187
by Jose Rivera
John

There’s something I have to tell you...... hi... hi... I’m sorry, hi...(Catching his breath.) I—I don’t chase people. I have my pride, you know. Pride’s very important these days. Not much of it left. I have my pride, like I said. That’s why I feel weird, you know? Chasing you. I don’t chase people. Hard to have a lotta pride when you’re waiting for a bus, I imagine. (Beat.) I’ve got an old T-bird. Twenty trillion mules. But it’s an ass kicker. Red interior. Original everything—except the engine. Which I rebuilt myself. You’ve probably seen it in the lot. It’s right over... there. I could drive you... I mean, I swallowed my pride and ran all the way out here chasing you to ask if I could drive you home in my ancient but very cool T-bird. Wanna? I’m John. You’re from a Spanish speaking country. But you don’t look like a lot of the Spanish speakers at the plant. You’re different. You’re a different branch of the Spanish speaking world. Where is your home? Where? Oh, Argentina. (Smiles.) That makes sense. There’s something more Italian about you than those Guatemalan chicks I see all the time. A Sophia Loren kinda quality... Whoa, back up... I know you’re not Sophia Loren. Just want to say hello. I don’t know. You don’t have to...Idiota? That doesn’t sound like a compliment! Who’s talking about love anyway? I just wanna drive you home in my carI’m offering you something good in your completely crappy day. I didn’t imply anything else. You can say no. You say no it’s no. I’m not from the 1950s when no didn’t mean jack to a man. Hey! I know what "pendejo" means: you can’t call me that ‘cause I ain’t one! (Slight beat.) I was drawn to the light reflected in your eyes. It warms me. I don’t get enough of that light in my life. Thought if you spent a little time in my car as I drove you home you could tell me about your world and I’d be able to enjoy that light a few extra minutes.(Slight beat.) Because I live in darkness. I live in a pit. I live among the moles and shrews and earthworms, all these eyeless creatures digging in the crap of the world looking for their love and their sex. You’re the one person I’ve seen in a year in this city that’s got more than survival on their minds, whose laughter I’ve heard louder and clearer than all the sounds of all the machinery in that damn plant. I thought I could live on that a few extra minutes a day. To keep me from suffocating in the darkness.