Friday, June 17, 2005

Waiting for Our New President.

An earth country road. Cultivated lands, trees, bushes. A wood at far. Mid-summer night. An enormous brightening full-moon. The singing of crickets.
Faithless Virgin is sitting on a land limit wall by the earth road, she's trying to take one of her platform boots off, but she's not able to. She rests for a while, and tries again.
ENTER Miss Liberty
Faithless Virgin [Giving up again]: Damned boots!
Miss Liberty [Aproaching quickly singing]: "I will survive..." [Stops by Faithless Virgin] Hi dear!
Faithless Virgin [surprised] Good heavens! Hello! I'm glad to see you back.
Miss Liberty [breathless] Thank you.
Faithless Virgin: I had doubts about whether I would see you again.
Miss Liberty: Me too. I've come as fast as I could. I was scared of the idea of they catching me and falling on me!
Faithless Virgin: Oh, God! But who wants to make you harm? Who the hell is that evil creature?
Miss Liberty: THOSE evil creatures. [She puts her hands on the sides of her head] That fat cat! That petty tyrant! The major and his gang.
Faithless Virgin: Who else... But why? And what do they want to make you?
Miss Liberty: You know how those fascists are... They caught me once dressed on the way to the discotheque and they gave me a good beating.
Faithless Virgin [exclaiming] Lord! Oh, poor you!
Miss Liberty [in a low voice] Yeah... And they menaced me. They told me that if they see me again, they'll end up with me. I know what they want to do with me. They want to take me to one of those road clubs. And I may be a bitch, but definitely, I'm not a prostitute!
Faithless Virgin: Wow! Of course you're not a prostitute! You're such a delicate lady, dear.
Miss Liberty: I thank you heartily for your words and support. Well, I think I'm gonna get "dressed". [She has already her white dress on. She sits on the wall, takes off her jogging shoes and takes a pair of white platform boots out of a rucksack, puts them on. Then she puts a green wig on her head] Could you please handle this torch? I'd like to make me up.
Faithless Virgin: Sure.
Miss Liberty [with a pocket mirror in her left hand as she covers her face with make-up]: Now, how do I look like?
Faithless Virgin: MaRRRvelous!
Miss Liberty: Thanks. If you need some make-up, just say it.
Faithless Virgin [struggles once more trying to take her boots off while she's sitting on the wall]: Er... Dear, would you be so kind to help me take these bloody boots off?
Miss Liberty: Ah! You see?! Haven't I told you you should take them off once a day?
Faithless Virgin: I do take them off at least once a day. It's just that my feet are killing me!
Miss Liberty: OK, OK. [Helps her take the boots off]
Faithless Virgin [with her feet free]: Oh, how wonderful it is to feel my feet again!
Miss Liberty: Then remember it next time.
Faithless Virgin: By the way, where did you spend the night at last?
Miss Liberty: I slept in a penthouse. The owner is a good young guy. I know that if he saw me there sleeping, he would never talk about it.
Faithless Virgin: I see... But have you eaten something?
Miss Liberty: Of course. But don't worry about it. Now the thing we've got to think of is the journey of the new president that'll take him along this road.
Faithless Virgin: Ah, yes. That's why we're here.
[Both sit for a good while on the wall. They're silent]
Miss Liberty [Breaking the silence]: Umh... Faith...
Faithless Virgin: Yes, Liberty?
Miss Liberty: You're sure we're in the right place? Is it here where the new president is to pass by in the official car?
Faithless Virgin: Of course it is. I heard on the radio he was going to be at a meeting in eastvillage and then he's going to westtown, so he has to cross our village in order to go from eastvillage to westtown. And well, this is the only way to do it. Don't you think?
Miss Liberty: If you say it, I believe you.
[Short silence]
Miss Liberty [wondering]: But at what time is he going to come over here?
Faithless Virgin: Well, they said the meeting would last till 10, and now it's 10.15. So sooner or later he must come this way.
Miss Liberty: Alright. Then we'll wait till he comes.
[Long silence]
Miss Liberty: And... Is it today that he's going to come?
Faithless Virgin [desperated]: You're getting me on my nervs! Of course he's coming today! He's supposed to be coming on Friday and today's Friday.
