Lilting

Oh, my God!

Hey, Junn.

- You OK? - Mm.

I'm just gonna change the light bulb for you.

There we are. See you.

Are you all right? Can I help?

Yeah, I'm looking for a Ms Junn Tan. Do you know how I can find her?

Yeah, she's probably in her room.

Oh, no, she isn't. I saw her outside earlier with Alan.

Every day around this time they meet out there,

spend some time holding hands and snogging.

- It kills me. - That's sweet.

Yeah. How do you know Junn?

I'm a friend of her son's, Kai.

I'm sorry.

- I'll take you outside to see her. - OK.

Alan!

Junn, I've got someone to see you.

Hello, Junn.

Hello.

How are you?

I'm... OK.

I'm, um...

plodding along.

- Is this your friend? - She's not deaf.

Sorry.

It's a nice place.

- How's she been? - She spends her time in her room.

We take them on trips every few months

but she doesn't really participate.

There's Casanova here. They snuggle up pretty much every day.

- My name's Alan. - I'm Richard.

- How do you know her, then? - I'm a friend.

Does she have any other family?

I used to pull the birds with this song.

It never failed to turn their legs to jelly.

Oh, ho! You see what I mean?

- Are you... - Richard?

- Yes. Are you Vann? - Hi. Yeah.

- How you doing? - Good. How are you?

Yeah, good, thanks.

- Do you want anything to drink? - Yeah, I'd love a coffee, actually.

- Hi. Can I get an Americano, please? - Sure.

- Um, I'll have the same, please. - Of course.

Thank you for coming at such short notice.

That's OK. I hope I can help.

I can't remember whether I told you on the phone.

Um... she's the mother

of a very dear friend of mine who died recently

and I felt that...

Well, anyway,

she has met a man,

Alan,

and the problem is, they don't have any common language,

so I wanted you to translate for them.

- I'm sorry. - No, don't be. I think...

- It'll be lovely... - No, I meant...

I know. I know what you meant.

She speaks the four main dialects. She speaks Mandarin,

Cantonese,

- Hokkien? - Mm-hm.

And... something else that I can't remember.

And a bit of Cambodian and Vietnamese.

- They're Cambodian Chinese. - Right.

Yeah, she speaks six languages altogether.

- Apart from English. - Lazy bitch.

- So selfish. - Sounds like my mum.

You know, I'm not a professional translator.

- I can speak the languages. - Fine. I'm just...

I'm grateful that you can help.

Well, I'll try my best.

I wish there was a Shazam for smell.

Have you been sniffing other people?

No.

Sometimes I come across a scent, I'd like to know what it is.

We should have your mum over for dim sum.

I can impress her with my Chinese cooking.

She won't like your cooking.

- Come on, I'm good. - I know, but she won't admit it.

Mm.

She hates me.

She doesn't.

She's jealous.

I'm her only child. No one's good enough for me in her eyes.

You're not good enough for me.

You have to try harder.

Why? Why am I not good enough?

You'll have to stay in the spare room.

We'll have to pretend we're friends.

I know.

I think I've put her in there too soon.

I don't think sheltered accommodation is good for her.

You should come out to her.

So she can come here and live with us instead.

Stop doing that.

It's like walking back in time.

That's the idea.

Junn.

Um, Junn, this is Vann.

I was just explaining who I was.

I told her I was your friend.

She asked, how are you?

I'm... I'm good.

Well, I'm OK.

How's she? How's her health?

She's fine.

She's, um...

s0-so.

Shall we sit down and I can explain to her?

Um...

So this is Vann.

Um...

Sorry. You've already met. Um...

And she is here to translate for you and Alan

so that you can get to know each other better.

She's surprised you want to help her.

How does she feel about it?

She doesn't mind.

Can you say to her that I'm sorry that I didn't come and visit her sooner

but that there was a lot to do after Kai's death,

a lot of reorganising and so forth?

And obviously I don't speak Mandarin and she doesn't speak English.

- Shall I say that again? - Um... no, I got it.

Um... there's still a lot to organise,

but if she would like to come round one day when she's free,

she could look through his stuff and take away what she likes.

Are you giving her the belongings you no longer want to keep?

No.

No, they're not his rejects. They're his things.

I'm only keeping what...

You know, they're... They're Kai's belongings.

She's always free. You just have to make a date.

OK.

She asked, why have you come here?

Well...

Well, I wanted to see how you are.

I think Kai...

I was concerned and I...

I wanted to make sure that you're OK living here without Kai.

She wants to know where Kai's ashes are.

They're at home.

- She wants to have his ashes. - No.

- Why not? - Um, it's just...

You have a house filled with his things.

Why won't you let me have...

her have her son's ashes?

Um, I want to scatter them somewhere,

and I think Kai would like that.

- He was my only child. - He was my life. He was my hap...

Don't... Don't translate that. She doesn't know.

She doesn't know that we were together.

- Bad timing? - No, no, no.

Come and join us.

Alan, this is... Vann.

And Vann speaks Mandarin and Cantonese

and she's going to translate for you and Junn.

You brought someone to translate for us?

Yeah.

That's, er... That's very good of you.

- What shall we chat about? - Er... anything you want.

Um... What's her name? Oh, no. I know that already.

Um, actually, I don't,

because we haven't been formally introduced.

Um... how old is she?

Oh, no, that's no good.

Er...

Tell her that she looks lovely.

She said, "Thank you".

Did you enjoy Kew Gardens?

No. No, it was a bit boring.

I'm gonna go outside.

She said it's really sweet that you give her flowers every day.

- She appreciates that. - Oh, it's my pleasure.

- Do you like gambling? - Gambling?

No. No, I never gamble.

It's a waste of money. I'd sooner spend it on wild sex instead.

No... no, I'm joking. Don't say that.

You didn't say that, did you?

- No, I didn't. - No. No, it's just...

I'm... I'm a bit nervous.

I feel as though I'm on my first date. You know what I mean?

I understand. Just take your time.

What do you do in your spare time?

So you don't mind continuing?

Of course not.

- It's beautiful. - Very romantic.

- What will you do? - What do you mean?

Will you leave her in the home?

I'm thinking of asking her to stay at mine for a trial period.

I mean...

Actually, I don't know what I mean.

Do you think it's a bad idea?

I don't know.

Would you come over and translate for us one weekend?

- Obviously I'd pay you. - Of course I can.

You're really thinking of living with her?

Do you think I'm mad?

It would drive me mad, living with my mum.

Fucking suicidal even.

Sui-fucking-cidal.