Людмила Ансельм - Короткие пьесы

( Pause )

Istill remember carrying you home that first day. You were so precious to us. So small… You started to cry. I held you close to me and you stopped crying, and you smiled at me.

SARA( shakily ): You didn’t you tell me sooner?

DADDY:I tried a couple of times. I’m sorry… Now I feel better that you know at last…

SARA:Where‘s my mother?

DADDY:I don’t know where she is now…

SARA:Who is she?

DADDY:She was only 15 like you… She came from out of town to study here. She lived with her Aunt and Uncle. She alone decided to give you up…

SARA:Her parents?

DADDY:They know nothing about you… She never told them. They lived in another state…

SARA:I want to meet my mother… who is she?… Are we alike? She must be something like me. I will never know unless I meet her… ( Pause ) Who is my father?

DADDY:I don’t know. His name is not on your birth certificate…

SARA:What’s my name?

DADDY:Your mother gave you her last name… O’Brian… But we gave you ours… Thompson…

SARA( musingly ): O’Brian!… Sara… I’m Sara O’Brian…

DADDY( kindly ):No!… You are still Sara Thompson!

( Daddyhugs Sara )

THE END

OLGA:65. Michael’s daughter.

MICHAEL:85 Olga’s blind father.

A hospital room. MICHAEL lies on a bed with an intravenous tree drip and oxygen tubes in his nose. He is barefoot.

OLGAwalks in. She hugs and kisses MICHAEL, as best she can around his tubes.

OLGA.Papa! Oh, papa! I’m so relieved to see you!

MICHAEL( speaking carefully and slowly ). Where am I?

OLGA.Memorial hospital…

MICHAEL.Why?

OLGA.You passed out. You fell, hit your head hard… We called the ambulance…How do you feel now, PAPA?

MICHAEL.You’ll not to believe me… I can see! I can see again!

OLGA.What do you see?

MICHAEL.Colors!

OLGA.Papa, you are in shock…

MICHAEL.I can see perfectly! No more white stick!

OLGA.The doctor told me that you have some problems with your mind and your heart

MICHAEL.Now I will be able to walk faster. I am normal! ( pause ) You don’t believe me?

OLGA.Papa, what you can see?

MICHAEL.I can read the Leningrad sign. It’s on the station platform. The trains are waiting… On the wall is the portrait of Brezhnev. My colleagues from the institute are all over there… They’re here to see me off… I’m going to Paris…

OLGA.To Paris?

MICHAEL.I’m presenting my paper on drawbridge construction…

OLGA.Papa, you’re, hallucinating!

MICHAEL.No! I am not… It’s real The French invited me to talk. I’ve told you how famous our bridges are… What is strange is that the Party Committee let me go… But I have to have a “Chaperone”… Dima… He is a Party Member

OLGA.Do you see me Papa?

MICHAEL.Well, how can I see you if you are standing in back me? ( Suddenly,he raises up and extends his right hand ) Hello… hello! Vasiley Ivanovich, I’m so pleased… Have you seen Dmitry my fellow traveler?

OLGA.Papa, the nurse told me, you shouldn’t sit up, even if you felt like it.. Just try to snooze a little…

MICHAEL( excitedly ). I can’t sleep… I’m preparing for a business trip… ( He rocks back to sit up. He looks around the room ) Why isn’t she here? She said she’d come to say goodbye… We agreed…

OLGA.Who?

MICHAEL.Galya…

OLGA.Galya, who?

MICHAEL.Galya…You talked with her for a long time at our laboratory reception last spring…

OLGA.Oh, I remember her… She was so enthusiastic her work… Papa, the doctor said you haven’t slept since you arrived here… You must lay back and sleep…

MICHAEL.I’ll rest when I find Galya… It’s really important, I have to talk. With her…

OLGA.And then you will rest?

MICHAEL.When she comes I’ll rest… This is my final dissuasion…

OLGA.Do you promise me to rest then?

MICHAEL.Yes, I do…

OLGA.OK…

( LongPause. OLGA starts gently talking as if she were Galya. She change her voice deeper and sexier )

Michail Mironovich! Hello, hello!It’s me… Galya. At last I found you! They changed your train track at the last minute. How are you?

MICHAEL( Jumps to sitting and shakes Olga’s hand ). Gallochka! Finally! ( Pause ) I have something very important to say to you. Listen carefully…

OLGA.( Galya’s voice ). Mikhail Mironovich I understand, but first you must lie back.

