414 - The jacket of pain

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Evi Charitidou

Flashback. Extreme close up.

Andreas: Christos, for God’s sake, isn’t it too warm for you in this jacket? Time. Undo the buttons a little bit…
Christos: I can’t! Firmly holding his left rib.
Andreas: But why? It’s not going to be the end of the world.
Christos: It can’t be done…
Andreas: It can’t be done or you can’t do it?
Christos: Inside me, the world rains…
Andreas: Smiling. Ok, don’t take it like this… Silence. You know, even when we are alone, I often feel that my words hurt you.
Christos: It’s my wounds that hurt you, my friend… Silence.
Andreas: You’re right. Time. When I look at you I always wonder how much pain a life can stand.
Christos: Life’s a big wound. Time. Enduring it is what we call life… Silence.

We see them walking by the beach. From behind. Voice off.
Andreas takes him by the shoulder.

Andreas: Tell me something… what about laughing; what do you do with it? Time. Isn’t it important?
Christos: Important to whom? Have you ever seen the sea laughing?
Andreas: I’m talking about the humans!
Christos: Me too! Silence. Do you remember Hugo’s book?
Andreas: Yes, of course… What do you want to say?
Christos: This is what laughter is for me: a torn face, a visible wound.
Andreas: Namely do you bleed every time you laugh? Point of view.
Christos: Changing style. Do you want us to go to the Tower?

Flashback. End.

Andreas and Eva at their apartment. Full shot.

Eva: Look what I’ve found! Showing him a jacket.

Andreas: Looking at the jacket. So what?
Eva: But, don’t you recognize it? Andreas takes it into his hands.
Andreas: Christos’s jacket! Time. What is this doing here?
Eva: This is exactly what I wanted to ask. Time. Has he forgotten it and you put it together with your own clothes?
Andrea: I’ve no idea…But now you’re mentioning this to me I realize that I had noticed it in the wardrobe…Time. It never matched with the clothes I used to have…
Eva: You didn’t see the most important thing though…
Andreas: What?
Eva: Open it up and you’ll see… She gives him Christos’s jacket. Andreas opens it carefully

Medium shot.

Andreas: What’s this at the left side? Time. Blood?
Eva: Yes, it has blood on it…
Andreas: But, then that day…he was wounded… And I was talking to him about laughter… How idiot I was!
Eva: I don’t understand what you’re saying to me! What are you talking about?
Andreas: As always I would listen to the music without understanding the words…
Eva: But what happened, my darling?

Flash back.
Andreas and Christos sit on a bench. Close up.

Andreas: Are you tired, Christos?
Christos: Smiling. Are you kidding? Time. I just wanted to enjoy the view.
Andreas: Surprised. But you see it every day!
Christos: What we look at every day, we stop seeing it little by little…
Andreas: I know this port since I was a kid…
Christos: It knows you too since you were a kid. Time. You have changed however…
Andreas: We all do!
Christos: Almost… Showing him the tower. It didn’t change. Like time didn’t …
Andreas: Time?
Christos: If time remains the same it is because it changes every day. He bends suddenly. Medium close shot.
Andreas: What’s the matter Christos?
Christos: Laughing. Nothing, nothing. He stands up hastily. I’m late. Lucia must be waiting for me… We’ll talk later in the evening…
Andreas: Fine…
Christos: Turning back. Does she like lilacs?
Andreas: I don’t know…
Christos: Ok, I’ll find something else…

Flash back. End.

INSERT: On the same bench, Andreas’s looking at the view.