"Keep still." " You can see everything." " It's not so bad." "They'll get the matching underpants." "You make their underpants?" "I have to deliver them this morning." "Get down now." "I'm gonna be late." "Put your arm up." "So." "Are you going to school today?" "Are you?" "Yeah." "Miss Tamouvakis rang me yesterday." "She said you missed 2 days last week." "I did not." "(SIGHS)" "You're an embarrassment to me, Trisha." "The other arm." "Arthur never missed a day at school." "Oh, bullshit!" "Don't talk like that." "Why doesn't he call?" "Because he hates you." "He does not." "(LAUGHS)" "A boy drowned in the river last night." "Yeah, well, it wouldn't be Roo." "How do you know?" "I've gotta go." "Stop it." "Stop it!" "I've got scissors!" "(GASPS)" "What'd you do that for?" " Let me see." " You're dangerous." "Oh, I'M dangerous!" "YOU'RE dangerous!" "How am I dangerous?" "You're the one with the fucking scissors!" "I'm bleeding to death!" "Give me a bandaid or something!" "Here." "Trisha?" "(PHONE RINGS)" "WOMAN:" "Hello." "West Community Centre." "Yes, we're doing the immunisations today at 10 o'clock." "Are you able to make it then?" "Yes, the 3-month injection." "That's today." "Rhonda." "Hi." "I'm Gail." "Your new case manager." "Come through." "(BABY CRIES)" "(PHONE RINGS)" "Where's the other one?" "Debbie?" "She left." "See that coming." "Oh?" "Yeah." "Didn't have the stomach for it." "We've received a letter from Family Services notifying us that your payments are being reduced." "(SIGHS)" "Why?" "Because one of your children is currently in care." "Well, give him back, then." "That's not my decision, I'm afraid." "Well, whose decision is it?" "It's a matter for the Department of Community Services." "Well, they're a pack of cunts." "It must be hard." "With all those kids and another one on the way." "No." "Why?" "Well...managing them." "Got any yourself?" "Not yet." "Trying?" "See, the problem with me is I'm just too fertile." "I just gotta look at a man and I'm up the duff." "No, it is not hard." "Those kids are my blessings." "Every one of them a blessing." "$10, thanks." "(MACHINE CLICKS)" "(MACHINE BLIPS)" "(MACHINE CLICKS AGAIN)" "Why don't you tell me about your kids?" "(RHONDA SCOFFS)" "Why?" "Because I'd like to get to know your family situation." "Why?" "You've already lost one kid." "I don't want to see you lose the other 2." "What do you want to know?" "Your eldest son..." "Orton?" " He'd be, what..." " What about him?" ".. 14, 15?" " He's 14." "He's smart." "All his teachers say it." ""Make him finish school," they say, and I say, "YOU fucking make him finish school." ""You're his teachers." What am I meant to do?" "He has to go to school, Rhonda." "It's a legal requirement till he's 16." "Yeah, good luck." "What about your daughter?" "She's another matter." "How do you mean?" "No matter how much school she does, it is not gonna make a difference." "She's better off at home, I reckon, keeping out of trouble." "I don't understand." "She's not all there." "Something went wrong with Stace." "I see it." "Orton sees it too." "We never say anything, but we both know it." "Have you had her assessed?" "I could arrange an appointment." "What's your name again?" "Gail." "Gail, my whole life is one big assessment." " Still..." " She's alright." "She's just a bit different, that's all." "She loves her mum and her brother." "That's all that matters." "(PRESSES BUTTONS)" "(MACHINE CLICKS)" "(PRESSES BUTTONS)" "(MACHINE CLICKS)" "(MACHINE PLAYS FANFARE, COINS DROP)" "(FANFARE CONTINUES)" "What about your partner?" "(SIGHS) Nathan." "Is he the father?" "Yeah." "Does he get along with your other kids?" "Yeah." "Really well, actually." "He's a good bloke." "Treats me well, looks after the kids." "Look, can I go?" "'Cause if I don't go I'm gonna piss all over your floor." "It's being pregnant." "But you wouldn't know about that." "Rhonda..." "..call me if you need me." "WOMAN:" "He's 18." "His name is Arthur Chrisakis." "His father called him Roo." "He's been missing for more than a week now." "Yes, I've already reported it and given the description." "Nobody