Remember Ronald Ryan Read Free Page A

Dorothy.
    DOROTHY : Isn’t it hot? How are your shoes? Are mine okay? Do I look okay? Oh, isn’t it lovely? Look at all the lights on it. Like pearls, aren’t they?
    BETTY : We’ve got to have a go on ‘The Dancing Ferry’. Look how boring ‘The Undancing Ferry’ is? Old men reading the Herald with their teeth out. God, Melbourne’s dead.
    DOROTHY : I love Glenn Miller, don’t you?
    BETTY : I love men! Don’t you?
    DOROTHY : My family are so formal, they get tense if the broth is served at a minute past seven. They get all agitated. I’d love to dance. But fun’s not the thing in Melbourne, is it? Anything but have fun. Why were you born? Who can say?
    BETTY : You were born for fun. You don’t live very long. Have fun. [ Spying RYAN ] Who’s he? He’s just looking. He’s not someone to dance with. He’s well-dressed at least. Don’t stare at him.
    DOROTHY : [ murmuring ] Beautiful!
    BETTY : That’s right. Play hard to get. Now, he’s coming over. Why hasn’t he got a mate?
    RYAN : Like a spin?
    DOROTHY : Yeah.
    She is in a dream. They dance.
    RYAN : Do you come here often?
    DOROTHY : Yeah.
    RYAN : Jeez, you can thrash.
    He laughs .
    DOROTHY : Yeah.
    The Glenn Miller swing music builds and they dance into a street light. RYAN smokes and holds his girl.
    RYAN : You’ll have to marry me now, Dorothy.
    DOROTHY : Why?
    RYAN : I’ve missed the last tram back to Footscray. Have to walk.
    DOROTHY : How many trams do you need to get to Mother and Father’s? How many trams from your boarding house to our mansion?
    RYAN : Well, let’s see. You get the Footscray one to The City, Flinders Street, and then you wait an eternity for either a Wattle Park, or what’s the other sort? Glenferrie Road, is it? Oh, I don’t know, they’re all green, aren’t they? Now I’ve missed the last one. Curses. What am I gunna do? Walk back to Footscray. I will. I’m so athletic, maybe I’ll hop, skip and jump back home. Did you know I’m a champion bike rider? I’ve got cups. Gold they are. Melt them down into a front gate.
    They are laughing and taking it easy with each other.
    DOROTHY : [ laughing ] I’ll wet myself.
    RYAN : Don’t do that.
    DOROTHY : Melt a gold cup into a front gate. Why do you say things like that?
    RYAN : [ laughing ] I don’t know. I don’t know why I say things like that. Just for fun.
    DOROTHY : [ collapsing in mirth ] You’re fun alright.
    He helps her up, cuddles her.
    I defied Mother. I’m bad, aren’t I, Ronnie? So bad.
    She kisses him.
    Are you a ratbag?
    RYAN : You must defy authority. Otherwise you go under. It’s well-known.
    DOROTHY : [ in a passionate whisper, ravishing him ] We won’t go under, my love.
    RYAN : It’s hard when you’re twenty-two and too old for a pushbike.
    DOROTHY : What’s that about a pushbike? What are you saying now?
    RYAN : I could ride my bike home, but I’d look a bit of a goose.
    DOROTHY : Please love me. And don’t forget you’re coming to dinner next Sunday. They want to satirise you.
    RYAN : I think I’ll bring the pushbike. Lean it up against your old man’s money.
    They kiss tenderly. Blackout.
    See you in leafy Hawthorn.
    RYAN and WALKER break out of Pentridge Prison. The prison yard. They have the hook and towels tied together. They run up the overturned picnic table, which becomes a stepladder. They cast the hook and climb the towels to the tower. They are climbing the wall.
    RYAN : It was worth six months getting fragments of wire junk to spin this hook thing. It seems to be holding on alright. Doesn’t it seem strong to you, doesn’t it, Peter?
    WALKER : As long as the bloody bedcovers don’t fray, that’s what I’m worrying about. Nearly there.
    They stand on the tower.
    You beauty.
    RYAN : I enjoyed that. Do it again one day. Piece of cake. Don’t know why