Speak Cantonese
(or Irreconcilable Differences)
A play in 31 scenes by
Peter Ramon
For Elise
© 2007 Peter Ramon CAST OF CHARACTERS
(in order of appearance)
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES
The action takes place in Hong Kong and environs. The time is circa 1948, during the Communist revolution.
SCENE 1: The airport. A Customs Officer interrogates Margery and Victor, much to their consternation.
SCENE 2: A boarding house. Mrs. Ma shows Bill the rooms.
SCENE 3: Suite in a fancy hotel. Margery and Victor engage in heated debate with the bellboy.
SCENE 4: Banquet room in a Chinese restaurant. Lucy listens to Victor and Bill and snaps a photo.
SCENE 5: Mr. Wang’s office. Jimmy waits while Lilly works.
SCENE 6: Margery’s suite. Margery is upset by Victor’s news.
SCENE 7: A street in Hong Kong. Jimmy wanders alone.
SCENE 8: A jewelry store. Margery and Victor go on a buying spree with the help of a complaisant store clerk.
SCENE 9: Jonny’s apartment. Jonny and Leila are interrupted by Inspector Chang, who makes an arrest.
SCENE 10: A conference room. Bill instructs Lucy and Lilly in the intricacies of economics.
SCENE 11: A car. Margery and Victor witness an unfortunate accident.
SCENE 12: A street in Hong Kong. Lucy rescues Jimmy and Margery loses him.
SCENE 13: Lilly’s apartment. Bill and Lilly find each other interesting.
SCENE 14: Lucy’s room. Jimmy and Lucy have breakfast.
SCENE 15: Margery’s suite. Margery, Victor and Bill end up with a dead bellboy.
SCENE 16: Lucy’s room. Lucy and Jimmy hang out in bed. (played concurrently) SCENE 17: Lilly’s room. Lilly and Wang get it on.
SCENE 18: Margery’s suite. Margery is carefully questioned by Inspector Chang and Bill makes an appearance.
SCENE 19: Wang’s office. Bill makes an emotional appeal to Mr. Wang.
SCENE 20: Jonny’s hideout. Jonny is working undercover for Inspector Chang and Mr. Wang makes an appearance.
SCENE 21: Wang’s office. Margery, Lilly, Bill and Victor have a confrontation.
SCENE 22: Lucy’s room. Lucy and Jimmy are discreetly at it again.
SCENE 23: Wang’s office. Mr. Wang is visited by Inspector Chang, Mrs. Ma, and Bill, in that order.
SCENE 24: Lucy’s room. A messenger delivers a radiogram to Lucy who shares it with Jimmy.
SCENE 25: Mr. Li’s laundry. Lilly and Bill make a special appeal to Mr. Li.
SCENE 26: Jonny’s apartment. Jonny and Leila receive a visit from Mrs. Ma and something terrible happens.
SCENE 27: Wang’s office. Margery and Wang meet and something terrible happens.
SCENE 28: Railway train. Lucy and Jimmy experience the ride of their lives.
SCENE 29: Grounds outside a hospital. Lilly attends to Mr. Wang. Bill makes a brief visit.
SCENE 30: Street in Hong Kong. Margery and Victor rescue Jonny.
SCENE 31: Street in Hong Kong. Mr. Li reflects, Bill and Comrade X congratulate each other, Margery is reconciled with Li, Inspector Chang is thrilled.
“The detective story is a particularly good example of the force of genre conventions: the assumption that characters are psychologically intelligible, that the crime has a solution which will eventually be revealed, that the relevant evidence will be given but that the solution will be of some complexity, are all essential to the enjoyment of such books. In fact, these conventions are especially interesting because of the large place they grant to the irrelevant. It is only at the level of solution that coherence is required: everything deviant and suspicious must be explained by the resolution which produces the key to the ‘real’ pattern, but all other details can at this point be set aside as of no consequence. The conventions make possible the adventure of discovering and producing a form, of finding the pattern amid a mass of details, and they do so by stipulating what kind of pattern one is reading towards.” — Jonathan Culler, Structuralist Poetics  SPEAK CANTONESE (or Irreconcilable Differences) SCENE 1: Airport Customs. Table, chairs, desk. A CUSTOMS OFFICER is on duty. Enter MARGERY and VICTOR with luggage.
CUSTOMS OFFICER Beyond this point you must not go. Please, may I see your passports?
(They give him passports.)
MARGERY Are there many formalities to go through?
CUSTOMS OFFICER How much baggage do you have? Do you have any more besides this? Whose suitcase is that? What is inside it? It has to go through customs. (He opens the suitcase and rummages through it, strewing flimsy negligees and other clothing about.) Why is it such a mess?
MARGERY Can it be overweight?
CUSTOMS OFFICER (closing suitcase) It has been inspected. Too much baggage. Fill out this form. (handing her forms)
MARGERY These procedures are so complicated. Which forms have to be filled out?
CUSTOMS OFFICER Who is this man? Is he your schoolmate? Are you a married couple? Is he your friend? He looks like you! Ha ha. What is he holding in his hand? Do you have a Letter of Introduction? (taking paper from VICTOR) What is written on this piece of paper? (He reads the letter.)
MARGERY (to VICTOR) What is the situation on the mainland?
VICTOR (to MARGERY) Things are really confused there.
MARGERY (to VICTOR) I promise you I won't go.
CUSTOMS OFFICER (looking at VICTOR's passport) (to VICTOR) This passport is no good. Your nationality isn't clearly indicated and your photograph is too old. (aside to audience, showing VICTOR’s passport photo) That man looks ugly as the devil. There are whiskers all over his face. (to MARGERY) Have you filled them all out?
MARGERY It is about finished now.
CUSTOMS OFFICER (to VICTOR) This is the formal procedure for applying for a passport. You have to take several different kinds of injections before you go to Hong Kong. For urgent matters, use air mail. (Roar of an airplane is heard overhead.) Keep your eye on that plane. That plane can't find an airfield to land.
(Roar of airplane is heard again.)
VICTOR Can you see that plane at such a distance?
CUSTOMS OFFICER The captain of that plane is an American. (roar) There is a flag at the rear of the ship.
(sound of plane crashing)
MARGERY (covering her ears and closing her eyes) Has the plane landed yet? I'm not feeling well today. I'm not accustomed to the weather here. I haven't gotten used to it yet.
CUSTOMS OFFICER On what business are you going to Hong Kong?
MARGERY I want to go directly to Hong Kong with him on the next plane. (to VICTOR) Which hotel do you want to go to?
CUSTOMS OFFICER Have you bought a round-trip ticket?
VICTOR It has been arranged.
(VICTOR slips CUSTOMS OFFICER some money)
CUSTOMS OFFICER (counting money) How sad it is…
VICTOR (to MARGERY) Are you sleepy?
MARGERY I should call him by long distance telephone. (to CUSTOMS OFFICER) Where can I make a long-distance call? Is Hong Kong time different from the United States time?
CUSTOMS OFFICER It is different this time from the last time.
VICTOR We had better not go.
MARGERY This is very simple, Victor. At approximately what time do they start work? Have you copied down his address? I wish to visit him tomorrow.
VICTOR I don't agree with that idea, Margery.
MARGERY (aside to audience) What a mess! He can't manage it!
VICTOR (to CUSTOMS OFFICER) I am not interested in history! I wish to see Mr. Wang.
CUSTOMS OFFICER Will you please wait for a while?
(Exit CUSTOMS OFFICER)
MARGERY Did you have any difficulty? Did you find him there? How many schools are there in Hong Kong? Do you know where the school is?
VICTOR This is the newest map of China. Can you see Hong Kong on the map? (showing her a map)
MARGERY I can see Hong Kong but I can't see Kowloon.
VICTOR When you arrive in Hong Kong you'll see Kowloon. Remember to take these letters with you.
(VICTOR searches his pockets for the letters)
MARGERY How many pockets do you have?
VICTOR I forgot to take my calling card with me. (still searching) I have written several letters today. After I arrived in Shanghai I stayed at the Peninsular Hotel. When I went in, he looked at me. I took those letters out of my pocket.
MARGERY Oh, Victor, you are really very clumsy.
(Enter CUSTOMS OFFICER)
CUSTOMS OFFICER You are really lucky! After rain, the sky is always clear. If you don't have a car, you may rent one. Take good care of your money when going from place to place. In order to avoid mistakes, think before doing.
VICTOR According to the Constitution, what are our rights and what are our obligations?
CUSTOMS OFFICER I have done my best to fulfill my duty. You can apply for a passport without going to the passport office in person. I am very sorry for having used so much of your time. Put all your heart into your work.
(Exit CUSTOMS OFFICER)
MARGERY This has been a very good memory. What is the name of that officer? I would like to have his advice on many things.
VICTOR He speaks not only Cantonese, but also Mandarin.
MARGERY (gathering her bags) People in this country are not equal. Is the airfield far from the hotel?
VICTOR Yes, you remember it well.
MARGERY Why don't we take the elevator?
(VICTOR rings for the elevator)
VICTOR There is no electricity for the elevator.
MARGERY Is Kowloon a peninsular?
(Enter CUSTOMS OFFICER)
CUSTOMS OFFICER Come! Follow me. It has been arranged.
(ALL Exit)
SCENE 2: A boarding house. A room with a door. Round table, rectangular table, bookshelves, chair, plate of cookies. MRS. MA, the landlady, is showing rooms to BILL.
MRS. MA The landlord lives on the ground floor. The bathroom is next to the kitchen. This set of furniture is beautiful and inexpensive.
BILL I like the round table.
MRS. MA This table is not as good as that table.
BILL This bookshelf is new and pretty. This bookshelf is extremely big.
MRS. MA The newly bought one is better. Have you seen all the furniture?
BILL I would not like a kitchen that's too small. (He opens door to the kitchen and goes in.) (offstage) There isn't enough light in the kitchen, Mrs. Ma.
MRS. MA How many bulbs do you want, Bill?
BILL (entering) How much do they pay for electricity every month?
MRS. MA Approximately five dollars.
BILL The lamp light winks. Please change it for a new one.
MRS. MA Would you like to rent the second floor? Whoever lives here has to pay the rent.
BILL The rent of the second floor is too expensive. Is there just a room for rent? I just want one bed and one sofa.
MRS. MA There are five rooms. One on each floor. Would you like to see a room?
BILL I want to check the rooms one by one.
MRS. MA Very good. I'll follow you.
(Exit BILL and MRS. MA stage right. Pause. Enter BILL and MRS. MA stage left.)
BILL Among these five, which is biggest?
MRS. MA Please, go figure it out.
BILL Where can I buy a watermelon?
MRS. MA Do you like to eat sweet things?
BILL I don't like to eat anything peppery.
(MRS. MA gets plate of cookies from the table.)
MRS. MA Assorted pastry, very tasty. You give it a try.
(He takes one.)
BILL In fact, it is not bitter at all.
MRS. MA Do you care for fried noodles? A dish of fried fish?
BILL I'm afraid I don't have any cash with me today. I have some money deposited in the bank. A new account has been opened. I gave a check to the Western Tailor Shop today.
MRS. MA Where is that Western Tailor Shop?
BILL Right next to the Post Office.
MRS. MA I have walked by that store. That store sells many varieties of small things. Some things are sold at a high price, some at a low price. I often have tea at Gamlung Restaurant.
BILL This house is very quiet. Today's weather is very clear and pleasant. Is it all right to sit here? I can't stand up. (BILL suddenly collapses into a chair.)
MRS. MA (aside to audience) Finally, he said OK.
SCENE 3: Margery’s suite in a plush hotel. It has a couple of doors and a window. Telephone, chairs, mirror, other hotel sitting-room furniture. Enter MARGERY and VICTOR followed by BELLBOY with luggage.
MARGERY (to VICTOR) He believes it is right.
VICTOR Have you ever met him?
MARGERY It's too noisy here. (to BELLBOY) Where is the manager? Please put all the things on the shelf one by one. (to VICTOR) I have made up a list of things I want to buy tomorrow.
VICTOR We have only a little time. We must hurry to get it done today.
MARGERY There is not enough time for me to do it today! Given such a little time, how can it be done?
VICTOR (to BELLBOY) Can you get it done in such a short time?
BELLBOY I think I have enough time to do it.
MARGERY We can't get it done on time because we don't have enough time!
VICTOR The train is leaving in 20 minutes. You have to hurry up.
MARGERY Is there a simpler way?
VICTOR This part isn't as hard as the other part.
MARGERY I — I almost forgot.
VICTOR Don't be afraid. There must be a good one among them.
MARGERY I would not do it if it was not for your sake!
VICTOR We'll have some snacks after the meeting. We'll discuss it while eating.
MARGERY Please be yourself and shut up. These problems pertain to geography.
VICTOR Well, these problems are not solved yet!
MARGERY Please do as you like. You don't have to accompany me anymore.
VICTOR (to BELLBOY) You may go to the station by car. We shall follow you and arrive in ten minutes.
BELLBOY It is impossible for me to catch it!
MARGERY (to VICTOR) Can he catch the train? I wrote down the address on a piece of paper. (handing paper to BELLBOY) It is about 3 o'clock. I have an appointment with him for dinner. I've invited three couples. He has already begun doing it — that thing.
VICTOR Too much has happened. I have told him very clearly. The whole world knows!
MARGERY Please keep your voice down.
BELLBOY (aside to audience) If this situation continues, surely it will be dangerous.
SCENE 4: A banquet room at a restaurant. Table, flowers, potted plants, tray of hors d’oeuvres, rubber comb, camera. LUCY is dressed as a hostess. She is holding a flower.
LUCY This little flower is very pleasing, but it has faded, alas! This rubber comb looks very much like an ivory comb. The comb I use to comb my hair is bone. There are chairs all around this room. I haven’t been able to arrange all the seats for the banquet tonight. Ten persons will sit at one table. The wine is a good brand. I would like to have an egg salad sandwich. I will be more happy when I have a family. My address has changed recently. Now I will go to the inner sitting room and arrange for tea. (She crosses downright, leaving the flower on a nearby table.) Whoever comes first eats first. More than 300 would be too many. The majority of Americans are very tall. They may sit here or there as they please. Miss Hong Kong of the year will be here. She is a good and obedient girl. I have promised to give her a doll.
(Enter BILL and VICTOR from opposite sides of the stage. They shake hands.)
VICTOR I wish you a very happy New Year!
(Still shaking hands. They continue to shake hands throughout the dialog that follows.)
BILL Best wishes for your prosperity!
VICTOR Eat as much as possible. Which do you like, oranges or tangerines?
BILL I just had cake. I can’t eat a thing.
VICTOR Do you feel dizzy?
BILL You are very thoughtful.
VICTOR Is Confucianism a religion?
BILL I don’t know.
VICTOR Without faith you cannot do anything.
BILL May God bless you. Do you know whom this farewell party is for?
VICTOR
The Minister of Finance who is leaving soon. Even though he is old, he is strong. How do you like the Chinese bamboo-leaf dumpling? Oh ho, Miss Li! Please take a picture of us.
(VICTOR crosses to LUCY, gives her the camera and returns to BILL. They pose for a photo.)
BILL (aside to audience) He really knows how to enjoy life.
LUCY (She snaps a picture. She hands the camera back to VICTOR.) I am glad to help you.
VICTOR (shaking BILL’s hand again) I have a social engagement tonight. (to LUCY) How many days are there in a month according to the Old Calendar?
LUCY Today is October 1st by the New Calendar on the 28th day of the 8th month by the Old Calendar.
VICTOR (to BILL, still shaking his hand) Communication is very important for commerce. What do you want to be in the future? Learn it step by step. Wishing you safety and happiness.
BILL Yes, good luck.
(Exit VICTOR)
LUCY He speaks loudly.
BILL I wish to change my American dollars into Hong Kong dollars.
LUCY Walk half way up the street, then you’ll see the Post Office.
BILL (aside) Her eyes are round and beautiful.
