Departure Gate

7/28/2019 Departure Gate

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DEPARTURE GATE by Simon Derrick

AIRPORT BAR. EVENING

BORIS

So there I was, sat in a bar in an airport departure lounge, quietly minding my own

business and staring pensively into a glass of red wine. Other than myself, there

were only two people in the bar, a man in a suit and a woman in a purple blouse.

Occasionally I would look up and admire the woman in the purple blouse, and

then I’d imagine what she would look like unclothed. And then I’d stare back down

in to the deep, dark, red wine and peer shamefully at my sad and empty reflection.

MAN IN BLACK:

Hello Boris. Remember me?

BORIS:

Someone had sat beside me, and he seemed to know my name.

MAN IN BLACK:

Oh, but you must remember me Boris. We used to spend so much time together.

You used to talk to me every night before you went to sleep, you used to laugh

with me and cry with me and share with me your joy, your anger and your inner

most dark, dark secrets. (BEAT) Don’t you remember me Boris? Don’t you

remember? I was your one companion, your best friend, your only friend…

(HE CHANGES TO A MORE SINISTER TONE)

Then one day you abandoned me and ran off with some one else, never daring tospeak to me again, too afraid to face me again, too afraid even to admit you once

knew me. (HAPPY AGAIN) Well here I am now Boris, I’m back, and guess what? I

forgive you!

© 2003 Simon Derrick 1




A COUPLE OF BEATS

BORIS:

I’m sorry; I haven’t the foggiest idea who you are.

MAN IN BLACK: (LAUGHING)

Boris, Boris, Boris!

BORIS: (STANDING)

Look, I really should be going, I’ve got a plane to catch and…

MAN IN BLACK: (SHOUTING VERY LOUDLY)

SIT DOWN!

BORIS:

I’m sorry?

MAN IN BLACK: (TALKING LOUDLY)

Boris Fairlop, 29 years of age, unemployed, penniless and deeply unattractive,has sordid affairs with young married women, and has just spent the last ten

minutes mentally undressing the woman in the purple blouse!

A COUPLE OF BEATS

Yes, that’s right Boris; in fact last night you spent an entire hour of your precious

little life mentally undressing the women on TV. You’re a pervert Boris, a

shameless little pervert and now everybody’s going to get to know the real Boris

Fairlop, and no, I’m not going to leave you alone because this time I’m here to

stay !





BORIS:

Look, what exactly do you want from me? Why are you doing this? Who are you?

MAN IN BLACK:

Relax Boris. Don’t be so nervous, you’re always so damned nervous. It’s no

wonder you’re an alcoholic and you mumble and you hate people who stare at

you in the street. You’re a wreck Boris, you’ve lost all self-control and there’s only

one way for you to go now: down.

BORIS:

I don’t have to believe you.

MAN IN BLACK:

No, you don’t have to believe me, you don’t have to listen to a word I say, but

you’ll hear every word I say. You can run Boris, oh yes you can run, you can run

away as fast as you can, but you’ll never hide, you’ll never hide from who you are

and you’ll never hide from me.

BORIS:

I’m not listening.

MAN IN BLACK:

Oh but you are Boris, you can’t help it, you’re scared; you’re scared of who you

are and you’re scared of who you’re going to become. I wouldn’t blame you Boris,

it doesn’t look too good from here, not from where I’m sitting and I certainly

wouldn’t want to be where you’re sitting.

HE SIGHS.

So who exactly are you Boris? Where did you come from? What have you been

doing all this time and what have you got to say for yourself young man?





BORIS:

Nothing

MAN IN BLACK:

But you had so much going for you didn’t you Boris? Your parents sent you to the

best schools, they gave you a decent upbringing, they smothered you in love, and

anything you wanted you could pretty much have. Except you didn’t have any

sense though did you Boris? What happened to that successful lawyer that your

parents wanted you to become? You said that you could make a go of your life,

that you could be happy and successful without doing what other people told you

to do. You thought you could be a photographer or a rock star or a weatherman!

But you didn’t though, did you Boris? Because you couldn’t, you just didn’t have

the talent or the nerve. And now you’re just an unemployed, untalented,

undesirable fool. It’s no wonder nobody likes you. If only you had listened and

done what you were told, then at least you would never be in the awful situation

that you find yourself in now. But that was never going to happen Boris; it just

wasn’t meant to be.

BORIS: (DIALLING HIS PHONE)

You can’t just say all this and expect me to take only your word for it.

