GELO – It’s not true. In every one of us there is kindness. The problems and burdens of life make us angry. But if you make everyone happy, then the lies, treachery wickedness will disappear. If all the people learn to love each other than the world would become a better place.
HERMIT – You’re definitely ill.
GELO – You are the ill one, not me! But the only thing that will save you is not solitude but the return to people. You saved my life. And that means you saved my and Lizy's love. I’m very grateful to you… If you become my friend, your soul will experience the same emotions.
HERMIT – What do you need me for? You already have Lizy!
GELO – It’s totally different. Love and friendship are like two sisters. But it’s not the same. I cannot give you my love, but I can offer you my sincere friendship. Don’t refuse it. Be my best friend.
HERMIT – But do you know how to be a real friend?
GELO – I don’t know… I never had any real friends. But I think you could teach me, since you seem to know what it is. I will try very hard. The most important thing about friendship, as in love is what you feel in your soul. And I only feel compassion. You’re a good person. I want to offer you the warmth of my heart. I want my joy and happiness to become yours, and your sadness and grief to become mine. I want you to be happy with me… is that not friendship?
HERMIT – You’re asking what friendship is. Friendship is when you have someone to share your grief and joy. For that you have close relatives and neighbors… Friendship is when you have someone to share your dreams, or just be silent with. And it’s not a burden. Friendship is a connection of souls and the ability to share emotions despite distance. A friend can support you or disagree with you, but in all sincerity and honesty. Friendship is not allowed to be sly or to be hypocritical. Friendship is always unselfish and not garish. It’s not dressed up in bright finery of thoughtless carousing. Friendship is like an everyday job, not loud or noticeable. But it’s always a celebration. Even in dire straits it is a medicine for the boundless disappointment in life. It is a safe bay for a shattered soul, wrecked in a storm of life. And at the same time, it is a source of motivation to move ahead in hard times. A sincere friendship, like a genuine love is made in heaven. Only there such a great and elevated feeling could come about, its fills up life not only with meaning, but humanitarianism, because a sense of meaning and purpose also exists in scoundrels. But sincere and genuine friendship is a quality of an honest and kind person. Not everyone in life is destined to have real friends. But everybody could try and be a good friend. You just have to want it though. And remain an honest human being under any circumstances… Even though it is very hard to do so… Perhaps genuine friendship is real happiness and a great miracle itself!
GELO – If you understand all of this, then why don’t you return to people, and open up your soul once again…
HERMIT – What for? So, they could spit in it again! I don’t trust anyone.
GELO – Just try!
HERMIT – I tried so many times and all I received was disappointment! Everyone wants to rummage through your soul.
GELO – But if you don’t search, you will never find anything. It’s the same with love if you never try, you will never fall in love.
HERMIT – But rejection is very hard to take!
GELO – But the joy of acceptance is so wonderful.
HERMIT – Leave me alone! …
GELO – Imagine the heart of your friend or even a loved one beating in unison with yours! For the sake of that kind of love, won’t it be worth the suffering and rejection, because suffering can cleanse your soul.
HERMIT – No! Because suffering makes you depressed.
GELO – You get depressed because you have no faith. If you have faith, then it elevates you and makes you stronger. Believe in love and friendship! Believe in people!
HERMIT – I’m afraid! …
GELO – Please believe me; I swear I won’t betray you…
HERMIT – But you will leave? …
GELO – So what? You said yourself that a friend is not a possession or a commodity which is kept in a closet. Friendship is not based on distance.
HERMIT – If you go, I will be sad and miss you…
GELO – You could move to the town where I live. Lizy and I could live next to you and be neighbours. I know she would be happy.
HERMIT – Thank you Gelo, I will think about it…
GELO – And I will wait, definitely come!
HERMIT – And now you will go?
GELO – Sorry, but I have to hurry. I feel better now. Your herbs helped me.
HERMIT – Maybe you could stay a little longer? … (with despair) I understand…
GELO – I’m sorry to leave you.
HERMIT – And I’m sorry to see you leave.
GELO – But we will surely meet again. I know it. After all I’m a Wizard. Till we meet again!
HERMIT – Goodbye … (Gelo leaves, and Hermit watches him.) Till we meet again.... friend.
There is a sound of a gong. Hermit walks up to the hourglass and turns it over.
Music plays. Blackout.
In a cave lies Lizy, exhausted by the long journey. Hermit appears. He shakes off the snow and rain off his clothes. He discovers Lizy sleeping. He walks around her in astonishment trying to understand how she got there. Lizy wakes up and looks at Hermit with fear.
LIZY – Please forgive me… I didn’t mean to intrude. The weather is so awful out there… And I’m very tired… But don’t worry I haven’t done anything bad to your cave. I will leave now.
HERMIT – Don’t worry about it. Don’t hurry. Strange, how did you get here?
LIZY – Don’t think bad about me, I’m a decent girl. I’m looking for my fiancé.
HERMIT – Stranger still, the last woman I saw here in the mountains was never married.
LIZY – How do you know that?
HERMIT – Because of her face and figure! With a face and figure like hers there is no way that she could be married. Even with a big dowry.
LIZY – (Upset, almost crying) I just got lost, and didn’t know where to go.
HERMIT – Calm down. In a second, I will make something to eat.
LIZY – Thank you, but do not bother… maybe I could help you with something?
HERMIT – Just relax. Instead tell me why your fiancé dumped you?
LIZY – He didn’t dump me! He went on a very important and difficult mission. But I waited for a few days and then decided to follow him. I want to help him with his task… We love each other very much. That’s why I’m a very happy person.
HERMIT – Just don’t say that to every person you meet.
LIZY – Why?
HERMIT – Because people usually take other’s failure with a higher regard then their own success. But what leaves an even worse taste in their mouth is other people’s happiness.
LIZY – But I want to share my joy with the whole world. Especially since my darling confessed that he loved me.
HERMIT – But don’t you know that men’s confessions of love are only valid when they are being said, after that they are history.