Past Troubles
Scene 1:
Stage Directions: A lady telling her story of escaping Tibet to an interviewer, who is doing a research about Tibetan and Chinese relationship because she was once told not to take any pictures and a group of soldiers snatched her necklace when she toured Tibet and just by curiosity she figured to research about the relationship.When the whole thing happened, I was pregnant with my first son.
(tears filled up her eyes, but continues talking)
He was 7 months old and my stomach was huge. I had to wake up at 2 in the morning and leave with only the clothing I had on. I grabbed two pack of tsampa, which... which is like a traditional food. (gives a hand gesture while explaining what tsampa is)
He was kicking much harder than usual too.
(touches her stomach, remembering how it felt... and face turns serious)
I tried to be calm and control but I couldn’t help but my anxiety, showing on my face. I could see my family members look at me strangely but they were too busy with the whole leaving the country situation. I heard my mom say we’re going to die but my dad refused saying we’re not going to die, we have to run away from this place without anyone noticing. I was getting more and more anxious. I passed by the Chinese neighborhood police station, I could see one of the police smoking but we all were so quiet, he didn’t even noticed us walking by in the dark. There were 7 of us including my coming baby, (touches her stomach)
my father, mother, sister, aunt, my grandfather & me. We saw couple other groups going too. We had no idea where we were going, kept on walking, walking and walking. (The interviewer widened his eyes making a wow face gesture but the lady continued saying what she was saying.) Yeah I did walk all the way from Tibet to India. It was trouble some but there was no way to get here. It was either die from Chinese government or escape and hopefully live. The other group that came with us had a little girl, she had worn a small soled shoe and she walked with us without one single complain. (face brightens) I was surprised to see such mature girl, she looked like she was around 8 or 9 year old. Later when we got here, She showed her feet, her toe was bleeding (points to one of her foot) and it had become huge. The shoe had a hole at the bottom. I couldn’t do anything but There was such hope and determination in her voice when she said it. I wondered how lucky her mother was to have such a child that thinks for herself that way. I hoped my coming daughter or son would become just like her and appreciate my love for them.
Act 2
A girl writing her journal while the things are happening outside her house.
I saw those soldiers with their guns marching through the neighborhood. My mom left to get some meat from her pay this morning and I had to baby-sit my siblings since I’m the oldest in my house. I tried to be calm and breathe. I told my siblings to hush so they won’t come to our house. I peeped through the ajar door, mom had forgotten to close the door and if I close right now, it’ll be too late. It’s old and rusty, it needs oil but I have no idea what oil you need to use and my mother doesn’t either. Wish father were still here to take care of the household. Mom is too busy being a housekeeper for a rich Chinese family when she has 5 children at home with no parental supervision, only me, a 14-year-old girl. She loves us though.(her face wanders around for a while.) She always brings one or two toys for us and starts telling us how sorry she is that we have to live such horrible lives because she didn't move to India when she had Penpa, my youngest little brother. She continues saying ‘I hope one day you all will become great people in life’ and leave the room crying. I’ve always loved her because i don’t consider it her fault. (high pitched) She was pregnant! How could she have ran away when she was pregnant and had four other children on her hands. I’ve heard stories that many Tibetans died on their trail to India. Like for example, my aunt, she was 7 month pregnant! (widens her eyes) I have no idea how she is anymore. She probably died on the trial with her first baby unborn. I feel lucky to be alive and I tell my siblings the same and that they are lucky to even have a mother to take care of us. (Dolma, 8 years old, younger than me, nudges me quietly) I quickly looked and saw one of the soldiers coming towards us. I hoped dear god please let him go away. Please! Please! Please! I don’t want them to take away any other of my family members. Luckily some other soldier called him and left, to the opposite door. Bang! Bang! Bang! I quickly covered my sibling’s eyes with my arms; my arms weren’t long enough to cover every one’s eyes. I prayed please! Don’t let my siblings become influenced by these men. I could hear the mummers of the soldiers something about the family’s mother being a part in the protest and how dare she get out alive. They marched right off with their arms loaded again. I closed the door and went to bed hoping mom would come faster and nothing bad happened to her on her way.
