"My daughter's up the duff and your whelp's getting married." "You with me?" "Which one?" "Ted..." "Todd..." "Terry." "Whatever his name is." "Go get him." "You need help?" "What- to change a tyre?" "Do I look like a cripple to you?" "I mean work - have you got any?" "Oriel's boy?" "Yeah." "Trouble?" "Ted - he shot through, not a word." "What about the girl?" "Gone with him." "Everyone gets to go somewhere except bloody Dolly, eh?" "!" "Even from here, behind the mirror, you can still feel it." "When everything was good, shining, blessed, as if our luck is endless, like the great river pouring on out to the sea." "Get out of there!" "In the water." "Fish Boy, what are you doing, mate?" "I might say the same thing." "Like father, like son." "Dad!" "Righto, alright." "I'm gonna be late for work now." "Sorry, love, sorry." "Come on, mate." "No more water." "In the water." "Mrs Pickles, telegram for you." "She's just coming." "No!" "I went in the water!" "That's my pen." " Mrs Pickles?" "NO!" "Christ, no!" "Are you OK?" "Come on, up." "Come on." "Teddy!" "Teddy!" "Teddy!" "Teddy!" "Lester." "Come on, mate." "Come and we'll have a chat to the pig." "Come on." "Come down the back." "Come on, mate." "Hey, hey, hey, come on." "Leave them alone." "We'll leave them alone." "Cup of tea, Mr Pickles?" "Uh...no." "And, um, Mrs Pickles?" "Uh..." "She's, uh...gone somewhere." "Lainey, make a pot, love." "Said his heart gave out." "Just stopped beating." "In the sauna getting his weight down." "You know he was a jockey?" "He's got a kid." "A boy...we never seen." "Probably never will see now." "This is gonna kill her." "She's been alright...the old girl." "But this..." "Should've seen it." "Couldn't feel it coming." "It's like I got used to smooth sailing and happy days." "But your luck doesn't hold, though, does it?" "Oh, well, I couldn't say, Mr Pickles." "I used to think you made your own luck." "Yeah." "But I know how quickly they can be taken from you." "Your treasures." "Yep." "Now, how are you off for food?" "Oh, Rose will see to us." "No, no, no, it's no bother." "He was a handful, our Ted." "Mmm." "Gone." "Made rissoles." "Rissoles" "And spuds and peas." "Peas." "Come on." "Food'll help." "Nothing helps." "He was your favourite, wasn't he?" "Teddy was like Sam when he was young." "Only harder." "A bit less..." "..less understanding." "Christ, he was a darling." "Come home." "Come on, you bastard." "Don't conk out on me now." "Shit." "Jesus Christ!" "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." "Come on, you bastard." "Pull up!" "Come on, pull up!" "Come on, stop!" "Shit!" "That's it." "He's gone." "He's family." "Bloody family." "He just wants to go fishing for a couple of days." "Give him a breather." "Alright, take the week." "Use me boat." "I'll take it out of your pay." "Ha-ha." "Gentlemen." "Bloody hell!" "Righto." "Come on, young fella." "Swim like you mean it." "Cheeky bugger." "I must be losing me bloody mind." "Worse things to lose than that, young fella." "Here's good." "I am." "I'm losing me bloody mind." "That's it, mate." "Now you get yourself home." "The knife never lies." "The knife never lies!" "I've never been to a funeral." "I went to my uncle's when I was little." "Whole town was there." "When they went to bury him... ..the coffin wouldn't fit in the grave." "Two of my dad's mates had to stomp on it to get it in." "I remember thinking it was gonna split open and we'd all have to see poor Uncle Joel." "Were you close?" "I don't know." "He wasn't very straight with me." "About?" "Doesn't matter." "Oh, no, go on, don't stop now." "I love hearing your stories." "I'm sorry." "It's just that nothing exciting ever happened to me growing up." "It's hardly exciting." "You reckon?" "I mean, your dad and his hand, that mob from the bush who moved in, you and your mum." "I mean, you can't call it boring." "How did we get here?" "You said, "Let's go to your place."" "Look, we can go somewhere else, if you'd like." "I'm no fun tonight." "Rose, you're perfect." "Mwah." "You're perfect." "Quick Lamb." "I don't know what's going on." "Just go have a look." "Oh, look." "Quick." "Quick Lamb, can you hear me?" "Mason." "Mason Lamb." "It's your Aunty May." "Can you hear me?" "Quick." "You, you, you, you..." "You, you, you... ..you, you, you..." "Quick." "You don't see this every day, then." "No, but they had a calf with two arseholes over at the Fergusons' last week." "Could be connected." "Earl, we gotta get him some help." "Probably something he ate." "Maybe a doctor." "Since when have we ever needed one of them jumped-up little stickybeaks?" "Well, he looks crook." "They'll be asking questions, taking names." "Well, it's Oriel's boy!" "As if the townies won't remember the last one." "Gawd, we'll never hear the end of this." "Righto, then, family." "Try not to talk too much." "I never talk too much." "Mum." "Mrs Lamb." "Oh, Geoffrey." "I was..." "We were hoping to have a word." "Where's your father?" "We can't find him." "Mum, it can't wait." "We thought we'd go straight to the top, kind of thing." "Have you set a date?" "Oh, Mum." "When you find your father, you ask him properly." "Give Elaine a wide