The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years Page #3

You know how she goes on.

Mom.

Mom, Mrs. Smith wants to know...

Mom, are you all right?

This is where you met Luke,

isn't it? Where you courted?

You should never have left

him. He's your husband.

Go back to him, I beg

you, and have babies.

-Have lots more babies.

-Mom, what's the matter?

Dear Mom...

this letter will probably come

as a bit of a shock to you.

It's hard to believe it was three

years ago we all said goodbye.

Ive seen a lot of action since

then, Mom. North Africa, Europe.

As you know, Mom, we've been shipped

to New Guinea to stop the Japs.

We've been fighting pretty hard on the

Kokoda Trail these past eight months.

The jungle's purgatory, Mom.

Anyway, some of the young

blokes were caught in an ambush.

They were wounded pretty

badly, held down by sniper fire.

Young lads, they were. Been

here since the beginning.

We couldn't just leave them

out there to die, Mom...

so me and a couple of

boys, we went to get them.

That's what we're here

for, isn't it, Mom?

Well, we got to the blokes safely...

and started leading

them out of there...

when the Japanese just

came out of nowhere.

Like ghosts, they were.

They had us pinned down pretty good

and, at first, we stood our ground...

but we had to get out of there.

We were trapped.

So I just let loose.

I don't know what happened then.

I think I got a couple of them.

The thing is, one of them got me.

Im all right now.

Some specialists have looked at me.

Nothing serious, except...

''Nothing serious,'' he says.

Except he'll never be able

to have children, ever.

lf that isn't serious,

I don't know what is.

At least he'll be out of

the war. He'll be home.

We need a man about the place.

Yes!

Luke?

What the hell are you doing here?

How are you feeling?

You want a cup of tea?

I reckon you need one.

Some folk might say it

was lucky I was passing by.

But then, gratitude never really was

one of your strong points, was it, Megan?

I put four sugars in there. You

probably had a bit of a shock.

And you're it.

There's some spares for the drill.

Ill see if I can get it going again.

There's no point, there's no water.

-Who says?

-Bill Masters. It's his drill.

Bill Masters couldn't direct

traffic down a one-way street.

No, it's there, but two

years without rain...

it'll be deep, and we surely need it.

-''We''?

-Figure of speech.

Every station from here to

the black stump needs water.

-So how are you feeling?

-Ive got a lousy headache.

That's not surprising.

That's a nasty gash.

But I don't think

there's any harm done.

You never answered my question.

What are you doing here?

I had a bit of time on my hands. I

thought Id come down and see my wife.

I haven't been your wife

for a long time, Luke.

And I wanted to see my boy.

I heard around the traps Ive

got a son. Why didn't you tell me?

Because I didn't think you'd care.

You never took much notice of Justine.

Boys are different.

Ive always wanted a son.

Megan...

Ill do whatever you say,

but I want to see my son.

-You want some more tea, Grandma?

-No, thank you, dear.

I think Ill have

a nap before dinner.

Here's your mommy home.

-Who's that man?

-Go and get Justine, dear.

Tell her it's her father.

Daddy?

G'day, Mrs. C.

Daddy!

Daddy!

That's what I call a real homecoming.

-This is Dane.

-G'day, Dane.

G'day, Dad.

Is it really you? It is!

What a sight for sore eyes you are.

It's me, Mrs. Smith. It's really me.

Lost a bit of weight, I see.

Mr. Luke, what a card you

are. You haven't changed.

A bit older and wiser, perhaps.

I like to think so, anyway.

How about you get back in that

kitchen? I need a bit of feeding up.

-Welcome home, Luke.

-It's you that hasn't changed.

-You're looking younger than ever.

-Liar.

This is a bit of

all-right, isn't it?

-Id forgotten how charming he can be.

-Yes, when he wants something.

Mom, he's too old for cane cutting,

and he's looking for a meal ticket...

-and it's not going to be me.

-You're too hard on him, dear.

A little Christian charity

might not go astray.

I am not going back to

Luke, Mom. He never loved me.

He spent more time with his

mates than he ever did with me.

What about the

children? They need him.

So do you, only you're

too stubborn to admit it.

-I don't need anyone.

-We all need someone.

I miss your father.

You can't tell me you haven't

been lonely for the last 10 years.

I know what loneliness is.

Yes, Ive been lonely,

Mom, but not for Luke.

No, obviously.

You were unfaithful to him.

You've been pining for

10 years for a priest...

-a man you can never have.

-I have his son.

-His son needs a father.

-Luke is not his father.

-And I don't trust him.

-Then change him, dear.

You're quite a witch, after all.

It was for you that Father Ralph

broke his most sacred, solemn vow.

All tucked in?

Good as gold. At least the

kids were pleased to see me.

-Do you mind, Mrs. C?

-I don't mind you smoking.

But I do mind you calling me Mrs. C.

-Fine. Fee.

-That's better.

It does my heart good

to see you sitting there.

-We need a man about the place.

-You surely do.

Drogheda's not exactly

looking its best.

It hasn't been easy, you know.

Most of the able-bodied

men are fighting a war.

I think you've done great...

considering you've had

everything stacked against you.

-But if you need help, Im here now.

-For how long?

As long as Im needed, or wanted.

That raises the question

of where you'll sleep.

-Mom.

-It's all right, Megan.

I wasn't expecting to turn up here

like the proverbial bad penny...

-and jump straight into the cot with you.

-Im glad to hear it.

Ill bunk down at the

old shearer's quarters.

It's not very comfortable.

It'll be a palace compared to

some of the places Ive slept in.

Besides, all those feather beds

up there, they make a man soft.

That's just what Jack used to say.

What do you think you're doing...

coming in here, charming

the pants off everyone?

-Not quite everyone, it seems.

-Im serious, Luke.

What do you want?

Nothing that you're

not prepared to give.

You're my wife, and

they're my children...

and I just want what Ive always

wanted:
a little place of our own.

-I want to settle down with my family.

-Simple as that?

Luke, you can't just

ignore the last 10 years.

You can't just walk in here

as if nothing's happened.

All those years, the kids needed

a father, where the hell were you?

You walked out on me, remember?

And what about you, all those years?

You can't tell me that you haven't

needed a husband, wanted a man.

The real reason that Ive come

back here is to say that Im sorry.

I apologize.

You were right, and I was wrong.

Look, I miss you...

and I want you back.

I love you, Megan.

I always have.

-What's this?

-That's your dowry.

There's $20,000 there,

with 10 years interest.

I don't want it.

When you left me, you told

me I could keep the money...

so long as you didn't

have to see me again.

Well...

you've seen me.

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