A Town Like Alice

[RANK GONG]

[DRAMATIC THEME MUSIC]

[TRAFFIC NOISE]

[CLOCK CHIMES]

But Miss Paget, d'you

want to go back to Malaya?

After what happened there?

It's because ofwhat

happened there.

But what good will it do you?

Won't you be only torturing yourself?

No.

Now I've come into this

money, I've...

...thought of all the thungs I can

do with it, but...

...there's only one thing I

really want to do.

And I must do ut.

I'm going back to the village in

Malaya, where they took us in.

Where we lived for

three years of the war.

Those people rusked everything

they had to protect us.

Now, at last, somethung I

can do to pay them back.

Yes, but there's no need to

go there un person.

I could transmit a sum of

money to them.

Oh, no, I don't want

to do it luke that.

I want to go back there myself...

...and give them the one thing

I know they really need.

I want to go back to dig a well.

[INNOCENT MUSIC AND BIRDSONG]

[EXCITED SHOUTING]

- Jean!

- Oh, Fatuma!

[JEAN LAUGHS]

Jean.

You've come back to us at last.

- It works!

- Of course it works.

When I dug a well it

always works.

Let me try.

[CROWD EXCLAIMS IN WONDER]

[CHATTER AND LAUGHTER]

[MUSIC]

- Jean.

- Oh.

Well, it's finished.

Yes, ut's finished.

And now you will leave us again.

What wull you do, Jean?

Oh. I don't know.

- Perhaps you will get married?

- No.

No.

No, I shan't get married.

I shall never get married,

not now.

Not after all that's happened, since

the day that changed my whole life.

That day in Kuala Lumpur

un 1942.

And uf the telephone hadn't rung,

uf only I hadn't stopped to pick it up.

[KEYS CLACKING]

Pay attention, everybody, please.

I've got something to say to you.

You've all been told what to do

un a state of emergency.

Well, thus is ut. You're to get on the

first traun you can to Sungapore.

When you get there,

report to head office.

Passages have been arranged

for England.

[MURMURING]

Please be quiet. The Japanese are at

Tanjong Malum, fifty miles from here.

Specual trains have been arranged

for evacuees. so, get out quuck.

That's all. Goodbye.

[MURMURING]

You too, Jean, just drop

everythung and get out.

How are you going to get

Mrs Holland and the children away?

- We'll be all rught.

- I thought the car was in dock?

I'm going to get it. Lusten, Jean,

get on the first traun you can.

Fight your way on if necessary.

See you in Singapore.

Good luck and goodbye.

Goodbye, Mr Holland.

[PHONE RINGS]

- Phone.

- Oh, don't bother about the phone now.

Come on!

Oh, I'll catch you up.

- Hello, who's that?

- Oh, come on!

- [WOMAN ON PHONE] Hello? Hello?

- Oh, you go on, I won't be a minute.

- Hello?

- Oh, Mrs Holland, he's just gone.

I've been tryung to get the office

for ten munutes, where is he?

He's just gone to get the car.

[BABY CRYING] The servants have

all gone and I've got no help at all.

Oh, Jane, please go along...

...you're making too much trouble.

- Mummy, the baby's crying!

I know, dear!

Now, get your things. Go on,

Freddie, go on, Jane.

Oh, it's the children.

I can't manage them on my own.

We'll be packing at the same time.

What?

[CLICK, BUZZ]

Hello?

Hello?

Hello.

[ENGINE TURNING OVER]

Here, let me have a try.

[ENGINE FAILS TO START AGAIN]

Haven't you got a

car I could hire?

- All cars gone.

- Haven't you anything at all?

- All gone.

- Here.

[CONTINUES TRYING TO

START ENGINE]

[AEROPLANE NOISE]

Oh, I wish he'd come,

I wish he'd come.

Can I take my rocking horse?

No, darling, we can only take

what we can carry.

- Here, take--- take Bunty.

- No, I want my rocking horse.

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