Enter Sister.
SISTER. There’s shooting in the street. You hear that?
SEVA. This is my wife.
DMITRY. Dmitry.
ANYA. Careful. A wind blow can fly you away.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. Is that the wind or is somebody knocking?
SEVA. I think someone’s at the door.
Enter Pirogova.
PIROGOVA. No, that was just me catching my hand on a stray nail.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. Oh, come in, Natasha.
SISTER. You hear that?
PIROGOVA. (Happily) Shooting!
ANYA. It’s in the neighborhood.
PIROGOVA. It’s Vitya. He’s a pilot.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. Is he shooting out of an airplane?
PIROGOVA. He’s firing his rifle out of jealousy. Just don’t tell him I’m here.
ANYA. What a life! Young pilots shooting off their rifles in the streets out of their minds with jealousy!
Gunfire and shouting “Natasha! Natasha!” is heard outside the window.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. Pirogova, sweetheart, what did you do to him?
SEVA. Another good man ruined.
ANDREI. What kind of a rifle does he have?
PIROGOVA. I don’t know. I don’t know anything about arms.
SISTER. Is this pilot good-looking?
PIROGOVA. Yes.
ANYA. Demonic man!
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. Ah, Anya.
SISTER. I saw a falling star today. I made a wish.
SEVA. What did you wish?
SISTER. Don’t ask.
ANDREI. You always look up at the sky with hope in summer.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. The Big Dipper’s over our street.
SISTER. It makes your head spin!
PIROGOVA. I killed a cockroach this morning and washed it down the drain.
ANYA. I’m in a silly mood today, too!
DMITRY. Moscow is completely different. I walked on tiptoes through its ground, of my Moscow, towards my home. I lay down on a bench on the boulevard, looked up at the sky and cried. Back there I never cried. But here I burst into tears for everything put together, for everything.
SISTER. I don’t ever cry. (All look at the sky. Dmitry and Sister look at each other.) It’s like a dream. Just him and me.
DMITRY.
It’s just her and me by the blue window. She speaks words and the fog carries them off.
SISTER. The evening looks like your favorite color.
#5Barsukov appears in the doorway. He removes his hat and wipes tears from his face.
BARSUKOV. Is there…?
SEVA. No. We’ve only got wine, Barsukov. You don’t drink that.
DMITRY. She heard the word “wine” and turned her head.
PIROGOVA. He’s probably hungry.
BARSUKOV. Is there an adult in here?
DMITRY. Seva always forgot his lighting cigarettes and lit up new ones.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. What’s happened this time?
BARSUKOV. Kolya’s been arrested.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. What? What for?!
BARSUKOV. My poor boy…
Two old women peek out from behind his back.
FIRST OLD WOMAN. Look – there’s Kolya.
SECOND OLD WOMAN. And there’s Kolya.
FIRST. And here’s Kolya.
SECOND. Here and here and here.
FIRST. Look how many they are.
SECOND. Ich nicht.
FIRST. There’s more and more and more.
SECOND. Ach, mein Gott.
FIRST. Kolya, Kolya, Kolya.
SECOND. Don’t call him. Don’t call him. (Disappears into the corridor)
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. How did it happen?
BARSUKOV. I don’t know.
SEVA. Let’s go, Barsukov.
YELIZAVETA SERGEYEVNA. How unpleasant!
ANYA. Poor Kolya.
ANDREI. I’ll come with you.
PIROGOVA. I’ve never been to the police.
All leave except Dmitry and Sister.
DMITRY. It all happened very strangely. I simply touched her and she touched me.