Escape to Happiness

8/14/2019 Escape to Happiness

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Escape to HappinessA Drama in Three Acts

by

Natalya Churlyaeva

Translated from Russian

by

Jane H. Buckingham

Natalya ChurlyaevaKolomenskaya 12/42Krasnoyarsk, Russia

[email protected]

Escape to Happiness by Natalya Churlyaeva


2/79

CHARACTERS

GRANNY: Claudia Semyonovna, owner of the apartment.

VICTOR: Claudia Semyonovnas son.

LILIA: VICTORS wife.

NELLIE: LILIAS daughter from her first marriage.

SVETLANA: ostens ibly LILIAS younger daughter but in reality

NELLIES daughter by VICTOR.

SASHA: a man from prison.



3/79

SETTING

The action takes place in Claudia Semyonovnas apartment.

TIME

The present.

SYNOPSIS

A drama of family members compelled to live together. The secret of theyounger daughters parentage is the core reason for the unnaturalfamily relations. In the end, the situational deadlock breaks the middle-aged heroine and leads her to madness.



4/79

I-1

Act One

As the curtain rises, SVETLANA si ts at atable and eats something. GRANNYenters.

GRANNYAre you eating again?

(Pause.) Tell me, how can one eat so much? Take a look at yourself,what do you look like?

SVETLANAGram, are you sorry for the food?

GRANNYIm not sorry for the food, Im sorry for you. You can barelyfit on the chair!

SVETLANAStop nagging me. I want to eat, so I eat.

GRANNYBut not so much! Have to know your limit .

SVETLANA(Continues eating.)

Youre weird, Gram. Think for yourself, how can there be alimit if a person wants to eat?

GRANNYWell, fine. Just dont cry afterwards.

SVETLANAAnd I dont intend to. What makes you think I ll cry?

GRANNYWho was sniveling last night? Who was complaining that theboys in the courtyard were cal l ing her a pig? What, alreadydont remember?

SVETLANANope, dont remember.

GRANNY


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I-2

What memory you have, Svetka.

SVETLANAGram, lay off. Dont be a bore.

GRANNYArent you ashamed to talk this way to your owngrandmother?

SVETLANAAnd how do I talk to you? In my opinion, quite properly.

GRANNYNo, not properly! Do they teach you this at school?

SVETLANA

First of all, Ill have you know that Im already in high school.

GRANNYAs if it makes a difference! Im asking you again: do theyteach you to be rude to your elders?

SVETLANAThey dont teach me anything!

GRANNYThats obvious! All the same, theres no sense coming out of

you.

SVETLANAOne must think theres a lot of sense out of you.

GRANNYOh, you, how mean! I laid down my l i fe so that your fathercould stand on his feet! Do you think it was easy for me?

SVETLANAHow do I know if it was easy for you or not?

GRANNYI had to work my whole life without a moments rest !

SVETLANAPerhaps you liked it very much, how would I know?

GRANNY


6/79

I-3

What did I like?

SVETLANAFussing from morning till night for pennies.

GRANNYDont talk nonsense! Who would like it?

SVETLANAThose who like to torture themselves. They torture, tortureFirst, they torture themselves and then they start to tortureothers. They say, I sacrifice everything for you and now youmust give up everything for me.

GRANNYSvetka, what are you talking about?

SVETLANANot what but whom. About you, Gram, about you, my dear.Here you brag that you worked your whole life without a momentsrest, right?

GRANNY

So?

SVETLANAWhy did you do it? Didnt you have a husband for that? You

had, and not just one. So let them sweat their guts out foryou.

GRANNYAh, some husbands

SVETLANAWell?

GRANNYWella mess.

SVETLANAWhat about Grandpa Alexander?

GRANNYYour grandfather Alexander was the worst. Spent ten years inprison but didnt become any better after he came out Atleas t he no longer at tacked peop le . St il l, he watched


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everyone l ike a hawk until h is death! As soon as he wasdrunk, he would go for a knife time and again. In fact, thatswhat got him in prison in the first place, knifing.

SVETLANA

(surprised)Because of knifing?

GRANNYAha. He wanted to celebrate the birth of your father thatday. I was waiting for him in the maternity ward, waited andwaited, wondering when he would see fit to come see hisson, but he never showed up. Well, I thought, some husbandI landed! Doesnt even want to look at his own son! But no, itturned out to be something more serious. Were stil l in theold apartment then. It seems that he and the neighbors

bought a case or two of vodka to celebrate the b ir th of Victor. They drank, drank, and didnt even have a bite to eat!I didnt have time to make anything at home when my laborstarted. And you know, they got so drunk that in the end hekilled one of them.

SVETLANA(surprised)

Interesting And father told me that Grandpa Alexander wasan accountant in prison for embezzling.

GRANNYIf you listen more to him, hell tell you something else Hadto invent some such nonsense, an accountant, indeed!Although, i ts understandable, o f course. When he wasgrowing up, when his father was in prison, I also had to spinall kinds of yarn.

SVETLANAWhat yarns?

GRANNY

Initially, that his father was a famous polar explorer living onan ice f loe. That he hasnt forgotten h is own son andcouldnt wait to meet him.

SVETLANAAnd did you fool him for long?

GRANNY


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I-5

What fool? As if I was the only one telling a child fairy talesabout his father What was I supposed to do? I couldnt tellhim what actually happened

(Angrily) You sit here and babble all kinds of nonsense because you

havent your own yet. When you have your own kids, youllsing a different tune.

SVETLANANo way! Im not singing any tune for any punk.

GRANNYNot any but your own. Your own children.

SVETLANAWhy? I dont have to have kids.

GRANNYDont have kids? How can that be?

SVETLANAExactly that. Very simple.

GRANNY(confused)

How can one l ive without k ids? I ts awful without k ids,Svetka.

SVETLANAYea? And it was very good for you with yours?

GRANNYI ll not l ie, you can never tel l. But until the good peoplemade Victor aware of what happened to his father, we werehappy.

SVETLANAThere, there, Always so.

GRANNYAlways what?

SVETLANASome good person always turns up. Some neighbor who likesto poke his nose into other peoples business.


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I-6

GRANNYWhat neighbor? Whats it got to do with neighbors here? Theneighbors knew nothing about Alexander at al l . In fact, assoon as they locked him up, I immediately exchanged the oldapartment. And later moved twice more so that my son would

grow up peacefully, knowing nothing about the business withhis father. I wanted to save him from malicious tongues, andfat chance! Its easier to dodge a bullet than falseallegations people make.

SVETLANAWhat allegations, Gram? Grandpa was indeed in prison.

GRANNYSo? Who wasnt? And are there less in there now? Besides,hes in jail for what he did, thats his business, why implicate

the kid? Why did the teacher lecture Victor in front of hisclass that he was l iving up to his no-good old man? That ifhis father was punished by the state, then its r ightly so. That hes serving time in prison, as expected, and if Victordidnt stop lying, then very soon he would join him there.

SVETLANAWhat scum! And Gram, didnt you smack her face for that?

GRANNYWhats with you!

SVETLANA

What?

GRANNYHow could I do that? I only told Victor that hell understandeverything when he grows up

(LILIA enters.)

LILIA

Has anybody phoned me?

SVETLANAWho? Someone needs you?

GRANNYLilia, do you hear?


10/79

I-7

LILIAWhat?

GRANNYThe way she talks! Dont you have any control over your

daughter?

LILIAAnd what exactly is the problem, Claudia Semyonovna?

GRANNYDont you see how out of hand shes getting?

LILIAI dont see anything special yet.

GRANNYFirst, shes constantly eating, non-stop

LILIASo? The kid sits at the table and eats. Are you ordering me tospank her for this?

GRANNYThe kids in the courtyard are already calling her a pig! Shecomplained to me yesterday

SVETLANAI didnt!

GRANNYSecondly, she talks back all the time, rude to her elders

SVETLANAI dont talk back! And Im not rude!

GRANNYYou are too!

SVETLANAWhat if I am? Whose business is that?

GRANNYHere, please!

(Turns to LILIA.)Do you hear how she talks?


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I-8

LILIAThey all talk like that these days.

GRANNY

Not true, not all.

SVETLANAYoure right, Gram, no all. There are those who simply swear.

GRANNYWhat do you mean they swear?

LILIAQuite normal. I was just on the street now and saw a groupof punks, boys and girls, maybe thirteen-fourteen, no more,

and the filth that came out of their mouths!

GRANNYHow can that be?

LILIAThats how it is.

GRANNYHow disgusting! And where are their parents?

LILIAMost probably staring at the bottom of a bottle. Where elsewould they be?

GRANNYWell, okay, let the parents be drunks, it was so in our timetoo. But where are the schools? Where are the social workers?Whats public opinion, after all?

SVETLANAGram, give it up! Mommy, did you hear that? Our Gram is

kinda, quite(Twirls a fingerat her temple.)

See, schools are not enough for her, give her social workersand public opinion!

GRANNY(gets angry.)

You ingrate! Ive had enough of you!


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I-9

(Slaps Svetlana with a towel.)I tolerated and tolerated your pranks, but no more!

SVETLANAGram, dont come near!

(Grabs a knife from the table.)Dont come near me or Ill cut you up!

LILIASvetka, stop it! Do you hear? Put the knife back now!

SVETLANANo way!

(Waves the knife in the air.)Aha, afraid? Thats right. Youll know how to deal with me.

LILIASvetka, stop it! What are you doing?

SVETLANATraining from my genes!

LILIAWhat genes?

SVETLANA(Runs and waves the knife.)

My gangster genes! Inherited from my Grandpa Alexander!He was a real gangster, that means Im also a gangster! Hewas a murderer, so I can a lso k il l if I want to! I l l k il lwhomever I want!

