Pilgrims Musa and Sheri in the New World by Yussef El Guindi

Morgan Jenness Abrams Artists Agency 275 Seventh Avenue, Twenty Sixth Floor, New York, NY 10001 646-486-4600, FAX 646-486-0100 E-MAIL: [email protected] CAST

Sheri

Musa

Abdallah

Tayyib

Gamila Street lighting partially illuminates a small studio apartment. It’s somewhat ragged in appearance, with a small single bed, and a mattress on the floor. Perhaps also a couple of chairs and a table. There is a brief muffled sound of footsteps from the apartment above. From off stage: MUSA (off-stage; accent) One more flight. SHERI (off-stage) Geez. For a three-story walk up, it feels like I’m climbing a high-rise. You must have the penthouse, huh. MUSA (off-stage) Good exercise. SHERI (off-stage) Not after eight hours on my feet. You’ve got it lucky. You sit on your tush all night. MUSA (off-stage) Here we are. Home. My little kingdom. (The sound of a key being inserted.) SHERI (off-stage) This is too sad. My panting like this. (The door opens. Musa and Sheri enter. There is a muffled sound of a door slamming from the apartment above. Musa briefly looks up.) MUSA You smoke? SHERI I gave it up. MUSA I have hookah. 2.

SHERI What’s that? (He hits the light switch. But no light.) MUSA Damn. I get fuse. Wait a moment. (Musa walks to the fuse box. Sheri looks around.) SHERI (half to herself) Kingdom, huh? MUSA What? SHERI Nice place. MUSA I finish in one moment. (Sheri sits. She grimaces, massages the pain in her stomach. Musa enters and heads for the light switch.) Wiring not good here. SHERI At least you have the street light. It’s - nice. (Musa switches on the light: an overhead bulb.) Ow. That’s light alright. MUSA I have to get lamp shade. SHERI I think so. Nobody looks good in that light. (slight beat) Home sweet home, huh. MUSA It’s cheap; not nice. SHERI It’s alright. 3.

MUSA I sleep here, that’s all. Later, when I save enough, I buy a place. SHERI (seeing the mattress) Who else sleeps here? MUSA Abdallah. He’s gone. He make the Hajj. SHERI The what? MUSA Trip to Mecca. Pilgrimage. SHERI I know that. I saw a special on TV. People dressed in white, going around that... MUSA (points to calendar photo on the wall) Ka’bah. SHERI Yeah. Have you done that? MUSA One day I will. SHERI (walks over to look at photo) It looks so intense. With all those people. Like Woodstock, you know. On steroids, without the music. Well, maybe not like that. But it looked like everyone was so into it. I’d love to be able to lose myself in something like that. MUSA Yes...I dream of it sometimes. (slight beat) You still want drink? SHERI Sure. So is your roommate coming back soon? MUSA (goes to tiny kitchen area) He move out when he return. The man make lots of money. Big time now. He wants bigger place. I have alcohol if you want. 4.

SHERI Great. That’s what I thought you meant. MUSA Scotch. SHERI I’ll take it. MUSA This Somali friend, he give me Johnny Walker as payment after I help him take merchandize across bridge a few times. Says he not believe in money between friends. SHERI That’s a good one. I must remember that. MUSA (getting bottle, pouring drinks) I say, I have no problem getting money from friend. He say, no no, money is the devil, and a good friend would not bring the devil into a friend’s life. I say, I have strong faith, give me this devil, I will fight it. He say, better not risk it. SHERI Alcohol is okay though. MUSA I say, so you corrupt me with drink? He say now you test your faith with drink. Money is like invisible evil. But drink, you know what it is. I give you good way to prove your faith. SHERI Some friend. MUSA You want ice? Water? SHERI Nothing, just like that. MUSA I say, so am I not supposed to drink this gift? Leave it as temptation? Ah, he says. (hands her the drink) That is up to you. That is the point. SHERI A real joker. What does he do? 5.

MUSA Sells suitcases on Broadway. I take him and his merchandize every few weeks across bridge. SHERI (toasting) Well: here’s to temptation. And the faith to resist it. MUSA Yes. (They drink. She grimaces.) SHERI Kick. MUSA Want water in it? SHERI I’m not a big scotch person. MUSA I have soda drink. (sees her clutching her stomach) You okay? SHERI Just something I ate. (re: overhead bulb) You really need a lamp. Or lamp shade or something. MUSA I can turn it off. SHERI You don’t have a lamp? Candles? That would soften the place up. I saw some candles in that corner store window. MUSA We try with just kitchen light. (He goes to turn off overhead lamp.) SHERI He’s open kinda late, isn’t he? For this neighborhood. MUSA He not very good man. Stays open for junkies. He knows they want things at night. I say, why you do that? You Muslim. This is not good. (turns on kitchen light) (MORE) 6. MUSA (cont'd) He say nothing. Says it’s business. (goes to the bathroom) SHERI Well, they don’t have to buy his stuff. If he wants to stay open, let him. MUSA But it’s not right. Not being a good Muslim. (He turns on the bathroom light. With this new lighting - including the street light - their faces will still be clearly visible.) SHERI Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. MUSA What? SHERI We’re all sinners. MUSA But some sins are obvious. You can say no. SHERI Like scotch? MUSA This is a weakness. God understands weakness. SHERI Sounds like a slippery slope to me. MUSA Slope? SHERI Little weaknesses? Adding up? MUSA Yes. SHERI (re: new light) Better. Now I won’t feel like I’ve walked into an interrogation room or something. Where all this bad skin (touches her cheeks) gets shown up. MUSA You have nice skin. 7.

SHERI (continuing) Now it’s more like I’m in a setting for a murder mystery or something, with these shadows. Very moody. MUSA Is okay? SHERI Someone in a trench coat would fit right in, if he knocked on the door. And maybe a lady in the shadows blowing smoke rings. (they look at each other) Speaking of which, are you like - safe? Should I be worried? MUSA About what? SHERI You know - with me in your apartment. - And with this now looking like a set for a movie where the lady you see in the first few minutes gets taken out by the man she shouldn’t have gone so casually up to his apartment with. I mean - what kind of good girl accepts an invitation for a drink at two am. From a guy she’s just met a couple of times. MUSA I give you lift three, four times. We are night birds, you and me. This is when we wake up. SHERI Yeah, and you shouldn’t be playing hooky; you should be out there earning money. MUSA I make up for it tomorrow. This is the afternoon for us. This is when we work; and you have just finished. SHERI So I don’t come off looking quite as...I can still come off as the good girl, huh? At two am. Drinking scotch. With somebody I don’t know so well. MUSA You like mystery books? I learn English by reading crime books. (goes to a small pile of books by his bed; he has trouble pronouncing authors’ names) Raymond Chandler. Dashiell Hammett. One good thing about corner store is he has box full of books for a dollar. Crime is easy way to learn. And yes: you could be girl in book like (MORE) 8. MUSA (cont'd) this. Sometimes, in my taxi, I pretend I am like American tough guy, investigating something. SHERI (picks up book) What’s this one? MUSA Oh. Not mystery. This is translation of Qur’an. SHERI A holy book, right? MUSA I learn English also this way too, since I know original. SHERI (reading from random passage) “Allah knows what the heavens and the earth contain. If three men talk in secret together, He is their fourth; if four, He is their fifth; if five, He is their sixth; whether fewer or more, wherever they be, He is with them.” MUSA (wanting to take the Qur’an from her) Maybe this is not the time. SHERI (holding onto the Qu’ran) This is a kind of mystery book too, right? MUSA Not really. SHERI It’s a whodunit, isn’t it? MUSA We know who done it, God. SHERI Why is it titled “She Who Pleaded”? MUSA It is the name of the Sura. SHERI What? MUSA Chapter. The title of the chapter. 9.

SHERI Well, no, we don’t know who done it. If you think of God as the top cop, and we’re like the sinners being investigated. And maybe the angels are like the people he sends down to investigate our deeds. Then it is a kinda mystery. MUSA (tries to take book, but she holds on to it) He knows everything, he doesn’t need to investigate. SHERI I don’t know, people can get pretty sneaky. MUSA He knows sneaky. SHERI Some things might slip by. He’s a busy guy. MUSA This is interesting idea but not true. SHERI How do you know? MUSA (tries to get book again) You just read passage that say He is always here. SHERI Oh. Right. But still, I think you could make a good case for God being like the top detective in the sky. And we’re like - the people in a mystery being investigated, for possible involvement in crap. Like when people get nasty with each other. Or invite people up to their apartments with bad intentions. MUSA (taking book from her) We stop talking about God. SHERI Why? MUSA Because - I want to relax. SHERI God doesn’t relax you? MUSA We have talked of God enough. 10.

SHERI But I love these kinds of talks. You must get them in your taxi at night. The night shift’s so cool because people open up and talk about things they wouldn’t have time for, or feel too shy about in the day. And God is like right up there on my five top things to talk about. If you talk of God during the day, people think you’re a religious nut. MUSA You religious? SHERI I have aspirations....I get distracted. Life happens. And then who has time to think about anything. MUSA What is other four things you like to talk about? We pick one of those instead. SHERI Trust me, God is the lightest subject of the bunch. MUSA Tell me about other four; we talk about those instead. SHERI Well there’s my weight. Right after God. Though the weight thing’s more a private conversation I have with myself. I sometimes think just thinking about my weight is the issue, you know, like some private thoughts actually come with calories? Like there are fat thoughts, and thin thoughts. And if I stopped with the heavy thoughts, I would physically be lighter. MUSA Why you think about weight? You are thin. SHERI That’s very kind of you, but I’m not. MUSA Where is this weight? I don’t see it. SHERI That’s - thank you. It’s there. You just can’t see it under the shirt. MUSA You are skinny. Too much skinny, you must eat more. SHERI Oh that’s - . You are like picking the line I most fantasize about hearing. 11.

MUSA I am serious, any thinner and you need to go to hospital. SHERI I wish. Okay, let’s stop there while you’re doing good. MUSA Show me. So I understand when women talk about weight, I know maybe they are crazy instead. SHERI Alright. What are these? (partially lifts shirt or blouse and pinches skin) And before you say “love handles”, they’re not. These are more like thick, rubber escalator hand rails. MUSA This you call fat? SHERI And just like escalator rubber, it just keeps circulating; even when you think you’ve lost the fat, here it is again. MUSA This is normal weight; and beautiful. SHERI You know, I actually feel giddy hearing you say that. MUSA Why you shy from what makes you stand out? (His hand touches her waist.) SHERI Now, you see. That was a poor choice of words; and you were doing so good. MUSA What you mean? This is lovely. And very soft. And lucky you, you go to sleep with it every night. (His hand stays on her waist, as he gently, a little shyly, runs his hand across her waist, stomach. Without the context/excuse of the conversation continuing, the touching suddenly feels more pointed, awkward. He stops. Slight beat.) SHERI So you never answered my question. 12.

