The Piano

'The voice you hear is not my speaking voice...

'but my mind's voice.

'I have not spoken since I was six years old.

'No-one knows why. Not even me.

'My father says it is a dark talent,

'and the day I take it into my head to stop breathing will be my last.

'Today, he married me to a man I've not yet met.

'Soon, my daughter and I shall join him in his own country.

'My husband said my muteness does not bother him.

'He writes, and hark this, God loves dumb creatures so why not he!

'Were good he had God's patience...

'for silence affects everyone in the end.

'The strange thing is I don't think myself silent.

'That is because of my piano.

'I shall miss it on the journey.'

Take her hand, come on.

You're with me.

I've got the lady.

You go ahead.

Paddington Station.

Over here, my lovely!

All right, lads, unbutton your muftis.

Piss like a tom.

Jesus Christ, whose bloody coffin is this?

Christ, it's heavy! Hold it!

Fuck them. Well, just leave them behind. It's what they fucking want.

Aye, very good. Leave them and be lynched for the pleasure!

It's a bit rough out there. Could be they can't get through you in this weather.

Do you have things for shelter?

She says, "Thank you."

Does your mother prefer to come on with us to Nelson?

She says, "No." She says, she'd rather be boiled alive by natives than get back in your tub.

You be damn fortuned I don't smack your puppy gob, young missy!

Damn lucky!

We're all ready now, sir.

Mother, watch out!

The hens! Are they all right? Here.

Look, I'm a very big moth.

Will it catch fire?

I'm not gonna call him Papa. I'm not gonna call him anything.

I'm not even going to look at him.

Are we stopping?

Shall we stop?

We must get on.

Miss McGrath? Alisdair Stewart.

You'll have to wake yourselves. I've got men here to carry your things.

Well, I see you've got a good many boxes.

I'd like to know what's in each...

Can you hear me?

Well, that's good. Yes, that's good.

What's in this one?

You're small. I never thought you'd be small.

And this one? This is very large.

- What's in it, then, a bedstead? - It's my mother's piano.

Baines, tell them to carry in pairs.

Take all the boxes, table and the suitcases.

What do you think?

She looks tired.

She's stunted, that's one thing.

And the big case?

No, no. Just the trunks and the boxes as I explained.

- No, it can't come now. - It must. She wants it to come.

Yes, so do I. But there are too few of us here to carry it now.

Too heavy!

What, you mean you don't want your clothing or kitchenware to come?

Is that what you mean?

We can't leave the piano!

Let's not discuss this any further. I'm very pleased that you arrived safely.

But we must know if they can come back directly for it.

Could I apologise for the delay...

After they've taken the other things.

Might I suggest that you prepare yourself for a difficult journey.

The bush will tear clothing, and the mud is very deep in places.

What do they think they're doing? We don't have time for this.

What's the matter? Why are they stopping?

That's the way to the burial grounds. It's tapu.

They want more money. They're trying to make two days out of it.

No.

No, they know another track to the side of this.

Septimus, now take that off!

Take that off!

Watch your feet! Mind your feet!

- Septimus! Please stop it! - Stop it!

- Stop, please! You'll tear it! - Oh, the tag is broken.

Septimus, now stop!

You'll tear it. Be careful.

Arm down.

If you cannot have a ceremony together...

...you'll have at least a photograph.

Careful. The lace is most fragile.

My real father was a famous German composer.

They met when my mother was an opera singer in Luxembourg.

Why?

I want to be in the photograph.

Going to leave the cloth here?

No, no. It is just to keep the chair dry.

We must have slipped on the planks. They have gotten very greasy.

Get in that chair.

Pull the tarpaulin off.

I am sorry it rained. We have not light enough inside.

- Shall I have the umbrella on this side on t'other? - On t'other! On t'other!

Can you take this, please?

And sitting...

...very still.

And where did they get married?

In an enormous forest with fairies as bridesmaids...

...each holding a little elf's hand.

No, I tell a lie. It was in a small country church in the mountains.

- Which mountains are those, dear? - The Pyrenees.

I've never been there.

Mother used to sing songs in German, and her voice echoed across the valleys.

- That was before the accident. - And what happened?

One day, while my mother and father were singing together in the forest...

...a great storm blew up.

But, so passionate was the singing...

...that they didn't notice. They didn't stop as rain began to fall.

And when their voices rose for the final bars of the duet, a great bold of lightning...

...came out of the sky and struck my father, who lit up like a torch.

At the same moment my father was struck dead...

...my mother was struck dumb. She never spoke another word.

Oh, dear!

Not another word?

Well, from the shock. Yes.

It would be. Terrible.

Terrible.

Terrible, terrible.

Sorry.

I have to go away for some days.

Some Maori land I'm interested in which I may buy very reasonably.

Well, I hope you'll spend the time to get settled in. And perhaps...

...in some ways...

...we could start again.

All right?

I'm not able to read.

Please take us back to the beach where we landed.

I am sorry. I can't do that.

I don't have the time.

Goodbye.

I can't take you there.

I can't do it.

Mumma! Mumma, watch me! Look!

Mumma! Mumma!

- Hello, there. - Hello.

Well, you've stopped combing your hair which is a good thing. It was looking overdone.

You see, these're the slits of the heads will go through.

Show him, Nessie.

The Reverend's going to use animal blood. No doubt it'll be very dramatic.

- Very dramatic. - Tea!

Morag...

...what would you think if someone...

...were to play a kitchen table?

Like it were a piano.

Like it were a piano?

It's strange, isn't it? I mean, it's not a piano.

It doesn't make any sound.

Biscuits!

No, no sound.

I knew...

...she was mute but now I'm thinking...

...perhaps it's more than that. I wonder if she's not brain-affected.

Shush!

- No sound at all? - No. It was a table.

Well, she was very violent with the gown. She tore off a chunk of lace.

I've had been here to see it. I'd have sworn you she'd have used her teeth and wiped her feet on it.

It hasn't come to anything yet. It's simply a concern, that's all.

Yes.

Yes, of course. A concern.

There's something to be said for silence.

Indeed. Cotton?

With time, I'm sure she'll become affectionate.

Sure, there's nothing so easy to like as a pet. And they're quite silent.

# The grand old Duke of York He had ten thousand men #

# He marched them up and up and marched them down again #

Those 80 acres across the stream, what do you think of them?

I don't have any money. What are you on about?

I'd like to make a swap.

- What for? - The piano.

What, the piano on the beach?

- It's not marshy, is it? - No.

Baines the music lover. I never would have thought. Hidden talents, George?

I'd have to get lessons. It wouldn't be much use without them.

Yes, I suppose you would.

Ada can play. I have it in a letter that she plays very well.

She's been playing since she was five or six.

What on?

Well, on... on your piano. That's the swap.

What's she saying?

She says, it's her piano and she won't have him touch it!

He can't read! He's ignorant!

He wants to improve himself, and you'll be able to play it.

Teach him how to look after it!

You can't go on like this!

We're a family now. We all make sacrifices, and so will you!

You will teach him, and I will see to it!

A Broadwood!

A fine instrument!

I've not seen one here...

...nor in New South Wales where I've tuned 200.

They like their pianos there.

Scent?