The Price You Pay (Draft)

Written by: Yoong Che and Izwin

Ideas: Class B

This play only involves with few characters, which are JING MEI, her mother, Jia-
Gung, her husband, Mr. Woo, the piano teacher, Corn Etto, the audiences and the
narrator. JING MEI was going back to her old home to clean up the stuff as her mother
has just died few weeks ago. She saw the piano when she entered the store room.
She tried playing it and noticed that there was a note that was left mysteriously. She
cried. Her husband came in and she decided to reveal the hurtful memories that
happened 20 years ago.

Act 1

Scene 1

(lights on)

JING MEI (Walking near to the piano and tuning it.) It has been a long
time. I need to fix it. (She sits straight and looks at the piece
called Pleading Child.) It is the one that I messed up 20 years
ago. (She tries to play.)

NARRATOR JING MEI is playing the piano that she has not touched for 20
years. It is full of emotions. She first plays the “Pleading Child”.
Tears falling down as she saw her mother’s handwriting is on
the piece. Written

MEI, Ma-Ma cannot give you anything, but leave this for you,
Ma-Ma wants you to be happy and a successful person that
can take care of yourself, Ma loves you. (Background sounds
from Jia-Gung)

JING MEI What did I do? (She ends the last note with sadness.) I should
have made her proud! Was she disappointed when she left?
Was she not proud of me? Did I fail her again? Ma! I’m sorry,
I really am…Oh… I…miss you… (She hits the piano and she
cries.)
NARRATOR But what shocks her the most, is the note on the very next
page.

JING MEI (She turns the note to the next page and shouts.) What on
earth is this? The…the…pia...no teacher? Was it real? Wasn’t
it just a dream?! (She falls)

(MR WOO opens the door and comes in, straight holding his wife.)

MR WOO What happened? Why are you shouting? (He holds his wife
up.)

JING MEI (She hugs her husband.) I don’t know! It happened …..long
time ago….I thought that it was just a dream.. but.I can’t
remember well..(She lowers down her voice and starts
thinking)(Sobbing.)

NARRATOR JING MEI tries to calm herself and starts telling her story, her
very own story that is placed deep down in her heart. But she
realizes it is the time to reveal the suspense that happened 20
years ago in her life that is related to her mother’s death.

JING MEI My mother wanted me to be a genius when I was 7-years old.

(She wipes her tears.) She tested me in many ways. She
wanted me to get straight As, to play chess…(She is counting
with her fingers). And, the most important part. (She stops for
a while) was that… She wanted me to be a…a pianist. (She
stresses on the word pianist)

(lights off)

ACT 2

SCENE 1

(lights on)

(Someone walks in with a card and read , 20 years ago)

Narrator Back to 20 years ago, in the year of 1998, it is in JING MEI’s
old house , they are living with a happy and joyful lifestyle.

(Phone rings. JIA-GUNG is there to pick it up)

JIA-GUNG Hello? MR. CORN ETTO Ah? I am Jia-Gung (Shouting)

MR. CORN ETTO Hello, so this is aunty Jia-Gung? (Trying to hear for one
second with the hearing aid)

JIA-GUNG Aunty? Ms Jia-Gung lah! Haiya, I want to ask har, when can
you come to my place for the piano class ah?

MR. CORN ETTO I’m free whenever you are, just give me the date and time.

JIA-GUNG okay okay, I’ll call you…. . . .

(He hangs up the call)

JIA-GUNG Hello ?(Raising up her voice) MR. CORN ETTO? Aiyooooo,

so rude ah, this fella! Confirm the Mat Salleh mother didn’t
teach one! Are all Chinese Americans like this?

JING MEI (Interrupts JIA-GUNG) Aren’t you the one who chose him as
my tutor? And now you’re complaining about him before the
first class has even started?

JIA-GUNG Why not leh? He teach free mah! Who wants to give you free
piano lessons? they don’t need to eat is it?(folding
clothes)You think I can teach piano ah? (Waving the cloth)Eh
Eh, you know or not?

