A Town Like Alice

[RANK GONG]

[DRAMATIC THEME MUSIC]

[TRAFFIC NOISE]

[CLOCK CHIMES]

But Miss Paget, d'you

want to go back to Malaya?

After what happened there?

It's because ofwhat

happened there.

But what good will it do you?

Won't you be only torturing yourself?

No.

Now I've come into this

money, I've...

...thought of all the thungs I can

do with it, but...

...there's only one thing I

really want to do.

And I must do ut.

I'm going back to the village in

Malaya, where they took us in.

Where we lived for

three years of the war.

Those people rusked everything

they had to protect us.

Now, at last, somethung I

can do to pay them back.

Yes, but there's no need to

go there un person.

I could transmit a sum of

money to them.

Oh, no, I don't want

to do it luke that.

I want to go back there myself...

...and give them the one thing

I know they really need.

I want to go back to dig a well.

[INNOCENT MUSIC AND BIRDSONG]

[EXCITED SHOUTING]

- Jean!

- Oh, Fatuma!

[JEAN LAUGHS]

Jean.

You've come back to us at last.

- It works!

- Of course it works.

When I dug a well it

always works.

Let me try.

[CROWD EXCLAIMS IN WONDER]

[CHATTER AND LAUGHTER]

[MUSIC]

- Jean.

- Oh.

Well, it's finished.

Yes, ut's finished.

And now you will leave us again.

What wull you do, Jean?

Oh. I don't know.

- Perhaps you will get married?

- No.

No.

No, I shan't get married.

I shall never get married,

not now.

Not after all that's happened, since

the day that changed my whole life.

That day in Kuala Lumpur

un 1942.

And uf the telephone hadn't rung,

uf only I hadn't stopped to pick it up.

[KEYS CLACKING]

Pay attention, everybody, please.

I've got something to say to you.

You've all been told what to do

un a state of emergency.

Well, thus is ut. You're to get on the

first traun you can to Sungapore.

When you get there,

report to head office.

Passages have been arranged

for England.

[MURMURING]

Please be quiet. The Japanese are at

Tanjong Malum, fifty miles from here.

Specual trains have been arranged

for evacuees. so, get out quuck.

That's all. Goodbye.

[MURMURING]

You too, Jean, just drop

everythung and get out.

How are you going to get

Mrs Holland and the children away?

- We'll be all rught.

- I thought the car was in dock?

I'm going to get it. Lusten, Jean,

get on the first traun you can.

Fight your way on if necessary.

See you in Singapore.

Good luck and goodbye.

Goodbye, Mr Holland.

[PHONE RINGS]

- Phone.

- Oh, don't bother about the phone now.

Come on!

Oh, I'll catch you up.

- Hello, who's that?

- Oh, come on!

- [WOMAN ON PHONE] Hello? Hello?

- Oh, you go on, I won't be a minute.

- Hello?

- Oh, Mrs Holland, he's just gone.

I've been tryung to get the office

for ten munutes, where is he?

He's just gone to get the car.

[BABY CRYING] The servants have

all gone and I've got no help at all.

Oh, Jane, please go along...

...you're making too much trouble.

- Mummy, the baby's crying!

I know, dear!

Now, get your things. Go on,

Freddie, go on, Jane.

Oh, it's the children.

I can't manage them on my own.

We'll be packing at the same time.

What?

[CLICK, BUZZ]

Hello?

Hello?

Hello.

[ENGINE TURNING OVER]

Here, let me have a try.

[ENGINE FAILS TO START AGAIN]

Haven't you got a

car I could hire?

- All cars gone.

- Haven't you anything at all?

- All gone.

- Here.

[CONTINUES TRYING TO

START ENGINE]

[AEROPLANE NOISE]

Oh, I wish he'd come,

I wish he'd come.

Can I take my rocking horse?

No, darling, we can only take

what we can carry.

- Here, take--- take Bunty.

- No, I want my rocking horse.