MAN IN BLACK: (LAUGHING)

Oh I wouldn’t bother calling anyone Boris, especially her ; Mummy’s changed her

number. You haven’t bothered to contact her in fifteen years and she loathes who

you’ve become. She’s disowned you Boris, she doesn’t love you anymore, and

she thinks you’re a scumbag. A dirty, rotten scumbag…

BORIS:

Fine, I’ll try someone else then…





MAN IN BLACK: (CONT’D)

…And so does Kate; Kate thinks you’re a scumbag too. But then you liked Kate

didn’t you Boris? Which is why you had your sordid little affair . You used to think

about her all the time. You’d hold her in your arms while she combed her fingers

through your hair and kiss you softly on your chest. You’d talk to her in the night,

and tell her how much you loved her, how much you cared for her and how much

you’d want to be with her. But that could never ever be, could it Boris? Because

Kate was married with two kids. And so now you’ve ruined her life, you’ve ruined

her children’s life, and you’ve ruined her husband’s life. The marriage is over, and

it’s all your fault. Kate’s heartbroken, the kids are scared and the husband is mad!

Mad with you.

BORIS GIVES UP TRYING TO PHONE KATE

BORIS:

She’s probably just busy.

MAN IN BLACK:

Wrong! Kate’s not answering you because you’ve messed up her life. She lovedyou Boris, she sacrificed her marriage for you, and now you’re running away!

(BEAT) You’re not liked Boris; you’re not liked by anyone. Everyone thinks you’re

pathetic. Nobody respects you anymore. You’re a just dirty, perverted, irritating

fool!

BORIS STANDS UP TO LEAVE

MAN IN BLACK:

Don’t get up Boris. If you run away now, it’s all over. There’s nowhere left for you

to hide. Look, see the man in the suit sat on the table beside you?

BEAT






He’s going to get a phone call.

A PHONE RINGS.


He picks it up, he says hello.

MAN IN SUIT:

Hello

MAN IN BLACK:

It’s his boss. Except this isn’t any ordinary boss and the man in the suit doesn’t

work for any ordinary business. His boss is angry. Someone has let him down. So

now that person must pay for his mistake, with his life. And the man in the suit is

the man that has just been asked to do the killing…(BEAT) He agrees, he ends

the call; he puts the phone in to his pocket and finishes his drink…Then, with his

right hand, he checks the inside pocket of his jacket. It momentarily opens, youcatch a glimpse, it looks like he’s got a gun, and you see it. Then he sees you.

Now your phone rings...

BORIS’S PHONE RINGS. HE ANSWERS IT.

VOICE ON PHONE: (COULD BE KATE)

Leave now Boris. You may only have one chance to leave and you must do it

within the next few seconds...

BORIS PUTS THE PHONE DOWN





MAN IN BLACK:

But already it’s too late....

MAN IN SUIT: (TO BORIS)

Are you staring at me?

BORIS:

I know what you’re going to do.

MAN IN BLACK:

Leave now Boris, and that man will kill you.

MAN IN SUIT: (TO BORIS)

What did you say?

MAN IN BLACK:

Don’t look at me Boris; you’re the one he’s staring at.

BORIS: (TO MAN IN SUIT)

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

MAN IN SUIT:

Yes you do; what did you mean when you said ‘I know what you’re going to do’?

BORIS:

I don’t know what you’re talking about.

MAN IN BLACK:

A silent pause….

BEAT






Then, as if by magic, the waiter arrives.

WAITER:

Can I get you anything else sir?

MAN IN SUIT:

Yeah. I’ll have the same again please.

MAN IN BLACK:

An interesting flaw in the plot don’t you think? How on earth could the waiter walk

in on the situation at exactly the right time? It all seems a bit too contrived don’t

you think Boris? Tell me Boris, do you believe in fate?

BORIS DOESN’T ANSWER

MAN IN BLACK

Oh come on Boris, speak to me! What are you,scared

or something?

BORIS STILL DOESN’T ANSWER

MAN IN BLACK

Okay, well let me explain. Twenty years ago, you made a decision that changed

your life. Before then, you believed in fate. You believed that everything in yours

and in everyone else’s life was preordained and that there was nothing that you or

anyone else could do to change it. What happened, happened, that was just the

way it was meant to be. But you changed Boris, something took hold of you and

you stopped believing in fate and started believing in something else. Do you

remember what that was Boris?





NO RESPONSE


No, of course you don’t, because you’re weak. You’re weak from your ignorance

and you’re weak from the strain of being far too naïve. Twenty years ago to this

very day, you started believing in God . God the Father, God the Son and God the

Holy Spirit. You became a follower of Christ. A Christian.

BEAT

MAN IN BLACK: (SHOUTING)

Well where’s your God now then Boris? The only person that’s kept you alive

within the last ten minutes is me. And I’m no god; I can assure you of that.

BORIS SLAMS HIS FIST DOWN ON THE TABLE.

BORIS: (ANGRY)

Well why wont you tell me who you are then?

