MANNY: An epiphany. That dream... A...

MANNY:

An epiphany. That dream... A Prostitute.

Bodies falling down forever?

I must be going crazy...

Was it about my family? It felt so... Real...

He stands up and starts to walk into the park.

He pulls an umbrella out of his bag,

Sits on a bench, starts to write.

Christina, (#1) a girl in her late 20’s sits next to him. She is also holding an umbrella... and she is dressed in very comfy clothes, she looks like a college student.

She is chewing gum, She looks like if she was waiting for someone.

Manny is so caught up in his writing, he does not realize she is there. She starts to hum the tango we heard at the beginning of the play.

Manny doesn’t listen to it, he is lost in his writing. She looks up, looks at the street, goes to her phone...Looks again.

CRISTINA: And here I am!

MANNY: (His face on the notebook) Excuse me?

CRISTINA: I was talking to myself. She stops chewing, She takes out the gum and sticks it on the bench.

MANNY: You know... that is not very polite.

CRISTINA: Excuse me?

MANNY: Oh... you are one of those... So, so clever...

CRISTINA: I don’t know you...

Manny looks up. He is surprised. She looks just like Rosa. She looks like his Dream.

MANNY: I do re... Silence

CRISTINA: You... what?

MANNY: I do know you.

Silence. She feels uncomfortable.

CRISTINA: Maybe... Do you visit the library very often?

MANNY: Me in the library? (Laughs out loud) Yeah right...

CRISTINA: You are writing though...

MANNY: I am a writer...

CRISTINA: (Clever) Who doesn’t visit the library...

MANNY: (Nerviously coughs) Funny girl. (Shocked) (To himself) But it can not be possible. I mean... things like things don’t happen.

CRISTINA: Sir, you are scaring me. Silence

Manny looks at her,

He is going to say something but decides not to, He goes back to his book.

She takes out a new gum stripe.

MANNY: Do you...?

CRISTINA: (Chewing) What?

MANNY: You will get cavities from so much gum.

Cristina laughs.

CRISTINA: That’s how you flirt? Forget about it, sir...

I am just withered... My heart is closed.

MANNY: What did you just say?

CRISTINA: Uh?

MANNY: I am just withered... My heart is closed. I’ve heard that somewhere else.

(He completely stops writing) Where are you from?

CRISTINA: Here. Hispanic parents though.

MANNY: Hispanic too! (To himself) Odd!

CRISTINA: I know... Crazy weather... Why am I here?

They said there was a storm coming... Who would have guess it was...

MANNY: I THINK I KNOW YOU! CRISTINA (Moving further from him) You... already... said... that.

MANNY: Okay... you will get scared by this... but...

CRISTINA: I am already scared by you. Silence.

MANNY:

I think I dream... Never mind. Silence.

CRISTINA: You... What?

It’s the second time you stop your words...

you know... just say it.

It’s Not. So. Hard.

Silence.

MANNY: I dreamed about you.

CRISTINA: Oh no... You are one of those..

MANNY: What? She tries to find the right words to say...

CRISTINA: One of those.. Yes... one of those...

You dreamed about me, You dreamed I was your love, You dreamed of the beach, Me smiling at you.

You saw me, Saw in me everything, Believe this is not a coincidence.

You think, Because you dreamed of me, Now you can take me to live with you, Introduce me to your cat.

Eat Colombian food with me, Convince me to get into my pants.

Fu*$ me, Make love to me, Count my freckles, Sleep with me.

But in the morning...

MANNY: You are so wrong...

CRISTINA: You’ll look me in the eyes and say...

MANNY: So wrong...

CRISTINA: The dream is over. Please just leave.

MANNY: Please stop.

CRISTINA: You’ll call me again, Ask me to come to central park, It will be raining like today, And you’ll say: “I’m sorry”.

You’ll say, “I love you”...

In reality, It is all, Nonsense, Nonsense.

All dreams are nonsense.

MANNY: You really...

CRISTINA: I’ll keep coming to this park though, Till one day I meet another man, One that as you, pronounces shit like that. It rains heavier.

CRISTINA: Oh, great!

MANNY: You are so wrong...

CRISTINA: Aha...

Manny looks at her, She tries to ignore him.

MANNY: What if you are right then? What if all you said is true?

What is so bad about it?

Uh?

Uh?

Tell me!

Dreaming, losing hoping, All of that shit.

What’s so bad about it?

CRISTINA: I don’t...

MANNY: STOP! Don’t speak anymore... Nothing is bad about it.

Author's website for play licensing: http://gabrielgtorres.com/