Evelyn Page #2

to scrub one small girl.

Of course, Sister Felicity.

l was just making sure

she didn't throw another tantrum.

She's a willful one.

Wasn't our Lord a willful one, too?

l'm sure she'll be fine. Won't you?

Thank you, Sister Brigid.

Don't look so worried.

This is standard procedure for new girls.

Otherwise, the place would be jumping

with lice and fleas and God knows what.

Come on, take your clothes off.

Don't be shy.

After all...

bare-naked

is how God created Adam and Eve.

lt's how he sent the Baby Jesus

into the world.

Good.

We'll have you squeaky clean

in no time at all.

Come on, sit down.

Shoes.

You can call me Felicity.

What's your name?

Evelyn Doyle.

Pleased to meet you.

Pleased to meet you, Sister Felicity.

Good afternoon, ladies.

Could you spare a few pence

for the poor black babies of Africa?

-Here you are.

-lt's a very good cause.

Thanks, God bless you.

You're very generous.

-Give us another pint, please.

-You've had enough.

Listen to you....

l'm sick of people telling me what to do.

You just get us another pint.

Fine.

-Just a few pennies from you, there?

-There you go, Father.

Those little orphans,

they really need your charity.

Father...

you lot have taken my babies!

You've made my babies orphans.

Fair play to you.

That's a great right cross

you have on you there.

Right, here we are.

Quiet! Too much talking.

Just down here, love.

Down you sit.

Don't let my teeth fool you. l don't bite.

She's a sweetheart, that Sister Felicity.

lt's Frigid Brigid you've got to watch out for.

She could put the fear of death

into a corpse, so she could.

l'm Mary.

-l'm Annette.

-l'm Lauren.

l'm Evelyn.

-Your soup doesn't look very good.

-You'll get used to it.

You get used to most things here.

Half the kids in lreland are cooped up here.

How long have you been here for?

-Six months?

-Six years.

l won't be here for long.

My daddy's gonna come and get me.

That's what my dad told me.

l'm sorry, Desmond.

l was the seminary boxing champion.

-Really?

-Let that be a lesson to you.

Never underestimate the strength

of the Church militant.

-God bless.

-Thanks, Father.

lf you want your kids back that badly,

you should get a good lawyer.

They cost money.

Go and see Michael Beattie.

Twenty-four Upper Mount Street.

-Say l sent you.

-Fair enough.

l'll say the new barmaid at Fergal's Pub

sent me. That'll impress him.

Tell him Bernadette sent you,

you cheeky oaf.

Bernadette Beattie, his little sister.

l'm working here part-time

to help Uncle Fergal.

l'm a trainee chemist, actually.

So, you're the beautiful niece

Fergal's always bragging about.

l bet you have lots of fellows

running after you.

Yes. But none of them

have managed to catch me yet.

You're not a bad-looking woman,

now that l look at you.

Of course, with this bump on my head,

l'm probably hallucinating.

Bless you, John.

Once again,

until we achieve unity and harmony.

Where do we say our night prayers?

Not in the bed...

not under the bed, but by the bed.

Then kneel by your beds and give thanks.

Get a move on, Evelyn.

You're keeping us all waiting.

We do not lie like that, on our stomach.

lt tempts the Devil.

We lie on our back

and cross our arms like this.

l will check every night

that you are sleeping in this position.

We must not tempt Lucifer.

No more talking. Good night, girls.

Good night, Sister.

Mr. Doyle, family law in this jurisdiction...

is a cozy conspiracy between

the Catholic Church and the lrish State.

They're in cahoots.

You're saying that you're all frightened

if you take them on, you'll never work again.

Something like that.

l suggest you come back to me when

your circumstances are more favorable...

and l'll see what l can do.

On the banks of the roses,

my love and I sat down

And I took out my fiddle,

for to play my love a tune

In the middle of the tune

she sighed and she said

''Oh, Johnny, lovely Johnny,

why'd you leave me?''

Oh, when I was a young man,

I heard my father say

That he'd rather see me dead

and buried in the clay

Sooner than be married to any runaway

On the lovely sweet banks of the roses

On the banks of the roses,

my love and I sat down

And I took out my fiddle,

for to play my love a tune

In the middle of the tune

she sighed and she said

''Oh, Johnny, lovely Johnny,

why'd you leave me?''

''Oh, Lord, l vow never more to offend thee...

''and carefully

to avoid the occasions of sin.''

...and the meadows they are gay

And me and my true love

will sit and sport and play

On the lovely sweet banks of the roses

On the banks of the roses,

my love and I sat down

And I took out my fiddle,

for to play my love a tune

In the middle of the tune

-Look who's back.

-Straight from Chicago.

How's my favorite lrish colleen?

-l'm well. How are you?

-l'm great.

Who's your man in the sharp suit,

over there?

How should l know?

He looks like a Yank.

Maybe he's a friend of hers.

Maybe he's a chemist.

lf l can regain your attention for a moment...

we'll have requests.

Apart from Nobody's Child.

We're not fond of that now.

-Boys of Wexford.

-Whistling Gypsies.

-Are you still not talking to Grandma?

-No, l'll never speak to that woman.

She blames your father for everything.

May she rot in Hell, the old witch.

Jesus says we should forgive

those who trespassed against us.

lt's in the ''Our Father.''

-Grandma, would you like a fruit gum?

-Thanks, love.

Granddad gave them to me.

l won't bother then, love.

Listen, love,

there is something you must tell him.

lt's really warm.

...stuff it, will you?

Good girl.

Grandma's got a letter from Sydney.

Sidney, who?

Sydney in Australia.

-Australia?

-lt's from Mommy, she's in Australia.

She didn't give her address,

but it said Sydney on the postmark thing.

l might have guessed.

She always had the wanderlust,

your mother.

-Grandma said it's hot in Australia.

-lt is.

You can tell her it's not as hot

as the place where her daughter will end up.

Okay.

-That's it.

-Still no carriages, Dad.

No, son.

Still no carriages.

''Dear Daddy, it's great news that you have

such a good job, doing up that old house.

''I miss you and the boys

and Granddad very much...

''and I hope we can get back together soon.

''What did Granddad mean

when he told me to tell Grandma Daisley...

''that he hopes Mommy

meets a great white in Australia?

''I think it's a kangaroo,

but Mary thinks it's a koala bear.

''I like most of the nuns here.

''Sister Felicity is nice and kind...

''and so is Sister Theresa.

''But Sister Brigid is very scary. ''

ls God good, just and merciful?

Yes, Sister.

''Yes'' isn't the catechism answer, is it?

What does the catechism say?

lt says....

l've had enough of you, Annette Farrell.

Now...

God is infinitely good...

infinitely just...

and infinitely--

What are you saying to me, child?

l don't think you should do that, Sister.

lf God is infinitely merciful,

he wouldn't want you to do that.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes