任婷華 Tin Hua Ren

                          Third Person

Characters:

Jonathan. A handsome guy in his earlier thirties, who has a rich, young wife.

Kim. A slim young woman, very attractive.

Setting:

A bedroom with plain decoration. A double bed is in the middle of the stage. On the two sides of the bed are two bedside tables. A wooden dressing table is on the right side. There’s a big mirror fixed on the dressing table. On the left side of the stage is a door linked to a bathroom. The television stands in front of the bed.

(Jonathan walks out from the bathroom. He is drying his hair with a towel. )

Jonathan.  Are you crying?

Kim.  No, I’m not.

Jonathan.  Yes, you are. Look at the mirror by yourself. What a funny Rudolph nose! (He touches her nose gently)

(Kim does not react but stares at the TV)

Jonathan.  (Sits on the bed) Didn’t you just watch this last week?

Kim.  It was a week before last week. I don’t even remember that you came last week. (Talking to Jonathan but she does not look at him, as if she is talking to the air.)

Jonathan.  (sits closer to her.) Are you still mad at me?

(Kim silently stares at the TV.)

Jonathan.  I have explained to you. Last week I …

Kim.  You don’t have to explain it again and again. I know the reason better than any one else.

Jonathan.  I’m sorry, Kim. I’m awfully sorry. (He tries to embrace her shoulders.)

Kim.  You know why I love this movie?

Jonathan.  Uh…, let me think. Ah, because you like the handsome guy in the movie?

Kim.  We can never get into the same language. Forget it. (Turns her back on him.)

Jonathan.  Sorry, Kim. I’m just trying to cheer you up. Please, I do want to hear the reason. I’m serious.

Kim.  You really want to know?

Jonathan.  Of course.

Kim.  Because I love the ending awfully. I could watch it one hundred times.

Jonathan.  What’s the movie about?

Kim.  It’s about an ambitious man who is willing to do anything in order to be well off and finally his day has come. He wins a beautiful and wealthy girl’s heart. He is supposed to be satisfied with what he owns; however, he decides to play a dangerous game because the cozy life can not feed his appetite anymore. So he dates with a mysterious woman whom he meets at a banquet. They are affectively drawn to each other both body and soul. He then cheats on his beautiful wife and has a secret relationship with this woman. But in the end, as it usually happens, he has to make a choice between the two women.

Jonathan.  Who did he choose?

Kim.  If YOU were him, tell me who you would choose?

Jonathan.  I can’t make a decision. I haven’t seen the whole movie. Wait…you are not suggesting me to choose…

Kim.  If my answer is yes what would you do?

Jonathan.  Kim, sweet, I, I…don’t know. I…I. (stammers)

Kim.  (Giggles) Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!…it is the first time you become so serious (laughs wildly) I can’t believe that your face turns pale. Look what I have done to you.

Jonathan.  (Sighs) Don’t you ever do this to me

Kim.  (Suddenly stops laughing) Do you think she knows me?

Jonathan.  Impossible. I conceal everything well.

Kim.  If she knows me, do you think she will hate me?

Jonathan.  I don’t know. She is not the kind of crabby wife. I seldom see her out of temper. But there’s just one time when I forgot our 10^th anniversary. When I came home, in the dark I saw two dim candle light wavering. She sat on the end of the table. You know there’s a long table in my house. You’ve been there once, haven’t you? Usually when we dine, we sit at the two sides of the table, opposed to each other and we have our meals without much talk. A ridiculous scene, can you imagine? We are husband and wife but we have nothing to say during the only time of a day we can share. That night, she sat at her regular seat, actually she fell into sleep. She made lots of dishes, including my favorite chocolate banana’s.

I drew near to her and found out she had such a quite sleep that tears seemed hung on her eyelashes and could not fall. I bet she must be mad at me.

Kim.  Where did you go that day?

Jonathan.  I went out with a sickly sweet woman. We had a fantastic night at Regent. Oh, the smell of red wine. I could still sense it. What’s the year of that red wine, 1934 or 1941?

Kim.  Don’t ask me. I did not order that wine.

Jonathan.  What’s wrong with you? Recently you are apt to be moody.

Kim.  Can’t you just be quiet for a while and let me finish that goddamn movie?

Jonathan.  Alright. I’m going to sleep. Sometimes you are really hard to predict. (Lies down and folds the quilt on his body)

Kim.  Did your wife have words with you next day after your anniversary?

Jonathan.  Nope. I told you she is not apt to take offense easily.  

Kim.  If I were her, I would not be so calm.

Jonathan.  I agree.

Kim.  Do you remember the first time we met?

Jonathan.  Of course. Right at my house. We were having a farewell party for Harrod. I wonder how he is doing now.

Kim.  Haven’t you ever thought about why I was there? I mean I didn’t even know Harrod and I did not have an invitation.

Jonathan.  I know what you are trying to say. It’s serendipity, it’s luck that brings us to each other.

Kim.  You really think so?

Jonathan.  The first time I saw you. You were dressed in a crimson gown. You stood in the crowd but somehow your smile without hiding drew me so dearly. At the moment I looked at you, I could not take my eyes off you.

Kim.  (Giggles) You fell in love with me at the very first sight?

Jonathan.  Yeah, don’t you believe it?

Kim.  No. (Still can’t hold her laugh.) I never believe that thing. I thought that was some old man’s trick to accost some young girls.

Jonathan.  Come on. You got to believe me.

Kim.  Yeah, especially when you repeat the story of how we met.

Jonathan.  If you like, I could repeat it every night as your bedtime story.

Kim.  (Laughing)

Jonathan.  Babe, if you don’t mind, I would like to sleep first. I have to get up at 5.

Kim.  Go to sleep then. I will stay up and finish this movie.

Jonathan.  Goodnight.

Kim.  You never finish watching this movie even once.

(Jonathan is snoring.)

Kim.  Don’t you feel curious about the ending? Are you listening to me?

(Only hear his snore.)

Kim.  The man kills his mistress. And that is only because he was afraid that his love affair would threaten his family. It’s not plausible at all. How can he kill someone whom he once had a relationship with? Now I understand these mad loves. Passion will eventually fade. You men only care about yourselves. You always say women are irrational animals; however, it is always men who break the rules of the game. I wonder if any audience will sympathize with the mistress. Would they weep for her death? (Giggles) I did not cry for her you know. I never feel pity for myself. I cry for the two-timer. Because he thinks only he can juggle with the two women. Silly man.

(She rises from bed and reaches the table. She takes her cell phone and makes a phone call.)

Kim.  It’s me. He’s here. I think we should end this relationship as soon as possible before he kills me. (Laughs) No…he still thinks you are covered up. He mentioned about the 10^th anniversary today. He thinks you were a little mad at him. You know I think he still loves you. No…no at least he remembers your chocolate banana. He can’t even remember my favorite movie. Umm…nothing more. Uh…when can I get my money? Umm…I see. Ok, bye.

Kim.  Just one more month… (Looks into the mirror)

Kim. What a face of mistress. (Giggles)

(Curtain falls.)