ACT 3, SCENE 3
(CASSANDRA and OLIVER’s apartment, the evening of the same day.)
(CASSANDRA is in semidarkness, sitting in the sofa. She holds AMADI’s message in her hand. OLIVER and DANIEL enter.)
OLIVER: Cassandra?
CASSANDRA: I’m here.
OLIVER: I brought someone with me. He would like to talk to you.
CASSANDRA: Look –
DANIEL: Please, Cass. May I sit?
(CASSANDRA nods)
OLIVER: I will be in the bedroom. Take your time.
DANIEL: Oliver came to see me today. And we talked. I know.
CASSANDRA: Dad...
DANIEL: Cassandra, please, let me finish. I owe you an apology.
CASSANDRA: Dad...
DANIEL: (holding her hand) I didn’t mean to judge neither your mother nor you. You know, since your mother died... I forgot others suffered. And maybe as much as me. I loved your mother so much!
CASSANDRA: Of course, you did, Dad! I never doubted it. And mom didn’t either.
DANIEL: Do you think she will ever forgive me?
CASSANDRA: She wasn’t happy. It had nothing to do with you. There’s nothing to forgive.
DANIEL: How can you be so sure?
CASSANDRA: I was so upset the other day, when we argued. I don’t know. Somehow, you said something that, that helped me. I am not angry anymore. I am not.
DANIEL: I am glad, then. And what about the wedding?
CASSANDRA: We both agreed, Dad.
DANIEL: I understand. But, I think Oliver is a great individual. Stay friends, please.
CASSANDRA: Oh, I’m sure we will. (pause) Dad, I’m sorry too. Learning about mom’s past has been quite the experience.
DANIEL: And I hope it helped you.
CASSANDRA: Mom has loved you, Dad. That’s why she stayed. And I also love you very much. You both helped me.
(They hug.)
CASSANDRA : Can I keep the letters?
DANIEL: Yes. I only want to remember the good things about her. I have read enough. She stayed with me and nothing else matters. (pause) Now...
CASSANDRA: Now?
DANIEL: Yes, now, you need to talk with Oliver. And then, enjoy your life. I won’t be in the way anymore. I love you too much for that.
CASSANDRA: Oh, Dad!
(OLIVER re-enters.)
OLIVER: (smiling) I can see you patched up your differences.
DANIEL: Yes, definitely Oliver. Thank you so much!
OLIVER: No problem!
DANIEL: I think I should go now. I will leave the two of you patch things up too! I’ll call you, Cass.
CASSANDRA: Thanks, Dad!
(DANIEL exits. OLIVER joins CASSANDRA on the sofa.)
OLIVER: I want to speak with you
CASSANDRA: I want to speak with you
(They laugh)
OLIVER: You go first.
CASSANDRA: No, please do.
OLIVER: Alright then. It won’t take long. (pause) I lied. I lied about the letters. I read a few of them. The first night after you had brought the box. But I wanted you to tell me. And, and, and, the fact you kept silent about it made me very angry.
CASSANDRA: (slowly reaching for his hand_) Why?
OLIVER: (grabbing her hand) I felt betrayed. You see, after all these years... Since your mother died, I’ve felt like, like, a stranger to you. At the beginning, I thought it was the suicide. I WAS upset. I used to think that I had to satisfy you. That I had to make you happy no matter what. I wanted to be the one for you. And, and I forgot to be myself. I lost myself in the process. I just wanted to help you grow. But I realized that maybe, maybe, I demanded too much of you. That you could live without me and still grow.
CASSANDRA: Oh, Oliver! I am so sorry!
OLIVER: Don’t be. It is my own fault. And, don’t cry. It doesn’t have to be painful.
CASSANDRA: But it is.
OLIVER: Well, what is painful... It’s what you don’t want to let go. It doesn’t have to be that way.
CASSANDRA: I’m afraid...
OLIVER: Of what?
CASSANDRA: Will you hate me?
OLIVER: (laughing) How could I hate you?
CASSANDRA: People have hated me before.
OLIVER: I don’t know them.
(Long pause.)
CASSANDRA: But, what will you do?
