Read Online The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes by Hassan Blasim, Rashid Razaq - Free Book Online
Authors: Hassan Blasim, Rashid Razaq
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(Confused.) No.
LYDIA: You’re Salim Abdul Husain.
CARLOS: Salim?
LYDIA: Yes.
CARLOS looks confused .
LYDIA: You don’t remember do you?
CARLOS shakes his head .
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.
LYDIA tries to give CARLOS the pill, but he knocks her hand sending the glass of water flying .
LYDIA looks at CARLOS angrily. She grabs his head and tries to open his mouth, he struggles but eventually she manages to prise it open and force the pill in. She shuts his mouth .
LYDIA picks up the glass from the floor and refills it with water. She offers it to CARLOS . He pulls at his handcuffs .
CARLOS: The handcuffs?
LYDIA takes out a key and unlocks the handcuffs. CARLOS looks at her warily. She smiles reassuringly .
LYDIA: Let’s try again. OK?
LYDIA offers the glass of water. CARLOS takes the glass .
Beat .
CARLOS spits out the pill from his mouth and throws the water over LYDIA . He jumps up and grabs her around the throat .
LYDIA: Let me go! (Beat.) Please Salim. You’re hurting me.
Pause .
CARLOS lets go of her throat .
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?
Beat .
LYDIA: Lina’s not coming.
CARLOS: Why? Where is she?
Beat .
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.
Pause .
LYDIA: Take the medicine Salim. It’s the only way we can live together.
Pause .
CARLOS looks to the pill on the floor. Beat. He picks it up. LYDIA pours another glass of water. She holds it out to CARLOS . Beat. He takes the glass. CARLOS swallows the pill and washes it down with the water .
Beat .
LYDIA: Good.
Beat .
CARLOS: I… I feel tired.
LYDIA: Why don’t you lie down then? Rest for a little bit.
CARLOS gets into bed .
CARLOS: Will you lie next to me?
LYDIA nods. She gets into bed with CARLOS . He rests his head on her. She strokes his hair .
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.
Beat .
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?
Beat .
LYDIA: A skirt?
CARLOS: A dress. A short blue dress. (Smiling.) It showed off your legs.
LYDIA: Oh. How could I forget?
Beat .
CARLOS: What were you doing? In the park?
Beat .
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.
Beat .
LYDIA: Can I borrow some of your grass please?
CARLOS laughs .
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
LYDIA: You’re Salim Abdul Husain.
CARLOS: Salim?
LYDIA: Yes.
CARLOS looks confused .
LYDIA: You don’t remember do you?
CARLOS shakes his head .
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.
LYDIA tries to give CARLOS the pill, but he knocks her hand sending the glass of water flying .
LYDIA looks at CARLOS angrily. She grabs his head and tries to open his mouth, he struggles but eventually she manages to prise it open and force the pill in. She shuts his mouth .
LYDIA picks up the glass from the floor and refills it with water. She offers it to CARLOS . He pulls at his handcuffs .
CARLOS: The handcuffs?
LYDIA takes out a key and unlocks the handcuffs. CARLOS looks at her warily. She smiles reassuringly .
LYDIA: Let’s try again. OK?
LYDIA offers the glass of water. CARLOS takes the glass .
Beat .
CARLOS spits out the pill from his mouth and throws the water over LYDIA . He jumps up and grabs her around the throat .
LYDIA: Let me go! (Beat.) Please Salim. You’re hurting me.
Pause .
CARLOS lets go of her throat .
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?
Beat .
LYDIA: Lina’s not coming.
CARLOS: Why? Where is she?
Beat .
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.
Pause .
LYDIA: Take the medicine Salim. It’s the only way we can live together.
Pause .
CARLOS looks to the pill on the floor. Beat. He picks it up. LYDIA pours another glass of water. She holds it out to CARLOS . Beat. He takes the glass. CARLOS swallows the pill and washes it down with the water .
Beat .
LYDIA: Good.
Beat .
CARLOS: I… I feel tired.
LYDIA: Why don’t you lie down then? Rest for a little bit.
CARLOS gets into bed .
CARLOS: Will you lie next to me?
LYDIA nods. She gets into bed with CARLOS . He rests his head on her. She strokes his hair .
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.
Beat .
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?
Beat .
LYDIA: A skirt?
CARLOS: A dress. A short blue dress. (Smiling.) It showed off your legs.
LYDIA: Oh. How could I forget?
Beat .
CARLOS: What were you doing? In the park?
Beat .
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.
Beat .
LYDIA: Can I borrow some of your grass please?
CARLOS laughs .
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
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