Big City Small World:Harry's New Girlfriend

Audio script

Fadi: Hello Tony! How are you?

Tony: Alright, I suppose.

Fadi: Good to hear you sounding so happy! Hey, where is everyone?

Tony: Everyone who?

Fadi: You know, the regulars – Olivia, Sarah, Harry, Magda...

Tony: Don’t know. They’ll probably come in sooner or later. They’re always here.

Fadi: Hello!

Bindyu: Oh. Er, hello.

Fadi: I haven’t seen you in here before.

Bindyu: No. I haven’t been in here before.

Fadi: That’s probably why then!

Bindyu: Er, I don’t understand...

Fadi: Er, OK, well, never mind then. Listen, can I get you a drink? Would you like a coffee or something?

Bindyu: Erm, well, that’s very kind of you, but no thanks.

Fadi: Go on! Have something! My treat! You can’t sit here not eating or drinking anything.

Bindyu: Actually, I’m waiting for my boyfriend.

Fadi: Oh. Late, is he?

Bindyu: Well, only a little bit...

Fadi: You can talk to me if he doesn’t show up!

Harry: Hello there!

Fadi/Bindyu: Hi!

Harry: I see you two have already met each other...

Bindyu: Oh no, not really...

Fadi: No, I was just being polite, y’know...

Harry: Sure! Fadi, let me introduce Bindyu.

Fadi: Nice to meet you.

Bindyu: Nice to meet you.

Harry: Bindyu’s my girlfriend.

Fadi: Oh, er. Great! How long have you been together?

Bindyu: Oh, not long, only a couple of weeks.

Fadi: You didn’t tell me you had a new girlfriend, Harry!

Harry: Well, I haven’t seen you for a few weeks.

Fadi: No, of course. I was visiting my family... so, what’s happening here?

Harry: The big news is that they’re trying to close the café!

Fadi: No!

Harry: Yes, and Olivia’s shop too.

Fadi: That’s terrible! Why?

Harry: A big building company are building new flats behind here. They want to knock down the café and Olivia’s shop to make more space.

Fadi: Oh no... what can we do to stop them?

Harry: Well, we’ve got a few ideas. There’s a guy who comes in here sometimes called Carlos – he works for the builders. He might help us. And Sarah and Olivia said they had some ideas...

Fadi: We should start a campaign!

Bindyu: Good idea! I’m a journalist. I could write something in the local newspaper.

Harry: Erm, I thought you wrote for interior design magazines...

Bindyu: Well, yes, I do, that’s true. But I know somebody who works for the local newspaper. And I want to do more serious journalism...

Fadi: Sounds like a great idea! Good luck! I think we should put a banner in the window of the café...

Harry: A banner?

Fadi: Yeah, you know – a big sign that says “Save Our Café!” or something like that...

Olivia: Hello all!

Fadi: Hey! Good to see you again!

Olivia: Yeah... you too! How’s it going?

Fadi: Great – I’m going to put a banner in the café window – “Save Our Café!”

Olivia: Good idea... can you save my shop too?

Fadi: Let’s hope so! Bindyu’s going to write an article in the local newspaper...

Olivia: Bindyu?

Bindyu: Hello! I’m Bindyu... I’m Harry’s girlfriend... I’m a journalist.

Olivia: OK, great, nice to meet you!

Carlos: Hi!

Olivia: Here’s Carlos! He’s going to help us too!

Carlos: Well, I don’t know, I’d like to help, but I’m not sure what I can do...

Harry: You make food for the builders, don’t you?

Carlos: Yes, I do.

Olivia: You could put poison in it!

Carlos: Erm, well, no, I really don’t think...

Olivia: Only joking!

Carlos: I was looking for Sarah – is she here?

Olivia: No, I think she’s coming in with Magda later...why?

Carlos: Oh, no reason...I just wanted to see her...

Olivia: I see...oh look, here they are now!

Magda/Sarah: Hello everyone!

All: Hi!

Sarah: Hi Carlos! Good to see you again!

Carlos: Hi!

Sarah: Listen everybody, Magda’s got some good news!

Magda: Yes – I got my master’s degree with a distinction!

All: Wow! Well done!

Harry: So you get a well-paid, full-time job with the architects!

Magda: Yes I do!

Sarah: Which means we can afford to stay in our expensive flat...

Magda: There’s only one problem, though...

Olivia: Oh? What’s that?

Magda: I’m not really sure how to tell you this...

Olivia: Go on!

Magda: Well, the architects I work for...

Harry: Yeah? Go on!

Magda: They have a big new project...

Fadi: Sounds interesting...

Magda: And they want me to work on it...

Harry: Even better...

Magda: Well, not really – you see, the project they want me to work on...

Olivia: Yes?

Magda: It’s the new luxury flats... the building here... the people who want to close the café and your shop!