Play for 6 people. Once two new year's eve…

SCENE 8 BOUTIQUE

Nora is light this time. In the hands of just one small bag. Strolling past shop Windows, listening to music on headphones. She's in a great mood. Her winter clothes are unbuttoned, elegantly repeating the contours of her body, fluttering in the air as she moves.

Alina enters the same trading floor. She is talking loudly and nervously on the phone with her husband.

ALINA (on her nerves): Senya, this is the fourth time I've told you! Buy two different loaves, two different loaves, you know? One, for example, is white, the other, for example, is made of rye flour. Well, or whatever you choose! But different. Two! Two rolls. One such, one other! And through the bars. This means the thirty pieces. You can have three packages of ten! Well, is it so hard to remember?

Alina puts down the phone and meets Nora's gaze, who turns at her loud, nervous conversation on the phone.

NORA (positively): hi, honey. What, you're not good at errands, either?

Hug.

ALINA (on nerves): Hello, Nora. This is a terrible thing. Than to explain forty times and then still remind constantly, it is easier to run to the store itself. So it is truer and more reliable, and more economical.

NORA (positive): Sending mine to the store too is utopia. Always gets a bunch and everything is wrong. Yes, half of the expired goods will be in okontsovka.

ALINA (on her nerves): These guys don't look at expiration dates at all. They grab the first thing on the shelf. Well, the first – of course, there is always something that has already gone bad yesterday. It is useless to explain to them that they need to go deeper into the shelf, where the goods are fresh, better!

NORA (positively): Yes … explain not explain… They attack women as well as everything else. The mind is not involved in this process.

ALINA (on a nervous, tired exhalation): Don't say.

Ladies sit down on a bench for guests of the shopping center.

NORA (positively): How are you?

ALINA (calmly): nothing.

They sit in silence, looking at each other.

NORA (positively): All would nothing Yes all nothing?

ALINA (calmly): that's About it.

Smile.

Alina's face changes. After a pause, he shares his sorrows with a friend.

ALINA (restrained): I've been looking at my husband for a week, After our conversation with you.

NORA (with interest): So what?

ALINA (restrained): He has someone…

NORA (calmly): So what?

ALINA (nervously): So what?

NORA (smoothing the corners): Well, in a sense, it is… Wow, that's awful. How did you know that?

ALINA (restrained): He doesn't look up from the phone. All the time something there reads, hides. He thinks I don't notice anything.

NORA (calmly): And the mobile phone always puts the screen down?

ALINA (surprised): Yes… How do you know?

NORA (calmly): Guys… They are not very inventive. They think they're the smartest, they beat their fists on their chests, but… in fact, we know who's who.

ALINA (hysterically, falling into tears): Kapets! He's cheating on me!

Alina is crying.

Nora feels guilty of causing mental suffering to Alina. Doesn't know what to do.

He pats Alina's shoulder.

NORA (sympathetically): Well, well…

Alina is crying even harder, even more demonstratively.

Nora is confused. It changes the strategy. Begins to defend Alina's husband busily.

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): Listen to me! What makes you think he has someone? Did you find him in bed with someone?

ALINA (thoughtfully, uncertainly): No…

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): did you Hear him cooing with his mistress on the phone and paying her all sorts of compliments, Recalling past meetings?

ALINA (thoughtfully, uncertainly): No…

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): does he always smell someone else's perfume?

ALINA (thoughtfully, uncertainly): No…

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): Did you find the wrong Hickey on his neck?

ALINA (thoughtfully, uncertainly): No… And I don't find my own there…

NORA (distantly): This is not the point!

They both take a breath.

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): Maybe he doesn't come home for the night sometimes?

ALINA (thoughtfully, uncertainly): No, always home on time.

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): did He call you by a false name in bed?

ALINA (thoughtfully, uncertainly): No…

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): Well, what did you worry about then? Get those thoughts out of your head! You can think of a lot of things, you know. On the phone? Who's not on the phone right now? From small to large. At least sometimes your phone breaks away from your smartphone. Puts the screen down? Well, let him put it down if he likes it that way. And mine… with the phone wakes up, with the phone goes to bed! Dines, goes to the toilet and shower with him… He has no time to put his gadget down the screen, because the phone is always in his hands!

Alina wipes away her tears and calms down.

NORA (resolutely, cheerfully): So, friend, don't get your head full of nonsense. And don't try to follow him. Your husband is a great guy. Take care of him, take care of him, and don't let it get on his head. Then everything will be fine for you!

ALINA (calming down): Thank you, Nora. Calmed. Actually, if you look at it like that, it's really all right. Why did I actually draw it like that? Okay… I'll run. Come visit with Lenya!

Alina gets up and recovers.

NORA (positive): Come in! Somehow…

Alina leaves, Nora waves to her from the bench.

ZTM.