December Boys Page #4

you didn't want to be adopted.

You think getting adopted

is gonna fix anything?

You don't get it. Everyone leaves.

Up to this time, Maps thought

we were all in the same boat.

Now he realized he was hanging

off the side on his own.

I never fully understood why Maps

reached out to Fearless that night...

... and I never asked.

- Tickets for the Wall of Death.

Get your tickets

for the Wall of Death.

Ladies and gentlemen,

boys and girls...

...the most bone-rattling...

...jaw-clenching...

...nail-biting...

...death-defying act

you've ever seen.

The one, the only,

the bravest man on two wheels...

...Fearless Forte!

Get your tickets

for the Wall of Death.

The bravest man on two wheels...

Son, he's just over there.

Go on. Get a move on.

It's not smoko yet.

What are you doing here?

Maps. Hey...

You're sh*t.

- Maps...

- You lied.

You're a liar like all the rest.

You made out you're some

kind of a hero, but you're nothing.

You're worse than nothing.

It's a job, man.

Stop lying. Like you could ever

adopt one of us.

Like you've got the right

to be our father.

You're a nobody.

We don't need you.

- Maps...

- We don't need anyone.

Maps.

Do you want a lift home?

Clive!

Get your ass back here now.

Where have you been?

- Where's the others?

- Looking for you.

We've been worried about you.

You must let us know

where you are, son.

Son?

What are you doing?

Get your things. Now.

We're leaving. Come on!

- Get your stuff.

- Where are we going?

Home. It's all been a lie.

- Just shut up and get your stuff!

- Stop!

Misty, get off!

I'm trying to look after you!

Nice spot you got here.

Sh*t.

The little bloke do that?

You guys fight worse than brothers.

We are brothers.

Leave me alone. I'll be all right.

Yeah, I don't doubt that.

What about the others?

You just gonna abandon them

because you're mad at Lucy?

You don't know anything about it.

Well, at least there's something

that I do know.

You're wrong what you said to me.

Teresa and me

would make good parents.

And we would've had a load of kids

around now if it weren't for me.

I crashed the bike

with Tess on the back.

We used to be a team in the shows.

She spent half a year in hospital.

And I tried to keep it going

on my own, but...

Does Teresa know?

Tess always knows.

Help!

Help me!

Maps!

Maps!

Help! Help! Anyone, help!

Maps! Help, it's Misty!

Hang on, Misty!

- What happened?

- The rip got him.

- He fell off the rocks.

- Get help.

You can't swim!

Look at us. We're swimming.

I'm drowning.

Hang onto me, catch your breath.

Shellback!

Really, we tried to save you.

We did.

I was trying to save you, I swear.

I came into the water.

It was up to my neck.

I went to the McAnsh's, and...

But then I went to Shellback.

How you feeling, boys?

I'm better than I was.

I gotta say, mate...

...you're braver than me, going out

there not knowing how to swim.

Well done.

I was just a couple of feet

away from you.

You were 75 yards out

or something.

- I could almost grab...

- Who wants some soup? Hey?

Yeah, okay.

I might have saved you. But l...

Something just pulled me away.

Something just pulled me.

Come on.

So, what do we got?

Did you see her?

Thanks.

I suppose you're the one.

You showed us all up.

Yeah. For an old bloke,

you came through.

I don't want to be adopted.

You don't?

No.

I like... Well, I like things

the way they are.

My money's on you, Misty.

We were running out of time and hope,

and there was still no answer.

No one seemed to notice

that the biggest moment of my life...

... was about to get left behind.

I'm tired of waiting.

Come through. Come through.

So guess you're all packed up.

Sit down. Sit down.

I wanna know

if you're gonna adopt me.

I heard you tell Father Scully

you were gonna adopt one of us.

If you're gonna adopt anyone,

it ought to be Misty.

- Not so fast. I've got qualities.

- I can run fast.

- You can't even stay conscious.

- Hey, boys. Boys.

We've made up our minds.

We wish we could adopt all of you.

You're all such wonderful boys.

We've put in the paperwork...

...and it's just gonna take

a little time.

Misty...

...we want you to be our son.

And we hope

you want us for your parents.

We're not perfect, mate...

...but we could love you.

Good on you, mate.

Yeah.

Misty's the one, for sure.

Well, hey, it's not like

we're never gonna see you again.

I mean, we're sure

to come back and visit...

...and if you're ever in the mood for

some boiled lamb, you can come visit us.

You boys are gonna come back

and say goodbye before you go?

Oh, no worries.

We'll see him again.

See you, fellas.

Just remember, Misty, no matter what,

you're still a December boy.

Yeah.

- Hey.

- Got you.

You're gonna have to run

faster than that.

Hey.

Come get me.

Let's go get some souvenirs.

Get a crab for Sister Edna.

Look at this.

Spit. Quick, before it gets away.

I don't want you

to be mad at me...

...but I can't stay.

If I was ever gonna be adopted...

...you'd be the best parents

I could have, and that's no lie.

But I've already got a family.

They'd be lost without me.

I know.

No hard feelings?

No hard feelings, Misty.

Go on.

Thank you.

Look what I found over here.

- Give it back, that's mine.

- No, I found it.

Hey, come on.

Well, lads, this is it.

I thought...

...if you wanted a keepsake,

you might like to take the signal flags.

Thanks.

The boys would like

to say goodbye, Skipper.

Thanks, Skipper.

Thanks.

Hey.

Thanks, Skipper.

Goodbye.

Okay, orphans, disembark.

Left, right, left, right, left, right...

See you, Bandy.

See you, Father.

- See you, boys.

- Thank you, Bandy.

- See you, Bandy.

- Bye.

Thanks, Bandy.

- Bye.

- Hey, look.

If it weren't for Maps, who knows

if any of us would have ever come back.

We could have gone on

thinking of the Cove...

... like one of those old postcards...

... realer than real...

... with each of us remembering it

however we chose.

Coming back for the first time

after all these years...

... fills me with a mixture of excitement

and the fear I made the whole thing up.

Believe it or not,

Maps did become a priest...

... traveling to Africa

to help with the refugees.

I got his letter just a few days

before his ashes arrived.

He told me how often

he thought about this place...

... and how happy he was

that we could share it together.

Maps wrote me before he went

that if anything happened...

And here we are...

... the December boys.

One, two, three,

the December boys!

Hey!

Maps! Hey!

Over here!

Hey, Maps!

See you, fellas!

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