(Exit BILL)
LUCY He is an open-minded person. He is good-hearted. No wonder everybody likes him. Can you tell that he is an American? Many things are predestined. Yet the string is loosely tied. Visiting one place after another, eating one bowl of rice after another, time flies unnoticeably; another month is gone. We keep three dogs and one cat in my house. We get up at daybreak.
OFF-STAGE VOICE Please hurry up and serve the meal! The bride and bridegroom are already cutting the cake. They are burning firecrackers now! (sound of firecrackers)
LUCY I haven’t set the table yet! I almost forgot!
(Exit LUCY)
SCENE 5: Mr. Wang’s office. A door and window upstage. Chairs, desk, telephone, typewriter, file cabinet, various papers. JIMMY and LILLY.
JIMMY I wish to see Mr. Wang.
LILLY Would you please wait for a while? (pause) Do you know how to change a tire? (He shakes his head, No.) Too bad! My front tire is flat. (looking at her watch) I guess he won’t come today. (pause) Are you a member of the Association?
JIMMY I didn’t attend the meeting last night. (pause) I wish to take this opportunity to talk business with Mr. Wang.
LILLY Do you know Mr. Wang well?
JIMMY I can recognize him, but I am not very familiar with him.
LILLY (pause) The civilization of the West is very different from that of the Chinese.
JIMMY I know a few of the people’s habits here.
LILLY (pause) Are you happy?
JIMMY Not everybody likes social activity.
LILLY Do you go to the gymnasium very often?
JIMMY I have athletic drill every morning.
LILLY Why don’t you have your glasses on today? (pause) The branch factory is very far away from here. Tell me, what do you want to be in the future?
JIMMY I stayed home the whole day yesterday. My room number is three. I haven’t shaved for two days. I can’t manage it! I paid five dollars as deposit.
LILLY Do you have a cold?
JIMMY I vomit, but I am not sick. I feel a little itching in the throat. (He coughs.) I don’t want to get up after having lain down.
LILLY How long have you been coughing? Are you sweating?
JIMMY Some patients are not hospitalized. The light was shining in my eyes so I couldn’t sleep. All of a sudden it was very noisy outside. An ambulance came to help the wounded. It was fortunate that the ambulance unit arrived so quickly. Perhaps it will rain tonight. I’m not sure.
LILLY Do you feel dizzy?
JIMMY I only have two dollars left in my pocket.
LILLY How could such a thing happen? (pause) He may come this evening. I’m not sure. Do you like to eat shrimp dumplings? Mustard, together with vinegar, makes a good flavor.
JIMMY My address has changed recently. I know how to make tea, but I don’t know how to cook rice.
LILLY Tea is the best drink to alleviate thirst. And aspirin can relieve pain.
JIMMY What medicine should I use to stop bleeding?
LILLY Without faith, you can’t do anything.
JIMMY Is Confucianism a religion?
LILLY Many Chinese people do not believe in a religion but they worship their ancestors.
JIMMY Can you name any religion besides Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam?
LILLY Christ is the savior. (phone rings) Excuse me, it is my duty to answer the phone. Hello, Mr. Wang’s office. Lilly speaking. (pause) Certainly I will do that for you. (pause) Is this a true story? (pause) You are really lucky! To live peacefully is a type of happiness. (aside to JIMMY) He works for the government. He is a 100% Cantonese. (into phone) The train has just left the station. Sometimes the locomotive pushes the train from the rear. (aside to JIMMY) Everybody respects him. (into phone) Do you know what it is he objects to? (pause) What are their office hours? (pause) Don’t forget the traffic laws when you drive. (aside to JIMMY) He caught a cold last night. (into phone) Please give my regards to your wife. (She hangs up the phone.) He is too old for physical labor. His wife is practically the boss of the store.
JIMMY Is his disease very serious?
LILLY (looking at her watch) He must be there by this hour. (She dials a number. Speaking into phone) Has he left his office? (pause) Did you see them one by one? (pause) Which paragraph are you reading? (pause) Did you study it in detail? (pause) Is it fixed now? (pause) You want me to cheat, eh? (glancing over at JIMMY) He looks fine. (pause) He fell down, but nothing serious happened to him. (pause) I don’t know whether he has a fever or not. (pause) I urged him to go home. (pause) He did not sleep enough last night. He has recovered from diarrhea. I guess he has typhoid fever. It has not been decided. (to JIMMY) He wishes you to have a physical examination at the hospital. You must go there as soon as possible.
JIMMY I wish to have someone to keep me company. Can you accompany me there?
LILLY Please go downstairs and wait for me.
(Exit JIMMY)
(speaking into phone again) He has just gone. (pause) It is very difficult to explain it. (pause) He is quite a clown. As far as I know he has many short stories to tell. (pause) He was not only sea sick, but also had a headache. This incident happened the day before yesterday. (pause) He came to see you around two P.M. (pause) Is cheese made of milk? (She hangs up the phone.) (aside to audience) I am leaving now to spend as much time as possible with him. His illness is acute. I warned the boy not to go there but he didn’t listen to me. There has been no epidemic disease here for years.
(She sings)
Because of the big storm at sea He got sea sick. The water is deep green. The water is very deep. There is a ferry boat in the harbor. You can see dark clouds above the bay.
Who is that boy? Why does the boat lean so much? Don’t cry, mother will be back soon. Don’t cry, mother will be back.
It starts from here and ends over there. It is an oriental product. People come from different circles. There are mirrors all around that room. A mother’s love is also unlimited.
Who is that boy? Why does the boat lean so much? Don’t cry, mother will be back soon. Don’t cry, mother will be back.
(aside to audience) Mr. Wang is really experienced in doing business. His son is not so experienced. Even though he is 18, he still depends on his parents.
(Exit LILLY) SCENE 6: Margery’s hotel suite. VICTOR and MARGERY.
VICTOR You matchmaker! You have done very well. They are going to get married! They have exchanged engagement rings. Everyone is full of joy. He has put an advertisement in the newspaper to sell his furniture.
MARGERY When will be their wedding date? Please make a list for me. I want two boxes. One big and one small. Have you ever met her?
VICTOR Whenever I see her she is reading a book.
MARGERY What is his attitude on my opinion?
VICTOR He said that you wouldn’t agree with him.
MARGERY Tomorrow will be Mother’s Day.
VICTOR After the rain, the sky is always clear. He has done his best to fulfill his duty.
MARGERY It was a pity that what he said was untrue. Some men don’t even know how to sew on a button!
VICTOR He didn’t remember you when I mentioned your name.
MARGERY I didn’t sleep at all last week.
VICTOR I attended church services with them on Sunday.
MARGERY A two-year old child doesn’t know how to button and unbutton his clothes for himself!
VICTOR He is planning to study abroad. This wealthy man offered him a big salary, but he didn’t want to work for him. His average grade last semester was 95. Though he is young, he is reliable. He saved a kitten from the river.
MARGERY Chinese rules of good manners are different from America’s. Did they ever meet each other before?
VICTOR He didn’t know her very well. She has promised to teach me how to dance.
MARGERY Please fetch a pencil for me. I don’t know how to write with a brush.
(Exit VICTOR)
In order to avoid mistakes, think before doing. Either oppose or agree. He doesn’t want to see anyone. Not even his own mother! It was an accident! I didn’t mean to hurt him.
(enter VICTOR. He hands a pencil and paper to MARGERY who writes some lines on the paper and hands it back to him.)
VICTOR (after reading) I cannot understand the meaning of this poem. I know no foreign languages.
(He hands it back to her.)
MARGERY You must work hard in foreign languages.
VICTOR If you invite him, surely he will come.
MARGERY I wish to buy a bracelet for her. Where is my coat? SCENE 7: A street in Hong Kong. Night. JIMMY in a tattered coat with a knapsack. Aluminum pot, dead flowers, rattan mat.
JIMMY This street is very quiet. I can see reflections of houses on the water. The weather is warm though the tree leaves turn from green to yellow in autumn. I have been settled here for quite awhile living a very simple life. Strangely, it is conducive to good health. I’m interested in both hiking and swimming. It’s very late at night now. (sound of crashing garbage cans) Who is making so much noise in the middle of the night? (sound of dog barking) That big dog scares me half to death. (He takes a deep breath.) It is a good thing to take a deep breath. People in this country are not equal. In the summer many of them sleep outside on rattan mats. The conflicts among men cannot easily be solved. A younger brother should obey an older one. It is easier to grow a tree than it is to train a student. (He laughs.) I’m so tired, I can’t even move. My hands are very cold. I want some steamed bread. All the bridesmaids wore earrings. The bride wore an embroidered gown. I didn’t know what present I should buy for them. The hostess said, “Thanks for coming.” I went on tip-toes. I walked along the sea coast. It was not crowded there at all. The road there is not level. I passed by here on my way. This mat cost me seven dollars. Really very expensive. I have one blanket but I need some sheets for a bed. Also I need two pillows. Perhaps I’ll go by ferry and visit my friends in Kowloon.
(He takes an old, beat up pot from his backpack.)
Could I use this aluminum pot to cook some rice? Rice is a kind of food that is easy to digest. The doctor gave me a blood transfusion this morning. He wants to analyze my blood. He said I could leave the hospital tomorrow, but tomorrow is today! My parents come to visit me in school once in a while.
(There is a flash of lightning and clap of thunder.)
It looks like lightning. Definitely it is thundering far over there. Oh well, it won’t rain everyday. I slept enough last night. I was awakened by some noise. I am looking for my exercise book. There are fifteen lines on a page. Do you believe in equality? This is the new President’s political policy. Nine tenths of it is useless.
(He takes two or three dead flowers from his backpack.)
I have flowers but no flowerpot. Too bad! What shall I do?
(He throws the flowers over his shoulder.)
Let’s go for a picnic in the park, OK? We won’t need to lock the door. Do you like to play soccer or volley ball? Some girls play tennis very well. All boys like to play ball.
(He suddenly looks at something offstage.)
I suddenly turned my head and saw a man passing by. Do you like taking photographs? Are you going to see a movie? Don’t sit too closely to one another! Say after me: Have you paid the rent? Have you paid the rent? Have you paid, Have you paid, Have you paid the rent? Speaking of population, there are too many people in this country. My father named me Jimmy. My parents are not living now. Speaking of this complicated matter, as the saying goes, it is a long story. One, three and five are odd numbers. Two, four, six and eight are even numbers. I have studied Cantonese seriously for one full year. Do you like canned fruit? As soon as you open a can, you have something to eat! I like summer because in summer I can swim. The earth and the moon are both moving. What is the Milky Way? Is it really a river of milk in the sky? Or is it merely a concentration of a large number of small stars that we can’t distinguish with the naked eye? Well, I’m sorry I have to go soon. The bank opens at nine o’clock. After I’ve drawn out some money, I’ll take you to the movies.
(Exit JIMMY) SCENE 8: Interior of a jewelry store. Display counter with various articles of jewelry, lamp, mirror, and gift boxes. Enter MARGERY and VICTOR.
VICTOR The counter is on the right side.
MARGERY There is nobody at the counter.
(Enter CLERK)
CLERK Which clerk do you wish to see?
MARGERY I wish to see Mr. Wang.
VICTOR (aside to CLERK) Let them talk face-to-face.
MARGERY He is my translator. He has learned Chinese customs since his childhood.
CLERK (in a loud voice) On what business are you in Hong Kong?
MARGERY (to VICTOR ) He speaks loudly. (to CLERK) Please say it in a low voice.
CLERK (looking around nervously, speaking in a low voice) I live in Kowloon… A government should not allow the people to suffer hardships… Good environment makes for good work...
MARGERY (to VICTOR ) Children in this country receive no education. (to CLERK) My thought was different than yours. What is economic freedom? We are a product of the twentieth century. This is the century of democracy. (to VICTOR ) Light up a cigarette for me, please. We are discussing the political party system.
CLERK The people of Communist China are practicing a new system. According to the Constitution, we have freedom of religion.
MARGERY (taking cigarette from VICTOR) We are a peace-loving people. History is continuously changing.
VICTOR (to CLERK) She studies international law.
CLERK We studied philosophy last semester. What do you think about the political situation at present? (MARGERY takes a puff from her cigarette.) What is in your mouth? A puff of smoke?
MARGERY Does the moon have a human face?
CLERK My father is going to preach in church tomorrow. There are many missionaries in China.
MARGERY (to VICTOR) What does this signal? (to CLERK) What is there inside that paper box?
(He opens the box and reveals its contents — oranges.)
CLERK I have just picked a few oranges from the tree. It never snows in the South. Do you have enough money to buy an ice-box?
MARGERY I wish to buy a jade ring.
CLERK There is lots of jewelry in the safe.
(Exit CLERK. VICTOR starts looking around in his pockets.)
MARGERY What have you lost?
VICTOR I lost my wallet.
MARGERY Look for it carefully!
VICTOR Oh no, I lost my key!
(He is distraught. He stretches his hand out to her, as if seeking her support.)
MARGERY Don’t stretch out your hand to me! There are many insurance companies in Hong Kong. Have you paid the rent for this month? (aside to audience) He was wounded in the head. His nickname is “Old Head-In-Cold-Storage”. He doesn’t want to run a factory.
(Enter CLERK)
CLERK Congratulations! You’re in luck! I just saw the boss in his office. Take a look at this bracelet. It is a really good buy.
MARGERY This bracelet is inlaid with diamonds. I guess this diamond is more valuable than that one?
CLERK This necklace is really pretty. Furthermore, here is a long strand of pearls. All these are worth 1000 dollars.
MARGERY I must say, the price is not too high.
CLERK Help yourself, please. Don’t be formal. Buy as many as you like.
MARGERY Please pack all these things in a box. Please deliver it to my hotel room.
CLERK The things you bought are well selected. All right, we’ll pack them up for you and also deliver them to your address.
VICTOR Have you bought the pillow cases and window curtain? These are the things we need for our daily use.
CLERK Those things you can buy at the Sincere Company. The Sincere Company is having a big sale today.
VICTOR Oh, that store has a sale everyday.
CLERK Other stores are also advertising a big sale.
MARGERY Do you have any records by Beethoven? Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is really beautiful.
CLERK Have you received your bill yet? Here’s the invoice. Please sign your name. The annual interest is five percent. The monthly interest would be six percent.
MARGERY How much is your salary? Can you represent the bank?
(MARGERY looks around anxiously.)
VICTOR (to CLERK) She is looking for her handbag.
MARGERY Oh my, it seems I’ve left my purse in my room.
CLERK This is not what a good Christian is supposed to do.
VICTOR Basically, there is no problem. Her brother does business in South Asia.
MARGERY Please check what time it is.
VICTOR It doesn’t matter if you are a little late.
MARGERY (shouting out the door to the street) I’m coming right away. (to VICTOR) He insists that I pay ten cents more. I don’t want to argue with him about ten cents. (to CLERK) Say goodnight to Mr. Wang for me.
(Exit MARGERY)
CLERK Business is getting better and better. There is a boss in every family.
VICTOR How much is that all together?
CLERK All together that comes to eight thousand dollars and ninety-six cents.
(VICTOR takes out a wad of cash and counts out bills to CLERK.)
VICTOR Please select a few pieces for me. I didn’t have enough time to select the things I like best. SCENE 9: Jonny’s house. A room with a door. Chairs, settees, cocktail table, etc. JONNY is seated in a dressing gown, smoking a cigarette through a long holder and reading the newspaper. LEILA is reading a book.
JONNY Bobby Cho who was at school with me is getting married tomorrow. Has he sent me an invitation?
LEILA Yes, you’ve had an invitation from him.
JONNY What time’s the ceremony tomorrow? And who’s the bride?
LEILA The wedding’s at eleven o’clock. The bride’s Miss Chen — she’s from my school.
JONNY Who’s going to be best man? Fatty Yang? (He laughs.)
LEILA Although the beginning of this novel is interesting, it soon becomes dull. (putting book down) Do you read the newspapers every day, Jonny?
