mátame

ACT TWO, SCENE SIX

( enter TIA INGLESA & ELIZA )

a dog rests at the feet of its owner, a woman with an elegant dress tainted by a stain. she washes the dishes carefully, following a pace nobody knows but her: first the glasses then the cutlery, followed by the dishes and ending with the casserole. the woman with the blue dress walks in and pours herself a glass of white wine.

TIA INGLESA i doesn't make any sense, it doesn't make any sense.

ELIZA what doesn't?

TIA INGLESA i wasn't talking to you.

ELIZA you were talking to yourself then? definitely doesn't make you look insane.

TIA INGLESA you threw your disgusting dish at me, how's that for insane?

ELIZA you stated.

TIA INGLESA oh, you ―― i'd call you a bitch but my dear dog doesn't deserve to be lowered to your level ―― you're going to pay for what you did.

ELIZA are you threatening me? how dare you ――

TIA INGLESA i meant, literally ―― this dress is five hundred pounds.

ELIZA fine ―― i'll use hector's money.

TIA INGLESA gold-digger.

ELIZA ―― what did you call me?

TIA INGLESA nothing you probably haven't heard before ―― but i guess that's easy, someone like you must be used to being called whor ――

ELIZA don't ―― finish that sentence.

TIA INGLESA why are you here? did you come to annoy me again? ―― you very existence already does that, dear.

ELIZA i came here because i've met the boy ―― tom, such a gentleman. too good for her.

TIA INGLESA dulce is an angel, poor thing.

ELIZA why does everyone keep saying she's the victim ―― oh, poor innocent helpless dulcinea ―― there's nothing harmless about her.

TIA INGLESA what are you implying?

ELIZA she's been lying. dulce has always hated her brother ―― everyone knows that. nathan has always been a selfish asshole and his parents allowed him to be, they didn't even allow dulcinea to breathe.

TIA INGLESA that makes her a victim.

ELIZA no, that makes her self-preserving ―― even as a child, that girl had to learn how to behave on her own, how to get what she wanted and how to survive in a world that isn't kind to young girls or daughters.

TIA INGLESA i don't see how ――

ELIZA did you know nathan is getting all his mother's money? all of it ―― dulce gets nothing.

TIA INGLESA yes, i know. hector told me.

ELIZA and who do you think told hector?

TIA INGLESA nathan did, he found his mother's will and read it ―― he told his father then.

ELIZA nathan isn't smart enough to find his mother's will and i know for a fact the mother wasn't home that day.

TIA INGLESA ―― you're saying ――

ELIZA who else lives in this house? there's only one person left.

TIA INGLESA ―― dulcinea?

( enter DULCINEA )

DULCINEA hola?

ELIZA ugh ―― you smell of tobacco.

DULCINEA your dear husband's fault ―― complains to him.

ELIZA whatever ―― i've heard everything about your meeting with tom, charming boy isn't he?

DULCINEA not your business ――

ELIZA so much for bitterness.

( exit ELIZA )

DULCINEA how does that brainless idiot know everything that happens in this house?

TIA INGLESA none of us take her seriously ―― that's why.

DULCINEA is there anything wrong?

TIA INGLESA i worry about your brother.

DULCINEA ―― why bother?

TIA INGLESA you've always been mean to him.

DULCINEA i went to see the neighbour before lunch, mrs. soler.

TIA INGLESA how is she? she has a daughter, doesn't she?

DULCINEA had ―― i talked to her about the old tales.

TIA INGLESA which ones?

DULCINEA eve cannot be the mother of both. once the damage is done, she has to chose ―― does she defend cain from god's wrath? or does she ask god to punish abel's killer?

TIA INGLESA well, dear, it's not an easy choice ―― one of her children is dead, is she supposed to let the other perish and roam forever alone?

DULCINEA but if her wrath towards her son's killer isn't as big as her love for cain, then did she really love abel? ―― from god's domain her son cries, you were my mother, i loved you he says he took everything from me, how can you defend him?

TIA INGLESA why do you hate your brother? ―― and don't tell me this is because of your mother.

DULCINEA nathan had everything at his feet. he could have killed me, like abel was killed by cain ―― and mother would still love him. he's horrible, he's done ―― horrible things. all his life.

TIA INGLESA that doesn't mean he doesn't feel sorry, he's constantly asking for forgiveness ―― begging for it.

DULCINEA forgiveness is a choice, a gift ―― one i chose not to give.

TIA INGLESA dulce ――

DULCINEA ―― don't, i don't want to keep talking about this.

( exit DULCINEA )