Out of the Wings

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Bodas que fueron famosas del Pingajo y la Fandanga (1965), José María Rodríguez Méndez

The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed, translated by Gwynneth Dowling

SCENE ONE

Context:
Pingajo has won Fandanga’s hand in marriage after a bet with her father, Petate. Pingajo and his friends plan the best wedding imaginable.
Sample text
SALAMANCA:

The wedding to end all weddings! Just what the people deserve! (To PETATE.) I give you my sneaky fingers (Pointing to his hand.) – they’re a little worn after 25 years inside, but I’ll put them to work on wallets out there. There won’t be one that’s a match for my fingers!

TUERTO:

You have here your man to serve you all the wine you need so that no one goes thirsty.

PINGAJO:

Yes sir! Now we’re talking. This is what friends are for. (Raising his glass.) Long live Spain and death to the Yankees!

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

SCENE TWO

Context:
Little Fandanga is introduced to Pingajo for the first time. Her mother looks on, horrified at the thought of her daughter marrying so young.
Sample text
PETATE:

Come here, dear heart. You know your daddy loves you more than anything, don’t you? And do you love your daddy?

FANDANGA: (Babyishly.)

Yes daddy.

MOTHER MARTINA:

Who do you love more? Daddy or mummy?

FANDANGA: (Smiling mischievously.)

Daddy …

Carmela’s sobs get louder. MOTHER MARTINA goes to console her. CARMELA turns her back angrily.

PETATE: (Bringing his daughter closer to the soldier.)

Come and give this gentleman a kiss. He loves you very much and is going to take you with him.

CARMELA:

No, no …

MOTHER MARTINA tries to calm her down.

FANDANGA: (Looking at PINGAJO.)

Who is he?

PETATE:

A gentleman who loves you very much. (PINGAJO takes a lollipop out of his pocket and offers it to her, smiling. The girl immediately grabs it.) What do you say?

FANDANGA:

Thank you.

PETATE:

Go on, now give him a kiss. Don’t you want to give him a little kiss?

Urged on by her father, the girl gives PINGAJO a peck on the cheek. Seeing this tender exchange, CARMELA seems to calm down a little.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

SCENE FOUR

Context:
Pingajo has arranged to bring Fandanga to the barracks so that his Lieutenant can deflower her. Later in the scene he feels guilty and decides not to take her there.
Sample text
PINGAJO:

Listen, do you want to come to the barracks with me? We can see real soldiers. Shall we go later?

FANDANGA: (Clapping her hands.)

Yes! Yes! Yes!

PINGAJO:

Just you wait, you’ll see – we’ll see all the soldiers. We’ll hear them play the trumpet …

FANDANGA: (Very excited.)

Yes! Yes! Yes! Let’s go! Let’s go!

PINGAJO:

Not just now, no. Later, later …

FANDANGA: (Whining.)

No. Now. I want to go now.

PINGAJO:

Later, kiddo, later. You’ll see. There’s a man there, a general who loves you a lot and who’ll give you ‘sweets’.

FANDANGA:

I want to go.

[ … ]
PINGAJO:

We’re going to dress you up as a bride, did you know that?

FANDANGA:

Me?

PINGAJO:

Yes.

FANDANGA:

How lovely. I want to, I want to!

PINGAJO:

Of course you do. Because we’re engaged and we’re going to get married.

FANDANGA: (Babyishly.)

Yes! Yes! Let’s play at that.

PINGAJO:

Play? Ha! What a game!

FANDANGA:

With a really long veil. Like the Queen.

PINGAJO:

Like the Queen. You’ll be beautiful, really beautiful. Then you’ll come with me and …

FANDANGA:

And we’ll go for a walk. We’ll go for a walk every day.

PINGAJO:

We’ll come here every day for ice cream.

FANDANGA: (Clapping her hands.)

Yay! (Pause. PINGAJO watches her and scratches his head.)

PINGAJO: (To himself.)

What have I let myself in for? (In the evening light, a chorus of little girls are singing the song ‘Long Live Queen Isabel’.) Well, it’s done now. What do I do next?

FANDANGA:

Shall we go to the barracks? I want to see the little soldiers.

PINGAJO:

There is no barracks. Quiet down about it. Come on – why don’t you go play with those girls?

FANDANGA:

Because I’m grown up now. And I want to go to the barracks. (Whining.) I want to go to the barracks.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Great Day When Pingajo and Fandanga Got Wed by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 1 December 2011.

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