Deburdeles – Part II

Three days later

Mika: (Loading sheets as she walks down the hallways that lead to the rooms.)  Wake-up time!  Get up.  No one will make breakfast if you’re all in bed and there’s a lot to do today (raising her voice)  Katja, Frieda, Corinna, Ebba  Everyone! (Pause) now!

Tova leaves out of one of the rooms while rubbing her eyes in a sleepy manner.

Mika: Take it! (giving her sheets)  Go and hand them out to dry before mid-day.  (Tova gets to work)  Tova… (with contempt goes closer and grabs her face) Go and wake up Corinna, you know how I hate to enter her room… especially in the mornings ( watches her go).

Mika notices that no one is around and quietly opens the door to Shiobhan’s room.

Frieda: (Interrupting) What are you doing?

Mika: (Nervously)  What I do is none of your concern, Frieda… now leave me alone. Shiobhan doesn’t come back for another couple of hours.

Frieda: (going closer)  It’s prohibited to enter into the Madame’s room, you more than anyone else should know that….Be very careful… You shouldn’t have snuck out of your room last night. I heard when you were speaking with Shiobhan in the wee hours of the morning. You’re privileged sister, don’t forget that.

Mika: Aren’t you tired of sniffing around? You don’t know anything. We’re not sisters, we share a hell that we can’t escape. And my sentence is seeing your pathetic face everyday. What I do is for me and not another soul. I’m sick of you tracking me like a filthy hound.Or were you going to rat me out? You’re a repugnant french prostitute, just as repugnant as the rest of them….( with contempt) Constance-

Frieda slaps Mika at which point Ebba appears.

Frieda: (Sitting up) Wow! Look who finally dares to come out  (smiles).

Ebba observes them carefully.

Mika: If you say one word of what you saw, I’ll cut your face while you sleep.

Frieda: Come with me. Ebba… you didn’t see anything because nothing happened. Let ‘s go see if Katja picked up those eggs for breakfast. I’ll show you how to make a delicious Semmel.

Ebba and Frieda leave, when they get to the living room Katja puts on the record player and starts dancing with Tova.

Katja: Come, Ebba!

Ebba turns to look at Frieda for approval.

Frieda: (Smiles) Don’t look at me like that, go!

Ebba, Katja and Tova dance and laugh, after a while Corinna runs towards them.

Corinna: (Distraught) Turn off the music. Now! It’s Shiobhan!

Frieda: Impossible! It’s still hours before she comes back.

Hearing the voice of Shiobhan from afar, Frieda stops the music.

Shiobhan: I prohibit you from entering my house, Charles! This is private property.

Charles: Please, Shiobhan… who are you trying to fool, a dirty town brothel.

Charles opens the door. Shiobhan runs behind him.

Charles: Which one of them is it? I’m sure I saw her, I could never forget that face. (Observes each woman).

Charles enters the rooms. Shiobhan, horrified , tries to calm the young women. Charles comes out of one of the rooms forcefully grabbing Mika’s arm.

Shiobhan: (Screams) No! Take me… she hasn’t done anything…Oh God! Help us…

Charles: (Shutting up Shiobhan ) Aha! Here’s the bug on my cake. Irma Ryan-Braunsteiner. You’re under arrest; probably won’t hear the morning birds chirp you filthy fly…

Shiobhan: (Desperate) Have mercy please! (to Mika) Forgive me.

Charles: (Taking out a pistol from his pants)  There’s no God that hears the plea of a prostitute…  I’ll make them close this pigsty. Hide pigs, Shiobhan… ( While he runs the gun over Mika’s leg) I’ll make her suffer for each of her crimes, but you… (points the gun and shoots).

Voice: Days passed, weeks, months… A milk vendor thought he saw Mika boarding a ship, and a butcher said he saw her body hanging from an oak tree on the outskirts of the city. We never knew what really happened to her. But the very thin thread that united us, opened like a blistering crack in the heels of our feet, after walking through the desert. Some suffered more than others; some were silent. But Shiobhan… the rock that united each one of us…broke. As she eroded, the house began to fall apart. The bullet only touched muscle tissue, although, I’m sure I saw her die that morning….

