Anja Hilling

MONSOON

MONSUN

Englisch von Logan Kennedy und Leonhard Unglaub,

Montreal 2009

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MONSOON A Play in Five Acts By: Anja Hilling Translation: Logan Kennedy and Leonhard Unglaub

Characters Paula Bruno Sybille Coco Melanie Voice of a female radio announcer STAGE PROPS Rooms of Berlin apartments, an Audi, a bakery, a carnival, a sickbed, a caf, a house at the Baltic Sea, steps down to the beach, the beach, the roads of Brandenburg, a kayak in the water, moss, a hallway, a hut in Vietnam in the mountains ... POP SONGS ON THE RADIO Dream a Little Dream of Me, The Mamas and the Papas Purple Rain, Prince Something Stupid, Frank Sinatra Candy, Iggy Pop Take Another Little Piece of My Heart, Janis Joplin

INTRO It all begins in the dark. A TV series four-year survival is celebrated with a radio interview. Radio announcers voice Two girls. Lets call them women. Theyre not getting any younger either are they. Two sisters. Theyve lost everything. Their parents their pleasure in life their future. Everything. Poor things. But they have each other. Only each other. Brunos voice And the house. Radio announcers voice Yes. Theres also still the house. Brunos voice Yes. Radio announcers voice Hence the title. Brunos voice Dont say it though. Radio announcers voice The Home of Tears Brunos voice I cant hear it anymore. Radio announcers voice But this title. It really is. Brunos voice I have nothing to do with this bullshit. Radio announcers voice Bruno. Today marks the four-year anniversary of your series. Congratulations. Brunos voice I only write the dialogues. And even those. Really, you know. Maybe you should talk to my assistant. Radio announcers voice Sybille. Brunos voice Sybille. Radio announcers voice Four years. Bruno. And the sisters are still sad. Brunos voice When they start laughing I might as well pack up and leave. Radio announcers voice And I.

Brunos voice You. Radio announcers voice I never had anything like it. Sisters house family all that. Could you explain this to me. Why I always start feeling so damn good At six on the dot From Monday to Friday. Brunos voice Look you dont have to tell me what kind of crap I do. Radio announcers voice I cheer up the moment the theme song comes on. Brunos voice I just ended up with the early evening show somehow. Dont you think I have any visions. Ideas. Subjects for the big screen. Of course I do. But I have a family a wife and child. You dont jump into the cold water of the film industry like that. Radio announcers voice I told you. Brunos voice Told me what. Radio announcers voice That I dont have that. Family and so on. Brunos voice You cant do an interview like this. Radio announcers voice Ill do my job you do yours. Brunos voice Youre doing a shit job. Thats what youre doing. Radio announcers voice Youre doing a pretty good job. Really. Brunos voice Okay thats enough. Radio announcers voice Good. Brunos voice Whats good. Radio announcers voice Times up. Silence. Radio announcers voice Well, congratulations again. Brunos voice On what.

Radio announcers voice Your anniversary. A radio song. The Mamas and the Papas sing Dream a Little Dream of Me.

ACT ONE (The state of things) I. In the kitchen. Dream a Little Dream of Me is playing softly on the radio. Paula is sitting on a chair, her jacket on but without any intention of leaving the house. She is staring. A slice of bread with cheese on the table. She is staring at it. She sees clearly. The slice of bread has been folded. Its lying on plastic wrap. She sees the little condensation bubbles. She sees the butter that comes pushing through the holes in the bread. She sees that the cheese is beginning to become wavy at the edges. The colour of the cheese could also be a hair colour. Paulas arm twitches from time to time. But her arm never touches the sandwich. It keeps on dangling. Limply. Paula No pretzels. If you buy yourself pretzels youll have something coming. The music gets louder. Just like that. Paula looks over to the radio. She wants to get up. Turn the radio off. She stays on her chair. She stares at the cheese sandwich. II. In the bakery. Here too, the radio is murmuring its soft tune. Coco is standing at the oven. She is wearing a white apron. She has flour on her hands. In her hair too. She sees pretzels getting bigger behind the glass pane. Darker. She climbs up on a stool. Her belly is at the same height as the viewing window. Its hot here. It could be the tropics. But the smell would be different. Coco wipes her floury hands on her belly. On the apron. She wipes rhythmically. As if it were a musical instrument, not a belly. Coco When youre six of seven. Ill show you something. Ill show you how to make a knot in a pretzel with one hand. III. In the kitchen. The situation is unchanged. Paula is staring at the cheese sandwich. On the radio: the news. Loud. The world is screwed, a Danish prince is visiting Berlin, the weather. Its summer. Its hot. Its sunny outside. All this means nothing to Paula. She stays put. Traffic report. Radio announcers voice Kottbusser Damm is closed in one direction. Toward Kottbuss Gate. Rien ne va plus. The reason is a fatal accident. Please dooze the eutours. The radio announcers soft laugh. Please do use the detours. The radio is about to play some music. Paula gets up. Turns the radio off. Silence.

Paula Dooze the eutours. She sits down again. Stares at the cheese sandwich. She straightens her arm. Takes the sandwich in her hand. She takes a bite. Paula Zippo. IV. In the Audi. Melanie at the wheel. Shes wearing glasses. She wears them only when driving. The glasses annoy her. Melanie shifts them with a touch of her hand. She will take them off any minute. She leaves them on. She looks ahead. At the street. Blindly, she reaches into the glove compartment. She is holding an object. Its a Dictaphone. She turns it on. Says nothing. Breathes. Speaks. Melanie Coco. My love. She turns off the machine. Rewinds. Turns it on again. Melanie Dear Coco. Im gone. I know. This is not the right moment. Im. How shall I say. Im going to Vietnam into the mountains in the north. Its for a documentary. For a month. About the beach house. Um. Maybe youll find someone else. To go with you. Shit. She turns the machine off. Rewinds. Turns it on again. Melanie My dear Coco. Dont bother wondering where my toothbrush is. Its gone. My shampoo too. Im gone. You can keep the toaster. What would I do with two toasters. Im sorry. Its got nothing to do with you. Pause. Its just me. I cant do this any longer cant deal with this anymore. Yesterday was the ninth time. Coco. The ninth time. Nine times I pumped that sperm into you. Thats it. Im not pumping again. The damn kid. It wrecked us before it even arrived.

Why cant we just. Just us two. Coco. Go bake bread. Go pray for your ovaries. Shit its over. For two months you havent been giving kisses in the morning on my neck just before four. You fucked it up little baker. This thing with us you fucked it up. Good luck with your ovaries. Im out. Pause. Im gone. Stop. V. In the kitchen. Paula is sitting on a chair. The sandwich is back in its spot. One corner of it is missing. Not more. Paula rummages around in her jacket. She digs and digs. The jacket bunches up over her hands. Shes finding something. A cell phone. She selects a number from the memory. She waits. Paula (repeated) Is temporarily not available. VI. A carnival. Bruno and Sybille are standing in front of a booth. Balloons are pinned to a wall opposite them. First prizes and consolation prizes hang left and right. Bruno is holding darts. Sybille I want the panda. Bruno I dont need to hear from Huserle how to do it. How to be interviewed. I think I held my own pretty well. What do you think. Sybille The panda. Bruno. Bruno Huserle can kiss my ass. Its really a fine line. To show that I have a. An intellectual distance to the series. But still. Im doing my job. Even a pretty good one. What do you think. I think I did well. Sybille I missed it.