(Lunges.) Can be you, Gram

(Lunges again.)Or you, Mommy

GRANNYSvetlana, what are you inventing? Youre already a grown

girl! Behave yourself!

SVETLANAI dont want to behave! I want to be a gangster! I wanteveryone to respect me!

GRANNYWho respects gangsters?


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I-10

SVETLANAEverybody respects gangsters.

GRANNY

Only good people are respected respectable people...

SVETLANAom, do you hear? Our Gram is blathering again! Who needsthem, these good people? Whats the use of theirrespectability? Gangsters, now thats quite another matter!Whether you want to or not, you have to respect them.

LILIASvetka, shut your mouth, or Claudia Semyonovna will have astroke.

SVETLANADont worry. Our Gram is old school, she isnt afraid of anystroke.

GRANNYBlabbermouth! My legs can hardly move and youre laughingat me?

SVETLANAWhy are you complaining about your legs? How old are you?

GRANNYWhats this about my age?

LILIATo tell the truth, Claudia Semyonovna, complaining aboutyour legs at your age

GRANNYWhat? At my age? And whats this about my age? Whats thatgot to do with my legs?

LILIAEverything. The older the person, the worse the legs cansupport him.

GRANNYDo you know, my dear, what Im going to tell you?


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I-11

SVETLANAWhat?

GRANNYListening to you, you would have had me underground a long

time ago! Only its too soon to bury me.

LILIAWho wants to bury you? Please, l ive long and healthily. Liveas long as you want.

SVETLANAWhat do you mean as long as she wants? Did you ask me,Mommy? For example, I dont want to live in the same roomwith Gram. Im sick of her turning in her bed and snoring allnight.

GRANNYNothing strange about that. One must think that you dontsnore.

SVETLANANo, I dont snore.

GRANNYYou just dont hear yourself. You do, and how you snore!

SVETLANABut then I dont s tink! You stink awful ly At least usedeodorant or something.. .

GRANNYDo you know what Im going to say to you, Svetka? Perhaps,youre sti l l not a pig as the boys in the courtyard call you,but youre already quite a notable piglet.

SVETLANAWell, fine, a piglet, then a piglet Oink, oink, oink Whats

so bad about being a piglet?

GRANNYHere s what. As p ig le ts grow big, they turn them intosausages.

SVETLANANot me.


15/79

I-12

GRANNYWhy not?

SVETLANA

Because I wont let them! Indeed, Im not an ordinary but agangster piglet! Oink, oink, oink!(Runs around the room and makes faces, waving theknife.)

I m a gangster p ig let! Oink! Oink! Oink! I m a gangsterpiglet

LILIAEnough, Stop r ight there! L istening to your nonsense isalready a pain.

SVETLANAIf you dont want to l isten, then dont! Cover up your earsand dont l isten! Im a gangster piglet! Oink, oink, oinkIma gangster piglet! Oink, oink, oink

LILIAWell, Claudia Semyonovna, satisfied? Good try! Fine workwith the girl!

GRANNYWhy am I guilty? Is she my daughter? Did I bring her up from

infancy?

LILIAWhy did you tel l her al l kinds of tal l tales? Why cant youunderstand how hard it is for us with her?

GRANNYWait, wait, Lil ia, what tall tales are you talking about? Whatare you accusing me of?

LILIA

Im not accusing you, but to tel l the chi ld that your lasthusband was a gangster? This is really going too far! Were adecent family and the girl s in a respectable high school,then al l of sudden, for no rhyme or reason, you started todrum into her head that she fal ls completely short of hersocial status

SVETLANA


16/79

I-13

Mom, whats with you?(Stops making faces.)

Are you sick, by any chance?

LILIA

(hysterically)Leave me alone! How many times do I have to repeat, leaveme alone!

SVETLANAIm not bothering you! On the contrary, i ts you whosbugging everybody!

LILIAHere, Claudia Semyonovna, please look at what youve done.Its indeed exactly your influence.

GRANNYLil ia, do you want to say that I teach Svetlana somethingwrong in your absence? That I tel l her , Dont l is ten toanybody, be rude to everybody, dont study? Do you wantto say this?

LILIANo need to pretend, Claudia Semyonovna.

GRANNY

What do you mean pretend?

LILIAAs if you dont understand.

GRANNYI really dont understand, Lilia. What are you driving at?

LILIAWell, since you dont understand Fine, then What else isthere to say to you if you dont understand

GRANNYNo. Give it to me s traight, whats so unsatisfactory to you?

LILIAIll not talk about this anymore.

SVETLANA


17/79

I-14

Finally! Take a little rest from the emotional rollercoaster. Atleast Gram and I can take a little rest from you, right, Gram?

LILIAHere, Claudia Semyonovna, please see for yourself! No need

to say anymore. You can clearly see without words what youhave achieved with your ridiculous stories.

GRANNYBlame it all on Granny? Fancy that, not likely! And perhaps,on the other hand, its your training? Lil ia, you may resentme, take much into your own head, but all the same, Il l tellyou this: you dont nurture Svetlana.

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, how can you not be ashamed to say

this?GRANNY

No, Im not! Shes like an orphan even with her own mother!

LILIAAn orphan? And how can you not be ashamed! Just look ather! Isnt she dressed fashionably? Isnt she well fed? In fact,so well fed that others can only envy her! And she goes to aprestigious high school! Well, tell me, what else? What elsedoes the girl need?

GRANNYShe needs you to be a mother! Understand, be a mother!

LILIABe a mother?

GRANNYYes, be a mother. Watch over her, bring her up as a mothershould, teach her to be good

LILIAGood? And here I dont see any good in your tel ling herabout Victors father! Absolutely no good

SVETLANAHow is it no good? On the contrary, its very good! It turnsout that Grandpa Alexander


18/79

I-15

LILIASilence! You still dont understand anything in life! When yougrow up, youll understand that you definitely dont need this jailbird grandfather! A decent family wont let you in thedoor if they find out If you keep on shouting about it at

every street corner. I seriously warn you, be smart, keepyour mouth shut, and don t breathe a word about anycriminal. Understand? Dont take it into your head to babbleeverywhere about any grandfather-murderer! Theres nosuch thing in your family, there wasnt and couldnt be!

GRANNYThank you, Lilia, for this compliment to me in my old age. So,according to you, it turns out that my Victor is a bastard,with an unknown father? That he has no kin? So, it turns outthat I, an old woman, dont know whose child I gave birth to?

LILIAHes whoevers child you wanted him to be.

GRANNYHes my husbands child!

LILIAI don t want to continue this wor thless conversat ion .Svetlana has her Grandfather Boris, whom she can be proudof, so let her tell others about him. About his work, about his

merits. Believe me, Claudia Semyonovna, theres a lot for herto tell.

SVETLANA Yea, theres a lot to tel l. Only dont have any regrets ,Mommy, when I start telling people about your dear papa.

LILIAWhat are you talking about?

SVETLANA

The truth! Indeed, theres no need for me to tell lies, Im notafraid of the neighbors. For example, I can tel l them howGrandpa Boris couldnt stand me, what he did when I went tohis place

LILIADont talk nonsense! How can you remember?


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SVETLANAI remember everything! Its you, Mommy, who has forgottenwhat he said when we got there the first time.

LILIA

What did he say?

SVETLANAWhy did you br ing her here? No one wants her here! Thats what hesaid.

LILIASvetka, you couldnt have remembered it. You were only awee one then.

SVETLANA

I remember! I remember everything! It was a holiday

LILIARight, it was a holiday, and there were people coming then.Grandpa was afraid that you would get in the way of thecelebration

SVETLANAI was always in the way! When you left me with them andlater brought me home, wasnt I all black and blue? Are you

saying that you dont remember those bruises?

LILIAYoure always a naughty girl , fought with the boys, thatshow you got those bruises. Really, one must think Grandpaand Grandma beat her up

SVETLANAI never set eyes on any boys there because Grandpa Borisnever let me anywhere near them! He never let me outsideat all!

GRANNYWhats this, never let you outside?

SVETLANA Just l ike that. As soon as Mother left, he immediately tookme away to the furthest room and locked me up. He alsopulled the drapes very tightly over the windows. There, in


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the dark, I crawled about on the rugs and played by myself.

LILIASvetka! What nonsense youre making up!

SVETLANAI make up nothing! Once I wanted to climb onto thewindowsill, to look out onto the street, so your distinguishedpapa pulled me off by my ears! Imagine, Gram, he held melike that, by both ears, above the windowsill! He held me likethat for a long time, and only then put me down on the floor.

GRANNYGood Lord! What horror youre describing...

SVETLANA

Im telling the truth.

GRANNYI cant believe it, your own grandfather Lil ia, is it reallytrue?

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, dont you see, Svetka inventseverything! Carried the girl by her ears What nonsense.

SVETLANA

Nonsense? And the bruises are also nonsense?

LILIAThe neighborhood boys gave you those bruises.

SVETLANANo, not boys, but my dear, respected by al l , distinguishedgrandfather! Thats how it was, Mommy.

GRANNYLord! How could that be?

SVETLANAHeres how! Very simple

(Runs up to LILIA and GRANNY and pinches them.)Thats how Thats how

LILIAOuch! Ouch! What are you doing? It hurts!


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I-18

GRANNYOuch! Svetka, it really hurts!

