Black Pond

(timpani drumroll}

Before I die, I'd like to play a prince.

A noble prince, like princes in the plays,

who fights and shouts and dances like a god.

This place is mired by dirt that will be seen.

In some untold, unsensed dimension here...

where I surrender all my worldly faults.

No longer am I scared to be confused,

revered, remembered,

forgotten and abused.

No one wants to see themselves splashed all over the papers,

do they really ?

Umm... do they really ?

Umm...

And it's not quite right that Tom just confessed.

Actually, the police came round to the house

because in discovering Blake they'd also discovered Boy,

who was still wearing his tag, I think,

and, um, so, so actually that's how they found us

and they were making inquiries,

so the first we heard of it was actually this sort of

15-year-old policeman appeared at the door

asking questions about it.

Sophie's doing what she always wanted to do,

which is write poetry and be without me,

so she got two results

and, um, and, you know, I-- I--

Although obviously I lost my job because of the publicity, and, um, and, you know, I-- I--

Although obviously I lost my job because of the publicity,

but, you know,

that clichí about a crisis being an opportunity is very--

it's very fucking true. that clichí about a crisis being an opportunity is very--

it's very fucking true.

Lost it ?

Almost like he doesn't need you anymore, isn't it ?

Very true, yes.

If he can swim in the lake and go home as he pleases.

I didn't mean to be intrusive.

I'm perfectly normal. I didn't mean to be intrusive.

I'm perfectly normal.

Last winter, of course, the whole surface froze over.

Very peaceful.

I came here at dusk one evening, almost without realizing.

Oh, the colors, Tom.

May I call you Tom ?

Yes, of course. May I call you Tom ?

Yes, of course.

The colors, Tom.

Just-- just arriving in patterns.

He seemed to not have that membrane of social stuff

that separates you from people in a kind of correct way.

He-- he seemed-

His boundaries were very porous.

So I think I kind of knew that he was probably some sort of

care-in-the-community person.

But he was very gentle and he was very, um, poetic.

Of course, sometimes I just come here

and cry a great deal remembering everything.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Oh, no, no, in a good way.

I've had some lovely cries. Oh, no, no, in a good way.

I've had some lovely cries.

The story goes that some woman went missing round here,

very beautiful apparently,

married to a high court judge.

Just round here somewhere.

A wealthy, happy couple.

But of course, one winter, she went missing

and nobody knew why. But of course, one winter, she went missing

and nobody knew why.

The husband spent a great deal of money and effort

trying to trace her. The husband spent a great deal of money and effort

trying to trace her.

Posters, articles, searches.

Fruitless.

And eventually she was presumed dead.

But he wrote in his memoirs that, one morning,

almost exactly a year after she had gone missing,

he was walking by this lake,

frozen over, just as I've described,

and he saw a hole in the ice

about 50 yards in, just there.

That was his wife.

Telling him...

that she had fallen through.

But-- But how would you search ?

I mean, you wouldn't want to, would you ?

You might find her.

Oh, and it might all just be a load of cobblers, of course. You might find her.

Oh, and it might all just be a load of cobblers, of course.

You know, I've not heard that story before.

Oh, a stranger in a pub, I think, passed it on to me,

when I mentioned I liked fishing here.

Doesn't it put you off ?

I mean, that you might end up catching some human bones ?

There's no danger of catching anything here.

That's why I like it.

It's very peaceful. That's why I like it.

It's very peaceful.

Well...

Yes, extraordinary. Well...

Yes, extraordinary.

I guess I'd better be pushing on.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Fascinating. Thank you.

Fascinating.

Nice talking with you, I hope I--

I hope we run into each other again.

Yes.

Um...

Do you want a cup of tea ?

Yes, please.

I think I just took him back for a cup of tea

and that's how safe I felt around him.

You know, I didn't think he was dangerous in any way.

And I know people think that's an odd thing to do, but I...

I just invited him back for a cup of tea.

At times, I guess I kind of cast myself as their slave,

but that was mainly because I didn't really have much to do. At times, I guess I kind of cast myself as their slave,

but that was mainly because I didn't really have much to do.

Did you just buy these so that you could have them

I thought they might cheer you up.

What, by reminding me that I'm ugly ?

Jess, you're beautiful. No, I'm not. What, by reminding me that I'm ugly ?

Jess, you're beautiful. No, I'm not.

What are you doing ?

Why are you wearing all of those at the same time ?

Well, I don't know, do I ? You're supposed to pick out one bit Why are you wearing all of those at the same time ?

Well, I don't know, do I ? You're supposed to pick out one bit

and then wear it with something else.

I don't know how it works, do I ?

I've made breakfast, if you're hungry. I don't know how it works, do I ?

I've made breakfast, if you're hungry.

I think he just is a bloke who--

with a bit too much time on his hands, frankly. I think he just is a bloke who--

with a bit too much time on his hands, frankly.

I did wonder if he was actually seeing one of the girls,

but they've told me that wasn't the case.

Funny boy. but they've told me that wasn't the case.

Funny boy.

Rainbow weather,

which in the modern sense of the word "rainbow,"

I suppose means: any sexuality or gender of weather, welcomed.

I'm very impressed with how he gets around

on those three pegs.

He thinks you've come to play, see.

He's obsessed with the ball.

It's like his safety.

You don't sit down very much, do you ?

He's very anxious and nervous.

He has to distract himself with the ball,

that's when he knows he's okay, with the ball.

We had a conversation in our house for the first time

in I don't know how long;

years, I mean years, since the girls left.

We actually had a conversation in our house, years, I mean years, since the girls left.

We actually had a conversation in our house,

between the three of us.

I didn't find that frightening. between the three of us.

I didn't find that frightening.

It just seemed like a relief.

Katie has a thing for the wounded.

Jess has a thing for being wounded.

But I think it was Katie who spotted him, really. Jess has a thing for being wounded.

But I think it was Katie who spotted him, really.

She likes to look after things. Yes.

She used to bring back the strangest boys.

Absolutely, all lame ducks and--

What was that bloke who was allergic to everything,

wasn't he-- He couldn't wear wool.

Oh, Toby.

90% of Christmas presents out the window for a start,

but Katie's not as bright as Jess.

We always thought she'd probably grow up to be a nurse.

Because she's not bright ?

Well, and because she used to play at being a nurse

quite a lot.

And Jess would always insist on being the patient.

Yes.

She's the creative one, if you like.

She's a very good musician.

But she's very fragile.

Katie's very calm in comparison.

No, not calm, but...

Jess, even when she was very tiny, she used to cry

for no reason.

Just one minute she'd be happy in the pram,

next minute she'd be crying,

so it was quite clear even then, wasn't it ?

Well, that was different, Tom.

That was just her being a baby. Was it ?

Oh.

You must be very proud.

Why did you call him "Boy" ?

That was just because when I first brought him home, I said,

"Here, boy," and he responded straight away,

just came straight over.

Here, Boy, here, Bo--

He's a bit deaf now but-- I did tell him it was weird.