MUSA About what? SHERI Are you safe? MUSA What you mean? SHERI You know - if you were in my shoes, would you like, run away? MUSA Why? SHERI Because. I don’t know you. And maybe you should be concerned about me. I’m a stranger too. I could be anyone. MUSA I like strangers. I give rides to them every day. SHERI And I serve them. Doesn’t mean I’d invite them over for a drink. MUSA So you dangerous? You like woman in my books? Big trouble? “Help me, mister, I’m in trouble. I think someone’s following me.” SHERI Yeah, I am being followed. MUSA Who by? SHERI You. (Musa laughs) And before you, everything else that’s after me. All the stuff I should be dealing with but avoid. And you know - somehow - the mess I’m trying to avoid, usually finds its way back into my life in the shape of a guy. Like almost always, actually. It’s been weirdly predictable. So that - whatever guy I find somehow ends up like - embodying the very things I don’t want to deal with. A sort of karmic synchronicity I call it. Like if I’ve been particularly bad about paying my bills, I’ll find a guy who doesn’t know how to open up. Give of himself. Like I’ve found someone who’s emotionally stingy. Or else the guy will end up throwing in my face everything I feel bad about because I’ve usually told him my life story in the first five minutes of meeting him. This has led to some terrific fights. Where the police have been called in. (MORE) 13. SHERI (cont'd) (Musa gets himself another drink) On two occasions I only knew the guys for like forty-eight hours, but somehow managed to crunch six months worth of going out with someone into that short period. But you know, I think this is why guys are drawn to me, because I’m that accessible. (Musa starts to speak but is interrupted) Except when I say accessible, I don’t mean easy. Just to put you in the picture, I’m surprisingly on the good girl side of things. Though God knows, I don’t hold my liquor well, I mean (a laugh; half under her breath) in about ten minutes I’m going to be a cinch to bang. But just so you know, I’m not the kind of girl who drinks scotch at a stranger’s apartment at two am, and all that suggests. I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. (Slight beat.) MUSA Do you want refill? SHERI (hands him glass) You are trying to get me drunk. MUSA No; only if you want. Look. Sheri. I invite you up because you seem like nice lady. I not know many people. I say next time I give this lady a ride I say something. I like - hearing you laugh. SHERI I like your laugh too. You have nice teeth. The way you look back in the mirror. In the taxi. MUSA I think maybe I get lucky, and she say yes. For drink. Only drink, that is all. SHERI So you thought why not take her back to your place? MUSA You would like coffee shop instead? SHERI Is there anything open nearby? MUSA No, this is why I think here. 14.

SHERI That’s fine. It’s not like I’m - . I mean let’s be honest, it’s not like this won’t probably lead to sex. I just don’t want you to think I’m sleazy. Because you do seem like a nice guy and I’d prefer you didn’t think I was “that kind of girl” at the very beginning. Wait. I just had a horrible thought. You - you do want to have sex with me, don’t you? (Musa stares at her) I’m not like presuming something. MUSA (doesn’t know how to answer) I... SHERI I’m assuming you find me - you know, attractive. Or did you really just want to talk? My God, how embarrassing if you really did just want a drink and I’ve been imagining an attraction that wasn’t there. (Musa starts to reply but she cuts him off) But then why would you have picked me up? Oh my God: you’re a taxi driver, of course you picked me up. But why would you have invited me to your place? Oh my God, do you or do you not want to go to bed with me? MUSA I - SHERI There is no right or wrong answer. I won’t think you’re a pig if you say “yes”. (Musa doesn’t know how to answer) Let me say “yes” for you and if that’s wrong, just say so, otherwise we’ll carry on like I never brought this up. (Slight beat.) MUSA You are very beautiful. SHERI You think so? MUSA Yes. SHERI (touches her chest) Oh no...I think it’s coming up. 15.

MUSA You okay? SHERI I’m going to have to stick a finger down my throat. Instead of getting surprise vomit later. Can I use your bathroom? That lousy cook must have stuck in all those moldy leftovers. Can I ask a big favor? Could you leave your apartment while I throw up? I’d prefer you didn’t hear this. (She feels something come up and clutches her mouth.) MUSA (pointing) Bathroom. (She exits into the bathroom. A moment later, Musa hears her wretch.) I get you soda. Bubbles good for stomach. (He goes to get soda. Another wretch is heard.) SHERI (off-stage) Jesus, God. He put onions. I told him not to put onions. How could I not have tasted the - (She wretches again. Musa comes back to stand outside bathroom entrance, soda in hand.) MUSA You okay? (The toilet is flushed.) SHERI (off-stage) I’m good... (then:) One more. (wretches) Okay. All gone. (another flush; the sink tap is heard running) Can I use your toothpaste? I won’t use your brush. MUSA Yes. Use if you want. 16.

SHERI (off-stage) I swear...if they use our restaurant as part of another release program, where some ex-con cook gets to express his hostility in this passive-aggressive way, I’m going to punch someone and end up in jail myself. (appears at bathroom entrance; she is using her finger to brush her teeth) I really am more of a lady than I first appear. MUSA (handing her soda) Good for stomach. Make you burp. SHERI Do you really want to hear me burp? MUSA Better than see you throw up. SHERI (re: soda) Do you have diet? Doesn’t matter. I think I lost some calories when I threw up. Do you want to brush your teeth? (Musa doesn’t understand the request) Your breath is fine I’m sure. And I’m not - MUSA (getting it) Oh. (he exits into bathroom) SHERI (continuing) - suggesting. - Just in case. (glancing at mattress) When did you say your friend was coming back? MUSA (off-stage) Abdallah? Not for a few weeks. He go visit his family in Sudan after Hajj. SHERI And you don’t have a girlfriend?...Musa? MUSA (off-stage) No. SHERI What does Musa mean? 17.

MUSA Nothing. Moses. Like Moses in English. What does Sheri mean? SHERI It’s the name of a drink. My mother was an alcoholic. (Sheri drinks from the soda. She swishes the soda in her mouth to clear the toothpaste. Then gargles. She wonders where she should spit the soda/toothpaste mix, not wanting to do it in front of Musa. She spits it back into the soda can. Musa comes out of bathroom brushing his teeth.) SHERI All clean. MUSA Yes. SHERI You brush up and down, huh. I brush sideways. I think your way is the dentist recommended way. (He brushes, she watches. He catches the look in her eyes. They come together and kiss.) MUSA Wait. (wanting to spit toothpaste) SHERI I don’t mind. Tingly. MUSA Mess. SHERI (handing him soda) Spit in here. MUSA You don’t want soda? SHERI It’s not diet. (He spits in soda.) I love Colgate. It’s a good sign. That you love Colgate. 18.

(They kiss again.) Oh God. Here I go again. I never remember how something started. I waved you down. And then what? MUSA (perhaps starts kissing her neck) You have wonderful wave. SHERI I recognized you. I got in. You smiled. I smiled back. MUSA I’m very happy you’re here. Thank you for wanting to be with me. (He continues with the kissing. Then: Sheri suddenly seems disengaged. Musa notes the change.) What?...What is the matter? SHERI I can’t do this. Not like this. MUSA Why? SHERI It’s too ugly. This feels too ugly. You have to do something about the lighting. (moves away from him) MUSA I change it. (She grabs her handbag on her way to the front door.) What do you want me to change? SHERI I’m sorry. I just - (as she exits) - I can’t. (He follows her to the studio door.) MUSA Please don’t go. We not have to do anything. We can talk. Sheri. We talk some more. 19.

(After a beat, he goes to the window. Watches for her. When he speaks, it is in a loud whisper so as not to wake the neighbors.) Sheri - Come back. Please. Don’t be afraid. (He watches for another beat, before turning and just sitting on the window sill. He looks dazed; disappointed. He looks around his studio....He goes into the bathroom and turns off the tap that had been left running. He also turns off the bathroom light. He picks up the bottle of scotch and glass on his way to turn on the over head light bulb. He looks at the light. Then goes to sit at the table where he puts down the bottle. His face contorts for a moment: an undefined pain. Or a look of self- disgust perhaps. Followed by a sense of feeling hollowed out, lost.) (A loud bang is heard above him. Followed by the thud of heavy footsteps. Musa looks up for a beat. The voices heard from the apartment above are muted; the words barely audible. They will often overlap: WOMAN’S VOICE: You’re such - oh-my-god, you’re such a liar. MAN’S VOICE: You knew, don’t tell me you didn’t know. WOMAN’S VOICE: I can’t believe I fell for it again. How many times am I going to fall for this crap? MAN’S VOICE: Don’t start. Jesus. Like you don’t lie to me every second of your waking day. Don’t act all outraged with me. WOMAN’S VOICE: You’re a fucking pig. MAN’S VOICE: You don’t know how to open your mouth without lying. WOMAN’S VOICE: Guess what: I’m not joking this time. MAN’S VOICE: Yeah, yeah. WOMAN’s VOICE: Yeah yeah yourself. MAN’S VOICE: Yeah, yeah right back, bitch. WOMAN’S VOICE: Fuck you. A loud sound of something smashing on the floor. MAN’S VOICE: Put that down. Another crash is heard. MAN’S VOICE: Jesus - Christ. Put - . This is followed by loud footsteps. Then the banging of a door.) (As soon as they start speaking, Musa will turn on a small CD player on the 20.

table. An old time Arabic song, or instrumental is heard.) (Sheri appears at the open door. She carries a paper bag. She sees him in the chair looking distraught. She comes in closer. Musa turns and sees her. He stands. Slight beat.) SHERI (breathing heavily) Hi. (Musa turns off the music. The noises above have stopped by now.) MUSA I thought you not come back. SHERI (holding paper bag up) Candles. From the corner store. To change that: (points to overhead bulb) God, those stairs. MUSA I’m sorry this is ugly place. SHERI (will take candles out of the bag and put them on the table) It is. I don’t know why I always find guys with ugly places. Which means I - probably won’t come out of this in one piece, given my karma. I don’t with people who live in butt-ugly apartments. Do you have plates for the candles? (Musa turns off the CD player.) Why - why did you turn it off? MUSA You have long day. I take you home. We meet for coffee later. Tomorrow. SHERI I just went to get candles. I’m sorry I ran out but I’m back. MUSA Look: Sheri: I - I like you - SHERI Oh God, let’s both stop trying to dress this up. Look: nothing’s going to happen after this if that’s what you’re (MORE) 21. SHERI (cont'd) worried about. We’ll both get off. I leave. No strings. Happy happy. MUSA Sheri. SHERI Can we both stop being such pussies about this. (she goes to sit on bed) God, I almost prefer the guys who barely acknowledge you. A few pleasantries and off we go. At least they’re honest. Do you or do you not want me?...Going once. Twice. (Slight beat. Sheri gets up and heads for the door. Under her breath:) Christ. (She snatches her handbag along the way. Musa grabs her arm, stops her. Musa and Sheri look at each other.) That’s more like it. (Blackout.) (Scene 2: Lit candles illuminate the room. Abdallah stands in a spotlight. He is dressed in the white robes of a pilgrim on a Hajj.) ABDALLAH (accent) I do very well for myself here. Three years in this new country and I turn a poor boy from Khartoum, me, into a businessman with much cash, as thick as a deck of playing cards. With my English, a language I must say almost as beautiful as my own, and which I learn before coming here, with this language, I quickly learn to figure out things as soon as I come to this new country with all its strange customs. Its different ways of doing things and seeing the world. The different foods, the huge portions of food and amazing size of buildings. As well as of course, to be honest, the fantastic cleavage of women I see everywhere. My God. Let me speak of this for a moment. What is in the water that so many women here are so admirable to look at. It gives me such pleasure to compliment a woman in English who passes me by on the street. To say, “Good morning to you, beautiful” so she understands. The rest, I might say to myself in my own language. But to be able to compliment in the language of your hosts, it makes a difference. So, in general, I have no problem fitting in. And finding a job right away. Odd jobs: bus boy, dish washer, cleaning offices. I meet other people doing this, Sudanese, Koreans, Nigerians, and they recommend other jobs. Working at a grocery store, a laundromat. Meeting (MORE) 22. ABDALLAH other nationalities, Guatemalans, Polish, Puerto Ricans, Russians. I got to learn some Russian. I can say “piss off” in fluent Russian. (says it in Russian: “vati otsjuda”) And “kiss my ass” in Spanish (says it in Spanish: “besame el culo”) And “park that behind right here, baby”, in English. And in meeting all these people, I get to know them. And believe it or not, what they say about people is true, boring as it is: we are all basically, wonderfully the same. I think this is why there are so many quarrels. Because we see ourselves in the way other people act, and you know how hard we can be on ourselves. But that is not what I want to talk about, at least not in this way. I will talk of this by telling you how I got rich. Very rich. You see, in getting to know all these people, with the music of their different languages in my ear, I learnt all about the things they dream about and wanted. Services they need but don’t know how to get because their English is not so good. And in knowing so many people, I knew for instance that what Carlos was looking for, Dimitri had; or what Nadif dreamed about getting cheaply I could arrange a special discount from Amina. And so on. Connecting people. For business. Becoming a middleman. Knowing how to do simple things for people who just arrive. And soon businesses learn of my skills and pay me to help with the immigrants who work for them. I make more money in this big city than I ever could in my home town. Arriving in a land filled with so many strangers, and enough strangeness in it it could make you cry sometimes, in spite of all this, I do great. And so I say, Abdallah, you have to give thanks to God. It is time you make the Hajj. And so I went. Happily. Because my heart had also been made rich by this journey. It made me feel so good that I could make such a difference in people’s lives....Unfortunately...the boat I was on, that was carrying me across the Red Sea to Mecca, was too small for so many people....And it sank. (Spotlight fades out on Abdallah.) (Scene 3: Pre-dawn light. The candles are still present. Lighting from the bathroom. Sheri emerges from the bathroom, dressing. She goes to get her handbag ready to leave. She looks at Musa asleep in the bed. Beat. She makes a decision: she sits on the bed and wakes him up.) SHERI Musa....Musa, wake up. (shakes him) Musa. (MORE) 23. SHERI (cont'd) (he wakes) Sorry. It looked like a nice dream. MUSA (getting his bearings) Hello. SHERI I need to ask you something. MUSA Now it is nice dream. (He tries to pull her towards him.) SHERI (resists) I need to ask something. MUSA After you come back to bed. SHERI It’s important. MUSA More important than love? SHERI Well, that’s what I need to talk to you about. MUSA What? Something the matter with the way I - SHERI What? - No. MUSA (continuing) Make love? SHERI No no. MUSA I do something wrong? SHERI You were fine. MUSA Fine? 24.

