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IN THE PARK (В парке)

Translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp and Francisca Everduim

Characters

Christina – early 30s
Sylvia – early 30s

A warm summer's evening. A woman is sitting in the park: Christina. She pulls out a packet of cigarettes and casually lights up. A short pause. Sylvia appears. She walks up to Christina and looks at her.

Sylvia: Hello.

Christina nods, barely looking up

Sylvia: May I sit here?
Christina: Sure, go ahead.

Sylvia sits down. A short pause.

Sylvia: Lovely weather today.
Christina: Yes, lovely.
Sylvia: No trace of that storm yesterday.
Christina: No, none.
Sylvia: Have you got a cigarette I could have?
Christina: Sure, go ahead.

Christina gives her a cigarette. Sylvia lights up.

Sylvia: I don't normally smoke. Almost never – just two or three times a year, no more. But today I fancied it; I don't know why. Today seems kind of...
Christina: Kind of…?
Sylvia: Gloomy.
Christina: Maybe.
Sylvia: Do you live nearby?
Christina: Not particularly.
Sylvia: I love this park, too. I do live nearby, but that's not why... Even if I lived at the edge of town, I'd still come here.
Christina: That's why I come.
Sylvia: I'm sorry, am I disturbing you with all my chattering?
Christina: Not at all.
Sylvia: I should have asked.
Christina: If you were disturbing me, I would have said.
Sylvia: Amazing.
Christina: What?
Sylvia: I saw you and thought: there's a lady it would be nice to sit with and have a chat, or just sit quietly. Something about your face attracted me... You don't often see that.

Christina looks up and looks intently at Sylvia.

Sylvia: Is something wrong?
Christina: No, everything’s fine.
Sylvia: The way you looked at me was… odd, somehow.
Christina: That’s just how it seemed to you.
Sylvia: The expression on your face – it was like you recognized me. Do we know each other?
Christina: No, I've never seen you before.
Sylvia: It's a bit dark here, that's why. There are so many trees here that even on a sunny day it's not very light.
Christina: That'll be it.
Sylvia: I wonder who you thought I was. Who did I remind you of?
Christina: I don't know...
Sylvia: I wouldn't say that your face filled with joy just then.
Christina: Well... I thought...
Sylvia: You don't need to say if you don't want to. Was it some unpleasant acquaintance?
Christina: I don't know... No, I don’t know her...
Sylvia: You don’t know her? Why that funny reaction, then?
Christina: I'd heard too much about her.
Sylvia: I guess it wasn't all good?
Christina: No, quite the opposite.
Sylvia: Seems very complicated. I don't really understand. Well, good luck to her, your non-acquaintance. If she's that bad, then there's no point talking about her.
Christina: I don't know what she's like. I don't want to know, either.
Sylvia: Me neither.
Christina: You don't work?
Sylvia: What makes you think that?
Christina: Because it's day time. Most people don’t work at night.
Sylvia: Oh yes, of course. No, I do work and everything’s fine... I just took the day off today... It's that kind of day... I can’t even bear to think about it!
Christina: You look like you work in science.
Sylvia: No, I'm a secretary. Very ordinary... But my boss can’t live without me. I've been telling him all week that I can't work today, that there’s nothing I can do, I can't get out of it. If only you’d seen what a fuss he made about granting me leave. Can you imagine?! And on this day...
Christina: I don't work.
Sylvia: Really?
Christina: I'm unemployed.
Sylvia: But presumably you have a husband?
Christina: No, I'm not married.
Sylvia: Hmm, that's a shame... I understand, because I was unemployed for quite a long time, too. But all the same, things were easier before the death of my...

Christina stands up energetically.

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