Excerpt from 5 1/2: Montreal Suite

Lara Szabo Greisman

Mike and Marion are in an apartment shared by four people. Attempting to ask Marion out, Mike has just revealed the fact that her father is Aboriginal, which she didn't know. The characters are in their late 20's.

MIKE : Marion, please. I didn't mean to-oh shit, please don't-

Marion crumples on the floor and starts to sob. Mike awkwardly sits down as well. He reaches a hand out and pats her on the shoulder.

Ahmed enters.

AHMED : I'm home! (Beat) What the hell did you do?!

MIKE : Nothing!

AHMED : Girl's crying! Don't give me that crap!

MIKE : I didn't do it! I might've said something but...I-

AHMED : You might've! Look at that!

Ahmed takes Marion in his arms, she clings to him. She is crying, more softly now but when he hugs her she starts to sob again.

AHMED : Come're, Come're. What happened?

MARION : Why didn't she tell me? Never, she never told me!

AHMED : What a bitch! (to Mike) What's she talking about?

MIKE : Well...

AHMED : Hold on girl. Breathe for me.

MARION : (gets herself together). You know what's funny?

AHMED : No, you tell me baby.

MARION : It's not funny.

AHMED : Tell me anyway.

MARION : Tomorrow...you know what tomorrow is?

AHMED : Is this more activist shit?

MARION : It's against occupied land. Aboriginal peoples' land, his la-holy fuck, its so fucking ironic.

MIKE : Her Dad is native, I think. I heard that from her Mom but-apparently Marion didn't-

AHMED : Oh! No way!

MARION: I don't know...I mean, now what...

AHMED : So that's why you're cute.

MIKE : Ahmed, now is not the time to-

MARION : I-I'm not sure how to put this all together.

AHMED : So you're fighting your own fight now, hey? Congratulations.

MARION : How do you know, how is it that easy? Is it my fight? Who am I to protest... I was, no, I still am the problem.

AHMED : How is it not your fight? You're in this city, in this messed culture just like the rest of us. You looking for settlers? You found 'em.

MARION : But I feel-I don't belong!

AHMED : No one fucking belongs! Even white boy Mike doesn't belong! Don't you get it?!

MARION : You don't get it, (she pushes him away) I'm a fraud! A fucking fraud! A liar, a fake. Now it's all different to me. Know why? 'Cause it's real. The human face on this shit, it's mine. Oh my god, I was all bullshit before: self-righteous, save the fucking world bullshit. Like little blonde smiling voluntourism: I was the same. Better than it. Above it. It was all-all-

She gets up and throws a fit. Her sadness turns to anger and she yells 'lies', 'bullshit', 'fake' while kicking the couch as hard as she can. Ahmed watches her for a second then joins her in kicking the shit out of the couch. Mike joins too, but cautiously. The couch breaks. The screams turn into laughter at the situation.

MARION : Oh my god, we killed the couch.

AHMED : Let's colonize that shit.

They sit on the broken pieces of the couch together.

MIKE : That felt good.

MARION : Yeah.

MIKE : (To Marion) Hey, I'm sorry

MARION : Oh Mike, don't worry. Thanks, I guess. A lot to think about. I gotta talk to my Mom.

AHMED : Yeah, now you're legit.

MARION : Oh fuck off, I was for real before. Sincere, you know.

AHMED : Yes...and?

MIKE : It's the same then, isn't it? I mean, it doesn't really change that much does it? Knowing your background.

AHMED : Listen Mike-O, here's a secret: Yes it does.

MIKE : What do you mean?

AHMED : You might not get it. You ever been the only white guy in the room?

MIKE : Uh...no. Well once...

AHMED : Hey, why don't we all do the action-activist-get your ass deported thing tomorrow.

MARION : You want to?

AHMED : Why not.

MIKE : Since when are you into this? Like, land issues stuff. You don't seem like the type...

AHMED : Check it: I've been on this one longer than you've been around Mike-O.

MIKE : Hold old are you? 27-28?

AHMED : Sure.

MIKE : So why's this 'your' thing?

MARION : Some people just have an issue, like one particularly.

MIKE : But this is Ahmed! I can't see him rallying people to protest unless the internet was down on his Blackberry or something.

AHMED : (to Mike) Is there something I should know, or are you just being a dick?

MARION : (to Ahmed) It would be great to have you there tomorrow.

AHMED : Don't expect me to be there everytime, okay. Mike-o's right on that.

MARION : Why this time?

MIKE : Yeah, why now?

AHMED : I'll tell you another secret. (beat) I have three faces.

MIKE : Is he messing with me? I hate it when people think I'm gullible.

AHMED : No, this is for real. Listen. So you got your man in sweet threads, he's going places. He's got a business, he gets the girl, He's hot shit. It's true.

MIKE : Unbelievable.

AHMED : Then you've got the family man. I go to my parents' place on the weekend. I bring money, desserts, whatever. My mother yells at me so I know she loves me. My father tells me to go to law school and I try to get my little brother to move the fuck out and stop being such a pothead. But here's the truth. Under that face I've got another one. And all of us, my family, we pretend. We say it's not there. We say that camp where they put us in Jordan: it never happened. The shit we had to go through to get here: nothing. The town my parents are from: gone. Never existed. You know the Larousse Illustre?

MARION : Ouais, j' le connais.

AHMED : It was this dictionary we had in school, Mike-O. They have flags in the inside cover, right.

AHMED : I would go through it every day. I dunno, I was an obsessive kid. I would go through it and look for our flag. Really look. It's not there.

(beat)

How am I supposed to mourn a town I don't remember? I was just a kid. But I disappoint them, you know. My parents, they ask me if I remember and I lie. And they see it. I don't remember Palestine, not one bit. So I guess that's my third face. I don't even know what it looks like.

(beat)

I'll be at your thing tomorrow Marion.

MARION : Do you wanna talk about this?

AHMED : Not much to say.

MIKE : Welcome to Canada, I guess.

AHMED : Ha.

MIKE : We should get a beer.

MARION : Get it yourself.

AHMED : I'd love one.

*Lights*