Frieda comes out of  Shiobhan’s room with a plate full of food in her hand.

Frieda: (to Katja) I’m sorry… she didn’t eat today either.

Katja: What do we do, Frieda?  I’ve never seen her like this… not even after Aurora.

Frieda: (Comforting her)  She needs her space (pause) Mika was one of her daughters… You know? Behind that shell was nobility and Shiobhan saw it in all of us…

Corinna  desperately enters into Shioban’s room.

Corinna: Is it true?

Shiobhan: Corinna…

Corinna:  It’s my life that’s on the line! You can’t do this, not to me…

Shiobhan: The decision has been made.

Corinna: (Screaming) What are we to you?!  What are we?

Shiobhan: I didn’t have a choice (touches Corinna’s stomach). What you have inside of you-

Corinna: (Interrupting) We’ve gotten over things before… Or maybe you don’t remember!

Shiobhan: Stop talking.

Corinna: There are always options, but  sacrificing us seems easier for you.

Corinna leaves the room, she’s very angry. Frieda tries to hug her.

Corinna: Let me go! (She leaves).

Ebba appears. She’s worried.

Ebba: Is everything okay? I heard Corinna from my room…

Frieda: Everything is alright..

Ebba: But –

Frieda: Go.

Ebba: Frieda –

Frieda: Go.

Ebba: No… I don’t want to. Don’t you think that I deserve to know a little bit of the truth? There’s so many things that I don’t know… Who was Aurora, was she  important? Was she one of us? I live here everyday too.I also suffered when they took Mika.

Frieda: I said get out of here.

Ebba directs herself to Corinna’s room.

Corinna: You never get enough huh?…

Ebba: What’s going on? What’s happening?

Corinna: You really want to know who she was? (getting closer) She was your age, and stature….you sleep in her bed. Who do you think the clothes you’re wearing belonged to? (with contempt) You’re nothing like her. (moving back a bit) Aurora…it’s the first time I’ve said her name after so much time. She was my light…I couldn’t save her. One night, after work, I went to her room. That was the only time one of the Red Army’s  soldiers didn’t leave the house. We didn’t know he was there. He entered the room and saw us. Just seeing us kiss was enough to bring out the animal he really was. The next day, he came back (pause). She was so fragile. It wasn’t him;  there were 5, 6…I can’t recall. Shiobhan tried to stop them but it was impossible. She couldn’t hold on, they shattered her alive.

Ebba: I’m sorry.

Corinna: You should go far, don’t come around here. None of us are made for this pigsty, the war brought us here Ebba, don’t forget that. Shiobhan has always lived like this; feeding off of women like us. Year after year; unless you thought that you would be safe? You’re so naive.

Ebba tries to speak. She’s confused. Suddenly Tova enters the room.

Corinna: (to Ebba)  Now leave us.

Corinna and Tova are alone in the room. Corinna takes out a small box and hands it to Tova.

Corinna: Dollars and rubles, enough for a couple of months. Look at me! Look! Hide it well. So that no one would ever know that you have it.

Ebba walks down the hall. Not knowing where to go, wanting to enter Shiobhan’s room but she doesn’t. She goes back, she thinks about it twice. She ‘s confused. She grabs her clothes with frustration, pacing from one side of the room to the next; trying to think about what to do. She feels trapped, crushed by the weight of the house, suffocated by the clothes, by the powerlessness; she can’t take it anymore. She falls to the ground. It ‘s night, late into the night. She can’t see anything. She’s crying. 

Various days later

There’s no light. Bombs from the Allies are heard in the distance.

Frieda: (Under the table hugging Tova) Katja, Ebba!

