The Sniper

It was a very calm, chill morning after a hot night where both sides exchanged all kinds of heavy arms, shells and rockets. The smell of death, burned buildings and gunpowder took over the dawn air. A man was riding his bicycle with a box full of bread bags hanging on the back of it. He was in a hurry. He used to fetch the bread bags each morning from the West side of the road and distribute them, still hot, to his customers on the East side of the same street. Spring in Beirut was hot and humid on this day. The sunlight was weak and drops of feeble rain covered the empty streets. At the wet intersection, the man did not stop to survey the road, nor did he slow down. He made a deadly left turn. A sniper’s bullet hit him in the right ear. His lightweight body fell down at once; his bicycle lay over him with its rear wheel turning for a while. Three bread bags were left scattered around the crime scene. The sound of the gunshot was heard clearly in the nearby houses. Soon, everyone discovered the crime. At the top of the hill, an old man standing behind the palace’s huge window had seen the forty-year old man falling down on the wet road with his bicycle over him, but he did not move. Even the Lebanese army soldiers, whose military base was only a few dozen meters away from where the poor man was hit, none of them came out to see the deed. A deadly silence hung over the road. After hours, a Red Cross ambulance stopped beside the wet corpse. Two volunteers with two sides-“Red Cross” printed white jackets got down from the car to check the body. The driver was a tall, thin young man with a half burned arm, while the other one was a short, plump chap with long hair, who put on glasses. “Is he still alive?” the driver asked while he was lighting a cigarette. “He is hit in the head.” The second volunteer responded spiting near the killed man’s head drowned in a spot of blood. “Where shall we take him?” The little stout volunteer began to check the dead man’s clothes. He took the bicycle off the sniped man, his hands touched the bread bags; he took one of them and opened it; the smell of the hot, fresh bread stimulate his appetite. He closed it and threw it into the opened trunk. “Take a look”, he said giving the man’s ID to the driver who examined it, holding the cigarette by his two thin brown lips. The man’s name was Adam and his religious reference was covered by a large, solid red dot. “Is this a blood spot?” The second volunteer stood up, cleaned his glasses and looked to the ID card carefully: “I think it is.” “So where should we take him now?” The short, plump young man continued checking the ID, trying to figure out the place where they should secure the body, “God, we can’t figure out his religion even by his name.” The tall, thin driver dropped his cigarette butt; he heard the sound of his cigarette hitting the black asphalt. He walked back and forth trying to unfold this puzzle, but his colleague interrupted his thoughts. “We should leave now; the cease-fire period is already over.” Fearing to be snipped like the one on the wet road, the two volunteers lifted the dead man into the trunk, covering him with a white blanket, and then closed the double door. One of them thought the rigid body might still be alive, never mind how cold it was. The bread distributor’s bicycle and stock remained on the road, and the white car with its so familiar Red Cross drove away quickly, speeding silently. The old man was still looking from behind the window, and so were the other dwellers of the vicinity, to see if someone can make a safe turn at this intersection, no matter left or right. On both sides of the crossroads, two white posters with the word of caution, hand-written in gigantic, primitive black curves, had been hanged: “Beware sniper”.

The Great Nile

B L O O D Sweat Black perfume. The Nile streams its power; Channels bodies WARMTH. Han ds Fee t Angry sights Break ages of silence. Hands Feet Stuck in the roads Decades Like foreigner obelisks; Idols worship idol. But still The Nile roars. Red rivers flow Melting the asphalt Free HandsFeet Bodies Free The Great Nile, Bath. I'm not away here, My rouge fleuves’ stream Flows with the Saint Laurent To meet the Great Nile. I am the prisoner Of Mesopotamia, Occupied today But the remote roar of the Great Nile Will free me. The D R U M S of the black feet In Cairo’s streets Will send drizzles To other SACRED deserts. There will be new rivers Red Irrigating the barren lands; Changing maps.

Stay away

Your way is not my way. Red swords and black clouds ornate your pray; I got used to my white lighted way, So, stay away. Aggressions, yells wrap your day. You can’t express yourself my way; You drive your car on the clay, So, stay away. Discrimination makes you grey. Thick curtains lay over your prey You prefer to make money not to pay, So, stay away. We both came here the same way; We believed to find a better stay. You can’t live outside your bay, So, stay away. I left away. I left the old alley. Winds are poisoned in that quay. You still breathe the air of that may, So, stay away.

