When Roy Met Giza: Dresden

Time: 10.30pm.

Roy: Giza?

Roy is at bottom of the stairs at platform C at the Dresden train station.

Giza is at the top of the stairs. She doesn’t see Roy.

Roy runs up the stairs. Giza runs down the stairs. She still doesn’t see him.

Halfway through the stairs, Roy grabs Giza’s hand.

Roy: Giza!

Giza is surprised. So surprised, she hits Roy with her bag.

Roy: OW! Giza!

Giza: Oh my god! Roy! Holy fuck. What the fuck. Are you okay?!

1 hour later. 

Lebowski Bar, Dresden.

Roy: …and that’s when I saw your email.

Giza: Oh, wow. You poor thing. Lost your luggage. Almost lost me. It’s been a tough day for you. But do you see the silver living?

Roy: (not impressed) What.

Giza: You get to try on more of my clothes! And I have such a cute oversized sweater. It’ll basically make you look look like a red panda. I’m so excited!

Roy: NO. No. Nooo no no no. No.

Giza: Yes.

Roy: (tired) Fine.

Giza: Okay, yay! Okay. So. It’s almost midnight. What should we do? We actually have two full days left. That’s double Bruges, my friend. Actually, that’s double Istanbul too. Wait… we haven’t had more than a day together since… Glasgow.

Roy: Wow. That was almost a year ago. Yeah. That’s weird.

Giza: I mean, it’s been so long since I saw you that I actually just noticed that you grew a beard. Wtf.

Roy: Thanks?

Giza: Whatever. Let’s not digress. Should we stay in Dresden and go nuts, or head to Berlin in the morning and go nuts there?

Roy: Hmm. Let’s go (searches around and then points) to that shady little Mexican bar over there right now. And then just do what we do best…

Giza: Improvise.

Roy: Yup.

40 hours later.

Sunday. 3pm. 

Förster's Café, Dresden.

Giza: Everything. HURTS.

Roy: Stop. Shouting.

Giza: Stop. Talking.

Roy: Why. Did. You. INSIST. On drinking. That. Second bottle. Of. WHISKY.

Giza: You weren’t complaining when those two girls let you do body shots off them.

Roy: Neither did you! And you were the one who convinced them to do shots off of you first!

Giza: SO WE’RE BOTH GUILTY OF OUR OWN DECISIONS!

Roy: You’re shouting again.

Giza: Sorry.

Roy: We need more water. 

Giza: Yes.

Roy: So, I saw that you’ve been ignoring your dad’s calls all weekend.

Giza: Yeah, I just… you know… before this separation, we would barely talk once a week. And that was fine. I love him, he’s awesome, but we had a good balance. But now. He calls me every single day. And mom… calls me like every 4 hours. I can’t handle it. They’re overcompensating and it’s so annoying.

Roy: It’s only been, what, a month? They’ll adjust to it. (pauses) And how are you… dealing with this whole new situation?

Giza: I’m fine, really. To my surprise, and to theirs too, they are actually, getting along better now. Maybe this is what was meant to happen. They had a good 24 years together. They made me, which was pretty cool. So maybe this was all they were meant to have.

Roy: Yeah, maybe. I just… (pauses)

Giza: What?

Roy: It’s just… tough for me to wrap my head around that. I mean, yeah, I’ve never met them so I don’t know anything about their dynamic together. But… it’s like… the environment I grew up in, parents don’t really think about their individual happiness - or even their combined happiness - after they’ve had kids. Or even if they do, they don’t really act upon those… feelings.

Giza: Isn’t that worse? Being in a unhappy marriage is not good for anyone involved, especially the kids.

Roy: The choice to acknowledge, and then articulate whether a marriage is unhappy is pretty much a first world problem, Giza.

Giza: That’s not fair.

Roy: Which part?

Giza: You try to win arguments with all this stuff about us being from different worlds and it leads to no real progress with what we’re actually talking about. You think that just because you were born in a developing country you get to just say things like that? What about the fact that you were born rich and had all the access you wanted? And this whole british education you got, was that a scholarship? Don’t act like you’re immune from being a part of the problem.

