yes perhaps
you are
OLD WOMAN
Good thing
you good thing
short pause
and we who were
quite short pause
so young
quite short pause
so young
and so vulnerable
quite short pause
fumbling
The Young Woman and The Young Man look at each other, then they look down
insecure
OLD MAN
Were we vulnerable
OLD WOMAN
Yes
quite short pause
you remember
OLD MAN
Yes
Quite short pause
But
short pause
I’ve nothing more to say
OLD WOMAN
No
quite short pause
but does anything need to be said
OLD MAN
No
quite short pause
no perhaps not
OLD WOMAN
Nothing
needs to be said
OLD MAN
No
quite short pause
But
short pause
are you alright
OLD WOMAN
Yes
yes I’m alright
OLD MAN
And you’re never scared anymore
OLD WOMAN
I’m never scared anymore
Long pause
THE SHADOW
to The Old Woman
You must come now
OLD MAN
I don’t understand
that you’re gone
quite short pause
and then suddenly
you’re there
again
OLD WOMAN
That’s just how it is
OLD MAN
questioningly
I can’t understand it
OLD WOMAN
No
Short pause
OLD MAN
questioningly
No place
No thing
OLD WOMAN
No place
No thing
Pause
And one place
And one thing
Pause
OLD MAN
I’m tired
Short pause
And I no longer want
to be here
OLD WOMAN
almost despairingly
Yes
quite short pause
yes you shall be here
quite short pause
you shall be here
with me
quite short pause
always
always here
you and I
you and I together
for ever
anything else
quite short pause
anything else is unthinkable
anything else doesn’t exist
you
quite short pause
you and I
always you and I
Quite short pause
And you see
I’m here now
Quite short pause
OLD MAN
I don’t want to be alone
OLD WOMAN
But I’m here
THE SHADOW
You must come now
Pause. The Shadow walks over to The Old Woman
OLD MAN
Are you tired
OLD WOMAN
Yes
Pause. The Shadow moves away from The Old Woman and she walks after him, followed by The Young Woman
OLD MAN
But
my dear
my good old thing
you mustn’t go away from me
OLD WOMAN
I’m always here
OLD MAN
I’m always alone
OLD WOMAN
I’m always
where you are
OLD MAN
But I don’t want to be here any longer
Pause
I don’t want to
Short pause. The Old Man and The Young Man follow The Old Woman and The Young Woman and The Shadow
OLD WOMAN
You mustn’t say things like that
OLD MAN
I’ve been here for so long
OLD WOMAN
We must be here
You and I must be here
Pause. The Shadow stands still and The Old Woman and The Young Woman stand behind The Shadow and The Old Man and The Young Man stand behind them again
OLD WOMAN
I’m where you are
I’m always
where you are
quite short pause
always you and I
The Young Woman takes The Old Woman’s arm
OLD MAN
I don’t know what to say
I don’t know what to do
THE SHADOW
I am here
Always am I here
FIRST VOICE
I’m here
quite short pause
I’m always with you
SECOND VOICE
I’m here always
I am you
I am the world
OLD MAN
I don’t want to be here any longer
I’ve been here long enough
The Young Man takes The Old Man’s arm
THE SHADOW
to The Old Woman
I am waiting
You must come now
I am waiting for you
I am the sky
FIRST VOICE
We are always here
SECOND VOICE
Must we always be here
THE SHADOW
You must always be here
SECOND VOICE
We are here
quite short pause
where it comes
goes away
FIRST VOICE
They come
Disappear
SECOND VOICE
Are here
Go away
FIRST VOICE
But we must always be here
SECOND VOICE
Come
Go away
FIRST VOICE
Are born
SECOND VOICE
Are here
FIRST VOICE
Go away
quite short pause
SECOND VOICE
And we
quite short pause
we are in them
quite short pause
they are us
laughter
and we are them
quite short pause
we shall never be gone
We will never go
We are always here
FIRST VOICE
questioningly
Always
SECOND VOICE
We are always here
Quite short pause
Because we are in them
FIRST VOICE
And we shall be in them
Quite short pause
Always be in them
We shall never go
SECOND VOICE
How can we ever go
FIRST VOICE
They come
They go away
SECOND VOICE
Come
Go away
SECOND VOICE
We are in them
We’ll never go away
FIRST VOICE
Can we never disappear
SECOND VOICE
We cannot disappear
FIRST VOICE
It cannot be like that
SECOND VOICE
It is like that
And it
quite short pause
comes
goes away
Laughter. Short pause
FIRST VOICE
They go away
SECOND VOICE
We are
quite short pause
the ocean
the sky
quite short pause
and the earth
FIRST VOICE
We are the world
Quite long pause
But is it too late