Iris Page #5

...with all his f***ing gifts.

I've got you now and I don't want you.

I've never known anything about you at all...

...and now I don't care.

I think it's time I told you about...

...some of my friends...

...the people in my past -- of my heart and...

...and not.

Oh dear.

ought I to take notes?

There was a friend who was a student with me.

No, no, he can wait.

He was not the first person I went to bed with...

...that was Harry..

then there was Roger,

who wanted to marry me...

And Oscar

who said he couldn't live without me...

...and Tom...

...who far too clearly could but...

So, the student friend

I had resisted going to bed with...

...joined the Army during the war....

...and promptly asked me to marry him for...

...he was certain he was going to be killed...

..and wanted me to have the window's pension.

Yes, I know they all said that.

Anyway...

...I didn't want to marry him...

...but I did go to bed with him.

...I thought that best before

he went off to fight, because you never know...

...anyway, he, he was killed--

--my student friend...

...and we weren't married.

So no pension.

there.

It wouldn't have been much anyway...

I know, because I had friends killed.

Their wives got very little, they get very little.

Is that all? I mean, roughly?

What about the 'friends' in your other world?

You know more about me than anyone on earth.

You are my world.

Thank you.

After all that I rather hoped it might be time...

...for me to get my kind word.

You don't need to do it on your own.

Vale House is very good.

You're exhausted, you know that.

Of course I am. It's something that we share.

We're in a state of grace.

I think we understand each other.

What do you think?

I don'tknow. There's always help if you need it.

There isn't any help for her.

What?

Sorry? Sorry?

Nothing.

Why has Willie Thorne

got two rabbits tattooed on his bald head?

I don't know, why has Willie Thorne

got two rabbits tattooed on his bald head?

Cos from a distance they look like hares.

Janet's dead, Iris.

They want me to say a few words

but I can't think of any.

Janet's dead, Iris.

I miss Janet very much.

I miss Janet because I used to store up...

...funny things to tell her that happened to us.

...things I can no longer tell Iris.

Another friend visited us...

...in Oxford overnight recently....

...and I found her cleaning the bath.

I said, "Oh, please, there's no need".

She said, "Oh yes there is,

I want to take a bath".

I was hoping to be able...

...to tell Janet that story...

...she would have enjoyed it.

She would have...laughed.

I mean, I think...

...Anna Karenina, Tolstoy, you know...

...when on her way to the station

to throw herself under a train...

...sees something funny

which she thinks to tell Vronsky....

...her lover, about...

...we all do it, I do it with Iris...

...and Janet, all our friends...

...but, then Anna thought that

she wouldn't be seeing Vronsky again...

...because she was about to kill herself.

Oh, but, you don't want to hear this...

...Janet didn't kill herself...

But, if there's one thing

that would have prevented...

...Anna from throwing herself under a train...

...that would be it,

the thought of telling something funny...

...to the man she loves.

The love is over...

...though...

...life will...

...soon be over.

That's all.

Goodbye, Janet.

No, no, Janet. Jan!

It's all right, Iris.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

-Wrong driving.

Stop it, Iris!

Wrong driving!

No. Stop it, Iris.

-Not house. Not mother..

-Iris, it's very dangerous.

Them! Them!

Iris!

Puss.

My old mouse -- My old cat mouse.

Where are you?

I...

...love...

...you.

Ah, little mouse. I know you do.

I used to be...

...so afraid of being alone with you...

...now I can't be without you.

Let's get us -- home...

...and then there'll be tomorrow...

...and the nex tday...

...and the next...

...and on we go...

...getting closer and closest together...

Oh, your ring.

It's so worn now.

Where did you get it?

From a pawnbrokers.

I like things that are worn down.

Which wear and wear and wear...

...until they go.

We've had a bit of luck.

Usual thing, I'm afraid -- Somebody's died.

Iris...

...don't you have a smile for Doctor Gudgeon?

No?

No.

So -- the time has come.

You know it would, Professor Bayley.

Yes.

She didn't have a smile for you today.

Yes. Well, we must make a start.

-What do I do?

-Nothing any more.

Vale House is a very friendly place, you know.

I was, surpr....

...I mean, this is one of the best.

More difficult to get into than...well, Eton.

-Taxi for Vale House?

-Yes.

Lady's on the stairs, but I can't get her down.

Shall I?

You all right, my love?

We're going for a little drive.

What's your name then?

Iris.

Yes, it's Iris.

All right then, Iris...

...you'll be all right, my love, come on.

Come on, upsy-daisy.

There you go.

Lovely.

Human beings love each...

...in sex -- in friendship...

...and when they're in love.

And they cherish other beings...

...humans -- animals, plants...

...even stones.

She'll be fine now, won't you Iris?

You can visit any time you like...

...come all day if you want to.

Stay the night, that's all right...

...we can make arrangements

for you to do that anytime.

It was so quiet...

...when she died.

Do you know,

I thought I wouldn't mind doing that myself..

I had a joke to tell her.

It wasn't a very good one

but she'd have laughed.

We need to believe in something divine.

Without the need for God.

Something we might call love...

...or goodness.

As the psalm says...

..."Whither shall I go from thy spirit...

...whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend unto Heaven thou art there...

...if I make my bed in Hell behold thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning...

...and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea...

...even there shall thy hand lead me...

...and thy right hand shall hold me."

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