Scene 4
It is afternoon, Mdala sits at a table drinking Perrier eating soup. Marie and Anne return, Anne carrying shopping bags from upscale stores.
Marie: You sure you don't want me to drive you over to the hotel first?
Anne: No, that's fine. I'll have a glass of wine and something to eat and wait for Matt. His text said he'd be back soon. It's better to keep the bags here to show him I've been having fun.
Marie: I did have fun.
Anne: Oh, Marie, I didn't mean it that way. I had a ball. Meet you here later for a drink?
Marie: Maybe. I need to take care of some stuff at home and then I need to see if I can track down Gil—without upsetting him.
Anne: Give him a ring, or text or whatever people do now, rather than go over. If he wants space give him space. Just check in. Offer to bring food to the starving artist
Marie (laughs): That might work. Thanks Anne.
Anne: Thank you. (They embrace) Ciao.
Marie: A bientôt.
Anne sits at a table near Mdala and Steve comes over.
Steve: Bon jour madame.
Anne: Bon jour Steve, the Chardonnay please.
Steve: Anything to eat?
Anne (looking over at Mdala): What's the soup?
Steve and Mdala: Billi Bi.
Anne: Billi Bi?
Steve and Mdala look to see who will answer
Steve: It's a mussel soup, cream, wine, onions.
Anne to Mdala: Is it good?
Mdala: Wonderful.
Anne: Billi Bi pour moi s'il vous plait. (to Mdala) Thank you and sorry if it was rude to intrude.
Mdala: Not at all. You are Americain?
Anne: It's impossible to miss isn't it?
Mdala: We are all impossible to miss I think.
Anne: I couldn't guess where you're from. It could be here, but it could be ….almost anywhere...except America (laughs).
Mdala: It's Senegal. But my point was that we all have qualities that are apparent, and of course lots that are not. Are you here alone?
Anne: No, my husband is here too. He is up at the space center. He's a rocket nut and found a kindred spirit here in a local young woman.
Mdala: This does not bother you?
Anne (laughs): I was the one who set them up! No. I don't share his passion for rockets, but I don't object to it, and Jeanette was a way of proving I wasn't holding a grudge.
Mdala: A grudge?
Anne: For dragging me to Guiana under false pretenses. He came for the launch tomorrow, but pretended he had just discovered an alternative to our usual Caribbean haunts.
Mdala: Ah. Why does he like the rockets?
Anne: Probably for the same reason all men do, they're . . . . oh, I should probably stop myself before I embarrass us both.
Mdala: For what it is worth, I do not like the rockets. In fact I'm organizing a protest against tomorrow's launch—but for the first time I feel like that perhaps impugns my masculinity.
Anne: Oh, this is too good, I'm making friends with the enemy, and I'm sure your masculinity is just fine.
Steve brings the soup and wine.
Anne: Will you join me in a glass of wine?
Mdala: Pardon, but I don't drink (he lifts his glass of water) but to your health.
Anne: And yours.
No comments:
Post a Comment