A Sketch by Jean-Pierre Martinez
A rooftop terrace. A woman arrives to smoke. Another joins shortly after. They exchange polite smiles. The second woman’s mobile phone rings and she answers.
Patricia – Hello? I told you not to call me here. Yes, I know it’s a mobile, but at this hour, you know very well I’m at the office. Listen, we’ll discuss this later, okay? And between us, there are plenty of fish in the sea, right? Well, I really have to hang up. I can’t talk here, I’m in a meeting… No, I’ll call you back…
She puts her phone away and gives an awkward glance at the other woman, who pretends not to have heard anything.
Crystal – Are you new here? I’ve never seen you before.
Patricia – For a week now. I used to work on the ground floor. I’d go outside to smoke on the plaza. But the company has been outsourced to Romania.
Crystal – That’s something I can’t wrap my head around. Our companies are outsourced to Romania, and Romanians come here looking for jobs.
Patricia – And you?
Crystal – It’s been fifteen years.
Patricia – Oh, really. So you like it here…
Crystal – Yes, well… When I first arrived, I didn’t think I’d stay this long. After that, I didn’t have the courage to look elsewhere. And now, I’m not sure anyone else would want me.
Patricia – I understand. A job contract is a bit like a marriage contract. If he hadn’t kicked me out, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to look for something else. By the way, sorry about earlier…
Crystal – Was that your ex?
Patricia – My mother.
Crystal – Ah… It’s much harder to get rid of a mother than an ex…
Patricia – That’s probably why the term “ex-mother” doesn’t exist… She lost her cat.
Crystal – Oh, really…?
Patricia – She rescues all the stray cats in the neighbourhood. The problem with alley cats is that they’re not very homely. Sooner or later they end up running away across the rooftops.
Crystal – Just like men.
Patricia – You seem to know what you’re talking about…
Crystal – I collect guys who are a bit lost. The ones who don’t seem to know where they live. I fix them up a bit. I pamper them. They start purring. But I can assure you that they too, sooner or later, after coming in through the door, end up leaving through the window.
Patricia – Yes… (She discreetly looks at her watch) I shouldn’t stay too long, I’m still in my trial period…
Crystal – I need to get back too. But we could have a girls’ night out for a drink one of these nights, right?
Patricia – Why not? I’ve been as free as a bird for a few days now.
Crystal – So there is an ex.
Patricia – But I had no trouble getting rid of that one. It seems men have a tendency to burn with love for me.
Crystal – You’re very lucky…
Patricia – He was burned to death on the highway.
Crystal – I’m very sorry.
Patricia – Anyway, it would never have worked between us. He was married and a homebody.
Crystal – Life is unfair. The homebody type never lives with us… Well, see you later…
She leaves. The other woman smokes a bit more and then leaves as well.
Black.
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A sketch from the collection Nicotine
Link to the collection for free download (PDF)
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