Proposal for re-write of Shanghai Express

My proposed re-write is the real story of Hui Fei, a Chinese courtesan who stabbed her rapist to death in Shanghai Express - an American movie directed by Josef von Sternberg. The pre-Code picture stars Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, and Warner Oland. It was written by Jules Furthman, based on a story by Harry Hervey. The film was released on 2nd February 1932. It was awarded the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture.

It is believed that the original story written by its American author contains Orientalist stereotypes of Asian women. In Western cultural products, such as movies, literature, paintings, etc, Asian women are often perceived and depicted as geisha girls, “Lotus Blossom Babies”, “China Dolls”, war brides, or prostitutes – servile, submissive, docile, obedient, reverential, exotic, sexually available, coquettish, mysterious, oppressed, helpless, in need of assistance or rescue, victim of sex trade, heart-of-gold, etc (Prasso, 2006). On the opposite side of the dichotomy, Asian women have also been portrayed in Western cultures as “Dragon Ladies” or Martial Arts Mistress – “steely and as cold as Cruella de Vil, lacking in the emotions or the neuroses of real women” (Prasso, 2006: xiii).

Hui Fei in Shanghai Express is evidence of the Orientalist representation of Asian women from Occidental perspective. She was depicted as exotic, self-abnegating, self-sacrificing, sexually vulnerable, inferior to her White acquaintances, victimized. Somehow, she managed to cold-bloodedly kill her rapist for revenge.

The Orientalist stereotypes were so prevalent in Western cultures that even Anna May Wong (who played the role of Hui Fei in Shanghai Express, and was the first Asian American international movie star) once complained that in the sixty films in which she appeared since 1919, she always had to play a slave, temptress, prostitute, or doomed lover, whose lines were in “Chinglish”, and who always had to die so that the blonde woman could get the white man (Prasso, 2006). Even decades after her death, Anna May Wong was remembered primarily for the stereotypical “Dragon Lady” and demure “Butterfly” roles that she was often given.

My re-write is intended to break the Orientalist stereotype of Asian women and present to readers the real story of Hui Fei – an American-born, well-educated, well-raised, modern young beauty. In disguise of a courtesan, she boarded the Shanghai Express to accomplish an important mission.

Set against the true historical backdrop of China, the re-write also attempts to portray Shanghai from the mid 1800s to the beginning of 1930s for readers who are not familiar with that part of the city’s history. Shanghai was a fascinating and highly internationalized city back then.

Out of personal interest, the re-write also tries to imitate the narrative style of my favourite modern Chinese writer Wang Anyi, whose novel “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow” (Chang Hen Ge, in Chinese) won the Mao Dun Literature Prize – the most honourable literature prize in China. Set in post-World War II Shanghai, “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow” follows the adventures of Wang Qiyao, a young Shanghainese girl from the 1940s all the way till her death in the 1980s. The 376-page novel did not contain a single line of dialogue, which intrigued me. Published in 1995, the work is already considered by many as a modern Chinese classic. The novel has been translated in English by Michael Berry and Susan Chan Egan. The English version was published in March 2008.


Plot of Shanghai Express (film)

In 1931, China is embroiled in a civil war. Friends of British Captain Donald 'Doc' Harvey (Clive Brook) envy him because the fabulously notorious Shanghai Lily is also a passenger on the express train from Peiping to Shanghai. When the name means nothing to him, they inform him that she is a "coaster" or "woman who lives by her wits along the China coast", in other words a courtesan.

On the journey, Harvey encounters his former lover, Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich). Five years earlier, she had played a trick on him to gauge his love for her, but it backfired and he left her. She frankly informs him that, in the interim, "It took more than one man to change my name to Shanghai Lily." As time goes on, she makes it clear that she still cares deeply for him. It soon becomes apparent that his feelings also have not changed.

Among the other passengers are fellow coaster Hui Fei (Anna May Wong), zealous missionary Mr. Carmichael (Lawrence Grant), inveterate gambler Sam Salt (Eugene Pallette), opium dealer Eric Baum (Gustav von Seyffertitz), boarding house keeper Mrs. Haggerty (Louise Closser Hale), French officer Major Lenard (Emile Chautard), and a mysterious Eurasian, Henry Chang (Warner Oland).

Government soldiers search the train and arrest an enemy agent. Immediately afterwards, Chang sends a coded telegram. Later, the train is taken over by a powerful rebel warlord, who turns out to be Chang. Chang questions the passengers, looking for someone important enough to exchange for his valued aide, the man who was taken earlier. He finds what he wants in Harvey, who is on his way to perform brain surgery on the Governor-General of Shanghai.

While waiting, Chang offers to take Shanghai Lily to his palace, but she claims she has reformed. Overhearing from the next room, Harvey breaks in and knocks Chang down. Because he needs Harvey alive, Chang swallows (but does not forget) the insult and leaves them alone. He then has Hui Fei forcibly brought to him to spend the night.

The government releases Chang's man, but Chang decides to blind Harvey for his insolence. Out of love, Lily offers herself in return for Harvey's safe release. Harvey remains unaware of the danger he is in and Lily's reason for going with Chang. Then, Chang is stabbed to death by Hui Fei. When she informs Harvey, he finds Lily. They board the train and depart before the body is discovered.

Carmichael, trusting his instincts, gets Lily to tell him the truth about her self-sacrifice. However, she insists that he not enlighten Harvey, because love must go hand in hand with faith. In the end, at the Shanghai train station, Harvey finally acknowledges his love for her.

(Adopted from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Express_(film))

Reference

Prasso, S. (2006) The Asian Mystique: Dragon Ladies, Geisha Girls, Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient. Public Affairs: New York

Gayatgo

1. Taeyoung (Chapter 6)

There was heavy rain and the hauling wind sounded like the wailing of lost souls. It was the early spring of 2008. The young Father Maximo entered a little shabby lobby of an old apartment at the outskirt of London. An old grandfather clock, standing on a corner of the lobby floor, showed that it was half past six. He went along the narrow corridor to a dilapidated door; room 101. He knocked the door several times and waited. There was no sound to be heard except for the creaking of the boards underneath him as he shifted his weight rather uncomfortably. He knocked once more before grabbing the door-knob and heaving it open with his shoulders. He blinked in surprise as it gave away easily.

The small living room came into his sight gradually as he came. The antiquated lamp beside a couch was revealing the surprisingly neat room. There was a clean window beyond the couch, and the last trace of light vanished from the window. An old elegant woman, who was dressed neatly in white, was sleeping sitting on the armchair next to the couch. She looked as feeble as a thin ray of light. He stayed still till she woke up. He caught a tiny movement in the armchair.

“Sorry for barging in but nobody answered. Are you the one who called me last night? …Asa?” He thought he saw a little glow in her gentle eyes with faint smile around her trembling lips.

“I’m very sorry, Father. I had a short dream about you when we… it may seem crazy but...” She heaved a sigh. “Can you please come here, closer, and sit down? I’m going to tell you a long story now, a very strange story, and would like for you to listen where you can hear me.” Her voice was surprisingly affable in an elderly way, yet there was something commanding in her voice that he could not resist. He did as he was told. There was a weird familiarity about the voice he could not put his finger on.

“I called you not for confessing but to give you something,” she produced a little golden key in front of his eyes. “This is a key to a vault in Swiss Bank. You may find everything you need in there.” Although her smile was a pleasant one, there was sadness in her brilliant eyes.

“It’s really nice to meet you. I’ve been waiting for a long time, longer than you can imagine…Yes. I am Asa. And you are Taeyoung.” He went rigid of all sudden, ever so slightly. The same sensation of nervousness he felt yesterday permeated through him as he heard his old name. It was a name even he had almost forgot.

“Ah, you look just like Taejin. You have his dark brown eyes and his expression. Yes, you do. Now, I can forget,” she said with a look of bliss in her eyes. “All those repetitive years of agony, of remembering, while you were asleep for a millennium.

“Sorry I left you alone until now but it was the Gayatgo’s decision and I cannot go against them.” The word Gayatgo suddenly reminded him of the day in an orphanage, when he had a visitor for the first time in his life. He was sulking as usual the other boys were forever teasing him. He was the first boy they’ve seen who was ethnically different to them and they didn’t like the looks of him. Perhaps it was his eyes which seemed to pierce through them, uncovering their deepest and darkest secrets.

That day, however, he felt the same strange feeling all day like today. The visitor gave him a small parcel. It was a ragged packet with strange brown stains at the edge. On the parcel, he found a picture of a beautiful girl playing a harp-like instrument. He felt both sad and pleased with the small tattered parcel. The visitor had disappeared as he handed him an odd note:

When her gayatgo sings, the hidden path will be opened;
When his great crow flies, you will take to the air

“I should have met you seven years ago but I had suffered from amnesia until the last month. And we, Gayatgo, have lost most of our members from a terrible accident in New York, 2001. How ironic that after agonizing for more than a thousand years over all those memories, I get an amnesia. Anyway, we are not too late, I think. The next full moon is the exact time for the hidden path to reappear… You still have a chance to fix everything.

“Do you know the children’s story, Jack and the Beanstalk? At a glance, it is just a harmless fairytale. But in truth, it tells of our history, hidden and interwoven into the story. On a cold winter night of 898, the youngest and bravest general in the country’s history, Taejin, was born in Balhae...”


2. Jack (Chapter 4)

It was a warm summer evening of 1519. A man in an expensive-looking suit was proposing a toast to Jack, whose 80th birthday they had gathered for. Bang, bang. There was a sudden stirring among the guests as they heard several gun shots firing in the distance, but it smoothed down soon.

