Hitchhike
OUT / ROAD / EVENING
A man drives on the road alone. Only the sound of the car and the tires can be heard. The man is tired and looks at the road with a lost gaze. The road can be seen only by the lights of his car. At one point the lights of the car show a girl at the side of the street, the driver in astonishment looks in the rear window of the car to check at the woman. The car slows down and then stops on the side of the road. The woman approaches the car, then and stops a few meters behind it. She says;
WOMAN
-Sorry; Are you going to the city?
MAN
-Yes
The woman approaches the car and sees the driver. They look at each other for a while.
WOMAN
-Could you…
MAN
-Of course (interrupts it)
She gets inside the car, gets. The driver stands outside the door, looks around, everything is dark, he can only see wilderness at the night. At the left, he can see the lights of a small village in the foothill of a mountain. At the right he sees the road reaching the glooming city lights. He enters the car and closes the door. The car starts and they drive away.
OUT / ROAD / EVENING
They are both in the car, the woman is looking at the man, he turns as soon as he understands and she smiles at him as soon as he looks at her.
MAN
-Do you want me to turn on the radio?
WOMAN
-Yes, I cannot stand silence.
He turns on the radio, without choosing a station.
MAN
-I do not want to be rude, but how did you end up in this place?
WOMAN
-There is a village next to the ring road, my friend lives there.
MAN
-Oh
WOMAN
-Do you mind if I smoke?
MAN
-No, but can you open the window?
She lowers the window a little and lights the cigarette. The music now mingles with the air.
WOMAN
-Do you around live here?
MAN
-Yes, in the city
WOMAN
-Me too
Silence for a while, they both look at the road.
MAN
-You did not tell me where you want to go.
Suddenly something hits the car and the sound of a collision is heard. The car stops on the side of the road, the man gets out of the car. At first, he looks at the car for any damage and then goes to the back of the car. The woman looks at the rear window of the car, but she cannot see anything, then turns forward leaves her head relaxed in the seat and continues to smoke. She can hear the man's footsteps slowly approaching. The man gets in the car and sits down, puts the keys in the engine, and starts. The woman is looking at him.
MAN
-An asshole left firewood in the middle of the street.
She does not speak, looks at him, smiles at him and looks ahead.
MAN
-At least there was no big mark left.
She looks at him and takes out another cigarette, puts it in her mouth but before lighting it he tells her;
MAN
-Can you give me one?
WOMAN
-Sure
She gives it to him and the car moves further and further away.
OUT / ROAD / EVENING
The car stops in a neighbourhood, and parks outside an apartment building, the man and the woman get out of the car laughing. He shows her an apartment building and asks her
MAN
-Is that where you live?
WOMAN
-Yes
They look at each other for a while
MAN
-Eh, would you like to go out sometime?
WOMAN
-I'm really grateful for everything you have done, but… right now I am not…
MAN
-I understand. (interrupts her)
She looks at him and smiles.
Then he tells her.
MAN
-But would it be too much to ask for one last cigarette?
She smiles, looks at him and tells him.
WOMAN
-No, it would not be.
She gives him a cigarette and her lighter. He lights up the cigarette and gives her the lighter back. Looks at her, lets the cigarette smoke out and tells her;
MAN
-It was a deer.
She looks at him, this time puzzled
MAN
-The thing we hit with the car... was a deer.
They both looked at each other, he goes back to the car while she is still looking at him. Shortly before getting into the car, with his back turned and while smiling, he tells her;
MAN
-Good night!
She is not replying, she is still looking, while he gets in the car and leaves. With the sound of the car echoing at the streets of the neighbourhood.
END
About the Creator
Sergios Saropoulos
Philosopher, Journalist, Writer.
Found myself in the words of C.P. Cavafy
"And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean"
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