Somersault Page #2

MAN:
Where you calling from, man?

Jindabyne.

Is it chilly down there?

Yeah.

DOGS BARK:

Hey, Dad.

Morning.

I stayed at Stuart's.

Yeah, I thought you must've.

Yeah.

See you down at Riley's.

See you there.

(Starts engine)

You didn't order breakfast.

No.

You can get something in town.

You want a cup of tea or something?

Yeah.

So you're a friend of Joe Cameron's?

Sort of.

A sort-of friend?

He's nice.

(Laughs)

I think a lot of girls

think he's nice.

That's 'cause he is.

You want more toast?

No, I'm OK.

What's your name?

Heidi.

That's an old-fashioned name.

I'm Irene.

That's an old-fashioned name too.

Hmm.

Do you work here on your own, Irene?

Yeah. I do now.

Do you need someone to help you?

Nah, thanks.

I don't need anyone to help me.

Irene, is anyone staying

in my room tonight?

Your room?

Mmm.

Why? You want to reserve it?

Yes.

OK. That's fine.

Do you reckon I might be able

to pay you in a couple of days?

There's no jobs left

up the mountain now.

OK.

Just tonight. You pay tomorrow.

Thank you.

PHONE RINGS:

Hello.

Um, can I speak to Joe, please?

OK. Thanks.

PHONE RINGS:

Hello.

Um, can I speak with Joe, please?

Yes. I'm a friend of his.

Heidi.

Uh, yes. Can you tell him to call me

at the Siesta Inn Motel?

DARK, ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC

DULL THUDDING:

DOG BARKS DISTANTLY

Mum?

CLOCK TINGS:

MAN:
One of those old trees.

See where the irises are?

See all the sparrows?

Mmm.

Joe, you know Richard.

Yeah.

Sorry to hear about your dad.

Thanks.

Mum says you're selling up.

Yeah, the whole lot.

Just showing Richard the garden.

You couldn't help Richard

with his tractor, could you?

Yeah. It's, uh, completely bogged.

How'd you manage that?

I'm out of practice, I think.

Will you stay till lunch?

No, I've got to get back.

I've got an auctioneer coming round.

Must be awful,

people picking over everything.

Oh, it's not too bad.

So I'll come around tomorrow.

Yeah. Great.

See you, then.

Oh, Joe, a girl rang for you.

Heidi.

OK. Thanks.

She said it was important.

(Laughs politely)

Whoa! It's hot.

Yeah.

$2, thanks.

Um, is there a job going here?

Yeah.

Is it a job working

behind the counter with you?

Yeah, just serving people

and packing shelves and that.

Oh, right.

Look, you should just ring Pete

and speak to him.

On that number?

Yeah.

Hey, could I borrow that pen?

(Keys entry into machine)

How much are the red ones?

They're all five bucks.

I'll take the red ones.

Just take them.

(Giggles)

Can you cut them?

(Sings) # Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack

All dressed in black, black, black

#With silver buttons,

buttons, buttons

#All down her back, back, back

# Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack

All dressed in black, black, black

#With silver buttons,

buttons, buttons

#All down her back, back, back

# She lost

her mother, mother, mother... #

DARK MUSIC:

(Rehearses) "Hello.

Um, could I speak to Peter, please?

"Um, I can work a till

and I'm very good at serving people.

"Yes, I've worked in

a service station before."

Hi.

(Deeply) "Hi.

"I just couldn't stop

thinking about you.

"I had to come over."

Yeah, I was thinking about you too.

"Your eyes are intense."

So are yours.

"F***, I love your mouth."

I love your mouth too.

"I want to kiss you."

Yeah, I want you to kiss me.

"I love... you so much."

PHONE RINGS:

DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS ON TV

Did you hearthe phone?

Yeah.

Well, can you ask that girl

not to call here at this hour?

Yep.

Goodnight, then.

'Night.

(Sighs)

It's alright, Mum.

