(20)
INT. BEDROOM -- ANNA'S HOUSE -- FRENCH CONCESSION -- NIGHT
Petr falls asleep. Rose and Anna tiptoe past him.
INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT
Mark, Emilia, Anna and Rose sit around and drink tea. Rose weeps.
ROSE'S FLASHBACK
In the night club, Rose serves tables in her waitress uniform. Walter, inebriated, pounds on the piano while roaring military songs. As Rose passes by, Walter stretches out his hand toward Rose's waist. Rose scurries to avoid him. He jeers at her.
WALTER
Hello, babe, have a drink with me?
Rose ignores him and quickens her pace. Walter rushes to Rose, drags her into his arms and enforces a kiss on her. Rose pushes Walter away and gives him a slap. Walter, annoyed, punches Rose on the nose and cups her chin.
WALTER (CONT'D)
Damned, Jewess bitch.
A Nazi soldier ushers Rose into an office in the jail. Rose glances at the OFFICER seated at a desk and recognizes Walter, stunned and speechless.
WALTER (CONT'D)
Hello, Girlie, fancy meeting you here. What can I do for you?
ROSE
Uh, Officer, please do me a favor.
WALTER
What sort of a favor? I'm glad to do it.
ROSE
You know, my friend, Hans, he is here, in prison. Please release him. Release him, please, I beg you.
WALTER
(chuckling)
Ha, what a fucked up favor. Okay, no problem. But, how can you repay me?
ROSE
I, I...
WALTER
Strip, strip off your clothes, now.
Outraged, Rose reluctantly takes off her clothes. Walter grasps her naked body and subdues her, forcing her to have sex with him on his desk.
Rose experiences torturous agony and pain in labor, perspiration moistening her flushing face. A MIDWIFE cradles a crying baby in her arms and puts him beside Rose.
BACK TO SCENE
Anna holds Rose's hands tightly. Emilia pours a cup of coffee for Rose. Mark paces up and down, and then, slumps into a chair.
MARK
(sighing)
Rose, listen, we should keep this to ourselves, for your sake, and also for the child's sake.
EMILIA
You're right. We couldn't let the Jewish community here know Petr's birth. We'd protect him from disdain. Sometimes, gossip is horrible.
ANNA
The child is innocent. It's not fair to despise and ridicule him because of his Nazi father.
MARK
So, I consider letting Petr have a father, I mean, a decent father to hush up the fact.
ANNA
Hans said he'd be the father.
MARK
Hans?
EMILIA
Hans? It's not a bad idea.
ROSE
You're so thoughtful. I'm very grateful to you. But, I can't involve Hans in my trouble.
ANNA
It's not your fault. We shall handle the thing together. We have no choice. Hans is the only proper person, I guess.
INT. HANS' HOUSE -- INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT -- NIGHT
Hans draws the jewel case from his pocket, opens it and looks at the rings. He closes the jewel case and puts it into a drawer of his desk.
HANS
I'm sorry, Anna.
INT. CAFE -- FRENCH CONCESSION -- DAY
Hans and Anna, face to face, sit at a table, drinking coffee.
ANNA
I've something to tell you.
HANS
I've something to ask you too.
ANNA
Say it.
HANS
You say it first.
ANNA
Okay, well, I, uh, last night, Rose told us, me and my parents, Petr's birth.
HANS
So, you knew who his father is.
ANNA
Yes.
HANS
And, you also knew the cause, the reason.
ANNA
Yes. As to my parents' opinion, we shall protect Petr from gossip, scorn and hatred.
HANS
How?
ANNA
We, my parents and I, finally agreed, unanimously, that, uh, we'd work together to hush up Petr's birth by...
HANS
By what?
ANNA
By, uh, nominating you as his decent father, instead of that disgraceful Nazi bastard.
HANS
Whom? Nominating whom? Pardon, I couldn't quite catch what you said. Would you please kindly repeat it?
ANNA
You.
HANS
Me?
ANNA
Yes, you.
HANS
Okay, then, let me be. But, I worry about you. I don't want to hurt you.
ANNA
I can endure it. Rose's sacrificed more.
HANS
Anna, both you and Rose are so remarkable.
ANNA
Now, it's your turn, you said you'd ask me something.
HANS
What I'd ask you is the same matter.
Hans and Anna stare at each other, holding their hands tightly.
(CONTINUING)