Angels and Monsters Lockie Leonard

# Miles away from anyone

# They were burning themselves out in the sun

# Miles away from anyone

# They were burning themselves out in the sun

# There was just enough to get their boat away. #

This is where I live.

Angelus...

Some people believe this town's protected by angels.

They reckon that's how the place got its name.

I used to think people who believed in angels were nuts,

but sometimes angels can appear in the most unlikely of places.

So, Philip, how's the bed-wetting going?

Let's see, I wet my bed Monday night, I wet my bed Tuesday night...

'There's a reason I'm sitting here

'in the doctor's surgery in my mother's place

'and that's because Mum's in hospital and Sarge is at work.

-'It's no big deal. It's just how it is at the moment.'

-..Sunday night...

How about you, Doc? How many nights have you wet your bed?

-I don't wet my bed, Philip.

-Really?

Maybe you should,

maybe you both should cos maybe you're the ones with the problem.

So from now on no more drinking banana juice, or lying on blankets

or any other whacky ideas.

I wet my bed, it's just how it is.

Accept the scientific evidence... I have.

Er, just a minute, Lockie. I wouldn't mind a word.

'OK. I lied.

'Things aren't 100% since Mum got sick.'

-You wet

-your

-bed and no-one kicks up a fuss.

Anxiety can exacerbate problems such as bed-wetting.

Like Mum being in hospital.

Not much I can do about that.

A fun distraction could help.

-What does he like to do?

-Blow things up.

There's something else I'd like to give Philip.

A positive reinforcement exercise.

Here we go.

It's a calendar. It comes with these stickers, see.

When you have a dry night you mark it with a sun.

Like that's gonna make everything all right.

It's a way of focusing on the positive.

'The doc was right. Philip needed cheering up on a massive scale.

'The question was, how to do it?'

Right, listen up, please... Get your registration forms over here.

Everybody needs to be registered to enter.

There we go.

-Oh, there we go.

-Lockie...

Hey, what's with the new fishing gear?

Don't you remember? I love fishing.

Since when?

Yo, Lockie. Are you entering in the Bream Classic?

-That's right!

-A big first prize.

-Catch a tagged silver bream and you win 1,000 bucks.

-I know.

The Sarge is on the committee.

Dad's been saying prayers.

No-one else in Angelus has got a chance. We have God on our side.

It's gonna be a lot of fun.

Isn't that right, Geoffrey?

Yeah, can't wait!

You could buy that telescope you've been dreaming about.

We've got no chance of winning the comp.

Less chance if you don't enter.

Looking good. Excellent, well done.

Erm...

A word of caution before we go in.

Hospitals can sometimes be a bit...

well...

Oh, you'll be fine.

Come on.

'Freaky is the word Sarge didn't use to describe the hospital.

'He also didn't say it was full of horrible smells of disinfectant

'and other strange, warm smells.

'Yep, it was not a place you wanted your mum to end up.'

-Vicki...

-Lockie...

What brings you to these hospital corridors?

-Oh, I'm just helping out.

-Oh...

-But I better go. See you, Lockie.

-Bye.

There goes an angel.

Lockie, come on. Chop, chop.

Oh, she mustn't be far.

I'll see if I can track her down.

-You boys be all right?

-Yeah.

This place sucks.

Archie, me old china plate.

I haven't seen you in years.

Woo, woo, woo, woo...

'I actually had seen this guy before on a golf course of all places.'

-Ah!

-It's my car!

Woo, woo, woo, woo...

-My name's not Archie.

-Sorry, mate!

Woo, woo, woo... Can't hear you, I'll have to turn me bike off.

Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo...

Any mate of Archie's a mate of mine.

Put it there, brother.

I'm Monster.

'Monster was an ex-biker who also loved cars.

'Philip was a little scared of him but he was harmless.'

We just arrived together, me and my hog here,

Archie here on his Laverta.

Those were the days, eh, Arch?

'I thought it best to go with the flow.'

Yeah, those were the days, all right.

Sorry I haven't been around much, guys.

They keep me tucked away in this joint.

Lockie, Philip...

Got to go. See you around, Monster.

All right, matey.

Woo, woo, woo...

'Philip was shocked to find Mum painting away

'without a care in the world.

'He thought if she was OK, why wasn't she home?

'OK, it was art therapy and it seemed to be working.

'Mum was smiling, so none of us should have been upset.'

It's the Archangel Gabriel.

He's been coming to visit me.

Michelangelo eat your heart out.

When are you coming home?

Soon...

The doctors are still working out Mum's medication.

You said that yesterday!

'We knew it wasn't Mum's fault,

'but it didn't stop Philip being angry, so I had to step in.'

We're entering the fishing competition.

Oh, what a lovely idea.

-I'll go.

-No, it's OK, I'll go.