berth." "You know what she's like." "I've lost a milk invoice, so if you don't mind..." "# Pretty baby" "# Everybody loves a baby That's why I'm in love with you" "# Pretty baby # Pretty baby" "J And I'd like to be your sister, brother, mum and dad too" "I Pretty baby # Pretty baby" "I Won't you come and let me rock you in my cradle of love?" "I We'll cuddle all the time" "# Oh, I want a lovin' baby So it might as well be you" "I Pretty baby # Pretty baby of mine" "I Doo-di, doo-di, doo-di, doo-di Doo-di, doo-di, doo-di, doo" "# Pretty baby" "# Pretty baby... #" "Now, this bloke of yours... ..is it serious?" "Dunno." "Didn't you say he was writing a book?" "Yeah, he is." "Any good?" "I don't know." "He won't let me read it." "Well..." "..God knows you're a merciless judge." "I don't know whether to envy the cove or pity him." "Whatever you reckon, Dad." "Anyway, bring him round sometime." "Let a man see for himself." "Yeah, that'll be the day." "Oriel." "Shut up, Bill!" "It's a party, you dumb mutt." "Oriel Lamb!" "Oriel!" "# So it might as well be you" "# Pretty baby of mine" "# Pretty baby... #" "Oriel!" "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "# Pretty baby # Pretty baby... #" "Les!" "Les!" "What?" "!" "What the hell is that?" "Quickie!" "Oh, my God!" "Les!" "Les!" "What's he doing here?" "Bath!" "Put him in the bath." "Righto, we'll get him upstairs." "Fish, Fish, come back." "Fish, calm down, Fish." "Calm, Fish, calm." "Get him ice." "We'll cool him down with ice." "Ice, I said, ice." "Yes, Mum." "Come on, Elaine." "Sorry." "I'm sorry." "Go, go, go!" "I haven't seen a fever like this before." "I don't know whether it IS a fever, love." "Oh, as if you'd know." "Where is that girl with the ice?" "Coming, Mum." "Stay here." "Stay here, Quick." "Stay here, Quick." "Stay here." "Goodnight, Mr Lamb, Mrs Lamb." "Goodnight, Geoffrey." "Yeah, congratulations, son." "Right as rain." "I was wondering where that got to." "Fish, I suppose." "He's back." "Are you happy?" "Yes." "I wonder sometimes," ""Does she love me?"" "She married you before God." "But she doesn't believe in God." "Dunno what I believe in." "Well, you believe in love, don't you?" "No!" "What do you mean 'no'?" "What's there to believe in?" "It's like saying you believe in... ..babies or sunshine or... it's a fact." "It's just there." "I'm stuck with it." "I'm stuck with the love I've got." "I'm stuck with the love that won't come back." "I'm just stuck." "What are we gonna do?" "We're gonna get this fever down." "We're gonna have eight hours sleep and a big breakfast." "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes, Piggy, yes!" "Aye, aye, Captain." "# Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily" "# Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily... #" "It's in the water, Piggy, in the water!" "# Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily" "I Life is but a dream" "I Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream" "I Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a dream" "I Row, row, row your boat Gently down the stream" "# Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily Life is but a... #" "# La-Ia-Ia-Ia-Ia-Ia Row, row, row..." "# Row, row, row your boat gently... #" "In the water." "Fishy's in the boat." "Yes, Piggy." "Eat it." "Eat it." "Eat the whole thing!" "Even get your boy back." "Course you bloody do." "Sorry, Mum." "Boy!" "Boy, boy." "Boy." "I thought you weren't gonna talk to me." "Oh, silly boy." "You're not..." "You're not angry?" "Oh, broke our hearts..." "what you did to your brother." "Month after month pining, an abandoned dog, no word - of course I'm angry." "Fish was always your favourite." "Give up the self-pity, son." "Well, you always loved him more than the rest of us." "And didn't you love him more too?" "Don't you still love him more?" "It always hurts to know you're not the favourite, no matter who you are." "But, Fish, well..." "he's everybody's favourite." "He was as a boy, and now he's a man... ..well, he has to be..." "..'cause that's all he's got." "Do you blame me?" "For Fish, for what happened?" "No, son." "But I know that's what you think." "I know that's what you...you feel." "Mum, you don't know the first thing about feelings." "I know what it feels like to be a survivor." "Well, a winner, yeah, but..." "No... ..the one spared." "For no reason you can understand." "And it eats away at you." "This..." "This... ..pointless...useless guilt." "I know it's got you too." "Why do you always think you know everything?" "Huh?" "Because I feel so much." "Have I been a crook mother?" "No, Mum, of course not." "Do I lie?" "Do I cheat?" "Nope." "Fornicate?" "Well, I...have to check with the neighbours on that one, but I'd say this tent's a pretty dubious sign." "# Row, row, row, row Gently down the stream" "# Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily... #" "Take him fishing..." "in the boat." "Go on." "He's waited long enough." "Really?" "Go on!" "Well, come with us." "Got jobs to do." "Whacko, a big one!" "Mum" "Please?" "And put some more bait on." "Another worm on the hook." "Bombs away!" "So, will you be staying?" "Oh, it's all a bit sudden." "Tell you what, I'm finished with driving trucks and shooting roos." "Oh, so that's what you were doing." "I shoot better than I drive, I reckon." "Hm." "Your fishing's not too bad." "You could sell these, you know." "You think?" "Mmm." "You're useless in the shop." "Aha!" "Ha-ha, ha-ha!" "I'm the boss of you." "Ha, Quickie, look!" "Ha." "Look, Quickie." "Righto." "Go on." "What are you bloody looking at?" "Ahh!" "Ah, isn't he a bloody beauty?" "Rosie." "Rosie?" "It's me." "Rosie, love." "Uh...do you need a moment?" "Just get the tickets, will you?" "Are you going to the pictures, love?" "You know this person?" "Just get the...get the tickets, will you, please?" "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what's this?" "Won't even talk to your mother." "What mother?" "!" "Is there anything I can help you with?" "I'm sorry." "Mrs Pickles, is it?" "Piss off, you soft prick." "Fuck." "Own bloody mother." "At least she's got a mother... ..who says she's her mother." "The fall of Singapore." "Jesus." "Get your mother a cup of tea." "She stinks." "Oi." "Your own mother." "Sit down, Doll." "You stink!" "Cut me dead." "What?" "Last night." "Thought you didn't know where she was." "I didn't care where she was." "You cut me dead in front of some fancy bloke." "She was drunk." "Can you blame me?" "I didn't want to know her." "You don't know me, but." "You don't know thing about me." "I know that you're a disgrace." "Rosie." "You fuckin' touch her..." "For Christ's sake, run yourself a bath." "She doesn't know a thing." "And what have you ever told her?" "That's my business." "My business, not yours." "Rosie." "I don't want any excuses, Dad." "No." "People..." "People are who they are." "You've walked that old horse..." "Even when they don't know who they are." "You drink too much, yes, it's bound to happen!" "That is NOT what I'm talking about." "I don't care!" "I don't care, Dad." "As far as I'm concerned, she doesn't exist." "Dad!" "There's my dad Lester." "G-'day, mate." "A long night?" "We got whitings, lots of whitings in the boat." "You're a big fishing boy, are you?" "Yeah, 5 shillings, 2 shillings, 12 shillings." "Oh, mate, it all adds up, eh?" "Yeah." "Hey, watch it." "How are you?" "Do the monster." "No, mate, I can't do the monster." "Do the monster." "We're home!" "We're home!" "Day off?" "She didn't come home again last night." "Oh." "Don't know what to say." "Nothing to be said, mate." "It is what it is." "I think after this long, he could've at least popped the question." "Popped his buttons, more like it." "Her fella or yours?" "Hers is trying to work up his nerve, while yours is trying to work up his altitude." "A dwarf, I tell you." "Shut up about it, will you?" "Miss Pickles... ..a moment." "I'll leave you to it, shall I?" "What are you doing here?" "She's missing." "I'm at work." "You wanna get me sacked?" "It's been two days and I don't know what else to do." "Don't you ask me." "She's your mother." "No..." "She's your mother." "No, you can't ever ask me to do that again." "I'm not that little girl Friday, Dad." "Please?" "You're gonna have to do it." "Hello." "ls that where Dolly Pickles lives?" "It is." "Does her husband live there too?" "He does." "Well, his wife's down here at the Rose and Crown as full as a boot." "Really?" "Too bloody right." "I'll tell him." "Like I say, if he doesn't get here..." "I'll tell him." "If you would." "Thank you." "Yes, thanks... ls Mr Pickles here?" "Just came in, I think." "Well, get him." "What, Sam?" "Now!" "Looks like a late scratching." "Christ, it's been a while since she's had a start, hey, boys?" "Show us your form!" "Yeah." "Whoa, she stumbles at the first hurdle." "You want a show - I'll give you a fucking show." "Oh, come on - one more." "One more!" "You pack of bloody dingoes." "Come on." "it's alright, dear." "Christ..." "No, mm-mm-mm." "Truly." "Truly." "It's alright." "She's upstairs, Rose." "I'm just warming some soup." "Rose..." "Hey!" "You need something?" "You need a lift somewhere?" "No." "Sounds like it's crying, doesn't it?" "It's in the walls or something." "Ls that why you left?" "No, not really, I... ..just felt like I'd always lost something." "Why'd you come back?" "I don't know." "Same reason, I suppose." "Look at that." "The timbers are clenching." "There's no wind, nothing to resist, but every joint bleats as if the place is bracing to sneeze... ..or expel," "..or smother." "And the lost dead are quaking... ..like sunlight." "What happened to your hand?" "Hmm?" "oh, this." "Ah, did it at work." "That's right." "Boiling acid." "That's right." "And mildew." "Yeah." "Then there was the moths." "Phew!" "Ohh." "Poor Sam." "But, um..." "How is she?" "She seems calmer." "I'll come back later." "No, you've gone to enough trouble already." "Oh, the doctor said fluids." "Yeah, fluids." "There's an idea." "You're not my sister." "No, Doll, she's..." "You're her landlady." "That pisspot... ..I don't need it." "Keeps the money in the pisspot." "Could you manage some soup?" "Soup?" "Nah." "You've got to get something good into you." "I see you." "Yes." "But he doesn't." "Seen him." "He looks right through