JONNY Yes, I read the papers every day, Leila. We have been winning battles the last few days. The war news is very good.
LEILA What other news is in the paper today, apart from the war news?
JONNY (putting paper down) I received a letter from my brother yesterday. He tells me he hasn’t enough money to pay his school fees. What is the postage for a letter to England?
LEILA The postage to England is fifty cents and it takes three weeks to get there. You can send your brother a telegram. It won’t cost very much. I think it’s fifteen cents a word, minimum nine words. A night letter telegram is still cheaper.
JONNY Leila, darling, could you bring me the toothpaste and toothbrush from the bedroom? I want to rinse my mouth.
LEILA Aren’t you going to have a bath? Here are your washcloth, towel, sponge, comb, hair-cream, cologne, brush, razor and duckie.
(She piles it on his lap.)
JONNY Thank you. Just wait until I’m dressed, and then we can go out for a walk. It will only take me ten minutes.
(Exit JONNY)
LEILA There’s no hurry. I’m quite comfortable here in this room.
(As they talk, LEILA searches the room. She looks under the couch, behind the drapes, in the dresser, etc.)
Did you know, darling, that if you start from a certain point on earth and keep traveling in one direction, you return to the place you started from? Is that true? (searching)
JONNY Yes, and if you stand on the seashore and watch a ship sailing towards you from a distance, you will see the sail first.
(sound of running water)
LEILA Which goes to prove that the earth is round not square. There are lots of volcanoes in America, aren’t there, Jonny? (searching)
JONNY Yes, and lots of waterfalls.
LEILA I am told that Mr. Wang is fond of sweets.
JONNY Which Mr. Wang do you mean?
LEILA I mean the very tall Mr. Wang. (searching)
JONNY I don’t know him.
LEILA I saw an eclipse of the moon last night, Jonny. Can you tell me what causes it?
JONNY When the moon moves into a straight line with the sun with the earth in the middle, there is an eclipse of the moon. (sound of water stops) I’m stepping into the bath now, Leila. I like to lie in the water a few minutes first.
LEILA I’m sitting at the writing desk writing a letter, Jonny. I picked up a pencil from the chair. (still searching)
JONNY Hey, there’s no soap in the bathroom! I don’t know why I spent such a big sum of money on this place!
LEILA The Queen is coming to Hong Kong next month. Have you ever worshipped at the temple of the Goddess of the Sea? (searching)
JONNY By the way, Leila, I noticed that the front of the car was damaged.
(sound of toilet flushing)
LEILA (still searching) Have you ever seen a dragon boat race? On that day, the people make a great deal of noise by beating drums and gongs. The atmosphere during the Dragon Boat Festival is not like that of the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon is brightest, it is an Oriental custom that every family has a gathering to enjoy the moonlight.
(She finally finds what she was looking for: a gun. She quickly hides it before JONNY enters. Enter JONNY dressed in a suit.)
JONNY I want to buy a new suit before I leave Hong Kong.
LEILA What color do you prefer?
JONNY Do you want to live somewhere else? Move to England?
LEILA I would rather move to — New York.
JONNY Live in the City? (suddenly) How did you know I was going?
LEILA Don’t get angry. I didn’t speak with anyone.
JONNY I will definitely ask you to go next time.
LEILA New York weather isn’t the same as the weather of Rome.
JONNY It isn’t as cold here as it is there.
LEILA Even if you go, it will soon be hopeless. Sit a bit. I haven’t cried for several days.
JONNY I’m not going anywhere today. Aren’t you tired?
LEILA Quite tired. (pause) Is he buying it?
JONNY No. (pause) The old lady that came from New York is my mother. The one who came yesterday is my other brother. He is the good student.
LEILA It wasn’t I who told him! It was you who invited him!
JONNY He is going back to Shanghai tomorrow, not today.
LEILA Isn’t his business in Russia?
JONNY She is in Shanghai.
LEILA Has he been there before?
JONNY He lived in Shanghai for a long time.
LEILA Has he ever written a book?
JONNY He studied at Yale.
LEILA Funny that we’ve never met before.
JONNY I’ll never say anything about my private affairs to him again. Only two hours ago he phoned me. He wanted to get more money from me. His wife went away. My father talked to him. Unless he divorces his wife he cannot inherit his father’s fortune. He resigned and is moving to another place. The thieves were arrested by the police. His real name is…
(Sharp knocks are heard at the door.)
INSPECTOR CHANG (offstage) Open up. It’s the police!
LEILA (loudly) Is this a formal meeting?
JONNY (sotto voce to LEILA) Unless strictest secrecy is kept about all his movements we cannot carry out our plans.
(LEILA opens the door. Enter INSPECTOR CHANG with a POLICEMAN.)
CHANG (to POLICEMAN) Escort him to the station, please.
(He winks broadly at JONNY as he’s led away. Exit JONNY and POLICEMAN)
(to LEILA) All right, how did he do it?
LEILA He told me that his mother left yesterday.
CHANG What’s the matter with you? You are stupid about everything you do! You don’t even have a modicum of brains!
LEILA Please get out. I want to lie on the bed and take a rest.
CHANG I haven’t finished inquiring.
LEILA (putting her fingers in her ears) I can’t understand what you’re saying.
CHANG (showing her a file of photographs) Who is this man? What is his nationality? Is he an American? What is his child’s name? Whose child is this? Is his surname Wang? Which is the French lady? What is your nationality?
LEILA I have a question: Do you read American newspapers? He reads American newspapers everyday. He also reads Chinese newspapers.
CHANG Where does Mr. Wang come from?
LEILA He comes from Kowloon.
CHANG What did he come here to do?
LEILA He came here to do business.
CHANG Where are you going from here?
LEILA From here, I am going to England.
CHANG Are all of them going?
LEILA No, none of them are going.
CHANG How are you going there?
LEILA I am going by plane.
CHANG Isn’t it expensive to go by plane?
LEILA No, I don’t think so.
CHANG Who is coming here from Japan by ship?
LEILA Mr. and Mrs. Wang are coming here from Japan by ship.
CHANG Why don’t they come by plane?
LEILA Because they can’t afford it.
CHANG Do you understand what I’m saying?
LEILA Isn’t the money his father gives you sufficient?
(He slaps her face.)
CHANG Today I represent Hong Kong. (coming up close to her face, angrily) Have you ever met him? SCENE 10: A conference room. Table, chairs, screen, projector, tape recorder (or record player), papers, etc. BILL at the screen with a pointer, LUCY and LILLY seated in folding chairs facing BILL.
BILL (pointing at screen) “Communication is the Key to Commerce.” In Hong Kong there are many refugees. (image of refugees) Macao is 40 miles from Hong Kong. (map of Macao) Hong Kong doesn’t produce coal. (picture of coal) North China produces coal. Southeast Asia produces a lot of rubber. (map of North China, Southeast Asia) Railway trains are transporting many things to Hong Kong every day. (picture of train) All cars in Hong Kong are imported from different countries. (map of different directions) Many Chinese women like to worship the goddess of Mercy. (picture of Goddess of Mercy)
LILLY (aside to LUCY) This foreigner speaks Chinese fluently.
LUCY (aside to LILLY) Many Westerners in Hong Kong speak Cantonese.
BILL Soviet Russia and China are communist countries. (maps) Many South American countries are influenced by communism. (map)
LILLY (raising her hand) Sir, could you tell me which is the largest one: Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America or South America?
BILL (ignoring the question) In the past, many Chinese women came to Hong Kong to work as maid servants. (picture of maid servant) Hong Kong also exports many items of bamboo and wooden furniture. (photos) The main product of this textile factory is undershirts. (photo of factory) They make both long-sleeved and short-sleeved undershirts. (pictures of undershirts) They give prizes to encourage the good workers. (photo of blue ribbon) This woman worker is weaving with a new machine which we bought from America. (photo)
LILLY (to LUCY) I don’t know how to sew with a machine.
BILL The management of this workshop is more strict than the others. (photo of management) All the things they did were very successful. (sales chart)
LUCY (to LILLY) In which department will you be working?
BILL Don’t speak so loudly please.
LILLY (to LUCY) We’ll speak in a low voice.
BILL Trucks are not allowed to go through this street. (picture of truck) You leave your work at noon for lunch. (picture of clock) These workers are good at manual work. (picture of “chain gang”) This factory has more than a hundred workers. (photo of various workers) They have both men and women workers.
LILLY Who are those old people?
BILL That old man and woman are brother and sister. Even though old, they are very strong. This is a temporary job for them. (pause) The government has half the stocks of this textile factory. (company logo) This is a corporate business. (He turns on the tape recorder, which plays patriotic music.) If one has a broken arm or leg it may be very painful at the time, but we have very good surgeons, who can set it in a short time. And in a few weeks you will have completely recovered. Fortunately, you can get yourself vaccinated and inoculated beforehand as a precaution.
LILLY (standing) The members of my family are all very healthy. But a few minor mishaps and ailments cannot as a rule be avoided. Headaches or a touch of fever are of no importance. But sometimes somebody suffers a toothache so that he must go to the dentist to be examined. As a matter of fact, there are always a great many sick people. Most pitiable are those who cannot speak, or cannot hear or see, or have something the matter with their legs and feet, that is to say: the deaf and the dumb, the blind and the lame. The members of my family are fortunate indeed. Nobody suffers from such terrible diseases.
LUCY (to BILL) She has a very good memory.
BILL (aside to audience) Of these two, I like the other one.
LUCY Are there many formalities to go through?
BILL This meeting of ours will be held in the next room. There are chairs all around the table there. It is a square table. The table has been measured. You may sit here or there. Immediately, after I speak, the meeting will be adjourned. (He hands out some test papers.) If you don’t have enough time to finish it now, you can finish it tomorrow.
LILLY There isn’t room to write down so much on this paper.
BILL In this way you should divide the paper into a number of squares: Take a pencil and draw a great many horizontal and vertical lines. Then with a pair of scissors cut along the lines and make a great many squares out of the paper.
LILLY This method is quite marvelous!
LUCY I have finished writing.
BILL (to LILLY) What did you dream last night? Do you smoke?
LUCY My watch is four minutes and fifty-three seconds slow. I think we should go to the station now. Au revoir.
LILLY Yes. Thank you very much, but it is getting late, and we must go and get our train for the city. When you are in town please come by and visit my home.
BILL When I go the office tomorrow, I will come your way.
LILLY All right. Thank you, goodbye. (shaking hands)
LUCY If you study your Cantonese hard, you will surely master it. (shaking hands)
(LUCY and LILLY cross downright and wait for train.)
LILLY I did not want to come to class today. Is he married?
LUCY He is an actor. (pause) Children shouldn’t play with matches.
LILLY He has been very helpful to me.
LUCY In the first place, he’s too old. In the second place, he comes from another country. In the third place, I don’t quite like the man.
LILLY He has been working in China many years. He is a learned man.
LUCY This lesson is not difficult. You cannot make good candy with bad coconuts.
BILL (downstage left) I feel very nervous. My hand is a little shaky, and my voice falters a little. This won’t do, I must pull myself together. I must put everything back in its original place. (He straightens up the meeting room, agitatedly.) Now I must tie my shoelace. I do not feel well. I feel a little giddy. I feel a little cold, my hands and feet are numb. When I put my hand to my head, it seems hot. I have fever. Is this what love can do?
(sound of train arriving)
LUCY Ah, the train has arrived on time. Today I’ve been busy all day long. At half past six I got up and at eight o’clock I hurried to the station to meet you.
LILLY No wonder you’ve been tired all day.
(Exit LUCY and LILLY. Sound of train leaving.)
BILL (smoking a cigarette) My memory is not very good. The longer I smoke, the shorter the cigarette becomes. Finally there remains a very short end. If I go on smoking, I shall burn my lips. (He hurriedly stubs out the cigarette.) I am in the habit of smoking a cigarette as an aid to digestion. (He throws up.) SCENE 11: VICTOR and MARGERY in a car. VICTOR is driving.
MARGERY This road becomes slippery when it rains.
VICTOR This is a very safe way of doing it.
MARGERY The car is running down the slope now. If the footbrake doesn’t work, use the handbrake.
VICTOR Margery, do you usually drive with one hand or two hands?
(He casually drapes his left hand over the back of MARGERY’s seat.)
MARGERY Don’t forget the traffic laws when you drive!
VICTOR (swerving suddenly) Did the car hit anyone?
MARGERY With regard to traffic regulations, you had better inquire of a police officer. Only a few people are interested in having life insurance. (pause) The doctor will not give a diagnosis today. (pause) Both of them, mother and son, came to my house yesterday. We had congee for lunch.
VICTOR Please don’t lean on the window.
MARGERY Love is one of the best ways to eliminate the hatred between people.
VICTOR The sanitary conditions in this town are very bad.
MARGERY It seems to be very far away, but it is actually in front of you. You are only aware of present convenience, without thinking of any future change.
VICTOR Did you know a fire broke out at the store next door to the Post Office yesterday?
MARGERY I heard about it. They lost a lot, didn’t they?
VICTOR The fire brigade got the alarm too late. By the time they arrived the top two stories had burnt. MARGERY They must have been insured against fire?
VICTOR They were insured for ten thousand dollars but lost more than that.
MARGERY Please, don’t race when driving a car.
VICTOR Do you think I have to drink liquor every day!
MARGERY There will be no fresh air if the window is not open. (She opens the car window.) The view of Hong Kong at night is really very picturesque. I could take the whole picture of it into my mind. Chinese people know how to make good chinaware.
VICTOR Chinese people call San Francisco “Big Port.”
MARGERY How many departments do they have in the hospital? The operating room is very well equipped. Where is the New Territories?
VICTOR It is ten kilometers from here to there. There are many chicken farms in the New Territories.
MARGERY Can you accompany me there?
VICTOR Now it is well past eight o’clock. It is already dark. It has grown late.
MARGERY My bowels have not moved for two days.
VICTOR For the next two days you must not go out and you must drink plenty of boiled water.
MARGERY Just out of curiosity I would very much like to use chopsticks for once, just to find out exactly how they are used.
VICTOR It is easier to eat with chopsticks than with a knife and a fork. You just have to learn.
MARGERY There is a great deal of traffic on this road, cars following one after another, one overtaking another. The traffic light has just turned green. One car is not overtaking correctly so that it’s going to run into the car in front of it. (sound of car crash) Now the driver of the front car has pulled to the curb but hasn’t noticed there is a bus in front of him. (sound of another car crash) Through lack of attention the two vehicles have collided. The glass in the back of the bus has been shattered to pieces.
VICTOR Fortunately there are no passengers in the back of the bus, so at least nobody was hurt.
MARGERY Now the drivers have gotten out of their cars and people are gathering from all sides. Among these are people who have seen with their own eyes the accident. (yelling out the window) It was not his fault!
VICTOR Here comes a police officer to investigate the case.
MARGERY Here comes an ambulance to help the wounded. (yelling out the window) I wish you good health throughout the year! (suddenly noticing something) Whose bicycle is that? Who is that boy? Is he sweating?
VICTOR What is the disease he got?
MARGERY Jimmy! Jimmy! (to VICTOR) That’s right. It is he who is standing outside. He’s holding a bottle of water in one hand and a glass in the other. He slowly pours the water out of the bottle into the glass, then sip by sip he drinks the water which he has poured out. Now he lowers his head, thinking.
VICTOR Is he the one with the humped back?
MARGERY He left without saying goodbye. (She bursts into tears.) He is insane. His illness is incurable. Jimmy! Jimmy! (She tries to open the car door but the door handle is jammed.) They look at him as if he were drunk. He is smoking a long pipe. Jimmy! Jimmy! (shaking door handle)
VICTOR In my opinion, he is very stupid. Who would have thought he would suddenly draw a gun and threaten to kill me?
MARGERY Are you not going to help me? If you had been nice to him on that evening, everything would have been all right.
VICTOR If he had not failed the examination, everything would have been all right.
MARGERY He did not even say one word, he did not even write one letter.
VICTOR And you’ve never heard from him since then?
