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ALEX looks at SOPHIE.
Alex
And?
A pause. SOPHIE nods to indicate that the GUIDE is right.
Oh my God.
Sophie (to the GUIDE)
So who are you then . . . ‘Death’ himself?
Guide
If it helps you . . . then yes.
SOPHIE looks unimpressed.
What? You expected a scythe?
KETU is fascinated. He approaches the GUIDE and examines him from several angles.
Ketu
God? Are you God?
Guide (smiles)
Well, that’s very flattering but . . .
Ketu
The devil?
Guide
No . . .
Ketu
The wood spirit?
Guide
No, really . . . these concepts are not helpful.
Ketu (he thinks)
Please . . . I have so many questions . . . There’s so much I need to know . . .
Guide
No! (To all.) This point is the culmination of your being. It’s a unique opportunity that I urge you not to squander. Please . . . concentrate on the task.
A beat.
Alex
But . . . I don’t even know what happened to me. (To SOPHIE.) Do you?
Sophie
Yes. But I’d . . . rather not discuss it!
Alex
I’m sorry?
Sophie
I can’t claim to be versed in the etiquette of this place, but I’m sure it must be impolite to discuss the manner of one’s demise.
Guide (impatiently)
Your memory please.
Alex
Oh my god . . .
Guide
What is it?
Alex
Nia . . . My girlfriend . . . I had plans . . .
Guide (loud)
Plans?! There are no more plans . . . all you have is what you did!
The GUIDE turns to KETU.
Did you have someone? Friends . . . family?
Ketu
Of course I did!
Guide (to SOPHIE)
And you?
Sophie (unwilling to be drawn on this)
I . . . I knew lots of people.
Guide (to all)
If you have someone that is really important to you . . . then choose a memory with them. (To ALEX.) If you choose to remember her, you will always be together.
Alex
What if I choose something else?
Guide
Then she will not have existed to you. (Very serious.) Be sure this is the most important memory of your life.
Pause.
Alex
Of course I’m sure . . .
The lights slowly change.
Alex’s memory
In a corridor of light that is reminiscent of a road, ALEX and two of the other performers get into position for the start of a motorbike race.
Alex
A race . . . there was a race. The biggest race of my life.
From the off, the voice of a mumbling FRENCH COMMENTATOR announces the starting line-up.
French Commentator (off)
Les concurrents sont sur la piste de départ, le favoris l’anglais est aujourd’hui en concurrence avec Gomez pour le titre. . .
Meanwhile the three racers adjust bootstraps and helmets.
Alex
And Nia’s in the stands, cheering me on . . .
ALEX waves at somebody in the stands.
To my left, I see Gomez.
GOMEZ, ALEX’s arch-rival, snarls at him.
The voice of the mumbling FRENCH COMMENTATOR counts down to the start of the race, reaching fever pitch.
French Commentator (off)
Cinq, quatre, trois, deux, un, et c’est parti!!!!
Alex
I wrench the throttle . . . go, go, go . . .
The performers jostle for position.
Second gear, third gear. Everything blurs. Ahead of me the heat turns the track to liquid. Pure acceleration! Everything around me disappears!
One rider falls behind and disappears.
Yeah, downshift, left turn ahead . . . turn left.
They turn left.
I’m moving up the pack. Right turn ahead . . . turn right.
They all turn to the right. Then another right. GOMEZ catches up with ALEX.
Someone catches up with me, I recognise the green and yellow helmet. It’s Gomez!
The voice of the mumbling French commentator describes GOMEZ catching up with ALEX and overtaking him.
French Commentator (off)
Gomez est en train de rattraper l’anglais, oui, il le reprend dans le virage!! C’est extraordinaire ce qui se passe ici!!!
Meanwhile GOMEZ overtakes ALEX and disappears.
Alex
The long straight . . . accelerate!
Spectators at the roadside wave at ALEX.
. . . open up the throttle and fly! 120 . . . 130 . . . 140 miles per hour.
Suddenly NIA appears on stage, an attractive woman in her thirties. She gets on the bike with ALEX.
I feel her arms around me. She holds me so tight. That’s odd.
Another right turn. GOMEZ appears again, in front of him.
Gotta catch Gomez!
The voice of the mumbling FRENCH COMMENTATOR describes the ensuing battle for the lead.
French Commentator (off)
Mais l’anglais reprend l’avantage!, oui, il le rattrape après la ligne droite . . . Gomez n’est plus qu’a quelques mètres, il le rattrape!!!
Meanwhile ALEX is almost catching up with GOMEZ.
Nia
Alex . . . please . . .
Alex
Not now baby.
NIA slides off the bike. She talks directly to him.
Nia
Alex, this never happened.
Alex
I can win this!
GOMEZ overtakes and disappears. Lighting change.
Void
Nia
This isn’t real! It was just a game . . . a game we used to play. You never raced.
Alex
The bike . . .
Nia
It was your job. Monday to Friday? 9 to 5?
Alex
I was . . . a motorbike courier.
Nia
A courier . . . with a hell of an imagination. (To the others.) Sometimes, when we rode through London, we’d see other bikers and pretend we were in a race. (To ALEX.) And you and your mate Gomez used to play at being arch-rivals.
Alex
It was real to me.
Nia
So, what about me?
Alex
You were on the bike.
Nia (flatly)
Oh joy! I get to sit on the back of your bike for all eternity.
Alex (he suddenly thinks)
What the hell am I doing? I don’t have to have this row! No . . . I’m in control here . . . this is my mind!
(To the group.) Apart from which if I’m going to live a moment with her for all eternity . . . I’m sure as hell not going to pick a row!
He circles NIA, looking at her in detail.
This is crazy. Look at you . . . crystal clear in my mind . . . it’s like you’re really here.
Nia
I am really here.
Ketu (making the connection)
Four seats, four people.
ALEX backs off swiftly, startled and horrified.
Alex
No . . . not you . . . not you too!
NIA and ALEX embrace.
Nia
I’ve had the speech.
ALEX stares at her horrified. He rails against the GUIDE.
There was no warning! We should have had a warning!
Guide
I’m sorry to have to say this, but frankly you’re wasting your time. Your chosen memory please.
Alex (angry)
Fine! When I was seventeen I had a re
ally satisfying bowel movement!!
Guide (shouts)
You want to spend eternity taking a shit . . . that’s fine with me. But I don’t recommend it!! Believe me, I am trying to help!
Sophie
How are we supposed to know? It’s so difficult . . . all those years . . . to pick out one single moment?
Guide
I appreciate your difficulty . . . but you must try.
Nia
What if we choose wrongly?
Guide
All decisions are final.
Ketu
And if we don’t decide?
A beat.
Guide (darkly)
It’s . . . not an option you want to consider. There is nothing in your experience that could come close to the suffering you’d endure. (Smiles.) So . . .
Silence.
No one? I’m surprised. I often get people who know straight away. As if they’d thought about it at length during their lives.
He happens to look at SOPHIE.
Sophie
Why are you looking at me?
Guide
Am I?
Sophie
You know what happened to me.
Guide
I assure you I don’t. And I don’t need to know.
Sophie (reassured)
Alright. (Thinks.) I suppose I did . . . have the chance to reflect.
She takes a moment.
I think I’m ready.
The lights slowly change.
Sophie’s memory
Sophie
I was twelve years old. My mother had guests for the evening. I was to make an appearance and I wanted to look my best.
I went into my mother’s bedroom.
SOPHIE opens the bedroom door. During this the other performers create a mirror. SOPHIE approaches the mirror.
I looked at the carefully arranged tools she used to maintain her perfection.
She picks up powder.
Her powder, in a round tin, with a pattern of Bougainvillea.
As she powders her face, another performer becomes her mirror image, copying all her actions.
Her hairbrush, its handle inlayed with ivory.
She brushes her hair.
I made my lips the same deep red as my mother’s.
She puts on the lipstick.
The mirror image suddenly becomes Sophie’s MOTHER. The mirror disappears.
Mother
Sophie . . . what are you doing?
Sophie (surprised)
I was just . . .
Mother
What have you got on your face?
Sophie
I wanted to . . . look my best.
Mother (patiently)
Come on . . . everyone’s asking where you are.
Sophie
Mother . . . tell me how I look?
Mother
How do you look? You look . . . lovely.
Sophie
Lovely? Not beautiful?
Mother (smiles)
Come downstairs.
The MOTHER disappears.
Sophie (narration)
I knew then I was not beautiful. Not beautiful.
Lighting change. The camera has failed to flash.
Void
Ketu
It didn’t flash!
Sophie
I’m still here. (Panicky.) Why? I made my choice.
Nia
Why didn’t it flash?
Sophie
I want to go. I want to get out of here!
Guide
Why did you choose that particular memory?
Ketu
Yes, why choose something so painful?
Sophie
Because . . . at that moment . . . I knew who I was.
Guide
Did you? Really?
Sophie
If I couldn’t be beautiful I could be strong. It was a complete turning point. I decided there and then to make a success of my life no matter what.
The GUIDE weighs this up. He is not overly impressed.
Sophie
What? (Angry.) Who are you to judge me? Who do you think you are?!
Nia
Yes, who are you?
Guide
That . . . is a very good question. (Brightly to the group.) Now if you’d all like to think a little harder . . . I really don’t want us to miss our deadline . . . (Laughing to himself.) Deadline!
Alex
What if we never had our greatest memory?! What if there was s’posed to be some incredibly momentous event out there in the future . . . only . . .
ALEX stops. He is beginning to remember something.
Nia
Alex?
Alex (in a cold sweat)
All this time . . . I’ve been thinking it was the bike . . . some stupid accident. (A beat.) Smoke . . . It was the smoke!
Nia (realising)
We were in bed, asleep.
Alex
I was dreaming that I couldn’t breathe, that I was coughing. I couldn’t wake up. Couldn’t move at all.
Nia
A fire!
Alex
We were only staying there one night. We weren’t even going to stop . . . only we were so tired!
Slight pause.
Guide
I know what you’re thinking . . . what a pointless waste of precious young life. But you must understand, how you got here is irrelevant. You won’t remember it after today anyway.
A pause.
Ketu
9, 10, 11 . . .
The GUIDE approaches KETU.
Guide
What are you doing?
Ketu
It helps me to think.
The GUIDE is fascinated by this.
Ketu
In my village I was known for my study. I observed things. Why did this flower have four leaves and this one ten? Why five fingers on a hand and not six?
Guide
Intriguing.
Ketu
You don’t count?
Guide
I’m a little out of practice. 16, 17, 18 . . .
Alex
Oh don’t you start!
Guide (deliberately trying to annoy ALEX)
Time is short! 19, 20 . . .
KETU stands and speaks.
Ketu
I have decided.
Guide
Yes!
Ketu
It is so obvious. My great revelation.
The lights slowly change.
Ketu’s memory
Ketu
In the beginning the world was flat, like a plate.
The other performers transform into rainforest trees. As KETU paddles on his canoe, the trees move towards him. Once they reach him, each in turn transforms into another traveller on a canoe. On hearing the sound of a monkey, they shoot it with a blowpipe.
Life in my village was not easy, but the forest always provided.
The other performers engage in rural activities thus establishing the countryside.
I often found myself musing on the nature of things. Why, when I throw a stone into the river – (He throws a stone.) – are the ripples always circular? Why do birds choose to fly in such regular patterns?
And then one day I asked myself . . . why does the sun go down over one edge . . . and come back up on the other?
A sudden thought struck me. I took my spear and planted it in the damp earth. (He plants the spear.) I marked the spot where the sun’s shadow fell . . . and then I waited.
KETU follows the course of the sun’s shadow over a day.
As the day wore on I saw an unmistakable pattern appearing.
He picks up the spear and draws it on the ground. An arc of 180 degrees.
So many patterns, so many questions – I had to find the answers. I decided to see the elders.
KETU rushes back to the village. The performers now take on the role of a group of ELDERS chatting.
Why does t
he sun go down over one edge . . . and come back up on the other?
The ELDERS deliberate.
Elder
Ketu . . . Why is it that your family is hungry and all you bring home is food for thought?!
The ELDERS continue chatting. KETU leaves. The performers transform into a house, with kids playing outside.
Son
Hi daddy!
Ketu
Go inside, children.
They enter the house.
Wife
Dinner’s ready!
The house transforms into a table.
Son
I’m so hungry!
They eat. The children throw an orange back and forth. KETU watches, inspired by the arc of the orange.
Wife
Children, stop it!
Ketu (to WIFE)
No, wait . . . (To KIDS.) Go on.
Wife
Ketu?
The kids joyfully throw the orange back and forth. KETU catches it at the height of its arc.
Ketu
You see this pattern?
He holds the orange up high.
(Grandly.) The world is round . . . like an orange! And the sun rotates around it!
Lighting change. The camera has failed to flash.
Void
Alex
Is this a joke?
Ketu
What is wrong with it?
Guide
Nothing.
Ketu
But . . . this is madness. Such a discovery . . . it changes everything.
Alex
This thing . . . whatever it is . . . it cannot be working.
Ketu
Or else it is as stupid as those fools in my village. (To SOPHIE.) Tell me . . . do you believe the sun rotates around the earth?
Sophie (laughs)
Me? Well no.
Ketu
No? (Incredulous.) You think the Earth is flat?
Sophie
Of course I don’t. The sun is at the centre . . . everyone knows that. The Moon orbits the Earth, The Earth and the other planets orbit the sun.
Ketu
The Earth orbits the sun?
Sophie
Of course. (Stating the obvious.) And the Earth rotates once a day . . . ?
Ketu (cannot fathom this)
Impossible. The speed . . . we’d fly off into space.
SOPHIE laughs. ALEX approaches.
Alex
You been up a tree all your life?
Ketu
What? (To the group.) Do you all believe the Earth is round?
Alex (in confirmation)
Like an orange.
Ketu
But . . . (He laughs.) This is wonderful! I knew I was right. I was the only one in my village who knew the truth.
He looks at the GUIDE.
How can I have a greater memory than that?
Guide
You really think your discovery was so important.
Ketu
Yes. My people are wise but they are too attached to the old ways. I always believed there was a greater world than the one we saw. Fabulous places beyond the forest . . . where all my questions would be answered.