SHERI You were great. MUSA You not just saying that? SHERI You were fantastic. MUSA I can change. SHERI Two thumbs up. MUSA Because you are....Never mind. SHERI What? MUSA You - ...never mind. SHERI What? MUSA You first American woman for me. SHERI Oh....Really? I thought maybe in your - job. MUSA You could not tell? SHERI No. You give off this - been-around-the-block vibe. MUSA Maybe because I drive a taxi? SHERI Not that kind of block. MUSA I think maybe you used to more - skills. Men with more... experience. I shut up now. SHERI Good idea. MUSA Let’s do it again. 25.

SHERI I need to ask this. I know what I said before: no strings, and - “let’s just do it” and calling you a pussy, etc. MUSA You say unkind things. Not nice to hear. SHERI (continuing) And I know I should just say, “I’ll see you later” and either we do or we don’t, but that’s not me. In spite of what I said. Yes, I understand the stupid saying about no guarantees; God, I hate that saying. But you know, I just think in your thirties you’ve earned the right to speak your mind, because the bounce you had in your twenties when you could just move on when something sucked, that’s gone. Now when something sucks it feels like a life choice. MUSA You look lovely like this. No need for candles. You are the light in the room now. (Sheri goes and turns on the overhead light. She will stand directly under the bare light bulb.) SHERI Okay. So this is me. Make-up gone. No nice lighting. I’m no model. Perhaps not even pretty. MUSA Very pretty. SHERI If you could hold off saying the right things before I ask my question. MUSA Ask, then come to bed. SHERI (takes a breath, then:) Can you see yourself in a long term relationship with me? (slight beat; not understanding the question, Musa is about to respond but is interrupted) Forget everything I said before. Though I’m certainly not suggesting marriage and kids so don’t freak out. I certainly can’t decide that after what’ll probably be a one-night stand. But could you - imagine that? - How can you answer that; of course you can’t. I’m like the girl you banged in (MORE) 26. SHERI (cont'd) less time than it takes to make popcorn. I couldn’t answer that, I mean who are you? I don’t know if I’d want your kid. MUSA You are asking what? SHERI (partly to herself) I’m doing it again. Unbelievable. (She starts to go.) MUSA Ask me again so I understand. SHERI I’m a nut case. I should be locked up. MUSA Sheri, stop. (Musa starts putting on his clothes. Sheri turns back from the door.) SHERI You know what it is: it’s my life. Not yours, mine. And at this point it’s still too early for anything to suck with you. And I want to leave before that happens. Because you will disappoint me and I want to end this while I still think there’s hope for us. MUSA Sheri, please, sit. I want to understand. SHERI How could you possibly understand when I don’t even know what I’m talking about half the time. MUSA (leading her to a chair) What are you asking? Speak slowly so I follow. (Slight beat. She hears the sincerity in his voice, sees the concentration in his look.) SHERI I - ...I saw something. When we were making love. I wasn’t expecting it. A look. Your whole face was - lit up by it. And it wasn’t a - it didn’t just come and go. It came on and - like - stayed on. And you were lovely to look at then. I’m not talking about the way you moved. Though that was nice too. It’s like I think I saw your...a little more of you than you might care to show normally. And you looked so - (MORE) 27. SHERI (cont'd) different then; and vulnerable. You can go through a whole relationship and not see that. MUSA (slight beat) You are a very strange woman. SHERI You know what the scary thing is? I try not to let it all hang out when I first meet someone. MUSA (trying to understand) You saw my...what? SHERI You could’ve just been hitting my G spot. I’ve seen stuff before. MUSA What is G spot? SHERI I just wasn’t expecting to like you this much. MUSA You want to have serious relationship? SHERI Am I asking that?...Yes. MUSA With me? SHERI You’re the only one in the room. MUSA I am nobody. SHERI What does that have to do with anything? MUSA I have no money. Sometimes none at all. SHERI I’m not looking for an ATM machine. I do have a job. MUSA Like boyfriend, girlfriend? Engagement? SHERI Oh God no. Engagement? No. - I don’t know; no. Maybe. 28.

MUSA Maybe? SHERI Probably not. MUSA But you think of future? SHERI I should tell you I’m a little older than you, I think, if you haven’t guessed already. MUSA You - like me? SHERI I’m implying that, yes. MUSA Because I think I like you too. SHERI Don’t sound so enthusiastic. MUSA I am. Enthusiastic. I like you very much. SHERI Not just for a one-night stand? MUSA For many night stand. Sheri - I like you a lot. (Slight beat.) SHERI We don’t have to rush things. We can just see where it goes. MUSA You and me. SHERI If it doesn’t work out it doesn’t. No pressures. MUSA I am glad you come to my place. SHERI I wish I could be casual about things. My mother was like that. Then again she married five times and died with her mouth around a bottle. 29.

(He starts to kiss her. Interrupts him:) Oh. Skeletons in the closet. We should get those out of the way. My family’s a disaster but you’ll never see them, I don’t. And I have a brother in prison but he’s never coming out. But he did get his GED recently, which I think proves that in my family it’s in our genes to try and do your best regardless. What about your skeletons? That I should know about. MUSA Now? Just you. You are my skeleton. (slight beat) I make joke about how thin you are. SHERI Musa? Small request. Don’t screw this up right away. Not for a long time. MUSA (serious) I will not. (He leans in to kiss her, but is again interrupted.) SHERI Your friend. That’s what I dreamt about. (she points to the calendar picture of the Ka’bah) Your friend. Dressed in white. I don’t know what he looks like but in this dream he was like - definitely your roommate, and he was in - a boat. That sank. (From another side of the stage, TAYIBB enters. He carries two suitcases, with another couple of smaller ones under his arms. He deposits them and exits. Sheri continues talking over this.) There was a boat with all these pilgrims. On its way to that place. But there were like too many people on it and it - it sank. And instead of bodies floating there were - suitcases. Everywhere. Hundreds of suitcases, floating. All the belongings of these pilgrims. (Tayyib comes in with more suitcases. He deposits them and exits.) But it wasn’t a sad dream. Because your friend was like, talking, and he was kind of funny. Made me laugh in the dream. 30.

MUSA You see my friend dead? SHERI No. He was talking, so. He seemed fine. I’m sure he’s okay. MUSA He take plane to Mecca. Not boat. SHERI Then I’m sure he’s okay. MUSA He call me from airport yesterday. SHERI Then it was just a funny ol’ dream. No accounting for them. (perhaps puts arms around his neck, or comes close to him) Must mean I’m already getting comfortable in your world - if I’m dreaming about stuff like that. (Tayyib enters with more suitcases.) MUSA So...I was good in bed, huh? SHERI Don’t get a big head about it. There’s always room for improvement. TAYYIB Musa! MUSA We start my improving lessons now. (He leans in to kiss her as lights dim on the apartment.) (Scene 4: Outside Tayyib’s apartment.) TAYYIB (slight accent) Musa! My store opens in an hour. You’ve not earned the right to piss after being this late. You can go in my store. (to himself) Where’s the brown bag? (to Musa) And bring the brown bag. And the backpack beside it. 31.

(Musa enters carrying suitcases, including the brown bag and the back- pack.) Did you lock the door behind you? MUSA And said a prayer that you should find all your possessions when you get back. TAYYIB You joke. The thieves here have MBA’s in being crooks. If you don’t lock it up they think you’re giving it away. Please: do I have to see that this early? Your fly, man. It’s been open since you come. (Perhaps Tayyib and Musa will mime opening the trunk of the taxi to put the suitcases in. Regardless of whether they mime opening car doors and trunk, the placing of the suitcases is also the building of the taxi. For this purpose, perhaps a couple of the suitcases dragged on by Tayyib can be two old fashioned trunks that will substitute for the front and back seats of the taxi. They both put away the suitcases/ “build the taxi”. [Alternatively, actual car seats can be brought out. Or can already be there at the start of the play. The suitcases would then be placed on and around them.]) MUSA (laughs) Oh.

TAYYIB Is this why you late picking me up? Your lady friend don’t want you to zip it up? Love me some more, Musa? MUSA Don’t be angry just because you don’t have a woman. TAYYIB Me? My friend. I have more women than suitcases. I just don’t go smiling like a fool about it. MUSA What women? Those who stand by the corners? 32.

