Мария Старожицкая - Навіщо. What For

— Yes, Brighton. There's no one who spoke English. They arrived in a foreign country, but were confident that everyone understands them in Russian. When in Rome… That's how I realized what happened here in the Donbass — the same Russian resettlement, confident that they are at home. Are you going or staying?

Poet

— My grandfather, father’s dad, he came to Berlin, said that captivity was worse than death. Even as I was to Afghanistan, said it on the home-leaving party. A maternal grandfather fought in the UPA. He died at 90.

He knew that this war would happen. Waited for it. Died a year before. He would not go into captivity, would sooner explode himself with a grenade.

By the way, has anybody got a grenade? Well, extra ...

Laurel

— Here, hold.

Poet

— Will you stay here?

Laurel

— I ‘ll go out. I’ll hurry because my beloved is waiting. And I have three grenades, well, now two. I have enough.

Poet

— What have you invented?

Laurel

— What are you talking about?

Poet

— About grenades. I see in the eyes.

Laurel

— Well, I'll throw a grenade — a ring remains. Well, check. And so I’ll do twice.

Poet

— So what?

Laurel

— I’ll do wedding-rings for us. After the war.

Poet (shakes his head, well, well)

— Then gather food, water. While it’s quiet, we’ll go straight across the field.

Strilka (comes closer)

— I'm with you

Poet

— We have Veles lame. Ask Guy, they will go faster. They’re all commandos, Marines.

Strilka

— They’ve already left. I asked to, and they as if didn’t hear...

Maybe they really did not hear. There were just two contused, they have buzzing in the head...

Laurel

— So you seemed to have ridden by “hazelka”(jeep/van)?..

Strilka

— There is no “hazelka” any more. No one survived ... Do not ask for I can’t keep myself.

Slon

— Let’s go already. Marry — no, but simply so — yes.

Strilka

— So I'd better marry. Just not so scary.

Scene 1

Field. Martynov and Chervonets with binoculars.

MartynovWe’ll give out the injured tomorrow. A few already have died. And we can make the captives march through the town.

Chervonets

— But recently there has been such parade.

Martynov

— Well, people liked it. A spectacle! You can make them march almost every day. And each day a new group. It’s a pity, my grandfather did not live till now, he fought the Nazis. My mother has the sewing machine from Berlin since then. They are fascists, fascists herd, nurtured by America. Make them trample their blue and yellow cloth, make them shout “Glory to Russia”. Look in the bushes, a lot of vipers escaped while we were packing, they will crawl out.

Chervonets

— Not far from here Tetyana with the son… in a small village. God forbid her to be exposed to punishers.

Martynov

— What’s wrong? We’ll find you a young patriot to marry, such that a cup of vodka stands on her tits.

Chervonets

— So come on, you first.

Martynov

— Donna Rosa, I am an old soldier, and I do not know the words of love

Scene 2

Night. Field of pumpkins. The whole group sleeps, having closely gathered in one nest. Someone holds that who’s next in the dream, someone holds an unripe pumpkin.

Veles

— In my former life I was a woman for sure .

Laurel (sleepily)

— Beautiful?

Veles

— Exactly!

Laurel

— What were you doing?

Veles

— Didn’t fight for sure . Probably, was growing up orchids. Do you like orchids? White orchids?

Laurel

— No, if white flowers, then strawberry.

And if to search, then somewhere near the flower there will be a berry ... The best taste in the world. You’d better sleep.

Veles

— Yes. The stars are shining so bright…That it’s impossible to sleep.

Laurel

— It's not the stars, it’s a tracer

Veles

— Oh to the deuce with you. Only imagine, there near the star there is the same planet, the same people. But, for example, everybody exactly knows how much he lives. As one-day insect knows. And they too. And all of them have the same life.

Laurel

— So I have my hundred years and everybody has hundred too? As you want you’ll divide?

Veles

— That’s it. I would not marry for thirty years, I’d travel around the entire planet, all countries, all seas ... Then for ten years I’d be sitting in the house in the woods, remember... Well, not lonely, of course ...

Laurel

How could you become a policeman, such a romantic?

Veles

— I am surprised myself.

Poet

— Is anybody going to sleep? During the day he is calling so that we all could be detected, shouting that he’s alive, that he loves, comes soon, as if he is one stop away, and at night…

Laurel

— Well, I did not shout, I quietly ... She is just the best in the world and she’s waiting for me.

Poet

— Exactly so. Do you know this parable? When a man died and asked the God about the sense of his life. The God told him: “You were going on a business trip in your youth, remember? No, he says, but there was something like that. — So you went to the dining car, and there was a woman at the next table who asked for salt, and you gave it. Remember? — Well, I remember something ... — So that’s it”

Veles

— We are now between heaven and hell. Both pulls ...

Slon

— Now I will draw you that much you’d feel! The sky is becoming lighter? Let’s get up and go. One by one — to the fence of that hut. The first one gets, gives a sign, what’s there: food-water-map , we take binoculars and watch. Check the submachine gun and that’s all.

Veles

— And who’s the first?

Slon

The one who asks goes.

Veles

— But I’ve a problem with my leg ...

Slon

— So, you won’t hurry.

Scene 3

Tetyana, Veles

Tetyana leaves the house to the garden, goes to the wooden lavatory, opens the door.

Tetyana

— Dima ?!

Veles

— Tanya... why the hell are you here?

Tetyana

— And you what?! You went to the punishers ... That's my grandmother’s hut, and our house in the town was shelled from Grad, well, not our apartment, but it became dangerous.

Veles

— Is Ponchyk in the house?

Tetyana

— No more Ponchyk.

Veles

— Killed?! ..

Tetyana

— Pip your tongue, I kicked him. Fights somewhere with such as you. He is now Chervonets, not Ponchyk . My little son is sleeping in the hut. Let me go, where I went, I’ll cope with you.