Singathology

by Gwee Li Sui

  GNANAM: If Charles were to have come home and look for us, what should we do?

  ANTHONY: We can still hear the sirens. How will he come? Let us go. Here is the bunker. When the all-clear siren is sounded, he will come back home. Come on, move fast!

  They move fast towards the bunker.

  Scene 4

  The flashback continues. The Japanese unleashed a lot of atrocities after capturing the country. The whites and such others seek asylum with the people of other races. ANTHONY makes arrangements for the safety of a white man and returns home.

  ANTHONY [knocking at the door]: Gnanam! Gnanam!

  GNANAM opens the door. RITA is inside too.

  GNANAM: Why are you so late?

  ANTHONY: I have told you about the white man with whom we have export and import business transactions, haven’t I?

  GNANAM: Yes, what about him?

  ANTHONY: He came to know that the Japanese were looking for him. So he came to me secretly and asked me to help him.

  GNANAM [startled]: Help?

  ANTHONY: He wants somehow to escape from the Japanese. Before he could make arrangements, he asked me to help him to live in hiding for few days. It took some time for me to make the arrangements and return home.

  GNANAM [with fear]: How is it that you have done something so suddenly? Did you ever think about the possible dangers in it for us?

  ANTHONY: Do you want me to become inhuman because of possible danger? Jesus will always be with those who do good. Don’t be scared.

  RITA: Dad, won’t the Japanese kill us if we help their enemies?

  ANTHONY: I helped him fully aware of the dangers of providing asylum.

  GNANAM: Why should we court danger being fully aware of the risks?

  ANTHONY: Gnanam, he has helped me on many occasions in business. When he pleads for help in such a dangerous situation as of now, how can I refuse? Will it be human to refuse to help?

  GNANAM: Do you want to be humane at the risk of our family being destroyed?

  ANTHONY: Look here, Gnanam. Let us always anticipate the good, do good. If we were to face danger because of that, let us take it as the Saviour’s will and go ahead with our duties.

  RITA: Dad, if someone comes to know that you have hidden him somewhere, what are we to do?

  ANTHONY: He is at a safe place, of course. We have to help him this way until he is able to escape. Rita, go and get hot water ready for my bath. I should have my dinner after that.

  RITA: Yes, dad.

  RITA goes towards the kitchen.

  ANTHONY: Gnanam, I didn’t tell you because Rita was here…

  GNANAM: What?

  ANTHONY: Do you remember that David?

  GNANAM: Which David?

  ANTHONY: That David, you know, who once tried to misbehave with Rita. I am talking about him.

  GNANAM: What about him?

  ANTHONY: I think he is now a Japanese spy. I think there is danger from him to my white friend.

  ANTHONY: You said that he is in a safe place.

  GNANAM: Of course. But it will not be difficult for such traitors to trace the place of his hiding.

  GNANAM [fearfully]: If he comes to know about his place of hiding, we will also be in danger.

  ANTHONY: Yes, that’s what I am also worried about.

  Knocking is heard at the door.

  GNANAM [frightened]: Someone is knocking the door. Perhaps that David has brought the Japanese here?

  Knocking is heard again.

  CHARLES [from the outside]: Ma… Ma…

  ANTHONY: It is our Charles. Go and open the door.

  GNANAM opens the door.

  GNANAM: Come Charles. We were a little scared.

  ANTHONY: Why are you so late?

  CHARLES: I went to the Ministry of Education and then went to the Teachers Association. That took a little time.

  RITA [coming back from the kitchen]: Hot water is ready, Dad. Would you like to bathe now?

  ANTHONY: Wait a while. What did they say at the Ministry of Education, Charles?

  CHARLES: It seems that the schools will reopen in another two weeks’ time. I may have to go to Sungar next week.

  GNANAM: Are they going to open the schools so soon?

  CHARLES: Yes, Ma. Seems that there will be Japanese language classes too. The textbooks are ready, they say. First we have to teach pure katakana. Then we have to teach hiragana and then kanjigana. They will train us to teach these forms of the language.

  ANTHONY: Charles, should you continue with the teacher’s job?

  CHARLES: Yes, Dad, of course.

