Misha Williams

 27 
 
Last night I had a peculiar experience. Hearing with 
extended perception two chords…on a piano…several 
times…which evoked in me extraordinary emotion. I've 
heard them before.  
 
He looks back at "M" for an explanation. She just shrugs. 
                                         
            In the light of day the occurrence tends to slip 
            out of  mind and mean nothing. But in the dark of      
night when  I get up before dawn the significance is 
vivid. In the stillness, I am conscious of the tinkling of 
a piano. Like the one in the drawing room of 
"Waterside", the big family house at Up Lyme, when 
Jack was learning his piano lessons. Those weird 
chords. They tinkled as if coming from that same 
piano. The feeling they leave is of something old…and 
gone… Something as it were… Victorian. They leave a 
feeling of loss. The pain of bereavement…Deep 
sentimentality, yet at the same time…profound 
mystery. 
 
RUTH rushes in. 
 
RUTH 
Darling! Your mother's outside, being unloaded from a 
taxi.  
 
                                                   BRIAN 
Oh, drat! 
 
She rushes out to the front door. "M" gives BRIAN a reassuring smile. 
 
"M" 
Just keep your cool. I'll make sure she doesn't stay  
long. 
 
She goes. NINA enters with JESS. 
 
NINA 
I'm sorry dearest, but I had a tiff with the landlady and 
can't move into my new digs for a few days. This lovely 
young lady has helped me with all my baggage. I 

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 28 
thought you'd like to see your old mother while she's 
still alive. Or is it all too much of a shock? 
 
BRIAN 
Of course not! Mother, it's fantastic to see you! 
Welcome. 
 
RUTH 
(Dismayed) What a lovely surprise. I'll put the kettle   
             on. 
 
She rushes off. 
 
BRIAN 
(To JESS) Thank you so much. Do stay for a cup of 
tea…er. 
 
JESS 
Hullo. I'm Jess. 
 
BRIAN 
Hello. 
      
 
 
       JESS 
        
But I won't stay thank you. This is a family get-
together. So I'll just take my leave. 
 
 
 
    
 
 
NINA 
Oh, must you? 
 
JESS 
We're staying at the Cumberland for a few days for a 
short break, should you want to call me at our hotel. 
 
NINA 
Oh, I will. But just stay a few minutes and have some 
tea with us. (Coaxing JESS to settle down next to her 
on the sofa)  Come on dear, relax. You've worked so 
hard with all my packing and everything. 
 
JESS 
Oh, OK. Thanks. I will then. 

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 29 
 
NINA 
(Performing to JESS) Well, so this is Carlisle! Whenever 
I'm near Scotland I get nostalgic. I was born at 
Helensburgh you know. (Singing in Scottish dialect) 
"Wee bonny boat like a bird on the wing…". 
 
BRIAN grits his teeth at the audience and bustles round the room picking 
threads off furniture. 
 
NINA 
My father was a Judge and we moved to Ceylon and 
that's where I met my "Puggy". He so hated his names 
Percy Harrison Fawcett, so he liked to be known as 
"PHF"… 
 
BRIAN 
(Trying to change the subject) Had to pop into Boots 
today. Our electric blanket was at the end of its life and 
had become too costly to service. So I bought a Boots 
Concorde model. In the sale actually.  
 
NINA 
(Oblivious) Ceylon was such a dream of a life. He was 
stationed with the Army at the fort at Trincomalee. 
Lovely name isn't it "Trincomalee" He proposed to me 
during a tennis party (Chuckling) in the middle of 
playing me. Jack was born in Ceylon. 
 
BRIAN sighs audibly.  
 
NINA  
It was a strange and actually miraculous birth… 
 
BRIAN 
…Then last night we were puzzled by a peculiar smell 
of fish in the house. Well, I was down on my hands and 
knees sniffing round like a dachshund. I was imagining 
everything from rats to dry rot. Then Eureka. It turned 
out to be the new electric blanket had been fitted with 
the wrong fuse, would you believe. 
 
NINA 
Three wise men, Buddhists arrived… 

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 30 
 
BRIAN 
Mother. Jess has had enough family history. 
 
JESS 
Not at all! I'm fascinated! 
 
NINA 
(Dramatically) Three wise men, Buddhists arrived at 
the fort and told me the birth would be a month late 
and on Buddha's anniversary and that, astonishingly, 
Jack would be a specially reincarnated avatar. That's a 
highly evolved being. And that he'd have the sacred 
birthmark on the sole of his right foot. Of course we 
were very sceptical but it all came true! He was born a 
month late with the mark there on the foot. 
 
BRIAN 
And a charming little squint. 
 
NINA 
… and what was extraordinary…(She gets a frog in her 
throat and starts coughing) 
 
BRIAN 
(To audience) Oh God. Her big mouth! I can't believe 
it. "M," are you there? Stop her somehow!! 
 
"M" enters. 
 
NINA weakened from her choking fit struggles to continue desperate for 
JESS to know. BRIAN moves behind the sofa madly gesticulating and 
mouthing "Do something" to "M". 
 
NINA 
Along the road back from the military hospital…would 
you believe…Hundreds of worshippers kneeling as I and 
Jack travelled by…The three wise men returned with 
gifts of Frankincense and Myrrh and a Buddha statue 
which was to bring protection on the Fawcett's for our 
blood connection with such a divine being…Jack, my 
son. We thanked them, I wept, Puggy was overcome 
and from that day on decided we had to help fulfil 
Jack's high destiny…  

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