SVETLANA

I hurt too! Hurt so much that I screamed in pain, but GrandpaBoris brought me to the fireplace and threatened me. Saidthat i f I d idn t s top screaming, hed push me into thefireplace, pour kerosene, and set me on fire! And to scare mesome more, he dropped something into the f ireplace andburned it. The fireplace was big, old, and fire burned quickly,but Grandpa li fted me up and carr ied me to the f ire. Iremember well how the tongues of flame almost l icked myfeet! How I nearly died of fright, from Grandpas threatforgot about the pain, how I didnt want to scream anymore,and begged him in a whisper not to drop me into the fire.

How I promised to be a good girl and wouldnt oppose him inanything. He let me go only after I took an oath never to tellanybody what he did to me. And he told me that i f I everbreak my oath hed definitely find out about it, would get meeven from his grave and throw me into the fireplace.

GRANNYSvetka, my dear chi ld! But where was your grandmotherthen? I mean the other one who lives in Riga.

SVETLANA

She was in the kitchen.

GRANNYIn the kitchen? What was she doing there?

SVETLANAPreparing steamed cutlets for Grandpa Boris.

GRANNYIt couldnt be! I cant believethis I just cant believe

(VICTOR enters.)

VICTORWhat cant you believe, Mama?

GRANNYOh, Lord! You My God


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I-19

VICTORWhats the matter?

GRANNY You should have heard what shes saying about her

grandfather.

VICTORWhat?

GRANNYOh! Better you dont hear it.

LILIAWhy not? Do you want to say that you gave birth to a princeof b lue b lood and he must never hear this f il th that we

heard? That h is del icate soul wouldnt let h im beat thedaylights out of Svetka for such disgraceful words about herown grandfather?

SVETLANADaddy, dont l is ten to them! Especia lly dont l is ten toMommy!

VICTORPerhaps I should cover up my ears? Or better, go awayaltogether?

GRANNYOh, I dont know Perhaps, also better out of harms way.

LILIAIndeed, let him stay and sort it out with Svetka! She doesntwant to listen to anybody!

SVETLANADaddy, no need to sort it out! I dont need any!

LILIA Yes, she does! Must knock some sense into her head.Otherwise, for all I know, shell start talking nonsense on thestreet Or to somebody in school. What will people think ofus then?

SVETLANAAs if you dont know what they think of us now.


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I-20

LILIAI dont know and I dont want to know.

SVETLANA

Yea, you dont want to. If you dont, then dont stand nearneighbors doors and eavesdrop.

LILIA(indignantly)

Dont make it up!

SVETLANAI dont. Youre always eavesdropping when you go along thestairs.

LILIAI have no such habit of eavesdropping by other peoplesdoors!

GRANNYIts okay, Li l ia, no need to l ie, you do. Ive found you at itmore than once.

LILIAYou yourself are lying, Claudia Semyonovna!

VICTORWait, wait, Lilia. Why are you talking to my mother this way?

LILIAI talk any way I want!

VICTORDont be like that. Why do you insult her?

LILIAI dont insult her. Claudia Semyonovna, please tell us, have I

really offended you at least once?

GRANNYAnd you, Li l ia, think for yourself, have you offended me ornot?

LILIAHow have I offended you?


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I-21

GRANNYHere you forbid me from telling my own granddaughter aboutmyself, my husband, my life

LILIAI forbid you?

GRANNYYes, you do. Im not going to hide it, Im very upset. As if Imnot a person but some insect.

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, please listen

GRANNY

No, better you l is ten, L il ia . One can say that my l ife isalready nearly over. Though it hasnt been very good butcant call it bad either. There was everything in it. Probablymore grief than happiness, but it was my life after all, and Icant live it all over again. Why then should I be ashamed ofit the way you think? I didnt do anyone any harm. I regret tosay that I also didnt have time to do much good. I thoughtthere was sti l l t ime, I thought Id manage to repay al l thegood people d id for my Victor and me. But no. L ife hasturned out that theyre no longer around before I can pay mydebts. Theyve all died, but Im still alive As for you, Lilia, I

can say this: I owe you nothing. Im not at yours, but youreat mine, living in my home. And all of you besides

VICTORMama, dont.

GRANNYDont what?

VICTORReproach us for l iv ing with you now. You know what the

circumstances were.

GRANNYWhat circumstances?

VICTOR You know we had to deal urgently with the issue: return toRussia or take another citizenship.


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I-22

GRANNYBut I didnt drive you to Latvia! You went there yourself forhappiness. Well, son, did you find much happiness far awayfrom home?

(Motions to LILIA.) Couldnt you indeed find such happiness here?

SVETLANABut what about me, Gram?

GRANNYWhat about you?

SVETLANAAm I not a little bit of happiness? By the way, I too was from

Latvia.

GRANNYWhat happiness are you! You, clown, are trouble for all of us.For your father, mother, and me

SVETLANAFine, al l r ight, Gram, dont have to continue. I understandeverything.

GRANNY

What do you understand?

SVETLANAHow much you love me. Almost as much as my dear Grandpa.

VICTORWhat Grandpa? What are you talking about?

SVETLANANot what but whom. I have two of them by the way, and onedeserves the other.

VICTORWho deserves what?

SVETLANAEach other . One of them is a gangster, and the other asadist.


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I-23

LILIAVictor, did you hear that? Why are you quiet? Do somethingwith her!

VICTOR

Svetka, have you gone mad? What gangster? Whom are youtalking about?

SVETLANAAbout your own papa!

VICTORW-what?

SVETLANAAbout how he killed his neighbors when they wanted to take

the vodka away from him.

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, heres the result of your stories.

GRANNYSvetka, where did you get this? What nonsense? Did I reallytell you this?

SVETLANA(Runs around and shouts.)

You did! You did! You told me how my grandfather grabbed aknife and let them have i t! Swish! One nasty neighborsgone! Swish! Another! Everyone was afraid of him! Even inprison! And when he was released he became leader of theunderworld altogether! In short, I had a tough

VICTORMama, what does this mean? Why did you have such idiotictalks with Svetka? Dont you know what shes like?

GRANNY

Victor, son, do you really think your mother could make upsuch nonsense to tell her own granddaughter?

VICTORThen where did she get it? I asked you in Christs name notto tell anyone anything about father! Especially not Svetka!Why did you?


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I-24

LILIA(In amazement.)

Victor! Victor!

VICTOR

What? Victor what?

LILIADo you want to say that your father really was...

(Lowers her voice.)a murderer?

SVETLANA(Dancing.)

A murderer! A murderer! Not just a murderer but a realgangster! The real boss! Oh, what a tough grandfather I

had

LILIAShut up, fool! Keep quiet or youll regret it!

SVETLANAYoull regret it! And write to your papa that hel l also besorry yet! Il l pay him back for everything! His pinching, histhreats

LILIA

How si l ly you are! Your Grandpa was only kidding you andyou make false charges against him.

SVETLANA(Jumps onto a chair.)

But Im not joking with him! I l l go to him in Riga and gri l lhim in the fireplace!

GRANNYOh Lord, what punishment is this...

(NELLIE enters.)

LILIANellie, you tell her! Tell her, tell her, perhaps shell at leastlisten to you.

NELLIESvetka! Get down from the chair, now!


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SVETLANANo way!

NELLIE

I say, get down, or Ill drag you down by your ears!(Takes SVETLANA by the collar and pulls her down fromthe chair.)

You miserable! Well, answer me, you nasty!(Shoves a piece of paper in SVETLANAS face.)

Is this your work? Yours? Is this your mean trick?

SVETLANAWhat? I know nothing! Oh, Mom!

NELLIE

Il l show you mom! She doesnt know Just you look at her!All innocence! How she learned to play the fool(Drags SVETLANA by the ears, SVETLANA squeals.)

Ill tear your ears off!

GRANNYTake it easy, Nellie. Of course, Svetka deserves punishment,but this is too much... Nellie! Lilia, you stop her!

LILIANellie, Nellie. . .enough! Thats quite enough.

VICTORNell ie, really, would you calm down, else, for al l we know,the neighbors will hear.

NELLIETheyll hear! What theyll hear! Soon theyll hear such noisefrom here that not only the neighbors will come running! Seewhat fun itll be when our guests f rom camp arrive!

VICTOR

What camp?

NELLIE The usual, prison camp! Where they keep criminals! What,dont understand? It turns out our Svetka has been writingsecretly to prisoners! And i t s eems shes found boyfriendsthere already!


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SVETLANAI dont, but you do! I sent the letters there in your name. Andput in your photo Not quite boyfriends but a boyfriend. Allof one and only.

VICTORWh-a-a-at?! How dare you!

SVETLANAIm sick of her living with us and ordering everybody around!She should be married long ago! Thirty soon! An old ladyalready! What, isnt it true?

LILIAAnd so you decided to marry Nellie off to a criminal?

(Laughs hysterically.)

Ha-ha-ha-ha! How wonderful! A criminal! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Acriminal(Leaves, but stops at the door.)

My God, another one Ha-ha-ha-ha! Cant think of anythingbetter Ha-ha-ha-ha!

SVETLANAMom, whats with you? Whats the matter? Whats so funny?

NELLIEMama, where are you going? Have to do something fast! I

just dont know what to do!

GRANNYBut why do we have to do anything?

NELLIEBecause he, Svetkas boyfriend, got some fel low to pass amessage to me!

VICTORHow?


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NELLIEI was standing there, dealing with somebody, when a fellowcame up to me. Hes obviously someone whos been around,and said, Are you Nellie? I recognize you immediately. Here,

take it, news for you He said that and shoved this letterinto my hand. I stood there l ike a fool, not understandinganyth ing, only smi led, and he had a lready d isappearedwithout a trace. I opened the letter, started to read, and wasshocked! Only l isten to what he wrote, My dear, beloved,darling Nellie! Soon, very soon Ill finally be able to see you,and not in dreams but in person. My dreams of you will cometrue and I can hold you tight in my arms, at last. I only thinkand dream about this . About the moment when I can hold you,and kiss you, and... Oh, my beloved Nellie, I dont even daredream of whatll happen then. My sweetheart, Im counting

the minutes! Exactly minutes and not hours till we meet, andafter that, Im sure, well never part. No force on earth canseparate us... And so on all in the same vein. Well, how doyou like that!