Bruno What. Sybille The interview. I didnt hear it. Bruno falls silent. Hes about to drop the darts. He looks her in the eye. Bruno And to think I even mentioned you. How important you are. Your work in the Home of Tears team Sybille Just throw the darts. Come on. Bruno Am I stupid. Sybille Do it for me. Bruno Sybille Sybille Im married. Sybille Get me the panda you idiot. Bruno lets the darts fly. Every now and then a balloon bursts. But rarely. Its a long way to the panda. Bruno in a trance. In a dart fever. Until there is a ringing. Its his cell phone. He stops throwing darts. Looks at the display. Bruno Shit. Paula. Sybille Let me. Sybille speaks into the phone. Sybille The person youve called is temporarily not available. VII. A patients room in a hospital. The usual. White. Bright. Melanie in a bed unconscious. Coco is sitting next to her. Coco touches Melanies face. Her eyelids, her nose, her chin, her cheekbones, her temples. Coco Alright. Hes dead. Youll have to cope with that. We. Well cope with that. When youre awake. This wasnt your. Its not your. Not at all. Coco takes Melanie by her shoulders. Pulls her upper body up. Lets it sink back again.

How can you still be sleeping. You should be awake by now. The nurse said. The cute one. With the gap between her teeth. Ive gotta tell you something. Something nice. I know the timing isnt great. Why did this have to happen to you now. Ploughing him over. Now. When it finally worked. Coco kisses Melanie on the mouth. No one opens their eyes. Melanie. Geeze. Melanie. We did it. I can feel it. The two of us. We should be allowed to be happy about it. Even now. Thats the way it goes. A day can be good for one person and real shit for another. Coco removes herself from Melanie. Wanders through the room. Youre off the hook. Speed skid marks alcohol. All good. Melanie. You were even wearing those stupid glasses. Its tough. Thats what the cop said. A homely guy. Nice. Doing someone in by accident. Its tough. Thats what he said. Hes done it too. By accident. Not in a car. With his gun. That was tough too. Hes put on 26 pounds since then. And lost his wife. These things happen. I gave that guy a piece of my mind. The fat cop. Because thats exactly how it doesnt happen. Because a car isnt a gun and because it wasnt your fault. And I. If you gain 26 pounds well just go skiing or jogging or something. He was just a kid. Said the fat cop. Only eight. Eight. Its tough. Thats what he said. Damn pig. He knows shit. Thats what. Dont you get wound up about this. Whats it got to do with you. That he was only eight. Nothing.

You have to wake up now so we can finally start dealing with this and then. Then well make a new start. Yesterday. Yesterday it worked. I can feel it. You know. As a woman. Something is growing inside me I can feel it. Whats this. Coco notices the Dictaphone on the bedside table. She picks it up. Rewinds. Gets comfortable on the bed. Melanie is asleep. Coco listens to her voice. Melanies voice My dear Coco. VIII. In the kitchen. The scene hasnt changed. Paula is staring at the cheese sandwich. Brunos voice from the hall. Brunos voice Beeeeehold. Here comes the panda hunter. Bruno enters. Hes carrying the panda on his arm. Paula stays put. Shes looking at the cheese sandwich. Bruno hugs her from behind. Soft with the pandas arms. Carnival spirit. Paula stares. Bruno Paula Paula its so sad so unbelievably much sadder than Home of Tears. Who do they think they are at the production office. They were all there. Production direction costume designers lighting everyone. Doing the anniversary thing. So theres the two blondes right who play the cousins of the sisters. One of them is Jenny the other one. The other one is. Anyway. So Huserle from the production office walks up to the balloon stand. Im standing there with Sybille. Shes helping me throw darts. We want this bear for Zippo and its thirty hits And were not going anywhere without the bear. Cause of Zippo. And then along comes Huserle with the blonde on his arm the cousin the one who isnt Jenny. Helga. And Huserle says. Thats right. Its Helga. Helga. Says Huserle. May I introduce you to the man who writes the shit that you get to say. Who thinks this piece-of-shit series is crap. Because he is destined for something fucking greater. Thats how this guy talks. Even though I did well. In the interview. What do you think. But of course I have to listen to this stuff. Because Huserle is from the production office.

Then he says to Helga to the blonde. Say Hi. She. Helga. Offers me her hand. Says Hi. And I take her hand. I say Hi too. So we do that. The two of us. Because our jobs are on the line. Huserle takes it all in. The he yells. Yells into Helgas face. What do you want from this guy. Why are you shaking his hand. Hes destined for something fucking greater. And he takes her. Huserle takes Helgas hand. And says. Now lets all go to my place and relax like flies on a dead fish. And Sybille. She listens to it all. And says. Go relax yourself asshole. This is Sybille. My assistant. Go relax yourself asshole. Huserle hes gonna fire us both. Its no skin off his back. He doesnt care that I have a family hes just gonna fire us. To him its like taking a dump or sneezing its just the way it goes thats life. But Huserle. He gives the blonde the cold shoulder. Helga that is. And says to Sybille. Well what kind of a mouthy thing do we have here. Sybille. Says Sybille. Im Sybille. Sybille. Says Huserle. Pardon me. Sybille. I guess Ill just have to go relax then. Then hes gone. Sybille just goes on throwing darts at the balloons. And somehow. Somehow we just got away with it. Go relax yourself asshole. To Huserle. That Sybille. What a nutcase. Whats this. Paula What. Bruno This. Paula This. Bruno The sandwich. Paula Cheese. Bruno Zippo that rascal that disdainer of cheese sandwiches. Where is he anyway. Paula I know that he sneaks change that he gets up at night and goes in the kitchen. Steals the money from the silver Van Nelle tobacco box. Bruno Van Nelle box. Paula The silver one its up high in the cupboard he needs a chair. He takes a chair because he knows the change is up high in the cupboard. He takes the money. And thinks I dont notice.

But I do and I know that he buys pretzels with it. The sandwiches rot in his book bag and he buys pretzels and thinks I dont know. Bruno picks up the sandwich. Bruno He took a bite. Paula I did. Bruno You took a bite of his sandwich. Paula He just leaves his sandwich. Bruno Well where is he. Paula I yelled at him. Bruno Paula. Where is Zippo. Paula I yelled at him. He was leaving. Going to school. And I yelled at him. If you buy pretzels youll have something coming. Thats what I yelled at him. I was so. I shouldnt have said that should have given him money because really its alright. If you like pretzels. Its not a crime. Liking pretzels. Pause. I was there. I called you. I tried to call you eleven times. I was there. I was there while you and your assistant were screwing. Bruno Sybille. What gives you that idea. Paula I saw him. Bruno Who did you see. Paula Zippo. Bruno So where. Where is he. Paula He was already there. Bruno Paula.

Whats going on here. Paula It happened very quickly. Its supposed to console me. That it all happened very quickly. Kottbusser Damm. Whack. They have detours now. Detours. Just imagine. Bruno What happened with Zippo. Paula If you buy pretzels youll have something coming. Bruno Tell me right now where Zippo is. Paula He was already there. I arrived. You werent there. You were in bed with your assistant. I went there alone. Bruno You went where. Paula To the morgue. Bruno Where. Paula He was already there. Silence. Bruno is at a loss about where to put the bear.

ACT TWO (The desire to lie in the sand, the sky above) I. In bed. Sybille and Bruno after sex. They have no routine. Sybille wants to touch Brunos face. She doesnt. Touches his hair. Cuts her finger on his hair. Frees herself from it. Sybille Why now. Bruno is silent. He doesnt know. Sybille Doesnt matter. Bruno is silent. Sees that shes smiling. Sybille Say something. Bruno What do you want me to say. Sybille Whatever. Whatever people say. How gorgeous I am how surprised you are how happy. Say something you idiot. You know how this goes. You write these fucking dialogues. Sybille. Your hair is a sea of flames. Youre my horizon. I sink into you, rise out of you. Bruno Sink in you. I sink in you and rise from you. Sybille Right. Bruno Paulas in the other room. Sybille What. Bruno She said Ill be in the other room. She went into his room and said Ill be here. Sybille Thats exactly what I wanted to hear. Bruno What. Sybille That I was an amazing consolation fuck. Bruno I dont need consolation. Sybille Then it must be true love. Bruno

