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Chapter 18 Chapter 18: Goodbye, Rachel!

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It had been two days since the film shoot was completed. Wang Yang had returned all the leased furniture and equipment back to the store in order to reclaim his deposit—all 3,000 dollars of it. He’d enlisted Joshua’s help just for this purpose. In his typical fashion, Joshua whined and moaned, but he got the job done all the same.

On the day after the furniture was returned, Wang Yang received a phone call from the owner of “The Perfect Shot” video equipment store, Frank Sibole. Frank said the broken DV camcorder had been fixed. Luckily, it didn’t require a trip to the manufacturer. Instead, he’d sent it to Sony’s repair center in Los Angeles, and it came back a few days earlier than expected, as good as new. It turned out the circuit board, which connected the battery to the camcorder, was broken, resulting in faulty contact and a dead camcorder.

When he found out that it had only taken 50 dollars to repair it, Wang Yang breathed a sigh of relief. The pinch was tolerable.

After he’d received 950 dollars in deposit from Frank Sibole, as well as 3,000 dollars from the furniture leasing store, Wang Yang was able to pay the remaining half of Zachary and Rachel’s cut, which totaled 4,000 dollars. So that was that. He need not worry about owing his actors their paycheck anymore.

However, when all was said and done, Wang Yang was left with less than 500 dollars in his pocket, which could hardly last him a month. He needed money. After all, there was still the monumental task of getting his movie published. A long and arduous road lay ahead. He had to knock on the doors of all the major film publishing companies, sell himself, and try his luck until someone recognizes his movie’s potential and gave him a shot.

What he needed was time. Perhaps one month, perhaps two. He might succeed on his very first trip to Hollywood and receive an offer from a film company right on the spot, or he might get turned down, again and again, no matter how many companies he visited.

In the meantime, without a continuous source of income, destitution was only a matter of time. After all, one could only stretch 500 dollars so far.

But Wang Yang decided not to find a part-time job just yet, as he still had editing and other post-production work on his plate, which was exactly what he’d been doing for the past few days.

Just how important was editing and post-production to the making of a film? One could say it was just as important as the shooting of the film itself and no less painstaking. It required patience and lots of it. From sifting through bits and pieces of footage to assembling them to form a coherent and seamless story, editing was the second creation of a movie. The feel and look of a movie hinged on the way the shots were combined, the duration of each scene, as well as many other factors.

In the case of big film productions, considerations would also be given to dubbing, soundtracks, color grading, and many other things. Hence, post-production work was usually a tedious affair. The higher the expectation for a movie, the more time required to process it and put it together.

Nevertheless, Paranormal Activity was supposed to be a movie shot on digital video—a mockumentary. It would have no need for soundtracks, color correction, or other fancy embellishments. Wang Yang had only to select and piece together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole. There were zero technical requirements apart from using the editing software that came with the Sony DV camcorder. Like Joshua had said, even Little Mary next door could have done it.

Wang Yang had shot nearly 300 minutes of video of satisfactory quality. Among them, a significant amount was shot on a whim, during moments of inspiration. Other than that, it consisted mostly of variations of the same sequence, but with different effects. For example, during one of the sequences, Rachel would do two different takes. In one take, she’d do a mad, hysterical smile. And in the second take, she’d do a more passive, dopey smile. While Wang Yang was equally pleased with both takes, he’d have to choose one when it came time to edit, since the standard duration of a movie was only around 90 minutes.

Of course, he’d also need to add intertitles—frames with only words and a plain, black background—during and in between certain scenes in order to facilitate the telling of the story.

Over the past few days, Jessica had only visited Wang Yang once. After quietly watching Wang Yang edit his films and sitting around for a while, she decided not to bother him any longer and left. Meanwhile, Zachary had returned to his old life with great reluctance, working part-time at a grocery store and trying his luck at auditions whenever the opportunity arose. Rachel hadn’t gone back to Toronto yet. She said she wanted to wait until Wang Yang had finished editing the movie. She wanted to be the first to see his masterpiece before leaving Los Angeles.

