People Live Here

by George F. Walker

  LACEY: I’m okay.

  JAKE: I could make you some scrambled eggs.

  LACEY: No. Just sit down.

  LACEY drinks the entire glass of water.

  LACEY: We need to talk about Tim’s funeral.

  JAKE: Really? You wanna talk about that now?

  LACEY: I know it’s something you don’t wanna deal with. But I’m not up to it, and there’s no one else.

  JAKE: What about your mother?

  LACEY: Really? She just lost her son, Jake. She can barely bring herself to talk. You gotta step up here, okay?

  JAKE: Yeah. Sure. But I’ve never arranged a funeral.

  LACEY: Call someone. Wayne’s wife died last year. You could ask him what you need to do.

  JAKE: Wayne from the laundromat? I can’t ask him shit like that!

  LACEY: Sure you can. Just get him to give you a list.

  JAKE: A list of what?

  LACEY: Of things we need to do, for Chrissake. (holding up her glass) Here.

  JAKE: Another one?

  LACEY: Yeah …

  JAKE takes it, heads into the kitchen.

  LACEY: Actually, this time, put it in a measuring cup. I’m supposed to be keeping track of my fluid intake.

  JACK: Why?

  LACEY: So they can tell if the kidneys are getting back to full … kidney stuff.

  JAKE returns with an empty measuring cup.

  LACEY: (off the empty measuring cup) There’s no water in that.

  JAKE: Right. Sorry.

  JAKE heads back to the kitchen.

  LACEY: It’s hot in here. What’s the thermostat at?

  JAKE: Doesn’t matter. It’s broken.

  LACEY: Really broken? Or just kinda wonky like usual.

  JAKE: No, it’s fucked.

  JAKE’s back with the water.

  LACEY: Jesus. Did you call Harry?

  JAKE: Who?

  LACEY: (taking the glass) The maintenance guy.

  LACEY drinks.

  JAKE: His name’s Harry? I thought it was Sonny. I’ve been calling him Sonny for two years. Guy must think I’m an idiot.

  JAKE starts out.

  LACEY: Whoa, where are you going?

  JAKE: I need to apologize to him.

  LACEY: Right now?

  JAKE: (stopping) No. Not right now. But soon. Because calling the guy the wrong name for two years is just fucking rude, and I think he deserves an apology!

  LACEY: Hey. What the hell’s wrong with you? You’re way too worked up!

  JAKE: I know that! You don’t think I know that?

  LACEY: So, why?

  JAKE: Whaddya mean why? You could’ve died! I mean, Jesus Christ, Lace!

  LACEY: Yeah. Okay. But –

  JAKE: I mean, I could be here by myself right now! And what would I do then? Do you think I want to live without you?

  LACEY: You’d be okay.

  JAKE: No, I fucking wouldn’t.

  LACEY: Well, not right away.

  JAKE: Not ever. Jesus. You die. I die too. Right away. I mean, as soon as I can figure out how to do it.

  LACEY: Okay, let’s not –

  JAKE: I mean it. Do you believe me?

  LACEY: I don’t know. Maybe. But it doesn’t matter. Because I didn’t die! And I am here. Okay?

  JAKE: Yeah.

  LACEY: So, maybe you should just go with that for now.

  JAKE: Okay, yeah. I’ll try to accept that.

  LACEY: Good. So did you call him?

  JAKE: Who?

  LACEY: Harry. The maintenance guy? (off his look) About the thermostat?

  JAKE: Right. Yeah. He came and looked at it.

  LACEY: And?

  JAKE: He thinks it’s fucked, like I told you.

  LACEY: Okay. And is he planning to fix it?

  JAKE: He said he’ll get someone. He doesn’t know how to do it himself.

  LACEY: He doesn’t?

  JAKE: No. He hasn’t got a clue.

  LACEY: Really? So what’s the point of having a maintenance guy if he can’t fix things?!

  JAKE: He’s pretty good at cleaning. The floor in the lobby is always really shiny –

  LACEY: Shiny. Jesus. Look, just tell him we need that thermostat fixed. Winter’s coming, man. It’s a health issue.

  JAKE: Okay. I’ll talk to him. (starting off, then stopping) But not right now, right?

