DISTRACTION

Shannen-Louise Jones

Main deck. Annette (25) sits on a barrel and counts on her fingers. She counts ten, shakes her hands and counts again in a different language. Marlee (24) passes by.

Marlee: What are you doing?

Annette: Making a distraction. 

Marlee: From what? 

Annette stares at him, before resuming her counting.

Marlee: Is Josie okay?

Annette: I’ve managed to stop most of the bleeding, but it felt bad, Marl. It looks bad. 

Marlee: We’re lucky you’re here. 

Annette [shakes her head]: I only bandaged it. 

Marlee: Better than nothing. Our last carpenter would’ve chopped the whole limb off …

His voice lowers.

Marlee: Stay below deck tomorrow. 

Annette [alert]: Another storm?

Marlee: Metaphorically. 

Annette: Marlee! Cal’s our captain, tell me nothing’s going to happen. We can catch more fish, we can –

Marlee: I tried. I can’t control it. Promise me that when the time comes … you’ll let her go.

Annette: This is treason. 

Marlee: Stay. We’ll stay and write poetry below deck. You don’t have to hear it happen. I’ll show you my old works, you can translate them. We’ll publish books when we land ashore. We can buy a cat.

Annette: Let it be Marlee. I can’t promise you anything.

Marlee pauses, then he sits down.

Annette: What are you doing?

Marlee: Then distract me. Do anything. Teach me how to speak like you. 

Annette: You’re not thinking straight. 

Marlee: It’s the hunger.

Annette signs ‘I don’t understand’ in British Sign Language. Marlee clumsily copies. She stops his hands and guides them silently until Marlee can do it right. She teaches him a few more basic words.