Nikolay Lakutin
It was almost there. A play for 4 people. Comedy
Scene 2. Shhh…
night.
Very poor lighting.
Alarming soft music!
Irina comes home.
He steals cautiously, settles down on the sofa. Quickly throws on a housecoat, lies down, falls asleep.
Danil enters. Quietly, quietly on tiptoe sneaks, looks around. Quietly changing clothes in a hurry. He goes to bed somewhere else. He doesn't notice Irina.
…
You can beat the change of scenes of Nina and Irina's apartments with light. Danila and Irina need to be removed at this moment.
…
The same night in the apartment of the second married couple. Oleg walks back and forth in a very, very weak light, he does not find a place for himself. He attaches himself to some corner, sits down. He falls asleep just like that. Nina enters. Oleg passes by very quietly. Notices him, thinks about it. He covers his mouth with his hand. She doesn't know what to do or how to be. Rushing around in thoughts, whether to wake up, or leave everything as it is. He does not dare to wake up. Quietly goes into another room.
The music stops.
Scene 3. Misunderstandings.
Morning.
The light turns on.
Oleg wakes up on the floor. I managed to slide out of a sitting sleepy position during the night. Wakes up, stretches, gets up. He looks at his watch.
Nina's traditional snoring comes from the next room.
Oleg turns around at this snoring.
Oleg (partly relieved). Yeah…, so – at home. When she just brushed past me.
Oleg stretches once more. Shouts to his wife in a dissatisfied voice, with a hit-and-run.
Oleg (sternly, loudly). EEEEE! Night bird! Let's stop snoring there already. Come on, we need to talk.
Nina, who has not slept well, comes out, yawns.
Nina (yawning). What are you making noise about?
Oleg (sternly, quietly, looking away). We need to talk.
Nina is wary. Sleep flies off her in one fell swoop. She is nervous, she also looks away.
Oleg (cautiously, moderately severely). You… is there anything you want to tell me?
Nina (cautiously, also with a hit-and-run). And you to me?
Oleg (cautiously, moderately severely). Willingly. So I came home yesterday, but I didn't find you. You sat down, drank… Then you disappear, and then you come from nowhere at night. What should I think? So, I repeat the question. Is there anything you want to tell me? Explain?
Nina (cautiously, also with a hit-and-run). I want to remind you that we had visitors yesterday. You behaved very "manly". He left me here alone with them and took off. And I'm still to blame for you now!
Oleg (cautiously, moderately severely). Let's clarify a bit. You spent time here yesterday not with guests, but with a guest. Irina jumped out almost after me. I met her not far from home. You stayed here with Danil. You sat, drank, then left, then you came at night. And I really don't like what you're doing. I've been loyal to you all my life and I deserve to know the truth. Did you have something with Danil last night?
Nina (cautiously, also with a hit-and-run). What about you and Irina? Where were you hanging around with her and what were you doing?
Oleg (nodding, disappointed). Everything is clear… Okay, you can go back to sleep. I don't want to talk to you right now. I don't know how and what will happen next. But now I want to be alone.
Sad music is playing.
Oleg leaves.
Nina waves her hands excitedly, goes back to the bedroom in her thoughts.
The music subsides along with the blackout.
ZTM.
Scene 4. Misunderstandings 2.
Morning.
The light turns on.
Danil and Irina are sitting in different places, this time without phones in their hands. They look at each other sideways. They keep quiet.
Danil is the first to break the silence.
Danil (on a heavy exhalation). Tell me.
Irina looks at her husband in surprise.
Irina (indignantly). That is, I also tell you?
Danil looks at his wife with an onslaught.
Irina (giving up, throwing up her hands indignantly). Okay, I'm telling you. You jumped on me. I ran away. Aired, paused. I came back – and you're gone. And Nina, by the way, too. So now, my dear, the story begins with you. Where did you and my friend go, I wonder?
Danil (indignantly). Where have we gone? We went to look for you! Where did you go with my friend? You jumped out after him right away. Oh, how I doubt that your paths have diverged.
Irina (excusing herself). Yes, I really met Oleg. We sat at the house on the playground, talked. We made a circle around it and returned. And there's no one at home.
Danil (indignantly). That's right – no one! We went looking for you!
Irina (with a smile). And where were you looking? In a rented apartment?