VICTORGive it to me.

(Takes the letter and reads.)

GRANNYNellie, but I l ike it. By God, I l ike it! Why are you so upset? I

cant understand you. The young man, it seems, is very fondof you, so why are you...

LILIAWhat young man? Where did you see a young man, ClaudiaSemyonovna?

GRANNYWhat else?

LILIA

Its a criminal! A true-to-life criminal!


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SVETLANAMom, you havent even seen him yet, but youre talking!Hes the spitting image of Jean-Claude Van Damme! If youdont believe me, I can show you his picture.

LILIA(Hysterically)Throw it out! Throw it out right away!

VICTOR(Concerned)

Wait before you make noise! Listen to what he wrote, Ill come toyou if not today, then tomorrow What are we going to do?

LILIAKick him out, and thatll be the end of it!

GRANNYLilia, what are you talking about! Can you really treat a personthis way? Its not his fault if its Svetka who deceived him

LILIAThen give Svetka to him!

VICTORDont talk nonsense! Why are you doing that?

LILIAShe made the bed, so let her lie in it! Let him take her andgo wherever he damn well pleases!

VICTORLilia, never joke about such people. Judging from the letter,hes a serious person, and if we start by kicking him out , then,you knowanything can happen. It could get very bad for us I just dont know what to think.

GRANNY

Too late to think now. Come what may, have to meet theman, properly. What will be, will be.


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VICTORWhat can you do?

LILIAI can at least send your mother off to an o ld age home

tomorrow.

VICTOROh, you, how daring. Watch out they dont send you thereahead of time.

LILIADo you think Im afraid of this? At least no one there wouldget on my nerves every day. Perhaps I can at least get somerest there away from all of you at last From everything inthis life

VICTORLil ia, cant you be a bit more ser ious? Remember, weretalking about your daughters destiny! Youre the mother,how can you be so indifferent in such a difficult situation?

LILIAAgain Nellie, and again a diff icult situation! How long can itcontinue! Is she sti ll a g ir l? Do we really have to keepcleaning up her messes till we die?

VICTORLilia, youre not being fair. Nellie isnt guilty in anything.

LILIAThen who is?

VICTORIts all Svetkas doing! Had to think up something like this,write letters to prisoners Send Nel lies picture Invitethisto visit us

LILIADont be coy, say what you want. You wanted to saycriminal?

VICTORI cant understand you, Lil ia. How can you be so cruel? Nothelping your own daughter at this difficult time.


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LILIAKnow what? Have you forgotten how many t imes wevehelped her out? Everything revolves around her, all the time,all her life! And now

VICTORWhat now?

LILIAAnd now shes already a grown woman! A woman! Ive doneso much for her already, even before we met! And now shesan adult already! At her age I ...

(Makes a desperate gesture.)As if you dont know. I, the fool, thought, now, finally, all mytroubles have ended, now, at last, l ife begins. And whathappened? Such a beginning, such Not half a year and she

made us such a bed that were sti l l lying in it, and theresnothing we can do. Scary to reca ll what weve been through!

VICTORSo, dont recal l i t. Everything was gradual ly sorted out,everything settled down, and took shape. Life has improved

LILIAVictor, listen to me carefully.

VICTOR

Im listening.

LILIANothing was settled. And nothing has improved, understand?Everything has remained as it was then, in the same place.

VICTORIn what sense?

LILIAWe didnt solve the problem of Svetlana then.

VICTORLilia, dont. Dont talk this way.

LILIAIm saying what should be said. Its all in vain that I agreedwith you then. We should have done what my parentsadvised.


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VICTORWhat, are you serious? Throw your own granddaughter outwith the trash?

LILIANot throw her out but s imply leave her in the maternityward.

VICTORSimply? How simply? How can you talk about this? As if itsso simple, leave her Its not humane.

LILIAStop! I ts easy for you to moral ize, but what about me?Everyday I have to answer for this witch! Each day I tear my

hair out, bring her up, take care of her, but she only

VICTORLilia, to tell you the truth, you dont take much care of her.

LILIAI care as much as I can. I care within the l imits of my ownstrength. Only theres not much of it left.

VICTORI dont know about your limits but Mother takes much more

care of her.

LILIAExactly! She doesnt know anything and thinks Svetlana isour daughter.

VICTORThen let her keep on thinking i t.

LILIAWhat i f she f inds out that Svetka is not my daughter but

granddaughter? Finds out whos her real mother? How willshe care for her then?

VICTORShe mustnt know And how would she find out? Nobody, nota single soul here suspects anything. This way we dont haveto be careful with the neighbors. Personally, I dont intend totell Mother, and I vouch for Nellie too, so theres absolutely


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nothing to be afraid of If , of course, you wont spi l l thebeans either.

LILIAI wont , but I see everything turns out s imple for you. No

need to be afraid, everythings under control. You and Nelliewil l both be quiet, and the neighbors wont guess a thing.But what if they somehow do? What then? Again Im the oneto blame? Again me and not Nellie? And youll again defendher? Just that no matter how you hide it, sooner or later thetruth will come out And by the way, its very obvious.

VICTORWhats very obvious?

LILIA

Thats shes Svetkas mother.

VICTORStop! What nonsense are you coming up with?

LILIAIf you havent noticed, i t st il l doesnt mean that i ts notvisible to an outsider. It is.

VICTORWhat is?

LILIAThat she doesnt treat Svetka like a sister at all.

VICTORGive it up! Nobody except us sees anything more than twosisters. Only a big difference in age.

LILIAI would be very happy if youre r ight. Only how would youexplain this I was going down the stairs two days ago and

at the landing met the neighbor from 38. She said, Hello,havent seen you for ages. You dont go out much, my dear?Youre not sick, I hope? I said, No, Im not sick, everythingis f ine with me But she didnt leave me alone! Well ,thank the Lord, Im so happy for you. Just that I only see yourSvetlana and Nellie. How remarkable she is! She takes suchgood care of her little sister, almost like a mother. Every dayI see how she worries about Svetlana. Everything troubles her ,


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whether Sveta has eaten, dressed warmly, and studied. To tell youhonestly, not every mother takes such good care of her ownchild as Nellie does her little sister...

VICTOR

What so peculiar about this? What do you find so strange inAuntie Annas words?

LILIAAnd you think this old hag really so admires how she cares forSvetka?

VICTORWhy should I think differently?

LILIA

Do you really think she started the conversation with noulterior motive?

VICTORIve known Auntie Anna s ince chi ldhood! She has alwaysbeen like this. She says what she thinks, straight to your face.Theres never an ulterior motive in her words... Here, listen!When I was just about to leave for the institute after school,do you know what she said straight to my face? She met me, just l ike you, on the landing and said, Well, Victor, veryashamed of your own father? Want to go far away from him

to start your own life? I was floored by surprise and startedto object with something about being trained in a specialtyonly in Riga. How I remember now, she looked at me witheyes screwed up, in distrust, and continued, Its f ine i f youre drawn to the specialty. But it would be bad if it hasnothing to do with the specialty nor Riga, and youre simplyrunning away blindly as far away as you want to hide fromyourself I replied, Why do I have to hide from myself?Everything suits me just fine And she said, If everythingsuits you just f ine, then why does everything about yourfather get on your nerves so? His blood flows in you Oh, I

was mad at her then! What fi lth did I not yell at her. I saidthings to her, said heavens know what, waving my arms, andin the end shouted, Dont you dare interfere with my life oryoull be sorry! And you know, Lilia, then I was amazed withher reaction. She was neither frightened nor indignant butonly looked at me quietly. I remember, she was standing,looking at me with baffling pity, as if in front of her was nota healthy, self-confident guy with his whole life ahead of him


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but an incurably sick child. She only said, Ay, Victor, Victor,must be your fathers blood boiling in you. Watch it you dontdo anything stupid there like your father, you dont want toreproach yourself all your life... She said that, turned, andleft. It seemed to me I was left alone on the landing. I stood

there, sent foolish threats after her, and suddenly noticedthat the other apartment doors werent completely shut. Itseemed that the neighbors heard this conversation. I wasvery ashamed! I d idnt manage to gather my wits, onlyrushed home for my things, got my butt in gear to thestation. I stood in l ine all n ight long for t ickets, and wasalready on the train the next morning

LILIAHere, you see! What did I tell you? Theres nowhere to hidefrom these neighbors . You ll burn with shame when

everything comes out in the open. I dont know why thisAuntie Anna sticks her nose in other peoples business, butone thing I can tell you: shes not such a fool as she pretendsto be. If she started such a conversation...

VICTORAll r ight, Li l ia. If she pesters you again, just dont answerher. Pretend that you dont understand and thats it

(GRANNY enters, loaded down with heavy bags.)

GRANNY(Breathing heavily.)

OhIm tired... And what are you doing? All taking it easy,my dear? As if you have nothing better to do And whatsthat pleasant conversation?

LILIAOh that, nothing Simply sitt ing here with Victor chattingabout this and that.

GRANNY

Indeed, this and that! Theyre yakking away here while theold mother strains herself and drags heavy loads to the fifthfloor.

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, nobody forces you to drag the bagsupstairs. What for?


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GRANNYReally L il ia , am I breaking my s ick o ld back because of nothing else to do? Do you think I like it?

LILIA

Probably you do, else I dont understand you. You know verywell that Victor and I have our own business, the booth

GRANNYOh! A business! The booth! Pitched a tent at the corner andyou have a booth. Peddling vodka there or even somethingworse and thats all your business.

VICTORBy the way, one can sell vodka only in booths, not in a tentor at a corner.

GRANNYAl l r ight, I know you. A booth, then a booth, i f i t soundsbetter to you. Sti ll I dont bel ieve that you have anythingworthwhile there.

VICTORTheres a lot to bring from there Or to buy somewhere else.

` GRANNYWhy dont you, son, buy and bring something? What are you

waiting for? I only know that if Mother doesnt do this, thefridge will remain empty.

VICTORMama, why are you this way?

GRANNYWhat else? Any minute now, the uninvited guests can turn upsuddenly, and nobody is doing anything about it! Besides,Svetka, the ingrate who started this whole affair, has becomequite brazen. I barely drag these bags home and saw her

sitting with the same punks on a bench. I said to her, Helpyour sick old Granny carry these bags upstairs... And do youknow how this cheeky juvenile answered me? Cant, Gram.Dont you see I m busy? Besides, you should know thatcarrying heavy weights is very harmful to young girls. Easilyspoi ls the f igure . People pass ing by looked back andlaughed, but she didnt care! Shame, if only She has reallygotten out of hand.


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LILIAVictor, did you hear?

VICTOR

I heard.

LILIAHow long can this continue?

VICTOROK, Ill go down now and tweak her ears, if you dont mind.

LILIADo whatever you want. Even beat her.

GRANNYOh, come on, beat her First, you have to find her! You canrun after her as much as you want but you wont find herunti l she sees fit to appear. And shel l be home only whenher belly demands.

VICTORDont worry, Ill find her quick

(Exits.)

GRANNY

Yes, youl l f ind Youre my good-for-noth ing seekerStarted to search since childhood and stil l searching all thetime.. . What youre seeking, I really dont know. Yesterday, mostprobably.

LILIA(Sits holding her head with her hands.)

Lord! How tired I am of all this!

GRANNYAnd you think I m not t i red? I m as t i red as can be, L i l ia.

Tired of everything.

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, please dont torment me! Dont yousee that I already dont want to live?

GRANNYOh, stop it, Lilia! What kind of talk is this? We say things, but


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we all want to live.

LILIAI dont. Please understand me, I dont want to live anymore.

GRANNYWhat do you mean you dont? Why dont you want to l ive?How can one be tired of living? I dont understand A persondoesnt need anything, all he has

LILIAI have nothing. No-thing.

GRANNYHows this nothing?

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, Ive lost any reason to live.

GRANNYWhat, what? No reason to l ive? It seems you demand toomuch from l ife Lost her reason to l ive Im not judgingyou, of course, Li l ia, but you dont know when youre welloff. Youre more than provided for! Even your father, a bigchief in those days, and what a chief, didnt have as much asyou do now. And you say you have nothing You haveeverything, everything And even health. God doesnt even

deprive you of your health.

LILIAWhat does my health have to do with it?

GRANNYEverything. Your poor unhappy father, paralyzed, lying therewithout care...

LILIAWhat without care? Dont talk nonsense! How can he be

without care if Mama is looking after him?

GRANNYWell, its very nice that she does. But, Lil ia, Im not talkingabout that.

LILIAThen what?


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GRANNY That now theyre all alone there, in the Baltic, nobody wantsthem, lonely. Certainly your mother tries, manages everythingher strength al lows, but how much strength is sti l l left in

her?

LILIABut I a lready dont have any strength left! None left foranything.

GRANNYNo strength left? What, do you have to drag sacks around? Ihad to slave away like mad all my life, but you, everythingwas handed to you since childhood And even now, think,what havent you got? Judge for yourself: a husband beside

you, this apartment at your disposal, weve found work foryou, easy work, well, what else? You have two cars, a garageclose bya booth in the market place...and two healthygrown daughters to boot. What more do you want from life?

LILIAFor that matter, this apartment isnt mine but yours. We rentthat tumbledown garage for money, big money. The cars areold, fall ing to pieces And my work, it isnt true work butheaven knows what And I dont want to talk about mydaughters Im tired.

GRANNYAnd again, Lilia, youre not right. Certainly, I understand you,Svetkas no bundle of joy. I understand, a very difficult child,but shes yours, yours! Theres nothing much that can bedone about it now, how you raised her, so shell behave. Yourown fault.

LILIA(Loses control.)

Thats just the problem, shes not mine! Please understand,

not mine!

GRANNY(Amazed)

How is it not yours?

LILIAShes not my child! And Im tired of constantly hearing your


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reproach that I bring her up poorly! Im not guilty for her andIm fed up with her Dont even want to see her! I regret thatI did something so foolish in my youth

GRANNY

(Dumbfounded)Lilia! How is this? It turns out Svetka was adopted? Did youget her from the orphanage? Ay-yai-yai... So, you couldnthave your own Ay-yai-yai... Thats why you suffer so nowAy-yai-yai...

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, I would only be too happy if it wereso No, it was much more complicated, much more stupid,and much worse.

GRANNYHow worse? Whats worse?

LILIAWhat happened then.

GRANNYWhat happened?

LILIAI cant tell you the whole truth.

GRANNYNo, Lil ia, thats no good. Since youve already blurted it out,you must tell everything. No reason for you to keep it in now.Come on, tell me.

LILIAI cant.

GRANNYCome, come, tel l me. We l ive here together, as one b ig

family, so we must know the truth about each other.

LILIAWhy do you need the truth? You dont need i t Nobodyneeds it, easier to live without it.

GRANNYDont kid yourself! If it were easier for you to live with a lie,


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then you wouldnt let the cat out of the bag even under torture!And I didnt torture you; you yourself couldnt keep it in. Thesecret has so worn you down that you wanted to share it.

LILIA

I cant share it.

GRANNYWhy?

LILIAIts not my secret. If it were only mine. But its our commonsecret.

GRANNYWhose?

LILIAMine, Victors, and Nellies

GRANNYWait, wai t! Did you say Nel lies? How o ld is Nel lie now?

Twenty-nine. Svetka will soon be fifteen... So thats what itis! Did Nel lie really give birth to Svetka? Holy! And youadopted her?

LILIA

Well, you figured out everything yourself. I didnt want to tellyou, and I didnt have to.

GRANNY(Embraces Lilia.)

Lilia! My poor dear! You unlucky one And I , an old fool ,reproach you a ll the t ime, reproach you for not beingsweeter to the gir ls For not talking nicely to them, notlaughing with them But whats there to laugh about? Its nolaughing matter.

LILIA(Cries.)

I ve stopped laughing, stopped laughing Didnt keep myeyes on my daughter then , and now I cant laugh any more.

GRANNYBut how could it have happened? Lord! Nellie was stil l quiteyoung then A l ittle gir l st il l. .. Ay-yai-yai. . . And whos


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Svetkas father?

LILIAI dont know, Claudia Semyonovna, and I dont want to know.

GRANNYHows this you dont know?

LILIANell ie doesnt talk about it. She didnt say from the start,stil l silent now, and I dont ask And why do I need to knowwho Svetkas real father is? Nobody, especially Svetka,needs to know. Let her think its Victor.

GRANNY(Thoughtfully)

Well, well That means Victor wasnt against it?

LILIAQuite the opposite! It was all his idea. He proposed to me notto leave Svetka in the maternity ward but for us to adopther. And how nobody should try to talk him out of i t , i t suseless. When Father found out, he didnt want us to takeher out of the maternity ward at all. And Mama said, Youllregret it...

GRANNY

Okay, you did it, its done, and God be with her. The girl hasgrown and its al l r ight Only I sti l l cant understand howcould such a thing happen to Nell ie? Shes such a modestperson. All the t ime you have l ived here, she hasnt anyboyfriend. Not once have I seen her with any, not even themost unpopular Hows that?

LILIAShe has become so now. Besides, honestly, to tel l you thetruth, I dont believe in her modesty, Claudia Semyonovna.But then You cant even imagine what was going on there

then! Everywhere, in every corner, i t was sex, sex, sex!Naked behinds looked out from each kiosk. Even in school,during PTA meetings , they started to talk not aboutschoolwork but ser ious ly d iscussed whether we shouldarrange special rooms for k ids dates as they do in moredeveloped countries. They brought in special classes. As ifanyone needs to learn this business. As if they didnt knowthat doing a bad thing is simple Here video rentals also


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appeared in almost every back alley, and every home owneda VCR. They started to get together to watch porn

GRANNYWhat are you saying! And did Nellie watch this filth too?

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, why do you ask such a question? Whodidnt? Even now, they dont shy from showing them on TV.

GRANNYDidnt you watch over her?

LILIAMe? Did I really understand then what it would lead to? I wastoo young The first t ime, the minute I turned eighteen, I

jumped to get married. Not half a year passed and Nellie wasborn. At twenty, I was already divorced. For ten years, Ibrought her up alone without a husband. Good thing myparents helped, both materially and around the houseanddid everything for Nellie. They bought clothes, hired tutors,and set her up in different groups. She wanted for nothing atall. I t was obvious just looking at her . She was always stylish, wellgroomed, spoilt. Boys were after her in droves since veryyoung. Her grandpa, my father, was always bragging abouther to his colleagues. When she was growing up, he loved towalk with her hand-in-hand along the streets. And when he

found out that she was pregnant, he almost lost his mind. Atfirst, he wanted to send her abroad for an abortion, but whilethe documents were getting ready, he changed his mind.They talked him out of it, told him all kinds of nonsense, andhe was frightened that it could be dangerous for her health.He arranged for the birth in another city, in secret Then hestarted to search for a family to adopt Svetlana...

