R

AVRAM THE SON: Whose skeleton is this?
KATERINA (She is cooking dinner.): It’s your father’s.
AVRAM THE SON: You mean your husband’s!
KATERINA: As far as I know my husband is your father!
AVRAM THE SON: Are you sure about that?
KATERINA: Unfortunately, I have undeniable evidence!
AVRAM THE SON: If you say you have undeniable evidence, why the hell are you dragging home dead replicas of your living husband? Get him out of my sight!
KATERINA: What did you say?
AVRAM THE SON: Exactly what I said!!! Everything smells here, it stinks of the past! You’ve been digging out ancient skeletons while your living husband has been “artistically engaged,” reciting monologues about the “glorious” French revolution in the streets like a fool…
KATERINA: And what would you want us to do? Sell bananas from third world countries?
AVRAM THE SON: I want you to understand the times you’re living in!
KATERINA: You can see what kind of times we’re living in. Here I am making dinner for tomorrow and at the same time I’m determining the age of a skeleton from the sixth century BC. From the 29 skeletons brought back from the dig only one offers (she is peeling an onion) the possibility for determining its age according to the length of the thigh bone and the well-preserved skull… Do you understand?
AVRAM THE SON: Don’t get so excited. You see, now you’ve burnt the oil!
KATERINA: What do you mean don’t get excited? … What am I supposed to write?.. What kind of scientific conclusions can I possibly draw? How am I going to determine its age… infants, juveniles, adultus, maturus, senilis… Tell me how??? Its lower jaw is only partially preserved… (She stirs the onion in the frying pan.) Do you understand now?
AVRAM THE SON: Yes, I do. Even your cooking stinks of history, of skulls and rotten bones… That’s what I understand… I have to live history, eat history, and then puke history, isn’t that right?
KATERINA: Do something against history, if you can?
AVRAM THE SON: I don’t have any money!
KATERINA: What do you need money for?
AVRAM THE SON: To get some explosives!!!
KATERINA: And then what!?
AVRAM THE SON: And then, we’ll see! The important thing is that this present has to be blown up, destroyed…
KATERINA: Go to the toilet, honey, and unload yourself there…
AVRAM THE SON: You just wait and see where I’ll go! I’ll…
KATERINA: And show some respect. You’re in the presence of a man from the sixth century BC.
AVRAM THE SON: I’d like to live for only one day without history, without violence, without coercion, and then I’d like to die in order to remind you that you created me… hopefully, out of love!!! Good-bye! (He exits.)
KATERINA: Wait a minute, son… (stirring the food) … Wait! Where are you off to now?
JANA (She is doing her homework. She hasn’t noticed the family argument.): Mom, what’s the date of our country’s liberation?
KATERINA (She walks toward her.): I don’t know, Jana. I don’t know anything. I’d have to check…!

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