Life After Life

This programme contains scenes which some viewers may find upsetting from the start

If I can come back again, I'd be a baker.

Why a baker? I love cake.

I'd make constant cakes.

You could be a baker now, after the war.

Come back, be a baker.

If you die, what's the plan for the next life?

I can be anything I want? Anything you want.

Can I be a man? Absolutely. Be a man.

What sort of man?

I don't know.

Maybe I'll want to come back as me.

But I'd do things better.

If you came back, would you want the same family?

Me as your brother? Definitely.

Pamela? Jimmy? Mm-hm.

Mum and Dad? Mm-hm. Maurice?

Enh.

THEY LAUGH

What if we could come back and live it all over again

and again and again?

Wouldn't that be fantastic?

They're the two best words in the English language,

when you put them together, aren't they?

What if?

SHE GROANS

Dr Fellows should be here. Why isn't he here? Where is he?

Your man will be stuck in the snow, I bet.

Oh, sure dreadful wild out there.

The road will be closed.

Come here.

SHE GROANS

The other end.

GROANS INTENSIFY

Oh, ma'am, she's white, like a ghost.

A girl? The cord's wrapped around her neck.

Oh, Mary, mother of God, she's been strangled.

The poor wee thing. Let me see.

We have to do something. What can we do?

She's gone, dead before she had a chance to love.

I'm awful, awful sorry.

She'll be a little cherub in heaven now for sure.

I wish Mr Todd were here.

I'm awful sorry.

Shall I wake Mrs Glover?

SHE SOBS

It was snowing when Ursula died.

It was snowing when Ursula was born.

SHE GROANS

And one more push, please, Mrs Todd.

GROANS INTENSIFY

Scissors.

Scissors! Sewing scissors?

BABY CRIES

Boy or girl?

A bonny, bouncing baby girl.

Sylvie thought Dr Fellows might be over egging it

with the alliteration.

You were lucky I got here in time.

Before the snow closed the roads,

I called for Mrs Haddock, the midwife,

but I believe she's stuck somewhere outside of Chalfont Saint Peter.

Mrs Haddock?

Yes, Mrs Haddock.

Is that funny?

No.

So I thought I'd better fight the elements.

Lucky I did.

She would have died from the cord around her neck.

Hello, little one.

For God's sake, girl, fetch some water and towels.

Do you know nothing? Were you raised in a field?

Baby Ursula doesn't know this is her second life...

..but already she has an instinct.

The world is a dangerous place.

Oh, for goodness' sake.

A farmer has been trampled by a bull.

His life hangs in the balance.

You hold it in your hands.

And they call it horsepower.

Put your backs into it.

That's what comes from relying on new-fangled machines.

There he is.

My son, George, will take you.

He'll get you there.

You're not serious.

Come on, sir.

You, help me up.

One, two, three.

DOOR OPENS

Here you are.

Maurice, Pamela, come and say hello to your new sister.

Another girl.

Name? I shall call her Ursula.

It means little she-bear.

I wish she was a bear.

Uh!

I hear the baby nearly died.

When will Mr Todd be back?

Oh, a snowdrop.

The first flower to raise its poor head above the ground.

How brave it is.

Sorry.

Poppa's home!

What's this sister of yours like, any good?

No. No?

No?

Well, well, well, how is everybody?

Sorry I couldn't be here last night.

Snow.

Hello.

Will you take Ursula to Bridget for her bath? I'm going to rest.

Ursula?

Ursula.

Ursula, hmm?

Ursula Todd.

Everything went all right? Fingers and toes all correct?

Mother and child doing well?

You know she was born with the cord wrapped around her neck?

I didn't know.

How are you, Mrs Glover?

There's devilled kidneys left over from breakfast.

Can I tempt you?

You cannot.

BRIDGET COOS OVER URSULA

God surely wanted you back.

URSULA GARBLES

Uh-huh. He wanted you back.

Ursula would learn the universe was chaos and destruction.

And she would love it anyway.

There was something reassuring about the way it repeated itself,

something delicious about her father's smell.

She learned rabbits were also delicious.

The sun and spiders were gifts.

Afternoon, ladies.

Horses were immense and strange and wonderful.

Mrs Glover loved her son.

Follow me!

People her own size could be fun.

Goo-goo-goo, stupid baby.

And Maurice himself was chaos and destruction.

Maurice!

LOUD SLAP

Ow!

Like a hedgehog in hibernation.

Poor old thing.

Ursula entered her fifth summer without further mishap.

Ursula! Get away from that window.

Come on, let's go jump over the waves.

It's not ours. Come on, let's go paddle.

SHE GASPS

What?

He's been burnt in a fire.

Mr Rochester's been burnt in a fire.

Can you believe it?

Hold on.

BABY CRIES

Dear God, dear God!

Getting hungry?

Bridget, I'm going to feed Teddy,

and then I should probably telephone Hugh and see what time his train...

BABY CRIES

And so Ursula died.

Scissors. Give me the scissors.

Sewing scissors? What's happened?

And yet she seems to have been given the chance to live again.

BABY CRIES

The cord was wrapped around her neck. She'll be all right.

A bonny, bouncing baby girl.

Come on, let's go paddle.

Oh, dear!

They went out a bit too far.

But they'll be fine.

Pammy, you were supposed to be watching her. I was.

What in the name of heaven's gone on?

Er, they went out a bit too far.

Give me Teddy, take Ursula home and get her dry.

Don't cling so, Ursula, you're all right.

BABY BABBLES

Come on. Why is there a wet man?

Ursula nearly drowned.

Idiot.

How can we ever thank you?

You must let us take you to tea at some point.

Ursula had heard Bridget retell the harrowing story

of her birth several times.

"God had wanted her back",

the Irish maid had told her.

Come on, now. You're too old for that.

Daddy!

Oh, hello, Little Bear.

Did you have fun?

There's a surprise for you at home, guess.

Better not be a dog.

A dog. A dog! A puppy?

We'll see. Let's go.

Go, go, go, go, go.

Glad to be back?

Glad to have us back?

WHISTLE