Chapters (7)
ARTY: And I’m saying it can be the sun on our face every single day. I’m so lucky, Lulu. You—my wife. Me—a man. And our future—an adventure. All my dreams come true.
LOUISE hyperventilates into a paper bag.
1 DAY
JOJO: His dad? [She snorts.] No, I need another take.
PRODUCER: Still rolling.
JOJO: His dad? [She snorts.] Do you think the snort works? I don’t wanna look bogan.
PRODUCER: It’s a perfectly good snort, Joanne. Still rolling.
JOJO: Maybe it should be more of… y’know, like a lion roar so I’m more powerful woman instead of… I know! I’ll do a… y’know, a—
She sweeps her hand in a dismissive gesture.
A sorta ‘piff!’. A ‘sweep and piff!’ and that’ll look more like it’s of so little consequence to me I just ‘sweep and piff!’.
PRODUCER: It really doesn’t matter, Joanne, / what you—
JOJO: Of course it matters! This is our life—all of it matters!
Beat.
JOJO composes herself.
His dad? [She sweeps and piffs.] I knew all along he was no prize. Five feet nothing and eyes pointing any which way but straight. But I knew I was no prize either and it didn’t matter ’cause he chose me. And you get a lifetime of never being chosen and when it happens, it makes a fool of you. You start believing in fairytales of happy ever after and maybe you’re the swan after all because you’re a fool, right? He left when Arty was three, none of this ‘I’m going out for ice-cream or smokes or anything’, he just… gone. At first I thought maybe he’d been murdered and it was the police who had to tell me I’d been dumped. I didn’t cry but I shut down a bit. For a long time. Couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong. I mean, I know how I am… but I tried to be different. Quiet. No trouble. Dinner ready. House clean. Beer in the fridge. And I’d replay over and over every single thing I did wrong—the couch cover too floral, shoulda seen a podiatrist about my feet, if I’d made him steak more—but y’know what really twists the knife in your gut? It’s that you shoulda known better. You shoulda known he’d leave ’cause life isn’t some TV show were people love you for who you are and buy you flowers on your anniversary. I don’t have Hollywood skin and shiny hair and legs from here to eternity. I’m Joanne Arthur and this is the real world and I’m not complaining. I’m luckier than most ’cause I’ve got my boy, don’t I?
JOJO is crying.
PRODUCER: Um… Joanne?
JOJO: I’m just so lucky. Really I’m just… I’m very, very lucky.
0 DAYS
Blackout.