The Piano Lesson Page #12

BAINES stops as he comes to a freshly placed fence post. STEWART winds

down his complaints watching BAINES anxiously. BAIXES walks down to

the next one. he touches the freshly split post.

(tentatively) I thought I might

as well mark it out.

BAINES:

Yes, why not.

STEWART:

Ada says you're doing well with

the piano?

BAINES keeps walking from post to post.

STEWART:

I'll have to come and hear you

play. what do you play.

BAINES:

Nothing just yet

STEWART:

No. Well I suppose it takes

time.

Sc 74EXT STEWARTS VEGETABLE PATCHDAYSc 74

ADA has cut a good sized cabbage in the vegetable patch. She throws it

to FLORA who misses, dropping it in a pool of mud, spattering her face

and dress. ADA smiles and FLORA who was about to cry gives the cabbage

a big football beet towards her mother. ADA's mouth falls open, but

then she too kicks it and they begin to dribble the mud caked cabbage

towards the hut, all the time signing playful insults. Into this

arrives STEWART.

STEWART:

Baines can't play a damn thing.

Is that right he can't play a

thing?

We're going to lose that land,

the way he was carrying on over

it.

Is he musical? You've got to

teach him a song. Something

simple.

FLORA has her foot on the cabbage, she nudges it off behind her. It

roll down the hill. STEWART can't help but notice,

STEWART:

What's that?

He follows the cabbage down the hill' where he scrapes some of the mud

off.

This thing's been knocked to

pieces.

Sc 75 INT/EXT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 75

FLORA is seen through BAINES' window Inside, ADA as ever charts her

progress on the black keys, eleven. She turns to BAINES for

instructions. BAINES is not himself, he is sulky and distant.

BAINES:

Do what you like. Play what you

like.

ADA is perplexed by this turn about of behaviour. A little

uncertainly, she sets about her playing. After a little she too turns

to see what BAINES is doing. He's not there. She is surprised then

anxious as she fears the deal may be off when there are flaw so few

keys to go. She starts to play again, but her anxieties prove too

great. She stops and listens. She looks out the window, where FLORA is

mucking about in the yard. She walks to his bedroom, listens, then

opens the door. BAINES stands naked looking at her. ADA is taken aback

BAINES:

I want to lie together without

clothes on. How many would that

be?

ADA holds up ten fingers an impossibly high number of keys.

BAINES nods.

ADA is surprised; she didn't expect him to agree. ADA checks again

holding up her hands.

BAINES:

Yes, ten keys.

Hesitantly, she starts to undress. She lies on her petticoat, having

deemed the bed too dirty. BAINES lies, very still on top of her. A

scraping sound is heard.

Sc 76 EXT/INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 76

FLORA is outside walking on sticks and logs trying to make sure she

never puts her foot on the ground. She looks over at the house

suddenly aware that the piano playing has stopped again. She

investigates the mystery peeping through the various cracks and holes

in the loosely built hut. Her vision is always only parts of bodies,

the venture is one of challenge and curiosity.

Sc 77 EXT NATIVE PINE FOREST DAY Sc 77

FLORA and three small Maori children play amongst some native pines.

Two MAORI WOMEN smoke and chat nearby. The children rub up and down

against the tree trunks kissing and hugging them. The game has an edge

of promiscuity to it as they exchange trunks and hug one tree as a

group. Unseen by the children STEWART marches towards FLORA. He pulls

her off the tree.

STEWART:

Never behave like that, never

any where. You are greatly

shamed and you have shamed

those trunks. (trees)

The MAORI WOMEN keep up an unacknowledged chant.

MAORI WOMEN:

What o'clock say Mr Stewart?

-Ge Tupeka?

(got tobacco?)

-Time for puff puff.

Sc 78 EXT NATIVE PINE FORESTDAY Sc 7$

With a bucket of dull soapy water FLORA begins the task of washing the

tree trunks.

The MAORI WOMEN laugh and point to their feet meaning her to wash them

too. Their children are lying in their laps playing string games.

Sc 79 EXT NATIVE PINE FORESTDUSK Sc 79

FLORA is still washing the tree trunk silhouetted against the evening

sky

FLORA is tearful and sorry for herself. The job has an increased

futility as it has begun to rain- STEWART is inspecting her penance.

She follows STPWART about the trees.

FLORA:

(sulkily) I know why Mr. Baines

can't play the piano.

STEWART:

You've missed this bit.

FLORA:

She never gives him a turn.

STEWART stops and looks at her.

She just plays whatever she

pleases, sometimes she doesn't

play at all.

STEWART continues through the trees more slowly.

STEWART:

And when is the next lesson?

FLORA:

Tomorrow.

FLORA puts her bucket on her head to protect herself from the rain.

Sc 80 EXT PATH TO BAINES' DAY Sc 8O

The next day is very windy, the tops of trees are thrashed by fierce

gusts of wind and some smaller branches crash to the ground. ADA's

long dress and cape flap uncontrollably. FLORA's smaller cape stands

out on end. Birds fly in mad wind-battered courses, swooped up then

strangely drawn down.

Sc 81 EXT BAINES' DAY Sc 81

ADA and FLORA arrive at BAINES' place to see the piano emerge from the

hut carried by six MAORI MEN, one of whom does nothing but walk beside

it "plonking" the keys. Another group of MAORIS sit cross-legged on

the verandah playing draughts. Panicked ADA hurries down the hill to

the hut. FLORA follows behind.

Sc 82 INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 82

Inside the hut, HIRA, the old woman from the bathing spot, is smoking

her pipe. ADA enters distraught and indicates what she has seen. Her

face is flushed and whipped by the wind. She is much more expressive

than normal.

BAINES:

I am giving the piano back to

you. I've had enough. The

arrangement is making you a

whore and me wretched.

I want you to care for me, but

you can't.

BAINES sits down on a chair and prepares to eat, somewhat ignoring

ADA. ADA is confused not quite believing the situation. She watches

BAINES for some kind of confirmation.

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