Dancing at Lughnasa Page #3

That's a fine hat.

It was a present

from the District Commissioner.

He's a stubborn man.

He and I fight a lot, but I like him.

He calls me "The Irish Outcast. "

When I was leaving,

he gave me a present...

of the last governor's

ceremonial hat.

Well, you must show it to Michael.

I will later.

He's watching you.

He's shy of you.

He'll grow out of it.

Are you gonna be here long enough

to give him time to grow out of it?

I'm gonna buy him a bike.

You trying to break the child's heart?

A bike's what he's always wanted.

- I will buy him a bike.

- Don't lie to him.

Can I talk to you?

I need to ask you a question.

Will you answer me?

I'll ask you anyway.

What color do you like best?

Black or blue?

I need to know if I should buy you

a black or a blue bike.

Black!

Does Mr. Evans ever wonder how

Christina clothes and feeds Michael?

Does he ask her?

Does Mr. Evans care?

Beasts of the field have more concern

for their young than that creature has.

Do you ever listen to yourself?

You are such a damned,

righteous b*tch!

And his name is Gerry.

Don't I know his name is Gerry.

What am I calling him, Saint Patrick?

What was that all about?

Who's to say?

'Twas on the Isle of Capri

that he found her

Beneath the shade

of the old walnut tree

Oh, I can still see

the flowers blooming 'round her

As they met on the Isle of Capri

If you knew your prayers as well

as you knew those old pagan songs...

I am a righteous b*tch,

aren't I?

She was as sweet

as a rose at the dawning

But somehow fate

hadn't meant it to be

And as he sailed

with the tide in the morning

Still his heart's

in the Isle of Capri

- What have you got to sing about?

- Just practicing the fox-trot.

- Where is Gerry?

- He's with Michael.

What are they doing?

His daddy's giving him a ride

on his motorbike.

Motorbike!

Motor...

He'll kill the child!

He'll be all right.

He's with his daddy.

What's wrong? Don't you like

your daddy to kiss you?

- Are you really my daddy?

- You know I am.

You've seen me five or six times.

Don't you remember?

- I've never seen you before this week.

- Yes, you have.

Five or six times.

You've forgotten.

Maybe so.

Look at those strange animals

over there.

What's strange about them?

They've got horns in

the middle of their foreheads.

Do you think they might be unicorns?

Unicorns are horses. Those are sheep.

And there's no horns there.

Can we go home now?

I'm hungry.

All right.

- What was that for?

- I don't know.

I do beg your pardon.

My...

My mind was...

- What are those?

- They're roses. Flowers.

They won't bite ya.

They're just flowers.

Yes, flowers.

We'll put some in your room

for you with a card...

under them saying "roses"

so you know what they are.

Have you taken your medicine yet?

You're supposed to take it

three times a day, you know that.

One of our priests

took too much quinine.

He was addicted.

He almost died.

The local medicine man

made him better.

There's a strange white bird

on my windowsill.

That's Rosie's pet rooster.

- Keep away from that thing.

- One day I'm gonna wring its neck.

In Africa,

when we want to please spirits...

we kill a rooster or a small goat.

What's the word for that called?

A ritual...

No, ceremony. That's the word

I was searching for.

I'm glad I got that.

Spirits, medicine men,

ritual sacrifices.

His head's completely turned.

Here's a special bit for you.

Are youse not hungry?

- Is Gerry eatin' with us?

- He is, I'm sure.

We've only a few eggs left

and some apples.

We'll manage.

You can smell tea

being made a mile away.

I can indeed. I saw Michael and Gerry

on the motorbike.

I'm gonna ask Gerry

to give me a run on it.

You'll do no such thing.

And why aren't they home yet?

They'll be safe.

Is Gerry all right

staying in the barn?

- He's safe staying there.

- Nobody's safe these days.

Somebody's landed Austin Morgan.

He's getting married next month.

Our Kate was very mad

about Austin Morgan. Look at her.

She's blushin'.

- That's enough.

- And Sofia McLoughlin.

She's to be married.

That'll put an end

to her dancin' days.

The other day she had the cheek to ask

if I were going to the harvest dance.

She said it would be

supreme this year.

Supreme. Think I'm gettin'

corns on this foot.

Hope to God I don't end up crippled

like poor Mother, may she rest in peace.

Wouldn't it be a good one

if we all went?

- Went where?

- To the harvest dance.

All dressed up.

I think we should all go.

Have you no idea

what it will be like?

Crawling with cheeky young brats

that I taught years ago.

I'm game.

- You know how I love dancing.

- You have an eight-year-old child.

- Have you forgotten that?

- You can wear that green dress of mine.

You've the figure for it, and it

brings out the color of your eyes.

And you look great in that cotton dress

you got for confirmation last year.

You're beautiful in it.

This is silly talk.

We can't. How can we?

Will you go with us?

- Will Maggie what? Try and stop me.

- Oh, God, Agnes. What do you think?

- We're going!

- We're off. We're away!

- It cost four and six to get in.

- I've five pounds saved.

I'll take you.

I'll take us all.

How many years has it been since

we were at a dance in the village?

And I don't care

how young they are.

How drunk and dirty and sweaty they are.

I want to dance.

It's the festival of Lughnasa.

I want to dance.

I know. I know.

It's settled. We're going.

Like we used to.

I love you, Aggie.

I love you.

Will you come to Abyssinia

Will you come

Bring your own cup

and a saucer and a bun

Mussolini will be there

with his airplanes in the air

Will you come to Abyssinia

Will you come

We're going nowhere.

Look at yourselves, will ya?

Mature women... dancing?

What's come over you all?

We're going to no harvest dance.

And you were going to pay for us all

out of five pounds you saved?

I don't see any of that being

offered up for the housekeeping.

That's more than I have!

This isn't your classroom.

Maybe I should start

knittin' gloves.

I wash every stitch

of clothes you wear.

I polish your shoes.

I make your bed.

We both do, Rose and I!

Paint the house,

sweep the chimney...

cut the grass, save the turf.

What you have here

are two unpaid servants.

And if you will now

keep your mouth shut...

this unpaid servant

will make your tea.

Mr. Evans'll be off again...

for another 12 months.

Christina will sob and lament

in the middle of the night.

I don't think I could go through

another winter like that.

You work hard at your job.

You try to keep the home together.

Suddenly, you realize

the cracks are appearing everywhere.

- It's all about to collapse.

- Nothing's about to collapse.

But what I'm most worried about

is Rose.

If I lose my job,

if this house is broken up...

what'll become of our Rosie?

Evening, ladies.

Look at me, everybody,

on my dad's motorbike!

Okawa, I'm coming home.

I'm coming home.

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