Those People Next Door
Part 1
Chapter 1
Salma 34, Son Zain 18, husband Bilal (Bil), dog Molly. Viewed house in Blenheim 6 months ago, 4 bedroom, on Central Line, neat street, quiet neighbours. Invited to May Bank holiday barbeque about 30 people. Linda Turner – Host. Tom Hutton – mid 40s, works in advertising at Sartre and Sartre, has Dog Lola “she was a showgirl”. Salma – Geography teacher in secondary school at Ilford Academy in Seven Kings. Bil – restauranteur in Jackoni’s (shut down in January). Tom thought house was social housing and didn’t think they’d meet criteria. Willa – Tom’s wife, paints, housewife, confused as model by Salma, pretended she was saved by Tom who was a firefighter when she was 21 him 27, she comes from rich family. Son Jamie 16 which she had at 22 and so she is 38 and Tom is 44.
Get home later Salma picks up BLM sign, Tom and Willa heard through wall. Salma and Bil used to live in Seven Kings estate, now they have a garden and balcony.
Bilal calls into see Zain, caught smoking, Salma’s dad died of lung cancer, Jamie next door smells smoking and coughs, partially deaf, has an app idea – sign to speech.
Salma leaving for work, Bil makes her breakfast every morning. Tom asks her to not overhang his side in the car and that the fence is broken, he fixed it the last time when it was empty and the time before that. Salma in school helps in citizens advice type role for kids. Success isn’t always about grades etc but helping them. BLM poster.
Willa takes Jamie to audiologist, gets expensive hearing aids paid for by her dad – rich family – Tom always refused money. Willa is pregnant this time things will be different.
Salma’s favourite time is between school and home. Goes to Tesco and knee grinds so gets Uber home, drops tin getting out and sees Tom while getting it from under taxi. Tom looks around and then throws ball at BLM sign.
Chapter 2
Salma told Bil about Tom and sign, Bil didn’t think it was malicious. Salma puts it up on window. Flashback to when younger in 90s she put up a St George’s cross on window and her dad ripped it down, he didn’t want the windows smashed.
Zain and Jamie name app Grapevine, Camilla – girl that Jamie likes, Salma wants to meet Jamie, gets them nachos.
Willa tells Tom about the baby, they seem to want different lifestyles. Tom says about smoking and drinking and takes cigarettes and bins them. Willa goes and takes back cigarettes.
Next morning window where BLM sign is covered in white paint, Salma calls to Toms, seems unaware, in guidelines about signs not being allowed in gardens, Tom says paint wasn’t him. Salma threatens to call the police.
Willa comforts Tom after confrontation. She stays strong against men who won’t hit her but weak against women who would.
Salma still angry and takes pics of paint to submit as evidence to police. Bil calms her and get white spirit to wash off paint. Salma uploads pics to Twitter “tolerant Britain”
Chapter 3
Zain goes on laptop and sees the post and replies, tells his mum to keep the sign and post up.
Salma tetchy in school, feeds the pupils' curiosity, at lunch she phones Zain to make sure she’s not identifiable on Twitter.
Willa shopping, big bag breaks on way into house, Zain helps her bring stuff in to house, awkwardness, flirting? Online Willa congratulates friend's film deal and sees Salmas post on her friend’s feed. Plans to reengineer it.
Zain awkward after encounter, speaks to dad briefly and takes dog for a walk. Flashback – caught with knife in locker, was Imrans and got in a fistfight with him about it.
Salma likes the graveyard, Muslim women shouldn’t go there alone. Salma and Bil go to restaurant to paint and order pizza tells Bil about the post. Tom’s parents come for tea on Fridays – Fish. Willa goes to chippy for fish and chips while Tom picks up parents. Jamie shows them the post, Tom angry, outburst after parents leave.
Tom bangs on Salma’s door, threateningly. Zain comes out to see if ok and starts recording on his phone, Salma calm. Tom says about car, fence, sign and smell of cooking, and leaves, Bil didn’t hear and tells them to delete post.
Tom returning home, Willa tells him he was being recorded, he didn’t know, Willa will talk to Salma.
Chapter 4
Willa and Salma meet for coffee, Willa apologises for Tom but will not be sorted until he apologises. His dad was a disciplinarian and so is a stickler for rules and so didn’t paint window. Willa offers money to clean it but interpreted as bribe to be quiet. Willa tells Salma she is pregnant. Salma says she won’t post video.
Zain at Jamies, Jamie has a better computer, asks if Jamie’s dad knows he’s there and if he has a problem with brown people. Jamie says he has a problem with everyone. Jamie teaches at deafPLUS on Fridays.
Salma caught in rain on way home, annoyed. Zain asks about food when home. Salma tells him to stay away from next door.
Salma meets Linda, BBQ host, when taking Molly for a walk, Linda tells her Tom is a gentle giant.
Tom in work for 15 years, was delivering something and commented on poster about 'matey' and 'only pirates say that' and was hired. Doing interviews, no interest in race but how far they have ‘travelled’ the social ladder – Well off to well off - no good, from nothing to something – good. Tom called to boss’s office, boss’s daughter there, shows him the video and fires him. History - car advertisement – white hand flicking a black man away.
