The Boxer Page #2

- You missed the boat, scrapper.

- I'd no watch.

- You know Joe wanted you out of town.

- This is my home.

- You're gonna live here ?

- Aye.

You're a strange man, Danny.

All you had to do was walk

across a prison corridor...

and shake hands with some of

your old friends in the I.R.A.

Snubbin' people

is not nice.

But you never named names, and that's

why you're a healthy man. Understand ?

What are you lookin' at ?

lt's not my fault you got caught.

You should have run away.

- Why is he back ?

- I don't know.

- Why the f*** should I know ?

- Is it Maggie ?

- No, he wouldn't have

the balls for that.

- [ Laughing ]

So you say.

No, he knows he'd get

a f***in' bullet in the head.

- Say, ''Bye-bye.''

- Bye-bye.

[ Children Chattering ]

[ Chattering Continues ]

Just wait

a wee minute there.

I'll see

if the community center's open.

[ Doorman ]

Okay. Come on in.

[ Old Man #1 ] Come on, come on.

Are you gonna deal or what ?

[ Old Man #2 ]

Ah, take time. Take your time.

[ Chattering Continues ]

Young Flynn, isn't it ?

- What happened to the ring ?

- [ Chuckles ]

That packed out

years ago.

I think it's stuck

under thon stage there.

- [ Chattering ]

- [ Boy ] There's a man standing there.

There's been

an approach...

to the community center.

Danny Flynn wants to set up

a gym there.

What do you think ?

- Boxin' ?

- Boxin'.

[ Jumping Rope ]

[ Sighs ]

- [ Sighing Continues ]

- [ Jumping Rope Continues ]

You're in good shape.

[ Sighs ] It's been a few years since

this stuff's seen the light of day.

[ Grunting ]

[ Grunting Continues ]

- [ Hammer Banging ]

- Did you see this, lke ?

[ Old Man #2 ] You 20 years ago.

Your face wasn't so red.

- Aye, he was a tough man, Ike.

- Ah, there's young Joey Fitzsimons.

[ Old Man #1 ]

And young McCormack. He's dead too.

[ Children Chattering,

Laughing ]

[ Chattering Continues ]

Show us your jab. Hey.

[ Laughing ]

- Ma, I'm goin' to Ned's.

- Well, don't be late.

- Are you all right ?

- Aye.

[ Chattering, Laughing ]

Congratulations, Peter.

Harry.

[ Joe ]

Harry.

Peter Mallon's been elected

to the army council.

I've decided I need

somebody more political.

All operations are to be

suspended from 12:00 tomorrow.

- Noon.

- Noon.

Tomorrow.

- Tomorrow.

- Why ?

- We're close to a deal, Harry.

- Includin' the P.O.W.s ?

Includin' the P.O.W.s.

So what are you

offerin', Joe ? Hmm ?

Peace, Harry. Peace.

Peace. I'm sure

you can deliver, Joe.

Left hand up.

[ Huffing ]

That's it, man.

Keep your legs moving.

- Your father's a boxer too, isn't he ?

- Aye.

- [ Huffing Continues ]

- Get your balance right.

Move your head.

Lift those punches.

That's it.

And again. And again.

That's it.

That's it ! Good man.

Hey.

I see you've put up

the ring.

- Aye.

- Looks great.

Well, sweetheart,

did you die just so Joe Hamill

could sell us out ?

- Hmm ?

- Hmm ?

Nothin'.

Just talkin' to myself.

[ Bell Tolling ]

12:
00 noon.

Peace in Ireland.

- [ Car Horns Honking ]

- [ Shouting, Chattering ]

- [ Honking, Shouting Continue ]

- [ Trash Can Lids Banging ]

- Ma, it's the cease-fire !

- [ Newscaster ]

There are continuing scenes...

- [ Bell Tolling ]

- of celebration on the streets

of West Belfast,

as 12:
00 noon brought the

long-awaited I.R.A. cease-fire.

Protestant spokespersons

opposed immediate movement...

on the release of prisoners.

You get to know who

the troublemakers are quick enough.

Just keep an eye

on the tables.

No one comes into the city

center after dark,

so you only have to work

till 6:
00 or so.

- You ever been to London ?

- Aye.

I got a few contacts there.

Come on.

lke, where's Danny ?

He's in the kitchen.

[ Utensil Tinkling ]

What's goin' on, Danny ?

What do you mean ?

I haven't seen you

in 14 years,

and now you're right

next door to me every day.

And when I do see you,

all I get from you is the odd grunt.

Do you not think

that's strange ?

Aye, it is strange.

Oh, forget it, Danny.

[ Ike ]

Come on. Pick it up.

That's it. Good man.

And again.

Move him about.

- [ Chattering ]

- Beautiful. And again.

Get the punches in.

That's it.

And again.

Keep your guard up, Danny !

Danny, come on in.

Look at these.

Look.

There's Maclean.

''Holy Family

Sweep the All lrelands.''

[ Sighs ]

What a waste of life.

Six of them dead. Why the hell

did you get mixed up with them ?

The police were burning people

out of their homes, lke.

Soldiers shootin' people

on the corner.

Why the hell do you think

I got involved ?

I don't know.

What's in the cupboard ?

- Ah, it's locked.

- We're lockin' up, lads.

There's only odds and ends in there

belongin' to the community center.

F***in' semtex.

- [ Vehicles Approaching ]

- [ C.B. Radio, lndistinct ]

- [ Helicopter Whirring ]

- [ Train Whistle Blowing ]

These are explosives, Birdy.

Why the f*** didn't you tell me

he was rootin' around in here ?

Kept an eye on him.

The lock's broken.

- It's gone.

- [ Floor Creaks ]

Danny.

Can I have

a word with you ?

You're in trouble.

What did you do ?

I found some stuff.

Semtex.

Under the stage ?

[ Whispering ]

Bastards.

- Well, where is it now ?

- In the river.

Well, why didn't you give it

back to my father ?

So they can kill more

innocent people ?

What do you mean,

innocent people ?

I mean

innocent people, Maggie.

Do you want to get

yourself killed, Danny ?

Not particularly.

- Why did you really come back ?

- What do you mean ?

I don't believe you just

came back here to box.

If you ask me

to leave, I'll go.

If I ask you to leave.

Well, how far

can you go, Danny ?

Turn around, start walking,

and when you've walked for 14 years,

then stop and think

about what you did to me.

I did it for ya.

Oh, my God.

[ Chuckles ]

I'm sorry.

[ Man On P.A. ]

The next train from platform one...

will be the 10:
50 service

to Londonderry--

[ Continues, lndistinct ]

I think we're

safe enough here.

Ah, we're fine.

Don't worry about us.

Thank you.

You used to talk to me,

Danny.

You used to make me laugh.

Oh, go on, make me laugh.

Am I not funny ?

No.

[ Sighs ]

Talk to me, Danny.

[ Sighs ]

Talk to you in my mind.

What do you mean ?

In prison, you get used

to silence, you know ?

I mean, at first, you, you hold on

to all the old voices in your head--

kids you knew at school,

old friends and such.

Well, after a while,

those voices start to fade,

and you end up talkin' to yourself

for a bit of company, you know ?

And then something

strange happens.

It's as if even your own

voice doesn't belong there...

in the silence.

It's unwelcome.

Go on, Danny.

[ Sighs ]

Well, in the end,

it's the silence

becomes your best friend.

And in the quiet,

a face will come to you, and,

and you talk to that person

without sayin' anything, and--

[ Sighs ]

Gee, I'm not makin' any sense.

Never make

any f***in' sense.

What are you sayin', Danny ?

I've lived with your face

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