you." "Don't." "The mother doesn't exist." "But it hurts." "It hurts." "Fuck, it hurts." "Ho!" "Oh!" "OH!" "Hey, Fishy Boy, what's over there?" "Uh, whacko!" "Whacko!" "Alright, now, hey, hey, I'll tell you what," "I was saying to my old father the other day," "I said, "Dad..." I said, "Poor old Dad." ""What are you doing, Dad?" "What are you doing?" I said." ""What are you doing?" No!" "Come on, boys." "There's plenty for all of you." "You're just a baby boy, aren't ya?" "Bet your mum's proud of you." "There you go, mate." "Don't worry, fella." "You'll get yours." "There ya are." "Aren't you a lovely boy, eh?" "Wouldn't some of them be girls?" "Girls are too much trouble." "So little boys, are they?" "Boys are lovely." "What, none of them have sisters?" "Sisters?" "You can't trust them bitches." "Take that out to your mum, will you?" "Why does she live out in the tent, do you know?" "Nuh." "Just tired of ordinary mortals, I thought." "Ah, well, people disappoint her." "What, you especially?" "Yeah, I don't... ..I don't think I ever quite measured up in her eyes." "So what do you live for, Dad?" "Family, Quick." "Eh?" "Your mother and me have always agreed on that." "Take away family, that's it, mate." "No point." "Hmm?" "If I do anything in me... ..me weak old life," "I'll know I had a family, and I enjoyed every bit of it." "By jingoes, I made youse laugh, didn't I?" "Hey?" "We had a bit of fun, didn't we?" "Hey?" "Yeah, we did." "My oath we did." "Yeah, one word out of you and I'll kick you from here to next week." "I mean it." "Hey?" "Oh, Jesus, who'd be a sheep?" "You'll eat them if you're hungry." "Hey, there's a bloke outside, says his name's Tony." "What?" "Yeah." "He's not a bad-looking cove." "Bit excitable, can't get a bloody word of sense out of him." "Here?" "Yeah." "You like white eggs?" "Uh..." "Rose." "Rose Pickles!" "Right here." "What are you doing here?" "So it's not bulldust after all." "In...a way, I'm disappointed." "How silly is that?" "it's...it's incredible." "Ask the bloke in, why don't ya?" "Oh, fuck!" "Bloody..." "How'd you find us?" "Uh, the girls on the switch." "Hello again, Tone." "Mr Pickles." "They knew the name of the street and I remembered something about a shop." "Right there!" "closed, but." "And a lady in a tent." "Is that true?" "Yeah It is" "Fish Lamb!" "That's Mr Pickles." "No fingers." "What do you want, Toby?" "The book." "The book." "Did you lose it?" "I finished it, and someone's taken it." "Oh, Christ." "How's that for luck?" "Don't s'pose you're insured." "Miles Anderson loves it." "He's publishing a chapter in the next 'Riverside'." "He's passing it on to Max Harris." "I've been trying to call and tell you." "Bloody hell." "That's fantastic!" "That's..." "That's all gone over my head, but, yeah, I'm just gonna hose down them chops." "Oh, shit." "Hang on." "Congratulations, eh?" "Whacko!" "Unreal, I think." "And special, eh?" "Listen, we've been invited to his house." "What?" "Who?" "Miles Anderson." "He's asked me to read a bit on Saturday." "They're all uni people." "I'm not gonna fit in there." "Please, Rose." "You're my lucky charm." "You inspired me." "I owe this all to you." "Please, I can't go on my own." "Don't make the poor bugger beg." "Christ, you'd make a mug out of any man." "Leave it out, will you, Dad?" "Well, I'm just..." "Lester, there's a fly in my potato." "So I'll be by around 8:00." "8:00 it is." "Hooroo, Tone." "I've got nothing to wear." "They're all bohemians - don't worry." "What are you two chatting about?" "Don't ask!" "Oh!" "Seems like a nice enough bloke." "Jeez, Dad!" "Get out!" "Oh, well..." "That's not the way to put out a cooking fire." "Yeah, the leaves are a problem." "Sorry." "Go on, get out." "Alrighty." "Nets are out." "What do we do next, mate?" "Eat pies." "That's right." "We sit and we wait." "You warm enough?" "Yes." "Love that water, don't you?" "Yes." "Do you remember what happened?" "In the water, a long time ago?" "Yes." "What was it like?" "A story." "A boy in this story?" "Yes." "Was that you?" "Yes." "See us there, both." "Him and me again among the stars and the night... ..and the river." "Everything important will happen on the riven the blood of the land." "The forceful, insistent riven" "I think I'm gonna be sick." "You'll be right." "I've never done this before." "That makes two of us." "Hello, there." "Miles." "Toby Raven." "And friend." "Splendid." "The man of the moment." "Well, welcome." "Come on in." "Bohemians, my arse." "Oh, fresh meat at last!" "Hello." "I'm Edna." "I'm Rose." "This way, my dear." "Just a lovely night for it, isn't it?" "Right, youse ruffians, I'd like you to meet Rose." "Hello." "Rose, I assume you're not faculty - otherwise you'd be over there." "So, um, you must be a writer." "Consigned to the buffet?" "I don't think so." "And you dress far too well to be a student." "No, I work." "She said, rather fiercely." "I'm here with Toby." "Raven." "Oh, Australia's answer to Faulkner, according to my husband." "Crikey, that's a pretty good rap." "Excuse me." "I'll..." "I'll come back." "Thinks he's up for the top job, then he's even more stupid than he looks." "Oh, ducks on the pond!" "Enough