Scene 2 - The Apartment

Taxi driver – This is Narva Mantee 32.

Teni – Oh, cool

Taxi driver - That will be 13 Euros

Ray – Oh, not cool. Let me use my card. You have the machine?

Taxi driver – Yes. (Offers Ray a point of sale machine. Ray inserts his card and enters PIN then they wait). Sorry, it is declined. Limit exceeded.

Ray – Limit exceeded ke???

Teni – Look, don’t worry let me pay with cash.

Ray – Thanks babe. (Aside) Chai, this useless bank won disgrace me.

(They all get out of the taxi and the driver opens the boot while Ray and Teni take out all the luggage).

Teni – Have you gotten a message from the apartment owner?

Ray – Well he said he’ll be here so yeah.

(Within a minute a tall white man in his early 40s approaches the young couple)

Stranger – Hi. I’m Eugene, a friend of George.

Ray – Oh, I thought George was coming to show us the apartment.

Eugene – He was but he couldn’t get down here so he asked me to bring the keys over. (Teni looks at him suspiciously).

Ray – Okay. Lead the way.

(The trio go into an eerie compound and towards an old looking building with 19th century wooden doors and untiled cement stairs.

Teni – (Aside) Hmm. I hope this is same place I saw on the website.  

Eugene – (Takes out key and opens door) This is it. Keep the door closed at all times. So you’ve got the living room and kitchen area upstairs. And downstairs there’s the bedroom and the bathroom. That (points to the sofa) is also a sofa bed. There’s TV and there’s WIFI. I sent you the password already.

Ray – Thanks Eugene. Is there anything else I should know?

Eugene – Just don’t put stuff like sanitary towels down the toilet bowl. When I used to leave here the toilet got blocked so just be careful, yeah?

Ray – Okay (looks over to Teni who looks less than pleased by the insinuation).

(Eugene hands over the key to Ray and wishes the couple a pleasant stay. Ray and Teni fall back on the sofa and breathe a sigh of relief).

Ray – (Aside) Mehn, white people can TALK. I thought he’d never leave. Now if I can just rest my feet for five minutes…

Teni – Baby, we have to go out and get groceries and I also need to buy shoes so I don’t have to wear these boots everywhere.

Ray – (Aside) AAAAAAARGH! (Smiles) Okay baby.

(The couple exit the apartment).

(End of scene)