Christ Sybille. Zippo is dead. Sybille Thats just what Im saying. Bruno is silent. He thinks of getting up. Of leaving. He stays. Sybille Say something. Bruno Your hair is a sea of flames. II. A living room. Coco after a pregnancy test. Shes standing still on a rug. She knows. A candle is burning. A wine glass is half filled. Shes celebrating alone. Between her fingers the test strip. She has no opinion about the colour. The strip disappears into the hollow of her palm. Coco What would I do with two toasters. Theres movement in the room. Cocos looking for something. Cigarettes. She hid them from herself. She finds them again quickly, a pack of Marlboros. She lights a cigarette from the candle. She smokes. She has no routine. Nor an ashtray. Coco throws the cigarette into the wine glass. Half-smoked. III. In the kitchen. Paula and Bruno at home. Shes sitting at her place at the kitchen table. Theres no cheese sandwich. Instead there are plates, a salad, wine and a candle too. Brunos making the noise. Hes frying, knocking things around, stirring, doing what he can. Paulas sitting with her back to him. Sometimes he touches the back of her neck. With his hands wet and warm from cooking. Sometimes he reaches around and puts vegetables in her mouth. Small pieces from the wok. Peppers, zucchini. She opens her mouth. Doesnt swallow. Bruno puts the wok on the table. Sits down. Across from her. Bruno Finally some time to ourselves. Paula spits the pieces of vegetable onto her plate. Undigested. Still colourful. Bruno serves himself from the wok. Alternates between eating and speaking. One or the other, not at the same time. Bruno Sweet and sour. I thought Id give us a treat. Its what we need now time to ourselves. Paula takes a bag of tobacco from her pocket. Van Nelle. Rolls herself a cigarette. Bruno So I was really calm.

Huserle was nervous. Not me. I was calm. Paula. Do you have to smoke right now. Paula lights the cigarette. Herr Huserle. I said. The termination of my work contract is devoid of any legal foundation and I accept it. I accept it. Theres someone at home who needs me. Now that. Now more than ever. What do you think. That Id let two ugly sisters sob on TV when my son is dead. Or what. Is that what you think. Paula is smoking. Bruno Paula. Dont blame Sybille. Someone has to keep the shit going. She was never. She always said. Your fucking job. I wouldnt do it for twice the money. Too bad. Thats how quickly you end up with a job. Whats wrong. You dont like it. Whats this about. A grief diet. A holy silence. Want me to make you a cheese sandwich. Paula butts out the cigarette. She serves herself from the wok. Lots. She starts eating. Quickly. Bruno Crazy. Eh. Suddenly youve got loads of time. Hey why dont we. Just the two of us. Lets go kayaking on the Spree again. Until our arms get all heavy in the dusk. Well rent a cottage. Youll lie down on the hard bed with the red chequered blanket and Ill. Ill rub Fenistil gel on your bug bites. Theres more rice. Paula Bruno Bruno Hmm.

Paula I dont want to see you for a while. IV. A caf. Bruno and Sybille. Theyre drinking espresso. The cups are far too small. Bruno Are you insane. Sybille I did it for you. Bruno Are you insane. Sybille Its just not fair. Bruno Not fair. Are you insane. Sybille Youre the one who got it all going the sisters the ratings. Without you. Theyll even forget theyre related. It wont work without you. Bruno You are insane. Sybille It wont work. Huserle will have to realize that. Firing you without me. Bruno It wont work. Sybille I had to quit. Bruno And me. What do I get out of it. Sybille Thats beside the point. Bruno Are you a psychopath or something. Sybille I saw the woman. Bruno You quit because I was fired. Neither of us gets anything out of this. Neither of us. Sybille Her name is Melanie. Bruno Melanie who. Sybille Melanie who ran down your son. Pause. Whats anyone supposed to say.

Sybille Shes a lesbian. Thats my intuition anyway. The way she looks at you. Her hair. Bruno Stay out of it. Sybille I dont give a fuck if shes lesbian. Bruno Zippos none of your business. None. Sybille She wants to see you. Bruno Who. Sybille Melanie. Bruno You are insane. Sybille Thats right Im insane Im a psychopath Ive always been. Ive always been running after you. Bruno. Your name is a marble in my bloodstream. Your face is chiselled into my cerebellum. Your body my life-long travel destination. Ever since I first saw you at that party for the extras. I gave everything every inhibition every pair of underwear just to be your. To become your assistant forever. In good times as in bad. I dont give a shit about making a career get myself involved in your life. Im your wild card dangle sexily around your neck. If you have a shitty day I do everything a good psychopath can. To make sure that mine is ten times shittier. Breather. Bruno Paula doesnt want to see me. For a while. Sybille Oh there she is. Bruno Who. Sybille Melanie. V. In the hallway. Bruno and Paula are standing across from one another. Theres no window, no chair. Either could

leave at any time. Paula

She has what. Bruno Her name is Melanie. Paula What. Bruno Shes a lesbian. Paula Ive got to get out of here. Bruno Here. The key. Melanies key. Bruno gives her a key. Paula looks at it in her hand. Bruno A house by the sea. Paula Ill kill her. Bruno Shes already dead. Paula What. Bruno Thats what she said. She died too. When it happened four weeks ago with Zippo. She died too. Paula You disgust me. Bruno You need to relax. Paula is silent. Bruno On Ruegen Island on a cliff with a view of the sea. There are stairs down to the beach. Down from your terrace. Your terrace. Paula. Theres a fireplace in the living room. Paula Its summer. Bruno The house is empty. She booked it and now she cant go. Paula She booked it and now she cant go. You disgust me. Bruno Shes going to Vietnam. To have a boo at minorities. She makes the kind of shit no one wants to see. Documentaries.

Paula Why dont you go. Bruno To Vietnam. PaulaTo the beach house. Bruno Youre the one who wants to get out not me. Paula And you. Bruno Dont know. Work. Paula Youve been fired. Bruno Im writing a screenplay. Pause. Bruno A film about Zippo. Paula laughs. Bruno I slept with Sybille. Paula Tell me something I dont know. Bruno Last Saturday I slept with Sybille. The first time. Once. Last Saturday. Never before that. Never since. Paula Saturday. Bruno Yes. Paula And where was I. Bruno In the other room probably. Paula leaves. Slowly. The key to the house by the sea in her hand. She stops in the open door. Paula Youre writing a screenplay. Bruno Ive already got images of it floating around in my head. Paula Who are you fooling.

VI. Back to the caf. The rendezvous has grown. Now there are three of them. Melanie is sitting next to Sybille. They are looking Bruno in the eye. Melanie is holding the key in her hand. The way Paula did. Bruno Whats that. Melanie A house by the sea. Bruno Ive got to get going. Sybille Stay here you idiot. This woman ran down your son. How do you think she feels. Its a god-awful feeling. Because she thinks its not fair. Because she should be dead and not him. And thats what she is somehow. Dead. Because she died too. When it happened four weeks ago with Zippo you idiot. Thats how she feels. Bruno None of that. It doesnt interest me. Melanie And Paula. Bruno Dont. Please. Melanie Dont what. Bruno Say Paula. Please do not say Paula. Sybille Itll do Paula good the house. On Ruegen Island on a cliff with a view of the sea. There are stairs down to the beach. Down from the terrace. Theres a fireplace in the living room. Melanie She needs to relax needs to get away. Bruno What do you know about Paula. Melanie I can see her how she stares at the bread. At the cheese. At the butter. That comes pushing through the holes in the bread. The cheese is becoming wavy at the edges. It has this kind of colour the cheese does. It could be a hair colour.

Bruno Not another word about Paula. Melanie Then she bites into it. Bruno (to Sybille) Who told you you could talk about Paula. Sybille (to Bruno) Who told you you could talk about Paula. Melanie The fact that she bites into the bread. That kills me. Sybille The house is empty. She booked it and now she cant go. Melanie Im leaving. Im going to Vietnam to the mountains in the north. Doing a short documentary. The lifestyles of the minority peoples. Sybille Bruno was also in television. Bruno is silent, wants to go. He stays. VII. In the bakery. The shift has started. Outside the night is almost gone. Cocos rolling out some dough. Lifts it up. Stretches it in the air. Music from the radio in the background. Playing softly. A song that goes with night time. Purple Rain goes with night time. Melanie is leaning on the window. Next to her is a suitcase, camera equipment. Behind her, outside, the day is beginning. Melanie looks at Coco. Melanie I could sink. In you and the dough. Coco Youll miss your flight. Melanie What are you making. Coco Ciabatta. What do you want. Melanie I miss you. The dough is lying still in Cocos hands. They look at each other. Melanie It was the kids fault. The stupid pump. We dont need that were. The two of us. Were more than enough.