has told me anything." "If you could just please give me the name of the boy in the river then I would know." "Please!" "Wait!" "Hello?" "(BUSY TONE)" "Hello?" "(PHONE RINGS)" " Yes." " It's Chris." " Oh, Chris." " Have you done the uniforms?" "No, no." "They're finished." " I'm coming." " OK." "Thanks." "Excuse me." "This is my machine." "You left." "Mine now." "No, I just had to go to the cashier's and I'm back now." "WOMAN:" "Too bad." "Excuse me." "I've been on this machine all morning and I'm due for a win." "Can you tell her this is my machine?" "Could somebody help me here?" "Could somebody call the manager?" "This woman has taken my machine!" "(MACHINE PLAYS FANFARE, COINS DROP)" "Your luck gone away, lady." "CHRIS:" "Hello, Gina." " How are things?" " Fine." " How are the kids?" "They good?" " Oh..." "Arthur's thinking about going to the university." "That's good, Gina." "That's good." "I've got some more work for you if you want." "30 regatta jackets." "Your docket?" "There's 2 missing." "There's supposed to be 12." " You brought 10." " But I made them." "You'll have to make them and bring them back today." "Shit." "Hold on." "I know I had some." "Here." "I'll pay for her drink." " No." " Forget it." "I usually have a stash at the bottom of my bag 'cause the coins fall out of my purse." " Sure." " I do." "You want it?" " What's the catch?" " There's no catch." "It's yours." "OK." "OK." "It's mine." "You here on a business trip?" "You don't owe me anything." "You know, it's..." "You take that money, you wanna blow it..." "Mind if I finish my drink first?" "May I?" "I was just trying to be friendly." "Is this some television thing?" "(CHUCKLES) No." "Then why are you giving me money?" "Is it stolen?" "What if it is?" "Does it matter?" "Hmm?" "Does it matter now?" "You have no idea how amazing this is." "Some woman just stole my machine and I'm so broke and now..." "And now you're rich." " Hey?" " Oh, my God!" "What are you doing to me?" "Making you happy." "Why?" "Why would you want to make ME happy?" "I don't know." "Because I can." "(LAUGHS)" "You want some more?" "Oh, my God!" "Here you are." "Oh, stop it!" "Stop it." "(LAUGHS)" "(SIGHS)" "Nah, it's...it's... ..all gone." "I wasn't..." "It's not enough, I know." "Oh, it's more than enough." "It's fantastic." "I won't blow it." "Alright?" "I'm gonna pay some bills." "Pay my rent on time for a change." "Promise me it's not bullshit." "Promise me I'm not gonna get to the door and have to give it back or something." "It's yours." "(MACHINE PLAYS FANFARE) WOMAN:" "Whoo-hoo!" "Oh, yeah!" "Jimmy?" "(KNOCKING)" "(BIRDS TWITTER, CLOCK TICKS LOUDLY)" "(DOOR OPENS)" "(DOOR CLOSES)" "(GENTLE MUSIC)" "MAN:" "Rhonda." "RHONDA:" "Hold on." "I'm nearly ready." "Will you hurry the fuck up?" "Have you seen my other earring?" "MAN: (SHOUTS) Oh, fuck!" "Just WAIT a sec." "(PHONE RINGS)" "Hello." "ORTON:" "Mum?" "Orton." "Are you alright, love?" "Did Stacey find you?" "(DOOR SLAMS)" "ORTON: (ON PHONE) I can't look after her, Mum." "She's bleeding." "I don't know what to do." "You're her mother." "I'll take her to Frank's café." "Wait..." "(BUSY TONE BEEPS)" "(SIGHS)" "That dress looks absolutely fantastic on you." "Does it?" "Yeah." "Look." "I'm trying to find out the name of the boy whose body was found in the river." "No!" "You don't understand." "I think this boy is my son." "('NO SECRETS' BY THE ANGELS PLAYS)" "(TURNS UP VOLUME)" "(MUSIC BLARES)" "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "(DOGS BARK)" "(MUSIC STOPS)" " Mrs. Boyd?" " Yeah." "Your daughter's been caught shoplifting." "It's a second offence so she will be charged." "You'll be notified of the court hearing by mail." "Can you please sign here?" "You might want to have a talk to her about her behaviour." "Yes, I will." "Thank you, Officer." "You alright?" " What did you nick?" " Stuff." "Is there anything to eat?" "Toast." "I got caught shoplifting once." "(POURS DRINK)" "Sunglasses from a chemist." "Do you like my dress?" "Where'd you get the money?" "I had a win." "It'd look better on me." "No, it wouldn't." "It's too young for