PETER: Can I come in? Are you OK? Why don’t you answer?
JOSH: I’m busy!
PETER: Can I….?
JOSH: You all ready have!
PETER: Damn! I’m tired…(on the table are a pitcher of water and two glasses) Can I have a drink?
JOSH: Please.
(He pours a glass of water, and hands it to Peter)
PETER: Thanks! Why so dark? OK if I turn on the light?
JOSH: It’s fine for me… Everything is clear enough.
PETER: I’m Peter… parked out on the highway. Phone is dead. Lucky I could see your light from the road. Do you have a phone?
JOSH: What do you need a phone?
PETER: I’m out of gas. Need to call AAA.
JOSH: I don’t have one.
PETER: How can you live without a phone? OK if I recharge mine?
JOSH: Go ahead.
(Peter fiddles with his phone and charger and plugs them in)
PETER: What’re you so busy with?
JOSH: I’m writing something. I have to be careful not to be pedantic…. Would you like to help me while you wait?
PETER: OK, but I have to get home. I have to be at work early.
JOSH: Where have you been?
PETER: Tides Beach, windsurfing.
JOSH: Did you have fun?
PETER (starts to unplug his phone): I don’t have time for discussions. I’ll go out and stop somebody for a lift or for a phone.
JOSH: Cars don’t stop here at night!
PETER (plugging the phone back in): How do you know? Have you tried to stop cars?
(Pause)
JOSH: Come here, please glance at what I wrote.
(Pause)
PETER (approaches): Too dark. I can’t make any thing out.
JOSH: Turn on the light.
(Peter obeys. The room fills with light. Joshua tips a page up.)
Can you make it out now?
PETER (studies): Sorry, I can’t understand your writing.
JOSH (sighs): I suppose so….It’s my business…I’m writing a philosophy tract…and toward the end I bump into contradictions. I need to take a different view.
PETER: How can I help? I’m just normal computer programmer. You want me to understand philosophy?
JOSH: You may be just the person I need. Describe “The American Dream”.
(Pause)
PETER: Ah…It does exist, but not exactly.. It’s sort of gut feeling that every body has.
JOSH: Good…. Now, what is the dream for you,…. Peter?
PETER: Why me?
JOSH: I’m just curious.
PETER: I want to be happy.
JOSH: Go on….more concretely?
PETER: I want friends, a family, some children, and a house in a good neighborhood.
JOSH: All the while you feel that you could possibly be a millionaire?
PETER: Earlier maybe, but now I see it will take a long time.
JOSH: Do you have a wife?
PETER: Girl friend…
JOSH: Why aren’t you married?
PETER:
