My Place (2009) s01e12 Episode Script
1898 Rowley
(INTRIGUING PIANO AND CELLO MUSIC) I'm a witch.
Brrrmmmm! I am the magician! I'm not weird.
You're gonna get in so much trouble! (LAUGHTER) GIRL: Oooh! (GIRL SQUEALS) (MAN WHISTLES) BO Y: Hey, Rowley! The kids at the college are marching again.
Come and have a look! My name's Rowley, and this is my place.
I've got important stuff to do today, but watching the college kids marching is too good to miss.
MAN: Left, right, left.
Left, left.
Left, right, left.
How much does it cost to go to that school? Five shillings a week, Aunt Min reckons.
Five shillings? The worst part is, they've got tonnes of cricket stuff and footballs, but it's all just locked up.
Where? In a big room in the back of the school.
Well, if they don't want to use it, I'll have a lend.
They wouldn't lend us their stuff.
They've got tickets on themselves.
BO Y: Ohh! (ROWLEY AND TOM LAUGH) MAN: Boys, get up! Fall in.
Mr Wong, I've got your horse poo! Don't bring that in here, you guttersnipe.
Go on! It's fresh.
Look! (COUGHS) Go! Oh, Rowley, Rowley! Not here! Come on out the back! Go to back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go.
Sorry about that.
Here you are, that's what you order.
Any other jobs need doing today, Mr Wong? No, not today, thank you.
Miss Singer.
Firewood.
Rowley, I don't know what we'd do without you.
Your blood's won'th bottling for the pigs.
Firewood, Mr Merry? Come in.
Been working on some more photographs? Yes, indeed.
Ooh, go easy, lad.
(LAUGHS) You like them? That's where my dad used to work.
Yes, it is.
Would you like to have it? For keeps? Yeah.
For keeps.
WOMAN: Dinnertime! Watch out.
Hot, hot! What are you working on? My book of good deeds.
Ah, the book of good deeds.
Of course.
I'm up to 998, Ma.
Two more till I get to 1,000.
That's a lot of good deeds, mate.
When I get to 1,000, Dad's going to come home.
What? No.
But a thousand good deeds, Ma.
I'll be the one who made the most people happy.
Well, you can't know that for sure.
Yes, I can.
What if it doesn't happen? It will.
Rowley Ma.
How many people do you know have done a thousand good deeds? How many? Well, um Reverend Buckley.
I'm sure he's done that many.
Maybe more.
He's a church minister.
So? He's already got what he wants.
And what's that? He got a new bicycle.
Oh.
Beat that.
(MAN COUGHS IN THE DISTANCE) Ooh, he missed it! Oh, he's got him.
Hey, boys, slip up the pub and get us some bottles of beer, will ya? I'll give you a penny each.
No worries, Mr Merry.
I'll do it for nothir.
Good on ya, boys.
Here you go.
Does that mean I have to do it for nothing too? (MAN COUGHS) He was going to give us a penny each.
Struth, Tom! I'll give you a penny if you stop talking about it! Look, just 'cause you're going around doing stuff for nothing doesn't mean I have to.
Labor Party? Is he having a party? Must be what he wants the beer for.
Hi, Aunt Min.
Shh.
(WHISPERS) Hello, Tom.
Rowley.
I've got Mr Merry's beer.
WOMAN: Is there really going to be a new brick pit? MERRY: Yes, indeed.
They're going to build it opposite the cemetery.
Well, as long as the pay and conditions are fair.
They say that there'll be jobs for a hundred men.
(WHISPERS) A hundred men! WOMAN: I hope the working conditions are better than in the pits we've got now.
Men like Stan are sacked as soon as they start coughing.
20 blokes have (COUGHS) 20 blokes have died in the past year.
You get so many holes in your socks.
I swear, you must scrub the street with them.
Or maybe it's these worms in your boots that are chewing holes in them.
(CHUCKLES) If you ask Tom's father for a piece of leather, I might be able to fix them.
OK.
Ma, what's a Labor Party? It's a group of people who think they know what's best for everybody.
Why? There was a meeting in Mr Merry's room today.
He said they were going to open another brick pit.
Mm, heard that.
There'll be jobs for a hundred men.
When Dad comes home, he could get one.
If your father comes back, I don't know if he'll want to work in the pit again.
Dad's a great worker.
Mr Merry says he was a hero.
Being a hero doesn't put food on your table.
Your dad's been gone for ages, hasn't he? Four years.
Do you remember what he looks like? Yeah.
That's my dad.
Can I hold it? Be careful.
Where'd you get this? Mr Merry.
"Experience praises the most happy, "the one who made the most people happy.