politics." "Besides, I think it's about time we met our new man." "Shall we?" "Oh, dear." "Come on, son." "No guts, no glory." "Singing for your supper now, sport." "Yeah, without the luxury of first having been fed." "Go on, you big sook." "Ladies and gentlemen, if you could..." "I'd like to give you our most exciting new talent, a man of great promise, Toby Raven." "Well, I don't really know what to say, except that I'm new at this." "I come to you as a virgin and all that I hope is that you'll be gentle with me." "It is a great privilege to be in the magazine." "I'm certain this issue will be a sell-out because I've probably ordered the entire print run myself." "And I just wanted to say that, uh, this piece is dedicated to a special someone who inspired it, and I offer it in love." "Oh!" "isn't that sweet?" ""Christ almighty, son, don't tell me about bad luck." ""Look at this fist." ""Look at me missing hand," ""and tell me what you read in that chook-scratching mess of scars." ""This house is the circus we've run away to join," ""the carnival of freaks left behind by Christ." ""And every butchered digit, every aching nubbin" ""tells the story."" ""Here, this one, see?" ""This is the inside of my idiot son's head." ""Yeah, the drooling', fat-lipped, soft-brained firstborn," ""paddling himself around the yard in a fruit box." ""Searching, poor bastard, for his mother," ""as if she'll be out there under the bird-flagged fruit trees" ""and not sprawled on the cold, linoleum bedsheet" ""of some stranger's kitchen..."" ""..soaking up the sweet degradation she craves at home."" ""Yeah, bad luck hangs over me like a kite." ""And you wonder why I fancy the gee-gees."" ""Christ, why wouldn't a man want to give himself over," ""offer himself up to the poor..."" "Everything alright up there?" "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." "Rose!" "Bloody hell." "Jeez, I can't get away from any of youse." "What, from next door?" "Afraid so." "Want to come in a boat?" "In MY boat, Rose?" "In here?" "You...are you alright?" "Crying." "Look!" "Yeah, mate." "Fine." "Are you sure?" "Where you off to, anyway?" "Oh, we were just stooging in between sets, you know, to keep...keep warm." "You got room for a passenger?" "Yes!" "That's a flash frock." "Not such a flash night, hey?" "I'm fine." "Here." "Fancy one?" "Nah, I don't smoke." "Oh." "Fair enough." "# Do ye ken John Peel" "# With his bollocks on the mill... # Oi, no, no." "I'm trying to fish." "Shh!" "Fish!" "Forget the words." "Yeah, just as well." "There's a bottle of St Agnes in the pocket if you fancy a nip." "No, I'll be right." "What, no smoking, no drinking?" "Your parents know about this?" "OK, maybe I will have a..." "just a little sip." "That ironed your wrinkles out." "Oh!" "it's beautiful out here." "What happened to him?" "Uh, that's the wrong question." "Sorry." "No, it doesn't matter." "What are you like, Quick Lamb?" "What sort of question's that?" "Can't you answer it?" "What am I like?" "A..." "I don't know what I'm like." "The lost Lamb." "Yeah, I'm kind of sheepish about that." "What did you do while you were up in the bush?" "I don't know." "Grew up a bit, maybe." "You really love him, don't you?" "Oh, everybody loved him." "He was the funniest kid, you..." "Game as Ned Kelly." "Everyone loved him." "You..." "You couldn't help it." "You probably would have loved him yourself." "Yeah, I love him." "Anyway, I'll drop you off at the, um...up at the tram, if you want." "What?" "You grew up pretty good-looking." "Came fishing for fish, not compliments." "Here, I'll do your coat up." "This is weird." "Yeah." "Almost improper." "You calling me improper?" "Well, that's rich, coming from a Pickles." "Fair enough." "shh!" "Shh!" "Hey, Shh!" "shush, Rose!" "We've got to be real quiet!" "Shh!" "Here you are." "Feel like I know you all of a sudden." "We're nuts." "We're going to be really embarrassed afterwards." "No, we're not." "It'll be something else altogether." "Good grief." "Go on, get away!" "Go on, go on, go on, go on." "You right, Dad?" "Oh..." "Here, look, I'll get it." "G'day, Sam." "Lester." "How'd they do?" "Oh, no." "Did well." "I'm jiggered where they got to, though." "Humph!" "Who's gonna tell him?" "They say men from the wars, that they can feel their lost limbs for years afterwards." "Yeah, too right." "Sometimes they itch." "Sometimes they tingle." "Safer when they itch." "And what if they tingle?" "Something's up." "And today...they...?" "They're tingling like a bugger." "Is there any milk?" "Morning, young Quick." "Morning." "Long night?" "Oh, yeah." "How was fishing?" "Did you, uh...catch anything interesting?" "Just chase up that milk." "Yeah." "Beautiful day." "Alright, ready?" "Yep, yep." "Eugh!" "That honks." "G'day, Quick." "Oh, g'day, there, Mort." "Smell of the river, mate." "Yeah, whacko." "Bottle it and sell it in Paris." "Oh, watch out for the car." "You can still smell fish, even after a bath." "Do you want to take a walk after you're finished?" "Back again?" " Yep." "And, uh, where are we off to today?" "Nowhere, love." "I just watch." "I know just how you feel." "You're up early for a Sunday, Mr