Miss Liberty [naïve]: Are you completely sure? Maybe it's on another day, or it might have already happened... Perhaps today is not Friday...
Faithless Virgin [nearly shouting]: It must be Friday! [starting to doubt] I think... You're making me confused! I'll check it on the calendar of my mobile. [takes her mobile phone out of her handbag, presses some keys while looking the display] Yeah, today is Friday. In addition, I had marked this day on my calendar.
Miss Liberty: OK. We'll await him here.
[Faithless Virgin nods]
Miss Liberty: And what's the reason that makes you want to leave the village?
Faithless Virgin: Er... Well, I started thinking that my life in the parish church has no more sense, that there's nothing I can do here or even there's nothing left for me.
Miss Liberty: Ah... What was the relationship with the other clerk like?
Faithless Liberty: Umh... To tell the truth, we've been friends...
Miss Liberty: Friends... Friends... But kind of friends? Tell me. Your voice's hiding something. And I think I guess what it is. The word friend in English can be very ambiguous. It may mean childhood friends, bowling friends, or even passionate lovers. That's it! You had a love affair with him! I bet all my make-up!
Faithless Virgin: Your tongue!
Miss Liberty: Oh, come on, be sincere!
[Short silence]
Miss Liberty: You're getting red!
Faithless Virgin: OK! I did! And what?! Are you happy now?
Miss Liberty: Hey, calm down, man. I'm not trying to judge you. I was just joking. One can't always take things for serious. Look at me. I must be thankful 'cos they haven't cut my throat.
[Short silence]
Faithless Virgin [in a sad low voice]: He arrived about one year-and-a-half ago. He was the substitute of the old priest. [Miss Liberty listens] At first everything was normal, we kept a distance in between; reasonable, since we were still some kind of strange for each other. But everything worked, there was communication. But after three months the stream started flowing in a different direction. Little by little, he began to break the distance between us, he made an effort to become more friendly with me. His speaking was closer and deeper. He was always interested in my oppinion and thoughts. But the most striking for me was the change in his physical behaviour; as in his speaking he was closer to me, the physical distance was reduced; and, in addition, his looking was different, his eyes were more lively, more joyful, were always analysing my reactions. His voice did change, too; it turned lower, deeper... I'd even say more masculine. I guess he seduced me without I could notice it.
I always knew I am gay, but until he came, I had never thought of having anything with a man. I've always lived in this small village, and I wasn't used to that kind of things. I just lived innerly.
His arrival changed all. It was like a huge wave that turned everything up side down.
I began to wonder about the meaning of life, love, God, the World. I was confused. I didn't know what to do or what to think.
He showed himself understandingly. Gradually I began to open myself to him and fell in love with him. He naked my body and conquered it, making me feel sensations I could never have dreamt of. I bit the flesh of sin and passion. I liked its flavour unconsciously. I let myself go and be led. I discovered new tones of colours, new lively sounds and new attracting smells that had passed imperceptible for me. The sensations transmited through my skin became more accute and intense. My skin was suddenly a weapon charged of powerful eroticism.
Unfortunately, I came to be very dependent on him. I needed him and made everything to his wish to please him. But he didn't give as much as I did... He just made use of me for his own pleasure and interest. He wanted to have sex with me, but he didn't want to go beyond it, he wanted nothing serious with me.
At some point I opened my blinded eyes and realized that I couldn't go on with our relationship. I've loved him, but as he doesn't love, there's no way for me.
I'm not the same either. It changed my mind completely and now I think I have to look for myself and decide what to do with my life. Now I believe I can't spend the rest of my days living in a small village having no contact with the outer world. I have to go out from this. [Teardrops run down her face].
Miss Liberty: Oh, come. [Embraces Faithless Virgin] I'm sorry that you met a bastard like that. But now you have to try to forget him. You'll see how you get over. And I'm sure that someday you'll meet a better man, who'll treat you as well as you deserve.
Faithless Virgin [stil weeping]: Thank you for your comfort.
Miss Liberty: Shhh... Don't worry.
