Kuryer na Vostok Page #2

---

thy mind's imprint will be

And of this book this learning

mayst thou taste.

The wrinkles which thy glass

will truly show

Of mouthed graves

will give thee memory-

- Did Pushkin write that?

- No, Shakespeare did.

Once, Prof. Rosenfeld said:

"This is your third attempt

to get into acting school.

"Each time you do tragedy, when

"you've a real talent

for comedy."

Did you want to be an actress?

Yes, but your father said:

"Don't knock at a locked door."

I was in love with him.

We had an office party today.

They asked me to recite.

I didn't want to,

but I pulled myself together.

I recite "A Woman is Being Beaten".

It's by Voznesensky.

At first, there was silence.

Then an ovation and flowers.

Everyone congratulated me.

Men offered to take me home.

A colonel even invited me

out to dinner.

But I came home alone.

The Earth is visible below

Through the round porthole.

We miss it as a son

Will miss his mother,

For it's our one

And only one.

And all the same,

The stars are cold,

Though they are near us.

And just as in

The darkest hours,

We wait for light and dream

Our Earthly dreams.

We dream not

Of the launching pad,

Nor of this light-blue

Stillness,

But of the grass

Around our house.

Of all the green,

Green grass.

Are you crying?

No. Go on back to bed.

What'd you do at Kuznetsov's?

Why?

He called this morning and

said not to send you again.

- I said there's nobody else.

- What'd he say?

He said, it was too bad we had

such punks on the staff.

- What'd you say?

- I said, "He's just a cog in the wheel."

You look like a corpse.

What'd you do there?

His daughter fell in love

with me. Now he's scared.

You're a fast operator.

And smart. Kuznetsov's

an important man.

Why're you sitting around?

Go pick up the photographs.

Then get the ms

from Kuznetsov.

It's stuffy in here.

Open the window, Ivan.

Buttertoes is the word.

Do I open it?

Never mind. Are you okay?

What d'you think? The paper

punch landed on my head.

Who put it up there?

I've been looking for it

for 3 weeks.

Being brained by this -

It could draw blood.

Yeah, if it fell from high up.

- It could even kill you.

- I doubt it.

If someone hit you full-force?

Let me see it.

Sure, if it were full-force.

Hello, Oleg. What crash?

Our messenger fell off

the windowsill.

Imagine, the paper punch

landed on his head.

Yours is small. Ours is

an office-size.

Not a scratch.

Okay, I'll be right down.

Go for the ms, Ivan.

I've come for the manuscript.

Come in. You're just in time.

We're having dinner.

I won't let you go without

a meal.

Hello.

Pull up a chair.

Serve our guest, Katya.

This calls for wine.

Is today a holiday?

You now have the honor

of meeting

a typical representative

of today's youth.

A mix of nihilism and brazenness.

He's a fascinating specimen.

- What's your name?

- Ivan.

You might've thought to ask

that before.

Well, Ivan,

Well, you know me.

And Katya.

This is my mother, Agnes

Ivanovna.

My wife, Maria Victorovna.

Everything becomes part of

an act.

Clowning as a principle

of life.

They know it all.

- Why're you ribbing him?

- It's a matter of principle!

Our generation wants to know

what we lived and fought for.

Who will take over

the edifice we erected?

Why should that trouble you?

I'd like to know

by what principles you intend

to exist in society?

I'd like to have good pay,

a car,

an apartment in a good

location, a dacha -

And a cushy job.

True, earthly possessions

are necessary.

There's nothing wrong in that.

But you don't get them

for nothing.

One must work hard,

acquire knowledge -

Then you'll have earned

that flashy car.

Sounds pretty grim. I guess

I'll do without the car.

Right. It's the only way.

Not at all. If I seduce your

daughter and marry her,

I'll have it made.

You have connections

and money.

You'll find me a cushy job

and buy us a condo.

Right, Agnes... Ivanovna?

A condo! Did you hear that?

Out! Get out!

Get out, you punk!

Wait, Ivan! You were great.

He'll complain to the office.

No, he won't. Here's

the manuscript.

- Where are you going now?

- To the office.

Give me your phone number.

I'll call you this evening.

All hell's broken loose.

I like you.

- What's up?

- I'm going home.

How about a double date?

The one on the left is yours.

- What'll we do?

- Go to a movie.

- Hey, Bazin!

- Wait a sec!

By what principles d'you

exist in society?

Who will take over

the edifice we erected?

- What edifice?

- Don't play dumb. Answer me.

By what principles

do you exist?

My main principle -

is to serve the humanistic

ideals of mankind.

Good for you! You and the girls

go to the movies.

- May I please speak to Ivan?

- It's me, Katya.

How's your father?

Okay. He cooled off

after a while.

Mama thinks you're eccentric.

Don't worry.

My dad won't complain.

Why should I worry?

I wouldn't want you to get

into trouble.

Thanks. What're you doing

tomorrow?

I've classes in the morning.

How about a date?

Okay. When do we meet?

Row over Mayakovsky Sq. by 5.

Okay. So long.

Stepan Afanasyevich -

What's your most

cherished wish?

That the barometer not fall

below 740 mm in Moscow

Region.

- Why?

- The fish bite better.

My wish would be

to marry a Japanese.

Why a Japanese?

They're first in technology.

Couldn't I interest you

in a Georgian?

There's this fella I know -

Why can't you be serious?

How about you, Ivan?

I wish Communism triumphs

throughout the world.

By the way, we're to send

one person to do

a day's work at the vegetable

warehouse.

You're elected, Ivan.

- Not bad at all.

- Merci.

What'll we do?

- How about a kiss?

- Anything else?

Are you chicken?

No, but I've got my principles.

So do I.

- Why'd you ask for a date?

- So's we could kiss.

Are you mad?

I was only joking.

Okay.

How about a movie

or a cafe?

I'm sick of them.

Want me to show you

a leopard's den?

Why'd you bring me here?

It's the leopard's den.

This is a quarry. How'd

a leopard come to be here?

It ran away

from a travelling circus.

- Did you see it?

- No.

What makes you think it's here?

I heard it was killed here.

How could it live here?

Look, see its tracks?

Come on, let's go.

All together now!

Everyone clap!

- Coffee or ice cream?

- I don't want anything.

I know a joke.

A plain crashed. A monkey was

the sole survivor.

The investigators questioned it:

"What was the pilot doing

when the plane crashed?"

"Oh, Lucienne, Lucienne!"

"What about the stewardess?"

"Oh, Jean, Jean!"

"What were you doing?"

- Is that your crowd?

- Yeah.

- What do they do?

- Study, work -

I have to make a call.

The phone's over there.

Why d'you snort

like a horse, Bazin?

When'd I snort?

All the time.

You say something stupid and snort.

My girlfriend's invited us

over.

- Don't you like it here?

- I do, but it's her birthday.

Okay, come on.

Are they all into karate?

Igor studied in Japan when

they lived there.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes