Rheya

Night
Bedroom
Awake
Awake
Awake
Blank
Market Street Park dimly lit by street-lamps at its edges
Inhale
Exhale
The long walk home

Two days

Daytime fatigue
Living-room couch
Blank
The Windows
Jesus.
Disorientation
Hang-on a second, don’t try and get up right away.
– What time is it?
External or Construct?
– External?
Well you are at the Windows…
– No no… Internal time.
Probably about Four in the afternoon. Are you alright?
– Four… two hours.
You blank?
– Yes.
Damn. That’s a lot of time to lose.
Pause
Getting up
You going to be alright?
– Sorry? Yes – I’ll be fine. Thanks Nav.
No problem. I’ll keep my eye out for you if you appear again.
– Thanks.
Stairs
Halls
Buildings
Street level
The long walk home

Five days

Blank

Movement
Firm rigid fabric
Small constant vibration
Muted sounds
Doors
Vibration
Door
Inertia
Stillness
– You found him on this bed?
— Yes.
– In the conference theatre?
— In theatre one.
Pause
– On this bed?
— Yes.
Eyes open
Hospital room
Single window
Male nurse, Ward nurse
The male nurse leaves
The Ward nurse is a middling woman with wise eyes, experienced hands and forearms
– Do you know where you are?
– Hospital… East Central?
– That’s right. Do you know how you got here?
– Not exactly.
– We found you in one of our lecture theatres.
Pause
– You don’t know how you got there? And lay yourself out on a hospital gurney?
Pause
– No. I’m sorry.
Pause
– That’s alright. How do you feel?
Pause
Swallow – dry scratching
– Could I have some water?
– Of-course. Listen, we’ll put you on a saline-drip, I’ll check you in an hour, ok?
Pause
Nod
Ward nurse leaves
Muted hospital sounds
Daylight white and blue hospital curtains
IV
Saline
Two hours
An interview
Discharge
Walk home

Home
Sparse furniture
Photographs on the wall
Empty kitchen
Silent television
Muted neighbourhood sounds
Jasmine pearls
Hot water
Japanese tea set
Six chairs around a dining table
Sit down
Five chairs left in their places
Afternoon
Evening dimness

Door-bell
Open door to emptiness
Close door

Evening
Empty teapot
Darkness
Lamp on
Sitting
Hour
Hour
Lamp off
Upstairs
Bedroom
Ensuite
Naked
Hot water
Lean against the tiled wall
Fatigue
Muscles relax
Towel
Darkness
Bed
Awake
Awake
Awake
Blank

Darkness
Kitchen
Disorientation
…
Kitchen
…
My kitchen

Moving slowly through the house in darkness
Shadows of frames on the walls
Shadows of furniture
Hand dryly scrapes across wall
Blue, grey and black shapes
Stairs
Slowly move
Hall

The sound of a duvet rustling

Stop
Stillness
The sound of a deep inhale
Exhale
Stillness
Silence
Movement to my bedroom
Dimness
The shape of a body in the bed
Slow breathing
Pale shades of a woman’s face in the ghostly light

Morning light
Sitting in a chair by the window
The muted sounds of morning outside
The woman sleeps on her side, back to me
Her breathing changes
A slender arm slowly sets the duvet slightly back
The exposed arm comes to rest at the shape of her hip
Slowly she settles onto her back, then turns her head to me
— You didn’t sleep?
Silence
— What did you do instead?
Pause
– I watched you,
Pause
– …sleeping.
She gives a subtle smile
Closes her eyes
Yawns
Opens eyes
We stare
Slowly she drags her body back into a sitting position
She wears a white singlet that hangs on her shoulders, draped over her small breasts
Black hair, straight, to just above the shoulders
Slender jaw
– Who are you?
Pause
— Rheya.
My eyebrows
– After Solaris?
The smile again
— Perhaps. I’m not her though.
Pause
She is patiently waiting for me
– How did you get here?
— You brought me here.
Pause
– I don’t understand.
— Perhaps that’s why I’m called Rheya.
Pause
– I don’t understand.
Silence
She inhales, and her chest rises, shoulders move
Exhale
— Who are you?
Pause.
– Henry.
The smile
— Good morning Henry.
Pause
Inhale
– Good morning.

Hot water
Jasmine pearls
Japanese tea set
Two cups
— Thank you.
Dining table
Two chairs
Vapour rising from the surface of the water
— You don’t sleep?
– No.
— Why not?
A smooth, warm voice coming from an elegant mouth
– I can’t.
— Hmm.
Sip
The warmth of Spring sun in the early morning
— You have a lovely place.
Pause
– Thank you.
She turns her head to survey
I feel like I should speak
– It’s… small.
Pause.
– It’s enough for me.
The smile
— It’s lovely Henry.
Sip
I rise
She stays seated, drinking
Kitchen
Fridge open
Fridge close
Pantry open
Pantry close
Inhale
– I don’t really have anything to eat, um,
Her face towards me
– Actually, I don’t really eat. Much.
Pause
— Hm.
She looks down at her cup
Sip
— Shall we go to the Market then?
Pause
I stare

