Filthy Business

Ryan Craig

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781786821621
• eBook ISBN: 9781786821638
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

"When you've got no nation, no government, no place in the world what have you got? Family. You can't depend on anything else" 1968, East London. Over the years and against all the odds, Yetta Solomon has built a thriving business from nothing through sheer grit and passion. Ignoring all the obstacles - insufficient capital, economic downturns, aggressive competition - she has found a way to survive everything adversity could throw at her. Now she faces her toughest challenge: her family. In a rapidly changing Britain, Yetta must protect the shop and keep it in the Solomon family. But her sons, grandchildren and in-laws have other ideas… Always ruthless, how far will she go to keep the business in the family and the family in the business?

Act III

SCENE 1

About a year or so later. Street. ROSA enters pushing a pram. WALTER enters behind her.

WALTER: Ronke.

ROSA stops. A chill passes through her. She turns. WALTER smiles.

ROSA: What do you want?

WALTER: (Gestures the pram.) So it’s true.

ROSA: I…

WALTER: I did not want to believe.

ROSA: Walter…

WALTER: I hoped they were just gossips. Fools. But, no, it transpires, I am the fool.

ROSA: Don’t say that. You are not a fool.

WALTER: I want to see him. (Softens. Smiles.) May I see the child?

ROSA: He is sleeping.

WALTER: I will be quiet.

ROSA: He has not been well.

WALTER: Is the child not strong?

ROSA: No. Yes. He is fine. Just a little colic.

WALTER: I will be gentle. I just…I want to see him. Hold him.

ROSA stares at him, tries to discern how much he knows. WALTER comes closer.

WALTER: Ronke please…a man learns he has a son, he wants to look the boy in the eye.

ROSA: (Chilled to the bone at the realisation.) Oh my God…

WALTER: He wants to behold his triumph.

ROSA: Please…stay back.

WALTER: But Ronke…

ROSA: And don’t call me that.

WALTER: I will call you that. And you will call me Wafor. You will call me by my name.

ROSA: I thought we had an agreement. I thought our business was concluded.

WALTER: Our business?

ROSA: Yetta paid you off. She told me.

WALTER: You cannot buy off a father?

ROSA: Oh God, please stop saying that, please…

WALTER: You came to me when you needed help, did you not?

ROSA: Yes. But…look I need to tell you…

WALTER: And I took you in, did I not. I arranged things did I not?

ROSA: You did. Yes. But…

WALTER: And we lived as man and wife? Did we not? And did we not make this child together?

ROSA is backing away now. WALTER approaches, touches ROSA’s face. She pulls away.

WALTER: Ronke I have a job now. Hospital Porter. Grim work but I do not mind. Although it degrades a man of my education…/but it is work…

ROSA: Walter…

WALTER: I asked you, now I asked you to call me Wafor.

ROSA: I…

WALTER: Can we please, can we not be ourselves together? / For once.

ROSA: I have to leave now.

WALTER: Just one little peek. Surely, I am owed that. Surely that is the least I am owed.

ROSA: (Snapping. Cold and tough.) You were paid what you were owed! Is that not enough for you? Is it never enough?

WALTER bristles. Then takes out money.

WALTER: Then have it back.

ROSA: What is that?

WALTER: Seventy pounds. I paid my debt. Now let me see him.

ROSA: I don’t want your money…

WALTER: I said take it woman! And let me see him.

WALTER pushes her out of the way and look into the pram.

ROSA: Leave him alone!

WALTER recoils at the sight.

WALTER: I did not believe. I thought they were fools. I did not believe…

ROSA: I want you to leave us alone. Do you hear me? Leave us alone!

ROSA pushes the pram off. WALTER shouts after her.

WALTER: Does he even know? This man? About his mongrel bastard!

SCENE 2

Three years later. The shop. It is the same premises, with the same counter and the till, but it has been cleared of a great deal of the rubber off-cuts and spruced up a bit. The cushions are now much more vivid colours and designs and there are some additional items in the show room, like bean bags, floor cushions, funkily designed chairs and so on.

It is morning, before the shop has opened. MICKEY enters. He is now in his early twenties. He is well groomed, with tight trousers and a trendy shirt and a pair of Chelsea boots. He walks with a strut as if he is master of this domain, and he carries an era-defining jacket on a hook. He hangs the jacket up on one of the shelves. Then he goes to a switch by the door and presses it on. A neon sign lights up above the premises reading “BEAN BAG SALE TODAY!” MICKEY smiles. Enter MONTY.

MONTY: It’s up then.

MICKEY: Yup. Them bags ready? We said by nine.

MONTY: All right, all right, don’t be nervy, everything’ll be ready.

MICKEY: I can’t help it.

MONTY: I’m telling you they’ll love it. Trust me. I done some of my best work on them bags.

MICKEY: Good.

MONTY: We’re a good team, eh Mickey? Your vision, my skills…

MICKEY: ….finally…finally I’m gonna inject some colour, some fucking sparkle into this dreary old place for once…

MONTY: Nearly nine o’clock, I’ll put that sign out.

MICKEY: ’Cos I tell you if this firm doesn’t branch out, if we just k...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword
• Characters
• Act I
• Act II
• Act III
• Acknowledgments