Open balcony. 3rd floor.

Kiyoshi’s mother is half-reclining in a chair. On saucers nearby are candies and fruit. Kiyoshi’s father is pacing back and forth.

Mother: Oh, stop fussing like that. It’s just 8 million, for heaven’s sake…
Father: Just? Are you out of your mind? That’s an entire shipment!
Mother: So what? There’ll be another one.
Father: I understand everything. But do you understand what you’re saying?
Mother: Don’t tell me you’re not going to cover the loss.
Father: I’m not paying a thing. Why should I?
Mother: Well, we are family, after all.
Father: Family? And you’re saying that to me? We’re nobody to each other. In our family, no one means anything to anyone.
Mother: So you won’t pay?
Father: And why would I?

The mother slowly stands up from the chair and takes a knife from the table.

Mother: Come on. Come to me, darling. (She walks toward him. They both move toward the balcony.) What, you don’t want to hug me? What are you afraid of?
Father: Calm down. Put the knife down.
Mother: So what was it you were saying? “I’ll pay for everything?” Say it again.
Father: I’ll pay for everything. Everything. Quiet now. And now give me the knife. (She hands it over.) Good girl.

A second of silence.

Father: You bitch! (Hits her in the face.) Pay for it? Hahhahahaha! (Hits her again, even more furiously.)
Mother: Stop. Please. Enough. Enough. Forgive me. Forgive me. (Screams, choking.)
Father: (Stops to catch his breath.)

At that moment, she quickly gets up and lunges at him. He loses his balance and starts falling from the balcony.

Father: (Clinging to the railing.) Save me, save me!
Mother: No way. (Leans on the balcony with her elbows and presses down on his fingers.)
Father: Is that how it is? Then let’s go to hell together! (Grabs her hand and pulls so hard that she loses her balance and starts falling.)

┈ ✁✃✁✃✁✃✁✃✁ ┈

Kiyoshi and Morio are walking together to Kiyoshi’s home after classes. Suddenly, Morio stops.

Morio: Stop.
Kiyoshi: What happened? (Turns his gaze and sees the bodies of his parents lying on top of each other in a pool of blood.) No…
Morio: Kiyoshi…
Kiyoshi: Don’t say anything. Just help me, okay?
Morio: (Swallows.) Yeah, sure.

What do you want to do?

Kiyoshi: Let’s take their bodies inside.
Morio: But it would be better to call the police…
Kiyoshi: I don’t want to. Let’s take them inside.
Morio: Okay.

They carry the bodies like heavy sacks. Blood is left on the asphalt.

Kiyoshi: These aren’t parents. This is cargo. Just cargo. A sack of potatoes. Yes, it’s just a sack of potatoes.

Living room. Balloons. Ribbons: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIYOSHI.”
Cake. The candles are unlit.
Bodies on the floor.

Kiyoshi sits, staring at the floor. Morio sits beside him.

Morio: They were disgusting people. Nothing mattered to them except money.
Kiyoshi: Be quiet.
Morio: They didn’t love you. They didn’t give a damn about you.
Kiyoshi: Be quiet.
Morio: If they were good people, it wouldn’t have come to this.
Kiyoshi: Shut up already!
Morio: But you’d still be grateful to them, right? (Kiyoshi flinches. His face becomes very sad.)

Don’t keep it inside. I won’t look. (Turns his head to the left).

Kiyoshi’s head falls onto Morio’s shoulder. He begins to silently cry. Morio stares thoughtfully at the floor.

Comments