Its something I never wanted. Coco The damn kid. Melanie Lets try again. Just the two of us. Without all that shit about kids. Coco Just the two of us. Melanie Yeah. Melanies hand in the flour dust of Cocos arm. Coco You look tired. Melanie laughs. Melanie I was there. Coco You were where. Melanie At the funeral. Coco They. Melanie They didnt. I was just there and lay some flowers down on a grave. On a random grave. A normal one with proper dates. Nineteen seventeen to nineteen ninety-eight Not this. Not this fart. Not this joke of eight years. His mother laughed. I saw her laugh. Such a tremor her laugh was. The kind that wants out but cant find an exit. That kind of laugh. The kind that colours your skin. Because your heart is pissing blood from sheer laughter. Two people carried the coffin. The father in front. Someone else behind. Someone with the sniffles. And the coffin. It was also so funny so short and so light. So light that the guy behind. The one with the sniffles. He pulled out a tissue from his pocket And quickly blew his nose. Coco

Melanie. Melanie No one saw me. Coco What do you want here. Melanie I have no idea where I should go. Coco To the airport. Melanie Yeah. Coco Good. Melanie What do you mean good. Coco I have to finish up here. Bake bread you know. Have a good trip. Melanie And us. Coco Just the two of us. Melanie Yes. Coco Thats not gonna work anymore. They look at each other. The dough lies flatly between them. Melanie heaves everything onto her shoulders. Leaves. Cocos hand in the dough. Coco Im out. Prince gets louder. VIII. The same night shortly before morning. Paula. Somewhere. If its at home, it doesnt feel like it. Prince is singing on the radio. Loudly. Paula isnt moving. The song fades out. Radio announcers voice Good morning. Its five forty. The perfect time of day for gas station holdups suicide bombings Kisses on highway overpasses. Tears in the bathwater. What do I know. Its the perfect time of day for something. Because youre perfectly alone at five forty a.m. because no one sees you. You can come or go and theres not a soul whos interested.

Thats the way it is. Well I. I for example was born at this time. Five forty a.m. At twenty to six I crept out of a hole. But it was winter. January. No idea where that was and why. I dont know much about it only that it was cold and night-time outside. And my first thought was I still remember that. I thought. Its a shitty feeling To never be able to party out in the open. The radio cant be heard anymore. Paula moves. Wakes her body up. Stretches her arms out in front of her. Twists and untwists her palms. A ball of dough would enjoy being in them. Paula I have to get out of here.

ACT THREE (Coming and going, and what remains is a speck) I. The house by the sea. Paulas sitting on the steps that lead from the terrace to the sea. A view of the Baltic Sea. She sees and hears the kinds of things you hear by the sea. Waves, wind, seagulls. Below in the sand are roofed wicker beach chairs. Coco mounts the steps. She drags a bag up the steps. The bag is heavy. Paula doesnt move. She looks at her. Coco passes Paula. Paula turns. Cocos heading for the house. Paula looks at Cocos back. Paula Stop. Coco stops. Doesnt turn around. Continues upward. Arrives on the terrace. Paula Youve got the wrong place. Coco puts down the bag. Looks down at Paula on the steps. Paula This is my house my terrace. Coco (imitating) This is my house my terrace. Listen funny girl. I walked the whole way. From the bus stop by the sea with sand in my shoes. My back is fucked and so are my feet and right there where youre sitting Right there. Thats where Melanie was sitting last year going on and on. About how many arms the squid down there have And how they find each other again in the sea. And now. Now theres some hippie sitting there not letting me in. Paula Melanie. Coco Im taking a shower. Coco goes into the house. II. A hut in the mountains in Vietnam. The hut is made of bamboo and arches inward. Melanies moving around in the hut. They dont go together. Melanie and the hut. The furniture is too small for her, the bamboo too round. The camera equipment is leaning against the round bamboo. Melanie is prepared for the tropical climate. Solid shoes, bare calves, a green scarf wrapped around her head. She loads the tripod, the camera onto her shoulders.

She opens the little door. To get out shed have to duck. She stays put. Melanie Shit. Rain. She closes the little door from the inside. III. A wicker beach chair by the sea. Paula is lying in it. Its night-time. Wind. Paula is cold. Theres a blanket around her body. She is not alone. Cocos kneeling in the sand next to the beach chair. Paula Im doing fine. Coco Dont be ridiculous. Paula I find it nice here. Tonight Ill sleep out here and tomorrow. Tomorrow Ill look for something else. Coco Come up with me. Paula Leave me alone please. Coco My names Corinna. Paula Please Id like to be alone right now please. Coco Come up with me. Ill give you your own room to be alone in. Paula Its your house not mine. Coco Your house my house Christ Christ Christ. We both have a key for two weeks. Then well give it back again. Youll give back your key and Ill give back mine. Now come on. Paula I find it nice here. IV. Zippos room. Elephants on the wallpaper. Toys on the floor, Playmobil, cars, crayons, the panda bear in the corner. Brunos sitting on a plastic chair. The chair is too small for him.

A clicking sound, again and again. Bruno is playing with one of those cubes that has coloured squares that can be turned as rows. He cant think of the name of the toy. Sybille comes in. Looks at him. He stops. Looks at her. Sybille The door was open. Bruno I thought in case someone comes. Sybille Here I am. Bruno The psychopath. Sybille Quit it. Bruno clicks. Bruno Zippo. Do you want to know why we called him Zippo. Sybille No. She goes over to him. Sits on his knee. They look at each other. Calmly. They kiss. A long time. He hugs her with the cube in his hand. The plastic chair is strong enough for all this. Bruno What do you call this thing. Sybille What. Bruno This. What the hell is it called. Sybille stands up. Walks through the room. Sees the panda. Is quiet about it. Sybille This looks like. Like it was still. Still. I can help you clean up. Bruno He was never without this thing. He was a little genius with it Turned it and turned it and boom. All the colours all lined up. And he was so. So. Humble. I mean. You. Or me. We would have gone around telling everyone about it. Look. Perfect right. But Zippo.

He would mess it up again and start all over. Without saying a word. Sybille Well pack everything into boxes. Bruno Boxes. Sybille Lets start with his wardrobe. Two piles. A good one for the Salvation Army and a shabby one for the garbage. Bruno This thing. It drove me crazy. The sound the clicking. And his eyes. Always so close to the damn thing. Sybille All this stuff the cars the cranes all that. There are orphanages. Hospitals. Whats wrong. Bruno. Just think of how happy theyll be in Africa. Bruno You dont understand. I wanted to hit him because the sound of it just made me. Click click click. So quiet. So regular. I wanted to rip it out of his hands. Press it into his face. All because. Because I thought Id go crazy from the sound. And now. Now for the first time it occurs to me That I dont even know the name of the thing. It has a name. I could have at least asked him what its called. Sybille Why. Sybille waits. Bruno clicks. Sybille Why did you call him Zippo. Bruno I forget. Sybille Okay Im gonna be on my way whats it to me. Bruno Olga Sybille What. Bruno That was the nurses name. She pulled him out cut the cord washed him.

