Envy

Alberto Carballo Meza

Characters:

Augusta: A mature woman, small and unattractive

Perfecta: A mature woman, tall and strong

Victoria: A mature woman, tall and elegant

Sebastian: A young handsome man

Fleur: A young pretty woman

Waiter: A young man

The setting is a comfortable and luxurious restaurant. At the beginning of the play, Perfecta is standing up by the table addressing Augusta. She seems to be angry and dissatisfied.

Perfecta: You see Augusta, Victoria hasn’t changed. She wanted us to wait for her as we did in the past; as if she were the center of the world.

Augusta: No, Perfecta! Maybe she had some inconveniences. Remember she came from Europe some weeks ago and perhaps she isn’t used to the city yet.

Perfecta: Don’t be silly! Don’t try to justify her as you always did. Remember she was most of the time trying to call everybody’s attention.
Now she is going to make her triumphant entrance as the queen of the night. (Very dramatically)

Augusta: But Perfecta, we haven’t seen her for almost thirty years. People change, and we always change for the better, don’t we?

Perfecta: Well, I don’t think so. She hasn’t changed a bit, I bet you. But I don’t understand something; why did she decide to meet us in this place? (Taking a look of the place)

Augusta: Maybe because it is a nice place, with a European style, and as I know, it was opened one month ago.

Perfecta: Yes, I heard so. It is a cosmopolitan place to see her again after almost thirty years. Thirty years have passed so fast, and you and I are still here as two good friends.

Augusta: The three of us Perfecta, the three of us! Don’t forget that. Oh look! She is coming. (With a lot of emotion) She looks so pretty!

Perfecta: Well, she had plenty of time to get ready, and she made us come here earlier and wait for her. (In a derogatory manner)

Augusta: ShShShShSh, it was only ten minutes that is not much!

Victoria: Oh my God! I can’t believe I am here with you. (With a lot of enthusiasm and completely excited) You look gorgeous! You look fantastic! (Looking at both women)

Perfecta: Well, thirty years have passed, and of course we are not the same. Well, just for someone whose concept of time has never been important at all.

Augusta: Perfecta!

Victoria: No problem Augusta! Perfecta is right to be angry. (Hugging her) I don’t have any excuse. I am sorry! Je suis désolée mes amies! (Hugging Augusta) It’s been thirty years since we said good bye to one another and I was dying to see my best friends.

Augusta: Perfecta and I also wanted to see you, and now our dream has come true. The three musketeers as we used to be! (Shouting a little) (They sit down)

Perfecta: Yes, you made us very happy when I received the letter saying that you were coming to America again. But tell us Victoria, why did you choose this place for our reunion? (Looking around in a curious) How did you know about it?

Victoria: Perfecta, you haven’t changed, you are always the same curious girl. But take it easy. I’ll tell you later. (In a mysterious way) A very important man in my life told me about this place, and I wanted to share it with the girls who were and still are my soul sisters.

Perfecta: Don’t tell me you have a lover after becoming a widow. (Augusta shows surprise)

Victoria: Of course not! Don’t be silly! You both know Santiago was and will always be the man of my life. I even keep the note he sent me when I was only eighteen years old.

Augusta: The note? (With surprise) You still have it?

Perfecta: Well, it really surprises me you still keep something so irrelevant.

Victoria: Santiago and I were very shy to show our feelings and that note was the beginning of more than thirty years of love. I was moving to another town and with that note he demonstrated he wanted to be with me for the rest of our lives.

Augusta: How romantic!

(A young waiter comes to the table and gives them the menu)

Waiter: Excuse me! Would you like a pitcher of water before you order?

Victoria: No, not water; we want a bottle of your best wine. We have to celebrate! (With a lot of enthusiasm)

Perfecta: Of course, wine is perfect for the occasion.

Waiter: Ok, I’ll bring you the wine (he leaves them alone showing a lot
of courtesy)

Perfecta: I imagine Augusta ordering beer or soda. (In a mocking way)

Augusta: Yes Perfecta, you are so funny, hah, hah, hah! (Trying to change the topic) So Victoria, tell us about your children.

Victoria: Well, as you know I had two adorable children. Fleur is the youngest one. She is 20 years old and she is still in France majoring in Performing Arts.

Perfecta: Performing Arts? That doesn’t sound like a career. It sounds like a luxurious hobby. I think I wouldn’t like my daughter to study that!

Augusta: I think it sounds really nice. (She stands up) People performing on stage, acting and singing! (Moving her hands)

Perfecta: Please Augusta; you don’t know anything about that. The arts are not part of your background.

Victoria: Well, but Augusta is right! Fleur sings and acts at the same time. By the way, she sent me a video of her last performance at school. It’s from the “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. She sings “Il est beau comme le soleil”

(The waiter arrives with a bottle of wine and some glasses)

Waiter: Excuse me; here you have your wine. (Serves the glasses) It was a pleasure to serve you, but I have to go now. (In an apologetic tone) My coworker will come to get your order. (Showing a lot of happiness) I also have something important to celebrate.

Augusta: Oh really; what is it?

Perfecta: Augusta, you are always being imprudent.

Waiter: No madam, not all. My wife is giving birth, and I was informed five minutes ago. We are expecting a baby girl.

Victoria: Well, another important matter to celebrate. Cheers! (She sips a little and offers the glass to the waiter)

Perfecta: Victoria, you never learned good manners. (In a reproachable way) Europe didn’t teach you anything.

Waiter: Victoria? What a coincidence! My baby is going to be named Victoria too. (Looking at Victoria) And I would like her to be like you.

Victoria: Thanks! I hope everything goes right. But go now. Your wife must be waiting for you.

Waiter: (Addressing all of them) Have a nice evening! I hope you can come again (To Victoria)

Victoria: (Addressing the waiter) Thanks! Bye, bye! (To her friends) Nice guy! He is like my son in many ways, young, handsome and with a lot of enthusiasm.

Augusta: Anyway, you were going to show us a video of your daughter. I would like to see it.

Victoria: Yes of course. Here it is; look! (She is in the middle and they watch the video from her cell phone)(Video is shown on stage where Fleur is singing and performing: “Il est beau comme le soleil.” This may last no more than a minute)

Augusta: (After watching the video) Oh my God! She is so gorgeous! She reminded me of you when you were so young. If I had had a daughter, I would have wanted her to be like yours, so talented and pretty.

Victoria: You are so sweet!

Perfecta: Very sweet indeed I would say. (In an annoyed way)

Augusta: Sorry, Perfecta. You know I love your daughter too. But you know that Anita didn’t want to study, and she married so young and had a terrible relationship.

Perfecta: Ok, why don’t you publish all the terrible things that my daughter did? Let’s call the news if you want. (With a lot of disdain)

Augusta: Sorry Perfecta, you know how silly I am. You always say that I am clumsy and a little absent minded. But the three of us are friends; we don’t have secrets among us, do we?

Victoria: Perfecta, please, don’t be cruel. I think Augusta was just trying to be nice to me. And I am so sure she didn’t mean to offend you or your daughter. Why don’t we change our topic of conversation? Let’s talk about travels, courses you have taken, languages; I don’t know.

Augusta: I think it is a good idea. I haven’t traveled abroad. I don’t take courses because I have to take care of my mother in law and this takes the most part of my day. As I told you in my letters, she suffers from Alzheimer. I only speak English. I didn’t have any children as you already know. But my husband and I live very happy together.

Perfecta: (In a mocking way) Augusta, if your life were published, it would become a best-seller. I have no doubt about it. Well, maybe my daughter didn’t follow my steps, but I can tell you that my son is my pride. He studies law in a very prestigious university. I think he is about to finish his major in two more semesters.

Victoria: That’s good! I am really happy for him. I remember you told me in one of your letters that he was very intelligent and committed to his studies.

Augusta: Adrian has always been very intelligent. He is a nice boy!

Perfecta: So?

Augusta: I don’t know what you mean. (With nervousness)

Perfecta: That if you had had a son, you would’ve wanted…?

Victoria: Perfecta, I am sorry I think I don’t get your point. Are we here to share happy memories or to fight with one another? I think a need some wine. (Pours some wine in her glass and drinks)

Augusta: Me too! (She does the same)

(Sebastian arrives, a handsome young man with a joyful personality)

Sebastian: Hello ladies! Are you ready to order?

Victoria: My dear friends, I have to tell you something. He is the reason why I am here.

Perfecta: I always thought you were crazy, but such a young lover. (Like questioning her)

Augusta: Perfecta, don’t say that!

