The Joy Luck Club Page #7

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things that you need, you let me know.

- Need any cash, you call Barry and he--

- What's her f***ing name?

What's the difference?

She's not the reason.

What you going to do with leftovers

after he eat one slice?

Throw it away, I guess.

You ask yourself

why you make this?

Because I know,

even if you don't.

I like being tragic, Ma.

I learned it from you.

You think he sees this pie...

now he's so sorry

take you for granted.

You think this,

you the foolish one.

Every time you give him gift...

like begging.

"Take this. Oh, sorry.

Please forgive me.

I'm not worth as much as you."

So he only take you

more for granted.

You're just like my mother.

Never know what you're worth.

Until too late.

When I went to live

with my mother...

I thought I had

become so happy...

so important.

Then my new family returned

from the countryside:

Wu Tsing, his other wives

and children.

Now I wondered what my place

in this family would be.

First Wife

was a ghost of a woman.

She blinded herself

to the faults of her daughters.

Third Wife never gave

Wu Tsing a son...

and lived in fear

she'd be kicked out.

But even she

outranked my mother...

who was only Fourth Wife...

the newest one.

And finally, Second Wife...

the empress

of the household...

with Wu Tsing's only son.

I watched how my mother

looked at this boy.

And I wondered why.

So you've come back already.

This is the daughter

you wanted permission to bring?

Yes. Her name is An-Mei.

Put this on.

Second Wife,

this is too expensive...

for a small child.

She is not worthy of it.

Who is she to say who is worthy?

A treasure like you...

needs precious pearls

to light up your face.

You may call me Big Mother.

Give them back.

Hurry now.

If you don't thank Big Mother...

you will make me

very angry.

Thank you, Big Mother.

An-Mei, give me the necklace!

I know you don't want to.

But I will not have her buy you

for such a cheap price.

My precious

pearl necklace...

that had almost bought

my mind and heart...

- it was made out of glass.

- Why should you believe me?

I have become nothing.

A Fourth Wife!

A low-class concubine.

But An-Mei...

I was not always like this.

I was a First Wife.

Your father's only wife!

Never forget that!

You are a daughter

of a First Wife.

You can't!

My daughter is with me.

Then send her away.

Or let her watch!

An-Mei,

go to your nanny's room.

Please.

An-Mei, why are you here alone?

I've been looking for you

everywhere.

Is that his smell?

Why did you bring me here?

Nanny told me.

She told me everything.

You went to West Lake Temple...

to make offerings

in memory of my father.

Wu Tsing saw you there.

Second Wife invited you over...

to play mah-jong.

That night...

Wu Tsing came to your room...

I told her the rest so fast...

as if it would hurt her less.

Ma!

Ma! Ma! Ma!

No one believed

she was raped.

Not even her own mother.

She had nothing.

No one would take her in.

No one would give her work.

And she was carrying

Wu Tsing's child.

To save her baby...

there was only one place

she could go.

And when he was born,

my little brother...

- Second Wife claimed him as her reward.

- Give me back my son!

An Mei.

I stayed alive...

to keep my hope

of seeing you again one day.

So it's all true!

An Mei, I brought you here

to give you a better life.

But now...

I know what I really have to do.

Mommy?

Mama? Mama?

Mama! Wake up!

Hurry, wake up!

Mama!

They were doing nothing...

only waiting

for my mother to die.

Second Wife told me

my mother had died by accident...

taking too much opium.

- Lies! I know my mother

killed herself on purpose.

- Mommy!

She had eaten

sticky sweet dumplings...

one after the other,

filled with opium.

When the poison

broke into her body...

she whispered to me that she would

rather kill her own weak spirit...

so she could give me

a stronger one.?

Mama! Mama!

Mama?

Can you see?

Can you see

I am no longer scared?

I am strong now.

I see clearly now...

what's true and what's false.

My mother chose

the date of her death...

to give me the power

over her enemies.

My mother's ghost will return

in three days to settle scores.

That day will be

the Lunar New Year.

All debts must be paid by then.

Or horrible tragedies

will befall you.

Lord Buddha, forgive me.

So, on that day, Wu Tsing

promised to revere my mother...

as if she had been

First Wife, his only wife.

He promised to raise me

and my mother's son...

as his honored children,

the highest position.

And on that day...n

Second Wife's hair

began to turn white.

Mama!

And on that day,

I learned to shout.

Mom, what does it mean?

What does it mean, Mommy?

I tell you the story

because I was raised...

the Chinese way.

I was taught

to desire nothing...

to swallow

other people's misery...

and to eat my own bitterness.

And even though I taught

my daughter the opposite...

but still she came out

the same way.

Maybe it is because she was born

to me and she was born a girl.

And I was born to my mother,

and I was born a girl.

All of us like stairs...

one step after another,

going up, going down...

but always going the same way.

But, no, this cannot be.

This, this not knowing

what you're worth.

This not begin with you.

My mother not know her worth...

until too late.

Too late for her, but not for me.

Now we will see

if not too late for you, hmm?

Rose, I'm--

I'm standing out in the rain...

ringing the bell for 1 5 minutes.

Are you okay?

Honey?

Are you okay?

Honey?

Get out of my house.

You heard me.

Get out!

Honey, it's our house.

We agreed to sell it.

That's why I'm here.

You're not taking my house.

You're not taking my daughter.

You're not taking

any part of me.

'Cause you don't know

who I am..

I died 60 years ago.

I ate opium...

and I died...

for my daughter's sake.

Now get out of my house!

- I'm listening.

- It's not your fault, none of it.

I was the one

who told you that...

my love wasn't good enough...

that your love was

worth more than mine.

I was so full of sh*t.

- Oh.

- Mmm, very good.

No.

- Can I have a bit?

- Oh, it's Auntie June's piece.

- It is?

- Yeah.

- Mmm. Thank you.

- Sure.

- Hi.

- Oh, hi.

- Oh.

It's so wonderful, Rosie,

how everybody's here.

Yeah. Your mom

would've been so proud.

No meal's ever gonna be the same

without your mom's famous crab.

Last Chinese New Year,

we had Auntie Lindo's family to dinner.

- It was the last time

my mom would ever cook...

- Wow!

- her famous crab.

- Yeah, we can eat crab! Mmm, yummy.

Old Chong,

everything all right?

How is everything?

Oh, excellent. Bravo.

Best, best quality.

Thank you.

You see?

Best quality.

That's how my mother was.

Everything had to be the best.

She believed the same about me,

that I could be anything.

Instead...

I was the biggest disappointment

in my mother's life.

Shoshana, stop playing

with your food.

Say, didn't you play

the piano once?

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