By Liz Kershaw
Scene One – The first team meeting by vid-con
There’s a minuet for the first few minutes. No one has the etiquette,
but people are trying
After you!
No, you go
Honestly, you were first
Then Clifford breaks in and takes the stage as if his tile is bigger than anyone else’s, and we dance the other way
Actually, I think I was speaking then
Really, if I could just say
I’m so sorry but I can’t hear if you all
But I’m interested in the lives within. Like Alice, passing through her glass
Bookcases, plants, velvet curtains, linen blinds, country kitchen, brilliant chrome, a cat
Zarina, parading her shining children
And Tim, with foil on the walls and no windows and a life-size dalek in the corner
Afterwards, on What’s App, between the chosen few
Did you see Tim? What was that all about?
God knows, so weird
Did he say anything?
Never does
Do you think he’s okay?
Expect so. He’s used to being on his own
Scene Two – The second team meeting by vid-con
Less make-up about today. It’s sunny, Clifford’s wearing a vest. Grim. Someone sneakily makes a fingers-down-the-throat gesture when Cifford’s not looking
The bloke with the velvet curtains has a fat glass topped with ice and lime
Someone else comments on it. Doesn’t go down well
Zarina’s kids are yelling in the garden
And Tim says nothing in his twilight metal cave as the dalek stands sentry behind him
What’s App kicks off with Clifford’s vest and who seemed the most pissed, and we only get to Tim just before we go
What does he do?
He works in the basement
No, I meant outside of work – what does he do?
God knows. Who cares?
Scene Three – The third team meeting by vid-con
Only half of us turn up. Zarina is monosyllabic, and we don’t like to ask where the kids are.
Clifford’s in hospital, and we’re sobered for a while
Oh God, brings it home, doesn’t it!
Poor old Clifford!
Did he have any underlying health conditions?
I expect so
I’m sure he did – did you see the size of him in that vest?
And as we didn’t like Clifford much anyway, we wish him well and carry on
And afterwards, the Whats App dissection starts again but lacklustre, out of respect for Clifford, because no one wants to be the last arsehole who took the micky
But did you see Tim?
That beard! He’s gone fully wild
It’s a shame. He’d look alright with a bit of effort
Do you think he’s okay?
A shrug emoji
We move on
Scene Four – the fourth team meeting by vid-con
Clifford’s doing okay so someone mentions the moobs under his vest, perhaps he’ll look after himself better now, save the NHS some funds. And someone else mutters about being judgemental and someone says it’s about time hard facts were faced and someone else says they’re talking like fucking Hitler and it all kicks off for a while with lines around tiles spitting on and off
Zarina is missing
Velvet curtain bloke’s hair has grown like a mushroom
Three people are in pyjamas
I can see a whisky bottle at the side of a desk, and everyone’s got a glass knocking around somewhere
I look for Tim in his tile but he’s not there. All I can see is an empty chair in a silver room. And at its side, the impersonal one-eyed face of a dalek