SCENE ONE
Summertime. Late morning.
Up-stage is a café. Two tables with a couple of chairs for each almost to centre stage.
[The stage is empty as the curtain goes up. A voice is heard off-stage.]
NIKOLAY: I keep telling you, you work too hard. You badly need some rest.
[Enter NIKOLAY and DIMITRI right. Both dressed as office employees. NIKOLAY wears a solid red tie on his black suit, with well polished shoes and a hat and glasses. DIMITRI is unshaven yet not shabby, with an old printed tie, and is not wearing a hat. He seems weary, disoriented, and has developed dark patches under
his eyes. Both advance together from the right.]
-If you need I could cover-up your work for you. But not more than a couple of days. So if you apply for
a leave on Monday and Tuesday, you can have four days off including the weekends.
[They sit at one of the tables. Enters a WAITRESS.]
-I’ll have my usual. [Pause.] And the same for the gentleman. Just instead of a coffee, bring a tea for him.
[She nods, as she writes the order down on her pad.] Also, do you still keep the old Morning Gazettes.
[He turns, looking up-stage, tries to peep into the café.]
WAITRESS: Yes sir, at the counter. [As the waitress speaks, DIMITRI gazes at her in amazement.]
NIKOLAY: How old?
WAITRESS: About a week or so.
NIKOLAY: Excellent! Then get me the one from two days ago … What day was it? Tuesday, yes. Hm … arrange that. You need anything? [Taps on DIMITRI's shoulder who is still looking at the WAITRESS.]
DIMITRI [abruptly]: What? [Pause. Looking at NIKOLAY] What are we having?
NIKOLAY: We’ll eat something with some tea and …
DIMITRI [waving in denial]: Oh nothing for me. I don’t feel like eating. Just some tea perhaps ...
NIKOLAY: Alright. Then I won’t have anything either. We are running late anyway. [To the WAITRESS] Um yes. Just tea and a coffee for us then. And make it quick.
[The waitress leaves up-stage. DIMITRI's eyes follow her till she is out of sight.]
[Turning towards up-stage, shouts] And the Morning Gazette!
[Noticing DIMITRI] Pretty young lady ah buddy? [Smiling] Well anyway. I have been meaning to show you something in that Morning Gazette.
[The WAITRESS comes; keeps her tray on the table and unloads the cups from the tray. She hands over the newspaper to NIKOLAY.]
DIMITRI [looking at her] Thank you.
[The WAITRESS leaves.]
NIKOLAY [hastily turning the pages] Where was it? … Ah … [Pause.] Yes! The Metropolis Life Insurance Company advertisement. I bet you would be interested. [Adjusting his glasses] I’ll read it out for you.
[As NIKOLAY starts reading, DIMITRI is stares into down-left; completely oblivion. ]
What is this new word Che-mo-therapy? Many of our badly wounded soldiers, sailors and marines owe their lives to new drugs...
[As he reads, the stage grows darker, and NIKOLAY's voice fainter. After a few seconds, the brightness of the stage restored to same, although the setting on the stage has changed; which is of a square in a small town. DIMITRI is seen standing middle-right near a tree, observing middle-left where there is a grocery shop. He is in the same attire except here he wears a solid green tie and a brown hat. A woman stands in front of the shop. The woman is young, short and quite slim. Her appearance shall be exactly the same every time she is on-stage. Enters a middle-aged lady.]
AUNT SYLVIA: Oh darling! Darling! Where have you been? I don’t seem to see you often these days. (Complementing the shopkeeper, unseen to the audience) Oh Anne, you look lovely dear!
[Enters GRIGORIY from bottom-left. He is wearing a black overcoat and a black hat which partially hides his face. Glancing middle-right he touches his hat and stops near the grocery shop.]
And now coming to you Darya Melnikova … Oh how pale you look!
GRIGORIY [to the shopkeeper]: A pack of smoke. [A packet is handed out to him through the shop.]
AUNT SYLVIA[touching DARYA's face]: Oh where has the colour of your cheeks gone? Oh dear … My heart really sunk when your mother told me that a Doctor had to pay a visit.
