Short pause
THE OLDER MAN
I can’t remember what he
yes our son
looked like when he was little
THE OLDER WOMAN
No all that’s left are pictures
faded pictures
quite short pause
blurry
almost gone
quite short pause
THE OLDER MAN
And our daughter
Somehow I can’t picture her
THE OLDER WOMAN
continues
but good pictures
yes they are
good pictures
quite short pause
about to disappear
quite short pause
I see him
I see him lying there in his bed
he lies there sleeping
in his bed
yes like that
THE OLDER WOMAN
Yes
Pause
But what there is
quite short pause
yes it’s a little
yes
quite short pause
yes like being here
THE GUITAR PLAYER
But don’t you see me
Mum
Dad
I’m here
quite short pause
you son
quite short pause
I’m here
THE OLDER WOMAN
No it’s not like that
You mustn’t say that the picture of our son
is a little like being here
No
No you mustn’t say that
Pause
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Mum
Can’t you see me
quite short pause
don’t you see that I’m here
THE OLDER MAN
No
quite short pause
no I won’t say that
THE GUITAR PLAYER
And Dad
quite short pause
it’s so good to see you again
THE OLDER WOMAN
It’s not like that
Pause
THE OLDER MAN
No it’s not like that
Pause
But what is it
THE OLDER WOMAN
You’ve always been the strong one
you must know that
THE OLDER MAN
I
quite short pause
I’ve never been
the strong one have I
THE OLDER WOMAN
Yes you have
THE OLDER MAN
No that’s you
not me
you’ve been the strong one
always
Pause
THE OLDER WOMAN
You’re not who I think you are
THE OLDER MAN
What do you mean
THE OLDER WOMAN
You can’t be the good man
I married
and the man I’ve lived with
all my life
THE OLDER MAN
I can’t
THE OLDER WOMAN
You can’t be him
Quite short pause
Because he wasn’t like that
quite short pause
he was always
my good support
he supported me
in everything
THE OLDER MAN
I have always supported you
And I’m supporting you as much as I can
THE OLDER WOMAN
Yes I’m sorry
I didn’t mean it like that
Long pause
I’m tired
Pause
THE OLDER MAN
I’m tired
too
THE OLDER WOMAN
We’re both tired
THE OLDER MAN
We’re both old and tired
THE OLDER WOMAN
And soon we’ll sleep
THE OLDER MAN
Soon we’ll fall asleep
THE OLDER WOMAN
Sleep forever
THE OLDER MAN
Be gone
THE OLDER WOMAN
We shall soon sleep forever
and be gone
Pause
THE OLDER MAN
Sleep and sleep
The Older Man looks at The Woman
and do you see
do you see
quite short pause
we’re not alone
do you see the woman who stands there
her
over there
do you see
don’t you see how much she looks like
you when you were young
don’t you see
THE OLDER WOMAN
No
THE OLDER MAN
Yes
yes the woman who stands over there
The Older Man points
You see her
You must see her
THE OLDER WOMAN
Yes
quite short pause
yes
yes now I see her
THE OLDER MAN
Yes
THE OLDER WOMAN
But she doesn’t look like
yes like me when I was young
THE OLDER MAN
Yes she does
I can see it
I can see that she looks like
you when you were young
oh yes she does
THE OLDER WOMAN
No
quite short pause
no she can’t
THE OLDER MAN
Yes
yes she does
THE OLDER WOMAN
No
THE OLDER MAN
She’s so like you
that if I didn’t know it couldn’t be
I would’ve thought it was you
when you were young
THE OLDER WOMAN
Don’t talk like that
I get scared
Quite short pause
You mustn’t say things like that
THE OLDER MAN
I think it must be you
THE OLDER WOMAN
Don’t look at her
The Woman turns towards The Older Man and The Older Woman
Now she’s looking at us
THE OLDER MAN
Yes
The Woman lets go of The Man’s hand and starts to walk towards The Older Man and The Older Woman
THE OLDER WOMAN
And now she starts to walk towards us
THE OLDER MAN
But why does she do that
THE OLDER WOMAN
And we were alone here
THE OLDER MAN
There was no one else here
THE OLDER WOMAN
And now she’s walking towards us
THE OLDER MAN
We were all alone
quite short pause
but now she comes walking towards us
THE OLDER WOMAN
She mustn’t come
THE OLDER MAN
What does she want from us
Short pause
We must go
The Older Woman and The Older Man walk slowly away from The Woman
THE WOMAN
Please don’t go
THE OLDER WOMAN
She’s talking to us
THE WOMAN
You mustn’t go
Short pause
Mum
Dad
quite short pause
it’s me
THE OLDER WOMAN
What does she want from us
THE WOMAN
Wait
you can’t just leave me
THE OLDER MAN
I don’t understand what she wants from us
THE WOMAN
Please don’t go
Quite short pause
Mum
Dad
THE OLDER MAN
I don’t know her
THE OLDER WOMAN
Me neither
THE WOMAN
Can’t you wait for me
Quite short pause
Don’t just go
THE OLDER MAN
What does she want from us
THE OLDER WOMAN
I don’t understand
what she wants from us
The Woman stops, stands and looks down. Pause. The Older Man and The Older Woman stop, he lets go of her arm, they move a little away from each other, stand and look down. Pause