  LACEY: Right. But when you do, find out if he’s ever had to bury someone.

  LACEY’s cellphone goes off. She takes it out and looks at its screen.

  LACEY: It’s that cop. (offering her phone to JAKE) You talk to her.

  JAKE: She’s calling you.

  LACEY: Just take it.

  JAKE: No …

  They just watch the phone until it goes silent.

  JAKE: You gonna call her back?

  LACEY: No.

  JAKE: Well, you’re gonna have to talk to her sometime.

  LACEY: Fuck her. She’s just looking for someone to blame.

  JAKE: Well, someone is to blame.

  LACEY: Maybe. Or maybe it was just an accid– Look, the point is, do you think she’s hassling the other guy like this?

  JAKE: You can ask her that when you call her.

  LACEY: Didn’t you hear me? I’m not doing that. When do you have to be at work?

  JAKE: Marco gave me the day off. I told him I had to pick you up and –

  LACEY: With pay? (off his look) Are you getting paid for this time off, Jake?

  JAKE: I’m not sure.

  LACEY: Okay. So then you better get going.

  JAKE: And leave you alone? No. It’s just a day’s pay, so what’s it matter, really?

  LACEY: Well, if you look through all those bills on the dresser you’ll see why it matters. I bet a lot more have come in during the last couple of weeks too.

  JAKE: Yeah …

  LACEY: So, go ahead then. Walk into the bedroom. Open them up and take a good look at them.

  JAKE: I can’t.

  LACEY: Come on. I know it’s not much fun but –

  JAKE: I threw them out. (off her look) Well, it was too much. Just watching them pile up. And you were in the hospital, and your brother was in that coma … and it was all just too much.

  LACEY: So, you just threw them out.

  JAKE: Yeah.

  LACEY: And did that make you feel better?

  JAKE: Kinda. It was like a fuck you to all of them. Like I didn’t have enough shit on my mind. Was I just supposed to just forget about the accident, sit down, write them all their cheques, and then send them off with a note apologizing for being late like you do sometimes?

  LACEY: That bothers you, does it? You like it better when they’re calling us all the time?

  JAKE: Look, all I’m saying is that throwing them out felt a lot better than paying them would have.

  LACEY: Well, good for you. But our credit cards are probably being cancelled.

  JAKE: Big deal. We’ll use cash.

  LACEY: As long as we have it. We live off those credit cards between your paycheques. When my EI gets spent there’s always a few days when …

  JAKE: When what?

  LACEY: We need to eat.

  JAKE: Yeah, okay, the credit cards are important. I’ll call them and say we lost the bills.

  LACEY: Sure. That’ll work. No, just tell them about the accident. That should buy us some time. Our phones are probably overdue too. And was there anything in that pile from the landlord?

  JAKE: Like what?

  LACEY: Like an eviction notice.

  JAKE: Why would we be getting evicted? We pay the rent. Don’t we?

  LACEY: Yeah …

  JAKE: On time?

  LACEY: On time … most of the time. But people are saying they might be selling the place.

  JAKE: Yeah. But that’s just a rumour, so –

  LACEY: Go to work. Please, just go to work.

  JAKE: Sure. I’ll make you something to eat and then –

  LACEY: No. I’ll be fine. Just
go!

  JAKE: Okay … yeah …

  He kisses her.

  JAKE: You know, maybe I can ask Marco about funerals. He’s got a really big family, and some of them have probably died, right?

  LACEY: Right. But I don’t see Marco being the guy they’d trust to make the arrangements.

  JAKE: Yeah, I know you think he’s not that smart but –

  LACEY: I think he’s a fucking idiot. Is he still watching porn on his phone while he fixes those cars?

  JAKE: It’s a hard habit to break.

  LACEY: What is? Watching porn? Or doing it when you’re putting in a new oil filter? Never mind. Just get going. He’s probably already docking your pay.

  JAKE: Yeah … (starting out) I love you. You know that, right?

  LACEY: Yeah, I do.

  JAKE: And I’m so fucking glad you’re … you know …

  LACEY: Alive?

  JAKE: Right.

  He kisses her again, then leaves. LACEY sighs, lies down, inhales deeply, but feels a sudden pain.

  LACEY: Ah, shit. (yelling) Jake!? … Jake!!