Sebastian: Well, I don’t understand the joke, but I would like to meet my mother’s best friends. (With a big smile)

Augusta: Oh my God! You are Sebastian right?

Sebastian: The same one and you are Augusta aren’t you?

Augusta: Yes, you are so handsome. You look like your father.

Perfecta: How interesting Victoria, your son being the waiter here.

Victoria: No, Perfecta, you don’t understand. He is…

Perfecta: (She interrupts her) Living in Europe for so many years, knowing so many different countries, speaking different languages and ended up working here. It’s funny! (With too much derision)

Sebastian: Sorry, madam. I don’t get what you are trying to say. I studied management in France, and I opened this small cafeteria with the help of my mother because I love businesses a lot. I own this place, and I want to make it a success. I suggested my mother to bring her friends here because she was so excited about this gathering.

Perfecta: (Addressing Sebastian) But you are the one to blame. You came here asking for our orders; that is why I thought you were just a waiter here.

Sebastian: The waiter you met before had to go, but I can bring you whatever you want. That doesn’t make me inferior to anyone if that is your point.

Victoria: (Addressing her son feeling embarrassed) Please Sebastian, leave us alone! I think we are not going to have anything else, but if we do, I will call you. (He goes away) Perfecta, can I tell you something? You can say anything to me, but when the offense involves my children, I will react.

Augusta: Victoria you are right! Perfecta cannot continue with this attitude. It is unacceptable!

Perfecta: Well, look who is talking! (Addressing Augusta) You are so insignificant and silly. You know you were always near me because you needed someone to make you feel important. Nobody loved you! You were so little and incapable of anything. (Augusta starts sobbing)

Victoria: Perfecta, you are out of your mind! You are crazy!

Perfecta: You better not say anything. You should thank me for what I did to you, for that note you treasure so much.

Victoria: What you did to me? Are you insane?

Perfecta: Do you remember the day you received that note, (Making emphasis on the word “that”) the note you are so proud of, the note that said that Santiago wanted to see you near the plaza at six pm? You know who really wrote that note?

Augusta: Perfecta please! You don’t have to say anything.

Perfecta: I did. I wrote that note. I remember you were so happy telling us that Santiago wanted to see you.

Victoria: I don’t believe what you are saying. Santiago was there waiting for me as the note said. I got there late, ten minutes after six if I recall correctly, and he was there.

Perfecta: I never understood why. (Like talking to herself) The idea was to disappoint you, to make you feel bad. You were going to be stood up like the idiot and pretentious you were and that you still are.

Victoria: But if you wrote the note, why did Santiago come to the plaza?

Augusta: (In a shy way) Maybe I have the answer.

Perfecta: How come? You didn’t know anything about the note. You are so silly and clueless. If I had told you about it, you would have ruined my plan.

Augusta: Perfecta, I saw your face when Victoria was reading the note and there was something suspicious. There was a gloat in your eyes. At that moment, I could not say anything. The note was written in green and you loved green ink. So I read the note so many times before deciding what to do.

Perfecta: And what did you do? (In a reproachable way)

Augusta: I decided to write a similar note to Santiago, making him believe that Victoria had sent it to him.

Perfecta: You are horrible. You ruined my plan after all.

Augusta: How could I do that to you? I am silly, absent minded, and insignificant. How could someone like me ruin the plan of such a perfect and intelligent woman?

Victoria: Oh my God! I never knew anything (Like in shock)

Perfecta: (Addressing Augusta) I imagine why God did not give you the right to be a mother.

Augusta: I really feel sorry for Adrian and Anita. They are the product of a sick person who doesn’t even love herself.

Perfecta: You don’t have the right to say that!

Augusta: By the way, Adrian called me yesterday. Poor guy, he doesn’t know how to tell you something.

Perfecta: What are you talking about?

Augusta: He just went two semesters to law classes because he realized after nine months of studies that law was not what he really wanted. Well now you know. Maybe I am worse than you now.

Perfecta: Liar, you are a liar. (She leaves the place)

Victoria: I don’t understand Augusta. (With a lot of melancholy)
Was Perfecta in love with Santiago?

Augusta: No Victoria, she was not in love with him. She just felt envy
of you.

(They both leave the place embracing one another) (Curtains close)

The End