TAYYIB The difference between you and me? When I go with women, I know what I’m doing. I’m having a nice time. And so are they. I am not falling in love. MUSA Did I speak of love? When did I speak of this? TAYYIB Your face. It has the look of someone who has eaten too much sugar. And just before they crash. MUSA It is true, she is sugar. “Sucar”, my Somali friend. TAYYIB Listen, my Egyptian friend. Have you not come to me for advice before? Have I not guided you a little as you try and settle down in this country? MUSA (having fun) You are wise beyond your years, it is true. TAYYIB Have you ever come back to me and said, Tayyib, that was some stupid shit you said to me? MUSA If I did, I would keep it to myself. TAYYIB Well then, my first advice to you this morning is to please wipe that stupid smile off your face; because if you don’t I will delay opening my store to slap it off. It should be a law that people in love should not be seen by other people until the silliness of love wears off and they settle down into a normal relationship. MUSA I am not in love. Stop saying this. TAYYIB You are, and you know how I know? All lovers have this brain- dead look in their eyes. Scientists report on this. When you fall in love, your intelligence drops. There are studies. You smile for no reason, you hug and laugh at nothing. And you think the whole world has been built just to be a stage for you and your lover. What has not been studied is how annoying this is to the people watching. MUSA How long since you been with a woman? 33.

TAYYIB I tell you my friend, I make love like a bunny. MUSA I mean not with yourself, with real person. TAYYIB All I am saying is take it easy, okay? Slow down. Before you make a mistake you regret. MUSA Okay, okay. Do not be this serious. TAYYIB (continuing) A big mistake. I’ve seen it before and it is difficult to watch. MUSA Nothing happen. I am in a good mood. This is not a crime. TAYYIB I think to Gamila it might be. Have you thought of this? (slight beat; Musa doesn’t respond) Do you even think of this? MUSA She does not need to be mentioned in this. TAYYIB Really? I think this is more of this dead-brain quality they talk of. The arrow of love strikes and kills the brain first. MUSA My friend, you give whiskey for payment. Who are you to talk of good behavior? TAYYIB You are right, neither of us are good Muslims. I with my whiskey, and you having no problem screwing someone when you are engaged. Gamila, this beautiful woman will come back and you will stop seeing this Sheri and you will get married? Is this the plan? MUSA This is not your business. TAYYIB Is she not coming back soon? MUSA You go to strips clubs! 34.

TAYYIB I’m not judging you! MUSA You are! I see it! TAYYIB If it’s a fling, I understand. You are not the first to think screwing behind your fiance is not a crime. I’m not sure in which book this is okay but it happens. Men have penises they have to exercise. MUSA It is because you have lost yours in one of your suitcases that you lecture me. TAYYIB (continuing) Two weeks ago you were like a school boy bragging. Now, you come with stories about the way she does things. How she wakes up in the morning and makes you breakfast. The way she laughs. This is a man with growing feelings for someone. Am I wrong? MUSA I’m sorry I told you anything. TAYYIB Musa: Your Gamila is a jewel. And wants you for a husband. Why I don’t know, but she does. She is beautiful. Comes from a good family, and is respectable, and religious. She wants to finish school and become a nurse. And she’s a citizen. You don’t need an American to get you a green card. MUSA Alright, you’ve spoken; now we leave it alone. TAYYIB Get in the taxi, I want to tell you something. MUSA Is there more hot air? Save it for your customers, please. TAYYIB Just get in the taxi. I am your elder by a few years. That counts for something. (Musa rolls his eyes, or lets out a semi-dismissive snort. Tayyib sits in the taxi.) MUSA (half to himself) An elder in the amount you drink. (MORE) 35. MUSA (cont'd) (gets in the taxi) What? TAYYIB Listen to me. How long have I been in this country? MUSA After this morning with you, it will be too long. TAYYIB Long enough to know a few things you don’t. I know how it is. To come from a country where everything feels like it’s one color, and then suddenly you are in this big candy store of a country where everything seems to be there for you. Stuff you didn’t dream you could have. Women you didn’t think you could meet. You can’t believe it. MUSA Your store will open in less than an hour. TAYYIB Shut up and listen. I will tell you something, I found a woman early on. This American woman. Beautiful, sexy. In your fantasies you dream of a woman like this. MUSA She ran screaming from you, yes? This is the story. TAYYIB (continuing) And we were in love. We could not have been more so. We looked into each other’s eyes and all the pieces of the world fit together. I believe in love. I do. But any love, it must - any love must have some common sense behind it. A solid ground for real feelings to take root. And not end after the first quarrels. But we, stupid in love, thought nothing could touch us. Because like all lovers we thought we were different. But by the end, everything was kicking our behinds. Everything. Small things, and very quickly. My speaking two languages for instance, and how she felt shut out when I invited my friends over and spoke in my own tongue. Or the smells from the kitchen when I cooked my food and how that made my sweat taste funny and could we eat “normal” food for once. And even that I went to the mosque, or rolled out my mat to pray at home. And all of these were charming to her in the beginning. Don’t think they weren’t. It was like a little spice for her, and for me, the different ways she did things. I loved it. But eventually, and simply, she began to miss home. Her idea of what home-life should be. And so did I. Musa: - You can not be a foreigner twice in this country. When you are out here, you are a foreigner, but when you go home, you must be allowed to hang up your foreigner hat and be yourself. Do not mistake the woman who gives you pleasure with the woman who will surround you with (MORE) 36. TAYYIB (cont'd) things that feed you, in here. Gamila is a beautiful woman. She will make you feel at home. And without this home, a place you can feel comfortable, this country will eat you up. Little by little. (Slight beat.) MUSA What happened to this woman? - That you were with. TAYYIB What happens to most lovers. One day you wake up and don’t say good morning to the person you once adored. The only difference with us is the reasons that led to this. And the taste it left in my mouth. That I let someone make me feel more of a foreigner than I already was. Where I actually felt embarrassed to be who I was. MUSA (slight beat) That’s your story. It’s not mine. TAYYIB When is Gamila coming back? (Musa doesn’t answer and instead retrieves the backpack, and any remaining suitcases.) Have you thought ahead at all? Even a little? MUSA I will tell you something I said before: it is none of your business. TAYYIB The final thing I will say is I went to this diner where your Sheri works. Perhaps our friendship will end after I say this but I am obliged to tell you that the way she carries on with other men in the diner would make me very nervous. Yes, the women here are whatever, but even American men would have problems seeing their girl sitting on the laps of her customers. And joking and laughing and God knows what else. We all love the free spirit here, that is why we came, but there’s free and then there’s no morals or anything. (Musa stops, stares at Tayyib. Slight beat.) MUSA How dare you. - You know nothing. TAYYIB I know nothing; very well. 37.

MUSA Nothing. About her, or anything. TAYYIB I spoke as a friend but never mind. MUSA Not one thing! TAYYIB Very well, I’ll shut my mouth. MUSA We agree on something, finally! TAYYIB And you tell me this is not love. MUSA You have the mind of an idiot! You know that? You are like a car that drives on flat tires and gets nowhere, every time. And still you have the nerve to turn on the engine of this big mouth and speak! TAYYIB I will forgive you for that. Because you are upset, and the future will prove me right. This conversation never happened but you will see.

(Musa angrily starts the engine. The faint sound of music from the car radio is heard. Perhaps the faint sound of another Arabic song) MUSA How dare you? - How dare you?! (He changes gears, grips the steering wheel. A long beat.) (Then, Musa turns the engine off. Beat.) I’m... (slight beat) I am not sure what I’m doing....She’s....This woman, Sheri, she’s... (slight beat) She’s in my life now. (slight beat) She’s in my life now. 38.

(Slight beat.) TAYYIB We’ll talk on the way....Start the car. (he pats Musa’s hand) Don’t worry. Falling in love is not the end of the world. All you have to figure out is what is important to you. That is all. What is most important in here. (taps his heart) Drive. We’ll talk. We’ll talk some more. (Slight beat. Lights down. Sound of an airplane is heard) (Scene 5: Lights up on GAMILA in Musa’s apartment. She wears a hijab, and is somewhat conservatively dressed. There are a couple of suitcases beside her. If there’s time, the apartment has been moderately spruced up. The bare bulb now has a lamp shade. Perhaps there’s also a vase with flowers. Whatever the touches, the scene transition shouldn’t take too long.) (Sheri lies sprawled on the bed, under the covers. She snores quietly. Gamila looks at her.) (Then Gamila notices something on the floor and picks it up. It is Sheri’s lace underwear.) (A movement of Gamila’s awakens Sheri. Sheri somewhat indecorously wakes up, stretching, scratching. She turns and sees Gamila. She lets out a cry.) SHERI Shit! (she wraps the sheet around herself. Slight beat as she gets her bearings) Who - ? Who the hell are you? GAMILA My name is Gamila. And who are you? SHERI How did you get in? GAMILA I have a key. 39.

SHERI A key? Why do you have a key? (seeing the suitcase) Wait. Okay. Wait. Wait wait wait. I have to wake up. Let me just - (drinks from a glass of water beside her as she glances at the alarm clock) I’ve been having the weirdest dreams. Where I think I’ve woken up and someone’s in the room. So I just want to make sure.... (Sheri gets her bearings, looks at Gamila) You’re definitely in the room. Okay. Who are you again? GAMILA Gamila. SHERI And who did you say you were? GAMILA I didn’t get your name. SHERI Sheri. GAMILA Hello Sheri. Are you Abdallah’s friend? SHERI No. I’m Musa’s friend. Do you know Abdallah? We’re worried about him. Musa’s having a hard time getting hold of him. GAMILA He went to Mecca. SHERI Nobody knows where he is. Wait. Are you - Musa’s sister? He said you might be coming to visit soon. GAMILA (slight beat) Yes...I’m his sister. SHERI Does he know you’re here? He didn’t mention you were coming today. Well of course this would have to be our introduction. The least attractive way to meet a relative, naturally. I’m - (a laugh) feeling just a little bit naked in front of you. GAMILA That’s because you are. 40.

SHERI Yeah. Okay. Perhaps I’d, er...better get dressed (Gamila holds out Sheri’s underwear.) Thanks. (from Gamila’s look) They were on sale. GAMILA I imagine they’d have to be. There’s not much there to sell. (Sheri will start getting dressed under the bed covers.) SHERI Your brother really should have told me you were coming. He doesn’t say much but this you mention. GAMILA I’m a few days early. SHERI I would’ve prepared something. GAMILA You live here? SHERI No. But I could have got something ready. Will you be staying with Musa? GAMILA No. With - someone else. You’re his friend? SHERI I do usually make friends with the people I....Look: I’m really sorry. This is pretty bad meeting you like this. Even for me and I’m no prude; still, you know. First impressions really matter. GAMILA Yes, they do. SHERI I’m going to kick his tush for not saying anything. (she removes the sheet, fully dressed now) Okay. Now we can start over. This is how I normally am when I first meet someone: dressed. It’s a custom in my country to say hi fully clothed believe it or not. (goes over and hugs Gamila) I’m so happy to meet you. Now I can get all the family dirt on Musa. All the dirt. Don’t hold anything back. I want ammo (MORE) 41. SHERI (cont'd) for when we have our first fight. Which is way overdue. Because if nothing else is certain apart from death is that life will find the shit, and the fan that goes with it, and will assemble them both together for you. (a laugh; noting her lack of response) The expression? “When the...hits the fan”? Can I get you something to drink? I’ve taken charge of the kitchen so now it has actual food stuffs. GAMILA You do live here. SHERI I hang out a lot. So I’m contributing. GAMILA How long have you known Musa? SHERI About a month. GAMILA A month? SHERI I’m guessing he didn’t mention me. GAMILA No. SHERI Your brother is definitely a work-in-progress. Has lots of good points. But, needs to open up a wee bit more. I could sum the actual facts I know about him in a few lines. GAMILA Tell me. We know so little about his life here. SHERI This must look pretty bad to you. My only defence is that we’re really happy. Know that your brother is really happy. Like happy for the first time in a long time, he told me. And whatever the religion, I think happiness and love have got to be way up there in God’s book, right? You look like you’re going to keel over, do you want to sit down? GAMILA When did you meet exactly? SHERI What? Like - what day? 42.