I don't want Bunty, I want

my rocking horse.

Mrs Holland, I'll put the baby's

things in this suitcase here.

Oh, Jean, what could've

happened to him?

He couldn't be so long

getting the car.

Oh, I expect it'd be difficult

getting repairs done today.

Yes, but he's been hours.

Oh, something must've happened.

[BABY CRIES]

[NOISE OF ARTILLERY FIRE

IN THE DISTANCE]

Did you hear that?

It was guns.

They must be blowing up

the bridges.

[CAR HORN BEEPING URGENTLY]

DADDY!

MR HOLLAND:

You ready, darling?

What are you doing here, Jean?

Oh, I came to give your wife

a hand, Mr Holland. But...

...now you're back I can go

and get the train.

No, you won't, you can't.

There's no transport running.

- I'll get a lift somewhere.

- No, you're in with us - sink or swim.

All set, Eileen?

- Yes, I'll be ready in a minute.

- You're ready whether you like it or not.

Just drop everything and come

along. One suitcase each.

[BABY SOBS]

Come on, darling.

Come on, Jane.

- Quick, Jane.

- Come on.

[ENGINE STUTTERS]

Phew.

[KNOCKING SOUND]

[ENGINE DIES]

[CLICKING]

That blasted mechanic.

Shall I start it, Dad?

I'll give you the word.

Try her now.

[ENGINE TURNS BU DOESN'T CATCH]

Try her again.

[ENGINE TURNS BU DOESN'T CATCH]

[CLICKING]

[DISTANT MACHINE-GUN FIRE]

Well, that's not

blowing up bridges.

You'd better get out.

Freddie, try her again.

[ENGINE TURNS AND CHILD MURMURS]

- How far have we come?

- About five or six miles.

But Penang's fifty, isn't it?

- Just about.

[SOUND OF VEHICLE

APPROACHING]

- In the ditch, quick! Come on, Freddie.

- Freddie.

- Daddy?

- Shush.

[BABY CRIES AS

VEHICLE SLOWS]

[DOOR SLAMS]

[FOOTSTEPS]

Stopped for a picnic?

- Our car's broken down.

- It's a fine time for that. Come on.

- We're making for Penang.

- You're in luck then, hop in.

You'll have to move up inside. Hurry,

please, there's five more to come in.

Look, there's my teacher,

Miss Horsefall.

Hello, Freddie. Here,

Mrs Holland.

- Oh, take the baby.

- Hello, Freddie, you'll find Timothy in there.

[BABY CRIES]

Sorry, sir, but the Japs mustn't

get your car. I'll have to burn it.

Driver, pull up fifty yards.

I've got thirty-five for you, sir. Sixteen

women, twelve men, seven children.

- Thirty-five?

- Yeah.

Shove them in the

accounts office, please.

Right, sir.

Driver, take 'em round

the accounts office.

And tell 'em not to wander about.

I can get them away in

fishing boats.

What about the launch, sir? The Osprey,

she's due back this evening.

She won't be back here

again, not now.

- Mmm.

- It's fishing boats or nothing.

[CROWD MURMURS]

[BABY CRIES]

That's the accounts office,

in there.

Dad, can we go in the

garden, please?

You can play with the other children

but don't make too much noise.

Hmm.

- Oh, Jean.

- Yes?

Can I have something

to wipe his face?

- Oh, yes, could you pass me---

- This one?

[CROWD MURMURS]

I, er, suppose you haven't got such

a thing as a cigarette, have you?

[BABY CRIES]

Oh, come on, Arthur, don't let

everyone push you around.

I beg your pardon.

That is not a camp stool.

Old bag.

- I wish I hadn't brought so many things.

- Oh, you're lucky.

I had to leave everything behind.

- Oh, did you?

- Hm.

[KISSING SOUNDS]

Who da babba, den?

[BABY LAUGHS]

Miss Horsefall, excuse me.

But, you see, I'm a sick woman---

I'm sorry, Mrs Frith.

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