The scene is the living room of a small house in a country town in 1944. Annie is sitting in an armchair. she sighs, kicks off her shoes and puts on old slippers.

MEG (voice off) Yoo hoo Annie, it’s only me.

enter Meg carrying a basket with vegetables in it she puts it down on the table.

ANNIE Oh Meg, how many times do I have to ask you not to put your vegetable basket on the table. It’s bad enough having to use a cloth with a hole in it, without having potato dirt all over it.

MEG You are a fuss pot!! Always were, even when we were girls. Never a mark on YOUR white pinny. Here, you look worn out, what have you been doing?

ANNIE Only shopping, well, it was more queuing than shopping. It does wear me out.

MEG I stopped on my way home, hoping you’d have a cup of tea ready.

ANNIE I haven’t any tea, until the next ration. Someone said you can dry the leaves and use them again, but they taste awful.

MEG I know, I’ve tried that too. Anyway we’re in luck. produces a paper packet. I met Mrs. Hunt, she can’t afford all her rations with all those kids and just a soldier’s pay. I lit the gas under the kettle as I came through the kitchen, hope you don’t mind?

ANNIE Of course not, it shouldn’t take long.

MEG Mrs. Hunt let me have two ounces, at a price of course. She charged me the price of a quarter, so she got hers for nothing.

ANNIE Fair enough, I suppose.