The Idol

Alla. My husband!

Sumyatov. Calm down. It might be some mistake. I am not so sure now.

Alla. No, it’s not a mistake. I felt it. My heart has been hurting me for three days. That was the reason why he sent me here. I couldn’t understand his unusual patience and later why his mobile phone was silent…

Mancev. Levan, bring some water please!

Levan. Your husband is alive, believe me or not!

Alla. How do you know?! Oh, leave me alone. This is terrible! What has he done? I will never forgive him this! He used to go mountain climbing before our wedding, but he quitted it. He never even said a word about it since that…

Mancev. Make a phone call home.

Alla. What did you say?

Mancev. Do you have a home phone?

Alla. Yes, I do.

Mancev. So, make a call! If nobody answers, call the neighbors or his office. Anyway somebody should know where he is and what happened to him.

Alla. How can I make a phone call here? My mobile is out of service. What a damned place!

Levan. Please don’t curse, ok! Follow me. And don’t cry, I beg you.

Levan and Alla Bokova leave.

Mancev. Are you sure that you heard it right?

Sumyatov. Absolutely. Pavel Bokov. Who could ever think that!

Mancev. One surprise after another.

Sumyatov. I hope no more surprises are following. It’s more than enough.

Mancev. Never is a long day.

Levan enters.

Levan. The line is busy. She said she is going to wait till night.

Mancev. She will, Levan, be sure.

Levan. But why would she cry, hey? I can’t stand woman’s tears believe me or not?

Mancev. Neither do I.

Sumyatov. Women cry in any case. The reason is not needed.

Mancev. By the way, where are our guys? I haven’t seen none of them for a long time.

Levan. The just married left for the city.

Mancev. What about Oleg?

Levan. I haven’t seen him today.

Mancev. And you?

Sumyatov. Neither have I.

Mancev. It’s almost afternoon… Didn’t he say anything yesterday?

Levan. Just sang. Then went to bed. They left together with that lady.

Sumyatov. So, you assume…

Mancev. Do you have another guess?

Sumyatov. But why did he leave to save the missing expedition alone?

Mancev. Maybe because I didn’t do that.

Sumyatov. But why? I can’t understand!

Mancev. In order to prove.

Sumyatov. To whom?! To you? Or maybe to me? Or him?

Mancev. To all of us. And first of all – to himself.

ACT 2

There is a canteen. At one of the tables Cyrill Sumyatov is writing in his notebook. Oleg Tomov comes in staggering.

Tomov. Hey, is anybody alive here?

Sumyatov. You?!

Tomov. Me. Don’t I look like? (Looking at the mirror on the wall). What a hanging face! With such a face even my mother would never recognize!

Sumyatov. I was about to send a message at the newspaper. Fortunately, the phone line was busy. We began to think…

Томов. To think! I don’t care what you think of me. Mark my words, guy! I drink on my own money and don’t ask you for lending.

Sumyatov. I don’t mean that. You misunderstood me.

Tomov. Misunderstood? I’ve got you right just when I saw you for the first time. I didn’t like you right away. You are hanging around here, sniffing out, pumping, getting into sole – you a cattle!