A Taste of Honey Page #6

- What?

The colour's wrong!

Lll bash its brains out, lll kill it!

I don't want this baby, Geoff!

I don't want to be a mother!

I don't want to be a woman!

Jo?

What d'you think I can do about it?

In any case, bearing a child

doesn't put you under an obligation to it.

Well, I would've thought it would've done.

Well, you've got another think coming.

If she can't look after herself,

it's her own lookout.

And don't sit there

looking as if it's all my fault.

Well, it's your grandchild.

Oh, you put years on me, you do.

She's more than I can cope with, that girl.

She always has been.

Well, that's obvious.

And what part have you got in this little

Victorian melodrama? Nursemaid?

Helen!

Helen! Have I got a clean shirt?

All right, lll come and see her.

Its not my fault. Lve not known where

she's been living these last few months.

- Now, don't keep me waiting, I want a drink.

- You've had enough.

Lm not hanging about in this filthy hole.

Wait where you like, then.

If you're not back in ten minutes, lm going.

Oh, suit yourself.

Jo?

Jo!

'Ey, you won't tell her

I came and saw you, will you?

- Where is she, Romeo?

- She's in bed.

And what sort of a dump is this?

And what d'you think you're doing,

hiding yourself away in this chicken run?

Lots of girls in your condition

have to work and take care of a family.

Well, come on, let's have a look at you.

You're looking a bit peaky.

No wonder.

Oh, stop sulking.

Lve brought you some money.

Its taken you a long time

to come round to this, hasn't it?

- What?

- The famous mother love act.

Since lve known lve not been able

to sleep at nights thinking about you.

There'll be money every week in the post

from now on.

Until you forget!

You walked out the door with that man.

You didn't give me a second thought.

How did you get here, anyway?

Lll get you for this, Geoffrey Ingham!

What you trying to run,

a back-to-mother movement?

- Are you working?

- She doesn't like people looking at her.

She'd be better off working

than living off you like a little bloodsucker.

- She doesn't live off me!

- No, we share everything.

- We're communists, too!

- That's his influence, I suppose.

You go back to your fancy man!

Ooh, lll give you such a bloody good hiding!

That's what you've gone short of.

- Don't show yourself up for what y'are!

- You couldn't wait, could you?

Now look at the mess

you've got yourself in.

- Lll get out of it without your help.

- Threw yourself at the first man you met.

Yes, I did.

- You're man mad.

- Like you.

Know what they're calling you round here?

A silly little whore.

They know where I got it from, don't they?

Ooh, lll knock your bloody head off!

- Let me get at her!

- Go ahead, go on!

Stop shouting at each other, will you!

Oh, shut up, we enjoy it.

- And another thing...

- Hey, hey, what the hell's going on?

D'you expect me to wait all day

in that filthy street?

I told you to wait outside.

Don't you wag your bloody finger at me.

Oh, hello, then, the erring daughter.

Well, Josephine,

you're a big girl now, aren't you?

Who's this, the father?

Oh dear, no.

Who's got a bun in the oven, then, eh?

Who's got a cake in the stove?

Lm sorry. He's had one too many.

Who's coming out for a little drink, eh?

What's the matter with everybody?

Doesn't anybody want to come out

for a little drink?

- You get out of here!

- Ah-ah-ah!

You be quiet.

That's right, Mary Ann,

you come and have a little drink with me.

Who's been giving my money away again?

Take your money.

Which is the way to the littlest room?

Oh, get him out of here, Romeo.

That's right, Pollyanna, you lead the way.

Ooh! Its all right, love,

I know the district.

Like a cigarette?

No.

Yes, I will. Lll keep it for later.

Jo, why don't you come and live with me?

- There's a nice room and plenty of food.

- No, thanks.

Peter's all right

except when he's had one too many.

Jo, look, lm offering you a decent home.

Lll take care of you, lll see you through.

We're not having that little slut

at our place!

The house is half mine.

Aye, like hell it is.

- Oh, take no notice of him.

- Now, will you come on?

I want this drink!

Get him out of here,

we'll get our notice!

Would you like me

to come and stay here with you?

No, thanks.

Well, lll send you some money.

And hang on to it, you might need it.

We're not having that mademoiselle

from Armentires living with us!

Now, I dragged you

out of the gutter once.

If you want to go back it's all the same

to me. Its your own bloody level.

And don't you worry

about your wandering boy.

There's plenty of other fish in the ocean.

Lm getting out.

- In't he smashing?

- Yes, marvellous, in't he?

- Where's Jo?

- I saw her going down by the river.

Hello. Thinking of chucking yourself in?

No. I like it here.

- Lve seen five water rats.

- Charming!

- D'you still love him?

- No.

Its only a dream I had.

- Aye, your black prince.

- What was his name?

- Prince Ossini.

- No. It was Jimmie.

Oh, well, the dream's gone.

But the baby's real enough.

Me mother always used to say

you remember the first time

all your life.

- Until now ld forgotten all about it.

- Remember when I asked you to marry me?

Yes.

Its not marrying love between us,

thank God.

You need someone to love you

while you look for someone to love.

Have you been unhappy with me?

Who's happy?

As I was going up Pippin Hill

Pippin Hill was dirty

And then I met a pretty miss

And she dropped me a curtsy

Little miss, pretty miss

Blessings light upon you

If I had half-a-crown a day

ld gladly spend it on you.

- Would you, Geoff?

- I would.

Ld hold your baby in me arms

ld comfort you and keep you

We'd climb the hill

when the moon was up

And we'd sit there till it set

ld hold you tight till the world was done

And a daisy grew in my hat!

- That doesn't rhyme!

- I know, but it's true.

You're a funny man, Geoff.

I mean that.

You're unique.

I always want to have you with me cos

I know you'll never ask anything from me.

- Where you going?

- Home.

Lm cooking something for tea.

'Ey, look at that, in't it marvellous?

'Ere, what you gonna call it?

- What, the cake?

- Oh, no, the baby, you daft thing!

I think lll call it Number One.

- Itll always be number one to itself.

- You're right.

Anybody at home?

Well, lm back.

Well, the old place looks

more cheerful now, doesn't it?

Well, I arrived just in time

by the look of things, didn't I?

- D'you want a cup of tea?

- Hm, you're still here, are you?

There won't be much room

for two of us around, you know.

- Don't you start on Geoffrey!

- That's all right, Jo, I don't mind moving out.

For heaven's sake, you don't have to

wilt away as soon as she barges in.

All right, I will have

a cup of tea with you.

Jo, I got you some lovely things

for the baby.

Have you got everything packed?

- Packed?

- Yeah.

But lm not going into hospital.

- You're not having the baby here, are you?

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