Hope and Glory Page #19

They join in, in a ragged way, knowing it well.

EVERYBODY:

(singing)

I bet you a dollar,

There isn't a scholar,

To spell it right first go, O,

W-O-O-L-A-M-A-L-O-O, Loo-O

DAWN comes through the kitchen with MAC and MOLLY, who find

the Rohans in good spirits. There are arm greetings all

round.

EXT. ROSEHILL AVENUE - DAY

BILL is giving his father and MAC a tour of the bomb damage.

He picks his way expertly through the rubble, and they

clamber after him.

CLIVE:

What kind of war is this Mac? Up

there in Cumberland, we never see

an air-raid. The worst problem I

have is getting a new typewriter

ribbon. When I rode in against the

Turks, I knew what it was about.

MAC:

Did you? You thought you did. We've

been gypsed, all our lives. Look at

your street.

They pause, looking out of a shattered window on the street.

It is a monotonous row of semi-detached houses, lying between

other identical rows, now pocked with bomb damage, drab and

dreary.

CLIVE:

What about it?

MAC:

Rosehill Avenue. No roses. No hill.

And it's certainly not an avenue.

CLIVE:

Why not?

MAC:

You need trees for an avenue.

CLIVE:

There was talk of planting some

when we first came.

MAC:

Propaganda. We've been had.

They fall silent, watching BILL as he greets some other boys.

CLIVE:

How's your war, Mac?

MAC:

Never done better. On the fiddle.

Like everyone else.

CLIVE:

Except the servicemen.

MAC:

Naturally.

CLIVE:

I don't understand. Is there any

point to it?

MAC:

There is all right. This Hitter

fellow. We've got to winkle him

out. And get shot of some of our

lot at the same time.

They watch BILL rooting about in the rubble.

CLIVE:

Look at how wild the boy's got. As

for Dawn. Sixteen, going around

with a soldier.

(shakes his head)

Keep and eye on them for me, Mac,

there's a pal. I've made a mess

of it all.

(his voices cracks. A

sob wells up.)

I've been such a bloody fool.

BILL has come up behind them and watches covertly. MAC clasps

CLIVE in his arms.

MAC:

You always were, Clive. Steady the

Buffs.

CLIVE:

Bugger the Buffs.

Cries and shouts come from the street. BILL swings across a

crater on a dangling electric cable and scrambles into the

road. There is panic and pandemonium. The local barrage

balloon's fins have punctured and it has lost stability. It

is careering wildly like a kite out of control. CLIVE and MAC

clamber into the street as the balloon skims across the sky,

its steel cable shearing a chimney stack which tumbles down

onto the front garden sending people scattering in all

directions. BILL runs up, mad with excitement, as SUE and

DAWN come out of the house with GRACE and MOLLY and look up.

CLIVE sprints across to them.

CLIVE:

Take cover! We're being attacked by

our own balloons!

They take no notice of his entreaty, curiosity getting the

better of them.

MOLLY:

It's having a nervous breakdown.

She giggles. The balloon bumps on the rooftop then shoots up

into the sky again. GRACE starts to laugh.

GRACE:

It's so wonderful.

CLIVE earnestly dashes back and forth, wanting to do

something, but completely unable to decide what.

CLIVE:

Don't panic!

(goes over to Mac)

Keep your head!

MAC:

I will if you will!

The balloon does a fat little waltz in the sky. CLIVE

suddenly explodes with laughter. DAWN has SUE in her arms.

DAWN:

He just got fed up with all the

other boring old barrage balloons

and decided it was time to have

some fun.

Two ARP MEN run down the street, urging people to go inside.

The family retreat grudgingly towards their house, but hover

in the front garden watching and laughing. Six HOME GUARDS

march into Rosehill Avenue at the double. The balloon has

risen into the sky and the people are drawn out again into

the street, looking up. The HOME GUARDS come to a halt and

raise their rifles.

BILL:

Boo! Leave it alone!

The balloon suddenly plunges down towards the street,

scattering the HOME GUARDS. Women SCREAM and everyone dashes

for cover again. BILL laughs derisively.

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