Passengers Moving On

# I couldn't sleep last night

# For the man next door

# He cried all night long

# And the night before

# And the way he cried

# Was a crying shame

# The way he kept calling

# Calling her name

ENGINE STARTS

# He cried, baby... #

SHOUTING FROM OUTSIDE

Agh!

-Agh!

-Connor? Connor?!

Connor, you all right? You OK?

Yeah, I am but that isn't, look at it!

Didn't you look behind you?! You could've killed him!

-Mate, she's talking to you!

-I can't remember.

I can't remember...

So what did you have for your evening meal last night, Ronald?

-Ronnie.

-Sorry.

Why do you need...?

Come to check if I'm all right, not to try out for...

-..Master-whatsits...

-OK. Not to worry.

Roast. Roast dinner.

All the...

thingies with it as well.

Always been a decent cook.

Are there any particular tasks that you've been finding difficulty with?

I mean...what about driving? Hm?

I was an instructor 25 years.

Taught half the...

half the people round here to drive.

So absolutely no worries on that score.

Hm. And you live next door, you say...Helen?

Anything in particular YOU'VE noticed?

Well...we hardly know each other, really.

Mr Young just er...

..bumps into us sometimes.

But my grandad had the same problems,

with his memory and that, so... when he mentioned his concerns

I said I'd be more than happy to come with him.

Would it be OK to count backwards for me?

Say from ten to one.

Don't be so soft.

I know it seems a bit odd, but it's a useful little test, that's all.

I've not suddenly become an idiot.

Well, go on, then. Show him.

Go on.

Ten, nine, eight...

..eight, seven,

five, four, three, two...one.

What?

I...I didn't get it wrong, did I?

Well, you don't know what the scan's going to say, do you?

Could be that you're just... well, just getting old.

Is there teabags?

-Oh...

-In here? All right.

And even if it is, you know - well, he mentioned medication, didn't he?

Mm?

Milk...

You could be fine for years.

Mr Young?

"Avoid driving alone, and at night".

That's what it says here.

How am I meant to do that? I have to drive.

How will I do the shop?

How will I get to church?

It'll take a bit of getting used to.

Well, I'm not getting used to it. I won't.

Have you got a mobile?

-Somewhere.

-Right.

There's only one number in it though.

My wife's, and she died four years ago.

Off more than on most of the time.

Well - you're going to have three numbers in it when you put these in.

This is my home, and that's my mobile.

Right, shall I come back later? Pop something in the oven for you?

-Doesn't work.

-I could get my fella round, Tony, he's a gas fitter.

I need to drive, I have to.

OK, so I made one mistake.

But...your lad's fine. I never even touched him.

And so what if I forget the odd... number.

How did you make a full roast without an oven?

Ronnie...

You can't just make stuff up to a doctor,

what's the point in going if you're going to do that?

It's not only the driving, is it? It's...

Well, it's loads of things.

Eh? That's why you've got all these things up on your wall.

I will be careful.

Promise.

ENGINE STARTS

Ooh!

Hang on.

There you go. Keep the change. Bye.

Oh!

Whoa!

SHE LAUGHS

No, no, no. You don't have to do that, Mr Young. It's fine.

Call me Ronnie, please. No-one else does these days.

Oh...

So you don't drive, then?

-No.

-Never learnt?

Well, I did my theory last year. Costs a fortune, doesn't it?

Well, it needn't do. I could teach you.

-What?

-Well, it's my observation that's to cock, isn't it?

Not my, er...my know-how.

-Nice idea, but I don't think...

-I wouldn't charge you, obviously.

Well, I couldn't do that, no.

It's not an act of er...

There's something in it for ME too.

Last night, I set a place at the table for Annie.

It's like this...fog comes down,

and when it lifts, I've done something daft

and I've no idea how.

I try to say something and half the words are...

But I wouldn't have to go out in the car alone

if you were out in the car with me.

And while I was teaching you...

..you could...drive me about a bit. And take me to places I need to go.

I don't think so.

No. No, OK, fair enough.

Oh...

Um... They didn't all make it, I'm afraid.

Thanks.

Ronnie?

First time my mother brought me here, I slipped her grip and ran.

I'd never seen the sea, I couldn't wait to jump in.

But I'd come over the dunes,

and there was...barbed wire,

all the way along. Was just after the war, like.

Used to drive down here all the time when Anne was ill.

Just...watch the sun

going down.

-Sorry, it's time we swapped seats.

-Eh?

Well, er...I actually don't think I'm ready to drive.

-Of course you are!

-No, I've never done it before so...

Well...time you did, then.

Belt on.

Gently on the clutch...

Lovely.

Bit more gas.

How's that? Oh! Oh!