[Long silence]
[Still atmosphere. A grey cat crosses quick the road from right to left, he walks elegantly]
Miss Liberty: I haven't had fortune in love either. All my relationships have been brief,... even one-night relations. The only relationship I've had lasted from last winter till he left me for going overseas two weeks ago. He tried to conveance me to go with him, to start our life in a new place, that we would be free at last. But I told him I could not leave my parents' lands. Some days later I realized I can't continue with this life. There's no place for a homosexual in this village, and I don't care any longer what may happen to my properties.
[Both remain quiet for a while. At far the sound of a motor vehicle approaching can be heard]
Miss Liberty: You hear something?
Faithless Virgin [mind-absent]: Ha?
Miss Liberty: Don't you hear it? It seems a car coming here.
Faithless Virgin: Oh, yes. You're right.
Miss Liberty [enthusiastic]: Oh, how excited I am! Will it be our president?
Faithless Virgin [doubtful]: Well... I don't know... I' pray for it, but since I have this internal...er... personal problem... I mean, this faith crisis.
Miss Liberty [...]: Will it be or will it be so?
[The lights of the vehicule can already be seen. Miss Liberty and Faithless Virgin stare breathless in wonder. A white van loaded with wood passes by them without stopping]
Miss Liberty [disappointed]: Oh, shit. It wasn't him. Mr. President, where are you gone?
Faithless Virgin: We must be a little patient. He'll come sooner or later.
Miss Liberty: Yeah... I know. It's just that I'm terribly excited. I can't wait to see our new president!
[Faithless Virgin smiles at Miss Liberty]
[ An old woman dressed in black crosses the road from right to left guiding three
autoctonous "blond" cows]:Good night!
Faithless Virgin and Miss Liberty [at the same time]: Good night!
[Silence]
[Footsteps coming from darkness]
Miss Liberty: Who'll be now? An old woman who's brought her most precious cow to the bull?
[Faithless Virgin laughs out loud]
[Steps closer. A moo! Coming from the distance, at their backs]
Faithless Virgin [...]: Lo! O, good Lord! What is that light, that my eyes coming hithere see? Is he my so awaited blue prince? Or am I night-dreaming?
[The figure of a man having a torch in his right hand approaches]
Faithless Virgin: O, tell me gently sister what thou of this horseless knight findest.
Miss Liberty: Methinks he’s a good-looking fellow.
Faithless Virgin [in a low voice]: Mmphhh... What a horny stud!
Miss Liberty: Faith!... Who hath seen thee and who seeth thee now!
[The young man comes up to them, wears an open black waistcoat on his naked torso, black trousers, torch in his left hand, milk-can in the right one,
clogs].
Milkman: I greet you charming ladies.
Faithless Virgin: Good evening noble knight.
Milkman: What do these exquisite maids so late here?
Faithless Virgin [almost blushed]: Oh, good man. Ye are very genteel. We must see the new elected president.
Milkman: Alas! I knew not that we have a new president.
Miss Liberty: Yes, sir; since the beginning of summer.
Milkman: But, tell me, why sayst thou that ye must see him?
Faithless Virgin: We need him to take us away from here.
Milkman: Ye need him to take you away? Have ye any problems, good women?
Faithless Virgin [Doubting whether to tell him about or not]: Well... She’s being prosecuted by the major’s gang, and I... I have to run away and search a better future in another place, perhaps in the city.
Milkman: O, kind-hearted maiden, I will protect you against all harms that any soulless devil intend to make you.
Faithless Virgin [moved]: We thank you immensely good-hearted knight. But it is necessary for us to leave this village.
Milkman: I understand thee, good woman. But then, [he kneels down and takes Faithless Virgin's right hand] I must promise thee, high lady, that if so thou ever want it, my heart yours will be.
Faithless Virgin [exulted]: Lo! O, lobbing lord, waste not such wonderful words to praise me.
Milkman: But I will to. Thou art the most beautiful bloom that my eyen never have seen.
Faithless Virgin: O, good lord, your kindly compliments my ears caress.
Milkman: That is no compliment, woman. Hit is what my sight in seeing you perceives.
Faithless Virgin: I am grateful to you, noble knight.
Milkman [in a voive denoting sorrow]: So shall it be, high lady. [He stands up to depart] In greate woe my way I will walk. Farewell honourable ladies!
Miss Liberty [sobbing in a white handkerchief]: Farewell, ye kind-hearted knight!