MARGERY Jimmy! Jimmy! (She finally wrenches the door open, gets out of car and runs off stageleft.)
VICTOR This young man is not only poor, but also sick. (calling to MARGERY, offstage) Don’t forget this is not what he promised you a month ago.
MARGERY (offstage) Jimmy! Jimmy!
VICTOR (aside) If only he did not always look down on other people and think that only he was right. For him, an ideal solution is impossible. But my plan will materialize one day. Everybody is his own boss, so to speak. SCENE 12: A street in Hong Kong. Night. JIMMY, wearing a tattered, patched coat, and LUCY.
JIMMY (shivering) This overcoat is very old.
LUCY On what day does your school start, Jimmy?
JIMMY I have read the biography of a great man and will be following his example.
LUCY Who is that great man?
JIMMY He escaped from prison. Every day he gets stronger. Every day his knowledge increases. Every day his temper gets more violent.
LUCY (aside to audience) His behavior gets worse.
JIMMY The days now are shorter. Food becomes scarcer. This is a true story, not a game! It’s a question that nobody can answer.
LUCY We can discuss this matter when you come to my house.
JIMMY It is a matter that interests me very much.
LUCY That is a very polite reply.
JIMMY It is better to take risks than to cancel my plan altogether. And yet a rash action could endanger the whole project.
(He takes a thoughtful pose.)
LUCY
(aside to audience) It’s no use talking to him. He is deaf. Being kind to him won’t work. He’ll only do it if I force him. (To JIMMY) If you are not careful you will burn your nose.
(LUCY lights a match and holds it under his nose.)
JIMMY Ouch! What did you do that for?
LUCY I had a dream about you.
(She sings)
The days become shorter Now that winter has come. All the leaves have fallen. The sky is very cloudy. It gets dark very early. The river is often frozen. It snows heavily And when the weather grows bitterly cold One cannot get warm at all, One cannot get warm at all, One cannot get warm at all.
You might easily catch cold if you stay outside here too long. You’re coming home with me.
(She grabs his arm.)
JIMMY People who have cars are not all rich.
LUCY (leading him offstage) Is that true?
(Exit LUCY and JIMMY. Pause. Enter MARGERY)
MARGERY Jimmy! Jimmy! (wandering about, aimlessly)
(Exit MARGERY)
SCENE 13: Lilly’s apartment. Evening. There is a leafless tree downstage where Bill enters. The apartment’s exterior door leads into the interior space. A phone. BILL and LILLY.
(Enter BILL)
BILL (walking along the street at night) It’s queer, it’s strange, to be willing to blame, to seek a fruit or an outcome. Yet nevertheless in order to rest, to establish peace, to be alive, a good person can become a bad one and a bad one a good. They are on equal footing. (He stops for a moment to gaze at the tree.) This tree is very old. I hope it will bloom again.
(He knocks on the door. LILLY enters and lets him in. They kiss.)
I had a dream last night and dreamed of you coming home with me to America. (They kiss again.) How many hours did you wait for him last night?
LILLY What time is it now?
BILL 8:45 PM.
LILLY What day of the week was yesterday?
BILL Wednesday.
LILLY Too long!
(They kiss again.)
BILL Do you know what the difference is between animate and inanimate objects? The animate beckon with their hand, they join together, they dream, they enjoy. It is their duty and responsibility.
LILLY It is difficult to find, astonished, elated and amazed as I am, making loving speech together with you to light a lamp and assemble a wonder in the midst of night, to weave a cloth fiercely of liberty and equality in the interest of our duties. (aside to audience) Almost everybody says he’s a genius and that he can do many things.
BILL What’s the signal?
LILLY “Good luck.”
BILL Have you any news?
LILLY No, I haven’t any.
BILL Please don’t make me guess! Whom do you suspect? Do you suspect him?
LILLY As a person he is quite kind. All his friends love him. He is a poet. That is, he writes poetry. He has a natural talent for the seven-syllable line.
BILL I won’t rest till I understand fully.
LILLY If you don’t understand today, I will explain again tomorrow. Then I will give you a good many examples. Sometimes you Westerners think things are too difficult and feel hopeless about it. But we have now made good progress.
BILL I haven’t sent the telegram to New York yet.
LILLY Did you take him home?
BILL He walked home. He left with the money.
LILLY Let’s talk about it on the way. Please drive the car out of the garage.
BILL Wait here for me. (He tries to open the door, but it’s jammed.) I can’t get out!
LILLY How come you are so stupid?
(She crosses and opens the door. Exit BILL. She crosses to the phone and dials a number.)
(speaking into phone) We searched for a long time but didn’t find it. (pause) If we don’t finish the work, we can’t leave. (pause) Can we get going tomorrow? (pause) I don’t understand what you’re saying. (pause) Originally. (pause) Some foreign country. (pause) Yes, I’ll be late. (pause) We won’t go anywhere. I don’t want to do anything at all. (pause) How many are there? Not many. (pause) I haven’t heard yet. (pause) I don’t think there is anymore hope. (pause) During those two years they were in business, weren’t they? (pause) Now that he knows her, he’s become an adult. (pause) Either he or his elder brother wrote it. (pause) I didn’t know until you told me. (pause) He’s been everywhere. Even to London. (pause) Yes, in my opinion he’s very able. (pause) Oh, you’re too modest. (pause) His father looked at me like he had never seen me before. His mother looked very ill. (pause) This is a sacrifice on his part. (pause) If he does survive the operation he will always be a sick man. (pause) I will consult an encyclopedia. Science is always advancing. (pause) Be kind to her. (She hangs up the phone.) (aside to audience) From now on I will never see him again.
(Enter BILL)
Mr. Wang is going back this afternoon.
BILL Is the man well?
LILLY Yes, he is well. He is free from anxiety. He is our host, we are his guests.
BILL His courage is very great. He is a brave man. A good reward is a bad reward to him. Suppose he wants us to discuss the basic question, what shall we say?
LILLY I have already told them not to discuss those things at next week’s conference. Authorities cannot agree, differences of opinion exist, not much is known, no one is sure of the beginning or end, other than the fact that it’s a great adventure!
BILL I am so tired, weary.
LILLY It is necessary. Do you doubt them?
BILL Is this your superior’s command?
LILLY Yesterday he went to Washington, D.C. by plane. He will be back the day after tomorrow.
BILL I remember very well what he said about you, what he did in Paris, what he taught us last week, what he voted for at the meeting yesterday.
LILLY Next time, don’t climb trees with your good pants on!
BILL There was nobody to consult. He never came back from London. And I have not been able to go on.
LILLY You started a fight right away! I will never invite you to my house again.
BILL Make use of his knowledge.
LILLY Where is his wife now?
BILL I’ll answer you tomorrow morning.
LILLY Aren’t you able to speak?
BILL Let’s not fight.
LILLY Why is it you came back? Tell me that. What don’t you want?
BILL I don’t want anything.
LILLY What did you go there to do?
BILL Nothing.
LILLY Please say that again.
BILL Nothing! Nothing was bought yet!
LILLY (pause) I don’t have time to go with you tonight. I don’t want to go to his place. Which day was it that you moved here?
BILL As soon as I came in, I knew that you were sick.
LILLY You didn’t write to me anymore. Where were you?
BILL Do you realize it has grown late?
LILLY If you can’t do it quickly, then don’t do it at all.
(She rips open her bodice and he kisses her breasts passionately.)
SCENE 14: Lucy’s room. JIMMY is seated at the kitchen table. Table, chairs, bowl of fruit, pot of rice on the stove.
JIMMY There is a dish of fruit on the table. I should like to eat some. Shall I have an apple or a pear? The apple looks very nice. I think I’ll have the apple. But first I’ll fetch a knife. (He stands and crosses left.) I stand. I rise. I walk. What is this whole body? Is it the upper and lower parts? If I explain it in more detail, shall I say: head, neck, shoulders, armpits, arms (upper and lower), elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, chest, back, stomach, thighs, knees, calves, feet and toes?
(Enter LUCY)
LUCY Do you feel better today, Jimmy? (She feels his head.) I should advise you to go to a hospital. They will have nurses to take care of you there.
JIMMY That is very kind of you.
LUCY Will you think it over? Do you understand what I am saying? Is there anyone at home?
JIMMY What time did he not go by air? Tell a story. Work in the country. Speak Cantonese. Teach the youngest son to stand up, please! Teach the youngest son to stand up, please! What’s your name? Who knows? Some are mute outside of school. The older brother. Sell to him. I am here. When I was small I liked to study very much. He is drawing you. Others are busy too. It is difficult to learn. I know how now. How about you? He comes often. The intelligent one, the one who wears a hat, the one who has a Chinese dress, the one who eats here, the one who went to work. Don’t leave! Don’t leave! But he has already left. Your home is well provided with food. Please toast some bread for me. I like to drink a cup of tea and eat a piece of toast.
LUCY Some rice is already boiling in the pot.
JIMMY The way you arranged your home looks very nice.
(LUCY serves him some rice.)
LUCY Eat as much as possible. You can sit here or there, as you please.
JIMMY (sitting) Which do you like, oranges or tangerines?
LUCY May God bless you!
JIMMY I’m afraid I’ve disturbed you too much. I am going to leave. (He exits. He enters.) I came back. I don’t speak Chinese very well.
LUCY Let’s talk about that after breakfast.
JIMMY (sitting, eating rice) I am neither tall nor stout. Have you ever stayed in a hotel?
LUCY (sitting at the table with him) Yes, I have, but I didn’t like it.
JIMMY Have you met Mr. Wang?
LUCY I can’t recall. But I respect him.
JIMMY I look down on him.
LUCY Well, wartime and peacetime are different.
JIMMY Your method and mine are practically identical. The difference is, I drink more than I eat.
(JIMMY stops eating and leans forward to LUCY.)
LUCY (looking into his eyes) It’s much easier to ride than to walk.
JIMMY The road is shorter than that.
(They draw closer to each other.)
LUCY You are much more clever than I.
JIMMY (drawing even closer) How far is it from me to you?
LUCY I don’t know. We are extremely close.
JIMMY It is much closer to here (kissing one side of her face) than to here. (kissing the other side)
LUCY I am five years older than you.
(They give each other little kisses during the following dialog.)
JIMMY Isn’t it hot today? (kiss)
LUCY Yes, compared with yesterday. (kiss)
JIMMY What are you thinking doing this afternoon? (kiss)
LUCY Rather than going to a movie, I would rather see an ordinary play. (kiss)
JIMMY It makes no difference to me if I see a film or a play. (kiss)
LUCY I have not been to the theater for a very long time. (kiss)
JIMMY Before I go to bed I usually drink a cup of tea. (kiss)
LUCY The clock has stopped.
(They kiss and fall to the floor in a passionate embrace.) SCENE 15: Margery’s hotel suite. MARGERY and VICTOR.
MARGERY (putting on earrings) What show is playing tonight?
VICTOR (on the phone) Let’s see how the situation is first. We shall give you an answer tomorrow. (He hangs up the phone.) I don’t want to go out this evening. I woke up from a dream feeling very tired. That dress suits you very well.
MARGERY There are two shows this evening. I need some small coins to give tips.
(VICTOR reaches into his pocket and gives her some coins.)
VICTOR Be sure to come back early.
MARGERY Can you tell the difference between nylon stockings and silk stockings? (She shows him her legs.) The theater was full of people last night. The actors performed wonderfully well. The show tonight will not start until eight o’clock. Have you ever seen the play “The Patriotic Tear”?
VICTOR No, please tell me the story of that play.
MARGERY It tells a story about school life in China. I have bought two tickets. Please go to the theater with me tonight.
VICTOR The first show has finished.
MARGERY The second show hasn’t started yet. It’s still early.
VICTOR It’s long past time.
MARGERY Have you ever been to Peiping?
VICTOR About two years ago.
(There is a knock on the door.)
MARGERY Did you hear that?
VICTOR Yes.
MARGERY Perhaps he came to say goodbye. Will you ask him in or shall I? (another knock) Come in.
(Enter BILL with a newspaper)
BILL May I trouble you?
MARGERY (to VICTOR) I invited him. (to BILL) What are you holding in your hand, Bill?
BILL Have you read this afternoon’s paper yet?
(MARGERY and VICTOR read the newspaper.)
VICTOR You wrote this very well.
BILL Do you understand all it says?
VICTOR What it says is extremely interesting.
MARGERY Where has Mr. Wang gone?
BILL I have already spoken with Lilly about that. When he reached the station, the train had already left.
VICTOR He used to be an Englishman. How about now?
BILL (to VICTOR) May I ask what your nationality is?
MARGERY He used to be an American. I asked him to buy this.
(She opens a box and takes out two necklaces.)
VICTOR Don’t give it to him. Sell it to him! (to BILL) Which one do you want?
(BILL looks at the necklaces with a jeweler’s loop.)
BILL Some are good. How many dollars?
VICTOR We want half your money.
BILL Say, what is this? (to MARGERY) Is it yours or his?
MARGERY It’s become more expensive now.
VICTOR It used to be too cheap.
BILL The bank has already closed. As long as I live you’ll have nothing to fear.
MARGERY (to VICTOR) But for him, I should have gone to prison. He did not even answer one question. (to BILL) I am going to the theater to see a play. In my opinion you’re very nice.
BILL People either love me or hate me.
VICTOR Of course we must remember that most difficulties can be overcome by a compromise.
BILL Rather than submit to their humiliating conditions, we shall fight to the last man. We shall never make a temporary peace.
MARGERY In spite of further loss of life?
BILL Unless you know the language of the country, you cannot understand the mind of the people.
VICTOR We cannot change the rules. Even if we all cooperate and every one of us does his utmost, we cannot achieve victory. You are very stupid and can’t understand anything.
BILL Yes, only a flower can turn and follow the sun.
VICTOR The principle upon which the economic policy of the Chinese People’s Republic is based is the Principle of the People’s Livelihood. The Chinese well understand the disadvantages of industrialization. But they have to improve their standard of living and therefore industrialization is necessary.
BILL China is an agricultural country.
VICTOR But she will become an industrial country in the near future.
MARGERY Did you know, Bill, that it was reported on the wireless at nine o’clock last night that Brazil had invaded Peru?
BILL Judging by its geographical position, Peru seems to be very much at a disadvantage.
MARGERY Yes, but their left flank is strong and protected by air cover.
BILL True. I should think Brazil will find an attack very difficult. Yet Peru’s artillery and trench defenses are well “sited”.
VICTOR I’ve heard that Brazil is going to adopt an offensive strategy.
MARGERY Yes, I should imagine that Brazil will concentrate on a frontal attack first and then make a pincer movement to attack from the rear.
VICTOR This is a small war and should be over in a week.
MARGERY It’s a good thing no gas bombs were dropped yesterday. I’m afraid the casualties would have been worse.
VICTOR So few people have gas masks.
BILL I hope they organize a commission so that in the future questions may be solved peacefully. Margery, has your luggage been sent off yet?
MARGERY The shipping company has collected my luggage but I don’t know if they put it on board yet.
BILL Victor, have you been to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply for a passport? I believe it’s a rather complicated procedure, isn’t it?
VICTOR Yes, I’ve been there twice. They say my nationality is uncertain and my photograph’s too old. They asked me to get another one taken. In the last meeting I reported on the situation.
BILL (suddenly) Please don’t move. Please close the closet door. (He reaches down and picks up the telephone line.) This wire was cut by someone. How many pairs of scissors do you have? What is that thing under the table?
(VICTOR tries to open door to bathroom but it’s locked.)
VICTOR The bathroom is occupied. (loudly) Who is in the room?
BILL Don’t yell so loud! If he’s not in the living room, he’s sure to be in the kitchen.
(Exit MARGERY)
MARGERY (offstage) Eeek! There’s somebody underneath the bed!
BILL Please turn out the light!
(Blackout. Two shots are heard. Lights up. The BELLBOY is lying facedown on the floor with a bullet hole in his back. MARGERY is screaming. VICTOR is standing center stage with a smoking gun in his hand. BILL is nowhere to be seen.)
