The Sectarian: the story of a lovable, religious bigot PAGES 20-30ish

Prior posting (Nov. 3) of The Sectarian: the story of a lovable, religious bigot

Luzy-Ann, a very Southern name (hyphenated names usually are), doesn't fit in. Especially in school. As is the case with most bullies, the teachers don't really help at all, even when the bully is a much bigger boy and the kid picked on is a small girl. 

When Lake is born to Luzy-Ann's parents, Luzy-Ann feels even more sharply how different she is from everybody else living in their small town. Even with a little sister, Luzy-Ann feels even lonelier. The thing about Luzy-Ann, though, is that she tries. She tries to make things better, fix her problems, but being her own guide, things become difficult.

FIGHTS AT SCHOOL

EXT.  PLAYGROUND AT GRAMMAR SCHOOL   MORNING

Luzy-Ann is walking through the school playground to get to class.  Two boys walk up to her.  They are the class bullies.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

My sister was the only Asian in town, or as her cruel classmates called her: a "yellow-belly".  This particularly grieved my sister, but not my parents.  They were sorry that my sister was tormented at school, but since they knew my sister was no such thing, they told her wisely to ignore the schoolchildren's taunts.  Of course, if my sister had been wise, she wouldn't have been a seven-year-old in grammar school.  All this of course, my sister could not articulate. 

Each boy is on either side of Luzy-Ann.  They alternate pushing her, trying to make her drop her schoolbooks.

BOBBY LEE

We don't let yellow monkeys go to school with our kind.

(pushes Luzy-Ann again)

NARRATOR (V.O.)

The teachers didn't help either.  Maybe because they believed that's what my sister was, or because they knew it was useless to try to stop the kids.  Every year, there was a class bully.  And every year, there was a poor child who was the bully's target.  My sister's second- grade year was her year to be picked on.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

One day, however, feeling that the world had abandoned her, my sister resorted to self help.  She was sandwiched between two bullies, Bobby-Lee, who was in the fourth grade.  His father made a living killing deer.  And Billy-Joe, whose mother named him so because she often could not remember his name, and two names to guess at made it easier than one.  They were taking turns pushing my sister between them, when--

LUZY-ANN

Stop it, Bobby-Lee, I'm going to tell on you.

BOBBY-LEE

So what?  Nothing's gonna' happen to me, you yellow-belly.  You shouldn't even be here.

Bobby-Lee pushes Luzy-Ann some more.  She stumbles

BILLY-JOE

Yeah, you should be grateful for the food that we give you.  You'd be starving in China if it weren't for us, you dumb Chino girl. 

Bobby-Lee pushes Luzy-Ann and she drops some of her books.

BOBBY-LEE

Why don't you go back home?  My Dad says all Hasians are scared, that's why they always scamper around and bow and say "yes, sir"  Here, pick that up, yellow belly!

Bobby-Lee throws S's books on the ground.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

At the moment that my sister bent to pick up her books,--

Bobby-Lee kicks Luzy-Ann on the rump. 

NARRATOR (V.O.)

(continuing)

Something snapped in her savage little Asian heart. 

Luzy-Ann slams the books in the Bobby-Lee face, kicks both of them, and butts her head in Billy-Joe's abdomen.  They run crying to their teacher.

BOOBY LEE

Teacher, look what she did to us! 

SPIKE

She hit us!

NARRATOR (V.O.)

It was also at that moment that my sister realized that injustice in the world runs down to even the humblest of God's creatures. 

They run into the school building.  A TEACHER, sitting at her desk, gets up when she sees the two boys crying.  She calms the boys down and walks outside to Luzy-Ann.

TEACHER

(sternly, sharp, nasal-voice)

Luzy-Ann, you come here. 

Luzy-Ann looks at the Teacher defiantly.

INT.  PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE  AFTERNOON

Violet and Brent, the principal of Luzy-Ann's school, and the teacher who "caught" Luzy-Ann attacking Bobby-Lee and Billy-Joe are seated.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

She was given detention for a week.  My parents were called to the principal's office.

TEACHER

That's what comes of adopting a foreigner. 

(sniffing)

Who knows where she came from? 

VIOLET

She came from Malaysia. 

TEACHER

(smugly)

That's what they wanted you to think. 

VIOLET

So what if she didn't come from Malaysia, what if she came from China? 

TEACHER

It's important to know where our children come from.  Because if you don't, who knows what they might do?

VIOLET

How can you tell what they might do based on where they come from?

TEACHER

Well, such as Nigeria.

(almost in a whisper)

I heard that they sacrifice animals. 

BRENT

She's Asian.  I guess that rules out animal sacrifice.  Besides, we're raising her vegetarian. 

EXT.  HALLWAY

Luzy-Ann is outside the principal's office listening in.  She is sad. 

LAKE IS BORN

INT.  NURSERY  DAY

Violet is holding her newborn.  Luzy-Ann is eagerly trying to get close to the baby.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

It was about this time that I was born.  Yes, the doctors were wrong, my mother could have children after all.  When my Mom did get pregnant, my Mad always said that if we paid physicians like mechanics, they'd get it right more of the time. 

My sister said that she wanted a brother.  I think this was because she could have someone to pick on, to relive the days when she was bullied and she triumphed. 

LUZY-ANN

She's white. 

VIOLET

(kissing baby)

What, honey?

LUZY-ANN

She doesn't look like me.

VIOLET

Well, honey, she's just the same as you.

LUZY-ANN

I thought she would be yellow like me.  Why am I yellow?

VIOLET

You're not honey, you're tan.

LUZY-ANN

That's because I play outside.  Why isn't anyone else yellow?