The Unknown Patient

People were sitting in the waiting room. Each one’s eyes were hanged on the digital counter expecting his number to light at any moment. When number 65 appeared on the red led screen, an old stood up from his seat and went to the information desk in trembled steps. “Your medical card, please,” the nurse asked the old man who gave her the medical card without any gesture. The nurse started to check the old man’s medical file on her computer screen, then, she looked at him, gave him a white paper and said: “You are in the wrong place, sir. You should go downstairs; give them this paper.” The nurse did not wait the old man answer, she called number 66 while the old man was still waiting on the desk. “Sir, you have to go to the cardiology department, here is the ER.” The man did not utter any word. He looked at her angrily. “Any problem, sir,” the nurse asked him realizing that the old man became angry. The old man starts to speak a strange language. “Do you speak English, sir, French?” the nurse asked the angry old man. “No, no English; no French,” the old man answered with a faint voice. The man turned his head towards the people who were waiting in the room searching someone who can speak his language, who could play the role of a translator so he could tell the nurse why he came to the ER but not to the cardiology department. Suddenly, the old man felt down raging in his incomprehensible language. Everyone in the room looked at him, but nobody moved to rescue him. A man was sitting in the first raw told another man beside him: “He is cursing god, English and French languages, and the nurse. He says they are similar; they all kill people.” The old man’s body stopped trembling, and his voice became almost absent. He eyes were staring at the desk where two printed papers were attached. The written letters were images for the old man; they meant nothing to him: Nous sommes la pour vous aider. Tolerance zero.

Two friends in the street

Two friends meet in the street. One of them is with his wife; the other is alone. As soon as they meet, the man with the wife wanted to shake hands with his old friend, but the other was reluctant, he smiled and said: “Well, you know, H1N1.” The man withdrew his hand, nodded his head smiling: “Yeah, sure. So, how you doing?” -“Fine, still in the same job, but I might quit in few weeks.” -“Is that why you are buying medicines?” The lone man looked at a small bag he was holding: -“Oh, yes, I am great.” He approached his friend, and whispered in his ear: -“Condoms, you know, aids. One should be carefully.” The other man with the woman nodded his head agreeing. The lone man continued whispering in his friend’s ear: -“What happened to your wife, she looks, like… you know what I mean?” The man with the lone woman turned his head and looked at his friend confused, and his friend continued his speech: -“I mean, she looks slimmer than before, her breast, you know what I mean?” -“Ah, yes. Well, you know breast cancer.” -“I’m sorry to hearing this, is she ok now?”- “Yes. She had terrible times, but now she is much better.” The woman started to cough. The man commented: -“don’t say it, let me guess. Mmmm, it is the seasonal flu, right?” The man with the lone woman smiled: -“No, no, she’s sensitive of pollution.” -“Ah, I see. So, where are you going?” -“Well, we wanted to have dinner somewhere, do you like to join us?” The lone man smiled: -“Ummm…. I think I’d rather eat at home.. you know, economic crisis.” Suddenly, it started to rain. The two friends with the lone woman rushed to hide under a balcony. The lone man said: -“though we are in the summer.” -“Global warming.” The other man commented, smiling. -“Sure enough. So, how are you managing with your wife? I mean, sexually.” -“Ah, no, no, it’s fine. It was just a matter of time to get familiar with the new circumstance, but no, now it is fine, just like before. However, I decided not to make any children.” -“I am happy to hearing this. For me, sex is essential, you know, like, I don’t like to miss anything.” -“Me neither,” the man with the lone woman replied, and the two men laughed loudly.

A Confused speech

A man and a woman were standing looking out the window of the living-room of their condo, staring at the empty street where a motionless body, crushed by an anonymous car for the last two hours was lying. “It has been two hours and the ambulance has not come yet!” said the woman. “Yes” agreed the man. “Shall we call them again?” she asked. “I do not think so” replied the man idly. “What should we do? The man might be still alive!” she asked nervously. “I do not think so” answered the man with the same distracted tone. “What do you mean I do not think so? Are you answering both questions?” she asked again. “I do not think so”. “Great” said the woman in a stressful manner. “I have to go work now. It is 8:30. I will surely be late today. That man must also be late for his job,” she continued. She went to her room, changed and went to leave when she realized that her husband is still standing and staring out the window at the miserable body. Incredulous she asked him: “What? Are you impressed by the scene?” “I do not think so” he responded. “Will you be late tonight?” added the man. “I do not think so” she answered smiling sarcastically. She opened the door and went out, while the man remained still in front of the window, waiting the ambulance to take the body in the street.