Pickles." "Oh, yeah." "Oh, and while I think of it- rent." "Oh, paid up to five years in advance as it is." "Uh, matter of fact, I've been meaning to talk to youse." "I may have to pay youse back." "See...it's sort of awkward." "A bloke's been by a couple of times, flashes about with a gold tooth." "Are you in trouble, Mr Pickles?" "No." "For once it's not that." "Glad to hear it." "I'm thinking of selling up." "Selling?" "!" "Uh...yeah." "Then, uh, we'll have to, um..." "Oh, no, there's no hurry." "Yes, I... it's your house." "It's only a house and it's...it's your property." "Yeah, and you could prob...probably buy one of your own, couldn't you?" "S'pose so." "Still, and it does you good to be a tenant." "It..." "A house should be a home, a privilege, not a possession." "Oh. it's foolish to get attached." "Yeah." "Too right." "But, you know... ..I've got used to being here." "This house was here when we had nothing." "And ev...even though it hasn't always made it easy for us..." "Reckon it's tried to etch us out sometimes, but..." "..I think we've made our mark on it." "I feel like we..." "..we're halfway to belonging here." "This house has been good to me." "She's right." "Bloody hurts to say it, but you're right, Mrs Lamb." "The place has got to us." "Bloody marvellous." "Look... ..I'm sorry." "It's strange how a place gets under your skin." "Ah, it's just bricks and mortar." "Nah." "Boards and tin." "It feels right." "Well, almost right." "Most of the time." "Right." "Tell me, where will you go?" "Yeah, Pickles, where will we go?" "Oh... ..a nice, new, neat little brick house in one of them suburbs." "Maybe." "Excuse us a moi" "Yes, yes." "Yes." "Are you out of your bloody mind?" "!" "Nigh on ten years, Doll." "Your brother gave us this house to save us from ourselves, you stupid mug!" "What, are you trying to kill me?" "Think about the money, Doll." "This shit hole is all we've got!" "You hate the place!" "So what?" "I hate you too." "You don't mean that." "Yeah?" "Try me." "You sell this place, you see which way the wind blows." "What do you reckon, Les?" "You're the boss, Sam." "Bosses run the country." "Isn't that what you always say?" "Anyway, there's something brewing." "More important things than money to worry about just now." "What are you looking at?" "You." "what?" "You look different." "I am different." "You notice how everyone's holding their breath?" "What, at home?" "Everyone's tiptoes and whispers." "it's killing me." "We should say something." "How do you think we'd go?" "You know, married to each other." "Jeez!" "Careful how you answer that." "Why?" "Oh, you know." "The usual reasons." "Plus I'm pregnant." "And as if you couldn't see that coming, eh?" "Goodbye, Mrs Tweemey." "Nice to see you." "So, um..." "Cheese'll be in on Tuesday." "Don't you worry about that." "..I guess I'm asking for your daughter's hand in marriage." "Thank you very much. 'Bye." "Girls!" " Coming." "Where is your father, Red?" "I've got him." "Quick, son." "It looks to me like the horse has bolted." "Can you give me a hand with this?" "it's too hard." "Yeah, well, sorry about that." "I really love her, Mr Pickles." "Do you need anything else?" "She's a handful." "Oh, hello." "She's a good girl." "It hasn't been easy for her." "Do you want them out the front or in the shop?" "Yeah, well, I'll do everything." "I'll do..." "I'll do me best." "Well, just 'cause the horse has bolted, no reason to leave the gate open." "Looks untidy." "Well done, Lainey." "When's the big day?" "Oh, you great galah!" "What do you think you're doing?" "Well, it was..." "Not that one, Lester." "Look at the difference." "I see you've told your mum." "Yeah, she said you're selling up." "Yeah." "We're thinking of it." "Where will I put this one?" "Well, you silly buggers." "He's got no proper job." "They're going to sack you from Bairds as soon as you're showing." "Where you gonna live?" "Your old man's putting us out on the street any day now." "You just watch the bookies get the cash." "Christ almighty." "Saved a bit." "We'll figure something out." "Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes in the pudding club." "Yeah, sorry about that." "Christ, don't be sorry, son." "Just goes to show we're not that different after all, her and me." "Oh, we're different, alright." "I might be up the duff before the wedding, Mum, but after, I'm going to be a mother, a real mother." "That's where we're different." "Yeah." "I'm not like you." "Don't hate me, Rose." "Oh, it's a bit late for that." "Rose, look, come on..." "No, YOU look!" "Do you have any idea what it's like to be her daughter?" "!" "Pulling her out of the pub night after night." "All the blokes with their eyes all over me and..." "I used to pray that you'd die." "Having second thoughts, son?" "No." "No...of course not." "So there you have it." "Welcome to the family." "I hate my mother." "Well, I hated my mother." "Oh, and what terrible things did she do to you?" "I reckon she was like you." "Must have prayed I'd die." "God knows I wanted to." "Anyway... ..good luck to youse." "You'll need it." "No, come on." "Tell us about your awful childhood." "Rose, come on." "No, no, no, no, no." "I