The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes (6 page)
Read The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes Online
Authors: Rashid Razaq,Hassan Blasim
CARLOS:
Sounds wonderful.
KEVIN:
Well there’s that or the museum. Shall I read ya the museum? I’ll read ya the museum.
(Reading.)
I must say this museum
was
amazing. They had so much to see and discover but after the States invaded they pretty much took all the good stuff. I really think it was wrong, but there was nothing to do. The museum was really one of a kind! I hope it gets the same as it used to be! Aye. Sounds fucking shit. I’m gonna gan to the Maximall.
KEVIN
sees
CARLOS
’ head is bowed down towards the ground
.
KEVIN:
Salim. HOW! SALIM!
CARLOS
looks up at
KEVIN
.
KEVIN:
I thought you’d fallen asleep again.
CARLOS:
No. I was.
(Beat.)
I was thinking.
KEVIN:
Ah. Right. Well…
TANNOY:
Turkish Airlines flight number 786 to Istanbul now boarding at gate one.
KEVIN:
That’s us.
KEVIN
starts packing up the rucksack
.
TANNOY:
Turkish Airlines flight number 786 boarding at gate one.
KEVIN:
Right. Well I’m gonna go for a dump before we get on the plane. I canna shit on planes. The air pressure. Plays havoc with me insides. D’ya wanna use the toilet before we set off?
CARLOS:
No.
KEVIN:
Alreet. Suit ya self. I’m gonna lock this door. You sit tight here and I’ll be back in a jiffy.
KEVIN
zips up the rucksack and places it on the table. He is about to leave when he stops and unzips the rucksack.
KEVIN
takes out
CARLOS
’ ring from the bag.
KEVIN
holds up the ring so
CARLOS
can see it
.
KEVIN:
Divn’t want to forget me ring. Cannat trust nee one these days.
KEVIN
pockets the ring and leaves
.
CARLOS
looks at the rucksack. He opens the rucksack and rifles through it, emptying it of its contents. He finds a washbag and opens it up, sizing up each object before disregarding them. A toothbrush, a mini can of deodorant, a bar of soap are all taken out and thrown away
.
CARLOS
finds a biro pen. He takes off the lid and looks at the tip.
CARLOS
prepares to stab himself in the wrist. He lifts up the pen with his right hand and brings it down hard on his left wrist. He lets out a scream of pain
.
CARLOS:
AH! FUCK!
CARLOS
looks at his left wrist. He has not even drawn blood.
CARLOS
throws the pen away. He looks in the bag again. He rifles through it until he finds a pair of shorts. The shorts have a leather belt attached.
CARLOS
removes the belt, pulls it to check the strength and then makes it into a loop
.
CARLOS
looks up at the ceiling.
CARLOS
stands up and climbs onto the chair.
CARLOS
places the belt loop around his neck
.
TANNOY:
This is a final call for Turkish Airlines flight number 786 to Istanbul.
CARLOS
stops and looks upwards
.
CARLOS:
God?
Pause
.
TANNOY:
Turkish Airlines 786 to Istanbul now closing. Gate one.
CARLOS
looks towards the door
.
Beat
.
CARLOS
looks up
.
Lights down slowly
.
INTERLUDE 2
21 August 2008
.
During the scene change
SAHAR
appears looking at her mobile phone, willing it to ring. She looks at the screen for several moments. She dials a number. It rings and rings and then goes through to voicemail
.
SAHAR:
(Phone.)
Salim!? Where are you? I told you it was an emergency. Something terrible has happened. You must call me back straightaway.
(Beat.)
I am at the hospital.
(Beat.)
There was a bomb. She…
She starts to cry. She hangs up and walks offstage
.
FIVE
June 2008
.
Lydia’s home. Bedroom.
CARLOS
, wearing a suit and tie, is sat on the edge of the bed. He is absorbed in an online computer game he is playing on a laptop. CARLOS is wearing headphones and laughing to himself
.
LYDIA
enters. She is getting ready to go out. She puts on her heels. She looks in the mirror as she checks her make-up
.
