SCENE FIVE
Deedee’s house. Night. Deedee has had a row with
Brownlow. He storms off into the bedroom. Shahid enters.
Shahid Thanks for inviting me to look at the Prince videos. I wouldn’t be able to write my Prince paper without it. Where are the others?
Deedee I’ll heat some soup while you watch.
Deedee goes to the kitchen. Shahid watches the video. He is emulating Prince’s moves, gestures, etc., when Deedee returns.
Find him sexy?
Shahid quickly checks his notebook.
Shahid His work is … seamless … seamless and not a little cathartic, wouldn’t you say?
Deedee I hate this fucking house.
Shahid Pardon?
Deedee We’re trying to sell it. Sorry, what did you say?
Enter Brownlow, putting on his tie. Stops on seeing Shahid. He holds out his hand.
Brownlow H-h-hello, Tariq. I’m Andrew Brownlow.
Shahid I’m Shahid.
Brownlow O-o-of course. Extra lessons, hmm?
Shahid (agreeing) Prince.
Brownlow Charles?
Shahid No, the sex symbol.
Brownlow Of course. F. R. Leavis would be reassured and so would Queenie.
Shahid Who?
Brownlow What?
Shahid Queenie?
Brownlow It’s true I’m not feeling that heterosexual at the moment. (To Deedee.) W-w-well. S-s-see you. B-b-bye.
Deedee (cutting him off) Yes, all right, see you tomorrow.
He leaves.
‘Yes’ is a lovely word. I love ‘yes’. Yes, yes, yes. No victims, no victors, just ‘yes’.
Shahid My brother Chili lives by the word –
Deedee It was discovered in South America. Chilli only came to India in medieval times.
Shahid I didn’t know that. We’re from Pakistan.
Deedee Once, years ago, Andrew came home from a party and described kissing a woman.
Shahid Dr Brownlow?
Deedee I had never felt so let down – couldn’t sleep for two nights. You would hope that intimacy would leave more of a mark. But now I think, who is this person? I want a smoke.
Shahid (apologetic) I don’t smoke.
She shows him a spliff.
Whoa! I’ve only smoked that once before. In Brighton.
Deedee Enjoy it?
Shahid The person who gave it me said I should come and see you.
Deedee Well …! What do you say? It’ll make you laugh.
Shahid It’s okay, I laughed earlier. Could you have a look at this?
Offers his rolled-up manuscript.
Deedee Interesting …
Shahid You haven’t read it yet.
Deedee Give me a few years.
Shahid Thanks. (Quickly, referring to the spliff.) I want it.
Deedee Sure?
Shahid takes it, draws mightily and passes it on.
Shahid What is this?
Deedee Moroccan.
Shahid takes his leather jacket off.
What’re you doing?
Shahid Feeling good too.
She starts laughing.
What?
Deedee If my friends could see me now …! Kids, mortgages, this would not even register in their dreams! What do you want to do when you grow up?
She turns up the music while Shahid takes another long draw.
Shahid (affecting a Chili-like nonchalance) Whatever you want me to do, babe.
Deedee Yes, call me baby. Baby, baby, baby.
She starts moving to the music, slowly, while Shahid watches her dance.
Can’t wait to get a place of my own.
Shahid Why are you splitting up?
Deedee For years I was involved with his politics. Too involved. It all makes you feel guilty. It limits the imagination.
Shahid What d’you like now?
Deedee (holding up the spliff) This. Teaching. Music. When I can, I do a lot of nothing. And make stabs at pleasure. (Pops open a pill box.) Want one?
Shahid What are they?
Deedee E. Ecstasy. It’ll make you see around corners.
Shahid Is this why you invited me over?
Deedee No. Because you’re lonely and I like the way you look at me.
Shahid pops a pill. She offers him a bottle of water to swig with the pill and resumes dancing, after popping one herself.
You’ve got café-au-lait skin.
She recites.
A savage place! As holy and enchanted
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon lover!
Shahid (continuing the rhyme from ‘Kubla Khan’)
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced!
Deedee, impressed, acknowledges Shahid’s participation. She listlessly flicks through his manuscript.
Deedee Tell me your story …
Shahid draws more on his spliff and pops another pill.
Shahid Everybody’s free, everybody’s free with Prince on the gas!
Deedee Cold, wet and worthy – that’s all Greenham Common amounted to.
Shahid I read Shelley to her, sitting by the pond. Papa was so mad.
Deedee Dress like a punk and leave home …
Shahid pops another pill while Deedee resumes dancing.
Let’s go to the end-of-decade party!
Shahid The decade hasn’t ended yet.
Deedee It will feel like it has! See how the under-classes are fighting back against Thatcher’s greed.
She grabs Shahid and they rush out of the door. Strapper is seen dealing drugs to some students on the road. Shahid and Deedee go along with them, shouting ‘End-of-decade party!’
Rave music. Shadows coalesce into a rave scene.