Forging Ahead part 6
FORGING AHEAD by Jimmy Connerly (based on an idea by Rico)
…continued
Scene Three Presently – Int. The Trotters Flat, not long after.
Grandad is in his Armchair, the others are all around the table but Del in standing over Grandad.
Del: Come on Grandad, you must have heard something.
Grandad: Sorry Del-boy, I don’t remember nothing.
Brian: Don’t worry Del, it was a long shot – it was worth the try. Perhaps we should leave it?
Del: What? With sixty grand just lying about somewhere.
Grandad: Can’t you remember anything Del? You were more in with you dad then.
Del: No, not about that time Grandad, don’t you remember, me and Sunglasses Ron were ticket touting all through the World cup.
Rodney: Really! I don’t remember that. Did you get tickets for the final?
Trigger: Yeah, not half Dave. It was thanks to Del I got tickets.
Del: Anything for a mate Trig.
Trigger: Eight bob each or two for a quid. Best pound I ever spent.
Rodney: Hang on a minute, wouldn’t it have been cheaper to…
Del: ….we’re not here to talk about nineteen bleedin’ sixty six world cup Rodney. Not unless Dad and Inky buried the lot in Geoff Hurst back garden!
Grandad: ‘ere, you did alright out of those tout tickets didn’t you Del.
Del: Gordon Bennett!
Trigger: Weren’t he the goal-keeper?
Rodney: No! That was Banks.
Del: And on the subject of banks can we get back to the matter in hand? Namely the money from the bank!
Brian: Yeah, sixty grand, still can’t believe it! Our dad’s were on a fortune!
Del: Yeah! Not that ours let on at the time. Nor since, the mean old tightwad. It was me that was still putting the dinner on the table every week. It was me that brought the brand new trade vehicle. And all that time he was sitting on a fortune!
Grandad: What brand new trade vehicle?
Del: The van.
Rodney: Bloody hell Del, you brought that brand new!
Del: August 66 Rodney it’s a D reg.
Brian: You’ve still got the van then?
Del: Yeah! Still going strong. I only keep it for sentimental reasons these days!
Rodney and Grandad smile.
Del: I wanted to get a new Triumph stag, originally, only dad pleaded poor and said
we’d need a working vehicle. Said we could appeal to the world….New York…Paris…Peckham! I should have just kept the money and gone to New York, I had enough.
Trigger: Yeah, but you always looked after your family Del.
Del: (Smiles and shrugs) Yeah, you’re right Trig, it just dad that makes me mad. Fancy making me do all that when he was sitting on top of sixty big ones.
Brian: Well, thirty big ones.
Del: Thirty, sixty, one-twenty, a million. What does it matter now eh? It’s all hidden gawd knows where.
Brian: So let’s go plan ‘B’. Look Del, another reason for seeing you today was so’s I could update the old man this afternoon – it’s visiting. How about I get him to have another chat with your dad, see if we can see about splitting it between us.
Rodney: Yes! We can split the money between us.
Del: Nah! I reckon Inky would be alright but what about dad?
Grandad: It’s worth asking him Del-boy.
Del: Yeah, alright, no harm in asking I suppose. OK Brian, you’ve got our number, give us a ring when you’ve seen inky. And an update when he’s spoken to dad. We’ve nothing to lose I don’t suppose.
Brian: Ok, will do Del.
Brian shakes Del’s hand.
Brian: Thanks then mate.
Del: You can thank me more when we see the colour of that money.
Trigger: (Raises finger, indicating he can help) They’ll be green, blue, brown and purplish if that helps Del-boy. They were the colours of the notes in use at the time.
Del: Erm? Yeah, invaluable advice, thanks Trig!
Brian laughs.
Brian: Ok, on that note I’ll make tracks, cheers again each.
Brian departs. There is a pause while they contemplate the situation.
