Violeta. You know, when we first met, I didn’t think you were attracted to me. I didn’t think you even wanted to see me again.
Iskander. Really? You had no idea?
Violeta. Really. You hide your feelings too well.
Iskander. It was the first time we met.
Violeta. I know, but still.
Iskander. Well, I thought I was just mirroring what you felt about me. I didn’t think you were highly attracted to me. Maybe you were, but it was somewhere in between attraction and comfort.
Violeta. Yeah, I was very comfortable. Is that how attraction works – comfort then attraction?
Iskander. In our case, yes. I think that’s how it happened.
Violeta. I think rather than being in between comfort and attraction, it was more like I was moving from one to the other.
Iskander. Well then, I miss read you.
Violeta. So what about now? Where do you think I am, in this scale from comfort to attraction?
Iskander. I would say that you were quite attracted to me.
Violeta. And I would say that you were quite attracted to me as well.
Iskander. That would be a pretty accurate assessment.
Violeta. So we know that we’re attracted to each other. What should we do?
Iskander. I think we should kiss.
Violeta. I think we should.
End. In Between Comfort and Attraction
Sunday, August 24, 2003
Nadejda. Can I tell you a story about Meco?
Mircea. I don’t know. You know I don’t like hearing about him.
Nadejda. But I think hearing this story will put things into perspective.
Mircea. Really?
Nadejda. Please, I think you need to hear it.
Mircea. Okay.
Nadejda. There was a period in Meco’s life when he was utterly depressed. He was self-destructive both mentally and physically. It was scary when he told me the things that he did to himself. One time, he decided to repeatedly smash his head against this heavy door. He ended up with a concussion, and the door actually split down the middle.
Mircea. He sounds very violent.
Nadejda. Maybe, but he told me that it was because of the anti-depressants they gave him. The medication actually made him worse, but he didn’t realize it cause he was in a terrible state in the first place. Anyways, he suffered all of the side effects. He had nightmares, couldn’t sleep, he would wake up in a cold sweat every morning, he heard an electric buzzing in his head, and it also made him violent.
Mircea. Oh, so it’s wasn’t him. It was the medication.
Nadejda. Yeah, I think so. So, one day, he gets into an argument with his girlfriend at the time.
Mircea. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.
Nadejda. This was a couple of years ago. They broke up after the argument.
Mircea. What happened?
Nadejda. Well, they get into an argument and all the sudden, Meco snaps. He wants to do something violent, so he’s looking around the room. He then takes his girlfriend’s armchair and shatters a nearby window. It’s not enough though. He smashes another one. I think he told me that shards of glass fell into his girlfriend’s rabbit cage. The girlfriend freaks and tells him to leave, and he does. He goes back to his apartment, but he realizes that he left his wallet at the girlfriend’s apartment. At this time, he’s totally cool. Whatever violence was in him had left. So, he decides to return to the girlfriend’s apartment for his wallet. When he does, two cops are waiting for him at the door. He greets them and explains that he came back to get his wallet. The cops ask him questions. You know, to figure if he’s going to be violent again or hurt himself again. They ask him questions, and Meco’s answering them with a steady calm. Then the cops ask him if he’s capable of hurting himself, and Meco answers yes. “If I can do this, then I’m capable of anything,” he says. So this gives the cops the green light to take him into the hospital for counseling, but Meco wants nothing to do with it. He’s not insured and really, counseling is a waste of time for him. The cops say they have to take him in, but Meco’s like no. He tells them that he’d rather go to jail since he doesn’t have to pay for jail. The cops give him no choice in the matter and tell him that he’s going to the hospital, like it or not. Meco then tells them that if that’s the case then he’ll have to resist. So when the cops take his arms, Meco pulls back and resists. One of the cops then sprays Meco’s face with pepper, and the other one starts punching his kidneys.
Mircea. He fought with two cops?
Nadejda. He would not go to the hospital. It comes to a point when Meco is bear hugging one of the cops by the waist on the floor of the girlfriend’s apartment. That cops yells to the other cop that Meco is trying to reach his gun, but Meco is yelling back, “I’m not trying to get your gun!” The other cop starts wailing on Meco to get him off. The girlfriend is screaming for him to go to the hospital, even offering to pay for the bills, but Meco says that no one’s going to pay anything cause he’s not going to the hospital.
