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turning to page one
turning to page one
HANNA is at the kitchen table, drinking a glass of milk. She has taken off her jacket and loosened her tie. MICHAEL comes in with the two buckets of coal, his face and clothes filthy. She roars with laughter, full-throated.
HANNA
You look ridiculous, look at you,
kid.
MICHAEL sees himself in the mirror, but she has already got up, going towards the tub in the corner of the kitchen.
HANNA
You can’t go home like that. Give
me your clothes, I’ll run you a
bath.
HANNA opens the tap. There’s a boiler, and steaming hot water comes out. MICHAEL takes off his sweater, then stops.
HANNA
What, do you always take a bath in
your trousers?
HANNA takes his sweater and goes to open the balcony door. He undresses. She puts his sweater on the balcony rail.
HANNA
It’s all right, I won’t look.
On the contrary, she turns and walks straight towards him. MICHAEL is naked. HANNA takes his clothes from the chair. He gets into the bath. She goes to the balcony. In the bath, he submerges himself. HANNA goes out and shakes his clothes out in the open air.
When he comes up from under the water, she is laying his clothes back on the chair. She picks up the shampoo and hands it to him.
HANNA
Wash your hair, I’ll get you a
towel.
MICHAEL washes his hair, then submerges again. When he comes back up, HANNA is holding out a large towel. He gets out, turning away to hide his erection. From behind, she wraps his body and rubs him dry. Then she lets the towel fall. She puts her body against his back, and he realises she’s naked. He
HANNA
So. That’s why you came back.
MICHAEL looks at her, awed.
MICHAEL
You’re so incredibly beautiful.
HANNA
Now, kid, you know that’s not true.
At once she puts her arms round him and they kiss. MICHAEL goes down onto the floor, HANNA on top of him. All the time, she’s staring into his eyes. He can’t take it. He closes his eyes and, about to come, begins to scream. She puts her hand over his mouth to smother the noise.