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DOCTOR: Do they answer?
ANNA: Yes, they do, and we go along together for a while, then we part…
DOCTOR: And then you part… Your behavior can be interpreted in the wrong way.
ANNA: And they interpret… in the wrong way. It happens in different ways.
DOCTOR: You know this behavior is dangerous.
ANNA: Once I was so scared when a passer-by who I was going along with grabbed my hand, clasped it to his chest and begged: «Come with me, darling!» I could hardly escape from him. On the way home my inner voice used foul language:”You’re a fool, coward. Why didn’t you go with him? It would was your chance? Serves you right.» I ran away because the man looked odd. He was holding my hand, but his eyes were roaming, looking, from side to side.
DOCTOR: You’re telling me that you walk in the streets, and, at the same time, you insist that you can’t leave the house. Let’s get closer to your problem.
ANNA: That’s exactly what I’m doing. So, after the divorce with my husband, I moved into a new house, looked around. It turned out, a single man was living just across from my house. So, I settled down in my new house and started watching him thru the window. I even have made up a biography for him.
DOCTOR: I don’t need his biography, get to the point.
ANNA: I’m just getting to it. I sometimes had walks in front of his house in order to attract his attention. I tried to sell him Girl Scout Cookies, I collected for the United Fund, but he ignored me. Finally, I decided to invite him to my place for a cup of tea. Can you imagine the state of my mind?
DOCTOR: Yes, I can. Did he come?
ANNA: Yes, he came, spick and span: a bow tie a sport jacket, flannel pants… Tall, handsome – I could hardly stand on my feet. He told me that his name was Joe. I was so excited that couldn’t even say to him: “Joe come in, be seated». The words stuck in my throat. He came into the living room, anyhow, sat on the sofa next to me, and started talking. First he spoke about the weather, then passed over to his dog. Then little by little Joe told me about his travels, how many countries he had been to, what he had seen there. Do you know what impressed me greatly in his stories?
DOCTOR: (pensively.) Go on, go on…
ANNA: Doctor, I can see that you’re not interested in what I’m telling you.
DOCTOR: Go on.
ANNA: I want to emphasize that all I’m telling you is very important.
DOCTOR: What do you think made the greatest impression on you?
ANNA: The most amazing thing is that Joe had traveled in many different countries but told me mainly about the countries where he visited nudist beaches. I believe that there’s no nudist beach in the whole world that he had not visited.
DOCTOR: (with some interest.) Nude beaches!
ANNA: There’re lots of them.
DOCTOR: Oh?…
ANNA: Is it important?
DOCTOR: No, it’s not important… For instance?
ANNA: I remember only – on Martha’s Vineyard and on the island of St. Martin. Unfortunately, I can’t remember others.
DOCTOR: (With more and more interest) So? Go on…
ANNA: So, we were sitting and talking. I was going to invite him to the table when he suddenly got up and said: «I’ll leave you for five minutes to have a smoke». I said to him: «Joe, you may smoke in here,». And he replied: “I can’t smoke in your the room. It’ll take me exactly five minutes». And he went out. He left and came back in five minutes. And then he suddenly rushed out of my house and ran across the street to his own house and since then I can’t go out into the street.
DOCTOR:(with wonder.) I can’t understand what happened to your neighbor?
ANNA: Happened to me, not to him. But, please, don’t laugh at me.
DOCTOR: I won’t laugh.
ANNA: The point is when Joe was going out to have a smoke he cast a long and significant glance at me as if he wanted to explain something. I trembled with excitement. And it was then that my inner voice said: «Strip off your clothes». It said this so distinctly and clearly as I’m speaking to you now. Then repeated insistently, in the form of an order: «Be quick, off with clothes, he’ll soon come back». I decided to cover my body with a sheet, but the voice said: «Risk it, take the sheet away». Then, when I took it away, it said: «Lie down on the sofa and look as if you were lying on a nude beach».
DOCTOR: Your pose?
ANNA (demonstrating): I simply put my hands behind my head…
DOCTOR: Why?
ANNA (looking at doctor): You don’t understand? I wanted to show my breasts to advantage…
DOCTOR(with more interest.): I see…Show me, please, your pose.
