I Am the Wind Read online

Yes

  Pause

  No

  quite short pause

  no

  quite short pause

  no I

  breaks off

  THE OTHER

  What

  THE ONE

  Well

  quite short pause

  I’m here

  I have my place

  everyone has their place

  I have my place

  Everything has its place

  Short pause

  THE OTHER

  But you shouldn’t be here

  quite short pause

  should you

  not here in the boat

  I mean

  breaks off

  THE ONE

  I am here

  THE OTHER

  But you don’t want to be here

  THE ONE

  I don’t want to be anywhere else either

  THE OTHER

  You don’t want anything

  short pause

  is it possible not to want anything

  quite short pause

  when you’re cold

  you want to put some clothes on

  quite short pause

  don’t you

  or warm up

  somehow

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  And when you’re hungry

  or thirsty

  right

  breaks off

  THE ONE

  Then you want something to eat

  or something to drink

  THE OTHER

  That’s right

  Short pause

  And don’t you want those things

  THE ONE

  Now and then

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  Then you do want something

  THE ONE

  Maybe

  quite short pause

  if that’s what it means to want

  THE OTHER

  Isn’t it

  THE ONE

  Maybe it’s only because we’re here that

  breaks off, quite short pause

  that all those things

  breaks off, quite short pause

  yes all those things you’re talking about

  breaks off, short pause

  THE OTHER

  Maybe

  Pause

  But if someone

  Me

  right if I hit you

  THE ONE

  Then I’d try to defend myself

  THE OTHER

  Isn’t that about wanting

  THE ONE

  It might be

  Quite short pause

  Or it might just be because it really hurts getting hit

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  But life must live

  THE ONE

  Life must live

  THE OTHER

  And you

  quite short pause

  you don’t like that

  THE ONE

  No I do

  THE OTHER

  How can you

  quite short pause

  how

  OK I

  breaks off

  THE ONE

  Because it isn’t always like that

  THE OTHER

  It’s not always like you’ve said

  THE ONE

  No

  short pause

  no it can be different sometimes

  every now and then it isn’t like that

  THE OTHER

  It’s different

  at sea

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  And when you were a child

  was it like that then

  THE ONE

  No

  THE OTHER

  What was it like then

  THE ONE

  Then everything was in motion

  Pause. THE ONE goes and lifts up the anchor

  But now

  quite short pause

  we’re here

  look

  we’re in our cove

  THE OTHER

  Right

  THE ONE drops the anchor

  THE ONE

  But

  quite short pause

  right why don’t you go out on the deck

  quite short pause

  go to the bow

  and get ready to moor the boat

  quite short pause

  the rope

  lives up in the bow

  points

  yes there

  there in that crate

  points

  but hurry up

  points

  right

  now go now

  THE OTHER

  And then what

  THE ONE

  quite short pause

  Then

  when we reach the shore

  right

  then you jump off

  THE OTHER

  And then what

  THE ONE

  Then you moor the boat

  THE OTHER

  Right

  THE ONE

  Well go on then

  We’ve not got all day

  Hurry up

  THE OTHER

  Right

  quite short pause

  I am hurrying actually

  Can’t you tell

  THE OTHER goes out on the deck and walks forward, finds a rope

  THE ONE

  Now

  jump now

  Quite short pause

  Go on jump

  Jump ashore

  THE OTHER jumps, slips, falls, hurts himself

  Did you hurt yourself

  THE OTHER

  I slipped

  THE OTHER tries to stand up, gets to his feet, but is in pain

  THE ONE

  Are you alright

  THE OTHER

  Yes

  quite short pause

  I think so

  I just bashed myself a little

  THE ONE

  Right

  THE OTHER

  But I’m alright

  THE ONE

  Now tie the rope there

  quite short pause

  yes there

  quite short pause

  to that bolt you see over there

  THE OTHER

  I’ll try

  Pause

  THE ONE

  Is it sore

  THE OTHER

  A bit

  yeah

  short pause

  THE ONE

  Right

  But hurry up will you

