The Piano Lesson Page #14

ADA signs again.

FLORA:

(crossing her arms) I shan't

practise and I DON'T CARE!

But ADA does not wait to listen. FLORA walks back through the bush

muttering childish expletives to herself. STEWART and his two MAORI

helpers come out of the bush towards her. FLORA squeals with fright.

STEWART:

(looking up the hill) Where's

your mother? Where has she

gone?

FLORA pauses petulant and grumpy.

FLORA:

To HELL!

FLORA races off as fast as she can, enlivened by her wickedness.

STEWART clambers back up the path. He just glimpses the distant figure

of ADA nervously turning, her skirts flying as she hurries up the bush

path The wind bothers the tops of the trees, setting them groaning,

rubbing their branches against each other.

Sc 90 INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 90

ADA enters BAINES' hut, she is breathless1 announcing her presence by

simply being there, standing there. BAINES comes through from the

bedroom. Seeing ADA he is aloof, suspicious and his blinking becomes

pronounced.

BAINES:

So what brings you here? Did

you leave something? I have not

found anything.

ADA does not respond, finally she looks at BAINES and her look has a

vulnerability and frankness that takes him off guard.

Does he know something?

ADA shakes her head.

The piano is not harmed? It

arrived safely? Would you like

to sit? I am going to sit.

ADA does not sit. She stands immobilised. BAINES attempts to maintain

his casual charade) he pours a tea.

He turns to her about to speak, but stops unmanned by a new fragility

to her strength. He blinks rapidly

BAINES:

Ada, I am unhappy because I

want you, because my mind has

seized on you and thinks of

nothing else. This is how I

suffer, I am sick with longing.

I don't eat, I don't sleep. If

you do not want me, if you have

come with no feeling for me,

then go!

BAINES walks roughly towards the door and opens it, his softness

turned suddenly cruel.

Go! Go NOW! Leave!

ADA is stung by his change of tune, she takes a step towards him and

eyes filling with tears of anger hits him hard across the face.

BAINES' nose begins to bleed yet his face slowly lights up as if she

has spoken words of love. ADA is flushed, shocked, the two face each

other at this very moment of profound awareness of each other,

profoundly equal. With each new breath, with every moment that their

eyes remained locked together the promise of intimacy is confirmed and

reconfirmed and detailed until like sleepwalkers who do not know how

they came to wake where they did, they are standing next to each other

and beginning to kiss each other, the lips, the cheeks, the nose.

There is nothing practised about their tenderness, only their feelings

and emotions guide their instincts. BAINES' face crumples with the

exquisite pain of his pleasure, ADA cradles his head to her chest.

BAINES struggles through her dress anxious to touch her skin.

Sc 91 EXT/INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 91

Outside STEWART surveys the hut suspiciously. BAINES' dog growls as he

climbs on to the small verandah. Carefully STEWART peers through some

loosely slatted boards. There are sounds inside which are worrying

him. By standing on the seat he has found a spyhole where he can see

ADA and BAINES kissing, undressing

He reels back angry, but just as we might expect him to burst through,

he steps up to look again; the fatal second look, the look for

curiosity. He watches BAINES bare-chested undressing ADA, her buttons

burst, ADA laughs, BAINES touches her under her skirts - anywhere, he

takes himself under her dress pulling down her stockings. STEWART

watches, stepping down to peer lower as BAINES buries into ADA's

skirt. He does not seem to notice the dog licking his hand. Suddenly

he pulls his hand away and looks at it, wet with dog saliva, he wipes

it on the boards and continues watching as if mesmerised.

Sc 92 INT BAINES' BEDROOM DAY Sc 92

Inside BAINES' small bedroom the raw dark boards contrast with the

softness, whiteness of BAINES' and ADA's bodies, The long black

strands of ADA's hair stick to her cheek and wrap around her neck. Her

face is flushed and her eyes are bright. BAINES rolls his face across

her chest, gently, slowly savouring the flavour of her body. Drunkenly

they continue their sex slowly, slowly. ADA's breaths turn to low

murmurs; these small sounds are extraordinarily moving to BAINES whose

face swoons with joy.

BAINES:

What? What? whisper....

Sc 93 INT BAINES' BEDROOM&UNDER HOUSEDAYSc 93

As ADA dresses, BAINES sits on his bed watching. He is unhappy,

thoughtful.

BAINES:

Now you are going I am

miserable, why is that? (He

catches her hand and draws her

to hint) Ada I need to know,

what will you do? Will you come

again?

ADA is distracted, collecting her buttons from the floor, concerned at

the time past, worried to dress and return.

The camera cranes down and down to find STEWART wedged under the loose

wooden floor slats. He cannot hear clearly, but ADA's hand reaching

for each button is only inches away. One falls through a slat on to

STEWART'S neck and on down his shirt collar. As she stands he rolls

out.

BAINES:

Wait! I don't know what you're

thinking. (gently, teasingly)

Does this mean something to

you? Hey? (Stroking a strand of

hair behind her ear) I already

miss you. Ada, do you love me?

ADA considers this question. Clearly she doesn't know, the question is

more complex to her than to him, then as if by way of answer she

kisses him strongly and sexually. BAINES pulls away confused. ADA

finishes dressing. BAINES comes up behind her to help with the

buttons.

BAINES:

(anxiously) Come tomorrow. If

you are serious, come tomorrow.

ADA turns and kisses him passionately, with the new born enthusiasm of

someone who has just discovered their appetite for sex. Then as

quickly as she began, she takes her hood and cape and goes to leave.

BAINES:

Tomorrow?

She nods and is gone.

Sc 94 INT STEWART'S HUT ADA'S BEDROOMNIGHTSc 94

FLORA and ADA are both in their white nightgowns. FLORA stands behind

ADA on a chair trying to sort out the knots that have matted at the

back of ADA's head. ADA shakes her head from side to side playfully,

making the difficult job impossible.

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