  She struggles to get up.

  LACEY: (weakly) Come back …

  She collapses on the floor.

  Blackout.

  SCENE 2

  A little later. Building manager HARRY, in his mid-fifties, is helping LACEY back onto the couch. His tool chest is on the floor.

  HARRY: Were you attacked?

  LACEY: (a little out of it) No … I just …

  HARRY: Fainted?

  LACEY: What?

  HARRY: Fainted!

  LACEY: Yeah …

  HARRY: I ask because the door was unlocked, and there are some people in this building who might take advantage of that. I’m not saying who. But it’s better to be careful. And an unlocked door is –

  LACEY: What are you doing here?

  HARRY: Oh. Well, I was feeling bad about all the things I never had fixed for you. So I thought I’d try to take care of that. I mean, I knocked and when there was no answer I reached for my master key but I’d forgotten it, then just to be sure I turned the knob, and … here I am. You don’t look so good. Do you want me to call an ambulance?

  LACEY: No.

  HARRY: Then maybe I should call your husband at work.

  LACEY: No, that’s not a good idea.

  HARRY: Are you sure? I mean, generally speaking, people like to be notified about things like this.

  LACEY: Well, he’s been “notified” a lot lately.

  HARRY: Right. The accident. That musta been a kick in the head. So yeah, we should just leave him alone then.

  LACEY: He can’t leave work, anyway. His boss will dock his wages.

  HARRY: Under these circumstances? No fucking way. Guy must be a real prick, eh?

  LACEY: It’s a small garage. And I think it’s a struggle to keep it going. But yeah, he’s definitely a prick.

  HARRY: Yeah. And what’s the point of keeping a business open if you’re not going to behave decently to your employees? Better to just close up shop and shoot yourself in the head. Well, maybe that’s an overstatement. But if more people believed that treating others decently is the most important thing in life … then it’d be a better world, right?

  LACEY: (to herself) A better world … Who says things like that?

  HARRY: I do? You look like you’re in pain. Is that from falling down? Or do you look like that all the time? I mean, since your accident. That was one brutal collision, wasn’t it?

  LACEY: So they tell me. I don’t remember.

  HARRY: Really? Well that’s not good. You had a brain scan?

  LACEY: Yeah, but –

  HARRY: Brain injuries can fuck you up for life. And that accident … it was in the papers, pictures and everything. It looked really bad. I figured nobody could have survived that. Not if they were in that small car, anyway. But that was yours, wasn’t it? So –

  LACEY: Yeah. Look, can you do me a favour? Fill that measuring cup with water.

  HARRY: Sure.

  He takes it and goes into the kitchen.

  HARRY: (from the kitchen) Someone was killed though, right?

  LACEY: My brother. He was in a coma for a few days, but then he –

  HARRY: (returning) Your brother. Ah Jesus, that’s rough.

  He hands her the cup of water. She downs it.

  LACEY: (off his look) I’m measuring my intake because my kidney was damaged.

  HARRY: Your kidney? Maybe your brain. That’s pretty serious shit. And what about that other guy? He was hardly hurt at all, probably. He was driving a beast, right? What was that, an Escalade or something? And your car was –

  LACEY: A fifteen-year-old shit box.

  HARRY: Yeah. So no contest. I mean, here comes your little shit box. Here comes the Escalade. And SMASH!! What a fucking nightmare that musta been! (wincing) Sorry. That was too … I mean, it pisses me off, but I should try to keep it under control. What’s it to you how I feel about it? Are you going after the guy?

  LACEY: Whaddya mean?

  HARRY: Well, he’s probably got money, right? That thing he was driving costs a fortune.

  LACEY: He says we ran the light.

  HARRY: That true?

  LACEY: Maybe. I don’t know.

  HARRY: Any witnesses?

  LACEY: None so far. It was pretty late.

  HARRY: So, it’s just his word on the subject?

  LACEY: The cops believe him, I think.

  HARRY: Yeah? Well here’s hoping that’s not because he’s got some PR company protecting his ass. Just be ready to deal with that bullshit, okay? I mean, if it starts to feel like you’re getting screwed. Look, I better get to work because these things take me awhile to fix for some reason. Might be a hand-eye coordination problem. Toilet first.

