The Lives of the Saints

'It all starts with Roadrunner, speeding from birth.

'Shot out that womb like a rocket.

'Runner's mum was aristocracy, the London Borough of Haringey's queen of sulphate.

'That's why Runner ran. He ran betting slips, wishes on wings.

'And he never stopped. The club, to the bookies, the track and back.

'Always running, always in circles.

'He ran for anyone who paid - the good ones, the bad ones

'and the sad ones, too.'

Hey, Roadrunner, my man. You backed that pony for me?

I ain't nobody's man.

'And somehow, Runner made everything spin for all of us - the butchers, the bakers, the candlestick makers.

'He was the clockwork spring what kept our world turning.'

HEAVY BREATHING

Flog it. Jerk it.

Beat it.

Jack it.

My arm's killing me, Mr Karva. KNOCKING

I'll be down in a minute, for Christ's sake!

Aargh! Bash the bishop!

-Choke the chicken.

-You've got to relax.

Pull the porker.

Stroke the beak!

Aaargh!

Poor little Fritz.

Ahh...

Poor Charlie.

Little John Thomas...

-..all black and blue.

-It won't work if you don't relax.

Relax?! How can I relax?

With all I've got on my mind!

I've got business across the road.

Sorry. Hiya.

-BRAKES SCREECH

-Hey! Hail Caesar, innit?

Arsehole!

You owe me! You looter!

You cheater! You reptile!

-Here - pot that!

-No! Ow!

Pot this! You're fired!

-Mr Karva...

-What does it say here, huh? What does it say?

-Does it say "cunt"?

-Mr Karva, please... Ah!

-You're kapowed!

-Mr Karva, I...

Hey, Runner. Right on time. Come on in, come on in.

We're having a party! A bash! A binge! A bender!

A romping, rollicking frolic! A knees up!

-How's your father hi-jinks!

-Yes! I'm winning, innit!

-I've won a fuckin' Rolex.

-Hope he placed it before the off.

Of course he placed it. Nice one. Fixed rate, Runner?

Ha ha. On a percentage.

Percentage? You put my son on a percentage?

Only kidding!

Nice "I'm the prince", huh?

-He put you on a fixed rate, is that right?

-A percentage, Mr Karva.

-No favours.

-Ah, no favours, hm?

How long has it been since you stood still, Runner? What happen when you stop?

-He'll drown, won't you, Runner?

-Oi! It's your bed time, Emilio. Fuck off up the sleepy hill.

It's OK, Dad. He's on a percentage. It was a joke.

If that's what my son says, that's what my son says.

A percentage it is, eh?

You be a good boy, eh? Go and score off them pirates up at Stroud Green, eh?

Go on, you go.

HEARTY LAUGH

'That night he was running for Mr Karva. An emergency mission to an all-night pharmacy.

'Mikey lived across the Arsenal side of the park in Stroud Green.

'Mikey's a bespoke chemist. Nothing he couldn't sort you out with.

'Reds, blues, greens. Technicolor.

'So Runner ran.'

BREATHING HEAVILY

AAH! Jesus, man! I broke my leg!

I broke my fucking leg!

This is my living! This is what I do.

Fuck you! You're gonna die, man!

I'm gonna kill you good 'til the breath leaves you!

You're going, man. Say bye-bye, you little freak!

I ain't running.

I stopped, innit.

-Stole it out the dragon's mouth.

-Oh, that's disgusting, that is.

-You think I'm a bit weak in the head, dontcha?

-Yeah. A bit.

Runner?

It's Runner.

Othello, it's Runner!

-Othello! Runner just went in your flat.

-What are you on about?

Runner just dumped something in your flat!

-Did you leave the door open?

-No, of course not!

-Runner?

Runner?

I swear, I definitely saw him.

MUFFLED SOUND What was that?

For fuck's sake!

Hello?

You want me to come down with you?

-You need a hand down there, Othello?

-What's going on?

What happened to you?

Where did you come from?

Do you speak English?

What is it?

It's a kid.

It's just a kid.

You're gonna be all right. You're safe now.

-He's probably got diseases.

-Othello, that's our bed.

-Probably one of those Gyppo kids.

-He's run away from somewhere. Call the Social.

-Stitch him up?

-Make him one of them banana boys?

-What does he keep doing that thing with his fingers for?

He's trying to talk.

He belongs to someone.

-He's staying here.

-You're not thinking straight!

Get me a pen. He's trying to tell me something.

FAINT WHISPER

You sleep now. You rest.

Hey!

Wake up. Look at this.

All this stuff locked away in his head. Wants to tell someone, but there's no one there. Makes me sick.

-It don't mean nothing. It's just letters.

-It ain't!

-All right, what does it mean?! What is "it" trying to tell you?

-I don't know, but I gotta find out.

It was Roadrunner who dumped him.

Where is he?

Maybe it's like...you know when you're at school and A is 1 and B is 2 and stuff?

-Like in Mr Oldfield's Maths?

-Mr Collier.

Mr Collier did Maths. Mr Oldfield did English or Music or some shit.

-Mr Collier did Geography.

-Yeah.

-He wasn't even at the same school. He was at the convent.

-Yeah, Mr Collier used to come over to ours on Mondays.

-You were sniffing round them ponces up William Ellis'.

-I never.

-All right. What's the capital of Iceland, then?

-What?! No one knows that.

-See? That proves it.

We should have cut your hair off and rolled you in tar and feathers.

Go on, you tell us. What is it, then? Go on. See, you wouldn't know.

-You was never at school. You was offloading your dad's stinking cabbages.

-Stepdad, right?

And I never did no shit work for no one.

I was never no organ grinder's monkey, no oily rag.

Look at these hands, eh? Look at these nails. Do they look like I ever touched that shit?

-Strictly white fucking collar, that's me.

-All right.

Where is he? What's the time?

-Eight nines?

-Now what?

-Go on, quick - eight nine?

-Eight nines are...

-72.

Seven eights? You was offloading groceries. Seven eights?

Get out. Come on!

Fifty-fucking-six. Six sevens?

OK.

Forty...forty-nine!

Forty-fucking-nine!

I'll fucking show her.

Here it is, Tina.

Aaron's rod.

The man root.

The real meat and two veg.

-This donkey want a good thrashing.

-It ain't never gonna work if you keep wanting it so bad.

Boys?

Give us your cock, then.

-It's 42.

-What?

-Six sevens is 42.

Fuck off!

There he is.

Christ. What happened to him?

-You falling to bits, mate?

-Leave him alone. He's got things in his head.

What you doing, leaving kids on my doorstep for? Trying to make me and Tina a happy family?

-How is he?

-He's sleeping. Like a baby. Where did you find him?

-He's a little angel that fell out of his nest in Heaven, I reckon.

-Little angel?

-You turning nonce on us, Runner? He's just some kid.

-Has he started talking yet?

-Yeah. That baby babble means nothing.

-He wrote it all down, see.

Baby babble what means nothing, but you wrote it all down, innit?

He was trying to say something. I couldn't get it.

What did he tell you?

-He got to you, didn't he?

-Yeah.

But you know what it is.

So what is it? What's he saying?

It's not words, man.

It's something else.

Christella?

Coffee.

You promised to leave the day to us humans, Dad.

You're looking tired.

You been playing Mummies and Daddies with that piece of old slag from the hairdresser, eh?

And you...

..you persona non NOT A FUCKING THING NEVER!

Where you be when I need you?! Huh?

Roadrunner, I never seen you so still.

I can focus on you and everything. What's the matter, huh?

Batteries run down? Hm?

I don't run no more.

He don't run no more! Roadrunner...quit running.

All right.

All right.

What is it, huh?

Something new?

Something I haven't heard of? Huh?

A scheme.

Where's my cut? HUH?!

AARGH!

Hey, Roadrunner, what's the matter? Huh? Why you not play? Huh?

What happened to the good old bad old days?

I need time. I need time to think, Mr Karva.

KARVA SIGHS

Time ran out ahead of you, Runner.

You is on the Stygian ferry. One-way ticket, hm?

Yeah!

Like I thought. Too much grazing.

You're going to need the complete check-up, Runner.

Say bye-bye to the little man, huh?

Bye-bye, little man.

We're gonna stick some terrible things in your bones, Runner.

That make you go...scared?

-I ain't running no more.

-That's not what I asked!

Dad! We don't need this, Dad!

What is it with you and him, huh? Engaged?

We've got to keep the peace. No peace, no profits.

No, it's the rules.

Trespassers will be persecuted.

If you know why the rabbit won't run for me, you got to tell me.

I don't know a thing.

Tell him what he said, Runner.

-Tell him what he said that made you stop.

-That little angel's a gift.

What we've been looking for.

Nothing else matters.

What's he talking about?

-Othello copied it all down.

-No, man...!

Let's see this. What's this writing?

-This homework...

-It's private.

Not if I say it isn't.

You gotta read the Holy Highway Code.

I can't say no to you.

You little star of the line, you.

But business is business.

Little angel, he said. Why call him a little angel?

-It's just how Runner talks, innit?

-"What we've been looking for".

-What does that mean, Othello?

-Dunno.

-All right.

-Hey-hey!

It was what Runner was looking for.

-He stopped running. Now he can think proper. Now he's happy.

-For now.

-Why? What do you think your old man's gonna do to him?

-Ah, nothing.

He's just messing, ain't he?

Won't run a message. Won't run a parcel.

Won't even run a mild temperature.

Well, we'll see about that. I'm gonna make you sweat.

Make you sweat blood. We've got to guess what is happening to you,

why you stop running. It's against nature.

-HE SNIFFS

-What's cooking, Doc?

-Rabbit stew!

Oh ho! Rabbit stew! Rabbit stew!

Get me outta here! Sorry Smarty can't stay for the party.

Ha ha! I know. Funny.

Hey, Runner, you smell something cooking? Huh?

Hey, Runner, that's your foot.

That's you.

You can't see it, Runner. You can't feel it, but it's bad.

All right. Now you're gonna tell me everything.

No more fucking comedy joke.

This is it, Runner. This is the end. You don't exist any more!

Going nicely. Here come the pain, Runner. It's real bad.

Here come the pain.

Aaaargh!

Get me another tin.

Uh-uh.

You're going all Looney Tunes on me.

What can be worth it, Runner?

Huh?

What can be worth all this...mess and pain?

If you got the perfect... rosy future of your dreams,

-if you got the future you wanted...

-And that's what you've got?

Nothing in this world will make you give it up. Would it?

All right.

This is just your first appointment.

Now fuck off!

Here you go.

He's staring at me!

-Let him.

-There's something weird about him.

-Go on, piss off, you!

-Oi!

Leave him alone.

He's probably like Chucky or Damien.

Here you are.

He doesn't want it.

Mmm, come on, try some.

It's nice.

What's the matter with you? It's good meat.

-Mmm.

-Mmm, tasty. You'd like it.

-BOTH: Mmmm!

-It's nice!

Maybe he don't eat meat. Here. Try a piece of that.

OK...

He likes it! He's eating it!

He shouldn't be here. He should be in a home or something.

Turn it up. Turn the telly up.

RACING COMMENTARY CONTINUES

'Zipster's breathing down his neck. He's taken him!

'He's a little shaken and it's turned into a two-horse race.

-'Zipster's inspired.'

-Zipster.

Zipster wins.

-'Zipster's in control. There's half a length in it.'

-It's Nostradamus! He can tell the future!

We're going to be rich. We're going to be fucking rich!

FAINTEST WHISPER

'That little sprite knew the numbers, the names, the winners, before they came up.

