Read The Nightmares of Carlos Fuentes for Free Online

walks over.) Come on. Let’s have a drink a water.
    KEVIN goes to put the bottle to CARLOS ’ lips. CARLOS pulls away and tries to reach for the bottle himself, but realises his hands are cuffed .
    CARLOS: (Weak.) Why…
    KEVIN: What’s that?
    CARLOS grabs the bottle and takes a drink .
    Pause .
    CARLOS: Why am I in handcuffs?
    KEVIN sighs and sits back down .
    KEVIN: Are we gonna have to go through this rigmarole again? (Shakes his head and smiles.) ’E, honestly. It’s every time with you. (Slowly as if he is speaking to a child.) My name’s Kevin. Your name’s Salim. I’m a security guard. You are a prisoner. We are at Heathrow Airport.
    CARLOS looks confused as he takes it all in .
    CARLOS: I was asleep.
    KEVIN: That’s right. (Slowly.) You were asleep. You was having a little snooze.
    CARLOS: I don’t remember…what am I doing here?
    KEVIN: Don’t worry. It’ll come back to ya. You’re always a bit woozy when ya wake up. Cos a ya medication.
    The airport tannoy system cuts in. The voice is female, English and received pronunciation .
    KEVIN stops to listen .
    TANNOY: Boarding call for American Airlines flight AA15 to New York. Boarding now at gate seven.
    KEVIN: Not us. Are ya hungry? I divn’t knaa about ye but I’m always a bit peckish when a wake up from a nap. I’ve got… (Looks in his bag and takes out food.) I’ve got sandwiches. There’s ham and cheese. Or there’s (Reading box.) Mediterranean-style crunchy tuna. Nah? (Taking it out.) Salt and vinegar Hula Hoops? Or…or a banana? (Pulls out an over-ripe banana.) It’s a bit black like, but it’ll be alreet if ya take the top off. (Beat.) Nah? It’ll be a while till the feed us on the plane. (Beat.) Aye, well just let us knaa if ya change ya mind. They’re in me bag. Here? Salim? What d’ya reckon to these sunglasses?
    KEVIN roots around in his bag .
    CARLOS: Where’s…
    KEVIN takes out a pair of Oakley sunglasses, puts them on and turns to face CARLOS .
    KEVIN: The Oakleys? Or the…
    KEVIN takes off the Oakleys and looks inside his bag .
    CARLOS: Where’s my…
    KEVIN puts on a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses .
    KEVIN: Or the Ray-Bans? (Taking them off.) Tell the truth. It’s the Oakleys isn’t it? The Ray-Bans are too big for me heed. I look like a Russian cosmonaut gannin to the moon…
    CARLOS: Where is my wife?…
    KEVIN: That’s ten pund doon the drain.
    CARLOS: Where is my wife?
    KEVIN: I don’t know.
    CARLOS: Please. Can I call her? She will come for me.
    KEVIN: No. She won’t.
    CARLOS: Please. Can I speak to her?
    KEVIN: No. You can’t. Ya not allowed to contact her.
    CARLOS: Why?
    KEVIN: Jesus! Maybe cos you violently assaulted her.
    CARLOS: I don’t remember.
    KEVIN: (Smiling.) Didn’t stand up in court did it?
    CARLOS: Why can’t I remember?
    KEVIN: Ya medication. For ya nightmares. So ya can sleep without having those bad dreams that make ya gan all (Does the crazy sign with his finger.) doolally.
    TANNOY: Flight number 4678. British Airways to Berlin. Now boarding at gate nineteen. Can all passengers please proceed to gate nineteen.
    KEVIN checks his watch .
    KEVIN: They should be calling us soon.
    CARLOS: Are we going somewhere?
    KEVIN: Aye. We’re gannin to Baghdad.
    CARLOS: To Iraq?
    KEVIN: (Laughing.) Aye. Baghdad’s in Iraq. Well ye should knaa. It’s your home toon.
    CARLOS: What?
    KEVIN: I said ye should knaa.
    CARLOS: I don’t understand you. Are you speaking English?
    KEVIN: Ya cheeky bastard. What d’ya think I’m speaking? French?
    CARLOS: (Confused.) But I don’t understand French. Can you speak in English please?
    KEVIN: I am speaking English! I’m English! Who the fuck are ye to tell me to speak in English?
    CARLOS: I am sorry.
    KEVIN: Aye, well. Just watch yesel’. That’s all I’m sayin’.
    CARLOS: Why are you taking me to Iraq?
    KEVIN: Well we’re gannin to Istanbul first. Three hours… (Taking out tickets from his bag.) Nearly four hours. Then we got a six-hour wait for the connection.