Scene Eleven

All the Chileans, having heard the scream, are coming down the stairs. BILLO’NEILL enters with JUAN. They are both drenched.

BILL:

Comrades!

FLACA:

Oh, hello, Bill.

JOSELITO:

Bill O’Neill!

MANUELITA:

(to JUAN) What’s your name?

JUAN:

Juan. Reyes—

MANUELITA:

I’m Manuelita.

CRISTINA:

Are you staying here too?

JUAN:

I don’t know, I just ran away from the jail in Valparaíso and—

FAT JORGE:

You ran away from the jail in Valparaíso?!

JUAN:

Yeah—

FLACA:

Please, make yourself at home—

JUAN:

Thank you. It was during a transfer, actually. I slipped out of the van and ran for my life. Next thing I know, I’m sharing my meals with rats at the bottom of a freighter—

JOSELITO:

Like a ship?

JUAN:

Huge ship and—

BILL:

Me come rapid to port because my mother tell me she saw news say that chili found hiding in Swedish ship here on harbour and they want deport him back on Chile. So my mother give me keys for her station wagon and I arrive there soon possible so help him—

FAT JORGE:

Keys for what?

BILL:

Station wa—car.

JUAN:

Yeah, I’m standing there with all these reporters blinding me with their flashes and these gringo cops built like tractors and two heads taller than me and this hippie arrives in this car like that show about that family with the six kids—

JOSELITO:

Wow!

FAT JORGE:

(to JUAN) You’re my hero. You are my hero, comrade. Ha! He runs away from the jail during a transfer and ends up with the Swedes! Ha!

CRISTINA runs upstairs to her room to get the bottle of pisco.

JUAN:

(to BILL) Am I going to be deported?

BILL:

No absolutely.

FLACA:

No! That would be absolutely criminal!

BILL:

Me make sure you not fucking deportation. I sit on the Immigration Ministry with me friends.

FLACA:

(to JUAN) Sit down.

CRISTINA:

What did you do in Valparaíso, comrade?

JUAN:

I was with the railway. Railworkers’ Union. Beautiful job. To see that railway stretch out before you. And behind you. So sensual. So complete. And it requires a great deal of knowledge, too. You’ve gotta know about algebra, about trigonometry. You’ve gotta know about cables. My father was in the union. I started work on the railway when I was a kid. Right after the country got electrified. We rail workers have a great deal of power in the country. We can shut everything down. Or start everything up. I’ve gotta get a job. Fast. I’ve gotta send money to my girlfriend. Her and I met in the choir. (sings) La Chueca has the voice of an angel. I call her La Chueca ’cause her legs go like this. I’ve gotta bring her here. (going towards pay phone) Oh, good. Here’s a phone. I’ve gotta call her and tell her to pack her bags—

FLACA:

You’ve gotta wind down, Juan. You’re still shaking. You just got here. Relax.

FAT JORGE:

We’ll go on a job search tomorrow—

JUAN:

Right after I call her—

FAT JORGE:

(to JUAN, referring to job search) —You, me, and Manuel.

BILL:

No, you no need go on job search—

JUAN:

(still referring to phone call) Is it the same day in Chile tomorrow?

CRISTINA:

(handing out the drinks to everyone) The ultimate: pisco made by the Artesanos of Cochiguáz.

JUAN:

Holy Mary, Mother of God.

FAT JORGE:

(to CRISTINA) And you’ve been keeping this from us for five days? (holding up glass) A toast to our comrade the railworker, the brave and valiant revolutionary who risked his life—

JUAN:

(holding up glass) Chi Chi Chi le le le.

EVERYONE:

VI-VA CHI-LE!