Master Harold ... And the Boys Page #4

Or bribe him. We'll sneak

double tots of brandy

in future.

But Daddy's already up

and ready to go, Hally.

Well, order him to get

back into bed at once!

If he's going to behave

like a child, treat him

like one.

No, Hally I Nol

Okay, Mom I

I was just

trying to...

You know how

much he loves you.

I'm sorry.

That's not good, Hally.

I said I'm sorry.

Walt, my tickey-box

Is running out.

Tell the boys when they're

finished with the floors

they must clean

the windows.

Okay, Mom, just

listen to me carefully.

All it needs is for

you to put your

foot down.

Do you hear me?

I'll see what

I can do.

[Slam]

My mom says that when

you're finished with

the floors

you must do the windows.

Don't misunderstand

me, chaps

all I want is for

him to get better.

And if he was, I'd be the

first person to say,

"Bring him home"

but he's just not.

So don't just stand there!

Get on with it!

(Hally, off)

What about when

he's home?

Do you want me to pass

my exams at the end of

the year or don't you?

Agh, Hally, don't

start with that talk.

I'm supposed to be

fresh for school

and I spend half the

night massaging

his gammy leg.

Hally, respect!

I'm not being

disrespectful

I'm just sick and tired

of changing his stinking

chamber pots

full of phlegm and piss.

No, you don't.

I do. When you're

not there he asks

me to do it.

Why do you think I've

got no appetite

for my food?

You're not eating?

There's a lot of

things you don't know.

For your information, I still

haven't got that science

textbook I need.

Well, I gave

you the money.

Yes, and he

borrowed it.

For what?

Why do you

think, Mom?

Booze.

All I can say

is fick-it-all.

I'm sure he'll

listen to your mom.

Please, Sam. He'll

tie her up in knots.

I suppose he

gets lonely there.

With all the nurses

and patients around?

Regular visits from

the Salvation Army. Balls!

It's ten times worse

for him at home.

I'm at school and my

mother's here all day.

At least he's

got you at night.

And we've got him!

It's just a plain

bloody mess, this is.

And people are fools.

They bloody well deserve

what they get.

(Sam)

All right,

Hally, all right.

What homework

do you have?

(Hally)

Bullshit as usual.

Write 500 words

describing an annual event

of cultural or

historical significance.

Well, that should be

easy enough for you.

Please, Sam I

Just leave me.

I'm not In

the mood for games.

And remember, you're

to help Willie with

the windows.

Come on, now. I don't

want any nonsense.

All right,

all right.

[Scoffs]

[Sighs]

[Cheerful music]

Scary enough?

It could've been

scarier, chum.

Yes, the music

was creepy.

Really creepy.

How about when

the woman went

into the church?

We saw the dark

shadow following her?

That's when you first

grabbed my arm, right?

Right.

(Hally)

If you didn't lose

your leg in the last war

you would be there,

wouldn't you, Dad?

Fighting Hitler?

I didn't lose my leg

in the war, chum.

I fell down the

ship's gangway

on the trip over

from South Hampton.

I never got

to the war, Hally.

[Sighs]

[Rain falling]

(Willie)

One, two, three, one...

One, two, three, one...

One, two, three.

(Sam)

Much better.

Just a little

quick on the turn.

See what happens

when you relax and

enjoy yourself.

[Laughs]

But I don't have

a partner, Boet Sam.

Maybe H ilda will

turn up tonight?

No, I gave her

a good hiding.

You mean a bad one.

Good bad one.

They'll refund you

If you withdraw now.

No! I wait too long

and I practice too hard.

Then find H ilda.

Tell her that

you are sorry

and that you promise

not to beat her again.

No.

Then withdraw.

No!

Then I give up.

Haaikona, Boet Sam,

you can't.

What do you mean, I

can't? I'm telling

you, I give up.

No! It was you who start

me ballroom dancing.

So?

Before that, I

used to be happy.

Are you blaming me?

Yes.

Hey Willie... Willie?

And now all you

do is make jokes?

You wait. When Myriam

leave you, it will be

my turn to laugh.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

If Myriam leaves me tonight

I know what to do.

Uh-huh?

May I have

the pleasure?

D I'm just a fellow

with a pillow d

Sam!

D Dancin' like a willow

I n the autumn breeze d

Boet Sam I Boet Sam I

I swear, I don't know...

For Christ's sake,

you two! Sam, Willie!

[Grunt]

How the hell am I

supposed to concentrate?

He start doing...

Shut up, Willie.

Get on with

your work.

You too, Sam.

Do you want

another one, Willie?

Willie.

Suppose a customer

had walked In then?

Or the park superintendent?

That would have

been the end of

my mother's license

and your jobs!

[Thud]

Well, from now on

there will be no more

of your ballroom

nonsense in here.

It's a harmless

pleasure, Hally.

It's also a rather

simple one, you know.

You reckon so?

Have you ever tried?

You're not asking

me to take ballroom

dancing serious, are you?

Yes.

Oh, well, so much for

trying to give you a

decent education.

What's wrong with admiring

something that Is beautiful

and then trying

to do it yourself?

I'm sure the word

you mean to use is

entertaining.

No. Beautiful.

And if you want proof

come to the Centenary Hall

In New Brighton In two

weeks' time.

Please, Sam, I've seen the

two of you prancing around

in here often enough.

Look, this is not the real

thing, Hally... We're just...

So? I can use

my imagination.

And?

I see lot of people

dancing around and having

a so-called good time.

(Sam)

We're getting ready

for the championships, Hally

not just another dance.

Yes, there will

be a lot of people

and yes, they will be

having a good time

but those are

only spectators.

It's just the competitors

out there on the

dance floor.

Party decorations and

fancy lights all

around the walls.

And the ladies in beautiful

evening dresses!

My mother's got

one of those, Sam

and quite frankly it's

an embarrassment every

time she wears it.

And your imagination

left out the excitement.

(Sam, off)

One of those

couples will be

the 1950

Eastern Province Champions.

And your imagination

left out the music.

[Jazzy music]

(Willie)

M r. Elijah

Gladman Guzanna

and his

Orchestral Jazzonians!

[Jazzy music]

[Music continues]

[Music ends]

[Cheering and clapping]

And finally,

your imagination

left out the climax

of the evening.

(Sam, off)

The dancing Is finished

and the judges have

stopped whispering

among themselves.

The Master of Ceremonies

collects the scorecards

and goes up to the stage

to announce the finalists.

Okay. And you say it

takes place every year?

Every year, Master Harold.

But only every third

year in New Brighton.

Which, I guess,

makes it an even

more significant event.

Our "occasion" is now

a "significant event."

I wonder.

"Write 500 words describing

an annual event of cultural

or historical significance."

You going to write

about it, Master Hally?

Shall we give it a go?

I'm ready.

Me also.

Right. To build the tension

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