A Nanking Winter
Page 8
A message. From Japan.
ANNA
What does it say?
HIRO appears.
HIRO
“The city of Nanking and its citizens are now officially under the rule of his Imperial Excellency, Emperor Hirohito of Japan.
All citizens must register with the Japanese army. Upon registration, each household will be given a sack of rice. Any enemy soldiers will be imprisoned and treated fairly. Only registrations with the Japanese army will be considered valid.”
HIRO bows his head and the lights go out on him.
NIKLAS
Unbelievable, the nerve!
ANNA
They are making them register all over again!
NIKLAS
No, that isn’t it at all. They want the “rats” to come out
of hiding.
SCENE TEN
Sister ANNA spots someone in the distance.
ANNA
Mr. Fukuyama! Oh no…
She hurries off to warn the girls.
SCENE ELEVEN
In the attic. LITTLE MEI and BIG MEI are looking out the window.
LITTLE MEI
Why are we still up here! The Japanese must be gone by now.
BIG MEI
Sister Anna said to stay hidden!
LITTLE MEI
I hate waiting.
A beat.
My mother, she used to work for the Sisters. As a child, she’d stick me in a wooden bucket for hours while she cleaned the floors. I’d watch her, waiting, as she scrubbed on her hands and knees…
BIG MEI
Where is she now?
LITTLE MEI
I don’t know. One night when I was still small, I heard shouting. My mother and the Sisters. Arguing, because my mother was out all night. I heard the front door slam and she was gone. I thought, sometimes, I saw glimpses of her on the street in Shanghai. One time, I called out and she turned around… it was her, but, but someone pulled her away. Another time, I thought I heard her voice in the front hallway. When I asked the Sisters, they said I was hearing things. But then, the next day they gave me new shoes and a ribbon for my hair…. Where did these things come from? Oh Mei, if she is out there—how will she ever find me here in Ginling?
Suddenly cries of Jiu Ming [Save my life]! from the courtyard.
BIG MEI
What’s going on?
LITTLE MEI
It’s the man from the embassy. He’s still here!
BIG MEI
And girls?! Why are there girls down there?
LITTLE MEI
Oh no! They’re heading towards the gate.
BIG MEI
Oh Kwanyin, save their souls…
LITTLE MEI
How many? How many girls?
A large crash on the grounds.
SCENE TWELVE
ANNA counts slowly, facing the audience, growing increasingly despondent. The dialogue is recent memory. Christmas Day.
ANNA
One.
HIRO
You deluge my staff with paperwork; pleas to protect your young women, petitions for more access to coal, reports on incidents.
ANNA
You can’t help us if you don’t know what we need.
HIRO
Ah. Need. Yes. I would like to propose an agreement. In the spirit of “need.”
NIKLAS
What kind of agreement?
ANNA
Two.
HIRO
Japan has taken Nanking. And with our occupation, a great many soldiers will be stationed here. The Embassy fears that with the rise of the number of soldiers…. The Embassy very much wants to alleviate the number of “incidents.”
NIKLAS
Incidents?
HIRO
Incidents regarding the women.
ANNA
Three.
HIRO
The army, the soldiers, require… recreation… release.
NIKLAS
No, no absolutely not. Get out.
ANNA
Let him finish.
HIRO
There are many girls here. Many you have yet to register. Is there the possibility there that there are “professionals” who have escaped notice?
ANNA
Four.
HIRO
Twenty girls. Of course, we could also do this without your co-operation. But perhaps, it would be… messier.
NIKLAS
No, no. This is outrageous, to be even considering it…
ANNA
Five.
HIRO
We are only seeking twenty working girls, Mr. Hermann. Provide us with the twenty girls and the Embassy will assure that Ginling will be protected from raids.
NIKLAS
We won’t do this! We will not hand over young women to be in your brothel!
ANNA
Six.
NIKLAS
Anna! Consider!
ANNA
(to NIKLAS, low) How much longer can we keep it up? How much longer can we go without sleep trying to guard the grounds? If we guarantee that there will be no more raids? Twenty girls! There are over twelve thousand people in the camp…. If I can save them—
NIKLAS
Anna, you are talking about slavery—
ANNA
Seven.
HIRO
Your decision?
ANNA
Mr. Fukuyama, can you ensure the safety of Ginling?
HIRO
I swear by my name and my ancestors. All measures possible—
NIKLAS
All measures possible—what does that mean?
HIRO
Exactly that, Mr. Hermann.
ANNA
Eight.
NIKLAS
Anna! Do not trust him! God knows what he’s thinking. How will you live with yourself?
ANNA
Content, Mr. Hermann. Content, that over twelve thousand will be safe.
NIKLAS
And what of the twenty? You cannot do this monstrous thing! I will not have any part in this! I won’t!
He exits.
ANNA
Nine.
HIRO
You will ask for volunteers. Perhaps, women who are willing, girls who… worked… in the past.
ANNA
What if there are no volunteers?
HIRO
Then you will have to choose.
ANNA
Me?
HIRO
Would you prefer I did it?
ANNA
Ten.
HIRO
You won’t regret this. Japan will look kindly on your co-operation in this matter, and as I assured you, Ginling will be protected. You should instruct the women to assemble. It is best
to conduct this in a timely fashion.
ANNA finishes counting out the rest of the girls.
ANNA
(with increasing difficulty) Eleven… twelve… thirteen… fourteen… fifteen… sixteen… seventeen… eighteen… nineteen… twenty.
SCENE THIRTEEN
NIKLAS flies in on HIRO and ANNA, heading straight for HIRO’s throat.
NIKLAS
I’ll kill you with my bare hands!
ANNA
What’s happened!
NIKLAS strikes him, viciously across the face.
NIKLAS
A trick!
Again.
A diversion! I’ll kill you! The attics are empty! Empty!
ANNA
What!
NIKLAS
They took them… they’re gone! While you were entertaining this monster—while he was distracting us—a truck smashed through the east wall! And emptied the attics!
HIRO
No…
ANNA
How many girls?
NIKLAS
At least a hundred!
HIRO
I assure you, I knew nothing of this!
NIKLAS viciously attacks him, his rage from the weeks in the Safety Zone unleashed on the diplomat, in blow after blow.
NIKLAS
You treacherous—
HIRO
(in Japanese) Stop it! I didn’t do it. Stop! Please! I beg you!
HIRO collapses on the floor. NIKLAS takes out his gun and points it at him.
NIKLAS
What have you done? I love this city. I love Nanking.
ANNA
Niklas!
He hesitates and drops his arm. HIRO takes his cue and makes a hasty retreat.
Oh God!
NIKLAS
God is not here.
SCENE FOURTEEN
Dim. Comfort Station. A room with no light and one door. LITTLE MEI is lying down. BIG MEI is thrown in. She is injured and leans against a wall for support.
LITTLE MEI
Mei…
BIG MEI
They didn’t want me, because I’m having a baby. The soldiers don’t want to lie with a pregnant woman.
LITTLE MEI
That’s good—isn’t it?
BIG MEI
Mei… they tried to take the baby…
BIG MEI collapses. LITTLE MEI rushes over.
LITTLE MEI
What…
BIG MEI
They said that there’ll be no more Chinese babies… how can that be?
LITTLE MEI
You’re okay, you’re okay.
BIG MEI
But I can feel it, I can feel it…. Is it blood? Am I having
the baby?
LITTLE MEI
No, no, no, no, no, no.
BIG MEI
Is this blood…?
LITTLE MEI
It’s nothing, it’s sand. It’s nothing.
BIG MEI
But it’s wet, it’s really very wet…
LITTLE MEI
The dirt is wet… it’s nothing…
BIG MEI
There’s a lot of it…. It’s not blood?
LITTLE MEI
No…
LITTLE MEI takes the coat and bundles it, pressing it into BIG MEI’s abdomen, trying to stop the blood.
Come on. Here, hold this. Come on, hold this. Put your hands here.
BIG MEI
I’m holding it. I’m holding on.
LITTLE MEI
Good. Good. Just hold onto this.
BIG MEI is bleeding out. A sudden sharp pain.
BIG MEI
Will you pray for me? There’s no one left to pray for me. Will you help me? If you don’t, my spirit…. Promise me, that you’ll remember me? Promise, you’ll never forget.
LITTLE MEI
I promise.
BIG MEI dies.
SCENE FIFTEEN
Very dim. The Japanese SOLDIER enters, perhaps inebriated. He initially speaks Japanese to her. LITTLE MEI doesn’t speak for the entire scene. He gestures to her.
SOLDIER
(in Japanese) Get up!
He takes the coat off of BIG MEI and tries it on.
Do you understand me? It doesn’t matter.
He runs his hands along her body.
You are not so cold like the others.
Did you see the river on fire today?
It’s water! How can water burn?
“How can a river burn? When it’s filled with bodies!”
We told that joke all day.
He grabs her and holds her close.
We set the river on fire.
It’s dirty. It has to be done.
Your river is filled with filth, so it must be purified.
