Billy Page #2

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back then.

Mm.

Different now, though, eh, Billy?

This is for you.

Oh, no, you know

you don't need to do this, Ruby.

I have a job.

I can look after the both of us.

Shut up, girl, and take it.

It's just until that son of mine

gets a real job.

Oh, keep it, honestly, Ruby.

You should be taking it easy.

Stop working so hard.

Don't you worry about me, girl.

Go on, buy yourself something nice.

You deserve it, having to put up

with him all the time.

You know I love him more

than anything in the world?

I feel good about you, Lynn.

Mum's right. The music industry

is a risky business.

Yeah, and if you become

a traffic cop,

she'll be worried about the accidents

and the explosions just like on TV.

Lynn believes in you, son.

What if I stuff up?

What if you don't?

Hello? Mrs Hastings?

Come on in.

It's open.

This place is great.

What do we have to do?

Nothing.

Just meet the landlady.

Just had to lock the dog up.

He doesn't bite,

but he's a bit yappy with strangers.

Uh, this is my fiance, Billy.

He loves it already.

Hello.

William Taitoko.

I... I'm sorry. There's, um...

been a bit of a problem.

What sort of problem?

Uh, the flat's no longer available.

- But you said...

- I thought it was,

but it isn't.

It's my mistake.

But I've paid a deposit.

Yes, so you did, but I...

I haven't banked it yet.

There you go.

- Hey, Lynn, let's go.

- No, hold on a minute.

- Lynn, just...

- You can't do this.

But I have done it.

I've let the flat to someone else.

I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.

Lynn, can we just...?

I don't get it.

She was so nice the other day.

I'm really sure she was charming

till she saw the colour of my skin.

It's terrible.

We should do something about it.

Nah, don't make a fuss.

We can't do anything, anyway.

Oh, Billy, I'm sorry.

Hey, don't worry.

We'll find somewhere really good.

We don't want that bossy old cow

as a landlady, anyway.

Shh.

# Get up with the sun

# and go running to the sea.

# Cast away your mourning clothes

and fly away with me.

# Taste the salt upon you.

# Feel the warming sand.

# Find a singing shell and hold

the ocean in your hand.

# Feel the breath of the air

# and the peace and

the call of the sea.

# It's the one place I know you

can go any time to be free. #

Here.

Maybe we should get into bed.

That's an idea.

Oh, the light.

Oh.

Billy, I'm no expert.

It's my first time.

Christ.

You too, eh?

Oh.

You know what I've been thinking?

Give me a five-minute smoko break,

then you can tell me.

Maybe your mum's right.

We shouldn't wait to have kids.

You sure?

Can you imagine us as parents?

A mum and a dad.

Yeah.

Yeah, I like it.

Do you ever think about

your birth family?

Yeah.

Yeah, I used to.

Used to, uh, think about

why I was the one they gave away.

They wanted the best for you.

All these years and not one visit.

How could anyone

just abandon their kid like that?

Use this to blow your nose...

and ask the teacher

if you need to go to the toilet.

If you don't understand something

that the teacher tells you,

just pretend you do.

No point in arguing,

because that Pakeha...

he always wins.

Be a good boy.

But I want to go home with you.

You have to be strong, Billy.

Off you go now.

This is William Taitoko,

and he's new today.

Tell us something

about yourself, William.

How many brothers and sisters

do you have?

Only the Deaf

use Sign Language, William.

We use our words.

Got one sister.

Name's Ngaire.

Just one?

Really?

We get a little smack

if we don't tell the truth.

How many brothers and sisters

do you have, William?

Ten.

Good.

Now, take a seat next to Peter.

This morning we are reading

about a little fox...

who tries to cross

a bubbling brook.

What's a bubbling brook?

A little stream.

Ah, you mean a creek.

I suppose I do.

Bubbling brook. Bubbling brook.

Bubbling brook.

# There you goin', baby.

# Here am I.

# Well, you left me here

so I could sit and cry.

# Well, golly gee,

what have you...? #

Hello!

Well?

How'd it go?

Good. Yes, good. I had fun.

Yeah, but did you get it?

Let's just say you could be looking

at the next Maori Volcanic.

If I want to.

You promised me if you got in,

you'd forget this traffic cop business.

- Nah, that's not it.

- Your mum will come round.

The Volcanics go on tour in 2 weeks

and the band's going to the UK.

That's exciting.

And we won't be back for two years.

You come with us.

I can't do that, Billy.

But this is the UK.

I'm not giving up my life here

to follow you around England.

That kind of life, all those clubs,

where do I fit into that?

Yeah, I'll just...

- I'll tell them I can't come.

- No.

- I'm not going without you.

- This is your dream.

And if you don't go,

we'll both be miserable.

We trust each other, don't we?

I'll miss you too much.

Well, you just make sure

you call me every week.

At 100 dollars a pop?

You gotta be kidding.

I'll call... and I'll write...

and I'll stay away from girls

with short skirts and foul mouths.

- No, leave it!

- It might be the Volcanics.

Hello?

Hey, hi, sis.

No, hey, hey.

Hey, what's up?

No, that can't be right.

No, not Mum.

Kei te whaea Ruby...

anei ratou to whanau

e tangi e haku nei.

Tiraha mai koe i roto

i te kopu o te whenua.

Takoto, takoto, takoto.

Ngungare hote te pu.

He one kite one.

I don't know what to say.

Tena koe, boy.

Tena korua.

Kia ora, uncle.

Te tama o Ruby, ne?

E pai kite kite a koe.

The last time I saw your mum,

she was going on all about you,

her famous son.

Mum said that?

Oh yeah.

We're all proud of you here, boy.

You know, it may not be

the happiest occasion,

but it's bloody good

to have you home, eh?

I haven't had much opportunity

to come down here before.

Don't need any reason to come home.

We're all family here.

They won't change

just because we've buried Ruby.

Kia kaha.

Ka pai.

This place gives me the creeps.

Like I'm going to rock up to that

guy's house with a bottle of whisky.

He's just being friendly.

Hey, if Mum had wanted us to be Maoris,

she would have brought us up like Maoris.

She wanted us to succeed, Lynn.

All I'm saying is

you don't have to turn your back.

Oh, that's enough.

Your mum always gave me

too much meat and too many spuds.

Could never eat the bloody things.

Dad?

Just gonna wash my hands.

There a law against that?

Well, at least he's seeing Mum's death

in a positive light...

doesn't have to eat any more.

How's he gonna cope? She did everything

for him, even ironed his socks.

He's just washing his hands.

It's when they stop keeping

themselves clean you have to worry.

Nah, he's just nipped

outside for a fag.

I should never have listened to him.

He's clearly not ready to live by himself.

Maybe we could move in for a little while

just till he gets back on his feet.

You're off to the UK tomorrow.

There is no way

I'm leaving the old man.

Ngaire and I are quite capable

of looking after him while you're gone.

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