Katja: We’re here! Shiobhan hasn’t left her room. I don’t see anything…Where are they?

Frieda: Under the table… Stay there! And Corinna? Where’s Corinna?

Tova shaking and making little sounds. She’s very afraid.

Ebba: (Screaming) Corinna! Corinna!

Corinna: (in the distance holding a candle)  Where’s Tova? Tova! Tova!

Frieda: Here! Find refuge, Corinna…

Katja starts to cry, Ebba hugs her. After a while they hear the sound of soldiers approaching.

Frieda: Shhhhh…

Corinna blows out her candle.

The door opens and Man 2 appears. He walks in the darkness and sees the women hiding under the table. Then, he sees Ebba and goes towards her.

Man 2: There ‘s no one commander! The house has already been looted.

Man 2 leaves, his footsteps recede.

Three days later, in the afternoon

Frieda sits in a chair and braids Tova’s hair. Katja reads them a book. Ebba relaxes on the sofa. Corinna enters with a letter.

Corinna: Congratulations!  I was going to wait for a more inopportune time to give you all the news, but I can’t take it any more. (she gets closer and throws a letter directly in front of them). From now on we’re unemployed prostitutes.

Frieda: (Stops braiding)  What did you say?

Ebba opens the envelope and reads in a low voice…

Ebba: It’s here… This is the address!  

Frieda snatches the letter.

Corinna: Apparently, Charles O’Sullivan, the man that took Mika, is the brother of the English general John O’Sullivan, who, as of today, bans the so-called “ entertainment services”  of this brothel.The cause, hiding the fugitive Irma Ryan-Braunsteiner. If this order is ignored each one of us will be considered enemies of the law (pause) sentenced to hang (applauds).

Katja: It can’t be! Now that Shiobhan is getting better… this can’t be true…

Corinna: It is! And I… I’m not going to be here to see how you rodents end up.

Frieda: What are you trying to say?

Corinna: Please! Isn’t it obvious? Aurora, dead. Mika, dead.  Shiobhan has abandoned us, which is even worse. Who ‘s next? Every day more looting. There are no jobs, there’s no money and the few men that do stay only want to use us just to throw us in the streets later.

Corinna cont’: Bedrick offered to make me his wife. Yes…that decrepit man, but with money; he’ll move to the outside of town, and I … I need to detox myself. Surrounded by flowers and wild animals; waiting for death to collect her fortune. Far from here. This house closing was just a gift from fate for me. Now, I won’t have to see your pale faces every morning (smiles).

Tova takes off running.

Frieda: You don’t have a heart.

Katja goes behind Tova….

10 days later

All except Corinna are seated at the table. Katja arrives holding a bowl of soup.

Katja: Broth and vegetables. (she carelessly serves it on each plate.) And tomorrow also. Broth and vegetables, and the day after, and the day after, until there’s absolutely nothing left to eat and we have to hunt the roaches and the garden worms. That day, we’ll have broth with roaches and worms-

Frieda: (Interrupting) We’ll think of something. There are brothels outside of the city, we could go-

Katja: (Interrupting)  We haven’t left the house in all of these years; all that I know is here. And the last time I heard the soldiers speak…. We’re rats.They would tear our skin by just opening the door.

Frieda: There are good soldiers too Katja! We can’t die of hunger inside of these walls. The house won’t always save us.

Ebba: I’ll go.

Katja: Are you crazy?

Ebba: No. I know Berlin. I lived in the markets for years. You all aren’t from here, I am.

Frieda: It’s very dangerous…

Ebba: It doesn’t matter. Really…

Tova gets up from her chair and hugs her.

Shiobhan: (Interrupting) Enough!  (slowly gets closer with a cane, takes a seat, looking at Katja) Don’t just stand there, bring me a bowl. We old ladies eat too. What are you all talking about? (no one responds). Frieda?

Frieda: There’s almost no food left. We’re worried.

Shioban: I see.

They all eat in silence.

The same night, Ebba walks through the hall, completely disguising herself; she leaves the house.

Frieda enters the living room. Shiobhan seated in the armchair.

Frieda: Madame –

Shiobhan: No Frieda, I don’t want to listen to you.

Frieda: But-

Shiobhan: A couple of months without me and now the house is a disgrace. What have I taught you all of these years? As the oldest, you should be responsible. And look how you repay me…(imitating her )  There’s no food!

After a few seconds of silence, Frieda speaks.

Frieda: I’ll never be her, right? You’ll never look at me like you looked at her, or love me like her, or give me the merit that you gave her. I was always here mother. And I wasn’t enough for you! You replaced me like I was a piece of meat. Why don’t you throw me to the street?

Shiobhan remains quiet

Frieda: Say something!

Shiobhan: It’s true.

Frieda: What?

Shioban: I would have preferred that they would’ve taken you that morning; that it would’ve been you in her place…Have I not given you everything-

Frieda: (Interrupting) You let them kill Aurora! You sold Corinna! And your dear Mika must be rotting in a ravine. Who else Shiobhan? Who’s the next victim?

Shiobhan: (enraged) I gave you all food, I gave you all a bed and even a family-

Frieda: (Interrupting) A miserable destiny. I would have been better off being raped outside of this house, without having to deal with each one of you; without pretending that everything is fine when we are being bombarded and killed outside every day. Why delay the inevitable? This house is falling apart and we’re being exterminated like rats. Nobody listens to us and you abandon us when we need you the most.

Shiobhan grabs Frieda and forcibly brings her closer. She tries to kiss her.

Frieda: Let me go! Stop! No more of your house. No more of your pathetic mother figure. No more! No woman can be saved, not even you.

Frieda breaks down in tears and leaves the room. At the door she runs into Corinna who’s carrying luggage.

Frieda: You’re leaving too?  (Corinna is quiet. Frieda leaves the room).

Corinna looks at Shiobhan, they both look at each other. Tova enters. She stands looking at Corinna from afar. She tries to say something, and stutters a little. She can’t say anything. Corinna ignores her and leaves.

In the middle of the night Ebba returns. She walks down the hall with bruises on her face.

Meanwhile…

It ‘s dark, Tova enters the room and closes the door. She takes off her shoes, the coat and the shirt. She lets her hair down. She takes out a rope that ‘s under her bed, hangs it from the ceiling, brings the chair just below the rope and places the rope around her neck. She waits a few seconds, exhales, and thinks about it. Katja, walking to her room, sees the closed door and knocks various times. There ‘s no answer. She attempts to open it by force, but she can’t. She screams for help, and after a moment she pries the door open. Tova kicks the chair. Katja runs to her screaming. Ebba hears and runs. Katja and Ebba try to lower Tova, but they can’t. Tova stops moving. Frieda enters the room with a horrified scream. They cry. The three cry inconsolably.

Days later…

No one speaks. It’s not necessary . They can barely eat. They roam the entire house. They hear gunshots and they don’t seek refuge. Words are no longer needed. Ebba leaves again.

The following day…

The three women are in the living room. Shiobhan in a corner, eavesdropping.

Ebba: Philippe… that’s the name of the soldier that saved us the day that they were going to loot the house.

Frieda: Ebba…

Ebba: He had come here before, he was good. He liked me.

Frieda: Enough…

Ebba: (Ignoring her) He’s been feeding us all of these weeks… and offered to get me out of here. I’m leaving in three days.

Katja cries.

Ebba: (Comforting her) There are boats… coming and going from Germany every week, and a few cooks. Philippe could arrange your departure. Any other place is better than here. We’re not safe. Maybe you could go back to your home…

Katja wipes her tears, breathes deeply…  Shiobhan leaves.

Katja: And Frieda?

Frieda: (Speaking with difficulty) I belong here, I’m not leaving.  Shiobhan needs me and I should pay her all of the time that she took care of me.