'He was living half an hour in the future. He was ahead of the game

'and he made me lift my head out of the mud and shit.

'He gave me what was always owed me. Me, Othello.

'Prince of Tottenham.'

Come on. You like it. You've got to be clean, mate. It's civilisation. No more jungle.

Right. Rinse him down.

-He's going to turn into a prune. Come on, boys, out.

-Mummy's here(!)

Right, you. Let's get you dry.

Come on, stand up.

Oh...

You're just a little pixie, aren't you? Hm?

-What about that?

-It's not right.

-Too boy band.

-All right. There.

-Nah.

-It's too...mumsy.

-He's got to look smart!

-That makes him look like a little bender.

Here, try this.

No, that's lary. It's a bit black.

Right.

There.

Style! Class, aintcha?

Yeah. Style.

HORN TOOTS

Oh, wow!

Give me a cigar. The king's. The best.

A cigar for the gent.

On tick, I suppose?

Yeah. Why not?

Yeah. Why not?

-No reason I can think of. You?

-Not right now.

-I'm having a bit of a celebration, bit of a bash, a bender.

-Oh, yeah?

-Family do.

-Yeah.

Family do.

We're having a party, innit!

Family do.

Me and my boy.

We're gonna have bresaola and that Efes beer.

Do you want an ice cream?

Which one? That one? Do you want that one? You can have anything. Anything at all. Christella?

Put some chops on the fire, would you?

-I finish here. I have Mr Karva's dinner to take.

-Just get it going for us.

I finish.

You are embarrassing me.

What is this child who you are dressing up?

He's my boy.

Family business.

You poor little fellow.

Little Christmas tree angel at the top.

He was in rags and he stank.

Look at him now.

Hey, you. The Mario Brothers. Chops on the fire. Breathe, move!

Saddam, tomato and pepper - go! I'll get my boy an ice cream.

-Oh!

-Othello!

Get away from him!

Keep back!

It's all right. You'll be all right.

My little baby, so long ago,

did not take even one breath.

The angels take him back the same day.

No one know.

No one know about my poor little baby, Michali.

And how I hide his little body away.

Jesus Christ, our Saviour,

knows of your sorrow.

He hears you.

And He forgives you your sins.

I don't come to confess.

I come to give thanks.

Today my sin will be unmade.

We cannot uncrucify Our Lord. We can only pray for forgiveness.

No!

He has promised.

Can you believe this? The angel has come to me and he has speak in my head.

What angel?

The angel that has promised to give me back my son.

WHISPERS: Where is he?

Where is my boy?

Unmake this sin for me!

Michali?

Michali!

My son.

KARVA MUTTERING TO HIMSELF

He's dropping for this Nimrod thing

to jam the sky!

Come near.

Come to me, my little dolly mop.

Argh! You wanna watch?!

You gotta pay.

Confetti, Mr Karva. Every one a straight winner. Skint. Boracic.

It's not just us. Every bookie to Stoke fucking Newington's bust! That ain't right. Enemy action.

Relax. I've got to relax.

-It's that weird kid.

-What kid?

The freak. It's him what's doing it. I've seen him do it. Othello's little friend.

Othello's little friend?

Like fairyland, right?

All my life I've been hoping for a number like this. My very own personal luck.

And so...

..the prodigal's magic carpet is headed east.

Over the lea

and far away.

The kid. The freak.

Lucky charm, huh?

But there ain't no Santa Claus, innit? Huh?

RACE BELL

Come on!

Come on!

-Go!

-Come on!

CROWD YELL

That's right, Dad. You're well keelhauled.

Mutiny on the fucking Bounty.

Hey...

Not psyching me out, Dad?

-Ah, you drown all your cares away, huh?

-No cares left to drown.

Look at me. Mr Easy.

I've never been so uncoiled.

That's nice.

Here you go. Load it up.

X-O-X.

That, uh, kid.

The angel.

Freak.

You don't believe that stuff, huh?

Triple X.

