Let's leave. tomorrow. The weather'll be best then.
ANNEAL
(Below deck.)
Fine with me. I'm bored. There's nothing
to do here. Today I'll get our supplies.
Scene
15
RIKLON
My
eyes are big.
The
world is in them.
The
clouds fly in them.
The
coconuts drop into them.
I
am embarrassed about the way
everything
drops into my eyes.
They
are hungry for everything,
especially
for the new things,
the
changings that drop like strange leaves
on
the island
and
that make my heart climb and beat in my head.
The
strange leaves that burn
everything
that they touch.
Now
the banana leaves burn like shooting stars
the
coconut fronds burn like jumping fires
the
breadfruit leaves bum. like the fat clouds
eaten
by the sun.
I
speak and do not speak
my
words can not make the meaning of these things.
There
are no words for this new kind of world,
but
bewilderment.
A
new face appears
that
you have never seen
that
you can not talk to,
not
because you are afraid, but
because
it does not see you.
I
wonder what it sees?
I
have no idea.
It
is like a beautiful flower you are puzzled, embarrassed to see.
(Screams.)
If
I
could
say it, I
want
to go away.
but
I don ' t
know
what
that
means.
(Superb
puzzlement in his face.)
My
island
is
a Paradise, foreigners shout.
They
come, they go.
When
they stay awhile, they sit
alone
in their boat
and
talk to themselves.
But
it
is true. My island is beautiful.
There
are things even they can not see.
Scene
16
Yacht
deck.
ANNEAL
I'm
going now, Sterling. I can't wait to leave. I really need a change.
STERLING
Hurry
back, Love. We'll leave with the red tide.
ANNEAL
I've
never seen such a red.
STERLING
It's
a poison plankton that invades the waters of the island. Don't buy any fish,
though
it' s probably safe. The natives know what' s free of the stuff.
ANNEAL
Pretty,
isn't it?
STERLING
But
deadly.
ANNEAL
We'll
be leaving this place behind. Bye.
(She exits.)
Scene
17
RIKLON
It
is too late to go fishing for Lomona' s mother. I
will get some at Reemer's for her. It is frozen there and
she will like that it is cold.
Scene
18
As
RIKLON goes towards Remeer' s Store, LOMONA
appears at RIKLON's MOTHER's hut.
LOMONA
Is
Riklon here?
MOTHER
No,
Lomona.
LOMONA
Where
is he?
MOTHER
I
think he has gone fishing for you.
LOMONA
Riklon
has!
MOTHER
Oh,
yes, Lomona. For you.
Scene
19
At
Reemer's Store. This final scene, the
point of the play, is wordless. It is a pantomime,
a slow ballet, two arrows of conflicting, yet
merging motion.
ANNEAL
is shopping., walking about the aisles and now slowly walks down one
toward
the audience. She picks up canned goods here and there, reading, studying
the
labels. She picks, she discards. On her face there is no particular look or
concern.
She is simply shopping for rather boring items. Staples for a journey
of
82 hours. She has stopped to look at something on the shelf. Her dress, amazingly
soft,
fragrant, and catching up to her momentary motionlessness, paws whitely at the
space
around her. RIKLON has been moving Stage Right to Stage Left through the main
aisle,
now immediately sees her, slows, stops, and slowly moves on, with the frozen
fish
dangling in his hand. His chest is naturally, unconsciously, thrust outward,
the
way he naturally walks, his head is held high, unconsciously proud, and when
he
sees
her all this pride falters, stops for some moments, and stares at the woman.
But
he can not speak. He remembers the fish in his hand for LOMONA, his big eyes
glance
to the audience (the audience that is Reemer's Store, and the island itself)
helplessly,
shrugs and continues walking out. ANNEAL at that moment picks the can
and
walks down the aisle toward the audience. Her dress is a wnite cloud.
CURTAIN
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