The Quality of Life

[Joreel Ordo]

Written by Johnathan Hartel

 

 

 

 

ACT I

 

SCENE I

 

[The scene opens of an apartment in outer Los Angeles. The morning light was creeping through the window in the kitchen poured light into the apartment showing the tenants its flaws more easily.

 

We see here a man with a bowl of cereal, a shirt and tie on.]

 

Edward: Who the gets paid to write this crap?

 

[Enter Olivia]

 

Olivia: What crap?

 

Edward: The crap on this cereal box. It is made for children, but that company hires a graphic artist and an advertising strategist to come up with this horse-

 

Olivia: Quiet, the girls are getting out of bed and they don't need to here you cursing again.

 

[Edward shakes his head and waves his hand in the general direction of his wife]

 

Edward: Get off my case about that, you act like they don't hear it around their friends at school.

 

Olivia: But you are supposed to set an example for them. So long as you keep your mouth in check, they will think it a better example to live by.

 

Edward: Where the **** did you read that? Another email from your sister?

 

Olivia: Not all of them are bad

 

Edward: She's a damn parrot. If I made a new email account and sent her something about how music is giving us cancer she would parrot that to all her friends within the week.

 

Olivia: Here we go again. Why do you constantly put down my family Ed?

 

Edward: Why is your family full of idiots?

 

Olivia: Oh I am soooo sorry my family doesn't live up to your standards.

 

Edward: Do I need to keep hearing this argument? It's not my standards, it's societies Olivia.

 

Olivia: Well they seem to be doing fine.

 

Edward: Fine isn't good.

 

Olivia: And what makes you so damn special?

 

[Edward gets up from his chair and pushing in his seat dumping his food into the sink and heading toward the door]

 

Edward: I'm going to work, maybe you can find some soon.

 

[Edward shuts the door and heads downstairs nearly running toward the parking lot. He reaches the parking lot and climbs into his car. Slamming the door and jamming his key in the car driving off as fast as he could. To get his mind of his infuriating wife, he turned on the radio.]

 

Radio: Well we have 8 months until the election and it seems there may be clear victor here thus far as polls show for the Democratic Party's candidates. It seems according to our poll amongst our listeners, that Democrat Bill Clinton seems to have a lead over Jerry Brown and Paul Tsongas.

 

Edward: Great now we get a choice between two southerners making their moral decisions for the rest of the nation.

 

[A convertible cuts in front of Edward's car racing through the I-5]

 

Edward: WHAT THE ****. COME THE **** ON! WHAT THE HELL!

 

[Edward fumes all the way to his office place]

 

Edward: C'mon, at least let one thing go right

 

[There are no parking spots available in the company lot, Edward is forced to park in the pay lot across the street, and walk into the office.]

 

Receptionist: Good morning Arthur.

 

Edward: My name is Edward. Freda, you have seen me everyday for the past 4 years you've worked here. How do you not know this?

 

Receptionist: I was just trying to be nice but whatever Mr. White Man.

 

[Edward pushed through the door into a soulless room of cubicles. He marched up the aisle making hand gestures of hello as he walked into his cubicle and sat down, hitting the power button on his computer]

 

Tucker: Hey, Eddie, how was traffic.

 

Edward: ****in' kids. how do they get away with their **** but when I speed two miles over I get the whole LAPD on my ass?

 

Tucker: They are lucky Eddie. They'll be just as lame as us one day. Did you hear the news about Clinton? Pretty exciting isn't it?

 

Edward: It's thoroughly convinced me not to vote.

 

Tucker: C'mon Eddie, it isn't that bad.

 

Edward: Can we not talk about it, this is a workplace anyways.

 

Tucker: Sure thing Eddie.

 

[Long Pause]

 

Tucker:So...uh...so how is your presentation going for Mr. Spear?

 

Edward: Like hell. The man keeps changing his mind, first he wants me to draft him a more consumer friendly label, and then he wants something for a more classy group.

 

Tucker: That sucks Eddie. I would just do both but thats a huge project.

 

Edward: Especially for a new store that isn't even on the sunset strip. It's ridiculous. I have to go out of my way for the same amount of pay.

 

Tucker: Thems the breaks Eddie. I'm almost done with the new Apple magazine ad for their Apple IIe thing they've been selling, so if you need my help don't hesitate to ask okay buddy.

 

Edward: Thanks, but no thanks Tucker.

 

Tucker: Well...off to work.

 

[Edward continues to work on his project for the small boutique and began to get furious with his work and decided to take a small break. He set down his paper and pencil and headed down to the local Coffee Shop]

 

Edward: Something strong, something really strong.

 

Barista: Ok uhm, how about a French Roast coffee.

 

Edward: Yeah great whatever.

 

Barista: Are you okay?

 

Edward: Can I please just pay for my coffee?

 

Barista: O..K...can I get you anything else?

 

Edward: No, just the coffee.

 

Barista: $2.10

 

[Edward throws a 5 on the counter and grabs his coffee before the Barista could get him his change. He returns to his office to work the night away, finally leaving at 8 o'clock. He arrives home after some more traffic. This time with no radio as it was all over Clinton.]

 

Olivia: Where have you been? Do you know how late it is?

 

Edward: I'm sorry I have a demanding job Olivia. I'l try to take it easy next time.

 

Olivia: Why do you always have to act like that?

 

Edward: Like what?

 

Olivia: Like you have to be a smartass and snide with me. Why can't you just tell me instead of being vile?

 

Edward: A better question would be why do have to be a naggy ***** after I just worked 12 hours straight for our family.

 

Olivia: Language Ed! God dammit! Why do you insist on saying those things. This apartment isn't big, you think our daughters can't hear that?

 

Edward: You think I give a ****. I mean they have to live with you all day so it can't be that bad.

 

Olivia: I don't give a damn what you think of me right now Ed. I have to stay home and take care of our girls why you go off into the city every day and work your job that barely pays our bills.

 

Edward: It would help IF YOU GOT A ****IN' JOB!

 

Olivia: GO TO HELL!

 

Edward: YOU GO TO HELL! I PAY FOR EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE! HELP ME A LITTLE YOU *****!

 

Olivia: Sleep on the couch I just can't be near you tonight.

 

[Olivia runs down the hall to the bedroom]

 

Edward: I PLANNED ON IT!

 

[Edward collapses on the couch and the scene darkens]

[DarthBrendo]

Interesting. How much of this is taken from RL?

 

I am guessing that this is deliberately being written closer to the style of a play then a novel?

[Joreel Ordo]

Interesting. How much of this is taken from RL?

 

I am guessing that this is deliberately being written closer to the style of a play then a novel?

 

Yeah it's a play.

 

And I was turning 4 that year I am setting the story so it is entirely fictitious. I have never even lived in LA.

[Amidala Skywalker]

Interesting. Well-written, although it would be really hard to put on a play with parking cars and heavy traffic and such.

 

I hate...hate hate hate...people like Edward.

[Scorp Jedi Knight]

Want to give a tip like that to me? 5.00-2.10 ain't a bad tip for a cup of coffee.

[Joreel Ordo]

I'm gonna try to get Scene II up by tomorrow.

 

and as for the parking cars and such all you would need to do is record an hour or so of I5 in LA and you'd be good to go.

[Joreel Ordo]

I'm gonna be delayed just a bit longer on Scene II. It's been written for some time, but I haven't converted it for BB yet so give me a day or two to shell it all out.