01x02 - Coventina

[bunniefuu]

ELEANOR: Previously on Black Cake...

BENNY: Ma is dead.

You didn't even tell me she was sick.

- Read the will, please.
- MR. MITCH: Your mother left you a message.

She wanted you to listen
to all seven recordings.

ELEANOR [ON RECORDING]: Forgive
me for keeping so many secrets.

I must confess that I was
not raised in an orphanage.

Eleanor is not my real name.

Covey! Wait.

I don't have much time left
before I'm off to London.

Little Man and his brothers will
bleed a man dry to settle a debt.

Stop!

Don't do this to me.

The only way I can get us out of debt

is through this marriage.

ELEANOR: My father sold his little girl.

COVEY: I want you to know that
when I am another man's property,

you are dead to me.

[CHOKING]

[BODY THUDS]

[PEOPLE CLAMORING]

I didn't k*ll your brother.

- [KICKS]
- [LIN GRUNTS]

WINSTON: Then who did?

BUNNY: Your pa came through.

They'll k*ll him.

You can't worry about him anymore.

There's a ship leaving tonight.

You can get into England if you
travel under your mother's surname.

You'll stay at a boarding house.

You're free.

ELEANOR: It would take
time to get used to London.

I'm Eleanor, but you can call me Elly.

ELEANOR: I didn't realize it then.

But to ensure my safety,

Elly would have to die.

ELEANOR [ON RECORDING]: B and B,

sometimes the stories we don't
tell people about ourselves

matter even more than
the stories we do tell.

All your lives,

I told you a story about a
girl with no family and no past.

But of course,

that's not my story.

[SIGHS DEEPLY] I'm sorry.

Can we stop, please?

[CLICKS]

MR. MITCH: Next chapter of your
mother's life was very difficult.

She had so many unresolved emotions,

so much grief about her time in London.

She needed a break.

[INSECTS CHIRRING OUTSIDE]

I'm sorry, um,

I've said too much.

None of this makes sense.

I mean, did Dad know any of this? Jesus.

Ma didn't k*ll this
Elly person, did she?

Or Little Man?

I know it's very frustrating.

- Frustrating!
- MR. MITCH: But you have to keep listening.

This is insane!

Ma must've lost her mind.

The brain tumor. That's
the only explanation.

You were here. You would've known.

Yeah, I didn't know about him.

I didn't know Ma was
pouring her heart out

to one of Dad's old lawyer
buddies in a voice recorder app.

I was here,

and yet I still had
no idea, Benny. [SIGHS]

By! Stop!

Please, think about
what we just learned.

Ma wasn't an orphan. She had a family.

She has a story, our story.

We're Chinese, kind of.

I mean, it's amazing!

I'm sure it is.

I can't go there.

- I can't do this.
- Yes, you can.

We just have to keep listening.

That's what she wanted us to do.

And to be honest, I won't
be able to go to sleep

until I find out what
happened in London.

Look at you, getting off on this
like it's some true-crime podcast.

Wait, I am not!

But the truth is, learning that your

perfect mother went through some sh*t

is kind of comforting when
you spent your entire life

feeling like you could never
live up to her standards.

Oh, I see.

Ma was messy, hmm?

So are you, and that gives
you comfort? [BENNY SCOFFS]

MR. MITCH: Okay, now, uh...

Why don't we take a break and regroup?

Wait. Don't leave me with him.

Why not?

You two can chat about what
a beautiful mess Ma was.

- Don't be a d*ck!
- BYRON: I'm not.

I have a work thing. My
boss asked me to come in.

- For f*ck's sake! Work can wait.
- No, it cannot just wait.

- They're about to fill the new director's position.
- [BENNY SIGHS]

I've been waiting almost a
decade for this promotion,

and I need to be there.

- [PHONE VIBRATING]
- [BENNY SCOFFS]

[SIGHS]

[PHONE CONTINUES VIBRATING]

[BENNY SIGHS]

Tea?

[KETTLE WHISTLING]

Can I help you find something?

Tin milk. Ma kept it up here.

Near the end, she had trouble
reaching into the cabinets,

so I moved some things around.

Hmm.

[BENNY CHUCKLES]

I cannot imagine Ma needing
anybody's help with anything.

[MR. MITCH CHUCKLING]

BENNY: Look at this!

Ma gave it to me when
I went off to college

so that I'd always have a piece
of home with me wherever I went.