MACHINE PAYS OUT

How do you do it?

It's A, B, C, innit?

No sweat, no guesswork.

The future is spread out before me like a roll of lino.

I can even do it without the kid now.

You know, we should amalgamate. Huh?

Father and son, together.

Your talent, my territories.

Landlord and shepherd, united.

It ain't the winning no more.

I just like to see them wheels lock, the ball fall in the slot.

I just like to see it happen. Over and over.

Well, see...

I got plans.

The City.

The Stock Exchange.

The pink paper.

Not a few quid down the wrong end of the Piccadilly line.

-What do you know about big business?

-It's a marketplace!

I was fucking born in one! No difference.

I don't need a partner.

I've got a partner.

I'm asking.

A father is asking a son.

Pleading.

You and me.

Together.

Serious stuff.

Show me it.

Where is this fortune-telling kid? Let me see him.

I hear you scrub him and clothe him and feed him.

Like a father. Huh?

Well, sometimes sons turn against their father.

That is hard to believe and hurtful, but they do.

And then the sons need to be taught a lesson.

Taught where they stand, where they belong

In the pack.

It won't last.

The body of Christ.

-The body of Christ.

-Amen.

-The body of Christ.

-LOUD BELCH

My son, he's so thirsty.

Can you believe now?

My son is alive.

No, no! Father, no!

No, please! You do not understand!

He is hungry for God! He is hungry for God!

To serve God.

HAMMERING ON DOOR

Michali, ssh. Are you all right?

Are you OK? Come, Michali. Come, Michali.

SAYS PRAYER TO HIMSELF

MUSIC PLAYS: "I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi, I Like You Very Much" - Carmen Miranda

How you hated the cold water when you were small.

But now you are grown and you know it is good for you.

We wash all the bad things away like this.

We have become the children of God,

Our Father in Heaven.

You are what you eat and I have eaten nothing!

Where's Christella? Where's my dinner? I'm hungry!

No Runner, no food, everyone goin' fucking mad!

You like to eat, hmm?

You want the shish or the doner?

The dolmathes? I bring you anything you want.

Hey, Christella! What have you got there, huh?

What's that lump of dough?

He's my son.

-Your son?

-HE LAUGHS

You? The frozen waste of Antarctica?

I am bad, but God is good and he has returned my son to me.

The little Christmas tree fairy,

he tell me in my head, "Here is your son."

Angels. Fairy...

I'm hungry!

-You born-again hag...

-My son is hungry. Always.

What do you say, Christella? If I stick him, he fly round the room like a fat balloon!

No, Mr Karva, no! He's more than a Mr Karva dinner.

He's more than my fear.

See, I'm happy. I can smile now.

You smile?

You smile...

Huh?

All this winning is freeing me up. It's like there's things I don't need no more.

Like it's time to chuck the ballast overboard, d'you know what I mean?

Gamble?

You don't like 'em, do you?

What?

Cigars.

You don't like 'em. Gamble?

Yeah, I do. I smoke 'em all the time.

What do you want, Emilio?

What?

What...do you want?

I don't know.

The usual.

Women. Cigars.

That ain't you, is it?

It never was.

When I was a kid, I used to get to sleep on dreams of machines, right?

Like little bits of moving things working round together, all perfect.

Clockwork.

What do you...go to bed... dreaming about?

You've got to respect yourself.

You know?

You've got to think what in your deep heart is this big passion what you always wanted.

What's the future you're too scared to wish for?

Well...

What is it?

I don't know.

You don't belong here, mate.

You never did. It ain't your place.

It never was.

I'm letting you go, mate.

-Go and get happy, man. Go home.

-But, Othello...

-No.

That's it. That is the last cut you get from me.

You're on your own. Go on, piss off!

Do you want to be the whipping boy all your life? I'm doing you a favour, mate.

Go on!

-GREEK MUSIC PLAYS

-Hummus! Tzatziki!

Bresaola! Kielbasa!

You got a bit of lamb chop. Got a bit of meat, huh?

We're having a party, a bash,

a binge, a bender!

Yeah, we've got to eat,

for we build our home on the bones of the dead.

So fire up the meat!

I want some food!

I want a party, I want a bit of fun!

I want things like they was.

I want things like they was.

Before my son turn my life to ashes in the mouth.

Before his good luck arrive.

Angels is your territory.

Ain't it, Father?

Our Lord's messengers.

There to guard and inspire us.

Hallelujah!

And Othello...

He don't want to share his little angel

with his dear old...

poor old dad.

I don't believe there is an angel.

Not here.

Not in this place.

Oh, there is.

I seen it.

With these heathen...

bloodshot orbs of mine.

Now you listen to me, priest.

It's your religion.

It's your angel.

You'll sort it.

A woman I know...came to see me.

A devout, a good woman.

She told me...a strange thing.

Every week, people tell me strange things.

Winged guardians seeing them safely home at night.

An aunt saved by a prayer.

A child's miraculous recovery.

But this particular woman was different.

The others always want my endorsement.

Do you understand what I'm saying to you?

In the end, it's always me that provides the faith.

This woman just wanted to tell a tale.

A statement of fact.

She told me...

..that an angel...

had returned her lost son to her.

And she said this angel...

..was a friend of yours.

I don't know what you're on about, Father.

Now, if you want to double your money, make a little for the church fund,

it's a dead cert.

God's angels... they don't gamble.

It ain't gambling.

He knows the winners 100% every time.

Does he?

He tells the future.

Then he serves it up to you on a plate.

And it's the rosiest future, what you always wanted.

That's my business partner in there, Father.

Exclusive.

I want to see him.

Please.

I want to see this business partner of yours.

The name's Daniel.

I spoke to the lady.

Miss Christella?

BOY WHISPERS What's that?

CONTINUES WHISPERING

What's that you're saying?

What are you saying?

What language are you speaking?

Where do you come from?

What's your name?

Do you have a name?

DISTANT SIREN

SIGHS DEEPLY

'One morning, the sun came up

'and it was a different world.

'The sky was clean. The streets were paved in gold.

'The air made your heart dance.

'That kid, that little godsend,

'gone and dreamed up a heaven for every one of us.

'Me, Christella, Runner.

'Even Father Daniel.

'We all got our slice of paradise cake.

'We was all on that opiate tide together,

'drifting out on that sea of tranquillity.

'And it was wonderful.'

INAUDIBLE

DISTANT SIRENS

All alone?

THUNDER RUMBLES

Every paradise...got its serpent.

You know what I think?

I think that, uh...

that little oracle that Runner found...

..is an angel.

That's what I think.

You see, I would like to meet it.

That little weakling.

Get him to look me in the eye,

make me like a kid again.

Lovely.

You see, then I get rid of all this...

rough stuff,

all the...fat in the fire.

See the back of them days.

Become a changed man.

Turn the leaf, eat the pie.

Ah, to see the future...

A vista of untroubled beauty,

stretching out ahead of you.

That's what I want.

But I can't have it.

It's denied me.

You just got to see Othello.

KARVA CHUCKLES

Easier said than done these days.

You can't imagine what it's like to be an outsider.

Which is what I have become.

It's cold out there.

You're his dad.

Yeah...

He cut that string.

Heart to heart, it was.

He left mine bleeding.

See?

I would give anything for an interview...

..with that little angel.

You piece of shit, come on, work.

Oi, this is fucked, mate!

JINGLE PLAYS

Where is he?

-We've been turned over.

-Where is he?!

I thought he was with you! He's always with you!

They've thieved our lucky mascot!

He isn't a lucky mascot and he isn't an angel. He's just a kid!

-What the fuck would you know? You never liked him anyway!

-That isn't fair!

It's over. This is it.

We're coming down off that happy hour.

Now the chuck horrors, the sweats start.

The detox. I'm finished!

He's just a kid.

Fuck!

