Аннотация: The play shows how in he mind of an old blind man who lived almost all his life in the Soviet Union and nine years in Amerika, all his memories are mi[ed up.
BUSINESS TRIP TO PARIS
Ludmila Anselm
Translated by Jim Clinton
CHARACTERS:
OLGA 65. Michael"s daughter.
MICHAEL 85 Olga"s blind father.
A hospital room. MICHAEL lies on a bed with an intravenous tree drip and oxygen tubes in his nose. He is barefoot.
OLGA walks in. She hugs and kisses MICHAEL, as best she can around his tubes.
OLGA
Papa! Oh, papa! I"m so relieved to see you!
MICHAEL
(speaking carefully and slowly)
Where am I?
OLGA
Memorial hospital...
MICHAEL
Why?
OLGA
You passed out. You fell, hit your head hard... We called the ambulance...How do you feel now, PAPA?
MICHAEL
You"ll not to believe me... I can see! I can see again!
OLGA
What do you see?
MICHAEL
Colors!
OLGA
Papa, you are in shock...
MICHAEL
I can see perfectly! No more white stick!
OLGA
The doctor told me that you have some problems with your mind and your heart
MICHAEL
Now I will be able to walk faster. I am normal! (pause) You don"t believe me?
OLGA
Papa, what you can see?,
MICHAEL
I can read the Leningrad sign. It"s on the station platform. The trains are waiting... On the wall is the portrait of Brezhnev. My colleagues from the institute are all over there... They"re here to see me off... I"m going to Paris...
OLGA
To Paris?
MICHAEL
I"m presenting my paper on drawbridge construction...
OLGA
Papa, you"re, hallucinating!
MICHAEL
No! I am not... It"s real The French invited me to talk. I've told you how famous our bridges are... What is strange is that the Party Committee let me go... But I have to
have a "Chaperone"... Dima... He is a Party Member
OLGA
Do you see me Papa?
MICHAEL
Well, how can I see you if you are standing in back me?
(Suddenly he raises up and extends his right hand)
Hello... hello! Vasiliy Ivanovich, I"m so pleased... Have you seen Dmitry my fellow traveler?
OLGA
Papa, the nurse told me, you shouldn"t sit up, even if you felt like it.. Just try to snooze a little...
MICHAE (excitedly)
I can"t sleep... I"m preparing for a business trip...
(He rocks back to sit up. He looks around the room)
Why isn"t she here? She said she"d come to say goodbye... We agreed...
OLGA
Who?
MICHAEL
Galya...
OLGA
Galya, who?
MICHAEL
Galya...You talked with her for a long time at our laboratory reception last spring...
OLGA
Oh, I remember her... She was so enthusiastic her work... Papa, the doctor said you
haven"t slept since you arrived here... You must lay back and sleep...
MICHAEL
I"ll rest when I find Galya... It"s really important, I have to talk. With her....
OLGA
And then you will rest?
MICHAEL
When she comes I"ll rest... This is my final dissuasionb...
OLGA
Do you promise me to rest then?
MICHAEL
Yes, I do...
OLGA
OK...
(Long Pause. OLGA starts gently talking as if she were Galya. She change her voice deeper and sexier)Michail Mironovich! Hello, hello!It's me... Galya. At last I found you! They changed your train track at the last minute. How are you?
MICHAEL
(Jumps to sitting and shakes Olga's hand)
Gallochka! Finally! (Pause) I have something very important to say to you. Listen carefully...
OLGA
(Galya's voice)
Mikhail Mironovich I understand, but first you must lie back.
MIKHAEL
(Mikhael lies back down)
Galochka! Finally! (Pause) Listen carefully... All right but listen, 1 am going to Paris... But... 1 have to tell you...
OLGA
(Galya's voice)
Michael Mironovich, I understand, but first you must lie back...
MICHAEL
(lies back down)
I"m going to Paris... But I have to tell you, I'll be back...
OLGA
I know, you will be back...