And I always brought
it home for the holidays

so that we can make
our black cake with it.

It was our tradition.

How did it end up back here?

I left it.

Eight years ago.

On Thanksgiving.

And that was the last
time I saw my family.

There you go.

BENNY: Oh, thanks.

I wanted to open my own café,

so I could serve tea
just like this. [CHUCKLES]

I wanted to surprise Byron and Ma

and show them that I could
do something on my own.

Eleanor was very proud of you.

Oh, she used to go on
and on about your music.

[CHUCKLING] Even got me to
subscribe to your YouTube channel.

[BENNY LAUGHS]

YouTube, man.

God! I haven't posted in so long.

Oh, you need to pick it back up.

Don't let that voice go to
waste. People need to hear it.

Thanks.

I'll think about it.

Could you tell me
something else... about Ma?

Mm.

Was she

afraid to die?

Oh, well. [SIGHS]

I believe she was afraid to, to die

before she finished telling her story,

before you and your
brother could hear it.

And you know, Benny,

watching you perform,
even on the computer,

was like getting a
peek at... your diary.

I think you inspired her
to leave her own record.

[POIGNANT MUSIC PLAYING]

You are a great listener.

- [MR. MITCH SCOFFS]
- [BENNY LAUGHS]

I'm a lawyer. [CHUCKLES]

It's my job.

Is that all this is to you?

A job?

♪

It's getting late. I better go.

Are you sure?
I mean, I've... I really don't mind.

Look, uh,

whenever Byron's ready to listen again,

give me a call.

Doesn't matter what time.

I'll be here.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIGHS]

[SHARP EXHALE]

♪

♪

[SNIFFLES]

♪

[DEEP INHALE]

[SHARP EXHALE]

[SNIFFLES]

♪

[KEYPAD CLACKING]

[SNIFFLES]

ELEANOR [ON VOICEMAIL]:
Benedetta, please come home.

[CLICKS PLAY AGAIN]

ELEANOR: Benedetta, please come home.

[CLICKS PLAY AGAIN]

- [BENNY SOBBING]
- Benedetta, please come home.

♪

Dale.

Byron. I am so sorry for your loss.

Thank you.

And thank you for the
flowers. I appreciate it.

Sorry, I, uh...

I got stuck in the lab.

Please, sit.

Byron.

DALE: I wanted to take this
opportunity to thank you both

for all of your hard work.

It's been a big year for us,

thanks in no small part to
Byron's recruiting efforts.

- You brought a lot of attention to our field.
- Thank you.

You know, I have so
many ideas for outreach,

including a scholarship program

- that will help so many...
- MARC: Well, scholarships are great,

but telling kids that
working in ocean sciences

is gonna put 'em on TV is a little...

It's a little bait and
switch, if you ask me.

It's not bait and switch.

It shows them what is actually possible.

Listen, I brought you both in here

because you were the only two candidates

we seriously considered.

And although the
public-facing work is valuable,

we can't overlook the
day-to-day in-house work

that often doesn't
get the same attention.

In light of your contributions
in that regard, Marc,

next week, the board
will formally announce you

as the new director of the institute.

MARC: Oh!

Wow. It's...

It's an honor. Thank you.

Byron, it was a tough decision,

but it was unanimous.

You will be reporting to
Marc from this day forward.

Understood.

Congratulations, Marc.

You earned it.

Thanks, Byron.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[MELANCHOLIC MUSIC PLAYING]

Hey.

Oh, hey.

I called Mr. Mitch.

He's on his way.

I wanna get this over with.

Okay.

How was your work thing?

Should I start calling you boss?

They haven't made a decision yet.

I need a drink.

Thank you for taking care of
the funeral arrangements for Ma.

And for Dad.

BYRON: It's all good.

Really.

I wanna help, By.

What can I do?

You're here.

That's enough.

Here's to the past.

May it not blow up our present.

[BENNY SIGHS]

[GLASSES CLINK]

[BYRON CHUCKLES]

[CLICKS]

ELEANOR [ON RECORDING]: B and B,
I'm sorry I had to take a break.

I know this must be a shock,

but I'm telling you this now
because this is your story too.

And hopefully, after hearing it,

you'll share your
stories with each other

before it's too late.

As with many stories,

this one revolves around luck.

I was lucky to be settling into London.

