Out of the Wings

You are here:

Un horizonte amarillo en los ojos (2003), Gracia Morales Ortiz

A Yellow Horizon Before the Eyes, translated by Gwynneth Dowling

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 1

Context:
A man has met a boy while wandering through the countryside. We learn about the man and his life as he talks to his young companion.
Sample text
MAN:

Although normally I talk to no one.

I make my way alone.

Better like that.

Alone.

You’ll soon learn.

Company gets in a man’s way,

slows him down and makes him careless.

I need my path to be free, not confused with another man’s footsteps …

Alone. Better like that.

And then, this very evening, I meet you. And, for some reason, I was drawn to you. Watching you. The way you wandered ...

Lost,

with your sack on your back.

You aren’t half stubborn! If I say you were lost, then you were lost.

It’s easy to tell. You don’t need to act the tough guy with me …

You could even be my son.

I used to be like that, in the beginning.

With one sack.

All my earth inside.

Nothing else.

Just like you …

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation A Yellow Horizon Before the Eyes by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 2

Context:
The man has been drawing the boy’s portrait. He moves on from this and talks about the care with which he treats his sacks of earth.
Sample text
MAN:

You can look if you like. It’s just a sketch, but it captures something.

Although you’ll probably not recognise yourself.

We always think we look different than we do …

He goes back to where he was.

Pause.

He grabs a handful of earth and lets it gradually fall through his fingers.

He does this a few more times.

You’ve got to treat it well, understand?

Devote time to it each day –

it’s not just about gathering it up and carrying it …

You’ve got to clean it,

polish it,

give it gifts. Like a woman.

If you don’t do these things you might even end up hating it.

You’ll see.

There’ll come a day when that sack will weigh heavy.

One hundred times your weight.

Those days

always come.

Sooner or later …

When the load is so great that you can hardly walk.

Then you’ll be tempted to leave it here,

spread on the ground,

as if you’d no more use of it.

And then go on, free, shoulders relieved …

In eight or ten years …

You’ll see.

One day you realise that you no longer have a wife, sons, or anyone to help. And each time it takes more effort.

That’s why I had to find the cart.

So I could go on …

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation A Yellow Horizon Before the Eyes by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 3

Context:
The man dreams of a time when he can stop wandering.
Sample text

Can you imagine it?

Being able to plant something that grows …

Tomatoes, beets, potatoes …

Oranges!

Oranges too!

Plant a seed and wait for it to sprout,

for it to give birth to roots,

leaves,

branches,

and new seeds that can be planted …

Perhaps there’ll come a time when we don’t need to move on. Don’t you think?

Then we’ll have to learn the best time to plant our wheat. Because wheat is crucial and each man will tend his own plot.

Can you imagine that?

Each man his own plot!

A yellow horizon before the eyes!

Who says we can’t, eh?

Who

says we can’t?

We could do it …

Is someone stopping us? Do you know?

Do you know why we keep on walking? From one place to another?

Do you know why we do it?

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation A Yellow Horizon Before the Eyes by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 18 July 2012.

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment. Please log in or sign up for a free account.

  • King's College London Logo
  • Queen's University Belfast Logo
  • University of Oxford Logo
  • Arts and Humanities Research Council Logo