Levan. Oh, woman! What should I do with this barbeque now?
Sumyatov. I wonder, Victor, where did you get so much cash? As far as I know there is no any bank around here.
Mancev. Don’t worry, I didn’t rob anyone.
Sumyatov. I didn’t think that.
Mancev. You did. Your eyes tell me that.
Sumyatov. You are either a false-coiner or a magician. So, who are you?
Mancev. Okay, I’ll tell you. But please don’t tell anyone!
Sumyatov. I promise.
Mancev. I was waiting for some person to come here. You might want to know who exactly…
Sumyatov. I’d like to.
Mancev. My wife. My own wife.
Sumyatov. You have appointed to meet at the mountain camp, right?
Mancev. Yes. And we were going to live here for a while and then take a tour abroad, somewhere away from the mountains maybe to the seaside. You understand that such plans require some money. So, I’ve arranged this question beforehand. You see, there is no mystery.
Sumyatov. Yeah…
Mancev. She is not going to come.
Сумятов. Did you get a message from her?
Mancev. It’s my intuition. And please, don’t ask me any more.
Аnnа. Levanchik, get some tea please.
Levan. Are you kidding me?
Аnnа. I am paying in advance. No cheating any more!
Levan. Would you like some cakes?
Аnnа. Okay, bring me one please?
Levan. Two.
Аnnа. Vasil, what do you think!
Vasil. Okay, let it be two. Let’s go the limits!
Alla Bokova is sitting on a bench. Oleg Tomov comes out of the door.
Tomov. (Singing). «Alla was walking on a bank…» Here I am! Aren’t you waiting for me?
Аllа. No.
Tomov. Why are so angry? Aren’t you glad to see me?
Аllа. Not at all.
Tomov. I was looking for you. I ran off my legs everywhere around the camp, then I looked out of the window and saw you sitting lonely and getting bored.
Аllа. What do you need?
Tomov. Just to talk.
Аllа. Go ahead.
Tomov. It’s not convenient here. Let’s go to my place.
Аllа. No.
Tomov. Why not?
Аllа. I don’t want.
Tomov. But you did want yesterday.
Аllа. Forget about it. There was nothing yesterday.
Tomov. Tell this to your husband in case he comes back.
Аllа. Hey, listen, are you a human being or not?
Tomov. Sorry, Allochka! I don’t know why I am saying that.
Аllа. Leave me alone please.
Tomov. If I could… I love you, do you understand me?
Аllа. Go and take a sleep, stupid womanizer!
Tomov. I am not drunk, Alla! Don’t you understand why I behave like that?
Аllа. I would tell you, but you’ll get hurt.
Tomov. You can spit into my face – I won’t get hurt. As soon as I saw you I felt that I am trapped. You know it’s like swallowing vodka without any pickle. There was only you in my eyes as if you bewitched me.
Аllа. Is that true?
Tomov. I swear! So, let’s go to my place…
Аllа. Don’t touch me! Find some other foolish girl.
Tomov. Go to hell then! I didn’t really want it much. Do you have a cigarette?
Аllа. Just an empty pack.
Tomov. What a damned life! I can neither drinking, no smoking, no even sleeping with a girl.
Аllа. I see, you have only one passion in life – have a good pleasure. I would go crazy from such boring life.
Tomov. Come on baby! What are you talking about? You haven’t had real troubles in life. That’s it.
Аllа. You sure have had a lot of them.
Tomov. Pretty much, I tell you.
Аllа. I wouldn’t say that looking at you.
Tomov. You wouldn’t say? Well, well… And you, have you ever dug your friends out of frozen snow?
Аllа. Which friends?
Tomov. Answer the question when being asked! Have you ever crunched stones dying from famine?!
Аllа. Why are you raving with fury at me?
Tomov. Have you ever damned your mother that she born you?
Аllа. Don’t shout at me!
Tomov. No, you have not, right? Then I have nothing to talk about with you! Anyway you would never understand it.
Аllа. Do you understand it?
Tomov. Not much. I remember I used to piss myself with joy from just a thought that the next day I was going to the mountains. So impatient I was.
Аllа. What is special about those mountains? All of you are just crazy!
Tomov. Now I got smarter. But one thing there is really good – nobody stands over you. I hate it. It’s better to put my head in a noose than living on someone’s will.
Аllа. Are you a prominent individualism?
Tomov. I would say a romantic of spirit. Did you hear about it?
Аllа. I read something about it in books. I wonder, where did you get all this stuff in your head? You look like a quite normal guy.
Tomov. Nowhere.
Аllа. Weren’t you born with all this?
Tomov. No, I wasn’t. Actually, society educated me. You don’t believe? I remember my childhood: once at school we were to write a composition on a topic “What to do in life?». Our teacher wrote this topic on a blackboard and put a thick question mark in the end.
Аllа. Again telling me your fairy-tales?
Tomov. I swear it’s true. So, I was looking at this question mark thinking that if I write the truth I would be expelled from school the next day. Do I want such troubles? No. So, I wrote that I want to be a politician and take care of people’s needs.
Аllа. Such a smarty boy!
Tomov. Sure! Eventually, the composition by Oleg Tomov was praised and announced in front of our class as a good example of how and what to dream about. And I was laughing in my soul that I fooled all of them around!
Аllа. So, what did you dream about so that you couldn’t even mention it?
Tomov. Aren’t you by any chance from the police? You keep asking and asking me…
Аllа. You may not answer.
Tomov. Okay, I’ll tell you out of personal attraction. In that young age I already knew that work likes only fools. So, I preferred not to work but have much money and entertainments. I didn’t care less about anything else.
Аllа. You are such a unique individual!
Tomov. Well, it’s not a secret that all people dream about it or something like that but they don’t reveal it.
Аllа. You think all?
Tomov. Absolutely. Those who say differently – tell lies.
Аllа. So, what’s the reason?
Tomov. They are simply afraid of.
Аllа. So what were you afraid of, you, a schoolboy? Why didn’t you write as you thought?
Tomov. My father had a high rank position at that time. He was well known and respected in out town. Do you imagine what a scandal could be out of it?
Аllа. So, you preferred to have mercy on your father
Tomov. Exactly.
Аllа. Are you sure that your father, not yourself?
Tomov. Why do you hate me so much, Allochka?
Аllа. Why on earth should I love you? Look at him, such a man!
Tomov. Anyone can love for something… Why don’t you try to love just for nothing?
Аllа. Only real men are loved just for nothing. And those like you are loved either out of compassion or convenience.
Tomov. Out of compassion… Am I a wacky?
Аllа. Bite on that while I am here. Who would ever tell you the truth?
Tomov. Hey you, a truth seeker! That is why your husband ran away from you to the mountains! He just couldn’t stand it any more.
Аllа. It’s not your business!
Tomov. Who knows who are you now? Might be a widow. With such a tongue you might remain alone in poverty working at your museum. Well, I am a bachelor and do have all necessary stuff, you know.
Аllа. I’d better jump into the abyss than live with you!
Tomov. So go ahead, jump!
Аllа. I will! Nothing matters for me now. (running away).
Tomov. Hey, where are you going? Wait! Wait, you, the foolish woman, I tell you! There is a crack there! (running after her).
At the camp canteen. Anna and Vasil Korobko are drinking tea. Victor Mancev is speaking with Levan. Cyrill Sumyatov is making notes at his notebook. Oleg Tomov enters holding Alla Bokova unconscious in his arms.