VIOLET

They are honey. 

LUZY-ANN

I don't see any.

VIOLET

When you grow up and travel a bit, you'll see a lot of yellow, red, brown, even green people.

Violet kisses Luzy-Ann and kisses the baby again.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

At that moment, which shouldn't happen to anyone so young, my sister felt utterly and completely alone in the world.  It isn't that my parents favored me.  I never even noticed the difference until I was close to my pre-teen years.  And the differences I noticed had nothing to do with skin color.  As a matter of fact, my parents were adamant that my older sister take care of me.  Which meant of course, that I had to listen to her and do as she said when my parents weren't around.  This, my sister liked, and it made her feel not so alone. 

INT.  AUNT TATEM'S HOUSE   DAY

Violet is rushing around the house, getting ready for a dinner date. 

LAKE (V.O.)

My sis was made for kids.  She simply longed for them.  Here, was, another human being, totally helpless and utterly dependant upon the good graces of my sister who must not only obey and listen to her but listen to the reasons why obedience was the only choice given.  Child slavery was more rampant that most people think. 

VIOLET

Now, Lake, listen to your sister.  Don't get into any trouble and don't eat all the pie I put in the refrigerator.  That's for tomorrow when the guests come.  Do you understand? 

LAKE

But she never lets me do anything.  She makes me ask for everything.

VIOLET

Luzy-Ann, don't take advantage of your position.  You're here to take care of your little sister, not beleaguer her with orders.

LUZY-ANN

She never listens to me.

LAKE

You're always wrong.

VIOLET

(excited)

Girls, I have to meet your father.  He's interviewing for a position.  It's a chance to move out of here.

LAKE

Are we going away?  Hooray!

Luzy-Ann looks perturbed.  Violet preens herself in the hallway mirror. 

VIOLET

How do I look?

LAKE

Beautiful, mom. 

Violet leans over and gives both girls a hug and kiss.

VIOLET

You girls be good while I'm gone now. 

She leaves.  Luzy-Ann has a newfound gleam in her eye.

LUZY-ANN

It's time for lessons.

LAKE

Lessons!  It's Saturday.

LUZY-ANN

Exactly.  Aunt Tatem told me to make sure you learn your catechism. 

LAKE

(wearily)

I hope Dad gets that job. 

FITTING IN: A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN

INT. CHURCH   MORNING

Sunday mass is being celebrated.  Luzy-Ann is in church, looking bright and devout, and singing loudly.

LAKE (V.O.)

Because my sister was made to feel yellow, so to speak, she began to try to fit in...and become white, so to speak.  She attended church regularly.  Wore the same checked muslin dresses, broad rimmed sun hats, and even outdid the churchgoers of our town.  Only the older ladies dressed so, we figured it was these fearsome matrons Luzy-Ann was trying to placate.

EXT. CHURCH  MORNING

The congregation is milling around outside church after mass.  The young people are dressed in modern dresses, pants and shirts.  The older women are dressed in old-fashioned dresses, as is Luzy-Ann.

LAKE (V.O.)

(continuing)

She was wont to be seen in gloves.  This kept the sun off her hands, and made her "less tan", she explained.  When pressed, she would say the sun was bad for her skin and she wanted to keep as young looking as possible,

A WOMAN is remarking on Luzy-Ann's cover from the sun.

WOMAN

But you look sixteen, how young do you want to be?

LAKE (V.O.)

My sister could have learned any one of several lessons from that experience.  She could have washed her hands of a town that did not accept her.  But that was not my sister's way.  My sister felt that there was always a workable solution.  And her solution in this case was to make them accept her.  This distressed my parents somewhat, but at the same time, how could they keep her from being what she wanted? 

INT.  BATHROOM  EVENING

Luzy-Ann is putting the finishing touches on her makeup.  She is sticking on her false eyelashes.  Because she thinks they make her Asian eyes look bigger, more "Caucasian", she doesn't go anywhere without them.  Well satisfied, she smiles to herself in the mirror.

Luzy-Ann leaves the house, dressed so old-fashioned, Violet and Brent look distressed over their daughter's dress.

LAKE (V.O.)

But what was most unfathomable about my sister, was her great big, horrible accent.  It didn't even sound real, yet it was.  As real as all her other peccadilloes that made you want to look at her twice, like a train wreck that has too many dead bodies to look away. 

EXT. RESTAURANT   DAY

Luzy-Ann is sitting with her friend, MARY-ANN, at a small restaurant. 

LAKE (V.O.)

(continuing)

Here she was, an Asian where few were to be seen.  That in itself caused people to stare.  But as soon as she opened her mouth, out came that twang that sounded like a recent immigrant, who was faking it as a California Valley Girl, and trying to pass off as a Southern Belle.  It was too much.

They order lunch.

MARY-ANN

I'll have the sub sandwich, hold the mustard. 

WAITRESS

And you?

LUZY-ANN

I'd like a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, hold the mayo, extra tomatoes, pickles and onions.  And, may I have baby spinach instead of lettuce?  And the bacon extra crispy.  Oh, and instead of sandwich bread, I'd like it on a croissant.

Luzy-Ann's mangles the pronunciation of "croissant".

WAITRESS

A what?

LUZY-ANN

A croissant.

WAITRESS

We don't got none of those here.

LUZY-ANN

Of course you do.  I had one just last week.  You know, their moon-shaped.  And they're soft, but kind of crispy.

WAITRESS

You mean a crescent?

LUZY-ANN

Yes, a croissant.

The waitress looks at Luzy-Ann oddly.  Mary-Ann smiles sheepishly.

BUYING SKIN WHITENER