Eight and a half years ago. Nurse Olga. She had hair above her lip hair on her chin hairy calves. Hair everywhere. She lays the thing in Paulas arm and his head is so bare. And Olga has this red smile under all that hair And a small yellow lighter in her hand. A Zippo. A flame comes out and she says. After all this fun I need a smoke. And the next day. She was gone. To Mallorca. Sybille Rubiks Cube. Bruno What. Sybille Thats what its called. Bruno That simple. Sybille Yup. Sybille takes the cube. Clicks a few times. Puts it away. She goes to the door. Sybille If you need help give me a call. Bruno Why did you come here. Sybille I wanted to go paddling with you. Sybille digs around in her pocket. She finds something. Throws it to Bruno. He catches. Its again a key. It is lying in Brunos hand. Bruno Whats this supposed to be. Sybille A kayak you idiot. She leaves the room. He looks over to the door. Even though no one is there he looks. V. In the bamboo hut in the north of Vietnam in the mountains. Its raining. The drops can be heard on the bamboo. Melanie feels the walls structure with her hands. The bamboo is moist. Whether it will stand up to the water. Who could tell such a thing. Melanie has made tea. She sits down on a chair. Its small, as small as the chair in Zippos room. Melanie has set up the camera. She speaks into the camera. The pot of tea is next to her.

Melanie Here in the vicinity of Sa Pa is where many minority groups live. The Mien and the Meo. Hmongs. Black Hmongs and red Hmongs. They are shorter than the Vietnamese. They grow rice on terraced paddy fields. Their traditions are different from ours. They eat dogs. The men take a bow and arrow and go hunting. You can identify them by their blue clothing. Which they dye with plant dye. The dye isnt waterproof. Their skin. Its as blue as their clothing. One of them touched me. Held onto my arm. Pause. Melanie holds her arm out for the camera. Blue. Pause. Central here is the terminology. Minorities. Les minorits. Already in the terminology we have the initial stages of a degradation of the space for personal development. Minor value. Minor importance. The low estimation of forms of life. What this is about is a politics of marginalization on the part of the government. What this is about is. Melanie breaks off. Looks into the camera. Goes over to it. Switches it off. Switches it on. Begins anew. She sits down. Speaks into the camera. She drinks tea. Day two. It gets dark early here. At six oclock already. The last night in Hanoi. Through the window the city. Sleepless. Loud. Motorcycles bicycle bells no cars people with bright voices. I felt like a baby who is not yet threatened by language. In the firm belief. That nothing spoken here with bright voices Could steal my sleep. I thought. Thats how Ill sleep in Vietnam. Like a baby. So far away from everything. I thought wrong. Again I am there not here. In the Audi I can feel the glasses I think of you. My dear Coco. The boy. Hes chewing something. Something from a little bakery bag. Pretzels. The boys chewing a pretzel. The bag flies against the windshield. Empty. But he. Where is he. He was blond and I cant see anything blond here.

Only the paper bag like a fluttering. I dont know where he is. And where the pretzel is. That I dont know either. Whether a hand just lets go or holds onto a pretzel. Thats the question. I can still feel the contusion at the back of my head. The spot is warm and bare. I dont think any hair will be growing back here. Here. Theres a mosquito net around me. Four Asians on a moped in front of my window. Yesterday I left Hanoi. I am here. In the mountains. Quite far away. Its only seven. Rain all day long. I cant go outside when it rains. Ill try to sleep. Im hot. She looks into the camera. VI. In the sand by the Baltic Sea. The beach chair. Paulas sleeping in the chair with the blanket. Sitting. In the sand lies Coco. She must be cold. But shes asleep. Paula wakes up. She looks around. She looks at Coco, lying in the sand. She doesnt give her the blanket. She looks at her. Paula You won. Coco wakes up. Looks at Paula. Paula Lets go. You won. Coco Into your house. Paula gets up. Leaves. Coco follows her with her eyes. Gets up and follows her slowly. Speaks into her back. Coco Lets make a fire. Paula Its summer. VII. A desk. Notes, photos, a spiral notebook. Material. Bruno sits in front of it. Doesnt use it for anything.

In the middle of the paper theres the telephone. He takes the receiver. Puts it back. Takes it. And so forth. An old song is on the radio. Something Stupid. Bruno takes the receiver. He dials. Waits. Frank Sinatra sings his stupid song. VIII. At Sybilles. Frank Sinatra interrupts the ringing of the phone. Or the other way around. Sybille waits. The song is faded out. Radio announcers voice A report from the natural history museum shocks Berlin. The larva of the Indigo Flash has been reported missing. The rare butterfly Leaves a blue spot on the skin when touched. Thats just what I need today. A butterfly that shits blue onto my hand. Sybille picks up the receiver. IX. The house by the sea. The fireplace. Paula and Coco. They did end up making a fire. Paulas sitting in front of it. Looks into the flames as if at a television. Cocos in her way. Shes putting some wood on, poking around in the embers. Paula Corinna. Coco Call me Coco. Paula Quit it. Itll burn by itself. Coco Everyone calls me Coco. Paula Coco. Quit it. Coco leaves the fire alone. They are silent. They look into the fire. Paula is calm. Coco isnt. Coco So where do you learn to do this. Paula Do what. Coco To sit around like this and gape and not say anything. Paula doesnt react. Coco I mean. You must be raging inside.

She ran down your son. And he was only eight. And you. You just sit around here. Let yourself be invited to stay in her summer house. No one would accept something like that. No one. So how does that make her feel now. As if it were nothing. As if you two were even now. Paula Stop it. Coco He was only eight. They are silent. Paula Stop it. Coco Youre exactly how I wouldnt want to be. A mother like you. They are silent. Coco You know how I got to know her. Paula Stop it or Ill hold your hand in the fire and send the ashes to your girlfriend. Coco Ex. Paula Ex. They look into the fire. This has cheered Coco up quite a bit. Coco Id prefer my toes. Coco holds out her foot for Paula. Its bare. Paula doesnt know what shes supposed to do with it. She takes it in her hand. Coco Im a baker. Its not a trade you can make a living off if youre short a hand. Paula Im Paula. Paula lets go of Cocos foot. Paula How.

They look at each other. Paula How did you get to know her. Coco That doesnt matter. Paula Cmon. Tell me. Coco No. Paula Fine whatever. Pause. Coco In a car. Pause. Coco From Amsterdam to Berlin. She was in that big fat Audi the Audi that. The Audi. I had only one lens in my sunglasses. She took me across the border. It made her laugh. My half a pair of glasses. At a gas station I got out and hid. Hid behind a transport truck. On it it said Delicious Brandenburg Butter. I thought. If she comes looking for you she likes you. If she drives off you can get into this truck. Then I saw her. She was sitting in the parking lot in the sun eating a sandwich. I thought. Thats just the ways she is. I thought. Whatever. Just go to her and sit down in the sun and have a sandwich too. How is she supposed to like you after being in a car together for three hours. Pause. Coco Thats exactly the way she is. Just chewing on a sandwich. Pause. Coco

Whats that. Paula Whats what. Coco That. Coco touches Paulas face. Paula A scar. Coco Nice. Like Clint Eastwood. Paula Stop it. Coco Geeze Paula. Relax. Paula Im not like you. Coco Well how am I. Paula Im not into women. Coco Im pregnant.