Roy: Woah. Where is all this coming from? I thought we were going to have a normal brunch. Why are you attacking me?

Giza: Because you act like you would know how to act better in my position and that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Roy: I… so you’re saying it’s okay for you to just say anything about me, and I’m supposed to feel guilty for making you do it, because I’m part of the problem… did I summarize that correctly?

Giza rolls her eyes, and makes a ‘ufhhmf’ sound.

Roy: I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted like I know anything about our parents’ marriage. I was just trying to give my perspective and I just… miscalculated my response.

Giza: Apology accepted.

Roy: We’re not as good at this than we thought we were going to be.

Giza: I think we did alright this weekend.

Roy: Why do you think…

Roy stops talking, and starts looking at the people walking past them on the street, just a few feet away from their table.

Giza: (waves her hand in front of his face) Hello?

Roy snaps back.

Roy: Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I thought I was going to take a really short pause before finishing that sentence but clearly it got out of hand.

Giza: Yup.

Roy: What I was saying is… why do you think… that we keep finding ourselves... here?

Giza doesn't say anything, but instead stares right at Roy, who isn't looking at her so he doesn't notice it. 

He does, a few seconds later, as he looks right into her eyes, with a smile on his face.

Roy: What?

Giza: Because of that. 

Roy: Because of what?

Giza: The way you look at me. I know why you're here... (she takes her right index finger and makes an imaginary circle around her face) because this (starts to point to her face but then moves the finger to her head) is just too darn irresistible. But for me, I just... I just like the way your lips do that involuntary widening every time I catch you looking at me. And even though I've seen it a million times before... I just keep wanting to see it again.

Roy: Huh.

Giza: Yeah.

Roy: So that's it? You're just in it for that momentary thrill?

Giza: I just… (looks at the people on the street) you know, getting to know someone, turning a stranger into someone who cares about you… who knows who you are… who you really are. Someone who smiles when they think of you or... (looks back at Roy, who does his involuntary lips widening thing again) look at you. It’s a good feeling. It’s almost… addictive.

Roy: Why is it addictive?

Giza: Because… after you’ve gone through it enough times, you know what happens at the end…

Roy: Okay…

Giza: So when you start over with a new person, you reach a point where you know that it’s the point of no return, and you pass it, not because you think this time will be different… you have no idea about that… but because you like it. You love it. That’s why it’s addictive. You do it even though you know it’s not good for you.

Roy: Why? Why isn’t it good for you?

Giza: Because… when you stop getting to know each other, you take separate paths. And there they go, existing the same way they did before, but now they are someone who knows you. Someone you showed the part of you that isn’t for public display. And knowing that there are people out there in the world who know who I am, and are no longer a part of my life, I hate that.

Roy: I...

Just then, the waiter comes over, asks them if they need anything else, so they order a dessert to share.

Giza: What?

Roy: What, what?

Giza: What were you going to say.

Roy: Oh. Right. I think that… what you said… I’m just… (pauses) I don’t have an answer to that really. I’m sorry.

Giza starts to laugh.

Roy: What’s so funny?

Giza: You must be hating this!

Roy: What? Why?

Giza: Because you hate not knowing things. You either have the answers… and you don’t shy away from making people aware of that. Or you want to know the answers.

Roy: That’s not…

Giza: Is that an answer?

Roy: I…

Giza: Come on, Roy. You want answers. To everything. But you can’t always get them. And you can’t change either because you’re just so damn stubborn.

Roy: Really? So what do you suggest I do?

Their chocolate sundae arrives. Giza takes a spoon, and takes a big bite of the ice cream on top.

Giza: Maybe… (speaking with ice cream in her mouth) some times it’s better to just focus on other questions.

Roy: Oh yeah? Like what?

Giza: Like… like why did we choose to do this… (gestures to them) in this unknown little town.

