Короткие пьесы - [50]
RAECHKA: And were you ever sorry for me, when we were together?
BORIS: Well in some sense… The divorce was your idea. You knew how badly I was taking it, and yet you insisted.
RAECHKA: I waited a long time for you to change..
BORIS: I’m sorry… I didn’t have the right attitude about our relationship.
RAECHKA: What was your “attitude” about your marriage?
BORIS: Back then… When we met, and courted, you so wanted to marry me. You started the ball rolling, and hung in there… In the end I decided OK, I would be your husband, but I would continue to do as I was used to…
RAECHKA (upset): Your reasoning it never occurred to me…
BORIS: I couldn’t tell you. You were so happy. I didn’t want to screw it up.
RAECHKA: Yes, I was happy, when you decided to marry me… I loved you… And you, did you love me then?
BORIS: I loved you then, RAECHKA! And I love you even more now…
RAECHKA: You are joking (she admits a young flirtatious laugh)
BORIS: How do you manage to hide such a flirtatious young laugh?
RAECHKA: I don’t know. Maybe because I so seldom laugh and smile.
BORIS: The divorce ruined the whole of our life. We have lost each other…
(Boris moves chair closer to Raechka) Do you think it was easy for me to leave you and the old familiar nest?
RAECHKA: What «nest» are you talking about? We had only just arrived here and you continued to feel free enough to chase every pretty skirt you saw. I didn’t trust you.
BORIS: Now you can trust me. I promise. All I want is five years in a peaceful comfortable situation, to help you…
RAECHKA: Do you want us to live together again?
BORIS: Why not? We are of the same ilk. You are also a homebody. We both have so much to talk about, so many common memories..
RAECHKA: Maybe I don’t want to remember.
BORIS: I often think about our past… How close our relationship was in Russia…
RAECHKA: Yes, we were joined by our common danger… survival.
(Pause)
BORIS (dream): And do you remember how we used to go camping? We lived in tents… We set out to find firewood in the forest and made a fire… And then we boiled potatoes in a kettle…
RAECHKA: We never boiled potatoes in a kettle… We put them right in the fire…
BORIS: Ah, yes! We argued about how long to wait before taking them out.
RAECHKA: We were ravenously hungry… and burned our fingers opening the potatoes’ hot, black skin…
BORIS: The night was cold and clear… All clung to the campfire and each other… (Boris moves closer to Raiechka)
RAECHKA: Dima brought out his guitar and started to play…
BORIS: We all sang… Let us sing our favorite song?
RAECHKA: “My dearest”? I’ve forgotten the words.
BORIS: I have them right here… Happy Birthday Raechka!
(Low music from CD disk…BORIS and RAECHKA listen to the music)
THE END
LET’S GET MARRIED
MICHAEL: Thirty years old, he is in T shirt, shorts, and slippers.
JULIA: Thirty five years old, she is dressed to the nines.
Sunlight streams into Michaels neatly maintained apartment. A large brass ships bell hangs on the wall as well as some nautical scenes and stuff. There is a sofa with at least one throw pillow on it. Michael is hurriedly choosing a necktie. He lays the tie on a chair where already neatly is hung a white shirt and business suit
Knocking at the door.
MICHAEL: Come in! It’s unlocked!
JULIA: (enters and surveys the scene)
MICHAEL: Hi, Julia!… I’m sorry! Today will be fast… I have a business meeting.
JULIA: Well, well!
MICHAEL: I have a business appointment in an hour. I’ve already shaved and showered. (Motioning to a closed door) Ah…I’ve pulled down the bed covers…you can undress in there, while I find some black socks.
Julia, pouting, plunks her self down on the sofa.
MICHAEL: Julia! What’s the matter?
JULIA: With me?….Nothing! Absolutely nothing.
Julia resolutely makes herself more comfortable on the sofa using the throw pillows. Michael comes to Julia. He tenderly strokes her hair. He moves a few strands of hair away from her ears
MICHAEL: You want me to undress you, just like I did after we met on the “Dating Show”?
JULIA: No… I don’t want…
MICHAEL: Remember, we just had to decide so fast… had to rely just on “chemistry”. Man did I think it was a dumb TV show! But Tom and Ann persuaded me to go…and now look! Almost two whole years together. What a good match we turned out to be.
JULIA (cynically): Ya’ think so?
MICHAEL: You don’t agree?…You’re mad because I have to hurry out!
JULIA: What do you think? I only come here three times a week, and now you have scheduled something more important than me… Where are you going, anyway?
MICHAEL (condescendingly, slowly): I explained. I-have-a-business-meeting…
JULIA(suspiciously): You’re sure? This is really “a-business-meeting”?
MICHAEL: Really Julia…I have missed you.
JULIA (cynically) I didn’t notice.
MICHAEL: You don’t believe me…I’ll prove it to you…take your clothes off.
JULIA: Earlier you’ve never had “business meetings”. Now practically every time you have a “business meeting”!
MICHAEL: Earlier, I didn’t have such difficult and important situations, as I do now…I have more responsibility… Now let’s move on to our “business”.