  ANTHONY: I wanted to tell you something in the morning.

  CHARLES: What is it?

  ANTHONY: Why not you give up your teaching job and take an interest in our business?

  GNANAM: I also don’t like you leaving us and going there alone, Charles.

  ANTHONY: I find it difficult to manage the business all by myself. If you are here to support me, it will be of great help. It will be you who have to take over the business after me, won’t it?

  CHARLES: Dad, I have considered everything and have come to this decision. I don’t have any interest in doing business at all. How can I take up a trade that I do not like? I don’t think I will be able to take up anything other than the teacher’s job.

  ANTHONY: I understand. You cannot get involved completely if I ask you to do something you don’t like. It is not good for the business too. You go by your decision. Let me go for my bath.

  GNANAM: Rita, get the table ready for dinner. We will place all the dishes on the table.

  RITA: Yes, Ma.

  They start bringing the dishes to the table.

  Scene 5

  The flashback continues. DAVID arrives at ANTHONY’s house riding a jeep with a few JAPANESE SOLDIERS and knocks at the door.

  ANTHONY: First it was the vehicle noise. And now someone knocks at our door. Rita, go and see who it is.

  RITA does not open the door. She looks through the window. She is shocked to see DAVID having come along with the JAPANESE SOLDIERS.

  RITA: Dad, it is David with a few Japanese soldiers.

  ANTHONY [with much anxiety]: David?

  Knocking is heard again.

  GNANAM [in fear]: Woe is me! What is to be done? It seems that he has known about our keeping the white man. I warned you right at the beginning. You didn’t heed my words.

  DAVID [shouts from the other side of the door]: Are you going to open the door or not?

  ANTHONY: Don’t be scared, Gnanam. Be bold and do not give rise any suspicions.

  ANTHONY opens the door.

  DAVID [sarcastically]: Hello, old man, how are you?

  ANTHONY: Why have you brought these people here?

  DAVID: I must say that your daughter is a beautiful.

  ANTHONY: Have you come here to talk about my daughter?

  DAVID: No. She is there in front of my eyes all the time. So, I mentioned her because it will not be all right if I do not say anything about her. To say the truth, your daughter is a real beauty.

  ANTHONY: Rita, go to your room.

  RITA goes to her room.

  DAVID [in harsh tone]: Where is that man?

  ANTHONY: Which man?

  DAVID: The white man you have kept in hiding.

  ANTHONY: What is it you are talking about?

  DAVID: Don’t pretend! Don’t underestimate the system of Japanese spying. Where have you kept the fellow?

  ANTHONY: I don’t understand who you’re talking about.

  DAVID: Don’t you pretend again! I am talking about your business friend. In which godown have you hidden him?

  ANTHONY: I’ve not kept anyone in hiding anywhere.

  DAVID: Do you know what the punishment is for such a treason?

  GNANAM: Don’t you see that he says that he hasn’t kept anyone in hiding. Why do you trouble him then?

  ANTHONY: Gnanam, please be quiet.

  DAVID: Anthony! If I just signal with my eyes, a
ll of you will be shot down dead. I give you another chance. Where is that man?

  ANTHONY: What can I do if you keep asking about something I don’t know? I just don’t know where he is.

  DAVID: Anthony! I leave you now just because you are somehow known to me. I will give you twenty-four hours. I will come back again with these soldiers. Remember that then it will not be as cordial as it is now. I take leave now.

  DAVID leaves in the jeep with the JAPANESE SOLDIERS.

  GNANAM [terribly frightened]: I told you right from the beginning. See what has happened now. I shiver through and through when I recall what David said.

  ANTHONY: I didn’t think of giving him a permanent place of asylum. I thought that I could keep him in hiding for a couple of weeks and send him wherever he wants to go. But David had somehow managed to find out the secret.

  RITA: Dad, it will be good if we send him away somewhere right now.

  ANTHONY: Where shall I send him? What can we do in twenty-four hours?

  GNANAM: But we have got to do something.

  ANTHONY [confused]: Jesus! What am I to do? I have, on the one side, my family. On the other side is the one who has sought refuge from me. Is it human to betray him to save my family? What should I do? [In a decided tone.] Gnanam!

