Never. Людмила Бержанская

      ARTEM: I just realized… it happens because they want to preserve themselves from our ational selves.

      OLGA: I can "see" you well though.

      (The screen is being pulled down in the background).

      On the screen: The almost empty street of the city at night and the lonely payphone booth on the corner.

      (The camera zooms on Artem a booth. He listens).

      OLGA: You are on the quiet street. You can speak easy. There are almost no people. You can begin the dialog that sounds more like a monolog.

      ARTEM: You are right. Payphones give you the illusion of independence but at the price of real loneliness. Olya… Invite me please, would you?

      OLGA: (caught off guard) Now?

      ARTEM: Yes

      OLGA: Okay… (Pause) You are invited…

      ARTEM: I am coming.

      (Olya starts dashing around the room trying to organize things around and her own thoughts. She turns on the TV and unlocks the entrance door.)

      (She hears the doorbell).

      OLGA: (She turns to the door and speaks loud) Come in its open.

      (Artem enters the stage with the bouquet of flowers and a cake. He beams with confidence. He is sure that he is a welcome guest).

      ARTEM: Well… Hi…

      OLGA: Hi again… Have a sit (subtle irony in her voice). Long times don’t see… and… Here you are.

      (Artem comes to the table and opens up the box with the cake.)

      ARTEM: (presumptuous and flirtatious tone of voice. He got used to be welcome. In his mind it cannot be otherwise). Madam, do you have a vase for the flowers and the tea. Tea is great it brings people closer.

      OLGA: (suspiciously. She does not like the frivolous tone). Give me a minute. The tea is coming. (She goes to the kitchen)

      ARTEM: (Speaks very loudly, so she can hear him in the kitchen). You know, I did not take a bus. I walked. I felt like I was going to… nowhere. No address… no purpose… nothing complete drift away from reality. (He lowers his voice and further seems to be speaking to himself) It is good to be alone sometimes… Not lonely but alone. I am not talking about the depressing loneliness but rather about the deep and significant solitude. The time when you face either the infinity or yourself. It feels so cozy and intimate. If you think about it, we are not really eager to know much. All we need are the night sky with the stars and the peace in our souls. (Suddenly he snaps out of the pensiveness and starts speaking loudly and demanding again) Olya! What's taking so long? That was enough time to boil the water twice.

      OLGA: (enters the room. She speaks calmly) Do you still like a good wine? I was looking for the bottle of Muscat.

      ARTEM: You know, I am an idiot. I thought about it but opted for the cake. I did not think that a wine would be a good choice considering the circumstances. I was wrote. I'm sorry. I am getting old… losing touch…

      OLGA: I will enjoy sharing this wine with you! I will indeed! (She goes to the kitchen again)

      ARTEM: (thinking out-loud again). The wide horizon of interests is a great thing. On the other hand, it actually is just a pretentious and superficial curiosity. You walk the street thinking to you yourself discussing, arguing, justifying and what not. You reach the dead end of your thoughts. You call yourself a fool but you can't help it you are already in the loop… There is just one good thing in it – you never need to apologize.

      (Olya comes in with the kettle and puts it on the table. Artem continues like he did not notice that she was not in the room all this time. He sits down in the arm-chair.)

      ARTEM: I think that it's fair that eventually the time comes when we have to face what we have done with our lives. After a while people speak freely about the things that they were reluctant to discuss when they were fresh. People will talk… some of them will talk to your face, some will talk behind your back but they all      All of a sudden you can see that the small shitty thing you did and thought was not worth even mentioning or hopped that it slid unnoticed was actually the pivoting point in your life. What do you think you are going to do? You will try to justify what you did. You will try to forgive yourself protecting your pride and… (Pause) You will calm down later on. Unfortunately you will never understand the difference between the pride and the arrogance.