Argh!

Do it for me too.

Hey, what are you doing?

-I need a few things. You know me.

-You're not going nowhere. Where are you going? Come back!

-Oi!

-Stop it, stop it! All right, take it, go on.

-I want some cigars an' all.

-No problem, no problem.

-Them Kings. The best ones.

-All right.

-Now!

-Cigars for the gent.

Yeah. Cigars for the gent.

Where is it?

Are you sure about this, Mr Karva?

Show me it.

All the things they say about it...

Fairy stories, yeah?

Why don't you find out, Mr Karva?

I just want everyone back in line. That's all.

Looks sick.

Maybe we should just take it to a hospital.

Are you scared?

Take a look.

Have a peep at your future.

Gives you anything you want.

Anything.

He wouldn't do it for me.

It wouldn't work, would it?

KARVA SIGHS

My name is Karva.

Mr Karva.

BOY WHISPERS

What's that you said?

WHISPERING CONTINUES

Go on then.

Give us the number.

The winner.

The dead cert.

Come on, puppet head...

Speak.

All right...

I can wait.

I can wait for the sure-fire system.

I've got patience.

I'm here...

you freak.

I count.

Don't treat me like a little bit of nothing.

I count.

SAY SOMETHING!

I'm here!

Mr Karva! In front of you! I count!

What gave you the right to take over, huh?

What gave you the right to take over like that?

What...

What a nonsense!

What's the blabber, huh?

You want to tell me something.

But I'm not here, am I, huh? Because I'm just nothing!

What gave you the right to turn a son against a father?

This hand's for peace.

BOY WHISPERS

SIGHS LOUDLY

Where is Aaron's rod?

Let me out!

Where is Aaron's rod?

Where's the daddy?

Huh?

Where's Mr Happy?

I don't want it!

Let me out! Let me out!

Ah, ah, ah!

I'm like the nightmare you ain't even dreamed yet.

Ugh!

Ugh!

Agh! Ugh!

Agh! Agh!

-There's different planets in the sky now.

-Agh! Agh! Aagh!

Agh! Agh! Ugh!

Make it good.

Make it epic.

Ugh!

Aagh!

Aaagh!

Why you not eat your food tonight, Michali?

You must eat to be big and strong.

Try some baklava. Hmm?

What is it, my son?

Where are you going?

Oh...

Don't leave me. Don't go!

-My son! My son!

-Let him go, Christella.

-No!

No! Don't go!

He ain't yours.

Just remembered he was someone else's son.

SHE SOBS

-# I, yi, yi

-I, yi, yi

# I, yi, yi, yi...

# I, yi, yi, yi, yi I like you very much

# I, yi, yi, yi, yi I think you're grand

# Why, why, why is it that when I feel your touch

# My heart starts to beat, to beat the band?

# I, yi, yi, yi I'd like you to hold me tight

# You are too, too, too, too divine

# If you want to be in someone's arms tonight

# Just be sure the arms you're in are mine

# Oh, I like your lips and I like your eyes

# You do like my hips to hypnotise you?

# See, see, see, see, see the moon above

# Way, way, way, way up in the blue

# Si, si, si, senor, I think I fall in love

# And when I fall, I think I fall for you

-# I, yi, yi, yi

-I, yi

-# Si, si, si, si

-Si, si

-# I, yi, yi, yi can see, see, see

-See, see, see

# That you're for me! #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Someone to see you.

A young man.

I saw the show, Father. You were good.

-What's wrong, Father?

-Ah! Please... No! No, that's not what I want.

It doesn't matter.

Aagh!

Ugh! Ugh!

SHE SOBS

DISTANT SIREN

"The club, the rooms above and the bar, I leave to my good son Othello."

He was a good man, was Mr Karva, an honourable man.

Dad...

Dad!

Keep it quiet. There's more.

"To Tina, my masseuse, I leave the fruit machine takings on every other Friday." What a generous man!

What?

Generous?

I don't hear so good these days.