Salma called to head teacher’s office shown video, school has had calls from media outlets, head asks if she is ok.
Chapter 5
Salma gets call from Zain to go to restaurant, vandalised. Zain and Jamie go there to chill after not being allowed to see him, Zain doesn’t believe it was him. They clean the place and Salma feels a little more relaxed. No insurance.
Tom and Willa both in moods in house, Tom plans to make Salma’s life hell.
Zain and Jamie meet. Zain feels guilty Jamie affected but aren’t letting it affect their friendship.
Bil is leaving for a couple of days, catering a wedding. Salma sees her car is scraped, Tom’s curtains twitch and gives the finger that direction. Linda sees this and talks to Salma defending Tom. Linda says she’s a councillor and can do meditation.
Chapter 6
Three days later, Salma gets call to go to restaurant, Bil there. Estate agent Stu comes along, cheap option, says he has to be elsewhere, there’s squatters. Bil and Salma go up to speak to them they grab and threaten Bil. Bil had a rough upbringing but downplays it.
Willa tells of how she and Tom actually met, in Gallery, Tom and his mates talk about her painting unknowing it was hers and says it’s not worth much. Invites her for a drink. Five months later she is expecting Jamie. He didn’t like her friends and she looked down on his. Willa is happy with Tom and Jamie.
Salma distracted in work, thinking of the squatters, police will sort it out ‘in time’. Back at home, Molly has been missing for one hour. Linda turns up.
Jamie calls at Zains, they got the funding from google for the app 30k in total, 15k in Jamies account. Zain wants to use some as reward for dog, Jamie refuses, there’s a budget. In school Raj was bullied for being poor and Zain didn’t. Zain annoyed and say’s “are you dumb as well as deaf?”
Salma installs cameras, Tom calls- unhappy they are pointing to his property. Linda appears. Salma – “Now you and Willa are unemployed the street should be safe”.
Chapter 7
Willa meets up with friends, tells them she’s pregnant, Gaia.
Bil and Salma go to restaurant, ask Rich to leave, barge in. Hear and see Molly, Rich pulls a knife. Police come and need to prove it's Molly - different collar.
In car outside house, 2005, Bil’s dad unwell, Bil’s mum taking dad to loo and fell down stairs, Bil put him in care and died soon after. Mum blamed Bil and eventually forgave him but the shame. Salma sees £15K on Zains screen and tells her it’s a game.
Chapter 8
Salma went to Citizens Advice but have to wait. In traffic and sees Tom with who turns out to be Rich. U-turns but doesn’t find them. Back at home she goes to back and bangs door, Willa answers and Tom comes home, Salma tried to take Lola who waddled out, Tom grabs at Salma and Zain pushes him into Willa who falls and screams. Tom ‘She’ll be okay’. Salma realises baby and calls ambulance. Tom asks when the police will arrive.
Willa tells Tom it’s a girl Gaia. Willa blames everyone – Tom, neighbours, parents, never herself.
Police call to Salmas, Zain is truthful but with select words. Salma says women like Wilma have the power, educated and white. Tom told Willa not to work when she was pregnant with Jamie.
Chapter 9
Salma couldn’t sleep, Bil came home told him everything, he’s calm. Linda calls – WhatsApp people feel ‘unsafe’. Willa lost her baby.
Salma tells Bil about baby, Bil tells her to ignore and leave them.
Zain hears Willa and hides. Tom trying to bring her in. Not enough evidence to charge Zain.
Chapter 10
House raided, Zain selling knives. Suli’s’ nephew picked them up the knives are from Jakoni’s Zain gave them to him. Zain wet himself in raid, Bil ran downstairs when Salma went down he was on ground with baseball bat. Zain taken in for questioning. Salma bangs on Willa’s door – ‘It was you’, ’could have been killed’, ‘boys like him’. Willa cries, Salma sorry for what happened to her baby.
Willa at police station, tells them about zombie knife, video of chef knives being given by Zain, was recording parking but the bonus of the knives. Nephew swishing them around.
Zain interviewed by police, wet himself when arrested. Uncle confirmed story and released. Bil got Molly, seen smashed window and went in, empty and dog there.
Chapter 11
Tom didn’t think he was good enough for Willa, thought about Gaia and the future and was very excited. Foolish, sad, weak with Salma. Started running.
Salma and Bil in garden, Zain switching between happy and angry, never like that before. Later Zain goes to Jamies, get’s angry pushes him calls him a pussy, Jamie raises his fists.
Chapter 12
Salma and Bil in restaurant, keen buyer next day, call from Linda to come home, police and ambulance there when they arrive.
Willa out with friends tells them about accident but not retaliation. Call from Tom at police station, Tom tells her to go to A&E and check for Zain.
Zain in a coma, was lying in garden outside Tom’s house. Bil ran upstairs while Salma was down and then up, Tom in his kitchen with police. Bil distant from Salma in hospital.
Tom interviewed, a witness saw him upstairs. He’s adamant he wasn’t. Arrested for attempted murder.
Total Number - 52