THE PAPER DREAMS OF HARRY CHIN Act One Scene One (Sound of travel, sound of flight.) (Sound of immigration: now, then, tomorrow.) (A train, a truck, an RV. Dogs.) (Running, breathing, trying not to be found.) (Sound of a boat in ocean water.) (A hollow, haunting, hopeful sound.) (Sound of a car starting.) (Headlights pierce the darkness) (After a moment, a door opens; light spills out.) (A man enters, and encounters a running car, parked in the attached garage. The car is a 1940s Buick. The man is HARRY CHIN. He is wearing a coat over his pajamas. It is early, early morning.) HARRY Sheila? Sheila? What you doing? Is very early. You never up so early. (He walks out to the car. Peers into the window.) (He opens the passenger side door.) (Nobody is inside) HARRY (grunts) Sheila? (He goes back to the house, calls inside) Sheila?! You in there? You leave car to run, Sheila. Is not safe, okay? You should not leave run, okay? I turn off. (HARRY turns off the car and goes inside) (After a moment, the car turns on again.) (HARRY returns) HARRY (grunts) (He turns the car off again. This time it reignites before he’s back in the house) What is this?
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(He turns it off again, but this time it starts right away. Also the windshield wipers start frantically wiping) Hey! (He begins struggling to turn the car off, and the car just will not cooperate. The whole thing is like a maniacal Loony Toons episode; just as he gets the wipers to stop wiping, the turn signal starts to blink.) Hey! Hey stop! (He crawls into the car and starts searching for the cause of all the action) (SHEILA enters.) SHEILA Daddy? Daddy did you call? (The radio plays static. ) SHEILA What are you doing? I thought you didn’t have to work for another couple hours. (The car continues to behave badly, now honking and beeping.) SHEILA You’re not working for a few hours, Daddy, can’t you do that later? You’ll wake the neighbors… Daddy? (The honks, beeps and radio static increase in volume) HARRY Crazy car stop! That enough! (The car turns off abruptly) (HARRY takes a deep breath) SHEILA Is everything okay? HARRY What? Oh yes. SHEILA Why were you in the car? HARRY Was just turn off.
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Should not leave car to run in garage Sheila. SHEILA I was sleeping Daddy. I didn’t touch the car. HARRY (grunts) SHEILA It started by itself? HARRY (grunts) Anyway glad you up, Sheila. We out of toilet paper. SHEILA (really starts to investigate the car) That’s weird. HARRY Need toilet paper. Is right word? Toilet paper? Sheila you hear me? We need! SHEILA What? HARRY Toilet paper. SHEILA What about toilet paper? HARRY Sheila pay attention! Is important. We need. SHEILA Okay, I’ll put it on my listHARRY Also then egg noodles? We need. SHEILA But, Daddy the car—
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HARRY Also onion. SHEILA Okay! Did you see how I put a notepad near the fridge? That says groceries? That’s for you to write— HARRY Also sesame oil. SHEILA Fine. Got it. Anything else? HARRY No. Is all. SHEILA Now Daddy tell me what happened with the car. HARRY Sheila no. Is okay. SHEILA Daddy. HARRY I say is okay. SHEILA It’s weird. HARRY What weird? Car was running. I turn off. Very good. SHEILA I’m not crazy. HARRY Come on. You scare?
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SHEILA It’s weird Daddy! HARRY Don’t be scare Sheila. (laughs) Don’t have to worry. Ghosts don’t come / springtime. SHEILA Ghosts? HARRY Ghosts come during Seventh month only. SHEILA I don’t think it’s a ghost. HARRY Seventh month is July August. Ghost festival. SHEILA It’s not a ghost, it’s a short circuit or something— HARRY Now not seventh month. Now, no ghost. See? SHEILA I didn’t say ghost! HARRY Okay then so no worry! Is nothing. Don’t forget egg noodles. Make chow mein tonight. SHEILA I won’t forget. HARRY Oh and sesame oil. SHEILA You said that. HARRY Broccoli.
