Episode 30

The White Elephant 30: Hope

Peter:	It's quiet tonight.
Mary:	I know. It's a bit of a worry - Ceilia said tonight was our last hope. If we don't get any customers we might have to close.
Gordon:	Well, don't get your hopes up. This place has been on its knees ever since it opened. We've all had a laugh but I need to get a job at a proper restaurant, where the customers are queuing up to eat my food.
Mary:	Don't pin your hopes on it. It was your cooking that scared the customers away anyway. Hang on, did I just hear somebody come in?
Peter:	I'll go and check.
Gordon:	To be honest, I might be able to take you with me, to my new job - but Peter - not a chance.
Mary:	I can only live in hope!
Peter:	Yes, we've got two customers! And they want ... a cheese and tomato pizza. Can we do pizzas?
Gordon:	Can we do pizzas? Not a hope in hell! Do I look like a chef who cooks 'pizzas'?!
Mary:	Come on Gordon. We're pinning our hopes on keeping these customers ... you do know how to cook a pizza don't you?
Gordon:	Yes ... well ... it's just a little bit beneath me ... but I suppose I can give it a go.
Mary:	Good. I'll tell Ceilia the good news.
Gordon:	Peter. Here's £10 - run to the supermarket and buy some frozen pizzas. But shhh, it's our little secret.
Peter:	OK.
	10 MINUTES LATER.
Ceilia:	Mmmm, something smells good. Great news about getting all the customers in - even though they only like pizza! It seems like there's a glimmer of hope for the business.
Ceilia:	Looking good. Maybe pizzas are our future?
Peter:	Yes, they're not bad for frozen pizzas are they?
Ceilia:	Frozen?! Oh you've dashed my hopes. This is the last straw ... I'm going to have to find a real chef ... and not one that is as arrogant as you!
Gordon:	But what am I going to do? I can't just get a new job just like that.
Ceilia:	There might not be hope for you but I think I might have the perfect answer.
	LATER ...
Mary:	How's your new job Gordon? Can I borrow your hat? Thank you!

Vocabulary

last hope: final chance (to do something)
don't get your hopes up: what you expect to happen probably won't
on its knees: struggling; in a bad condition
pin your hopes on it: expect or hope it will happen
to be honest: what I really think
live in hope: hope that what you want to happen will eventually happen
not a hope in hell!: absolutely no chance of succeeding
a glimmer of hope: small chance of something succeeding
dashed my hopes: let me down; stopped me expecting something good
the last straw: the last of a number of events that has gone wrong