Danil (indignantly). What are you talking about? In which apartment?
Irina (pressing). I do not know which one. But we've been waiting for you for quite a long time. By the way, I called. Why didn't you pick up the phone, huh? Tell me, did you accidentally put it on silent mode?
Danil takes out his phone, looks at him in surprise.
Danil (surprised). Oh, really, missed. Yes, exactly on silent. Strange.
Irina (not believing). Yes, yes… Strange. There's not one missing. I called several times. And since you say you went looking for me, why didn't you call? I didn't turn off my phone and didn't translate it to silent. What do you say, seeker?
Danil is lost for a while, but quickly comes into offensive form.
Danil (with attacks). I didn't call on purpose. In order not to tell you too much in a hurry. And there was something to say, believe me!
Irina (not believing). Oh, oh, what a noble… I do not believe.
Irina defiantly turns away from her husband.
Danil gets up from the sofa.
Danil (exhaling, offended). Okay, everything is clear with you. I walked up – I came. I'm happy for you. I've never forbidden you anything like that. If you walk, walk to your health, but with my friend, why? (He waves it away nervously.) Ah…
sad music sounds.
Danil leaves.
Irina looks after him doubtfully.
The music subsides along with the blackout.
ZTM.
Scene 5. Male conversation.
A playground near the house, where men have already had the good fortune to watch an entertaining scene through the window.
Sounds intriguing, decisive music.
Men (Oleg and Danil) come out from different sides. They are resolutely heading towards each other.
The music stops.
Danil (brusquely, defiantly). Olegych, hello, dear! That's what I wanted to tell you!
Danil makes a right hook (you can do it from the left), but Oleg dodges. A fist sweeps past his jaw.
Danil, by the inertia of the swing, flies a little to the side. He gathers his thoughts. So far, it does not attack anymore, because it is somewhat complicated.
Oleg looks at the whole situation with a surprisingly condescending eye, and it even seems to please him.
Oleg (sternly, but at the same time with warmth). You know, but I wanted to talk to you about the same thing. And in about the same form.
Danil (looking away sternly, somewhat embarrassed). It was so accepted in my village, where I come from. In all questionable situations, fists were used first, and then they talked. Sorry, it worked… What's his name… instinct, genes, or habit… Damn him.
Oleg (with understanding). Yes, we had about the same thing. As you can see, even the reaction has been preserved. So what? Shall we talk?
Danil (exhaling heavily, thinking about the upcoming conversation). Let's be honest. Oleg, you know that I am quite calm about my wife's frivolity. We have been doing this for a long time, everything is fine. But this frivolity should not have affected our friendship in any way. The fact that I know about Irka's lover, and I'm not doing anything, does not mean at all that I won't hit him sometime somewhere. You know, someone else's family is dark. Why did you get into this situation? I trusted you, didn't I?
Oleg nods.
His nods are vague.
Danil does not understand what he means by this.
Oleg (calming down). So you're saying that you didn't have anything with my Nina?
Danil (surprised). What kind of questions? Of course not! I had no idea. We sat with her for a while, and then went outside. Your wife clearly needed to talk, breathe, and put her thoughts in order. You got her, buddy, over the years of living together – specifically! So you're still owed for a session of psychotherapy. I was steamed up to listen to her, but where to go – a friend's wife.
Oleg listens attentively, nods with understanding, calms down.
Danil (cautiously). Well, did you have something with my Irka, or not?
Oleg looks at Danil very seriously.
Oleg (seriously). Should I tell you honestly?
Danil (tensely). If you're a man, then tell it like it is. I'll find out the truth sooner or later anyway.
Oleg (seriously). I say it as it is. Your Irina and I could really have had everything. But thanks to the fact that your friend, as you rightly put it, is a fool, the danger has passed.
Danil (still not too believing what he heard). Wait, wait. I mean, what are you… You mean you didn't have anything there?
Oleg (smiling cautiously). I'm sorry, but I didn't let her near me.
Danil (on nerves, on emotions, with relief). Oh, you damn blasphemer!
Bright loud music sounds with pleasantly dramatic overtones.
Danil approaches Oleg, the men hug each other tightly, like a man, with sincerity, strength and countless respect.
The music sounds for a while longer, and stops along with the blackout.
ZTM.
