5. (kuhinja)
(Boris, Mia)

(Mia u kuhinji uzima turski ibrik s kavom i nalijeva kavu u šalicu. U sobu ulazi Boris.)

MIA: Dobro jutro, dušo.

BORIS: Dobro jutro, draga.

MIA: Hoćeš popiti kavu?

BORIS: Nemam vremena, žurim, nešto ću pregristi i juriš na put.

MIA: A meni nema ljepše stvari od ovih subotnjih jutara, u miru, u tišini, uz mirisnu kavicu. Nigdje ne moram žuriti, milina Božja. A poslijepodne me čeka hipodrom i jahanje do iznemoglosti. Eh, da je svaki dan subota u jutro. Bez posla, bez obaveza.

BORIS: E, dok jedni uživaju drugi moraju raditi, i to naporno.
(Boris uzima kruh, reže sir.)

BORIS: Mogla si mi bar sendvič pripremiti.

MIA: Znaš da ne volim subotom u jutro ništa raditi.

BORIS: E baš si bezobrazna... dok ja naporno radim, tebi je teško jedan običan sendvič pripremiti.

MIA: Kao da ti meni pomažeš dok ja radim. Uostalom neće tebi biti tako loše na putu.

BORIS: To ti misliš - jer pojma nemaš kako je teško pregovarati po tim malim gradovima sa sumnjičavim partnerima. I to sâm, daleko od topline doma.

MIA: Hajde, šta preuveličavaš svoje zasluge, pa znam da se nećeš preznojiti tamo od toga... ne čekaju te fizički napori, nisi ni sportaš, ni zemljoradnik.

BORIS: Ti ne možeš a da ne umanjiš moje zasluge za našu obitelj, moju žrtvu koju podnosim samo da bi ti, da bismo svi mi mogli kvalitetnije živjeti.

MIA: U koji grad danas putuješ?

BORIS: U Lepoglavu.

MIA: U Lepoglavu?

BORIS: Da.

MIA: Je li to tamo gdje je zatvor?

BORIS: Jest.

MIA: Nikada nisam bila ondje.

BORIS: Gdje, u zatvoru?

MIA: Ne, nego u Lepoglavi.

BORIS: Pa što onda.

MIA: Mogao bi me povesti sa sobom.

BORIS: Gdje?

MIA: U Lepoglavu.

BORIS: Kada?

MIA: Danas - rekao si da danas ideš u Lepoglavu. Je li tako?

BORIS: Tako je.

MIA: Zašto mene ne bi poveo sa sobom, rekao si da ti je teško biti na putu, daleko od topline doma. A toplinu domu daje žena, žena je mužu dom, a ne zidovi, namještaj i to. Je li tako?

BORIS: Mogu ja i sam. Zašto da se ti patiš i potucaš po lošim cestama. Danas ti je subota, jedina prilika za odmor nakon napornog radnog tjedna, nema potrebe da se patiš.

MIA: Ništa mi nije teško za tebe.

BORIS: Poslijepodne imaš jahanje na hipodromu, vjerojatno si i prijateljicama obećala kavu poslije jahanja...

MIA: Ma mogu ja to sve preskočiti, ako je moj muž u pitanju - vidim da ti je teško na putu, vidim da te opet tjeraju da radiš i vikendom, dok drugi planduju. Toliko mogu učiniti za svoga muža - praviti mu društvo na putu. Za tebe sam spremna učiniti bar toliko.

BORIS: A ne, to ne bi bilo dobro.

MIA: Zašto?

BORIS: Djelovao bih neprofesionalno kada bih na poslovne dogovore poveo svoju ženu. To u mojoj branši svi gledaju krivim okom - pao bi mi rejting. Razumiješ? To je kao što nekada na brod nisu uzimali ženu, jer je žena na brodu donosila nesreću.

MIA: Ne vjeruješ valjda da ću ti ja donijeti nesreću na putu?

BORIS: Ma nisam to rekao, ja sam...

MIA: Ne želim da ti bude dosadno na putu, i žao mi je da se sam smrzavaš u hotelu. Nikad nismo u hotelu... baš bih voljela s tobom i to iskustvo. U dvoje je i ljepše i toplije. Slažeš li se sa mnom?

BORIS: Ma slažem se, dušo, ali znaš da nikada nije dobro miješati poslovni i privatni život. To je jednostavno neprofesionalno.

MIA: Misliš.

BORIS: Mislim. Odi ti lijepo na svoj hipodrom i uživaj kad ti je Bog dao, a ja ću se žrtvovati za nas dvoje i odraditi to što moram.