" What kind of riddle's that? It means if you make other people happy, you get whatever you want.
My dad wrote it.
You think it's true? Well, if my dad wrote it, it's true.
Hi.
Hi.
Good bat.
Yeah.
Is it new? It belongs to the school.
I'm just knocking it in.
Can I've a go? Jono? You'd better get going, mate.
You're already late.
See you this arvo.
'Bye, Dad.
Excuse me, sir? Can my dad get one of the jobs at the new brick pit? He's a good worker.
What's your name, son? Rowley.
Why didn't your dad come and speak to me himself? He's away.
But he'll be back soon.
He used to work here before.
Ah, experience.
Excellent.
Well, we'll certainly be needing plenty of experienced men.
What's your dad's name? Russell Gartner.
Did your father tell you to come here? No, sir.
My dad's away.
When he comes back, you can tell him he won't be welcome.
Not in this pit, not in the new pit or any other pit.
Don't waste any more of my time.
Go on, hop it! MOTHER: So was he at the meeting, was he? MERRY: Please, Elsie.
It wasrt our intention He is my son, and I will decide what is good for him, thank you very much.
MISS MULLER: With respect, Elsie, he's old enough to understand what is fair and what isn't.
And tell me this, Min.
Is it fair that I am raising him on my own because his father listened to the likes of you once too often? Do NOT talk to me about what is fair! MAN: Left, left, left, right, left! Come on, boys! TOM: Aunty Min reckons they're practising to be soldiers.
So they can whack all the poor people.
My mum got cranky with your Aunt Min.
I know.
Min told me.
It was 'cause of the meeting in Mr Merry's room.
And because your dad had a really bad cough before he went away.
No, he didn't.
Well, that's what Aunt Min said.
She said your dad got sick from the brick dust, and your mum didn't like thinking about it.
(DOG BARKS, MAN COUGHS) (COUGHS) Mum! Tom says Dad went away 'cause he got sick from the brick dust.
You said he went away 'cause he didn't have any work.
That's right.
He did.
Did he get the sack because he had a cough? No.
Not exactly.
What do you mean, not exactly? What happened to Dad? Why doesn't the manager at the brick pit like him? When did you go to the brickworks? You tell me! I went to get Dad a job.
Oh, God! (DOOR CLOSES) (SOBBING) Your father did get sick.
He used to wake up in the middle of the night with the most terrible cough.
He thought that the manager at the brick pit should pay him to take time off to get better, and the manager said no.
So your father and some of the other men went to the manager together, and they all lost their jobs.
Miss Muller says lots of men die when they get sick from the brick dust.
That's true.
A lot of them do.
Is Dad dead from his cough? I don't know, darling.
Have you heard anything from him? Has he sent any letters? Your father can't read or write.
I thought you knew that.
Yes, he can! He wrote the message on the back of my photograph.
Mr Merry wrote that.
Why didn't you tell me that? I thought that you knew.
Rowley, I thought that you You should have told me! Rowley! Rowley! (DISTANT SHOUTING AND CHEERING) (WHACKING SOUNDS) Can I've a lend of your cricket bat? What for? To play with.
We're playing with it.
Later.
After school.
I can't.
It's not mine.
I'll give it back.
I can't.
I'm not allowed.
(BELL RINGS) (AIR HISSES FROM BALLS) You can have the bat till tomorrow.
What were you doing in the school? The headmaster at the college was very angry: Understandably.
He was very keen that you be treated with the full force of the law.
No! He's just a boy.
We were able to come to an arrangement.
As long as you're properly punished, and the damage paid for, he's agreed not to involve the police.
I can't afford to pay for the damage.
I'll pay for it.
Really? What with, horse manure? MERRY: I've got a small amount of savings.
If we pool that with whatever your mother can afford, I'm sure we can get close to what's required.
And, you, my boy, can pay off your debt by running errands and doing chores.
Well, Rowley, what do you say? I don't care about what I did.
It's not true that if you do good things for other people you'll get whatever you want.
That's just a big lie.
MAN: Left, left, right, left! Left, left, right Left, left, left, right, left.
Come on! Left, left (SIGHS) Would you like a drink? That's your last job finished.
I think if your father was here, he'd be proud of you, for working off your debt and facing up to what you did.
Hey, Rowley! Dad! Rowley! (LAUGHS) Ohh! (SIGHS, LAUGHS) You came back! Come on, my boy.
(ALL SIGH) You're home! (LAUGHS) Oh, my boy.
(INTRIGUING MUSIC) (GIRLS LAUGH) GIRL: Wait for me! GIRL: It's just like heaven.