SCENE 16 and SCENE 17 are played concurrently
SCENE 18: Margery’s hotel suite. Tray of refreshments. MARGERY and INSPECTOR CHANG, who writes in a note pad.
MARGERY Having finished breakfast we hired a taxi and went to a store to buy a lot of things. We had been asked to lunch by my uncle who lives a long way out of town. My uncle wanted us to stay on for tea but to our regret my friend’s aunt had already invited us for supper at her house. So we talked a little while and hurried back to town. After an enjoyable supper we went together to the cinema. I had originally meant my friend to stay with me for a few days but he insisted on going back that night. So I accompanied him to the station to see him off. When I reached home it was already midnight.
INSPECTOR CHANG No wonder you feel rather tired today.
MARGERY Don’t say it that way.
(Enter BILL)
BILL What’s happened? What’s wrong?
MARGERY (to BILL) Bill, what have you come here for?
(CHANG looks at BILL)
BILL Don’t look at me. I didn’t say anything.
CHANG (to BILL) Was it yesterday or the day before that you came?
BILL I went to her house for dinner. It was Margery who invited me.
MARGERY I invited you for a drink. (pause) Have you already read the newspaper?
BILL This morning’s paper? No, not yet.
CHANG Where was it that you gave him the money?
MARGERY When was it that you came?
BILL My brother came to see our father. He came yesterday. It was yesterday that I went to Kowloon by train. CHANG
We hear that you spoke with him.
BILL We chatted and then left. Let’s talk about it tomorrow. I am on the verge of crying. I must be going. It’s almost time to eat.
MARGERY (to BILL) I will come presently.
(Exit BILL)
CHANG (Aside to audience) She will sing shortly. (to MARGERY) Sit a bit. Become happy. You can speak now. It’s hopeless. Broken. You will be broken soon. Think it over.
MARGERY It’s almost twelve years now. He once had no money, but now he’s rich. He used to like to drink, but now no more. Open the window a bit and be seated. (CHANG opens the window and sits.) I have been writing letters for quite a while now.
CHANG For how many weeks has he been searching?
MARGERY Eight months already.
(She sings)
This morning, this year, this week. Last year, last week, last month. Next year, next week, next month. In two months, in two years, in two days. Last Wednesday, this August, every day, in three days, on the third day. We’ll have a little snack and chat And then do it again tomorrow. Afterwards, for a long while, I wait. I sit here, in the parlor, behind the door. Come out, run back, move it here, bring it there. In your hand, in your pocket. Pick it up, put it down, Pick it up, put it down, Pick it up, put it down. We’ll have a little snack and chat And then do it again tomorrow.
We moved to America. I don’t cry anymore.
CHANG I brought this along to give to you. Recognize it?
(He shows her JIMMY’s tattered overcoat.)
MARGERY Perhaps.
CHANG It may be important.
MARGERY (aside) I must act stupid, be clumsy.
CHANG May I be clear about my meaning? The day before yesterday you arrived at or reached the goal of your action. Of course, naturally, you couldn’t take or bring along on to a boat or a ship, an automobile or car, to ride in or get around in, in the city or its parts. However your arrival there did indicate that your plan was to go out and wait, be low, be underneath your place and plan. Am I right? Am I correct?
MARGERY Excuse me. I’m sorry. I didn’t understand a thing or word you said. The most I know is that yesterday he left. He had already signed the Agreement.
CHANG Do you know the police are waiting outside the door to arrest you?
MARGERY When we got there, the man was dead already. The guests had all gone. And the wire had been cut. Thieves had come and stole all my belongings, broke my desk open and removed all my letters.
CHANG Do you have a servant with a red nose? Do you know a young man with a straw hat? A gentleman in a blue suit? An old man with a beard? (aside to audience) Who would have thought that two people so different in temperament and social standing would get married?
MARGERY I remember what he told me at the end of last year. He almost was drowned. I sued him for the money. I will never again believe a word he says.
CHANG Do you not know the latest news?
MARGERY He has gone bankrupt and offered his resignation?
CHANG He has sold his property and left the country.
MARGERY He was a rich man and he was very unhappy. He was very fond of the children of women he never married.
CHANG I have a question. Are both of them yours?
MARGERY They are all of them excellent. Those boys—
CHANG Oh, now I understand! Previously he could only speak English. Later he came to speak French also. Where is he working now?
MARGERY I believe he is teaching Chinese at a school. I heard that you were chatting with him. He hasn’t even a penny. In his home they eat with bowls and chopsticks.
CHANG I drink soup with a spoon.
MARGERY It was Wang who wrote the letter. They did not. Mr. Li didn’t take the money along.
CHANG What did Wang sell in his store?
MARGERY I can’t recall.
CHANG He says women speak three times faster than men. Is that true?
MARGERY Everyone speaks faster than I do. (She picks up JIMMY’s tattered coat.) Besides this overcoat he has two others. Last summer he planned to go to Africa, but his father wouldn’t let him.
CHANG It would be best for you not to leave until he has returned. The fact that he is doing that sort of work causes his friends and family a lot of worry.
MARGERY Even a rich man such as he can’t afford to buy love.
CHANG You can stay at this hotel or at your friend’s house, as you please. It is impossible to predict what the Communists will do in the name of reform.
MARGERY What you said is quite meaningful. Please tell him that for me.
CHANG I help you, you help him, he helps us.
MARGERY Are they in distressing circumstances?
CHANG They are in very distressing circumstances.
MARGERY (aside to audience) He has a lot of leisure. I wonder why he’s not willing to help me? (to CHANG) Feel free to smoke.
CHANG I don’t smoke, thank you.
MARGERY Please have some candy. Do you drink wine? This is a chicken or a duck egg. This is soybean sauce. Do you want any?
(CHANG bursts out laughing.)
Don’t laugh! Don’t laugh so loud! Whom are you laughing at? Please answer me!
CHANG His parents have already passed away.
MARGERY When did they pass away?
CHANG Stretch out your left hand. I want to look at it.
(MARGERY stretches out her left hand.)
SCENE 19: Wang’s office. BILL and MR. WANG
BILL There will never be another you, Mr. Wang. Please let me explain. I hope to transform, to melt, to help, to teach, to assist them to endure the bitter instructions that come from you with the will to die, to receive, to collect the dead, to be dead far from field or farm, to crawl, to climb, in brush or stubble, to order, to command the lungs, the body, the fat, the flesh, to hate, to be brave, to bear, to shoulder, mutually, reciprocally, all of a sudden, suddenly to kill, to put to death, to govern, to rule, to slaughter, to take unfair advantage of, to not do without, great, heroic, to lead along and pull, year after year, age after age, to plant the seed of a new race!
WANG If I have the strength, I will certainly help you.
BILL A person who is willing to risk his life in fighting for his comrades is not afraid of danger.
WANG What is the intention of your superior officer in advocating a revolt at this time?
BILL To defend our country’s honor, territory and principles.
WANG You are exceptionally eloquent. I admire your sincerity and earnestness. It’s a pity to have to smash your pillar to pieces. Let me state clearly, on no account are you to discuss or criticize, chastise or rebuke, no matter what the circumstances, any flaw or defect in the President of the Party or the ministers of government departments.
BILL Supposing the decision has been made?
WANG Then we are moored on the reef of disaster and our ship will sink.
BILL Don’t worry. Our leader is a genius with a natural talent.
WANG The times unfold, I fear, and the facts are set. His son has just come back. Ask him not to feel bad anymore.
BILL Do you think it will be windy this evening? He asked me last night why you didn’t go.
WANG It is very late now. Please tell him because I had no automobile I did not go. The truth is, I do not like military music. Good luck, good fortune.
(Exit BILL)
There is nothing to alter, nothing to correct, nothing to fight over or argue about. It is fate, destiny, our life, our command, our order. They have the strength, power, ability, time, and occasion to attack. Yet they’ve turned the wrong side out! SCENE 20: Jonny’s hideout. A room with a window and a door. JONNY is dressed in boxer shorts. He wears a gun in a holster and a pair of binoculars hanging from his neck.
JONNY (pacing the floor) I’ll go back there in a little while. I will not wait any longer. When I’m rested I’ll return home. (sound of automobile pulling up outside) I hear a car stopping outside the door. (sound of footsteps) I hear the sound of steps. (sound of three sharp raps on the door) (aside to audience) He knocks with his finger. (shouting) Come in! Oh wait, first I have to put on my pants.
(INSPECTOR CHANG enters wearing rubber gloves.)
CHANG Now is the time for the examination to begin. (He takes off the rubber gloves.)
JONNY (putting on pants) How stupid of me.
CHANG Have they come or not?
JONNY They haven’t come back yet. He has gone. He paid.
CHANG Have you eaten?
JONNY Not yet. He came to see me. We went to look over some cars. She didn’t know he was here. She went downtown to see a friend. She bought this article downtown.
(JONNY hands CHANG a lacy underwear.)
CHANG Did you speak to him?
JONNY I wanted to give him all my money. He didn’t say much of anything. I can’t speak for him.
CHANG Anything else?
JONNY We walked there. I only saw her once. They didn’t know. I thought it over again and still didn’t go. I don’t care to go any longer. I have stood up!
CHANG Did he leave?
JONNY No, not yet. He no sooner got up then we sat down to have breakfast.
CHANG That’s just not right!
JONNY As soon as it got dark, I went to bed. Most of the food was thrown out by the children.
CHANG Do you have any money?
JONNY No, I don’t. She likes to buy things very much. (CHANG gives him some cash.) Thanks.
CHANG Don’t mention it.
(sound of knocks at the door)
JONNY Who is at the door? (Enter MR. WANG) What is my father doing here?
WANG (to CHANG) He only knows half. (to JONNY) Wash your face.
JONNY There is no way out!
WANG The good and the bad are alike to me. Your work and mine are not alike. Not until I say it’s all right is it all right. Did your mother give this to you or did your wife?
(WANG holds up the lacy underwear.)
CHANG I’ll leave first. (He takes back the cash that he’d previously given JONNY.) Ask him for money. (to WANG) Didn’t you hear him say she’s not coming back?
WANG Find out what happened. Quick! Chop chop!
(Exit CHANG)
(to JONNY) When you’ve got your passport you’ll have to get a visa to go to various countries. That’ll take you another day or two. As a rule we have maneuvers once a fortnight. I think there will also be a cadet inspection tomorrow.
JONNY My wife very much likes to watch Chinese boxing.
WANG Tell me, Jonny. What is your height? You must be taller than I am.
JONNY I am five foot eleven and a half. But I have a friend who is very short. He is four foot eight inches tall. He is mute and can’t hear either.
WANG I think blind people are worse off because no one can teach them to see.
JONNY But the School for the Blind can teach them to read.
WANG The weather was very good the day before yesterday. Where did you go?
JONNY I got up in the morning and went for a walk in the park.
WANG You also subscribe to a lot of magazines, don’t you, Jonny?
JONNY Yes, I have subscriptions to three or four periodicals. These magazines have pictures and they also all have news value.
WANG Are they literary or scientific?
JONNY They are of two kinds. One dealing with sport and the other with the cinema. They are all very interesting. I read the advertisements too, because sometimes they enable you to buy things that are hard to find. Look, I bought these dozen tennis balls after reading an advertisement. (JONNY holds up a bag of balls.) You’re very inquisitive.
WANG Ah, I’d almost forgotten to give you a check.
(WANG writes a check and gives it to JONNY.)
JONNY You did not always give me useless presents.
WANG You did not always criticize people.
JONNY You did not always tell lies.
WANG You did not always prove unworthy of my confidence. (aside to audience) He has been run over by a car but was only slightly injured. (to JONNY) The crisis is over but the political situation is still very tense.
JONNY From now on, I’ll never take risks again.
WANG You did not even apologize.
JONNY He made no attempt to resist. I did not even ask him to sit down. I remained silent. I did not know what to say. I did not ask him where he was going. I even forgot to say goodbye.
WANG (aside to audience) He is the most intelligent brother of all. (to JONNY) The Cabinet simply must resign! SCENE 21: Wang’s office. A plate of sauces, scissors, papers. LILLY, seated at desk, and MARGERY.
MARGERY Is he alone?
LILLY He doesn’t want to see anyone.
MARGERY I have a question. Why didn’t he come? Why didn’t you go?
LILLY The man who didn’t come yesterday will come tomorrow. He drinks tea with milk and sugar. How about you?
MARGERY Do you have any leisure, Lilly? Are you busy today?
LILLY I am very sorry. I have no leisure now.
MARGERY Don’t deceive me. Don’t deceive anybody! All swindlers are dishonest. No honest person would be a swindler. He is a man without any conscience.
LILLY There are two roads outside. One is short and one is long. Do you know how to drive an automobile?
MARGERY I came here on foot.
LILLY He is not going abroad next year. If you have offended him, he will certainly get even with you. Recently he has been reading too much. At night he can’t fall asleep.
MARGERY I came here last fall. I will go back next spring.
LILLY Can’t you see? He speaks, I speak.
MARGERY And what does he say?
LILLY He speaks Chinese. You don’t speak Chinese. He is smart, elegant and handsome.
MARGERY Where is the radiogram? Please tell me.
LILLY He has malaria. And is very sick. He has written a letter on your behalf. It is said that the shareholders will have a meeting next month.
MARGERY I can’t afford a maid to do my housework!
LILLY Every student has to learn to play ball. Make it into a useful thing.
(MARGERY notices a letter on the table and grabs it.)
MARGERY For whom is this registered letter?
LILLY You speak either too loudly or too softly.
(LILLY tries to snatch the letter back from MARGERY, who eludes her. They circle each other warily. LILLY grabs a pair of scissors off the desk.)
LILLY Do you want a haircut or a shave?
MARGERY How about a haircut and a shave?
(MARGERY kicks the scissors from LILLY’s hand and puts her in a headlock.)
LILLY Give me the letter and I will speak to him. He is a busy man. I only arrived yesterday.
MARGERY (choking LILLY) Did he write this or his elder brother? You can sing or we can talk, it’s up to you.
LILLY I asked him to write… (choke choke) He was teaching English here… (choke) She was in China… (choke) The most difficult thing is foreigners who understand Chinese… (choke) The matters I told you about — it’s not what I told you… (choke) We hadn’t spoken for a long time… (choke) He didn’t come home for many years… (choke) He has become very impolite.
MARGERY I want to look at those pictures of his.
(MARGERY drags LILLY over to the filing cabinet and takes out a folder of pictures.)
(Enter BILL)
BILL Those pictures are not for sale!
(MARGERY releases LILLY.)
LILLY This is his idea!
MARGERY Who wants to teach in England? (waving pictures at him)
BILL (to MARGERY) You were formerly beautiful, but now you are ugly.
MARGERY (aside to audience) Is he the Englishman or the American? Which one is good?
LILLY I asked him to give me some money. He said, “I am busy. Goodbye.”
BILL How much do you know?
LILLY Just a little. He doesn’t think that his mother knows.
MARGERY Some things I understand and some things I don’t.
BILL I’ll leave after he gets here.
LILLY He has been gone quite a few days.
BILL How many days?
LILLY Quite a few days.
(BILL draws a gun and starts looking around the room.)
Where are you going?
BILL (crossing upstage to a closed door.) Nowhere.
LILLY For whom are you looking? There’s nothing in that room.
(He jerks the door open and enters the room.)
(aside to MARGERY) He told me that he didn’t know.
MARGERY (aside to LILLY) You didn’t tell me that her name was Ma.
(Re-enter BILL)
BILL This war is even more severe than the last. (He holsters his gun.) (suddenly) What are those things on the table?
LILLY Those are salt, pepper, mustard, sauce and vinegar. Also a saucer of sugar.
BILL I want to order a bowl of noodles with shredded meat. (aside to MARGERY) I can’t drink strong wine but I can take a little port.
MARGERY I think both sides should disarm, so they won’t fight again in the future.