CARLOS
laughs loudly. He has a fairly strong Iraqi accent
.
LYDIA:
(Turning.)
Sorry?
CARLOS
is oblivious to her
.
LYDIA:
Carlos?
CARLOS
laughs loudly to a friend he is playing against online
.
CARLOS:
(To the laptop.)
You talk shit man. I blast you with bazooka in your face!
LYDIA:
CARLOS!?
CARLOS:
(Looking up and taking an earphone out.)
Huh? Did you say something?
LYDIA:
Are you ready? The taxi’s outside.
CARLOS:
Oh.
(To laptop.)
Hey, Afzal I have to go. What? Not if I see you first bitch. Ha! OK man.
CARLOS
closes the laptop and stands up.
LYDIA
stares at
CARLOS
giving him the once over as she puts her earrings on
.
LYDIA:
You’re wearing that suit.
CARLOS:
You said smart.
LYDIA:
I said smart-casual. You’re going to wear that jacket?
CARLOS:
What is wrong with jacket?
LYDIA:
The
. What is wrong with
the
jacket? It looks…dowdy.
CARLOS:
What is dow-dee?
LYDIA:
Frumpy.
CARLOS:
I don’t know this word either.
LYDIA:
Shit! It looks shit. I’ve been telling you to get a decent jacket for over a year.
CARLOS:
This is good quality jacket. It is British Home Stores. Look.
He tries to show her the label. She bats him away
.
LYDIA:
Carlos. How many times have I told you just because it’s called British doesn’t make it good? That jacket looks like you got it off a blind, geriatric tramp who’s let himself go.
Beat
.
CARLOS
takes off the jacket.
LYDIA
looks at him
.
LYDIA:
And the tie please.
CARLOS:
What is wrong with tie?
LYDIA:
You can’t wear a tie without a jacket.
CARLOS:
Who say?
LYDIA:
I do. It’s not done.
A stand-off
.
LYDIA:
Carlos. One of us is an expert in corporate rebranding. Responsible for multi-million pound accounts, advising some of the biggest companies on earth on how to present themselves to the public. How to talk, think and act.
(Beat.)
The other person is you.
CARLOS:
Maybe you do not know what is best for me.
LYDIA:
Do you want to look like a waiter in a Lebanese restaurant?
Beat
.
CARLOS
takes off the tie. He looks to her for approval.
LYDIA
walks over to him and undoes his top button, looks at the effect, then undoes another button
.
CARLOS:
Happy?
LYDIA:
You look so stiff. Try rolling up your shirt sleeves.
CARLOS
wearily does as she instructs
.
CARLOS:
Can we go now?
LYDIA:
Can’t you do anything with the hair?
She comes up to him and ruffles his hair affectionately. She smiles. He smiles
.
CARLOS
goes to kiss her, but she pulls away. He looks hurt, but she smiles
.
LYDIA:
Make-up. Don’t want to get it smudged.
CARLOS:
Ah. I thought maybe you are shamed by me.
LYDIA:
A-shamed.
(Beat.)
Don’t forget everything we’ve worked so hard on darling.
LYDIA
picks up her handbag and looks at
CARLOS
with a sense of trepidation
.
LYDIA:
Right.
(Beat.)
Ready?
CARLOS:
Yes.
CARLOS
takes out his silver ring with the bright red stone from his pocket and puts it on
.
LYDIA:
For God’s sake don’t wear that ring Carlos.
CARLOS:
It is my ring.
LYDIA:
You can’t wear that. It’s hideous.
CARLOS:
I like my ring.
LYDIA:
It looks like a flying saucer.
CARLOS:
No one will be looking at my ring at a party.
LYDIA:
It’s a
dinner
party. And
everyone
will be looking at it in case it takes off.
CARLOS:
I’m wearing the ring.
LYDIA:
Carlos.
CARLOS:
Go without me.
LYDIA:
I can’t turn up on my own. I told Franny and Tim you were coming.
CARLOS:
I come with ring or not.
LYDIA:
You’re going to do this now?
CARLOS:
Maybe it is best I stay at home if you are a-shamed by me.
LYDIA:
My
home.