Roy: Hmm. I don’t know. Sometimes I think that we’re just ‘good time’ chasers. We’re attracted to whatever is unique and new and exciting.

Giza: Doesn’t that scare you?

Roy: Why would happiness scare me?

Giza: Because it’s built on a shaky, time-sensitive premise! You’re assuming that what makes you happy today will make you happy tomorrow or forever, but it won’t. It can’t. Because you’re not always going to be a ‘good time’ chaser. You’re not even going to be you forever. Because you is not permanent. You is constantly changing. Upgrading. Re-doing. Improving. Fucking up. Getting better. Someday, you’re going to just… re-adjust what a ‘good time’ means.

Roy: Yeah. Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. But maybe you will too. Or maybe you won’t. No matter how much we re-adjust how we see the world or what we want… we can’t control how someone else does it. So even if I… in some ridiculous fantasy… wanted to wait for you… how can I really put myself through that when I know that it’s impractical? So yeah. I re-value what makes me happy on a regular basis. Because I don’t want to change before it does.

Giza: I… I wasn’t talking about us.

Roy: Yes, you were. We’re here to talk about us, aren’t we? How can there be anything else on our mind?

Giza: (pauses) So we’re talking the direct route to this conversation. Alright. So let’s just say the things we mean then. Let’s say the things we want to say.

Roy: Things we’ve wanted to say all along?

Giza: Why fucking not, right?

Roy: Yeah. Now is all there is.

Giza: Yup. You go first.

Roy: Okay. I… I wish I met you when I was 30. Am 30. Wait. What’s the correct way to say that?

Giza: ‘I wish I met you in 10 years’?

Roy: Yes. That.

Giza: Of course you do. I’m awesome.

Roy: You don’t feel the same about me?

Giza: Is that the first time you've worried about that?

Roy: Ouch.

Giza: Sorry. And to answer your question... I don’t know. I have no clue who you’ll be when you’re 30. Not going to wish for something when I can’t be sure about what it’ll be when I get it.

Roy: Jeez, Geez. (pauses) Okay. I’m afraid to say this, but… your turn.

Giza: Ooooh. Alright. I wish that I was better at communicating.

Roy: Ah. Okay. That was unexpected. You mean communicating… with me? About us?

Giza: Yes. That. Of course. And also… just in general. I’m starting to see why not having a device that gives you an instant beacon with someone else can come in handy.

Roy: REALLY? You’re just starting to see the value in that?

Giza: Well, I see some value. The same way I see some value in the internet. But still, I’m not convinced the pros beat the cons.

Roy: Okay, so what you’re saying is… you don’t actually wish for this… better communication thing.

Giza: Well, no. But we’re doing hypotheticals, right? I mean, when do people ever really just list out things they wish for and then actually work towards them? Wishing is just imagining with false hope. I don’t partake in false hope.

Roy: Hahaha. No you do not.

Giza: I do have a question for you though.

Roy: Yeah? Shoot.

Giza: Why.

Roy: Why… what?

Giza: Why me. Why us. Why stay. Why.

Roy: Oh. Right. That way.

Giza: Yeah. Why.

Roy: I… I suppose it… no… if I tell you… you’re going to make fun of it.

Giza: No I won’t! Why would I?

Roy: Because it’ll kind of reduce my image in your eyes from the pragmatic optimist to the momentary romantic.

Giza: OH! REAAAAALLY. Do tell!

Roy: No.

Giza leans over. Their faces are now 8 inches apart.

Giza: Yes.

Roy: Okay. I… when I saw you… I was happy to drink all those drinks you made me drink… because there was no way I would ever even think about flirting with you if I was sober. You were… are… just the most… I don’t mean to make this sound like just a physical appearance thing… but you… it’s like you have some other-worldly energy or force within you that just makes people want to be near you. And I used to think I was just another sucker for your charm. And I really didn’t think you would stay with me as long as you did. So once you did… I just… found a new normal. And then I think I just… got addicted. So maybe it helped that you and I were never in the same place for too long. Because… I don’t know how to be my normal self around you sometimes. I… (looks at Giza, who is staring at him) am going to stop talking now.