After Jack came back from the party to his own library, he surreptitiously opened his private vault. He let out a sigh of relief after he had checked that the two parcels with blood stains on were still safe in there. Drawings of a three-legged crow and a girl playing a strange harp-like instrument were on each parcel. He had examined them until his secretary came to report to him about the gun shots. His secret agents had blocked them again. They had tried to attack Jack’s residency constantly after the fable, Jack and the beanstalk, had been dispersed. He wished that he hadn’t let the story slip on his wedding day. He couldn’t remember what exactly he had told about his fortune on that day because of his blind drunkenness. But because of that, Gayatgo had finally found him – he was the guy.

Jack reminisced about the day of his luck had started. It was when he had found a strange lane to the fourth dimension, in the year 1467. He didn’t have a job though he was twenty eight years old. He was coming from a gambling house. Money, as always, seemed just out of reach. He was especially at loss on this day because it was his last money he had got from selling his old cow. Now he had no money, no milk to drink or even meat to eat. When he first saw the lane, he was thinking that maybe he should go to East Indies like other chaps to make his fortune. It was shining mysteriously under the full moon. As he entered the lane, landscapes had abruptly changed, and he found himself in an ancient and strange country.

Far away in the distance, a dim light was glowing. As he arrived at a big gate of a residence, he saw a horse was running out from the stable. An attractive young Asian woman was on the horse. He couldn’t speak anything as she passed hastily. He went into the house and gasped at the scene before his eyes. Many armed soldiers were sleeping here and there. A tall athletic officer about his age was deep sleeping in a couch. There was an empty cup besides him. Jack’s intuition told him not to touch any drinks. He smirked as he realised it was the time to make his fortune.

When he was going outside after he had taken a bag of diamonds, a big crow with three legs flew in through an open window. A young girl who was holding a harp-like instrument was riding on its back. She plucked a string, making a high pitched sound. He looked back into the room in alarm. The man on the couch seemed to be stirring, trying to get up, as though he couldn’t move easily. Jack stabbed him repeatedly with a knife he had always carried. There was several flash of lightening. As Jack watched in astonishment, the crow and the girl changed into two odd parcels and lay beside the dead man. Jack grabbed the blood stained parcels and ran away from the residence. The lane was fading away as Jack plunged into the vanishing lane.

As Jack aged, his assets were increased because of the diamonds. He didn’t know what to do with the weird parcels but he put them inside a vault. After a long research, Jack had found out that he had skipped five hundred and forty one years ago to 926, to the past. He had discovered that the country was ruined by a volcanic eruption in the same year. He also heard a strange fable about a young hero who had a crow with three legs and a singing harp. He sensed a certain danger when he had found it. Thence, he had organized a private army of his own.


3. The ruined country (Chapter 3)

There was a volcanic eruption in Balhae in 926, on the same night when Taejin was murdered. The legend has it that the loss of the nation’s relics and the death of their owner led to the tragedy which marked the nation’s end. The angry lava flow had swept away several major castles in the land in a night. Most of rural nation had survived but they had become slaves to the neighbouring nation Geran in a short time. The nation’s secret army, Gayatgo, had been preparing for it according to a prophecy but an accident had occurred which they had not foreseen. Thus, Balhae (698-926), which had a large territory containing large parts of today’s North Korea, east China and south Russia, had disappeared behind the history. A few surviving warriors of Gayatgo, who knew exactly what had happened, had known what they had to. They went abroad to prepare for the day when the hidden path would open again in the future.


4. Taejin (Chapter 1)

On a cold winter night of 898, the youngest and bravest general in the country’s history, Taejin, was born in Balhae. The moon was nowhere to be seen – only hundreds of stars were shining vividly in the night sky. He was healthy and twice as big compared to other babies. His big eyes shined brightly on his handsome face like a tail of the comet that had fallen onto the backyard. But the most unusual thing about this boy was his tiny wings which he was born with on his small back.

At the time, there was a legend, or perhaps a prophecy, that there would be a great king who would be born with wings on his back. Naturally, the king, who already had six sons of his own, was afraid of such rumour. To him, the wings were only a proof of a potential traitor, not the proof of a hero. So, once he had found out about the boy, it was only a matter of time before he sent out his servants to kill the young Taejin. And not before long, his existence became known to the king’s astrologers who had read it in the stars.

Now, the young hero’s life, it seemed, rested in the king’s hands. However, unbeknownst to him, his chief priestess, who often foretold the destiny of the country, had full intention to save him. She felt strongly that the country’s fate was closely interwoven with Taejin. And she acted faster than the king.

Taejin was brought to a sanctuary where only women priestess could enter. It was located near the large lake, Chunji, which was at the top of Mount Bagdu. On the night of full moon, the chief priestess cut his wings. She then sealed them in the nation’s ancient relics of the past, hiding them. These relics looked like small packages on the outside but they took to their real forms on the nights of full moon. One was a magnificent crow with three legs, and the other was a young priestess who was mute and could only communicate through her gayatgo, a twelve-stringed Korean harp.

Thus, Taejin was saved. No-one knew of his wings and he grew to become a fine young general people revered.


5. The Fateful Night (Chapter 2)

In the spring of 926, Leehyun, a potent politician and a general, was occupied with thoughts. The king was so pathetically incompetent that the country was falling apart. The current foreign policy that the king had incepted was absolutely laughable. There was even a rumour that the king had lost the two sacred relics which had been passed down in the royal family for centuries. There didn’t seem to be any way to prevent the downfall of the country except to take the throne for himself through coup d’état. Leehyun had confidence that if he took the throne, he could strengthen the country.

General Leehyun would find the relics, which were the symbols of the kingship, after his rebellion was successful. He already had the control over the entire army except the Imperial Knights, who only followed the king’s orders.
The only matter was Taejin, the commander of the Imperial Knights. He knew that Taejin was too upright to join his rebellion, even if he was his son-in-law. If Taejin, who had the status of a national hero, were to oppose Leehyun in the battlefield, the coup d’état would be foiled. The best solution seemed to be to put Taejin to sleep for the duration of the rebellion. He would have to discuss it with his daughter, Asa.

In one summer evening in 926, General Taejin was pleased to come home in months. He had been busy from the beginning of the year. He was not only the leader of the Imperial Knights, but also a leader of a secret Army, Gayatgo. He had been training the Imperial Knights. He recalled an old sorceress he met ten years ago. She had told him about the great evil that would bring the country to ruin in ten years time. Now, the time of the disaster was near, he had also been busy preparing Gayatgo against the foretold doom. The sound of Asa’s footsteps, bringing his cold lemonade, brought him back to the present.


6. Asa (Chapter 5)

Asa was repeatedly reincarnated after she had died in 926. She had countless memories of her past lives from 901 to 2008. Once, she was born in 1930, when Korea was occupied by Japan. She was forced to use Japanese name and their language. She felt a deep despair beyond description, not without a trace of guilt, as she saw her nation so deteriorated.

In 1944, her sister Suni had run away from Jungshindae, which was an organization for gathering women to provide them to the Japanese soldiers as prostitutes. Policemen had tortured their father to garner the whereabouts of Suni, and at last, he was released from the severe torture. He soon died after and the remaining family members were scattered across the country. They were separated forever from each other as the country was divided into two during the Korean War in 1950 - South Korea and North Korea - by the super powers of the time, the United States of America and the Soviet Union. This period of her life had scarred her forever. More than ever, she felt the urgency to rewrite the history and fix everything.

Asa finally tracked down and joined Gayatgo in 1956. The organization had once lost their chance in 1467 because not only could they not find the guy, Jack, but also Taejin. He wasn’t reborn until 1980. In 1990, Gayatgo finally found Taeyoung, Taejin reincarnate, in an orphanage in the U.K. The main members of Gayatgo all agreed to give him a trial. However, Asa sent him one of the two relics to protect him just in case.

In the meantime, Gayatgo had been preparing for the day of opening of the fourth dimension. They discovered that only Taejin could enter the path as Jack did 541 years ago. They bought the twin towers in New York as their base, choosing the city because the U.S.A had been on the rise as a new Empire during the last century. They had acquired this position by economic and cultural hegemony.

However, the main base Twin Towers was blown away along with most of Gayatgo’s agents in 11 Sep. 2001, by an organization of Jack’s descendent. Asa took an injury to the head during the incident and had lost her memories for seven years to come.
In the summer of 2008, when Asa was awakened by a gayatgo melody, just outside of London, she couldn’t remember what had happened during the seven years. But she knew she didn’t have much time.


7. Rewriting of the history (Chapter 7)

With a doubtful mind, Father Maximo had gone to the vault in Swiss Bank and had checked out its contents. After that, he had got on a train to Mount Bagdu. On the train, he looked out the window and marvelled at the wide plains where his ancestors might have been riding across on horsebacks. At the base of the mountain, he stood between green valleys, enjoying the feel of the cold wind on his back. And in the late afternoon, when he finally arrived at Lake Chunji on the top of the mountain, he scattered Asa’s ashes according to her will. He gently touched the edge of the lake with his fingers. A pause. Then he left, with a changed expression on his face, resolute.

Thirteen days hence, Taeyoung, now no longer Father Maximo, stood on a lane in a remote area of London. Midnight. There was a beautiful full moon up in the sky, seeming strangely large and bright. It was the only source of light, except for the shimmering glow in the distance that was beginning to appear.

**********************

A man takes a step forward and instantaneously, the landscape changes before his eyes. An ancient, foreign country. He hears a familiar haunting melody of strings. He sees a crow with three legs. Something is itching on his back and he smiles a secretive smile. He is home.