GAMILA Yes. SHERI Um. I don’t - . I think it was the first...Friday of this month. Because the next day we spent most of the day in. Yeah. I think it was about then. (Gamila picks up her suitcases and heads for the door.) Where’re you going? GAMILA I’m tired. I’ll call Musa later. It was nice meeting you. SHERI Well don’t go. Rest here. I’ll call him up now. GAMILA No, I’d rather call him myself. SHERI We can go to the diner later. I’m supposed to meet him where I work this afternoon. He’d be upset if I didn’t try and make you feel at home. GAMILA I don’t think you’ll be able to do that. SHERI (digests what she said) What...what does that mean? GAMILA It’s not your fault. It was nice meeting you. SHERI Because I’m not - what? (Gamila starts exiting) Wait, please. GAMILA There’s really nothing more to say. SHERI Please don’t judge me like this. I don’t deserve it. If you’re as religious as you seem to be then I think you could at least give me a chance. GAMILA For your information, what I’m wearing doesn’t mean I’m a nun. Or a saint. Or even that I have spontaneous warm feelings for everyone I meet. It just means I believe in (MORE) 43. GAMILA (cont'd) being modest. Not loud. Not showy. And not - easily available. SHERI (again, digests what was said) You mean - like me? (Gamila starts to exit again but Sheri blocks her) I’m sorry if I’ve offended you but you can’t just come in and judge me like this. GAMILA It’s not your fault. SHERI Then why are you biting my head off? GAMILA I’m not, I’d just like to go. SHERI Your brother and I have something wonderful here, please don’t just fly in and ruin that. GAMILA Can you get out of my way, please? SHERI What, you’re shocked your brother is having sex? Out of marriage? With a - an American? A non-Muslim? Is that it? GAMILA I don’t care. I just want to go home. SHERI (overlapping last couple of words) It’s not fair if you’ve made up your mind and you clearly have. If you love your brother then you need to hear me out because I’m not going anywhere. GAMILA Just get out of my way! SHERI No I won’t! (Then: Gamila, surprising even herself, momentarily breaks down and starts crying. Though she quickly recovers and clamps down on her emotions. Gamila tries to go around Sheri. Sheri again 44.

blocks her, but this time with concern. ) SHERI (as she blocks her) Shit. Now you have to stay. You can’t go like this. I’d feel horrible. Your Musa’s sister, for God’s sake. I can’t have a fight with you. Not after three minutes of meeting you. And then be the cause of you crying? GAMILA Don’t take satisfaction from this. I’m exhausted, that’s all. SHERI Satisfaction? - When was war declared? We’ve just met. - Just come and sit with me will you? I’ll make tea. You drink tea, don’t you? I’ve switched from coffee to sweet tea the way your brother likes. “Shay”. I’m even learning some Arabic words. - Just for a few minutes? I have so much I want to tell you. Please. - I’ll go heat the water. (Sheri exits into the kitchen. Gamila stands where she is for a few seconds looking dazed. Sheri pops her head out.) Still here. Good. Won’t you sit? We actually have a seating area now where we can have a proper meal. (Gamila doesn’t sit down. Sheri exits back into the kitchen. She reenters with a plate of cookies.) Musa tells me these date cookies aren’t as good as the ones back home. They taste yummy to me. “Kahk” they call it, right? (she holds out the plate to Gamila. Gamila takes a cookie but doesn’t eat it. Sheri moves to the small table and puts the plate down) It’s not right that Musa didn’t tell you about me. Especially if he knew you were coming. And it doesn’t make me feel great to know I was being kept a secret. Is the shock discovering he’s going out with an American? Or that he’s having sex already? I can’t imagine the latter, whatever your beliefs are. I mean he’s a guy, right? Guys are the same everywhere. GAMILA Yes. So it seems. 45.

SHERI Did he paint a different picture of his life here? Virtuous? Studying a lot? He said this would be your first visit. But I’m hearing an American accent. GAMILA I...went to an American school back home. Tell me about - Musa then. (she puts down the ka’hk) It would seem he does have - things he keeps to himself. SHERI You want the inside scoop? How your brother is away from you guys? GAMILA Yes. SHERI Well - it’s nothing sinister. It’s what you walked into, basically. He’s dating me. Drives a taxi. You do know he drives a taxi? GAMILA Yes. SHERI He talks of going back to school but says the money he makes, most of it, goes back to his family, and that’s hard to give up. GAMILA He needs to go back to college. SHERI That’s what I say. He can always fall back on driving later. GAMILA What else? I’m sorry if I was unfriendly. I’m upset with Musa, not you. I thought he was more - straight forward. Honest; and would tell us. SHERI He may’ve wanted to see if we were serious before sharing the news with his family. GAMILA And are you? SHERI I think so. No alarm bells have gone off for me which is a good sign. Everything’s felt so normal, and calm. Which is like really rare for me. 46.

(Slight beat.) GAMILA Huh. And living with him has been - ? SHERI Wonderful. And I know this is the honeymoon phase. And the all-out fights haven’t begun. I haven’t yet called him an asshole and he has yet to call me a bitch, but. Even the hints of that haven’t appeared and I usually pick up on them early on. GAMILA What else? SHERI (perhaps reaches out to touch/squeeze Gamila’s hand) You and your family did a great job. The streets are crawling with creeps that are like total tools with no inner anything you can connect with. But your brother - even though he doesn’t share much about his past he’s all about wanting to - I don’t know...it’s probably just those moments at the start of a relationship, where you’re discovering little things, but it’s like: sometimes I watch him and see this beautiful wrestling inside of him. I so admire people who go for something. I mean I just crossed state lines to start a new life and I give myself credit for that. I can’t imagine what’s it’s like to travel as far as he has. And I feel like I’m now a part of that journey. Like I’m a part of his struggle to make a new world for himself. In this country. Like I’m helping him give birth to this new world of his. And that just makes it all the more... (the sound of the kettle boiling is heard. Sheri gets up) important, and exciting. Let me get the tea. The other thing - . Well let me get the tea first. GAMILA What other thing? SHERI Let me get the tea. (Sheri exits into the kitchen. Gamila is left alone for a few seconds. Perhaps she gets up. Or remains seated, emotions gathering.) SHERI (off-stage) The other thing is - selfishly - what it’s doing for me. (MORE) 47. SHERI (cont'd) (reappears with two glasses of tea and a small bowl of sugar cubes on a tray) How it opens up your world; if you let it. I put mint leaves in the tea. Do you mind? GAMILA No. SHERI Did I put too much? GAMILA No. SHERI Like mint leaves in tea, for instance. How cool is that. And just - finding out there are other ways to look at things. I’m so fed up of the way I look at stuff, you know. The same old world every day. It’s so refreshing. And the Qur’an. It’s really quite a read. (either points to where it is or gets it) I’ve been reading passages and finding out the Prophet was like an immigrant too, right? The migration he had to make, to escape persecution. Which makes him like an unofficial - American. But you know I... (then:) I’m sorry, I’m yammering away. GAMILA No. Continue. I’d like to know more about the woman my brother has got to know. SHERI No, just that, your brother reminds - . He does remind me of the sheer - chutzpah that must have carried my great grand parents to come here. And then I start thinking that - when I’m watching Musa, that none of us really stop being the - none of us stop being like the immigrants our distant relatives were. Generations later even. I think it’s like built into the genes for the kids that follow, you know. We always seem to be leaving home in this country, it feels like. Part of us always packing up, wondering if there’s something better further on. Being with your brother reminds me of that; that I can go for something, be something different if I choose, you know. I see so many of my customers pissed off and grumbling all the time. It’s like they’ve forgotten that dream. The sheer wonder that drove their distant relatives to take the risks they did. And at the end of the day, it’s all about that, right? Going for something. Daring yourself. 48.

GAMILA Sheri. SHERI (continuing) And love of course. The biggest dare of all. Which I’d become such a coward about. GAMILA Sheri. I need to tell you something. (A thud above them is heard. Heavy footfalls, then a door slamming. WOMAN’S VOICE: Kiss my ass! You can kiss my ass, you piece of shit.) SHERI Get a divorce already! You’re beyond counseling! Jesus Christ. You know about them? Did Musa tell you? GAMILA Yes. Sheri. - SHERI They need to divorce or find somewhere else to sort their crap out. GAMILA I have to tell you something. I haven’t been completely frank with you. (The bedside alarm goes off.) SHERI Hold that thought. (Sheri gets up to turn it off) I have the night shift. Just so you don’t think I’m lazy or anything. GAMILA Sheri. Please listen. Musa isn’t - he isn’t my...he isn’t my brother. I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you. But finding you here was a - shock to me, to say the least. I needed to find out what was going on. I like to be straight forward myself so I apologize for that. Musa is my - well, he’s my fiance. We’ve been engaged for the past 10 months. I’ve just returned from visiting his family in Cairo. I was raised in this country, not too far from here. Went to the local high school. Musa omitted more than just a few important...facts. (Slight beat.) 49.

SHERI You know...I know I may be like the bull in the China shop here. Not the most graceful thing to walk into your family’s life. Clearly religion is a big deal, I’m getting the impression, but I really - GAMILA No. - SHERI - respect it. GAMILA I’m his fiance, for real. SHERI If you’re trying to push me away. GAMILA This is not about that. (Gamila goes to get something from her bag.) SHERI And I’m not that much older than him if that’s the issue. And shouldn’t I meet the rest of the family before getting dismissed? And by the way, wasn’t the Prophet’s wife like fifteen years older than him? GAMILA (searching in her bag) I’m his fiance. I’m not making this up. SHERI I don’t come across well in first impressions, I know that. But I know your brother. He wants this to work, long term. I brought up marriage the other day and he smiled. GAMILA He smiled because he’s gaming you. Here. (she hands Sheri one of the photographs retrieved from the bag) I don’t think that’s the shared look of a brother and sister. (hands Sheri the second photograph) Nor that one. The Arabic in the back says “Thank you for coming into my life. With you, I have a future now.” That’s his signature. (Slight beat. The alarm goes off again. Sheri stares at the photograph. Gamila 50.

goes over and turns the alarm bell off.) GAMILA I’m sorry I led you on like that. I’m sorry Musa led us both on. It’s why I wanted to know when you two first got together. He brought you back here two days after dropping me off at the airport. So much for fidelity. I don’t blame you, you didn’t know. And I’m not sure I...I even blame Musa. I guess he was....Knowing how he talked of America. No offense to you but I think he was just...wanting to dip his toe in. So to speak. (Sheri tosses the photographs and exits into the kitchen. Gamila picks up the photographs.) GAMILA Again. I’m sorry you had to find out like this. SHERI (off-stage) Yah... (reenters with a beer. She opens it.) You know...I only once ever experienced anal sex. And I can’t say I took to it. So it’s kinda strange to me I’m having flashbacks to that particular moment right now. Maybe because I don’t know who I feel more reamed by. Did you enjoy that? Was that fun playing me like that? GAMILA None of this is fun. SHERI Really. GAMILA And I’m not sure I have to be that sorry. SHERI You don’t? GAMILA As I said, while I’m not blaming you - SHERI (interrupting) How very big of you. GAMILA (continuing) I did still find you here. 51.

