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LITTLE BIRTH
One
First thing.
HARRY pulls BEN out of the river.
BEN coughs up a lungful of water. HARRY hits his back.
HARRY wears a waiter’s uniform, but no shoes or socks. BEN has his shoes on. Both men are drenched.
HARRY. That’s it, that’s it, just…
BEN rolls onto his side, coughing, breathing, waving his hand: ‘I’m okay.’
Jesus. Fuck. I thought you were… Are you hurt?
Good, no, nor me. You sort of, elbowed me, in the balls, few times, but that’s fine, I’m fine, that’s fine, just an accident.
…
Sorry it, took a while to… I had to take my shoes off. And socks. They were, like, sixty quid. The shoes. Got you, though.
HARRY pulls his shoes to him. Inside are his socks, and his phone.
Should I phone an ambulance, or… Like… Family, or –
BEN. Don’t have one.
HARRY. Okay.
Okay, well. Let’s just sit a minute, then. Watch the. River – Cos, you know, you can still. Drown? Even now, like, even on dry land, your lungs can. Fill up –
BEN. I’m fine –
HARRY. Yeah, just saying, is all. Pretty grim. Drowning on dry land… Think I’ll put ma socks back on… Ma socks and shoes…
S’alright, down here, ain’t it. River and that. When you’re not in it. Little… what’s it… Dragonflies, and that. S’alright.
Beat.
BEN. your dad never take you fishing.
HARRY. Uh… My… Uh, no. He did not.
BEN. Mayflies.
HARRY. Hm?
BEN. Them. Only live a day.
HARRY. Oh.
BEN. Hatch in the morning, mate in the afternoon, die at night. That’s it.
HARRY. That’s it, huh… Huh.
BEN. what?
HARRY. Just. Amazing what can happen, in a day, ennit. In one day. ’Mazing. How much can change –
BEN. Jesus Christ –
HARRY. What?
BEN. okay –
HARRY. I don’t –
BEN. I just slipped. Alright. I was walking too close to the edge, and I – I just slipped in –
HARRY. right –
BEN. So, that’s – so, you don’t need to –
HARRY. All I was / saying was –
BEN. / You don’t need to say this stuff, okay? At all. Alright?
HARRY. Alright.
HARRY takes a sodden pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Squeezes them out. Puts the cigarettes back.
BEN. Anyway, I should probably –
HARRY. Yeah, I don’t know how to…
BEN. What?
HARRY. I was here, mate. Whole time. I watched you, I was shouting, at you, you must have –
BEN. I don’t –
HARRY. You didn’t slip. I watched you. Wade in. Close your eyes, open your (mouth)… You didn’t slip. You were. Careful. And, you know, I don’t even walk to work? Normally, to – I work at The Bear, the pub, up –
BEN. Mm –
HARRY. And, on the few occasions when I do – when it’s light, now it’s spring, if it’s dry – I, I, go along – I walk up there. Through the field. I never come down here, at all, not ever, so you need to understand something: this morning, for whatever reason –
BEN. I understand –
HARRY. Let me talk. This morning. Something. Is like. Looking – It’s like something wanted me – like something is looking out for you. Or something. And wanted to use me to – Use me – And you can’t even give me the courtesy to just –
BEN. okay –
HARRY. to just say: ‘things aren’t that bad’, and, and ‘a lot can happen in a day’ –
BEN. alright –
HARRY. I don’t know what I’m doing, okay, I said we should watch the river a minute ago – I don’t want to watch that fucking thing, do I? I’ve just been in it. It’s freezing. But I was panicking –
BEN. Okay –
HARRY. I’m still panicking –
BEN. Yes –
HARRY. And you elbowed me in the balls on purpose. I know you did –
BEN. Alright. Jesus Christ. Alright…
Look… uh…
HARRY. Harry.
BEN. What?
HARRY. My… Sorry, you – you left that gap there / for me to say –
BEN. / No I was just –
HARRY. Well, it sounded like –
BEN. I don’t want to know your name.
HARRY. Fine. / What? That’s rude, I just saved your life.
BEN. / I just – Listen.
I don’t… actually, remember. I… was walking and then… I just… found myself in there. In the… It’s like my mind just… Stopped.
HARRY. Are you – Have you taken something?
BEN. No. No, it’s just this place. This morning. Something else.
You ever been down here before? To the bank down here. There used to be a swing. In the tree, up there – tyre swing – long time ago. Long time. From when I was little. Everything else is the same.
HARRY. Oh, I don’t know. What’s that, uh… ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river. And he’s not the same man’… Sorry –
BEN. It’s okay –
HARRY. I don’t know what I’m –
BEN. No. Well, that makes two of us.
BEN smiles to HARRY. BEN stares at him, as if something has just twigged.
HARRY. What?
BEN. No, just, you remind me of someone, a bit.
HARRY. Do I?
BEN.…Or maybe it’s the, uh – Maybe I’m seeing things. You know, I did swallow a fair bit of water there.
HARRY. Mm.
BEN. Nearly drowned there, probably. Actually.
HARRY. Mm.
Pause. HARRY nods and stares out.
BEN. I think I should go now.
HARRY. okay.
BEN. I only live (up there).
HARRY. Right.
Cool –
HARRY. What you doing with the rest of your Sunday?
BEN (almost laughing). Uhm. I dunno. What’s a man s’posed to do after –
HARRY. Yeah, I d...
