“out there” but co-exists with the natural. Death is a different state; it is not the end.
“Maybe not long enough or maybe too long. Actually, I didn’t think I would ever see you again. But I need to know something and I think you know the answer.”
“Of course. Anything. Ask away.”
Jasmine speaks slowly and deliberately. “Did you kill me?
Vicky backs up to the wall, flushing with alarm. “Is that why you’re here? Who would say anything like that?”
“Todd. He thinks it might be you that did it.”
Vicky breathes a little easier. “You trust what Todd tells you? After what he did to you? Jasmine, when Catherine found you, you were already dead.”
Vicky enters onto the Xing-xing stage, coughing through the smoke. “Jasmine, I’m here. Jasmine. We can start rehearsing now.”
She hears someone sobbing. “Hello. Jasmine.”
“She’s dead,” wails a voice.
“Stop playing games, Jasmine.”
“It’s Catherine and I’m not playing games.”
Vicky fights her way to the direction of the voice and sees Jasmine lying down with
Catherine crouching beside her.
“What do we do, Vicky?”
Vicky leans over Jasmine, whose eyes are wide open with the look of the dead. “I don’t know.” She speaks tenderly. “Jasmine... Jasmine...”
No answer. She turns to Catherine. “What happened?”
“I, I... Todd was rushing out as I was coming to visit. He was like a madman and pushed me down and wouldn’t stop for anything. He must have done it.”
“We were supposed to rehearse but when Jasmine told me Todd was coming, I came late so I wouldn’t have to see him. If I came when I was supposed to, maybe she’d still be alive.”
Catherine trembles as Vicky puts her hands on Jasmine’s face, sliding them down to her neck, fondling her locket.
“But why? Jasmine, why did this have to happen?”
“Maybe she told him.”
“You think so? She was worried about what Todd might think.”
“She must have. Men are like that. That’s why he did it.”
Vicky holds Jasmine’s hand. “It’s still warm. Maybe it’s not too late for a miracle. Doctors can revive people sometimes. Go. Now. Run. Get help.”
“Okay.”
Catherine darts off the stage.
Vicky leans over Jasmine and whispers. “Jasmine, can you hear me? Do you know what I’m saying? It’s Vicky, Jasmine. I’m here for you.”
In the dressing room, Jasmine confronts a distressed but still calculating Vicky.
“You’re lying, Vicky. You knew that you would never get the part as long as I was alive.”
“Jasmine, you never had a chance against me.”
“I was the top student, I knew the role better than anyone, I went to the point of death to prepare.”
Vicky relaxes, realizing Jasmine really will not or cannot hurt her. Her mojo is back.
“You are so naive, Jasmine. You never had a chance. There is one thing that I have always played better than you.”
“What’s that?”
“Men. I left Todd for Zhou Peng.”
“You know he left you for me.”
“Think about it, Jasmine.”
Jasmine ponders and has a sinking realization of another potential truth. “Zhou Peng? The director?”
“Yes. The most powerful man in theater in Beijing. I dumped Todd the moment I met Zhou.”
“My father never directed because he refused to kowtow to him. He always wanted success on his own terms.”
“Exactly. Now you know, Jasmine. You didn’t steal Todd from me, Jasmine. I left for a better opportunity.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it. How do you think I got here? Do you think that it is so easy for an actress to get out of China? To get invitations to foreign countries?”
It’s so true. There are many fantastic, talented and gorgeous Chinese actresses who would do anything to work in Vancouver, Toronto or Hollywood. Vicky and I studied English so hard together to improve our chances. I performed in all those English plays but nothing helped. A Chinese is a Chinese and we
“Maybe not long enough or maybe too long. Actually, I didn’t think I would ever see you again. But I need to know something and I think you know the answer.”
“Of course. Anything. Ask away.”
Jasmine speaks slowly and deliberately. “Did you kill me?
Vicky backs up to the wall, flushing with alarm. “Is that why you’re here? Who would say anything like that?”
“Todd. He thinks it might be you that did it.”
Vicky breathes a little easier. “You trust what Todd tells you? After what he did to you? Jasmine, when Catherine found you, you were already dead.”
Vicky enters onto the Xing-xing stage, coughing through the smoke. “Jasmine, I’m here. Jasmine. We can start rehearsing now.”
She hears someone sobbing. “Hello. Jasmine.”
“She’s dead,” wails a voice.
“Stop playing games, Jasmine.”
“It’s Catherine and I’m not playing games.”
Vicky fights her way to the direction of the voice and sees Jasmine lying down with
Catherine crouching beside her.
“What do we do, Vicky?”
Vicky leans over Jasmine, whose eyes are wide open with the look of the dead. “I don’t know.” She speaks tenderly. “Jasmine... Jasmine...”
No answer. She turns to Catherine. “What happened?”
“I, I... Todd was rushing out as I was coming to visit. He was like a madman and pushed me down and wouldn’t stop for anything. He must have done it.”
“We were supposed to rehearse but when Jasmine told me Todd was coming, I came late so I wouldn’t have to see him. If I came when I was supposed to, maybe she’d still be alive.”
Catherine trembles as Vicky puts her hands on Jasmine’s face, sliding them down to her neck, fondling her locket.
“But why? Jasmine, why did this have to happen?”
“Maybe she told him.”
“You think so? She was worried about what Todd might think.”
“She must have. Men are like that. That’s why he did it.”
Vicky holds Jasmine’s hand. “It’s still warm. Maybe it’s not too late for a miracle. Doctors can revive people sometimes. Go. Now. Run. Get help.”
“Okay.”
Catherine darts off the stage.
Vicky leans over Jasmine and whispers. “Jasmine, can you hear me? Do you know what I’m saying? It’s Vicky, Jasmine. I’m here for you.”
In the dressing room, Jasmine confronts a distressed but still calculating Vicky.
“You’re lying, Vicky. You knew that you would never get the part as long as I was alive.”
“Jasmine, you never had a chance against me.”
“I was the top student, I knew the role better than anyone, I went to the point of death to prepare.”
Vicky relaxes, realizing Jasmine really will not or cannot hurt her. Her mojo is back.
“You are so naive, Jasmine. You never had a chance. There is one thing that I have always played better than you.”
“What’s that?”
“Men. I left Todd for Zhou Peng.”
“You know he left you for me.”
“Think about it, Jasmine.”
Jasmine ponders and has a sinking realization of another potential truth. “Zhou Peng? The director?”
“Yes. The most powerful man in theater in Beijing. I dumped Todd the moment I met Zhou.”
“My father never directed because he refused to kowtow to him. He always wanted success on his own terms.”
“Exactly. Now you know, Jasmine. You didn’t steal Todd from me, Jasmine. I left for a better opportunity.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Believe it. How do you think I got here? Do you think that it is so easy for an actress to get out of China? To get invitations to foreign countries?”
It’s so true. There are many fantastic, talented and gorgeous Chinese actresses who would do anything to work in Vancouver, Toronto or Hollywood. Vicky and I studied English so hard together to improve our chances. I performed in all those English plays but nothing helped. A Chinese is a Chinese and we
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