The Date We Started With
Marek: Right. We need a date for the quiz night. I’ve got two options.
Delphine: Go on.
Marek: Either Saturday the 14th or Sunday the 15th.
Delphine: The 14th clashes with the school fair. Half the village will be there.
Marek: So, the 15th.
Delphine: The 15th is Mother’s Day.
Marek: Ah.
Delphine: Nobody’s coming to a charity quiz on Mother’s Day, Marek.
Marek: So neither of them works.
Delphine: Neither of them works.
(A pause. Marek taps his pen.)
Marek: What about the following weekend?
Delphine: The hall’s booked. Wedding. Both days.
Marek: We’re running out of alternatives.
Delphine: We’re running out of month.
Marek: Could either of us ask the fair to move?
Delphine: Could either of us ask a mother to cancel Mother’s Day?
Marek: Fair point.
Delphine: In your favour, both dates are very memorable.
Marek: I’ll do you a favour and pretend you didn’t say that.
(Long silence.)
Delphine: Okay. Honest question. Which is the lesser evil?
Marek: The 14th. Some of the fair crowd might come along after.
Delphine: The 14th it is, then.
Marek: The date we started with.
Delphine: The date we started with.
Marek: Twenty minutes, well spent.
Delphine: I’ll put the kettle on.