(off) Leave it!
KURT
(off) Can you get it?
IRENE
(off) Leave it!
AUDREY
Where is it?
Still ringing.
KURT
(off) Get it, it might be Julia.
AUDREY
Where is it?
Just as she finds and answers it, KURT enters.
Hello?… No, this is her sister. Who’s calling?… Who’s calling please?… Hello? What? Hello?
She hangs up the phone. Seeing KURT’s expression, she downplays it.
(deliberately casual) Stupid kids.
KURT
Shit. We’ll have to change the number again. Don’t tell her about the call, okay?
AUDREY
I’m sure it’s not going to be a surprise.
KURT
Just promise, okay, Audrey? Don’t talk to her about it. Let me do it?
AUDREY
If she’s not worried ’bout the calls, I don’t know why we should be! It comes with the territory; if you write a book that pushes people’s buttons… people are going to push back.
IRENE enters from the basement, carrying another box of files.
Hey!
IRENE
Why is she here? Why is my sister here?
AUDREY
It’s Irene Wu! The Published Writer!
IRENE
It’s not a party, is it?
KURT
No, no.
IRENE
I specifically asked for no party. It’s bad enough I have to do the promo stuff. I don’t want parties in my own home.
KURT
It’s not a party. I mean Julia’s coming and she might bring someone…
IRENE
Who?
KURT
Anyway, don’t worry ’bout it. Audrey’s… Audrey’s early.
AUDREY
For once in my life!
IRENE
Who called?
AUDREY
Uhhh… nobody!
KURT
Nobody.
IRENE looks at them both.
IRENE
You better not be keeping anything from me.
She exits.
AUDREY
See? She’s not worried, I’m not worried!
KURT
All of this started on our trip to Asia. I knew we shouldn’t
have gone! During the whole trip, I tell you, we were being harassed everywhere we went! Not just Japan, China too! We had this one interview lined up with a survivor in Nanjing. 2 When we show up
at her apartment she denies she was even there during the invasion! We show her a picture of herself in the same apartment in 1937, she still denies it! You know what? Someone got to her! Why else would she agree to an interview and then deny everything?
AUDREY
Um—maybe she was ashamed? Maybe she didn’t want people to know she was raped? I mean, omigod, can you imagine?
KURT
No, I can’t. I can’t. I don’t know. How can you know? How
can you know what you would do? Irene says that the rapes were systematic and deliberate but I just don’t know. War is messy. Bad
shit happens. The violation of women is tragic, yes. But calculated?
I don’t know. I’ve never been in a war… neither has Irene.
Beat.
Do you wanna know why we came back early? In Tokyo, there were small vans that followed us. When we got out, they got out. They would chant and wave their signs. It was all polite, but vocal and insistent. Then in this ryokan, I mean nice hotel, really nice. But—we were having tea before dinner and Irene started to feel sick. I mean, really sick and very, very quickly. Just her, not me. She was vomiting within minutes.
AUDREY
I didn’t know that!
KURT
Irene didn’t want you to know. Anyway, after she recovered, we caught the next flight out. It was then she told me that her tea in the ryokan tasted bitter.
AUDREY
What? What are you saying?
KURT
Maybe it’s the same people calling her, trying to harass her!
AUDREY
Wait, wait, wait. So these fanatics, they want her to stop writing about Nanking. So—they call her names on the internet, they follow her around and then they try and poison her?
KURT
Yes.
AUDREY
And then what? When that doesn’t work—they crank
call her?
KURT
Maybe they’re planning something worse!
AUDREY
Kurt—c’mon!
KURT
This is why, okay, why we have to take precautions… look out for her…
AUDREY
Yeah. Of course. This time, of course.
KURT
No Audrey, I mean it. We want to try to pre-empt any kind of, y’know, ammunition…
AUDREY
What are you talking about?
KURT
I’m trying to explain something.
AUDREY
What?
KURT
I’m trying to explain a decision, a hard decision! It was in Irene’s interest. With her best interests at heart.
AUDREY
What the fuck are you talking about, Kurt?
IRENE enters, this time with more boxes of stuff.
IRENE
Help me.
AUDREY
This is your research! What are you doing with it?
IRENE
(to AUDREY) Maybe I’ll give it to you!
AUDREY
What am I going to do with it?
IRENE
Anything you want. I’m done. Finished.
KURT
Really?
IRENE
Yup.