GRANNY(Thoughtfully)

You know, Lilia, it seems to me that it was the right thing to

do. If I were in your shoes, I wouldnt adopt Svetlana either.

LILIAIts too late now. And then your Victor for some reasoninterfered. Imagine, he even burst into tears! He said, Pity,a little defenseless baby left to who knows whom. What if wewont have kids of our own? At least let Svetlana be ourdaughter His tears touched me deeply. I thought, must be


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I m lucky with a man this t ime. After my f i rst marr iage, Inever expected to meet such a child-loving man.

GRANNYYou know, Lil ia, I also didnt expect this of Victor Such an

act... Indeed a nice one Though also a fool... Oh, hes sucha fool!

LILIAI said so too. Then he just i f ied i t th is way, In two yearsNellie will finish school and go study somewhere, Moscow orPetersburg. And well have so much fun with Svetlana. Shellbe both daughter and granddaughter to us. . . Well, I agreedto register her as mine. There was no problem; everythingwas done with money, connect ions , and other things .Everything was done quickly and without any noise, and it

seemed fine in the beginning. Just that Nellie didnt leave usto go to school , not in two years , not five , not ten. You see foryourse lf , shes s til l w ith us , has no in tent ion of goinganywhere. Didnt even agree to stay in Riga with her grandpawhen he was paralyzed, three in the big house... What are wegoing to do now? Im at my wits endboth with her and withSvetka One thing I can tel l you for sure: cant go on thisway... I dont want to live this way any more.

GRANNY Youre right, Lilia, it cant. But something might change with

Svetkas sil l iness, doing a kind deed by accident, when shestarted looking for a husband for Nellie...

LILIAWhats the matter with you, Claudia Semyonovna?

GRANNYWhat? Just you watch, the Lord has mercy on us, some nicefellow will come, theyll catch each others fancy, and helltake her away.

LILIAWhat if he wont take her away? What if it doesnt turn outthe way you think? What if he wants to stay here instead?

GRANNYWhere, here? God forbids! There wont be room to breathe inhere then.


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(They hear a noise at the door.)

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, theres only one thing I l l ask you.Please dont tell Victor that I lost control and blurted out our

secret. Hell be very upset.GRANNY

Dont worry about it.

(VICTOR enters, dragging a resist ing SVETLANA withhim.)

SVETLANALet go! Do you hear? I said let go! It hurts!

VICTORAnd youre doing things to hurt people?

SVETLANAIve done nothing to no one!

LILIA Thats exactly i t, nothing! Youve done nothing good toanyone!

VICTOR

Here, look at our beauty! Roaming the streets with someidiots!

SVETLANAI wasnt!

VICTORLooking for adventures!

SVETLANAI wasnt looking for anything!

GRANNYThen what were you doing?

SVETLANAJust walking along the streetsstrolling.

LILIA


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What do you mean strolling?

SVETLANADont you know how people strol l? They walk a long thestreets and take in fresh air. Here I was doing just that.

LILIAWell, and have you taken in fresh air to your hearts content?

SVETLANANot yet... But why are you jumping all over me? What have Idone?

LILIACant you guess?

SVETLANANo, I cant.

GRANNYThe girl understands nothing. Wont understand no matterhow you explain to her.

VICTORWhen I take the belt to her back, shel l understand realquick! Shell know about upsetting Granny!

SVETLANAYou have no right to hit me!

GRANNYAnd what else is there to do with you? Have to beat thedaylights out of you if you dont understand words.

SVETLANAHow mean you are, Gram!

GRANNY

Beat you to an inch of your life until you smarten up.

SVETLANA Youre a true fascist! Youre ordering your own son to beatyour own granddaughter because of your stupid bags!

GRANNY(Loses control.)


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Pugh, shameless trash! And what kind of granddaughter are youto me, if it comes to that?

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, whats with you? I asked you!

GRANNYOh, Lord! Forgive me, Lilia, I couldnt control myself.

VICTORMama, what? What are you talking about?

GRANNYIm like that. Nothing, son, nothing. I simply got worked up,dont mind me.

SVETLANASo, Im not your granddaughter? Are you disowning me? Andonly because I didnt drag your stupid bags up five floors?Where are they, these bags?

(Runs about and looks for the bags.) Aha, here they are! Well, where do you want them? Here?

(Puts the bags on a chair.) Or here?

(Puts the bags on the table.) Neither here nor there? Then Ill toss them out the window!

LILIAStop, now! Leave the bags alone! Whats with the bags?

SVETLANASo, its not the bags? So, it has nothing to do with the bagsat all? It turns out you just dont love me and dont want me?Everythings clear. Ive long understood that no one wantsme here. Then why did you give birth to me? If nobody wantsme, if Im a burden to you all? I didnt ask to be born! It wascompletely not my idea. You wanted a kid, but now, wouldntyou know it, youre tired of it! Dont worry, Im tired of you

too. Ill go away and live alone(Rushes out.)

VICTORWhere are you going? Svetka, stop! Svetlana!

LILIALet her go where she wants . At least we ll have a l it tle


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breather from her.

VICTORWhat if she really runs off?

GRANNYWhere will she go? Theres no place for her to go.

VICTORWhat if she disappears? It happens all the time.

LILIADont you worry. She wont disappear anywhere, shell returnlike a good little girl.

VICTOR

What if she wont return?

GRANNYIt seems to me, son, you worry too much about her, youworry like shes really your own flesh and blood.

VICTOR(As if deflated.)

Mama... What Dont.

GRANNY

Dont? Who? You dont? Or I dont? Do you think I need this?

VICTORLilia, why did you tell her? Why?

GRANNYHe sti l l asks why. What am I to you? Just a mushroom in acoat? Or Mother after al l , who gave birth to you and raisedyou? Well, answer me! Am I a mother to you or do youalready not think of me as your mother?

VICTORMama, why are you saying such harsh words?

GRANNYThe matter is not in the words, but in your behavior. I saywhat and as much as I want! I ve kept quiet too long,tolerated all your pranks.


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VICTORWhat pranks?

GRANNY Youd at least recall, when you decided to get married, did

you inform your mother? What, youre silent, nothing to say?Only after two years did you get around to scribbling a littlenote! And at the end of the letter a l i t t le postscr ipt, I mmarried and have a daughter. Shes walking and her name isSvetlana... Heres some remarkable news. It turned out thather names Svetlana! And here you seemed to have startedforgetting your own mothers name already by that time. Andwould have forgotten for sure i f there wasnt the suddenurge to return, to come back to Russia. Thats when you, son,remember your own mother! Recalled that she had buriedher man, was living quite alone in a decent old-style 3-room

apartment, recalled, thought it over, and decided that shedoesnt deserve a quiet old age. Decided that she didntsuffer enough with your father, let her suffer more now inher old age with strangers

LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, why are you l ike this? Were notstrangers to you!

GRANNYI thought so too, that youre not strangers, Thats why I kept

quiet. I thought, good or bad, all are kin after all. But it turnsout that in reality, except for Victor, all of you are strangers.It turns out just so, Lilia. Here I have to sufferinconveniences and worries for strangers for so long already.And why should I? For the sake of what? I thought its for thesake of my granddaughter, but it turns out I dont have one

VICTORMama, l isten! Dont talk l ike this! Youre wrong! You dontknow everything

GRANNYIm right! Now I know all about you

VICTORNo, not all! I tell you, youre wrong! She is yourgranddaughter...

(SVETLANA enters, followed by SASHA.)


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II-22

SVETLANAWhat, surprised? Dont be, I didnt leave you Believe me, Ireally wanted to go away already, but here I bumped intoSasha at the entrance.

VICTORWhat Sasha?

SVETLANAPapa, whats with you, forgotten our guests? Were waitingfor guests!

LILIAWhat guests? We arent expecting any guests.

SVETLANAMama, whats the matter with you? Are you s ick, by anychance?

LILIAYoung man, strictly speaking, who are you and what do youwant?

SASHAPlease excuse me i f I ve made a mistake. Im looking forapartment 52, the Potapovs should live there Are you not

them?

GRANNYYes, yes, were the Potapovs! But who are you?

SASHAAllow me to introduce myself: Alexander SergeevichNekrasov. Im looking for Nellie, Nellie Vengerova.

LILIANellies not home right now.

SVETLANAI already told him shes not. Sasha, come in, Nell ie wil l behome soon Gram

GRANNYCome in, Alexander Sergeevich, come in, dont be shyCome in and sit down, youre a guest.


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LILIAClaudia Semyonovna, I dont understand you.

GRANNY

What dont you understand?

LILIAI didnt invite him.

VICTORLilia, wait! Mama, if Lilia says

GRANNYAnd who is she, your Lil ia? If it comes down to that, Im thehostess here, not her. I decide whom to invite! You all just

came on your own So, Sasha, dont l isten to them, makeyourself comfortable, sit down next to Granny. Well settlethings without them.

SASHA(Embraces Granny.)

Granny! I love you


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III-1

Act Three

As the curtain rises, GRANNY and SASHAare in the midst of a conversation.

SASHAIts nice here, Auntie Claude. May I call you that?

GRANNYOf course, Sasha, of course. Though Im not your aunt butyou also cant say that Im a stranger.

SASHANo, I cant, Auntie Claude. And do you know what else Ill tellyou? You, Auntie Claude, are a real human being!

GRANNYReally, what are you saying Were people, were all humanbeings.

SASHANo, not al l . People l ike you wel l never find another in ourtime, no matter how we try. Everybody hides behind steeldoors and bars in his own burrow. Bricks up entrances andexits and stays there quiet as a mouse. No one lets anyonenear!