After some time, all three stop and Meco is exhausted, but he’s still not going, until one of the cops goes to him and tells him that if he goes to the hospital, the police department will pay for his hospital bills. Meco’s asks, “really?” and the cops says yes, so Meco lets the cops handcuff him and take him in an ambulance to the emergency room since they messed him up a bit.
Mircea. That’s insane.
Nadejda. He won, though. He got the police to pay.
Mircea. So why are you telling me this about Meco?
Nadejda. He’s coming to take me away from you.
End. The Police Pays
Mircea. I don’t know. You know I don’t like hearing about him.
Nadejda. But I think hearing this story will put things into perspective.
Mircea. Really?
Nadejda. Please, I think you need to hear it.
Mircea. Okay.
Nadejda. There was a period in Meco’s life when he was utterly depressed. He was self-destructive both mentally and physically. It was scary when he told me the things that he did to himself. One time, he decided to repeatedly smash his head against this heavy door. He ended up with a concussion, and the door actually split down the middle.
Mircea. He sounds very violent.
Nadejda. Maybe, but he told me that it was because of the anti-depressants they gave him. The medication actually made him worse, but he didn’t realize it cause he was in a terrible state in the first place. Anyways, he suffered all of the side effects. He had nightmares, couldn’t sleep, he would wake up in a cold sweat every morning, he heard an electric buzzing in his head, and it also made him violent.
Mircea. Oh, so it’s wasn’t him. It was the medication.
Nadejda. Yeah, I think so. So, one day, he gets into an argument with his girlfriend at the time.
Mircea. I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.
Nadejda. This was a couple of years ago. They broke up after the argument.
Mircea. What happened?
Nadejda. Well, they get into an argument and all the sudden, Meco snaps. He wants to do something violent, so he’s looking around the room. He then takes his girlfriend’s armchair and shatters a nearby window. It’s not enough though. He smashes another one. I think he told me that shards of glass fell into his girlfriend’s rabbit cage. The girlfriend freaks and tells him to leave, and he does. He goes back to his apartment, but he realizes that he left his wallet at the girlfriend’s apartment. At this time, he’s totally cool. Whatever violence was in him had left. So, he decides to return to the girlfriend’s apartment for his wallet. When he does, two cops are waiting for him at the door. He greets them and explains that he came back to get his wallet. The cops ask him questions. You know, to figure if he’s going to be violent again or hurt himself again. They ask him questions, and Meco’s answering them with a steady calm. Then the cops ask him if he’s capable of hurting himself, and Meco answers yes. “If I can do this, then I’m capable of anything,” he says. So this gives the cops the green light to take him into the hospital for counseling, but Meco wants nothing to do with it. He’s not insured and really, counseling is a waste of time for him. The cops say they have to take him in, but Meco’s like no. He tells them that he’d rather go to jail since he doesn’t have to pay for jail. The cops give him no choice in the matter and tell him that he’s going to the hospital, like it or not. Meco then tells them that if that’s the case then he’ll have to resist. So when the cops take his arms, Meco pulls back and resists. One of the cops then sprays Meco’s face with pepper, and the other one starts punching his kidneys.
Mircea. He fought with two cops?
Nadejda. He would not go to the hospital. It comes to a point when Meco is bear hugging one of the cops by the waist on the floor of the girlfriend’s apartment. That cops yells to the other cop that Meco is trying to reach his gun, but Meco is yelling back, “I’m not trying to get your gun!” The other cop starts wailing on Meco to get him off. The girlfriend is screaming for him to go to the hospital, even offering to pay for the bills, but Meco says that no one’s going to pay anything cause he’s not going to the hospital.
After some time, all three stop and Meco is exhausted, but he’s still not going, until one of the cops goes to him and tells him that if he goes to the hospital, the police department will pay for his hospital bills. Meco’s asks, “really?” and the cops says yes, so Meco lets the cops handcuff him and take him in an ambulance to the emergency room since they messed him up a bit.
Mircea. That’s insane.
Nadejda. He won, though. He got the police to pay.
Mircea. So why are you telling me this about Meco?
Nadejda. He’s coming to take me away from you.
End. The Police Pays
Thursday, August 14, 2003
Tomer. I kissed Yasmina the other day.
Alida. Really? What was it like?
Tomer. You know how I hate kissing in public?
Alida. Yes. Did you kiss at a food court?
Tomer. That would be funny wouldn’t it? But no, we kissed when were crossing a street. I was being real gentlemanlike, you know? I asked her if it was okay to kiss her on the cheek, and she said sure, but when I kissed her on the cheek, she turned her face to me. We found ourselves kissing rather deeply right there at the street corner. Genetic material was being exchanged.
