Setting: Stef and his mother, Mary, are having dinner together in their dining room.
Mary: How was your day?
Stef: OK.
Mary: Have you finished your homework?
Stef: I’ll do it later. By the way, where’s dad?
Mary: Oh, still working, probably. I wonder where my Laura Ashley evening dress went to?
Stef: Mum, dad can’t possibly be working. He’s…
Mary: Perhaps I should get a new one. There’s this really adorable dress at Ted Baker that I just have to get!
Stef: Mum, you don’t need a new dress. The old ones are just fine.
Mary: But it’ll be perfect for this gala dinner I’m going to on Saturday.
Stef: We can’t afford it now, Mum. Not with dad re…
Mary: And I’ll have to get shoes, and a bag to go with it. And make an appointment with the hairdresser…
Stef (interrupting loudly): We haven’t got money for that anymore!
Mary: [Pause] Have you finished your homework yet?
Stef: Mum, you know as well as I do that things are changing.
Mary: Oh are things changing in school? You still have to do your homework, Stef.
Stef (exasperated): That’s not what I meant.
Mary: I think you should go and do your homework now.
Stef: Mum, face up to the truth.
Mary starts clearing the dishes and hums a little tune.
Stef (quietly): Dad’s retrenched, Mum. He’s retrenched.
Mary continues to clear the dishes.
Stef (stands up and bangs the table): DAD LOST HIS JOB!
Mary drops the dishes she was carrying.
Mary (yelling): You have no right to talk to me like that!
Stef: Mum, please…
Mary (sobbing): It’s so hard. I can’t…It’s not true. How could it be? We’ll be alright… He’ll find a job. Things will be back to normal. Right, Stef?
well now, how about that? i'm much happier with this than i am about the creative writing story i churned out. gwah. probably because this isn't a solo effort and the creative writing one was. haha. anyone wants to suffer and read the story that i am handing in? heh.