<p>The Ninth Annual Elmbridge Literary Competition 2013</p><p>A Fortnight In September</p><p>A LATE HOLIDAY</p><p>(Word count 1573)</p><p>Connie McChesney</p><p>9, Montrose Walk</p><p>Weybridge,</p><p>Surrey</p><p>KT13 8JN </p><p>Tel: 01932 843530</p><p>Email: [email protected]</p><p>1 A LATE HOLIDAY</p><p>A SOLICITORS’ OFFICE</p><p>PAPERS BEING SHUFFLED</p><p>SOLICITOR: As you can see it’s a very straightforward will. £5000 to you </p><p>Michael and the residue of the estate to you Mrs Simmons. </p><p>The house is willed to Michael on your demise.</p><p>MICHAEL: So when do we get the funds?</p><p>SOLICITOR: There is still some work to be done but the sums involved are</p><p> small. Unless anyone contests the will I would think it would </p><p> be a matter of weeks rather than months.</p><p>MICHAEL: Weeks! For a stingy five thousand. Can’t you just give me a </p><p> cheque now and reclaim it later?</p><p>SOLICITOR: I’m afraid we don’t do things that way. There are regulations </p><p> to be followed. But, Mrs. Simmons, are you able to cope </p><p> financially in the mean time?</p><p>SARAH : I have a small pension from my work with the local council </p><p> and my State Pension too. I’ve lived on a tight budget all my </p><p> married life so I’ll be fine.</p><p>2 SOLICITOR: Then I will be in touch soon. It has been good to meet you at </p><p> last. Goodbye.</p><p>FAMILY LEAVING OFFICE</p><p>DOOR CLOSING</p><p>STREET SOUNDS</p><p>MICHAEL: What did she mean: to meet us at last? Did you know Dad </p><p> used a solicitor?</p><p>SARAH : I had no idea he’d paid to have a will made. I thought he </p><p> would have used a Post Office form.</p><p>MICHAEL: I can’t believe that’s all he had to leave. He never spent a </p><p> penny he didn’t have to. Are you sure he didn’t hide cash in </p><p> the house? Buried it in the garden? He always said he didn’t </p><p> trust banks.</p><p>SARAH : The only money in the house is what’s in my purse. That’s </p><p> how it’s always been as you well know. And don’t think I </p><p> didn’t see you hunting through your father’s desk on the day </p><p> of his funeral.</p><p>MICHAEL: Well, I’m going home with you now and I intend to search </p><p> that house from top to bottom.</p><p>3 FURNITURE BEING MOVED</p><p>DRAWERS BEING SLAMMED SHUT</p><p>SARAH : Satisfied? I really don’t know what you hoped to find.</p><p>MORE BANGING</p><p>MICHAEL: There’s got to be more than five thousand quid. He worked </p><p> for 45 years and he was a mean old skinflint He’s tucked his </p><p> savings away somewhere.</p><p>SARAH : We bought this house remember. It wasn’t cheap and it took </p><p> us twenty five years to pay for it.</p><p>MICHAEL: No. I’ll swear he was worth more.</p><p>SARAH : And how much have you got to show for your university </p><p> education and fifteen years in a well paid job?</p><p>MICHAEL: That’s got nothing to do with it. I’m going now but I expect </p><p> you to keep searching. And Mother, you’d better look after </p><p> this house. It’s my inheritance.</p><p>STARTS TO WALK AWAY</p><p>(mutters) And don’t make me wait until I’m too old to enjoy </p><p> the proceeds.</p><p>4 SOME DAYS LATER</p><p>COFFEE SHOP</p><p>MUTED CHATTER</p><p>SARAH : There you are Liz. One skinny latte. I just love our coffee</p><p> mornings. I couldn’t do anything like this while Charles was</p><p> alive. Have an éclair.</p><p>LIZ: Ooh, you wicked woman. Have you come into a fortune?</p><p>SARAH: Well, I have got something to tell you.</p><p>LIZ: Tell away.</p><p>SARAH: A few days after Michael and I had been to see Charles’s </p><p> solicitor this letter came. Look, you can read it,</p><p>LETTER UNFOLDING</p><p>LIZ SIPS COFFEE</p><p>LIZ: Dear Mrs Simmons,</p><p>“We have been informed of your husband’s death by </p><p>Rathbone and Partners and would like to introduce ourselves</p><p> to you. </p><p>FADE OUT LIZ</p><p>5 FADE IN ACCOUNTANT’S VOICE</p><p>We understand that Mr Simmons left the bulk of his estate to </p><p> you. We have been handling his investments for many years. </p><p>We would, therefore like to meet with you so that we may </p><p> discuss your intentions for what are now your funds. We </p><p> would be happy to continue doing business with you and to </p><p> this end request that you phone us</p><p>FADE BACK TO LIZ</p><p> to arrange a meeting in the near future.”</p><p>Investments? What, where? It must be a scam.</p><p>SARAH: No, it’s genuine. I checked with Rathbones. They said it was </p><p> connected with Charles’s estate. They knew all about his </p><p> investments because all the paperwork was sent to them. </p><p>Charles said they could tell me after his death but Michael </p><p> was a wastrel and a spendthrift and should neverknow.</p><p>LIZ: So did you go?</p><p>SARAH: Certainly. What did I have to lose?</p><p>LIZ: And?