  please

  THE OTHER

  Okay

  short pause

  now what do you want me to do

  THE ONE

  You’ve got to tie the rope to that

  quite short pause

  to that bolt you see over there

  THE OTHER

  And then what

  THE ONE

  And then you get back into the boat

  THE OTHER

  I can’t get back

  The boat’s too far away

  THE ONE

  Just pull it towards you

  THE OTHER

  Okay

  Quite short pause

  THE OTHER pulls the boat a little further in

  I can’t get it any closer

  THE ONE

  No

  Short pause

  Can you get back on board

  THE OTHER

  I’ll have a go

  THE OTHER jumps and grabs the rail and crawls back on deck

  THE ONE

  That didn’t look easy

  THE OTHER

  No

  quite short pause

  no

  but I did it

  THE ONE

  Yup

  Pause

  THE OTHER
/>
  And now ok right

  quite short pause

  now that the boat’s moored

  breaks off, quite short pause

  what happens now

  Pause

  THE ONE

  Well

  Short pause

  When you’ve cast anchor

  then

  quite short pause

  then

  quite short pause

  then you have yourself a drink

  THE OTHER

  A wee dram

  THE ONE

  It’s just what you do

  short pause

  shall I pour us one

  THE OTHER

  Yeah

  A drink would be terrific

  THE ONE goes to fetch a bottle and glasses

  THE ONE

  I think it’s exactly what we need

  THE ONE gives both glasses to THE OTHER, pours, takes one glass

  That’ll hit the spot

  Short pause. THE ONE puts the bottle down

  Cheers

  THE OTHER

  Cheers

  They raise their glasses and drink

  THE ONE

  Oh that’s lovely

  Pause

  Great here

  isn’t it

  quite short pause

  the grey reefs

  all bare

  nothing grows here

  quite short pause

  the bare little islands

  all grey and black

  and the rocks on the seashore

  the round rocks

  quite short pause

  and then

  out there

  short pause

  behind there

  there’s the ocean

  quite short pause

  and there

  is where the ocean and sky meet

  quite short pause

  the ocean’s so calm

  THE OTHER

  Yeah

  THE ONE

  Nothing grows here

  quite short pause

  it’s all grey rock

  THE OTHER

  And there are so many little islands here

  so many reefs

  Quite short pause

  And the ocean

  And the sky

  Long pause. THE ONE fills their glasses, they drink

  THE ONE

  I do like a drink

  THE OTHER

  Yeah

  Short pause

  THE ONE

  And it’s so quiet here

  THE OTHER

  All you can hear

  is the sea lapping against the boat

  THE ONE

  Yes

  and we just float

  nice and light

  quite short pause

  we’re so light

  it’s sort of like

  quite short pause

  there’s wind in us

  THE OTHER

  It’s like we’re rolling

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Yes that’s good

  THE OTHER

  And the boat’s rolling

  THE ONE

  Rolling lightly

  Rolling gently

  quite short pause

  that’s exactly the way it is

  THE OTHER

  We’re so light

  We’re as light as the wind

  quite short pause

  nearly

  THE ONE

  And we’re rolling too

  high up here

  quite short pause

  lightly

  with the boat

  THE OTHER

  Yes

  Pause

  Yes

  quite short pause

  we’re so light

  quite short pause

  yes

  quite short pause

  but you

  quite short pause

  a while ago

  you said

  that every now and then

  you were so heavy

  quite short pause

  that you were a rock

  THE ONE

  Yeah

  Short pause

  THE OTHER

  What did you mean by that

  THE ONE

  Nothing

  THE OTHER

  You must’ve meant something

  THE ONE

  They were just words

  It was just something I said

  I didn’t mean anything

  THE OTHER

  Just something you said

  THE ONE

  Yes

  quite short pause

  yes just words

  THE OTHER

  Rock

  The word rock

  THE ONE

  It’s just something you say

  THE OTHER

  Right

  THE ONE

  Yup

  quite short pause

  it’s not real

  quite short pause

  you try to say how something is

  by saying something else

  THE OTHER

  Because you can’t say

  how it really is

  THE ONE

  No

  quite short pause

  no of course you can’t

  Short pause

  THE OTHER

  It just becomes words