Faithless Virgin: May God be with you, noble lord!
[The figure of the walking knight vanishes in the dark]

[Long silence. Both Miss Liberty and Faithless Virgin remain sitting on the wall, awaiting...]
Miss Liberty: Mmm... I'm starting to have hunger [she opens her big hand-bag and looks inside. Meanwhile Faithless Virgin is abstracted. Miss Liberty takes two small Tupperwares from the bag and opens them] Would you like some? [offering something to Faithless Virgin]
Faithless Virgin [back from her interior monologue]: Ha? Oh, sorry. What is it? [looking into the plastic object]
Miss Liberty:
Mussels in pickle-sauce.
Faithless Virgin: Oh, yes!
Miss Liberty: Here you are some mais bread [offering Faithless Virgin from the second Tupperware]
Faithless Virgin: Great! Thank you. [Takes some bread and mussels] Umh... Delicious!
Miss Liberty [takes also some bread and mussels]: Yeah... A funny picnic in the moonlight.
[Both laugh]
[ They finish eating the mussels]
Faithless Virgin: Umh... [licking her fingers and cleaning them in a napkin] That was very good!
Miss Liberty: Wait. Now comes the dessert.
Faithless Virgin: There's more?
Miss Liberty: Yeah... [closes the Tupperware and puts it back in the bag, takes another container out and opens it. She also takes a cheese-knife] Et voilà, the
teat-cheese!
Faithless Virgin [astonished]: You're incredible!
[Miss Liberty starts cutting some cheese slices and serves them. Both eat the cheese with some mais bread. When they've finished eating, Miss Liberty packs again everything and introduces it in the bag. Some time later... The sound of an owl. A cute coal-black cat appears on the earth road, comes to the girls, moves and watches around them. Boom! A cloud of smoke in front of Miss Liberty and Faithless Virgin. They cough. The figure of an odd old lady dressed in black appears when the smoke evaporates]
Miss Liberty: A witch!
Witch: That's what I am and I'm proud about it!
Faithless Virgin: Good for you...
Witch: What are you doing here? D'you need help?
Miss Liberty [Faithless Virgin just looks the dialogue between them]: No. It's not that. We're waiting for someone, thought it's getting long and boring.
Faithless Virgin [losing her patience]: OK! You don't have to give her any explanations!
Witch: Hey father, don't get that bittered. I'll rather go back to my cave. I've taken plenty
newts and salamanders for tonight. I'll catch some toads tomorrow. Be darkness with you, dears!
Faithless Virgin [sarcastic]: And with your spirit!
Miss Liberty: Hey Witch! Wait! I got a question for you.
Witch [in a sharp rising tone]: Yyyeesss...?
Miss Liberty: Could you tell us if we'll have a good president sitting in the Parliament of the autonomous region? You know, someone who help make a Great Shift.
Faithless Virgin [angry]: O, come on! How can you believe in supperstitions and tricksters?!
Witch: Hey man! Are you putting in doubt my professinalism? I got an extense curriculum vitae, though I was exploited for many years as a scholar.

Faithless Virgin [desperated]:OK! I give up!
Witch: Well, I'll go ahead. There'll be a time for the so longed Great Shift. Sooner... Or later... Yes, I can see it. I'm sure of it! It'll be progressive. Umh... I foresee the people will be satisfied with the new government, and there'll be no looking-backs.
Miss Liberty [enthusiastic]: O, it really sounds nice, doesn't it, Faith?
Faithless Virgin [dry]: Fairy tales!
Witch: You should change your way, excommunicated father. Or you'll be alone for ever and ever.
Faithless Virgin [sarcastic]: OK. Thanks a lot. Now you can go home. Bye!
Witch: See you, night dancing-beings!
Miss Liberty: Bye! And thank you!
[The witch disappears]
Faithless Virgin: Tell me, how can you believe in those superstitions?!
Miss Liberty: Well, I grew up listening to several sorts of stories and legends. Maybe you consider them just pagan superstitions. But for me they're part of the cultural heirloom I inherited from my ancestors. I'm proud about my roots. Though of course I'm critic to anything that may mean any harm for the individual.
