A Line in the Sand. Guillermo Verdecchia
No.
SADIQ:
Is no good. Salim, my boss—
MERCER:
I know he’s your boss, you say that every time you say his fucking name.
SADIQ:
Salim, he have small camera, like this. Excellent picture. Flash build in. Motor for film. All automatic.
MERCER:
Those are just for snap shots. They’re toys.
SADIQ:
Take good picture. I see them. Good colours bright. Flash for inside.
MERCER:
This camera lets me control everything. Shutter speed, aperture. Those little ones—say you’re backlit right? You’re in front of a window and there’s a lot of light streaming in. Well, with those little ones the camera gets confused and underexposes your face. It comes out in shadow.
SADIQ:
No, he have flash build in.
MERCER:
Right.
SADIQ:
Is good camera. Take good pictures.
MERCER:
Well, this one takes better pictures. Trust me.
SADIQ:
OK. I trust you.
Here. Take picture of me.
SADIQ begins to pose; MERCER takes photographs. SADIQ’s poses are based on magazine images, impersonating models, movie stars etc. He takes off his shirt for the last pose or two.
MERCER:
I should get going.
SADIQ:
You go back to base?
MERCER:
Yeah. So …
SADIQ:
Here. (gives MERCER envelope)
MERCER:
Great. And this for you. (pays him) All right, I’m outta here. See you in a week.
SADIQ:
Wait, Mercer.
You must go back now?
MERCER:
Yeah, I got work to do. I’m not on holiday, you know.
SADIQ:
For you. (offers MERCER another envelope)
MERCER:
What? What’s this?
SADIQ:
For you. Extra.
MERCER:
I haven’t got any more money.
SADIQ:
No. Just for you. Free. A gift. Today, I do very good, sell much. I make you a gift.
MERCER:
You sure?
SADIQ:
Yes.
MERCER:
What’s the catch?
SADIQ:
I do not understand.
MERCER:
What do you want in return? What’s the catch?
SADIQ:
No. Gift. To you. From Sadiq.
MERCER:
Why?
SADIQ:
What why? You understand gift Vancouver?
MERCER:
Yes. I know what a gift is.
SADIQ:
OK.
MERCER:
Why?
SADIQ:
Why not?
MERCER:
(accepts second envelope) All right.
SADIQ:
Stay a little.
MERCER:
And do what?
SADIQ:
Tell me of America.
MERCER:
I gotta go. I’ll see you in a week.
Scene Five
SADIQ:
(sings) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Had a very tiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
We see on TV with Salim.
Merry Christmas, Mercer.
MERCER:
It’s not ’til next week.
Pause.
SADIQ:
Tell me about base. Canada Dry One.
MERCER:
What about it?
SADIQ:
What you do.
MERCER:
Sweet dick.
SADIQ:
Sweet?
MERCER:
Nothing. It’s totally boring.
SADIQ:
You lying. Top secret. I see jeeps, many soldiers run, planes. You practice?
MERCER:
Yeah, we practice, neutralize fucking sand dunes. Broman’s always cooking up some stupid little exercise to keep us busy. Now that everything’s all set up there’s nothing to do.
SADIQ:
Nothing?
A pause, MERCER watches the waves.
SADIQ:
On base you have telephone?
MERCER:
Yeah, of course. We have lots of phones.
SADIQ:
In America, everyone have two telephones in house. In cars too. My family, never a telephone.
MERCER:
Oh well.
SADIQ:
Tell me about America.
MERCER:
Shit, Sadiq. Just shut up for a minute.
SADIQ:
Tell only a little.
MERCER:
I’m not American.
SADIQ:
But still you know. Tell me.
MERCER:
OK. First, it’s not what you think. It ain’t like TV.
SADIQ:
Salim, my boss, he have CNN. We see all sides about America.
MERCER:
Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you see. This place you think you’re going, it’s not real, it’s in your head. Your uncle Mike, I don’t know what he told you.
SADIQ:
Uncle