Scene 2
Once again Roberto awoke unaware he had ever been asleep. This time he woke to the wound of water. At first he was startled, then he heard Lucius’ familiar laugh.
“Forget again did we?” he was bent over one of the stone tiles on the floor.
Roberto gave a frustrated sigh.
“Don’t worry, at least you’re sleeping. I had many sleepless nights when I first came.”
“How can you tell when it is night?”
“When you’re tired.” Lucius chuckled. He pried away the stone he had been bent over and took out two wooden bowls.
“How can you be so happy and cheerful?”
“Sir, I have learned that in prison,” he handed him one of the bowls, “one must become insane to keep one’s sanity. Besides,” he patted Roberto on the shoulder, “after 15 years of being alone, I sure am greatful for the company.”
Lucius walked over to a crevice in the ceiling where water was trickling in. He held his bowl up to it and filled it with water.
“Always a blessing, rain.” Lucius walked over to Roberto and traded his filled bowl for Roberto’s empty one. "A little extra water that tastes like heaven."
Roberto took a sip but just as quickly spat it back out. “This tastes like mud!”
Lucius looked down in his cup. “Really? Well, it’s far better than the beastly foul stuff they give you, right about…” a small flap opened at the bottom of the cell door and a bucket of mush came sliding out, “…now.”
Roberto looked at the bucket then to Lucius in disbelief.
“Cheers.” Lucius held up his bowl, and then took a drink.
Roberto threw down his bowl and stood up beginning to pace.
“What is wrong?”
“’What is wrong?!’ What is wrong? I am in prison with the man I hate. The man I thought was my companion betrayed me. And I have no idea what is happening to my family…” suddenly Roberto’s face grew long and pale. “My family…”
“Ah yes, you finally remember your family and how much you love them for the first time in years – and you can’t do anything about it.”
Roberto glared at Lucius. “Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to be my friend? You could have killed me in my sleep the last seven days, but you didn’t. Why?”
“I could ask you the same question, sir. Here I am a weak man who hasn’t seen the sun in fifteen years. You could strangle me to death just as sure as I am sitting here. And yet here we are, still alive. It’s a strange world we live in isn’t it?”
“What are you?! How can you be human? I hate you! I wanted you dead! I left you here to rot for fifteen years! How can you possible show kindness toward me?”
Lucius did not speak. He sat there silently looking down at his bowl of water.
Roberto gave an exasperated sigh, sat back down, and put his head in his hands.
“I’ve missed you and your family.” Lucius twiddled his thumbs on his bowl, and gave a silent smile. “Alejandro must be a man now, mustn’t he? And what ever happened to Diego and Juan Pablo?”
Roberto looked up in utter disbelief, but tired of trying to understand Lucius’ strange behavior, he resumed to answer.
“Yes, Alejandro has grown up. I am sorry to say that Diego died at the hand of Juan Pablo quite some time ago.”
While Roberto recalled this memory as a simple fact, Lucius looked heart broken. He gave a heavy sigh.
“And Clara?” Lucius asked hopefully.
Roberto stared off into the distance. “I wish I knew.”
“What about Snra. Gonzales?” Roberto suddenly glared at Lucius with fiery eyes, but Lucius kept going. “Did you ever speak with her about –“
Lucius was cut off when Roberto had his fist clenched against his throat.
“You were right,” Roberto said. “I could kill you. How dare you ask about her! How dare you continue to love her! I would kill you now, but I don’t know how I would get out of here.” Roberto threw Lucius aside and crouched down in the dark corner.
Rubbing his neck, Lucius asked, “So is that your plan? Escape? Using me to get out?”
No reply came, only a groan.
“I am sorry sir,” Lucius started again. “But I do not know of a way out. Don’t you think I would have taken it myself by now if I had? In all my years here I have only discovered that this cell is high above the rocks on the shore. And it is probably the most heavily guarded since you are here now. Besides, you should know this place better than I.”
“Although I could call this prison my property at one time, I never spent much time here.” Roberto grunted.
There was a long eerie silence. Lucius took up the wooden bowls and put them back underneath the floor. He then continued to search the stones on the wall. Roberto looked over and watched with curiosity. Lucius finally found the right brick and carefully pulled it out of the wall. Behind it was a small piece of flint and iron, same candles, a few books, and a curious looking inkwell and pen. Roberto shot up and walked over to Lucius.
“Why didn’t you tell me this was here?”
“You never asked.”
“Where did you get all of this?”
“When you have been here for fifteen years, you tend to get to know the guards.” Lucius tapped his forehead and winked.
“This is non-regulational! They should have reported you to me immediately.”
“Ah,” Lucius held up his finger as if to make a point. "But if they had, you would not have access to books and candles, and writing parchment now, would you?” Lucius raised his eyebrows the turned back to the hole in the wall and began to take out some of the books.
“Wooden bowls, books, candles… What else do you have hidden away?”
“Not much.”
“Well, where do you keep everything?”
“Here and there.” Lucius replied as he continued to rummage through the little hole.
Roberto gave an exasperated sigh.
“Here, hold these.” Lucius said as he plopped a few books in Roberto’s hands.
“What the devil are you looking for?!”
“This.” Lucius pulled out a small package. “I found them in Anna Maria’s desk drawer when she told me to get something. I confronted her about it, and told her she should say something to you. She encouraged me to keep them, though I don’t know why. Then, two days after you came back I was locked up here.”
Lucius handed Roberto the package. Roberto looked up at him questioningly, but went on and opened the bundle. They were letters from Don Fernandez to Ana Maria – love letters. Roberto stood in shock. He dropped the letters to the floor and held his face in his hands.
“I am sorry sir…” Lucius replied.
Roberto looked up suddenly. “Sorry? Why should you be sorry? Is it not I who blamed you for taking my wife? Is it not I who locked you away unjustly and without a fair trial? Why, in the name of all that is holy, should you be sorry?!”
There was a silence as Roberto waited for a reply. When he did not receive on, he went on.
“I am the only one who deserves to be here. I cheated, lied, and stole to gain all of my fortune. I paid no attention to my family, and in result my sons hated each other. I went around towns and cities as a drunken man taking whatever I wanted, from whom ever I wanted. Meanwhile, my family was falling apart. My wife deserted me, my sons hated me, even my best friend ended up to be my worst enemy.” All of this while Roberto had been pacing the floor, but now he stopped.
“But you…” Lucius looked up. “ You were loyal to me. You tried to keep my family together. You were always there for them when I wasn’t. You did nothing but good for me and my family… Then I turned my back on you, blamed you for a crime that wasn’t yours. Took out all of my troubles on you, and blamed you for what was my fault in the first place…
“You should hate me! You gave you’re life for me and my family, and I wanted you dead! Why do you still show me kindness? Why are you still so loyal? Why do you not give me death as I deserve?” Roberto began to break down in tears. Lucius came by his side.
“Because,” Lucius whispered. “Everyone deserves a second chance. I always had hope that you would see your evil ways, turn from them, and come back to your family, and now you have.
“All a bit too late.”
“It’s never too late.” Lucius retorted.
“I don’t understand how you can be this way.”
Lucius looked carefully at Roberto’s cold, saddened face. “Because once, a very long time ago, someone showed the same mercy to me.”
but wait folks!... it's not over yet. stay tuned. | 
