Waiting for Godot (8 page)

How long have you been here?

BOY:

A good while, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

You were afraid of the whip?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

The roars?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

The two big men.

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

Do you know them?

BOY:

No Sir.

VLADIMIR:

Are you a native of these parts? (
Silence.
) Do you belong to these parts?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

ESTRAGON:

That's all a pack of lies. (
Shaking the Boy by the arm.
) Tell us the truth!

BOY:

(
trembling
)
.
But it is the truth, Sir!

VLADIMIR:

Will you let him alone! What's the matter with you? #

(
Estragon releases the Boy, moves away, covering his face with his hands. Vladimir and the Boy observe him. Estragon drops his hands. His face is convulsed.
) What's the matter with you?

ESTRAGON:

I'm unhappy.

VLADIMIR:

Not really! Since when?

ESTRAGON:

I'd forgotten.

VLADIMIR:

Extraordinary the tricks that memory plays! (
Estragon tries to speak, renounces, limps to his place, sits down and begins to take off his boots. To Boy.
) Well?

BOY:

Mr. Godot—

VLADIMIR:

I've seen you before, haven't I?

BOY:

I don't know, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

You don't know me?

BOY:

No Sir.

VLADIMIR:

It wasn't you came yesterday?

BOY:

No Sir.

VLADIMIR:

This is your first time?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

Words words. (
Pause.
) Speak.

BOY:

(
in a rush
)
.
Mr. Godot told me to tell you he won't come this evening but surely tomorrow.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

Is that all?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

You work for Mr. Godot?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

What do you do?

BOY:

I mind the goats, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

Is he good to you?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

He doesn't beat you?

BOY:

No Sir, not me.

VLADIMIR:

Whom does he beat?

BOY:

He beats my brother, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

Ah, you have a brother?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

What does he do?

BOY:

He minds the sheep, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

And why doesn't he beat you?

BOY:

I don't know, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

He must be fond of you.

BOY:

I don't know, Sir.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

Does he give you enough to eat? (
The Boy hesitates.
) Does he feed you well?

BOY:

Fairly well, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

You're not unhappy? (
The Boy hesitates.
) Do you hear me?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

Well?

BOY:

I don't know, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

You don't know if you're unhappy or not?

BOY:

No Sir.

VLADIMIR:

You're as bad as myself. (
Silence.
) Where do you sleep?

BOY:

In the loft, Sir.

VLADIMIR:

With your brother?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR:

In the hay?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

All right, you may go.

BOY:

What am I to tell Mr. Godot, Sir?

VLADIMIR:

Tell him . . . (
he hesitates
) . . . tell him you saw us. (
Pause.
) You did see us, didn't you?

BOY:

Yes Sir.

He steps back, hesitates, turns and exit running. The light suddenly fails. In a moment it is night. The moon rises at back, mounts in the sky, stands still, shedding a pale light on the scene.

VLADIMIR:

At last! (
Estragon gets up and goes towards Vladimir, a boot in each hand. He puts them down at edge of stage, straightens and contemplates the moon.
) #

What are you doing?

ESTRAGON:

Pale for weariness.

VLADIMIR:

Eh?

ESTRAGON:

Of climbing heaven and gazing on the likes of us.

VLADIMIR:

Your boots, what are you doing with your boots?

ESTRAGON:

(
turning to look at the boots
)
.
I'm leaving them there. (
Pause.
) Another will come, just as . . . as . . . as me, but with smaller feet, and they'll make him happy.

VLADIMIR:

But you can't go barefoot!

ESTRAGON:

Christ did.

VLADIMIR:

Christ! What has Christ got to do with it. You're not going to compare yourself to Christ!

ESTRAGON:

All my life I've compared myself to him.

VLADIMIR:

But where he lived it was warm, it was dry!

ESTRAGON:

Yes. And they crucified quick.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

We've nothing more to do here.

ESTRAGON:

Nor anywhere else.

VLADIMIR:

Ah Gogo, don't go on like that. Tomorrow everything will be better.

ESTRAGON:

How do you make that out?

VLADIMIR:

Did you not hear what the child said?

ESTRAGON:

No.

VLADIMIR:

He said that Godot was sure to come tomorrow. (
Pause.
) What do you say to that?

ESTRAGON:

Then all we have to do is to wait on here.

VLADIMIR:

Are you mad? We must take cover. (
He takes Estragon by the arm.
) Come on.

He draws Estragon after him. Estragon yields, then resists. They halt.

ESTRAGON:

(
looking at the tree
)
.
Pity we haven't got a bit of rope.

VLADIMIR:

Come on. It's cold.

He draws Estragon after him. As before.

ESTRAGON:

Remind me to bring a bit of rope tomorrow.

VLADIMIR:

Yes. Come on.

He draws him after him. As before.

ESTRAGON:

How long have we been together all the time now?

VLADIMIR:

I don't know. Fifty years maybe.

ESTRAGON:

Do you remember the day I threw myself into the Rhone?

VLADIMIR:

We were grape harvesting.

ESTRAGON:

You fished me out.

VLADIMIR:

That's all dead and buried.

ESTRAGON:

My clothes dried in the sun.

VLADIMIR:

There's no good harking back on that. Come on.

He draws him after him. As before.

ESTRAGON:

Wait!

VLADIMIR:

I'm cold!

ESTRAGON:

Wait! (
He moves away from Vladimir.
) I sometimes wonder if we wouldn't have been better off alone, each one for himself. (
He crosses the stage and sits down on the mound.
) We weren't made for the same road.

VLADIMIR:

(
without anger
)
.
It's not certain.

ESTRAGON:

No, nothing is certain.

Vladimir slowly crosses the stage and sits down beside Estragon.
#

VLADIMIR:

We can still part, if you think it would be better.

ESTRAGON:

It's not worthwhile now.

Silence.

VLADIMIR:

No, it's not worthwhile now.

Silence.

ESTRAGON:

Well, shall we go?

VLADIMIR:

Yes, let's go.

They do not move.

Curtain.

Waiting for Godot

ACT II

Next day. Same time.

Same place.

Estragon's boots front center, heels together, toes splayed. #

Lucky's hat at same place.

The tree has four or five leaves.

Enter Vladimir agitatedly. He halts and looks long at the tree, then suddenly begins to move feverishly about the stage. He halts before the boots, picks one up, examines it, sniffs it, manifests disgust, puts it back carefully. Comes and goes. Halts extreme
right and gazes into distance off, shading his eyes with his hand. Comes and goes. Halts extreme left, as before. Comes and goes. Halts suddenly and begins to sing loudly.

VLADIMIR:

A dog came in–

Having begun too high he stops, clears his throat, resumes:

A dog came in the kitchen

And stole a crust of bread.

Then cook up with a ladle

And beat him till he was dead.

Then all the dogs came running

And dug the dog a tomb–

He stops, broods, resumes:

Then all the dogs came running

And dug the dog a tomb

And wrote upon the tombstone

For the eyes of dogs to come:

A dog came in the kitchen

And stole a crust of bread.

Then cook up with a ladle

And beat him till he was dead.

Then all the dogs came running