Authors: Jon Fosse
Say it
Say it at once
Say it
Loudly
Say it
say yes
HE
Yes
Long pause
SHE
Yes
Pause. She lets go of his chin, walks out on the floor, turns suddenly to him
But why isn’t Rambuku coming
pause
for something is going to happen
quite short pause, a little angrily
and you’re
quite different
my dear
quite short pause
it’s only here
you’re like this
in Rambuku you’re not like this
I know that
for there you are the most beautiful
of them all
not so big and strong
but with a few tosses
of your thoughts
of your soul
a few tosses
radiant in their movements
quite short pause
yes like Rambuku
short pause
but you just stand there
just stand there
quite short pause
and look and look
and we’re not going to be here
we’re going to Rambuku
quite short pause
come on walk
walk a little
Walk
I’m telling you
Walk
He begins to walk slowly
You
short pause
yes you
quite short pause
you rotten man
very sad
that’s right
you rotten man
quite short pause
for I suppose you’ve always been rotten
quite short pause
always
short pause
always other women
always that
quite short pause
and how could I stand being
with you
but I
quite short pause
yes indeed I took what was mine
I want you to know that
and you do know that
quite short pause
yes of course
quite short pause
you know that
quite short pause
or
quite short pause
do you
answer
answer now
short pause
and you don’t answer
quite short pause
why don’t you answer
quite short pause
why don’t you speak
say something
quite short pause
you don’t say anything
you don’t answer
quite short pause
I tell you to answer
and you don’t answer
quite short pause
answer
say something
quite short pause
and don’t just walk around
answer
say something
don’t walk
don’t walk anymore
stop
he stops
answer
say something
pause
No
Short pause
No alright
Short pause
Do you want to go to Rambuku
quite short pause
or don’t you
quite short pause
I know you want to
so don’t just stand there
and look and look
quite short pause
Walk
Walk
He begins to walks slowly. Short pause
For now it’s finished
now
quite short pause
now Rambuku shall open up
now
today
quite short pause
finally
quite short pause
do you understand
say something
do you understand
that Rambuku shall open up
quite short pause
and don’t just walk around
stop that
can’t you
stop walking
stop
he stops
and say say that you understand it
Say
I understand it
HE
I understand it
SHE
Good
Say
Now we’re going to Rambuku
HE
Now we’re going to Rambuku
SHE
Thank you
Thank you so much
Thank you
Short pause. She takes his hand
It felt so good
to hear you say it
She shakes his hand
to hear your voice say it
so thank you
thank you so much
thank you
She lets go of his hand. Quite short pause
Would you like to read for me
Short pause
No I don’t suppose you do
Almost threateningly
You must answer me when I speak to you
say something
you used to do that
to talk to me
you were always doing it
you answered
talked
said things to me
quite short pause
called me whore
quite short pause
but now
short pause
now you just stand there
and look and look
quite short pause
you don’t exist
aren’t here
you just stand there
quite short pause
And I have lived my life with you
Pause
But you were
yes
She smiles
you were beautiful
yes beautiful
like Rambuku
quite short pause
but if only I could’ve given you back
to the woman you left
laughs a little to herself
I could’ve married
anyone
and then
and then I married you
quite short pause
who just stand there
and look and look
I married you
quite short pause
I don’t understand myself
I don’t understand what I was thinking
what made me do it
short pause
yes I understand it
Do you understand
that I understand it
quite short pause
no of course you don’t
but I
quite short pause
I understand it
because
quite short pause
you were such a beautiful man
there were so many nuances
in you
quite short pause
Rambuku
was in you
quite short pause
and married
yes you were married
and to a beautiful woman
and I
breaks off
yes
quite short pause
yes you were
quite short pause
and she was a
breaks off. She takes the pad and the pencil from her bag, writes
,
