The Monument by Colleen Wagner

Author:Colleen Wagner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: The Monument, Colleen Wagner, war, reparations, war crimes
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Published: 2010-10-08T00:00:00+00:00

Scene 4

Mejra is bandaging STETKO’s foot. He shivers from cold and shock.

Mejra: Papa cut his tail off and he howled and wailed through the night and in the morning the poison was out of his system.

The shock drove it out of his body.

He was my father’s favorite dog.

He used to say “I loved that dog enough to chop its tail off—which is more than I could do for my children.”

Stetko: What if he had died?

Mejra: Who knows.

We only ever know what does happen.

Stetko: I wouldn’t have done that.

I probably would have just watched, to see if he’d make it on his own.

See if he was meant to live.

Mejra: Who decides that?

Who decides who will live and who won’t?

Stetko: (shrugs) I don’t know.

Mejra: My father loved that dog.

Stetko: (grins) Like you love me?

Mejra: I don’t love you.

Stetko: You sure?

Mejra: Positive.

Stetko: You live out here alone.

No neighbours.

Nothing.

You see me. Young—

Mejra: (bursts out laughing) You are so arrogant and stupid—

I think all your brains must be in your cock.

And you’re impotent!

Stetko: Not anymore.

Last night I had a hard on.

That’s why I dropped the rock.

So I could masturbate.

Mejra: You lie.

Pause.

Stetko: Yeah.

I couldn’t hold it any longer.

My back was killing me.

In a way I was relieved when it fell.

Mejra: Nothing like pain to stop… everything.

I have something for you.

Stetko: A gift?

Mejra: Sort of.

I found it.

Stetko: What is it?

Mejra: A rabbit.

It had been caught in a snare and chewed its front paw off to escape.

I was going to kill it for dinner but it snarled at me.

I thought anything that wants to live that badly deserves a chance. So I brought it home.

Stetko: I had a pet rabbit when I was seven.

Where is it?

Mejra: There, in the basket.

STETKO limps to the basket, opens it, and looks in.

Stetko: It hissed at me!

Mejra: Maybe it doesn’t want our help.

Maybe it wants to die.

Stetko: Nobody wants to die.

Mejra: How do you know?

Stetko: …I saw lots of people die.

Mejra: The girls?

Stetko: Yeah. Some of them didn’t seem to care.

But they probably knew it was for the best. Nobody wants a woman who’s been raped.

Husbands walk away.

Mejra: Mothers never walk away.

Silence. STETKO considers this statement.

That’s where men always become confused.

They don’t know what to do about mothers.

Stetko: It bit me!

He sucks his finger and closes the basket.

Look at me.

No ear.

Crushed foot.

Bit finger.

Mejra: Should we kill it?

Stetko: —no.

Mejra: Why not?

Stetko: It doesn’t know any different.

It doesn’t know I’m a friend.

What are you smiling about?

Mejra: I’m not. I’m musing.

We forgive an animal but not a people.

Well, it’s yours then.

She gives him dinner.

This is all there is.

Stetko: What is this?

Mejra: It was growing near the marsh.

Stetko: A man can’t live on this.

Mejra: Eat the rabbit then. That’s all there is.

She exits.

Stetko: And what did you have, eh?!

Beer?

Potatoes with gravy?

Some cabbage?

Stewed beef and cabbage with potatoes and paprika, and carrots.

Dumplings.

I’ll die on this!

She’s going to starve me to death.

The rabbit scratches at the basket. He opens it and looks in.

Where do you think you’re going, eh? With three feet.

What a pair.

Maybe if we team up we’ll have enough feet between us to escape.

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