Premiere: November 2, 2009
Andrzej Bart, Reverse, W.A.B.

Excerpt

Józef addresses mother, as if turning to her for understanding. Mother nods with some pain in her eye, which probably should express regret that so little smart thinking men are born. Sabina takes advantage of the fact that no one is looking at her and runs off to the other room. Grandma is ready to lean towards the table nearby and start up the gramophone. She’s making her move, but Sabina leans her back on the pillows and kisses her more forcefully than usual. Grandma knows what this means.
– Any trouble, my child?
– Why, no, Grandma. Everything’s fine, I’m just bored a bit.
– Men are often boring. However, seldom on the first visit. That's when they are able to muster up prime quality. This bookkeeper is boring, you say?
– Mommy will tell you everything...
– Forget mommy, I want to know if you like him.
– I'll tell Grandma everything, when he leaves.
Sabina kisses her once again and runs out of the room.
She feels light and would eagerly run out of the house and quickly go towards the Royal Baths. An hour later she would return home. But first she should go back to the room where Józef is laughing at the moment. Only from a certain distance does she hear that his laughing voice is pleasant. An occasional tenor, as director Barski described the voice of a certain singer, fond of recitals at boarding houses. Sabina is not too willing to return to the room and she prolongs the moment in which a lively discussion unfolds. That’s when she hears Józef’s words:
– You have a pretty and wise daughter, something not often to be seen. If she would care to consider me as a possible suitor, please mention that my earnings are proper and I know how to make extra on the side. With me, she wouldn’t be short of anything.
– I don’t have to recommend you, Józef, you’ve managed that wonderfully yourself. Have a drink. Don’t follow my example, after just two shots of liquor my blood pressure shoots up and I can’t sleep at night...
Silence falls, so Józef pours himself a drink and encouraged with mother’s raised glass, drinks up. Sabina realizes that she cannot stall any longer.
– Good thing you came, Saby. Keep our guest company and I’ll make some black coffee.
Mother welcomes her with visible relief. Sabina is counting on a moment of uncomfortable silence. Uncomfortable, but silence. No such luck. Encouraged Józef considered it justified to entertain her with jokes, and his head for remembering them proves to be as good as for solving mathematical problems. Fortunately, he remembers only those jokes which are far from politics. And how beautifully does he present them. He walks around the room, gesticulates, grabs his head, playing an old woman who in German times transported pork fat under her vest. Sabina laughs, even twice, so Józef goes on:
– As you see, madam Sabina, regardless of my mathematical head, I know my way around jokes. Now I shall present a situational joke. It’s a bit more difficult than the others, because one cannot learn it by rote… We could have a great laugh...
Józef approaches the door with a smile, and kneels curled up at the threshold. In this position presses a finger against his lips, asking for silence. Sabina analyses possible outcomes. She fears most that her disgust covered with effort will become evident. The door opens and here comes mother with a tray in her hands. Sabina gives her discrete signs that down there, at her feat, danger is lurking. But mother is disinterested. She does not notice Józef, who slowly appears before her. Alarmed, she screams and one of the cups falls on Józef. Covered with hot coffee he screams too, but to his virtues he adds presence of mind and grabs the cup before it manages to interact with the floor.
– Are you OK, dear Józef?
Sabina is impressed that mother is able to control herself in such a situation.
– But of course. I managed to scare you, I just didn’t foresee that you would be carrying something.
Józef is growing again.
–Fortunately nothing broke, cause I’m fast with my hands too.