CLOUDLET

er comes, the road turns to an ice rink and by car you will probably won’t get past the first ravine. Here nobody ploughs. I will have to see who still has a long-eared Mercedes left. They are phased out here after Tsvetan’s jenny-ass died. Shall I look for one or for two?

ENYO: One is enough. There is not much that a single man needs. Let the bogeymen fend for themselves, right? They seem not to be fending all right if they have left Aunt Tsona’s attic!

STAVRI: You need a company Entcho! For you it is too early for bogeymen!

ENYO: For the moment I only think of getting some rest, then we will see.

STAVRI: True, you look tired and I am keeping you up, go to bed!

ENYO: Good night!

Enyo goes out. The door opens again and Grandma Tsona comes in dressed in her wedding finery but dusted all in white. She sits on Enyo’s chair and clasps her hands over the table.

STAVRI: Seems to me, not only the attic needs mending, but so does Entcho. Looks like all right, tall and standing, but he is not. At his age he should be chasing the maidens not the bogeymen. What will he do here all alone like a dog? Oh, well, it is already time to lie down.

 

Scene III

 

Village pub in Cloudlet. Three old men are sitting at a table and teaching the fourth old man in a kilt how to read Bulgarian. The company is in great mood for which the little demijohn at the table is essential. Tsranka is looking at the back of the bar plot from where a muffled muttering and some creaking can be heard.

TSVETAN: Oh, come on, how is the man to remember them when they are both the same and different. Let us draw him pictures, would be easier. Yesterday when I drew the balloon with the thread he instantly learned the letter “B”.

VALKO: This is not your nursery, Tsoke, for we to draw.

TSVETAN: Why not to draw? Here on the ABC book are drawing and letter, drawing and letter.

VALKO: This is because the primer is for our children, the ones that know that “A” stands for “apple”, and “C” stands for “cabbage”. Otherwise how would they remember? Do you know how “cabbage” in English is? (pulls closer a big dictionary and starts looking up.) Cabbage, cabbage, where is this cabbage… Nobody has been found in the cabbage here recently, it should be hidden somewhere, so that…

KOSTA: Forget the cabbage, let us try words that he knows. (He goes to the blackboard and wrote a big letter "V") Here, this is “V” for “Velko”, here are his two hands, here is his body. Is it OK, OldMac?

OLDMAC: V – Valko, yeah, yeah!

VALKO: Get lost, I am taller than you pictured me!

KOSTA: Ha, you are taller! Stand up here at the wall and we will see!

(Valko stands up next to the wall and lifts his hands as if preparing to dance. Kosta comes with a piece of chalk in hand.)

KOSTA: Stand tall, don’t spoil the good letter, come on! (Draws an outline of Vel