the man in the room

\-----<br><br>\> _Autumn 2001_<br><br>\> _We're sitting in the bedroom which also serves as the office for the Vershoor company. Robert, the father, lies on the double bed. He's been lying there for ten years now. Marlies, the mother, sits on the couch._<br><br>\> _Marlies: Look at him. The man in the room keeps lying there. It's been ten years. He may very well lie there forever. It's probably the case. After all, people remain in a coma for years. And the man in the room hasn't been talking to us for ten years now. And he doesn't see or hear anything. It could very well be that he's never going to do so again. It's only logical, if you think about it like that. Then you can't allow yourself to be fooled by a momentary misunderstanding. We keep having those. We keep on thinking he recognises us._<br><br>\> _Robert's eyes look as soulless as two marbles. You can't read anything in them. Or can you?_<br><br>\> _The day the man in the room had his accident, the world came to an end. The world as it should be._<br><br>\> _Robert: The pizza's lousy. The dude with the mustache wants me to come back with a new pizza. He opens the door. I let go of the steering wheel. I wave. I see it. He's going to hit me. I can't do anything. I watch as he slides into the front of my car while he's yelling and waving. I feel myself being lifted out of my seat. I watch as he slides into the car. I see his head. The gaping hole. I feel myself flying backwards. There's nothing I can do._<br><br>\> _Marlies: Maybe he's going to wake up. But what then? How can we ever make up for the fact that he's lived in that bed for fifteen years? Has he ever thought about it? About how he can make up for that? He needs to come back. Eventually, he has to come back. He owes us that._<br><br>\> _Robert: No. I didn't want to do it. You were a mistake. We were a mistake. You were out of the question. I didn't want to stick it in you. I didn't want to cum inside you. You did it on purpose. I didn't want the pizza. I didn't want to get behind that wheel. I didn't want to hit him. I've been making it up for twenty-five years. I can't make up for it. You're too spoiled. You're too naive. I can't ever make up for it. So I'm going to sleep. And I'm going to be a good father. I'm going to sleep as long as I can. And I'm going to make up for it._<br><br>\> _Marlies: Maybe he's going to wake up. But what then? How can we ever make up for the fact that he's lived in that bed for twenty-five years? Has he ever thought about it? About how he can make up for that? He needs to come back. Eventually, he has to come back. He owes us that._<br><br>\> _Robert: No. I already said I was sorry. I don't want to do it. I hate you. I hate you so much. I just want to die._<br><br>\> _Autumn 2022_<br><br>\> _We're sitting in the bedroom which also serves as the office for the Vershoor company. Robert, the father, lies on the double bed. He's been lying there for thirty years now. Marlies, the mother, sits on the couch._<br><br>\> _Marlies: Maybe he's going to wake up. But what then? How can we ever make up for the fact that he's lived in that bed for thirty years? Has he ever thought about it? About how he can make up for that? He needs to come back. Eventually, he has to come back. He owes us that._