Amici

From Act II, Scene 3 (formatted for web viewing.)

(SAMANTHA and PAOLO look after HOWARD and OVID, who have just left. There is a long silence PAOLO motions for another waiter to take his tables.)

SAMANTHA : Should I go after him?

PAOLO: Which one?

SAMANTHA: What did you say?

PAOLO: Noi amanti sinceri siamo soggetti a strain movimenti.

SAMANTHA: I'm sorry. I don't understand it all. “Noi amanti sinceri – soggetti?

PAOLO: It is from your own Shakespeare. Let’s see… "We are subject to strange behaviors, we who are true lovers." You are a true lover.

SAMANTHA: How do you know?

PAOLO: In my country, we have learned to be attentive to women. Here in your country, they say many false things about Italianos. They say we are fickle, incostante. We are not fickle. We are passionate. Passions are not like plow horses. You cannot rein them to a cart and demand they take you somewhere sensible. Passions are wild horses that take you where they will--first in this direction, then in that.

SAMANTHA: You've always seemed reined-in to me. Circumspect.

PAOLO: Circumspect?

SAMANTHA: Um--respect for the area. Discreet? Discreto?

PAOLO: Ah, circospetto. You know Italian?

SAMANTHA: My husband and I met in a Latin class. Between that and Spanish, I get by. No one would ever suspect that you knew--that I came here with--

PAOLO: --two different gentlemen? A glance here. A momentary flicker in my composure. It is only my job.

SAMANTHA: You do it well.

PAOLO: So you will dine alone this afternoon?

SAMANTHA: Looks like it.

PAOLO: You are not very discreet. Not very circospetto.

SAMANTHA: No.

PAOLO: A minor difetto. Punto debole, Signorina.

SAMANTHA: Don't you have to--you know--?

PAOLO: There are other waiters. For you, I have all the time in the world. Momento. (PAOLO retrives a bottle of wine and two new goblets.)

SAMANTHA: What are you doing?

PAOLO: A beautiful lady like you needs a good red wine on a rainy afternoon. May I sit with you?

SAMANTHA: Sure. (He sits.) I'm not very good at sneaking around. It's always been kind of comforting to know that, well, someone was kind of keeping an eye on me. Maybe then I wouldn't go too far off the deep end.

PAOLO: What are you afraid of Signorina to look so hard for someone to control you? I cannot help but notice that when the two of you are together, you sit there a quattr' occhi needing not my fine music, my good food. The room fills with the two of you when you are together. It isn't like that with the other signore. I've asked myself many times why you do not stay with that second gentleman--why you keep dilly-dallying with that other man--the serious one.

SAMANTHA: I'm married to him. (Pause.) What was he doing here anyway?

PAOLO: I think he saw you.

SAMANTHA: Then why'd he leave?

PAOLO: Ah, my dear lady. (PAOLO indicates the Asian woman sitting alone at the other table. The woman looks at her watch, looks around.)

SAMANTHA: You're kidding! No.

PAOLO: Think what you will Signorina.

SAMANTHA: Okay, but here?! This is my favorite restaurant! I can't believe he would do that!

PAOLO: Apparently he likes Amici too.

SAMANTHA: But this is my restaurant!

PAOLO: And his, and your other gentleman's--

SAMANTHA: Don't tell me he--

PAOLO: Only with you Signorina. Surely you must know that.

SAMANTHA: I do. I know he'd never-- He feels guilty enough about me. I borrowed his car one time when mine was in the shop. I sat in his seat. I felt the warmth of his larger back, his larger--what's the word--persona?--the psychic space his body takes up--around me as I sat in the driver's seat. I put my hand on his gearshift and moved it around in the gear box. Heading down the freeway, I could feel his engine just, you know--surging. And there was his water bottle beside me. I couldn't help it. I lifted it to my lips and sucked in the water until it made every cell in my body come alive. (Pause.) We've never made love, he and I.

PAOLO: That was not making love? But why not make love? So passionate a woman. So gentle a man. With him and you, I see love expand until it fills every corner of Amici.

SAMANTHA: That’s nice.

PAOLO: So why not?

SAMANTHA: Well, for one thing, he's celibate.

PAOLO: This cannot be!

SAMANTHA: Temporarily. He's been working on some spiritual things.

PAOLO: Such a tragedy. So beautiful a woman. Is he a priest?

SAMANTHA: No.

PAOLO: A monk?

SAMANTHA: No. He's just-- It's just that time in his life when he feels he needs to concentrate on the spiritual.

PAOLO: Oh my dear innocent child.

(…continued…)