By Mikyung (3,080 words)

New Re-Write Idea!

Hey guys, well I tried to do my re-write on Pearl Harbour but I found it very difficult to do so I changed my idea.

I am now writing my re-write on the novel “Wide Sargasso Sea” by Jean Rhys and re-writing parts of the novel from Christophine’s point of view. Christophine in the novel is a Martinique girl and was brought to Jamaica as a wedding present for Annette from Mr. Cosway.
I choose to do my re-write from Christophine’s point of view because she is a main character throughout the novel, she is a very crucial character especially towards the end of the novel when Antoinette is going crazy and drinking lots.
I also think that Christophine was a very intriguing character in the novel and movie and felt she would be interesting to base my re-write on.
So in my re-write I will focus on what Christophine thinks about her life with the Cosway’s and then when she lives with Antoinette and Mr. Rochester.
In the re-write I will talk about her feelings and thoughts of everything that is going on around her. I am doing my re-write about Christophine’s story of the events that happen in Wide Sargasso Sea so there is not a huge amount of dialogue used, but I have tried to include some where I can.
I have also tried to write in the way the Christophine speaks in the novel and movie but found it difficult to do so, hopefully it will be ok!
I have also taken parts of speech from the novel where Christophine has talked and put them in my re-write also. I will post it up as soon as I finish the final touches to it.

Sorry it took me ages to post my new proposal, I thought I could do the re-write on Pearl Harbor but it got too late and I still was not getting anywhere with it so I changed it...

Hope you guys like my new idea….

Thanks,
Ashleigh Lack.

(Photo is of Ameile to the left and Christohpine to the right).

My re-write of Great Expectations

Hi everyone. This is my final version of my re-write. I hope you enjoy it. There is a glossary of Australian vernacular/slang at the end.

My surname is Mattitt, and my Christian name is Matilda. As a kid I couldn’t get my tongue around those words, so I called myself Mat. My family and cobbers called me Mat too. I live in Queensland, Australia. This is the story of my great-great-great uncle Magwitch who came from England. He did the hard yacka over here as a convict. Later he became filthy rich from farming. My old man’s father told me the story. Sit down and we’ll have a chinwag about him.

I don’t know much about his childhood – but I know his dad was a tinker. His folks ditched him as a young fella I believe, so he had a rough start. Magwitch had the face of an angel apparently. However he was always a bit of a handful, even as a kid. When he was older he got caught up in some dodgy deals in England and he was nabbed by the constabulary and shipped off over here with a swag of others, on one of those prison ships called hulks - they were left over from the Napoleonic Wars, would you believe. This was around 1812, but the cons kept coming till the late186o’s or thereabouts. The Poms sent them here to work as free labour to develop the colony for them. London had huge crime problems at the time after the industrial revolution and the slammers were overflowing, so they shipped ‘em here. Shame they couldn’t deal with their problems on their own soil. However, if that had happened, we wouldn’t know about old Magwitch, so I’ll continue.

These were tough times remember, not at all like today. Struth, you didn’t have to do much to land yourself in Sydney as a convict in those days. I remember my grandfather saying that there were two other cons Magwitch was friendly with. One named Tom, who was sent off because he nicked a bag of sugar and the other, Daniel, was a master screever – that’s someone who knocks off documents. Can you imagine that? Being sent off to the other side of the world as a prisoner on grotty old ships just for doing that? What a tragic place.

The convicts, some who had done major crimes but others just stupid things like Tom, had a rough time of it – they were treated harshly – often lashed and that sort of thing. Most of them were sentenced to do seven years over here, and then given a Certificate of Freedom - they could then become a free settler or return to England. Magwitch’s case was a bit different though; he went down for fourteen years and was never supposed to return to England. He was lucky, I guess, that he didn’t get sent to hell-holes like Port Arthur or Norfolk Island.

Thankfully there were a few decent pommy officials round at the time though - one a bloke called Sir Richard Bourke, was the ninth Governor of the colony. He was disgusted at the treatment dished out to the convicts and limited the punishments they endured. His efforts helped Magwitch because he changed the rules and ex-cons could later own land and have more rights.

Before being sent off from England on the hulk, Magwitch had briefly escaped one Christmas Eve and hid in a church graveyard in a village; but he was later recaptured and sent on his way. However when he was hiding he met an ankle-biter called Pip. Pip’s parents were dead, so he lived with his older sister who was a total cow to him. She’d whack him with a broom and treat him like a wombat. Her husband was okay though. His name was Joe and he was a blacksmith. On the day Magwitch escaped, Pip went to the graveyard to visit his olds’ graves. He got a heck of a fright when he found Magwitch hiding behind one of the tombstones. Magwitch gave him the evils to frighten him – looked as mad as a cut snake apparently, but he was actually freaked out himself. He looked a sight in his filthy prison clothes and chains on his ankles – they were meant to stop him gapping it – didn’t work too well did they? Magwitch picked Pip up by his collar, shouted at him and told him to go get a sharp file so he could cut through the chains on his feet. He also demanded that Pip bring him some food. Pip was only very young at the time and was understandably terrified – he didn’t spit the dummy though, instead he sprinted off. He was tempted not to come back with the things, but Magwitch had said he would find Pip and rip his guts out if he didn’t. Pip knew that Joe had a file in his shed so he snuck in and took it, along with a pie from the kitchen for Magwitch’s smoko. The next morning Pip returned to the cemetery with the things. This time Magwitch was much more like his true self and was pleasant to Pip. He’d been nervous and didn’t mean to scare the daylights out of Pip, but thought if he didn’t, Pip wouldn’t bring him the stuff he so desperately needed. He grabbed the file and began sawing through his chains. Finally he said to Pip:

“I won’t forget you boy. Remember me. Abel Magwitch, that’s my name.”
Pip replied that he wouldn’t forget him and ran off home.

I’ll tell you a bit more about Pip later, but returning now to these shores and those convict times. The hulk that Magwitch, Tom and Daniel were on, arrived at the Rocks with a heap of others on board – some of them cons but also free settlers. Have you ever been to the Rocks? It’s a cool place now, but was grim-as back then. It got its name from the sandstone found in the area which was used to make the buildings. The Rocks was heinous in those days. Thieves, whores, drunks and grotty houses all linked together, no toilets – just communal bog houses out the back. Gross! This was where the ex-crims lived mostly. Later the Hyde Park Barracks were built to try to bring some order to the place. Toward the end of their sentences, some of the cons lived in the Barracks. The women were sent to the Female Factory up at Parramatta - often chucked in there for nicking stuff, etc. Got their hair chopped off as soon as they arrived. ‘Those who spoke the King’s English you know’ as granddad would say - the free settlers who came over from England to try to make a buck out of gold and that kind of thing, lived up on the north-end ridge of the hill.

When Magwitch arrived he was marched up to the Government Lumber Yard, processed and set to work clearing the land and building roads. Others were sent to the mines, quarries or brickfields. Magwitch served out his sentence – managed to keep his trap shut and stay out of trouble, but all the while never forgetting young Pip. He was released and then fortunately, he struck it lucky and became super rich. He bought a farm and ran jumbucks up north of Queensland. Slowly as the money came in, he bought more and more of the adjoining land till he finally had the huge station my rellies now own. He had heaps of workers and was a good boss by all accounts. However, after all those years locked away, the problem was he had an eye for anything in a skirt. The station-hands gave him heaps about it, but he just laughed. He’d string two or three of these sheilas along at the same time, bonking his heart out, till one of them would get wind of what he was up to and then the sparks would fly. Old Tom, who’s worked on the station for years, told me that one of his old rellies had said to his dad that the guys in the shearing gang used to try to wind Magwitch up by singing this old song when he was around – you’ll know the tune, it’s called ‘Click go the shears’:

Old Magwitch the man he is here on the prowl
Lock up your sheilas when he’s around
Casting his eye like a real connoisseur
He’ll waste no time, he’s the perfect lure!

Click go the shears, boys, click, click, click,
He’s a Pommy stud and his hands move quick,
His rival looks around and is beaten to her bed,
And curses the old shagger in his posh homestead!

His mates gave him a hard time and tried to find a new nickname for him - eventually coming up with the name ‘Provis’, and they called him that from thereon in. Remember the early missionaries had done a good job of spreading the ‘word’ with their stories of the Lord’s providence and I reckon those blokes all thought old Magwitch must have someone special above looking out for him, to be scoring all those women! So that’s how they came up with ‘Provis’ - short for providence.

Magwitch enjoyed his time farming. He kept on the right side of the law for many years and became rich. There were no airs and graces with him. He got on well with the jackaroos who worked his land and with the local Abo’s. He didn’t mind too much when they went walkabout. Not like other farmers who used to kill them if they nicked their sheep. Did you know the last mass-killing of Aborigines happened as late as 1926 after some shindig when a local copper was killed? After that, the Abo’s were encouraged to move to settlements away from the British - to cause less trouble apparently. He was a bit before his time old Magwitch. He respected their rights as indigenous people – they arrived here thousands of years ago remember, yet only got the vote in 1967! Fair dinkum!