SHERI I think we should return to the part where he dropped you off at the airport. Because that’s where he left you and started off with me. GAMILA You still like him after this? SHERI That’s my business. If I dump him, it will be me who dumps him and not because of you springing this crap on me. GAMILA Nonetheless, these are the facts. SHERI No, really, how fun was that? Getting all that information out of me. GAMILA I needed to know how serious this was. SHERI I don’t even remember what I said. Let’s see, you handed me my underwear. And then I spent the rest of the time trying to be sweet and welcoming. GAMILA I’m sorry. SHERI No you’re not. GAMILA He is my fiance. I’ve just returned from talking about wedding arrangements with his family. He’s not some boyfriend like he is for you. SHERI Listen, bitch. And I think we’ve broken enough ice to be on a first name basis. Why don’t you get your bags and fly out to talk some more with his family. GAMILA Sheri, instead of drawing this out and making this more painful for yourself, - SHERI Get out! GAMILA He’s not going to stay with you. He was just using you. He was getting off. 52.

(Sheri picks up the suitcases, opens the front door and throws them out.) SHERI You want me to throw you out as well? (Slight beat.) GAMILA I used to always wonder about girls like you in high school. - When I first came. - I couldn’t understand how some girls could just throw themselves at boys. Be that easy. With no respect for themselves. People look at me and think I’m the weak one for wearing this. When I used to look at girls like you and think what a waste. How weak; and pathetic. To get used like that. Do you think Musa thinks of you as anything else? - I felt threatened by you for a second, but - you’re just the woman he went to bed with. Whether I can forgive him for that, I don’t know. I do know, to save you time and before you really get hurt, that knowing Musa he’s not going to go any further with you, whatever he said. You were just keeping him company while I was away. (Slight beat. Sheri looks like she might reply. Instead, she puts down the beer, grabs her handbag, and exits. Beat. Above her, Gamila hears several thuds and a door slamming. If there is to be an intermission, it would come here. Or: With the door slam, lights up on:) (Scene 6: Diner. Musa enters holding a paperback and goes to sit at a table. He will take off his jacket or coat.) MUSA Hello Mr. Andreus. Very good evening to you. ANDREUS (off-stage) Where is your girlfriend? Her shift started half an hour ago. MUSA She not here? ANDREUS (off-stage) She won’t answer her phone. Give her a call; tell her I’m going to fry her ass on this grill if she doesn’t show up. (Gamila has gone to the window. There is a light change outside to indicate the time has shifted to early evening.) 53.

MUSA I don’t think you need to do that. ANDREUS (off-stage) No, I do think I need to do that. Tell her her job is on the line if she doesn’t show up half an hour ago and tell me why she’s late. Call her. Maybe she’ll pick up with you. MUSA (to himself) Yes, yes. Keep your pants on. (Gamila has taken out her cell-phone.) ANDREUS (off-stage) I don’t need this on a Saturday. MUSA (taking out his cell- phone) I call her now. (Musa’s cell-phone rings; to Andreus) She’s calling. She must be held up in - (then he sees who’s calling. Slight beat. He answers) Hamd’illah asalam. When you come back? GAMILA This morning. MUSA Welcome - welcome home. You’re early. Where are you? GAMILA I’m in your apartment....I’ve been here since this morning....Why don’t you come home. (A woman enters in full niqab, or perhaps even a burqa. She stops by Musa’s table and stares at him for a second. Then she exits into the off- stage diner kitchen) Musa? MUSA I’ll finish my shift early. Then I come right away. GAMILA I missed you. 54.

MUSA Yes. I miss you too. I see you very soon. (He hangs up. Lights out on Musa’s apartment. Gamila will exit into the kitchen.) ANDREUS (off-stage) Who the fuck are you? SHERI (off-stage) It’s me, Andy. What are the goddamn specials? ANDREUS (off-stage) Sheri? What the hell are you wearing? You can’t wear that? SHERI (off-stage) I’m wearing it. ANDREUS (off-stage) That ain’t a proper waitress outfit. It ain’t even Halloween. Jesus Christ, what did that boy do to you? (Sheri enters with a coffee mug and a pot of coffee. She stops by Musa’s table and pours him a cup of coffee.) MUSA Sheri? SHERI Hello. I’m your server for the evening. Let me tell you about our specials. Today we have fried asshole, over-easy, on an English muffin with a side of regurgitated bullshit. Or, if you’re trying to lose weight, a reamed bitch on a bed of spinach with glass bits mixed in. Named after me, “the Sheri”, since I’m about to dump a whole lot of weight. Or we can just take you into the kitchen where I can cut your dick off and serve it up fried with toast. ANDREUS (off-stage) Hey! SHERI (to Andreus) Mind your own business! I have a situation here! 55.

ANDREUS (off-stage) You’re scaring the customers. SHERI (to the unseen customers) Anyone scared? Look anywhere but here, okay! (to Andreus) I’ve got this, back off! MUSA Sheri, what is going on? SHERI (imitating his accent) “What is going on?” MUSA Why you wear this? Where did you get it? SHERI Isn’t this the way you like your women? Hidden? Out of sight? Out of the country? MUSA I - I was going to tell you. SHERI Were you? MUSA The past few days. I wanted - I wanted to tell you and her. That I met you. She came earlier than she said. SHERI So: You prefer your women a little chaste, huh? Covered up? Crossed legs? Puckered-up twat? With absolutely no oral sex before breakfast? MUSA Sheri, please, I try to find way to tell you. SHERI Well you should have before you got me drunk and banged my ass for four straight weeks. MUSA I wanted to tell you. Please: I want to be with you. (Sheri removes the cloth that covers her face.) With you. 56.

SHERI If any more lies fly out of that mouth, I swear I’ll be going to jail for ramming this fork down your lying throat. MUSA I’m not lying. I love you. SHERI Oh, wow, goddamn it. MUSA I mean it. I screw up everything, I know it. I did not have the guts to tell you. SHERI It was the accent. What else. Suckered by the accent. If you had been lying in a regular American accent, I would’ve spotted your bullshit a mile away. MUSA (reaching out to her) Sheri. SHERI Don’t touch me. MUSA I must explain. Sit, please. SHERI You know - I try to better myself. I try to be smarter. Enlightened even, but it doesn’t happen, why? Because I keep hooking up with lying sacks like you that confirm the world is full of crap. How am I supposed to be a smarter, more enlightened individual when motherfuckers like you keep fucking with me! ANDREUS (off-stage) Watch your fucking language! SHERI Watch your fucking food before you poison everyone! MUSA Sheri. I make big mistake. I didn’t - . I - . I think things are clear and then you come. And now I don’t - . I do know what I want. You make me happy. My life is full of more - I have good feelings everyday with you. I have more fun with you. I laugh. We laugh and have fun, don’t we? Thinking of you in the taxi, I smile all day. I listen to music and dance while sitting. I have better conversation with passengers. My English improves. My tips improve. My tips improve because of you. 57.

SHERI I’m good for tips? That’s the basis for the relationship? MUSA No no no no. SHERI And why does that sound mildly insulting after having met your fiance: stable, marriage material, mother material. MUSA Gamila is a good woman, but she is not - she is not you. SHERI Wow. Poor Gamila. Now she gets tossed aside. MUSA No, that’s - this is not what I mean. SHERI You’ve lied to two women. MUSA Because I am - . I lie to myself. I am not honest with how I feel. SHERI Too late to get a clue, too late. MUSA It is never, no, not too late when you know there is right thing to do. We must stay together. Let me show you, please. SHERI Amazing the words that come out when a guy’s trying to dig himself out of a hole. MUSA Why would I say all this? I could go. I could say thank you for a good time and goodbye. I know guys like this. You know them. I’m not one of these. I don’t even mind that you are too friendly with some guy customers here. Because I know where your heart is. SHERI What? MUSA I don’t mind you sit on lap of guys here. My friend tell me. You flirt and be too friendly. That is not screwing around for me because I know you are a good person. (Sheri picks up the coffee and throws it on his chest) (MORE) 58. MUSA (cont'd) Yes. Yes. I deserve it. More. (he pours another cup into the mug) Throw it. Throw it in my face. I have not been honest and I deserve it. (she throws the second cup in his chest) SHERI You shit. MUSA I am. I am shit. SHERI You are. MUSA I really am. (pours a third cup) SHERI Don’t say it and pretend it doesn’t mean anything. MUSA I am really shit. Throw it; throw more. I pour it on my head. (he holds the coffee pot over his head) SHERI Not on your head, it’s too hot! (she reaches across the table to stop him) MUSA I don’t mind burning. SHERI Don’t be a nut case. MUSA I burn, I don’t mind. SHERI (scrambles onto the table) Give that to me! ANDREUS (off-stage) I’m calling the cops. 59.

SHERI (on the table, reaching for the pot) Give it to me! ANDREUS (off-stage) I’m calling the cops! SHERI (getting hold of the pot) I’ve got it under control, mind your own business! MUSA (grabbing her) I love you. Not just words. Not words. My crime is not telling you but I have thought about it and I know: us together, we make it work, we make it work. SHERI Not happening. MUSA Yes. A hundred coffee-cups-in-the-face yes. SHERI You lied. MUSA Not anymore. From now on. SHERI She’s more your speed, that’s so clear to me now, I’m not your type. MUSA You are my type for me. Look: (he gets on the table with her) I am tall with you. I stand on the table with you. I would never stand on the table with her. SHERI The table’s going to collapse. (He tries to kiss her, but she prevents it.) You crossed a line. You can’t come back from it. MUSA Please: Wait for me after work. Outside here. I will go and tell her now. I will tell her about us. That I want to be with you. And I then I will come back. 60.

SHERI You can’t come back. Don’t even bother. MUSA 2:00 AM. I will come round in my taxi as usual. Wait for me. Don’t leave until I come. (He kisses her. She doesn’t prevent it. He kisses her again. He breaks) Thank you for the coffee. I am...much more awake now. (he gets off the table, looks at her) I love you. (He exits. Sheri remains standing on the table. Slight beat.) ANDREUS (off-stage) Sheri! You’re fired! SHERI Eat me! (to the unseen customers, holding up the coffee pot) Anyone for a touch up? (Lights out on the the diner.) (Scene 7: Lights up on Musa’s studio. A contemporary Arabic pop song is playing. The space is empty when Musa enters. The jacket or coat covers his coffee stains. He seems slightly breathless, keyed-up, focused. He shuts the door. He sees a key on a key-chain on the table. Gamila enters from the kitchen. Slight beat.) GAMILA You’re early. MUSA I - go back to work later. (Slight beat.) GAMILA (goes to turn off music) Ahlan. 61.

MUSA Salaam ‘alaykum. GAMILA I was preparing something for you to eat. MUSA That’s Abdallah’s key. GAMILA Yes. He asked me to hold onto it just before he left, when he forgot to give it to you. I put it in my pocket and forgot about it myself....I hear Abdallah hasn’t been heard from. MUSA I can’t get through to his family. GAMILA You know there was a ferry accident about four weeks ago. MUSA He call me from the airport. - Unless the plane was cancelled. GAMILA Have you asked around at the masjid? MUSA Yes. GAMILA He’ll show up. He always does....I’m sorry I took advantage of the key. I wanted to drop off a bag for you. Your family of course wanted to send everything to you. Food, clothes. They would have packed themselves in if they could. (slight beat) I’ve made some “ummar adeen”. Should be cool enough in a few minutes. I was going to take out the “k’ahk” your family sent. Why wait for Ramadan to eat your favorite foods. Though it does feel like I’m breaking a fast here. Maybe because...the past ten months feels like it has been a kind of fast. Where we’ve been denying ourselves something. But tonight...tonight we get to break that fast. MUSA Gamila. GAMILA With the truth, maybe. Which can be really nourishing. MUSA I’m sorry you find out this way. 62.

