Goran Stefanovski: Wild Flesh (excerpt in English)

Wild Flesh

Scene 3

(Herzog’s house. A richly furnished drawing room. Sara is playing the
piano. The guests listen with glasses in their hands. She finishes the piece.
Sara goes up to Stevo.)

STEVO: Bravo. Wonderful.
SARA: It was abominable. Get me a drink. (Stevo, somewhat embarrassed,
pours her a drink.) Cheers. Where does music live?
STEVO: I beg your pardon?
SARA: Literature lives on paper, paintings on canvas, but what about music?
Where does music live?
STEVO: Well,…er…
SARA: Well what? Don’t tell me you know. What kind of music do you like?
STEVO: Beethoven.
SARA: What of Beethoven’s?
STEVO: Everything.
SARA: What in particular?
STEVO: Hard to choose.
SARA: Exert yourself a little.
STEVO: Well, perhaps the piece you were just playing.
SARA: That was Chopin.
STEVO: Sounded like Beethoven.
SARA: It didn’t bear the slightest resemblance to Beethoven. Where on
earth do you live, Mr Andreyevitch?!
STEVO: In the Debar district of town. Where your father’s firm is. I live
right next door to it.
SARA: What’s life like in the Debar district of town?
STEVO: Oh, it goes on. Much the same as elsewhere.
SARA: How long have you been working for my father?
STEVO: A year now.
SARA: And this is the first time you’ve been to our house?
STEVO: I’ve been here twice before. I brought some papers back for your
father. I stayed to coffee once. I saw you that time, too. You were going
up the stairs. You looked at me. I nodded in greeting, but you went on
up as if you hadn’t noticed me. As if you’d been looking right through me.
I blushed. That’s the way I am. Your father saw it all, but he pre-
tended he hadn’t. Your father’s a wonderful man. He’s helped me to
find my way in life, to find myself, if I may make so bold. When I re-
member that a year ago I was just an ordinary small-town boy, without
work or prospects, and when I compare myself with what I am today, I
can see how I’ve got on. And it’s mainly thanks to your father, Mr Herzog.
I do my best to justify his good opinion of me.
SARA: I don’t find that in the least interesting. You were talking about
prospects, though. What exactly would those prospects of yours be, Mr Andreyevitch?

(source: Vilenica Almanac 2007)