ACT 3 – SCENE 1
The next morning. At the crack of dawn. Everyone’s asleep. The package is still standing there unopened. The daylight is flat and weak. But it will get stronger.
LOTH comes through the plastic sheet out of the addition. He looks around a bit, just out of personal interest, and finally goes to the patio door and looks out at the morning.
HOFFMANN comes downstairs in his underwear. LOTH doesn’t notice him and goes to the sink, fills a glass with water and drinks. HOFFMANN stands behind him and watches.
HOFFMANN
amazing
look at you
standing here in my kitchen
you just get up, Alfred?
good morning
you slept well, I hope
I’m just wondering where
–
don’t say anything!
I think I know
LOTH
yes, morning, Thomas
up yours
HOFFMANN
coffee?
LOTH
no thanks
I’m off
HOFFMANN
I’ve heard that from you too many times since yesterday
for me to believe you
first you’re off, then you go, then you’re here again
is that how things are going to be permanently, Alfred?
should I adjust to that?
in the future?
to your continual return
well
presumably not
right now you’re off, right
sneaking out at dawn
we know what that means:
nothing serious
just one night
because suddenly the sun comes up and as so often happens the daylight makes the magic disappear
then you’re left standing there
you put your pants back on
look down at a sleeping woman and think to yourself:
if it wasn’t that certain body parts fit into each other
almost automatically
you wouldn’t know what it was that seemed so appealing
–
so nothing to do but leave
it’s not locked
the door’s open
LOTH
sure
–
the way you’re looking at me is the way you look at everything, isn’t it, Thomas?
am I right?
I came here – this is how you imagine it –
to poke around in the dirt
that doesn’t exist
so I could write about you
but then didn’t find anything interesting
but still
not without a fuck
that’s the least
then off I go again
screw it
I’ll take it with me on my way out
that’s how you see me
right?
what’s up with that, Thomas?
tell me
is it a habit?
a reflex?
to assume the worst of others
but of yourself
of course
somehow
not at all
HOFFMANN
so then we’d have something in common
that’s the prerequisite for your job
LOTH
exactly!
you’re right of course
the “story” about you
I have what I need, Thomas
because, of course, I’ve asked around a little
talked with people here and there
made a few
inquiries
HOFFMANN
I know
–
and?
what do people say?
LOTH
I’m sure you know it all already
the new production hall
yours
HOFFMANN
oh
it’s not even so new any more
LOTH
apparently there were plans – very concrete ones
for an apartment building
strange – on the same site
HOFFMANN
I wasn’t politically involved back then
if you believe that
what can I say?
plans that are politically important sometimes fall through
that probably happened in that case too
except that doesn’t, of course, interest those who are envious
LOTH
presumably
your father-in-law was on the council back then
HOFFMANN
you’re speculating
LOTH
of course, Thomas
HOFFMANN
in any case, my dear Alfred, I’m really pleased
I must say
really
that finally at long last we’ve got things cleared up you really could have just said that yesterday, that you came to poke around, to nose around
as for being old friends
it’s just that, well, Alfred, because you haven’t just poked your nose into this family, but also poked your privates into a member of that family, I feel that in light of your ethics there is – it seems to me – sorry – a problem
LOTH
you see, Thomas
no
wrong yet again
fuck the “story”
I couldn’t give a shit about that
provincial
I didn’t want to write about that at all
it really just fell into my lap
the people around here say too much
I told you already
the rift between us
what has – I don’t know – “poisoned” us
it’s not just the two of us
all of us
that
that is what I wanted to find
and I don’t know
understand
what is going on?
Thomas
we shared a room
by chance
a long time ago
that’s not a big thing
and now we’re living in two worlds
totally different
and with nothing in common
although we both
let’s admit it
we have to be honest here
at both ends of this spectrum
left and right
we’re both goddamn confused
all of us
HOFFMANN
well
we shouldn’t judge others based on ourselves –
LOTH
oh stop it
it’s obvious
HOFFMANN
OK fine
so I know it
that confusion
so is that the end result?
Alfred
of your self-questioning
and of your research
into – how flattering – into me?
LOTH
you start from the lowest in people
and I, I still believe
I’d like to believe, in spite of all the evidence:
people are better than their reputation
HOFFMANN
like I said before: I call that my realism
reality keeps proving me right
LOTH
no, only your way of describing reality
HOFFMANN
I don’t see any difference
LOTH
people are what they can be
and not only what they are
we aren’t just empirical
let us be utopian
yes, fine with me
otherwise we’d remain, everything remains the same
if there can’t be a window that briefly and mostly unnoticed opens just a crack, so that for a moment the possibility exists –
HOFFMANN
that what?
LOTH
–
–
that we become different
that we are different
HOFFMANN
huh
but you don’t know ahead of time what might come in
when the window, when the door opens
there are also uninvited guests
and lots of them
LOTH
so?
I know that
that’s not what I’m talking about
–
–
how long, do you think, will we keep drifting apart, until we can no longer hear each other when we talk
I don’t mean acoustically
but who’m I saying this to
you’re the metaphor guy
I’m afraid of that silence
I came because I wanted to know if you also
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
fine
so I’m going to leave
I think I need to take a shower
and thought maybe I shouldn’t do it here
HOFFMANN
feel free
LOTH
I’ll come back later
so don’t be surprised
I’ll pick Helene up
we’re going to take a drive
in the country
it’s lovely around here
she tells me
if you drive a bit
–
–
OK
see you later