Giza: No!

Roy: Yes!

Giza: Do you think… that because we’ve only seen each other on weekends and trips during our entire relationship… that we’re not really equipped to have a real one?

Roy: Sure, but, who gets to decide what real is? For me, what we’ve had is all real because it is. I’ve just always been into enjoying things while they last… and I just didn’t think that… we would last so long. And now I don’t know how to enjoy it… more… than I already have. (pauses) Does that make me sound like a horrible person?

Giza: I…

Roy: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so… I didn’t even mean to say that. It must be the hangover.

Giza: No. I don’t think you’re wrong. I just… we’re… I think that sometimes we do what we want… but then we worry a bit too much about not doing what we actually want because the other person might think of us differently if we put that much honesty on the table. So… maybe… at our best… we’re just finding a way to preserve our ego while also taking the risk to be vulnerable just in case we’re right about how we feel.

Roy: So you really think this is something everyone goes through? That’s not so re-assuring.

Giza: I’m afraid so. I’ve been getting this feeling recently that every old person we know used to be young just like us.

Roy: No! Even parents?

Giza: Especially parents.

Roy: Ah. Fuck.

Giza: Maybe we’re just afraid of growing up. That’s why we only see each other every once in a while. Maybe that’s why it worked. Because if we saw each other all the time, we’d actually have to see the slow process of change. And that wouldn’t be as exciting as seeing each other every few months and find out that someone changed their hair color.

Roy: Maybe. (pauses) Loving those subtle magnum blue streaks you got, by the way. I never thought that short hair Giza would be even more attractive than long hair Giza… (pauses) but I also just realized that Giza is attractive because she’s… Giza. So maybe… even if one day… you change Giza so much that I don’t know who she is… she’s still be Giza to me, because how do you really change the most interesting, gorgeous, smartest girl into anything less?

Giza laughs.

Giza: Thank you for saying that. I’m going to cheers this sparking water to your orange juice.

They do a cheers!

Giza is looking into the distance, Roy notices it.

Roy: What? What is it?

Giza: That thing you just said… it reminded me of something else you said last night. Or last afternoon. It’s hard to time yesterday.

Roy: Hmm. Yeah. Right now yesterday is like a Rubik’s Cube in my head. What did I say?

Giza: Well. I think it was right after the unexpected… for us at least… cello concert in the middle of old town… after it started raining, remember? We went to that little tiny kiosk bar where they only served mimosas…

Roy: Yes! Remember the mimosas… not the rain though… weird…

Giza: Anyway… you said… let me phrase it correctly because it was super dark and I remember telling myself to follow up on it when we were sober…

Roy: Wow. It was that dark, really?

Giza: Sshh. Okay. You told me… that you are a binary person. You are either a zero or one. You’re either all, or nothing. And when I asked you, you said that when it comes to love, you’re either all in, or the other person means nothing to you.

Roy is quiet. Giza just stares at him.

Roy: Hmm. Did I happen to say anything else after that?

Giza: Nope. You said that, and then you chugged a mimosa and then went to take a piss, and then didn’t come back for like 30 minutes.

Roy: Ah. Right. It took me forever you find that bathroom.

Giza: Sure.

Roy: So, about what I said…

Giza: It was the absolute worst thing you could say to me this weekend?

Roy: Uh. Yes. Absolutely.

Giza: You know you’re the only person I’ve ever said I love you to, right?

Roy: Yes, I’m aware of that.

Giza: And it’s not because we occasionally meet in random cities for weekends to have sex…

Roy: I wouldn’t have assumed that…

Giza: I love you because I trust you. Because I thought we have an emotional connection that is completely separate from the physical one.

Roy: I…

Giza: I’m still talking.

Roy, silently, mimes ‘sorry’.

Giza: So for my best friend - pretty much the only person I consider to be my family of choice - to tell me that once this breakup weekend ends, I’ll mean nothing to him… that fucking hurt.

Roy holds Giza’s hand, but she lets go of it instantly to check her watch.

Giza: We should get to the station. It’s time.

Roy gets up from his chair, walks to over to Giza’s side, leans down to her chair, and holds her.

Roy: I’m sorry. I wasn’t considerate. I didn’t think about how you would feel. It was just some stupid thing my brain put together to make this easier.

Giza: It’s okay, Roy. Maybe you’re right. Maybe that’s the only way for us to move on. I’m not upset. It just struck me as something that I think I just never noticed about you. Come on. Let’s go.

30 minutes later. 

Dresden train station. The same platform from Friday night.

Giza: So… this is happening. We’re saying goodbye. Indefinitely.

Roy: That’s what we agreed upon, yeah.

Giza: Almost 18 months. That’s a new record for me.

Roy: Not too shabby, right? For two kids from different worlds who just randomly met at a party, we sure came a long way.

Giza: Randomly? You crashed my party.

Roy: I… did. And I don’t think I’ll ever meet another gracious host like you… ever again.

Giza: (smiling) I… agree.

They both stare at each other, for a moment.

Giza: Give me a hug.

Roy grabs Giza, and they hold each other for a few seconds.

There’s an announcement on the platform for an incoming train.

Giza: That’s you.

Roy: Yeah. So...

Giza: We said we wouldn't say anything when...

Roy: Right.

They let go of each other.

Roy starts to walk away. Giza turns around to go to her platform.

A few minutes later. At Giza’s platform.

Giza is sitting down on a bench. Staring at the sunset.

Roy: You know…

Giza turns her head to see Roy standing by her side, also looking at the sunset. She turns her head back to the sunset.

Giza: I’m sure I do… but why don’t you say it…

Roy: I was just thinking, we’ve walked away from each other... So. Many. Times. But… this time feels different.

Giza: Why?

Roy: Because we think it’s the last time.

Giza: Because it is.

Roy: I mean, yeah, but we think it is... we don't know if it is.

Giza: We do. It's a decision. We made it. 

Roy: But why?

Giza: Because we’ve talked about this! We don’t want to drag it out! Isn’t that why we’ve been purposefully horrible to each other this whole weekend?

Roy: I know. I know. And I still agree on that. I’m just saying… why do we have to be so sure. Why can’t we just… be less sure.

Giza: Roy… I don’t do hope. I can’t.

Roy: I get that. So let’s not hope. Let’s just… pause.

Giza: Really? And how do we know when to unpause? Or if one of us even wants to…

Roy: We don’t. We just…

Giza: Roy, you’re getting late.

Roy: Okay, just… listen for a minute. All these months, I’ve been able to be away from you because I knew I was going to see you at the other end of that wait. But now… now I don’t know that. And maybe last night I could write off this feeling as a drunk impulse, but right now, during my worst-ever hangover, I just… I don’t like knowing that this new wait doesn’t have an end.

Giza: Isn’t that, just… life?

Roy doesn’t say anything. Giza turns her head, away from the sunset, and looks at Roy.

Sensing this head turn, Roy looks at Giza as well.

Roy: You have a sinister look in your eyes.

Giza: I have an idea.

Roy: (smiling) Of course you do.

Giza: We make it a game.

Roy: A game. Really?

Giza: That's what we do, don't we?

Roy: That is true. What kind of game?

Giza: Like the ‘Find Me’ game we do on our trips with how we find each other. Only this time, the stakes are much, much higher. So is the risk. And obviously (she points to herself) the reward is magnificent.

Roy: Go on.

Giza: It’s the ultimate ‘Find Me’ game. It’s simple. Six months. From today. We set a place. If both of us show up, we unpause. If only of us does, we can’t tell the other person, and throw the remote away. If neither of us does, we throw the remote away.

They just stare at each other for a few seconds, without blinking.

Roy: Hmm. Okay. Where?

Giza: (pauses) You remember the story I told you about my 13th birthday?

Roy: (curiously) Yeah…

Giza: There.

