Finding Lost

Finding Lost
By Li Chiao
Treatment

Back Story
In the southern sector of Taiwan, there is a small village named Kularlau where the Paiwan tribe lives. There is a legend about the origin of their treasured artifact-- ancient colored lazurite beads. A long time ago, there was an Immortal who came to earth by transforming into a peacock’s figure. When the peacock flew through the sky, it spread many ancient colored lazurite beads to the land. Those beads made everything grow. The Paiwan people handed over those beads to their chieftain who preserved them in their ancient clay pots, and interpreted them as auspicious symbols. The old saying went: “It is going to be a calamity for this small tribe if they lose those ancient beads. There will be a chosen one who will find them all and then become the most brilliant leader in this tribe.”

Act 1
State 1
After hundreds of years, a little girl, Vusam, is born. She is the first-born child in the chieftain’s home. According to the Paiwan tribe’s tradition, the firstborn has to inherit her parents’ property. However, she refuses to learn any traditional customs, and even doesn’t want to take her responsibility to inherit her mother’s tribal position, as a Paiwan tribe’s leader. She doesn’t believe in any Paiwan’s tradition. However, the psychic in this small village has wanted to take over the chieftain’s position for a long time. She knows how important those ancient colored lazurite beads are. She steals the ancient clay pot where the beads are inside from the chieftain’s house, and smashes the pot on purpose. She takes the most important one “mulimulidan” and puts it in her witchcraft box. When she breaks the clay pot, all things change. The sky turns into dark and thunders; all the villagers are in a panic. At the same time, the psychic turns her shape huge because of triumphant, and she is looking for any chance to kill Vusam to insure her status.

State 2
Vusam’s mother has been sick and bed-ridden since the day the beads were stolen. She tells Vusam that the ancient colored beads have disappeared and asks Vusam to find them and bring them back, because Vusam is going to be the next leader in this tribe. Vusam doesn’t want to do that because she doesn’t believe how important those beads are and doesn’t want to take this responsibility. However, seeing her mother’s desponding eyes, Vusam can’t turn down her mother’s request. When she brings herself to go to the journey, all the villagers mock at her. They don’t’ believe that the little girl can find the beads and be the next chieftain. However, she still has to start her adventure into the unknown.

ACT II
State 1
“ Why should I do this kind of thing? I don’t want to find those stupid beads. It’s none of my business!” Vusam thinks and walks into the forbidden bamboo forest unconsciously. She hears a loud noise and sees a Hundred-paced Viper is attacked by a cuckoo. Seeing the viper hurts badly, Vusam remembers that the Hundred-paced Viper is sacred and inviolable in the Paiwan tribe’s tradition. Therefore, Vusam helps the Hundred-paced Viper oust the cuckoo. The cuckoo is the transformation of the psychic. She flies away and leaves her laughter around the sky. The Viper curls up himself and transforms into a male figure. He is the guardian spirit of the Paiwan tribe’s chieftain. His name is Pomatzamatza. Pomatzamatza thanks for Vusam’s help and is willing to go with her to collect the ancient colored beads. He tells Vusam that the psychic is trying to kill her in any way, so she has to find those beads very soon to stop the psychic. Otherwise, the psychic will take the village over, and her mother will be in danger. She has no choice but to go with Pomatzamatza, because she is worried about her mother. Then Vusam and Pomatzamatza set out to find the beads.

State 2
Pomatzamatza and Vusam keep walking to find those beads. There is a stone carving under the tree, which is a statue of the Paiwan tribe’s spirit. He tells them there are three beads they must find out. One is “mulimulidan” which means the bead of noble. It is the most important bead which can only possess by the chieftain. The psychic hides it on his witchcraft box carefully. Another one is “baloalisabula” which means the bead of the peacock. The psychic hides it in the deep of the bamboo forest, and no one knows where it is. The other one is a secret; even the elder doesn’t know what it is. Vusam and Pomatzamatza decide to go to the deep forest first to find “baloalisabula”. However, the forest is too broad to follow a plain path. They get lost. When they take a rest, a huge boar rushes to them. Vusam is frightened and doesn’t know what to do. She cries. At the same time, Pomatzamatza uses his bronze dagger to fight against the boar, but it is hard to subdued. Vusam tries to help. She makes a bow by the bamboo clapper and shoots the boar. The boar collapses. Vusam wants to kill the boar but Pomatzamatza stops her. He cures the boar’s wound and asks it to leave. He tells Vusam that it is not the right season to hunt according to the Paiwan’s custom. During this period of time, the forest should take a rest, and everything will grow up. After that, they keep going to the psychic’s place.

State 3
“I don’t want to be a chieftain; I don’t want to find those beads!” Vusam cries to Pomatzamatza, when she feels really tired. Pomatzamatza comforts her but Vusam keeps crying. Her sound raises the peacock which has been slept over hundreds of years. When the peacock walks toward to Vusam, everything grows. Vusam is fascinated with the scene she sees. When the peacock touches Vusam’s left hand, there is a hand tattoo appears. She knows that’s the symbol which only belongs to the Paiwan’s nobility. She stops crying. The peacock open its wings, and baloalisabula, the bead of the peacock is inside. Vusam picks the bead up and puts it in her backpack. The peacock looks Vusam for a while and then leaves. After that, Pomatzamatza and Vusam keep going to the psychic’s place.

State 4
The psychic’s place is in the deep forest where the bad spirits are around. The psychic gathers those spirits who have committed suicide and always wander in the forest. Pomatzamatza and Vusam cannot approach the psychic’s place further. Vusam is frightened and thinks that she cannot find the bead. Pomatzamatza comforts her and remembers that the bad spirits are scared to be under the light. Vusam takes out the mirror from her backpack and uses it to reflect the sun from the gap of undergrowth. The spirits soon dissipate. Pomatzamatza and Vusam keep going to the psychic’s home. When they go inside the place, they see the psychic dresses well and holds her witchcraft box tightly. She murmurs something and then becomes enormous. Vusam is stupefied and cannot move anywhere. Pomatzamatza stands out and fights against the psychic. Pomatzamatza gets hurt, because the psychic is too strong to beat off. The psychic keeps attacking Vusam after Pomatzamatza is knocked down. Vusam has no time to think and throws her backpack to the psychic to stop her advancing. The psychic disappears when the backpack hits her, because mulimulidan, the bead of the noble, which inside Vusam’s backpack, has the power to expel any evil. Vusam runs to see Pomatzamatza who is almost dying. Vusam promises Pomatzamatza that she will try her best to be a good leader in her tribe and keep the tradition continue. Pomatzamatza dies and turns into the last bead that Vusam is looking for.

Resolution
Picking up all the beads, Vusam goes back to her tribe. All the villagers welcome her fervently. Vusam’s mother strings the three ancient beads into a necklace and puts them inside the ancient clay pots. She raises Vusam’s hand and tells her people that she is the chosen one the prophecy told. Vusam smiles and holds her mother’s hands firmly. At the same time, her right hand appears the other hand tattoo.