Scene One
We see an empty cab with the hazard lights on, Arabic music blaring out. There are fragrance trees hanging off the mirror along with some ā99 names of Allahā prayer beads. Thereās a plastic bag with Arabic writing on it on the passenger seat and a few empty mugs littered around the cab. The radio crackles.
YUSUF. Driver 1154, can I have your location?
Pause.
1154 please come in, can I have your location?
Pause.
ASHRAF, COME IN, MAN! Iāve got a job for you!
ASHRAF rushes back to the car, hands full with coffee, a pie, some Hula Hoops and a cigarette. He spills the coffee on himself as he gets into the car and presses the receiver.
ASHRAF. Shit! Shit! Yes Iām here!
YUSUF. You canāt be taking these liberties! Let me guess, picking up snacks?
ASHRAF. No, no, nothing like that.
YUSUF. Coffee then?
ASHRAF. Excuse me but I am professional ā no stopping while working, brother, okay? You still on that diet?
YUSUF. You know Hafifah ā sheās tap-tap-tap in my head ā lose weight, stop smoking, this, that. But Alhamdulillah I feel good! You should try it too!
ASHRAF. Yusuf, I have already a wife and a daughter ā there is no more space for a nagging-horse brother ā
YUSUF. Iām right though ā youāll be getting the diabetes soonā¦ you should be thanking me for the reminder ā
ASHRAF. Thanking you?! Oh yes! Big welcome home, Ashraf, isnāt it? āNo snack breaksāā¦ ādiabetes knock knocking on your doorāā¦ anything else? Am I breathing too loudly? Want me to iron my underpants some more? As my loving brother, you should be asking me how Egypt was.
Pause.
YUSUF. How was Egypt?
ASHRAF relaxes into the conversation, putting a single Hula Hoop on each forkful of pie and then adding some of his āspecial sauceā from a bottle in the cup holder.
ASHRAF. Fantastic, man, good food, relaxation ā no stress.
YUSUF. And Mama?
ASHRAF. You know, relievedā¦
YUSUF. Of course! Yasmin! Finally. Look ā after shift come to the cafĆ© with us? We go have some tea, talk ā
ASHRAF. Sounds good ā what time? Iām picking Shazia up.
A beat.
YUSUF. I saw Shazia in Makinsonās Arcade the other day. Brother ā whenās she gonna start ā
ASHRAF. Iām working on it.
YUSUF. She was with someone ā a man.
ASHRAF. Probably a work colleague.
YUSUF. She was holding his hand. (A beat.) You should talk to her, get her to ā
ASHRAF. I am, I am.
YUSUF. For the community, Ashraf ā we canāt have this. You canāt allow it.
ASHRAF. Anyway ā didnāt you say there was a job?
YUSUF. Shit! The pick-up ā I forgot ā Millstone at the top of Wigan Lane ā
ASHRAF takes another forkful of pie with a Hula Hoop on it and crunches down.
ASHRAF. On my way!
YUSUF. You are eating!
ASHRAF. Outrageous!
YUSUF. I can see your location. Youāre at Galloways?!
ASHRAF. You got me! The best pies in Wigan ā
YUSUF. Aah ā
ASHRAF. ā spiced it up with some of my special sauce!
YUSUF. Bring me one, brother?
ASHRAF. Sorryā¦ itās impossible.
YUSUF. Why?
ASHRAF. Your wife would kill me.
ASHRAF hits the button to hang up the radio.
YUSUF. Fineā¦ but remember Shazia, okay, brotherā¦ brother?
Scene Two
Later that day. ASHRAF is waiting in the car, smoking. Heās slicking down what little hair he has with a brush, checking his teeth ā trying to floss with a taxi receipt. He puts out the cigarette and tries to waft the smoke out. He then sprays some Joop from his bag of duty-free around the car.
SHAZIA arrives and takes her engagement ring off, moving it to another finger. She opens the door to get in and ASHRAF moves the plastic bag on the seat to his lap.
ASHRAF. Hello, baby! Just some shells there ā sorry. What, no hug?
He tries to hug her but sheās rigid.
Shaz ā
SHAZIA. You said youād be gone a month.
I thought something had happened.
ASHRAF. Like what? I got stuck in the pyramids? I became a mummy? Got eaten by a camel?
SHAZIA. Not funny.
Didnāt you even want to know how I was?
ASHRAF. Habibti ā it was busy, andā¦
SHAZIA. Right.
Pause.
I was really worried ā
ASHRAF. I brought you a present.
He passes her the bag with Arabic writing on.
SHAZIA. You think you can buy forgiveness, is that it? Is it jewellery?
ASHRAF. Iām a taxi driver ā not a millionaire!
SHAZIA. Or perfume? I see you bought yourself some Joop. Nuts?!
ASHRAF. Special five-star gold-standard the best of beeās knees Egyptian nuts ā
SHAZIA. Waitā¦ that youāve clearly opened and started eating!
ASHRAF. I got a bit hungryā¦ itās the thought that counts, habibti!
SHAZIA. Thanks.
ASHRAF. In Arabic?
SHAZIA. Shukran.
ASHRAF turns the radio on. Whitney Houston, āI Wanna Dance with Somebodyā plays. ASHRAF sings and SHAZIA joins in. The radio starts to crackle and YUSUFās voice can be heard talking to another driver. ASHRAF switches the taxi radio off and turns Whitney down.
Dadā¦ I need to tell you something and ā
ASHRAF. Yusuf saw you the other day.
SHAZIA. Where? I didnāt see him ā why didnāt he say hi?
ASHRAF. In Makinsonās Arcadeā¦ he said you were with a man ā holding hands.
SHAZIA. Oh.
Silence.
ASHRAF. Have you thought about the headscarf thing? Please. For me, habibti.
A beat. ASHRAF fumbles around in his door and pulls out a piece of paper, he hands it to SHAZIA.
SHAZIA (reading). Spicy sauce name ideas: āSauce and Spice and All Things Niceā, āKiss My Sauceā, āWigan Spiceā, āAshrafās Special Sauceā.
ASHRAF. Itās good innit?
SHAZIA. You definitely canāt use the last one.
ASHRAF. Why? It does what it says on the tin? If Birdseye Captain can sell his fishy fingers then I can have my special sauce.
SHAZIA. Fish fingers.
ASHRAF. Iāve been working on some new flavours, and itās āmwaahā. Iām going...