Small Island

'Put the word mother in front of the word country,

'you think of somewhere safe,

'where your potential will be nurtured and your faults excused.

'Hortense had never known the love of a mother.

'Perhaps that's why she had so long

'cherished a dream of coming to england.

'But would it be the rainbow's end for everything she aspired to be?'

this programme contains some scenes of a sexual nature

'Sometimes, to make a dream come true,

'you must swallow your pride.

'Hortense told herself that love was a luxury she could not afford.'

doorbell rings

good evening.

Is this perchance the household of Gilbert Joseph?

You're never his wife? I am she, yes.

The lazy lummox didn't come and meet you off the boat?

He did not. Huh! Come on in.

No, I prefer to wait here, thank you.

Gilbert! Your wife is here!

Hortense!

"I will be at the docks to meet you," he says.

Hortense, let me tell you, I go to the dock this morning,

no ship was there! They say come back tomorrow.

You want everyone in england to know our business?

I'm mrs bligh.

People call me queenie.

Mrs bligh.

Come now, I show you your new home, hortense.

And the rest?

Where are the other rooms?!

There are no other rooms, hortense.

This is it. This is where I am living.

Just this?

You bring me all the way across the world for just this?

Everybody live like this! There has been a war.

Plenty people live worse than this. Some have no roof over them at all.

Look see, we have all we need right here!

The gas ring, that is our kitchen.

Sink over there.

Table, chairs - dining room.

And the, er, bedroom.

Compact but efficient, nah?

And the lavatory? Downstairs. But we have this if we need to.

Me so sorry, I forget...

You wash your cup in the same place you throw your... I usually take it down to the toilet when...

I cannot believe you bring me all this way to live like an animal.

That you think so little of me!

Listen here, miss high and mighty, stick your nose up in the air.

You will wash your plate, your vegetables and your backside in that basin too!

And what you don't know yet, because you just come off a boat, you are lucky.

One day, not now but one day, you will know that.

There will be snow in hell before that day comes, Gilbert Joseph.

Queenie: Don't forget this trunk, Gilbert!

'And god said, "let there be light".

'And god saw that the light was good

'and separated it from the dark.'

and he called the light day...

And the darkness he called night.

Amen.

Don't slouch, hortense.

In point of fact, pa,

it is the rotation of the earth which causes night and day.

They taught you that at that fancy boarding school I sent you to?

They taught me many things.

For example, it has now been irrefutably proved

that man is not descended from Adam and Eve but from monkeys.

Apes to be exact.

You dare to sit and mock the Bible in my presence, Michael?

Is an enquiring mind not... I will not have such blasphemy at my table!

Is it blasphemy to acquire knowledge,

to want to understand how the world works? Leave the table!

Don't hurt him, please.

I have a mind of my own now, pa.

And I will not be beaten into submission. Not any more.

Door creaks open

I'm grown now, hortense.

I can fight my own corner.

As you must learn to do.

Bell rings

I hope you are not neglecting your duties

by escorting me to work every day, Michael Roberts.

It is a pleasure, not a duty.

Be a good girl now.

I am grown too now, Michael!

How comes everyone sees that but you, hmm?

Very good, children!

Now take your seats, please.

Today we are looking at the reign of the tudors.

An urgent warning just came on the wireless. It's a hurricane!

Everyone must return home immediately!

You heard mr Ryder. Gather your things, quickly now!

Stay here with hortense, my love. Secure the shutters, bolt the doors. That's it, chop, chop.

Wind howls

Michael always say, storms is just god shifting his furniture around.

Talk to me, hortense. Tell me about your brother.

Oh, Michael is not my brother, mrs Ryder,

although we share the same house.

See, my parents, they were teachers...

'So she talked to calm mrs Ryder.

'About how her parents had tragically died when she was a young child.

'She did not tell her

'that she had been born out of wedlock in Savannah-la-mar.'

my mother actually died holding me in her arms...

'That her father was a government official and her mother,

'a poor country girl in his employ.

'How she had pleaded that he send hortense to his cousin mr Roberts to be raised,

'so that she might learn to read and write.

'And she did not tell her how she was determined

'to honour the sacrifice her mother had made for her.'

I was five years old when first I met Michael.

He has such plans!

He wants one day to live in england!

When I am older, I will join him there.

And we will share a home again, he and I.

This time it will be as man and... Rattling

oh, dear god! What was that?

It is the door! Mr Ryder has returned!

Don't leave me, hortense!

I am quite capable of looking after myself...

I saw your husband at the bus stop with the children. I thought he'd left you here alone.

I did not know you were so well acquainted

with mrs Ryder, Michael? We met in church.

Did I blink and miss that day?

Does it matter where we met?

Make yourself useful, go and fetch some blankets!

Go on!

I'm here now, I'm not going to leave you.

If Jeffrey comes back...

I'll say I am here for hortense.

Only for her.

'Hurricanes never come without warning.

'And so it is in life.

'But just when you think it has wreaked its damage,

'there's often worse to come.'

where is mrs Ryder?

We must speak with mrs Ryder, child!

Her husband was on his way back to school,

when a truck got out of control.

He stood no chance. We must inform her of his death.

Oh, he is an angry god!

A fearsome god! This is his punishment!

Hortense, be calm. Is she inside?

She is there with Michael Roberts!

They're alone there together!

This is god's punishment for their sin!

Did you know that my son

was committing a mortal sin with that woman?

No, sir, I did not.

Not until today when...

When you took it upon yourself

to tell the pastor and his wife about them.

Now the whole island knows!

We are disgraced.

My son is lost to me.

Lost?

It is time he learnt what the word "duty" means.

A war is coming in Europe, the mother country needs men to fight for her.

The royal air force are recruiting volunteers in Kingston.

I have spoken to the appropriate people.

He's to go overseas.

As soon as arrangements can be made,

you too shall leave this house, hortense.

You have overstayed your welcome here.

I will have my dinner now, miss Jewel.

Oh, will you mind my paint work, please! Sorry, queenie.

Easy. Lift it. Nice and easy. Don't push too fast...

Aaaargh! Sorry. Sorry, queenie.

Pull it! My leg! My leg, man!

They continue to argue

'how people's lives entwine together is one of life's mysteries.

'But they say god works in mysterious ways.

'If there is no god,

'someone is having a fine joke at our expense.'

In Hertfordshire, herefordshire,

and Hampshire... ohhh, queenie!

In Hertfordshire,

herefordshire and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.

Three grey geese in a green field grazing.

In... hertfordshire,

herefordshire and Hampshire,

hurricanes hardly ever happen.

I think I'm really getting the hang of it now.

Elocution lessons may change the way you speak, queenie,

it won't change who you are.

But it changes how people think of you, auntie.

Which will open doors for me.

I can get a job. Travel.

See the world.

Door opens

that man is like clockwork!

For the till.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Afternoon, queenie.

Bernard. And a quarter of barley twists.

Mr bligh, I thought I heard your voice. How are you today?

Very well, mrs Montgomery. Thank you.

Do you think there will be a war? Or is it blather and talk?

The way things are developing, another war is inevitable.

Even mr Chamberlain... Fourpence ha'penny.

See you later, queenie?