Anna puts her hands behind her head. Doctor reacts.
ANNA: My inner voice ordered me to do it.
DOCTOR: I see… and what did your inner voice say when the neighbor rushed out of the room?
ANNA: Used foul language.
DOCTOR: What did it say?
ANNA: I can’t repeat.
DOCTOR: Don’t repeat all the words.
ANNA: It said: «Hey, you, ninny, so-and-so… Now the whole street will know…». And now I can’t go in the street in daylight.
DOCTOR: Your voice didn’t explain anything to you?
ANNA: Nothing. Now I can’t walk on my street.
DOCTOR: Wrong. You of course can go out in the street.
ANNA: But doctor, I think my neighbor looks at me through the window and laughs.
DOCTOR: He doesn’t laugh at you.
ANNA: He probably has told the neighbors about the incident.
DOCTOR: Why should he tell them? Nothing happened, did it?
ANNA: Doctor, that’s really the point.
DOCTOR: Don’t worry; he told the neighbors nothing, and won’t tell.
ANNA: Doctor, how do you know that he didn’t talk to the neighbors?
DOCTOR: I had similar cases in my practice. Besides, I’m a man myself and understand something about men…
ANNA: Doctor, what shall I do now?
DOCTOR: What’s your inner voice saying to you now?
ANNA: My inner… voice? Now? Cursing…
DOCTOR: Who?
ANNA: You.
DOCTOR: How?
ANNA: I feel embarrassed, I can’t repeat…
DOCTOR: Please, tell me. It’s important.
ANNA: Using the same words?
DOCTOR: Absolutely.
ANNA: It says that you’re a fucking doctor. You know damn well such problems. You put on airs.
Pause.
DOCTOR: I see, compulsive obsessive!.. I can prescribe a medicine for you.
ANNA: The gene therapy medicine?
DOCTOR: This to get rid of your company. Next time come and see me alone, without your inner voice.
The doctor starts writing the prescription. Anna comes to the doctor to watch him writing.
ANNA (very definitely): Doctor, don’t trouble… I’ll never take it.
DOCTOR: Why not?
ANNA: I don’t want to get rid of it… my inner voice…
DOCTOR: But because of it you are having your problems. It doesn’t let you go out into the street. And it also whispers in your ear all sorts of nonsense about your neighbor… and me…
ANNA: All right, I’ve lived without the neighbor, and I’ll live on.
DOCTOR: Here is your prescription.
ANNA: I don’t need it.
DOCTOR: I insist, take it, take it! Gene therapy is not right now…
Doctor holds out the prescription. Anna reluctantly takes it.
DOCTOR: Excellent, well done… I just tried to help you…
ANNA: (suddenly shouts with her inner voice.) Help? Me? Ha! You first help yourself, you listen to your voices, and then give medicines to others. Look at him sprawling! Imagines himself: I’m a doctor, I’m a man, I understand male problems! Remember where the nudist beaches are located! He is interested in this! But to listen to the patient isn’t interesting! We’ve seen such doctors. No, we’ll find another one. And this is what we’ll do to your prescription!
Anna tears the prescription into small peaces and throws them in the doctor’s face. She grabs her purse and leaves the office banging the door loudly. Doctor takes the telephone and dials a number.
DOCTOR. Hello – “Go Travel’?.Gladys? I’ve decided. Please, find a morning flight for me… I need a ticket next week… Where? Oh, of course, to Saint Martin…
THE END
THE RETURN
CAST:
BORIS (BORIA): A Russian. He has lived in Boston for 15 years. Age 75-80
RAECHKA: She came to Boston with Boris. Age 75-80
Boris and Raechka are sitting at a table and listening Russian song “My dearest”. A cane leans against the table. Flowers in their store wrapping, a box of candy and a coffee pot and cups are on the table.
BORIS (reading over soft CD music to a stone faced Raechka):
“Dear, dear my Sunshine of my view
Tell me when again
I will meet with you”…
RAECHKA: So?
BORIS: Memories come flashing back… Huddled against the cold, singing with friends…The cold Fall night… The firelight made your eyes sparkle. And so we met… and married on June 1971.
RAECHKA: Boris, you haven’t called me for over two years, and now you invite yourself here to read this old song… Why couldn’t we have talked by phone?