OLIVER: Enough of you, me, and us. Just look at it that way. We don’t need to part and hurt inside. As long as we still care...
CASSANDRA: How can I not care? You have been my best friend all these years!
OLIVER: Yes, exactly. Your best friend. That’s what I meant. You are my best friend too. And as a friend, I have to respect your choices. And, and, your life. What you are going through... You have to, you have to go to the person who knows you best. And I am not that person.
CASSANDRA: Do you think one can forget the past?
OLIVER: No.
CASSANDRA: Oliver?
OLIVER: Yes?
CASSANDRA: I was too scared of letting go of things. And I had to work through my fears. I had to see beyond all the darkness.
OLIVER: I know.
CASSANDRA: And Amadi and I... I mean, I think we still have to explore the possibilities of, of...
OLIVER: (gently caressing her hair) I know.
CASSANDRA: How do you know?
OLIVER: I saw the two of you in various occasions. You never have to look at each other...
CASSANDRA: I never ever wanted to hurt you. I have been happy with you. But...
OLIVER: Shhhh... You don’t need to justify yourself. We were happy together for a while. But we’re not anymore. At some point, you know what? We have to be realistic. Things have to be done. And when all is said and done, if people are smart enough... I mean, things will be great.
CASSANDRA: I agree, Oliver. Will we still see each other?
OLIVER: I hope so. But right now, you need to find yourself again.
CASSANDRA: I know. Amadi was right about you.
OLIVER: The strange thing is, I never really liked her all these years. (laughing) But I’m starting now. I’ve always known for the two of you. Come here. I’ll come and pick up my things later on this week. I’ll be at Matt’s.
CASSANDRA: I will give you a call. To see how you’re doing. We’ll keep in touch.
(They smile at each other, OLIVER nods.)
CASSANDRA: You definitely cannot forget the past. And I won’t forget us.
(OLIVER blows her a kiss and leaves. CASSANDRA reads AMADI’s message and sits on the bed, in the bedroom. She gets up and walks to the middle of the dining room, taking a piece of paper from her pocket.)
CASSANDRA: Last night, I was thinking about my mother, and what to say and how to say things. But, well, it was not easy. I tried to write a message. I heard some people say that death is a continuation of life. (she stops reading and smiles) Now, I know they are right. Heaven and Hell are within our own minds. The truth is, mom, you gave me the greatest gift of all. And I am proud of the mother you have been. So, be at peace now.
(Smiling, she grabs the phone and walks back to the bedroom. AMADI enters very quietly.)
CASSANDRA : (reciting) And if I should ever forget you, let my heart and soul never forgive me... Can I come over?
AMADI: (smiling) Well, I’m not home right now...
CASSANDRA: Where are you?
AMADI: You have a beautiful voice.
CASSANDRA: Where are you, now? Can we meet somewhere?
AMADI: (whispering) Turn round.
CASSANDRA : You’re here! It’s just like my dream! Except, except that you’re not leaving!
AMADI: I knew I was in it. I must admit one thing. Oliver is the most unselfish kind of man I’ve ever seen in my life. (showing CASSANDRA keys) He always wants people to be happy.
CASSANDRA: (quivering) Yes.
AMADI: Don’t worry. He’ll be just fine.
(Pause.)
CASSANDRA: So... I guess we don’t need to meet somewhere else now.
AMADI: No! And I also guess you won’t mind helping me.
CASSANDRA: Do what?
AMADI: Well... Where am I going to put my stuff now?
CASSANDRA: Your stuff?
(They laugh.)
AMADI: Did you just call me to recite poetry?
CASSANDRA: Of course not, silly!
AMADI: Let’s go then! Hakim’s waiting in the car. He won’t live with me anymore. He says, I quote: “You take too much space.”
CASSANDRA: (pretending she is annoyed) Well, then... I will sacrifice myself for the sake of, of... Whatever!
(They look at each other, smile, and exit.)
(THE END)
This was the last scene of In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider purchasing an ebook copy of the play on Amazon and leaving a review there. Thank you for your support! :-)
Copyright © 2007 Cendrine Marrouat
Cover design by Cendrine Marrouat
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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