ANON(YMOUS) LINES: HELEN LAIUS

Scenes 3 & 7

SENATOR LAIUS: Don’t mind us please. We’re just here to observe.

What are you making?

SEWING LADIES:…Mini Skirts, Baby bonnets, Oxford Shirts, Bikini bottoms.

Oooooh I love this. What is it?

NEMASANI: A shroud.

Oooooh a shroud. How interesting. What’s a shroud?

NEMASANI: It’s a sheet you wrap around the dead.

Oh. Oh I see. And do you sell a lot of those? Shrouds, I mean.

NEMASANI: It’s not for sale.

It’s lovely, the design is just lovely. I collect primitive art, you know, from all around the world. It’s a passion of mine. I have baskets from Guatemala and little buddhas from Cambodia. They speak to me. This speaks to me. I would love to buy this and hang it on my wall.

(scene has progressed since previous line) MR. MACKUS: THAT’S ENOUGH!

Who’s it for? The shroud I mean.

NEMASANI: My son.

Your son? Is he dead? That’s so sad. That makes me very, very sad.

SENATOR LAIUS: Helen, Darling—

You must be devastated. You poor thing. How did he die?

NEMASANI: He drowned.

He drowned! That’s awful. It’s so tragic, it’s just s tragic. I feel your pain, I really do. How did it happen? If you don’t mind me asking. It helps sometimes to talk, you know, to share. That’s what humans do. They share their joy, they share their pain, it’s only human. We’re only human. You can tell me. Go on, tell me—and maybe I can help.

exit @ 3:00

end scene.

scene 7

And your little boy? Did you ever see him again?

NEMASANI: No. Sometimes I think maybe he was saved. Maybe the Coast Guard found him. Or maybe he was able to swim to shore.

Wouldn’t that be something.

NEMASANI: And then maybe he was adopted by a nice American family.

YES! We adopted a little boy from the Third World. The senator and I found him in a refugee camp. He was so cute. We had such high hopes, but it didn’t work out. He was nothing but problems from the start. He didn’t blend in. He had a bad attitude. And then he ran away. Can you believe it? We gave him everything and he ran away.

NEMASANI: I think maybe my son, maybe he’s alive somewhere.

Maybe. Probably not. But maybe.

SENATOR LAIUS: Helen, darling, we really have to scoot.

I hope it all works out for you, I really do—

SENATOR LAIUS: Helen—

I mean I hope you can find closure and renewal. I find meditation and yoga, yoga can be really helpful, mindfulness and deep breathing—

SENATOR LAIUS: HELEN!

Coming, darling.

exit 3:00, thank Mr. Yuri Mackus.

end scene.