  HARRY heads down the hallway with his tools, but suddenly returns.

  HARRY: One more thing. You need to find a witness. And you need to do it before he finds one. If you know what I mean. Do you? Do you know what I mean?

  LACEY: No. I don’t.

  HARRY: Well I haven’t got time to explain it now. I’ve got a toilet to fix.

  He leaves again. LACEY picks up her phone and punches a key.

  LACEY: (on the phone) Hi, Jen. How’s she doing? … Has she been out of bed? … Well, try to get her up, or she’ll just lie there thinking about it all day. Maybe get one of her other friends to come over. No. I’m out now … Yeah, I’m a lucky girl.

  A knock on the door.

  LACEY: No, it’s okay. I know what you meant.

  Another knock.

  HARRY: (off) Someone’s knocking.

  LACEY: (covering her phone) I know. (on the phone) Look Jen, I gotta go … Yeah, I will. Bye.

  Another knock.

  HARRY: (partially in the room) Do you want me to get that?

  LACEY: Please.

  HARRY: Do you know who it is?

  LACEY: No …

  HARRY: Do you want me to get it anyway? I mean, suppose it’s that guy.

  LACEY: What guy?

  HARRY: From down the hall. You know, the guy?

  LACEY: You mean the dealer. Why would it be him?

  HARRY: He does stuff like that.

  LACEY: Knock on doors?

  HARRY: Usually just when he’s high. The thing is, he doesn’t just sell. He’s a big user. I guess he never heard of the “Ten Crack Commandments.” (off her look) You know, from Biggie Smalls … Commandment four: “Never get high on your own supply.”

  A much louder knock.

  LACEY: Look, are you gonna get that or what?

  HARRY: Sure …

  He heads off. The sound of a door opening. A few muffled words.

  HARRY returns. Detective ANNIE Regan, mid- to late thirties, is standing by the door.

  HARRY: (to LACEY) She’s a cop. Says she wants to talk. You okay with me letting her in?

  LACEY: Yeah, it’s fine.

  HARRY: Good. And is it okay if I keep working? Because I’m not sur
e when I can get back to it.

  ANNIE: (fully entering) Busy guy, are you?

  HARRY: Yeah, I am … (starting off, then stopping) Excuse me. Was that meant to be sarcastic? Because if it was, it would have been unnecessarily rude.

  ANNIE: You’re right. It would have been. But it wasn’t.

  He looks at her hard, then leaves. ANNIE watches him go, then turns to LACEY.

  LACEY: Hi.

  ANNIE: Yeah, hi.

  LACEY: Look, I was going to call you back. I wasn’t up to talking before, but I was going to –

  ANNIE: Sure. But I was close by anyway. So …

  LACEY: So, it’s important then. I mean, talking to me couldn’t wait?

  ANNIE: Well, waiting is what I’ve been doing, Lacey. The accident took place fifteen days ago. And there are questions to ask.

  LACEY: Sure. But …

  ANNIE: You still can’t remember anything?

  LACEY: Not really. I remember a sound now. The sound of it came back to me.

  ANNIE: The sound of the collision?

  LACEY: Yeah. Like a big explosion or something. And someone screaming. I think it coulda been me.

  ANNIE: So just those sounds? And nothing more?

  LACEY: Well, I remember being in the ambulance.

  ANNIE: Okay. But nothing before that? How about when you were in that field?

  LACEY: What field?

  ANNIE: Beside the intersection. That’s where you and your brother were found. I told you that.

  LACEY: You told me I was found in a field? Sorry. I don’t –

  ANNIE: Yeah, that’s where you were, alright. So that’s a mystery. I mean, your car was totalled, and it sure didn’t look like anyone who was injured like you and your brother were could have made it out of that car and into that field. Not without help anyway.

  LACEY: What about the other driver? Maybe he –

  ANNIE: He was still in his vehicle … unconscious when EMS got there. He remembers the accident happening. But then he passed out.

  LACEY: How’s he doing?

  ANNIE: He’s got a slight concussion. Some bruising.

  LACEY: Really? So it wasn’t such a big deal for him?

  ANNIE: I didn’t say that.

  LACEY: You kinda did. And he’s still saying the accident wasn’t his fault?