Abandoned Page #5

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his, so I think we get a pass.

So much food, we could have people over.

Happy birthday, mate.

Nice one, Rick. Keep you warm on watch.

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

For he's a jolly good fellow

And so say all of us

- Hip, hip.

- Hooray!

- Hip, hip.

- Hooray!

What's up, man? You all right?

I couldn't have had a better birthday.

It doesn't make sense to be happy out here.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

Most of us gathered here have

sailed the South Pacific...

...and most of us know John Glennie.

So far our requests to mount

another search have been fruitless...

so it may be that we have to

find the money ourselves...

some $15,000 per hour of flying time.

Does anybody recall anything that

he might have said about the route?

Yeah, can you tell us if you definitely

heard John's voice when you took the position?

The speaker never identified himself.

But you clearly heard Rose Noelle?

I think so.

- You're full of sh*t.

- Martha... please.

It is only because of your lies

that they searched the Kermadecs!

That was John's fourth way point.

It made sense to look for them there.

Bullshit.

Karen was there. She'll tell you.

There was so much interference.

We could hardly hear anything.

We know nothing. That's the bloody truth!

What we want is to search from

this line, 300 miles to the east.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.): Funded

by friends and family...

Another search has been mounted

for the trimaran Rose Noelle...

missing at sea now for

nearly three months.

20 minutes of flying time in this

direction before we turn around.

(SOFT MUSIC CONTINUES)

(BABY CRYING)

JOHN (V.O.):
It had taken

nearly three months...

but finally we were

beginning to work as a team.

Each of us had a role.

We had food and water.

We could have gone on forever.

Farewell and adieu to

you fine Spanish ladies

Farewell and adieu

to you ladies of Spain

For we've received orders

to sail for old England

And perhaps never more

shall we see you again

Farewell and adieu

my fair Spanish ladies

Farewell and adieu

all you ladies of Spain

Do you think maybe

we'll need a bigger boat?

JOHN (V.O.):
There was no

point in telling the others.

The ship was too far off to see us. It was

better to spare them the disappointment.

(UNZIPPING)

Rick! Rick! Get out here!

What's up, mate?

Tell me...

It can't be. Surely.

What is it?

Christ, you bastards! That's land!

That's land!

Feast your eyes, John! You son of a b*tch!

I reckon we're about ten miles out!

John, you okay?

John... look at it.

Land, it's real, mate.

JOHN (V.O.):
I couldn't find

words to describe how I felt...

relief, elation, disappointment.

I just knew it was coming to

an end, whatever that meant.

Perhaps that was what I was

afraid of. I didn't know.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

JOHN (V.O.):
The others were looking

forward to lives they could return to.

Smile for the camera.

JOHN (V.O.):
But my life was here, with

what was left of my ruined Rose Noelle.

I had nowhere else to go.

You know, we should have the record by now.

Record? What record?

119 days in an overturned boat.

It's gotta be some kind of record.

Jesus, John! Who gives a toss?

I told you. You blokes are gonna be famous.

Let's concentrate on getting on land first.

Yeah, I just want to get

back to Karen and the kids.

That'll do me.

Yeah, mate. Can't be.

What? What can't be?

When I was a kid, we used to go

on holiday on Great Barrier Island.

Ah-ha.

- [RICK] See that peak?

- [JIM] Yeah.

That looks like Hirakimata...

the mountain on the Barrier.

[JOHN] Well, all mountains look

pretty much the same from a distance.

I worked it out and it must

be an island off South America.

Nah, Hirakimata. Mount

Hobson. I reckon that's it.

Well, how could that be possible.

We've drifted thousands of

miles in the other direction.

You might be wrong.

JOHN (V.O.):
Making landfall

is always dangerous.

The ocean striking a

land mass can produce...

a short, confused seaway, conflicting wind

and currents draw you in like a magnet.

John... Christ sake, put it on!

There's no need.

No more bullshit. Put the bloody thing on.

JOHN (V.O.):
We could

almost touch the land...

but having no way of steering Rose Noelle, we

were in danger of being cast onto the rocks.

What was that?

Must be the mast... hitting the seabed.

JOHN (V.O.):
If the mast were

driven up through the hull...

Rose Noelle could break apart

and throw us into the sea.

We've got to get off the boat.

We'll be all right, guys.

We're being looked after.

F*** that, I'm gonna swim for it.

I'm with you, mate.

Too dangerous, mate. Just

over there, you'll be fine.

[JIM] John! John!

[PHIL] There's a bloody shark!

[JIM] Swim for the boat,

John! There's a shark.

Swim!

No, no, no. One more go. One more go.

[JIM] Come on, mate! Swim!

Come on, John!

Hold on! We've got it!

JOHN (V.O.):
I was

done, exhausted...

but apart from a blow to the head

and a twisted knee, I was okay.

Thanks.

JOHN (V.O.):
In the end, after

months of constant danger...

enduring storm and tempest, we

just drifted gently to shore.

And when Rose Noelle could

take us no further...

we slipped into the water

and waded to dry land.

What are you doing, John? Praying?

You blokes didn't have to worry.

We were always going to make

it. We should give thanks.

Let's just be thankful we made

it, mate, eh? That's enough.

Course, we did. What did I tell you?

Dry land... beautiful.

We were never in any danger...

not once... thanks to you.

What about the sail bag? Can anyone see it?

Let's go.

John, we're off, mate.

John... tell me that's

not a pohutakawa tree.

Toitoi... definitely New Zealand.

This way, guys. Looks like a track.

Oh, my god.

(MUSIC FADES UP)

Hello? Hello?

It's locked. What do we do? Break a window?

No, no, no, no. There'll be

a key. There's always a key.

My god, a chair.

- All right.

- I got the peaches.

Not connected.

JOHN (V.O.):
I must have been in shock.

Inside a real house after so long.

Still think we're in South America, mate?

[PHIL] Jesus Christ.

JOHN (V.O.):
I couldn't join

the party; the feeding frenzy.

[PHIL] What do you want?

JOHN (V.O.):
All I could think

of was my poor Rose Noelle...

drifting helpless in the bay.

I wanted to return to her, but

I didn't have the strength.

F***.

Top up there, mate?

Oh, thank you, mate.

Cheers.

What are you up to, buddy?

Chopped sizzlers.

Need a hand?

No. I'm good, I'm really good.

Here. Cheers.

Cheers.

Look at this feast, this house.

We are four, bloody, lucky guys.

[JIM] Yes, we are.

A toast...

Tomorrow, with any luck, we find

a phone and we get off this island.

It's very unlikely the four of us will

ever be alone again. Well, not like this.

John, I want to thank you

for getting us through this.

It's because of you, the Rose Noelle

was a bountiful mother to us all.

To John.

John.

I don't know why you were so certain

that we were going to be saved.

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