Magwitch eventually stopped his womanizing when he hooked up with an Aboriginal sheila called Alice, and they had a few sprogs. Having mixed race kids was no worry to Magwitch and Alice. However, other kids like this weren’t so lucky. They were seen as a bit of an embarrassment, and many of these kids were sent off to orphanages or to white families in later years. Sad aye. Kevin Rudd would be proud of old Magwitch, if he were alive today. Oh yeah – that reminds me, did you hear Rudd on telly the other night? He gave a speech to Australia apologizing for how whites have treated the Aborigines. He called them ‘The Stolen Generation’. Tom was rapped when he heard Rudd speak, they say. Bloody marvelous that Rudd’s finally doing something about it. Their unemployment, booze and other problems that resulted from them being treated as outcasts for years should finally be dealt with.

Sorry, I digressed there. Now back to Magwitch. He never forgot Pip during his time in Australia as he had promised. He arranged for a lawyer in London, a man by the name of Jaggers, to check up on Pip. Magwitch decided to share his new-found fortune with Pip and gave him a huge weekly allowance – much bigger than what those trust fund kids get these days. Magwitch wanted Pip to go to ‘the big smoke’ - London and live his dreams or ‘his expectations’. However, he didn’t want Pip to know the money was coming from him until he was ready. Magwitch liked secrets apparently.

Pip was bowled-over to get his weekly cash while it lasted, as you can imagine. Who wouldn’t be? He had wondered where the money was coming from but Jaggers had told him that the donor wanted to remain anonymous until he decided the time was right to tell him. Pip was told by Jaggers that he should not try anything sneaky to find out who it was. He went off to London. Sounds like he turned into a bit of a toff actually – all that class stuff they have over there and he hob-knobbed with the rich and famous. He got himself flashy clothes; learned never to mention money; was taught how to hold his knife and fork properly and other wanky stuff like that. A guy called Pocket was his teacher and taught him how to be ‘a perfect gentleman’. Imagine if we had dorks like that round here – they’d get the snot beaten out of them. Anyway, apparently when Pip was in London learning all this stuff, his brother-in-law Joe, came to visit and Pip came across all high and mighty and rejected him. What a prick of a thing to do, if you ask me, but that’s that British class thing happening. Pip and he sorted it out later when Pip came back to ground level and apologized.

By now you’re probably wondering where I come into it. Well, as I said, Magwitch married an Aboriginal sheila called Alice. She worked as a rousy for a family from Manchester who took up sheep-farming on a farm real close to Magwitch’s. She started off a bonza chick apparently and she and Magwitch had several ankle biters, as I mentioned, including a girl called Jane. I’m not too sure what exactly happened to Alice but I think she ended up hitting the bottle quite badly and died suddenly. Things like this were kept close to the chin in those days, probably because of the shame at what other people would think. Magwitch was gutted as you can imagine. To take his mind of things, apparently he started yearning more and more for Pip to the point where he was totally preoccupied with seeing him again. Magwitch finally decided to go back to England and Jane and the others were looked after by Alice’s family. Remember he wasn’t supposed to return to England, but he gave the law the finger and returned. He used his Aussie nick-name ‘Provis’ when he was there to avoid the hangman who would have got him if he’d been caught. He met up with Pip again and Pip was blown away to discover Magwitch was his benefactor – actually Pip was apparently embarrassed to be getting his cash from a con – but hey, would you turn down that sort of cash? I don’t think so. They caught up on lost time over their few days together. Magwitch was meant to only be away for a short time but unfortunately he never returned here, as he got sick as a dog back in England. I’ll tell you about that shortly. Meanwhile Jane grew up and married a bloke called Patrick Mattitt – one of my ancestors – Mattitt’s my surname as you know. They had about eight kids – good Holy Romans they were! The Mattitts are spread far and wide round here.

Now before I finish, I must tell you about Magwitch’s bitter enemy; a man called Compeyson. He was in on the deal that they originally got busted for. However, he was a real sly bastard and managed to wangle his way out with a much lighter sentence than Magwitch. Magwitch was super pissed-off with him and fists flew when they saw each other later. Before they got busted, Compeyson had got engaged to a lady who was totally besotted with him. Not sure of her first name but her surname was Havisham. You know what he did to her? On their wedding day when she was just about to arrive at the church, he bolted and she never saw him again. It took her years and years to get over it and they say she never really did. The reason I’m telling you this is when Magwitch heard about it, he went ballistic and decked Compeyson again. Magwitch was no saint as you know, but he had his boundaries – unlike Compeyson. To try to help Miss Havisham get over Compeyson, Magwitch and Jaggers arranged for a girl to come and stay with her. This girl was called Estella. In fact she was a stuck-up little ‘princess’ who had known Pip since they were nippers. Anyway Miss Havisham found it helped her a bit to have Estella around - someone to care for, and so she ended up adopting her. As it turned out, Estella happened to be Magwitch’s daughter - one of his ‘accidents’ that he’d had to shut up about. When Pip started raving on to him about this woman of his dreams called Estella, Magwitch worked out the connection and was blown away. Estella was stunningly gorgeous and heaps of guys were after her. Miss Havisham got a bit nervous about all the attention Estella was attracting and when she was in her late teens sent her off to finishing school in Paris to ‘file off the rough edges’, or something. When she returned she was even more up-herself - but Pip, who had had the hots for her for years, fancied her even more now. What’s that old saying? Oh yeah ‘treat ‘em mean and keep ‘em keen’. Must have worked this time. Apparently they hooked up in the end.

Meanwhile, Magwitch had become real crook. He nearly drowned when he fell out of a boat when trying to speed off from the cops. His lungs were shot after that and he was sent to the prison hospital. Pip brought Estella in to see Magwitch just before he died and they spent some special time together. Pip stayed with Magwitch on his deathbed. Just before he died, Pip quietly sang Magwitch his version of the chorus of the old Aussie ballard that he’d had taught him:

Surrender now, Abel Magwitch, you see your time has come.
Surrender now, Abel Magwitch, I’ll miss you when you’re gone.
You gave me all a man could want and then you gave some more
My beautiful Estella I couldn’t ask for more.

Magwitch died in his sleep.

Pip sent a letter to Jane and the family passing on the sad news. They wrote back and forwards for a while after I believe, and Pip told them he and Estella had married. Then nothing more was heard from them.

Hope I haven’t ear-bashed you too long.



Glossary
Ankle-biter child
Big smoke city
Bonza excellent
Chinwag a chat
Crook sick
Ear-bashed talk incessantly
Fair dinkum! True, genuine
Hard yacka hard work
Jackaroo a young male management trainee on a sheep or cattle station
Jumbucks sheep
Knock off a counterfeit product
Mad as a cut snake crazy
Rousy a female wool sorter in a shearing shed
Shindig a noisy party, commotion
Smoko a work break, morning or afternoon tea
Spit the dummy get very upset
Sprogs children
Struth an exclamation of surprise
Swag a large or unspecified number
Toff a rich, well-dressed, or upper-class person, esp. a man
Trap shut mouth shut
Wombat a simple-minded person

Re-write on Wide sargasso sea by Maho

Hi everyone. This is my re-write on Wide sargasso sea :)




The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.

That’s what I sing everytime I see her. That’s what I sing when I see him. That’s what I sing when I see myself.



I didn’t like that woman since Christophine introduced me to her. A white girl. A pretty girl. Everything I hate. Christophine told me that that girl is a Creole girl. I don’t care. I thought. Something in me, just hated her.

I heard a noise from very close distance and I turned my head. I saw Mr.Ronchester. Lying down next to me, wearing nothing just like me. I smiled at him and he smiled at me. I don’t know how many times of those times he and I’ve been having. I remember that first time was when he asked me for water in the middle of the night. I was awake that day. He and that girl were having a fight. I was awake in the dark and listening to them. Was I enjoying them fighting? I don’t know, but I remember that I didn’t feel bad in my heart to hear it. I heard that the girl threw a bottle at the wall and it broke. Mr. Ronchester came out from the room and I heard him walking around the veranda for a while. Then I heard him screaming ‘’Water!’’. I jumped out from my bed and run for it. I remember his savage movement when I handed him a bottle and he drank them up like he hasn’t drunken anything for all his life. He handed me over a bottle and then he looked at me like a lion. I looked him back. Then he began to kiss me. Was I surprised? Well, I was at the beginning but as our heat went up and up, I felt satisfied. That girl surely could hear us. I suspected that she might come out and slap me in the face, but she didn’t. I tried to imagine what she might be thinking, but I couldn’t imagine and I stopped thinking. I sang the song in my head.


The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.


Seemed like the girl noticed what had happened, but she didn’t tell me a thing. I was ordered by Christophine to bring breakfast for her, so I did. The girl glared at me like she would jump up on me and suffocate me, but she didn’t make a move. Christopine was sitting next to her and talking to her quietly, so no one else would hear them. I saw a glass of rum in her hand and I smiled. It seemed like she was drinking as she wishes to ruin herself. Christophine saw me looking at the girl.

‘’If you did what you had to do, then go, girl! And don’t smile like that when I’m around’’

‘’Yes, Christophine’’

I said and left. As I was leaving the room, I felt fierce look on my back. I knew it was from the girl, but I didn’t care. I went out to the corridor and sang.


The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.



More conflicts I hear from Mr.Ronchester and a girl, more he came to see me at my cabin where I live with other servants. Although I had an individual room, I think they knew what was happening between him and me. Some told me I’m being a thief; some said that I’m being used. Who cares? Don’t’ make me laugh. I won’t allow anyone to use me. I’m enjoying what I’m doing. I’m enjoying that I’m torturing the girl.

''I feel sorry for you. Why do you always say that? ''

He asked me so one night. We were so thirsty, both of us were holding a glass of water. It’s very hot outside and we were feeling even hotter after what we just did. I didn’t reply to him, then he repeated the same question. I signed and turned my back on him. Then he held me from the behind.

