Big City Small World:Harry's New Girlfriend
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!
