Chapter 5
The air in Sonya’s bungalow was hot and stuffy. Or was it simply the circumstances that made it appear so? After leaving Zwick’s office, she’d hurried home to strip off the blue dress, feeling dirty simply for having been there.
As she slipped into comfortable bright yellow capris and a loose-fitting orange shirt, a knock sounded at the door.
“Coming,” Sonya called out as she hurried out of her room.
The door opened before she reached it and Yolanda walked in.
Stunned, Sonya froze, her jaw tight as she stared at the younger woman.
Taken aback by Sonya’s cold reception, Yolanda said, “Well, you did say to come in.”
Sonya shook her head. “I said, ‘coming’.”
“Oh. They do sound a bit alike, don’t they.”
Sonya conceded but remained cold and aloof. “I guess they do. What do you want?”
“You seem upset,” she tearfully said. “I hate to have anyone upset with me.”
“What do you want?” Sonya repeated.
“I saw you... at Zwick’s office. You probably think you slipped out before we noticed you, but... well, I noticed you.”
“And what of it?”
“I don’t want you to be upset with me,” she said through a stream of tears.
“Why would I be upset with you?” Sonya said, though she fully realized her tone was very much that of one who was upset. “After all, I am not in a relationship with Zwick. I don’t care what you do with him.”
“Yes. I know. But, well, since he’s a producer or whatever... you know, he can get you into any project... if you’re prepared to...”
“Don’t say it.”
“I had no choice, Sonya. It’s just a simple transaction. An exchange of services.”
She looked at her, unable to hide her disgust.
“He’s been pressuring me to sleep with him since this whole production started. He said he’d give me the role of the queen... you know, if anything happened to Connie. Then he promised he’d give me the lead role in his next movie.”
What else? Sonya wondered. Her role as Songbird?
“Don’t worry,” Yolanda said, as if reading her thoughts. “He won’t offer me your part. Songbird belongs to you.”
Sonya simply nodded.
“Besides, the songs you sing are out of my range. I mean, I know my limitations. I’d rather have an easier role and be brilliant, than to have a complicated role and be criticized for not being good enough.”
“How levelheaded of you,” Sonya said with a tight grin.
“Right. So, don’t worry about that. You’re safe there, Sister.”
Her senses picked up on Yolanda’s lack of sincerity. She sounded so sweet, so innocent, and yet none of it landed. It all sounded fake. Or was it just nerves?
“I suggest you be careful with Zwick,” Sonya said. Despite her apprehension, she hated the thought of something horrible happening to the younger woman.
“I am,” Yolanda quipped. “I mean, I’ve known guys like this before. It’s no big deal.”
“It can very quickly become a big deal, Yolanda. The men out here are predators, just like vultures. No, they’re sharks. Worse than that, they’re...” She had no other animal to compare Zwick to. “Pigs,” she finally said.
Yolanda laughed.
“I’m serious. They can take one look at a young woman like you, see the stars in your eyes, see the ambition and know that you’ll do just about anything to reach the top. Degrading, humiliating things. Don’t fall for it. You’ll regret it.”
“Spoken like a true big sister,” Yolanda said as she wiped the tears away. “You remind me of Jenny back home in Shanghai.”
“Jenny?”
“My sister.”
“Oh.” Sonya’s stance softened and her interest in her co-star grew.
As Empress, she’d always taken interest in people’s welfare.
If someone cried, she wanted to know the reason.
If someone laughed, she wanted to share in the joy.
She wanted to ensure her people were well.
“I didn’t know you had a sister. I thought that was why you. ..”
“Why I called you Sister?”
Sonya nodded.
Yolanda’s eyes saddened, bringing out Sonya’s strong maternal instincts.
She longed to be a mother, to share the love she had in her heart.
As Empress, she’d at times viewed herself as the mother to all in her empire.
It had always been dominant in her mind.
Treat your people well; they’ll be happy, they’ll appreciate you and your empire will grow.
She, herself, had given birth to a sweet little girl.
Then she was taken from her, removed from her arms at birth by the hospital under her husband, the Emperor’s orders.
She’d never seen her daughter since. When she’d learned of her daughter living in America, it had stoked a fresh and stronger wave of maternal desires.
Reaching out for Sonya’s hand, she gave it an affectionate squeeze and silently invited her into her home, guiding her to the tiny dining room table.
“Tea?”
Yolanda nodded as she wiped away a fresh tear.
“I take it you miss her,” Sonya said as she prepared the tea.
“There are days when I barely think of her, when I barely think of a time when I lived in China. I move forward through the day, taking pleasure in little things and keeping my mind busy with just about anything. Then there are times, when the day turns quiet, when the lights go out and all that remains are my thoughts... that’s when it’s unbearable.
That’s where my longing to talk to her hurts. ”
Bringing two cups of tea to the table, Sonya sat down. “Is she that hard to reach? You can’t call her?”
Yolanda, her eyes wet and red, looked at Sonya. “I mustn’t have been clear. My sister died.”
Sonya gasped, her heart breaking. “Oh. I’m so sorry. Do you want to talk about it? What happened?”
“I wish I could say she died in an accident. That would make it a little easier to accept her death. But, no. She was killed, killed by communist guerillas who swept into our small town and took over.”
“As happened in much of China.”
Yolanda nodded.
The words, her own story, were on her lips.
The desire to share with Yolanda was strong, but she knew it was impossible.
How could she tell her young friend that, as Empress, she’d been imprisoned, that she’d been forced to take opium.
They’d made a spectacle of her, an example to the people of her empire; look what happens when you defy us, they said with every painful and humiliating show of strength.
Her last days in China, her last days as Empress Wanrong; the pain and sorrow of losing her daughter, her family, and even her country, was still raw like yesterday.
If only she could share that with someone.
Despite having been tortured, despite the pain of withdrawals from the opium they’d given her, it was the loss of her empire, her people that hurt her most. And yet, she kept it all bottled up inside her.
She’d been the last empress of China. And now Sonya Song, a songstress in America... she was a world away from who she’d once been.
“I’m very touched by your loss, and I wish to be there for you.” She reached out to set her hand over Yolanda’s. “We need to stick together. Together we’re stronger. We can protect one another... from Zwick... from everything.”