But I was so far from
everyone I cared about,

I'm not sure I would
ever see them again.

[RAIN FALLING, THUNDER CLAPS]

ELEANOR: Along with the forged
documents using my mum's maiden name,

Pearl sent a note, warning
me to stay away from crowds

or anywhere I might be recognized.

I could no longer be Covey Lyncook,

the girl with the chiney
father and the runaway mother.

I was Coventina Brown,

a blank slate.

And I would protect my
new identity at any cost.

[RAIN FALLING]

Ready to go?

You don't want to be
late on your first day.

Almost.

Coventina, your sneakers
will fall apart in this rain!

You better put your wellies on.

These are the only shoes I have.

You're from the mountains. How could
you have left your boots behind?

Oh, I guess I must've
packed in a dash, didn't I?

Don't worry. I'll manage.

Not without proper rain gear.

But we'll deal with that later.

Let's go.

♪

I'll walk you to the bus stop.

From there, you'll catch any
Route bus north. , A, B.

Switch at Victoria Station.

From there, you'll catch a Route
bus headed north towards Hampstead.

Your stop is Chalk Farm
Road near Primrose Hill.

Ooh, and there's a great
sweet shop near there.

This isn't your bus.

You're looking for a
Route bus, remember?

You look nervous.

Don't be nervous. You'll do great.

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

Good day, ma'am. I'm Coventina Brown,

your new nanny from the boarding house.

I know that I'm two minutes
late, and I apologize.

It won't happen again.

Fresh off the boat, are you?

They usually send us girls
who've been here a bit longer,

but we'll see how things go.

Well, don't just stand
there. Come inside

and remove those wet garments.

♪

Your job is to manage
the children's affairs

and make sure they look presentable.

You are to be presentable as well.

That's Jing. She's
been with us for years.

Mr. Quintrell and I are
very... forward thinkers.

- [CHILD HOOTING]
- [MRS. QUINTRELL CLAPPING]

Theo, Pepper, this is
Ms. Coventina Brown.

She is here to take care
of you but not your toys.

You will put them away
yourselves, won't you?

CHILDREN: Yes, Mummy.

Good. Now come greet her.

Pleased to meet you.

Please to meet you too, Theo.

Thank you.

ELEANOR: I was learning
to play my new part.

And I was lucky to find
comfort in a few places.

Although every time I
thought I could relax,

a new thr*at would turn
up where I least expected.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

New girl, come to the docks with us.

It's Coventina. And what's at the docks?

A boat from home arrives
every Friday night, silly.

Same boat you come on a few weeks ago.

A new boat arrives every week?

- Yeah, and we're the welcome party!
- Mm-hmm.

[GIRLS LAUGHING]

How lovely.

Are you expecting family, friends?

No. That's the fun of it.

There is no passengers list.

You never know who's going to be there.

Could be your soulmate.

- Or your worst enemy.
- Mm-hmm.

[GIRLS LAUGHING]

EDWINA: Go clean up.

Put on something with
a little... personality.

You look like a drowned rat. [CHUCKLES]

Thank you for inviting me,

but... [EXHALES] I've had a long day.

Maybe next time.

[LORNA SCOFFS]

- I told you she weren't gonna come.
- Mm.

ELEANOR: I wanted to see the big city.

I wanted to gossip
about boys and clothes.

But it was too dangerous.

The thought of Little Man's brothers
showing up on one of those boats

was too much for me to bear.

Why push my luck?

[SIGHS]

♪

[KNOCKER CLANGS]

[WOMEN CHATTING INDISTINCTLY]

ELEANOR: I kept my head down

and tried to do what I was told.

I tried to focus on each day as it came

and not let myself dwell on the past.

[EASY COME EASY GO BY
THE PIONEERS PLAYING]

♪ Bum-bum, bum-ba-dum-da-dum, bum-bum ♪

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

ELEANOR: But as the months wore on,

the loneliness became unbearable.

[MELANCHOLIC MUSIC PLAYING]

It was getting harder and
harder to remain invisible.

I needed to be seen,

and I thought maybe,

just maybe,

there was a way.

If I wanted to be seen,

to be held, to be me,

I could skip my stop

and ride up to the university

where I thought Gibbs might be studying.

But if I saw him,

what would I say?

It was too dangerous.

And yet,

I had to do something.

And so I remembered Bunny's advice,

and I let my mind drift back to
the tastes and flavors of home.

