Mandy

'One potato, two potato, three potato, four...'

'This is Mandy,

'otherwise Amanda Jane Garland.

'Aged two.

'Amanda is Latin for "one who deserves to be loved".

'I don't know about deserving love. She certainly gets it.

'She's our only child

'so Harry and I have plenty of chance to daydream

'about whether she'll be a businesswoman

'or some sort of an artist

'or just an ordinary housewife like me.

'And to fuss and worry about whether she's all right and developing properly.

'She seems intelligent enough.'

The more intelligent they are, the slower they start.

Don't you want this?

She isn't even beginning to speak.

Oh, darling, what are you fussing about?

Most kids don't start talking until much later than that.

It's Harry.

Darling...darling, Lily's here.

Lily? Hello, Lily. You're not going?

Yes, trains to catch. How are you, mister?

I'm fine. What, are you going North tonight? How's Jimmy?

Oh, he's wonderful. He's so good to me.

Sent a postcard suggesting I should stay away another week.

So you're rushing home to see who she is, hey?

You bet! Bye-bye, dears.

So nice to see a happy little family where the husband doesn't drink.

How's my little girl?

Been a good girl today, have you?

Been a good girl, have you? It's time you were in bed, you know.

What are you going to do with those pencils?

Ooh! Poor Daddy!

Bye-bye, darling.

Not too much of the anxious young mother stuff.

Come and see us soon. God bless.

Goodbye.

Bye- bye.

Squeaks toy)

What's up, Kit?

I'm frightened.

- Frightened? - Yes.

Remember what you were saying about Mandy the other day?

YES.

That she didn't seem to be frightened by noises.

- Yes. - She hasn't begun to talk at all.

Well, I believe it's because she can't...hear properly.

Oh, come!

I've tried calling to her and clapping and so on.

She doesn't seem to hear any of it.

Darling, she's bright enough. She doesn't miss a thing.

Not when she can see.

When she can't, she doesn't notice anything.

You try. You'll see.

There you are. Did you see her head come round?

She can't see us from there but she heard us all right.

YES.

You can hear fast enough, can't you, my beautiful?

Of course you can.

What do you want, a daughter who turns around every time someone whistles?

Honestly, Harry, I couldn't make her...

What people don't realise is that little girls don't want to turn around

every time somebody makes silly noises, do they, hey?

I never knew such a gaff, getting into a flap!

Good night, sweetie.

Harry!

- What? - Look.

She could see that, even if she couldn't hear you.

- Oh, darling, really! - No.

Harry, make her hear something where she couldn't possibly have seen it.

Mandy...

Mandy!

Mandy!

Mandy!

Go on.

If she's really deaf, stone-deaf, she'll be dumb, too.

In a child at this age it's difficult to tell

but there's no trace of any mental defect.

The actual physical structure of the ear is perfect

so there's no question of an operation, Mrs...er...?

Mrs Garland.

This is one of those interesting cases

when the auditory nerve has failed to develop during prenatal life.

And this is what we call a congenital condition.

'They all told us in the most reassuring way

'there was nothing to be done about it.

'Mandy would never hear.

'She would never be able to imagine what sound was like

'so, naturally, she would be dumb, too.

'To the doctors, it was an interesting case but not at all unusual.

'One child in every 16,000 is born like that.

'And they explained that all over the country

'we should find special schools.

'Day schools or residential.'

We couldn't send Mandy to a place like that.

- What was it like? - Well, the teachers seem kind.

I should think they do a good job.

The whole place gave me the shivers.

- What do we do now? - Well, she's got to be taught.

But privately. Here, at home, with us.

A private teacher?

Where would we put her? We have no room for her here.

No, I know.

That offer that your parents made...

You know, about having the top floor in their house...

Darling, I can't ask you to go there. You'd hate it.

- They're old now and... - We've got to do something for her.

Fred, they're here.

- Let me have her. - She's rather hefty, I'm afraid.

That's a good girl. What a good girl!

- Hello, my dear. - Dad, for you.

One of your chess games.

Look at all these things.

If you can find any use for them, please do.

Oh, that's a very German move.

And there's a wardrobe for you in here. That's bound to come in useful.

Of course, it's never been used since it was Harry's nursery.

It really wants redecorating. It used to look lovely.

You don't think it will be too much for Mother?

My dear boy, it will make no difference to me.

I don't know what it will do to you and Christine

but of one thing you can be certain, your mother will have a wonderful time.

It will be nice to have a baby about again.

Are you sure you can bear to have us all here?

Bear it? My dear, it'll be like starting life again to have Harry here

and you and the little one.

'Mandy was to be one of the lucky ones.

'There were at least plenty of people who loved her

'and wanted to look after her and shelter her from the outside word.

'She spent the next five years being...sheltered.'

Hey, you!

What do you think you're doing, running under my wheels like that?

You might have got yourself killed!

Dear me! Can't you keep that dog on a lead? You nearly...

Keep that mongrel on a lead, you understand, hey?

Darling! What is it? What's happened?

No, darling! You mustn't do that! Did she bite you or something?

All right, darling, all right. I won't go. Mummy's got you.

- There. - What is it, darling?

Oh, never mind. Better now.

I'll take her up, Mrs Garland.

Now come to tuckey, sweetheart. There's a girl!

What happened? Did the dog bite her or something?

I don't know. Something frightened her.

She couldn't tell me what.

Harry, I can't go on like this.

It was all right when she was a baby but now...you never know.

I don't know whether she's being naughty and playing me up

or whether there's something really the matter.

There's just no contact.

There must be something we can do.

'C...A...T.'

C...A...T.

Cat.

C...

...A...T...T...

'Mandy? T...

'Watch, Mandy. Watch.'

'There must be something we could do.

'There must be someone who could help.'

- I don't want to go in, Lily. - Why not?

Harry saw this place. He told me about it.

Harry didn't see it! Not properly. I found that out later.

Harry saw a bit of it and then made excuses that he had to catch a train.

He didn't give the place a chance. He just ran away from it.

I don't blame him.

Dick Searle was probably rude to him, same as he is to everyone.

But I'm going to make you see him and talk to him at least.

Come on, Chris.

- Dick, this is Christine Garland. - How do you do?

- You already know about her little girl? - Oh...yes. Is she here?

Er, no. She...

Well, I can't say whether I'll take the child without seeing her, can I?

Nobody was asking you to take her, Mr Searle.

I just wanted to see if you had anything to offer that she isn't getting already.

Oh, I see. What is she getting already? And how old?

- Six. - At school?

- No. - Well, why not?

My husband and I have always felt that...

She needs care, gentleness, kindness and understanding

that can only be provided at home. Yes, I know.

- Does anybody teach her anything? - She has a nurse.

- Teaches her finger speech? - Yes.

I thought so. An old biddy of about 60.

Now listen, Dick Searle.

I've already told Christine that you've no manners

so there's no need to demonstrate!

I also told her you were good at your job which is probably an understatement

so get on with the business of showing her around

and take that chip off your shoulder.

I've got to get back to my own kids. I'll see you later.

- Well, perhaps you'd like to walk around. - If you could spare the time.

Colin, you've got the dirtiest face in the school and that's saying something.

- What's your name? - Mic...

- Michael. - Michael.

- Good. And who is this? - Michael.

No, no, no. You're Michael. He's Colin.

So, he's only been here about ten weeks.

- And he's quite deaf'? - Oh, yes. No hearing at all.

He can't do very much yet