GRANNYTheyre right not to let anyone near. If I were smarter, Id dothe same. But God didnt make me smarter and al l my l i feIve always gotten into trouble.

SASHAAuntie Claude, what are you talking about? Not about yourhusband perhaps? The one who did time?

GRANNYAnd about him too Oh, he was a fine goose! I had to suffer alot because of h im You know, Sasha, I l l tel l you this:thinking about my life with him, theres really nothing worthremembering. When he went to jail, it was for a longsentence Smart people advised me then, Divorce him andstart your l i fe anew But l ike a fool I stubbornly refused,Ill wait for him and thats all I waited for him, waited tenwhole years, and finally. Then til l his death I cursed my own


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foolishness.

SASHAWhat foolishness is this? Its not foolishness, Auntie Claude,its called love.

GRANNYGive over, Sasha! What love is there? We met, livedtogether, heres all our love.

SASHAA ll the more so. All the more youre a true human being! Why?If you didnt love him but waited while he did time?

GRANNYHe served not one sentence, but two.

SASHAHow so?

GRANNYHe got eight years for knifing but came out only after ten.

They added two extra years while hes there.

SASHAWhat d id he manage to do there? Why d id they add twoyears?

GRANNYDecided to escape, the idiot And indeed h is term wasalready coming to an end! But my man, the good-for-nothing,he didnt want to wait till they let him out in good humor, butthought it worthwhile to run.

SASHADid he really arrange an escape? Or by accident?

GRANNY

He arranged nothing And by no means an accident.

SASHAEscaped with a group?

GRANNYWhat group! If its a groupthen a group of animals indeed!Beastly criminals, thats the group.


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SASHADont be like that, Auntie Claude.

GRANNY

Like what?

SASHADont judge people so harshly. Different people end up therebut most of them are simply unlucky Though now, of course,its full of scumbags and goons .

GRANNYI dont know about now but then there were beastly fellowswith him. Im not tell ing you about scumbags. Theyre alsonot nice, but stil l human beings, undeservedly so. Im only

talking about real criminals! What, dont understand?

SASHAExplain it to me, Auntie Claude.

GRANNYHere, Sasha, you spent more than a year in those places.Have you ever heard of fugitives taking somebody with theminstead of canned food for a long journey?

SASHA

Well, Auntie Claude, youre telling me Havent heard aboutsuch business in the slammer for a long time And evenearlier its more talk than action.

GRANNYI dont know about act ion there but the investigator whosummoned me told me right away then, If the escape wassuccessful, then theyd have killed and eaten your dimwit of ahusband in a few days when they started to starve.

SASHA

And you believed him? What a simple soul you are! Theylls lander us to you if youl l only l isten to them. Thats their job, Auntie Claude.

GRANNYTheir job had nothing to do with it! Mine, after he came out,told me himself that those criminals he was going to escapewith made fun of him all the t ime afterwards! They even


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called him Corned Beef until the end of his sentence.

(SVETLANA enters.)

SASHA

Hmmits not good, really Not good.

SVETLANAHi, Sasha! Whats not good?

GRANNYNot good to miss school! Why arent you in school?

SVETLANASasha, did you hear? See what a retarded Granny we have,simply impossible! You tel l her, tel l her, and she just cant

latch on. What school? Ive been in high school for a longtime already! Understand, high school!

SASHABy the way, I too dont understand whats the difference.

SVETLANAYou dont understand because you dont know. And you dontknow because youve spent years in the slammer. Almost likemy Grandpa. How would you know about high school now?

GRANNYSvetlana, leave the man alone!

SVETLANAWhat, cant I even say a word? Sasha, tell me, am I botheringyou? Just tell me honestly.

SASHANo, youre not bothering me.

SVETLANA

There! Gram, did you hear: Im not bothering him. Indeed,thinking that I bothered him!

GRANNYSvetlana, youre a grown girl already, dont you understandreally? How can a guest say that youre really bothering him?

SVETLANA


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III-5

But Im not! Am not! It s not true! Sasha, please, tell heronce again that Im not bothering you!

SASHANo, youre not. But perhaps youve already managed to

bother Auntie Claude.

SVETLANA(Suddenly serious.)

I know, Sasha. Lately it seems to me that I bother everybodyin this house Theyre all so meanlike tyrants.

SASHANothing strange about i t. I t happens with everybodysometimes And then it goes away.

SVETLANAReally? Do you think itll go away for me too?

SASHAYes, it will. And the anger too.

SVETLANAWhat if it wont?

SASHAIt will, it will, dont worry.

SVETLANABut it didnt for Grandpa.

GRANNYWhich grandpa?

SVETLANAThe same one! The one you told me about, how he was madat the whole world till his death.

GRANNYDont make things up! I didnt tell you that!

SVETLANAYou did! Sasha, she told me how unti l his death Grandpaattacked people with a knife.

GRANNY


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He didnt attack, only watched everybody like a hawk. Andits not one and the same.

SVETLANAYes, it is too! Sasha, tell her, you must know! Isnt it indeed

all the same, attacking people or watching them like a hawk?All the same, youl l ki l l someone sooner or later All thesame, my grandpa was a real gangster!

SASHAWhat makes you decide that hes a gangster?

SVETLANABecause he killed a man!

(Lowers her voice.)With a knife

SASHAFor shame You are a silly little girl.

GRANNYRight, Sasha! Great that you told her the truth.

SVETLANANot true! Im not silly!

GRANNY

How not silly when youre very silly? Your Grandpa ended upin jai l for his own foolishness. And by chance he survivedthere, otherwise he could easily lose his l ife. But you, sil ly,runs around shouting that your grandfather was a gangster.What gangster was he? Its not nice. He had done time agesago for what he did And hes been dead for a long time.Why dont you let his bones lie in peace?

SVETLANASasha, dont l isten to her! I dont disturb him lying in theground!

GRANNYBut you do!

SVETLANAAnd I dont even know where he lies!

SASHA


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You dont know?

SVETLANANo, I have no idea where hes buried.

SASHAWhy?

SVETLANABecause they havent told me.

SASHAAuntie Claude, is this true?

GRANNY Yes, Sasha, its true. Thats how it goes. Our Victor never

visits his fathers grave and doesnt let them either. Only Igo there alone.

SASHAWhy is he so upset with his father?

SVETLANAHes not upset . S imply Mama and Papa think that it sshameful to have a jai lb ird as a father. They say i ts notrespectable.

SASHAOh? What about a cheat as a father? Thats respectable?

SVETLANAWell, I dont know... But whats the big deal? Probably, if hehad sto len a lot of money Especia lly i f he managed totransfer that money abroad.

SASHASo, i t means a lot of money is respectable? InterestingVery interesting

GRANNY

Sasha, what about you?

SASHAWhat about?

GRANNY


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III-8

I mean money.

SASHAYou dont have to worry about this, Auntie Claude. Ill quicklyget on my feet In short, money isnt the most important

problem for me.

GRANNYThats good, Sasha, thats very good. Indeed, without money,you understand...

SVETLANASasha, if money isnt a problem for you, why dont you getmarried? You like our Nellie, then marry her quickly. Whatsholding it up?

GRANNYThats right, Sasha, hows it with you and Nellie? Do you likeeach other or not?

SASHAWell, Auntie Claude, how to tell you

SVETLANADont tell her, tell me. Shes too old to understand when youstart talking about love.

GRANNYWould you get away from here, Svetka, go somewhere else.

SVETLANAWhere am I going?

GRANNYAt least go out onto the street, take a stroll.

SVETLANAIm not going! Un til Sasha answers whether he loves Nellie or

not, Im not going. Well, Sasha, own up, are you in love withher?

GRANNYArent you ashamed to embarrass the man? How can you asksuch a thing right to his face?

SVETLANA


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Why should I be ashamed? Im not asking if hes slept withNel l ie, I m s imply asking i f he loves her. I f he does, thenmarry her, if not...

SASHA

And if not?

SVETLANAIf not, then marry me.

SASHA(Surprised)

Marry you?

SVETLANAYes, me. When I turn sixteen.

SASHAAnd why should I marry you?

SVETLANABecause you look l ike Jean-Claude Van Damme, and I vefallen in love with him since grade three. You know, Sasha, Ikiss his photo every night before bed May I kiss you?

GRANNYIll show you kiss, Il l show you! Il l show you so itl l hurt to

sit down!

SASHAIm not Jean-Claude Van Damme.

SVETLANASo? Whats the difference you or him? You look so much likehim

(Voices from outside calling SVETLANA.)

SVETLANAOh! theyre calling me!

(Rushes to the window and shouts.)Wait, be right there!

(Turns to SASHA and GRANNY.)Okay, you stay here, Im leaving...

(Rushes out.)


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III-10

SASHAHmm Smart gir l, nothing to say. Not easy to handle, i tseems.

GRANNY

Needless to say, Sasha. Im so tired of her, no morestrength And were all tired of her.

SASHABut doesnt Nellie help? Sister, after all.

GRANNYShe does! Nellie is a great help to everybody, Victor, hermother, and me Stil l, its better for her to be married andhave her own family And you, Sasha, have you made upyour mind? Will you marry her or not?

SASHATo tell you the truth, Auntie Claude, Id marry her tomorrow.I m real ly drawn to her, I dont know why And it growsstronger Its time to think seriously What would come outof it, I dont know, but Id definitely marry Nellie.

GRANNYAnd has she agreed? Have you talked to her?

SASHA

I have

GRANNYAnd?

SASHAShe didnt give a definite answer, said she needs to think itover.

GRANNYThats right. How can it be otherwise? How can one not think

it over? Mustnt just pick up and run off to City Hall Buthow long will it take her? Did she tell you?