MAN IN BLACK:

Because you’re not supposed to know who I am. There is no God Boris, the only

ones who believe in God are the weak minded bigots who can’t understand the

complexities of the world; people like you Boris, fools who think themselves better

than everyone else, when really they’re at the bottom of the pile, rotting away and

all the time sneered at, mocked and persecuted.

BORIS:

What are you talking about? Why are you telling me all this?





MAN IN BLACK:

Because now it’s your turn Boris; now it’s time for you to succumb to the one fate

that awaits us all; (BEAT) death. That’s why I’m here Boris, that’s why I’ve led you

to me and that’s why I’ve been harassing you all this time; I’m here to show you

the door. (BEAT) Death’s door! (ANOTHER BEAT) That’s how this story ends.

SILENCE

MAN IN BLACK:

Aren’t you going to say something Boris?

BORIS DOESN’T RESPOND

MAN IN BLACK: (SHOUTING)

For goodness sake Boris, speak!

BORIS:

Why don’t you just leave me alone? If I’m going to die, there’s no point in you

being here is there?

MAN IN BLACK:

I’m not going anywhere Boris.

BORIS: (ANGRY)

But you don’t understand, everything you’ve said to me is true. I am a bigot and a

pervert and a fool, don’t you think I already knew that? All my life I’ve been trying

to become someone better, someone nicer, someone more interesting, but

everyday I wake up and I’ve failed even before I’ve got out of bed.





MAN IN BLACK:

You should be ashamed of yourself

BORIS: (SCATHINGLY)

I am ashamed of myself. I’m always ashamed of myself; every time I think, say or

do anything, I’m ashamed of myself. I’m just an idiot. I’ve let myself down, I’ve let

my friends down, I’ve let my family down, I’ve let everyone down. It’s small wonder

that no-one loves me, I mean look at me! Who could love such a selfish, dirty-

minded, ugly, unintelligent and obnoxious little brat? People have spent their

entire lives giving what little they can to help me, and yet what have I given back

after all these years? Nothing . (BEAT) I mean I try, I do try , I make myself

promises to change, to do something different and put other people’s lives before

my own, but every time I always end up falling back in to that bottomless pit that is

my sad and disgraceful life. Yes, I mentally undress women on TV, yes I haven’t

spoken to my mother in fifteen years, and yes I’ve been seeing a married woman

and have quite probably ruined her family’s life…

(A BEAT. HE CHANGES TO A MORE SOLEMN TONE)

…But I’m not proud of what I’ve done. It doesn’t make me happy to think that I’ve

made so many other peoples’ lives miserable. Y’know, I thought I’d get another

chance, I was convinced that before I died I would abandon this monster that I am

now and become someone more responsible, someone more mature, someone

better . That’s why I’m leaving, that’s why I’m going somewhere new, to start from

scratch, to repent . But now it’s too late isn’t it? I’ve had my last chance and I’ve

wasted it, just like I’ve wasted everything else in my god-forsaken life.





MAN IN BLACK: (SYMPATHETICALLY)

Yes, that’s right Boris; you truly are a failure. A terrible, terrible failure. But you

cannot go on being like this forever... (THE MAN IN BLACK PUTS A KNIFE ON

THE TABLE AND SLIDES IT OVER TO BORIS) ...so now you must die.

BORIS:

What’s this?

MAN IN BLACK:

It’s a knife

BORIS:

Yes, I know it’s a knife, but what is it for?

MAN IN BLACK:

It’s for you Boris. In seventy-five seconds time you’re going to kill yourself.

BORIS:

No!

MAN IN BLACK:

Oh yes. Or else...

BORIS:

Or else what?

MAN IN BLACK:

Or else (BEAT) nothing , there is no other way. Pick up the knife Boris.

BORIS:

What if I don’t do it?





MAN IN BLACK:

That’s not an option Boris, you cannot mess with fate; fate messes with you.

BORIS:

That’s not true!

MAN IN BLACK:

Oh yes it is Boris.

BORIS:

You’re just making this all up as you go along.

MAN IN BLACK:

The truth always hurts though doesn’t it Boris? And don’t go thinking that God will

come and save you now, because he won’t, he doesn’t even exist. (BEAT) You

know what to do Boris; save yourself from the eternal misery that awaits you if you

fail. Kill yourself Boris, it’s the only way left for you to go.

A COUPLE OF BEATS.

BORIS:

No.

MAN IN BLACK: (ANGRY)

You question fate?

BORIS:

If fate does exist then it doesn’t tell me what to do...





MAN IN BLACK:

Oh how wrong you are Boris! You’ve got ten seconds to change your mind or it’s

too late...

BORIS:

And if fate does exist, then surely it’s fate that is responsible for every wrong little

thing that I have ever done in my life?

