The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes (8 page)

SAHAR:
Salim! They will come back and they will kill you. And they will kill me. And they will kill our daughter.

CARLOS:
I will fight them.

SAHAR:
With what? Your broom? Are you going to sweep them away?

CARLOS:
I’m not going without you and Lina.

SAHAR:
Lina is five years old. How can she go anywhere? My parents are old. My father is sick. They have no one else to care for them. I will not abandon them. You must go. Salim. Please. I have packed a bag for you. My father…

SAHAR:
It will not get you to America. But Europe maybe. Your cousin in London…

CARLOS:
I can’t take that.

SAHAR:
Take it!

CARLOS:
What will you do without a husband? Lina without a father? It is too dangerous for a woman on her own.

SAHAR:
I will be safer without you.

SAHAR:
Please. Salim. If you have ever loved me then do this for me. I have obeyed you as a wife. I am asking you now to obey me. A Sunni can not be married to a Shia.

CARLOS:
I will send for you.

SAHAR:
No.

CARLOS:
As soon as I can. You and Lina.

SAHAR:
No. I will not wait for you. You must go and not come back. That is the only way we will be safe.

CARLOS:
Here. Keep it or sell it if you can get a good price.

SAHAR:
It’s a fake.

CARLOS:
Are you sure?

SAHAR:
It’s not worth anything.
(Beat.)
Why don’t you give me your wedding ring instead?

CARLOS:
I divorce you. I divorce you. I divorce you.

SAHAR:
Thank you.

SEVEN

January 2009
.

Lydia’s home. Bedroom.
CARLOS
, dressed in a white T-shirt and boxer shorts, is sat up in bed. His hands are handcuffed to the bedpost.
LYDIA
, wearing a slip, is on her hands and knees looking for something on the floor
.

CARLOS
points to a spot on the floor with his foot. He is wearing his ring and has a moderate Iraqi accent
.

CARLOS:
Over there.

LYDIA:
Where?

CARLOS:
(Pointing.)
There.

LYDIA:
Here?

CARLOS:
No.
(His foot can’t reach so he indicates with his eyes.)
Look.

LYDIA:
(Looking on the floor.)
I can’t see it.

CARLOS:
Look eyes!

LYDIA:
What do you think I’m looking with? I can’t see the pill. How did you drop it? I’ll have to go and get you another one.

CARLOS:
No. Sahar look!

LYDIA:
Who?

CARLOS:
What?

LYDIA:
What did you just call me?

CARLOS:
Call you what?

LYDIA:
You called me Sahar.

CARLOS:
I did? But you are not Sahar.

LYDIA:
I know I’m not Sahar! It’s bad enough you can’t remember you attacked me last night. You can at least try and remember my name.

CARLOS:
I know your name. You are…you are…

LYDIA:
Your
wife
. Your
second
wife.

CARLOS:
Yes. You are…You are my
second
wife.
(Beat.)
Lydia.

LYDIA:
Well done.

CARLOS:
This is why you handcuff me Lydia? Because I can’t remember your name? This is not very nice.

LYDIA:
(Snaps.)
No! I handcuffed you because you tried to bloody strangle me!

CARLOS:
I did?

LYDIA:
Yes!

CARLOS:
But I don’t remember.

LYDIA:
You don’t remember?

CARLOS:
No. Ah, maybe it was a nightmare.

CARLOS:
What? Why are you accusing me like this?

LYDIA:
I’m going to get the pills.

CARLOS:
Lydia?

LYDIA:
I’ll get the medicine first.

CARLOS:
Lydia?
(Beat.)
LYDIA?
(Pause.)
LYDIA!?

LYDIA:
Here you go.

LYDIA:
Take the pill.

LYDIA:
Open your mouth.

CARLOS:
What is this?

LYDIA:
It’s medicine. For your nightmares. To stop you having the bad dreams.

CARLOS:
I don’t want it.

LYDIA:
You have to. It’s the only way we can control the nightmares.

CARLOS:
No!

LYDIA:
(Smiling.)
Take the pill Salim. Please. Take it for me.

CARLOS:
I am not Salim! I’m Carlos… Carlos Fuentes.

LYDIA:
No. You’re not.

CARLOS:
I am Carlos.

LYDIA:
No.

CARLOS:
I’m Carlos!

LYDIA:
Salim!

CARLOS:
Carlos!

LYDIA:
Carlos isn’t real. You’re Salim Abdul Husain. From Baghdad. From Iraq. A Sunni not a Shia. Remember? You told me.

CARLOS:
(Confused.)
No.

LYDIA:
You’re Salim Abdul Husain.

CARLOS:
Salim?

LYDIA:
Yes.

LYDIA:
You don’t remember do you?

LYDIA:
You tried to jump out of the window. You tried to kill yourself. We have to make sure you don’t hurt anybody. You. Or me. Otherwise we’ll have to take you back to that place. And I don’t want that to happen. Let me look after you.

CARLOS:
The handcuffs?

LYDIA:
Let’s try again. OK?

LYDIA:
Let me go!
(Beat.)
Please Salim. You’re hurting me.

CARLOS:
Where is our daughter? Where is she? She’s going to be late for school. You better call her for breakfast Sahar.
(Beat.)
What’s the matter? Where’s Lina? When’s she coming?

LYDIA:
Lina’s not coming.

CARLOS:
Why? Where is she?

LYDIA:
She’s dead.

CARLOS:
No. That’s not true. Where is Lina?

LYDIA:
I know it’s hard. But Lina’s dead.
(Beat.)
And so is Sahar.

CARLOS:
(Disbelieving.)
No.

LYDIA:
She’s dead. Lina was killed by a car bomb in Baghdad. Sahar… Sahar committed suicide.
(Beat.)
I’m sorry.

CARLOS:
No. That was a nightmare. It wasn’t real. It was a dream.

LYDIA:
This is real.

CARLOS:
No.

LYDIA:
This is real. I’m real. I’m your wife. You’re my husband. We’re married.

CARLOS:
This isn’t a nightmare?

LYDIA:
No.

LYDIA:
Take the medicine Salim. It’s the only way we can live together.

LYDIA:
Good.

CARLOS:
I… I feel tired.

LYDIA:
Why don’t you lie down then? Rest for a little bit.

CARLOS:
Will you lie next to me?

CARLOS:
Do you remember the day we first met?

LYDIA:
Yes. In the restaurant.

CARLOS:
No.
(Beat.)
It was the park.

LYDIA:
The park?

CARLOS:
Yes. In Baghdad.

LYDIA:
Oh. The park.

CARLOS:
Yes. You were sitting in the park.

LYDIA:
I was eating my lunch?

CARLOS:
Yes. Correct.

LYDIA:
I was eating my lunch in the park.

CARLOS:
Good. Do you remember what you were wearing?

LYDIA:
A skirt?

CARLOS:
A dress. A short blue dress.
(Smiling.)
It showed off your legs.

LYDIA:
Oh. How could I forget?

CARLOS:
What were you doing? In the park?

LYDIA:
I was trying to read my book.

CARLOS:
You weren’t really reading though were you?

LYDIA:
No. I was trying not to look over at you. You were talking to your friends.

CARLOS:
No. I was playing football with my friends.
(Beat.)
What was it I said when I came over to you?

LYDIA:
You said the stupidest thing.

CARLOS:
(Smiling.)
Did I? Oh yeah! I did, didn’t I? God!
(Beat.)
Remind me what I said Sahar.

LYDIA:
Can I borrow some of your grass please?

CARLOS:
What a… I was so nervous. It was the first thing that came into my head.

LYDIA:
I could tell you were nervous.

CARLOS:
But you weren’t. You were so confident and poised. So elegant. That’s what attracted me to you. You were different from all the other girls. That’s when I fell in love with you.

LYDIA:
Right away?

CARLOS:
Yes. The very first time I saw you.

CARLOS:
Sahar?

LYDIA:
Yes?

CARLOS:
I love you.

LYDIA:
I love you too Salim.

CARLOS:
Is Lina coming?

LYDIA:
Yes.

CARLOS:
I feel so tired.

LYDIA:
Why don’t you go to sleep then?

CARLOS:
Will you wake me up when she comes home?

LYDIA:
Yes my love.