The Piano Lesson Page #2

They watch three of their boxes float out to sea. One of the hens has

escaped the crate and is bobbing up and down in the waves.

SCENE 13 DELETED

Sc 14 EXT BEACH DUSK Sc 14

There is just a pink streak left in the sky. ADA and FLORA shelter

inside their make-shift tent, a hooped petticoat secured at the edges

with stones. Inside the tent a candle lights up their conversation.

ADA is hand signaling a story to FLORA who lies back watching, nervous

and afraid. ADA's whole self is involved in the "telling", her face is

alight with expression, now tender, now sad, now humorous, now soft,

while her hands and fingers are deft and precise. From outside it is

an odd shadow play.

FLORA:

(hand signaling) Mother... I'm

thinking

ADA pauses.

(speaking) I'm not going to

call him Papa. I'm not going

to call HIM anything. I'm not

even going to look at HIM.

Sc 15 EXT BUSH ON WAY TO BEACH DAY Sc 15

Through a dense bush walk a party of fourteen MAORI people and two

EUROPEAN MEN. The wetness, closeness and darkness of the bush is such

that the air seems green, like at the bottom of a deep sea. Two of the

MAORIS share one pair of shoes and all of them are clothed in a

mixture of native and European costume. Of the Europeans one is small

and has a shy manner. He has a half completed Maori tattoo across his

cheeks. The other is a similar age about 45 and wears a suit, muddy

and out of place here in the bush. He staggers, spurts forward then

slows to a stop. His hair and face are wet and his skin reflects the

green foliage. BAINES the younger man turns and slows.

BAINES:

Are we stopping?... Do you want

to stop?

The MAORI voices and laughter are becoming fainter. BAINES watches

torn between his concern for STEWART and the split in their party.

3-See Notes

BAINES:

Shall we stop?

Unable to get an answer BAINES runs after the MAORIS.

BAINES:

Tai hoa! Me tatari tatou .., me

tutatou I konei.

(Wait! We are stopping.. we're

stopping.)

SUBTITLED:

STEWART takes out a comb and drags it dazed and zombie like through

his wet hair. Inside the darkness of his pocket, he turns over and

over a small, worn edged photograph, a smudge of green light allows us

to see ADA's tumbling face. Taking it in the heel of his hand he

secretly looks at it. Just as the party return and settle he stares on

ahead possessed and determined.

STEWART:

We must get on.

The MAORIS look at BAINES bewildered.

TAME:

Aue tepatupsiarehe!

(The fairy people, what can you

expect?)

SUBTITLED:

Sc 16 EXT BEACH MORNINGSc 16

It is early morning. The sea is calmer and the tide is again low. The

party or two EUROPEANS and fourteen MAORI MEN and WOMEN come out on to

the beach. About half the MAORI party head straight for the shoreline

where an older woman loudly organises a pipi collection. All sorts of

containers are used from flax baskets to shirts with knots in their

arms. The rest follow STEWART and BAINES over to the boxes. STEWART

automatically re-combs his hair, patting it against his forehead,

where it sticks in a raked pattern. On his head he carefully places a

formal top hat, oddly dean compared to his mud splattered suit. The

party stops short of the petticoats where a tell-tale foot reveals its

occupants.

STEWART:

Miss McGrath, Alisdair Stewart.

You'll have to wake yourself.

I've got men here to carry your

things.

ADA and FLORA struggle up to find themselves confronted by a group of

men and women. The MAORIS stare curiously and comment on the women.

Aut he anahera enci?

(Are they angels, they look

like angels.)

SUBTITLED:

A man points at FLORA's feet and gestures as if holding one of the

little shoes in his hand.

Te monohi hoki!

(So small!)

SUBTITLED:

FLORA is struck by shyness and hides under her mother's skirt. ADA

cannot look straight at STEWART and STEWART also cannot look at her.

STEWART:

I see you have a good many

boxes, I'd like to know what is

in each.

As ADA does not move STEWART is puzzled.

STEWART:

CAN - YOU - HEAR - ME?

ADA nods and looks up coldly, insulted by his slow loud speaking.

STEWART:

Well that is good, yes that is

good, good.

STEWART smiling searches ADA's face for some sign of comprehension but

is unnerved by her lack of response. He stops smiling, and, patting

his hair walks to the closest box. Several of the MAORI party follow

behind STEWART while one of them closely and particularly mimics him.

STEWART:

What's in here?

ADA points to the writing already on the box saying "Crockery and

Pots".

STEWART:

Ohh, yes so it is, written

there, crockery.

STEWART:

And this one?

ADA writes "bedclothes and linen" on the pad around her neck- While

she writes he takes the opportunity to scrutinise her.

STEWART:

You're small. I never thought

you'd be small.

He walks to another chest

STEWART:

What's here?

She writes "clothes". The MAORI mimic also pretends to write.

Finally he comes to the piano box. He lifts a corner experimentally.

STEWART:

What's in here then, lead?

FLORA:

(gravely) It's my mother's

piano.

STEWART:

A piano?

The MAORIS touch the exposed legs of the piano. STEWART speaks to the

other European man BAINES.

STEWART:

Tell them to carry in pairs.

Those three and those two the

black and the red, then the

suitcases.

STEWART holds BAINES back a moment.

STEWART:

What do you think?

STEWART nods towards ADA. BAINES thinks a moment then turns towards

ADA too.

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