The Child in Time

---

Sir, do you want me

to stay with you? Sir?

Er, no. No, thank you.

Once we get to your home,

I'll give it 15 minutes,

- then I'll follow you inside.

- Yeah.

DOOR OPENS:

You took your time, didn't you?

I was about to send out a search party.

- Where is she?

- She was there.

She was there.

Stephen, where is she?

She was just there.

She was right there...

- What do you mean?!

- VOICE BREAKING: I don't know.

What do you mean?! Where is she?!

Where is she now?!

Oh, erm, I hope you

don't mind me saying,

but you're telling the

world you're not at home.

Your note.

People see your note

and they know you're out.

- People?

- I'm just saying, why advertise you're out?

F***ing because.

Dick.

Well, just keep going, ploughing on.

Write reams of the stuff,

if you feel the need,

cos, hey, your editor will edit.

Look, trust me, Stephen,

there are hundreds of

thousands of children out there,

they're all eagerly waiting the

next Stephen Lewis masterpiece.

I wish.

It's true, you know

it is. Myself included.

That's excellent, Paul, thank you.

But what I don't want

you to be doing, right,

is sitting there with your thumb

up your arse, waiting for the muse.

- I'm having the duck.

- Yep, me too,

and a fizzy water please, Paul.

I feel like getting drunk.

I'm afraid I can't, but

don't let that stop you.

- Work?

- Reading and, er, an early night.

I'll have a good drink

with you, Stephen.

Thank you, Thelma.

So how's the, er... how's the

committee work progressing?

It's fine.

You managing to stay awake?

I am riveted.

Drop it, if it's not for you.

Although, you are the poster boy.

Not really.

Believe me, when the brave new

report is finally published,

they are going to

trumpet your involvement.

- Minimal involvement.

- Well, then drop it.

I only asked you to

get you out of yourself.

Erm, you should also know that

I'm... I'm leaving the government.

And my side-line in

publishing. So there.

- Why would you want to do that?

- Retiring.

Retreating.

To the countryside.

It's, erm, something we've been

wrestling with for some time.

Decision's made.

Well, I don't mind you

giving up running the country,

but why the books? Why me?

20 years of 18-hour days have

made Charles a very dull boy.

But you adore 18-hour days.

He hasn't even told the

Prime Minister yet...

- PHONE BUZZES

-... you're very privileged.

Sorry. I really do have to

take this. It's New York.

George...

Yep, all right, ten seconds

while I find some privacy.

He really does need to stop everything.

- He's not ill, is he?

- No.

He's just tired, that's all.

Of being Charles, of being responsible.

You can visit, you know.

We're not leaving the country.

Yeah, but who's going to look after me?

Who's going to take me out for nice

expensive dinners and get me drunk?

You'll have to find another companion.

Perhaps the person who asks me

on a weekly basis how you are.

You talk to Julie every week?

You should go and see her.

I'm waiting for the invitation.

Maybe she's waiting for a call.

Or are you planning on avoiding

each other till the end of days?

Call her.

Hey. Don't look now, but the table

behind are having jam-roly-poly.

Ooh! I said not to look! I'm having it.

- How was New York?

- Rude.

Yeah, very rude. No longer my problem.

To another life.

I'll drink to that.

Tight hold.

Now you're not too warm

in that jacket, are you?

No, not really. No?

Good. Silly Daddy thought

it was going to rain.

Please, Daddy, can we go fast?

How fast? Very, very fast?

- Yes.

- Stupidly, ridiculously, illegally fast?

Yes.

- Hair flying in the wind, fast?

- Yes!

All right...

When there's no-one around.

Now, ready, steady, go!

SHE SQUEALS AND LAUGHS

Kate, darling, stand still.

Wait for Daddy.

That's 53.76.

Are you collecting school vouchers?

No.

- Do you have a points card?

- No.

- Cash back?

- No. No, thank you.

And PIN number please.

- OK. And remove your card.

- Thank you.

- Thanks very much.

- Thank you.

All right, thank you, bye-bye.

Sh*t.

Kate?

Sorry.

Kate?! Has anyone seen a little

girl, a four-year-old girl,

she was wearing a yellow coat?

She was, er... she's called Kate.

No? Please? Kate?

KATE!

KATE!

Please, has anyone seen

a four-year-old girl,

she was wearing a yellow coat?

Her name is Kate! Please?

You must have seen her,

she was standing just

there when I was paying. No?

KATE?!

KATE?!

INAUDIBLE:

We'll find her.

I promise you.

INAUDIBLE:

LINE RINGS:

- Hello?

- Hi. It's me.

We seem to have sleep-walked

our way into a situation

where we are apparently quite happy

to hand over our children

to complete strangers.

-

- Parenting is being outsourced.

Parents have more

important things to do.

Essential things to do,

like earn money to pay for

housing and food and child-care.

It used to be that Granny would help,

but Granny is now miles away,

and so child-care is being

contracted to a faux-extended family

of police-checked strangers,

agency workers

whose major qualification

is their willingness to work

for as little as is

legal and often less.

Financial pressures

are eroding family life

and threatening the

welfare of our children.

Families need help, financial help.

Young families...

SPEECH FADES OU PHONE RINGS

Hello.

JULIE:
Hey, it's me. You're

still coming, aren't you?

Yeah, definitely, yeah.

Good. Would you mind

bringing my old music sheets?

They're in the sideboard, I think.

- OK.

- You don't mind?

- No, no problem.

- Thank you. Kettle's on.

HE CHUCKLES:

TV:
Now I've got some top

tips on how you can take charge

of selling your own home

and save thousands of

pounds in the bargain...

She's not a cat.

I know she's not a f***ing cat.

- I'm trying to find her.

- Well, you lost her.

I didn't mean that.

Why don't I just sit on my arse

all day and watch TV as well?

DOOR SLAMS:

HE CLEARS HIS THROA - Morning, morning.

- Prime Minister.

How are we?

- Prime Minister.

- Morning.

Let me read to you an extract.

It's from the first draft of what

I will be personally recommending

to be the Authorised Childcare

Handbook. Now just one line.

"We could do worse than

conclude, as many have before us,

that from respect for school and home

we derive our deepest

loyalties for nation."

Simple and profound.

Sorry, am I being dim

here? What does it mean?

Discipline.

- Respect.

- Doesn't it have a hint of ultra?

Am I the only one hearing

this? I mean, it sounds harsh.

Like parents, it's the

responsibility of Government

to create boundaries.

Families and schools who...

... operate within these

boundaries will be rewarded,

- those who don't...

- The naughty step.

CHUCKLING:

The naughty step, hmm?

Keys.

I love you.

I love you more.

I am so competitive.

DOOR OPENS:

KEYS CLATTER:

DOOR CLOSES:

Not find her, then?

Play your piano.

What is it you want? Do

you want me to give up?

Yes.

I want you to give up,

because you always let me down.

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