SASHAShe promised to make a decision today.

GRANNYThatll be good if everything is decided today Ah, here she


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III-11

is, it seems Did you hear the door slam? If its her, then Iwont be in your way

(NELLIE enters.)

NELLIEWhos at home?

GRANNYWhom you see and nobody else Wheres Victor and Lil ia?Did you see them?

NELLIEThey are in the garage, packing things.

GRANNY

Ill go help them.

NELLIEWhy? Theyre managing fine there without you.

GRANNYNo, no, how can I not help? Have to help. Il l go help themAnd you can sort out your affairs here without me.

(Exits.)

NELLIE

Sasha, would you like some tea?

SASHANellie, what have you decided?

NELLIESasha, lets have some tea. Im very tired.

SASHA(Holds NELLIE by the shoulders.)

Nellie

NELLIE(Moves away.)

Sasha Dont Let go of me

SASHAWhy? You dont like it?


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III-12

NELLIEYes, no, Sasha Thats not it.

SASHA(Kisses NELLIE.)

Nellie Nellie Listen to me, lets leave here together.NELLIE

Sasha...(Embraces SASHA.)

I cant Try to understand, I cant.

SASHAYou can, you always can Come with me.

NELLIE

You know nothing about me.

SASHAI dont want to know Quiet, no need to say anything! Justleave here with me. Far, far away

NELLIEBut I cant! Why cant you understand? I cant leave withyou.

SASHA

But why? Whats stopping you? Is it my past? Its al l overwith, I swear to you. Besides, I stil l have a stash in the wild,both here and abroad. You will want for nothing, believe me,nothing at all.

NELLIEIts not this, Sasha.

SASHAThen what?

NELLIENot your past, but mine.

SASHANel lie, I have absolutely no interest in your past. Let i tremain in the past. After all, Im not a little boy, Ive beenaround, knew many women


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III-13

NELLIEThats not it, Sasha If only it were so simple. Everything ismuch more complicated with me... Stickier... Not a life but atangle of problems.

SASHANo need to untangle them. Just cut them off and throw themfar away. Come away with me! I swear , with me you wontever recall your past.

NELLIENo, Sasha, its impossible Nobody can If you only knew

SASHANellie, get it out of your head. Everything will pass, everythingwil l be forgotten, t ime would heal all Here, look at my

hands! What havent they done! But time will pass, they willforget that

NELLIESasha, what do this have to do with your hands? Oh God,how tired I am Only why did she start all this? Sasha, whydont you want to understand that I didnt do this! You didntreceive my letters, I didnt write to you!

SASHANellie, calm down, it doesnt change anything. Do you think

that I only wrote to you alone? But I arrived here and youimprinted yourself in my heart. Got hold of it with something,understand? Its absolutely unimportant who wrote thoseletters, you or someone else.

NELLIESvetka, the skunk, wrote these letters!

SASHANot a skunk, but a smart kid, a younger sister, and thank herfor it.

NELLIENot sister but daughter!

SASHA(Not understanding.)

Daughter? Well, yes, were all somebodys sons ordaughters


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III-14

NELLIEShes my daughter!

SASHA

(Still not understanding.)Yours? Well, yes, I completely understand this.

NELLIEWhat do you understand?

SASHAThat shes like a daughter to you. I know it happens when anolder sister cares for a younger one as if she gave birth toher...

NELLIEBut I really gave birth to her!

SASHA(Surprised)

What? How? When?

NELLIEApril, 22 Nearly fifteen years ago.

SASHA

It cant be... I dont understand But youyou were stil l alittle girl then!

NELLIEYesslightly younger than Svetka.

SASHAWait, Nel lie I To tel l you the truth, I m really takenaback... Holy cow, what an announcement But how could ithappen?

NELLIESasha, it happens more often than you think. That year, onlyin our grade, three girls got pregnant. They were lucky, but Iwas forced to g ive b ir th because of my d is tinguishedgrandfather. He cared for me so much that he overdid it

SASHAWait, Nellie, not so fast. What did he have to do with it? Why


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III-16

thinking of being noble then.

SASHAWhat else then?

NELLIEHe did it because of fear And because of me.

SASHAWhat was he afraid of? The child was yours, and youre inessence a stranger to him. Why did he want another oneschild hanging around his neck?

NELLIEIm no stranger to him And neither is the child And shecouldnt have entered the world without a man

SASHACertainly. Some stupid lad A classmate perhaps?

NELLIE There were also classmates but the childs not from any ofthem.

SASHAThen who?

NELLIEVictor. Thats why he insisted on not leaving her behind.

SASHAWhat Victor?

NELLIEOur Victor The one now packing things in the garage.

SASHAWh-what! It cant be!

NELLIEIt can, Sasha, it can. Everything is possible in this world.

SASHAAre you serious?

NELLIE


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III-17

Yes.

SASHAThen hes Svetkas father?

NELLIEHe is.

SASHAHeres scum!

NELLIEHes no scum. Hes not to blame for it.

SASHAA grown man? Got a l itt le gir l pregnant? Do you know how

they deal with people l ike that in prison? And if he wouldstillwith you You understand me?

NELLIEI understand, only it was nothing l ike that. And, Sasha, hewas still very young, just got out of college.. .

SASHAAll the same, he was a grown man and you were still a child.What sentence theyd give for this! What, the wife couldntsatisfy him? If so, couldnt he find somebody else?

NELLIESasha, dont swear at him. He wasnt a grown man then.Indeed hes much younger than Mother. And I was alreadyfourteen. I l iked him the minute he began visit ing us Hecame in an air force uniform, a hunk. And quite inexperiencein matters of love

SASHAWas he a pilot?

NELLIENo, he was an engineer by training. Worked at the airport,was often abroad. Brought us g if ts f rom there, for bothMother and me... I probably fell in love with him even beforeMother decided to get together with him.

SASHABut she didnt notice? Where was she?


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NELLIEI tel l you, my Mother isnt known for her smarts. Besides,shes completely unobservant, l ives in some fantasy of herown. She really doesnt relate to people In general, views

everything in her own way somehow. The whole world seemshostile to her, therefore she finds herself constantly fightingwith someone. Because of these f ights and confl icts withpeople, shes lost all trust. My mother suspects each andeveryone. .. You know, Sasha, she eavesdrops by theneighbors doors all the time!

SASHASo?

NELLIE

Shes isnt exactly doing this for female curiosity.

SASHAThen why?

NELLIEShes simply afraid of her own shadow. All the time it seemsto her that someone is hiding from her, either behind doorsor somewhere in a dark corner, plotting against her. So shetries to find out about them beforehand in order not to getinto trouble by accident.

SASHABut shes not afraid of the loony bin?

NELLIENo, Sasha, shes not crazy. Shes just afraid of disaster,feeling l ike it l l creep up on her from somewhere, but notknowing where, thats why shes afraid. She was alreadyafraid even when Victor first appeared, didnt trust him

SASHA

And she was right. Such a bastard!

NELLIEHe isnt that! Simply a weak person...

SASHA Yea? Getting a young gir l pregnant isnt enough? Why thehell did he attach himself to a little girl?


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III-19

NELLIEHe didnt. Quite the opposite, its I who attached myself tohim.

SASHADo stop justifying him.

NELLIESasha, Im not. You know, hed never have touched me with afinger if it hadnt happen

SASHAWhat hadnt happen?

NELLIE

That night I was alone at home. Mother was on night shiftand I was already in bed. Victor came in late, they werecelebrating something at work. He got home very drunk,barely undressed, and dropped down in bed at once. I heardthrough the wall , he was already snoring. Well, imagine toyourself: I was lying in the dark, and suddenly felt how mybody started to puff up! I understood that if I didnt get upand go to him then, I would simply die! What happened to mesuddenly? I dont know but I just jumped up and ran.Exactly, I didnt walk but ran Dont remember how I turnedup under his blanket In general, I remember poorly how

everything went... Like in a fog... In the morning, we cameto You should have seen his face! He was so horrif ied bywhat he had done Then he cried like a baby.

SASHAAnd you felt pity for him. And you feel it still.

NELLIENo, Sasha, qui te the oppos ite. A ll my fee lings for h imsuddenly disappeared as if cut off. And unti l Svetka was ayear old, there was nothing more between us.

SASHAAnd then? Did it start again?

(NELLIE is silent, moves her shoulders. SASHA grabs hershoulders and shakes her.)

SASHA (continue)


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III-20

NellieNellie, tell me, did it start again?

NELLIEYesit did When Svetka called him Papa the first time, hewas so touched that he even had tears in his eyes. I, on the

other hand, was mad. I asked him, Papa, and havent youforgotten whos her Mama? I thought hed be scared orangry but suddenly he began to kiss and fondle me

(Sobs.)Why did I do it? I dont know why...

SASHA(Embraces NELLIE.)

Nellie...Nellie, what a little fool you are

NELLIE

Yes, Sasha, Im a fool. Everything in my life somehow turnsout foolishly Like Mothers And probably nothing will turn outwith you either... Though I like you...

SASHAReally?

NELLIEYes, Sasha, really.

SASHA

You mean, you like me after all?

NELLIEFrom the moment I saw you But why youd want me, I dontknow...

SASHAQuiet. Quiet, Nellie, no need to say any more. Let everythingbad remain in the past. There wont be a yesterday for us,therell only be tomorrow. And in this tomorrow, therereonly you and me and nobody else!

NELLIEAnd no one else?

SASHANo one else! Only you and me!

NELLIE


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Only you and me?

(VICTOR enters loaded down with heavy packages.Seeing NELLIE and SASHA in an embrace, he drops thepackages

Documents

Escape to Happiness