Arthur’s bedroom is between Mrs Harrison’s bedroom and the bathroom. These three rooms are upstairs.
The kitchen, the sitting-room and the dining-room are downstairs. There are two lavatories, one upstairs and one downstairs.
It is half past eight on Monday morning and Mrs Harrison is downstairs. She is standing in front of the stove and she is making breakfast.
Arthur isn’t downstairs; he is asleep in bed.
It is now a quarter to nine and Mrs Harrison is going upstairs. Arthur is late and Mrs Harrison must wake him up. ‘Can you hear me, Arthur? You must get up,’ she is calling to him.
Arthur is lazy. He cannot get up in the morning. He has an alarm clock but he cannot hear it.
It is now nine o’clock. Arthur is getting out of bed. He is wearing his pyjamas. He is looking for his socks but he cannot find them. ‘I must find them,’ he is thinking. ‘Where are they? They aren’t under the bed and they aren’t on the chair.’
Where are Arthur’s socks?
Now it’s five past nine. Arthur is downstairs. He cannot drink his tea; it’s too hot. He cannot have breakfast. he is very late. He must go to work immediately.
It is now a quarter past nine. Arthur is standing at the bus-stop. He is waiting for the bus. He cannot see the bus because he is reading the newspaper. Oh dear, the bus is not stopping. There isn’t another bus until half past nine. Arthur must walk. He must walk quickly; he mustn’t walk slowly.
Now it is twenty to ten. Arthur is looking through the library window. Mary is there. He can see her through the window but he cannot see Mr Steele. That’s good. Mr Steele must not see him at this time.
***
- Gosh, Arthur, you are late.
- What’s the time, then?
- It’s nearly ten to ten.
- My God! Is it really? Where’s Mr Steele? Is he in?
- Yes, he’s in his office. Arthur! You aren’t wearing a tie. You must wear a tie in the library. You can’t possibly come to work without one.
- Yes, you’re right. I can’t. What can I do? Tell me.
- Mr Steele mustn’t see you. He can’t see us now. His door’s closed and he’s talking on the telephone. You must go quickly.
- I can’t do that.
- Yes, you must. You must telephone Mr Steele and say you’ve got a headache.
- But i haven’t got a headache.
- Oh, Arthur, you are stupid! Go on now, quickly!
- But I haven’t got a 5p coin for the telephone. I can’t telephone without one.
- Oh Arthur! Where’s my handbag? Oh dear. I can’t find it … Oh good, here it is. There you are, Arthur. Now you can telephone. Now go! You mustn’t stay for another minute.
- Now, what must I do? I must find a telephone-box. Good, there’s a phone-box here across the road …
- But Arthur …
- Hallo, Mary. Is Arthur here? Look at the time! It’s five past ten. he’s an hour late.
- No, he isn’t here. he is late, isn’t he?
- Yes, he is. He’s late every day.
- But it’s very late now. Perhaps he’s ill.
- Then he must telephone … Answer the phone please, Mary.
- Very good, Mr Steele … Middleford Central Library. Can I help you? Oh, hallo, Arthur … Oh, I’m sorry. Is it bad? … Mr Steele, Arthur has a headache and he can’t come to work.
- Give me the phone, Mary … Is that you, Arthur? What? You’re at home and you’ve got a headache? I see. Well, tell me this then. Who can I see in the phone-box across the road? Is it your twin brother?
