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turning to page one
turning to page one
Lionel and MYRTLE are finishing up at the table with their three sons. As well as Laurie and ANTONY, there’s their studious middle son VALENTINE, 17, his nose buried in a stack of science books.
Lionel is bursting to tell Myrtle something.
LIONEL
I had a special visitor today.
ANTONY
May I be excused?
MYRTLE
(to Lionel)
Oh yes?
LIONEL
You must stay, bored stupid,
listening to your parents’ inane
conversation.
ANTONY
(grinning)
Thanks, dad!
LIONEL
And mum.
ANTONY
And mum!
MYRTLE
How special is special?
LAURIE
Me too?
LIONEL
A girl?
LAURIE
What else?
He and Antony start to leave.
MYRTLE
Take your plates.
LIONEL
Special to the point of someone I
can’t really talk about.
The boys grabs their plates and exit. Lionel looks at Valentine, nose still buried in his text.
LIONEL (CONT’D)
Doctor? Doctor? You can go as well.
VALENTINE
(still studying)
I’m fine.
Lionel clears Valentine’s plate. Valentine goes back to his book and scientific oblivion.
MYRTLE
Not too high and mighty I hope?
LIONEL
Aah.
Antony burst back in, model airplane in hand, doing barrel rolls with sound effects, bombing Valentine with a tea towel.
MYRTLE
Not someone who’d...call attention?
Why bring it up if you can’t talk
about it?
Silence.
LIONEL
Myrtle, just a woman looking to
help her husband.
They realize from engine noises that Antony is under the table.
LIONEL (CONT’D)
(trying to make light of it, not quite succeeding)
And I had a ‘call’.
MYRTLE
Oh yes.
Valentine looks up from his book.
VALENTINE
What’s the Illiotibial Tract, Dad?
LIONEL
If you don’t know, look it up.
VALENTINE
Right.
Starts turning pages.
LIONEL
Could be fun.
MYRTLE
It always is.
LIONEL
They’re a highly regarded group.
From Putney.
MYRTLE
I’m sure you’ll be splendid.