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NELLY: I was actually hoping that one of you would give me a seat. After all, you will be going soon, you will sit in the study for a while longer, and you have been sitting here for so long, and I will be here for a long time.
Julia: never mind, I'll go to the office soon, so you'll take my place. Sit down and relax. I don't see a problem here.
There is a roar from the children.
Julia jumps up from her seat.
JULIA: my God, Vika, how are you so unlucky…
Julia runs away to the children.
Nellie sneaks in and sits down in the empty chair.
NELLIE: Oooooooooo (stretches out her legs) how good it felt right away…
JEANNE: Yes… At such moments, you realize how little a person needs to be happy. I came home from the cold – and it's warm there. Happiness?
NELLIE: Well, Yes. Or when you run from the theater after a performance to the toilet and run first, while there is no queue yet. This is such happiness!!!
JEANNE: Oooh… Yes… However, this happiness is almost impossible. Almost always there is some trash that has time to rush forward.
NELLY: And not alone!
JEANNE: here! Which is quite a shame. And most importantly, you look, in men's clothes – so freely. They walk quietly back and forth, you look in while the door is open, and there are plenty of free places. So you envy the men, they generally have an easier life. And you have fifteen bodies ahead of you, and no one cares what's already gurgling in your ears. As you want, so get out…
NELLY: Yes, as you want? In our case, everything is as usual.
JEANNE: Here. You're a friend to the point. Every girl's middle name is patience. How much we have to suffer from them in life…
NELLIE: Oh, don't tell me. You have to suffer so much before you can get even a little warmth.
JEANNE: I have to. And what is interesting, every time on the same rake!
NELLIE: YES!
Laugh.
ZHANNA: but the conversation still started for happiness. So, when these "rakes" do not poison our lives, or at least do not poison us much, then this is also a great happiness. Isn't it?
NELLIE (after thinking it over, agrees): Happiness. But these "rakes" can not only poison life. That's when you're on a bus full of people and a man gives you a seat. This is also happiness!
JEANNE: OH, Yes, it is. Especially if there are several girls standing next to this man, and he gives way to you, this is generally ecstasy.
Laugh.
NELLIE: No, I would have split it up. When a man gives way, it is happiness. But when you see the fierce envious glances of other ladies that the place was given to you, that's ecstasy!
They both laugh.
Jea
NELLY: Nelly! (holds out his hand in response).
Awkwardly shake hands, smile at each other.
Julia returns, sees that her place has been taken, puts her hands on her hips, looks at Nelly with displeasure.
JULIA: I'm having A lot of fun here. I've got a girl's forehead bruised, and they're gri
NELLIE: that's not what we're laughing about. We have a dispute about men.
JEANNE (corrects Nelly): About happiness!
Nellie looks at Jea
NELLY: About men and happiness. Where else to talk about this as in a children's clinic.
Nellie and Jea
Julia shakes her head disapprovingly, with all the accumulated resentment goes to the office door, quickly pulls the handle.
JULIA (belligerently): So, how long can I sit there?
The door suddenly swings open and hits Yulia's forehead. Dina runs out of the office with a cheerful laugh, followed by a cheerful laughing woman doctor.
Julia falls to the floor, loses consciousness. Her daughter Vika comes ru
VIKA (softly, barely audible over the laughter of the women coming out of the office): Mom, mom, mom…
DINA (laughing merrily): I won! I told them they couldn't stand it and would look in! (reproachfully turns to the girls sitting on the chairs) Girls, how long can you sit? Well, you have the nerve. I thought I was going to lose the argument. I would have looked in ten times and blown the place to hell, but I got an appointment. And you are sitting… eh, the wrong generation is growing up, there is no core in you that was in our time.
DOCTOR (turns to a friend): Yes, Dina, a deal is a deal. Cahors next time with me.
DINA: Two! (Shows two fingers) We had a two-bubble argument.
DOCTOR: Well, two, two… That's it, go on, I have to work. Who's next?
The doctor examines the bullfighter and draws attention to the lying Julia and the crying child next to her.
DOCTOR: yeah. This, the next patient, as I understand (looks at Yulia). Dina wait, don't go. Let's get some help. We'll drag the body into the office together.
Dina and the doctor drag Yulia into the office by the hands and feet, and the child comes in with them.
Dina goes out, closes the door behind her, and addresses the seated girls.
DINA: Phew… (sighs). What about the girl? Nerves? Or oxygen starvation? It's a little stuffy in here. Long lies?
JEANNE: So you're her… (changes her mind to explain). Yes, oxygen starvation, it seems. Literally fell in front of you shortly before. She's a strange girl. Not adequate, it seems.
DINA: Come on, who is adequate now in our time. Fainting isn't a big deal. Now her friend will pump it out.
NELLIE: Friend? I'm sorry, but what did you go to the doctor about? Where is your child?
DINA: my child is in Los Angeles, building a career. And the mother here is dying of melancholy. So I stopped by a school friend's house and watered it down for an hour.
NELLIE: Wow. Here people sit waiting, in a hurry, and they talk there, remember their school years?
DINA: WHAT's the BIG deal? You know, girl, from the height of my experience, I can say that all the fuss that is very important to you right now, it's all zilch. A prolonged zilch that has no significant value in life.
NELLIE: What? So the fact that I worry about my child, that I take care of my girl, bring her to the doctor when she is ill – it's all not important? Is it zilch?
DINA: That's not what I mean. It is necessary to take care, it is absolutely necessary. I'm talking about the rush, the rat race that you all participate in. After all, you are always in a hurry somewhere, somewhere in a hurry. Jump over each other's heads in your ghostly dreams. What don't I know? I was like that myself.
JEANNE: You can see it. You have a lot of nerve. You were arguing about something, weren't you?" More precisely about someone. About us, right? People sitting outside the door, waiting for help. You sit there, have fun, hold up the queue, the doctor, and then start teaching us how to live? Go, woman, go. It's already stuffy in here.
DINA: Well,well… Okay. Why talk to you? Everyone is used to stuffing their bumps, we do not like to listen to advice. Here we go…
Dean starts to leave.
The office door opens, and Yulia comes out, her head tied up, holding the child's hand.
Dina whirls around, waving her hands.
DINA: Ugh, Christmas trees… I forgot to tell you about cucumbers!
Dina pushes Yulia out into the corridor, shoves Jea
Dina dashes into the office, slamming the door behind her.
JEANNE (to everyone): Did you see that? In a woman. No shame, no conscience, but assertiveness… you'll enjoy this.
NELLIE: Yes… there are still instances of Soviet stagnation. They don't know how to speak properly, they don't have any education, they don't have any life achievements, and everyone thinks they're the smartest.
Julia pulls the bandage off her head, checks the bump, and begins to dress the child.