LILLY I hope it won’t rain or be too cloudy. There is an eclipse of the moon tonight.
BILL I shall certainly wait up to see it.
MARGERY The telephone’s a very useful thing, Bill. Have you had one installed?
BILL I had it fixed last week but it still needs repairing. (to LILLY) What time is it by your watch? I think my watch is too slow.
(Suddenly VICTOR enters, holding a gun. BILL makes a move for the gun in his holster, but VICTOR stops him.)
VICTOR Drop the gun, Bill!
(BILL drops his gun.)
MARGERY Victor, you’ve escaped!
VICTOR I ran away at once. I even forgot to leave a tip. Ha ha.
BILL I thought one day you’d suddenly draw a gun and threaten to kill me. The weather can change so suddenly. (aside to LILLY) Talk to him without witnesses.
MARGERY (aside to LILLY) Ask him for money.
LILLY Come in and join the party, Victor. Margery has decided to return to her country.
VICTOR (to LILLY) You’re a lousy liar, Lilly.
LILLY You can’t please everyone. I change every year.
(VICTOR snatches pictures from MARGERY.)
VICTOR Now I have these!
BILL His older brother is in China now.
VICTOR Is his mother coming?
BILL Yes, his mother is coming too. He is not sure of returning.
VICTOR And you’re staying here for how long?
MARGERY (to VICTOR) It is best if you left.
VICTOR (to MARGERY) Who told you that his automobile was out of order? He drove it to town just two days ago.
MARGERY I can’t recall or don’t remember.
LILLY (to VICTOR) You cheap, mean, low, worthless man!
VICTOR Whom did I kill? What did I do? Who is your personal enemy, Lilly? Are you going to avenge your father?
LILLY You are completely wrong. We are very lucky to enjoy the rights of citizens.
MARGERY (to VICTOR) What you said was not quite correct because you hadn’t heard what she said.
VICTOR Have you finished speaking?
BILL We’re on the right side! Even now the way is level. Don’t be afraid of difficulties. Don’t be afraid of him. There is a way out!
MARGERY It’s an important problem. (to VICTOR) Do you agree?
SCENE 22: Lucy’s room. JIMMY and LUCY are in bed underneath a blanket. All the dialog takes place under the blanket.
JIMMY Where are you? (searching for LUCY)
LUCY Here I am. Where are you? (searching for JIMMY)
JIMMY Here I am. Where are you? (searching)
LUCY Here I am. Where are you? (searching)
JIMMY Where are you? Here I am. (searching)
LUCY Here I am. (searching)
JIMMY Here I am. (searching)
LUCY Where are you? (searching)
JIMMY Where are you? (searching)
LUCY Here I am. Here I am. Here I am. (searching) Where are you?
JIMMY I am here. (searching)
LUCY Oh, there you are. (finding him)
JIMMY Here I am.
LUCY You are here!
JIMMY I am here. Are you here?
LUCY Here I am. (They burst into giggles.) Isn’t it strange?
JIMMY It is very strange.
LUCY It is very strange. (moving) Isn’t it strange?
JIMMY It is very strange. (moving)
LUCY It is not at all strange. (moving)
JIMMY It is not at all strange. (moving)
LUCY It is not at all strange. (moving)
JIMMY It is not at all strange. (moving)
LUCY It is very strange. (moving)
JIMMY It is very strange. (moving)
LUCY That was good.
JIMMY That was excellent.
LUCY That was excellent.
JIMMY That was good.
LUCY I believe in God.
JIMMY I too believe in God.
LUCY I too believe in God. I do believe in God.
JIMMY I admire you very much because your temperament is good. (moving)
LUCY I admire you very much because you speak very clearly. (moving)
JIMMY I admire you very much because you speak very clearly. (moving)
LUCY I admire you very much because your temperament is good. (moving) You have your life, he has his life and your lives are not the same.
JIMMY I have my life, he has his life and our lives are not the same. (moving) What kind of bird is this? Whose bird is that? (moving)
LUCY What kind of bird is this? Whose bird is that? (moving)
(They giggle.)
JIMMY What is this called? What is that called? (moving)
LUCY What is that called? What is this? (more giggles) There is no such thing as that!
JIMMY There is no such thing as this. (moving)
(They start to make love.)
LUCY This. (humping)
JIMMY That. (humping)
LUCY That. (humping)
JIMMY This. (humping faster)
LUCY Take it easy. Don’t go so fast.
(humping slower, then faster and faster, with lots of heaving breathing, groaning, ecstatic cries, etc)
JIMMY (humping) The beauty of Miss Universe is to be expected.
LUCY (humping) You weren’t very good at the beginning, but you’re at the top of the class now!
(They climax together.)
JIMMY Although I am poor, I am reliable. (breathing heavily)
LUCY You are a soldier in every sense of the word. (breathing heavily)
SCENE 23: Wang’s office. MR. WANG
MR. WANG (on phone) Hold on to what you’ve got. Put the needle in and screw it tight. Start the machine. (pause) What are you arguing about? (pause) Don’t be careless — not for a moment. (pause) Write it down. Write it down. You do not want to receive a reminder. (pause) Pour a little water on it. Press it gently, gradually with your hand. (pause) The sky has become cloudy and it may rain immediately. Sometimes it rains and snows simultaneously. (pause) It’s getting rather foggy. (pause) As a matter of fact, there are always a great many sick people. The most unpleasant is tuberculosis. (pause) Lock it up! Lock it up! (pause) Take the key out. Close the door again. (pause) It is all right. They will not fight. (pause) Everything must be parallel. Sharpen your pencil very well with your knife. (pause) I’ll see you in a few days. (pause) It’s long past time. (WANG hangs up the phone.)
(Enter INSPECTOR CHANG with an envelope.)
INSPECTOR CHANG Read and understand.
(CHANG hands WANG the envelope. WANG opens it and reads the letter.)
Shall we turn eastward or westward?
WANG The fish prepared by the mother was eaten by the cat. West! We cannot fight the world. Let’s be clear about what happened. A student might think this affair might be the same as previously but one need not to inquire to what degree we should be worried. My method is to be happy. In this way, day after tomorrow, we’ll be finished and have some leisure time. But afterwards there will be room to be fierce and severe, measure for measure.
CHANG What does the letter say?
WANG Would you like to read it? (WANG hands CHANG letter, who reads it.)
CHANG We are not too tired. They are.
WANG Where did you come from?
CHANG I came from Kowloon.
WANG You have the right idea. Ask him to do it for you.
CHANG Both of them?
WANG No, the other one. What’s the date today?
CHANG Friday the thirteenth.
WANG Tomorrow isn’t Sunday. What day will he arrive there?
CHANG The seventeenth of December.
WANG This is my idea. Go to the city. Eat there. Don’t write anymore. Go to work. Take a look. All of his friends will be drinking at his home. He’s the one who most likes to talk. Where are his children?
CHANG On the plane.
WANG Good. Take a car to his house. Don’t go to the store. Come towards me. (CHANG comes close to WANG, who whispers something in his ear.) Do it this way.
CHANG Since he knows, I’ll ask him.
WANG He doesn’t know the directions.
CHANG Are all women smarter than men?
(Exit CHANG)
WANG When foreign people come to China they have to be very careful. Traveling is so inconvenient these days. But I’m not keen on going to the movies either. There haven’t been any good films lately. I like to stay home and play poker with my friends. I didn’t sleep well last night. Why is the room so cold? Everything is interchangeable and borrowed. Everything’s burnt out. An undefended town must not be bombed. The bombing should be limited to military objectives. (knock on door) Come in. The door’s open.
(Enter MRS. MA with a basket of fruit.)
MRS. MA I have come to see you, Mr. Wang, because I hear you’ve been ill for a couple of days. I have brought some fruit for you.
WANG That is very kind of you, Mrs. Ma.
MA Have you got a headache, do you feel cold, or have you got a temperature? Did the doctor feel your pulse? Are you able to eat?
WANG He did feel my pulse and it was very fast. Please sit down, and have a cup of tea before you go. (He serves tea.) Did your family send you some money?
MA Yes, father sent me five hundred dollars. The remittance is drawn on the Bank of China.
WANG Can you write out a check? (As MA writes a check, the phone rings and WANG answers it.) He has gone. He left just a few minutes ago. (pause) They haven’t come back yet. I think he is too tired. (pause) No, I haven’t bought a car yet. Keep in touch.
(He hangs up the phone. MA gives him the check.)
When do you move there? It would be better to come a little earlier. Leave quickly, enter slowly.
MA As soon as the house is ready we will move in.
WANG Thank you for this exchange of ideas. I will talk to my colleagues about your problems.
MA I have climbed a mountain and lost my watch!
WANG Yes, I wish you hadn’t spent all the money. You must never tell him a secret because he will tell all the others.
MA I am going to the bus stop to catch a bus. I will listen to the news on the wireless.
WANG Take one day off.
(Exit MRS. MA)
Who’d have thought that he’d be taken prisoner while driving his car? Sometimes right conclusions can be drawn from wrong premises.
BILL (loudly offstage) Well this little boy doesn’t care for candy!
(Enter BILL)
(to WANG) My landlady not only doesn’t believe in God, but also has no religious belief.
WANG What can I do? It’s her father-in-law’s house.
BILL Unless everything is prepared down to the last detail we cannot succeed.
WANG He has already been taken to the hospital.
BILL Did you know he pawned my gold watch and her pearl necklace? Then the house caught fire.
WANG This man does not cause me any trouble so there is no reason why I should interfere.
BILL After I received the news, I sent a telegram to his mother.
WANG Once he has recovered he will go South. He has written a very rude letter.
(WANG hands the letter to BILL, who reads it.)
BILL He told me a lie.
WANG That’s a matter that interests me very much. Did he commit suicide or was he poisoned? To review: A farmer is one who plows fields. Although he is clever he is dishonest. Yesterday he intentionally tried to harm you. There are five fingers on a hand. The middle finger is the longest. He went to the country very early this morning. His health is better than mine. My health is better than yours. Can you tell me what changes have taken place here since last Tuesday?
BILL One is good and one is not good. Everybody has come. But still he doesn’t speak. He has been raised on high to a lofty station but now he manifests a new road or path and teaches a new religion to correspond and follow a far distant appearance, a dot, a speck, a light, a bell, and a clock which he uses to employ reason as the cause for a fast, quick, happy, easy method to hope.
WANG There are schools in the city. There are also schools in the country. I guess he is the person who did it. Was anyone wounded?
BILL Fortunately, he was there at that moment. He opened the door intentionally.
WANG I see the President’s trip to Europe is front page news.
BILL She is working as a maid at his big house.
WANG I know that she won first prize. I wonder who won the second and third prize? Be nice to her. After all, she is her sister. Please give some attention to this matter. We have a big family and many relatives.
BILL With that amount of money he can buy two shares of stock.
WANG I don’t want to argue with you about it.
BILL Have they come back?
WANG No, they haven’t.
BILL The swine! To act as they do… They exceed the errors of their faults.
WANG It is late. You’ll be tardy. Thanks, Bill.
(Exit BILL)
Now to keep him informed.
(He picks up the phone and dials it.) SCENE 24: Lucy’s room. JIMMY and LUCY.
JIMMY (brushing his teeth) I hate using toothpowder. As a rule I use toothpaste. I want to kill all the germs in my mouth, on or between my teeth.
(Enter LUCY in her hostess outfit)
LUCY Are your bowels all right?
JIMMY Apparently there are unseen passages.
LUCY You need to relax.
(sound of knocking on the door)
JIMMY Someone’s knocking at the door.
LUCY Who is it?
MESSENGER Western Telegraph Agency!
LUCY Come in.
(Enter MESSENGER)
MESSENGER I carry a message in my hand. A radiogram for you, Miss Li.
(LUCY opens envelope and reads radiogram.)
LUCY You need not wait. There is no need for an answer.
JIMMY I haven’t a penny.
(Exit MESSENGER. LUCY hands the radiogram to JIMMY to read, but he hands it back to her.)
JIMMY Please read it aloud and translate in English.
LUCY (reading) “Dear Lucy, I am fond of reading novels. When we use them we must take great care of them. They are only stitched together by a thread. As a rule Chinese paper is quite thin and one sheet cannot be printed on both sides. It can only be printed on one. I forget very easily what I have learned. Suddenly I hear the sound of music in the distance. The sound comes nearer and nearer. There is a sound of trumpets and drums, both of which I can distinguish. I lean out of the window and look out. It seems to be a military band. The musicians come nearer and nearer. The sound grows louder and louder. Soon the musicians pass before my eyes and gradually the sounds become softer and at last I can no longer see the musicians or hear the music. All these points you must pay attention to. Only then will it be all right. These words I am writing are not so easy. The day is fixed for the last day of the month at 4 P.M. When I enter the hall, I will first bow to him and express my thanks to him. I will enquire about his health. Then I will shake hands with him. There will be a good deal of talking and laughing and we’ll all be very cheerful. I will drink tea and eat cakes. Suddenly the bomb explodes! I will go on eating cake. Altogether I must walk down twenty floors. When I reach the second floor, I will go on walking down. When I reach the ground floor I will walk over to the front door, open it, and walk out… I am tired of walking. I will go to my room to rest.” (to JIMMY) What time is it?
JIMMY It will soon be two.
LUCY There are still two hours to go. It’s almost time. (She continues reading.) “I am a student, you are a student, and all of them are students too. I can’t help but question, why? Why did they have to die? Chinese all like to say thank you. Is that right? Do they understand? No, they don’t understand very well. I am thirsty. I have eaten enough. I can’t come back. I will finish writing so you will know I can’t be bought. Time runs too fast. I am going out to have some fun and then I will go into the city. Say hello to mother. This child who is writing is tired now. Respectfully, your elder brother.”
JIMMY That is a beautiful radiogram. Your English is really good to listen to.
LUCY I am afraid there is something wrong with his brain and that someday it may develop into insanity.
JIMMY Let’s have a cup of tea and watch the boat races.
LUCY I am afraid we don’t have time to watch them.
JIMMY I saw newsreels of the war. They were very good.
LUCY When will you be joining up, Jimmy?
JIMMY Everybody likes to see the newsreels. There are some who don’t like musical movies. I was deeply moved by the drama. How sad it is.
LILLY Was that movie American made?
JIMMY I couldn’t say definitely.
LILY It’s hard to support a big family. He put as much money as he had into the business. I don’t have much appetite today.
JIMMY Today’s temperature is about 50 degrees.
LUCY I need two gallons of kerosene.
JIMMY What is kerosene used for? An electric stove is better than a kerosene stove.
LUCY Some people burn firewood for cooking. Turn on the radio and let’s listen to the news.
JIMMY Ideas and culture have a very close relationship.
(He turns the radio on. Sound of static as he turns the dial.)
There’s a reason for this.
(More sound of static. He shakes the radio, pounds it, drops it on the floor. Static abruptly stops.)
LUCY Is it fixed yet? SCENE 25: Mr. Li’s laundry. Piles of dirty laundry everywhere. BILL and LILLY are standing at washtubs, scrubbing shirts on washboards.
BILL (pausing for a moment) This bowl of meat soup is spoiled. I’d better throw it out.
(He smells soup and pours it out.)
LILLY Why don’t you eat something else?
BILL I had oatmeal and coffee for breakfast this morning.
LILLY You don’t know anything about washing clothes, do you? Have you had your lunch?
BILL I don’t have a great deal of money. (He looks down at his wrist to see the time.) Ha ha. I sold my watch. If I had only told them about my true identity, everything would be all right. I did not even fire one shot!