Right, just gently let the clutch out. Bit more gas.

And you're off. Lovely!

How's that...? How's that?

Oh, look at that!

Bit more gas...

-Lovely! Now, that's really smooth.

-Liar!

THEY CHUCKLE

Nobody in the way, you can't hit anything.

Wouldn't count on that!

What's that? What's it doing that for?

-All the time in the world.

-Yeah...

-Till it gets dark.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh, it's so hard!

Let the clutch out, bit more gas.

ENGINE ROARS

And you're off. Lovely!

Ohh!

-Try going into third.

-No, I'm happy as I am, thank you.

THEY CHUCKLE

That's the sand's fault, that's the beach's fault.

That's rubbish!

Good! Now... How does that feel?

Awful. GEARS CRUNCH

Ooh! Ooh! How do I stop? How do I stop this?

-Back... Back into second.

-No, I'm happy like this, Ronnie,

I don't want to do any...

Where's the ice cream van gone?

See, it's not as hard as you thought, is it?

-Just roll along, but don't forget to check your mirrors.

-Why?

Do your checks, as you would if you were on the road.

Oh, jellyfish!

Oh!

Look at that, I'm doing it. Yeah. I'm doing it!

Look at that!

-Well...you know what you are now, don't you, Helen?

-What's that?

-A driver!

-SHE LAUGHS

Thanks, Ronnie.

Very good for a first lesson, that.

-Seriously?

-You can hardly be Stirling Moss from day dot!

Nasty.

Oh, that's nothing.

-How did you do that?

-Well - does it matter?

-Sorry, I didn't mean to...

-Well, just don't.

Is everything OK?

Do you know? Just forget it!

-Eh?

-Your lessons!

Helen...?

You can't just walk away! Helen?

Helen?!

How am I going to get home?

DOORBELL RINGS

You had no right to do that.

-All I said was...

-Well, you shouldn't have said anything.

You know I'm not meant to be in that car...

Well, you're here now, aren't you? So...

Have you any idea what it's like when you try to...

and you find you can just... You just can't?

OK, look, I'm sorry.

I am, I'm sorry. I didn't realise you'd find it so difficult.

Do you want to learn to drive or not?

Cos if you're happy just to sit in the passenger seat

for the rest of your life, tell me, and I'll try and find...

No, I want to, I do. I just...

As long as we can keep the conversation purely

to mirror-signal-manouevre, then that would be great. OK?

All right, mate?

Reckon you're going to have your work cut out with this one.

-Some people never learn.

-Hey!

SHOUTING AND SCREAMING THROUGH WALLS

SOBBING

You might not have to pay.

-For what?

-Help.

Good, cos I don't want any.

Well, what about someone at mealtimes?

If you want to send Delia round you're more than welcome.

But if you're thinking about some teenager who can't boil a...

dib-dab, then I'll make do, thanks.

People often find it's company.

I'm not paying for company!

Like I said, you might not HAVE to.

I don't want anybody else paying, either!

And I don't want loads of people coming in the house.

And I don't want some social worker who seems to think I'm deaf

just cos I might have...

Look, Ronald...

It's Ronnie!

If you change your mind...

Other people have bigger problems than me. Might not seem so.

Likes of you might not notice, but I do.

You don't know what goes on behind closed doors.

Not unless you get to know the person really well.

Not unless you see the signs.

Is there something...?

Well...I've got your number, haven't I?

How'd I do?

-Perfect.

-Oh!

SHE LAUGHS

Um... I heard it, you know, the other night.

That, er...that argument.

Right, same time tomorrow, then?

I can't just ignore it.

I want the lessons to carry on, Ronnie, I really do.

But you need them too.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

Same time tomorrow. Bay parking, I think.

Great. Bay parking.

TALKING ON RADIO

KNOCKING

About the oven.

This is how I met her, you know.

-Who?

-Helen.

-Oh.

I drink in the pub, The Lion, where she works.

She needed a few jobs doing, few months back.

There you go. Should be it now.

CLICKING

Will it?

-Came along just at the right time for me.

-Oh.

Been finding things a bit tough.

Was in the forces. Duke of Lancs.

Did Iraq, Afghanistan.

Right. Was it bad over there?

Nah. Being over there weren't the problem. It was being back here.

You're pumped, when you're in that world, buzzing all the time,

all day and all night, and then

you come back here and it's just...watching X Factor.

Yeah.

-How much do I owe you?

-Forget it.

Nay, no! Got to give you something.

I think it's nice that Helen's close to her neighbours.

People don't tend to have a clue what's going on these days.

I mean, next door, do they?

But it's good that you do...

and that we...can help each other out.

Need anything else, just let me know.

You missed a spot!

DOORBELL RINGS

What do you think?

-Are you winding me up?

-Eh?

So you just destroy my bike, and then bring yours over to, what, show off?

-It isn't mine.

-Whose is it, then?

It's for you!

I might not be safe behind the wheel. I'd be lethal on this!

Are you messing?

Is it OK?

Yeah. Yeah, it's well smart.

How about I come in and er...talk you through it a bit?

Yeah, all right.

Serious suspension thingy, that.

And 18 gears as well. That's mint!

Do you think your mum'll like it?

And, er, Tony? What about him?

Who cares?

Do you two not get on?

He's all right, though, isn't he?

Treats you all right, both of you?

Sorry, none of my business, but if you and your mum...

If there's any problems, I'm here.

And...there are things that can be done...

..people who can step in.

I hate him.

What?

I hate him.

Does he...

Does he hurt her, Connor?

Has he?

ENGINE FIRES UP

I reckon you should put in for your test.

Nah.

Take a bit to...come through.

You'll be ready by then.

You think?

What will YOU do - if I pass?

When's Connor turn 17?

Not for a few years yet.

As luck would have it, he's just got himself a nice new bike.

Go on, I'll wait here for you.

No, no. Come in.

No, it's really not my thing.

-Come on!

-No.

Come on!

All right.

COIN DROPS IN BOX

What does that mean?

It's for Anne.

Oh, right.

Can I do one?

COIN DROPS IN BOX Thank you.

Hm.

Why do you stay with him, Helen?

Why stay with anyone who treats you like that?

You deserve better. You both do.

-This isn't the place for this!

-Oh, I think it is.

You don't know what you're talking about!

You can hide it from most people but you can't hide it from everyone.

God sees everything.

Oh, that's nice. Sees everything, does bugger all.

Thanks very much!

I want to do something.

Has it ever occurred to you that you might just be wrong?

You put cutlery out for the dead!

Maybe there's NOTHING going on in my house.

Maybe it's all just going on in your head!

SOBBING AND SCREAMING THROUGH WALLS

Stop it!

THUMP

I'm really pleased you called.

Like I said, I'm sure we can help you.

-I don't want you to.

-What?

I've not asked you to come round for me.

Well, who have you asked me to come round for?

-Helen.

-Sorry, who's...

My next-door neighbour. I want you to help her.

-What have you been saying?

-Eh?

-I've had Social Services round!

-I think you should calm down.

-What did THEY want?

-Asking me all questions about you, about your boy.

Well, it had nothing to do with me, I swear.

Was it you? It was you, wasn't it, calling Social Services, making stuff up.

-I haven't made anything up.

-What's your problem?

-Keep away from the boy!

Mate, look - just keep out of it, all right?

Keep away from the boy. It wasn't Connor. It wasn't Helen.

It was me.

You called Social Services about me?

-How could you do that?

-I only wish I hadn't waited so long.

You're gone in the head, you, mate. You shouldn't be in the house on your own.

I know what I've seen and heard.

-I don't believe this!

-You don't know nothing!

-Come in mine. Both of you. Come on.

-I'm never coming in your house again and not into your car, either.

I don't want any more lessons from you about anything!

I can live with being a passenger, even if you can't.

You stay away from us, OK?

And you stay away from that house.

You see the way that this is mostly red?

Well, that's good.

That means the blood is still pumping away,

keeping those cells going.

-Smashing.

-Yeah.

But you see the blue areas?

It means the blood's not getting there any more,

so these areas are not working as they should.

And this might be a little bit difficult for you to take in because

this is the area responsible for taking things in,

if that makes any sense.

I haven't got the Alzheimer's?

No, no. This is vascular.

And it's not just the forgetting, then?

It's the reasoning, the processing.

Do you think I could...

..mix things up, then, think things are going on that...

aren't?

There is medication you can take, Ronald.

I mean, it won't stop it, won't get rid of it, but it can slow it down.

What do you think?

It's Ronnie.

Ronnie.

SHOUTING AND SCREAMING THROUGH WALLS

VOLUME UP

# ..I thought we belonged together

# And our hearts fit like a glove

# But I was wrong for I've been watching

# Watching you

# From the window up above. #

Right...

KNOCKING

Open the door! Either open it or I'll...

SCREAMING: Go away!

-No!

-Go away!

I'm not going anywhere!

-SCREAMING: Go away, please!

-Helen?

Right, come on! Come out! Come on, have a go at me!

-Come on!

-Hey!

-Have a go at me!

Hey! What's going on?

HELEN SOBS

I thought...

Helen... Helen!

I need you to tell me again what you told me last week, in as much

detail as you can, and my colleague Andrew's going to write it all down.

