The Eye of Night. The Iowa Review. Wang Meng. Janice Wickeri. Marilyn Chin

Transcription

1 The Iow Review Volume 14 Issue 2 Spring-Summer: Writing From World: Selections from Interntionl Writing Progrm Article The Eye Night Wng Meng Jnice Wickeri Mrilyn Chin Follow this dditionl works t: Prt Cretive Writing Commons Recommended Cittion Meng, Wng; Jnice Wickeri; Mrilyn Chin. "The Eye Night." The Iow Review 14.2 (1984): Web. Avilble t: This Contents is brought you for free open ccess by Iow Reserch Online. It hs been ccepted for inclusion in The Iow Review by n uthorized dministrr Iow Reserch Online. For more informtion, plese contct lib-ir@uiow.edu.

2 Wng Meng Chin The Eye Night THE STREETLAMPS CAME ON from bove course, but Chen Go lwys felt s though strems light shot out in opposite directions from p his hed. The street ws n endless river light. A lrge for bus. elm tree dded its shdow those people witing He sw trucks crs, trolley buses, bicycles. He herd shriek whistles high-pitched din voices tlking To lughing. Chen Go, city truly showed its peculirities t vitlity He night. noticed people with permnent-wved hir nturlly stright hir, women wering sleeveless dresses shoes with spiked heels or pumps. He smelled strong scents perfume fce powder. Chen Go ws interested in everything everyone he sw. He hd not been city in over twenty yers. He hd spent those yers living in tiny in remote villge province where only third street were lights turned on t night. He didn't know wher this ws due or forgetfulness technicl mishps but this ws not mjor problem becuse people re lived more or less ccording old rurl system t wking sunrise t sunset. No sooner ws it 6 sleeping p.m. thn ll fices, fcries, shops cnteens closed down. In evenings, people styed indoors, cring for children, smoking, wshing clos, tlking soon things forgotten. The bus rrived. The conducr ws speking in megphone while pssengers swrmed f bus Chen Go ors crowded on. It ws pcked re were no sets, but people seemed not mind. The conducr ws ruddy young womn with smooth, resonnt voice. In Chen Go's remote villge, such young womn ws sure be chosen s n nnouncer for culturl troupe. She flipped electricl switch smll shded lmp used check tickets lit up. When she hd rn up few tickets, "snp," it went out gin. Street lights, shdowy trees, buildings pedestrins swept pst. As bus nered nor sttion, melodious voice nnounced sp; light went on gin people pushed shoved once more. Two young men dressed s workers got on. were They tlking 47 University Iow is collborting with JSTOR digitize, preserve, extend ccess The Iow Review

3 nimtedly. "Democrcy is key, democrcy, democrcy?" Chen Go hd been in one city just week everywhere he herd people discussing democrcy. Discussion ws s common democrcy in s city discussion mutn in his villge. He thought this ws probbly becuse food ws more in supply dequte city people didn't hve worry bout mutn. Chen Go smiled enviously. But he did not think democrcy mutn were contrdicry. Without democrcy, mutn one ws bout et might be slen. And democrcy tht didn't help people in remote villges get more metier mutn ws only extrvgnt prttle. Chen Go hd come city prticipte in discussion bout writing short sries drm. Chen Go hd published five or six short sries since fll "Gng Four." Some people heped excessive on prise him for more writing mturely with broder scope thn in his pst works, while n even greter number ors sid he still hdn't recovered his strd twenty yers before. He recognized fct tht crftsmnship writers who over-emph sized mutn deteriorted esily. Still, he thought understing importnce urgency mutn be big step forwrd. As he ws coming meeting, trin hd over t spped smll sttion for n hour twelve minutes becuse mn re? mn who hd mutn but no home ws selling his mutn t high price?hd been crushed deth by trin. In order sell f his mutn s soon s possible, he hd gone so fr s forget his own sfety wlked under trin s it ws coming sp. As result, brkes jmmed, trin slid ever so slightly, poor mn ws finished. This incident left Chen Go feeling hevy-herted throughout trip. At pst meetings Chen Go hd lwys been youngest member now present; he ws one oldest. Furrmore, he ws noticebly rustic, drk-skinned corse. Those tll, brod-shouldered, cler-eyed younger comrdes expressed mny bold, fresh ides which were enlight ening rousing. However, result ws tht literry questions weren't tken up. Despite fct tht those chiring meeting did ir utmost guide everyone wrd centrl tsk, wht people discussed most ws "Gng Four's" on dependence foothold in countryside: nti-feudlism, democrcy, ethics, legl system. They discussed how re were more more young people gring in public prks for socil dncing ccompniment electric guitrs, how prk uthorities hd fought ginst this disster by 48