I didn't agree to go fishing.

You're just trying to pretend everything is normal.

Don't get upset. You're not gonna catch that bream anyway.

-What would you know?

-Six-time winner.

I'm telling you you're too young.

You need smelly feet. Old men's feet. The more rotten the better.

It's their toes dangling in the water,

-it attracts the fish.

-Great, so all we need is a boat

and a rod and an old man's foot.

Or, between best mates,

use pink nippers for bait. The bream love them.

And you won six times?

Yeah. All you need is a nipper pump,

any sandy mudbank and you get nippers galore.

It's time for my pills. Woo, woo, woo, woo...

Damn carbie's playing up again.

You say hi to the rest of the guys for me.

'We didn't have a snowflake's chance of catching anything,

'but it would keep Philip's mind out of hospitals and disinfectant.'

If we win first prize, you keep the prize money.

You're on.

15,000 bucks this little baby cost me.

15 grand on a boat that's gonna catch a 1,000 dollar fish.

It's not about a fish. It's about the glory of coming first.

It's a depth sounder.

It tells me exactly what's swimming around down there.

With this little baby I can pinpoint a pimple on a crab at 1,000 feet.

I didn't know crabs had pimples.

When the prize fish swims under our boat I'll hunt it down like a dog.

-Marvellous thing, technology.

-Sounds like cheating to me, Dad.

Nonsense, it's all about creating your own bit of luck.

Split cane, it belonged to me father.

He would never let me touch the thing.

Always thought I would break it or something.

'The Rev was hoping an old fishing rod would somehow

'bring him and Egg closer together.

'The Rev's plan had two holes in it.

'It ignored the fact that, A, Egg hated fishing and, B,

'Egg was terrified of the water because he couldn't swim.'

Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.

Bless you, fish.

A-hoy there, anglers. A-hoy!

In a moment I will be launching

the Angelus Bream Classic but before I fire the starter's pistol...

..a little neurological nourishment.

He isn't?

That's right, a poem.

He is.

They seek him here, they seek him there

those Angelusian anglers, they seek him everywhere.

Does he lurk at the harbour mouth? Mouth, mouth, mouth...

Is he hiding in the estuary flats?

Flats, flats, flats...

That damned elusive silver bream...

Go! Run! Catch that fish!

'And it was on, the great Angelus fishing comp.'

Oh... A mighty fine looking vessel you've got there, boys.

We rented it from Joel's boat shed. Cheapest boat he had.

Threw in the nipper pump.

He felt sorry for us.

-You got everything you need?

-Yep.

-Life jackets?

-Hope so.

Oars? Fresh water? Chocolate?

-Chocolate?

-I didn't know we needed any.

Oh, you might want these then.

Thanks, Sarge.

No, thanks.

Are you sure?

OK, well, good luck.

-Happy sailing.

-Thanks, Sarge.

-See ya!

'Mr Streeton, with his expensive gear, had the jump on all of us.

'Not that Vicki was impressed.'

Careful with that reel, Kitten.

-That's worth over a grand.

-What does it do?

Oh, it makes omelettes. What do you think?

Yeah, I know, but what does that one do that others can't?

Well, it just does it better. Like its owner. With class.

I remember when we all used to go fishing, the four of us.

In a little hire boat

and all we had to use were hand reels.

-It was still heaps of fun though.

-Did we?

All I remember is your mother complaining about how hot

it was and your brother getting tangled up in fishing lines.

But now we've got all the mod cons, plenty of space...

-And half a family.

-What's that, Kitten?

BLEEPING

-Any bites?

-Nah.

You might have more of a chance if you cast out, don't you think?

What? Oh, yeah.

That's the way.

It's nice being out here.

Just the two of us.

We should do it more often.

Yeah.

Oh! Ooh!

I think I'm on. Yes!

I told you this is a good spot.

Oh, she's got some weight to it.

It's a bicycle fish.

You remember what Monster said, nippers make the best bait.

Why should we listen to him? He thinks you're some guy called Archie.

There's one, grab it quick!

-Ow, it bit me!

-Must be why they're called nippers.

'Normally Philip would cope with this pain but today,

'on top of all the other stresses in his life, it was too much.'

Philip, wait!

Philip...

Here fishy, fishy, fishy...

Come to Papa. Come to Papa.

Come to Papa.

Gotcha!

What did I tell you, Kitten, create your own luck.

Whoa, whoa, this little fella's got a bit of life in him.

-Dad...

-It's all right. I'll tire him out and haul him in.

Dad, look.

-What's that fool doing?

-We've got to do something.

-No, sweetheart.

-He's gonna cut the line.

-I wasn't talking about the fish.

Get away, you fool! I got the winning fish out there.

-Whoo-hoo!

-No, no, no!

Whoo-hoo!

-Dad?