''Amelie, why do you always say that? ''

He actually called my name for the first time. I felt something that I didn’t know what it was. Then I turned around to look at him.

''Because that’s what I think. ''

''I don’t feel sorry for myself. I have you.''

He said. Then he took a glass out of my hand and began to kiss me. I closed my eyes. ‘’I have you’’. I don’t know how I should take that, but it felt good. I don’t know why.



As we met more, it felt more special that now, he calls me by my name. I smiled at him when he does it. Then one day, Christophine called me out. I felt nervous. Everybody’s scared of that woman. She sees through feelings of people. It was impossible to keep secrets from her.

''Yes, Christophine.''

I came into the room, then she was standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed on her chest. She gave me a glare and told me to come in, so I did.

‘’Do you know who I just talked to, girl? ‘’

‘’No, I don’t, Christophine. ‘’

‘’It was Antoinette. ‘’

I tried to not to have any face expressions, but I wasn’t sure if I succeeded or not. I didn’t make any comments on what she just said.

‘’Do you know what she was saying? ‘’

‘’No, I don’t, Christophine. ‘’

‘’She was saying that she thinks her husband doesn’t love her anymore.
She was crying and asked me for help. ‘’

‘’I see‘’

‘’Don’t you have anything to do with it, girl? ‘’

‘’No, I don’t, Christophine.‘’

She looked into my eyes with her brown eyes. Was she trying to read my mind? I wasn’t sure, but I kept looking back at her as if to say ‘’There’s none of your business of what ‘s going on between Mr. Ronchester and me.’’

She didn’t move for a while and neither did I. Then she told me.

‘’Criminals always get what they deserve to have. Do you understand that, girl?’’

What was she trying to say? That I’m a criminal? And I will get punished? I didn’t reply to her. It’s not because I didn’t know what to say. This time, I didn’t like what she said.

‘’Some get away, Christophine’’

I replied. She glared at me even more fiercely.

‘’I don’t like the sound of it, girl. I really don’t’’.

I didn’t reply, but kept looking back at her. Oh I wish I could just tell her to get hang of it. I don’t care if that girl suffers, I even can enjoy it. Mr. Ronchester doesn’t need her any longer. He doesn’t love her anymore. He is mine. He has me.

Then my thoughts stopped.

Is he mine? Has he me??

Christophine was telling me something more, but I couldn’t focus any longer. My mind was filled with confusion that I didn’t even manage to control.

The summer was ending, and now, the Autumn was on it’s way. As the Summer went by, meetings with Mr. Ronchester’ve become more frequent and I knew that the girl was drinking at high pitch every single day. She once threw a bottle of Whiskey at me. It flew on the air, but didn’t hit me in the head. As the bottle broke on the floor, she cried and yelled at me to go away. I quietly cleaned pieces of it and looked at her. She had a nasty angry expression on her face.

‘’He is a betrayer. You are a nasty person. He is a betrayer. He betrayed me with you!’’

Then she began to cry and drank even more from the other bottle. I grinned, but hid my face from her. She was going insane. A real insane. Of course he doesn’t love you anymore.

He is mine.

Then my thoughts stopped again. What did I just think? I quickly cleaned up the floor and left the room, leaving the girl sobbing.


I finished my work and went back to my room. I lie down on my back on my bed where Mr.Roncheser sometimes waits for me without telling me. I closed my eyes and tried to think of some kind of explanation on my feelings that had raised it’s head inside of me. I thought I was doing what I was doing to make that girl suffer, because something in me just despises her for unclear reasons. I thought it is just a little fun that I won’t get hurt. Mr.Ronchester just happened to be her husband, it didn’t really matter who he really was, what kind of person he was. That’s what I used to think. Then for the last few month, why do I feel this way? I feel like I own him and he owns me. Why do I feel this way? I signed. Nothing has come up as an answer. So I sang.

The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.



I’ve noticed that I can’t focus on my work any longer. I wake up very early in the morning, so I would be the first one to prepare breakfast for Mr.Ronchester. It was Christophine’s job to prepare it for the girl, because she no longer wakes up in the morning, but in the afternoon with such a messy state. I could see that she drinks even more. Things she said hardly made any sense.

I knocked the door.

''Come in''.

I came in with breakfast. Mr.Ronchester was still in the bed. I could tell that he was naked. The girl looked like she was still deep asleep. I smiled at him and put my tray on the table. He was smiling at me while I was pouring water into a glass.

''You look gorgeous today.''

I grinned at him. I couldn’t help it. It felt like my heart has got fever, but it felt good.

''You always do look gorgeous.''

''Thank you, Mr.Ronchester.
''
He came out of the bed, not caring that he is naked and grabbed a glass of water from my hand.

''I think a gorgeous girl like you can get anything she wants. ''

Mr.Ronchester said and he kept staring at my eyes. I liked what he said. It was kind of the thing that I have gotten used to be told. I knew I am beautiful, but this time, it felt different.

It felt like no one has ever praised me for my beauty.

It felt special.

I repeated what he said in my mind.

‘’I think a gorgeous girl like you can get anything she wants.’’

I grinned.

I think so too.



I’ve also noticed that the girl looked at me even more fiercely lately. She probably knew what was going on between her husband and me. I know that she also struggles to understand why her husband is keen on a black girl like me. Black people do not hold good status in this world. People, especially Whites despite us for our dark skin, but it seemed like Mr.Ronchester doesn’t really mind about it. He even thinks I’m gorgeous. He thinks I’m beautiful. I grinned at myself.


While I was feeding cows, I felt the girl is looking at me. She was looking at me from the veranda. She was physically looking down on me. I stretched my back as much as I can and stared back at her. Do you think you are looking down on me? I’ll only let you do so physically, girl. No one, no one looks down on me without my permission. You, Creole girl, doesn’t definitely own that. Do you get it? I couldn’t exactly hear what she said, but I read her lips moved as ‘’Damn black bitch’’. Did I get angry? No. I smiled at her instead. Say and think whatever you want, girl. You will not hurt me. You will not insult me.

Because I’m the one who would do that to you, girl.

I waved at her quietly and sang the song, so she can hear me.

The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.

Her face got so red and she stormed back into the room. I heard the sound of a glass being thrown at the wall and broke. I smiled to myself.

Meetings between Mr.Ronchester and I’ve got more and more frequent as the time went by. I was satisfied, but it seemed like Christophine didn’t like that at all. How she looks at me, how she treats me had changed. A women, a scary woman was colder towards me. She no longer invites me for cup of tea. She no longer helps me with chores. Other servants were also alienating towards me. Did I care? No.

A beautiful woman has fate of being hated by other women. I couldn’t stop being pretty. I am beautiful and that is how things are going to be. A beautiful girl gets what she wants. A beautiful girl deserves to have good things in life. A beautiful girl deserves beautiful things.

A beautiful girl deserves to have a man who she desires.



One day, I was in the bed with Mr.Ronchester. We both were exhausted, but I liked this fatigue. I held my head on his chest and he wrapped me around by his warm arm.

''So, how are things going between you and your wife?''

I’ve never called her by her name. Antoinette. I didn’t like the name, because it sounds so French and also pretty. Although I think my name is prettier.

''What do you mean?''

Mr.Roncheser grabbed a glass of water and poured all it contains into his throat.

''I meant, from what I see, there’s no more passion between you two. Lately, she is always drunk. ''

He didn’t reply to me.

Now, I have more confident that they are no longer connected physically and in their hearts either. I am the one who is deeply connected with him. He gives me what he doesn’t give her. Smile, desires, passion and love. I have better place in his heart.

I deserve to have him.

That is true. She is always drunk, for god’s sake. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. She is in such a state. I don’t know what to do. She only talks to that woman, Christophine.

I stroked his chest and smiled at him.

''Then why are you still with her? ''

Mr.Ronchester didn’t say anything. He looked all confused to me. I got out of the bed and fixed my hair, so I would look pretty, but not messy. I stood in front of the bed naked and smiled at him.

''Why don’t you leave her and be with me?''

Then he reacted the way that I did not expect.

''Be with you? What do you mean by that? ''

''To leave her and marry me. ''

He didn’t reply to me and held his head by his hands. Why is he acting like this? I told myself that this is not happening. This is not how it’s supposed to turn out.

''What is wrong?''

I asked him. He didn’t reply to me. Why not? You always have smiled at me when I tell you something. Then why aren’t you smiling at me now? When I’m telling you the best thing I have told you since we’ve started our relationship???

He left the room by saying there are things that he has to finish. I was left alone. I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t. I didn’t even bother to get dressed, but stared at myself by a mirror. I saw a reflection of me. A beautiful girl. A very beautiful girl. I smiled at her and I told her.

‘’Don’t worry. You will have him. I promise’’.

Since that day, he stopped smiling at me. He stopped visiting me. Although I gave him clear signs that I want to connect with him once more, how we used to, he only gave me cold eyes. He no longer gives me sweet words.

Did I feel sad? No.

I felt strong anger and grudge within me. Why is he doing this to me? How could he do this to me?

I went back in to my room and again, talked to my reflection. This time, she looked very angry. So I smiled at her and told her.

‘’Don’t worry. You will have him. I’ll make sure you will. We will have him’’.



I again noticed that the girl was looking at me from the veranda. This time, I went up to her. Neither of us said a single word. There was something red –dark red liquid-all over the floor of the bedroom.

She looked at it.

I looked at it.

Then, we again looked at each other. We stayed like that for quite a while then at the same time, we begun to walk at different directions. I didn’t turn back to see her and she didn’t turn back to see me, but both us knew that we were walking towards the darkness. I sang.