GAMILA So am I. So I’ve been playing house. Wondering if I’d be missing something if I didn’t just leave. Trying to pretend I was married to you. And I’d just come home from my job and wanted to surprise you with some meal you liked. And what’s surprising is how I got into it. Really convinced myself. But then I’d remember. And would have to push that thought away. And recall instead the evenings we spent sitting on that bench with the city view, talking about Cairo and family. But then the anger would resurface and I’d push it away some more until I thought, you know, this is kind of like the psychotic breaks I have to study in nursing school. People who get separated from reality. But then I thought, wait: You don’t know exactly what that reality is yet. Just because I find a naked woman in my fiance’s bed doesn’t mean all the facts are in. Yes, it’s a pretty in-your-face fact. But maybe a naked woman isn’t as obvious as it looks. It could be a slip up; produced by some stupid sexual need. A kind of sexual flatulence you have to get out of your system. Another thing we have to study in nursing school, flatulence. MUSA What is flatulence? GAMILA A fart. MUSA A fart? GAMILA I think the Arabic word is “fasia”. MUSA What are you talking about? GAMILA Have you come to break up with me? (Musa doesn’t respond) You have that look of someone who is about to say something that divides the world into before the thing was said, and after the thing was said. That thing that you wish didn’t have to be mentioned. MUSA “Ana...” (not knowing how to start) “Ana asaf.” GAMILA Oh don’t. Don’t put me in this position and then apologize for putting me in it. God. Men can be such cowards. 63.

MUSA Gamila. (Gamila is perhaps shaking her head in disbelief.) Sit down, we talk. GAMILA This is so cheap. Feels so - MUSA (in Arabic) Please, let us talk. GAMILA (continuing) Really. I feel like one of those women in your kitschy novels. (picks up a book) This silly way you’ve chosen to learn, instead of the classes I suggested. Really the wrong influences. It’s why your family loves me. They think I’ll keep you on the right path. MUSA (in Arabic) Can we sit for a moment? GAMILA I can’t do Arabic when I’m upset. Except I’m not going to get upset. What? MUSA We sit. We talk. GAMILA Have you come to break off the engagement? MUSA I want to tell you what’s happened. GAMILA I don’t want to understand what’s happened. I don’t want your side of the story. I don’t want to sympathize with you and go “oh, poor boy, falling into bed with another woman, and feeling so guilty about it. Let me pat you on the back and tell you it’ll all be alright, I forgive you. It happens, betrayal.” Just tell me something, was this the first time you did this while we were engaged? or have you been with other women? MUSA No. You think I sleep around? 64.

GAMILA Don’t act so indignant that I asked. MUSA This is not something I think would happen. It was a mistake. GAMILA A mistake? You’re leaving her? MUSA (hesitates) No. (slight beat) A mistake in the beginning. But then - we... (Slight beat.) GAMILA Oh. - Well. - That’s an answer. - I won’t feel so bad for dumping you then....I wasn’t going to marry you after this anyway. MUSA It would not be right if you did. GAMILA Hard to make up with someone when there’s a knife sticking in your chest. Just the physical mechanics of getting close when there’s a metal object between you. MUSA I’m sorry....You find better man than me. A good man. A good Muslim. Someone you be proud of. Who live up to what you want. I fail in this. I know I do. I feel it now. With you. I am...I am always failing a little with you. GAMILA What do you mean? I make you feel this? MUSA No. You are too good a person too make me feel this. I - . You find someone better. You are too nice, and - I am not. GAMILA Musa: If this is the you’re-too-good-for-me excuse, skip it. Don’t back out of this by shoving me off with compliments. Did you ever, I mean ever really want me? (Musa looks at her, surprised by the question) Really. I’d like to know. Please don’t do the Middle-Eastern thing and pour sugar and compliments to make the crap stink less. Did you? Ever find me attractive? Or were you just fulfilling some family obligation? 65.

MUSA I walk in now and think you are more beautiful than before you left. GAMILA Musa. Please. MUSA This is what I think. GAMILA I’ve been traveling for fourteen hours. I’ve had two babies screaming on either side of me denying me even a little beauty sleep. Could you show me some respect by telling me how you really feel for once. MUSA I walk in and think you are more beautiful than before you leave. (She looks at him, noting his sincerity.) GAMILA Is all this because we haven’t had sex yet? (Musa reacts to the question) It’s a legitimate question. Maybe you’re a little giddy from going to bed with this woman. And aren’t thinking with the tool God gave you to think with. MUSA “Argukee”, Gamila, please don’t speak like this. GAMILA It happens. They say a chemical is released when a woman has sex that binds her with the person she just did it with. Maybe an equivalent happened with you. Especially if this was your first, or first since coming. I mean she’s very - fleshy. MUSA Gamila, I do not want to speak of this with you. GAMILA You can act like this but I can’t speak of it? Really, tell me. Did she do something special that you think I can’t do when we’re married? MUSA “Argukee”. 66.

GAMILA (continuing) You put me on a pedestal too much, you really do, I think that’s the problem. I do have a vagina underneath this, you know. MUSA Gamila! GAMILA Just so we’re clear. MUSA Stop this, please. GAMILA Among my many attributes, I possess one. And a pair of these. (refers to her breasts) You should know that up front. One thing I like about our religion is that it’s very frank about sex. Doesn’t pussyfoot around that subject. MUSA None of this has anything to do with sex. (Musa goes to a drawer, which might be one of those plastic file drawers, and takes out a shirt. Gamila continues speaking during this.) GAMILA I find that hard to believe. MUSA It does not. GAMILA I can see why you’d go to bed with her. If I was a guy, I might. She has a nice body. If you’re into that type. That not-short-of-food look. And sexy underwear. (Musa looks at her) Don’t look so shocked. It was there on the floor when I walked in. MUSA (exiting into the bathroom) I take you home after I dress. This is not - you do not need to speak like this. (He closes the bathroom door behind him.) 67.

GAMILA You’re the one who started it. (she opens the bathroom door) Too late to close the barn door on that pony. (he tries to close the door, she keeps the door open) So what if I see you bare-chested. There’s nothing like a break up to create an intimacy that was obviously lacking when we were engaged. MUSA (appears at door, his shirt off) Gamila: You are tired. I will drive you home, let me change. (He tries to close the door, but again she won’t let him. He retreats back into the bathroom a couple of lines into her next speech.) GAMILA What am I protecting? My reputation as a good Muslim girl? I already feel like I’ve been dragged into bed with the two of you; and I’ve never even kissed you before. It’s really unfair to pay the price of this humiliation without ever having experienced the pleasure. (He reenters buttoning up his shirt.) MUSA (irritated) You should not have come without calling. GAMILA You’re putting this on me now? MUSA You must call first, even Americans do this. GAMILA And you never even invited me up? I stick my head in once, but she gets to decorate? Her little touches, I’m not given the chance? Not even a photograph of me? Are these hers? These stupid flowers? (She picks up the flowers and throws them out the window.) MUSA Gamila! 68.

GAMILA And this can’t be your vase. It’s too crappy. (She picks up the vase ready to throw it out too. Musa stops her, grabbing back the vase.) MUSA “Inti magnoona?” GAMILA And this horrible looking bed-cover, that has to be her taste. (She goes to sweep off the bed-cover but Musa grabs that out of her hand as well.) MUSA Stop this, you are not a crazy girl! Stop it! GAMILA No. No, I’m not. And if I am, why would I be now? For what? You? I don’t even know know why we got engaged or what I saw in you in the fist place. MUSA I don’t know what you saw in me too! GAMILA Who are you that I should care about? MUSA Yes, you will find better, I was wrong to pick. GAMILA Don’t belittle my judgement in wanting to marry you! I wasn’t an idiot when I saw something in you. Now I see I was wrong but I wasn’t then! MUSA Now you see the light, Al Hamdulilah! GAMILA Oh shut it! Damn it! - Why - ? Why are you picking her? Of all people? I don’t get it? She’s an improvement? Because of what? the sex? Because she puts out? MUSA No! GAMILA What else could it be? It must be one helluva blow job she’s giving you. 69.

MUSA Stop it! GAMILA What else then? MUSA Because I can be what I want with her! For first time. I can’t live in this world you want me to. GAMILA What world? MUSA This world. The one you always - and my family as well, what they want. It’s like I’m in it always, up to my eye-balls, and I can’t see anything else. Why did I - why did I come to this country? So I can stay in this same world? I am like a fish in a bowl and what has changed? I look out on America in my taxi instead of Cairo but it is still the same fish bowl I am in, the same story. What is the point? GAMILA What are you talking about? MUSA What my family expects of me, what you - the way you look at me, I feel I am supposed to be someone I’m not! GAMILA What someone? MUSA What you expect of me! Like I am - ...Why you want to marry me? Because you think you keep in touch with back home? With our religion? I am a terrible Muslim. I go to the mosque to see friends, not God. Of course God. But God is not happy with me. I fail him too. GAMILA What are you saying, that you can’t - ? What? MUSA “Ana mishader atnafas!” - I can’t breathe in this - this life that I know we will have. How it will be, the routine, it is very clear. What we will have in this life together, the things that we will say is “muhim”, that we will repeat is important. You want to keep in touch with your roots? I don’t want roots! I want things I know nothing about. I want a life where I don’t know where it goes. With us, the story it would be - it would be very clear - and customs and tradition and family; and this is who we are and where we started and this is where we are going. All the way to when they bury me. I don’t want the rest of my life to be what I know. This story (MORE) 70. MUSA (cont'd) where I know beginning, middle and end. Yes, Sheri is not you. She is a very strange and perhaps wrong for me, but maybe that is what I need. The wrong woman. Maybe I need the wrong woman in my life. (From above, a thud, then:) MAN’S VOICE (off-stage) Hey! Wrap it up down there! Some people are trying to sleep! MUSA (looking up) I do not believe it. They are telling us to shut up? (to the man above) You shut up! MAN’S VOICE (offstage) You shut up! MUSA You shut up! The loudest people in the building telling us to keep quiet! That is too much! Go to hell! MAN’S VOICE (off-stage) You go to hell! GAMILA (slight beat) This is how you’ve felt?...Since I’ve known you? MUSA No. Only....No. GAMILA Why didn’t you say anything? MUSA Because I didn’t know how I felt. GAMILA (slight beat) Now you get in touch with how you feel?...Where were you these past ten months? MUSA Better now than many years into marriage with kids and too much to walk away. (Slight beat.) 71.

