Мария Старожицкая - Навіщо. What For

— So, what is the meaning of life?

Strilka

— I do not know now, really. Let us sleep.

Laurel

— We stood on Maidan for our country, for our land, for justice. And separatists say the same when we question them. So it looks like their land is our land. Or the land belongs to no one, it accepts us like plants, insects, birds, animals …

He shuts up and sleeps.

Strilka

— It is a drone. It is the drone above us. We are seen. The artillery will strike us now.

She shakes Laurel, he does not react and continues to sleep..

Scene 15

Central street. It is Veles, beaten to blood, tied to a column, with a plate “Chastener, who killed our children” on his neck. Tetyana stays near him.

Tetyana

— I will go to Russia, I will start a new life, I will forget all of you. Did we live bad? What did you want? All cops work and make affairs, your former partners are bosses now, but not you, you wanted to be clean and white. Why are you silent, did they cut your tongue?

She asks the question and becomes afraid, watching Veles.

Veles (spit blood from his mouth)

— Why are you so angry? Spit on me, beat me here, on my leg, you know where it hurts. Anyway, the whole class was here, like in Mausoleum, to look on a known person.

Tetyana

— Did they beat you?

Veles

— Just Shvabra (Mop), I took him under arrest for 15 days about 5 years ago, when he put a bruise to Natashka, being drunk. By the way, Natashka brought me water and fed with a cake, not like you.

Chervonets comes

— Romeo and Juliette of the Donetsk Province, fuck you. She will go far away right now, and you are to be questioned, long time on fresh air, and free massage. You will tell on camera how you returned home with American gun, how you killed and looted and how sorry you are to local people …

He untied Veles and moved him at gunpoint.

Scene 16

Theseus answers the long phone call

— Nastya? No, I am not at home. No, no more communication. Yes, to Volnovakha. Just at the morning. Not everything which written is true. I will try to get by my own sources. If it is true, they have no way to go. No, nights are warm now. A man should stay about two weeks without food. As for water … Nastya, things are not so bad, trust me, there are several groups going out from there, volunteers observe their move and the pro Ukrainian local folks are to take them by cars. Nastya, stop, please. Try to sleep. Nothing depends on you at present. All right, it depends … Excuse me, second line.

… Yes, ask for a bill, I am coming soon.

… Nastya, it is his way, try to understand it, he went to this war as a volunteer and he has to move till the end. It is like in a game, he is moving and I correct his road and he has lives in stock. Do you understand me? No, no thanks, for now…

Scene 17

Elephant (Slon) jumps into a trench and meets Martynov with the gun.

Slon

— Fuck, I have to take this loony with myself.

Martynov

— Kill me here.

Slon

— As they say in my native Odessa, no bargaining here. And what I see is not a young recruit, but a serious Russian Capt. or Major. Probably he has something interesting and new in his memory. Let us go, go, it is not far from here. It is a headquarters in Volnovakha, so I will pass you to people there, I’ll take a car and take my guys. Because they think, I am fucking gay. By the way, why did you come so far from your positions? OK, keep silent, you will tell everything later.

He takes Martynov out the trench and they move.

Martynov

— It is my Grandfathers golden watch, real commander’s watch; I took it with me for good luck. Take it and kill me. Well, kill, and then take it. Anyway, the watch will be the gift.

Slon

— You are talking strange things. What is your point? I do not see it.

Martynov

— I will be disjoint for organs in captivity. Your doctors rehabilitate your wounded by the pieces of ours. The blood is the same, the Russian blood. You have to understand me, it is better to die…

Slon

— By the way, I am an American Jew from Odessa, I am real Ortodox Zhydobanderovets and I owed nothing to you. And the brain transplantation would be useful for you, oh yes. Let us thing a marching song, it makes the road fun.

He starts to sing. He twists the gun on Martynov’s back as a conductor. Martynov at first helps to remember words and corrects inaccuracies and then starts to sign, and the both sing together like a choir.

One of our planes was missing

Two hours overdue,

One of our planes was missing

With all it's gallant crew,

The radio sets were humming,

They waited for a word,

Then a voice broke through the humming

And this is what they heard:

«Comin' in on a wing and a prayer,

Comin' in on a wing and a prayer,

Though there's one motor gone

We can still carry on,

Comin' in on a wing and a prayer.

What a show! What a fight!

Yes, we really hit our target for tonight!

How we sing as we limp through the air, Look below, there's our field over there,

With our full crew aboard

And our trust in the Lord

We're comin' in on a wing and a prayer».

There are shoots around, both men fall, both in blood, wounded in legs.

Martynov

— Are you alive?

Slon (after a pause, examine himself)

— You can’t wait!

Scene 18

Laurel and Strilka. Morning. The heap. Laurel tries to call Tessay and Natya. No answer. He calls his commanders, the same situation.

Strilka

— I want to drink very much. I cannot wait longer..

Laurel

— We can drink urine. Take a thermos and pour. Or I will do it, it is easier for me.

Strilka

— Do not joke, please.

Laurel

— No jokes here. Cosmonauts drink. I wanted to be a cosmonaut as a child and tried to drink my urine. Nothing terrible.

Strilka

— I wanted to be a model. I walked in our apartment in a very short bathrobe and Mom’s shoes. Stop, wait a second!

She takes a gown from the pocket on trousers, given by Tetyana. She takes her dress off till underwear and wears the gown, moving close to Laurel.

Laurel

— No shoes, pity. You can’t do it barefoot on gravel.

Strilka

— Give me a flask, I will go to a well to het water.

Laurel

— If you see a truck, lie but go to our guys to Volnovakha, and I will go alone.

Strilka

— It is not a time to pick up girls. The cars / trucks are running very fast on the road and just once in three hours.

Laurel

— I will watch you with binoculars. How a model is to name situation when she has to go from a heap to road?

Strilka

— It is defile. The latest trend of the season “Summer2014”. The latest scream…

She turns and goes away.

Scene 19

Laurel is watching where Strilka is with his binoculars.

Theseus is calling.

— Hello to you, too, how are you? … Why are you asking just about me? I am alone here, Strilka went to get water.