mátame

ACT TWO, SCENE THREE

( enter DULCINEA & TOM )

the lovers leave the room as they laugh and tell tales to one another. the charming boy smiles, pretends and pretends. at the end of the corridor the brother awaits for her sister, there's tears on his cheeks and a cry buried in his throat.

DULCINEA ―― and mrs. soler has the prettiest bees ever, they make rosemary honey.

TOM that's nice.

( NATHAN walks towards them )

NATHAN dulce, can i speak to you? ―― in private. it's important.

DULCINEA it better be ―― i'll see you later tom.

TOM i'll go and speak to your father in the meanwhile.

( exit TOM )

DULCINEA ―― what do you want?

NATHAN i ―― well, i overstepped. father doesn't want to talk to me anymore.

DULCINEA and what does that have to do with me?

NATHAN i just ―― why are you so vile? i did nothing to deserve how you treat me.

DULCINEA of course not, you're perfect. never made a mistake ever in your life ―― and you obviously didn't murder mother.

NATHAN ―― it was an accident.

DULCINEA que momento más oportuno para que ocurra un accidente.

NATHAN what's that supposed to mean?

DULCINEA nothing, i just think it's curious how the week before she died we discovered you'd get all the properties and the money ―― and it's even more curious how she "accidentally" died while she was threatening to leave you with not a single penny.

NATHAN ―― you heard that?

DULCINEA oh ―― i heard that. so if father hates you, that's alright for me.

NATHAN it was still an accident ―― i didn't mean to push her ―― i didn't realise the stairs were there. it wasn't my fault.

DULCINEA keep telling yourself that.

NATHAN so that's all? i did it ―― there's nothing i regret more than that. i think that's punishment enough.

DULCINEA i'll be the judge of that.

NATHAN ――please, dulce. can't you see how much i suffer because of mother's death?

DULCINEA i see it, but your sins go beyond that ―― you took away my brother from me.

NATHAN i am your brother!

DULCINEA ―― you were, and i loved you! then you killed mother and the bond broke ―― you aren't my brother anymore and i ―― i just ―― you did not only take my mother you took my brother from me. i want him back, i want my big brother back, please ―― it's ―― how could you do this to me? what did i do to deserve this? i don't want to see you ever again. i don't even want to acknowledge you exist, i want you dead.

NATHAN dulce, please ――

DULCINEA you're not my brother, not to me. you're just a murderer ―― the person who has ruined me. i can't even stand being here with you.

NATHAN i'm so sorry, dulce. i would do anything to fix the harm i've caused ―― to bring mother back. please, dulce. i'll do anything ―― anything, to make you forgive me.

DULCINEA but that's the thing ―― you can't do anything, and i can't forgive anything. it's a breaking point.

NATHAN no ―― no ―― no, you're my sister.

DULCINEA i really am not ―― there are some bridges that once you cross them, you can't go back. this is one of them.

NATHAN i can't live like this ―― don't do this to me, how can you do this to me?

DULCINEA ―― me? it wasn't me. it was you who made me unable to look at you and see my brother. it was you, only you.

NATHAN you're doing this to punish me.

DULCINEA ―― this isn't a punishment, if it wasn't you'd be dead. these are the very same consequences of your actions. you decided to be a monster ―― now you complain for being seen as such.

NATHAN i didn't do it on purpose ――

DULCINEA and yet you sharpened your teeth.

NATHAN ―― please!

DULCINEA oh, stop crying ―― i don't give a fuck.

NATHAN why can't you just leave it behind? ―― get over it.

DULCINEA did you forget this is her funeral still?

NATHAN ――i know, i know ―― but i fear i won't ever see you again after this, that you'll walk away with your husband and leave me alone in this horrible house.

DULCINEA if i'm lucky, that'll be the case.

NATHAN i am your brother ―― i love you.

DULCINEA you're acting like a child.

NATHAN it is you who acts like you're older, like you're the older sibling ―― grief made you stronger.

DULCINEA what's that supposed to mean? ―― that i was weak before this? that i should be thankful for it?

NATHAN that's not ――

DULCINEA fuck you ―― no te quiero volver a ver en mi puta vida.

( exit DULCINEA )