Ondine

Jesus.

Anybody out there?

I need a little help.

You're alive.

OK.

OK. All right!

You're all right.

OK, now.

You're going to live.

Can you stand? Come on.

Come on. Hold on to me.

OK...

OK.

What do you mean I'm... I'm alive?

You're on a boat. My boat.

- Why am I on your boat?

- Maybe you can tell me.

All right?

I was dead. I was sure of that.

No. But you're not.

You're alive now.

- Why? Why am I alive?

- I don't know. You were in my net.

- Net?

- Yeah. You were drowning.

You swallowed water.

You sank. Don't ask me how.

- Come on. Are you cold?

- Yes.

Come on. Hold on to me.

Get up. Get up.

OK.

Watch your step.

- Keep warm. You need a hospital.

- No!

- Why not?

- Because I'm fine.

You'll need to see a doctor.

- After a thing like that!

- No, I don't!

- I don't want to see anyone.

- Will I just disappear, then?

- I don't mind seeing you.

- You don't mind seeing me...

That's nice.

- Say again?

- Most people do.

- Well, I don't.

- Why not?

Because... you fished me from the water.

How are ya?

Jesus. You really

don't want people seeing you.

What's your name?

- I don't know.

- You lost your memory in the water?

- Maybe.

- I've heard it happens.

- Does it?

- People knock their head.

Forget the lot.

Then it all comes back suddenly, like.

What's your name?

My name's Syracuse,

but people call me Circus.

Why?

To let on, you know, that I'm a clown.

- A clown... in a circus?

- Something like that.

- I think I'll call you... Syra...

- Syracuse.

OK, then. I'm taking you to a hospital.

I've a car on the shore.

No!

- Are you one of those asylum seekers?

- What?

You swam here from Arabia?

It's a hell of a swim.

Let me go, then.

Do you really want to drown?

- I can't die twice.

- Well, you can die once for real.

Please. I don't need a hospital.

I know a place.

Where people won't see you.

Come on.

- Whose is this place?

- It was me mam's.

- She lived here?

- On and off.

- She was a kind of... loner.

- Loner?

Bit like you.

She didn't like people much.

Why?

She was a kind of gypsy.

- Where is she now?

- She's with her Maker.

- You mean she's dead?

- Yes.

- Like me.

- You're not dead.

No. But maybe I should have been.

Here's some sandwiches.

Well, me lunch.

With all the strange fishing today,

I forgot to eat it.

Thank you.

Right, can I leave you now?

- If you have to.

- I do, yeah. Got to be somewhere.

OK.

OK?

- She's been waiting.

- I'm sorry. Something came up.

- Appointment's for six. She gets upset.

- I'll make it up to her.

How's my baby? Right.

- Bye, Mam.

- You have to f*** it up, don't you?

Yeah. It's genetic.

Right, up you get.

- Anything strange or wonderful?

- Why do you always say that?

I don't know, Annie.

It's... a kind of a wish.

- A wish?

- Yeah, that something strange...

...or wonderful might happen.

No, Da, nothing strange or wonderful.

That's good, then.

- Hello.

- How are you?

- Is Dr Hannon around?

- No, just missed him.

- I thought he was gonna be here.

- Something came up. In Cork.

- How long this time?

- Same as usual.

An hour and a half or so.

Does she have a book?

No book. Maybe I'll tell her a story.

- I'll be inside if you want me.

- All right.

Well... go on.

- Go on what?

- You said you'd tell me a story.

OK.

Once upon a time...

Does it always have

to be "Once upon a time"?

Well, it's how stories begin.

- And a very good time it was.

- Yes... It was a good time.

And it was a bad time.

- How are you feeling, love?

- Never mind about me. Go on.

Once upon a time...

there was a fisherman.

And he was pulling in his nets...

and it was a normal day.

- And?

- And what?

- What was she?

- What was she?

- Was she a mermaid?

- No. She wasn't a mermaid.

- Was she a selkie, then?

- What's a selkie?

A kind of seal woman.

You hear them singing out on Seal Rock.

- Who told you that?

- Teacher.

She comes out of the sea.

Loses her seal coat.

Lives on land until

the sea calls her back.

Well, she didn't have a seal coat.

Whatever that is.

- She seemed to remember drowning.

- And?

- And... that's it.

- That's a real shite story.

Yeah, maybe.

Remember that thing

we ordered from the CRC?

- What thing?

- Wait till I show you.

Now...

You should rest as much

as possible until we sort you out.

- All right?

- OK.

- You've got juice now, Annie.

- Juice.

Look at this, Alex.

Wow.

- Doesn't do bumps.

- Did your daddy buy you that?

- No. The CRC.

- Well, that figures.

- How's the fishing, Circus?

- It's Syracuse.

- Syracuse, how's the fishing?

- Same. See you.

- When?

- Tomorrow.

- So, did you see the doctor?

- He wasn't there.

- Because you were late, you fool.

- Clown.

Yeah, you clown. He's been doing tests.

She needs a kidney.

- Something about... what's the word?

- Compatibility.

- You understand?

- It has to be the right fit.

Blood group, you flipping clown.

You were to ask him had he news.

Goodbye.

Still here?

- You thought I'd be gone?

- No. Thought I'd dreamed it.

You dreamt you fished me

from the water?

Something like that.

- So you still dreaming now?

- That's my mother's coat.

- Sorry. Had to wash my dress.

- Doesn't suit the dream.

- No?

- No. She was large, my mother.

- And kind of awkward.

- Awkward?

Yes, she was not like you.

- I can be awkward.

- So can most of us.

- You're going fishing?

- Yes.

- Thought I might catch another.

- Another girl like me?

Yes. Maybe the sea is full of them.

- Can I come with?

- No.

- Why?

- Thought you didn't want to be seen.

- I can hide again.

- And it's bad luck.

- A girl on a boat?

- For the fishing.

Have you been having good luck lately?

None.

OK, then. Get in.

What was that song you were singing?

- Just a song.

- But you remembered it?

- I must have.

- Do you remember your name?

- You can call me Ondine.

- That's nice.

- What's it mean?

- She came from the water.

Ondine means

"she came from the water"?

No. Ondine was the girl

that came from the water.

- When?

- Long time ago.

Do you want to help?

Load that pot over there.

Over there.

- They're empty.

- So they are.

- Did someone rob them?

- I hope not.

- My God.

- What?

- You're playing games with me.

- No, I'm not.

What did you just do?

- I... I sang.

- Yeah. I know. Come down here.

Sing again, would you?

Jesus... you bring me luck.

- Luck?

- Haven't had much.

- Everyone needs luck.

- They do. Not everyone gets it.

- Maybe it's your turn.

- That would be nice.

Right, come over here.

Help me tie their claws.

Right, put one in-between your legs

so he doesn't bite you.

And then just do

the other one like this.

- What do you do with them?

- What do you think?

- Eat them.

- No. Sell them.

- You always catch this much?

- No. Almost never.

Right. There you go.

Claws there. Grab that.

It wasn't your song, you know.

Couldn't have been.

- No.

- They were already in the pots.

- Watch yourself.

- OK.

Why you put them back?

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