“Huh, it’s seven already?” Wang Yang had slaved in front of his computer all day. He glanced inadvertently at the clock on the bottom-right corner of his screen and discovered, to his surprise, that it was already past seven in the evening. He put away his mouse, stood up to stretch himself, and did a few casual punches. When he suddenly realized how hungry he was, he went to the kitchen in search of a snack.

There was an absence. The big refrigerator that used to be there had been returned to its rightful owner. Now, the kitchen looked just as bare and spartan as it was when he had first lain eyes upon it. He opened the wooden pantry and reached for a cup of instant noodles. He added hot water to it from a thermos flask, making sure to let it sit and reconstitute. Then, he took his freshly cooked noodles, sat down on the dilapidated sofa in the living room, and quickly scarfed down his meal.

At that moment, his cell phone buzzed. Thinking it was Jessica, Wang Yang dug the phone out of his pocket and took a glance. It was Rachel. Rachel? She’d never called him at this hour before. Curious, Wang Yang gulped down his noodles and answered the call. “Hi Rachel, is that you?” he said smilingly.

“Hi, Yang. Yes, it’s me.” It was indeed Rachel’s voice. After a brief greeting, she asked, “How’s the film editing coming along?”

Wang Yang said as he chewed his noodles, “It’s coming along fine. It’s just a matter of putting the pieces together, trying stuff out, and seeing what sticks. Like how you’d go to a boutique and try on different clothes until you found something you’d pay for.” He smiled, then said enthusiastically, “You know, I’m almost halfway done. It’ll probably take another two days, tops. You’ll be able to see the final product, then.”

“Wow, is that so?” But instead of saying “I look forward to seeing it”, Rachel sighed and said, “Too bad I won’t be able to see it for quite a while.”

Wang Yang furrowed his eyebrows upon hearing her comment. Did something happen to Rachel? He put down his noodle cup. Sounding concerned, he asked, “Are you going to leave Los Angeles? Is something wrong?”

“Yeah.” Rachel’s words came out slow and anxious. “My mom has acute appendicitis, so I’ve got to rush back to Toronto. The flight’s tonight.” Shocked, Wang Yang said, “Oh, God, how’s your mom? Is she okay?” Rachel smiled lightly and assuaged his fears by saying, “She’s fine, thanks for asking. In fact, she’s quite well. She sounded pretty peppy over the phone just now. It’s just that she’s been experiencing some pain in her abdomen. The doctor said there were no perforations or lesions in her appendix, just plain appendicitis. It’s no big deal. All she needed was a simple surgery.”

Wang Yang nodded and consoled her. “Good. Don’t worry too much. You know doctors; they always assume the worst. If he says your mom’s fine, then she should probably be fine.” Rachel thanked him. “Yes, Yang, I understand. I’m fine.” Switching to a more cheerful tone, Wang Yang said, “Okay. Once the movie’s been edited, I’ll send a copy to you right away. By the way, what time’s your flight tonight?”

“The boarding time is ten o’clock,” replied Rachel. Wang Yang looked at the time. It was only seven o’clock. So, he said, “Is your flight departing from LAX?” As soon as Rachel affirmed, Wang Yang stood up and said brightly, “Looks like there’s still time. Let me send you to the airport.” Flattered by his gesture, Rachel let out a faint “wow” and said smilingly, “Thanks Yang, but it’s okay. It’s so late now.”

Though Rachel declined his offer, Wang Yang’s mind was already made up. He was very grateful for all the support that Rachel had given him all this while. Now that she had to rush back to Canada abruptly on account of her mother’s illness, Wang Yang felt obligated as her friend to keep her company and see her off. Wang Yang went to his computer and turned it off. “Please, you think it’s late? I’m already on my way,” he said with cheeky confidence.

“Oh!” Rachel huffed out a laugh. She could hear the sincerity and determination in his voice, and it made her feel warm inside. She nodded and said, “I’ll see you at the departure hall, then. Departure Hall Number 2.”

