The Testing of a Wizard - Viktor Gitin

though it is very hard to do so… Perhaps genuine friendship is real happiness and a great miracle itself!

GELO – If you understand all of this, then why don’t you return to people, and open up your soul once again…

HERMIT – What for? So, they could spit in it again! I don’t trust anyone.

GELO – Just try!

HERMIT – I tried so many times and all I received was disappointment! Everyone wants to rummage through your soul.

GELO – But if you don’t search, you will never find anything. It’s the same with love if you never try, you will never fall in love.

HERMIT – But rejection is very hard to take!

GELO – But the joy of acceptance is so wonderful.

HERMIT – Leave me alone! …

GELO – Imagine the heart of your friend or even a loved one beating in unison with yours! For the sake of that kind of love, won’t it be worth the suffering and rejection, because suffering can cleanse your soul.

HERMIT – No! Because suffering makes you depressed.

GELO – You get depressed because you have no faith. If you have faith, then it elevates you and makes you stronger. Believe in love and friendship! Believe in people!

HERMIT – I’m afraid! …

GELO – Please believe me; I swear I won’t betray you…

HERMIT – But you will leave? …

GELO – So what? You said yourself that a friend is not a possession or a commodity which is kept in a closet. Friendship is not based on distance.

HERMIT – If you go, I will be sad and miss you…

GELO – You could move to the town where I live. Lizy and I could live next to you and be neighbours. I know she would be happy.

HERMIT – Thank you Gelo, I will think about it…

GELO – And I will wait, definitely come!

HERMIT – And now you will go?

GELO – Sorry, but I have to hurry. I feel better now. Your herbs helped me.

HERMIT – Maybe you could stay a little longer? … (with despair) I understand…

GELO – I’m sorry to leave you.

HERMIT – And I’m sorry to see you leave.

GELO – But we will surely meet again. I know it. After all I’m a Wizard. Till we meet again!

HERMIT – Goodbye … (Gelo leaves, and Hermit watches him.) Till we meet again.... friend.

There is a sound of a gong. Hermit walks up to the hourglass and turns it over.

Music plays. Blackout.

In a cave lies Lizy, exhausted by the long journey. Hermit appears. He shakes off the snow and rain off his clothes. He discovers Lizy sleeping. He walks around her in astonishment trying to understand how she got there. Lizy wakes up and looks at Hermit with fear.

LIZY – Please forgive me… I didn’t mean to intrude. The weather is so awful out there… And I’m very tired… But don’t worry I haven’t done anything bad to your cave. I will leave now.

HERMIT – Don’t worry about it. Don’t hurry. Strange, how did you get here?

LIZY – Don’t think bad about me, I’m a decent girl. I’m looking for my fiancé.

HERMIT – Stranger still, the last woman I saw here in the mountains was never married.

LIZY – How do you know that?

HERMIT – Because of her face and figure! With a face and figure like hers there is no way that she could be married. Even with a big dowry.

LIZY – (Upset, almost crying) I just got lost, and didn’t know where to go.

HERMIT – Calm down. In a second, I will make something to eat.

LIZY – Thank you, but do not bother… maybe I could help you with something?

HERMIT – Just relax. Instead tell me why your fiancé dumped you?

LIZY – He didn’t dump me! He went on a very important and difficult mission. But I waited for a few days and then decided to follow him. I want to help him with his task… We love each other very much. That’s why I’m a very happy person.

HERMIT – Just don’t say that to every person you meet.

LIZY – Why?

HERMIT – Because people usually take other’s failure with a higher regard then their own success. But what leaves an even worse taste in their mouth is other people’s happiness.

LIZY – But I want to share my joy with the whole world. Especially since my darling confessed that he loved me.

HERMIT – But don’t you know that men’s confessions of love are only valid when they are being said, after that they are history.

LIZY – I don’t understand.

HERMIT – How should I put this…? You see if a man tells you that he loves you, it doesn’t mean that you’re the only one.

LIZY – I still don’t understand you. I know that he loves only me. And I love only him. You probably say this because you live here alone. And you don’t have any friends or loved ones.

HERMIT – No. A few days ago I found a new friend. I trust him. And he is very dear to me.

LIZY – Then you should understand me. My darling is the cleverest man!

HERMIT – My friend is clever too.

LIZY – He is very kind!

HERMIT – Mine too.

LIZY – My fiancé and is honest and brave.

HERMIT – And my friend too.

LIZY – He has a very strong character.

HERMIT – Mine has too.

LIZY – I like his sincere smile very much.

HERMIT – I like it too.

LIZY – And his soul is pure and enlightened…

HERMIT – …Like a ray of light in darkness!

LIZY – My darlings name is Gelo…

HERMIT – …My friend too!

LIZY – So he’s been here?!

HERMIT – Then you must be Lizy?!

LIZY