MIKHAEL.( Mikhael lies back down ) Galochka! Finally! ( Pause ) Listen carefully… All right but listen, 1 am going to Paris… But… 1 have to tell you…

OLGA( Galya’s voice ). Michael Mironovich, I understand, but first you must lie back…

MICHAEL( lies back down ). I’m going to Paris… But I have to tell you, I’ll be back…

OLGA.I know, you will be back…

MICHAEL.But I have to tell you I won’t be coming back to you…

OLGA( in her own voice shocked ). Papa! What are you saying?

MICHAEL.Olga! When did you come back? I was talking to Galya… Galochka! Galochka! Where are you? ( jumping up ) Where are my shoes? I have to find her… Please give me my shoes, ( The oxygen tubes fall from Michael’s nose. Olga tries to hold Michael on the bed )

OLGA.Papa, please, lie back… you don’t need shoes you’re in the hospital… Your oxygen has fallen out…

MICHAEL( resisting ). I won’t lie down until I explain more to Galochka! Get out of my way! Call her back! I have more to explain… Where is she?

OLGA( switching to Galya’s voice with an edge ). Michael Mironovich…

MICHAEL.Galochka, why are you so formal? You call me Misha…

OLGA.Here are many strangers, your fellow workers…

MICHAEL.You’re right… No one need know… Let me have your hand…

( Olgaextends her hand )

Your hands are always so warm so soft. I love to hold them and kiss them…

( Hetries to kiss Olga’s hand )

OLGA.Misha, not now… not the right place…

MICHAEL.Galochka, try to understand… This paper is the biggest chance in my life… I have to grovel before… The Party Committee didn’t want to give me permission to go to Paris. For a little professional recognition… I had to be stubborn humiliated and have Dima follow me all the time… But… They added a special condition about you and me… I can’t come to you after Paris ( Pause ) Please, forgive me… Galochka.. I hope you will understand… I don’t want to give up this chance… Do you understand? ( Pause ) Galochka! What do you say? Why are you silent? Say something… Galochka! Where are you?

OLGA.( own voice ) Papa! What are you saying?

MICHAEL.Where is Galochka?

OLGA.She went away…

MICHAEL.Where? Why?

OLGA.To get your shoes…

MICHAEL. Call her back… I have to explain all and to ask her forgiveness…

OLGA.Why… do you have to ask Galya’s forgiveness?

MICHAEL.She and I had an agreement…

OLGA.Agreement? What about?

MICHAEL.I was to go to her with one suitcase… You and Mama would stay in the apartment with all the furniture the paintings, money, everything…

OLGA.How could you? Did Mama know anything about you and Galya?

MICHAEL.I think she knew something…

OLGA.But you never left us, Papa…

MICHAEL.The Party Committee said I could only go to Paris if I completely ended my relationship with Galya… Galya never forgave me my trip to Paris… Now I have missed another chance to ask her forgiveness…

( MICHAELjumps up )

Ihave to try to find her…

( Heputs feet on the floor. All the tubes have fallen off… He starts to walk gasps and falters… OLGA forces him back to bed )

OLGA.Papa, lie down again! I’ll call the nurse…

MICHAEL.( weakly ) You don’t need to call anybody but Galochka.

OLGA.Listen to me! You are now in… the hospital! Do you understand? You are in Memorial Hospital

MICHAEL.Where?

OLGA.In the hospital… Not Leningrad… Papa, you are in America… In Boston Ame-ri-ca!!

MICHAEL.How could I be in America?

OLGA.After Perestroika we came to Boston… Five years ago on your 80th birthday… Remember?

MICHAEL.Where is Mama?

OLGA.Mama died…

MICHAEL.She died? ( Pause ) When?

OLGA.We came to America after she died…

( Beat )

MICHAEL( suddenly jumping up again shouting ). Galochra! Galochka! Here I am!

OLGA.Papa, she isn’t here…

MICHAEL.I saw Galochka in the crowd…I’m calling to her…. There! She has on her blue knitted cap… She knitted it during lunch breaks… Then she knitted my scarf…

OLGA.Papa, lie down. The nurse will fix your tubes…

MiICHAEL( pushing the intravenous tree aside ). No tubes… I tear them out! I don’t want Galochka to see me helpless and weak with tubes all over me…

OLGA( almost crying ). Papa! I don’t know what to do with you… You must lie still…

MICHAEL.I’ll lie down when Galochka gets here.

OLGA.OK… Papa, she is coming… Here she is… ( Galya’s voice ) Misha, please lie back…

MICHAEL.Galochka! You brought my shoes?

OLGA. Yes, I have them…

MICHAEL.Put them on me, please…