DEADLY PROMOTION (A ten minute play)

Characters SALLY, A sales woman in her early 30s, works for a medical company. Wants to have a better position in an easy way. BILL, The head manager of the medical company in his late 40s. Bald. SUSAN Leblanc, another sales woman in the same company. She does not appear in the play. We hear her voice on the phone at the end of the play. She is a hard worker. Setting SALLY’s bedroom. Summer. Evening. Red light goes on and off 20 times to show the love affair between the woman and the man in the woman’s bed. The two bodies make move sensually under the blanket. The sounds effect of a couple making love are heard. The two characters get out of bed; SALLY puts on a short black nightdress, the man puts on black pants and a white, short-sleeved shirt. SALLY turns on the lights. The two characters are revealed. SALLY, goes to the little bar she has in her bedroom, brings two empty glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, almost empty. She puts them on a round table in front of a large sofa. Bill follows her. They sit together and she starts filling the glasses, handing one to BILL, who takes it with a smile. SALLY (SALLY smiling) So, how was it? BILL (BILL looking around at the corners of the room) Great.Great. (He stands up, continues searching the room as if it were the first time he enters it. He sips a shot and he puts the glass back on the table. He looks at his large watch.) SALLY (SALLY moves up towards him) I’m not talking about what we’ve just done in bed. God. I mean your mission, our mission. BILL Great. Great. I’m just waiting the right moment to fire SUSAN. SALLY (SALLY goes to the bar, brings a cigarette without lighting it, and comes back) It’s been another month now since we’ve discussed this matter. (Sally holds the cigarette in front of her eyes, then she lowers her hand and looks at BILL.) BILL (BILL looks at SALLY, nods his head) Yes. Yes. You’re right. SALLY (SALLY nervously) Each time you come here, I suppose you’re coming to give me some good news and that I’ve nothing to worry about from now on. That I am the only candidate for your position and that SUSAN’s out. Instead, you start reminding me about our agreement and then we end up fucking. God, I feel like a bitch. BILL Great. Great. I just can’t find a reason to put SUSAN away from the competition. Last year she could convince more than one-hundred doctors in town to provide their patients with our medicines. SALLY That’s because of the medicines, not because of SUSAN. BILL You might be right, but SUSAN is passionate of her work. (BILL looks again at his gigantic watch, as if it were time to leave.) SALLY (SALLY becomes extremely nervous now, the cigarette in her fingers trembles like a tree-leaf in a storm; she sips a shot from her glass and looks at her cigarette) Now realize this. When first I invited you here, two months ago, you told me that no one deserves your place better than me; no one’s as faithful to the company as I am. Now, after many fucks you say this. God. BILL (BILL approaches SALLY, holds her shoulders trying to calm her down while she’s still trembling) Don’t be upset, SALLY. It’s just a matter of time. I’m checking back on SUSAN’s file to see if there’s anything that can help put her away, so you can get the opportunity to promote your position. SALLY (SALLY becomes less nervous) Why did you tell me about this promotion and your leaving to the head office in Toronto? I was in your office to resolve a financial problem due to one of our customers. God. The promotion. BILL (Bill looks at his watch, then looks around the room) I thought that by telling you that you might have a chance to promote your position in the company would make you happy… more enthusiastic, you know. SALLY Yeah, sure. More enthusiastic. BILL I mean… you will appreciate this promotion. SALLY If SUSAN doesn’t exist. BILL (Looking at his watch) What do you mean? SALLY (SALLY getting nervous again) You told me that one of us will have the chance to get the promotion. BILL God, but I told you that I will do my best to make this place yours. And that was here, in this room, in this bed. SALLY Sure enough; in this room, in this bed. That was two months ago, remember? You told me the head office’d announce the potential name in one month. BILL (BILL goes back to the sofa and sits down) Well, it’s up to them to decide the exact time I should leave. SALLY You said one month, BILL. BILL SALLY, I don’t think I