-I wish I WAS dead.

-I thought you'd cashed in.

You fraud!

It's nice to know you cared, son. I just wanted it to work on me as well.

I wanted a rosy future too.

I wanted to be happy! Look at me!

Thieved everything we had.

Made me cry like a baby.

-I wanted my mum.

-Someone should teach you a lesson.

Tina! Tina!

-KNOCKS ON DOOR

-Tina, open up, will you?

Hey, Tina!

Othello, Prince of Tottenham?

You see, I've got it.

The big passion beating from my heart.

The future I was too scared to wish for. I've got everything.

Yeah?

You're the same loser.

Now you understand.

What, you think I won't?

You think I can't?

I'll fucking show you!

I've got the gear.

I've got the cigar.

What's missing?

I'll give you a clue.

You send her to me.

You send Tina to me.

Bang!

The next one goes off.

You want to gamble, Othello of Tottenham? The chancer, the joker.

You send her.

I'll be waiting.

You was right.

I was always unloading Dad's stinking cabbage and stuff.

I was the organ-grinder's monkey.

No. Not you.

Yeah.

You knew.

I didn't care though, did I?

That's what I love about you.

You knew us all.

Me, Emilio...

Emilio was easy.

Yeah.

He'd do anything for you, wouldn't he?

I'll go alone now.

-If he touches you...

-It's nothing to do with you.

Go home and wait for me.

You want to play mummies and daddies?

I can make you...

-I can make you get into bed and everything.

-Yeah, I know.

Stop looking at my dad's things!

He'd be angry if he knew.

He isn't here no more, Emilio.

-< WHISPERING

-Shut up!

Shut up! Always crying and crying! Shut up!

He's just a little boy.

He cries all the time.

I give him things.

Watermelon, chips, anything. He won't eat!

-Let me see him.

-No.

No.

You'll steal him away. You'll take him away.

No, little boys need to be looked after. I'm not going to steal him away.

You promise?

Yeah, I cross my heart, hope to die.

Now put that silly thing away.

HE WHIMPERS

He's sick. He's sick, Emilio, really sick.

We'll have to take him to a special doctor. Help me take him there.

It's not my fault.

It's not!

-I'm not bad.

-Don't worry. Everything's going to be all right. Come on.

There you go.

OK?

That's it.

He'll be all right?

He'll be all right, won't he?

Yeah.

LOUD RATTLING

That's a good boy. That's it.

Good girl, Tina.

Hand him over, Emilio.

Othello, back off.

You said it would be all right. You said...

Emilio...

Put it down.

-Just let him go!

-He's mine!

He's just a little boy, remember, Emilio?

He's just a sick child who needs to see a doctor.

No, he can't.

LAUGHTER

-The kid comes with me.

-You can't take him away from me!

You know what's got to happen.

That little demon has got to go back where he came from, huh?

Stay away! Stay back!

Bring him to Daddy, huh?

No!

No!

Oh...

'No-one said nothing.

'No-one ever said nothing about either of 'em again.

'It's like it never happened.

'Like it was a dream.

'I'm thinking back and I find I learnt a few things.

'Yeah, me - Othello.

'I know that bloodstains become shrines become sickness.

'I know this street is here because someone just like me once walked through the grass and made a track.

'And I know that this is all there is.

'No choirs of angels, no divine light.

'No eternity.

'It's just us.

'The last time I saw Runner, he was headed across the park,

'making a track east.'

# Well, I hope that some day, buddy

# We have peace in our lives

# Together or apart

# Alone or with our wives

# And we can stop our whoring

# And pull the smiles inside

# And light it up forever

# And never go to sleep

# My best unbeaten brother

# This isn't all I see

# Oh, no, I see a darkness

# No, I see a darkness

# No, I see a darkness

# Oh, no, I see a darkness

# Oh, no, I see a darkness

# I see a darkness

# Did you know how much I love you?

# Is there hope that somehow you

# Can save me from this darkness? #