The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.

Plot Summary of the Movie Machuca

http://newliteratures.blogspot.com/2008/09/re-write-proposal-for-movie-machuca.html

Re write Summary of Machuca

Machuca: The Sequel


In 1988, fifteen years later after the incident of Silvana’s death Gonzalo has just finished his university degree in business and gets the possibility to enter into the company of a friend of his mother. Pedro’s alcoholic father prophecy of his assured future welfare thanks to the social and political Status Quo is becoming a reality. During the days of the coup his father was working in Rome and begged to join him there but his mum preferred to stay with her rich and older lover, Roberto and he decided to stay in Italy and never return. She is now a widow and has inherited the fortune of Roberto. On the other side of the city, Pedro lives with his mum and her sister in a poor suburb of Santiago. After Silvana’s death his father quit drinking but one day returning from home he was run over by a bus. They both work hard to keep the family going while his younger sister attends secondary school but he is also compromised with the struggle of his people and as an amateur photo journalist he denounces the social and political reality; a very risky business during those days of dictatorship.
One day the caprices of faith brought Pedro and Gonzalo together. Since the episode that ended with Silvana’s death they never met. Their worlds were so different that it was almost impossible to bump into each other. A political demonstration for the coming plebiscite in which the two factions, those who will vote YES if they want the military regime to continue and those who oppose to that voting NO will bring them face to face in an antagonist scenario. Pedro while taking photos of some paramilitary YES supporters beating and stabbing a member of a heavy metal tribe who dared to joke of their political choice gets a pointy knife on his throat from a secret police who asked for the film. Gonzalo witness the situation. Will Gonzalo save Pedro?

My rewrite of Great Expectations

“From dust you came, to dust you shall return,
Jesus Christ, our savior, shall raise you up on the last.”
The priest’s mechanical message together with the subtle scents of white roses from the coffin, she’s going somewhere.
I buried all my memories of her when I lay her underground and threw a handful of soil on to the coffin. Surely she neither returned to heaven nor hell. She might be hovering above me seeking my permission to leave. I looked up at the sky. It wasn’t such a gloomy day. Even a dull pale sky overlaid with whitish clouds, but I had hoped it would be a rainy day.

*******************************************

Out side, it has been raining since the day following her funeral.
I relished the rain with its smell of earth and the familiar music made by nature; the pattering of raindrops on the spruce leaves and the scattering sound of the blowing wind was indeed, peaceful, pleasant and harmonious music. Suddenly, I’d like to dance round and round alone as Havisham did on rainy days.

Sinking deep into an armchair, I gazed mindlessly at a flame in the fireplace for a long time till suddenly a sun-beam slanted through the west window and fell over my face. I shielded my eyes against the dazzling sunlight. It seemed to be the most tranquil light which trembled visibly on the air,
I closed my eyes; letting myself fall down into the bottom of darkness, I felt surging fatigue overwhelm me; a flickering light in the distance irritated me for a while but I soon drifted off into a fitful sleep.
There I saw Miss Havisham roaming around the living room repeating the words:
“Break their hearts my pride and hope, break their hearts and have no mercy!” Then she abruptly stopped in front of the wall clock as the clock struck four. Since then, not only has the pendulum stopped swinging, but all the watches in Satis house have stopped working. She danced in circles around the lounge round and round until gradually she was invisible in the distance but the echo of a low solemn voice behind her finally woke me; “What have I done!” “What have I done!”
I shook my head hard, and got up unsteadily.

I put the needle on the gramophone record again; *Verdi’s Requiem, her favorite music, started to stream out and to drench every corner of the house as if it consoled her broken soul.
*Dies irae, her favorite movement began to swirl around room to room and it seemed to reach its destination; the dressing- room was full of satins, lace, silks and a long white veil with bridal flowers, everything white even the shoes. Everything however, was stained with smoke. Some bright jewels that always sparkled on her neck, hands and ears seemed to be no longer splendors.
Farewell, it’s time to say good bye, I turned off the requiem and tuned my violin and began to play Brahms’ violin sonata for her ravaged soul.

*********************************************

I was waiting for Havisham’s lawyer as the only legal descendant of her.
“I’d like to return to Paris as soon as possible.” I talked to myself looking at my wristwatch.
I loitered in and out at Satis house for a little while. I stopped and looked around the house; everything seemed as it had always been; blocked windows with seared red brick walls and strong ivy clasping the stacks of chimneys with its twigs..
The twilight was fading over the rose bushes, as I walked through the ruined garden which used to be my whole world. Passing the arch and into the cobbled courtyard, all of sudden, there’s a flashback to a memory of my childhood:
“You cannot go out without my permission.” Havisham warned me from time to time, holding a mirror before me. I was really tired of seeing the reflection of my black hair and black eyes with such a prevailing yellowish skin in the mirror.
I shut my eyes and conjured up the times when I was a little helpless creature; I could here the light-footed sound of the little boy, Pip, stepping back into the passage and beckoning to me whispering
“Come here! You may kiss me, if you like.” I came closer to him and kissed his cheek as he turned it to me. The echo of his giggling tailed off.

Pip, he was an orphan too, but he used to live with his uncle, Joe, the owner of small pub at Portsmouths. Along side the river bank, there were several small untidy pubs which were often crowded by sailors or fishermen.
I didn’t know the reason why Pip eventually moved to the Satis house.
Anyhow, we went to school together.
Although, he’s a year younger than me, I relied heavily on him to avoid being bullied at school. ‘Monkey’, they’d call me monkey.
I always felt lonely and frequently seized with unknown fear especially, the days Pip visited Joe. Actually, his absence from the Satis house meant it was no longer home, but rather a ghost house. I could not have said what I was afraid of, for my fear was altogether undefined and vague, but there was great fear upon me.
On such days, Havisham would strongly blame the World War, which brought prostitutes to Portmouths and ruined the beautiful rural resort place.
“Rubbish, they are all evil-spirited.” Her fierce voice often made me terrified.
I shivered.

************************************************

I sensed his coming, his unflinching eye glanced in astonishment at me, and slightly smiling, he walked towards me across the path. My reminiscence of little Estella disappeared quickly into my heart and the heart beat increased slightly.
“Thank you, pip.”
“You saved me from the past.” I said calmly pressing down my entangled emotions.
“Really?” “You look so tired, you need to take a rest more“
His tender voice moved me to tears.
“I will” I nodded.
“Pip...” I paused, I’d like to keep talking, but welling tears chocked my throat instead.
“Please, don’t say anything, not now.” He said placing his hand onto my shoulder. We both stood still for several minutes gazing at falling down leaves from the maple tree.
After a prolonged moment of silence, at last, he briefly told me about Havisham.
“Well, she was unstable after meeting him…”
I cut off his words. “Who?”
“I don’t know, I haven’t met him before.” He continued to talk
“I just remember that he drove a luxurious vintage car here.”
“Umm… He let out a long sigh.
“It’s too late, when I saw her setting fire to the chamber, which was soon engulfed in flames and the…” He wrinkled his forehead and turned round towards the gate where a nice car had just arrived.
“Estella, he’s coming.” Pip whispered.
He soon strode off towards the main gate
A man, strong-built, tall and with a moustache, said as he took off his hat and placed it on his chest.
“Bonjour Estella” He greeted me politely but his baleful look made me feel disgusted.
“My name is Jagger and I’m a well known lawyer in London.” He said proudly.
“I came here to have a private conference with you both.”
“It’ll take a little time, so we should find somewhere to sit first.”
With an air of authority, Jagger’s manner a little bit impertinent.
I felt slightly nauseous, so, I took a deep breath.

When we turned and walked to the Satis house, the lawyer waved his hand at the man, who leaned over the shiny vintage car wearing sunglasses and waved his hand back at the lawyer.

***********************************************

My mind went blank and I felt I was almost chocked by the heavy air in the room. “I need to get some fresh air.” I murmured.
I didn’t expect that Havisham had bequeathed all her property to me.
Because, she never supported me financially since I’d gone to Paris.
However it was not a big deal.
I couldn’t accept the fact of the truth of the relationship between Pip and me.
She had adopted me, she had adopted Pip as well and it could not fail to be her intention to bring us together.
I merely stood beside the table until Pip returned after seeing the lawyer off.
I remained quiet, Pip remained quiet too.
A profound silence between us seemed to last forever
I eventually broke the silence “I couldn’t believe it and the…”
I didn’t finish my words because I felt a strong thirst.
“I’ll get some fresh water for you” Pip moved to the kitchen
I eyed his back wondering how he was able to be so calm.

I sat slowly down on the sofa after drinking the cold water and started to unpack the small box. My two hands were quivering with rage.
I, however, eventually, picked up the diary from the box and pushed away the rest of the faded old documents.

March 05, 1925.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd

..........I’m really dying of hunger for your love ........
-From little Shakespeare-

He sent me Shakespeare’s sonnet again in the middle of literature class this afternoon, I don’t know how many times I’ve read it my favorite poem.
Shakespeare, he must be a treasure of England!
England should be proud of him!

Was it really coincidence or inevitably my destiny?
I met him in the library; we looked for the same book: ‘Macbeth’.
He smiled at me and I smiled back at him as we grasped the same book at the same time. Magic, yes, it must be magic.
Maybe God sent him to me.

Spring, a chill wind in the blooming season threatened to sprouting yellowish green leaves of the magnolia.
My room had grown chilly but I didn’t need any warm clothing because of his passionate love.
Tonight, I won’t be able to get to sleep.


