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I Am the Wind

Page 4

by Simon Stephens


  THE OTHER

  Kind of

  THE ONE

  You don’t think it’s beautiful

  THE OTHER

  Its mostly frightening

  short pause

  but we don’t need to go too far out do we

  THE ONE

  No

  quite short pause

  a bit further than this though

  we’ll have to venture a bit further out

  THE OTHER

  A little bit further

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Long pause

  THE OTHER

  You’re heading straight out to sea

  THE ONE

  I know

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  Why

  THE ONE

  You may as well get out on the ocean

  really

  now that you’re in the boat with me

  now you’re out on the water

  THE OTHER

  What if the wind picks up

  With that fog out there

  THE ONE

  But the sea’s really calm

  The sky’s so clear

  Quite short pause

  It’s a good wind

  THE OTHER

  But it changes really quickly

  on the ocean

  THE ONE

  It can do

  quite short pause

  yes

  THE OTHER

  Why don’t we turn back

  THE ONE

  Not yet

  quite short pause

  a little bit further

  quite short pause

  we’ve got to go a bit further out

  A little bit further

  Long pause

  THE OTHER

  Can we turn back

  please

  Long pause

  I’m getting a bit frightened

  THE ONE

  Right

  Pause

  I’ll turn back

  Long pause

  THE OTHER

  You’re still heading straight out

  you’re steering

  straight out to the ocean

  Long pause

  I’m getting frightened

  quite short pause

  I’m frightened

  THE ONE

  Not seriously

  THE OTHER

  I am

  THE ONE

  You’re not

  quite short pause

  this boat’s so solid

  she’s safe

  quite short pause

  the weather’s perfect

  quite short pause

  there’s a good wind

  quite short pause

  everything’s fine

  THE OTHER

  But I’m very frightened

  THE ONE

  Me too

  THE OTHER

  You too

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  Then why don’t you turn back

  quite short pause

  why don’t you

  THE ONE

  Well

  THE ONE keeps heading straight for the open ocean. Long pause

  THE OTHER

  Don’t go any further

  THE ONE

  I won’t

  THE OTHER

  Turn back then

  Long pause

  We’ve gone far enough now

  quite short pause

  stop messing around

  quite short pause

  turn back

  please

  THE ONE

  Well

  quite short pause

  soon

  I’ll turn back soon

  THE OTHER

  Tell me what it was you wanted to say

  you said you wanted to say something to me

  what was it

  THE ONE

  I didn’t want to say anything

  I’ve not got anything to tell you

  Long pause

  THE OTHER

  Tell me why you did it

  THE ONE

  No I

  Short pause

  I

  breaks off. Pause

  THE OTHER

  You

  THE ONE

  I

  breaks off

  THE OTHER

  Yes

  quite short pause

  say it

  THE ONE

  I

  breaks off

  no it’s nothing

  THE OTHER

  Say it

  Pause

  THE ONE

  I was always afraid that it was going to happen

  I thought it would happen

  I was terrified it would

  THE OTHER

  Right

  THE ONE

  And then it did

  THE OTHER

  Yes

  THE ONE

  It just happened

  THE OTHER

  Yes

  Short pause

  THE ONE

  There’s nothing anybody can say about it

  Quite short pause

  And now I’ve gone

  THE OTHER

  Short pause

  Why though

  quite short pause

  why did it happen

  THE ONE

  There’s no reason

  I knew it was going to happen

  And then it happened

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  Right

  Short pause

  Why don’t you turn back

  THE ONE

  Well

  quite short pause

  Alright I’ll turn back soon

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  What happened

  THE ONE

  I

  breaks off

  THE OTHER

  No

  Quite short pause

  No don’t say anything

  Short pause

  You

  quite short pause

  yes

  quite short pause

  yes when we’d come right out onto the ocean

  when we could only just make out the lighthouse

  way back there

  then

  quite short pause

  you remember

  you

  THE ONE

  Interrupts

  Yes

  Long pause

  This is a good wind

  THE OTHER

  Yes we’re making good ground

  Short pause

  THE ONE

  Why don’t you take the tiller

  you

  THE OTHER

  No I daren’t

  THE ONE

  Go on

  take it

  THE OTHER takes the tiller

  Just hold it steady

  hold this course

  THE ONE goes out on the deck

  THE OTHER

  No don’t stand there

  Not out here

  In the middle of the ocean

  Why are you doing that

  Why are you standing there

  Come on

  Sit back down

  Quite short pause

  The wind’s picking up

  The waves are getting big

  I daren’t do this

  We’re closing in on the fog

  Take the tiller

  please

  I’m frightened

  Come on

  Don’t stand there

  It’s dangerous

  THE ONE

  It’s not

  quite short pause

  it’s fine

  this

  THE OTHER

  Don’t stand there

  Come on

  No don’t do that

  Come back

  The waves are getting really big


  Come back

  I’m scared

  Quite short pause

  I don’t want to steer the boat

  You

  take the boat

  Quite short pause

  Come back

  Be careful

  Please come back

  THE ONE

  I will be careful

  Very long pause

  THE OTHER

  And then he stood there on the deck

  He stood there and looked

  quite short pause

  and then

  quite short pause

  right then

  then he sort of stumbled

  quite short pause

  and then he lay there in the sea

  quite short pause

  and I grabbed a life jacket

  and I threw it to him

  and the waves were huge

  quite short pause

  but he didn’t reach for it

  quite short pause

  and the waves rolled over him

  quite short pause

  he was above the waves

  quite short pause

  he was under the waves

  quite short pause

  he lay there in the water

  and the waves were getting bigger

  quite short pause

  I grabbed the boathook

  I tried to reach him

  I tried to get hold of him

  but he pushed the boathook away

  quite short pause

  he was above the waves

  quite short pause

  he was under the waves

  quite short pause

  and then I saw him drift away behind the boat

  quite short pause

  and I

  quite short pause

  I had never sailed a boat before

  I didn’t know anything

  In the middle of the ocean

  the boat just drifts

  the sails flapping

  what am I meant to do

  I pushed the tiller

  nothing happened

  the boat just kept drifting

  and then

  suddenly

  the boat drifts forwards

  but where is he

  I look for him

  I shout

  where are you

  he’s nowhere to be seen

  I’ve got to find him

  I’ve got to get hold of him

  the boat drifts forwards

  I push the tiller

  the boat stops

  the sails flap

  the boat lies there

  and then it drifts backwards

  and I look for him

  I shout out

  Where are you

  the boat calms down

  the sails flutter

  I push the tiller

  the boat drifts forwards

  I look for him and look for him

  I shout

  Where are you

  I shout again

  Where are you

  I look

  The boat drifts forwards

  I look and look

  I push the tiller

  the boat drifts forwards

  I look and look

  But I can’t see him

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone

  THE OTHER

  I shout out

  Where are you

  The boat drifts forwards

  I shout out

  Where are you

  The boat drifts forwards

  I wait

  I shout out

  Where are you

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone

  THE OTHER

  I wait

  The boat drifts forwards

  I push the tiller

  The boat drifts forwards

  I’ve got to do something

  Long pause

  I look out over the water

  quite short pause

  and all I can see

  is the open ocean

  Everything’s empty

  Just ocean

  Just sky

  Just empty

  just black

  just white

  and the waves

  so big now the waves are

  quite short pause

  I look towards shore

  quite short pause

  and way back in there

  quite short pause

  way back in there I think I see the lighthouse

  quite short pause

  and now the waves smash against the boat

  And I can’t stay out here any more

  I wait

  I shout out

  Where are you

  The boat drifts forwards

  I wait

  I push the tiller

  The boat drifts forwards

  I hold the tiller steady

  and the waves

  the waves have become huge

  black and white waves

  and the sky is turning black

  The ocean is black

  I shout out

  Where are you

  I shout out

  I don’t know what to do

  I look towards the lighthouse

  I head towards the lighthouse

  I look back

  I shout out

  Where are you

  All I can see is the black sky

  And the black ocean

  And the black and white waves

  And the boat dives down and climbs up

  And the boat’s up

  then it’s down

  I see the lighthouse

  I head towards the lighthouse

  I hold the tiller steady

  And the boat goes up and down

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone

  THE OTHER

  I shout out

  Where are you

  THE ONE

  I’m not frightened anymore

  I’m not heavy anymore

  I’m only weight

  and I’m not weight

  I’m motion

  I left with the wind

  I am the wind

  THE OTHER

  I look towards the lighthouse

  I shout out

  Where are you

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone

  THE OTHER

  I shout

  Where are you

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone now

  THE OTHER

  And the boat moves up

  and down

  up

  and down

  and the waves

  the black waves

  the white waves

  quite short pause

  and then the rain

  And then it rains

  And the wind fills the sails

  And the boat rises up and up

  even higher

  and then falls down and down

  all the way down

  and then up

  quite short pause

  and I look towards the lighthouse

  I hold the tiller

  Long pause

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone away now

  Long pause

  THE OTHER

  But why did you do it

  THE ONE

  I just did it

  THE OTHER

  But you were so scared of doing it

  THE ONE

  I was terrified of it

  And that’s why I did it

  I knew I would

  Short pause

  I was too heavy

  quite short pause

  and the sea was too light

  And the wind moved so fast

  THE OTHER

  I thought it was just something you thought about

  something you were afraid of

  THE ONE

  I did too

  I thought it was like that too


  THE OTHER

  But then you did it

  THE ONE

  I know

  THE OTHER

  Why did you do it

  THE ONE

  I just did

  Quite short pause

  We were in the boat

  And I just did it

  Quite short pause

  I did it because I was so heavy

  THE OTHER

  You did it

  THE ONE

  I’ve left

  THE OTHER

  You did it

  THE ONE

  I did it

  THE OTHER

  And you did it

  right

  because

  breaks off

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone now

  I left with the wind

  THE OTHER

  You’ve gone now

  THE ONE

  I’ve gone

  I left with the wind

  I am the wind

 

 

 


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