ever mentioned when you’d get the new position… SALLY (SALLY Interrupts him) Or SUSAN. BILL Great. Great. Or SUSAN. (BILL fills his glass once more, he sips a long shot and looks at his huge watch. Lights dim where Bill sits) SALLY (SALLY advances towards the bar, holding her cigarette in her fingers, she fills her glass from another bottle) When you told me about this promotion, the idea of leading the company took over me. I thought that if I gave you my body, you might nominate me for this position. I thought it was only one month. I thought you might come once or twice. I invited you here. I seduced you here. I made you discover the other SALLY. I let you enter deep in my body. You agreed to this. But you found out that bedroom SALLY is more attractive than office SALLY. You stopped calling me to your office as you usually did before this issue began. I started to see rather SUSAN coming in then out of your office. I started to hear rumors about a relation between the two of you. I didn’t care. It’s only one month, then you’ll leave. But now I feel that my position, my social life in the company is at stake. God. (SALLY turns back to BILL) It’s going to be one month, you said, BILL. BILL (BILL holds her by shoulders again) Come on Sally, calm down. I don’t deny this, but you have to wait a little more. I didn’t receive the promotion letter yet, so don’t worry about your position. I’m working on SUSAN. I’ll certainly find something to get her out of the company. (BILL looks at his large watch, and starts to prepare himself to leave.) SALLY What if you couldn’t? BILL (BILL continues preparing himself to leave) I will. It’s not the first case that I indulge in. I faced many similar cases before, and I could finish them in a satisfying manner. (Bill approaches SALLY, kisses her a light kiss on her lips and turns around to the door.) SALLY (SALLY sits on the sofa, holds her glass, sips a long shot and asks sarcastically) So, how’s your wife? BILL (BILL stops half-frozen; turns to SALLY and walks back towards her) Pardon me? SALLY (SALLY looking at the glass in her hand) How’s your wife? BILL (BILL stands besides where she is sitting) Great. Great. She’s fine. SALLY Did you tell her about your promotion? BILL What’re you talking about, SALLY? What d’you want? (The sound of a police patrol and an ambulance is heard on the room coming from the street.) SALLY (SALLY stands facing BILL) I want to change our agreement a bit. BILL (BILL sits down and holds his glass again) Great. Great. Go ahead, I’m all ears. SALLY (SALLY sits beside him and touches his face) I want you to kill her. (The sound of the police patrol and the ambulance comes on again.) BILL (BILL leaps from the sofa, some whisky is spilled from his glass on his shirt) Shit! (BILL slightly backing away from SALLY, puzzled) You… you want me to kill my wife? SALLY Not your wife. God. I want you to kill SUSAN! (BILL looks at SALLY incredulous.) (SALLY Continues)This is your only chance to continue coming home, and to your office. BILL (BILL waves his hands disagreeing) Wait, wait. What in the devil you, you’re talking about? SALLY (SALLY goes to the computer, flips out a CD and taking it with her middle finger, pointing at a grossly hidden cam) I’m talking about this. God. BILL (BILL approaches SALLY sweating, takes the CD from SALLY’s finger) So, suppose I refuse? SALLY (SALLY stands still. She fidgets with her hand with the tight necklace around her neck) This is only about today’s venture. I gave other six to someone else who’ll hand them to the police and to your wife if only it dawns on you to touch me. BILL (BILL takes out a napkin from his pants’ pocket, wipes the perspiration on his head and forehead) Great. Great. But, SALLY… SALLY (SALLY interrupting him firmly) Tonight. I want you kill her tonight. She lives nearby. You’re not gonna be home late. God, this is great. (SALLY moves backward to the sofa, sits down, holds the glass, sips a little shot and looks at the ceiling as if she were dreaming a pleasant dream. Lights dim where Sally is.) BILL (BILL looks around the room as if he has never seen it before, looks at his large watch, starts walking left and right and speaks in a quiet voice) Before that meeting in my office, I asked about you. Everyone told me that you’re a peaceful woman. I wasn’t the only man attracted by you. You caught the attention of every man who’s seen you. I was worry to leave the company here without having you in my arms, like lovers. No one nominates you for my position. Everyone agrees to SUSAN, and she knows that. I called her many times to my office, I threatened her, but she knows I can do nothing. She knows that despite my power in the company, I can’t force her to do things that she doesn’t want to. Her job’s all she cares about. (BILL raising his voice) So, killing. No, no Sally, I can’t kill. My promotion letter should arrive in one day or another. I’m not gonna spoil my future for, for… SALLY (SALLY interrupts him furiously) For a whore, huh? Hey, Listen BILL, I gave you my cunt… for your ASS. But the only way for you to get off with your ass clean is to get rid of SUSAN tonight. (SALLY goes to the little bar in her room. She brings her little pink purse and stops in front of BILL.) BILL (BILL sips a shot from his glass) SALLY, we can arrange this without killing anybody. SALLY (SALLY opens her purse, takes out a letter and gives it to BILL) You sure? Here’s your promotion letter. This is our last night together. You have to leave tomorrow. Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll find another whore in Toronto. (SALLY sits down, puts her cigarette on the edge of the ashtray, takes her glass and sips a small shot.) BILL (BILL takes the letter in his hands, reads it, turns to SALLY and looks at her) Great. Great. What? Yes, yes, you’re right, I have to leave tomorrow. Where… where did you get this? SALLY (SALLY explodes) Stop lying you son of a bitch! It was sent to you three weeks ago. (SALLY stands again, wipes her tears, holds her purse, takes out another letter and hands it to BILL.) BILL (BILL looks at her confused) What… what’s this? SALLY (SALLY stands still, like a ghost) Read it aloud. Aloud! I want your voice to screw my ears as you screwed me for two months. (BILL approaches SALLY, but SALLY keeps him away with her hand.) BILL (BILL shows a wicked smile on his lips) Come on SALLY, you know that I love you and I am ready to sacrifice… SALLY (SALLY interrupts him) Aloud! Aloud! BILL (BILL’s hands tremble when he holds the letter) The administration of the company revised carefully Mrs. SUSAN Leblanc’s file and approved her as the head manager of our branch office in Montreal. (BILL turns towards SALLY, still holding the letter in his hand) SALLY, it’s not as you think. I just couldn’t find any justification to fire her… (While Bill comments on the letter, SALLY walks to the closet, brings a large black bag and gives it to BILL.) SALLY Take this. You’ll need it for your job. BILL (BILL opens the bag and starts emptying its contents on the table: a poison bottle, a large gun, a large knife, a long rope, a long pair of gloves, a pair of huge rubber shoe and a large pink heart-shaped pillow. Then, he puts everything back in the bag) Great. Great. You prepared everything carefully. SALLY (SALLY stands still) So did you. (BILL takes the bag and goes towards the door scanning the room, looking at his large watch and exists. SALLY goes to her bed, lights dim and the phone rings. A spotlight shows the phone near SALLY’s bed and follows Sally in her movements in the room.) SALLY (SALLY takes the phone and, as soon as she hears the voice on the other side, she gets up anxiously) Who is it? (On the other side, we hear the voice of SUSAN, through a loud speaker.) SUSAN Hello SALLY, this is SUSAN. I’m so sorry to disturb you so late. Were you sleeping? SALLY (SALLY tries to be as calm as she can) God. Yes, hum… No. Hello SUSAN… How… how can I help you? SUSAN SALLY, I got a new job in the States. I did not tell anybody about it because I wasn’t sure... SALLY (SALLY interrupts) What? What’re you talking about? SUSAN PFIZER. The main branch. It’s a now-or-never, you know what I mean? The chance of a lifetime. SALLY (SALLY shocked) Great. So… you’re leaving, I mean, you still here, in Montreal? SUSAN Yes, now I’m here, at home. I’m leaving tonight, I mean early morning. I just wanted you to know that I officially turned my nomination in, and I nominated you to take over my place in the company. SALLY (SALLY trembles) What? God. Why didn’t you tell me this before, I…? Hey, SUSAN, wait! No, God. Don’t wait any more. Get out of there now, now. (SALLY hears the door bell through the phone.) SUSAN Why SALLY, what? Hold on Sally, I have to open the door, it’s my pizza. (SALLY hears a sound, like that of a door cracked open and a gun shot on the other side, the phone hangs on. SALLY stands frozen. The spot light goes off) END OF PLAY