Almost Angels Page #3

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All right.

OK, Toni...

Look.

:muffled!

:choir continues singing!

! His back is bent beneath the load

! The letters, we're awaiting

! The news, anticipating

! My goodness, we all feel the same

! It's time the postman came

Again.

! It's time the mailman came

! Our watches say the same

! The letters, we are awaiting

! The news, anticipating

! My goodness, we all feel the same

! It's time the postman came

! Here's mail for one and all

! Now answer to my call

! For you, a letter

! And, for thee

a package from across the sea

! The parcels, fascinating

! And letters here are waiting

! So gather round and you shall see

! Here's mail for one and all

! So gather round and we shall see

! There's mail for one and all !

- Toni.

- Yes, sir.

l want to talk to you

about your entrance today.

Don't you think it was

a little bit foolish of you?

Peter.

That stunt of young Toni's,

spectacular, but a little dangerous.

Did you know about it?

Yes, sir.

Of course, he swore you didn't.

He said he thought it up

all by himself.

But he might have fallen, you know.

l'm sorry, sir. lt was my fault.

Well, maybe.

l don't expect you to be

a flock of angels,

even though you sing like them.

But you are the eldest, Peter.

All right.

Anyway, his solo was good, wasn't it?

Yes, it was.

Take a little interest in him

and help him along, if you can.

Good.

:boy singing!

Why are you learning that?

l'm supposed to sing it

at High Mass, Sunday.

But it's so hard.

l'm not really good enough.

Who says so?

Come on.

So, it was all your own idea, was it?

What?

Oh, climbing in through the window.

Yes. 'Course it was.

Come on, sing.

:singing!

No. No, no, no.

You're taking it too slow.

Sorry.

:singing!

Again, from here.

:singing!

:classical music plays!

:sighing!

:chuckles!

Stop fidgeting.

Why don't they

give us cushions to sit on?

Be quiet.

Remember where you are.

l know that all right.

How much longer?

Shhh,

:singing!

He sings again, doesn't he?

l think so. Shhh.

:song ends!

:accordion music playing!

:boys singing!

:chattering indistinctly!

- :
Max! Toni.

- Yes?

- Where's Peter? Have you seen him?

- No, l haven't.

He hasn't eaten his lunch yet.

Go and look for him,

will you, please?

- OK, l will.

- Hey, wait for me.

:Peter humming!

:stops humming!

Might have been Heller himself.

- Best orchestra l ever heard.

- Especially the strings.

No, Give it back,

lt's none of your business,

lt's a song. Words and all.

ls it yours, Peter?

Let me see.

Come on, boys, let's sing it.

OK.

- You'd only laugh.

- Why should we?

Come on, Peter, you conduct.

Go on, Peter.

Yeah, give us the note.

All right...

...but if you laugh...

...l'll murder the bunch of you.

All right, here's the note.

:hums note!

Now.

! Oh, once upon a time

! Oh, once upon a time

! There lived a hen, and every day

! As hens will do, an egg she'd lay

! And thought she was sublime

! And thought she was sublime

:mimicking chicken clucking musically!

! And thought she was sublime

! And nearby was a stream

! And nearby was a stream

! And in the stream there lived a trout

! Who very calmly swam about

! And listened to her scream

! And listened to her scream

:clucking!

! And listened to her scream

! The trout said to the hen

! The trout said to the hen

! Why such a fuss forjust one, dear?

! I lay a million eggs a year

! And never flip a fin

! And never flip a fin

:clucking musically!

! Nor end up in a tin

! Nor end up in a tin

:clucking musically rapidly!

IMax joining]

! Nor end up in a tin !

:piano and oboe music playing!

:Toni plays wrong note!

Never mind, let's do it again.

He's frowning terribly, Mom.

Aw, don't you worry, dear.

l'll deal with him. Come on.

Hello, Dad.

lt's not very good, is it?

lt's not good at all.

But look, dear,

just because they say his...

What is that you were playing?

That? Oh, it's Mozart.

Do you have a lesson every day?

- Most days.

- Besides your singing?

We sing every day, of course.

Will you take that...

thing on the tour with you?

l suppose so, if l go on the tour.

What do you mean?

You are going, aren't you?

l don't know.

They might not let me, because of that.

You mean because

your arithmetic's not so good,

they'll stop you

from going on the tour?

That's a fine thing, isn't it?

Well, l won't have it.

But you always said

if his schoolwork wasn't good, you...

Never mind what l said.

The boy's a musician,

any fool can see that.

And l'm not having them

spoil his chances

for the sake of a lot of figures.

Dad, you mean it?

You leave it to me, son.

l'll talk to that director of yours.

Come on, now.

Let's hear some more music.

Arithmetic, :
scoffs!

No, no, no, not that.

Sing.

:Mrs. Fiala plays piano!

:singing in German!

:Mrs. Fiala joins singing!

:Mr. Fiala hums to music!

:singing!

:song ends!

But, Herr Fiala,

when Toni first came here,

it was you who insisted

it was his schooling that mattered.

A man can change his mind, can't he?

But in three or four years' time,

when his voice breaks...

Arithmetic, who cares

if he's not so good at it?

He's not going to be a bank clerk

or a lawyer or a bookkeeper, is he?

Possibly not.

Let me tell you, that boy's got talent.

And if you can't see it, l can.

l'm sorry, Herr Eisinger.

l'm afraid my husband

is rather outspoken.

l know my own mind, that's all.

But you understand, don't you, that

the final decision must rest with me?

All the other boys are going,

aren't they?

As it happens, yes.

Their schoolwork was satisfactory.

And Toni's wasn't? All right, then.

But l want him to go on that tour,

and that's final,

Your husband may not be a musician,

but he knows

how to change his tune, doesn't he?

:piano music playing!

! Alas, my love

! You do me wrong

! To cast me off discourteously

! And I have loved you so long

! Delighting in

! Your company

! Greensleeves

! Was all my joy

! Greensleeves

! Was my delight

! Greensleeves

! Was my heart of gold

! And who but my Lady

! Greensleeves !

Very nice, fellows.

But you haven't told us yet

where we're going on tour this year.

- You must tell us now.

- Please, sir.

All right, all right.

We're going to lndia,

Japan and Australia.

:all cheering loudly!

Wow,

l told you it was gonna be Australia,

l'm gonna buy a boomerang.

:mimics boomerang sound!

:loud thud!

And now about the Strauss opera.

l've picked the cast

and the director has approved it.

Peter, this time

you'll play Kipfel the baker.

lt's within your range and not too high.

Yes, sir.

Uh, Friedel,

you'll be Mitzi,

the baker's daughter, all right?

Yes, sir.

Who's going to be my boyfriend?

Franz...

Let's see, now...

Oh, yes. That'll be you, Toni.

Joseph, you'll play the dandy.

Ferdy, you are the policeman.

And, Gerhard, you'll be

the captain of the guard.

Yes, sir.

Hey,

They should be turned up,

shouldn't they?

Don't take them off, l'll pin them.

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