Ebba: You can’t be serious, really?

Frieda: Don’t argue with me . It’s what I want.

Music is heard coming from Shiobhan’s room. Then screams and then the sound of glass breaking; ornaments, vases…everything breaks. Shiobhan steps out of her room covered in blood. She’s cut. They look at her in fear.

Shiobhan: After all this time. I’ve given you every drop of my blood. I’ve taken care of you all as if you were of my flesh, my own blood, my own womb. And this is how you repay me? This house keeps us safe. I’m your mother, you all do as I say! You’re alive because that’s how I want it….because I say so!

Shioban  looks at the blood from her hands. She tries to scream but her voice doesn’t make a sound. She can hardly breathe before she faints.

Voice: Shiobhan returns to her room to submerge herself in the debris left inside. Who was Shiobhan?  That… is what I’ll never know. And who were each of those women? Maybe we really loved each other, maybe not. Maybe we were “sisters” for a time to keep the madness at bay. The day came.

Philippe in the door with Ebba’s luggage in his hand. Ebba gives a small box to Freida. Katja is in the doorway by Philippe’s side. Ebba walks down the hall towards the door. She turns around to look at Frieda and the silhouette of Shiobhan from a distance.  

She leaves the house.

The End

Copyright © 2017 by Manifiesto Escénico Producciones

Author’s Note:

From the year 1942, the Costa Rican government built concentration camps for German-Costa Ricans under the submission of the so-called “black lists”. Hundreds of families in all of Latin America were deported and even sent away to Germany. Within those families, Latin American women….German women, granddaughters, daughters and wives.  Costa Rica is not exempt from this atrocity in history. 

…

Dedicated to all of those that suffered, and suffer, in silence because of war. To those that scream without being heard; their voices extinguished…. Today they resound. 

Andrea Miranda

A graduate of the revered School of Dramatic Arts from the University of Costa Rica, Andrea Miranda is a theatre director, playwright, actress, as well as an acting coach for audiovisual projects. Through her work, she seeks to empower awareness in areas of social marginalization, such as poverty, financial inequality, sexual diversity, and women’s rights. She is also active in supporting awareness on issues surrounding climate change. Her outstanding work, embedded with historical and social controversies, includes; Deburdeles (2017), Censuradas (2018) and Cementerio de Ballenas (2020).

Andrea is the founder of Manifiesto Escénico Producciones. She currently resides in the United States where she is actively working on her next project.

A Note from W.O.C.

It is the intent in W.O.C. to be a platform for voices of reason and artistic endeavors from around the world, while also being a platform for personal views pointing out the absurdities that abound around us.

Usually I persuade reason in my storytelling using my inner satirical voice. However, given the hard plight of so many people in the world, existing generation after generation – especially the plight of women in regards to physical abuse – it is my determination to stray from my comfort zone, where necessary, to include a more somber point of view in contention to some seriously f’ed up shit in this world.

Thus, I include this small masterpiece, titled Deburdeles (Of Brothels), in purpose of showcasing the insanity of our past (and present), but also as a means to showcase my deep love and respect for women in general, for whom we owe everything, literally. This is only one piece of reality, out of many, you can find in W.O.C., but none more important to address.   

Some of us walk through life relatively unscathed by true terror, living in a bubble where indignities we would never wish upon our loved ones are brushed aside as yesterday’s headlines. Not for lack of empathy, but in the pursuit of happiness. There is nothing wrong about that. The pursuit of happiness in itself is a noble cause. However, true happiness in life is a facade given the reality of the world in which we live, where according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 1 in 5 women will be raped in their lifetime.

These are your sisters, your mothers, your aunts, your nieces, your wives, your daughters, your girlfriends….so yeah, the subject matter may make people uncomfortable, but it’s something that can’t just be swept under a rug and dismissed as yesterday’s news. The horror is not going to stop and that is the scary thing… especially for those victimized, past, present and future. – T.K. 

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