-He's busted the line, Kitten!

I'll make you pay for that!

You've got to call the hospital, do something.

Hang on. Me fish is still attached to the float.

Hold this. Hold that. Sit down, love.

I'm going in.

Hang on, my lovely, I'm coming in!

I'm coming!

I am coming in!

Gotcha!

It's all right, Kitten.

I've still got him!

It's not about how you play the game, it's whether you win!

HE LAUGHS

Want some chocolate?

It's just a bribe.

Make us feel better about Mum been a loony.

Don't say that. Don't ever say that.

Mum's just sick. She's going to get better.

Mum's got depression.

So, she's really going to come home?

She'll be back before you know it.

Even if she's talking about seeing angels?

Well, maybe the angels are real.

Do you believe in angels?

-Yeah.

-You have an answer to everything, haven't you, Lockie?

Well, tell me this. Where is our boat?

Oh no!

What are you doing?

It's going to drift into the main current.

I'll come back and get you.

Please, don't, Lockie! You'll drown!

I'm not going to drown. I've swum in huge swells.

I'll make it, easy.

I don't want be left alone.

Well, come down from the tree, then.

Yes, my love. Caught it just now.

Oh, far too easy!

No one stood a chance.

-Dad.

-Shush, Kitten. I'm talking to your mother.

No, it worked out just how I imagined. Just how I imagined.

Oh, whoah!

You're probably going to have a snag, Dad.

No, no. Not this time.

I can feel it swim.

SPLASH!

Look at it go, Dad! It sunk like a rock.

HE LAUGHS

I've lost Granddad's rod. He'd kill me if he found out!

What's so funny?

Well, Granddad's dead. I'm safe!

Let's try and get it back. You can help me.

What planet are you on? I can't swim, remember?

Of course you can swim. Everybody can.

Maybe everybody can, but I can't.

But I thought you and Lockie...

What kind of a father doesn't even know his on son can't swim?

Here, hold these.

Aaaahh!

-Dad!

-It's OK.

Don't panic! Move your arms.

-Like this.

-Dad!

-Don't panic.

Like a dog.

I said, "Move your arms!"

'And suddenly, miraculously, the Rev managed to do what I couldn't.'

Keep moving your arms. Keep kicking.

I can swim! Dad, I can swim!

'And the Rev and Egg bonded like they had never bonded before.'

Tide's rising. We've got no boat.

-We're gonna drown!

-Then we'll build a raft.

-With what? There's nothing here but sand and mud!

-What's that?

It's the tagged fish.

Philip, we caught the winning fish!

-Kitten, where's the fish?

-Hanging over the edge where you left it.

No it's not. It's gone!

-Oh well. You obviously didn't tie it on properly.

-No!

No!

THEY SHOUT AND CHEER

'Suddenly, everything was all right. It didn't matter that

'we were without a boat, that Mum was in hospital

'or that Philip still wet the bed,

'we had caught the winning fish. Or, it had caught us!'

-Who said there was no such thing as angels?

-What?

That's that monster guy.

My mate's lost something!

Next time you moor up, Arch,

remember to throw out the anchor.

-What are you doing here?

-Ssh!

I'm not. You haven't seen me.

Better get back before I'm missed.

Ice cream and red jelly for dessert.

Thanks.

Got to look after my best mates.

What about the Easter Bunny?

-Sure, why not?

-Easter Bilby?

-Yeah.

So they both work Easter together?

I guess, yeah.

How do they know which one's going to deliver eggs to which house?

I don't know.

I suppose they work it out beforehand.

They've got the whole year.

-So they speak the same language? The bunny and the bilby?

-Sure.

Boys and girls.

Despite our best efforts this year at the Angelus Springs Classic,

sadly, no one has got the fish.

-I know, this causes me to reflect on...

-Dad!

Hang on a minute! Let's have a look. We'll just check for the tag.

Yes! We've got a winner, ladies and gentlemen!

APPLAUSE

And it's my own flesh and blood,

Philip and Lockie Leonard.

Amazing. Well done, boys. Well done.

Hang on a minute.

That's my fish. I caught that fish fair and square.

-Don't, Dad.

-Tell them. Tell them I caught the fish with you.

Tell them.

If it's your fish, how come they're the ones holding it?

-Let's go. I've got better things to do. Come on.

-But my prize money.

They're going to think you're a bad sport. We're going.

Right, anyway. On with the ceremony.

Our congratulations, boys.

Another round of applause. 1,000...

'In the end, everything worked out better than I could have planned.

'We got the money, the fish got his freedom.

-'Philip got to buy that telescope.'

-OK.

I've got the Southern Cross.

OK, track slowly down.

To your right, see?

That's the stars of Orion's Belt.

To the left of that is his sword.

'And he didn't feel so alone anymore.'

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]