SILENCE FOR A COUPLE OF BEATS

MAN IN BLACK: (SMILING)

And?

BEAT

BORIS:

You’re not. (BEAT) I’m responsible. And so now you must die!

WE HEAR A GUN BEING COCKED AND THE VOICE OF THE MAN IN THESUIT INTERVENES.

MAN IN THE SUIT: (CALMLY)

Sit down Boris.

BEAT

BORIS:

What do you want?

MAN IN THE SUIT:

I thought you already knew that?





BORIS:

You’re going to shoot me?

MAN IN THE SUIT:

You said it Boris.

BORIS:

But why?

MAN IN THE SUIT:

For crossing the line. For not doing as you were told.

BORIS:

Is this about messing with fate?

MAN IN THE SUIT:

You could say that. It’s also about what happens when you mess with other

people’s wives.

BEAT

BORIS:

You mean Kate?

MAN IN THE SUIT:

Congratulations Boris. And now it’s time to pay for your sins.

BORIS:

But hang on a minute! What’s this about? You can’t just kill me for having an

affair!





MAN IN THE SUIT:

“Revenge! The villainy you teach me I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will

better the instruction”

BORIS:

Look, I’m sorry!

MAN IN THE SUIT:

You wrecked a family’s life; you can’t just expect to be sorry!

BORIS:

But I’m not just sorry; I’ve lost my life. (BEAT) The pain I feel in my heart is like a

poisoned spear that has already torn through a family and a woman who I will

always adore. And now I take the full deadly force of this wicked responsibility

inside me; and I bear that wound for the rest of eternity. (BEAT) I never meant for

this to happen. I never mean to be so cruel. I was blind, I was stupid and I was

wrong . But I didn’t once act out of bitterness, or out of malice or out of spite; I

acted out of love. And now that love kills me.

BEAT

MAN IN THE SUIT:

Nothing you say or do can save you Boris. Your destiny awaits you…

BORIS:

Then let it be.

WOMAN IN PURPLE BLOUSE:

No! (BEAT) Who are you to decide this man’s destiny? Hand over the weapon Mr

Cameron.





BORIS:

What?

BEAT

MAN IN THE SUIT:

Stay out of this lady. This is between me and him.


We know who’s put you up to this. Now hand over the gun and let the man go.

MAN IN THE SUIT:

You can’t tell me what to do.


I can do what I damn well like.

BORIS’S PHONE STARTS RINGING.

HE DOESN’T ANSWER IT. THE PHONE CONTINUES TO RING

WOMAN IN PURPLE BLOUSE: (TO BORIS)

Boris, I believe that’s your phone.

MAN IN THE SUIT:

Don’t answer it.

SUSTAINED PAUSE.

BORIS EVENTUALLY PICKS UP THE PHONE AND ACCEPTS THE CALL.





BORIS:

Hello? Kate, is that you?

THERE’S AN ALMIGHTY ‘BANG’ AND SOMEONE FALLS TO THE FLOOR

WE THEN HEAR A SECOND BANG AND SOME ONE ELSE FALLS TO THE

FLOOR

PROLONGED SILENCE

BORIS: (TEARFULLY)

And after all that I have been through and the damage that I have done, whowould ever care so much as to spare me?


He missed you Boris, he only had one chance with that gun, he took it and he

failed. I made sure he never had a second chance.

BORIS:

But he came so close, look; he shot my phone out of my hand. It could have been

my skull.

WOMAN IN PURPLE BLOUSE

You were lucky; some would call that fate.

BORIS:

So who are you?


I’m your woman in the purple blouse; A mentally undressed, undercover…cop.





BORIS:

You knew this was going to happen?


Some of us know more than we should, but none of us know more than what is

yet to be revealed. I came here to help you Boris, but the outcome was never

preordained.

BORIS:

So what are you saying? That I was just lucky ?


Your sentences so often end with a question mark, Boris. Well here is the end of

your sentence; where are you going now?

BEAT

BORIS: (SUDDENLY REALISING)

My flight! The gate closes in two minutes!


Then you have to go.

BORIS:

But wait a second; if you are an undercover cop, should you really be letting me

go?


No. But then things aren’t always what they seem and people aren’t always who

they say they are.





BORIS: (CONFUSED)

Well whoever you are, thanks for saving my life.


Oh don’t thank me!

BORIS:

Well who do I thank then?

THE WOMAN SMILES


That’s really up to you.

A COUPLE OF BEATS

BORIS:

And then I looked up from that sad and empty reflection and saw something more

beautiful than I’d ever seen before; I saw the face of an angel and she washolding my hand. I was empty no more.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Would all passengers waiting at gate number two please now come forward with

their passports and boarding cards ready for inspection for the 19:45 Syrian

Airways flight to Damascus.

THE END

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Departure Gate