ACT FOUR (The end of summer; so hot and so dark) I. In Vietnam in the hut in the mountains. Its raining. The sound of the rain has changed. Its not dripping, its pattering on the bamboo. Theres a leak in one spot, a bucket underneath. Waters dripping into it. Melanie is sitting in front of the camera. Shes eating rice and vegetables from a bowl with a spoon. The cameras

on. Shes filming herself eating. She speaks into the camera. While she does so, she finishes eating. Melanie Day four. The rain has become more intense. Since yesterday Ive been getting visits from two Hmongs. Two girls. I call them Hmong Girl One and Hmong Girl Two. I asked them five times. So what are your names. My name. Melanie. Your name. Five times I got a different answer. Sik and Taka. Sipi and Moko. Laurel and Hardy. Who gives a shit. Now theyre Girl One and Girl Two. I cant go outside. Its raining. They bring me food the little cutthroats. They want three dollars for it. Three dollars for a little rice. No dog. I said. No dog. Pause. Melanie puts aside the bowl. They observe me. Girl One and Girl Two observe me. Constantly. They push their blue faces against the window pane. Melanie pans the camera to the window. It is wet and empty. She pans it back. The rain washes the dye away. They watch me. Watch me eating filming sleeping. Girl Two has a baby tied to her back. And she can barely be older than six herself. Last night I dreamt it was me. Me tied to Girl Twos back. Pause. Other than that I havent been dreaming anything. Pause

The rains getting in. I need to get to work. Girl One and Girl Two. Theyre all I know so far of the mountain people. Im waiting for them. For their faces against the window pane. No idea if it was a mistake. About the beach house the kayak. Giving them the Audi. No one would accept something like that. No one. My stuffs all wet my skin. From the air not from the rain. I need to get out of here. Need to work. The rain. It just isnt letting up. II. On the beach at the Baltic Sea. Theres wind, sun, sea, seagulls, everything. No rain. Paula and Coco are lying on beach towels. In their bikinis. On their stomachs. Next to each other. Paula On the fourteenth of July. One day before. Coco Christ yes. Let me sleep. Paula With that pump you were talking about. Coco I dont want to talk about it. Paula Why. Coco Why. Why dont you want to talk about Zippo. Because its hell. Paula But thats what Im doing. Coco turns away. Paula looks at the back of her head. Paula I am talking about Zippo. No reaction. Paula When exactly.

Coco You dont want to know to the minute do you. Paula I do. Coco Where did you learn to be brutal Clint Eastwood. Paula Its important. Coco Kiss my ass. They are silent. Coco It was in the evening just before seven. Pause Paula Just before seven. That explains everything. Cocos back is tensed. Paula On the fourteenth of July at six-thirty Zippo came into the living room. Im going to bed. He said. You see. Im going to bed. At six-thirty. That had never happened before. See what I mean. Coco So hes eight hes tired. Paula He went to have a look at his new home. Coco turns back around. Its not easy having the discussion like this, lying down, in ones bikini, but thats just the way it is. Coco His new home. Paula With you. Coco With me. Go swimming Paula. Paula It all fits together. Coco Nothing fits together. Zippo died on the fifteenth.

On the fourteenth of July just before seven. When Zippo was tired. Not dead. Melanie tried to fertilize me with the pump. For the ninth time. It was the first time it was successful. Hurray. Its what Id wanted. The father is Achim Ldke. Not Melanie. Her gay friend visiting from Wiesbaden. University degree HIV negative strong teeth what more do you want. Sperm instead of paying rent. Except I. Idiot that I am. Forgot to kiss the back of her neck. Paula Lets not fool ourselves Coco. Coco Nothing fits together. Paula Youre carrying my child in your womb. The sound of the sea. The sky is blue. A seagull makes a catch in the water. III. In the Audi. Sybille and Bruno are taking a little trip. Brandenburgs rolling by like the music from the radio.

Theres nothing disruptive about it. Its one of these songs that tells of travelling and the problem of understanding each other. Iggy Pop does stuff like that, with Kate Pierson: Candy (I had a dream: you gave me love for free.) You know why youre driving a car when you hear music like this. Sybilles driving. Brunos sitting next to her. Hes looking out the window. Trees are flying by. Sometimes he looks

at Sybille. She stays put. Sybille That would be something. Living here. Bruno I didnt know you drove a big car like this. Sybille That would really be something. You and I here in Brandenburg. In the mornings wed go jogging in the woods and in the evenings. In the evenings wed fry up the mushrooms that wed gathered in a basket. Its the kind of thing that takes time of course. But after a year. Two if were no good at it. Wed have it figured out. Which ones are poisonous and which arent. Bruno Hey can you stop it with the psychopath babble. Sybille Im talking about mushrooms. Bruno Youre talking about us.

Sybille Oh dream on. Bruno I need to come to terms with everything first. With Zippo. And Paula. Sybille Thats exactly what Im saying. Bruno looks out at Brandenburg. Sybille steps on it. Sybille As if I could afford an Audi. Bruno is silent. Sybille Melanie gave it to me. To us Pause. Bruno Stop the car. Sybille No. Bruno Stop the car. Sybille Im not going to let your fucking morals ruin my day. Bruno Stop the car you nasty bitch. Sybille hits the breaks. They stop. In the middle of Brandenburg. Kate Piersons solo (I had a hole in my heart for so long). Sybille Get out. Bruno What. Sybille I said get out. Bruno Are you insane. What am I supposed to do here. Sybille Go pick mushrooms make your film what do I know. Bruno I dont want to. Sybille What. Bruno I dont want to get out.

Silence. Bruno Lets keep going. Sybille Its only a car. Bruno Yeah. Sybille And only a kayak. Bruno Thats right. Sybille That feeling that she has. That shit feeling. Its not going to get less shitty just because were using her kayak. Bruno Or driving her car. Sybille Does that put your mind at ease. Bruno Somehow it does. Sybille And Paula you idiot. Bruno What about Paula. Sybille Do you think she lets her mind be put at ease this easily. Bruno Im not at ease. Sybille I think Paula would have liked her. Bruno Would have liked who. Sybille Melanie. Bruno What do you know about Paula. Sybille Nothing. Sybille gets going again. They are silent. Iggy and Kate are faded out. Radio announcers voice Its almost thirty degrees in Berlin and Brandenburg. Lots of sun. Were heading toward a balmy summers night. Its the new moon. The night of the Peat Shadow Mushroom. Today it will shed its yellow head in the protection of the night And show its purple shaft. What a purple a sick violet. And in the morning. In the morning itll lie dead as a doornail in the swampland.

Thats the stupid mushrooms little spiel for today. Its last day. And it will be all for naught this spectacle in the dark. Because nobody will be there to tell about it. When it happened and how. What the air was like and whether it rained. And there is no one Who wants to hear anything about new-moon legends. Well. I give a damn about mushrooms. All I know is. I lost my innocence during the new moon. It was years ago. Decades. Its forgotten now. Not a soul was there. I wasnt either. But can someone tell me why Im always so fucking sad when the moon pisses off. Paula I wonder how she is. Bruno Paula. Sybille Melanie. Pause. All is quiet. The radio too. Bruno Im sorry. Sybille looks at the road. In case a deer comes. Bruno Youre not a nasty bitch. Sybille What do you know about me. IV. In the hut in Vietnam in the mountains. Its raining. The sound of the rain has changed. The rain isnt pattering anymore. Its pounding down on the bamboo. The camera is focused on the bucket. Melanies kneeling beside the bucket. Rain drops are dripping into the bucket in quick succession. She looks at the leaky spot. She doesnt do anything about it. She looks at the window. It is wet and empty. She looks at the drops. She takes a cup. Scoops rainwater out of the bucket. She drinks. V. In a kayak on a body of water in the middle of Brandenburg. Sybille and Bruno are taking a break. There are mosquitoes all around them. Sybille and Bruno are drinking tea. Otherwise theyre slapping their skin. Bruno

Will you help me. Sybille slaps her knee. Bruno With the film. About Zippo. Sybille Lets get going. Sybille hits the kayaks bow. Bruno Are you trying to tip us over. Sybille tries to get the boat balanced again. Shes making things worse. Bruno I havent. I havent found a beginning yet. Sybille waves her hand in front of her head. Bruno Maybe Olga and the lighter. I think that would be a beginning. What do you think. Or pick it up from the end. Paula and the cheese sandwich. The problem is. No film can go on for eight years. Sybille splashes her tea into Brunos face. Its not hot. They are silent. Mosquitoes hum. Sybille I cant swim. Bruno (imitating) I cant swim. Every kid can swim. Its something you learn in the amniotic fluid. Sybille Lets go back to the bank. Bruno Even if I had the time. The eight years. I couldnt recount an hour of his life. But somehow. Somehow Ive got to. Somehow. Sybille beats the air around her.

Bruno Will you help me. Sybille Im freaking out here you idiot. VI. At the Baltic Sea on the beach. Paulas lying in the sand on her stomach in her bikini. With her head to the sea.