(GIRL SQUEALS) Duck for cover! Cover!
Brrrmmmm! I am the magician! I'm not weird.
You're gonna get in so much trouble! (LAUGHTER) GIRL: Oooh! (GIRL SQUEALS) (MAN WHISTLES) BO Y: Hey, Rowley! The kids at the college are marching again.
Come and have a look! My name's Rowley, and this is my place.
I've got important stuff to do today, but watching the college kids marching is too good to miss.
MAN: Left, right, left.
Left, left.
Left, right, left.
How much does it cost to go to that school? Five shillings a week, Aunt Min reckons.
Five shillings? The worst part is, they've got tonnes of cricket stuff and footballs, but it's all just locked up.
Where? In a big room in the back of the school.
Well, if they don't want to use it, I'll have a lend.
They wouldn't lend us their stuff.
They've got tickets on themselves.
BO Y: Ohh! (ROWLEY AND TOM LAUGH) MAN: Boys, get up! Fall in.
Mr Wong, I've got your horse poo! Don't bring that in here, you guttersnipe.
Go on! It's fresh.
Look! (COUGHS) Go! Oh, Rowley, Rowley! Not here! Come on out the back! Go to back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, go.
Sorry about that.
Here you are, that's what you order.
Any other jobs need doing today, Mr Wong? No, not today, thank you.
Miss Singer.
Firewood.
Rowley, I don't know what we'd do without you.
Your blood's won'th bottling for the pigs.
Firewood, Mr Merry? Come in.
Been working on some more photographs? Yes, indeed.
Ooh, go easy, lad.
(LAUGHS) You like them? That's where my dad used to work.
Yes, it is.
Would you like to have it? For keeps? Yeah.
For keeps.
WOMAN: Dinnertime! Watch out.
Hot, hot! What are you working on? My book of good deeds.
Ah, the book of good deeds.
Of course.
I'm up to 998, Ma.
Two more till I get to 1,000.
That's a lot of good deeds, mate.
When I get to 1,000, Dad's going to come home.
What? No.
But a thousand good deeds, Ma.
I'll be the one who made the most people happy.
Well, you can't know that for sure.
Yes, I can.
What if it doesn't happen? It will.
Rowley Ma.
How many people do you know have done a thousand good deeds? How many? Well, um Reverend Buckley.
I'm sure he's done that many.
Maybe more.
He's a church minister.
So? He's already got what he wants.
And what's that? He got a new bicycle.
Oh.
Beat that.
(MAN COUGHS IN THE DISTANCE) Ooh, he missed it! Oh, he's got him.
Hey, boys, slip up the pub and get us some bottles of beer, will ya? I'll give you a penny each.
No worries, Mr Merry.
I'll do it for nothir.
Good on ya, boys.
Here you go.
Does that mean I have to do it for nothing too? (MAN COUGHS) He was going to give us a penny each.
Struth, Tom! I'll give you a penny if you stop talking about it! Look, just 'cause you're going around doing stuff for nothing doesn't mean I have to.
Labor Party? Is he having a party? Must be what he wants the beer for.
Hi, Aunt Min.
Shh.
(WHISPERS) Hello, Tom.
Rowley.
I've got Mr Merry's beer.
WOMAN: Is there really going to be a new brick pit? MERRY: Yes, indeed.
They're going to build it opposite the cemetery.
Well, as long as the pay and conditions are fair.
They say that there'll be jobs for a hundred men.
(WHISPERS) A hundred men! WOMAN: I hope the working conditions are better than in the pits we've got now.
Men like Stan are sacked as soon as they start coughing.
20 blokes have (COUGHS) 20 blokes have died in the past year.
You get so many holes in your socks.
I swear, you must scrub the street with them.
Or maybe it's these worms in your boots that are chewing holes in them.
(CHUCKLES) If you ask Tom's father for a piece of leather, I might be able to fix them.
OK.
Ma, what's a Labor Party? It's a group of people who think they know what's best for everybody.
Why? There was a meeting in Mr Merry's room today.
He said they were going to open another brick pit.
Mm, heard that.
There'll be jobs for a hundred men.
When Dad comes home, he could get one.
If your father comes back, I don't know if he'll want to work in the pit again.
Dad's a great worker.
Mr Merry says he was a hero.
Being a hero doesn't put food on your table.
Your dad's been gone for ages, hasn't he? Four years.
Do you remember what he looks like? Yeah.
That's my dad.
Can I hold it? Be careful.
Where'd you get this? Mr Merry.
"Experience praises the most happy, "the one who made the most people happy.
" What kind of riddle's that? It means if you make other people happy, you get whatever you want.