What this?

You're supposed to make
fish and chips today.

I thought I'd make something special.

A recipe from home.

[SLURPS]

This is Chinese soup.

How did you learn to make it?

My grandmother had a Chinese neighbor.

I should finish cooking.

Children will turn if
they don't eat soon.

ELEANOR: I was determined to
keep my memories of home alive.

And although it was a risk, it
was one I was willing to take.

♪

[RAIN FALLING]

What is it?

Fish soup.

I know it's not fish and chips,

but I think you're going to love
how it just melts in your mouth.

Blegh! Yuck! Gross!

ELEANOR: But the truth
was finally sinking in:

I could never go back again.

I wanted fish and chips, you know?

[DOOR OPENING]

[COVEY SNIFFLING]

[COVEY CONTINUES SNIFFLING]

Coventina.

Are you okay?

[CRYING] I'm fine.

Just pretend I'm not here, all right?

I will do no such thing.

Please, I've had a bad day, is all.

I really don't want to talk about it.

Would it make you feel better

if I told you I had a
pretty dreadful day myself?

It might.

Well...

I hate to say it,

but this nursing program
isn't what I had hoped.

I'm spending my days
cleaning bedpans and commodes

instead of treating patients.

And I'm having a hard time seeing myself

doing that for the rest of my life.

That's dreadful, Elly.

You work so hard.

If your laundry pile didn't grow,

I would've thought you never came home.

I know how lonely it can be when
you first arrive from the islands.

I miss the colors of the fruit trees,

the people,

and the sea.

I wouldn't go a day without
swimming in it back home.

Your grandmother would drive you down

the mountain to the beach every day?

Yes. She knew how much it meant to me,

especially after my mum passed.

She sounds wonderful.

When I'm homesick,

I turn to these.

[SHELLS RATTLING]

Cockleshells.

From home.

The orphanage where I grew up.

The orphanage?

My parents d*ed when I was quite young.

Elly... I'm so sorry. I didn't know.

It's not something I like to share.

People hear you're an
orphan, they pity you.

They make judgments.

Being the new girl is hard
enough without all of that.

It took me months to settle
into my life at the orphanage,

and it will take you
time to settle in here.

You have to find ways to cope.

How did you... cope?

By distracting myself.

I would dig in the garden for hours.

It's where I found these shells.

It was the most curious thing,

because the orphanage
was nowhere near the sea,

and yet there they were.

How you think they got there?

Time.

Millions of years ago,
the island was underwater,

and as the earth erupted and shifted,

Jamaica rose up with the shells.

[SLIGHT CHUCKLE]

I fell in love with geology
after reading about that,

and the idea that everything
is connected to everything else

if you only go back far enough.

You lit up just now,
speaking about geology.

If nursing doesn't excite
you, why not study that?

They were recruiting
girls from the islands

into this nursing program.

It was my way out.

And I didn't know until recently

that there's a university in
Edinburgh that specializes in geology,

but it's too late now.

It's never too late
to pursue your dreams.

So you say.

But is nannying yours?

No.

Swimming was.

Is.

I think.

I don't know anymore.

Well then,

look at us.

Aren't we pathetic?

[BOTH LAUGH]

[POIGNANT MUSIC PLAYING]

My mum left this to me.

The stone reminds me of the sea so much,

it hurts to even look at it.

It's beautiful.

And rare.

Don't hide it away.

If it comforts you, wear it.

Here, let me.

See? Maybe remembering
doesn't have to hurt.

♪

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[LIGHT MUSIC PLAYING]

♪

ELEANOR: Elly gave me hope.

She gave me permission to be me,

permission to find ways
to feel connected to home

without jeopardizing my safety.

[RIDE AWAY BY THE REVLONS PLAYING]

♪ Oh, no, no, ride away ♪

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh ♪

♪ Ride away ♪

♪ Oh... ♪

- Congratulations. You did it.
- [CHUCKLES]

I am officially Nurse Elly.

Why do I feel like I'm
celebrating the death of a dream?

Stop it.

We're celebrating the fact that
you're done living in a library,

and you finally have
time for a little fun.

I can certainly drink to that.

Ooh, Coventina!
I didn't know you could bake.

Careful, she put so much rum in there,

you'll surely get drunk off the fumes.

- Ooh!
- [ELLY AND LORNA LAUGH]

Come, let's dance.