After shutting down his computer, Wang Yang slipped on a windbreaker hurriedly. While putting on his shoes, he asked, “Have you told Zachary, Jessica, and the others? I’m not sure if they’re free to see you off as well.”

“I’ve told them already. You’re the last person I informed,” Jessica said, laughing. Then, she straightened her face and said, “Yang, just come by yourself. I don’t want to bother too many people.”

“Okay!” Wang Yang ended the call, grabbed his wallet, his keys, and he dashed out of the apartment.

Without a car of his own, the best way to get to the Los Angeles International Airport from his apartment would be to hire a cab. However, that required tens of dollars, something that Wang Yang could hardly afford given his new, hand-to-mouth lifestyle. So, he opted instead to take the shuttle bus to the airport, which cost six dollars.

At night, the city of Los Angeles was a dazzling light show. But once the bus had left the city area, there was nothing else to see apart from miles and miles of highway. Wang Yang had been on the bus for more than an hour. At around nine o’clock, he’d finally made it to Departure Hall Number 2, LAX.

Wang Yang spotted Rachel at the departure hall, sitting at the waiting area in front of the gate. She wore a black shirt and a grey woolen hat, from which her light-blonde hair poking out. Rachel’s eyes jumped to meet Wang Yang’s. She stood up and waved at him from across the hall, beaming.

Having just got off the bus and sprinted all the way to the hall, Wang Yang was slightly out of breath. When he saw Rachel, his footsteps slowed to a crawl, and he smiled. “Hi, Rachel! Thank God, I’m not too late…”

“Hi!” A gentle smile hung on Rachel’s face as her eyes fell on Wang Yang’s silly, panting state. She chuckled and helped him to a seat. “Why did you have to run like that? There’s still half an hour before boarding time, isn’t there?”

“Oh, no worries. I’m an athlete.” Wang Yang waved an airy hand. He noticed the small suitcase beside Rachel’s legs and said cheerily, “Wow, I bet there’s a whole thesis in that luggage bag.”

Rachel shrugged and said, “And 4,000 dollars.” The two of them cracked up in laughter, and Wang Yang said, “No, it should be way less than that. You still have to pay commission and taxes.” After a minute of lighthearted banter, Rachel said gently, “To tell you the truth, Yang, these past few days have been so rewarding for me. I’ve learned a ton of things and even made some new friends. Before I came here, I was actually deciding between Los Angeles or New York. I chose Los Angeles in the end, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

Wang Yang made a face and said teasingly, “Well, choosing you as the female lead for my movie was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

“Really? Thank you!” Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. She smiled as she reminisced about the day she came to the audition and said, “You know, when I came to the audition the other day, I was just trying for the heck of it. I didn’t really think I’d become the female lead.” She leaned in a little closer to Wang Yang and said in a low and secretive voice, “Yang, did you know? That job poster you put up on the bulletin board looked terrible. At first, I thought it was a scam.”

Wang Yang asked curiously, “So why did you decide to give me a chance?” Shrugging, Rachel replied, “When I saw you, I knew you were legit.” Wang Yang asked, “Why?” Then, Rachel looked at him with a gentle smile and said, “There was something about you, a sort of drive, a look that you only see on honest people.” Wang Yang was intrigued by her answer. “You mean a silly look?”

Rachel laughed and gave him a friendly slap on his arm. “No, stop teasing me. I mean a look of determination. You have passion, and it shows.” But Wang Yang shook his head and said, “Rachel, you can’t judge a book by its cover. One day, you’ll get deceived.” Rachel threw her hands up and said jovially, “Okay. But I’m seldom wrong about such things. I guess it’s fate that brought us together.”

They both laughed. Out of genuine concern, Rachel asked, “So Yang, what’s next for you?” After spending some time with Wang Yang, she’d known quite a few things about him. What she didn’t know was that Wang Yang had only 500 dollars left.”

Wang Yang’s expression grew more serious. He turned his gaze toward the distant crowd in the departure hall and said, “What’s next? After I’ve edited the movie, I’m going to go to Hollywood to pitch it, sell myself, and do whatever it takes to get it on the silver screen. That’s my plan.”

