A Nanking Winter
Page 6
LITTLE MEI turns over to try and sleep, but the moonlight is in her eyes. She resigns to laying back, eyes open.
SCENE THREE
The same night. NIKLAS is walking quickly and ANNA is close behind. They are approaching the gates of Ginling College. Chaos, fire and shouting can be heard on the outside. There
is a GUARD posted.
ANNA
Now wait a minute, wait a minute, Mr. Hermann! You have no authority here! This is not your factory and it most certainly is not Germany.
NIKLAS
Tell me, Sister. If my presence, as a German national, can keep the Japanese from interfering, than you should thank God that I am here!
ANNA
It is God that I am concerned about. My conscience cannot allow me to simply hand over Ginling College!
NIKLAS
Look around! There is no Ginling. There is no Nanking. There are only the thousands of dead and those that soon will be.
NIKLAS yanks on the gate.
Is it secure?
ANNA
It can be locked.
NIKLAS
It’s barely nine feet high. A grown man could climb over
it in minutes.
ANNA
It’s designed to keep schoolgirls in, not soldiers out!
NIKLAS
It’s not high enough.
ANNA
It’s how high it is, Mr. Hermann! I can’t change that!
NIKLAS indicates the GUARD outside the gate.
NIKLAS
And this guard?
ANNA
His name is Zhang.
NIKLAS
Can he be trusted? Can he fight?
ANNA
He was the gardener. He grew nice cabbages.
NIKLAS
But can he fight?
Suddenly the GUARD starts shouting at a passing unseen soldier.
GUARD
(shouting in Mandarin if possible) Hey! Don’t come any closer! You hear me! Don’t come any closer!
NIKLAS yanks open the gate and holds up his lantern, standing in front of the GUARD and protecting him from
the unseen assailant.
NIKLAS
(pointing to the swastika on his sleeve) Germany, do you understand? Germany! Not Chinese! No Chinese! Now get out
of here!
Roughly, NIKLAS pulls the hapless GUARD inside.
(to the guard) Keep the gates locked and stay on the grounds, or you will be dead inside a day. Do you understand?
GUARD
Yes.
NIKLAS
Do you have a gun?
GUARD
No.
NIKLAS
Go get an axe or a rake! Anything you can use as a weapon!
The GUARD hesitates, looking at ANNA.
Go!
He goes.
ANNA
Mr. Hermann. What are you doing?!
NIKLAS
Making Ginling safer. What does it look like I am doing?
ANNA
You can’t— You can’t march in here with orders for my staff—
NIKLAS
Your staff are ill-prepared for the onslaught. Who knows how many more soldiers will be pouring into Nanking. Those that can be armed need to be armed. See that it is done!
ANNA
Mr. Hermann!
NIKLAS
At my house, there are over one hundred women and children in the cellar. I will bring them here at dawn tomorrow.
ANNA
You cannot bring any more women here! What do you expect us to do? We don’t have the room. They will have to go somewhere else!
NIKLAS
Where? Should they remain on my property? Shall I leave them undefended at my house, on grounds without gates or guards? How long can I protect them by myself?
ANNA
I have to think of my students and the Sisters! If we should open the doors to others then it’s likely we’d all perish! We only have facilities for three thousand!
NIKLAS
Ginling can hold many more!
ANNA
We don’t have enough resources, there’s no rice, no coal!
NIKLAS
Then I will find you some. I will find it and carry it here on my back.
ANNA
The attics are overflowing. There isn’t a single bed left!
NIKLAS
What about the classrooms, the chapels or even the grounds?
ANNA
They can’t sleep on the ground. It’s winter!
NIKLAS
I think very shortly, Sister, no one will much care where they sleep. The college is an enclosed compound with stone walls. With wells to draw water. With its own infirmary!
ANNA
How can I help you? I’m already taking care of my girls!
NIKLAS
In the name of God, there are more that need your help!
The ports are captured, the bridges flooding with troops, bands of soldiers rove the streets leaving rape and murder behind. Sister…
Since the city was taken, I have been scouring the streets! I have seen Chinaman after Chinaman carted off like so many dogs! Shot through and dumped in the Yangtze. Entire families ravished and slain, their bowels open to the air. Building after building, body after body…
When I returned to my home… what did I find at my kitchen table? Where once I sat for breakfast, Sister! What did I find, but soldiers lined up, waiting for their turn! Their trousers dragging against their ankles! The blood was not dry. And with my hands, my own hands,
I pulled a monster off a wretched servant girl. She was no more than ten years old.
A refuge, Sister. A camp for the women, the weak. A sanctuary to save Nanking. While there are still some alive to be saved.
IMAGE: A cart filled with women, defeat on their faces, or arms outstretched, Jiu Ming [Save my life]!