CARLOS:
They are not
my
friends. They are
your
friends.
LYDIA:
Who are waiting to meet you. Waiting to meet the wonderful, exotic,
younger
man I’ve been telling them about.
CARLOS
: Really?
LYDIA
: Yes. Don’t make me go on my own.
Please
.
CARLOS
: I am a man.
LYDIA
: Nobody’s disputing that.
CARLOS
: You push me too far Lydia.
LYDIA
: You said you wanted my help. That’s all I’m doing.
CARLOS:
But the way you talk to me.
LYDIA
: How?
CARLOS
: I don’t think you talked to your ex-husband like this.
LYDIA:
You don’t know what you’re talking about Carlos. My ex-husband was
nothing
like you. He was a waste of space.
CARLOS
: Waste?
LYDIA
: He was weak. Lazy. A liar. A…philanderer.
(
CARLOS
doesn’t understand the word.)
Somebody who cheats on people.
CARLOS
: Cheat you? From money?
LYDIA
: No. A philanderer is…he slept with other women.
(Beat.)
Behind my back. Sex.
CARLOS
: Oh! Intercourse.
LYDIA
: Yes. He was one of those failed artist types. Big dreams but little talent for anything other than sponging off me.
You’re
not him. You’ve got ambition. Drive. You…you’re…
different
.
CARLOS
: I don’t want to different. I want to be…
LYDIA
: British. Yes, I know…
CARLOS
: No. I don’t know. Maybe. What. What if I can not be British like you want me to be?
LYDIA
: I like you just the way you are.
(Smiling.)
With a few minor adjustments
CARLOS
: This ring is all I have. I have no friends. No job. I stay home all day waiting for you to come.
LYDIA
: Darling, I’m not stopping you from getting a job. Making friends. I want you to be happy. And it’s not true. You’ve got me. What do you want? Tell me. Whatever you want. I’ll get it for you.
CARLOS
smiles.
LYDIA
smiles
.
CARLOS:
Anything I want Ms King?
LYDIA:
Anything you want Mr Fuentes.
They embrace. A tender moment between them
.
LYDIA
: Just tell me why the ring’s so important to you.
As quietly as possible
SAHAR
enters wearing a short blue dress.
CARLOS
can see her.
LYDIA
can’t.
SAHAR
and
LYDIA
speak at the same time with their words overlapping
.
SAHAR: | LYDIA: |
CARLOS
looks at
SAHAR
.
SAHAR:
Tell her what it means.
CARLOS:
I can not.
LYDIA:
You can’t do what?
SAHAR: | LYDIA: |
SAHAR:
The wife and child you left behind.
CARLOS:
(Looking at
SAHAR
.)
She won’t understand.
LYDIA:
Understand what?
SAHAR:
Are you afraid she will throw you out? There is nothing left for you in Iraq.
CARLOS: | LYDIA: |
SAHAR:
There is nothing for Carlos. That is who you are now. Salim is dead.
SAHAR
starts to leave
.
CARLOS:
Salim is not dead.
LYDIA:
Who?
SAHAR
exits
.
CARLOS:
(After
SAHAR
.)
Salim is not dead!
LYDIA:
Who is Salim? Who are you talking to?
CARLOS:
(After
SAHAR
, not to
LYDIA
.)
Salim is alive! You must believe me!
LYDIA:
Carlos?
CARLOS:
(After
SAHAR
.)
I am not dead. I am Salim Abdul Husain. From Baghdad. From Iraq. I am not
dead
. I am a Sunni, you are a Shia.
I
am not dead. My wife, my child. I am
not
dead. Please.
(Crying.)
You must believe me. You must not forget. I am not dead. I… I am…not…
LYDIA:
Carlos? Carlos darling? You’re scaring me.
CARLOS:
(Crying.)
Please. Come back. COME BACK!
LYDIA
comforts
CARLOS
as he calls after
SAHAR
.
CARLOS:
Don’t go!
LYDIA:
I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.
CARLOS
looks at
LYDIA
. She soothes him
.
LYDIA:
I’m here.
Lights down
.