KURT
You’re done? That’s a great step, Irene, that’s great.
IRENE
Did the books come?
KURT
Julia said she worked it all out.
IRENE
Ridiculous. Night before it hits the shelves, I still haven’t even seen it! This whole process has been plagued with such… disrespect.
AUDREY
What happened to them?
IRENE
I don’t even know! Some protests or something.
KURT
Well, Julia says she’s bringing copies.
IRENE
Well, she “said’’ a lot of things! Anyone can “say” things! Especially to a writer on her first commission!
AUDREY
What’s wrong with Julia?
KURT
Julia’s great.
IRENE
Julia is patronizing. Julia is everything that’s wrong about publishing. Julia wants to be some kind of maternal figure. I don’t need a mother! I need someone who will stand up for my book!
KURT
She’s given you a huge opportunity… and she knows, she knows books.
IRENE
She knows how to sell books. She knows how to manipulate writers. She knows how to take advantage of—
KURT
Stop it! You can’t blame her because there’s been “complications.” It’s not her fault you got… you… you…
IRENE
“You…” what Kurt? What were you going to say? “It’s not her fault that I…”?
Beat.
KURT<
br />
Did you get enough sleep last night?
IRENE
Don’t.
KURT
What time did you go to bed?
IRENE
I said don’t.
KURT
You’re not getting enough rest. The doctors said rest is very important.
IRENE
I know what the doctors said. I was there when the doctors said it.
KURT
Well, sometimes you forget.
IRENE
I don’t forget, Kurt. You don’t think that if I could sleep,
I would? You think that I choose to stay up all night?
AUDREY
Did you stay up all night?
IRENE
Yes, Audrey. And talking to you two about it stresses me out even more.
AUDREY
Just asking!
IRENE
Well, quit it. I can’t stand the nagging.
AUDREY
He started it.
KURT
I’m not nagging.
IRENE
Don’t. Okay? Don’t worry ’bout me.
She exits back down to the basement again.
KURT
I’m trying to help her! I cook for her. I clean for her.
AUDREY
I don’t think she wants a servant, Kurt.
KURT
I don’t know what else to do. Look at all this crap! Goddammit!
He kicks one of the boxes. AUDREY moves a box out of his way. She picks up a photo and examines it.
AUDREY
Geez, she’s practically the same age as me… (looking closer) How would you even do that? Bayonet?
KURT
Sword, probably.
AUDREY
These are horrible. No wonder she can’t sleep.
KURT
Don’t look at them… you won’t forget them, if you look
at them.
Beat.
AUDREY
She wouldn’t try again—would she?
KURT
God, I don’t know. I don’t know…
Beat.
…that was the worst day of my life, finding her…
Beat.
You have to help today, okay Audrey? We need your help. It’s
really great that you’re here. Whatever happens, try and keep
Irene calm, okay?
AUDREY
What’s going to happen?
KURT
Nothing. Nothing.
Beat.
Hey, y’know the doctors changed her prescription again. I think
she’s turned a corner, y’know? Those other drugs made her into such
a zombie. But this one…. She’s more like herself again. She’s fiery, like she used to be… like when we first met in school and she was starting out at the paper… before all the stuff with the book…. Anyway, you haven’t noticed?
AUDREY
Well, as long as she takes them—
The cell phone rings again. AUDREY goes to answer it.
Hello—
KURT
Give it to me. Give it to me.
She does and KURT roughly ends the call.
AUDREY
Kurt! What’s the matter with you? What if it was someone important—
Again the phone rings.
KURT
Fucking assholes!
KURT roughly slams it shut. For good measure, he removes the battery and chucks the whole thing across the room. The kettle goes and KURT starts to storm off into the kitchen, just as IRENE enters with more stuff.
Goddammit!
KURT exits.
IRENE
What happened?
AUDREY
I don’t know. Should I go talk to him?
IRENE
No. No. I hope he’s not cooking. I said no party.
AUDREY
There’s always a party round me!
IRENE
Yeah. Too much of a party.
A moment.
Did you talk to Comic Book Boy?
AUDREY
Don’t call him that! And they’re called graphic novels.
IRENE
Did you talk to him?
AUDREY
Uh-huh.
IRENE
And?
AUDREY
And… I’m going to keep it.
IRENE
And him?
AUDREY
Well, we’re not getting married, that’s for sure…
IRENE
But?
AUDREY
He said he’ll be around.
