Millennium Green (opposite The Old Vic), 4:00pm, Wednesday, late June

Characters: 

SARAH (early 40s), Fizzy ginger hair (which is actually a wig)

JAY (7), SARAH’s son.

Scene: Millennium Green (opposite The Old Vic), 4:00pm, Wednesday, late June, very warm day. SARAH sits on the grass on her puffa jacket, shoes off, legs outstretched, taking in the sun. She has earphones in and is humming along tunelessly. JAY enters running.

JAY: Mum!

[SARAH does not hear him and continues to hum]

Mum! [He shoves her]

SARAH: Oh! Now I told you to go home and Gran would be round.

JAY: Yeah I know but-

SARAH: Well why’ve you come here then? Eh?

JAY: You gave me the-

SARAH: She’ll give you your tea. Honestly Jay you’re a big boy now. Mummy just wants five minutes to herself it’s been a busy day.

JAY: [Shouts] You gave me the wrong key! [Pause] Look this isn’t our key! [Pause] Look!

SARAH: Oh well what’s this? Did you lose it on the way there?

JAY: No!

SARAH: Well what’s this key then? I mean this is just like the safe key at work [Jumps to her feet] Shit. Why didn’t you tell me when I gave you this! O my lor’!

JAY: I didn’t know-

SARAH: [Fast] They’ll sack me [Walking at a pace out of Millennium Green] They’ll stop my wages, they’ll take it out of my wages, I’ll have to leave Tescos. They’ll all laugh at me. I’ll not be able to work at Elephant, I’ll have a black mark against me. [Stops walking] I’ll say it was Gran [Pause] I’ll say she’s senile [walks at pace again] 

JAY: It wasn’t Gran’s fault-

SARAH: Do you want to eat sugar sandwiches again for a week? Do you? No! You know how it is with the dole.

JAY: But if Darren-

SARAH: [Slaps him on the head] Don’t you start on my Darren! He’s the one bit of happiness I’ve got the one last bit. He works night and day for us, for you sunshine you - should remember that. He has his other kids to worry about too and he still finds it in his heart to [stops walking again] who else knows you got this key?

JAY: No one, I came straight-

SARAH: Shush let mummy think. If no one knows I can return it easy.

JAY: You won’t have to blame Gran?

SARAH: [To herself] I wonder how much is in there? They’ll not have locked up yet. Few grand. 

JAY: Mum…

SARAH: Go home Jay, mummy’s going to work.