The cottage.
In silence, Iola and Anest sit at a table with bowls of soup. Menna sits in the middle with her head in her hands watching Iola and Anest.
In silence, like a perfect dance, Iola and Anest grind pepper and salt mills, swap them, break bread, pass butter, break kitchen paper and start to eat.
Anest (reproachful) Menna.
Menna I’m eating, I’m eating.
Menna pushes her soup around but doesn’t eat a thing, she watches them – isolated.
Menna Does, anyone come and sit with you? If Mam needs to do anything.
Anest No. I don’t like leaving her and she doesn’t like being left.
Menna I could ask Eirwen?
Anest I don’t need to go anywhere.
Menna I know! But I might want to go somewhere. I might want to go; buy a bed. I can’t keep sleeping on that thing.
Beat.
Anest Perhaps you should stay in Ty Felin?
Menna I think I’ll go to Haverfordwest.
Menna Will you come with me?
Anest Okay.
Menna Tomorrow.
Anest (including Iola) The three of us could go.
Iola What?
Anest Haverfordwest.
Iola (spitting) Below the line.
Anest She hates Haverfordwest, isn’t she comical?
Menna Yes. Or I could get Eirwen to sit with her, it’s no, you know. / I’ll ring Gareth.
Anest No we’ll all go. Girls’ day out.
Beat.
How about that?
Beat.
Menna Yeah, why not?
The twins break some more bread between them.
Unless.
Beat.
If you don’t want to go Auntie Iols.
Anest She’ll be fine.
Menna (discreet) I don’t want to force her.
Anest (discreet) She’ll be fine.
They eat in silence.
Menna If you don’t want to go Auntie Iola.
Iola Um?
Menna Auntie Iols?
Anest She won’t want to.
Menna I just thought if she didn’t want to go she doesn’t have to go. / Then she doesn’t have to go.
Anest She won’t want to be left behind. Do you?
Iola I don’t want to be left behind.
Silence.
Menna Good.
The twins break some more bread, and perhaps exchange mills. Snapping, Menna goes over to the bin and gets her phone out.
She takes it apart and tries drying each part.
Anest Be nice, the three of us.
Silence.
Iola I hate Haverfordwest.
Blackout.