Mr. Pip Page #5

to see me today, Mrs Watts.

Your husband had a big influence on me.

Tom did?

He was my teacher.

A longtime ago in Bougainville.

So you knew her then? The other woman.

I married a weak man' Matilda.

I don't want to sound unkind,

but it's true.

Tom was not a brave man.

He should have left me properly

rather than carry on the way he did.

I'm sorry, Mrs Watts.

I didn't know about any of that.

Water under the bridge now.

We were young.

Everyone was young in those days.

I suppose you knew about

Tom's theater thing.

There she is The Queen of Sheba

He had some funny ideas,

that director.

'Avant-garde,' Tom said.

The Queen of bloody Sheba.

I didn't think about Grace much.

I didn't give her nearly enough thought.

She was always laughing.

It was like living next door to someone

who was permanently drunk.

Couldn't imagine him on her island.

What was he like?

When you last saw him.

He was a gentleman.

He was always a gentleman, Mrs Watts.

I'm not going to take the flat.

It's not mine. It's yours.

Thank you so much, Mrs Watts.

I'll pour the tea.

No. That's OK. Thank you.

You've given me so much already.

Take it if you want.

But it's yours.

Never read it.

Tom would want you to have it.

So what brings you

to the Dickens Museum?

It's a long story.

Did you meet Mr Dickens?

I've met Mr Dickens,

and that is not him.

Yes, the Dickens I knew

told stories too.

And he wore a White suit

and a red clown nose

and collected shells

from sparkling blue waters.

Pip--

Heaven knows we need

never be ashamed of our fears

for they are rain

upon the blinding dust of earth,

overlying our hard hearts.

I was better after had cried,

than before -

more sorry, more aware of

my own ingratitude, more gentle.

We changed again, and yet again,

and it was now too late

and to far to go back,

and I went on.

And the mists had all

solemnly risen now,

and the world lay spread before me.

What is the wisdom of the crabs?

Well, my mum always said

that wind and rain are on the way

if a crab digs straight down and blocks

the hole leaving marks like sun rays.

Who is your mum?

Matilda!

Sometimes I miss him.

Sometimes I will look along the beach.

There is your father, Matilda.

He's walking towards me.

- And me?

- And you, yes.

Your father is walking towards us both.

My mothers name

is Dolores Mary Naimo.

My father's is Joseph Francis Naimo.

My father worked with the Australians

who gave him the name 'Matilda'.

He gave it to my mother

for her to give me,

and so they called me Matilda

and I came to be known as Matilda.

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