Another Conversation

BACK and FORTH

BACK – It was a dream.

FORTH – You said you never dreamed. You said it was years since you had a dream. You said all that had stopped years ago.

BACK – Years and years ago.

FORTH – And now you say...

BACK – It was only one dream. Anyone can have one ... dream.

FORTH – When?

BACK – In my sleep of course. When else?

FORTH – It could have been a daydream. I used to have daydreams. I used to think I could have been someone else, someone in a far country, someone in another time. Someone walking home at noon to a house with fifteen windows and all of them on the south side.

BACK – Wouldn’t that have made it rather hot?

FORTH – Yes. It was hot. Very hot. I had to move to another house, one with windows, in the North.

BACK – The house was in the North or the windows were in the North?

FORTH – Both.

BACK – Then it must have been very chilly.

FORTH – And dark too.

BACK – An island was it?

FORTH – You guessed it. An island with a cloudy sky.

BACK – I know the one. It has...

FORTH – How can you know it? I made it up. It’s part of my...

BACK – ...bare windy hills and deep forests in the valleys and...

FORTH – ...wide swift rivers and...

BACK – ... water meadows.

FORTH – How do you know that?

BACK – You think you can keep everything for yourself? I’m entitled to at least...

FORTH – No you’re not. It’s my place. Stay out.

BACK – How can you be so selfish. No-one needs a whole island to themselves.

FORTH – All right then, but keep to the other shore. I need my solitude. Keep to the rocky part.

BACK – While you lie about on the sandy beach in the sun I suppose.

FORTH – I told you. It’s cloudy. And chilly.

BACK – Well then, perhaps you’d like to get invited.

FORTH – Invited. To what?

BACK – A fish dinner.

FORTH – What are you talking about? What fish?

BACK – Fishing is good from the rocks. Rock salmon, rock crabs...

FORTH – We’ll need bread. I’ll bring the bread.

BACK – And a bottle of wine. Wine goes well with crabs.

FORTH – But I’m not staying the night.

BACK – Why not? We could build a fire. We could...

FORTH – ...make love and go to sleep and you could have another of those dreams. The ones you said you had finished with. The dreams you promised you would never have again.