(sings) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Had a very tiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
We see on TV with Salim.
Merry Christmas, Mercer.
MERCER:
It’s not ’til next week.
Pause.
SADIQ:
Tell me about base. Canada Dry One.
MERCER:
What about it?
SADIQ:
What you do.
MERCER:
Sweet dick.
SADIQ:
Sweet?
MERCER:
Nothing. It’s totally boring.
SADIQ:
You lying. Top secret. I see jeeps, many soldiers run, planes. You practice?
MERCER:
Yeah, we practice, neutralize fucking sand dunes. Broman’s always cooking up some stupid little exercise to keep us busy. Now that everything’s all set up there’s nothing to do.
SADIQ:
Nothing?
A pause, MERCER watches the waves.
SADIQ:
On base you have telephone?
MERCER:
Yeah, of course. We have lots of phones.
SADIQ:
In America, everyone have two telephones in house. In cars too. My family, never a telephone.
MERCER:
Oh well.
SADIQ:
Tell me about America.
MERCER:
Shit, Sadiq. Just shut up for a minute.
SADIQ:
Tell only a little.
MERCER:
I’m not American.
SADIQ:
But still you know. Tell me.
MERCER:
OK. First, it’s not what you think. It ain’t like TV.
SADIQ:
Salim, my boss, he have CNN. We see all sides about America.
MERCER:
Yeah, well, don’t believe everything you see. This place you think you’re going, it’s not real, it’s in your head. Your uncle Mike, I don’t know what he told you.
SADIQ:
Uncle Mike say any person work hard in America they can be rich. Like him.
MERCER:
Fuck that shit. The guys in my regiment, most of their families got nothing. On welfare or farmers working their asses off. Everybody’s got guns in the States, they’re fucking maniacs. In Canada we got health care. In the States, you’re poor and you have a heart attack, they don’t fucking care, they’ll turn you away from the hospital.
SADIQ:
My Uncle Mike, he say only lazy people are poor in America. If you work you can be rich.
MERCER:
What’s this thing with being rich? Money doesn’t help, you know. You think that having two TVs is going to do anything for you? Having a car, two cars, big cars, a big house, lots of telephones, you think that’s gonna solve your problems? No way Jose. Let me tell you.
SADIQ:
I want to be rich.
Beat.
Everybody want to be rich.
MERCER:
Not everybody.
SADIQ:
You know hungry. Yes? You know hungry? No. Look at my shoes, Vancouver. Two years, same shoes. My father, he always moving, work different country, dream of his homeland. Little money he make he give away. To PLO. Stupid poor man work for rich fat man. All I remember, poor, hungry, the same the same the same. I want more. There is more to live.
MERCER:
OK, OK, whatever.
SADIQ:
I work make dream come true. I quit school. I will go. You rich, Vancouver. You not know work. You know nothing. You are a child.
MERCER:
Hey, I work, asshole. You don’t know shit about me or what I’ve done. You’re the child around here.
SADIQ:
Is true. Little baby.
Silence.
SADIQ:
Mercer—I get angry, no reason. Sorry.
MERCER:
Stop fucking touching me. You’re always touching me.
SADIQ:
I apologize. I do not want anger to you.
A pause.
My father this morning, he find hashish I have for to sell. He learn I not go to school. He shout and shout at me. I say nothing. He is a fool. I am angry to him not to you.
MERCER:
That’s a total sob story. My heart bleeds.
SADIQ:
You forgive?
MERCER:
Massage my feet.
SADIQ:
Rub feet? Yes? I know how to good. I do for my sister. Her, how you say, blood … too close?
MERCER:
