Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • AinP Airswimming

    Uploaded by

    devam.zalawadia27
    304 views3 pages
    Dora and Persephone are cleaning together in an institution. Persephone seems despondent and does not want to engage with Dora. Dora tries to make cheerful small talk but Persephone questions if Dora is criminally insane. Dora denies this and they debate the merits of smoking cigars. Persephone insists she will only be at the institution temporarily as her family will come to retrieve her soon to attend important social events. Dora learns Persephone's full name is Persephone Baker and tells her she has a lovely voice, encouraging her to sing.

    Original Description:

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    Dora and Persephone are cleaning together in an institution. Persephone seems despondent and does not want to engage with Dora. Dora tries to make cheerful small talk but Persephone questions if Dora is criminally insane. Dora denies this and they debate the merits of smoking cigars. Persephone insists she will only be at the institution temporarily as her family will come to retrieve her soon to attend important social events. Dora learns Persephone's full name is Persephone Baker and tells her she has a lovely voice, encouraging her to sing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    304 views3 pages

    AinP Airswimming

    Uploaded by

    devam.zalawadia27
    Dora and Persephone are cleaning together in an institution. Persephone seems despondent and does not want to engage with Dora. Dora tries to make cheerful small talk but Persephone questions if Dora is criminally insane. Dora denies this and they debate the merits of smoking cigars. Persephone insists she will only be at the institution temporarily as her family will come to retrieve her soon to attend important social events. Dora learns Persephone's full name is Persephone Baker and tells her she has a lovely voice, encouraging her to sing.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    a n t h o l o g y

    Airswimming
    Charlotte Jones

    DORA and PERSEPHONE are cleaning, but PERSEPHONE in a very half-hearted way.
    DORA/DORPH:  Good morning. It could be worse, we could be on laundry duty.
    PERSEPHONE: ignores her.

    Yes, they’ve got quite a system going there.Pause.The delirious wash, the
    imbeciles carry the linen to dry, the melancholy iron it and the monomaniacs
    fold it and put it away. And we have to sleep on those sheets. No wonder
    we all have nightmares. Yes, it’s a shame. After all, even nutters need their
    beauty sleep, what do you think?
    PERSEPHONE:  What are you?
    DORA/DORPH:  I’m sorry?
    PERSEPHONE:  What’s wrong with you?
    DORA/DORPH:  Nothing.
    PERSEPHONE:  Why are you here, then?
    DORA/DORPH:  Why are you here? Silence.It’s hard at first, I know. But you have to keep
    focused. Like Joan of Arc. Incarceration didn’t get her down. She took itlike a
    man. Refused to wear frocks. Had a short crop. They thought it was deviancy.
    I try to be deviant whenever I can. Vive la deviance.
    PERSEPHONE:  Are you mad?
    DORA/DORPH:  I beg your pardon?
    PERSEPHONE:  Criminally insane. Well, I assume you are. You seem to be.
    DORA/DORPH:  Certainly not. I resent the suggestion. Criminally Insane. The idea of it! Unless
    a predilection for Spanish cigars counts.
    PERSEPHONE:  What?
    DORA/DORPH:  That’s what first got them alerted to me. To my deviancy. I enjoyed the odd
    smoke. Shouldn’t have done it. It’s not de rigueur. But whether it’s criminally
    insane, that’s a different matter. What do you think, Miss – umm?
    PERSEPHONE:  About what?
    DORA/DORPH:  Smoking cigars.
    PERSEPHONE:  I think it’s perfectly foul. I can’t believe any one in their right mind would
    want to.
    DORA/DORPH:  Ah, typical woman. There are pleasures in this world that you know
    nothing of.
    a n t h o l o g y

    PERSEPHONE:  Well, I’m rather glad. Life isn’t supposed to be all pleasure.
    DORA/DORPH:  Ah, indeed you are so right, Miss – umm. In fact you have inadvertantly hit
    upon our little motto here. What is the Latin now? Vitam sine pleasurae, or
    some such. Life without joy. We Dymphonians live by that. Not that we feel
    sorry for ourselves, oh no. They also serve who only sit and polish. I can see
    you’re going to fit in here, Miss Umm –
    PERSEPHONE:  I’m not here for long.
    DORA/DORPH:  Oh.
    PERSEPHONE:  No. I’ll be leaving any day now. They’re coming back to get me, you see. So
    there’s no point getting your hopes up about me. I’ll be leaving you very soon.
    DORA/DORPH:  Ah, what a shame.
    PERSEPHONE:  Yes, isn’t it? But it can’t be helped, I’m afraid. I’m coming out very soon
    you see. Before the King. My parents are arranging a huge party at the
    Dorchester. I’ll be dressed in white satin from head to toe. So I can’t possibly
    miss it. It will be the most important day of my life. Apart from my wedding
    day. So I have to be there. In the meantime I just have to sit tight. Get
    strong. This is just my convalescence home – I’d have preferred Geneva or
    somewhere Swiss. I can’t understand why they chose here. But ours is not to
    reason why. What will be, will be, Mummy always says.
    DORA/DORPH:  Does she now?
    PERSEPHONE:  Yes, like one time I wanted this hat. It was huge and pink with big squashy
    flowers all over it and I thought it was the most beautiful hat in the world but
    looking back on it it was rather vulgar but at the time it would have made
    me very happy but Daddy said I couldn’t and I was so vexed I cried and cried
    and all Mummy said was, ‘Ours is not to reason why, Persephone Baker, what
    will be, will be.’ Which I found oddly comforting at the time although it would
    have been better to have the hat I think, in fact, looking back on it, it wasn’t
    comforting at all and I should have had the hat even if I never wore it. I said
    to Reggie –
    Looks at DORA.
    – well it doesn’t matter. I didn’t get the hat and now I’m here we’re not
    allowed to have pretty hats so maybe it’s just as well. Although I shall need
    one for my coming out. So I’ll just sit tight. But don’t get it into your head that
    I’m staying. Because I’m not. I expect they’re coming any day now. At the end
    of the week probably. A fortnight at the most…
    She trails off.
    Pause.
    DORA/DORPH:  Persephone Baker.
    PERSEPHONE:  What?
    DORA/DORPH:  Your name.
    a n t h o l o g y

    PERSEPHONE:  What about it?


    DORA/DORPH:  Nothing. I just didn’t know it. You hadn’t told me. I’m very pleased to make
    your acquaintance, Miss Baker.
    PERSEPHONE:  Yes. Well. It won’t be for long.
    DORA/DORPH:  No, clearly. We’d better get down to this, then. Sharpish. Before you get
    whisked away.
    PERSEPHONE:  Yes, we’d better.
    DORA/DORPH:  Yes, like Persephone to the Underworld, Hades will return and take
    you thither.
    PERSEPHONE:  I beg your pardon?
    DORA/DORPH:  The Greek myth, you know… Well, we’d better get on with this.
    PERSEPHONE:  Oh. Yes.
    DORA/DORPH:  And by the way, Miss Baker, you have a lovely voice. Music to my ears.
    PERSEPHONE:  Oh, right. Thank you.
    DORA/DORPH:  Yes. Feel free to break into song at any time.

    You might also like