Sotto Voce (TCG Edition) by Nilo Cruz

Author:Nilo Cruz
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781559368346
Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
Published: 2016-05-19T00:00:00+00:00

Act Two

The lights reveal Saquiel and Lucila in Bemadette’s apartment. Lucila has filled the apartment with votive candles.

LUCILA: She probably had a mild stroke—nothing that would affect her speech or coordination.

SAQUIEL: I kept calling the house to see how she was doing.

LUCILA: She’ll be fine. Her Coumadin level was low. They have her on a new medication.

SAQUIEL: How is she feeling?

LUCILA: She’s much better.

SAQUIEL: Will she let me see her when she’s back from the hospital?

LUCILA: No. And now much less.

SAQUIEL: Why?

LUCILA: Vanity.

SAQUIEL: I’m not romancing the woman for God’s sake!

LUCILA: It would be ridiculous if you were.

SAQUIEL: Do you have something against it?

LUCILA: Me? I could care less. I once wanted to fall in love with a blind man. I liked the fact that he couldn’t see me but he could imagine me.

(Saquiel touches the walls. His hand glides over her books, her chair and every object on her desk. He sits on Bemadette’s chair.)

SAQUIEL: Is this where she writes?

LUCILA: Don’t touch anything. Leave everything in its place. She’ll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. She’d fire me if she ever found out that I brought you here.

(He inspects some of the objects on top of her desk.)

SAQUIEL: But everything is so personal, so beautiful.

LUCILA: You wouldn’t find anything beautiful if you had to clean and dust like I do.

(He picks up an ashtray.)

SAQUIEL: Does she smoke?

LUCILA: Not allowed.

SAQUIEL: Did she use to?

LUCILA: Like a chimney.

SAQUIEL: Drink?

LUCILA: Like a desert.

SAQUIEL: Now?

LUCILA: She has wine.

(He sits in another chair.)

SAQUIEL: Does she like to sit in this chair?

LUCILA: Is it only Ms. Kahn that interests you?

SAQUIEL: No, of course not.

(He continues to explore everything in the house.)

LUCILA: I thought we could talk about other things.

SAQUIEL: Like what?

LUCILA: I don’t know. Were you silent when you were a child? Did you live in a big house? What’s it like living in Cuba? Do you cook? Do you like to play Parcheesi, Solitaire?

SAQUIEL: We can talk about that later. Can you show me her writing?

LUCILA: No. I can’t do that.

SAQUIEL: Then why did you bring me here?

LUCILA: I thought you’d like to see the place where she lives.

SAQUIEL: Come on, show me!

LUCILA: Can’t you take no for an answer?

SAQUIEL: She doesn’t have to find out.

LUCILA: I said no! (She moves away from him and goes for her purse) Let’s go now. Let’s leave. This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have brought you here. (She looks for her keys in her purse)

SAQUIEL: All right! All right! Forget what I said. That was nothing what happened just now. Can we stay here for a bit longer?

(She walks to another part of the room.)

LUCILA: What would you do if I gave you the keys to this place?

SAQUIEL: I would try to find her writing and read it.

LUCILA: Why?

SAQUIEL: Because what’s written is meant to be read, and books exist to help us understand ourselves.

LUCILA: What if I tell you that I have read some of her new writing? That I pieced together some papers she had thrown in the trash.

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