Been talking to the others, Lucky,
and... you need to come home.
Everyone makes mistakes
You drove her... to Kalgoorlie.
Her mum's not in Kal, is she?
Mate, her... her mum pissed off when she was a bub.
I'm sorry I lied about Mum.
You've gotta call your dad.
She's really good!
Gran! Stop it!
Mmm... it'll be more peaceful,
not having you turn up every other day bashing away.
It's your anyway, it always was,
since the day we moved in here and you walked up to it and
- you put your fingers... - I know the story, Mum.
Just give it time.
He loves you, Lucky.
He'll come round.
This is where you grew up?
I can totally see why you hate it so much now.
I feel quite sorry for you.
Maybe we should organise, like, a fun-run?
You know? To raise awareness.
Come on, dickhead!
CREDITS
Hello?
She's pretty, hey?
Lucky?
You're hurt.
I'm Meg.
Hi. I'm Suzie.
You are... ?
Lucky's driver. Sort of. Umm...
We spoke on the phone.
Meg is, umm...
Yeah, he smashed into me, so I had to give him a lift.
From... from Sydney?
Yeah, nah, well... Mildura?
Mildura?
Yeah, err, have you been to Mildura?
You don't have to. I mean, it nice, but, you know.
Unless you're into oranges.
Are you... into oranges?
- You had a car accident? - Yeah, well...
- Yeah, he doesn't believe in the mirrors. - Was it bad?
Yeah, it was pretty bad. It totalled his car.
Oh, but that's not what happened to his face. That was a fight.
Although he pretty weird-looking anyway, to be fair.
I just... don't...
How old are you?
16...
- 13. - And you were driving a car?
- A ute. - A ute.
I didn't even know you had a car.
What happened to you?
- Hi, Mum. - Hi.
I'm sorry I'm late.
You're always late, Lucky.
I don't know you.
No...
I'm Meg.
Oh, g'day, Meg.
Are we related?
- Mum... - Christ, Jen. - Well, you never know...
No he ran into my ute, and my arm was fractured,
so he drove me to the hospital.
Oh. What was in it for him?
- A free ride? - Oh, that sounds about right!
Are you gonna be a card the whole time I'm here? Is that your plan?
Oh, well, it just depends on how long you're here.
Or how long I am.
Where is she?
She's at a birthday party, with Tobes.
They'll be back soon.
Who?
My husband, and our daughter.
How close to death does a girl have to be to get a cup of tea?
Good idea.
You idiot.
I've gotta... give her a hand.
She seems okay.
Feisty.
Doctor says she's got days, at most.
Apparently, it's quite common to perk up just before.
The chemo's all out of her,
and she's pretty off her face on morphine.
Will Meg want tea?
She only drinks Fanta.
We have cordial...
Worth a try.
Jenn's been going on about wanting a bloody swim.
Of course she has.
I would've liked a girl...
Ah, but they were lovely boys though.
Always bickering.
Nothing serious, just... just...
Bad names and harmonies.
Oh, they were best friends.
Inseparable.
I got my girls in the end.
You don't think he'll tell her,
do you?
- Orange cordial? - Ah, thank you.
- Just give it a minute, Mum. - Okay.
So, Meg. Where are your parents?
I don't have a mum because she pissed off when I was a baby,
and my dad's in Karingunna,
but he's being really sad because of my brother who died.
So, I was just kind of like "bugger this".
So, I'm having a bit of a break.
Here they are!
I should give a lolly to Gran.
Yeah, definitely. Just don't wake her if she's sleeping.
Okay, squidface?
She calls them nipples.
What?
Strawberries and cream. Gran calls them nipples.
Wanna show Gran your parrot as well, Squid?
Hello!
Hi, Billie.
You're Uncle Lucky.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
Wanna lolly?
Aww, yeah. Thanks.
What happened to your hand?
I hurt it.
Durr!
Yeah... durr!
Billie, this is my friend Meg.
- Hi. - Hey.
Nice to meet you. I like ya boots.
Thank you! Err... I like your hook.
- Hello, Gran. - Hi, darling.
- Uncle Lucky's here! - I know!
- Have a nipple. - Thank you!
I can sing all of yours and Dad's songs.
I know them off by heart!
Except for the ones with rude words,
'cos I'm not allowed to listen to them yet.
But I will be next year.
- Next year... ? - Erm... year after.
Oh. Well, when I'm 11.
I'm 9 now. It was my birthday this week, wasn't it, Mum?
Yeah, I know.
I'm sorry I didn't bring you a card.
Tobes...
What?
I mean... surely that was a fucking joke, right?
- Dad! You said... - You're sorry you didn't get her a birthday card?
That's what you're sorry for, is it, brother?
- No... I was... I was... - I mean, you piss off for 8 years,
then you rock back in with Mum 48 hours from kicking the bloody bucket.
Oh, hold on!
- I'm not just rocking back in. - Toby, I think Lucky's just...
- Oh, yeah yeah, here we go... - I'm not going anywhere...
- What, you're gonna defend him now, are ya? - ... until I've had a swim.
- Mum! You're not having a swim! - Look, just...
Just...
I did. I brought something.
For you.
From Sydney.
It's out the front.
Can I go?
- Yeah? - No. No. No... Fuck this.
- Toby? - No. Don't...
Don't do that, okay. I'm allowed.
He doesn't get to just come here, and...
Hey. Hey hey hey...
Tobes...
- Hey, Billie, umm. - Yeah?
Could you show me your room, please? I'd love to see your toys.
- Okay. - Okay.
Toby...
Maybe I wanted it like that!
What happened to your face?
Got in a fight.
Of course you did.
We lost this lady's horse.
What?
Why didn't you answer my texts?
My phone didn't work... in the desert.
Why in the name of Christ were you in the desert?
Why didn't you just get on an aeroplane?
Two weeks ago, when I told you how sick she was,
why didn't you just book a motherfucking flight and come home?
It's just that...
- I wanted... - Oh, you're broke again, are you?
I mean, you're 42 years old mate.
- How can you not have enough money, at your age... - Toby... I know this
- to come home... - probably comes as a surprise to you,
but not everyone just has money lying around.
Not everyone is given, for example, a house!
- And 3 million dollars... - We moved in here
to look after her, you little shit!
Both of you...
- Do you want to tell her? - No!
- He's not telling her! - I'm asking what he wants.
Well I don't care what he wants! Why should we care?
Selfish shit's never given a fuck about anyone
- other than himself. - Oh, great. That took, what?
- 10 minutes to get to... - Did you just look at your wrist?
... To get to selfish?
- 10 minutes? - What, you've got an invisible watch on, have you?
Is that all you've got after 8 years?
That the only word you can think of is "selfish"?
Yeah, well give me something other then!!
Anything other than pure, unfettered narcissism.
You are quite selfish...
- For fuck's sake, Mum. - I'm just saying...
Look, you have no right to her.
Do you understand me?
I'm her dad.
Jesus! Why do you think I've stayed away?
You've got about 10 minutes, I reckon.
I told her that if she finishes her puzzle,
I'd make sure her present's ready for her.
He's not selfish.
Sorry...
who are you?
Oh, this is Meg.
She's Lucky's... driver.
I mean, he can be selfish.
You know?
Definitely. He can be a complete arsehole, but ah...
but mostly I think he's just sad. You know?
It's like he's got a really old soul.
But not in a good way, though. Not in a way people are like "She's so wise!
She has a really old soul." I mean his soul is literally old.
It's like an old car that's, like, totally buggered.
But he's also like a kid at the same time.
It's like he never got started with being a grown-up.
But he can be really nice. I mean, he did... umm...
He had to drive me to the hospital, and,
he punched the shit out of this bikie that was trying to pick a fight.
And he helped me get my wallet back, and,
we buried a baby camel together.
You know. How many people would do that?
Sorry... umm.
