Regine. Hey, Pato. What’s going on?
Pato. Hi. I just had a revelation.
Regine. Really? Is that good or bad?
Pato. I don’t know really. I guess it’s both.
Regine. Well, you want to let me know what your revelation is?
Pato. I was at the library today, and Gisele was sitting next to me, right? No big deal. We’re just studying. Then some friend of her’s comes up from behind and hugs her.
Regine. Okay?
Pato. This is her reaction.
*Pato cringes his face in disgust.
Regine. So she didn’t want to be hugged by her friend?
Pato. No, she made that face because she thought I was hugging her. If I hugged her, that would be the face that she would have made.
Regine. What, are you interested in Gisele?
Pato. No, but to think that if I hugged anyone and their reaction was a look of disgust saddens me.
Regine. Saddens? Really?
Pato. But it also relieves me.
Regine. Why is that?
Pato. Because Gisele is one less person for me to worry about. We have this mutual indifference for each other. It’s rather nice.
Regine. So you have this relieved sadness?
Pato. I guess so.
Regine. Interesting. Hey, would you like to hug me?
Pato. That would be nice.
End. Mutual Indifference, Relieved Sadness