wanna hear this." "The mother and daughter talk, Quick." "Oh, piss off." "Come on, tell us about your awful mother." "I didn't even know she was my mother." "What are you talking about?" "Bugger me, I thought she was my sister." "What?" "My older sister." "I'm at her bloody wedding, 12 years old." "Never seen a wedding before." "I go into the side room and there they are," "Mum and my sister, and they're arguing and talking and my sister's crying." "And suddenly I know." ""But she's yours," she says." "Straightaway I know they're talking about me." "Like a bullet in my guts." ""He won't have her," she says." ""Mum, he won't have her and I don't want her."" "You know, I reckon I always knew." "My sister." "The one who hated me." "The one who treated me like shit my whole life." "on, my God." "Nobody ever said a thing about it, not then." "Or after." "It's like I was just a bloody dog." "The little one." "The runt that nobody bloody wanted." "And there we were." "There we were." "So who was the father?" "Always had their noses up." "Always leaving me behind." "I knew I was rubbish because they treated me like rubbish, every bloody one of them." "I just wanted to run away." "Walk up those tracks to someplace else." "And where could I go?" "I had no-one." "You know what it's bloody like when absolutely nobody loves you?" "You're lucky." "There was no-one." "No-one for me." "Until Sam." "Sam was the only one." "The silly bugger." "He loved me." "Then we ran away." "No wonder I could never bloody leave him." "Why didn't you bloody tell me, Mum?" "You should've told me." "I couldn't bloody tell you." "But you're my mother." "Foxes have holes." "Birds of the air have nests, Fish." "But the son of man has nowhere to lay his head." "Woman, behold thy son." "What's this bloke want with a big house like that, anyway?" "It's the land he's after." "He's going to bulldoze it and put up a big dirty block of flats on it." "Salmon pink brick, ten storeys high, ugly as sin." "Out with the old, in with the new, eh?" "Come in, spinner." "Ah, no, the place was never an oil painting, anyway." "Mate, you'll be flush." "You won't have to grind away at the mint anymore." "Ooh, that's me, mate." "Catch you tomorrow, maybe." "Maybe not." "What, is it no good, that house?" "Ah, it's been alright to me, I suppose." "Sell it to a fella with a bulldozer." "Yeah, well, that'd be his business, wouldn't it?" "Not about to tell a bloke what he can do with his own property, am I?" "Bit of a shame to break it up." "Yeah, well, nothing lasts forever." "Breaking up a place... ..it's bad luck, mate." "Know a bit about luck, do you?" "Some fellas, they sell the home place." "Drink it away." "Spend it up." "Some fellas get it stolen or snatched away." "Home, family, kids." "Yeah, I know a little bit about bad luck." "Yeah, well, what's done is done." "Bloke's gotta look to the future, eh?" "Place when it's gone, it's gone." "Can't bring 'em back." "That future, for that?" "You better be the strongest fella." "What are you looking for, son?" "Work." "House." "Everything." "Hi there." "Hello, Rose." "Hey, Rose." "Ooh, blooming too, eh?" "Work alright?" "Yeah, I think they're onto me." "Are we eating here or across the hall?" "Well, you're always welcome, love." "This baby's gonna need somewhere to live." "Evening, Rose." "Get the girl a seat, for goodness sake!" "Quick!" "Been on her feet all day while you've been sleeping." "Actually, I..." "I've been..." "I've been working." "I was just talking to the..." "I want to know what you're gonna do about this." "What are your plans, Quick?" "Well, I said we're getting married." "Well, weddings take care of themselves, but what we need to know is where is this mite gonna live." "You need a nest." "Yeah, but, Mum, I already told you..." "The clock is ticking, boy." "For goodness sake, wake up and smell the footpath." "Orry, you're in a flap." "What's the hurry?" "There'll be nowhere for it." "Mum, I'm looking." "What do you think..." "Mr Pickles is selling the house." "We're homeless." "It's not certain, love." "Yeah, it's certain." "It's certain, alright." "Oh, it is, is it?" "So you're selling?" "Selling be buggered." "We're in for the long haul." "Hey?" "Hey!" "Home, eh?" "Here!" "Ah, that's right, Fish." ""Home is the hunter from the hill." Eh?" "Cloudstreet." "Yes." "it's not much, but..." "Right." "Let's get this thing organized." "Get what organized, love?" "Somewhere for Quick and Rose." "A nest." "Oh, yeah." "Right, right, right." "Um, hey" " Quick's room." "Oh, don't be ridiculous." "That's Fish's room as well." "There's always Rose's room." "It's too small for three of them." "Oh, you two are thinking like a pair of blokes." "Oh, you're not thinking...are you?" "Well, it's big enough." "The only problem is no-one's ever bothered to clear it up." "That's it." "I'm off to bed." "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Oi!" "You clumsy galah!" "Sorry." "Oi!" "What do you reckon, Fish?" "Not too bad, huh?" "Not too bad." "Hey, come here." "You got the rings?" "Rings, yes." "Need to do a wee?" "No." "Jeez,I do." "Should have gone before." "You look so beautiful." "Mum, Mum!" "Go sit