Another Year Page #9

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Hasn't changed much, has it?

Hello, mate.

How are you, Ron?

Hi, Ronnie.

TOM:
Do you recognise Joe?

- I've grown a bit.

How are you managing, Ronnie?

I'll be glad when this is over.

- This is the hardest day.

- Yeah.

- She was a lovely person.

- She was.

Very kind.

Have you been eating

over the weekend, Ronnie?

I had some beans.

Need a bit more than that, though, don't you?

Do you want something now?

Nah.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah.

- We brought a load of sandwiches, Ron.

- Some beers.

So where's Carl?

I told him when and where.

The question is, if he'll turn up.

Well, that's up to him.

He'd bloody better.

Cheers, Gez.

- The hearse will be here soon.

- Yeah.

There you are, Ronnie.

Can I have one of them beers now?

Yeah, you're all right. Go on.

Ta.

- Hello.

- Hello. Mr Hepple?

Yes, I'm Tom Hepple.

I think we spoke on the phone.

This is my brother, Ronnie.

- Hello.

- He's Linda's husband.

- Are you all ready?

- Yes, we are, yes. Just the four of us.

Have you got the keys, Ronnie?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

- Mr Hepple?

- Yes.

This is Robert, your minister.

- I'm Tom Hepple.

- Oh, yes.

This is my brother, Ronnie,

Linda's husband.

Robert Saunter.

I shall be taking the service.

We're expecting Ronnie's son,

Carl, to be here,

but he doesn't appear

to have turned up yet.

Right, well, we'd... best be started.

Yes. Yes.

- Are you all ready?

- Yeah.

Thank you.

# BACH:

Air On The G String

FUNERAL DIRECTOR:

Thank you.

"I am the resurrection and the life,"

says the Lord.

"Those who believe in me,

even though they die, will live.

Everyone who lives and believes in me

will never die."

I am convinced that neither death,

nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,

nor powers, nor things present,

nor things to come,

nor height, nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation

will be able to separate us from the love

of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have entrusted our sister,

Linda Margaret, to God's mercy,

and we now commit her body to be cremated.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes,

dust to dust,

in sure and certain hope

of the resurrection to eternal life,

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who will transform our frail bodies

that they may be conformed

to his glorious body,

who died, was buried

and rose again for us.

To him be glory forever.

Amen.

May God give you his comfort

and his peace, his light and his joy,

in this world and the next.

And the blessing of God Almighty...

(door opens)

...the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit

be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen.

You are welcome.

# ELGAR:

Enigma Variations IX Nimrod

You're joking, aren't you?

Hello, Carl.

- Is that it?

- It's all over, Carl.

I'm really sorry.

TOM:
That was just right.

- Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Thank you. God bless you.

Unbelievable.

Why couldn't you wait?

There's another one coming up behind us.

You can't wait.

- They can't wait five minutes?

- No. We asked them.

- Outrageous.

- What happened to you?

- Motorway was f***ed up.

- Should have taken that into account.

- I did.

- Obviously not enough.

I'll never forgive you for this.

You know that, don't you?

- Don't blame me.

- It's not his fault.

I might have known

you'd pull a stunt like this.

- Carl.

- What?

It's Joe.

Oh, yeah. All right?

Carl, I'm really sorry.

We're going back to the house,

to your mum's.

If you want to come...

- I gotta go back there, any road, so...

- All right. We'll see you there.

Hello, I'm Tom. Ronnie's brother.

- We're going back to the house.

- Are you friends of Linda?

How long have you worked with her?

Are you coming back to the house?

- Good. We'll see you there.

- Do you have transport?

Do you know the way?

We'll see you there, then.

Carl said he is going back.

When was the last time you saw Carl?

A couple of years ago.

Just turns up out of the blue, doesn't he?

When he can be bothered.

When did we last see him?

TOM:
I can't remember.

Five, ten years ago?

It was the year your mum died.

- Was it?

- Mm.

- No.

JOE:
No, '95.

TOM:

Yeah.

Don't know.

JOE:
So, hang on.

When did he stay with us in London?

- That was in the '80s.

- You were nine.

He always wore black, didn't he?

Mm.

It's tragic.

He was such a lovely kid, full of fun.

Was he?

Hi. Come on in.

- Thanks, love.

- Hello. Come in.

Hiya.

- Do you want to go through?

- Thank you.

- You find it all right?

- Aye, aye. No problem.

- Shall I take your coat?

- Er... no, you're all right, duck, thanks.

Shall I take your coats, ladies?

- Thank you.

TOM:
Right.

GERRI:

Joe, is there another chair in there?

Yeah.

It was a very nice service.

It was, wasn't it? Simple, straightforward.

That's what you wanted, wasn't it, Ronnie?

Nothing fancy.

No.

- Good job it didn't rain.

- (others laugh politely)

- It's a nice spot that, isn't it?

- Mm.

We've seen a few off from there,

haven't we?

- Aye, we have over the years.

- Aye.

Have you worked with Linda for long?

About ten years.

How about you, Maggie?

Not as long as that, no.

She was a lovely lady.

- She was, yeah.

- We weren't that close.

- She'll be much missed.

- It was such a shock.

Be a big change for you, Ronnie,

having to look after yourself.

You get used to it though, Ronnie.

- Eight years for me, now.

- Is it?

Aye.

(door opening)

It's Carl.

All right, Carl?

- 'Ey up, Carl.

- Excuse me, mate.

- Do you want a drink, Carl?

- You got tea, beers...

...couple of bottles of wine.

Sort myself out, ta.

- Are you local, then, Frank?

- Aye, aye, I'm just a few streets down.

- You know, Palmer's Street.

- Oh, yeah.

I haven't lived in Derby for 40 years.

- How are you, Carl?

- All right. You?

We're all fine.

This must have been

a bit of a shock for you.

I'll say.

- Where are you living?

- Up in Yorkshire.

- Are you working?

- Don't need an interrogation.

There's food out here

when you want it.

WOMAN:

It's all changed.

- No post for me, then?

- No.

None from you, either.

- Eh?

- There's none from you.

Not lost your sense of humour, then?

Who sorted all this lot out?

- We did.

- We brought it with us.

- From London?

- Yeah.

Nice.

You didn't get your arse in gear, Ronnie?

- He didn't need to, we offered.

- Did you?

- Yeah.

- It's his responsibility, though, in't it?

Don't underestimate

the shock he's had, Carl.

Yeah, I know.

Very fragile, in't he, your brother?

- His wife's just died.

- His wife.

Didn't much care for her

when she was alive.

- Did you?

- I beg your pardon?

- Did you care for her, Carl?

- Tom?

- I cared for her in my own way.

- Carl.

- What way was that?

- She knew how I felt.

- Did she?

- Shut it.

Don't tell me how to behave in my house.

- It's not your house.

- It is, as much as it is his.

Tom.

- And what are you looking at?

- I'm looking at you, Carl.

Well, I don't like it.

Don't feel you need to hang about, duck.

We best get going.

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