MIA: Stvarno si velikodušan... i nesebičan.

BORIS: S godinama čovjek takav postane, a i ništa mi nije teško kad znam da je to za sreću naše obitelji.

MIA: Inače, za tjedan dana moja mama slavi rođendan. Baš u subotu. Predložila sam joj da dođe ovdje k nama s tatom, a da ćemo joj pripremiti proslavu. Ja ću napraviti tortu, ti ćeš ispeći roštilj. Doći će i naša djeca.

BORIS: Sjajno, sjajno... Kažeš u iduću subotu, ali ja sam na putu. U Ajdovščini.

MIA: Daj, Boris, pa nećeš valjda na mamim rođendan putovati?!

BORIS: To je poslovni put. To je davno prije isplanirano. Ja moram ići, a proslavu pomakni na neki drugi dan.

MIA: Što je tebi, čovječe?! Pa ne može se rođendan pomaknuti. To je kao da kažeš: "Pomakni proslavu Nove godine". Ako je cijela obitelj na maminom rođendanu, onda izvoli lijepo biti i ti. Još ću pomisliti da ideš tamo s nekom kolegicom, ženom, ljubavnicom.

BORIS: Ma daj, dušo, kako možeš tako blatiti našu ljubav, naš brak. Takve strašne riječi, nisam se od tebe nadao, oprosti.

MIA: A što ja znam zbog čega ti ne odustaješ od iduće subote.

BORIS: Pa prije bi mi se ruke sasušile nego što bih tebe s nekim u hotelu... Ma daj, stvarno si drska, vrijeđaš me, evo se ljutim kao nikada. Dok ja mukotrpno radim, ti me blatiš svojim neosnovanim sumnjama.

MIA: Oprosti, ali sâm mi svojom tvrdoglavošću daješ argumente. Pošalji nekog drugog u Ajdovščinu. Što bi moja mama rekla da ne budeš s njom na njezin dan. Uostalom, opet previše ganjaš tu karijeru, opet nas zanemaruješ.

BORIS: Oprosti, ali netko se mora žrvovati za obitelj. Danas se ne može ništa bez novca.

MIA: Ma daj, imamo sve. Sačuvaj te vikende za sebe, za obitelj.

BORIS: Nije to tako jednostavno. Ravnatelj mi je otvoreno rekao da od mene očekuje da ponovno budem uzor svima i ja doista moram...

MIA: Na mamin rođendan se ništa ne mora. Kada kažeš ravnatelju da tvoja punica slavi okruglo sedamdeset, sigurna sam da će imati razumijevanja.

BORIS: Ajde dobro. Učinit ću tu žrtvu. To neću propustiti. Na njenom rođendanu moram biti, sve ću odgoditi.
(Boris se okrene prema publici.)

BORIS: Ta stara koza još uvijek slavi rođendane. Sve sam isplanirao za Ajdovščinu, i Ninu sam jedva nagovorio, a sada sve pada u vodu, jer ona želi obilježiti povijesni datum - dan svoga rođenja. Kamo sreće da se nikada nije ni rodila, možda bi i moj život bio smisleniji i ljepši.

5. (The Kitchen)
(Boris, Mia)

(Mia is pouring coffee into a cup from a Turkish coffee pot. Boris comes in.)

MIA: Good morning, my dear.

BORIS: Good morning, dear.

MIA: Would you like some coffee?

BORIS: I don't have time, I'm in a hurry, just a bite and I have to be off.

MIA: As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing nicer than Saturday morning, at peace, in the silence, with the aroma of coffee. I don't have to hurry anywhere, God's own bliss. And in the afternoon I'm off to the riding club and I will ride until I am worn out. Ah, if only every day was like Saturday morning. No work, no obligations.

BORIS: While some are enjoying themselves, others have to work, and work hard at that.
(Boris takes some bread and slices the cheese.)

BORIS: You could have at least made me some sandwiches.

MIA: You know I don't like to do any work on Saturday mornings.

BORIS: That's not very nice of you... while I am working my guts out, it's a problem for you to make an ordinary sandwich.

MIA: As if you give me any help when I'm working. And in any case, it won't be so difficult for you on the trip.

BORIS: That's what you think - because you have no idea how hard it is to negotiate in those small towns with suspicious clients. And I'm all alone out there, far from the warmth of home.

MIA: Come on now, don't exaggerate, I know you won't have to raise a sweat... you won't have to make any physical effort, you are not a sportsman or a labourer on the land.