4 brodcsting every three minutes nnouncement tht this kind dncing ws forbidden; violrs will be fined prks will be closed s consequence. Chen Go lso spoke t meeting. Compred ors, his remrks were low-key, "We must proceed bit by bit begin with wht's under our own feet, begin with ourselves. If hlf; no, fifth; no, even tenth sttements mde t this meeting becme relity, we will hve chieved our gol." This fct excited Chen Go, but it mde him pprehensive s well. The bus reched terminl but re were still mny pssengers on bord. Everyone seemed relxed. No one ok ny notice conducr's ngry ppels collect or check tickets. Like ll out- wners, Chen Go hd hppily held up his ticket erly on, but conducr hdn't even glnced t him. He hd n very correctly tken inititive put it in her hs himself, but she hdn't even tken it. He ok out his little ddress book, opened sh-blue cover, looked up n ddress begn mke inquiries. He sked one person direction ddress he hd written down, but re were good mny people who pointed it out him. Only on this point did he feel " tht people this big city retined trdition "courtesy. He sid his thnks left bright lights bus terminl, mde severl turns entered mze new residentil re. To sy it ws mze ws not sy it ws complex, but tht it ws simple unit six one-sry residentil buildings, ech no different thn ors. They were thickly dotted with blconies pcked with confused piles belongings. Windows shone with green fluorescent lights yellow glem ordinry light bulbs. Even noises floting out ech building's windows vried little. There ws n interntionl soccer mtch on TV. The Chinese tem scored gol spectrs on field those in front flickering TV screens cheered ger. People were shouting wildly. The sound ppluse cheering rose like rrent. The populr old sports nnouncer Shng Shi ws yelling for der life knowing tht t such time commentry would be superfluous. From or windows cme sounds hmmer ing, vegetbles being chopped, children qurreling dults thretening ech or. So mny sounds, lights, objects seemed ll heped ger in ech mtchbox-like, blnk building. Although this kind crmped life ws lien Chen Go, even bit lughble, shdowy trees, ech one s 49

5 tll s cst veneer building, mystery over In everything. his villge, evening sound herd most ten ws brking dogs. He ws ' fmilir with se dogs brks point where he could distinguish, from chorus brks, which sound cme from wht color dog who its mster ws. Then re were sounds trucks huling goods. Their glring hedlights left one dzed. All houses in street shook in wke trucks' rumbling. in Wlking this mze residentil buildings, Chen Go hd some regrets. He relly shouldn't hve left tht bright min street tht noisily crowded hppy bus with everyone trvelling down rod ger. Tht hd been good, but now he felt ll lone. It would hve been even better if he hd just styed in hostel not come out t ll. He could hve rgued night wy with those younger friends, ech one clmoring present his prescription for curing ills Lin Bio "Gng Four." They would hve discussed Belgrde, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singpore. After dinner y could even hve bought plte deep-fried shrimp chips boiled penuts with litre beer, dispel het enliven converstion. Now, however, he hd inexplicbly tken very long bus ride hunt for n unknown ddress find mysterious person do bewildering thing. Actully, thing wsn't bit it ws bewildering; quite norml, quite proper, it ws only tht it ws inpproprite for him do it tht ws tht. It would be better for him get up on stge dnce role prince in "Swn Lke," thn do this, though he hd bit limp when he wlked. Of course, it wouldn't be noticed unless one were especilly looking for it. This limp ws little souvenir from "Clen up All Ghosts Demons" cmpign. A feeling no hving ppetite reminded him time he hd left this over city twenty yers go. Then o he felt sd for "leving crowd behind." He hd published severl novels which were criticized for excessive now Becuse being indequte. this, he hd swung bck forth for time long between being prt mjority or good people prt minority bd It ws people. dngerous gme. According wht people hd sid, building he ws looking for ws not fr. Why did y build here? It looked s if y were going put in some pipes; no, not just pipes, re were bricks, tiles, lumber sne s well. Mybe y were going build nor couple one-sry buildings, cnteen, perhps. Of course, it might lso be 50

6 public ilet. In ny cse, re ws wide ditch which he probbly couldn't cross. lep Before being "swept clen," he could hve done it, but now he must find So bridge? plnk. he nxiously wlked up down long ditch, but in end found no plnk. All tht in vin. wlking Should he go round, or jump cross? No, he couldn't bow old ge yet?he bcked up few steps, one, two, three... No, it ws no one good, foot seemed be down bogged in s. He hd lredy begun jump, but he didn't rise in ir, he fell in ditch. Luckily, re ws nothing hrd or t shrp botm, but it ok him close ten minutes recover from pin fright. He lughed crwled out. lmely Wouldn 't you know it, s just he ws climbing out, he in stepped puddle with his or foot. He pulled it out, but his shoe sock were soked. His foot felt very gritty, like texture sy rice. He rised his hed sw n ornge-red lightbulb on crooked pole fixed side building. This existence lightbulb's here ws like tiny question mrk, or, sy, n exclmtion point, drwn on huge blckbord. He wlked wrd question mrk/exclmtion point. A mixture shouting whistling floted out windows gin; probbly tem foreign hd scored nor point. He drew ner door; crefully exmined writing bove it, decided tht this ws plce he ws looking for. Still, he wsn't stisfied, but sod in doorwy witing for someone come so by he could once more. inquire At sme time, he felt quite embrrssed. Just before he left, leding comrde from his villge, whom he knew very much cme respected, see him gve him letter, sking him meet hed some compny when he rrived in city. "We're old Comrdes-in-rms," Chen Go's cquintnce hd sid, "I've lredy put it ll down in letter. The cr only in our orgniztion, Shnghi model, hs broken down. The supervisor driver hve lredy been number grges it looks s if re's nowhere in this province tht cn do on it. good job They lck some essentil prts. This old friend mine is in u repir trde. He me promised long time go tht 'If it's nything do with repiring crs, leve it me.' Look him up when you've worked things out, send me telegrm." It ws just such run mill mtter s this: Find one leder with position power, one's own mn, n old friend, fix stte-owned cr belonging unit nor leder with position power who 51

7 in his loclity commed respect. There ws no reson refuse this old comrde's request, Chen Go, who undersod importnce mutn, hd not formed ny suspicions bout necessity bringing letter finding mn. This incidentl hling bit business for his locl unit ws, course, duty which he should give priority. But, ever since he hd tken on this responsibility, he felt it ws bit like on putting pir shoes tht didn 't fit, or on putting pir pnts only discover tht ech ws leg different color. The comrde in his remote villge seemed hve red his mind. No sooner hd he rrived in city thn ws sent telegrm urging him do something bout mtter s soon s possible. Anywy, he thought, I'm not doing this for myself. I hve never ridden in tht cr "Shnghi" I never will. He hd urged himself on, through rod with its river street out lights, terminl with its tricl brightness wrmherted pssengers. He hd wlked round round, hd fllen in ditch climbed out, clos soiled, foot muddy. Now he hd finlly rrived. At lst, hving hd two children verify building prtment number, he wlked quickly fourth floor. First he gve himself few minutes clm down regulte his brething, n, s s in gently possible, civilized yet sufficiently loud mnner, he knocked on door. There ws no movement, but slight tinkling sound which seemed come from within. He put his er door. There seemed be music plying. So he hd no choice but brush side dishertening yet relieved impulse sy, "ei... no one's home," firmly knocked gin. After third knock, he herd footsteps, n sound lock being turned. The door opened. It ws young mn with dishevelled hir whose rso thighs were bre. From hed e, he wore only pir white undershorts white plstic slippers. His flesh glistened. "Wht do you wnt?" he sked, bit imptiently. Chen Go gve nme on envelope. "I'm looking for Comrde X." "He's not here." The young mn turned would hve closed door, but Chen Go ok step forwrd. He introduced himself in most polite mnner, cre use tking most pronuncition strd in tht city. He sked, "Are you one Comrde X's fmily?" (He judged tht this ws Comrde X's son ctully polite phrses 52

8 were completely unnecessry for one s much his s junior this young mn.) "Cn you her me out rely my business Comrde X?" He couldn't see young mn's expression in drkness, but his intuition ld him tht he frowned hesitted for moment before he finlly sid, "Come in," he turned went in with no greeting for his guest, in mnner nurse in dentl hospitl telling come ptient hve his oth extrcted. Chen Go followed young mn's in footsteps pitch drk corridor. They pssed number doors, one on left, one on right. There were mny doors behind first. One door ws pulled open st strem light, lovely sound singing, mellow rom wfted out. liquor There ws spring bed with n not pricot-silk-covered quilt, folded but piled like big, overturned dumpling. There ws floor lmp which gve out brightness tht could someone repel thous miles wy. The door cbinet t hed bed sod hlf open, exposing mrbles on p shelf. Mny good friends in his villge hd entrusted Chen Go with buying mrbles for m, but he hdn't bought m. There o, production se lrge free-sting cbinets ws just coming in its own. He scnned room gin. It ws furnished with rttn chirs deck chirs round tble. The tble ws covered with pges from text model revolutionry ply "Tle Red Lntern," depicting room t living Pigeon mountin in fourth ct. There ws pocket-size tpe plyer with four spekers, imported goods, from which cme voice Hong Kong singing str. It ws mellow, delicte voice with crisp enunci tion. As he herd it, he couldn't keep from smiling. If he ok this tpe plyed it in his villge, it would frighten people living re more thn n invding infntry. The only thing tht mde Chen Go feel t home ws hlf glss wter on sitting p cbinet t hed bed. It ws like n finding old cquintnce in midst strngers. Chen Go discovered broken sol in front door, it brought over st down. His clos were filthy. He begn give his resons for coming. After couple sentences he pused, hoping young mn would turn down music bit. He wited severl moments, but seeing tht young mn hd no intention lowering music, he continued It ws bruptly. strnge tht Chen Go, who hd lwys been considered good tlker, seemed hve lost his ngue; he spoke in 53

