The Drunkard Page #5

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We want to see the soldiers'warm smiles

as they received the overcoats from us

So we braved gunfire to deliver the coats

We crawled through a bamboo forest

As we did so an enemy mortar

exploded among the bamboo grove

Someone beside me yelled

I lifted my head up to look

our class rep was lying with his face up,

his face covered in blood

War, war, war

Japanese Army Attacked Shanghai

A piece of his head

had been blown away by shrapnel

pieces of his brain came dribbling out

His eyes were wide open and

his eye balls remained still

I couldn't take it anymore.

I stood up and was about to leave

The class rep talked to me

in a trembling voice,

"Please smash my head in with a rock!"

Is this the military hospital?

You had a bad dream

Where is Lulu?

Who?

The girl I was drinking with.

I'm sorry, I don't know

How did I end up here?

The police brought you.

Someone hit you with a bottle

Who?

I'm not sure.

Nurse, can you loosen up

the bandages for me?

Sure, no problem

When can I get out of the hospital?

Your injuries are serious

You have a concussion

So you have to stay here for observation

Is this better?

Could it have been Lulu?

You'd gone missing for days,

I didn't know what to do

I didn't expect this.

I was in the hospital for a few days

You could have kept on

writing on the hospital bed

All you need is a pen

and a stack of paper

My head was hurting, I got no inspiration

You're a professional writer

You should be able to write

under any circumstances

Professionals get sick too you know.

I'm telling you

You cannot stop writing from now on,

even if you're sick in the hospital.

If I have to write even when I'm sick,

then I quit

Fine. A lot of people would

kill for your job

What's up?

You're drunk again?

No

Maybe not yet,

but don't drink any more.

Why?

My daughter really wants to meet you.

You want to introduce

your daughter to me?

That's right.

How much?

US$300

$300?

I haven't won the lottery yet

Take a look

I don't have much money on me.

She may be young,

but she can make you happy.

I know, but I don't have that much money

How much do you have?

How old are you?

You lie!

Do you do this all the time?

My first time.

You're lying again!

Do you do this willingly?

My father is sick.

He needs the money for medicine

You are such a cliche

This is mid-day news

from Radio Hong Kong

First up is international news

concerning Cuban crisis

According to Reuters,

US President Kennedy's speech

at Congress today reiterated that

US government is highly concerned

about Soviet missile bases in Cuba,

which US views as military provocation

President Kennedy will present an

ultimatum to Soviet Premier Khrushchev

demanding that

the USSR dismantle all missile bases

already under construction in Cuba

Or the US will take military action

including bombing of Cuban

bases with nuclear weapons

I'm sorry,

Lulu doesn't work here any more

Sir, do you live here?

I'm looking for Lily

Mister, who are you looking for?

I'm looking for Lily, Lily!

Madam!

I don't know him

Her voice sounds familiar

You are Lily, right?

Who are you?

I want Lily

She's already married

That's 1 5 catties in total

I'll give you $30 for them

How about $50?

Literature isn't worth that much

You have blue books?

They are worth more

Who are you looking for?

I want to find a little girl.

She's around 1 5 or 1 6

What's her name?

I don't know

I've been here. her mother brought me

She said she wanted to

introduce me to her

They moved

I only have a few dollars on me.

Why look for her?

Am I so desperate that

I just want to see another human

being more pitiful than me?

He's awake, he's awake

He didn't die

Don't feel sad. There are no problems

that can't be solved.

That's right.

The world is a wonderful place

Min, you're a smart person

Why would you do such a silly thing?

Promise mom you won't drink

so much from now on

I promise I won't drink anymore

neither alcohol nor disinfectant

Mother

You have come home

I take a rest first.

Sure

Min, don't drink any more alcohol

from now on

It's bad for you

Listen to mom, don't drink anymore

Here's $3000

It should last you for a while

How can I take your money? I can't...

Of course you can. You're my son

Min

you came back from the war

safe and sound

Mama is too happy

Take it, take it

Before I drank the Dettol,

I thought I had lost everything

After I drank the Dettol, I seem to have

regained everything I had lost

What would you like?

You want whiskey or brandy?

A bottle of whiskey

Sorry, forget it

I'll just have a packet of cigarette

Haven't gotten my salary yet

You must be joking,

you look like a boss yourself!

Thanks

Hot coffee

To me, drinking is very important,

but it is not like the sun and air

You need money to buy it

In order to drink I have to earn money

How else will I live after I'd spent

all of Old Mrs. Lei's money?

I was just over 20 years old, in Shanghai

The buttonwood trees on Avenue Joffre

The squash court on

Avenue du Roi Albert

Roast suckling pig at DDC Cafe

All of them were attractive,

but not as attractive as alcohol

I met a dancing girl Lily,

who was tired of life

She said she liked my eyes

I didn't know she was so good at lying,

and willingly became her slave

I gave her everything I had

She took me drinking all the time

I never got drunk once

I was proud of my ability to drink

But she told me,

"One day, you will get drunk."

And sure enough I did

That was when

she quit being a dancing girl because

she was marrying the cotton king

I went to our usual haunt and got so

drunk that I didn't know where I was

I was just over 20 then

From then on drinking became a

passport that took me to another world

I may not like

the oblivion alcohol brought

but I hate the ugly reality of life more

There was a time when I drank white

rice wine everyday in foggy Chongqing

There was another time when

I drank yellow rice wine in the rain

For a time I drank whiskey everyday

at a restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui

I think wisdom is created by the devil

The more you have,

the more worries you have

What happened?

You were really drunk last night

but were still capable of arguing

with mother-in-law

in the end, she cut her wrist in her room

That afternoon I wrote on my notebook,

I'm quitting drinking today

But by night fall, I drank

a few glasses of brandy in a restaurant.

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