BORIS: You can't even imagine what I have to do for the benefit of my family, the sacrifices I make so that you and all of us can have a better quality of life.
MIA: Where are you travelling to today?

BORIS: Lepoglava.

MIA: Lepoglava?

BORIS: Yes.

MIA: Is that where the prison is?

BORIS: Yes.

MIA: I have never been there.

BORIS: Where, to prison?

MIA: No, in Lepoglava.

BORIS: So what.

MIA: You could take me with you.

BORIS: Where?

MIA: To Lepoglava.

BORIS: When?

MIA: Today - you said you were going to Lepoglava today, didn't you?

BORIS: That's right.

MIA: Why don't you take me with you, you said it's hard for you to be on the road, far from your warm home. And it's the wife who gives warmth to a home, a wife is home to her husband, not the walls and the furniture and all that. Don't you agree?

BORIS: I can do it alone. Why should you suffer and bump around on those bad roads. It's Saturday, the only chance you have to rest after a hard working week, there's no need for you to suffer too.

MIA: Nothing's hard for me if it's for you.

BORIS: You are riding at the club this afternoon, and you have probably promised to have coffee with your girlfriends after...

MIA: I can put all that off, if my husband is in question - I can see that all this travelling bothers you and that they are making you work over the weekends, while others are taking it easy. That's the least I can do for my husband - keep him company while he's travelling. I am prepared to do at least that for you.

BORIS: But no, that would not be a good idea.

MIA: Why not?

BORIS: It would look unprofessional if I took my wife to business meetings. It's frowned on in my branch - my rating would fall. D'you understand? It's something like that old rule that ships officers never took their wives with them, because women were supposed to bring bad luck.

MIA: Surely you don't believe that I would bring you bad luck.

BORIS: I didn't say that, I just said...

MIA: I don't want you to be bored and I am sorry that you have to freeze alone in those hotels. We never stay at hotels... I would love to experience that with you. It's nicer and warmer when there are two. Don't you agree?

BORIS: I agree, my sweet, but you know that it is never a good idea to mix your business life with your private life. It's just unprofessional.

MIA: You think so?
BORIS: Yes, I do. Off you go to your riding club and enjoy yourself when you can, and I will sacrifice myself for the two of us and do what I have to do.

MIA: You really are generous... and so unselfish.

BORIS: One becomes that as the years go by and nothing is hard for me if it's for the happiness of our family.

MIA: By the way, my mother is celebrating her birthday next week. On Saturday, in fact. I have suggested that she and Dad come here, and I shall prepare the party. I will make the birthday cake and you can handle the barbecue. The kids will come, too.

BORIS: Wonderful, wonderful... Did you say next Saturday? But I'm on the road. In Ajdovščina.

MIA: For goodness sake, Boris, surely you won't be travelling on my mother's birthday?

BORIS: It's business. It's been planned for ages. I have to go and you can have the party on some other day.

MIA: What's wrong with you, man? You can't move birthdays around. That's like saying: "Let's celebrate New Year on some other day". If the entire family is going to be here on my mother's birthday, then you can be, too. I will start to think that you are travelling with some secretary, some woman, some other woman.

BORIS: My dearest, how can you throw mud at our love and our marriage like that. Such terrible words. I could never have expected anything like that from you.

MIA: Well how do I know why you won't cancel next Saturday's trip?

BORIS: I would rather that my hands wither before I would go with any woman to a hotel... How could you? You are really cruel, you have really offended me, and I have never been so angry. While I am working my guts out, you are defaming me with your unfounded doubts.

MIA: I'm sorry, but you yourself make me suspicious with your stubbornness. Send someone else to Ajdovščina. What would my Mama say if you were not with her hereon her birthday. And by the way, you are becoming too career-oriented again, you are neglecting us again.

BORIS: Excuse me, but someone has to make a sacrifice for the family. You can't do anything today without money.

MIA: Come on, we want for nothing. Keep the weekends for yourself and your family.

BORIS: It's not that simple. The boss told me directly that he expects me to be a model for the other salesmen and I really must...

MIA: Nothing else is important on Mama's birthday. When you tell him that your mother-in-law is celebrating her seventieth birthday, I am sure that he will understand.

BORIS: Alright then. I'll make that sacrifice. I won't miss it. I have to be here on her birthday and I will postpone everything else.
(Boris turns towards the audience.)

BORIS: That old cow is still celebrating her birthdays. I had everything planned for Ajdovščina, and I hardly managed to talk Nina into it, and now it's all going down the drain because she wants to celebrate a historical date - the date of her birth. What luck if she had never been born, perhaps my life would have been happier and more meaningful.