OLGA: (suspiciously. She does not like the frivolous tone). Give me a minute. The tea is coming. (She goes to the kitchen)
ARTEM: (Speaks very loudly, so she can hear him in the kitchen). You know, I did not take a bus. I walked. I felt like I was going to… nowhere. No address… no purpose… nothing complete drift away from reality. (He lowers his voice and further seems to be speaking to himself) It is good to be alone sometimes… Not lonely but alone. I am not talking about the depressing loneliness but rather about the deep and significant solitude. The time when you face either the infinity or yourself. It feels so cozy and intimate. If you think about it, we are not really eager to know much. All we need are the night sky with the stars and the peace in our souls. (Suddenly he snaps out of the pensiveness and starts speaking loudly and demanding again) Olya! What's taking so long? That was enough time to boil the water twice.
OLGA: (enters the room. She speaks calmly) Do you still like a good wine? I was looking for the bottle of Muscat.
ARTEM: You know, I am an idiot. I thought about it but opted for the cake. I did not think that a wine would be a good choice considering the circumstances. I was wrote. I'm sorry. I am getting old… losing touch…
OLGA: I will enjoy sharing this wine with you! I will indeed! (She goes to the kitchen again)
ARTEM: (thinking out-loud again). The wide horizon of interests is a great thing. On the other hand, it actually is just a pretentious and superficial curiosity. You walk the street thinking to you yourself discussing, arguing, justifying and what not. You reach the dead end of your thoughts. You call yourself a fool but you can't help it you are already in the loop… There is just one good thing in it – you never need to apologize.
(Olya comes in with the kettle and puts it on the table. Artem continues like he did not notice that she was not in the room all this time. He sits down in the arm-chair.)
ARTEM: I think that it's fair that eventually the time comes when we have to face what we have done with our lives. After a while people speak freely about the things that they were reluctant to discuss when they were fresh. People will talk… some of them will talk to your face, some will talk behind your back but they all All of a sudden you can see that the small shitty thing you did and thought was not worth even mentioning or hopped that it slid unnoticed was actually the pivoting point in your life. What do you think you are going to do? You will try to justify what you did. You will try to forgive yourself protecting your pride and… (Pause) You will calm down later on. Unfortunately you will never understand the difference between the pride and the arrogance.
OLGA: What are you talking about?
ARTEM: Well… Nothing really… Just thinking out loud.
OLGA: I don't understand. It sounds like you either confess or asking for forgiveness. ARTEM: Both actually.
OLGA: (turns to him) you know, I still remember your expression: "The greatest truth is said for the sake of the greatest lie."
ARTEM: I can add to it. French say: "Tell the truth… tell a lot of truth…tell as much truth as no one expects… but don't you dare to say the entire truth." (Pause). No Olechka it is not lie. You happen to witnessed me in the moment of undisguised vulnerability… that's all. (Pause. He smiles) We forgot about the tea. Let’s have some tea and talk openly with no fear to be exposed.
OLGA: Can you do it?
ARTEM: No
OLGA: its okay here, you know. No one hears or sees us. (They sit down at the dinner table.)
ARTEM: (toast) "To our meeting!"
(They drink wine, Olga gets up and starts pouring the tea in the cups).
ARTEM: I turned 50 yesterday.
OLGA: I remember… My condolence to you…
ARTEM: Today is the beginning of the road back. It feels like it's going to go faster.
OLGA: Well… What do you want… It's the same for all of us.
ARTEM: I was having a party yesterday. There were only people I am close with… I spent the entire evening in silence. I was sad… I was trying to remember… I was saying -"goodbye" to my dreams and for a second I realize my last threshold. There is no more "beyond" to this threshold (pause). I am not sure my friends understood my state. But it did not bother me. I was far away. I think jubilees exist for us to take a cold look around as well as at ourselves and realize our limits. Are you still listening?
OLGA: Yes, I do. There is a bitter taste of the word "Never" in “Jubilee".
ARTEM: I am not sure I understand.
OLGA: You grieve over your 50. I grieve over my 40. You know for women it is "she is 40already" but for men it is "he is only 40". What I am trying to say is that when you cross that line you start quietly thinking "NEVER" with regard to many things. It is not obvious. Everything is seemingly there: Your child still needs you; men are still interested; you still like to know and learn more; you are not seek and tired of your job yet but a small event gives a rise to a small question and the answer to that question is "never". That's where the trap opens up.
ARTEM: I don't want to toast to it. I still need at least an illusion of the romanticism. (Pause) (Changing the topic) Olya do you have a guitar?
OLGA: I do (she brings the guitar)
ARTEM: (Gets up) you didn't know about one of my virtues. I sing Romances.
OLGA: It is a virtue, alright.
ARTEM: Please, don't pick on me. Just listen.
I am inviting you to waltz
When I am lonely
I am inviting only you
Please don't consider that it's a coincidence
I am inviting you to waltz
Longing for you and hopping
I am inviting only you
No, I've not done it before
I am not your friend or an acquaintance
I am just a remote image
I am inviting you with the verse,
The pray, the music and the prose
I am inviting you to waltz
I am striving for perfection
I am inviting only you
As magic and as perfect bliss
I am inviting you to waltz
Like we are parting before a voyage
I am inviting only you
In delight of the first date
I am inviting you to live
Life’s lessons are not in vain.
Let's value life
Its wishes are beautiful
(Pause)
OLGA: I am speechless. Why did not I hear it seventeen– eighteen years ago.
ARTEM: (surprised) you did not like it, did you? I have to admit, it's my creation.
OLGA: I liked it. It just sounds like a romance from a man's courting book.
ARTEM: You are very harsh Olya.
OLGA: I am sorry, but am I mistaken? (Phone rings) Hello. Yes mom. (Pause) No, I came back just recently. I was with Oleg, Lida and Lenya. (Pause) Yes they walked me to the door. (Pause). No, she is not back yet. (She turns to Artem and silently apologizes).Yes the play was good and interesting. (Pause) What was the main point… The main point was that nothing in life is for free. We have to pay for everything (pause). For example for love. The greater the love the heavier the retribution. (Pause). Life is cruel in general. I know you love Aytmatov's books (pause). Okay mom, I have to work tomorrow. Good night.
ARTEM: That's it. Let's drink our tea and dig deeper and deeper.
OLGA: What do you mean?
ARTEM: Let's step up our soul-opening conversation.