Exercises from the Energheia Writing Course 2024

Hallo, my name is Inigo Montoya

Teacher: Tabea Hawkins (Energheia International Writing Course 2024)

Theme: Dialogue at a bus stop, this was in collaboration with a classmate and their character

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First stop bus

You’re also waiting?

(Nods)

Isn’t it obvious? You’re clearly not the only one.

(Puts her hands up in a defensive manner)

I was only asking.

Anyways, it was supposed to come ten minutes ago.

I’m going to walk.

You do you. I’ll call a taxi.

Why would you bother? It’s so expensive!

Do you think I’m that poor?!

I think it’s a waste, no matter how rich you are.

I won’t walk. It wastes too much energy. So, if you want to go, just go and leave me alone.

Well… I think it’s important for you to walk. Some day you won’t be able to anymore.

So now you think you know what’s good for me?

I don’t think you know what’s good for you!

Whatever. I’m calling my taxi. Are you coming with me or not?

(She hesitates)

Where are you going?

I don’t know yet. And you?

I want to go to the sea.

And you’d walk there?

I trust these legs of mine.

Okay, so I guess we’re in it together.

Are you sure? Am I fit to be your companion?

Mmmm I don’t know. I was just trying to be nice.

You didn’t start out that way.

Neither did you. Whatever. (Pause) Truth or dare.

What? Truth or dare?

Yeah. What are you choosing?

Tara van Gent

***

The second stop bus

„Why do you think it should be yours?”

“Because it´s mine! I want it!”

“No kid it can´t be yours it´s bigger than us. And besides you have nowhere to put it.”

“Mine, mine.” cried the child.

The old man said: “do you even know how much I worked for it?

How much I sacrificed for it? How many years of my existence it took me? Oh well you could have never even imagined. Nowadays creatures like you think they can climb mountains without making a step. Fly high without falling. But you know what little boy? The world wasn´t made for you to run it. What has your greedy nature made you to be? Sharing little boy that’s the key.”

The kid took a break from crying and asked:

“Why do you hate me so much?”

“The tourists took away so much from me. Tourists like you, your parents and probably your grandparents. I had a home a beautiful home my childhood home. I grew up there, my parents died there, and all my memories lay there. And then you came, you made everything expensive because you can only take. And I, who lived here all my life, was forced to sell my home, my childhood and my memories. You took it away from me and now it is a hotel. You lay in my bed. You took everything away because you want to see the colosseum with your greedy eyes. I was going to take it away from you and then finally there would have been justice.”

But the child was not looking at the colosseum his eyes were fixed on the earth on a spot right in front of him. Without looking at him he asked: “What’s even the colosseum?”. The old man lowered his eyes and finally he looked at the object that caused so much despair to the child: it was just a gelato on his head.