BORIS: It’s not phone “talk”.
RAECHKA: Why, Boris?
BORIS: Raechka, why are you so cold? You always called me Boria…
RAECHKA: So what is on your mind, Boris?
BORIS: More and more I realize that our divorce was a mistake…
RAECHKA: Broken unspoken… and spoken understandings I thought we had. No children to worry over… disregard for each others feelings.
BORIS: My life has changed. I’ve had a life threatening operation…
RAECHKA: Operation? Nobody told me anything about it.
BORIS: I had a quadruple heart bypass. I had a terrible two weeks in the hospital. Then “complications”…. Over a year to recover.
RAECHKA: I have several friends who are more optimistic than you. Don’t be so dramatic.
BORIS: And that’s all, you can say? Just “I’m sorry Boria” would have been enough. I should think you would try to understand how one feels when they realize that they will soon die…
RAECHKA: You want my pity… Nothing comes out. You still only think of yourself… You have not changed… If we can’t find another topic may be you should leave.
BORIS: You’re not interested in my inner thoughts.
RAECHKA: G’Bye, Boris…
BORIS (slowly standing): All right. I’ll go.
RAECHKA: G’Bye
BORIS(slowly going toward the door): Good bye.
RAECHKA (shouts): Boris, you forgot your cane!
(Boris returns, and sits)
RAECHKA: Take your candy and flowers too.
BORIS: My gifts? Today is your Birthday!
RAECHKA (taken aback, recovering): Well, well! You remembered! All those birthdays you completely forget! I used to get my migraine. Each put another poisoned arrow in my memory.
BORIS: Raechka, I’m sorry. I’d like another try…
RAECHKA: Take them away.
BORIS: But you need some refreshments for your guests today.
RAECHKA: No one is coming today.
BORIS: Why nobody? What about Tanya?
RAECHKA: She has found a boyfriend. She has less time for me.
BORIS: I have lost all my friends too. They die, take care of grand children, wives sick, different interests…
RAECHKA: Where is your Galochka?
BORIS: I’ve found that I’ve moderated my life. She was too active for me.
RAECHKA: You have neighbors.
BORIS: Raechka, all neighbors are Americans. With my poor English I can just greet them, and mention the weather. They are always in a hurry. I think you have the same problems…
RAECHKA: That’s life, I suppose…
BORIS: Your coffee smells good. Any more coffee left?
RAECHKA (taking a coffee mug and starting to pour): Black, right?
BORIS (accepting the mug): Thanks. The Doctor says I have to cut back on alcohol and caffein. Cutting back coffee has been harder. (Pause) Some years ago I understood, I can’t live as a hermit…
RAECHKA: But I can live alone…
BORIS: You said about my neighbors… It seems as if they are afraid of me… especially after what is happened this year…
RAECHKA: The Boston Marathon bombing?
BORIS: Yes. There is a feeling among Americans that Russia is behind some of these terrorist acts… starting with the assassination of Kennedy.
RAECHKA: Boria! You are so paranoid. That’s going too far…
BORIS: How do you explain that my neighbor John, quickly strides into his house whenever I appear? For days I wanted to tell him that Chechenia, while a part of Russia, is entirely different from Russia.
RAECHKA: Boria, you have become so boring that nobody wants to talk with you.
BORIS: No. I became vigilant.. Remember our old friends and how careful we had to be in choosing them?
RAECHKA: They could be only like-minded persons, who shared our political opinions about Soviet government or Stalin…
BORIS: We only talked with our friends at the kitchen table, where we had no phone… We had to take care about our safety…
RAECHKA: When we got together, what was our toast?…
BORIS and RAECHKA: “For the purity of our ranks”…
BORIS: All understood what it means. We all knew each other so well… All our party with friends were very friendly and joyfully…
RAECHKA: Except one…
BORIS: Do you mean your birthday party when Dima brought an acquaintance? What was his name?
