The Piano Lesson Page #9

Sc 56 INT SCHOOL HALL DAY Sc 56

FLORA stands on a kitchen chair. AUNT MORAG and NESSIE have paused

from fitting FLORA's bodice and wire angel wings. They are attempting

to learn the hand gestures as FLORA signs:

"I shall listen hard to rehearsal,

because I live too

far away to go often."

AUNT MORAG:

(suspiciously) Which sign is

the word rehearsal?

FLORA deftly demonstrates.

AUNT MORAG:

I can't imagine a fate worse

than being dumb. Turn around.

NESSIE:

To be deaf?

AUNT MORAG:

Oh yes, dear too - TERRIBLE!

AWFUL!"'

FLORA:

Actually, to tell you the whole

truth, Mama says most people

speak rubbish and it's not

worth the listen.

AUNT MORAG and NESSIE exchange looks.

AUNT MORAG:

(stiffly) Well, that is a

strong opinion.

FLORA:

Yes, it's unholy.

Sc 57 INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 57

ADA is quick to remove a used plate and cup left on top of the piano.

BAINES is sitting next to the window, his elbow on the sill, his head

turned away.

BAINES:

Lift your skirt,

ADA stops playing. She turns to him. Thinks about it then slowly lifts

her skirt a little to show her boots.

Lift it higher.

ADA pulls the skirt up fractionally so the top other boots are

exposed.

BAINIES nods ADA starts to play again, not so confidently as before.

BAINES moves close, he goes down on his knees to watch her feet on the

pedals.

BAINES:

Higher.

ADA doesn't hear.

Lift it higher.

She stops and lifts her skirt to her knees. She looks at BAINES with

ill-disguised contempt. BAINES is enthralled with her legs, or what he

can now see of them. He moves back to watch them from behind. He's

lying on the ground, head propped on his arm. ADA's slim stockinged

calves work the pedals, one of the stockings has a small hole through

which her white skins shows

Sc 58 EXT MISSION HOUSE GROUNDS DUSK Sc 58

HENI holds STEWART'S horse near a wooden gate. Its wet coat steams in

he night air, making the whole horse glow. HENI talks softly to it in

Maori.

Sc 59 INT MISSION HOUSE NIGHT Sc 59

Inside the REVEREND is closely watched by STEWART, AUNT MORAG and

NESSIE as he cuts out the shape of an axe from a piece of marbled

cardboard. A lamplight flickers warm tones across their faces while

the rest of the room is dark giving it a conspiratorial air.

REVEREND:

Nessie, your hand out ... out

here, please.

NESSIE:

Oh, no use Mr Stewart, I can't

act.

REVEREND:

Nessie, please.

NESSIE hesitatingly puts her arm out towards him and the REVEREND

chops away in the air two feet in front other, NESSIE looks at AUNT

MORAG puzzled.

REVEREND:

Look you are being attacked!

The REVEREND points to the opposite rose-papered wall, where his

shadow and paper axe now look very real as they loom large above the

crouching NESSIE chopping into her. NESSIE squeals, as does MARY.

REVEREND:

And with the blood ... it will

be a good effect:

Sc 60 INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 60

ADA's finger plays the fourth black key from the left hand side,

denoting lesson four.

BAINES:

Undo your dress. This part,

(he indicates the top) I want

to see your arms.

ADA is taken unawares. She sits a moment unsure if she wants to

cooperate, then slowly she staffs to undo her buttons.

ADA pulls her arms out of the tight sleeves. Underneath she wears a

worn-in bodice. Her arms are so white they seem transparent. A

delicate network of blue-green veins crisscross up the soft underpart

of her arms. A dark growth of hair in her armpit suggests a shadowy

depth. The back of her hands, normally white, are quite tanned in

comparison.

BAINES:

Play.

BAINES draws his chair close. Gently he places his hand on the soft

underpart of her forearm. ADA stiffens and pulls away. He grips the

arm.

Two keys.

ADA continues to play. Slowly he moves his hand higher towards her

shoulder. Clearly unnerved she changes the music to something brisk,

almost comical. BAINES feels suddenly ridiculous, his mood broken. He

takes his hand away and moves back to the window injured. ADA is

victorious, she is pleased to have won herself a respite.

Sc 61 EXT STEWART'S WOODCHOP DAY Sc 61

STEWART is at the woodchop talking to AUNT MORAG and NESSIE.

MARY and HENI, AUNT MORAG'S Maori girls lie sprawled out under a tree.

AUNT MORAG:

I hardly need to give one to

you, but there you are anyway.

NESSIE has been sorting through a basket of invitations, finding

STEWART'S she hands it to AUNT MORAG who hands it to STEWART.

Don't be late. You will see

there are two times and since

you are accompanying a

performer, you will need to

make the earlier time

STEWART has stopped listening, he is watching ADA and FLORA pick their

way through the fallen logs to BAINES path.

STEWART:

Wait.

The two women stop. There is a Japanese sense of deferment to STEWART

STEWART:

How are the lessons going?

ADA nods enthusiastically.

He's getting on all right?

ADA nods again

Good.

AUNT MORAG:

That is good, yes.

As ADA walks on AUNT MORAG leans towards STEWART.

She seems quieted down. Is she

more affectionate?

STEWART looks after them unable to answer.

AUNT MORAG:

Ah well, slowly, slowly

Sc 62 INT BAINES' HUT DAY Sc 62

BAINES secures a chair against the door while ADA is removing her

dress top. She sits at the piano hugging herself against the chill.

As BAINES passes be knocks the jacket off the chair back. He picks it

up and takes it across to her seat by the window.

BAINES nods and ADA begins to play. BAINES fingers the still warm

jacket1 he lifts it up and smells it. ADA turns around and stops

playing suddenly appalled by his odd sensual pleasure taking. She

holds out her hand for the jacket, her expression stern and

censorious. She indicates he should return it to the chair back.

BAINES ignores her. ADA stands and comes over to BAINES. She pulls the

jacket from his hands and replaces it across the chair back, but as

she turns to sit,

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