City of Joy Page #3

In the beginning it was really frustrating

trying to convince them not to be so.

So bloody passive and then.

I realised that I was fighting a thousand

years of acceptance.

Well maybe you should stop

interfering.

Maybe I should.

Joan Di.

Kamla, you've got to

stop doing this.

Happy people are fat, Joan Di.

Thanks.

So where do you get

the bucks for this set-up?

I get a bit from the Swiss

organisation and my ex-husband sends

Jack.

He's great.

Uh-huh!

I'm not very good at loving just

one person.

Seems to work out better if I spread

it around a bit.

Can I ask you something?

Don't you feel it's just a little

bit stupid

trying to drill a hole

in water like this?

Not nearly as stupid as asking for

a hand and being turned down.

Well

Max.

May I be so bold as to ask

what you believe in?

Do you believe in anything?

Absolutely, lady.

I believe in the Dallas Cowboys, the

most oohsisteht winners of the modern era

Excuse me, Mr Max.

Do you saw 'flims'?

Do I saw 'flims'?

He's asking that do you seem 'flim'

when you were small?

If I saw 'flims' when I You mean movies,

pictures?

I saw 'flims' all the time.

I saw three a week two on Saturday

cartoons Donald Duck.

You're great with kids, anyway.

Do you know what I've come

to think in my old age, Max?

No idea, you're pretty much

an enigma to me.

I think, in life, a person

really only has three choices.

And I don't suppose there's any

way you're not gonna tell me is there?

To run

to spectate

or to commit.

That's very tidy.

Simple minded but tidy.

You're awfully, badly twisted around,

Well one of us sure the hell is.

I'm off, Sister Joan.

Ah, goodnight, god bless Doctor Sunil.

Yeah.

Comes from a wealthy medical family.

Donates his time.

Very generous spirited young man.

And clearly not twisted around.

Hey!

No, no, I have to go home.

Hello, miss.

Come.

Okay, bye, see you tomorrow.

Manooj baba is come.

Hey, hey everybody listen.

Good news really good news.

And what is that?

Hasari has got a regular customer.

And who is that person?

That schoolgirl.

On a monthly basis, you say?

Oh yes.

You must pay for the tea today.

Yes, yes.

Kamla, wine.

The Gods have smiled Hasari has got a

regular customer.

A great day.

It's been a lucky day.

Here

this is for Amrita.

For her dowry.

Let's start a little shelf for her.

Bring me a glass of water.

Yes, baba.

Here.

What's that, baba?

Seeds.

What for?

So that we can watch something grow.

Coming, son.

God bless you.

Ask him, ask him, ask him.

Baba.

There is a doctor from America.

He sees two 'flims'

and also Mickey Mouse on Saturday.

Can he eat with us?

Go go ask him.

Come, come.

Doctor Max, Doctor Max.

Will you eat with us today?

Sure.

See this is the earth from our village.

And water from our new home.

When these seeds grow into flowers.

We'll pluck them and put them in your hair.

On your wedding day.

Shambu

go and get some tea.

Yes, baba.

And then everybody will look at you.

And say oh, how beautiful she is.

And I'll shed tears of joy.

I was so frightened

my brother gave me something to drink.

I went out to piss under

a tree and fell asleep.

And when I woke up.

I thought I married the tree.

I still love that tree.

If I could pay off the money lender

I'd go straight back to my village.

So what's a dowry, Ram?

A heavy burden.

Why do you bother?

Well, it's our duty.

An honour.

Thank you, Surya.

Without this our daughters can't marry.

Ma!

Joan Di, Joan Di.

Anouar?

We need a doctor.

Anouar what's what's wrong?

It's my wife!

- It's Meeta.

- Please help my sister.

All right, all right, Poomina.

Anouar what's wrong?

It is her time

but something is wrong.

We need Doctor Sunil.

Ram.

run for Doctor Sunil.

Oh no, he's not there

it's his cousin's wedding.

Oh God, how,

how long has she been in labour?

Long, long time.

Poomina when did the bleeding start?

Twenty minutes I think.

The midwives, they don't know what to do.

What shall we do?

I don't know what to do!

Max!

I will come with you.

I have treat your him.

- Have me diazepan?

- No.

- Sparine.

- No.

- You have anything and morphine to cut.

- Notthing.

All right.

I'll need a sterho scope

a suturing kit, a thermometer

hot swabs, compresses.

Do you have a, a local anaesthetic?

No sparine, no morphine, no local

anaesthetic, no organisation.

You've got some nerve calling that

place a clinic, you know that?

Yeah, we haven't got a brain scanner

either, Max, but we're doing the best we can.

Sh*t!

Kamla

Kamla

here careful, don't touch anything here.

If your heart is clean

nothing happens.

Baby's breeched backward.

Stethoscope.

Heartbeafs strong.

But I'm, I'm going to have to turn it.

Okay

I need some I need some air!

Get her out of here.

Okay, tell her to relax these

muscles as much as she can.

I'm gonna work from the outside and

the inside.

Don't worry, you just every

thing'll be okay.

No medication.

It's gonna be a rollercoaster.

No.

Okay.

Okay, Kamla.

It's getting fainter

I can't hear the heartbeat.

Max, I can't hear the heartbeat.

Take her hand and squeeze

like hell now.

Now!

Joan, hold her hips.

Hold her hips!

Massage against me now.

Massage against me.

Don't die on me don't die please, don't me.

Get some more hot water, quickly,

quickly, come on.

Don't worry, he's doing his best.

Massage.

Push, Meeta

Wait, wait, wait, wait

I've got it, I've got the head, wait!

Wait.

Push push!

It's coming it's coming.

I got it--I got it.

Lookee here it's a boy.

It's a boy, lady.

Hey little fella hiya little buddy.

Please scream your heart out.

There you go.

...forceps.

How is it, how is it?

It' s a boy, daddy.

And he's got all his stuff.

What can you expect Said!

Your wife was incredible.

Kamla, you were absolutely

Thank you for your kind words.

I was dearly blessed to marry her.

Have you birthed many babies?

Not for a long time.

Max.

We desperately need a doctor here full time.

Will you just

I'm sorry.

Maybe you have it in you to be a saint,

Sister Joan, but it's just not my style.

Oh, so what are you going to be

when you grow up, doctor?

Look, don't do that, lady!

Don't patronise me because you are

on some goddam good do-gooder trip.

Don't you snarl at me or I'll

smack you upside the head.

Don't do this!

You know I don't even feel good

about what we did down there today.

Bringing in another little mouth to feed

in this cesspool of a country

Feel good!

Who the hell cares if you feel good?

What makes you so special?

You're jusst another person like the

rest of us doing the beset you can to.

...to tade care of yourself any too

bloody well as far as I can make out.

Don't talk to me like you

think you know me,laby!

Look, you need help

Don't be a coward, ask for it.

I don't need your help.

Have a pleasant journey home, Max.

Goodbye and god bless you.

Mr Max.

I -- I think you have a good heart.

Thank you for...

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