MICHAEL
But I have to tell you I won"t be coming back to you...
OLGA
(in her own voice shocked)
Papa! What are you saying?
MICHAEL
Olga! When did you come back? I was talking to Galya... Galochka! Galochka! Where are you?
(jumping up)
Where are my shoes? I have to find her... Please give me my shoes,
(The oxygen tubes fall from Michael"s nose. Olga tries to hold Michael on the bed)
OLGA
Papa, please, lie back... you don"t need shoes you"re in the hospital... Your oxygen has fallen out...
MICHAEL
(resisting)
I won"t lie down until I explain more to Galochka! Get out of my way! Call her back! I have more to explain... Where is she?
OLGA
(switching to Galya"s voice with an edge)
Michael Mironovich...
MICHAEL
Galochka, why are you so formal? You call me Misha...,
OLGA
Here are many strangers, your fellow workers...
MICHAEL
You"re right... No one need know... Let me have your hand...
(Olga extends her hand)
Your hands are always so warm so soft. I love to hold them and kiss them...
(He tries to kiss Olga"s hand)
OLGA
Misha, not now... not the right place...
MICHAEL
Galochka, try to understand... This paper is the biggest chance in my life... I have to grovel before... The Party Committee didn't want to give me permission to go to Paris. For a little professional recognition... I had to be stubborn humiliated and have Dima follow me all the time... But... They added a special condition about you and me... I can"t come to you after Paris (Pause) Please, forgive me ... Galochrka.. I hope you will understand... I don/t want to give up this chance... Do you understand? (Pause) Galochka! What do you say? Why are you silent? Say something... Galochka! Where are you?
OLGA
(own voice)Papa! What are you saying?
MICHAEL
Where is Galochka?
OLGA
She went away...
MICHAEL
Where? Why?
OLGA
To get your shoes...
MICHAEL
Call her back... I have to explain all and to ask her forgiveness....
OLGA
Why... do you have to ask Galya"s forgiveness?
MICHAEL
She and I had an agreement...
OLGA
Agreement? What about?
MICHAEL
I was to go to her with one suitcase... You and Mama would stay in the apartment with all the furniture the paintings, money, everything...
OLGA
How could you? Did Mama know anything about you and Galya?
MICHAEL
I think she knew something...
OLGA
But you never left us, Papa...
MICHAEL
The Party Committee said I could only go to Paris if I completely ended my relationship with Galya... Galya never forgave me my trip to Paris... Now I have missed another chance to ask her forgiveness...
(MICHAEL jumps up)
I have to try to find her...
(He puts feet on the floor. All the tubes have fallen off... He starts to walk gasps and falters... OLGA forces him back to bed)
OLGA
Papa, lie down again! I"ll call the nurse...
MICHAEL
(weakly)
You don't need to call anybody but Galochka
OLGA
Listen to me! You are now in... the hospital! Do you understand? You are in Memorial Hospital
MICHAEL
Where?
OLGA
In the hospital... Not Leningrad... Papa, you are in America... In Boston Ame-ri-ca!!
MICHAEL
How could I be in America?
OLGA
After Perestroika we came to Boston... Five years ago on your 80th birthday... Remember?
MICHAEL
Where is Mama?
OLGA
Mama died...
MICHAEL
She died? (Pause) When?
OLGA
We came to America after she died...
(Beat)MICHAEL
(suddenly jumping up again shouting)
Galochra! Galochka! Here I am!
OLGA
Papa, she isn"t here...
MICHAEL
I saw Galochka in the crowd...I'm calling to her,... There! She
has on her blue knitted cap... She knitted it during lunch breaks... Then she knitted my scarf...
OLGA
Papa, lie down. The nurse will fix your tubes...
MiICHAEL
(pushing the intravenous tree aside)
No tubes... I tear them out! I don"t want Galochka to see me helpless and weak with tubes all over me...
OLGA
(almost crying)
Papa! I don/t know what to do with you... You must lie still...