IRENE
What about money? What are you going to do?
AUDREY
I have a sister with a bestseller coming out! I don’t to have to worry!
IRENE
What are you going to do?
AUDREY
I don’t know, okay. I’ll figure it out later.
IRENE
Audrey.
AUDREY
Irene!
A beat.
You’re lucky you have Kurt, y’know. He’s really proud of you. And maybe he just wants to see the end of it. Now that it’s being released, you know you can move onto other stuff…
IRENE
Less controversial stuff?
AUDREY
I didn’t say that.
IRENE
Did Kurt say that?
No answer.
AUDREY
When… when I tried to bring you the copy to approve, well, y’know, while you were away—
IRENE
Don’t say “away.” Say hospital, or institution, or looney bin or whatever, just don’t say “away.” “Away” is at Lake Tahoe or on a cruise.
AUDREY
Well, when you were in the hospital… the book was due! It was nuts! And Julia and Hartford & Ross, they were really pressuring us. Kurt and me… and I couldn’t really take it. I couldn’t. So that’s why I took off to San Fran. Look, I know I wasn’t there for you. But Kurt was, he was there for you, okay? I mean, at one point, I think the company was going to pull it, but he wouldn’t let them. And it was so hard, like, his family really came down on him, but he stuck up for you!
IRENE
I know.
AUDREY
I mean, is it better now ’tween you? Like, it seems like you guys are talking ’bout stuff?
IRENE
Yeah we talk. We talk in abstracts. We try.
AUDREY
Yeah… so?
IRENE
So?
Beat.
AUDREY
Was Kurt’s grandfather in Nanking?
IRENE
Not according to Kurt.
IRENE notices the phone carnage.
What happened to my phone?
AUDREY
Kurt said he was going to tell you later. If he asks, I didn’t tell you.
IRENE picks up her phone.
IRENE
Couldn’t he have just turned it off?
AUDREY finds the battery and IRENE starts to put it back together.
He’s overreacting. It’s just some kids.
AUDREY
So you’re not worried or anything?
IRENE
Why should I be worried? They can’t hurt me over the phone!
IRENE checks her phone panel for messages.
Har
tford, probably. With another interview.
AUDREY
I know you said no party—but you didn’t say no presents.
IRENE
Audrey… no.
AUDREY
Audrey yes! I made it myself! Damn, it’s in the car, I’ll go
get it…
IRENE
You didn’t have to get me anything.
AUDREY
I’ll be right back!
IRENE
Audrey, where’s your coat? It’s freezing!
But she’s gone. IRENE sits, tired and defeated, and for
the moment alone. She looks around at all the boxes and, overwhelmed, she puts her face in her hands, closing her eyes. She stays here for a bit. KURT enters with tea. Seeing her, he places it down quickly and holds her. She lets him.
KURT
Hey…. Hey…. Shhhh…. C’mon…. Look at me? Look at me. Irene… c’mon. You’re okay…. Look at me…
She finally does.
IRENE
I’m packed. I mean, most of my clothes. I’ve packed them.
KURT
Okay, it’s okay. Don’t worry.
IRENE
So when I go on the book tour, you know you can decide what you want to do, okay? If you want to stay here, or—
KURT
I won’t sell the house, until you’re sure, okay? This stuff can wait, you know, until you get back…
IRENE
I’ll try to finish my office today. After everyone leaves…
KURT
Don’t worry about it. Leave it. We can talk about all our things and what we’re going to do—we can talk about this later—okay?
The front door flies opens. AUDREY enters with JULIA
and FRANK.
AUDREY
Look who I found outside! Oh it’s freezing out there!
JULIA
Irene!
FRANK
Hello. Congratulations.
JULIA
Oh darling, congratulations. It’s truly exciting. This is Frank.
FRANK
Nice to meet you.
IRENE
Let me take your coats. You met my sister Audrey?
FRANK
Yes, outside.
IRENE
This is Kurt.
AUDREY
Oh it’s so cold. Brr.
KURT
Hi Julia. Frank.
JULIA
I’ve been here a million times, but I always forget the
house number.
AUDREY
They were wandering up and down the street.
FRANK
We tried to call.
JULIA
We called your cell.
AUDREY
You did? Did I answer? Was it me? I’m so sorry. It wasn’t me, was it?
FRANK
No, no it wasn’t you.
JULIA
A Nanking Winter Page 2