Billie said it was her birthday this week?
Tuesday, it's the 15th, right?
Well, you probably don't believe in coincidences, but it's...
it's really weird, 'cos that was... that was my brother's birthday.
Yeah, he would've been 20.
And there was this time,
just a few days ago, but it feels like weeks, when, umm...
Lucky thought he'd saved my life, but,
I told him to stop being a dick and everything, but, umm...
I dunno. Maybe... maybe he did.
So I suppose that's something else other than
unfettled narcissus or, you know, whatever you said.
And he brought that fucking piano this whole way, so...
Do you know the thing that fucks with my head?
After all this time, still just does my head in?
If you...
and...
If you hadn't have done what you did,
she wouldn't exist.
She's just a baby, okay?
Oi! Squidface!
Go and see what Uncle Luck's got.
Hey.
Do you wanna get up here with me?
Ready on three? One, two...
Budge over.
Right. So, this was your great-gran Nell's piano.
Do you know about Nell?
She was an amazing jazz piano player, right?
Anyway, Nell taught my mum to play on this piano.
- Gran? - Yeah, your gran.
And Gran taught me.
And she's also teaching you, I think?
We've lessons on Saturdays, except when I have footy,
then we do it on Sundays, sometimes.
Well, not now, 'cos she's too sick.
Yeah.
I would've liked to teach you myself, but I've...
had to be away.
And...
I don't think I'm a very good teacher anyway. I'm not patient like Gran.
So, this piano lived in that front room for 65 years and
that's where your dad and I used to play when we were kids.
- Like in the photo? - Yeah, like in that photo.
So, anyway, when you...
When I went away,
I took this piano with me.
because Gran said it belonged to me, but...
I dunno.
I think it belongs here, probably.
Never sounded quite right over there.
And then...
your gran sent me this video, a few weeks ago,
and I could hear you playing on it.
and it was really beautiful!
You were just on your little keyboard, but you're so good, Billie!
You were playing that... I don't know where it comes from...
- It's that one. - I made that up!
Did ya?
I thought you might've.
And so, I thought it's time you had a proper piano.
And I know it doesn't look... fantastic,
but it still sounds good, believe it or not.
It's got its own special sound, right? And all these dings and
scratches, and broken bits,
they're all part of why it sounds the way it does.
And you don't practice, okay?
You don't think of it as practice, it's just playing.
You just play, whenever you feel like it.
Whatever you feel, you just play, okay?
And... and you can make heaps of mistakes.
And you never worry about that, because, sometimes,
when you make mistakes, that's when
you make something accidentally beautiful.
Sometimes.
So this is yours.
This is yours now.
And I'm giving it to you because I can't... give...
because I can't be a very good uncle.
? Missed the Saturday dance ?
? Heard they crowded the floor ?
- This was her favourite song, you know. - I know!
It's becoming my least favourite.
They've been playing it for half an hour.
? I thought I'd visit the club ?
Hop on!
? Got as far as the door ?
? They'd have asked me about you ?
? Don't get around much anymore ?
Here comes Billie for the bridge!
? Darling, I guess ?
? That my mind's more at ease ?
? But nevertheless ?
- I dunno... - ? why stir up memories? ?
? Been invited on dates ?
? Might have gone, but what for? ?
? Awfully different without you ?
? Don't get around much anymore ?
One more time!
? Awfully different without you ?
? Don't get around much anymore ?
- Come in! It's open! - I think it's Andy.
Andy. Lucky.
- Hi. - Hi.
We'll go find Meg.
Sorry to hear about your mum.
Thanks.
Good funeral?
Yeah! Thanks. It was really good.
Do you want a beer, or wine?
No. I'm off it for a bit, I reckon.
Umm, thanks.
Thanks for looking after her.
Reckon it was her looking after me most of the time.
She'll do that!
Dad!
Bubby girl!
It's okay.
- I miss you! - Aww, sweetie-pie!
It's gonna be okay.
I miss you too.
CREDITS