EDWINA: Coventina!

Here's an early Christmas gift.

This is Delroy.

He's from Moorton,

right by where you're
from in the mountains.

We probably know some of
the same people back home.

It's a small world, isn't it?

When did you get into town?

Just last week.

But I have a job lined up
already in the new year.

So he can afford to take a
girl out on a proper date.

DELROY: Coventina, which school
did you go to in Maryville?

My aunt's a teacher over at Stanton.

Oh, that's where I went, Stanton.

[CHUCKLES] I didn't
realize it was co-ed.

Just since the last few years, yes.

Oh, hm. Well, you must know my aunt.

She goes by Mrs. B at the school.

Sure. Of course. She was wonderful.

[DELROY LAUGHS]

I was always terrified of her.

She was so strict with us.

Mm. Maybe she was nice around the girls.

[CHUCKLES]

You know what? I need a drink.

Can I get you one?

Sure. Whatever you're having.

Why you lying?

Uh... Um...

And I know you don't drink.

[CHUCKLES] You're so
nervous around boys.

It's kinda cute, actually.

You're right. I just
never know what to say.

Doesn't matter what you say.

They just wanna hear themselves talk.

But Delroy is sweet,

and he might make you less
homesick, if you catch my drift.

I don't know. He's not the
kinda guy I usually go for.

Well, if you don't like him, maybe
you'll like one of his friends.

He said he knows a few
boys coming in next week,

and they're from the same town as him.

What is it?

What aren't you telling us, Coventina?

Oh, stop trying to pawn
that boy off on her, Edwina!

You're a bad influence on us all.

Edwina is a fast girl.
Don't let her pressure you.

Come on, let's dance.

[HAVE A GOOD TIME BY
THE SKATALITES PLAYING]

♪ Goodbye, I hate to see you go... ♪

ELEANOR: My luck was not
going to hold out much longer.

I had to take fate into my own hands.

[HEAVY BREATHS]

[DOOR OPENS]

[ELLY CHUCKLES]

Oh!

You're awake?

I couldn't sleep.

I've been thinking and...

Before you're stuck in a job you hate,

what if you rolled the dice

and studied geology at that
university in Edinburgh?

[CHUCKLING] Oh, you can't be serious.

I start nursing after Christmas!

You need to follow your passion.

And... And you won't be
alone. I'll go with you.

Why would you want to go to Scotland?

You'd have to find a new
job, a new place to live.

We've saved enough money
to get by for a while.

You owe it to that little girl who
spent hours digging in a garden.

The girl who found those cockleshells.

If she had the opportunity
to pursue her dreams,

what would she do, Elly?

♪

[TRAIN HORN BLARING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Almost there. [CHUCKLES]

We'll ring in the new
year with our new lives.

[BOTH GIGGLE]

Coventina,

when I told you about my past,

I was afraid that you might judge me,

but you listened.

Thank you for making me
feel safe enough to share

and for encouraging me to leave.

I should be thanking you.

When you opened up to
me about your childhood,

I was at my lowest.

It was my th birthday,
and... I'd never felt so alone.

Coventina! If I'd known, we
would've celebrated proper!

Don't be sorry.
You gave me the best gift.

You gave me permission to be me.

I wouldn't want you to be anything else.

Elly...

I'm not from the mountains.

I grew up by the sea in Portland Parish.

That explains the lack of rain gear.

And the swimming.

I swam so that one day I
could compete around the world.

And now...

Well, it's... it's hard to explain.

It's okay.

Whatever it is, you don't
need to tell me today.

Or ever.

But... when you're ready,

I'll be here.

WAITER: Tea. Here we are, dear.

Thank you.

I wish they served tea with
tin milk like they do back home.

ELLY: Edwina and the
girls will never notice.

[BOTH LAUGHING]

To Scotland.

[TRAIN HORN BLARING]

[WHEELS SCREECHING]

[THUDDING IN SLOW-MOTION]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING]

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

[TENSE MUSIC PLAYING]

[PEOPLE SCREAMING, GROANING]

[WINCES]

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

ELEANOR: As I waited to die,

I wondered what stories
Pa had been telling himself

to get through the day

since I d*ed the first time,

and what stories would he
have to tell everyone else

when news of the train
crash reached the island,

when my death was no longer speculation.

We are a community in mourning,

to have lost not one but two
of our very own this past year.

While we may have many
unanswered questions,

we must take comfort

that God will see to it
that Sister Covey Lyncook

and Brother Clarence
Henry did not die in vain.

We must honor their legacies,

and that is how we can honor God.

[CONGREGATION QUIETLY MURMURS]

PASTOR DENNIS: Let us pray.

[MOURNFUL CHORAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Losing your best friend
can feel like losing a limb.

That's how I felt when Matilda left.

But at least we know
where Covey is now, Bunny.

You don't have to wonder anymore.

I'm not wondering anything, Pearl.

It's over.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

You've been following
me around for months.

My daughter, your
prime suspect, is dead.

Case closed.

That's where you're wrong.
This case is still open.

She was never the only suspect.

She couldn't have acted alone,

and the fact that she turned up
overseas using her mother's maiden name

makes it pretty clear to me
that someone helped her escape.

But don't worry, Lyncook. You're
not the only one we're looking at.

You okay?

I'm fine.

That is what you've been saying
since we get the news about Covey.

Your behavior says otherwise.

I'm tired of all the questions and
the pitiful looks and the gossip.

I said I'm fine, and I meant it!

Leonard.

You've not come by my
ways since the wedding.

I'm sorry, Lin, for your
loss, for everything,

but I need to go after Bunny.

She's not the same without Covey.

Yeah, I understand.

I could've used a friend
myself these past few months.

I wanted to reach out, but people
are so desperate for gossip.

Quick to accuse anyone
who was close to Covey.

Yeah, I'm well aware.

And are you aware that
people have been saying

Bunny was too close to Covey?

I don't need to tell you
how dangerous that is.

- I'm sorry, Leonard...
- You should be.

You invited danger into all of our
lives when you married Covey off,

but I won't let you
ruin Bunny's life too.

[BUNNY PANTING]

- [WAVES CRASHING]
- [BIRDS SQUAWKING]

[SOMBER MUSIC PLAYING]

[SOFTLY WEEPING]

Bunny, what is it?

You can't keep it all inside.

I haven't been able
to swim since she left.

I need to swim in the
harbor race, Daddy.

It was our dream. I...

[VOICE BREAKING] I can't give up on it.

Okay.

Okay.

How can I help you?

I don't know.

Covey pushed me. She
made me better. I...

I need her.

Do you remember Jimmy Paterson?

He's a coach now and a fine young man.

He ask about you all the time.

I think he'd be good for you.

Are you setting me up
with a coach or on a date?

I won't be around
forever to protect you.

Please think about it.

ELEANOR: My marriage to Little Man
changed the course of all our lives.

And although I'd always hoped
that by going along with his plan

I was protecting Pa,

I wonder whether it was all for nothing,

and whether his choices

- ever caught up to him.
- WINSTON/PERCIVAL [SINGING]: ♪ You done stole ♪

♪ my belongings and
give to your China man ♪

[SPEAKING PATOIS]

You dipping your cock
at the fights again?

- Business has been slow.
- [CASH REGISTER DINGS]

Ah. You thought you were
smart sending her off

- with her runaway mother maiden name.
- [PERCIVAL CHUCKLES]

But now your Black head,
Chiney daughter dead.

And we're not going to let you run
our brother's shop into the ground,

just like how you run all the
women out your life. [LAUGHS]

So get out.

No.

This is my family's shop.

Not anymore.

[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING]

[CASH REGISTER DRAWER SHUTS]

[LIN THUDS]

[LIN GRUNTING IN PAIN]

[PERCIVAL KICKING]

[LIN GROANS]

ELEANOR: I never forgave
Pa for what he'd done.

But I was starting to understand

how each of our choices, not
luck, leads us to the next,

until, little by little,

we wake up one day wondering
how we ever got here.

[GLASS SHATTERING]

MAN: Coolies, go home!
Chiney not welcome!

[SPEAKING HAKKA]

[SPEAKING HAKKA]

YOUNG LIN: Mm.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[PEOPLE CLAMORING]

[ROOSTERS CLUCKING]

[FENCE RATTLING]

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING]

[FRENZIED SQUAWKING AND CLUCKING]

[EXCITED CHATTERING]

[FENCE RATTLING]

[LIN AND BA BA SPEAKING HAKKA]

[SPEAKING HAKKA]

[POIGNANT MUSIC PLAYING]

That'll be...
one pound and four shillings.