GRIGORIY [to the women] : Care if I?
AUNT SYLVIA: No sir. You may.
DARYA: I’m really fine Aunt Sylvia. You really shall not worry about me.
AUNT SYLVIA: I am not accustomed to seeing you like this dear. Your mother seemed so anxious the other day when I met her. What really happened?
DARYA: Oh, nothing much Aunt Sylvia. I have been having problems sleeping lately … Haven’t been able to keep my mind at ease. Hence the headaches. [Taking the grocery bag from inside the shop] Thank you.
[Continuing their conversation DARYA and AUNT SYLVIA leave through up-left. DIMITRI hastily makes way to the middle of the stage while GRIGORIY lunges slowly towards him.]
DIMITRI (nervously): Were they talking about me? She didn’t seem her usual today …
GRIGORIY: You must relax Dimitri Pavlovich. She didn’t even mention you. She has been ill lately.
DIMITRI: Does she blame me for that? Has her vexation of me grown so great that it affects her physical health? You must tell me everything.
[A shrill woman’s cry is heard off-stage. The bright daylight gradually goes down till the stage is completely blacked-out. Nikolay’s voice becomes prominent in the background as the stage is restored to the previous setting with DIMITRI and NIKOLAY.]
NIKOLAY: -used without medical advice, otherwise there may be detrimental results. [Smiling] But Chemotherapy, rightly used, is a tremendous gift of modern medical science to our civilization. [Folding up newspaper] Incredible how we are advancing in different sciences. What do you think, Dimitri Pavlovich?
DIMITRI: Surely. [Pause.] Are you done with your coffee Nikolay Ivanovich?
NIKOLAY: Ah, yes. How was your tea?
DIMITRI: It was good … Thank you.
NIKOLAY: You really should have eaten something Dimitri Pavlovich. You look rather sickly. I shouldn’t have let you cancel the order.
DIMITRI: Don’t worry about it Nikolay Ivanovich. I will have a good lunch at the office.
NIKOLAY: Alright. If you say so. We could eat together if you like. You don’t mind my company do you?
DIMITRI: Oh not at all. I rather like it. For the last couple of years I have had a hard time maintaining my acquaintances. It would be good to have someone’s company for a while.
NIKOLAY: Oh very well. I’ve always considered you a good acquaintance. It's nice to hear that you wouldn’t mind having me around as well. [Pause.] Something troubling you Dimitri Pavlovich? I have been noticing you of late and … Well you have been quite lost.
[Enters the WAITRESS. DIMITRI glances at her.]
You can take the Morning Gazette as well. We are done with that. [Exit WAITRESS]
[Smiling] I know the girl pretty well. She works till late. I could get you acquainted with her if you want.
DIMITRI: What? Oh. No, thank you. [Pause.] It's just that she reminds me of someone.
NIKOLAY: And who this woman who is reminded by our pretty Veronica. Veronica mostly helps to forget about other women.
DIMITRI: Oh, you wouldn’t be interested.
NIKOLAY: I certainly would be, I assure you that. and it does seem to bother you. I would be happy to help you in some way, and maybe I could start with lending you an ear. [Touching his shoulder] You may put your trust in me.
DIMITRI: Oh, very well. Although it really is quite insignificant. I expect you to look at it objectively, and I know if you do, you’ll find it to be trivial.
NIKOLAY [smiling]: Concerning a woman?
DIMITRI: But not in any way you could possibly imagine. This woman - she lives in my neighborhood and I see her occasionally. I’ve never talked to her and I do not wish to either. And yet somehow I manage to annoy her. [As he talks, he grows passionate.] It’s as if my life would be cut into the smallest of pieces and every scrap of it is separately assessed, every scrap of my life would be an offense to her. [Pause.] I don’t believe that made much sense, did it?
NIKOLAY: Please do not think that. For some matter you have my more attention than ever. Do not hesitate Dimitri Pavlovich.
