Людмила Ансельм - Короткие пьесы

MIKE: Me neither…

ANNA:Of course, in the back of my mind I was always afraid of getting pregnant.

MIKE: I began to feel that I didn’t turn you on. I was not attractive to you.

(Pause)

ANNA:I was afraid that I didn’t turn you on… but we got along so well anyhow!

(Pause)

MIKE: Well, now, there are the means to not worry about pregnancy.

ANNA:Condoms are not 100 % safe.

(Pause)

MIKE: Ah…Anna… were you ever thinking about us getting married?

ANNA:I dropped hints but I couldn’t let on…yes.

MIKE: I never suspected.

ANNA:You didn’t want to think about it! You always talked about different things, when you could have just said those magic words of love.

MIKE: Just “I love you”?

ANNA:Yes.

MIKE: I resolved to say them… but… Maybe saying them to my pillow every night made them harder to really say, harder to know when to say them.

(Pause)

ANNA( dreamily ): MiKE, I think that this could have happened during that hot summer rain storm. Do you remember?…. The intimacy and excitement?

MIKE( Excited voice ): Of course!… We were soaked thru and thru…nothing dry. You were sopping wet… you’re… bra…and… all.

ANNA:We laughed so…not knowing why…we felt good

MIKE: You wore a white dress with pink flowers…

ANNA:It was soaking wet. I took it off. We were still laughing while we twisted it from both ends. Like taffy… It started to tear somewhere.

MIKE: It was still very wet but we shook it out and you went and put it on with nothing under.

ANNA:You said that it was not proper to walk out of the park like that… it would be too provocative.

MIKE: The dress was completely transparent. Your tummy, belly button, breasts… and all the rest…

ANNA:You without pants… just wet underwear didn’t look so proper either.

MIKE: It made me excited…

ANNA:I was also excited by you… ( With disappointment )… but nothing happened between us.

MIKE: You wanted…?

ANNA:Yes.

MIKE: Why didn’t you say something?

ANNA:What to say?

MIKE: That you also wanted….

ANNA:I tried. Remember I took your hand and pressed it to my hot cheek?

MIKE: I don’t remember… show me.

( Annatakes Mike’s palm and presses it on her cheek. )

MIKE: Pressing my hand to your cheek… shows… desire?

ANNA:What else should I have done?

MIKE: Press yourself against me.

ANNA:Why didn’t you hug me yourself?

(Pause)

MIKE:If you wanted to be woo-ed that rainy day you would of had to help me…it… it would have been my first time.

(Pause)

ANNA:Help you? How? As a man and a woman we have different roles: the man chases, the woman runs…

MIKE: Why is this important?

ANNA:I read…

MIKE: And you never learned that the woman could have an active part in sex?

ANNA:No! Never happens…except, in James Joyce’s memoirs. He said it happened on a bridge… an attractive woman walked by. Joyce called out to her. She walked right up to him, undid his pants and thrust her hands in… I just read it. I was so shocked…

MIKE: And Joyce?

ANNA:He was pleased…. He later married her.

MIKE: Look….

ANNA:MIKE, I’m sad that nothing more happened between us that day.

MIKE: Me too… I wasn’t persistent maybe… I was afraid…

ANNA:Why? You are a man! What were you afraid of?

MIKE: I didn’t know how to go about it… maybe if you had helped me that day, everything would have been different.

ANNA:Wait!

( Annajoyfully skips out to another room. She returns holding the thin white summer dress with pink flowers. She throws it into the washtub making it all wet. )

ANNA( starts to wring the dress out ): MIKE, help me.

( Annahands the other end of the dress to MiKEand they start to twist the dress dry )

ANNA:Careful it might tear.

( Annaholds the damp dress in front of her. )

MIKE: It’s the same dress!

ANNA:Should I put it on?

MIKE: Yes… yes…no… Not now… it’s…already late.

Anna( disappointed ): Late? What do you mean?

Michael:It’s night.

ANNA:Why don’t you go then?

MIKE:I want…you want me to stay?

ANNA:The whole night?

(Pause)

MIKE: Look, I came to say I’m sorry. Anna, I came to say that tomorrow I go to Julie. We’ve decided to live together. The child needs…

ANNA( sadly ): Really so sorry? Some things you don’t understand and never will. Like other peoples feelings… just as you never understood me.