down." "Go sit down." "Go sit down." "Now, Mum." "sorry." "Here she comes." "Here she comes." "She's coming, Quickie." "Shh!" "Keep your hair on." "Settle down, settle down." "Oh, she looks alright, doesn't she?" "Mr Pickles is happy, see?" "# Do ye ken John Peel" "# With his bollocks on the wheel?" "#" "# With his cock bashed in?" "# With his eye in a sling?" "# When he's lying on the grass with a candle up his arse" "# And he can't get it out till morning?" "#" "Shh!" "# Mo-o-o-rning!" "#" "Got it right, mate." "Top job." "Yeah." "Oh." "Where were we?" "Dearly beloved, we have gathered together in the presence of God to witness the journey of this man and this woman in holy matrimony." "Yes!" "Alright." "Alright!" "Right!" "Oi!" "Alright." "OK." "Ladies and gentlemen and, uh, everyone related to my side of the family." "Yeah!" "You know who you are." "Alright, uh, look this is going to be the last dance of the evening." "The honeymooners are about to head off." "Uh-oh!" "So..." "No, it's a bit late for that, I think, Les." "Alright..." "No, come on, ease up." "This is serious." "But grab your partners and bloody, you know, get into it." "Rose and Quick!" "ALL:" "Rose and Quick!" "You thinking about your boy?" "We'll dance for him." "I don't know what you're all gawping at." "Get on with your fun." "'Bye!" "Bye!" "You look after her." "See you!" "Love you, Rosie!" "Keep to the roads!" "Cheerio!" "'Bye, love!" "Goodbye!" "Goodbye!" "Oh-ho!" "Thank God!" "I'm busting!" "Get out the way!" "Thank you, everyone." "Christ!" "Thanks a lot." "Goodbye!" "Goodbye!" "Goodbye!" "Goodbye!" "Goodbye!" "What's he forgotten now?" "Hey, Fish, get out of the way!" "She's having the baby right now!" "Oh!" "Welcome, guys!" "Lester!" "Welcome back!" "Inside!" "Dad, it's too late." "She's having it now." "Come on." "Get inside." "Here we go." "Here we go." "Righto." "Relax, everybody." "Relax." "Alright." "Just relax, relax." "Everybody SHUT UP!" "oh, f...!" "Righto." "Ready to go." "We're good to go." "Have you got the lights?" "Everybody relax!" "I need towels." "Boys, scissors." "Get her shoes off." "Kick them off." "Oh!" "Lift her up." "And a laundry bucket." "Someone?" "This is very normal, boys." "it's a natural part of childbirth." "Good girl." "Good girl." "Right." "Move her up." "Move her up." "That's it." "I'm out." "Ah." "Mum!" "Mum!" "DOLLY!" "Oh, good grief." "You weren't kidding." "This creature's ready to come." "She's crowning" "MUM!" "I want my mum!" "Lester, how's that water doing?" "Yeah, it's boiling, love." "Yeah, we need it now." "Mum!" "Good girl." "MUM!" "I'm coming, baby!" "Dolly!" " I'm coming, Rosie." "Good girl, good girl." " I'm coming, sweetie!" "Sorry!" "Baby!" "That's it." "Come on." "Ahh!" "Oh, my God!" "That's a real baby!" "In a hurry." "Oh!" "He's got his fingers crossed." "He's got his fingers crossed!" "It's a boy?" "Oh, he's all there, alright." " Thank God." "Thank you!" "He's looking at me." "He's looking at me." "He knows me." "He loves me!" "Here it is." "Oh, isn't he a giant?" "Hello." "Hello." "That's the girl." "That's the girl." "Elaine, get..." "Pass the bucket." "No, you're not putting him in a bucket!" "There's the afterbirth to come, you ignorant man." "I know, I know." "Someone get this girl a drink of water." "Hey, we'll call him Harry." "Hang on, Rose." "You're not finished yet." "OK, hang on." "Quick, take him, take him." "Take him, take him." "What do you mean, take him?" "Take him, you useless drongo." "Hold his head, hold his head." "That's it, good girl." "Hold his head, hold his head." "Hold his head, hold his head." "That's the girl, that's the girl." "That's the girl." "Good girl." "Good girl." "Good girl." "Good girl." "Right, OK, Hat." "Yeah, we'll put that under the mulberry tomorrow." "Don't you let that dog anywhere near it." "Useless!" "He's all waxy." "Hey, Wax Harry." "Ah!" "That's perfect." "Hey, little man." "Lester, how about that cuppa?" "It's cuppa time!" "Praise the Lord!" "I'm a grandmother." "Well done, Rosie." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Fish." "You tired?" "Will you look at us by the river?" "Here, by the riven" "Yes." "The beautiful, the beautiful, the river" "The river." "They light up the morning like a dream, a sight to behold." "It warms the living and stirs the dead." "Yes." "And speeds the leaving." "A river of faces from before." "The forgotten, the silent..." "the missing." "And all the while, someone else is leaving." "He hears only the water" "The sound of it has been in his ears all his life. .." "..and he's hungry for it." "The water" "The mirror." "The window." "The promise of it." "The water" "The beautiful water" "And already, his brother knows." "He knows it." "Alright, mate." "Alright." "Finished now." "Home." "And I'm a man for that long, whole and human." "I know my story for just that long." "For as long as it takes to drink the riven" "As long as it took to tell you all this." "And then my walls are tipping." "And I burst into the moon..." "Moon... ..sun and stars..." "..sun and stars... ..of who I really am." "Fish Lamb." "Fish Lamb." "Perfectly." "Perfectly." "Always." "Always." "Every place." "Me."