JING MEI know what? I don’t want to know. (Sighing deeply)

JIA-GUNG Zee, I talk you listen lah. So ah, the Mat Salleh don’t have
anything to do one, so you can learn anytime.

JING MEI Eh. I thought MR CORN ETTO is deaf . You tell him like that
he can understand one meh?

JIA-GUNG Ben dan. He’s not deaf laah. He’s just having hearing
problem.
JING MEI Miiiiiii… Why you want me to play piano? I don’t want! I don’t
want! ( Shouting) I want to watch tv, I’m so busy! (Stomping
her foot)

JIA-GUNG (Staring at JING MEI) keep quiet. You are so noisy! No

manners!

(Stomping her feet, JING MEI goes to her room) (lights off)

ACT 2

SCENE 2

(lights on) (Narrator comes in) (JIA-GUNG and MR CORN ETTO freeze on stage) (at
home)

Narrator After a few weeks, MR CORN ETTO and JIA-GUNG come up

with an idea to have JING MEI play in a talent show that is
held in the town hall. JING MEI’s mother has saved up enough
and bought her a second-hand piano with a bench. (back to
backstage)

JIA-GUNG JING MEI ah. Come. Come.

(JING MEI heads towards her mother and MR CORN ETTO.)

JIA-GUNG I told MR CORN ETTO about the talent show this Saturday.
He suggested a piece for you to play for the show.

(JIA-GUNG hands over the music sheet to JING MEI.)

JING MEI ‘Pleading Child’? I don’t even know this one. And who is this
Schumann fellow anyway?

JIA-GUNG He is the one who wrote the piece lah. Right MR CORN
ETTO? (Looking towards MR CORN ETTO only to remember
he can’t really hear her). Aiya. That one is not important. MR
CORN ETTO will teach you. So you go and practice now.

(JIA-GUNG goes to the kitchen while JING MEI and MR CORN ETTO head towards
the piano.)
MR CORN ETTO It’s okay, it is easy, if you don’t want to learn, why don’t you
make a deal with me?

JING MEI Deal? What deal is it?

MR CORN ETTO A deal that can make you to become successful. (freeze when
Jing Mei is giving her monologue)

JING MEI (Monologue) what is this man trying to do?? I’m here for piano
lessons, but suddenly this man is offering a deal?

Narrator Feeling doubtful, Jing Mei starts a few keys on the piano
without even looking at Mr. Corn Etto.

(MR CORN ETTO sighs and starts teaching.)

Narrator And thus, the practice starts.The afternoon is filled with JING
MEI’s countless errors. She does not remember what notes
to play and keep looking at the music sheet. Even when she
keeps playing, but still, with an awful tune.

(lights off)

Scene 3

(at the town hall) (lights on)

Narrator JIA-GUNG invites all the couples from the social club to watch
her daughter’s first ever performance. After a few other
performances, it is finally time for JING MEI to show what she
has learned in the past 2 months.

Talent show host Next up, we have Miss JING MEI on the piano, performing a
piece called ‘Pleading Child’. Enjoy.

JING MEI This is it! This is it!

(JING MEI enters the town’s hall stage, smiles, curtsies and sits on the bench.)

Narrator As JING MEI prepares herself, she looks at her mother’s face.
The audiences are yawning and munching on big chocolate
 chip cookies in their hands. She freezes and pauses for quite
a while as she is so nervous.

Random audience #1 Ah Mei aa. Kuai dien (faster) lo My son got bedtime one.

Narrator Startled, JING MEI quickly positions her fingers on the piano
and starts playing. JING MEI is imagining about the applause
and cheers from the audience at the end of her performance.
Suddenly, (sound) she hits a wrong note. This is then followed
by another (sound), and another (sound,) and another
(sound), and another (sound). JING MEI is worried about the
audience’s reaction, but she keeps playing until the end.

(JING MEI stands up and takes a curtsy.)

