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| Courtesy of Iliriapress |
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| Anton Zako �ajupi |
| AFTER DEATH - "PAS VDEKJES" An one-act comedy :- to the memory of the late Nikol Du�i, national activist of the past - Action takes place at the Albanian Salonica Club in 1910 Characters: Miss Lulushe - a school mistress for girls Mr. Adham-Uti - a healer and a writer Mr. Vurko - a journalist Zeneli - an employee at the Salonica Club headed by Sk�ndo Bey (editor-in-chief of �Lirija� (Freedom), the Young Turk newspaper) Scene I |
| Faqja Page 10 |
| Zeneli, Adham-Uti (The characters enter the club room together. The room is furnished with two armchairs and a table in the centre which is heaped with newspapers and manuscripts. To the right is a closet, to the left is a wall telephone.) Adham-Uti (angrily): What is going on here? I don�t understand a thing. Your employer, the head of this club, promised to meet me here at 8 P.M. and you tell me he is not coming! You even have the audacity to ask me who I am! Did you not inform him that I, Dr Adham-Uti, have arrived and am presently waiting for him?... Zeneli (with a smirk): Doctor Efendi, I was not able to speak to the bey because he is not here today. Adham-Uti: What the devil!... Zeneli: What? Oh, please don�t use that word again because... Adham-Uti (to himself): I think this man has lost his wits completely! |
| Scene II Adham-Uti, Vurko, Zeneli Vurko (in a huff): Zeneli, has Sk�ndo Bey arrived yet? Zeneli: No, Vurko, and I don�t think he is coming at all. Wait for a moment though in case there is any work for you. Vurko (sitting down): I�ll wait until he comes. Adham-Uti (pompously): I shall wait a little longer too, although I really have much work to be done! Vurko (whispering into Zeneli�s ear): Who is he? Zeneli (in a loud voice): What? You don�t recognize him? This gentleman is DOCTOR A-DHAM U-TI from Frash�ri, the famed village Naim Bey comes from, and... Adham-Uti (interrupting him): Naim Frash�ri is not from my village at all. Don�t talk nonsense! Zeneli (with a smirk): Oh, I am so sorry, milord, but... (bowing his head) I am so dreadfully sorry, Dr Adham-Uti! Vurko (snickering): Crocodile tears, Zeneli? What kind of name is that anyway? Adham-Uti (scowling): You do not seem to like it. Vurko (gently): On the contrary, milord, it would seem to be a splendid name. Adham comes from the biblical Adam, our forefather, and Uti must be related somehow to Odysseus of Homeric fame... Zeneli (surprised): Oh, you have an education after all. Silly me, I thought his name was just Albanian... The doctor is a gentleman of the Christian faith, if I am not mistaken. Who knows when we will begin to say our prayers to Saint Adham-Uti, �forever and ever, amen�! Adham-Uti (solemnly) However my name may sound to you (glaring at Vurko), I have always lived up to it! Zeneli (looking at Vurko): Oh, yes, I see. The gentleman is a famed healer! Adham-Uti: And a writer and a poet to boot! Vurko (sitting down): How admirable of you, Doctor Adham-Uti. It is indeed a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And a great honour, too, believe me! My name is Vurko. I am a correspondent of the newspaper �Lightningg.� |
| Adham-Uti: Oh, a reporter, are you? Vurko: Tell me, sir, what do the great figures of the nation have to say about the Albanian question nowadays. I would like to publish a report on the issue in our newspaper. Adham-Uti: You mean you want me to give you an interview? Vurko: Yes, sir, something I can publish in �Lightningg.� Adham-Uti: Stop pronouncing it �Lightningg,� it is �Lightning.� Lightningg, lightning, singingg, singing. I shall have to inform Sk�ndo Bey about your bad pronunciation. The language you people use nowadays is not Albanian at all. Our poor language has fallen into bad hands indeed. And the alphabet you use is quite unacceptable! Vurko (dumbfounded): I don�t understand! It is the alphabet decided upon at the Congress of Monastir. Adham-Uti (furiously): Congress of Monastir? What Congress of Monastir? Who even attended it? Was I there? Vurko (with a smile): Why did you not attend, sir? |
| Adham-Uti: Hah! First you call me �Doctor Efendi� and now I am only a �sir� because I told you the truth. I am telling you things the way they are. And you dare to ask me for an interview! No, no, no! I am not in the habit of giving interviews to newspapers such as yours. Vurko: I never imagined... I did not think for a moment that you would be opposed to newspapers! Adham-Uti: Well, now you know, and can tell the whole world with a bolt of your �Lightning,� if there actually are people who read such a rag! These are my final words on the matter! Vurko: And quite a surprise they are! |
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