Three Plays: The Young Lady from Tacna, Kathie and the Hippopotamus, La Chunga Read Online Free PDF

telling the truth. When Joaquín holds me in his arms, when he hugs me and subjects me to his little whims, nothing else in the world seems to exist any more: not my husband, my children, my reputation, or even God. Only him. And you’re not going to take that away from me.
    MAMAE: How long have you been Joaquín’s … Joaquín’s lady-friend?
    SEÑORA CARLOTA: His mistress? Two years. And I’m going to tell you something else. We see each other every week in a little hut in La Mar. At sunset. When the negroes return singing from the plantations. We always hear them. We know all their songs by heart we’ve heard them so often. What else would you like to know?
    MAMAE: Nothing, señora. I’d be grateful if you’d leave now.
    SEÑORA CARLOTA: You could never live with Joaquín. You’re too pure for such a hot-blooded man. He says so himself. Go and find yourself some tepid youth somewhere. You could never be a soldier’s girl – not to Joaquín or to anyone. You’re too insipid, you’re not flirtatious enough, you haven’t got the imagination.
    MAMAE: You must go this instant! My aunt and uncle will be back at any moment, señora!
    SEÑORA CARLOTA: Let them see me, for all I care. Let the scandal break out once and for all.
    MAMAE: It won’t be my fault if it does. I’ve heard nothing; I know nothing, and I don’t want to know anything either.
    SEÑORA CARLOTA: And yet, you’ve heard everything; you know
everything. And now it’ll start to nag away at you like a little worm gnawing at your heart. ‘Is he really only marrying me because it suits him?’ ‘Is he really in love with her?’ ‘Does he really call her his soldier’s girl when he holds her in his arms?’
    (SEÑORA CARLOTA leaves . BELISARIO, who at the beginning of the dialogue between SEÑORA CARLOTA and MAMAE was writing, making notes and throwing papers on the floor, has suddenly become pensive, and has been taking more and more interest in what the two women are saying. He finally goes over to MAMAE’ s armchair, where he sits crouching like a child. MAMAE talks to herself as she goes back towards her armchair. She has become an old woman again. )
    MAMAE: Did he really tell her I was a sensitive little flower? A little prude who’ll never be able to make him happy like she can? Was he really with her yesterday? Is he with her now? Will he be with her again tomorrow?
    ( She sits huddled in her chair . BELISARIO is at her feet, listening to her like a little child. )
    BELISARIO: So the wicked woman made the young bride terribly jealous.
    MAMAE: It was worse than that. She caused her great distress and alarm, and filled her innocent little head with all sorts of monstrous thoughts so that her brain seethed with vipers and vultures.
    BELISARIO: What sort of vultures, Mamaé? Turkey buzzards?
    MAMAE: ( Continuing the story ) And the poor young lady, her eyes filled with tears, couldn’t help thinking, ‘So he doesn’t love me for myself but for my name and my family’s position in Tacna. That young man I’m so much in love with is nothing but an unscrupulous scoundrel.’
    BELISARIO: But I don’t believe that, Mamaé. Whoever heard of anyone getting married just for a name or a social position! He might have wanted to marry the young lady because she was going to inherit a plantation – now that I can believe, but as for the rest of it …
    MAMAE: The story about the plantation wasn’t true. The
Chilean officer knew that it had been auctioned off in order to pay the debts of the young lady’s father.
    BELISARIO: Now you’re muddling the story up, Mamaé.
    MAMAE: You see the Chilean officer had lied to the wicked woman. About the young lady inheriting a plantation. So that the story about marrying for money rather than love would seem more convincing. In fact he wasn’t just deceiving the young lady, he was deceiving Senora Carlota as well.
    BELISARIO: Was the wicked woman called Carlota?
    MAMAE: Yes. But she had a most