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SHEILA Okay— HARRY Oh and beef too. SHEILA Daddy. Can we please just make a list? HARRY Is all Sheila, is six things. You remember. You smart. SHEILA Okay. Egg noodles, onion, broccoli, beef and sesame oil. HARRY And toilet paper. Don’t forget. SHEILA Right. (She turns back to the car. Takes a good long look) HARRY Ok Sheila. (HARRY moves to go inside) Now come inside. SHEILA In a minute. HARRY Is early, is cold, come inside. (she doesn’t) What? SHEILA If it were… something – a spirit or something – who would it be? HARRY I say. Is not. SHEILA I know it’s not. But if it were, do you think it could be…
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HARRY No. Come inside. SHEILA It’s been a year. Like, almost to the day. HARRY Sheila! Stop. Is time for work. See? (he shows her his watch) No more time for talking. SHEILA But— HARRY No Sheila. I say. Leave alone okay? (he starts toward the house) SHEILA No, Daddy. HARRY What you say? SHEILA Sorry, not no- just I am having- I just – this is hard, okay? I’m having a hard time with this. We have to talk. HARRY We talk. We talk right now. SHEILA Right now you’re telling me that the car was running and that you didn’t start it and that it’s normal. I don’t think that’s normal, Daddy. HARRY Okay Sheila, take chill pill. SHEILA None of this is normal! You sleeping on my couch for a year is not normal either.
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HARRY Sheila is only for time being. SHEILA Oh yeah? When we cleaned out the house we said we were only talking a few weeks. We said a couple weeks and now it’s been a year. HARRY So? SHEILA So I’m wondering if you have a plan. Do you have a plan? HARRY Of course I have plan. Always plan. SHEILA What then? What are you thinking? HARRY Thinking… (Checks his watch) Now is hurry. Now is late to get ready. SHEILA That’s what you’re thinking? HARRY Yes, Sheila. Can’t be late. SHEILA And are you thinking anything else? HARRY …no. SHEILA On my way home yesterday I drove past this apartment building – really nice, just two blocks away – and they had a sign on the lawn. HARRY (grunts) SHEILA And the sign said that there’s a one bedroom for rent. Fully furnished, affordable.
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HARRY (grunts louder) SHEILA What do you think? Daddy, what do you think about that? HARRY I think time for work. (He goes inside. SHEILA calls after him) SHEILA You can’t sleep on my couch for the rest of your life! (a moment. She looks at the car) He can’t. (It rumbles once in agreement) what the (SHEILA backs up, terrified.) (Then walks over to the car. Reaches out her hand. Touches it) SHEILA (barely a whisper) …mom? (the car is still, quiet. A car in a garage) SHEILA Sheila, get a grip for Pete’s sake. (She collects herself, hard.) (Marches off inside.) (a moment) (LAURA climbs out of the car and leans on the hood. She runs her fingers over the trim.) LAURA Would you look at this. A brand new Buick Super. Wow. In the flesh. It’s beautiful. (HARRY enters, buttoning up his coat. He stops short.)
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HARRY Laura? Is not possible. Laura can’t be you. LAURA (In 1945, St. Paul, pulling him back in time) Harry Chin. So you do know my name. I have to say this is an incredible machine. (HARRY is bewildered) I didn’t know you lived here. My uncle lives around here. I watch his place when he’s out of town. So? Is this thing brand new or what? HARRY What? Laura what is this? LAURA Is this thing brand new or what? HARRY Come on Laura. What you doing here? LAURA Harry. Is this thing brand new or what? (She gives him his Cantonese-English dictionary) (Resigned, he becomes 25 years younger. It is now 1945.) HARRY Yes. (He looks the word up in his Cantonese-English dictionary) Lottery? Is word? Is how to say? LAURA Yes. HARRY Chinese Lottery. Won. Bought.
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LAURA You’re a lucky man. HARRY (looks at her a moment, then dives into the dictionary) Lucky? Lucckkkyy? LAURA Here. (She takes it from him, finds the English word, gives it back) HARRY (looks at her, smiles) Yes. Very lucky. I go to work You want (looks it up) Ride? LAURA Do I?! HARRY Do…you? LAURA Um. I meant yes. Please. HARRY Thank you LAURA You’re welcome. (he holds the door for her) HARRY Please be (he looks it up) comfortable. (he looks at her, smiles) Thank you. LAURA You’re welcome.
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