OK?

If you could just tell me again what you told me

about your next-door neighbour.

-My next-door neighbour?

-Yes.

-Great girl, Helen.

-Yes, I know. If you...

And her boyfriend, Tony. He's a good lad.

He fixed my, er, cooker.

-Wouldn't take a penny.

-You like him?

Very much so. Wouldn't hurt a fly.

Why? What did I say last week?

It doesn't matter.

I get confused, you know. Hope I didn't say the wrong thing.

Mind plays tricks. Very lucky with my neighbours. Blessed, actually.

Come on. Come on, come on...!

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

PHONE RINGS

PHONE CONTINUES RINGING

Hello?

'Hello?'

'I don't know where I am.'

'I don't know how to get home.'

'Help me, Connor.'

Please.

Look, maybe we should call the police.

If we do that, he'll lose his licence.

-Wouldn't that be a good thing?

-It would kill him.

What if he kills someone?

Why aren't you answering your phone?

You don't have to keep doing that, you know,

-just calling to be nice.

-Is that what do you think?

I've suddenly gone off you cos your life's a bit more complicated?

Whose isn't?

I'm not here now to be nice. I'm here...

-I'm here because...

-Stop!

-What?

-Stop!

There!

Right, hold on.

Been going up and down best part of an hour, looking for you.

I was just trying to get to the beach to see the...

and the er...

I thought I could get there with my eyes closed, but...

I'll drive him back.

I'll come with you.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Never occurred to me that it was you, not for a second.

You need to get help, lad. Can't carry on.

I shouldn't have said anything. I should have just left you here.

-Connor!

-But you didn't. You didn't.

-Ronnie, can I just get in the car, please?

-Not now.

You don't know what goes on. You haven't got a clue.

I know anger.

What? You think I don't? I'm the one stuck here!

I'm the one with dementia.

Your mum's lucky that your dad died when he did.

-Excuse me?

-She's still young.

She's had him, she had you,

and now she can actually have someone else, too.

-Do you really want to try and stop that? Can you really...

-I didn't stop answering his calls, she did!

Only because of you. What else could she do?

That's not true!

Helen...

Mum, tell him.

Of course it is.

Anyone can see you are the most important thing in my life, Connor,

but you can't be the only thing.

And Tony's a decent man.

I don't want to keep ignoring him any more

and I want you to accept him. I need you to.

Everyone's angry sometimes.

There's a fella lives opposite you,

-he lost his son when he was 19.

-Shut up!

The chap lives next door but one to him's beggared off and left his wife and kid.

And there's a bloke on the corner who has to go to sleep attached

to some sort of machine.

And that doesn't mean it's easy to control it.

But it does mean you've got to try.

Don't let yourself become... the things you've done.

Lock the doors.

Mum! Open the door!

Mum! Open it!

-Let me in, now!

-Don't look at him.

Open the door, Mum!

HE SCREAMS

HE PANTS

I'm sorry.

What for? You were right.

I want to do the test. I want to drive.

# You said you'd wait forever... #

'Everyone's angry sometimes. Everyone.'

'Fella who lives opposite you lost his son when he was 19.'

Helen Wilson?

Yeah, that's me.

# You wade through the water

# Slowly your hands... #

'Chap next door but one to him's beggared off

'and left his wife and kid.'

# I wish you'd felt me falling... #

'Bloke on the corner has to sleep attached to some sort of machine.'

# I wish you'd watched over me... #

'And that doesn't mean it's easy to control it

'but it does mean you have to try.'

# But I blinked

# And the world was gone... #

I passed!

# And the world... #

Oh, Connor!

# And the world. #

Hey, Ronnie!

-Sorry, I didn't realise.

-No, it's fine. She's about to go, so...

-How is it?

-Er...

It's happening.

I just wanted to...

..give you this.

What?

-No!

-Yeah.

-No!

My driving days are over, Helen.

Ronnie...?

-I'll give you a call.

-Yeah.

OK, thanks.

She called me Ronnie!

The other night can't be the last time you were behind the wheel of a car, no way!

You're going to have to go out with more style than that!

I'm not sure that I can, not any more.

It's all right.

I'll teach you.

There used to be barbed wire here...

..between the dunes and the sea...

..but it's gone.

It's gone.

You're going to hate me for saying this, Ronnie,

but you know your name?

I think Ronald suits you much better!

# Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name

# And they're always glad you came

# You want to be where you can see

# Our troubles are all the same

# You want to be where everybody knows your name

# Roll out of bed, Mr Coffee's dead

# The morning's looking bright

# The morning's looking bright

# And your shrink ran off to Europe

# And didn't even write

# And your husband wants to be a girl

# Be glad there's one place in the world... #