HER: How can I if you won’t talk to me.

• HIM: It is not about words.

• HER: C’est à cause de Londres ?

• HIM: Non, c’est tes taches de rousseur. Et tes cheveux qui frisent. Et ta peau si blanche que j’ai l’impression de te salir quand je te touche.

• HER: What? When you put your hands on my skin, you feel … dirty.

• HIM: No.

• HER: Hang on –

• HIM: That is not what I said.

• HER: That’s what it sounded like.

• HIM: I say ...

• HER: Because I’m not Muslim? Because I’m not married to you? You think I’m a whore?

• HIM: Look dirty … I LOOK DIRTY next to you.

• BEAT.

• HER: What happened in London wasn’t my fault.

• HIM: No.

• HER: So stop blaming me.

• HIM: Je ne te reproche rien – You make me feel… different.

• HER: Of course you’re different. You’re you.

• HER: You knew … when you spoke to me. In the shop. You knew I made more money than you. That I have friends called Tom and Andrea. That I read from left to right. You knew that I was white.

• HIM: No.

• HER: What do you mean, no?

• HIM: I didn’t think about that.

• HER: Well, maybe you should have done.

• HIM: Ça n’avait aucune importance.

• HER: It is important.

• HIM: Not then.

• HER: It is important when I’m sitting here, naked, watching my boyfriend end the relationship.

• BEAT.

• HER: Go on. Say it.

• BEAT.

• HIM: Je crois qu’on a besoin d'un break

• HER: Thank you.

• SCENE 20

• HE IS TEACHING HER A SONG

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