Act 3
Stage Direction: A 16 year old, Tibetan boy looking at a picture of his family when he was little and telling a story about him escaping from China to his favorite teacher.
We were all together and we were in the car. (Tears filled up his eyes) I loved my family. I had a brother and two loving parents. My father had woken my brother and I up early in the morning around 3 am. He said we had some special training to do or something like that. I thought it was a father to son thing so we left without bothering telling my mother where we were headed to. Dad had packed up 2 suit cases. I wondered what was in those suit cases but i never bothered to ask. I was too excited thinking what was going to happen early in the morning, father to son. My dad and brother sat on the front seat and I sat at the back by myself. I remember looking out the window and thinking what could possibly be a father to son thing at this kind of hour.
It was pitch dark, I couldn't see anything, what so ever. I kept on asking what we were doing but dad hushed me with his deep fatherly voice. I kept quiet till he said I love you both a lot and know that your parents will always loved you. My brother figured what was happening and started anticipating. He started saying I know what you are about to do, don’t do this to us, please! Don’t! I thought for a moment unsure of what was happening. Finally dad blurted out, we might be able to cross over the borders but he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to make it through. He handed us the suit cases and told us it was some food and clothes packed for us. He was 51 years old and I was 10 at the moment and my brother, 14. I remember him telling us we were continuing going on the trail to Nepal which will take about around a day or so and when we reach there, try to look for a lady named....... (Pauses trying to remember her name) I can’t remember her name right now but he said she’d help me go to a Tibetan school in northern India, a Tibetan school run by our his holiness the Dalai Lama’s sister. He said we’d be thankful for what our parents have planned for us. And I do now, I am grateful to receive such good education even without parent’s support, I still have a great future ahead of me. One day, I’ll go see my parents in Tibet and make them be proud of what I’ve accomplished. Hoping they’ll still be there when I get there.
Act 4
Stage Direction: An American female, bhuddhist tourist, who just got told not to take any pictures in an open spaced area by a soldier. She has a Dalai Lama’s picture as a necklace.
How ridiculous is this!? I was being told not to take picture of what I like!? I’ve never seen any country that didn’t allow me to take picture of nature. That was just ridiculous! I’ve been to every continent in this world and No, no one had ever told me I can’t take picture. These Chinese people get on my nerves! I swear they think they better than everybody! How can they do such things? I read an article online last week before I flew here to Tibet. I don’t know all that’s happened to Tibet but I know one thing, China has been ruling Tibet for about 50 years by now. I feel really sympathetic towards the Tibetans. A couple of days ago, a soldier was walking pass me and he kept on starting at my neck and I was wondering what he was staring at. I thought he was either staring at my “_ inappropriate ” part or my necklace. Another pompous soldier came by and they started mumbling something. He came right by me and snatched my necklace and told me that i couldn’t wear this particular necklace because it had a little portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Buddhism. That was actually a gift from my aunt because she’s a very religious woman. I decided to wear it for the tour because it was brand new and the chain looked gorgeous.
Act 5
Stage Direction:
I hear about Tibet’s invasion by Chinese government every single day. I’m just surprised how no other countries are doing anything about it. It’s such a sad thing we have to be a refugee here in India. The sadder part is that I have never even been to Tibet, my own country. There’s always a headline about a group of monks dead due to Chinese officers. I cannot understand how Tibetans still struggle to live in China even after all these brutal things have happened. My aunt and uncle are still in Tibet and I am worried sick about them. Couple weeks ago on the news, ten people were dead in Tibet because of Chinese soldiers and their face couldn’t be identified. My parents ran to the phone booth soon as they heard the news to call our uncles and aunties to make sure they were safe and alive. There was a whole line of other Tibetan refugees dying to get to the phone. It was like a small restaurant giving free food to the orphanage and the orphans excitedly eager to get the food and being in line but here, it wasn’t the excited face, it was more of Oh My Goodness, what if they’re dead? What am I going to do!? etc. We have done no harm to the Chinese government so why should we be the ones struggling. Tibetans have always been the kind and sincere ones to everyone. We don’t deserve this kind of cruelty.
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