SCENE FOUR
Daytime, a few days later. Gardener ZHANG exits out of the gates, chasing the cart.
ZHANG
(in Mandarin) Stop, stop! Let them go! I beg you, let them go!
He is shot and seemingly dies, leaning against a wall. LITTLE MEI and BIG MEI appear out of hiding.
BIG MEI
Is he dead?
LITTLE MEI
He looks dead.
BIG MEI
He was the gardener.
Beat.
We shouldn’t stand so close to the gate. Why did you drag me out here?
LITTLE MEI
Didn’t you hear them? Didn’t you hear them crying?
BIG MEI
Everyone could hear them!
LITTLE MEI
Maybe thirty or forty women, don’t you think?
BIG MEI
I didn’t look.
LITTLE MEI
I did. I wanted to see them. See them with my very own eyes. Look at every single face.
BIG MEI
Why?
LITTLE MEI doesn’t answer.
What if the soldiers decided they wanted us too?
LITTLE MEI
It’s all right. They’ve gone.
BIG MEI
Still!
LITTLE MEI
Still. If they tried, I’d fight. I’d kick. I’d scream. I’d fight them.
BIG MEI
(indicating the corpse) Like he did?
LITTLE MEI doesn’t answer.
Maybe his family will find him. Maybe they’ll find him and bury him.
LITTLE MEI
Maybe they’re dead.
BIG MEI
Well, if they’re not dead, they should be ashamed of themselves. They should come back for him.
LITTLE MEI
They’re not coming back for him. His wife and daughter were in the cart. They’re probably already dead, or wished they were…. Wait here.
LITTLE MEI starts to climb over the fence.
BIG MEI
What are you doing?
LITTLE MEI
Ssssh.
BIG MEI
What are you doing?
LITTLE MEI goes up to the corpse and takes his cap. She tries to remove his shoes. They’re stuck.
Get back here! Little Mei!
Giving up, LITTLE MEI tries to get his coat off, with a little more success. As she tries to work the sleeve off, suddenly the corpse moves. He reaches for her and grabs her arm hard. His mouth open, he lets out a slow, unearthly sound like a demented valve. He dies, still gripping LITTLE MEI. She extricates his hand and makes her way to the safe side of the gate with only the cap.
Are you okay?
LITTLE MEI
(tucking her hair in) Well, it’s better to look like a man isn’t it?
BIG MEI looks at her in shock.
Let’s just go, all right?
LITTLE MEI tries to take BIG MEI’s arm, but she pulls away.
What?
BIG MEI
Don’t—don’t touch me.
LITTLE MEI
What? Why?
BIG MEI
Because, because, he just died… and…
LITTLE MEI
What?
BIG MEI
His spirit is looking for his family, so that he’s remembered. He’ll… he’ll… he will hang onto you…
LITTLE MEI
I don’t believe in ghosts.
BIG MEI
Promise me you’ll pray or light some incense! Pray for this man’s spirit!
LITTLE MEI
I’m not lighting incense for him!
BIG MEI
If you don’t, if you don’t, if he doesn’t feel free, his spirit will stay with you. Like a shadow that hangs on…. Every time you close your eyes, in that space between what is real and what is other, his spirit will be there… they are always there…
A moment as she stumbles into her memory.
The soldiers didn’t knock. They kicked the door down and dragged us out to the courtyard. My husband, Lu. We’ve only been married a year. And his mother and father. And his little brother. We called him Wei-Wei. And their little sister Jie. She was only twelve. Her face, she was so surprised to see the soldiers, she dropped her brush and spilled the ink…. She was so pretty, she was first…
SCENE FIVE
LITTLE MEI is in the chapel, perhaps looking at a statue or image of Mary, cradling Jesus’s body. ANNA enters, carrying pallets for sleeping.
ANNA
I haven’t seen you here for any of the services. We have them every morning.
LITTLE MEI
No, I…
ANNA
I don’t suppose the Sisters in Shanghai allowed you to miss service?
LITTLE MEI
No.
ANNA
Well, would you like to pray together? We can do our prayers in French, if you like?
LITTLE MEI
No, please.
ANNA
Well… then, I will leave you to it. Savour the solitude for now. There’ll be people sleeping here tonight.
Sister ANNA turns to go, leaving the pallets.
LITTLE MEI
Sister Anna, wait. So many people have died. They’re dying every day. And you help them? You’re with them when they die?
ANNA
I try to be, yes.
LITTLE MEI
Even though they’re dead, what happens? I mean, are they still with you?
ANNA
In a way, they will always be a part of me, yes.
LITTLE MEI
So… Sister Catherine, and Big Ears Chen, and Gardener Zhang…?
ANNA
I hold them in my heart, yes.
LITTLE MEI
How?
Instead of answering, ANNA kneels.