MIKE: And how else should I say: “I’m sorry”?

ANNA:I don’t know… It is not a humane way, when a person is suddenly just abandoned…

MIKE: Anna, you are not abandoned. We’re such close friends.

ANNA( crying ): Were!… We were close friends!

MIKE: And now?

ANNA:Now? I don’t know….

MIKE: No matter what, I want to stay your friend.

ANNA:Why?

MIKE:Anna I need you. I’m telling you about the baby before I’ve told anybody…you are the one closest to me…talking with you always quieted me…

ANNA( starts to cry ): Don’t talk foolishness anymore! Go! Go! Stop upsetting me!

(Pause)

MIKE:I won’t go. I want to be with you. It’s my last night…our last chance… we must forgive in a humane way.

ANNA:I can’t stand the sight of you! ( Pause ) You want a humane way!

( Annacrying grabs the dress and beats MiKE with it. Mike manages to grab Anna’s arms. Then with his arms around her he presses against her and hugs her )

MIKE: Dear, dearest, cherished…calm…calm. Forgive me…maybe I’m lost… help me, I don’t understand, what I need. I don’t know who I need, what is happening to me? I just know that today we are together… like I want never to forget…calm down… nothing to say… press to me…tightly… there now… good girl… so wise… O God how long I’ve wanted you… you surely too? Say something… you…OK? You don’t want to talk… nod your head… and now kiss me…

( Thedress slips off Anna’s arms. She hugs Michael, and presses him to her… kisses him. )

MIKE: Anna, I love you…

THE END

MIKE:About 65 years old, good height, stature, natty, grey flecks in dark hair, sporty looking and handsome, in pressed slacks. He is an actor and likes from time to time to play different roles during dialog…

JULIE:Also 65. She’s pretty, neatly dressed in business like way.

It’s summer’s heat. Mike is sweating and mopping his brow with a handkerchief. Mike carries a big bouquet of flowers as he knocks on an apartment door.

JULIE( shocked upon finding an x boyfriend standing there ): Ah!…M.

MIKE:G’afternoon, Julie!

JULIE( still shocked ): H… Hello… Mike!

(Pause)

What’s…going on?

MIKE( presents flowers with smile ): Flowers for m’lady!… Can I come in?

JULIE( steps hesitatingly aside ): I don’t remember such a big bouquet….ever….thank you!… Why did you come?… You want something!

MIKE:Yes… ( Wipes brow ) It’s hot out could you please get me a glass of water?

JULIE( disappearing into her kitchen ): That I can do… for you…

( MeanwhileMike walks around inspecting everything in the room particularly the pictures on the table. )

JULIE( returning ): Your favorite glass…

MIKE( drinking the whole glass ): Whew… Thanks…. Ok to sit?

( Hemoves to sofa and sits down )

JULIE( angry ): I think, you still want the sofa!

MIKE:No, I don’t want the sofa any more.

JULIE:……..the Ocean painting your mother gave me?

MIKE:No…

( Mikelooks around the room )

Every thing is as it was. Nothing has changed. Just like when I left.

JULIE:I can’t make myself change things yet…

( Pause )

MIKE:Julie, you haven’t forgotten our good times! Come to sit beside me here, on the sofa.

( Juliesits on the sofa, but not close to Mike )

JULIE:…Try to understand how insulted I feel… More than ten years together, and suddenly… All time I think, why you did up and leave… Now I guessed why…

MIKE:Oh? Why?

JULIE:As long as I had a good job and could support you, every thing was fine. Then when I retired we had to economize, and then you found a new sucker…

Mike:Sucker!… Oh.Julie….you are so…

( Mikestops short and decides not to reply )

JULIE:Remember? Remember how I loved you. How I cared for you when you were sick and depressed… after the “Evita” tour ended… Some times I had to force food in you with a spoon… Gave you black coffee in bed…

MIKE:The coffee was too weak…”economization!”

JULIE:Out on your own you must know how expensive coffee has gotten… I cooked what ever you asked for, baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheese burgers…

MIKE( smiling ); Ya, but your salads could never come up to restaurant level…, of course, you certainly did try.…