Coco heads toward her. Shes coming from the water. With wet hair, wet skin. You know how it is. Coco Stop making that face. Paula What face. Coco You know exactly what kind. VII. On a bank somewhere in Brandenburg. Sybille and Bruno are sitting in moss. The kayak next to them. Upside down. Everything is wet, hair, skin, shoes. They sit next to each other, breathing heavily. They dont undress. Bruno Every kid can swim. Sybille Not me. Bruno No. Bruno pulls off his wet clothes. Sybille looks. Bruno Paula is a fish. Sybille Not me. Bruno Come here. Bruno pulls her clothing off her skin. Clumsily. Sybille You idiot you saved my life. Bruno Forget about it. Sybille Why. You know how to have a good time right. You amuse yourself in other peoples cars and boats. You send your wife to the sea. Make your assistant lose her job.

Market your dead son. But my life. You saved it for today. Why did you. Why should I forget that. Bruno A good time. Sybille Yeah. Bruno A good time. Sybille Thats what I said. They kiss. On top of each other, next to each other. Whichever way. They roll naked in the moss. Bruno Why would you get into a kayak when you cant swim. Sybille You know exactly why. The sun goes down. The new moon makes Brandenburg disappear and whatever else. VIII. Night. In the house by the sea on the cliff. New moon. Coco and Paula after sex. Cocos lying on her back. Her eyes shut. Paula touches her face. Her eyelids, lips, cheekbones and so on. Coco Stop. Paula No. Coco opens her eyes. Paula stops. Coco So. Paula So what. Coco Did you meet him. Paula Meet who. Coco Zippo. Paula reaches for the tobacco. She rolls a cigarette. Paula Thats not what this was about. Coco

What was it about then. Paula How would I know. Coco Doesnt matter. Paula What doesnt matter. Coco It doesnt matter what for. Why. I found it. Us that is. I found us. Really. Paula. It doesnt matter. They kiss. Cheerfully. Paula lights her cigarette. Coco Roll one for me too. Paula Youve got to be crazy. IX. In the Audi. Sybille and Bruno are driving home. Brandenburg backwards in the dark. Brunos driving. Sybilles sitting next to him. She is rubbing gel onto her mosquito bites. Bruno sees her skin in the corner of his eye. Swollen under the bug bites. Bruno places his hand on the back of Sybilles neck. Hes thinking of Paula. Sybille No not like that. Bruno puts his hand on the steering wheel. Sybille Make little crosses with your fingernail. Bruno doesnt do anything at all. Sybille Temporary suspension of itchiness through local diversion of pain. In other words consolation. Bruno I dont need consoling. Sybille Yeah youve got your screenplay. Bruno Why wont you help me. Sybille Why wont you just drive me home.

Bruno steps on the gas. Bruno And now. What now. Sybille You have to say something to Paula. Bruno Not now. Not Yet. Now she needs. Now more than ever. She needs someone. Me. Sybille You definitely have to tell Paula something. Bruno Not now. Just put yourself there. Put yourself in her shoes. What are you. A woman or a rock. Sybille You have to tell Paula that Zippo was eating pretzels. Bruno What. Sybille Before it happened that bang. He bites into the pretzel and boom. You have to tell her that. About the pretzel. Absolutely. Bruno How do you know that. Sybille She needs you right now. Bruno Why should I tell her that. It hurts. That kind of thing really hurts. Sybille She needs you more than anyone now. They still havent arrived. Its beginning to rain. X. The hut in Vietnam in the mountains. An oil lamp on the table. Its raining. The sound of the rain has changed. It is soft. It isnt dripping anymore. No pattering or pounding on the bamboo. The water is simply flowing down the wood. Inside and outside. The bucket has lost its function. The rain has long been flowing over the edge. Melanies sitting on a small wooden chair. Her hair is wet, as if shed been swimming in the sea. She has lost

weight. The camera is focussed on her. Shes smiling. Shes waiting. The rain is flowing down the walls. She speaks.

Melanie Day nine. Or eleven. Thats sleep for you. I cant tell if one night has gone by or two. Thats the way it is here. The way sleep is. Who would have thought. Its stopped raining. Pause. The water is flowing. Just kidding. She laughs. Girl One and Girl Two dont come anymore. Maybe the path has been washed away. Or I only imagined. Its possible. I never got them on camera. Im alone. Me and the rain. She lifts both feet off the floor into the cameras view. They are wet. Sopping wet. Everythings covered in water. I havent eaten anything in three or four days. Youd think Id be missing something. Protein carbohydrates. I can do without. Thats sleep. The mattress is wet. I am. How can I put it. Stew meat. She gets up. I should go home. I really should go home. The documentary work didnt. How shall I say. Didnt pan out somehow. She splashes her feet in the water. The station will be disappointed. The oil lamp slowly gives up the ghost. XI.

The house at the Baltic Sea. Coco and Paula on the stairs that lead from the terrace to the sea. In front of them the sea, the dark sky, storm flies. Its raining. Lightly. They have pulled up their hoods. The bag is in front of them. The one Coco had dragged across the sand earlier. Paula I dont understand you. Coco I dont understand you. Your house your terrace everything is yours. For the rest of the time. What more do you want. Paula Stay here. Coco I have to catch the bus. Paula Lets stay here. Coco In this rain. Paula Well find ourselves something a house by the sea a job. Bakers can always find something. And then later. When you. Then youll stay home. Coco In the house by the sea. Paula Well figure it out. Im a cook. Or I was. Cookings not something you forget. At daybreak Ill go down to the fish market. At noon Ill grill prawns for tourists. And Ill save the best ones. The biggest for you two. Coco Youll smell like fish and Ill smell like baby poop. Paula I want you to stay. Coco You want the child not me. Paula I want you both. Coco Are you always like this after sex. Paula Like what. Coco So damn far away. Paula But youre the one whos leaving.

Coco gets up. Paula When does your bus leave. Coco At one. Paula Take the one after. Coco That wont change anything. Paula Lets talk. Coco It does shit talking with you. Paula I wish you would stay. Coco Who. Paula You. Coco Funny girl. Coco gets up and leaves. Her raincoat, the bag, everything is damper, heavier. The sand is hard.

ACT FIVE (The worlds baring of teeth while it keeps on turning) I. In Zippos room. Bruno is tidying up. Slowly. He has started with the clothes. He has two heaps in front of him. Hes kneeling. He is unfolding the clothes. Looking at them. Folding them again. Putting them down on one or the other of the heaps. Depending. One of the heaps is much higher than the other one. Paulas standing in the doorway. Shes looking at him. He doesnt notice her. She picks something up from the

floor. A stuffed animal, a pillow, something soft. She throws it at Bruno. She hits him. He turns to her. Paula What the hell are you doing. Bruno This place needs tidying up. Paula Tidying up. Bruno It needs sorting out. Paula Sorting out. Bruno The good clothes for the Salvation Army and the shabby stuff for the garbage. Paula The Salvation Army. What the hell are you doing. Bruno It has to be done at some point. Paula Done. Bruno I got some boxes. Seven of them. Thats got to be enough. Paula I met someone. Bruno stretches a t-shirt over his knee. Paula Coco. Thats her name. Corinna. Shes. Coco. She can use all of this. Bruno You mean everything. Paula means everything. Paula Why dont you turn it into an office. Bruno