GAMILA (half to herself) This is how you’ve felt? MUSA I didn’t know. Until...recently. (Slight beat.) GAMILA If you’d gotten a clue just one month earlier. Before your mother and me sat down like two generals figuring out how to do this wedding. MUSA I will - I will talk with her. (a laugh from Gamila) What?...What is funny? GAMILA What you said....This is how I’ve sometimes felt with you. That you had these expectations of me. I felt I needed to behave a certain way around you. I...I thought you expected certain things of me. I felt trapped in that too. Worrying the American part of me would spring out and shock you. And that I’d better behave like the well-brought up Muslim girl that perhaps you were used to. (slight beat) I probably did want to marry you to keep some link with back home. What’s wrong with that? It can get pretty lonely and confusing living here. MUSA I want confusing. (Slight beat.) GAMILA You got it. (then:) And just to be clear...I also found you not bad looking. You had that going for you. It wasn’t just some desire to keep in touch with back home. I do like you. Just to be clear. MUSA And I you. (Beat.) GAMILA Well... (slight beat) I’d better... (MORE) 72. GAMILA (cont'd) (slight beat) I guess I’d better get back home. And crash. MUSA Have some “ummar adeen”. Since you make it. GAMILA No, I’d - I’d better go. MUSA Stay a few minutes. I drive you back. Please. GAMILA (considers, then:) Well...what I’d really like - if you’re inviting, is that k’ahk your mother sent you. That would be the perfect sugar rush to keep me going. MUSA Where is it, we eat it now. GAMILA In that bag. (They go to one of the bags.) Your mother wanted to make you cooked meals and put them in tupperware. I told her customs would sniff her food a mile away and arrest me. MUSA How is she? GAMILA Oh, you know. Her neck, her back, her shoulder. I think she looked forward to the idea of having a nurse in the family. If it’s alright, I’d like to speak to her myself. Tell her it’s off. I got to really like her, and your family. MUSA You do not have to be a stranger to them. Yes, call them. I will tell them it’s my fault. GAMILA No. We don’t have to get into all that, do we? I just want to - I’d like to keep in touch with them. MUSA Yes. Please. - I go get plates. GAMILA Oh don’t bother; we’ll be careful. 73.

(She has found the box of k’ahk - which are very similar to Russian tea cookies. They will sit at the table. Gamila takes off the veil that covers her hair.) I hope you don’t mind. It’s been a day and a half since leaving Cairo. A bath and a hair brush would feel so good right now. Even before collapsing into bed. (she runs her fingers through her hair for a moment. He looks at her) Well taste one. (He extends the box to her first, she takes a k’ahk. They both eat.) GAMILA Hafiz has to find a way of importing these or find someone to make them in his store. You can’t find these here. MUSA I have asked everywhere; but nothing is like this. GAMILA Nothing beats the foods from back home. (re: the discarded shirt) Did you spill coffee on yourself while driving? That’s quite a stain. MUSA (hesitates) Sheri. When I meet her earlier. She - threw coffee at me. (Gamila lets out an inadvertent laugh.) It was not funny at the time. GAMILA No; I imagine it wasn’t. Did you...? Are you both still...? MUSA I don’t know....I don’t know yet. GAMILA (slight beat) She seems nice. Genuinely. I’d find her fun if I’d just met her. And she’s very respectful of the religion, or seems so, and curious. And she really likes you. Said some nice things about you. And she certainly seems to have brought you to life. I have to give her that. It’s clear in your eyes. There’s this - excited...conversation going on inside you now. - I think I get it. - I really do. 74.

(Slight beat. He begins to extend his hand to wipe some powdered sugar from the side of her mouth, but stops. Instead just indicates.) Oh. (she wipes the side of her mouth) You’ve got some too. (he wipes) Other side. (She extends her hand to wipe the side of his mouth. After a couple of wipes, he takes her hand and places it against his mouth. She lets him. He leans across the table and kisses her. It’s a somewhat chaste kiss but it lingers. They break. Slight beat.) These are hands down the best tasting cookies. I wish I could find them here. (They kiss again. Lights fade out.) (Scene 8: Lights up on Sheri, standing outside the diner. She is looking at her watch. She is clearly agitated. After a couple of beats, she makes a decision, and hails a taxi.) SHERI Taxi! (slight beat. Sees another one) Hey! Paying customer here! What am I, graffiti? (Lights up on Musa sitting in his taxi - the same taxi that was put together with suitcases earlier. Sheri puts her hand up again, ready to call out but sees Musa in his taxi. He gets out and approaches her.) You came. (interprets the look on his face) You didn’t come. I knew it. I knew you couldn’t break it off. Whatever. Never mind. Why did you come? (he’s close to her now) What is it with this - needing to stick with one’s own? I don’t get it. Doesn’t that make the world an even smaller place? 75.

MUSA Hello. SHERI What’s that supposed to mean? MUSA “Hello”? SHERI Yeah. It could mean a bunch of things. “Hello and goodbye.” “Hello” in quotation marks; as in, I wish I wasn’t really here, but since I am let me run through the motions of having to greet you and then leave. MUSA Sheri. It’s two AM. Five minutes after. SHERI And I broke up with you four minutes after two. Actually I broke up with you this morning. And in the diner if you hadn’t noticed. Breaking up with someone three times in one day is usually the limit with me. MUSA (takes her hand to look at her watch) Your watch is fast. By one minute. SHERI (takes hand back) No. (slight beat) If we got back together again it would end just as badly. Worse: I’d be mad at myself for repeating the same mistake. MUSA You would not be repeating anything. SHERI With my history? yeah I would. MUSA We make new history. I bet you on this. SHERI Why are you smiling? I’m pissed off. MUSA Sheri. I said I would come. And here I am. (At another part of the stage, Gamila enters wheeling her suitcase behind her. Her hair is covered again.) 76.

Am I not allowed to get a clue? Finally. Understand what is important. SHERI And what exactly is important to you? Clue me in. MUSA Come on. We get in taxi. We have one of those big talks you like having at night. - Please? TAYYIB (off-stage) Gamila! (Tayyib enters carrying or trailing behind him two empty suitcases. Musa and Sheri go sit in the taxi.)

Gamila. When did you come back? What are you doing out here? Salaam ‘alaykum. GAMILA ‘Alaykum Salaam. TAYYIB What are you doing here this time of night? Does Musa know you’ve arrived? GAMILA I’ve just come from seeing him. It’s good to see you. TAYYIB He didn’t give you a lift? Why didn’t he drive you home? GAMILA I wanted to walk. I’ve never walked around at this time of night. TAYYIB I hope not, it is too dangerous. GAMILA And beautiful. And quiet for this neighborhood. What are you doing out? TAYYIB I got to talking with someone near here. Now I’m going home with these suitcases that need fixing. Did the suitcases I give you hold up? GAMILA They did just fine. I brought back all sorts of goodies in them. I even have a present for you. 77.

TAYYIB You are very kind. Let’s find a taxi for you and take you home. GAMILA No. I think I’d just like to sit here for a moment and enjoy the night air. (she sits on her suitcase) How often do I do this? TAYYIB Then - if you don’t mind, I would like to join you. If that’s alright. It is not too safe here. GAMILA You are more than welcome. And that’s very gallant of you. (he sits on one of his suitcases. Slight beat) I broke up with Musa tonight. TAYYIB (slight beat) I’m sorry. He does not deserve you. GAMILA Oh - none of us deserve each other. If you look too deeply. There’s always some nonsense not to be with someone. Some letdown. But you definitely do need that one really important thing to keep you together. Whatever that might be. - I guess that’s the mystery part. TAYYIB It’s no mystery to me why someone would want to marry you. GAMILA Thank you for that....Have you heard from Abdallah? Shouldn’t he be back by now? TAYYIB Sheikh Fareed is trying to contact his family. GAMILA I hope he’s okay. TAYYIB He’s probably enjoying himself somewhere. Abdallah’s a survivor. He’ll be okay. (Abdallah appears still dressed in his pilgrim clothes. He will wander into the apartment.) Inshallah. 78.

GAMILA Inshallah. ABDALLAH Inshallah. SHERI I almost got fired today. After you left. MUSA He has a short temper this man. SHERI I have a good mind to tell him to piss off and leave. MUSA Leave. (then, he looks at her with some resolve) Let us both go. - You’re fed up with your job. I’m fed up with my - my apartment for one; I won’t hear that couple argue one more day, and even this taxi I’m fed up with. Let us both go; drive somewhere. To another State. Many other States. Another coast. And when we’re fed up there, we’ll go somewhere else. North, South. Then back to here if we want and see if anything’s changed, and if it hasn’t we head out again and not stop until we find somewhere we like. Why be okay with anything we don’t like? We don’t have to. SHERI And what do you expect us to do for money? MUSA I’m a driver. You’re a waitress. We’ll make money as we go. Come on, Sheri, let’s do it. I have never really traveled anywhere. SHERI What are you talking about? You’ve crossed a continent and an ocean to get here. That isn’t traveling? MUSA Not yet. Not like I’d like to. But today we start. SHERI Musa: I have to tell you. Knowing a little about you, and a lot about me - this relationship feels doomed already. I don’t think we’ll make it across state lines. MUSA Good. We make bets on this. This is how I make my first money. 79.

GAMILA I wish there wasn’t so much light pollution. So you could at least see something in the night sky. Is that a planet? TAYYIB It’s - moving. I think it’s a plane. GAMILA Oh...well - it still looks pretty....I haven’t even asked how you’re doing. TAYYIB I’m well. Hamdulilah. I can’t complain. GAMILA You look well. TAYYIB I am. Even better knowing you have returned safely. GAMILA Hamdulilah. ABDALLAH Hamdulilah. GAMILA I’m feeling pretty good myself. In spite of what’s happened. Maybe because it happened. - I feel like I could blast off into that night sky and go anywhere now. At the same time, I’ve never felt my feet more firmly planted on the ground. Like I’ve truly landed this time and come back home to something. Maybe just come back...home. If that makes sense. ABDALLAH Yes. SHERI We should leave a note for Abdallah, in case he comes looking for you. MUSA It is very sweet of you to care. SHERI Well, he is kind of the roommate I never met. GAMILA One more minute of this and then we’ll go. MUSA I’ll leave a note with the landlord, and at the masjid. It won’t take five minutes to pack. 80.

SHERI Crazy American woman goes off with crazy foreigner and is never heard of again. MUSA Doesn’t that sound exciting? Where do you want to go first? SHERI I don’t know. GAMILA One more minute. SHERI Why don’t we decide when we get there. ABDALLAH One more look. Before my body washes ashore and they bury me. Before they find my suitcase floating and identify me. Look where my memory - my spirit, takes me. To this place. To the struggles I had here. I went - I traveled to give thanks. To walk with strangers gathered for something. To walk in what I knew would be a crush of too many people gathered to give thanks. A coming together. Of people from everywhere; with different tongues and looks and ways of seeing things. And for all of us to remember a time before we were - before we were strangers to each other. To connect, and pull our voices together in song and reflect on the paths our hearts have stumbled along, and surrender our mistakes and everything else. And here: The country I came to. The strangers I met here. The struggle to remember the time before we were strangers here too. The everyday pilgrimage you make when you open your mouth to a stranger and hope to God you are understood. The everyday Ka’bah you walk around, the everyday Mecca you head towards. The people you meet who don’t know you. The way you have to open up and travel to the place someone is coming from. Before my body washes ashore, I remember that, not the immigrant I was, but the pilgrim I became by coming here. Meeting all these different peoples. The riches I was gathering even before the money started coming in. Learning of the dreams we shared, the same search I had as all these other people. These riches. GAMILA Well. ABDALLAH Richer than I could imagine. GAMILA Shall we go? ABDALLAH And didn’t even know it at the time. 81.

MUSA Ready? SHERI So crazy. You do realize that? TAYYIB Yes. Let’s go. (Tayyib stands up, as does Gamila.) SHERI Let’s do it then. MUSA We go? SHERI We go. What the hell. ABDALLAH This gathering of strangers. So rich....For that alone...for this gathering alone, I give thanks. (Fade to black. End play.)