Testament of Youth Page #9

65 OMMITTED. 65

66 INT. PORTER’S LODGE/POST ROOM - DAY 66

Vera is taking letters out of her pigeon hole. One, a

telegram, catches her eye. She quickly tears it open.

ROLAND V.O.

Leave for France Thursday. Charing

Cross, twelve o’clock. Please

confirm can come. Roland.

Vera looks up, utterly stunned; the news she had been

dreading.

67 INT. MISS LORIMER’S ROOM - DAY 67

Vera stands before Miss Lorimer, who is sitting in a faded

armchair, knitting with intent. The hearth is empty. On a

side table is a photo of a fresh-faced young man.

MISS LORIMER:

We can’t let students go

gallivanting off to London!

VERA:

(fuming)

It’s not a gallivant

MISS LORIMER:

We have to work twice as hard as

the men, Miss Brittain, we have to

be twice as good! Otherwise what’s

the point of us fighting all these

years to prove we’re worthy of

degrees?

VERA:

It’s to say good bye to someone

going to the front.

The needles work furiously. Vera notices the photo.

VERA:

(risking it)

You have someone there already

perhaps...?

Miss Lorimer throws Vera a cross look.

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MISS LORIMER:

My brother.

She holds up the sock, full of mistakes.

MISS LORIMER:

Not where my abilities are best

expressed. But then that’s war for

you, isn’t it. The men go and

fight, and we stay behind - and

knit.

VERA:

How many pairs of socks will it

take...?

They share a smile.

MISS LORIMER:

You’ll be back the same day?

VERA:

Yes.

MISS LORIMER:

And you’ll have a chaperone.

VERA:

Yes.

Miss Lorimer nods her consent.

VERA:

Thank you!

68 INT. CHARING CROSS TRAIN STATION - DAY 68

Vera strides down a bustling platform towards Roland,

standing waiting for her. He looks pale and weak, not his

usual self. Behind him is a poster of a gorilla holding a

fainting maid in one arm, a club in the other. It reads

“Enlist Now! Destroy this Mad Brute!”

The platform is bustling with soldiers and their families

and friends. A certain cheerful British repression prevails

-no one wants to make a fuss.

Vera runs up to him, wanting to hug him. But she stops short.

They look at one another.

VERA:

(eyes burning)

How long do we have?

ROLAND:

About an hour.

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Vera’s face - so little time.

VERA:

You told me you weren’t going to

France yet!

ROLAND:

Vera -

VERA:

(realising)

You got a transfer!

Roland nods.

VERA:

You’re so eager to face death,

then, are you?!

ROLAND:

No

VERA:

Yes you are, you must be!

ROLAND:

Please...

She sees his face - suddenly vulnerable, hot with fever. She

feels his forehead, as Aunt Belle comes bustling up.

VERA:

You’re sick, you’ve got a fever!

I can’t even be angry with you

now!

Roland can’t help a weak smile.

AUNT BELLE:

(reaching them)

Oh, doesn’t he look handsome in

that uniform!

69 INT. CAFE, TRAIN STATION - LATER 69

Roland and Vera sit at a table together, as Aunt Belle

bustles round them. She gets some aspirin from her handbag,

gives them to Roland.

AUNT BELLE:

Take these, dear, they’ll bring

the fever down.

ROLAND:

Thank you.

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Roland gets up to fetch the tea from the counter, but Aunt

Belle pushes him back down.

AUNT BELLE:

Don’t you move, I’ll get it.

She bustles off. They turn to one another, their fingertips

lightly touching on the table.

VERA:

(immediately)

I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be

harsh.

ROLAND:

I’ve let you down.

VERA:

No

ROLAND:

Now it’s here I have a dust and

ashes feeling about it.

They gaze at one another, too choked to speak. Aunt Belle,

returning to the table, sees them - her face shows her

kindness and sympathy. She puts the tea things down, starts

to serve the tea.

AUNT BELLE:

Influenza’s ripping through the

troops, you know, I read about it

in the paper. Still, you’ll be

right as rain in no time, and

don’t you worry about Vera,

she’ll be taken good care of,

won’t you dear?

A pause, filled with aching silence. Aunt Belle looks at

them both

AUNT BELLE:

What? Too deep for words?

She sees it really is - sighs in sad sympathy.

70 INT. CHARING CROSS TRAIN STATION - LATER 70

Roland, Vera and Aunt Belle emerge from a subway, up onto a

platform.

ROLAND:

Over there.

Roland indicates a train - puffing out steam like a sinister,

waiting beast.

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71

INT. CORRIDOR/TRAIN COMPARTMENT, CHARING CROSS - A LITTLE 71

LATER:

Vera and Roland are bustled into an empty compartment by

Aunt Belle. An older couple try to enter the compartment

too, but Aunt Belle stops them - determined to give the

lovers their privacy.

AUNT BELLE:

I’m sorry, this one’s taken!

As the older couple move off, Aunt Belle throws Vera and

Roland a sympathetic look and shuts the compartment door,

leaving them alone together.

Roland moves over to her, puts his arms around her and kisses

her - passionate, desperate. They hold onto one another.

ROLAND:

I am coming back.

A whistle blows, there’s a bustle in the corridor, voices

shout, as people hurry to get off the train. They get to

their feet; suddenly, time has run out.

VERA:

Already!

72

INT. CORRIDOR/TRAIN DOOR - CONTINUOUS 72

Roland and Vera are caught in a wave of pushing, shoving

bodies headed for the train door. Around them, couples kiss

goodbye, relatives cling to their loved ones, the buttoned-

up mood has transformed into near-hysteria. As they reach

the door, Vera is suddenly tumbled outside by the crowd.

She pushes and shoves to get back in, but the door is

slammed shut. Aunt Belle is nearby in the heaving crowd.

Roland forces the window open, leans out. She grabs his

hand, they hold on tight.

With a great groan, the heavy train starts to move, the

women thronging around Vera fall away, but she keeps

holding onto Roland, refusing to let him go...

VERA:

Roland

ROLAND:

We’ll write!

She runs with the train -

Their fingers pull apart - she lets go -

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And she’s left there - watching Roland, every fibre of her

being straining towards him - there’s a great hiss of

steam, a howling hoot -

-and the train disappears from view.

Aunt Belle finds her through the crowd

AUNT BELLE:

Poor child!

And we LIFT UP, to take in the length of the platform and

its sudden absence of men - only women are dotted along it,

frozen like statues in their emotion; wives, sisters,

fiancees, mothers...

...As a strange, deathly silence falls over them all.

73 EXT. LANE, OXFORD - EVENING 73

Later that day. A pale, shaken Vera is walking down an Oxford

lane, back towards her college, when she hears a voice behind

her.

VICTOR:

Vera!

She turns to see -

VERA:

Victor...

He’s striding towards her, concern on his kind face.

VICTOR:

Roland asked me to come. He thought

you’d need a friendly face.

VERA:

Thank you.

Vera suddenly feels her emotions, her exhaustion. Victor

sees, gestures to a nearby bench, they sit together.

VERA:

What a mess...

Victor sighs, nods in agreement.

VERA (CONT’D)

I can’t stay here, not now.

VICTOR:

What would you do?

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