ANNA
That’s not a question for me. Come.
LITTLE MEI does not kneel. ANNA does not pray but looks directly at LITTLE MEI.
I know that you are going outside of the gates, Little Mei. One of the nurses saw you, heading towards the river. This will not do.
LITTLE MEI is silent, resistant.
What is wrong with you? Why—why do you do it? You know how treacherous it is! Why take that chance?
LITTLE MEI
I don’t know.
ANNA
You don’t know? Why are you going to the river?
LITTLE MEI
It’s where they dump the bodies.
ANNA
What is it you want? Tell me, so that I can help you. Let me help you. What are you looking for?
A quick and ghostly light up on…
IMAGE: A young Chinese woman on the floor scrubbing, scrubbing endlessly.
LITTLE MEI
(with much difficulty) I don’t know.
ANNA
You’re going to get yourself killed!
LITTLE MEI
Maybe that’s better! Maybe it’s better to be dead!
Suddenly, ANNA slaps LITTLE MEI hard across the cheek.
ANNA
Do not wish your life away so easily! You’re lucky to be alive! Pray! And beg for God’s forgiveness.
LITTLE MEI is in shock from the blow, looking at ANNA.
Child. I’m sorry…
Sister ANNA tries to embrace her, but LITTLE MEI pushes her out of the way and exits.
SCENE SIX
Not a realistic space, but each character in their own reality.
ANNA
Dear Lord,
Give me strength so that I may pass it on. These young women, they’ve lost their families, their homes…. They’ve lost their will, my Lord. We found another girl in the well this morning. Another girl who will never learn the Glory of God.
How can I help them? How can I help them to believe?
LITTLE MEI
I believed my mother, when she told me, “Shh. Go to sleep, Mei-Mei. I’ll be back in the morning.”
BIG MEI
Kwanyin, Goddess of Mercy,
I ran and I hid, but I heard everything…. I know that the spirits of my family are in the deepest of pain. They are suffering. They refuse to rest. They are calling on me to give them peace. Can you help them, Kwanyin? Can you give them peace?
LITTLE MEI
I believe in the road along the river and my strong feet which carried me, when I felt the squish and squelch of who knows underfoot.
NIKLAS
My darling wife, you cannot imagine the horror. The city in which we loved, the city in which our children were born. You would not recognize it. Everything of value is burned or taken by force. The clocks on the walls, dried fish from the stores, and the people…. So many people.
Take care of our children. Tell them that they cannot know me, unless they see what I have seen. My sons, I will write it down for you, my sons, I will write it all down.
LITTLE MEI
I believe, throughout this wretched city, the weeping river is groaning with the bloated.
ANNA
Father, please deliver us from the plague that infects Nanking. To see the crumble, the bodies rotting in the ditch, flesh falling off faces… how many rap
es? How many? Jiu Ming [Save my life], they cry! Jiu Ming [Save my life]! Save my life!
The sound of a telegraph.
NIKLAS
Mein Führer. Stop. Important matter to discuss with you. Stop. Please contact me immediately. Stop. Regards Niklas Hermann.
ALL
Stop.
ANNA
We must not lose our faith.
SCENE SEVEN
The campgrounds. NIKLAS is attaching his hand-lettered sign over the official sign that reads “GINLING COLLEGE FOR GIRLS.” ANNA, LITTLE MEI and BIG MEI enter, carrying laundry. BIG MEI is wearing the coat. They stop to read
the sign.
LITTLE MEI
Nanking Safety Zone
Hours of bombing: 9 am – 9 pm
Resumes: 9 pm – 9 am
ANNA
Is this a joke?
LITTLE MEI
Complaints Department Closed
Please contact the Japanese Army.
NIKLAS
A little joke.
He is met with silence.
A bit of fun. We all deserve a little smile. Now that it looks like the Safety Zone will be recognized.
ANNA
So your meeting with the diplomat went well.
NIKLAS
Yes, Fukuyama from the Embassy seemed agreeable, as far I could tell. Yes, we discussed the entirety of the Safety Zone, with Ginling reserved for women and children. Yes.
The sound of a truck at the gate.
LITTLE MEI
The supply truck!
NIKLAS
Perhaps the Japanese Embassy will bestow some treats on us!
ANNA
Not likely.
NIKLAS
Who knows? Miracles do happen.
LITTLE MEI
Hopefully there’s something else besides rice…
BIG MEI
Rice porridge day after day!
ANNA
Yes. Well. Take your complaint to the Japanese.
NIKLAS
Sister, is that a joke?
ANNA
A little one.
NIKLAS
Very little, I would say.
LITTLE MEI stops suddenly, listening.
LITTLE MEI
What is that?
BIG MEI
What?
LITTLE MEI
It’s chickens!
BIG MEI
What!