  THE ONE

  Words words and more words

  Pause

  THE OTHER

  But what you said

  quite short pause

  right that thing about being a concrete wall

  which is cracking

  THE ONE

  That was badly put

  THE OTHER

  It was an image

  THE ONE

  Yes

  quite short pause

  yes I suppose you could

  call it an image

  THE OTHER

  And an image

  breaks off

  THE ONE

  Yes I suppose it says something

  quite short pause

  something small

  quite short pause

  but mostly it says something wrong

  quite short pause

  something that’s not supposed to be said

  THE OTHER

  An image

  should say how something is

  quite short pause

  because you just can’t say it any other way

  That’s the whole point of it I suppose

  THE ONE

  Yes

  I think so

  THE OTHER

  But in the end it always says something else

  THE ONE

  That’s what I think

  quite short pause

  I think maybe all words are like that

  quite short pause

  but the essence of something

  how it really is

  you can’t communicate that

  because right

  that’s not a word is it

  THE OTHER

  It’s something that is there

  Quite short pause

  And something that isn’t

  breaks off

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Short pause

  But

  short pause

  all those things I say

  I know

  People shouldn’t say things like that

  Short pause

  I know

  There’s no point in saying anything really

  But

  quite short pause

  but I

  quite short pause

  I’m alive

  so I’ve got to say something

  quite short pause

  And now

  breaks off

  THE OTHER

  Yes what now

  Quite short pause

  What happens now

 
; THE ONE

  Does something have to happen

  THE OTHER

  Well we can’t just stay here

  quite short pause

  in the boat

  quite short pause

  THE ONE

  Course we can

  THE OTHER

  Well we could

  THE ONE

  It’s so quiet now

  THE OTHER

  Yeah

  quite short pause

  yes now everything alive

  is quiet

  Short pause

  THE ONE

  Don’t you love it

  THE OTHER

  Yes I do

  THE ONE

  Not really

  THE OTHER

  Well no I do

  quite short pause

  but I don’t think I understand it completely

  quite short pause

  I don’t think I completely understand

  what’s so good about it

  THE ONE

  No

  THE OTHER

  Can you tell me

  THE ONE

  No

  quite short pause

  no it’s the same

  THE OTHER

  As before

  THE ONE

  Yes

  Pause

  Yes I really like it

  I just like

  everything when it’s so quiet

  quite short pause

  and the light wind

  I like that too

  quite short pause

  I like

  quite short pause

  being light

  rocking gently

  in the heavy boat

  quite short pause

  It’s good

  THE OTHER

  Yeah

  THE ONE

  I just like being in the boat

  THE OTHER

  Yes

  quite short pause

  I think I

  breaks off

  yes me too

  I like the smell of the sea as well

  Short pause

  And I like looking

  at the rocks on the seashore

  quite short pause

  or the reefs

  or the little islands

  Quite short pause

  I like looking at

  the sky

  And at the ocean

  And I like

  quite short pause

  just being in the boat

  I didn’t think that I

  would like that

  But I do

  THE ONE

  Yeah

  Pause

  I like

  that out there

  quite short pause, points

  is the sea

  cold and dangerous

  calm and vast

  quite short pause

  and if you lie there

  short pause

  in the sea

  it wouldn’t take long

  breaks off

  THE OTHER

  You’d freeze to death really quickly

  You’d be dead

  quite short pause

  be gone forever

  THE ONE

  That’s right

  Pause

  We’re completely attached to

  breaks off, short pause

  without the boat

  short pause

  a couple of steps to the right

  short pause

  and we’re finished

  THE OTHER

  Short pause

  But do you quite like

  quite short pause

  do you quite like thinking about that

  THE ONE

  Yes

  quite short pause

  I do

  THE OTHER

  Isn’t it frightening

  THE ONE

  Yeah

  Yes of course it is

  THE OTHER

  Because

  quite short pause

  this boat’s really small