Faithless Virgin [making fun in a voice that intends to cause fear]: Oh. Then you believe in the Saint Company? D'you believe you can find a procession formed by skeletons carrying a dead person? Take care if you ever meet them at night. You might see your face in the dead's face! Mmm... And that wouldn't be good news at all. You'd be dead soon! Or what would you do if they forced you to take and carry the cross?
Miss Liberty [trying to explain herself]: I didn't mean I believe in every legend. But I cannot deny them as part of my own culture.
[The howl of wolves at far. Silence. The sudden sound of a vehicle comig from east puts them on alert. The lights of the car can be seen on the road]
Miss Liberty [enthusiastic]: Oooh... That may be our dear president!
[Faithless Virgin looks towards the lights without showing much excitement]
Miss Liberty [highly excited]: Oh. This time it must be Him. I can feel it.
Faithless Virgin [incredulous]: Can you?
[The vehicle passes without noticing them]
Miss Liberty: What was it?
Faithless Virgin: I think it was a patrol. One of those which are supposed to veal for our environment. That's what they're paid for. If they do it or not... That's another thing.
Miss Liberty [disappointed]: Shit! The same again. But how? I was sure of it. I could feel it.
Faithless Virgin: Er... Could you foresee the weather forecast for the weekend?
Miss Liberty: Fuck off!
Faithless Virgin: Hey, don't worry. You'll see how one day you'll realize that what you once dreamt, did turn into reality.
Miss Liberty [faithless]: Hopefully...
Faithless Virgin: Fuck! I thought I had lost all my faith.
[Footsteps on the road]
Miss Liberty [whispering]: Listen! There comes somebody.
[Both stare in the direction from which the steps come]
Miss Liberty [whispering] Fuck! That could be someone from the major's gang.
Faithless Virgin: I don't think so. Don't worry. The major's gang would come in their smart cars paid by us.
[Miss Liberty looks at her]
[The steps are quite near. A man walking with a stick and a scallop shell hung round his neck passes in front of them. Frightened at the view of the girls, the man starts walking faster]
Faithless Virgin: Poor fool! They think they're going on a pilgrimage for the things they believe in. But they don't know they're walking on a pagan route based on the position of the stars.
Miss Liberty: Whatcha mean?
Faithless Virgin: Just that. The pilgrimage route as we nowadays know it was christianized as a means of business investition. They created it just for making money, money, money.
Miss Liberty: Ah...
Miss Liberty: D'you smell it?
Faithless Virgin: Smell what?
Miss Liberty: Yes... [sniffing the air] Wax! That's it!
Faithless Virgin: Ha?
Miss Liberty: Can't you smell it?
Faithless Virgin [sniffing the air]: Oh, yes. You're right. But... What the hell can that be?
Miss Liberty: Faith... D'you remember our chat on superstitions...?
Faithless Virgin: No! D'you mean...?
Miss Liberty: Yeah... Come on! We gotta trace a circle on the earth.
[Faithless Virgin starts tracing a circle with her right foot]
Miss Liberty: Wait! I got salt! That'll be safer.
Faithless Virgin [stares astonished]: But, how...?
Miss Liberty: I'm a believer. That's why I got it in my bag [makes the salt circle around them]
[In a while, the procession of skeletons appear. The first takes a cross in its hands]
Faithless Virgin: Hell trap me!
[The rest of skeletons carry a coffin. Miss Liberty and Faithless Virgin are dead silent staring pale how the skeletons march along the way. When the procession is gone both take breath again]
Faithless Virgin [crying out]: Did you see it? That was...!
Miss Liberty: Yeah... [takes breath] The face of the old president!
Faithless Virgin: Then, that must mean that either he has dead or he's going to die soon!
Miss Liberty [breathless, not being able to understand the situation]: Yeah...
[Both sit exhausted on the wall trying to rest. Wolves howling. Silence. Little by little, with the sound of a music box, they fall in a dream, entering into their dreamt land]
THE END.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Zzzzzz
Jajaja, es broma. Muy interesante.
Espero que sigas desarrollando tu imaginación y que publiques más relatos (quizás alguno basado en lo que ocurra este domingo ;))

arroaz (Tursiops truncatus) said...

:P
Did you read the whole thing?