Midday
The Market
Street vendors and stalls
The bubbling noise of shoppers and sellers
I stare
— Come.
Rheya offers her hand
I take it
Slowly she leads me through the crowd
Stopping often to examine wares
Sometimes she lifts an object in her hands
Slender fingers
Her eyes slowly wash over each stall
I watch her
— Do you want a snack?
She looks at me
I open my mouth
Close it
– I don’t know…
She turns away and leads me onward
A takoyaki stall
— They’ll be very hot.
I look at the cardboard tray sitting in her flattened hand
Bonito flakes curling in the heat
She watches me stare
I can’t remember the last time I’d eaten takoyaki
I can’t remember the last time I’d eaten
Toothpick
Burst of heat and flavour
Warmth that travels down into my chest, radiating outwards
I have two
She has four
I’m led by the hand to the fresh produce stalls
Rheya examines fruit and vegetables
Lifting, touching, squeezing, smelling
She lifts her hand to my face with a piece of fruit
Touches it to my nose and top lip
I breathe in

Walking home we don’t speak

Afternoon
I look at my kitchen
Memories of cooking
I stare at the emptiness
Stillness
Hands on my shoulder-blades
Forearms on my back
A gentle push

We move about the kitchen
Rheya asks me where things are, I tell her
Slowly we prepare a meal
Chopping, cutting, stirring
I stop what I’m doing
– Wait.
She turns and looks at me
Pause
I turn around and leave the kitchen
A cupboard in the living room
Return to the kitchen with a bottle of red
The smile
— Let’s air it now.

Evening
The meal
Wine
Wine that drips down to my feet
Slowly filling me up
Swirling in my brain
– Where are you from?
Cutlery
Wrists
Elegant movements
— Music.
Pause
– You’re from here? Creativity?
— Yes.
Music
I turn to look at my stereo, dormant and quiet
– Did you…
— No it’s fine. I know you’re a quiet person.
I return to look at her
– You do?
— It’s how you brought me here.
I wait for her
— No food, no music, no speech,
I stare
— no sleep.
My own brief, small smile
— And no smile. That’s the first one.
She smiles
I set down my cutlery
Lift my glass
Wine

We wash the dishes together
Let them dry
When we finish she waits for me
– I have coffee.
— Oh?
– I drink coffee. And tea.
— Coffee would be wonderful. Do you want a hand?
– No.
She sits on a stool at the bench that separates the kitchen and the dining area
Watches me as I move
The sound of coffee beans striking the walls of the grinder
The aroma of coffee
Stretch my arm out with the group-head to her face
She closes her eyes and inhales
Opens her eyes
Press coffee
Turn the machine on
– What do you want? Latte?
— Black.
Wait for the boiler to heat
Stillness
Silence
Then the bubbling of water
Green light
Two small cups
The sound of the machine as the coffee draws
Place one cup on the bench
Push it across the surface with a scrape towards her
I stand in the kitchen, leaning one hand on the bench
Lift my own cup
— Thank you.
Sip
Set down the cup
– No I was going to say – thank you. For dinner.
— We made it together.
Sip

Rheya moves through my living room
Examining everything
Step
Examine
Step
Examine
Light movements of her legs like a cat
Soundless
Patient
I sit down on the couch
She comes to my music
Selects
Turns on the stereo
Something minimalist
She turns around
Comes to the couch
Folds her legs beneath her
We sit and listen

— Will you sleep?
Pause
– You go ahead, I’ll be fine here.
— Come up and lie with me.
She offers her hand
I take it

Two bodies parallel
Without touching
Shadows in the dimness
We face each-other
The curve of Rheya’s hip
Slight bend in the knee
Her shoulders
Hair
Eyes
— Why don’t you sleep?
Pause
– Because sleeping feels like unconsciousness.
Pause
– When I’m unconscious, I blank.
Pause
— What is that? What happens?
I stare at her shape in the darkness
– I Transit. To random places. I wake up in random places.
Pause
– I lose time.
I can hear her breathing
Brushing in and out of her throat and nose
— Does it frighten you?
– Yes.
Stillness
I can feel her eyes as we lie together
Silent

Morning
Sitting in the chair
Rheya’s shape under the duvet
Facing me
Eyes closed
Inhale
Exhale
Open eyes
— Did you watch me sleep?
– Yes.
— You moved.
– I didn’t want to disturb you.
— You must be tired.
— Yes, I…
Fatigue
Weight
Eyes un-focus
Blank

Collins Wharf
Midday sun
Apartment towers
A very long walk home

Late afternoon
Door
An expectation that Rheya will be gone
Living room
Rheya sitting on the couch
Looking up at me
– I’m sorry.
She stands
Walks towards me
We stand for a moment
Facing one-another
Slowly she raises her hand to my face
I close my eyes
Her thumb brushes slowly, gently across my lips
Back and forth

Hot water
Jasmine pearls
Two cups
The couch
Sitting close
No dinner

Rheya takes my cup
Walks to the kitchen
The sound of running water
She returns
Takes my hand
Pulls gently

Two bodies parallel
Shadows and dimness
I stare at her
— Are you afraid?
– Yes.
Inhale
Hand to my face once more
Fingers to my lips
I let them part
— Will you let me hold you?
I close my eyes
She moves towards me
Lifts herself slightly
My forehead touches her collarbone
Her chin rests on my head
Arms wrapped around my head and shoulder
Hand caressing my back
I rest my hand on her hip
Purse my lips and press at her sternum
She tightens slightly