you." "You look stupid." "No, I don't." "Yeah, you do." "You're grounded." " No, I'm not." " You're grounded." "Why?" "'Cause I don't like your fucking dress, you stupid cow?" " Don't speak to me like that." " I hate you." "I hate you!" "I hate YOU!" "I fucking hate you!" "(DOOR SHUTS)" "Mum!" "Where have you been?" "Were you going to look for me?" "I think I've found Arthur." "That boy in the river." "They won't tell me anything over the phone." "So I'm gonna see for myself." "It's not him!" " How do you know it's not?" " How do you know it is?" "Because a mother knows these things." "Bullshit." "Bullshit." "You don't know anything!" " Get in the car." " No!" "Get in the car!" "Now!" "Hey." "Hey!" "Where's Stacey?" "Where is she?" "You let them touch her." "You let those bastards touch her." "We're not comin' home, Mum." "You're never gonna see her again." "Orton!" "Wait!" "(TV PLAYS)" "Daniel?" "Where's Daniel?" "Haven't seen him." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for 2 kids." "One's, like, um..." "RHONDA:" "He's 14 and he's got a beanie and the other's a girl." "She's got, like, black hair and a pink dress." "Have you seen them?" "Excuse me." "'Scuse..." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for 2 kids." "One's a boy." "He's 14 and he's wearing a beanie." "And the girl is 13." "She's wearing a pink dress." "Black hair." "I want to see the body of the boy who was found in the river." "WOMAN:" "Who are you?" "My name is Gina Chrisakis." "If you could just take a seat..." "I want to see my son's body." "OK, if you could just take a seat, someone will be out to see you." "(WHISPERS INAUDIBLY)" "(GENTLE ELECTRONIC MUSIC)" "(BREATHES RAPIDLY)" "(SOBS)" "(SOBS QUIETLY)" "(STEADY ELECTRONIC BEEPING)" "(BEEPING CONTINUES)" "I took the money." "I'm so sorry." "It's not me you should be apologising to." "He's gonna be alright, isn't he?" "Just tell me he's gonna be alright." "Why'd you take it?" "Because I hate thinking where you're gettin' it, and I hate just having to shut up about it." "I take care of a bloke." "What bloke?" "What fucking bloke do you take care of?" "His name is Michael, and he's sick." "You take care of lots of people." "You're a nurse." "This is different." "He fell at my feet in the street." "He...he just lay down in front of me." "What was I meant to do?" "I took him home and I put him to bed." "And that was a year ago." "And now I clean his house and I do his washing and I cook for him, when he can eat." "Are you fucking him?" "If he could, I would make love to him." "If his body wasn't so tired." "If he wanted me that way." "Where are you going?" "You don't want to hear this?" "On good days, we talk." "He asks me about me." ""What about me?" I say." ""I'm not that interesting."" ""To me you are," he says." "Christ, when was the last time you found me interesting?" "And on bad days," "I just..." "I just hold him." "And he pays me... ..for the cooking and the cleaning." "And the comfort." "Touch me, Pete." "Just touch me." "(SIGHS)" "(BREATHES HEAVILY)" "(GRUNTS)" "(DOGS BARK IN THE DISTANCE)" "You're not taking them." "There's been an accident, Rhonda." "It's not Roo, Mum." "He phoned me." "I spoke to him today." "He's not dead." "(RHONDA SNIFFS)" "MAN:" "Are you ready?" "There was a fire in a clothes bin." "I'm sorry." "The heat from the flames has fused the bodies together." " They didn't suffer." " They suffered." "You don't know how much." "(SOFTLY) Um...we can, um, separate them for the burial." "No!" "Don't touch them." "That's how they died." "You're to leave them that way." "They're my blessings and you're not to touch them." "(SCREAMS LOUDLY)" "(SCREAMS AGAIN)" "(RHONDA SCREAMS IN THE DISTANCE)" "(SOBS SILENTLY)" "(SCREAMS)" "(SIRENS WAIL IN THE DISTANCE)" "(EXHALES SHAKILY)" "(GENTLE ELECTRONIC MUSIC)" "(KEY TURNS IN LOCK)" "(INDISTINCT 2-WAY RADIO CHATTER)" "Pull over." "I think you should go home, Rhonda." "Can you pull over?" "(WOMAN LAUGHS)" "(THE DIVINYLS' 'ELSIE' PLAYS)" "(THE DIVINYLS' 'ELSIE' CONTINUES PLAYING)" "(SONG CHANGES)" "(SLOW, SMOOTH ELECTRONIC MUSIC PLAYS)" "(RIPPLING PIANO MUSIC)"