You're not mixed up with anything,

with the police or anything?

No.

Hmm.

I was thinking, for a few weeks

until you find something,

'cause you have to pay rent,

you know.

(Knocks on door)

That's your bathroom in there.

My son used to stay here.

DOOR CREAKS:

Phew! It's musty.

Ah. That's better.

Where are your mum and dad?

My mum... she passed away.

Oh.

Do I have to water this plant?

(Laughs) It's hardly alive, love.

My husband died. Last year.

He was Croatian.

Worked on

the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

Do you miss your mum?

Sometimes.

There are some... jumpers and things.

Is there a phone?

Yeah. Payphone in reception.

And if someone calls...

They can leave a message.

So I'll leave the key here, then.

Thank you.

GENTLE MUSIC:

DOG BARKS:

RICHARD:
Hang on.

Hang on. Slow down.

Is is right?

Yeah.

(Revs tractor)

F***, you've got a lot of stuff.

Are you selling everything?

No, just some of it.

Well, most of it, actually.

My sister Lucy's taking

all the big furniture

and the rest

we'll either auction or give away.

Mum said you lived in France.

I did, yeah. For 10 years.

Did you miss it?

What, France?

No. Being here

when you were over there.

Yeah. I... I did.

Yeah. I missed the smell, I suppose.

What, the smell of sheep sh*t?

(Laughs)

(Laughs) F***, you're an idiot.

(Sarcastically) Oh, sh*t. Sorry.

You been overseas?

Yep. Yeah, after school,

I went to Europe.

In France, I got the worst

f***ing food poisoning.

What did you eat?

Dirty rabbit.

Yeah. Never touching it again.

It's f***ing peasant food.

(Laughs)

Why did you come back?

Lucy's wedding.

She married a Jew, didn't she?

Yeah, she did.

Yeah, well, good on her.

F***ing shook everyone up a bit.

Yeah, it did.

Are you married?

No. I'm gay.

I thought you knew that.

I don't know.

Yeah, maybe I did.

What about you?

(Laughs) No, I'm not.

(Laughs) No, I... I just mean,

do you have a girlfriend?

PHONE RINGS:

No.

Hello?

Yeah, I had

a bit of a tractor problem...

No, it was kind of bogged.

With spray-paint?

Oh, no, I told the guys

about that... (Voice trails off)

(Groans)

(Laughs)

So, besides serving people,

we ring through orders, like

the pies and sausage rolls and that.

Do you have family in Jindabyne?

No.

Why did you come here, then?

Um, I met this guy in Canberra.

He has this store thing

selling parkas and stuff

and he told me to call him

about a job.

You know my parka?

Yeah.

Well, he gave it to me.

Just gave it to you?

Yeah.

Sort of.

You know, I was thinking

I'd work up the snow

but... then he didn't remember me.

You didn't want me to get the job,

did you?

I don't care.

Hi. How you going?

WOMAN:
Good, thanks.

It's a bit cold out there tonight.

A little chilly.

Just these ones?

Yes, thanks.

Can you bag these?

SCANNER BEEPS:

Heidi?

$15, thanks.

There you go.

Thanks. See you next time.

Hi. Just the petrol today?

WOMAN:
Yes, thanks.

'Bye.

See you later.

Hey.

Just the petrol?

Yeah. Thanks.

That's 28.

What time do you close up?

Oh, right.

Well, don't work too hard.

(Joe whistles)

Is this your dog?

Yep.

What's his name?

Rex.

Hey, Rex.

He must get cold sitting in the back.

He's alright.

GENTLE MUSIC:

CAR ENGINE STARTS

PEOPLE CHATTER:

Smells like honey.

(Laughs) F***.

What?

Nothing.

Well, here we are.

Yeah.

Do you want another one?

GENTLE ACOUSTIC POP MUSIC

(Giggles)

What about the dog?

No, he's alright.

He's cold.

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