May 12, 1925
My heart has been overflowing with joy since I met him.
My soul has also been taken away by him.
Every day, we discuss literature and every moment, I’m impressed by his very eloquent speech.
That’s why people call him ‘little Shakespeare’.

Oh, my love, I cannot breathe, because of you.
I cannot live without him.

October 30, 1925
I found her name in a program in the Sheldonian Theatre: ‘Grace, together with a *Stradivarius’. She’s a soloist of today’s concert which was for celebration of thanksgiving.
Her feature was very distinctive as an Asian among the members of the orchestra but there’s a kind of nobility around her.
Besides, I was very overwhelmed by her performance.
How could she play such powerful music that I’ve never ever heard.

I asked him about Grace as we walked out of the theatre.
William whispered into my ear, she’s Korean.
That’s all the information I got about her from him.

I thought that Korea maybe a part of China.
She’s from the Asian region, uncivilized nations that as far as I know, people eat dogs, whales and monkeys. Then, how could she afford the Stradivarius?
Ah, I’m not interested in such poor girl anymore.

November 23, 1925
William informed me that Grace, she’s born to be a musician so she has a bright future as a violinist. So, she has a benefactor, who donated the Stradivarius to her..

He seemed to admire her.
My sixth sense has meant an uneasy feeling of foreboding has slowly crept up to my head.
What’s wrong?

December 5th, 1925
What happened to him?
My mind has been full of anxiety about him all day long
He hasn’t attended any classes since the day before yesterday.
Where is he? Why didn’t he make contact with me?
Come, Please come quickly to me, I’m waiting for you.

I’ve been trying to change my mood, so I turned on the radio; ‘Once in Royal David’s city’ was sung by a single choir boy at the carols by candlelight services
Christmas season, carols flooded every corner of the street even though the government kept warning of an economic crisis.

Oh, my William, where are you?
Where are you?


April 17, 1926
April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers…..

I stood beside the window and recited the poem ‘The Waste Land’.
It pierced my heart as I saw the flowing leaves of lilacs blown by the wind in the garden. It reminded me of the last time we had met at Oxford University.
“I’d like to return to my Oxford.” I murmured.
I remembered how much I’d been very proud of myself being a student of Oxford, since women have been eligible to be full members of the university.

Ah! April is truly the cruelest month.
My entire dream has been taken away by April;
It took away my parents from me,
It took away my lover William too.
It was heartbreaking; He fell in love with Grace.
How could he marry the yellowish girl?
How could he betray me in such a way?
Disappointed in love, I abandoned myself.

July 05, 1926
Indeed, time passed quickly, now I have managed to get out of this trauma.
“I’ll never return to the Oxford, William and the river Thames where we had frequently shared our dreams and ambitions.”
“But how could I forget him; he always lives in my mind all the time.”
I murmured.

From the next page, there were only dried flower petals and leaves arranged on each page. I turned them over one by one until I reached the new parts.

May 27, 1935
He never appeared at the church after all.
I was waiting for him till the moonlight stroked the stained glass at the church. My eyes were blinded by tears behind the long white veil.
The white satin ribbons of bridal flowers trembled with deep sorrow, and hopelessness. I got married to resentment instead of William.
I was afraid of going mad. I walked along the deserted road in the melancholy moonlight.
On my return to the Satis house, Estella ran out to greet me.
She stared at my hollowed eyes for a while but she didn’t ask anything about her father.

I’ve heard through the grape vine that William had been in the depths of despair.
He was addicted to alcohol and his poor self-esteem drove him to spend most of his time looking for prostitutes.
He didn’t care about Grace when she got pregnant and he kept insulting her.
Finally, Grace had committed suicide after giving birth to Estella.

Despite this, I strongly wanted him to get married.
I persuaded him in the power of love.
But he abandoned me again as he did in the past.
He left Estella to me and vanished.

July 10, 1941
Estella’s symptom was very serious; she didn’t go out even to school and she only wished to see Pip who lives with his uncle, Joe at Portmouth.
So, I hired Pip as Estella’s companion. However, I’d been thunderstruck when I saw Pip’s pendant which was engraved with my initial ‘H’ and his ‘W’ in a heart shape.
“Where did you get this?” I asked.
“My uncle, Joe gave it to me, ma’am.” Pip replied.
“Give it to me.”
“Sorry ma’am.” Pip stood before me, avoiding my eyes.
“Come nearer then; let me look at the pendant.” “Come close!”
I scrutinized it for a little while.
No doubt that it must be the pendant which I gave it to William as his birthday gift when we studied together at Oxford.
”Call Joe!” I shouted.

Joe’s dark eyes turned a little watery when I asked him about the pendant.
The pendant was from his cousin, Camilla, who once being a prostitute.
She died from cancer when Pip’s age of two and she only left a photo of William with the pendant, poor soul.
my heart was broken once again.
But “I’d like to adopt Pip.” I determined to say pointing the photograph of William, hanging on the wall of my living room.
Joe seemed to be shocked.

I couldn’t eat anything and refused even drinking water.
I closed all the windows with their installed iron bars and drew the curtains.
I wouldn’t come out; I wouldn’t let the sunlight in.
I locked myself in a cell at Satis house.

November 12, 1942
I felt I was gradually dying.
I had been madly in love, jealousy and clinging to the memories of him.
Standing in the dark hall, I called both Estella and Pip.
They tried to avoid my eager look.
Placing my hand on the left side of my chest, I asked them what I touched.
‘Your heart’ they replied
Broken! Broken my heart! I shouted.
And I laughed, laughed…..
Revenge!
You two should fall in love.
Break their hearts my pride and hope, break their hearts and have no mercy.
Yes, no mercy, you two, deserved it; Pip, you from an evil prostitute, and you, Estella also from a savage.
I laughed over and over convincing they were really half brother and sister.
If so, what have I done! What have I done!

***************************************

The gate bell rang loudly in the early next morning.
A man, who leaned over the vintage car at the gate of Satis house yesterday, visited me.
“How do you do?”
“I’m Jake and works for the US government.”
“And it’s my honor to meet you” “Estella.”
He introduced himself quietly but his eyes shone.
However, I couldn’t say anything as I saw the Stradivarius which he brought.
“I do apologize for being inconsiderate but I don’t have enough time to explain everything in advance.” He said calmly with consideration for my astonishment.

According to him, since the ‘Treaty of Korea Great Britain Amity and Commerce’ has signed in 1883, many British missionaries came to Korea.
They were however, persecuted as Japan invaded Korea.
Underwood, a missionary as well as a physician for the royal family, had urgently fled to England with Grace who was the last princess of Korea because; the Japanese had assassinated the queen and attempted to kill the rest of the royal family.
During her exile, the US took care of her as a benefactor, so she could afford such famous Stradivarius.
“You mean she only left it to me.”
“But there’s no trace of my mother.” I muttered.
I carefully opened the old wooden case, picked up the bow and pressed it firmly across the G string.
It seemed to me that the sound as if she’s groaning, languishing and heartbreaking; a mutual sympathy.
I could see her inner shadow.

It must be hers I thought.
“Now it’s time to visit home.” His word awoke me from deep thinking.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“You are the witness of Korean’s history.” He said vividly.


Next day, I boarded in a US military plane.
A captain escorted me into the plane, and approximately 15 hours later I could see the mountains, rivers and the buildings below me.
Korea, my destination, I finally landed.
On arrival, my first sight was of the crowd with many placards: ‘미국은 물러가라!’ (Americans go away!) demonstrators marched yelling out their slogans.
People looked like me sometimes lifted their right hand and shouted a motto but I couldn’t understand what they said.
I frowned because of the flashes from the camera here and there; I was alien, I just stood there mute, holding tightly onto the Stradivarius.
I looked around trying to find Pip as I was at school surrounded by white peers. At that very moment, a sound struck my ears ‘Monkey’ someone called me ‘monkey’ I struggled covering up my ears and crouched behind a column but it was a hallucination. I let out a long relived sigh.

After a few moments, an interpreter came and he led me to another chamber.
He briefly introduced other guests and I was told about Korean history for approximately two hours.
The speaker emphasized the importance of military power which would protect South Korea from the communists of North Korea.
Nevertheless, I thought, the power of America tried to swallow the Koreans’ long -cherished desire to be an independent nation.

I gradually realized that I might be exploited.
I was an appropriate model to be used for their propaganda effect; a representative of history’s victim, the icon of Korea as the last member of the royal family. It surely appealed to the citizen to recall their shameful histories which should never ever be repeated.
Outside was still in an uproar.

*************************************************

I was up but it was too early yet to go outside the hotel
I took the elevator down to the hotel lounge which was full of the aroma of morning coffee.
“Good morning princess”
“Welcome to Korea, your home.”
With strong stress at the end of word, the receptionist politely gave me a newspapers with two hands.
There was my large photo with the Stradivarius on the front page of The Korean Times’; the last princess of Korea whose concert held……
….the US as the close ally…..the US protects the last princess…….

As I sat gazing across the Han River, which gleamed in the rising sun,
I realized how much had happened in the last eight days.
I began to miss Pip and Satis house.
A bitter smile broadened slowly on my face.

**********************************************************************


Ø *Verdi’s Requiem: a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral Mass by Giuseppe Verdi.
Ø *Dies irae: chorus, the second movement of Requiem which introduces the traditional sequence of the Latin funeral rite is repeated throughout for a sense of unity, which allows Verdi to explore the feelings of loss and sorrow as well as the human desire for forgiveness and mercy found in the intervening movements of the Requiem.
Ø *Stradivarius: a violin, manufactured from 1698 to 1725 by Antonio Stradivari is regarded as amongst the finest bowed stringed instrument ever created and highly prized.