  GNANAM: Hmm… what?

  ANTHONY: I will go and see if I can send him somewhere. Be careful, both of you. Ah! If Charles comes back in the meantime, ask him to stay here, and I will be back soon.

  GNANAM: All right.

  ANTHONY leaves. GNANAM and RITA keep looking at him with concern.

  Scene 6

  The flashback continues. ANTHONY, who has gone out to arrange a different place for his friend to hide as a stop-gap arrangement, returns home. He is shocked to see from a distance DAVID, with the JAPANESE SOLDIERS, interrogating GNANAM and RITA.

  ANTHONY: Ah, he has come before the twenty-four hour deadline is over…

  ANTHONY walks home at a fast pace. DAVID continues to intimidate GNANAM and RITA with his barrage of questions.

  DAVID: Let me ask you again. Where is your father?

  RITA: I don’t know.

  DAVID: Has he gone to hide that man at another place?

  RITA: I don’t know about that.

  DAVID: You had spat on me once just because I had touched you. What can you do today, huh?

  GNANAM: My husband didn’t tell us anything. How do we then know where he has gone?

  DAVID [with anger]: Are you going to tell me where Anthony has gone or not?

  ANTHONY [approaching]: Why do you threaten them? Ask me. What do you want to know?

  DAVID: Where is that man?

  ANTHONY: He is not in this area.

  DAVID: Does that mean that he was here before? Did you go away to move him somewhere else?

  ANTHONY [disgusted]: I need not tell you anything.

  DAVID [in anger]: Oh… you need not tell me anything, huh? [To the soldiers.] Shoot these two down. Drag that girl along.

  At DAVID’s command, they shoot ANTHONY and GNANAM. They try to drag RITA along.

  RITA [crying bitterly]: Leave me alone. Leave me. Ma… Dad… Ma.... Dad…

  GNANAM: Rita, my daughter…

  ANTHONY: Oh, you sinners! Did you have to take away two lives for just saving the life of one by giving asylum to him? Let Jesus forgive you for your sins.

  RITA cries bitterly at the sight of her parents lying dead. She is taken away in the jeep.

  Scene 7

  The flashback continues. DAVID is seen consuming some liquor at the hall of his residence. It starts raining heavily with thunder and lightning. The windows make a huge noise as they are shut by the heavy winds.

  DAVID: Hmm… What is this? Thunder, lightning, wind and rain… all coming together at the same time… [DAVID is alarmed to see someone jumping into the house.] Ah… Who is it? Who are you?

  CHARLES walks into the hall with deliberate steps.

  CHARLES: You have taken away the life of my parents with the help of the soldiers. I have come now to take your life away.

  DAVID [shocked]: Oh you, you, Charles?

  CHARLES: Yes, it’s Charles, all right. Where is my sister?

  DAVID: I don’t know.

  CHARLES: Don’t know? Let me ask you again. Where is Rita?

  DAVID: You enter my house and threaten me unaware of the influence that I have.

  CHARLES [boiling with anger]: Oh you brutish fellow! Look around for yourself. You don’t have the support of the Japanese army here. You and I are alone here. I am told that you took my sister away in the jeep. Tell me the truth before I become violent.

  DAVID: I did not take her away. It was the Japanese who took her away.

  CHARLES: You say the Japanese took her away? [Unable to speak coherently.] Did the Japanese take her away?

  CHARLES attacks DAVID, punching his face repeatedly. Blood flows from his face as he screams.

  DAVID [pleading]: Charles… Charles… Stop attacking me. I will tell you the truth.

  CHARLES: Tell me then!

  DAVID: She… She… She committed suicide.

  CHARLES [shocked and wincing anger]: What? Committed suicide? Did my sister kill herself? Rita killed herself? Why? [Shouts.] Why did she kill herself?

  DAVID: That happened so unexpectedly… So…

  CHARLES [bursting out loudly]: Ah… you cruel fellow! So you are responsible for her suicide. You defiled her and made her kill herself. You have destroyed my entire family for all the good that we have been doing, however bad the others had been. If I leave you alive, justice cannot prevail. You will make good your escape. I will not let you escape from justice.

  DAVID [imploring]: Charles… Charles… Leave me alone! I will recommend to the Japanese to give you a good position! Leave me alone!

  CHARLES [in a rage]: You ask me to leave you? You brute! Do you know what place this is? This is the court of justice. I am the judge here! I am the jury too! I sentence you to death for having committed three murders!

  DAVID [shuddering with fear]: Charles… Don’t do anything to me… Forgive me.

  CHARLES [loudly]: Forgive? Forgive you? Let me now carry out the sentence.

  DAVID [crying with fear]: Charles… Don’t kill me. Don’t kill me…

  CHARLES [in mad fury]: Cruel fellow… Go to Hell… go to Hell…

  Charles stabs David many times with the knife he had brought concealed with him. David falls down dead shouting aloud.

  Scene 8

  Having recalled the past, CHARLES whimpers in an emotional fit still reminiscing the past.

  CHARLES: Cruel fellow… Go to Hell… go to Hell…

  PRIEST: Charles! Charles!

  CHARLES [remorsefully]: Father, forgive me. When I killed him that day, the images of my murdered parents and my sister who killed herself for being defiled appeared before of me. I did not know what else I could do. And yet, what I have done is a sin.

  PRIEST: “If anybody does sin, we have an advocate in the form of our Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” Don’t you know that the Bible says that He is the compassionate one who exonerates our sins?

  CHARLES: O my Saviour! I have sinned overwhelmed by passion. Forgive me.

  PRIEST: The Saviour will redeem you in the next life though you have sinned in this life.

  The PRISON OFFICER approaches them.

  PRISON OFFICER: Charles...

  CHARLES: The time has come.

  PRISON OFFICER: Charles, do you have any last wish?

  CHARLES: No.

  The PRIEST prays softly.

  PRIEST: Oh Father… We are destined to die even while we live. Oh Father… you become angry justifiably so on account of our sins… If not you, where else can we go for help… Holy Lord, the most powerful, the compassionate, do not subject us to the agony of constant death… Oh Lord, you know the secrets of our hearts. Do not shut your kind ears a
s we offer prayers to you. Oh holy Lord, show your kindness and forgive us… Most powerful Lord, holy lord, you the judge delivering justice ever so. Bless us that we will not leave you in our last period of life on account of any agony.

  PRISON OFFICER: Charles, let us go.

  CHARLES: For that sinful deed committed on that day, this day pronounces the final judgment. Life appears one day in this world only to disappear on another day.

  CHARLES goes with the PRISON OFFICER with bowed head. The PRIEST follows them with his prayers.

  1st April ’45, 42 Monk’s Hill Terrace, Newton

  BY EDWIN THUMBOO

  After Easter Sunday Service,

  The walk home from Short Street

  Is pensive. ‘On the third day He rose’

  Keeps ringing in my head. I can’t grasp it,

  Am anxious, in distress. But He is God,

  Phoebe says, for whom all things are possible.

  You will know when you are older.

  Then Sunny tricks us: Hello, ‘April fool’!

  We joke and laugh as we romp home.

  Late in the afternoon, I sit on my branch of

  Our guava tree, still after-service, still unsure,

  Sombre. I brooded over three Japanese years,

  A stretch of suffering, from the day we fast-fled

  Mandai driven by their shelling. The family got

  Dispersed into a seemingly long sadness, split

  Between Lorong 41, Minto Road, and SGH.

  In Syonan-to, we younger ones grew fast. Only

  Ten, eleven, twelve, did earnest work, played less,

  Our pre-war comforts stolen away. Tilled sweet

  Potato, tapioca, bananas, plantains, yam, all easy

  Growing. We had kachang botol and green peas,

  Full of vitamin B, good top-ups against beriberi.

  Neighbours shared, swapped seeds and saplings.

  I herded Uncle Sinna’s goats. More fun than

  Digging or weeding. Sold two-bite curry puffs,

  Rain or shine, at Mackenzie Road to Traction Co.

  Mechanics, then Jubilee Cinema, and finally

  Buyong Road’s cluster of motor repair shops.

  Bigger boys shoved me from my spot. One tough,