</p><p>6 SARAH: Well, let’s say the residue in the will is not as residual as I had</p><p> thought. A very helpful man talked me through everything </p><p> and explained what I should sell because of death duties and </p><p> what I should keep. He said he would be happy to continue </p><p> handling my investments. My investments! Doesn’t that </p><p> sound good? </p><p>LIZ: Unbelievable. And it’s all above board. Charles wasn’t a bank </p><p> robber or a people trafficker or anything?</p><p>SARAH: No. It’s all genuine and it’s all mine. Now, can I ask you a </p><p> favour?</p><p>LIZ : Anything</p><p>SARAH: Can I come and stay with you for the last couple of weeks of </p><p>September?</p><p>LIZ : Stay? Of course. I want to get to the bottom of this story. Are </p><p> you going to splash out and have the house up-dated?</p><p>SARAH: No. What was good enough for Charles’s mother is good </p><p> enough for Michael. I’m going to update me!</p><p>7 HAIRDRESSERS</p><p>HAIRDRESSER MUSIC,</p><p>SCISSORS ETC.</p><p>SARAH : Oh, Liz. Do you think I’ve gone over the top? I haven’t had my </p><p> hair cut for years.</p><p>LIZ : You look fantastic. And that colour suits you so well. Ronnie </p><p> really has a way with hair.</p><p>SARAH: I hardly dare look in the mirror. That’s surely not me.</p><p>LIZ: That’s you alright and you look twenty years younger. Where</p><p> next?</p><p>STREET SOUNDS</p><p>TAXI PULLS UP</p><p>TAXI DRIVER: Where to ladies?</p><p>SARAH AND LIZ: Harrods</p><p>SARAH : What do you think Liz? I’ve never worn trousers before. </p><p>Charles wouldn’t let me</p><p>8 LIZ : Charles doesn’t know what he missed. You look terrific in </p><p> that suit. Here, let me carry some of those bags. We’ll need a </p><p> van to get home, not a taxi.</p><p>TAXI THROB</p><p>LIZ: Where now?</p><p>SARAH: The Savoy.</p><p>LATER</p><p>LIZ: Thank you. That was a marvellous lunch. But how did you </p><p> manage to get a table?</p><p>SARAH : I think the ‘Maitre de’ mistook me for someone else. He kept </p><p> calling me Miss Streep.</p><p>TAXI THROB</p><p>LIZ : Where next?</p><p>SARAH: Bond Street. Boodles, I think. I like the name.</p><p>TAXI THROB</p><p>LIZ: No more today please Sarah. It’s getting dark and I can’t </p><p> walk another step.</p><p>9 SARAH: Neither can I. But it’s been wonderful. Now you see why I </p><p> asked to stay with you. I didn’t want the neighbours to see a </p><p> strange woman loading parcels into my house. They’d have </p><p> been on to Michael straight away.</p><p>LIZ: Where is Michael, by the way?</p><p>SARAH: He has gone to New York for two weeks. Spending his £5000 </p><p> in one fell swoop.</p><p>LIZ: Does he know about your, Hmm, investments?</p><p>SARAH: No way. And he isn’t going to know either. </p><p>LIZ : Where did Charles get all the money to invest? I bet he was </p><p> up to no good.</p><p>SARAH: I realise now; he was a miser. He couldn’t bear to spend his </p><p> money; he was a compulsive saver. It’s like an illness. If I </p><p> hadn’t worked Michael and I would have starved. Not that </p><p>Michael has ever appreciated that. I provided everything he </p><p> asked for but I don’t even get a birthday card from him.</p><p>10 SOME DAYS LATER</p><p>LIZ’S HOUSE</p><p>SARAH : These two weeks have flown by. I can’t tell you how much </p><p>I’ve enjoyed staying with you.</p><p>LIZ: I’ve had a great time too. And you have been so generous. </p><p>Look at all the lovely things you’ve bought me.</p><p>SARAH: You have been my one true friend. Your friendship kept me </p><p> going all through my marriage.</p><p>LIZ : I’ve never understood why you stayed with Charles? If he’d </p><p> been my husband I’d have walked out.</p><p>SARAH: I was tempted but then there was Michael. I wanted him to </p><p> have a good home.</p><p>LIZ : So what now? Are you going back home?</p><p>SARAH: No. I’m going to travel.</p><p>LIZ : Where?</p><p>SARAH: Anywhere. Everywhere. I haven’t had a holiday in years. I’ve </p><p> been nowhere and seen nothing. Now’s my chance.</p><p>LIZ : And the house?</p><p>11 SARAH: Michael can have it and welcome. There is a letter waiting for</p><p> him when he gets home from New York. Now I’m going to </p><p> start packing.</p><p>BUSY AIRPORT</p><p>DEPARTURES LOUNGE</p><p>LIZ: But what happens when the money runs out? It won’t last </p><p> forever. Not at the rate you’ve been spending these last two </p><p> weeks. You know you are always welcome to stay with me if </p><p> you need to.</p><p>SARAH: What I like about you is that you’ve never asked the How </p><p>Much question. Anyone else would have pestered me silly, </p><p> but not you. </p><p>LIZ: Well, knowing how you’ve had to scrimp I was just glad you </p><p> could afford to splash out for a change.</p><p>SARAH: (softly) Apparently I am worth several million pounds. That </p><p> should see me out. </p><p>LIZ: And Michael?</p><p>INTERCOM</p><p>FLIGHT CALL</p><p>12 SARAH: I must go. That’s the last call for my flight. As for Michael, his </p><p> father was right about him. I might leave him another £5000 -</p><p> but the rest is willed to you</p><p>AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF.</p><p>THE END</p><p>13</p>