(Enter MR. LI)
MR. LI The shirts that have come back from this laundry look as if they have not been washed at all! (aside to audience) I hope he doesn’t find out about my secret. (To BILL and LILLY) I don’t always speak so softly… (aside) I should have taken my holiday this week… (To BILL and LILLY) Before I make a decision I think the matter over for a few days. (aside) It looks as if it’s going to rain... (To BILL and LILLY) I make a list of the things I might forget. (aside) Any kind of failure can cause discouragement… (To BILL and LILLY) I smoke a cigarette. (aside) The workmen have gone on strike… (To BILL and LILLY) I look right and left. I talk to experts. I ask their advice. I meet friends. I drink a good cup of coffee. I get accurate information. I consult reference books. In this way I review several times a day what I have not mastered. Others are soft and yielding. I am hard and firm. Do you know what the five basic metals are?
BILL No, but I know what the four seasons are. Spring, summer…
LI The Chinese call them gold, silver, copper, iron and tin. I am gold. You are tin! These are all Chinese army uniforms, not American navy uniforms. Will it do? It won’t do! On the contrary, it’s a nuisance! (aside) I really need a vacation.
BILL (aside to LILLY) The air here is not very fresh.
LILLY (aside to BILL) He is very bitter.
BILL (aside to LILLY) He is incapable of sitting down.
LI Why do you smirk?
LILLY (aside to BILL) As soon as it is time we’ll eat lunch.
LI It would be best for both of you not to go until I have returned.
(Exit LI)
BILL (to LI as he exits) We have no free or leisure time! (to LILLY) I don’t like him very much. He is very bad.
LILLY Who is very good?
BILL Everyone is better than I… I have never slept on the floor before. I don’t know how to make Chinese food.
LILLY Drink a little water.
BILL I don’t have enough to eat.
LILLY Can you sing American songs?
BILL I’ve studied at Yale.
LILLY (She sings)
Yankee Doodle went to town, A-Riding on a pony… BILL (He sings)
He stuck a feather in his hat…
BILL and LILLY (They sing together)
And called it macaroni!
Yankee Doodle, keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy; Mind the music and the step, And with the girls be handy!
(They laugh uproariously. Enter LI)
LI Everybody’s having a good time except me! Here are two categories I use: the Blind and the Lame. It’s like going to the zoo. Here’s a monkey and there’s a kangaroo. It’s like a house that needs furniture. (He taps BILL on the head.) You must want to have your supper very late tonight.
BILL I don’t have supper at a regular time. Sometimes I have it at eight, sometimes at noon. (pause) None of us can finish this work in two hours!
LILLY What he said is correct. The number of workers is too limited.
BILL Don’t be angry. We don’t mean to offend you intentionally. When a country’s population is numerous, many problems tend to arise.
LILLY (aside to BILL) His temper is extremely bad. Don’t talk to him. He has been like this since childhood.
BILL (to LI) Are you the father of Lucy Li?
LI (aside to audience) The truth has now been revealed and the situation following it is beyond expectation.
BILL Mr. Li, I have a dream. A dream of a Chinese republic. A dream to enjoy rights, our rights, as sovereign human beings, to enjoy liberty, to enjoy equality. A dream of a nation, a flag, an identity. A dream of you, a dream of me, a dream of you waving your hands. Is this irresponsible? To dream?
LI (aside to audience) He is quite elated. I am not so elated.
BILL The military headquarters of the revolutionary troops needs one one-horsepower, three six-horsepower, and five two-thousand-fifty-eight-horsepower machines.
LI Can you ride a horse?
BILL I can ride a bicycle.
LILLY I can ride a horse. My younger brother’s colleagues all live in the city.
LI Perhaps he is right, perhaps he is not right. Are you capable of finding the railway station? How much American money do you have? How much Chinese money do you want?
BILL I have a great deal of American money. I want very little Chinese money.
LI How much rice do you want to buy?
BILL A mountain, higher than the sea. (aside to LILLY) I am not really afraid of him. I am only afraid of God.
LI Remember, you’ll be in enemy country, surrounded by enemy troops. Are you prepared to die? Are you prepared to extinguish, to destroy, to exterminate, to conquer and win?
LILLY How many people are there inside the house?
LI The restaurant is in front of the house. (to BILL) What was it that he said to you this morning?
BILL “I washed it but couldn’t get it clean.”
LI He is a modest giant.
LILLY Is the house near the school?
LI It is much nearer to go straight ahead.
BILL If we do not stop the bleeding, they will certainly die.
LI The most important person is the man before your face. Be sure all your sentences make sense. He often laughs at people. Don’t tell jokes! If this war does not come to a speedy end, we shall face great difficulties in the future. If you are not careful, you will be thrown into prison. (giving them items) Show him Mrs. Wang’s comb, his mother-in-law’s letter, his daughter’s handbag, his son’s shoes, and my grandfather’s photo. Tell him that you never met me before. I have to attend this important meeting. Then I intend to go abroad. Unless we all cooperate and everyone does his utmost, we cannot achieve victory. I will never set foot in this place again.
(Exit LI)
LILLY He left the Party long ago.
BILL It’s good that he’s returned.
LILLY He expresses his political views properly and I do not mind if they are liberal or conservative.
BILL He deserves a vote of thanks.
(They salute, facing the audience.)
LILLY We can eat now. SCENE 26: Jonny’s house. LEILA is drinking tea and reading a book.
(Enter JONNY swigging on a bottle, looking disheveled and plastered with leaves and dirt.)
LEILA Did you fall into the river?
JONNY No, I fell out of the window.
LEILA Please don’t upset the tea.
JONNY It isn’t everyday I go bankrupt.
LEILA You’re drunk!
JONNY Shut up or I’ll break this chair over your head! I should be run over by a car…
LEILA In a year’s time the economic situation will have changed completely. The houses shall all be rebuilt. She will come of age. He will have resigned. The Agreement will come to an end and you and I shall travel around the world.
JONNY We simply must pack our cases.
LEILA Please, take your medicine. You’ll feel much better.
JONNY Don’t contradict me!
LEILA I had the fire on all day, but I still couldn’t get the house warm. With whom did you have a row?
JONNY My brother left for France two hours ago.
LEILA That’s really unfortunate.
JONNY Only when I understand completely will I be satisfied.
LEILA I have questions all the time. I work very hard at learning.
JONNY I am both hungry and angry. My whole body perspires. He is already three days late.
LEILA Sometimes he is very smart.
JONNY Yeah, every other week.
LEILA What can we do?
JONNY We could take a plane.
LEILA You can’t go from here to there. (aside to audience) Why can’t he sit down?
JONNY He is surely on board ship.
LEILA There isn’t anyone who has any money. He has said “goodbye”. You must say “goodbye” too.
JONNY It doesn’t really matter.
(sound of knocks on door)
LEILA Did you hear that?
JONNY Yes.
LEILA We have been there before, haven’t we?
JONNY I’ve been there twice before.
LEILA I’ve been there three times. (to person at door) Come in. The door is open.
(Enter MRS. MA. LEILA runs to her.)
Mother! I am really sorry. Come in and eat. You don’t have to go home.
MRS. MA Tell him to go.
JONNY I’ll be in the kitchen.
(Exit JONNY)
MA Don’t ask him anymore. He went to see her, didn’t he? How many days has he been gone? What did you ask him?
LEILA It was on that plane that he came. I asked him if he had any brothers.
MA
LEILA Nobody.
MA Did he return Tuesday? Which store is he working at right now? Isn’t it expensive to go by plane?
LEILA No. He is a rich man. He lost a large amount of money in business last year, but he is making money this year.
MA Our friend is not only capable but clever.
LEILA He was unwilling to go. He didn’t take the money along. I’ve spent $126.50 so far. Now I don’t have a penny. Not a single person came. He was not very good to us.
MA You are the favorite daughter of mine. You are good-looking. He is an Italian. He likes that younger sister of yours very much. The meaning of this sentence and the previous sentence are practically the same. The letter he wrote was thrown out by his wife. Don’t leave tomorrow, OK?
LEILA Only when he arrives will I go.
MA You came together. Why don’t you go together?
LEILA We didn’t come together, so we are not going together.
MA I am glad. It is advantageous.
LEILA I know where he lives, but I don’t know him.
MA Your older brother will know. Be joyous! These men of war are not only very secure, but are big and strong. Endure and be courageous.
LEILA Let me analyze the situation. He is a very active person. Is there any flaw? Whose place is he taking? Suppose the Chairman doesn’t come? Who will be the acting Chairman?
MA A man as frank and capable as he is, is certainly difficult to find now.
LEILA It is necessary for us to order and cause the people and citizens to allow us to join together duty with responsibility completely. Yet the profit-interest blows fiercely.
(Enter JONNY. He crosses to the outside door, as if about to go.)
Have you drunk enough? Are you going?
JONNY I have finished eating. Where is the railway station?
MA Please wait a moment. This actually proves what I was saying. He didn’t catch it because he was out of breath.
LEILA The thief had a gun but did not fire.
JONNY I looked for it everywhere.
LEILA All of a sudden I heard the sound of a whistle.
JONNY All of us knelt down to pray.
LEILA As I was keeping my eyes on the baggage, I forgot my hat. Consequently, my hat was stolen.
JONNY It was as if spirits were at work!
MA How could there be such a thing?
LEILA There were heaps of papers everywhere.
MA The police have yet to put this incident into the record.
JONNY I made a copy of the letter.
LEILA Midway, the car ran out of gasoline.
MA Where was he at that time?
LEILA The ship hadn’t docked yet.
JONNY It was the first day of the year.
LEILA I went to see him off at the airport yesterday.
JONNY There is one Chinese acre of land around the house.
MA Who is the owner of the land?
LEILA Mr. Wang.
MA Could you tell me in detail how the army is organized?
(Suddenly there is a flash of light and a tremendous explosion outside.)
JONNY Get down! They’re bombing us! SCENE 27: Wang’s office. MARGERY and MR. WANG.
MARGERY Wang, are you in? I’ve come a bit late, I‘m afraid.
(Enter MR. WANG)
WANG Margery, how nice to see you. I’ve heard that you’re planning a holiday trip to West Lake. It really is a beautiful place, you know. Does the government know the reason you’re going abroad?
MARGERY Yes. The reason is one which the government has sanctioned. As you can see, Wang, this road is very long.
WANG I suppose there is a finishing point
MARGERY What time does tomorrow begin?
WANG I think you’re certain to win.
MARGERY Will your brothers and sisters be coming home?
WANG They all want to come home.
MARGERY Sunflowers like the light, don’t they?
WANG Yes, but it’s late in the year and the plum blossoms have faded.
MARGERY For what reason did you want to see Mr. Li? There are no return tickets on this bus.
WANG It won’t take us long.
MARGERY It is very stuffy in here. Can we open the window? (He opens the window.) I went to the Post Office yesterday to send off a book. I’m told it was a very valuable parcel I was sending. And I would like to have it insured.
WANG Is that right? When you send anything by post you’ve got to wrap it up. Did you seal it with wax?
MARGERY No, but they gave me a receipt.
WANG Margery, do you know the difference between an island, a peninsular and an archipelago?
(Suddenly there is a flash of light and a tremendous explosion outside.)
Get down! They’re bombing us! SCENE 28: On a train. JIMMY and LUCY sitting with knapsacks on their laps. Sound of speeding train, flickering lights.
JIMMY This train travels faster than the others.
LUCY (looking out train window) The ice on the river has melted.
JIMMY In a short time it will be summer.
LUCY There is great hope for the future.
JIMMY My pulse is beating very rapidly. I want to rub my whole body clean.
LUCY In telephoning him, did you put the call through?
JIMMY Why can’t we go to Nanking by boat?
LUCY Going by boat is very inconvenient.
JIMMY How old is your father this year?
LUCY He is sixty-four years old now. He is really dependable. You can ask him to do anything for you.
JIMMY I forgot to tell you. Yesterday I received a long letter from my older brother. He dislikes the wet winter weather in Shanghai but he says he has made many new friends.
LUCY His moral nature is truly good. He has taken great pains to help us.
JIMMY He was born in America but grew up in France.
(JIMMY takes out a piece of paper.)
LUCY What kind of notice is that in your hand? Is it a draft notice?
JIMMY (putting paper away) Although I would like to go, I am busy now, so how could I go?
LUCY I like Nanking better than Shanghai.
JIMMY Did you hear yesterday where he said he was going?
LUCY I heard him say he wanted to go to the city.
JIMMY He came from the city. I saw him go in and out.
LUCY He goes to the city everyday.
(sound of train going faster)
JIMMY This express train is much faster than the local train.
LUCY It is extremely, exceedingly fast.
(sound of train going faster and faster and faster)
JIMMY What do you think his shortcomings are as a man?
LUCY Don’t you think this train is fast?
(sound of train going yet faster)
JIMMY Yes, it is. This train is quite fast.
LUCY This train is very fast.
(sound of train going still faster)
JIMMY This train is unusually fast.
LUCY This train is especially fast.
(sound of train going even faster and faster)
JIMMY This train is really fast.
LUCY This train is terribly fast.
JIMMY This train is excessively fast.
(sound of train going full speed)
LUCY This train is way too fast.
JIMMY This train is going to crash!
(Flashing lights, sounds of train crash. JIMMY and LUCY are thrown from their seats.) SCENE 29: The grounds outside a Hong Kong hospital. LILLY is pushing MR. WANG in a wheelchair. He is blind and wears a large, floppy hat to protect him from the sun.
LILLY How are you feeling, Mr. Wang?
WANG We’re all fine.
LILLY What do you want to read? Do you read papers or books?
WANG We all read foreign papers. Having read the papers, we all drink some tea.
LILLY Mr. Wang, I think the best thing is…
WANG I am a very old man. But I am not a beggar! The book he writes, Lilly, if I were you — I’d hurry up and speak to him about it.
LILLY Please eat some more. You ought to do less drinking. Walk a bit. (WANG rises with LILLY’s help and totters forward.) Poor man.
(Enter BILL walking backwards, disguised as a doctor. He wears a hospital mask and surgical gown and is consulting a medical chart, in. He suddenly whips around, tears of his mask and reveals himself to LILLY.)
BILL The old gentleman wears a big hat.
LILLY Bill! Where did you come from?
BILL I came from Kowloon.
LILLY When did you get back?
BILL I have been studying you for three days… Two out of three of those letters are mine. Remember?
LILLY I recollect…
BILL It’s not only that he needs to eat, Lilly. I need to eat too!
WANG (to LILLY) Tell him to come again next month.
LILLY (to BILL) How long has he been angry with you?
WANG I like no one.
BILL I have to leave soon. My time’s almost up. Wait for me.
LILLY Twelve days ago I might have said yes.
BILL
LILLY When you see him tomorrow, please give my regards to him.
BILL I am thinking of going to Peiping next year. I want to learn Mandarin before I go so I can speak with the Mandarin people there.
LILLY With faith you can do anything.
(Exit BILL)
Gambling is a bad habit for him.
WANG He can’t go anyway. Kowloon is a peninsula.
LILLY Now I understand the meaning of the word “clever”.
WANG (sitting down in his wheelchair) I can’t for a moment recall his full name. Why does he want to be a soldier? Do you hold him in high regard?
LILLY He advocates that we should only love our country.
WANG This big war is the end of an epoch.
LILLY They claim they deliberated for a long time but couldn’t find a good way to manage it.
WANG Why do you rebuke yourself?
LILLY The workers will have a conference tomorrow to discuss calling a strike. He is quite elated. His responsibilities are very heavy.
WANG It’s a pity that he can’t come today.
LILLY He said he will come to the city next Sunday and see you.
WANG I have ridden in boats. I have never ridden in an airplane. Do you know by whom the airplane was invented? (pause) It doesn’t matter. Never mind.
LILLY Was it an American? (pause) The weather is very good today, Mr. Wang. The sky is clear and it is calm.
WANG There are no clouds?
LILLY No, there are no clouds. But it is always unsettled in summer. We may easily have a sudden shower. See, it is already clouding over!
WANG I spoke with Dr. Cho this morning and he promised to get me into the Municipal Hospital.
LILLY There are lots of patients there, I should think.
WANG I hear you’re going to England. Are you going by train or by boat?
LILLY Neither, I am going by air.
WANG I have lost a good many things, the most important being my wallet. I have reported it to the police. They asked me a lot of questions and took down my answers.
LILLY Was there any money in it?
WANG Approximately one hundred dollars.
LILLY I’ve got an elder brother who’s a businessman and a younger brother who’s a student and a younger sister who’s a nurse in a hospital.
WANG I hope it won’t snow over Christmas. What kind of games do you most like to watch? Do you prefer basketball or football?
LILLY I prefer basketball, football, volley ball, soccer, tennis, baseball, polo, cricket and golf.
WANG How about ping pong and billiards?
LILLY Not so much. (pause) Everything is divided into sections, isn’t it, Mr. Wang? Are munitions factories in China able to produce heavy armaments?
WANG No, they can’t make heavy arms. They can only make rifles, pistols, light arms like that.
LILLY Parachutes are very useful things, are they not?
WANG Yes, they enable our men to make descents to the rear of the enemy.
LILLY What is the most effective thing to use against fire bombs?
WANG Sandbags and stirrup pumps. Those with serious wounds are sent to the hospital.
LILLY This town is undefended, the blackout is very strict and the camouflage is also very good, so why does the enemy still come to bomb us?
WANG They want to make reprisals. They actually have no military objectives.
LILLY You still haven’t written that letter, have you?
WANG Be patient. He’s very cunning. Although the information is incomplete, it is very valuable.
LILLY Thank goodness I can still look at his wonderful pictures.
WANG I frequently listen to his records. (cough, cough)
LILLY This illness is not a cold but diphtheria.
WANG Unless he changes his behavior to me, we cannot be friends.
LILLY And unless you place full confidence in your doctor, this illness cannot be cured.
WANG Once the fire goes out, the room is cold. Go to the hotel and fetch the case that you left there yesterday. Then ask him to do something for me.
(He whispers in her ear.)
LILLY Even if nobody likes him, I shall never abandon him.
WANG This book was given to me by your grandfather. (He hands her a book.) This is the letter he showed you when he first arrived. (He gives her a letter.) His real name is…
(WANG clutches his chest, tries to rise from his wheelchair, falls forward and dies.)
LILLY I will try to follow his directions according to his words until they prove successful. So I say this to the old gentleman: “I am very much obliged to you.” No matter whether the subject was easy or difficult, no matter whether we were intelligent or stupid, he was patient with us. He would then encourage us in many ways. I held him in great respect. Indeed, he was indefatigable in teaching men. SCENE 30: A street in Hong Kong. JONNY with a knapsack. He speaks to passers-by.
JONNY Could you buy me a bowl of rice and two fish? I no longer have any Chinese money. May I enquire? Which way to the railway station? May I enquire? May I enquire? I have been sick for three weeks but now I’m well. I haven’t been angry in three days. I have been here for how long? What’s in a name? The sentences I say are easy to learn. Is it all right to speak Chinese? It was on this street that we lived. We had a lot of fun playing. The stories he told us were particularly funny. I don’t plan to pay him back those twenty dollars. I searched for a long time but didn’t succeed in finding her. I can’t afford to buy a new car. What language do you speak? Is that your newspaper? Is it a Chinese newspaper? Yes, I can read it. I can read a Chinese newspaper. Excuse me, are you a doctor, a physician? I have a headache and I’m running a fever. I think I’m catching a cold. Do you have some liquid medicine? Can you write a prescription? Are you happy? Why aren’t you very happy? This is my diary. (He shows diary.) The diary of a student, of an inventor, of a cultural ambassador, of a scientist and a scholar. This is my toothbrush. (He shows toothbrush.) It is dependable. Without a toothbrush I can’t brush my teeth. I am poor and wretched. I want to start a business and be depended on. I love to eat but cannot cook. I like Chinese food. How about you? I eat anything. I haven’t eaten for twelve days.
(He crosses upstage and falls asleep against the side of a building. Enter MARGERY and VICTOR. MARGERY is dressed in a brightly-colored outfit and sports a huge diamond ring on her left hand.)
VICTOR Why are we going so slow? We must walk a little faster.
MARGERY I have been here before, when he was little. (noticing JONNY asleep upstage) He’s fallen asleep. Jonny, Jonny! Speak a few words to me.
JONNY (waking up) What do you want?
MARGERY I don’t want anything.
JONNY Why are you standing? Please sit down.
(MARGERY and VICTOR sit down next to him on the street.)
Do you want me to say a few words in Chinese? Who are you? Who told you I was Chinese? Don’t you know I am very busy?
MARGERY Look at me. If you wore flannel pajamas you would be much warmer.
JONNY It wouldn’t make much difference.
MARGERY Last time we met, we were in a sweetshop and we were buying sweets.
JONNY Yes, I’m fond of sweets. I still don’t know you.
MARGERY Tomorrow will be Mother’s Day.
JONNY My father named me Jonny. He is a physician of Chinese medicine.
MARGERY What’s his nickname?
JONNY “Old Stove-in-Cold-Storage”. (They laugh together.) Every child likes to pull his long beard. (laughing)
MARGERY (aside to VICTOR) His face looks a little rounder.
VICTOR (to MARGERY) What is the program?
MARGERY (to VICTOR) Three doctors are giving her an operation. No one saw how the child fell down. The hospital has taken an X-Ray of her. I wish to visit her in the hospital this afternoon. You may stay behind to keep him company. Please take a picture of us.
(She hands him a camera.)
VICTOR I’m sorry, this film has all been used.
(She takes the camera back.)
MARGERY From now on I shall pay attention to him. I am asking for a divorce.
VICTOR You don’t love me anymore?
MARGERY I should never have gone with you to the cinema. (aside to audience) His face is very pale and he looks like he’s going to faint at any moment.
JONNY (aside to audience) She looks like she’s going to cry at any moment.
VICTOR (aside to audience) The painting looks genuine, but it is only a very good copy. (to MARGERY) Remember, Margery, no attack can attain its objective without sustaining some loss. We simply must finish this work. If only he hadn’t left her.
MARGERY If only you did not always interfere. If only you did not always promise more than was in your power.
VICTOR If only you did not always arrive late and did not always interrupt people.
MARGERY If only you had not missed the train, it would have been all right.
VICTOR If only you had not left the country, it would have been all right.
MARGERY If only you had not sold the house!
VICTOR If only you had not signed the Agreement!
JONNY (aside to audience) They should not fight. In my opinion they are very irritable.
MARGERY Next time, don’t speak until you are spoken to!
VICTOR Next time, don’t go to a foreign country before you know the language!
(She slaps him.)
VICTOR You must be very careful, Margery. You’ve already lost a lot.
MARGERY I’m afraid I’ve caused you a lot of trouble by asking you to come.
VICTOR Sometimes I do not understand you, Margery. I stretch out my hand and you shut an iron gate.
JONNY It is gradually growing darker and getting rather late. The most important matter is to be kind. I have transportation problems. I don’t know the purpose of my trip. Where shall I stay overnight? What do you call the place where the Commander-in-Chief works?
VICTOR Headquarters?
JONNY What’s the most poisonous snake there is?
MARGERY The cobra?
JONNY Which season do you prefer: spring or autumn?
VICTOR Spring.
MARGERY Autumn.
JONNY I want a pair of the very best handmade gloves there are. Where is the home of the United Nations? Is it Switzerland again? What is its organic law? ` MARGERY (to VICTOR) We really should not worry about the expense. The important thing is to get his illness treated.
JONNY Victor, how many stamps do you think are needed to send this book?
(He shows VICTOR his diary.)
VICTOR I think a five cent stamp is enough to send this book.
JONNY If I wanted to send it abroad, would it cost more? Have you heard that now that the war is over the government is going to restore governing power to the people?
VICTOR That is quite correct. The government and the people are similar but not exactly alike.
JONNY Thank you for putting into operation this constitutional government.
VICTOR Yes. Both the spirit and the discipline of the Chinese soldier are very good. This is because their training is generally very strict.
JONNY I am going into the Army and will join my unit next month. I am told that there are several good naval harbors in China that could be used for bases. Is it true that submarines under water are very easily detected by airplanes?
VICTOR Yes, and after discovering the submarine the airplane can drop depth charges that are difficult to dodge.
MARGERY Yes, our air force is very strong and can keep them at bay.
JONNY All Chinese houses have gardens, don’t they?
MARGERY Only the big ones. They all have courtyards, though.
VICTOR Some have special fronts and more than one story.
JONNY You can travel anywhere in this country, if you can afford the time and the money. I can’t swim today because I have boils. I use this tea kettle to make tea. (He shows tea kettle.) Want to join me?
MARGERY You will be happier when you’re home.
(JONNY notices big diamond ring on MARGERY’s hand.)
JONNY That stone looks like a human head. What’s the price? Is it expensive?
MARGERY (aside to VICTOR) There is a mess upstairs.
JONNY You can worship God without burning candles. God will certainly help you if you believe in Him. Let everyone have a job! They came to Hong Kong as refugees.
VICTOR Indeed, Hong Kong is a commercial port, one of the most famous in the world. The population is only one million despite worldwide developments in transportation.
JONNY Whatever the amount, it should not be considered too much.
VICTOR (to MARGERY) The more knowledge he has, the more trouble it is for him.
JONNY This is a question of society versus the individual.
MARGERY Please rest a little.
JONNY Don’t bully me. Don’t bully him. Don’t bully anybody!
MARGERY This is bitter.
JONNY I have already told you many times not to do it. The principle is very easy to understand!
MARGERY Would you like to come to my hotel and chat?
JONNY Is it cool there? Chaos and unrest grow and suffering spreads among the people.
VICTOR (to MARGERY) He is unable to move forward or backward. He is in a dilemma.
JONNY I feel smashed to little bits.
MARGERY Stretch out your left hand. I want to look at it.
(He stretches out his hand.)
JONNY Can you wash it clean? SCENE 31: A street in Hong Kong. MR. LI.
LI (speaking to audience) But I digress. There is something of great value, something precious that allows us to stay alive. He is better than I, and I’m not as good as you. I am between you and him. Is it you or he? It is he, not I. The train came a little late last night. I like to think, I like to call to mind this event and seek the suitable balance. I want to be able to forget the season, the rain, the night, the inconvenient, the disadvantageous, perhaps to allow, to promise to return and remember as a gift. Now I am going to mail these three letters. Please wait a while for me here. I’ve enjoyed working together with you and I’d like to extend my admiration and envy at your clean and tidy temperament. After all, the family is an institution. Mama, papa, child, youth. Sound of laughter, peace, repose, good health. To gather and collect the meaning. To sigh, to dream, to play. To lift, to raise a lamp. To worry, to grieve. No wonder he wasn’t pleased, no wonder he wasn’t willing to go. But let’s pass over the past. (He starts to go.) Do you think it will be windy today? Look, the moon is coming out quite slowly from behind the clouds. There is a moon in the sky. There is also a sun in the sky. Has the rain stopped? Can you lend me your raincoat and rubber overshoes? The last train has left and all the tickets have been sold. All the furniture has been removed. The town was occupied by the enemy. He had already left. I lost my bet. I ran over the dog. I made a row. I overslept. She ought not to have taken holy vows.
(Exit LI. Enter COMRADE X and BILL dressed in Communist Party uniforms.)
COMRADE X One day the airplane will become an ordinary means of communication.
BILL The enemy evacuated this town without a fight.
COMRADE X I haven’t gone for a walk in a long time.
BILL I had completely forgotten he almost didn’t even get there.
COMRADE X He had limited opportunity to.
BILL But for him, I should have failed.
COMRADE X If you are not careful, you still will. Don’t forget, this is not the first time you’ve had to go to the well and fetch his pail of water.
BILL He never came without bringing us a present…
COMRADE X The best doctors attended to him…
BILL Every day now the weather is getting better…
COMRADE X Our coal costs less…
BILL We earn more money…
COMRADE X Our Party becomes more influential…
BILL The district gets bigger…
COMRADE X Our airplanes fly faster…
BILL His pronouncements are better…
COMRADE X When he makes an unprepared speech…
BILL Is there enough to eat? We Americans like to eat candy.
(Exit COMRADE X and BILL. Enter MARGERY and INSPECTOR CHANG)
MARGERY It was in this school that he learned his Chinese. Memories. You can’t buy them for any amount of money. I want to return home to my native country. I want to eat food with a fork!
CHANG That brother of his — he has some good friends. Some of his friends are Americans.
MARGERY Which one?
CHANG Tell me, when he wrote the letter after eating lunch, did he look around for it?
MARGERY He glanced at the book and then put it down.
CHANG (aside to audience) Fish here, fish there. I like to fish. (to MARGERY) What did he want to buy?
MARGERY (aside to audience) I am hearing but I’m not listening. (to CHANG) An automobile, a good automobile, an American automobile.
CHANG Is your wristwatch made of gold or is it made of silver?
MARGERY Did he commit a crime? Is he a criminal?
CHANG (noticing someone in the distance) Who is that short person? Do you see that short person over there? Is he any relation?
MARGERY He is a man of unusual ability. I have promised him to go.
CHANG This story is quite interesting. What did he beg you to do?
MARGERY He asked me to measure him. He was not very pleased. It’s almost been two years.
CHANG The elder brother had important facts. His younger brother hoped to re-connect. It’s clear that was not to be.
MARGERY Pretty soon, the whole morning will be gone.
CHANG I have twelve questions, none of which you’ve answered.
MARGERY (to audience) I breathe the fresh air. I feel much better. I open my lazy eyes. I know this much. I will never pass this way again. (to CHANG) The temperature is rising steadily. I feel giddy and out-of-sorts.
CHANG What is the trouble? Do you not feel very well? (She begins to shiver.) Please undo your clothes. I am going to check your heart and lungs.
MARGERY I must drink a glass of water to moisten my throat. If you go, then I won’t need to.
CHANG Is it the Chinese food you ate last night?
MARGERY Please go without comment or persuasion. When you come back I will fill in some of the gaps and identify items about which you need to ask questions.
CHANG Be prepared to tell the story in your own words. (He checks the change in his pocket.) I hope that shop will have a discount. But I really should not worry about the expense.
(Exit CHANG)
MARGERY (aside to audience) He is very alert and his stance is graceful. He has very good prospects. Some of the others are not up to his standard. (looking around) What else is there on this street? Shall we have a look?
(Exit MARGERY. Enter SCHOOLGIRL 1 and SCHOOLGIRL 2, skipping along arm in arm.)
SCHOOLGIRL 1 Where did you go New Year’s Day? Did you go to the movies?
SCHOOLGIRL 2 Yes, and with their varied colors they were lovely too.
SCHOOLGIRL 1 I went to a dance last night and it was after eleven when I got home.
SCHOOLGIRL 2 It’s a good thing no gas bombs were dropped yesterday. So few people have gas masks.
SCHOOLGIRL 1 On the plus side, death is quick.
(Exit SCHOOLGIRLS. Enter LI)
LI (watching SCHOOLGIRLS as they leave) The walk and skip along arm in arm. They really are lively.
(Enter MARGERY)
MARGERY I’m glad you could come. I’ve changed my address.
LI Quick. Come with me! This is his private car.
MARGERY I have already given him those letters. I’ll come when I have time.
LI I’m not strong enough to move the piano by myself!
MARGERY Since you have done it before, you can do it again.
LI Even if you go, it will be too late.
MARGERY There is no fighting that is not exciting. It’s as if a bunch of boys pushed themselves into a small room.
LI There are people burning incense every day in that temple.
MARGERY A troop can’t go without officers. (noticing) Why do those people stand there at the end of the street?
LI They wait to leave there for want of food. If you compel them to do physical work, they will not do it well.
MARGERY I am leaving by train tomorrow. You don’t have to see me off. I know you will take good care of her and of your own health.
(Enter CHANG hurriedly with water) CHANG (out of breath and excited) I shook hands with him at the intersection. He didn’t even wear a jacket! The balconies are filled with people standing and cheering. (sound of cheering crowds) Finally, he’s succeeded beyond all expectations! He has made a very good impression on my soul. THE END
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