Zippos room. Paula Zippos gone. Bruno is silent. Paula Zippo is somewhere else entirely not here. Bruno keeps his hand in the heap of clothes. Paula Your screenplay. Write it here. Bruno I dont know. Here. Paula Here. Why not. Bruno Yeah. Paula starts making room. Creates more chaos. Pushes objects together. They obstruct the way. Bruno I cant get started. Paula Start with this. Paula tosses him the panda bear. Paula Hungry. Bruno God yes. Paula I brought fish. She leaves. II. In the kitchen. The radio croaks a song. Janis Joplin: Take Another Little Piece of My Heart. Rain flows down the kitchen window. Paula is dissecting the fish. Cuts its belly open. Smears butter between skin and meat. She folds it shut. Butters the fish from the outside. Seasons it. Weighs it in her hand. III. In Zippos room. Bruno on his knees. The panda bear on top of him. He can hear Janis Joplin from the kitchen. Rain flows down the window in Zippos room. Bruno puts the panda down in a corner. He pushes the two heaps

of clothes over, shoves them with his foot to the chaos in the middle of the room. More and more stuff amasses in the middle. You can smell the fish in the frying pan. Bruno keeps going. IV. At the bakery. Rain flows down large window panes. Janis Joplin. The oven is empty, its door open. Coco stands in front of a large table. Dough lies stretched out on the table. Coco has one hand behind her back. With the other one she tries to braid a pretzel. Heat spreads in the room. The song is faded out. Radio announcers voice What rain. In Berlin and Brandenburg. Munich Hamburg all of Germany is getting it. Vienna too is reporting showers. Rain rain rain. I want to go out into the street in my bare feet. Right now. A continuous drizzle in Prague. In Moscow a thunderstorm with gusts of wind. Dripping from eyelashes. Flood waves submerge Scotland. Numerous people have lost the roofs over their heads in Vietnam. What rain. It makes me feel like wild poppy. Opening its gaping glaring red mouth in the middle of the meadow. Thats how I feel. As if newborn. Coco drops to the floor. V. The hut in Vietnam in the mountains. The rain has stopped. The bamboo has become dark from the water. An occasional tardy drop flies down into the full bucket. The floor is covered in water. The hut is empty. VI. At the table. In the middle of the table a fish is swimming in a pool of butter. Rain on the window. Bruno and Paula are seated opposite each other. They fold open the fish. Pull the bones off. Put fish meat on their plates. They begin to eat. Bruno Look at you. Paula Stupid fish is cold. Bruno You look different somehow. Paula Tastes like shit and is cold.

Bruno Who is Coco. Paula Shes pregnant. They are silent. Bruno I want to sleep with you. Paula Why. They are silent. Bruno With Sybille. That was. Paula What. They are silent. Paula Ill put everything into the boxes. Zippos room. And drive over to her. Bruno To who. Paula To Coco. Bruno Good. Paula Nothings good. Bruno I want to sleep with you. Paula Why. Bruno Why why. You know why. Because sex after fighting. Its. Paula Were not fighting. They look at each other. No fight in their eyes, no sex in sight. Bruno Zippo. Paula Remember the nurse. Bruno

The accident. Paula Stop it. Bruno He bought himself pretzels. Before it happened the bang. He was biting right into a pretzel. Pause Paula You swear. Bruno Cross my heart and hope to die. They shake hands over shreds of fish. VI. In the kitchen. Bruno is alone. Everything is clean. Bruno has a jacket on, ready to leave. He picks up the telephone. Dials. Waits. A long time. He only gets voicemail. Bruno Sybille. Its Bruno. Hi. I just wanted. Well anyway. So. Well. Pause. I just wanted to say. Id like to. I know this sounds somehow. Now that Zippo. And Paula. And I. I have to concentrate. The screenplay and all. But Sybille. Somehow. Id like to. No matter what it sounds like. But. Would you have some time for me tomorrow. Bruno stays seated. Keeps his jacket on. VII.

In a caf. Sybille sitting. She is having mineral water. Bruno sits down opposite her. He could be in a shampoo ad with his hair. Sybille has sheets of paper spread out in front of her. Bruno Whats that supposed to be. Sybille A job interview. Bruno Are you insane. Sybille You need a job. Bruno Im writing a screenplay. Sybille Home of Tears needs you. I read through the sisters parts again. The dialogues have to get more real more down-to-earth more female. The mourning needs more bite. But the plot. Dead on. Bruno. Youve got it in your bones the feeling for housewife drama. Just say yes. Well breathe new life into the sisters. You and I. Im going to hire you as storyline assistant. Bruno Are you insane. You quit. Paula I lied. Bruno And Brandenburg the kayak and everything. Sybille I can take those liberties now and then. In my position. Here. She hands him the contract, a pen. Bruno doesnt sign it. Bruno Im working on a screenplay. Sybille Who are you fooling. Bruno Im going to write in his room. Its a start. Zippos room. Sybille. Drop the psychopath act. Sybille

Im serious. Bruno Me too. Sybille gathers up the sheets of paper. She looks at him. Sybille Youre looking good really splendid. Not a spot on your pants your hair blow-dried white teeth. Youre going all out. Bruno I was really looking forward to seeing you. Sybille (imitates him) I was really looking forward to seeing you. Stay factual Bruno. Do you seriously think Im going to get involved with someone. Whos unable to grieve for even one summer. Bruno. Any puppy could do better than that. Bruno You dont know me at all. Sybille True. A gaze, an inner blast, a smile, things like that. Sybille Youre writing the screenplay. Bruno Yes. Sybille Good. Bruno I think Paula has met someone. Sybille What the heck did you do to your hair. Bruno She wants to move out get a job her own place. Zippo. His room. She put it in boxes. They are all all these boxes. Are in front of this door. Where some woman lives. Who is pregnant. She can use all of it. Thats what Paula thinks. But the woman wasnt home. Sybille gets up. Packs everything up. Quickly. Bruno

Where are you going. Sybille Were getting the boxes. Bruno Are you insane. Sybille Come on. VIII. In the kitchen. Paula is sitting at the kitchen table. Languidly. The table is empty. She takes her tobacco out of her pocket. Rolls a cigarette. The telephone rings. Doesnt stop. Paula lets it ring. Puts the cigarette in her mouth. Doesnt smoke. The answering machine. Cocos voice Paula. This is Coco. Remember. From the beach house. I just thought Id call. Im doing fine. Im in the hospital. Everything is alright with me dont worry. I just thought Id call. Its really too bad. That youre not home. Always so damn far away. Well as I said. Im doing fine. Thats what they said. But the kid. The kids done for. Suffocated inside me. Why. They asked me. Why did you leave the oven door open so long. What do you think. How much can a little lung like that take. Thats what they asked me. They werent nice but everything went okay. Now Im empty again. All hollow. What was left of the kid is gone. They cut it out of me. What was left of it. Some of it. Some of the kid. I got rid of myself earlier. I just thought Id tell you that. Paula. Im doing fine.

Its what they said. Im going home now. I know what youre gonna say now. She didnt look after my child. The stupid lesbian. Thats what youre gonna say now. Silence Paula Shit the boxes. Paula hasnt moved. The cigarette stays glued to her lips. IX. In front of Cocos apartment door. A hallway like any other. No boxes. Sybille Where are they. No boxes. Sybille Where are the boxes. Bruno In the apartment. Where else. Sybille Shit. They ring the doorbell. They hear steps. Nobody opens. Sybille Is anyone home. Theres someone home isnt there. Silence. Cocos voice What do you want. Bruno This is Bruno Paulas. This is Sybille. My. Sybille Its about the boxes. Cocos voice What boxes. Sybille You know. The boxes. Cocos voice What kind of nutcases are you.

X. In Cocos apartment. Coco is drinking wine. She is smoking cigarettes down to the label. She is walking, pushing the limits of her apartment. No boxes. The telephone rings. She lets it ring. Keeps on walking. The answering machine. Paulas voice Coco. Are you home. This is Paula. Im sorry. The boxes. Forget the boxes. All this. You are really. So Coco Cant we. The two of us. Coco answers the phone. Coco Damn it Paula. What boxes. XI. The hut in Vietnam in the mountains. The hut is rejuvenated. Has recovered from the rain. The window might be telling of the sun. Melanie is sitting on the small chair. She is dressed in blue. The camera is pointed at her. She doesnt pay any attention to it. She is eating. She is eating with her fingers. Her hands are spotted blue from the fabric of her pants. Between her fingers is meat, not rice. She looks up. Into the camera. She doesnt smile. Curtain.