My dad wrote it.
You think it's true? Well, if my dad wrote it, it's true.
Hi.
Hi.
Good bat.
Yeah.
Is it new? It belongs to the school.
I'm just knocking it in.
Can I've a go? Jono? You'd better get going, mate.
You're already late.
See you this arvo.
'Bye, Dad.
Excuse me, sir? Can my dad get one of the jobs at the new brick pit? He's a good worker.
What's your name, son? Rowley.
Why didn't your dad come and speak to me himself? He's away.
But he'll be back soon.
He used to work here before.
Ah, experience.
Excellent.
Well, we'll certainly be needing plenty of experienced men.
What's your dad's name? Russell Gartner.
Did your father tell you to come here? No, sir.
My dad's away.
When he comes back, you can tell him he won't be welcome.
Not in this pit, not in the new pit or any other pit.
Don't waste any more of my time.
Go on, hop it! MOTHER: So was he at the meeting, was he? MERRY: Please, Elsie.
It wasrt our intention He is my son, and I will decide what is good for him, thank you very much.
MISS MULLER: With respect, Elsie, he's old enough to understand what is fair and what isn't.
And tell me this, Min.
Is it fair that I am raising him on my own because his father listened to the likes of you once too often? Do NOT talk to me about what is fair! MAN: Left, left, left, right, left! Come on, boys! TOM: Aunty Min reckons they're practising to be soldiers.
So they can whack all the poor people.
My mum got cranky with your Aunt Min.
I know.
Min told me.
It was 'cause of the meeting in Mr Merry's room.
And because your dad had a really bad cough before he went away.
No, he didn't.
Well, that's what Aunt Min said.
She said your dad got sick from the brick dust, and your mum didn't like thinking about it.
(DOG BARKS, MAN COUGHS) (COUGHS) Mum! Tom says Dad went away 'cause he got sick from the brick dust.
You said he went away 'cause he didn't have any work.
That's right.
He did.
Did he get the sack because he had a cough? No.
Not exactly.
What do you mean, not exactly? What happened to Dad? Why doesn't the manager at the brick pit like him? When did you go to the brickworks? You tell me! I went to get Dad a job.
Oh, God! (DOOR CLOSES) (SOBBING) Your father did get sick.
He used to wake up in the middle of the night with the most terrible cough.
He thought that the manager at the brick pit should pay him to take time off to get better, and the manager said no.
So your father and some of the other men went to the manager together, and they all lost their jobs.
Miss Muller says lots of men die when they get sick from the brick dust.
That's true.
A lot of them do.
Is Dad dead from his cough? I don't know, darling.
Have you heard anything from him? Has he sent any letters? Your father can't read or write.
I thought you knew that.
Yes, he can! He wrote the message on the back of my photograph.
Mr Merry wrote that.
Why didn't you tell me that? I thought that you knew.
Rowley, I thought that you You should have told me! Rowley! Rowley! (DISTANT SHOUTING AND CHEERING) (WHACKING SOUNDS) Can I've a lend of your cricket bat? What for? To play with.
We're playing with it.
Later.
After school.
I can't.
It's not mine.
I'll give it back.
I can't.
I'm not allowed.
(BELL RINGS) (AIR HISSES FROM BALLS) You can have the bat till tomorrow.
What were you doing in the school? The headmaster at the college was very angry: Understandably.
He was very keen that you be treated with the full force of the law.
No! He's just a boy.
We were able to come to an arrangement.
As long as you're properly punished, and the damage paid for, he's agreed not to involve the police.
I can't afford to pay for the damage.
I'll pay for it.
Really? What with, horse manure? MERRY: I've got a small amount of savings.
If we pool that with whatever your mother can afford, I'm sure we can get close to what's required.
And, you, my boy, can pay off your debt by running errands and doing chores.
Well, Rowley, what do you say? I don't care about what I did.
It's not true that if you do good things for other people you'll get whatever you want.
That's just a big lie.
MAN: Left, left, right, left! Left, left, right Left, left, left, right, left.
Come on! Left, left (SIGHS) Would you like a drink? That's your last job finished.
I think if your father was here, he'd be proud of you, for working off your debt and facing up to what you did.
Hey, Rowley! Dad! Rowley! (LAUGHS) Ohh! (SIGHS, LAUGHS) You came back! Come on, my boy.
(ALL SIGH) You're home! (LAUGHS) Oh, my boy.
(INTRIGUING MUSIC) (GIRLS LAUGH) GIRL: Wait for me! GIRL: It's just like heaven.
(GIRL SQUEALS) Duck for cover! Cover!