A Sketch by Jean-Pierre Martinez
A man and a woman arrive.
Gina – You don’t smoke anymore?
Alan – No, I’ve quit.
Gina – That’s good.
Alan prepares a line of cocaine and snorts it.
Alan – Instead, I’ve gone back to cocaine.
Alan exits. Gina remains. Blanca arrives.
Blanca – Hi.
Gina – Hi.
Blanca – I can’t quit smoking.
Gina – Me neither.
Blanca – It’s the job. It stresses me out, so I smoke to unwind.
Gina – It’s the job you should quit.
Blanca – Sure. But I wonder if I wouldn’t have even more trouble quitting work.
Gina – Work is a hard drug. It should be banned.
Blanca – Yes. What about you? What do you do?
Gina – Litigation… (Seeing Blanca’s puzzled look) Debt collection, that sort of thing.
Blanca – Cool. Do you like it?
Gina – Since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of harassing poor over-indebted people and extorting their last savings to pay off their credit for things they don’t need.
Blanca – I see…
Gina – And you? Do you also work to make humanity happy?
Blanca – Bank advisor… It should be illegal to call people who are salespeople “bank advisors.” We’re not here to give advice; we’re here to sell products.
Gina – Yes… My internet provider calls me every evening to check if I need anything… In fact, he’s the only one who does…
Blanca – Have you seen the number of home services companies springing up now next to electronic cigarette shops?
Gina – What are home services?
Blanca – Housekeeping, cooking, conversation…
Gina – So now, to talk to someone, you have to pay.
Blanca – Don’t worry, with me it’s free. For now.
Gina – We’re living in strange times…
Blanca – Well, I have to get back to work. Thank you; talking with you has lifted my spirits.
They leave.
Black.
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A sketch from the collection Nicotine
Link to the collection for free download (PDF)
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