How much for the rice and peas alone?

My mother's sick, so
she can't keep down.

Silly me.

Everything half off today
to make room for new goods.

Don't pity me.

Pity a pretty thing like you?
No, no, no, no.

It's just your lucky day today, is all.

That'll be...

[LIN QUIETLY MUTTERING]

shillings.

♪

[MATHILDA CHUCKLES]

You have flour in your hair.

- Come, come.
- Hmm?

Wow. Me never feel hair like this.

And what kinda hair is that?

Black and straight.

And coarse as a brush.

Thank you.

[SPEAKING HAKKA]

[WILL YOU LOVE ME TOMORROW
BY THE SHIRELLES PLAYING]

♪ Tonight, you're mine completely ♪

♪ You give your love so sweetly... ♪

ELEANOR: For as long as I can remember,

the story Pa told everyone was that

he learned how to weigh
risk against reward,

and his willingness to take a
chance put food on his parents' table

and ours.

♪ Is this a lasting treasure? ♪

[SPECTATORS CHEERING]

♪ Or just a moment's pleasure? ♪

♪ Can I believe the
magic of your sighs? ♪

♪ Will you still love me tomorrow? ♪

[SQUAWKING]

[INDISTINCT SHOUTING AND CHEERS]

ELEANOR: But the story
Pa wasn't telling anyone

was that there's no
real formula to luck.

He just thought his would never run out.

♪ Will you still love me tomorrow? ♪

♪ Will you still love me tomorrow? ♪

♪ Will you still love me tomorrow? ♪

Where's my money?

I'll get it to you soon.

The business will pick
up again. I'm sure of it.

I have a way that you
can... erase all your debts.

Now.

Without money.

[OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING]

She only !

No better age for a wife.

Eh... Covey's got a mouth on her.

Trust me, Clarence. You
don't want the trouble.

[LITTLE MAN CHUCKLING]

Nothing worse than a girl who
doesn't know when to shut her mouth.

You will get your money, with interest.

I better.

And if you try to make a fool of me,

well, I'll arrange the marriage myself.

[OMINOUS MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING]

LITTLE MAN: To my wife!

[GUESTS CHEERING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[CAMERA SHUTTER SNAPS]

[LIVELY MUSIC PLAYING]

Here he is, the proud pa of the bride...

MAN: Excuse me, sir, can
we help you? You good?

[LIN EXHALES SHARPLY]

[HEAVY BREATHS]

PEARL: I thought that was you.

What have I done, Pearl?

How did I let this happen?

Now you're asking this?

All I ever wanted to
do was help my family.

Someone needs to do something.

Maybe it's not too late.

Enough!

Get back out there
before someone sees you.

[UPBEAT CALYPSO MUSIC PLAYING]

Let go of me!

We have to stop this!

We have to find a way.

The last thing that
poor girl needs right now

is for her father to make a
scene on top of everything else.

What is it?

That Gibbs Grant boy.

He was here.

You're drunk.

That boy left for London weeks ago.

[THUD]

[GUESTS GASP AND SCREAM]

Clarence?

Clarence!

Looks like someone found a way.

PERCIVAL: Call an
ambulance! Call for somebody!

Give me a tissue.

Water. Water.

My brother, he needs help.
Call an ambulance. My brother!

ELEANOR: When I think of my pa now,

I imagine that hope was really
all he had left in the end.

Hope that if he couldn't rescue
me from a marriage to Little Man,

someone else would.

And someone else did.

For a while, everyone thought it was Pa.

Even Bunny sent me away thinking that,

but she was wrong.

Pa didn't come through.

His luck had run out.

[PEOPLE SCREAMING, COUGHING]

Elly!

Elly!

[GRUNTING]

[GROANING]

[SOLEMN MUSIC PLAYING]

NURSE [ECHOING]: Eleanor?

Happy new year, Eleanor.

Coventina.

Coventina Brown?

Was she your friend?

I'm so sorry.

She didn't make it.

Elly?

No.

God.

- Elly...
- Elly? Is that short for...

Would you rather I
called you Elly, dear?

- No.
- Sorry?

ELEANOR: Pa's lucky
streak may have ended.

Not mine.

I had been given a second chance.

And a new story to tell.

B and B,

this is how I really became your ma,

the woman you know as...

Eleanor.

[POIGNANT MUSIC PLAYING]