Alida. Was anyone there?
Tomer. No, but there were cars driving by. I could feel their headlights on the both of us, but it didn’t bother me. It was memorable for all of us, drivers and all.
Alida. You must really like her.
Tomer. Yeah, you could say that.
End. Drivers and All
Alida. Really? What was it like?
Tomer. You know how I hate kissing in public?
Alida. Yes. Did you kiss at a food court?
Tomer. That would be funny wouldn’t it? But no, we kissed when were crossing a street. I was being real gentlemanlike, you know? I asked her if it was okay to kiss her on the cheek, and she said sure, but when I kissed her on the cheek, she turned her face to me. We found ourselves kissing rather deeply right there at the street corner. Genetic material was being exchanged.
Alida. Was anyone there?
Tomer. No, but there were cars driving by. I could feel their headlights on the both of us, but it didn’t bother me. It was memorable for all of us, drivers and all.
Alida. You must really like her.
Tomer. Yeah, you could say that.
End. Drivers and All
Friday, August 08, 2003
Sunday, August 03, 2003
Moumen. What’s that in your hand?
Selima. Oh this? It’s a plastic bag that followed me home.
Moumen. I’m sorry?
Selima. I was walking home from work, and this bag first kept close to my ankles, so I didn’t think much of it, but it just kept following me.
Moumen. The plastic bag?
Selima. It must have been blown from the street market nearby. It’s a windy day.
Moumen. You can’t really believe that that bag followed you home.
Selima. At first, I didn’t, but everywhere I went, it would follow me. I really think this bag has emotional qualities. There was a time when I didn’t see the bag, but then when I turned around, I found it peeking at me from around a corner. It was shy, so I encouraged it to come and follow me. I mean, it’s just a bag. It’s not going to hurt me.
Moumen. Are you okay? Did you hit your head on something?
Selima. I feel fine. I just don’t know how to take care of a plastic bag. What do I feed it? Would it be happy if I filled it with items like apples and oranges?
Moumen. Come with me, there’s a hospital near here.
Selima. I’m fine really. I know you think I’m nuts for treating a plastic bag like a pet, but you had to be there. No one’s going to believe me, but I saw it follow me. I saw it shy away from me. I wasn’t imagining that.
Moumen. Okay, I kind of want to believe you as crazy as this sounds. Can you show me, then? Can you put the bag down and have it follow you?
Selima. Yes, that’s a good idea.
Here, let me put you down.
Can you see that it doesn’t want to be put down? That it’s clinging to my arm now?
It’s okay. I’ll put you down then you can just come right back into my arms. Okay good. There you go.
Oh no, where are you going? Why are you running away?
You think I’m crazy don’t you?
Moumen. It is a windy day.
End. Not so Plastic Bag
Selima. Oh this? It’s a plastic bag that followed me home.
Moumen. I’m sorry?
Selima. I was walking home from work, and this bag first kept close to my ankles, so I didn’t think much of it, but it just kept following me.
Moumen. The plastic bag?
Selima. It must have been blown from the street market nearby. It’s a windy day.
Moumen. You can’t really believe that that bag followed you home.
Selima. At first, I didn’t, but everywhere I went, it would follow me. I really think this bag has emotional qualities. There was a time when I didn’t see the bag, but then when I turned around, I found it peeking at me from around a corner. It was shy, so I encouraged it to come and follow me. I mean, it’s just a bag. It’s not going to hurt me.
Moumen. Are you okay? Did you hit your head on something?
Selima. I feel fine. I just don’t know how to take care of a plastic bag. What do I feed it? Would it be happy if I filled it with items like apples and oranges?
Moumen. Come with me, there’s a hospital near here.
Selima. I’m fine really. I know you think I’m nuts for treating a plastic bag like a pet, but you had to be there. No one’s going to believe me, but I saw it follow me. I saw it shy away from me. I wasn’t imagining that.
Moumen. Okay, I kind of want to believe you as crazy as this sounds. Can you show me, then? Can you put the bag down and have it follow you?
Selima. Yes, that’s a good idea.
Here, let me put you down.
Can you see that it doesn’t want to be put down? That it’s clinging to my arm now?
It’s okay. I’ll put you down then you can just come right back into my arms. Okay good. There you go.
Oh no, where are you going? Why are you running away?
You think I’m crazy don’t you?
Moumen. It is a windy day.
End. Not so Plastic Bag
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)