9 fits strts, in disconnected phrses. Some phrses he used inppropri tely. For exmple, he hd ment sy, "I'd like sk Comrde X us help mke contcts," but it cme out, "Plese give it your kind considertion," s if he hd come pply for subsidy from young mn. He hd originlly intended sy, "I thought I'd come see him first," but he sid insted, "I've come mke contct." Furrmore, his voice hd chnged. It wsn't his own, but more like blunt sw cutting wood. After he finished he brought out letter, but young mn, tilted bck in deck chir, didn't move. Chen Go, who ws probbly twice his ge, hd no choice but wlk over h it him. In so doing he got cler look t young mn's conceited fce, fce full weriness, stupidity, cne. The young mn opened letter t glnced it. He lughed once, lugh full contempt. His left foot begn bet time song. The sound tpe plyer its str ws Hong Kong singing new for something Chen Go. He certinly wsn't opposed this style singing, but he didn't find it very interesting eir. A disdinful smile on his ppered fce without his wre being it. "This X," (he ws speking leder Chen Go's re) is n old rmy buddy my fr's? How come I've never herd my fr spek him?" Chen Go felt s if he hd been insulted. "You're young, perhps your fr never ld you..." Chen Go ws no longer being polite eir. "But he did tell me tht s soon s vehicle needs fixing, everybody is his old friend!" Chen Go flushed, his hert begn pound swet oozed from his forehed. "Do you men sy tht your fr doesn't know Comrde X, hed my re? He went Yenn in 1936, lst yer he even n rticle in published Red... Flg his bror is commer Militry Cmp!" When Chen Go unexpectedly begn reporting like this, especilly when he mentioned big shot, militry commer, he turned ple dizzy, he ws out swet. pouring The young mn's response ws nor contemptuous smile twenty times s s big first. He even out lughed loud. "Let me put it this wy." The young mn sod up, n ssuming ir finlity. "There re two min conditions for getting something done. The first is you must hve fer?" something exchnge. Wht hve you got 54

10 "Wht hve we if himself. got fer? We hve... mutn..." He sid s "Mutn is no good." The young mn lughed gin. His contempt ws o gret, turned pity. "The second condition, on depends your bility it con... pull f?your bility people why is my fr one only you cn sk? Once you hve goods, re will be someone who cn hle it for you. use Just whtever nme you need use." Then he dded, "My fr hs been sent seside resort t Beidihe... He's convlescing." Chen Go ws bewildered. s Just he got door, he spped moment. He couldn't help inclining his er rel music by Hungrin composer, Lehr, which ws now coming from tpe. It brought mind tbleu fluttering leves jde-green lke surrounded by snow-cpped mountins. His ws villge beside high mountin lke. A wild swn ten swm on wter. He ws bck in pitchblck corrider gin. Chen Go, running s stumbling if drunk, chrged down stirs. He didn't know if ws tp-tpping sound his or footsteps his hert pounding ginst his side. As soon s he got out door, he looked up. Hevens, tht fint light bulb in shpe question mrk or n exclmtion point suddenly turned red. It looked like eye monster. Such frightening eye?it could chnge bird rt, horse grsshopper. Still running wildly, Chen Go clered ditch in one lep. The bll gme hd ended. In st, intimte voice TV nnouncer ws giving morrow's wer. He reched bus terminl in flsh. There were still just s mny people witing for bus. There ws group young women workers going night shift t were fcry. They ll t tlking once, discussing workshop wrds. There ws young couple holding hs, nor wrpping ir rms round ech or's wists. He thought tht if certin people hd seen this, y would certinly be shocked. Chen Go got on bus sod ner door. This conducr ws no longer young. Her body ws so fril her bony shoulder bldes seemed be out sticking her blouse. In twenty yers frustrtion trnsformtion, Chen Go hd gined lot precious knowledge but hd lso lost few things which should never hve been lost. Yet he still loved lmp light, loved people on night shift, loved democrcy, rewrds, mutn... bell rng. There ws one sound n nor, three doors weren't com pletely closed. Tree light shdows begn recede. "Is re nyone 55

11 without ticket?" The conducr sked once, but left before Chen Go hd chnce get out his chnge. She thought tht everyone on bus ws night shift worker with monthly ticket trnslted by Jnice Wickeri Mrilyn Chin 56