by Binnie

[The Business Guy and the Writer sit at the supper table conversing]

BG: Please pass the salt.

W: Salt? Oh, you mean salt. Here you go, here’s the salt.

[BG sprinkles salt on his supper]

BG: How was your day?

W: Fine, thanks, just fine. It was… fine. Yours?

BG: Mine was great; I got a lot of business done.

W: Business, yes, mm-hmm. Business.

BG: You get some writing done?

W: Yes, well. Pebble.

BG: Sorry, what… pebble?

W: That’s right, pebble. You know.

BG: Er, ‘fraid you’ve lost me. Pebble, you say?

W: Yeah, pebble in my shoe [sighs deeply].

BG: Want some help with that? Here, hand me your foot and I’ll…

W: No, no, please leave it! Leave the pebble!

BG: Wait, you… you want the pebble?

W: Yes, that’s right, I want it. You can’t have the pebble.

BG: I can’t have the pebble?

W: No, no, you can’t. You can’t have the pebble.

BG: Please pass the salt while I think about this.

[BG sprinkles more salt on his supper, his brow furrowed]

BG: Not to pry, but what’s so special about the pebble in your shoe?

W: I can’t tell you just yet.

BG: Is it a secret pebble?

W: Not exactly. I just don’t know the whole pebble yet.

BG: “The whole pebble,” you say?

W: Yes. The whole pebble.

BG: “Yet,” you say?

W: That’s right. They haven’t told me yet.

BG: Ah, I see. No, I don’t. Who hasn’t told you what?

W: Well, there are two sisters.

BG: Beg pardon – two sisters in your shoe?

W: Well, they’re part of the pebble, you see.

BG: Tell me more.

W: Well, the two sisters are older…

BG: Older than the pebble?

W: Let me finish. They’re older, and they’re reflecting on an event.

BG: An event in the pebble?

W: You could say.

BG: What sort of event?

W: Not sure yet. They haven’t told me.

BG: But the pebble knows.

W: Yes, the pebble knows. I’m going to have to live with the pebble until I know.

BG: Ah, I see. Once the pebble tells you what those sisters are up to, you can shake it out.

W: In a manner of speaking, yes.

BG: Is it painful, the pebble?

W: Not exactly painful, no. In fact, I don’t really mind it. But I know it’s there.

BG: I suppose it’ll be a relief to get rid of the pebble.

W: A relief, not really. I might miss it.

BG: You might miss the pebble?

W: Yes, I might miss the pebble.

BG: I see.

[The Business Guy and the Writer chew on their food, each lost in thought]

BG: Please pass the salt.

End Act