The Piano Lesson Page #15

FLORA:

Stay still! It's the very worst

knots.

FLORA tries to hold her mother's head still but ADA's high spirits are

unstoppable and her hair flies out from side to side flicking FLORA in

the face.

FLORA:

Mama STOP IT!

FLORA starts to giggle and retaliates flinging her own hair from side

to side. The two women are twirling in the small bedroom their hair

flying about them, FLORA is shrieking with the fun, then stops dizzy

and sick. ADA continues flicking FLORA as she twirls.

FLORA:

Stop it I feel sick!

But ADA doesn't stop, her dark hair whirls about her, as giddy and

disorientated, she knocks against the walls

Sc 95 INT STEWART'S HUT NIGHT Sc 95

Next door STEWART sits on his bed listening, his hair wet and neatly

combed. He has a journal of pressed botanical specimens beside him.

Hearing FLORA squealing he goes to the kitchen and standing back in

the shadows, watches ADA frenetic, whirling through the part open

door.

80

Sc 96 INT STEWART'S HUT ADA'S BEDROOMDAWNSc 96

Daylight floods the room as ADA secures the pins at the back of her

hair.

Sc 97 EXT PATH TO BAINES' DAYSc 97

Music builds and plays throughout.) The sky is dark and the wind is

ballooning ADA's cape, wrapping it up high around her. The tree tops

are swaying furiously. Inside the bush it is dark and ADA hurries up

through the path. She is out or breath and glancing behind her as if

to guard against followers, when directly in front of her STEWART

steps out onto her path. ADA stops short. The look on his face is

unlike any expression she has yet seen. His eyes do not look at her,

but all about her in a way more animal than human. She lowers her eyes

and calling his bluff walks steadily past him. But STEWART takes her

arm and spinning her back, pulls her close and blind to all protest

kisses her. ADA struggles furiously. His grip falters and she steps

back staring at him, then runs off down the hill, but STEWART is on

top of her clasping her skirts, pulling her towards him hand over

hand, she slips and falls to the ground. STEWART is upon her, lifting

her dress, touching her legs, ADA goes quite still, which throws

STEWART long enough for her to scramble away, yet again STEWART

catches her and again they roll on the ground, STEWART touching and

kissing her, ADA turning herself this way and that to avoid it. There

is a cat and mouse quality to their mute struggle finally broken by

FLORA calling up the path, distraught and in tears, her angel wings

have twisted about her waist.

FLORA:

(TOP OF HER LUNGS) Mumma!

Mumma! They are playing your

piano!

STEWART allows ADA to get up and the two women go back down the path

towards home. The distant sound of the piano keys thumping.

Sc 98 INT STEWART'S HUT DAY Sc 98

At the piano and with solemn dignity sits a MAORI WOMAN. She is

wearing a top hat and a long black dress, beside her stands the MAORI

who absconded with the buttons, most of which he has attached to his

jacket. She plays loudly with two closed fists, her companion listens

gravely, placidly, blinking at the crashes, two others listen from the

doorway, one with his bands over his head.

Sc 99 INT/EXT STEWART1S HUT DAY Sc 99

FLORA and ADA stand in the hut while fierce hammering can be heard

outside. STEWART is boarding over the windows, barricading them in.

FLORA joins in the spirit of be exercise gaily pointing out any slats

STEWART has missed.

FLORA:

Here Papa!

ADA's face pales in the diminishing light. Exasperated by the

threatened incarceration she shakes her head with anguish and moving

to the piano lifts the lid and plays several bars brutally and

strongly. She passes on to the bedroom, where she picks up the small

hand mirror and looks at her face puckered with frustration. She

touches her face and neck tenderly, then throws herself on the bed,

face to the wall, her hands over her ears.

FLORA stands over her mother.

FLORA:

You shouldn't have gone up

there, should you? I don't like

it and nor does Papa. Mama, we

can play cards together.

ADA rolls over, her eyes closed she pushes her face and body against

the mattress. The movement is sensual and removed. FLORA stops dealing

the cards on to the bed and watches her mother puzzled.

Sc 100INT STEWART'S HUT NIGHT Sc 100

It is night and ADA is walking in the dark, ghostly in her white

nightgown. She sits at her piano and begins to play loudly and

strongly. Her hair is loose and she seems half-asleep. FLORA and

STEWART wake to the loud playing and fumble their way to the kitchen.

STEWART carries a lit candle. ADA continues her playing

FLORA passes a hand in front of ADA's face.

FLORA:

She is asleep, look.

One night she was found in her nightgown on the road to London.

Grandpa said her feet were cut and bleeding so badly she couldn't walk

for a week.

The two watch ADA, mesmerised by her compulsive playing.

12 See Note

Sc 101EXT STREAM NEAR STEWARTS'DAY Sc 101

STEWART stands guard while ADA and FLORA wash their clothes in the

stream. FLORA is taking the lead, soaping up the clothes, she passes

the garments to her mother to rinse. ADA is distracted and as she

takes the clothes, she just as soon lets them go and they float off

down the stream past STEWART who tries to catch them but can't. Two

MAORI BOYS continue the chase, enjoying the fun, thinking it a great

adventure.

STEWART:

You are letting the clothes

float off... They are floating

off.

ADA stares off into the distance rocking lightly back and forth as she

crouches on a stone. Her dress unhitched floats down the stream behind

her.

12.See notes

FLORA:

Mama! Look out!

FLORA wades across to grasp yet another garment ADA has let drift off.

Sc 102EXT STEWART'S DAY Sc 102

On the way back to the barricaded hut FLORA swings between ADA and

STEWART.

FLORA:

One, two, three

One, two, three

ADA glances around at the bush. FLORA beams enjoying a feeling of

familyness of which she is now the boss. The two women go ahead into

the hut which STEWART shuts and secures with a beam.

Sc 103INT STEWART'S HUT ADA'S BEDROQOMNIGHT Sc 103

It is night. ADA is tossing in the small bed beside FLORA, her hair

wound across her face, she makes low moaning sounds as she pushes her

face and body up against the sleeping FLORA. Her movement and moans

increase until she wakes suddenly sitting bolt upright.

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