tears off the sheet, hands it to him, he stands and fumbles with the sheet
Look
And read
Read loudly and clearly
Read
Pause
HE
reads
Whore
SHE
Yes exactly
see
you could do it
you were married to
yes
yes read it one more time
loudly and clearly
yes
yes read it
He stands and fumbles with the note, looks at it
Read it one more time
You were married to a
Pause
HE
reads
Whore
SHE
Good
That’s a good boy
And then
then you must say
yes what was her name
yes her
that
that whore
yes
yes say it
why don’t you say it to me
say it
quite short pause
no
no don’t say it
quite short pause
let it be gone
let’s leave it behind
her name shall not exist
in Rambuku
of course not
short pause
for there
finally
she is gone
finally she no longer exists
quite short pause
there’s no room for her
in Rambuku
very sad
and soon everything’s gone
do you understand that
don’t just stand there
look around
can’t you see Rambuku is coming
but look
come look
Look
He looks around
yes
yes finally the day has come
when you shall see Rambuku
you see that
don’t you
of course you see that
I know that you
can see that
I know that
quite short pause
so don’t
quite short pause
don’t
She writes, tears off the note, hands it to him
don’t look around
quite short pause
look at the note
He looks at the note
But read it then
Read
Pause
HE
reads
I’ve lived here
But soon I’ll live in Rambuku
SHE
nods
That was good
so good to hear
Short pause
Read it one more time
please
let me hear you read it again
yes
Pause
HE
reads
I’ve lived here
But soon I’ll live in Rambuku
SHE
Thank you
Thank you that was beautiful
quite short pause, she puts the pad and the pencil in her bag. She walks over to him and strokes his hair
But you
my
quite short pause
my good boy
my good old boy
She puts her arm under his arm, they stand like that, arm in arm, long pause
yes
quite short pause
yes that’s how we stood
do you remember
we stood like this
quite short pause
and then we walked inside
quite short pause
into the church
She smiles a little to herself and leads him slowly forwards
do you remember
this is how we walked
they stop, stand still. Long pause. She lets go of his arm, walks a little away from him
No
quite short pause
no perhaps you don’t remember
quite short pause
no of course you don’t
quite short pause
But no one can remember here
quite short pause
no one can be here
quite short pause
and we have been here
always been
always here
quite short pause
year in and year out
have we been here
Pause
But read what I wrote in the note
Pause. He fumbles with the note
HE
reads
Whore
SHE
And the other note
Pause
HE
reads
I’ve lived here
But soon I’ll live in Rambuku
SHE
Read what the first note says
Pause
HE
Whore
SHE
Read it one more time
Pause
HE
reads
Whore
SHE
Read it yet one more time
Pause
HE
reads
Whore
Pause
SHE
Now read what the other note says
Pause
HE
reads
I’ve lived here
But soon I’ll live in Rambuku
SHE
Yes
Short pause
It makes me
quite short pause
yes happy
when I hear you say
that you’ll soon live
in Rambuku
Short pause, she takes a pile of sheets from her bag, leafs through them, hands him one
Read
Pause
HE
reads
And when she came towards me
I saw that she was the most beautiful woman
I’d ever seen
the way she moved
her eyes
the enormous song welling up in her
SHE
Yes
Pause
Keep reading
HE
reads
I could not imagine being with
any other woman
quite short pause
she was the most beautiful
Pause
SHE
Keep reading
Pause
HE
reads
To him there would never
be anyone else
He was sure of that
Pause
SHE
No
She goes and takes the sheet of paper from him. She looks at him, reads
She was such a beautiful woman
She looks at him
She is such a beautiful woman
Pause
Yes
Pause. She puts the sheet back in the pile, finds another sheet, puts the pile back in her bag and hands him the sheet she has selected and He looks at the sheet, stands and looks at it
Read
quite short pause
why do you just stand there
and look and look
Read
Long pause
HE
reads
I see that the mountain opens up
and out of the mountain comes a man
a young beautiful man
and he walks quietly forwards
he is beautiful
dressed in a black suit