“Tis in my memory lock'd, And you yourself shall keep the key of it.”-Ophelia in Hamlet

So I met these girls at the Comic-Con last year. They often complain about immature boyfriends and credit card problems and being broke, and when we hang out we eat at cheap places. I thought about recruiting some of them as doubles partners. Until last night. I watched a movie titled “Teenage Cocktail” last night and I changed my mind.  

The plot is fun and simple: two small town girls want to save up for their move to New York City, so they post an ad online looking for a generous friend. They meet up with a well-dressed man and are very impressed with his beautiful mansion (he doesn’t actually own it, that’s a subplot). They eat dinner together, then flirt over champagne in the jacuzzi. For 5000 bucks, he is promised “anything you want, anything. Everything you want. All night long.” The girlfriends start making out with him. And the night begins.      

But the ending of the movie is any man’s worst nightmare: while he sleeps, the girls take pictures of him. They want to blackmail him. He drives home and to his great horror the incriminating pictures are on display on his computer. The house is deserted. Where is his wife? The phone rings. It’s her. She is hysterical. His life falls apart. He descends into a mental breakdown. Armed and enraged, the hunts the girls down for revenge.

What I learned from this movie is that you must be very careful about whom you choose as your partner in crime. I read an ancient story about a Chinese official who is offered a bribe. He refuses to take it. The gift bringer says no one will know, he answers: “Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know, how can you say nobody knows?” I asked my aunt about it, she thinks it means people can’t keep secrets and eventually things will go to shit because someone is going to tell one person who is going to tell one other person and then everyone knows. I think it also means you have to do your part and keep quiet. You can’t tell anyone, because they will always tell others. You can’t control what other people do, but you must do your part.

Your secret is safe with me. Forever. Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know.