Rachel nodded without saying a thing. She looked at his expression and said softly, “This is all new to you. You’re breaking new ground every day. I know how tough it can be. People might not recognize your talent; they might even laugh at you. But,” she took a deep breath and exhaled, “Yang, you must keep your head up high! Never lose your drive and your passion, because those are the most important things. Do you hear me?” she said encouragingly.

“Yeah, thanks, Rachel.” Wang Yang gave her a firm, sincere nod. It was as if there was kindling in him, and Rachel had just thrown a match. Yes, no matter how tough the road ahead was, he must stay confident! He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m well prepared for anything life might throw at me. Nothing’s going to get me down. You know it. A man can be destroyed but not defeated!”

Hearing Wang Yang quote from Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” and seeing his face brimming with confidence, Rachel couldn’t help but smile reassuringly. “I know, you’re a tough guy,” she teased.

“The same goes for you. Keep up those acting skills when you’re back in Toronto.” Wang Yang blinked as he stared at her and said, “Believe me, you’ll be a big star one day.” Flattered, Rachel put her hand to her mouth and said, “Wow, those are kind words.”

Nevertheless, Rachel had never envisioned herself as a star. If she hadn’t met Wang Yang, she’d have gone to graduate school and pursued a master’s degree after graduating from York University. And if it weren’t for her teacher’s encouragement, she’d never have decided to venture into theater, television, and eventually, the silver screen.

The two friends chatted for a little while, and before either of them knew it, it was nearly ten o’clock. At that moment, the announcement for the departing flight sounded sharply in the hall. “Passengers booked on flight AC749 may begin boarding at this time… Passengers booked on flight AC749 may begin boarding at this time…” Upon hearing the announcement, the passengers who were waiting in the departure hall stood up, one by one, saying their goodbyes to their friends and family who had come to see them off and making their way through the gate.

As there was still half an hour left before boarding, Rachel and Wang Yang decided to chat a little longer. When it was almost time to board the plane, she stood up, dragged her suitcase behind her, and said calmly, “I’ve got to go now.”

Wang Yang stood up as well. “All the best, Rachel,” he said with a nod.

Rachel gazed at him. There was suddenly a glint of sorrow in her eyes. “Will we ever meet again?” she asked.

Wang Yang attempted a smile, which wasn’t easy. He said, “Please, what do you think? It’s 1998. It only takes seven, eight hours to get from Toronto to Los Angeles.” Even so, he couldn’t help but feel his heart sink. Perhaps it was just how goodbyes were supposed to feel; perhaps he couldn’t bear to see Rachel go after all; perhaps he truly was happy when they were together.

“Yeah, the power of technology,” Rachel remarked and smiled.

“Passengers booked on flight AC749, please proceed to the gate immediately. The captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five minutes’ time…” the announcement sounded again.

Meeting her gaze, Wang Yang said, “You have to go now.” Then, he opened his arms wide and wrapped them around her body tenderly. “Rachel, I’m so glad I met you,” he said with a smile.

“I’m glad to have met you, too. This is the most precious thing I’ve gotten in Los Angeles.” A smile radiated from Rachel’s face as she looked deep into his eyes. “Goodbye, Yang!” With that, she headed toward the boarding gate with her suitcase rolling behind.

Though her dimpled face was sweet and cheerful, her eyes betrayed her sadness. She wasn’t sure when she’d ever see Wang Yang again. She recounted the days they’d spent together working on the movie, all the laughs they’d had, and their dance at the bar… Just as she was about to enter the gate, she stopped and turned around. She sent a look across the departure hall to Wang Yang, who was standing not far away, and cried, “Yang, I look forward to seeing our movie in the cinemas. I know it’ll happen. I just know it. Then, we’ll see each other again!”

She waved her hand with her smile shining at a distance. “Goodbye, Yang!”

Wang Yang stood waving and smiling as she stepped into the gate. When she disappeared around the corner, he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. Rachel… goodbye!

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