English Creative Piece on Identity and Belonging

[jacitran]

Text: Summer of the 17th Doll
Note: This is in the style of a play.
Any sort of feedback would be great. This is the first time trying out a creative piece and it was difficult to try and link it to the prompt.

Prompt: To be true to yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else, is the greatest achievement.

It is 6 o’clock on a cool Friday evening in early October 1945. The pub is half way filled and the 3 barmaids are busily serving drinks for the tired men, taking part in small talk. The smell of alcohol and smoke lingers in the air, the sounds of clinks of glasses followed by loud cheering and laughter can be heard. Mary, the youngest of the three who is approaching 30, is hastily preparing the drinks for Olive to serve them with Joyce, an aged mother in her late 50s, in the kitchen preparing light meals. While placing down the tray of beer bottles, she chats with the regulars, laughing at their banter.

Ronald: Olive! Over ‘ere! [waving his hand in the air]

Olive: [rolling her eyes] I’m comin’, I’m comin’ – [approaching the small round table] what’s the occasion Ronny? You’re drinkin’ a lot more than usual. [She places a new beer bottle down, collecting the 3 emptied bottles.]

Ronald: [With a grin he leans in] Landed myself a new job at a garage so I’m gonna get wasted. Finally got out of that damn factory, after 20 years, I’m finally a mechanic. Gonna fix cars all day, all night long. [stares off to the distance with a dreamy look] 20 years…

Mary: [off] Olive! You can chat later when all the men have their drinks. I have another 2 trays for you.

Olive: [chuckling] We’ll talk later then ol’ Ronald. Congrats on your new job.

As the night goes on, the pub is slowly filling up. A gust of cold air will enter whenever someone opens the door. The crew lit the fireplace, enveloping the pub in a warm glow, the crackling of the fire can be heard. A man with a gruff beard dressed in an old dress shirt tucked in his belted trousers and dark blue suspenders enters the pub. His heavy work boots creates a thump in each stride, he walks up to the bar.

Customer: [leans in while giving a smile towards Mary, showing off his missing tooth] Give me a bottle of Carlton Draught will you. Also is there an Olive ‘ere?

Mary: [Scrunching her nose at the smell of his breath] Who wants to know?

Customer: [propping his chin on his hand] Just a customer. I ‘ave something to ask ‘er.       

Mary: [looking skeptical and reluctant] Olive! There’s someone here to see you…

Olive: [enters] Who is it Mary?

Customer: [turning around, extending his hand towards Olive] How d’you do Missy. I heard you have a racy lifestyle [a breathy laugh] and if it’s not too sudden would you like to spend the night with me? You’ve fallen this far so if you’re worried about your reputation it can’t get any worse.

The pub becomes silent, the men glaring at the now unwelcome customer and some starts to rise from their seats. Mary with wide eyes look at Olive to see how she would respond.

Olive: [in quick hostility] You know what. I don’t sleep around, I’m free unlike those ‘respectable’ wives and mothers. I wait every year for my boys to come back from the North and people like you simply don’t understand. My life is –

Joyce: [cutting in] Your life is a mess and we all know it. Settle down like everyone else Olive. You’re not young anymore. The way you’re continuing to live is unacceptable for a lady like you.

Olive: [voice going a pitch higher] Joyce! Every time this topic goes up you’re always like that! You don’t understand, you go off runnin’ your mouth, spoutin’ your ideals.

Joyce: [sighs] Olive, you don’t know what you want in life. You’re 31, there’s time to turn thing around. It won’t end well for you; you know that right? Time to change now to save the hardships.

Olive: [Clenching her fist] What do you know?! It’s goin’ great for me! 

Joyce: You’re not living your life to the fullest potential that’s what. What you have is simply not acceptable. You’re too old for rebelling –

Olive: Not acceptable? Not to my fullest potential? I’m too old?! [steps closer to Joyce] What I have will always be better than what anyone else have. It’s very acceptable for me and it doesn’t matter to me what everyone else thinks; I know what they have is not to the “fullest potential”. Why should I follow the standards of this world?

Joyce: Well people are going around thinking you’re a loose woman! This man [points an accusing finger at the customer] came into the pub looking for a lay. This isn’t a brothel but there’s rumors going around town saying that you service men. The only way to stop this is to change… For the better.

Olive: Why should I –

Joyce: They believe you’re a loose woman Olive! You had your fun; time to put an end to it.

Olive: No I will not! This is what I’ve always wanted. Why should I change for everyone else to be happy? Why can’t I be happy and have everyone accept it. I simply think marriage is borin’, what I have with Roo will never grow old. It’ll never be boring and it will never end!

Olive stares fiercely at Joyce, neither of them backing down. The tension is thick in the air, as if you can take a knife and slice through it.

Ronald: [sighing] Ladies, lets just ‘ave a good time. Go take a few drinks, I saw the owner leave a while ago. [puts a firm grip on the unwelcomed customer] I’ll escort this man out. Don’t let her get to you Olive. You’re decent in our books isn’t that right boys?
The men cheer in response, shouting encouraging words towards Olive.
Get back to drinking everyone! Next rounds on me!

The pub erupted in cheers and hoots, Joyce apologizes to Olive and the pub goes back to how it was before. Although there was still tension between the two ladies, they finished their day at work and curtly say goodbye to one another by the end of the night.