Title: “My numbers do not weigh me”.
Author: Silvina Carrasco
2 Characters:
- Alfredo: He is a businessman in his 50s. He has the appearance of a person who has been neglected: a little overweight, fatigued face and hard and serious gesture.
- Rolando: 53-year-old man. He has a good appearance, relaxed and relaxed air. One can perceive in his gestures a genuine good humor and joy.
SINGLE ACT
Characters involved in this act: Alfredo and Rolando.
Scenery: Outside an inn: natural landscape setting; trees, wild flowers and bird sounds.
Within this landscape: a bench in the style of the square benches and some tree trunks, arranged as seats.
Alfredo is sitting on the bench. Annoyed, he gestures away mosquitoes flying in front of his face.
(Rolando approaches, smiling).
Rolando: Good afternoon! Do you mind if I sit down?
(Alfredo doesn’t answer him. He just gestures to the bench).
Rolando: (Sits down next to him) What a wonderful afternoon! Did you like the inn?
Alfredo: (Serious) It’s not my style. My doctor recommended the place to de-stress, but apparently he doesn’t know my tastes. (He keeps chasing away mosquitoes with his hand) Mosquitoes, dirt everywhere and lack of services is not my idea of a relaxing weekend.
Rolando: (Laughs with genuine laughter) Excuse me, we think of this place as an oasis of nature a few kilometers away from chaos, but I had never seen it from your point of view.
Alfredo: (Very embarrassed) Excuse me! I didn’t know you were the owner, I thought you were staying here.
Rolando: Don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me… Health problems?
Alfredo: Stress, high blood pressure. The problems of any man with my responsibilities. Nothing so serious, but the doctor advised me to rest.
(Rolando remains thinking)
Rolando: High blood pressure, he said?
Alfredo: Yes. 15 high.
Rolando: … And your other numbers?
Alfredo: I beg your pardon?
Rolando: Yes, his other numbers, what are his other numbers?
Alfredo: (Getting impatient because he doesn’t understand the question) Excuse me, I don’t understand your question.
Rolando: (Smiles) I am asking you what are those numbers that worry and stress you.
Alfredo: (Looks at him a little annoyed) I don’t know. I can’t think of any.
Rolando: Any one that comes to your mind. Those that come to your mind and keep you awake when you are ready to sleep.
(Alfredo hesitates. He’s not sure he wants to continue the conversation).
Alfredo: (After a pause) Thousands… the dollars that my company may lose this year due to bad decisions… Do you want others? Thousands and thousands of dollars I will have to pay in severance payments if I have to lay off employees.
(He remains silent)
Rolando: Another number that worries you?
Alfredo: 26… – I have until July 26 to change my wife’s mind and convince her not to divorce.
(Rolando looks at a pack of cigarettes that Alfredo has next to his leg.)
Alfredo: (noticing Rolando’s look) Yes, I smoke about 15 a day. That’s the number I have to reduce if I don’t want my heart to stop at any moment.
Rolando: You know, you remind me so much of someone.
(Rolando takes a picture out of his wallet and shows it to Alfredo. The latter looks at it without much desire, without giving it much importance.)
Alfredo: (With an impostured smile) Your father?
Rolando: (Laughs loudly) No! It’s me, about six years ago. -I had a life very similar to yours. He lived overwhelmed by numbers. I smoked, drank and overeaten. Until one day I woke up in a hospital bed, with tubes plugged in everywhere. Then I became aware. We sold everything and came with my wife to nature, to live a quiet and happy life.
(Alfredo listens to him, now paying attention to him)
Rolando: You know, now I have no idea about measurements or numbers. I think seven, nine and ten are the ages of my grandchildren, but I’m not sure if they are the exact numbers and I don’t care either, because they change every year. I just know that I’m going to love them all my life and that they are still at the stage where they think I’m funny, (smiles) that’s good enough for me.
(Short pause)
Rolando: I don’t know how many days are left in the week either because I no longer have anything ¨urgent¨ (draws quotation marks in the air with his fingers) to solve. Now I take care of living each moment to the fullest. I only know it’s Sunday when I see my children and grandchildren show up to visit. That’s the sign that it’s going to be an important day… really important.
(Alfredo becomes reflective. He seems to begin to understand…).
Rolando: There is one number I do know: 3, it’s my wife’s birthday. But I don’t have to memorize that one either. (He points forward) See those three apple trees over there, they remind me of it. After half a lifetime of marriage, we started to talk and pay attention to each other… In one of those talks, she told me that she liked apple trees and we planted those three together.
(Pause)
Rolando: You know, the difference between my life before and now is that numbers no longer weigh me down.
(They both remain thoughtful looking at the horizon).
Rolando: No, my numbers don’t weigh me down.
THE END