I can make it run clean…
China will be pure again.
Suddenly he takes out a knife and slits her throat shallowly.
Just in case you cry.
He rips her dress and starts undoing his belt.
SCENE SIXTEEN
NIKLAS
Mein Führer,
ANNA
My Lord,
NIKLAS
I write to you in my position as the highest ranking Nazi official stationed in China.
ANNA
I hardly know how to ask for your guidance.
NIKLAS
It has been two weeks since the Japanese have invaded Nanking.
ANNA
Each day is like a year. I age with each death, each rape, each girl under my care. It was a grave mistake to have all the women in one place.
NIKLAS
I have documented my eyewitness accounts in the following report. The figures are from my personal diary and, I assure you, are no exaggeration.
ANNA
The devil has poisoned thought and reason in this dark place. No one but You should decide who lives or dies. I thought that I could play at being God, and now hundreds are suffering from my arrogance.
NIKLAS
Herr Hitler, I implore you. In the name of humanity, use your influence with Japan and stop this horror. To do nothing, to
say nothing, to condone the wholesale slaughter of civilians and persecution of a people would be our darkest hour.
ANNA
Dear Lord, I do not ask for your forgiveness, for I do not deserve it. I do not fear hell, for I have witnessed Nanking.
SCENE SEVENTEEN
The courtyard.
NIKLAS
What is this? An entire delegation?
ANNA
Did Fukuyama notify you?
NIKLAS
No.
ANNA
They’re coming for us.
NIKLAS
If anything is to happen, let them take me. It was my hand.
As HIRO arrives, we see some bruising on his face and maybe
a bandage.
(steeling himself) Mr. Fukuyama.
HIRO
Mr. Hermann. Sister.
A beat.
I have brought visitors. Dignitaries. My superiors from Japan.
ANNA
I see. Your superiors?
HIRO
Indeed. If you’ll excuse my appearance. There was an… accident.
NIKLAS
Indeed.
At that point, ANNA bows low and NIKLAS follows her lead, making a bit of a display.
HIRO hands them a piece of paper.
HIRO
Congratulations. Japan recognizes the Safety Zone. I have the word of the Emperor that the women of Ginling will no longer be harassed. As compensation for the previous incident, the Japanese government would like to provide you with one hundred sacks of rice and other rations.
NIKLAS
Compensation?
HIRO
Yes. So.
NIKLAS
One hundred sacks of rice.
Beat.
ANNA
What rations, Mr. Fukuyama?
HIRO
There is flour, salt and soybeans to be delivered today by truck.
ANNA
No meat? Some of the young women
, they are with child. They need meat.
HIRO
Perhaps we can procure some dried fish, but not for today.
NIKLAS
When then? Where’s the fish?
HIRO
It will arrive on our boats next week. You will accept?
ANNA and NIKLAS nod mutely.
Then our visit is concluded.
He turns to go, but stops, pulling out a book from his jacket.
Forgive me, Sister Mallery, I forgot to return this.
ANNA
Return? I don’t understand.
HIRO
Your French textbook. I’m afraid I don’t have enough time to continue my language studies. (in a lower voice) Il y a des soldats Japonais qui sont très mauvais. [There are Japanese soldiers who are very bad.]
ANNA
Pardon?
HIRO
J’ai moi mêmes des jeunes filles. [I have young daughters of my own.]
ANNA
I see. Yes. Yes, I see.
She takes the book.
If I may, your French is… quite good. Perhaps in the future, we could converse more…
HIRO
Perhaps. Good day.
He exits quickly.
NIKLAS
What did he say? Something about… daughters?
ANNA
(opening the book) Yes… he has daughters…. Look here, he’s drawn a map.
NIKLAS
If this is the river, then this must be Ginling. And that looks like the bridge at Hanchuang.
ANNA
Ils sont ici. Les cadavres. [They are here. The bodies.]
NIKLAS
They are here. The bodies.
IMAGE: The heap of bodies with LITTLE MEI in the centre. They move in on her, crushing, or hugging her, until somehow she emerges physically, rising from the heap.
SCENE EIGHTEEN
Snow is falling.
ANNA
Here, over here. Oh my God… there are so many…
NIKLAS
The bodies are cold.
ANNA
Oh, poor souls…
Finding LITTLE MEI.
NIKLAS
Mei! It’s Little Mei. Help me.
They extricate her.
ANNA
Oh dear…
NIKLAS
They slit her throat…
ANNA
Oh, my poor child…
ANNA touches her face gently.
NIKLAS
She’s warm, her cheek is hot!
ANNA