Random audience member #2 Is it over?

Random audience member #3 I want a refund.

Random audience member #4 Eh uncle. Nobody paid anything to come here.

Random audience member #3 What! You mean this show is free? I paid 10 ringgit
for this ticket!

Random audience member #4 Who sold you the ticket?

Random audience member #3 My ex-wife.

Narrator As the drama continues among the audience, JING MEI sees
the disappointed look on her mother’s face. She knows that
she has failed her.

(JING MEI leaves the stage.)

JING MEI That was so embarrassing. Mom is going to kill me.

( background audio)

(lights off) (audiences leave)

ACT 3

ACT 3 SCENE 1

(at home) (Actress on stage) (lights on)

JIA-GUNG (She walks into the house and throws her handbag onto the
sofa, shouting) Where you want me to put my face now? Play
for 2 months already, still cannot play properly ah? I think I
can play better than you!

JING MEI You show me lah. You think it’s easy is it?

JIA-GUNG Not easy meh? Just press what! Why is it so hard? I thought
you clever but now I don’t think so loh.

JING MEI (monologue) Is she disappointed? I was so nervous. It was

my first performance. What should I do now? (She thinks for
a while). I remember something. A...a deal? Didn’t Mr Corn
Etto offer me once? Maybe……

Act 3 Scene 2

(Narrator walks in) (Jing Mei on stage)

NARRATOR Jing Mei decides to call MR. Corn Etto, asking him to come to
her house as she remembers the deal that he has offered her,
the one that can make her to become successful. (back to
backstage)

(Mr. Corn Etto knocks Jing Mei’s door)

MR. CORN ETTO I knew you would call me for the deal, I knew you wanted to
be successful, I know you, I see it through. (Evil smile)

(Mr Corn Etto walks into her house)

JING MEI I want to make the deal. (She sounds determined and angry)
(All lights off) (MR. CORN ETTO goes backstage and changes into monster form)

(the actor will be changed)

(Monster Corn Etto comes out to the stage ) (Jing Mei’s back is facing Mr Corn Etto)

(Creepy music turns on when actor is changing)

MR CORN ETTO You mean.. this deal? (Jing Mei turns around)

JING MEI AAAAAAAAH! (Screaming) What…..what..what are you??

MR CORN ETTO I’m MR CORN ETTO. Weren’t you having classes with me for
the whole 2 months? The man you thought that couldn’t hear
well.

JING MEI MR….MR.. CORN ETTO? (She falls onto the floor, with her
jaws drop, frightened)

MR CORN ETTO Don’t worry, Jing Mei. I’m here to help you and I won’t harm
you. (He shows the contract) The deal, that will make you to
become successful. Remember?

(Jing Mei and Mr Corn Etto freeze on the stage and narrator comes in)

NARRATOR Jing Mei is confused, whether to make the deal or not.

However, she makes her own decision at that moment…She
signs it.

(lights off)

Act 4

(Someone walks in with a card, back to reality)

(lights on)(card 2018 walks in) (Actors will be back to the position in Act 1 Scene 1)
(Narrator walks in)

NARRATOR Back to reality. In the year 2018, Jing Mei finally finds out what
happened back into 1998. She is shocked, realizing that the
death of her mother was because of her own decision that
was made 20 years ago. (back to backstage)
JING MEI It was me! It was all because of me! (Shouting)

MR WOO (STARES at HER)

JING MEI No one believed me back in time. Everyone thought that I had
a nightmare. I even convinced myself that it was not real. Now
look at this! (Shouting)

MR WOO I….I (go to the backstage)

JING MEI “Remember me? Our deal? To become successful, I will take
someone important from your life. Enjoy your success. I will
be watching.” (Background sound will be played)

(Shouting, shoving the piece into her husband’s hands)

Because of me taking an easier way just to become
successful, because of me…my mom is dead! I just want to
live up to her expectations! But God…Why? (Kneeling on the
floor, crying)

(lights off)