Roy: There... where?

Giza rolls her eyes.

Roy: I’m sorry, do we have to be so cryptic about this?

Giza: You want to play the game or not?

Roy: I do! I do… I just need a little help in remembering the location… just in case…

Giza: My parents’ beach house in Italy! You idiot. Deal’s off.

Roy: NOOO! Yes. Of course I remember. Okay. I’m in.

Giza: Okay, then. (pauses) Now go, don’t miss your train this time.

Roy: (smiling) Yeah, not this time.

Giza looks back at the sunset, as Roy walks away.

The end.

-

If you wish to know (or don't remember) what happens next, you can read what happens six months later in Italy here.

-

Author’s Note / How I Wrote It

I wrote The Night After The Wedding in April of 2016. And here we are now, 20 months later, at the end of the WRMG series. I just realized that I’ve spent the same amount of time with these characters as they have with each other. Is that a weird thing to think? I’ll be honest with you - and I can say this now because you’ve already read the story - but I struggled with writing this part. Why? Because even though I want my characters to be happy, I am never really able to give them any joy without sadness. I had no idea when I started writing this prequel series that I would be making them doubt themselves and their relationship so much. These two 20 year olds turned out to have way more depth in them than I expected. I mean, I was not like them at all when I was 20. And I already knew where they were/are headed in six months. But here I am, still surprised that the kids I made up 20 months ago were way more mature and complicated than they/I revealed during TNATW. How twisted is this whole time loop I’ve put myself in?

I’ll tell you what I think, and this is just a theory. I think I wrote this whole Roy and Giza saga backwards because I sometimes wonder if I was smarter when I was younger, and that as I get older, am I even becoming a better me? So there you have it. My two cents on my own psychoanalysis of my own hidden feelings and fears embedded in my own stories.

So, because I think it might be valuable to someone, I'm going to start doing this 'How I Wrote It' thing at the end of my stories so you can get an idea about what went into creating this masterpiece (yup, I like to review my own stories because I'm a reliable source and I make some good points).

The most important worry I had going into this story was not being able to do something new, something I haven't already tried to say during this series or any of my other stories. I mean I had committed (to myself) that I would write 4 stories about Roy and Giza, and with all 3 previous parts I had no clue what I wanted to do when I started writing them. So in my usual style, I put the focus on the moments. I started writing bits and pieces of dialogue that I wanted to hear Giza or Roy say, and then I wrote the other person's reaction. Then, for this part, I wrote things I know they want to say, but never did before. And that became the foundation for this story. 

Then, about half way into writing the story, I realized that I was writing a break up. Not because I had planned it, but because it felt like what they wanted. See, I knew what was going to happen in Italy, and so did some of you. But what none of us knew, until now, is why they happened to be in Italy that night, and why their actions at the end of that had any significance. So in that way, instead of reverse-engineering a story, I decided that I would rather give them an ending that fits even if you never read TNATW. Because when they leave from that station in Dresden, Roy and Giza have no idea that either of them will show up six months later. So whatever they did here, was my way of saying that it's okay to have hope, and to do things that make you feel young, even if you don't always get the result you want.

To me, Roy and Giza represent youth and hope. So in order to give them some sort of a reality check as their parent, I wanted this part to be about their disillusionment of what growing up means, and the utter lack of hope.

As for that ending - my apologies to Richard Linklater because it looks like I definitely stole that scene from Before Sunrise. I used to think my subtle homages to the Before Trilogy - especially Before Sunrise - were quite complimentary… up until now. This time, I couldn’t even fake it. I just stole that scene! But, in my defense, I do believe that Roy and Giza have never scene those movies so technically they didn’t steal that idea. And if they didn't, how I could I have? I just write what they tell me to.

So there you have it. That's how I wrote off two of my favorite characters. If you are unhappy that they are gone, don't be. Because they never existed in the first place. If you don't care that they're gone, have you no heart?

And I hope you like the idea of me doing these 'how I wrote it' things, because I'm probably going to do them anyway.