Fosse: Plays Six (2 page)

very big

quite short pause

and you can hear songs

in Rambuku

fine songs

sung by voices

so very thin and light

so very deep and dark

quite short pause

and the songs

they swing

like the thin branches of a tree

in a strong wind

laughs to herself

yes the voices swing

round and round

they are fine songs

quite short pause

and the sea there

in Rambuku

is as blue and deep

as the bluest sky

and the waves there

yes they are like clouds

and when you get there

yes to Rambuku

you don’t feel cold and you don’t feel pain

I know that

You can look forward to it

quite short pause

yes

yes look forward to it

Quite short pause

It’s true

Quite short pause

For that’s how it is

in Rambuku

Short pause

And in Rambuku

there are good people

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there I can be with

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mum

dad

my sister

my grandparents

quite short pause

for they are in Rambuku

short pause

and those who live there

in Rambuku

they understand everything

quite short pause

yes you can see it in the light of their eyes

quite short pause

in the sudden light of their eyes

short pause

don’t you agree

quite short pause

yes I know you agree

don’t you

don’t you agree

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why can’t you answer

say something

don’t just stand there

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you must say something

short pause

but of course you agree

quite short pause

because you know

of course

that it’s like that

in Rambuku

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and of course you know

that today we are going

to Rambuku

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how could I think

that you don’t know that

for you and I

standing here

quite short pause

are ready to go to Rambuku

Everything is ready

And today it will happen

I know that

yes

quite short pause

for now

today

Rambuku is coming

quite short pause

and then we shall go

across seas

across land

across sky and sea

and all the way to Rambuku

you and I shall go

and there we shall be

and live in Rambuku’s being

quite short pause

there I shall live in a song

she laughs briefly to herself, quite short pause

I shall live in Rambuku’s song

She laughs a little to herself

And we shall be together

in Rambuku

you and I

in a house

which is not a house

in a day

which is not a day

in a night

which is not a night

yes

yes there

in Rambuku

shall we be

you and I

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and everything’s ready

everything

yes

quite short pause

everything

everything that can be done

has been done

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and I’ve spent many years

getting it ready

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yes you know that

Quite short pause

You know that

Quite short pause

But you don’t say anything

quite short pause

no matter what I say

you just stand there

and look and look

Quite short pause

But you

quite short pause

can hear the song

from Rambuku

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how could I’ve thought

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that you couldn’t hear the song

and not know that today’s the day

quite short pause

when Rambuku will open up

Short pause

Today Rambuku is coming

so now

yes

quite short pause

yes now it’s over

quite short pause

now

now this is over

quite short pause

now

do you understand that

now this no longer exists

quite short pause

for now Rambuku shall begin

short pause

and I know you can hear the song

quite short pause

from Rambuku

can you hear it

the song is far away

and very near

yes it is

can you hear it

can you hear Rambuku sing

quite short pause

yes

yes I know you can

quite short pause

I know you can hear Rambuku sing

for everyone who listens

can hear Rambuku sing

Quite loudly

Rambuku shall come to us

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and it’ll happen today

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and then we shall no longer be

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in this unbearable here

short pause

here

quite short pause

for I don’t want to be here

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here

short pause

everyone just walks around and sees

the one they think is the other

but it’s themselves they see

they don’t see others

they see something small and petty

they see themselves

yes

quite short pause

here you can see neither

sky nor ocean

no one can

quite short pause

and the angels cannot be

here

the light cannot shine

here

and here we have been

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here

here

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where everything’s empty

empty and empty

and alike and alike

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here it’s like that

but in Rambuku everything is

both unlike and alike

in its bursting abundance

how many years have I not been

here with you

you and I have been here

always here

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year in and year out

have we been here

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but we won’t be here

any longer

quite short pause

for after all these years

Rambuku is coming

Short pause

I don’t understand it

I don’t understand myself

quite short pause

yes that I’ve been here

I shouldn’t have been here

with you

you and I shouldn’t have been here

quite short pause

for no one can be here

quite short pause

but why don’t you say something

why don’t you answer

say something

quite short pause

don’t just stand there

straight up and down

that you just stand there

and look and look

always the same

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you don’t say anything

just stand there

quite short pause

but now

tosses it aside

now it’s gone

now there’s nothing left

now it’s all finished

now I don’t have to watch

that you just stand there

and look and look

Quite short pause

For it’s not like that in Rambuku

quite short pause

you are not like that in Rambuku

do you understand what I’m saying

you’re not like that in Rambuku

quite short pause

yes you know that

you understand that

quite short pause

don’t you

you do

you understand that

quite short pause

of course you understand that

and you can see that I’m beautiful

that I’ve dressed up

can’t you

I’ve dressed up for Rambuku

you do see

don’t you

that I’m beautiful

yes you do

yes of course you do

quite short pause

and when you come to Rambuku

quite short pause

you’ll see the big birds

birds as big as houses

almost

And they are

translucent

And the songs in Rambuku

they move

in the wind

like the branches of a vast tree

And they spread outwards

and stroke your hair lightly

quite short pause

the songs

in Rambuku

are there

for you and me

for us

Yes

Quite short pause

And everything’s ready

quite short pause

you’re ready

I’m ready

and then Rambuku will come

Short pause

And you just stand there

and say nothing

just stand there

and look and look

as if nothing has happened

as if nothing will happen

as if this is just an ordinary day

that’s how you stand there

Loudly

But this is not just an ordinary day

Quite short pause

Can’t you see that

But look around

don’t just stand there

look around

look

see what’s happening

see Rambuku opening up

Look

He looks around, quite short pause

And you can see

you can can’t you

that this is not

just an ordinary day

yes you can see that

I know you can see that

quite short pause

you can see

that this is an extraordinary day

quite short pause

you can see

that this is the last day

and the first day

I know you can see that

Pause

But don’t stand there like that looking around

He stops looking around

I don’t want to see you here

anymore

I want to see you

quite short pause

somewhere else

quite short pause

and now

yes now

now I shall finally

see you in Rambuku

quite short pause

finally

finally I’ll get to see you in a different light

get to see you

in Rambuku’s light

in the radiant light of Rambuku

shall you be

and there shall I be

there we shall be

quite short pause

and don’t just stand there

as if someone once

had placed you there

forever

that’s how you stand there

quite short pause

stand and stand

pause

and look and look

Quite short pause

So say something

yes

quite short pause

just say something

say something to me

say something

quite short pause

for I want to know

quite short pause

yes that you too know

quite short pause

that something will finish

and something else

great and bright

will begin

Short pause

And now you’ll say

please do

for you’ll be saying these things

so often in Rambuku

but say it now

yes

she smiles to herself

say it now

already

say

You are a beautiful woman

please do

You can say that

can’t you

yes

yes

quite short pause

say it then

say after me

You

Pause

But say it then

say

You

HE

You

SHE

Good

And then you say

quite short pause

are a beautiful woman

HE

are a beautiful woman

SHE

That’s good

Quite short pause

Say

Quite short pause

You are a beautiful woman

HE

You are a beautiful woman

Pause

SHE

Thank you

Thank you so much

takes his hand again, shakes it

It makes me

yes happy

quite short pause

to hear you say it

She lets go of his hand. Pause

And then you say

I don’t understand anything

HE

I don’t understand anything

SHE

And say

For today Rambuku

shall open up

HE

For today Rambuku

SHE

More

say the rest

say it

HE

Rambuku

SHE

Say more

say what I said

Today Rambuku shall

HE

Today Rambuku shall

SHE

Say after me

then

say