After World War II they decided to return to Transylvania, by then a part of Rumania again, because, as he said, a servant of God must always choose the hard way. His father was sentenced to 22 years in prison; his mother remained alone with the seven children without even a knowledge of the language. They were deported to the Rumanian Gulag a thousand kilometres from their home. But Juliet was not ready to give up her freedom and deny her love, and instead she decided to find a way out. Although Juliet is performed by just one actress, it brings alive a multitude of stories, objects, places and situations, with even God stepping onto the scene as the main protagonist in Juliet's escape. Juliet has been on the programme of the Thália Theatre in Budapest for three seasons, playing to full houses. Visky is working on the screenplay of Juliet for the company Eurofilm.
Only then did I realise
that during the five days
they had transported us
none of us had washed
From truck to cattle train
Cattle train to third-class carriage
Third-class carriage to truck
Then when we reached the Rumanian plain
Time, for us, just stopped Five days
Or seven
Or ten
Who knows They passed us on hand to hand
The family was under armed guard Get out, my little lambs
Get out and strip off
On the double
The whole family
Back to Paradise We showered
It was the first time since our eviction
that I saw them laugh
I laughed, too, loudly
Come here
Come here, my little sparrows
They danced a little dance
Ran around in circles
They chased me, too,
with rainwater they had cupped in their hands
to cheer me up I gave them a good scrubbing down
By the time I had finished with them
the sun had come out again Thank you
You even think of a hair-drier
Thank you The camp's other prisoners stood around the house
and watched us
as if they couldn't believe their eyes They waited for me to dress them
in their soaking clothes
and go out to the front of the barracks
to greet them Who are you?
My eldest speaks for all of us
in Rumanian
Where is your mother?
Our mother? That's her, Juliet, our mother
They shook their heads in disbelief
I could, at most, be their eldest sister
if I could
And where's your father gone?
I don't know
They took him away
Sentenced him
To how many years?
Twenty-two
Twenty-two?
The prisoners exchanged glances
What was the charge?
Father's a priest, my eldest replied
A priest
End of story
Is he still alive?
The eldest looks me in the eye
It's not a question he's ever heard before
So dry and matter-of-fact
As if they had asked,
What time is it?
But we didn't know
what the time was
A father has to be alive
What are they talking about?
Of course he's alive, he replied, greedily
More to convince himself and the others I don't know, I don't know, I answered
Why shouldn't he be alive?
They brought us straw
The prisoners brought us dry straw
So many children
Why did you bestow so many children upon me?
Or are they not from you?
Is it worth discussing?
You know how I know
that they are from you?
Well?
You don't know?
I knew, once
From the fact I had seven children
Seven
Aha! Shows you had your hand in it
You waited for the seventh, then
Then it all began
At dawn
Since then I've always woken up at dawn
I hear a dog barking wildly
The beat on the windows
The kick at the door
Speaking a language
I don't understand
My Rumanian has become quite good
But to no avail
I can't understand what I'm dreaming again
Deschideti!
Deschideti imediat!
Militia!*
We gave a jump
My husband, still half-asleep
said
I remember perfectly
Hurry, let's open the door
The Messiah has come again
(Laughs)
In an official jeep
(Laugh)
Then he automatically began
to translate for me
(Lifelessly)
Open up!
Open up this minute!
Police!
He was a man of precision
He didn't waste any time
(Laughs)
Open up!
Open up!
Police!
As if he had said:
Juliet, let's get ready,
they're taking me away now, and…
No! No! No!
I won't tell you the rest!
I still hear it each dawn
they're taking me away now, and…
(Does say it, but with difficulty)
and…
and we will never see each other again, don't worry
No
It's not true
I don't believe it
You heard it too, don't deny it
I am not Job, you understand?
You hear me?
No, and no
The truth will come out at the trial, I told him
Whose truth: theirs or ours?
We don't have our own truth
It wasn't us who invented God
The truth will come out, you hear?
Yes, that's right, it will come out
Yes, that's right, don't be afraid
The seven children made me suspicious
from the start
To whom do you give seven?
To whom?
To someone you have unfinished business with?
Job, I get the signs, don't worry
Haha
You gave him seven, twice
lest he had any illusions and so he might prepare for
the visit
You sent one of your devoted, dutiful
angels
armed from head to toe
and butchered them
All fourteen of them
Seven boys, seven girls
Two times seven
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away"
say the Scriptures
Beautiful
Too beautiful
Picking someone for the job
I can tell you
I'm no Job
I don't understand a word of Job
Not a damn word
At least there is your voice in it
I can hear that coming out
Your voice
At least that
Are you there?
Come on, I said, open it
Before they break the door down and wake up
the children
The children
Everything reminds me of the children
The seventh was one then
while the eldest…
Wait, wait a minute
The eldest was eleven
And as bright as the rising sun
As my husband
A big sleeper, at least
I've got that to thank you for
Slept like a log
The seventh, too
Another big sleeper
I give thanks for this, too
He didn't awaken, either
Not then
They burst in
How many, I can't remember
They stalked up and down the room
always reminding us they had a written order
An order they never showed us
House search
My husband offered them a seat
A seat
Take a seat, gentlemen, he said
with supreme restraint and strictness
Gentlemen
That's what he called them
Nice word, Domnilor
(...)
Take a seat, gentlemen
my husband said
I thought they wouldn't even hear
amidst all that searching
But then something happened
The officer, the official in charge of the operation
Some kind of major
sat down facing us
The others lined up obediently
behind him
They were possessed by obedience
That's how my husband spoke to them
Like someone with power
Thank you, my husband said then
First we have to observe
our morning devotions
They don't understand
We have to say our morning prayer
They understand
Just go on, go on
Don't mind us
Like we weren't even here
Oh but you are here
said my husband
as if he wanted to encourage them
Then he took out his bible
and read out the following passage,
listen carefully:
"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
(annoyed)
Entertain what?
Angels?
Now forgive me, but
let us pray
He cheated
That wasn't the passage due for that day
Was he reading the Scripture for my sake?
That they were angels
sent from the heavens
and I was blind to this
We bowed our heads
He prayed out loud
After the amen he said
A warm welcome, gentlemen
Do with us what you will
Do their will they did
No shortage of that
They concentrated on his desk
They put away everything
they found in the drawers
then handcuffed him and took him away
The angels!
The angels have gone with my husband!
My husband has gone with the angels!
With your angels!
The angel in a leather coat
The chief angel looked me over, all over
before stepping out of the house
(Silence)
I don't know how to cry
I'm good at being distrustful
but no good at crying
Not much good at laughing, either
but my children
persistently teach me how to
When they cried
my heart hardened
With a stone-hard heart I thought:
They are crying to you, not to me
Think of something
"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
and one of them shall not fall on the ground
without your Father.
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore,
ye are of more value than many sparrows."
Do you hear?
The little sparrows are crying!
My children want the end of you!
And I couldn't stand it
if you weren't
Translated by David Robert Evans
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* Pronunciation: Deskidets imediat! Militsia!
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