Scene 1
An unmade bed in the middle of a dark room, a faint sunbeam illuminates the place… On the floor: old newspapers, a pack of cards, empty cigarette packs, a calculator, a pair of dice, a diary and a pen, a wastebasket full of bills to pay. In front of a bed: a broken TV set with a picture frame on it… In the picture: a woman and two children. On the bed: a man smokes. Outside: vendors shout, a little boy cries, car horns don’t stop of making noise and two men discuss.
Marcos: (Throwing a cigarette at one end of the room and taking a bottle of liquor) I’m alive, yes, I suppose I’m alive… Otherwise I couldn’t perceive this fucking smell of urine and shit of this place. (Sound of rats gnawing) fucking rats, just rats in this fucking room (drinking from the bottle) but this is my life now and they are my family now (he laughs)… I was different, you know, I was handsome (he laughs) handsome and powerful, but I lost one night and another one, I lost everything… how unlucky! (He takes a pair of dice and throws it. Marcos tries to guess the numbers of the dice when he throw them but he cannot) Seven! Twelve! Five! Fuck, how unlucky! (He drinks) Eight years of happiness and pleasure ended up in a twinkling of an eye. (He drinks again) eight years of happiness and pleasure, eight years of money, cigarettes, whiskey, the best whiskey and women, beautiful women, good memories… (He looks at the TV set and takes the picture frame, then sighs and gets angry) shit! She was the woman I love the most, but I lost her like the money, like the house, like Susan and Daniel, like my dreams, whore! Like everything in my fucking life. (Reflecting on) but, it was not my fault, if I had had more money, if I had had more fucking money, I wouldn’t have done what I did, what I had to do. (Some tears run down his face), but I, I, I’m alive (he smiles).
(Someone knocks on the door, Marcos scares)
Voice in off: A new bill for you Mr.
Marcos: (Faking a strong voice) you know what you have to do…
(Someone throw the bill under the door)
Voice in off: Do you want…
Marcos: NO!
Voice in off: but…
Marcos: Clear off! (He takes the bill and put it into wastebasket) one more, I have to find a solution… (He drinks and remembers) I was an expert finding solutions, you know, when I started with this, with this… with this business, I was 26 years old; I was young and lucky; I always had an ace up my sleeve and I always won, I really know how to make money, but things changed and I’m here with these fucking rats. (Just a little drunk) solution! (He laughs) I was talking about solutions, wasn’t I? Yes, solutions, I have to find a solution because I’m tired…
(Marcos takes his head with both hands in a gesture of despair, after a time he takes his cellphone and makes a call)
Marcos: (Faking a French accent) Hello Mr. Willie, I decided to accept your request, je suis prête!
Willie: Ok, I wait for you tomorrow morning.
(Marcos takes off his cellphone, smiles and goes to bed. Lights turn off)
Scene 2
On the scene: a green sofa, a coffee table with a vase full of daisies on it, a red carpet on the floor and a painting of Mona Lisa on the wall. A woman sweeps the house effusively while sings Happy Days Song, the song of an American television sitcom from her childhood. Someone knocks on the door and she stops singing.
Winnie: (Surprised) ah! Someone knocked the door, I heard that. (The knock on the door sound again)Yes, (with a big smile drawn on her face) someone is knocking on the door it should be Willie. (She takes off her apron, fixes her hair and goes to the door). He finally decided to come back to me. (She opens the door).
Marcos: (Holding his shoulder bag and Faking a French accent) Mademoiselle Winnie?
Winnie: (Putting her hands on her waist) who are you, Monsieur?
Marcos: Un ami, a friend, a friend of your husband. I need to talk to you about…
Winnie: (Interrupting him and very excited) to talk? Really? To talk?
Marcos: (A little disconcerted) Yes…
Winnie: (Without closing the door, she takes his guest's hand and leads him to the sofa) welcome, what do you want? Coffee, strawberry juice, mango juice, pineapple juice, lemonade, water, wine…
Marcos: (Interrupting her) wine, wine is ok Mme. (Winnie goes to the kitchen for a cup of wine). She’s so kind, I cannot do it... but it’s her or me… (Winnie arrives)
Winnie: Here is your cup of wine.
Marcos: Merci. (he drinks it in a gulp)
Winnie: So, you’re French.
Marcos: (Nodding) oui.
Winnie: I always wanted to learn French, but Willie thought it was unnecessary because, you know, we never travel, so I never studied anything… (She sighs and smiles) I’m a happy housekeeper, I have been a housekeeper since I met Willie, every day I clean my house, I wash the clothes, I prepare the breakfast, I prepare the lunch, and I prepare the dinner. I prepare the breakfast, I prepare the lunch, and I prepare the dinner, I have already said that, I always say that (she laughs) …
Marcos: (Tired of hearing Winnie’s voice) Mme Winnie I would like to…
Winnie: Other cup of wine? (She goes quickly for other cup of wine)
(Marcos takes out a pack of cards from his shoulder bag and starts to shuffle it)
Winnie: Here is your cup of wine, again. (Opening her eyes) a pack of cards… I have one on my purse, but I lost it, now I have an umbrella and a toothbrush.
Marcos: What? (Drinking the cup of wine in a gulp) whatever, do you want to play poker?
Winnie: (With an excited tone of voice) yes monsieur (she laughs, takes the cards and starts to shuffle them; then, she deals them)
Marcos: (A little worried) Willie didn’t tell me you knew the game (he looks at his cards)…
Winnie: (She laughs) he never says anything… (She looks at her cards) do you want to bet something?
Marcos: (With a poker face and trusting in his good game) why not? If you want to lose something, I don’t have problem…
Winnie: (Taking off her apron) my apron (she laughs)
Marcos: (Taking off his belt and his shoes) my belt and my shoes.
Winnie: (Taking off her shoes and her tights) my shoes and my tights.
Marcos: (Taking off his tights and his pans) my tights and my pants.
Winnie: (Taking off her pans and her blouse) my pants and my blouse.
Marcos: (Taking off her t-shirt) ehh… my t-shirt and…
Winnie: (With a big smile) and your boxers…
Marcos: (Taking off his boxers) my boxers.
Winnie: (In a fit of laughter and taking of her panty and her bra) my panty and my bra.
Winnie goes to the kitchen for two cup of wine, one for Marcos, one for her. Marcos drinks it a gulp, Winnie does the same. They look at each other. They are astonished… After a pair of seconds, Winnie smiles and starts to hum the Happy Days Song and Marcos, a little drunk dances with her.
Willie: (Entering to the scene) the door was opened. (Very surprised) what that means? It was not the deal monsieur; you had to trick her, not to fuck her motherfucker.
Marcos: How unlucky (he faints)
Winnie: To trick me? To fuck me? (She laughs) I don’t understand but…
Willie: Shut up bitch!
Winnie: But, I want to say something…
Willie: Not, shut up!
Winnie: Just a phrase
Willie: (Shouting) NOOOO…
Winnie: Just a little phrase
Willie: Spit it out!
Winnie: Today is a… (She falls asleep)
Willie: (Calming down) a happy day Winnie, poor Winnie, I have to continue dealing with your insanity (a little mad) and sharing my fucking fortune with you (he takes Marcos’s shoulder bag and takes out a gun. (He looks at Marcos, at Winnie and keeps disconcerted).
The lights turn off.
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