Archipelago Page #3

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E:
Here, I'll grab that.

P:
Morning.

C:
Hi.

E:
All right?

R:
After you. Thank you.

> Edward closes the door. The group walks along a stonelined path, Cynthia pulling on a hat of her dad's.

P (laughing):
You look lovely in that.

R:
I'm worried I've forgotten something.

C:
Let me take that.

R:
Well, if we have...

E:
You've done all the work. It's fine.

C:
Yeah, as long as you've got the wine.

R:
Yeah, but, you know, I get the blame if something goes wrong! Joking. It'll be fine.

> They stop at the end of the path, debating which way to go before turning left.

> An empty hillside, heads slowly coming into view as the group follows the path.

> A hill covered in boulders; Edward and Cynthia in the lead, Edward carrying the picnic basket. Cynthia starts to run, Edward chasers after her passing her easily.

R:
Look after that lunch!

Cyn:
Ow! Ow! Wait, Edward, wait. Wait, I'm hurt. Can you give me a hand? I think I've pulled a muscle. Ow! Oh.

E:
You okay?

C:
Yeah.

E:
Ah!

Cyn:
Right, I can't go any further.

> They walk through some ruins, grouping together by speed.

Cyn:
She's in the same office as me. She'll carry on working for a couple of years, and then settle down and have babies. It's all rather perfect.

R:
It depends. Some jobs are very...

> They come to a large fork in the road with multiple paths

P:
Do you remember, Christopher?

C:
Uh, you go to the left.

E:
To the left?

C:
Yeah, just follow this...

Cyn:
It is, isn't it? This path?

E:
Yeah, that'll take us there.

Cyn:
Okay. Come on.

R:
It looks like it's clearing up.

C:
Yeah. It's no wind, I suppose.

R:
Mmm.

E:
I never really was very good at that. Spotting patterns in figures and things.

Cyn:
No. It's a shame, just having been given the opportunity..It was all pretty set up.

P:
There's an awful lot you can't do when you're doing that kind of work.

R:
Not exactly nourishing.

Cyn:
Pity he couldn't stick at it just for a bit longer. Must be a bit embarrassing for Dad.

P:
You don't have to be embarrassed for your dad!It's not going to reflect on him.

> The group continues down the path, Edward veering off and away from his mother and sister, keeping a wide berth.

> The group sits in front of a rock formation on the hillside, Rose pouring champagne from the picnic basket.

R:
Anyone else? Edward?

E:
No, thank you. I'm all right, actually.

> Edward picks up the hat Cynthia was wearing, puts it on. Patricia immediately starts to chuckle.

Cyn:
You look just like Dad with that on.

P:
You do! How weird.

E:
Have I got it on the wrong way round?

P:
No, it's the right way round.

Cyn:
That's how I wear it.

E (imitating his dad): "I'll bally go and shoot those pheasants!" "Pull!"

Cyn:
F***!

> A shot of the ocean, showing the passing of time.

E:
There's a kind of Western fatigue about AIDS, I think, and... but it's still huge there. You know, ever since the '80s, the mid-'80s, when people understood what a big deal it was, I think now, in Africa, it's as big a deal as it ever was, but we've got a bit tired of hearing about it. And it's killing people all the time.

P:
You don't think it's a lost cause?

E:
No, of course it's not a lost cause.

P:
And you think you're going to make a difference?

E:
Yeah. If I can stop one person, one 13-year-old, if I can connect with just one person, and he understands what I'm talking about and protects himself against, you know, using safe sex, then I'll have done my job. I can't, I'm not the President of the UN, there's no policy-making, but at least I hope, I'd hope I'd be connecting with people, you know, on the ground. How else are you supposed to do it? Yeah.

R:
Is everybody finished?

C:
Yeah, thanks.

Cyn:
Yeah, I think so.

E:
Can I have this apple? Can I have this apple?

Cyn:
Of course you can.

E:
Does anyone else want this apple? Okay

R:
No more brownies? Are you sure?

E:
I might save some for tea, later.

R:
They were that good?

E:
They were that good.

> Patricia sits with Christopher, the picnic baskets behind them, sketchbooks in hand.

C:
I think, in this sort of situation, it's best to do just quick, spontaneous work.

P:
Yeah, OK. OK, OK.

C:
Does he like, uh, doe he like you painting?Does he appreciate that aspect?

P:
I think so. I think he thinks if I like it, it's a nice thing.

C:
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's a kind of place you can go, isn't it, you can just kind of relax and forget everything.

P:
I don't think he gets the full measure of it, though, you know. I don't think... I don't think Will's very strong on imagination. He doesn't like to.... give himself up to things like this.

C:
Yeah, yeah. Well, I suppose he's got other things to think about.

P:
Do you understand that?

> Rose climbs out of a cave, hugging boulders; just exploring the area.

> A solitary phone sits on a window ledge in its own little room off the parlor; the handset sitting beside it. Patricia enters the frame and picks it up, talking to her estranged husband.

P:
Hello, darling. How are you? Where are you calling from? Oh. Well, we're really looking forward to it. Yes, we really are, we really are. Marvellous being here with the children. Yes, they're well, yes. Edward's full of Africa. Erm... We've done some things, we've been out, the weather's been lovely, but it would be very nice if you were here with us.

> It's raining. Edward still rides his bike, headed somewhere.

> Christopher stands atop a hill, Edward leaves his bike and walks up the rest of the way, watching him paint.

C:
I'm not going to do much blue.So, you see, if I got rid of those blues there, then the other colours become, kind of, the blues. So, they exist in relationship to all the other colours, and they take on a blueness. It's kind of what I'm trying to do. To approach it more, sort of, at a slightly more intriguing tangent. Understatement. Yeah. I quite like that blue.

E:
Mmm.

C:
It's kind of joyous.

> Rose stands on a dock, watching a boat approaching.

Man:
Hello, Rose.

R:
Hello.

Man:
Bit of a breezy afternoon.

R:
Yeah. To say the least.

Man:
Yes. Right.

R:
Oh, perfect.

Man:
Delivery of lobsters.

R:
Thank you so much. Great, how much do I owe you?

Man:
One of each. It's 35, please.

R:
35, OK.

Man:
Male and a female there for you.

R:
Oh, really? And how do you tell the difference?

Man:
Well, let's have a look.

R:
Here we go. I've got 40 there. Do you have any change?

Man:
We'll sort the change out in a minute, don't worry.

R:
OK.

Man:
See, that's a female. Turn her over. See the length of the shell covering her tail?

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