Other Possible Worlds
by Ben Gavarré
Existential comedy
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GUSTAVO: A man in his 40s, bohemian and melancholic. His clothing is classic with a "vintage" touch. He often seems to talk to himself.
GABRIEL: A man in his 30s, lively, pragmatic, and with a sometimes hurtful sense of humor. His clothes are modern and branded.
THE INNER VOICE (Off-stage): Deep and enigmatic.
Setting:
An apartment in Madrid. It's a cozy space with a retro style, full of books, vinyl records, and old objects. In one corner, two dog bowls. The atmosphere is warm and dim.
ACT I
(The curtain rises. It's morning. Gustavo is sitting at his desk, writing in a notebook. Next to him, a dog sleeps peacefully. A second, empty bowl is on the side. Gabriel enters, holding a cup of coffee.)
GABRIEL
(Laughs)
Morning, Gustavo. Did you wake up in a different universe again? What reincarnation theory are we on today?
GUSTAVO
(Without looking up)
I'm not in the mood for jokes, Gabriel. I feel like this is my last reincarnation. I know it. On May 17, 1985, at 3:15 in the morning, not only was I born, but an old soul was born, a soul that has lived and died countless times. That's why I no longer know anyone, and everyone I've ever known has left.
GABRIEL
What? Where did you get that from?
GUSTAVO
(Dramatically)
I read it on a metaphysical podcast. They say that at the end of your reincarnation cycle, the universe begins to strip you of everything unnecessary. Childhood friends, past loves, cousins you grew up with. Everything that ties you to previous worlds. Life is preparing me to transcend.
GABRIEL
(Pours himself some coffee and sits down)
Ah, right. You're preparing to die. Well, good for you. I, on the other hand, am thinking of living my life as if it were my first, not my last.
GUSTAVO
It's not funny! Every night, when I go to bed, I feel my body die. And the next day, I wake up in a body almost identical to the one I had in a slightly different universe. Don't you see? The people I know in this universe, when I sleep, they are left behind. And when I wake up, in this new universe, they're not here. But you are.
GABRIEL
(Stares at him)
Yes, and that makes me a little uneasy. I do remember them. In fact, I've shown you their Facebook profiles, their vacation photos, I follow them on Instagram. They haven't disappeared. You're the one who can't see them.
GUSTAVO
(Sits down and sighs)
It's just that they don't remember me. It's as if in this universe, I never knew them. I've written to some. They act like they don't know me.
GABRIEL
(Shrugs)
Well... I told you. Maybe you're a fictional character that I'm writing. That's why you have no past, because your story is just beginning. You're my imaginary friend.
GUSTAVO
Don't say that! It scares me.
ACT II
(A few weeks later. The apartment is the same, but now there are books on quantum physics and philosophy. Gustavo has his eyes closed, in a meditating pose. Gabriel enters the scene, dressed in sports clothes and with a towel over his shoulder.)
GABRIEL
Have you connected with your higher self yet? Did it tell you that reincarnation is a hoax and that you're actually a defective android?
GUSTAVO
(Slowly opens his eyes)
Something like that. The inner voice told me I'm an "old soul" and that my mission is to transcend in this life. If I don't, I'll be trapped in this cycle, and my soul will never die or reincarnate into another. It spoke to me about the importance of detachment and happiness.
GABRIEL
(Laughs)
How silly. That's nonsense. It's much simpler.
(Gabriel stands in front of him, theatrically.)
GABRIEL
I am the spirit of a person you once knew, but who lives trapped in another universe, contact me, I'll give you my phone number...
(Gabriel pulls out his phone and shows it to Gustavo. Gustavo, trembling, takes the phone and dials the number. Gabriel's phone rings instantly.)
GABRIEL
(Laughs loudly)
Oh, Gustavo. See? It's me. Don't take things so seriously. Life is a joke.
GUSTAVO
(With a shaky voice)
It's just... Mauricio. The man I lived with for five years. He called me.
GABRIEL
And? You didn't want to see him anymore, did you?
GUSTAVO
(Stands up)
He told me his name wasn't Mauricio. That his name was Fernando and he lived ten blocks from here. That we were a couple a while ago, but I asked him not to see me anymore...
GABRIEL
Do you remember Mauricio?
GUSTAVO
(With a shaky voice)
Of course I remember. And you do too. Don't you?
GABRIEL
(Stares at him)
Yes, I remember. The one who was my imaginary friend. Right?
ACT III
(The apartment is the same. Gustavo has his eyes closed, in the armchair, with a placid smile. The phone rings and rings, but he doesn't answer it. The dog Aristotle is lying at his feet. The inner voice is heard off-stage.)
THE INNER VOICE
It is true. The universe is more complicated than you can imagine. If you think you can know it, you are deluded. Live your life, enjoy every moment, and be happy with the pleasures of being alive. If you are not the same tomorrow, it doesn't matter. You will still think you are the same even if you are someone else.
(Gustavo slowly opens his eyes. He gets up and walks around the room. He ignores the phone. He picks up a pen and a notebook. He begins to draw. It's not a normal drawing, it's a map of what seems to be constellations. Gabriel enters, but this time, his clothing is different. More modern and colorful. He approaches Gustavo, smiling.)
GABRIEL
Hello, Gustavo. What are you doing?
GUSTAVO
I'm... I'm drawing. Who are you?
GABRIEL
What? I'm Gabriel. Your best friend. You know... the one who doesn't exist.
(Gabriel laughs. Gustavo looks at him with an enigmatic smile. He approaches him and hugs him. It's a hug that, all of a sudden, feels strange and unreal.)
GUSTAVO
And in this universe, do we know each other too? Or did I just wake up and you're a new creation of my mind?
GABRIEL
What does it matter? Let's live in this universe. Enjoy every moment and be happy with the pleasures of being alive.
(Gustavo smiles and nods. He sits back down in the armchair and begins to meditate, while Gabriel sits next to him, checking his phone, not paying attention to him. The light slowly fades. Gabriel's figure begins to fade, becoming translucent, until he disappears completely. The last image is of Gustavo alone, in the armchair, with a peaceful smile. A deep, enigmatic laugh is heard.)
GABRIEL
(Off-stage)
And if not... maybe I'm the one in a different universe. And you're just my imaginary friend.
(The curtain falls.)
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