RAECHKA: Alexander… He started to reminisce about the World War and “Father Stalin”… I added, that Stalin was having a nervous breakdown at the beginning of the war, and Molotov had to announce the German invasion over the radio…
BORIS: Yes, now I remember… Alexander became angry and shouted: “I won’t permit having such a great leader as Stalin talked about so disgracefully!”… At that moment our good friends started to prepare to leave. Then you were so brave and said to Alexander. “You have not come to the correct address!”… Oh my God! How frightened we all were…
(Pause)
RAECHKA: I don’t understand how Dima could have brought such a person without our permission to my birth day…
BORIS: Reachka, I have to confess… Dima did ask me, and I agreed that we would meet his friend Alexander.
RAECHKA: And you have kept it a secret this whole time? You coward!
BORIS (guilty): Forgive me… Luckily, we survived…(pause) RAECHKA, I didn’t ask you an important question… Where were you, when the bombs exploded at the Marathon?
RAECHKA: I was home…
BORIS: And I was in Copley Square watching like we used to do. I was moving around trying to get a better view. I was safely far away from explore…
RAECHKA: Why should you want to be pushed around by such a crowd?
BORIS: I don’t know… I couldn’t bare to sit home alone…
(Pause)
Earlier when I arrived in America I was completely happy, but now I’ve become more and more anxious and impatient. If anybody can just make a bomb from Macy’s pans, or buy a gun at Walmart. What can we do?
RAECHKA: Here we have FBI and policy…
BORIS: We know that our phones could be listened to by the FBI… And in spite of them listening to a lot of phones the FBI could not save us from these terrorists
RAECHKA: Now I understand, why you said that you didn’t want to talk by phone…
BORIS: Right…
RAECHKA: Boria, who would be interested in your conversations?
BORIS: I don’t know… But I know, that I can talk about my inner thoughts and worries only with you…
RAECHKA: And your worries are…?
BORIS: It seems to me, now in America, the government has made us to be vigilant… (Pause) If the small boat owner was not vigilant and hadn’t seen blood on his boat the police would never have found this Chechen terrorist…
RAECHKA: So, what do you think?
BORIS (depressed): We have to be the same as we were in Russia, to care of our survival ourself…
RAECHKA: What we have to do?
BORIS: We have to be on the lookout for suspicious people, black bags, even look out our windows to see if criminals are hiding in our yard.
RAECHKA: Boria, you are really in a bad way… You are depressed.
BORIS: Do you know a good medicine for depression?
RAECHKA: Sorry! No!
BORIS: I do know that only you could make me happy. In these times we should be together.
RAECHKA: We never could be on the same page.
BORIS: You never felt sorry for me?
RAECHKA: And were you ever sorry for me, when we were together?
BORIS: Well in some sense… The divorce was your idea. You knew how badly I was taking it, and yet you insisted.
RAECHKA: I waited a long time for you to change..
BORIS: I’m sorry… I didn’t have the right attitude about our relationship.
RAECHKA: What was your “attitude” about your marriage?
BORIS: Back then… When we met, and courted, you so wanted to marry me. You started the ball rolling, and hung in there… In the end I decided OK, I would be your husband, but I would continue to do as I was used to…
RAECHKA (upset): Your reasoning it never occurred to me…
BORIS: I couldn’t tell you. You were so happy. I didn’t want to screw it up.
RAECHKA: Yes, I was happy, when you decided to marry me… I loved you… And you, did you love me then?
BORIS: I loved you then, RAECHKA! And I love you even more now…
RAECHKA: You are joking (she admits a young flirtatious laugh)
BORIS: How do you manage to hide such a flirtatious young laugh?
RAECHKA: I don’t know. Maybe because I so seldom laugh and smile.
BORIS: The divorce ruined the whole of our life. We have lost each other…
(Boris moves chair closer to Raechka) Do you think it was easy for me to leave you and the old familiar nest?
RAECHKA: What «nest» are you talking about? We had only just arrived here and you continued to feel free enough to chase every pretty skirt you saw. I didn’t trust you.
BORIS: Now you can trust me. I promise. All I want is five years in a peaceful comfortable situation, to help you…
RAECHKA: Do you want us to live together again?
BORIS: Why not? We are of the same ilk. You are also a homebody. We both have so much to talk about, so many common memories..
RAECHKA: Maybe I don’t want to remember.
BORIS: I often think about our past… How close our relationship was in Russia…
RAECHKA: Yes, we were joined by our common danger… survival.
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