DIMITRI [laughing nervously]: If you insist. Well … ah, yes. the little woman. There is absolutely no connection between us that could even remotely force her of any kind of suffering. All she has to do is regard me as an utter stranger, [emphasizing] which I am, I really am … And yet she always finds something objectionable in me. There was a time when this bothered me more than it does now. And not for me, I thought of her. In the end, she was the one in frustration. So I thought about confronting her. I don’t really remember exactly when this was, but it has to be a while ago. I wished to do it in the most noble way I know. She was busy with some field work, fairly quick in her moments. I couldn't help but notice her hands. Every now and then she stood up with her hands on her hips. For some reason they made an impression on me. Hands. [He looks at his own.] I am yet to see hands with fingers so sharply differentiated from each other. And yet they seemed completely normal. Anyway, I wasn’t standing far, nor was i approaching, but, somehow, when she turned her hip as she always did, i came into her sight of vision. [Pause.] The mere sight of me enraged her so much, that in that pitch of fury, she left.
[Pause. DIMITRI suddenly gets conscious of himself. He gets up from his chair.]
[embarrassed] We should leave.
NIKOLAY [looking embarrassed as well]: Why? All of a sudden … What happened?
DIMITRI [composing himself]: It’s past eleven my friend Nikolay Ivanovitch. We have to be at work.
NIKOLAY: Oh … I actually did not care to go to work today. I was very much invested in your story. Hopefully that story has more to it. Does it?
DIMITRI: No, that’s almost it.
NIKOLAY: Well then, let me clear the check. I’ll just run to the manager to say hi. [Laughing] And perhaps Veronica as well.
[Exit NIKOLAY. DIMITRI remains on stage in oblivion.]
SCENE TWO
The stage is divided into two. To the right , occupying roughly two-third of the stage is DIMITRI’s bedroom. Up-stage right is a small door. Middle-right is a small study table which is untidy. In the middle of the stage is DIMITRI’s bedroom. A big window on the left wall. The stage area beyond the left wall is dimly lit. Night-time.
DIMITRI is standing near the window, gazing outside. Enter GRIGORIY from the door. DIMITRI turns and looks at GRIGORIY, and continues looking outside.
GRIGORIY: What was so urgent that you called me at ten in the night? [Sits on the bed.]
DIMITRI: I can’t live like this anymore. A man simply cannot endure being a continual target for someone’s spite. [Pause. He turns away from the window and stands near GRIGORIY.] Nothing is left except killing myself. And yet I know if she hears that I have committed suicide, she would fall into transports of rage.
GRIGORIY [getting up]: The woman again? You need to calm yourself Dimitri. You have no reason to obsess over her so much. Didn’t you resolve to ignore all the expedients of the woman and quietly continue to live your life? [DIMITRI returns to the window.]
DIMITRI: These frequent illnesses of hers … These are only a pretense put up to bring public suspicion on me. I know they are. It won’t be too late that people will start asking me questions, once it becomes generally known I am responsible for the condition the little woman is in.
GRIGORIY: It’s been more than a year now. Has it come out yet? If she hasn’t spoken yet, why would she speak even now? And who will believe her? Public opinion will not take her role. She must be really deluding herself if she has her hopes set on that. Even the biggest of investigations won’t be able to dig out the bones of the old lady now.
[The stage grows dark. After a few seconds, the stage is restored to dim street-light like lighting. Facing left are seen two figures, one of the old lady and the other of DIMITRI, who has an axe in his hand. The old lady lets out a small cry as he hits her thrice on her head. She falls, as a stream of blood flows on the stage. Darya Melnikova from far down-right, watches in horror. DIMITRI, whose face is unrecognizable turns and glances towards DARYA, who runs off-stage from up-stage right. Black-out.]
Chaos is heard off-stage. As the chaos lowers the stage is brought to light. It is the afternoon of the same day as the first act with DIMITRI and NIKOLAY. Up-stage is a big door, above which the sign reads ‘POLITSIYA’. On the left are several cells. In the middle of the stage is a big table with chairs on the opposite sides on one of which sit DIMITRI and on the other, a Police Officer.
DIMITRI: -and I killed her.
CURTAIN.
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