The Retreat Flashcards
1) Mantra
Luke is kneeling in front of the shrine. There is a meditation ritual of
sorts happening, decided by the performer.
Luke: Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hun.
The door quietly opens and Tony enters, dressed in more urban clothing and carrying a rucksack.
Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hun.
Tony quietly approaches Luke and watches him for a moment. Luke doesn’t notice him, he’s so deep in concentration.
Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hun.
After a beat Tony quietly steps further inside the hut. He goes over to
the bed – looks through the books on the shelf.
Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hum – Om mani padme hun.
Then he goes over to the kitchen area. Looks through the cooking
implements.
Tony picks up a container of metal spoons – then deliberately drops
the spoons on the stone floor, making a loud noise.
Luke leaups up in shock, turns round.
(freaked) Aaaaaah!
Tony: (mock-freaked) Aaaaaaahhhhh!
Luke: (scared) I haven’t got anything, take it all!
Tony: Cheers, but I’ve got enough spoons as it goes.
Tony takes off his hat and scarf, revealing his face.
Luke: Tony??
2) Tony??
Tony: Just thought I’d pay you a little visit. You don’t mind do you? It’s
been too long.
Luke: How – how did you get here?
Tony: Train to Glasgow, bus to Inverness, hitched. Then when I finally
got here I had to walk up a fucking mountain and get past your
bouncers – a couple of baldy monks in purple robes.
Luke: Didn’t you think about – phoning ahead?
Tony: I did – last week. They said I couldn’t talk to you, or even leave a
fucking message.
Luke: They’re not supposed to disturb me while I’m on retreat.
3)
Tony: What if it’s important?
Luke: I guess they have to make a judgement on how important it is…
Tony: Right, and you told them: ‘if it’s Tony, it’s definitely not important
– in fact make sure you tell him to go fuck himself.’
Luke: No, I never mentioned you actually.
Tony: It is important, as a matter of fact. Really important. Yeah, I’ve got news. Big news.
Luke: Right?
4)
Tony: The thing is… I don’t know how to say this… but… it’s –
Raymond.
Beat.
Raymond’s dead.
Luke takes this in.
It happened last week. He had a stroke. Brain haemorrhage. Totally out of the blue. He was in hospital for about five days and then – that was it.
Luke: Right.
Beat – then:
Who’s – Raymond?
Tony: Dad’s uncle. Uncle Raymond.
Luke: Oh right. In Canada?
Tony: Yup.
Luke: Didn’t Dad used to call him Ray?
5)
Tony: Raymond, Ray – what does it matter? The point is, he’s dead.
Luke: Right.
Tony: Yeah. It must be a bit of a shock.
Luke: Was he, in pain when he died, or… ?
Tony: I dunno. I didn’t get a chance to actually see him. I mean he’s in Canada, so.
Luke: Right.
6)
Tony: So. The funeral’s next week.
Luke: Okay.
Tony: Vancouver. It’s about ten hours away. But it’s off-season, so we could get tickets pretty cheap.
Luke: Okay. Normally, of course I’d come… but right now it’s difficult. I’m kind of – busy.
Tony: Doing what?
Luke: My retreat. It’s a three-month retreat on compassion. I’ve still got over a month to go, so…
7)
Tony: You’re so busy being compassionate you can’t go to Uncle Ray’s funeral?
Luke: We never actually met him.
Tony: Yeah we did.
Luke: When?
Tony: When he came over, that Christmas.
Luke: When we were kids?
8)
Tony: Yeah.
Luke: I don’t remember.
Tony: Well, I do. He gave me a water-powered rocket.
Luke: Right? And that was a big deal for you?
Luke: Maybe you could – represent me at the funeral?
9)
Tony: Represent you? Like your lawyer? What do you expect me to tell them? ‘Sorry, Luke couldn’t make it. There was some urgent sitting needed, and there wasn’t anyone else available with an arse.’
Luke: I can be more help to Ray staying here than I could by watching his body being burned.
Tony: Help him? It’s a bit late for that.
Luke: There’s still time to do a powa for him…
Tony: A what?
Luke: Powa. P-O-W-A. It’s a special ceremony us Buddhists perform when someone’s died. It takes seven to ten days after death for the very subtle mind to leave the body. As long as you perform the powa before then, it can make all the difference.
10)
Tony: Make what difference?
Luke: You chant the mantra to purify the person’s negative karma and help them towards a fortunate rebirth. It’s one of the kindest gifts you can give.
Tony: Just for the record, I’d prefer some Quality Street or a cake.
Luke: A cake won’t be much use to you once you’re dead.
Tony: And a ‘powa’ would be?
Luke: Absolutely.
11)
Tony: So if I died, you’d sit around for hours praying for my soul?
Luke: Yes.
Tony: That’s really annoying.
Luke: You’d be dead.
Tony: Exactly. I won’t be around to tell you what a dick you’re being.
Luke: Look, I appreciate you coming all this way to see me, but…
12)
Tony: ‘…but I’m sitting on my arse getting high on my own supply, so piss off and leave me alone’?
Luke: That’s not what I’m saying.
Tony: Well, that’s what I’m hearing.