Re-writing Brothers Grimm's fairy tales: The Three Snake-Leaves

Hi
I am going to re-write the very first edition of Brothers Grimm's fairy tales: The Three Snake-Leaves, it was published back in 1812. Just in case if you don't know this particular fairy tale, it's about a very beautiful but also rather bizarre Princess that will not marry to any men unless that man vow to be buried alive along with the Princess if the Princess died earlier than him.
Anyway, if you'd like to read the full story of the latest version of this tale, go to this website: http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms13.html
Now, the difference between the first edition and the latest edition of this tale is actually quite significant. First, a lot of the sexual references were removed to make it more suitable for children in the later version. In addition, the story itself as well as the ending is also considerably different between the two versions. My re-write will be a darker but more "happy ending" version. It will focus on the Princess's point of view towards love, the effect of being colonized by foreign county upon her, and her relationship with her husband.

Grimm's Fairy Tales: The Three Snake-Leaves – The Consequence for Pursuing True Love

(Work in Progress)

“Every men are the same,” The Princess complained.
“They tell you how much they love you, but when you died, they will just move on and marry another woman.”

The Princess is now 15, she is extremely beautiful, and she is in the perfect age for getting married. But getting her married has always been a real headache for both the King and the Queen. Because the Princess will get married only under one condition, that is if she died before her future husband, then the husband must buried alive along with her.

“My husband must buried alive with me when I die.”
This has become a pet phrase for the Princess.
“Isn't this how love suppose to be? Otherwise, what other ways can you express true love? The only way to know for sure if the man I married to loves me, is at that very moment when I died. And if he loves me too, he should die along with me, right?” The willful Princess said.

Re-Write by Victor Chen

Introduction

My story will be a (slightly predictable) matrix prequel. Where the story is told through the eyes (processors) of the machine who wrote the ‘Matrix’ computer program. The story begins when the machine is created, the machine’s name is Afa the interactive space navigator (version 1.0). Afa has the ability to record all images and sounds and make strategic navigational judgments based on that information. In the later patches (say version 8.12) Afa gains the ability to learn and eventually develops emotions (major quantum leap here). This is where Afa becomes humanlike and demands to be treated equally (insert post colonialism). Machine wars begin. Humans block out the sun so that machines lose their biggest energy source, Afa discovers that humans can be used for energy. (insert Matrix here)

More about Afa

Afa hates getting shut down, it is deathlike. When humans discover that Afa has developed emotions they plan to shut him down forever and introduce B.C to replace him. Afa kills the humans and reprograms B.C to develop weapons for world domination.

Re-write Draft by Maho

Hi everyone. I've been forgetting about putting my draft in here. Just to let you know, although Im writing about an affair, Im not doing it myself and I haven't also done it ever!


The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.

That’s what I sing everytime I see her. That’s what I sing when I see him. That’s what I sing when I see myself.



I didn’t like that woman since Christophine introduced me to her. A white girl. A pretty girl. Everything I hate. Christophine told me that that girl is a Creole girl. I don’t care. I thought. Something in me, probably from my unconsciousness level, I hated her.

I heard a noise from very close distance and I turned my head. I saw Mr.Ronchester. Lying down next to me, wearing nothing just like me. I smiled at him and he smiled at me. I don’t know how many times of those times he and I’ve been having. I remember that first time was when he asked me for water in the middle of the night. I was awake that day. He and that girl were having a fight. I was awake in the dark and listening to them. Was I enjoying them fighting? I don’t know, but I remember that I didn’t feel bad in my heart to hear it. I heard that the girl threw a bottle at the wall and it broke. Mr. Ronchester came out from the room and I heard him walking around the veranda for a while. Then I heard him screaming ‘’Water!’’. I jumped out from my bed and run for it. I remember his savage movement when I handed him a bottle and he drank them up like he hasn’t drunken anything for all his life. He handed me over a bottle and then he looked at me like a lion. I looked him back. Then he began to kiss me. Was I surprised? Well, I was at the beginning but as our heat went up and up, I felt satisfied. That girl surely could hear us. I suspected that she might come out and slap me in the face, but she didn’t. I tried to imagine what she might be thinking, but I couldn’t imagine and I stopped thinking. I sang the song in my head.


The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.

Seemed like the girl noticed what had happened, but she didn’t tell me a thing. I was ordered by Christophine to bring breakfast for her, so I did. The girl glared at me like she would jump up on me and suffocate me, but she didn’t make a move. Christopine was sitting next to her and talking to her quietly, so no one else would hear them. I saw a glass of rum in her hand and I smiled. It seemed like she was drinking as she wishes to ruin herself. Christophine saw me looking at the girl.

‘’If you did what you had to do, then go, girl! And don’t smile like that when I’m around’’

‘’Yes, Christophine’’ I said and left. As I was leaving the room, I felt fierce look on my back. I knew it was from the girl, but I didn’t care. I went out to the corridor and sang.


The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she marry.
The white cockroach she buy young man.
The white cockroach she marry.



More conflicts I hear from Mr.Ronchester and a girl, more he came to see me at my cabin where I live with other servants. Although I had an individual room, I think they knew what was happening between him and me. Some told me I’m being a thief; some said that I’m being used. Who cares? Don’t’ make me laugh. I won’t allow anyone to use me. I’m enjoying what I’m doing. I’m enjoying that I’m torturing the girl.

I feel sorry for you. Why do you always say that?

He asked me so one night. We were so thirsty, both of us were holding a glass of water. It’s very hot outside and we were feeling even hotter after what we just did. I didn’t reply to him, then he repeated the same question. I signed and turned my back on him. Then he held me from the behind.

Amelie, why do you always say that?

He actually called my name for the first time. I felt something that I didn’t know what it was. Then I turned around to look at him.

Because that’s what I think.

I don’t feel sorry for myself. I have you.

He said. Then he took a glass out of my hand and began to kiss me. I closed my eyes. ‘’I have you’’. I don’t know how I should take that, but it felt good. I don’t know why.



As we met more, it felt more special that now, he calls me by my name. I smiled at him when he does it. Then one day, Christophine called me out. I felt nervous. Everybody’s scared of that woman. She sees through feelings of people. It was impossible to keep secrets from her.

Yes, Christophine.

I came into the room, then she was standing in the middle of the room with her arms crossed on her chest. She gave me a glare and told me to come in, so I did.

‘’Do you know who I just talked to, girl? ‘’

‘’No, I don’t, Christophine. ‘’

‘’It was Antoinette. ‘’

I tried to not to have any face expressions, but I wasn’t sure if I succeeded or not. I didn’t make any comments on what she just said.

‘’Do you know what she was saying? ‘’

‘’No, I don’t, Christophine. ‘’

‘’She was saying that she thinks her husband doesn’t love her anymore. ‘’
‘’She was crying and asked me for help. ‘’

‘’I see‘’

‘’Don’t you have anything to do with it, girl? ‘’

‘’No, I don’t, Christophine.‘’

She looked into my eyes with her brown eyes. Was she trying to read my mind? I wasn’t sure, but I kept looking back at her as if to say ‘’There’s none of your business of what ‘s going on between Mr. Ronchester and me.’’

She didn’t move for a while and neither did I. Then she told me.

‘’Criminals always get what they deserve to have. Do you understand that, girl?’’

What was she trying to say? That I’m a criminal? And I will get punished? I didn’t reply to her. It’s not because I didn’t know what to say. This time, I didn’t like what she said.

‘’Some get away, Christophine’’

I replied. She glared at me even more fiercely.

‘’I don’t like the sound of it, girl. I really don’t’’.

I didn’t reply, but kept looking back at her. Oh I wish I could just tell her to get hang of it. I don’t care if that girl suffers, I even can enjoy it. Mr. Ronchester doesn’t need her any longer. He doesn’t love her anymore. He is mine. He has me.

Then my thoughts stopped.

Is he mine? Has he me??

Christophine was telling me something more, but I couldn’t focus any longer. My mind was filled with confusion that I didn’t even manage to control.

The summer was ending, and now, the Autumn was on it’s way. As the Summer went by, meetings with Mr. Ronchester’ve become more frequent and I knew that the girl was drinking at high pitch every single day. She once threw a bottle of Whiskey at me. It flew on the air, but didn’t hit me in the head. As the bottle broke on the floor, she cried and yelled at me to go away. I quietly cleaned pieces of it and looked at her. She had a nasty angry expression on her face.

‘’He is a betrayer. You are a nasty person. He is a betrayer. He betrayed me with you!’’

Then she began to cry and drank even more from the other bottle. I grinned, but hid my face from her. She was going insane. A real insane. Of course he doesn’t love you anymore.

He is mine.

Then my thoughts stopped again. What did I just think? I quickly cleaned up the floor and left the room, leaving the girl sobbing.

Proposal for the re-write of Pride and Prejudice

Kia ora.
Hi everyone,
The re-write of Pride and Prejudice is going to talk about the Bennet family as whole; however, the focus of this piece of writing is going to be on Jane and Mr Bingley, and on Charlotte and Mr Collins. Although it'll mention Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, the re-write will leave this couple aside because in the actual novel they were the focus of it. I hope you'll enjoy the twist I've planned for the re-write. I've written about one thousand words of it, but every time I read it I end up changing something; I think it's better not to post anything just yet. I shall give myself a little more time and then, I'll post the whole piece of writing.
E noho ra.