Change                       by Paula Jiang 蔣怡嫻

Scene:  Darcy and Lily have known each other for more then five years and are planning their marriage.  Even though they love each other, Lily’s parents don’t like Darcy because he left a very bad impression on Lily’s parents.  They consider him as a serious, stubborn, and arrogant foreigner.  This night, Lily asks Darcy out for dinner at a fancy restaurant to discuss their future and wants to change Darcy’s behavior and attitudes so that she can improve the relationship between him and her parents.

Location: A fancy restaurant in Japan

Characters:

Darcy Porter: a businessman of a small company

Lily Yamamodo: a Japanese woman, whose father is the president of one of the top

ten enterprises in the world.

David: the waiter

Act

David: Welcome Mr. Porter, and Yamamodo San.  You look so brilliant tonight, Yamamodo San.  Nice to see both of you.  (David pulls the chair for

Yamamodo)

Darcy: Hi, David! Nice to see you too. 

David: Mr. Porter, what do you want for dinner today?  As usual?

Darcy: As usual.

Waiter: Oh! Mr. Porter, you are so lucky.  We just got a great grape wine from France this morning.  Chateau Corbin, 1995.  You must taste it.

Darcy: David, you know that I never drink.  But you can take one for Lily.  I’m sure you want to taste it, right? Lily? (Darcy looks at Lily with a big sweet smile)

Lily: Of course, you always know my preference and do everything first for me.  Thank you so much. (Lily returns with smiles but with a little shyness)

Darcy: I’m glad to do so.  Oh, Lily, how is your family?  What happened last time……I’m really sorry, but I didn’t mean to do that.   Are they all right?

Lily: Not good, they are especially upset about your attitude. (Lily looks worried and holds the glass tightly.) You know my father is a successful man in his business.  Until now, no one dares to disobey his orders whether it’s my family or his employees.  You are the first one not to obey him, what’s more, to argue with him.  We are Japanese, you know.  We have our own culture. If you want to marry me, you have to accept and respect my culture, especially for my family.  Don’t argue with my father, all right? Especially not for that small event.

Darcy: Uh-huh, I’ll think about it.  After all, it’s not my fault.

David: Excuse me.  Please enjoy it. (David leads another two waitresses to serve their meals.  The wine is placed in the middle of the table.)

Darcy/Lily : Thank you, David.

Lily: Darcy, why do you always care about that stupid thing. (Lily’s drinking her wine elegantly.) It isn’t the first time we talk about it.  Why do you never drink?  Just because you don’t want to be like your father.   Drink a little, please.  Just for politeness.  Drinking a little will not make you dizzy and become a drunkard.  You will not be like your father who punched or hit people. You are highly educated and I trust you.  You can control yourself.  What’s more, you are in Japan.  It’s very rude to refuse people all the time, especially in such straight manner.  Please, don’t stick to such stupid ……

Darcy: Do you mean not to stick to my “principles”?  My stupid principles?  My principles are stupid?

Lily: NO, that’s not what I meant.  I mean……

Darcy: What do you mean?  Everyone has his own principles.  You want me to respect your culture, your family, and you, and accept the situation that I’m in.  But do you ever think about me?  Do you ask your father to respect me?

Lily: I know it’s hard for you to get into this society……

Darcy: You know it’s hard for me.

Lily: But your attitude is too stern, too severe and too straight forward, especially for refusal.  You know we, Japanese, are not used to that way.  We don’t like to refuse people. In addition, my father will not allow our marriage if you still act like that.

Darcy: Why should you always listen to your father?  Don’t you have your own opinions or make decisions by yourself?

Lily: He is my father, you know, he is not only a father but also an emperor in my family.  He wants everything to go in his will.  Please try to drink.  Just for me, to please my father.  (Lily straightens her arms across the table trying to hold Darcy’s hands)

Darcy: Lily, you know I love you so deeply that I can do everything for you.  But for drinking, you know how deeply I hate to drink.  Because of drinking, my father had another woman outside.  Because of drinking, my father hit and kicked my mom and me all the time.  Because of drinking, my mom had to endure all the violent behaviors my father did in order to protect me.  Because of drinking, we ran out of money and my mom had to do so many works that she died from tiredness.  All of these are from drinking. (Darcy looks at a far place as he talks.)

Lily: But you aren’t your father.  You are yourself.  You received high education and know how to control yourself.  I believe you will not do this to me.

Darcy: Like father, like son.  The best way to avoid this is never to drink.  Maybe it’s the best way－. (Darcy looks at his plate and murmurs)

Lily: Darcy, what are you talking about?

Darcy: Nothing.

Lily: Excuse me. I want to go to the lady’s room. (Lily turns back to the lady’s room.)

Darcy: Uh-huh. (Darcy answers carelessly, still looks at his plate and rises his head to look at the bottle of wine in the middle of the table.)

Darcy: (Still murmurs, and moves the fork and knife to cut his steak.) Maybe it’s the best way not to try a drop of it. Maybe－it’s okay for me to taste it.  After all, I am not my father.  I’m educated and he’s just illiterate.  I’m successful and he’s just nothing, except a drunkard.  Maybe I should try just for Lily. (Darcy straightens out his arms to take the bottle and pours himself a glass of wine, and tastes it with a sip.)

Darcy: It really tastes good.  But I shouldn’t……  Whatever! I will taste it for Lily (Darcy holds the glass, drinks it all and pours another glass for himself.  He does it again and again until Lily comes back.)

Lily: What did you do, Darcy?  Are you drinking?

Lily: I’m drinking for you as you always ask me to do.  I know I’m not my father.  But the feeling is good.  The feeling for drinking is good.  I never know.

Lily: Oh, my goddess!  How many glasses have you drunk?  You drank almost half a bottle of wine. You are drunk. (Lily tries to hold Darcy up but Darcy is too heavy for her to help up.)

Darcy: No, I will not be like my father.  He is a drunkard, not me. (Darcy can’t stand still and can’t walk steadily.)

Lily: You are drunk.  Come on, I’ll send you home.

Darcy: No, I’m not drunk.  I will never be drunk. (Darcy pushes Lily away and points at Lily)  Hey, I tell you a secret. I’m gonna get married. (Darcy talks to Lily, but it seems that he doesn’t recognize her.)

Lily: That’s great, congratulations! (Lily still tries to get Darcy home.)

Darcy: I should be the happiest man in the world because I’m going to marry.  But I don’t feel happy.  Do you know why? (He looks at Lily with confusion) I don’t like her.  She always asks me to do this, to do that.  And I don’t like her family, either.

Lily: (Her face shows a great pain) Why do you still be with her?  Why do you want to marry her?

Darcy: (His face shows confusions and he answers naturally) She has money.  Her

father is a great businessman and she is his only daughter.

Lily: (Lily doesn’t say anything but gives Darcy a slap on his face and goes away.)

    (Curtain)