monique ijsseldijk: or a story that persists in the belly of another – part 2/3

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(….)
Jozeph: Beautiful… (hesitant) Neat umm…
Monique: There’s one artwork here.
Jozeph: Yes okay. Tell me something…
Monique: (imperious) Have a look first.
Jozeph: Yes, I think that’s a little bit… umm… umm… Take it apart, will you. 
Monique: Do you remember those gloves? 
Jozeph: (confident) Yes! Yeah! I remember that. Yes! Beautiful, right? Amazing. 
Monique: Well, and these small planks that I sawed… The wood is from your studio. And this thingy here is from your studio. It belonged to some sort of small frame you had. 
Jozeph: Yeah, yeah, beautiful, right? All these small things that you take notice of… 
Monique: And the shade of red of that wooden shape, it’s the same red as your…
Jozeph: Yes, beautiful, amazing! 
Monique: … studio door. And the shape of this one…
Man: You should have become a cyclist, like your father said…
Monique: … sawed parts. I will explain that as well when we get upstairs, how I got those. 
Jozeph: Yes, alright… Yeah, it’s quite nice. 
Monique: Yes…
Man: You should have become a cyclist, like your father said. You should have become a cyclist, like your father said. You should have become a cyclist, like your father said. 
Monique: Can you understand that?
Man: You should have become a cyclist, like your father said…
Monique: (slowly and over-articulating) You should have become a cyclist, like your father said.
Jozeph: I see.
Man: You should have become a cyclist, like your father said.
Jozeph: Nice, isn’t it. 
Man: Stubborn bastard. 
Jozeph: Yes, wonderful. Yes. 
Jozeph: You have to tell me more about this, about those gloves. 
Monique: (surprised) Those gloves? … I was wearing those gloves when I first met you. 
Jozeph:  I see. 
Monique: I was wearing those gloves when I was busy with… 
Jozeph: That doll…
Monique: That swan…
Jozeph: Yes that doll…
Monique: …making it. With the cement. 
Jozeph: Yes, yes… Yes, I remember now. 
Monique: And then you came in…
Jozeph: Umm, ummmm. 
Monique: …in my studio. And we didn’t know each other yet. You came to introduce yourself. 
Jozeph: Oh, that’s nice. 
Monique: … just when I moved into my new studio at the art workshop!
Jozeph: Yes. 
Monique: I was making that swan and I was wearing those gloves to protect my hands from the cement, because it’s really bad for the skin. 
Jozeph: Yes, yes, yes. All those things you remember, right? 
Monique: You remarked how skilful I was. And you were like duh… wow!  That’s beautiful!
Jozeph: (very emotional, tears in his voice) That’s right!!
Monique: But I think it’s 5 or 6 years ago now. 
Jozeph: Yeah, yeah. That’s it. Yeah, yeah…. (takes a deep breath)
Monique: And you entered my studio and I didn’t know you at all. And there was only one chair in my studio and you sat down on it. (indignant) My chair! My thinking spot, occupied by you!
Jozeph: Great, right?
Monique: And I was like duh, duh… He’s taking my chair?! It really did make me a bit angry at first. 
Jozeph: Oh right, I remember that well. I can still picture it. Yes. 
Monique: But it was the start of our friendship!
Jozeph: That it was. Quite wonderful. 
Monique: So, those gloves. Always kept them. I’m thinking, I cannot throw them away. And now they’re part of this artwork. 
Jozeph: The things you consider and all… that’s it right? That I wouldn’t, no I wouldn’t do that. I would just throw them away. 
Monique: Yeah, yeah. You just throw everything away. 
Jozeph: I throw…
Monique: Yes
Jozpeh: Yes, I’ve ended up in the throw-away-world. 
Monique: I haven’t, I keep a lot. I’m not in a throw-away-world. 
Jozeph: (emotional) Oh… please no. Right, Monique? 
Monique: I like to keep things because they help me remember. 
Jozeph: That’s it, isn’t it!
Monique: But you throw everything away just like that, don’t you?
Jozeph: Yeah, yeah. I’m really in umm, what do you call it, in a decayed world, get out of here. Something new has to happen. 
Monique: Yes, something new each time. 
Jozeph: Something new each time!
Monique: Yes. 
Jozeph: But I think it’s beautiful. Great. Really beautiful. 
(….)