Come See the Paradise Page #4

LILY:

No. No, we couldn't.

MINI:

Why?

LILY:

Well, for a start, Japanese aren't allowed to marry non-Japanese

in the state of California.

MINI:

Why?

LILY:

Because it was against the California laws.

MINI:

So where did you go?

LILY:

Seattle.

MINI:

Why did you go to Seattle?

LILY:

Because it's not California and we could get married there.

MINI:

Can we have a snowcone, Mama?

LILY:

We've got tea.

MINI:

But it's small.

LILY:

Okay. But just a small one.

MINI:

Didn't even Mama Kawamura come to the wedding?

LILY:

No. No she didn't.

SCENE 28Lily leaves home.

SCENE 29

MINI:

What did you wear? Were you pretty?

LILY:

Oh, I had a beautiful dress...with a lace collar and cuffs...and

I wore my hair special...with a bow just like yours. It was a

beautiful day. It was the best wedding anyone ever had. We had

flowers. We had champagne. It was the best day of my life.

SCENE 30

JACK:

Come on. Come on.

LILY:

Where are we going?

JACK:

A party. They're playing our song.

MINI (VO)

You went to someone else's wedding?

LILY (VO)

No one seemed to mind. And for Papa and me, it seemed like

everyone had shown up just for us.

SCENE 31

LILY (VO)

We were happy. So very happy. Those days it seemed that all we

ever did was kiss.

MINI (VO)

What about me?

SCENE 32

LILY (VO)

You were born on Christmas Day, 1937. And we called you Minae,

after Mama Kawamura's sister. And you went to your first school

there.

SCENE 33

LILY (VO)

In Seattle your Papa got a job in a cannery as a fish masher.

JACK:

I'm telling you they're going about it all the wrong way. It

ain't enough to have something to say if you ain't got no one

listening. Six guys ain't gonna speak for everyone. Only

everyone speaks for everyone. One wet, slimy fish ain't gonna

speak for all the rest of these fish. He might be a stinking

fish. And even if the rest of these suckers were alive and well

and kicking, which they ain't, that one guy ain't gonna scare no

one.

EDDIE:

They're pretty pleased with what they're doing.

JACK:

There's a lot of things that are wrong around here. If you was

to throw that switch right now you'd probably take off both of my

legs, and no one would give a sh*t that I was suddenly two foot

shorter. 'Cause the only way you're gonna get those guys

upstairs in the suits to listen to ya, is when a big fish comes

along, and he swallows up all the rest of these little fish, and

this big f***ing fish has teeth so huge, it scares the sh*t out

of those guys upstairs in the suits! Because they know that it

can bite off both of their arms and legs!

EDDIE:

If your so smart, how come you don't do something about it?

JACK:

Because I promised someone I wouldn't.

EDDIE:

Who did you promise?

JACK:

My wife.

SCENE 34

JACK:

You have no right to do this! These people have a legal right to

picket!

MAN:

Says who?

JACK:

Says the law! Under the Clayton Act of 1914, these men have the

legal right to picket! They are workers from this company, and

they have legitimate grievances! They were demonstrating

peacefully! And you have no right to do this! These men were

fighting for all of you, are you going to allow these people to

get away with this? Would you get this man an ambulance?

SCENE 35

JACK:

I'm not shouting! Look, I work in a place where for seventy

eight cents an hour we stuff dead fish into cans. If we don't

work Saturdays we get laid off.

LILY:

I don't want to hear it! Why do you always have to see the bad

in everything?

JACK:

Because maybe things should be a little bit better, that's why.

The people working down there...

LILY:

But it makes you so angry! Why do you always have to be angry at

everyone?

JACK:

I'm angry because the people working there are so stuffed with

sh*t they have to be grateful because they're not standing in

soup kitchen lines anymore! So they stink of fish everyday!

LILY:

But why does it have to be you? Why can't it be someone else?

It's too dangerous for you Jack!

JACK:

You don't think that if it was someone else, they don't have

wives and husbands and kids to think about?

LILY:

We're happy, Jack.

JACK:

Happy? What in the hell does happy have to do with any of this?

You're happy. Maybe I'm not so happy. Lily, it's not you. I

swear to God, it's not you. It's just that maybe things bother

me that you don't about. Maybe things bother me so much that I

can't speak sometimes, I get so choke up with rage and I...I

agreed to hand out a bundle of leaflets on a street corner and

you act as if I'm going out to kill someone.

LILY:

Because you know that one thing will lead to another and it will

make you crazy! You can't spit against heaven, Jack!

JACK:

Oh, don't give me that Japanese sh*t! Oh Lily, I'm sorry. I'm

truly sorry, Honey. It's just a few leaflets. I promise.

SCENE 36Jack gets arrested at a demonstration.

SCENE 37Lily waits for Jack at the dinner table/Jack goes to

jail.

SCENE 38

LILY (VO)

I don't know why I left your Papa that day. But sometimes you

get pushed and pulled without ever knowing the reasons why. But

I knew I couldn't stay. I had to be with Mama and Papa Kawamura.

SCENE 39

DETECTIVE:

Do you have a history of labor union business, McGann? It is

McGann, isn't it?

JACK:

Yeah, McGann. No. No I don't. I work in the cannery. I'm a

fish masher.

DETECTIVE:

You people caused quite a stir.

JACK:

It was a legal demonstration, sir. Perfectly within the

constitution...

DETECTIVE:

Well, all that striking stuff's over now, mister. When the Japs

step on the beach, you think they're gonna take any notice of

your banners? They'll stick a goddamn bayonet in your belly,

grievance or no grievance. This is America, pal, so remember,

you're an American. We're at war now.

JACK:

What are you talking about?

DETECTIVE:

Ain't you heard? The Japs just bombed Pearly Harbor. It's all

over the radio.

SCENE 40

DULCIE:

Lily! You never said you were coming!

JOYCE:

I knew you would come back!

LILY:

Joyce, you've grown!

DULCIE:

Is that Mini? She's so cute!

LILY:

Harry!

HARRY:

Lily! It's good you came. It's great to see you.

LILY:

It's nice to see you, too. Where's Mama?

JOYCE:

She's upstairs.

LILY:

Who are these men?

HARRY:

FBI. They're searching the house.

DULCIE:

They arrested Papa, Lily.

LILY:

What?

HARRY:

They've arrested many Issei. All the Kendo big shots. They say

Papa's a potentially dangerous alien.

DULCIE:

They've searched the house three times.

LILY:

Papa? Dangerous?

DULCIE:

Charlie's at the police station to find out what's happening.

Where's Jack?

LILY:

He's in Seattle.

SCENE 41

LILY:

Mama? Mama? I'm so sorry. I'm sure things will be all right,

Mama. They'll know Papa is a good man. He never harmed anybody.

He didn't do anything wrong. They'll see that and...Mama. I

wrote to you all these years and you never once wrote back.

Dulcie told me that Papa wouldn't let you write. But it never

upset me because all the time I pretended that you did...Every

week I would write to you as if you were reading all my letters

and sending to me all your news. I told you everything...just

like we used to talk. If Mini had a cold, or fell over and cut

her knee, I'd let you know. I know you wanted to write,

Mama...I'm so sorry, Mama. I love you. Please, talk to me,

Mama.

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