Original subtitles

MUSIC: Dancing Close by Rita Joyce

I am longing to hear from you.

Why won't you reply to my letters?

While it has only been four months since I saw you last,

it feels like a lifetime.

I will work until my hands are worn to the bone,

so that I can be by your side again.

Please, write back to me.

Love always, your Albert.

What you reading, Mummy?

Mind your business, Maggie. It's just a letter from a friend.

What friend, Mummy?

A friend I left behind in Jamaica.

Oh! Daddy!

Hey, baby.

Whapp'n, Wilfred?

My, suttin' smell good!

It soon ready.

Dish some up fi' for you and Maggie when it finish.

Mi ah guh lie down.

You still not on English time yet?

You been here two months already.

Why that never tek me so long?

Mm, it must be that.

I haven't been feeling too good since me get here.

Man, hold on, nuh, hold on.

You nah waan' fi know what's in the bag?

Oh, what's inna di bag, Wilfred?

Is it for me?

It's for your mudda.

Open it, nuh.

It's so your mudda can listen to her songs.

I know, I know you're missing home, baby.

But this is home now.

It's nice, innit? Mm. Mm.

Oh!

Oh, she is a beauty, Veronica.

So how was Maggie?

Oh, you know, she's always good as gold.

Chats me ear off, but, sure, I do the same back.

Ah, Maggie, why don't you help me run a bath for your mudda?

But me wan' play with baby Sylvie.

You can play with the baby later.

Now, we need to look after your mudda.

MUSIC: Little Queenie by Chuck Berry

Come on. Come on.

She's a lot lighter than the rest of yous, isn't she?

Well, her colour will come in soon.

It's going to be OK, pet.

We can make it

Come on, Queenie, let's shake it

Go, go, go, little Queenie

Go, go, go, little Queenie...

Sylvie! How many times do I have to tell you? Stay out of my room!

Sorry, I know, but you took the record player out of the front room.

What else was I meant to do?

Yeah, well, it's mine till I move out,

so that means go and buy your own.

With what money?

Why don't you get your likkle boyfriend to buy you one?

He's not likkle, Maggie.

Why a man my age is running 'round with a 17-year-old,

I will never know.

Here we go again.

Fine, I'm going, but I'm taking this with me.

HORN HONKS Sylvie!

Oh...

And stay out of my room.

Is that you, Sylvie?

I'm just going down the road.

Down the road where? And with who?

I'm meeting Sandra at HMV.

She wants to go halves on a Sister Nancy record.

She has some money saved up from her hairdressing job.

You know how I know you're lying?

You talk too much.

Mum! Ah, just let the girl go out, nuh.

She can't spend the whole summer holiday arguing with Maggie

about the blasted record player.

Just be home by eight.

Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad.

Go. Quick, quick, quick. You should get talking!

Hey, baby.

I have to be home by eight.

Nuh worry yourself.

You're safe with me.

She needed you there, Veronica.

She should have listened to me.

And now, look.

I wanted better for her.

Go and talk to her, Maggie.

No, give the baby to your mudda.

Veronica...

This is your grandchild.

ANSWERING MACHINE: You've reached Romero. I...

MUSIC: Never Ever by All Saints

I just don't understand why he won't answer the phone.

Because he's a coward.

But he told me he'd always be there.

He was always there from the day I found out, even though...

He wasn't going to leave his wife. I told you.

But he said he would.

He said that his parents forced him to marry her.

Listen, when I see that man, it's curtains for him.

I'm going to twist up his balls so hard he won't be able

to have another child in this life.

You promise?

I promise.

Sylvie, you know I've always got you, yeah?

And the same goes for the baby.

Thank you.

Have you thought of what you're going to name her yet?

Mm.

Hmm... I was thinking...

..Princess.

Absolutely not! No way.

I was going to say that I want her to be strong...

..and brave...

..like a queen.

So I was thinking Queenie.

Yes, man.

Mi like it.

Now, go and get yourself cleaned up and come downstairs.

Your daughter is waiting for you.

ALL: Happy birthday to you!

Wow. Blow it!

ALL: Yay!

11 years old, my big granddaughter!

Happy birthday!

So what have you two been doing for Queenie's birthday?

Well, we were supposed to go to the cinema, but Mum had a date...

Oh? Er... Queenie!

Wow! Date? Date? With whom?

Never you mind. He's just a friend.

His name's Roy.

Oh, my gosh! Oh, is it?!

Anyway, stop chat your mudda business.

Right. You can stay here, Queenie.

I will make you a big birthday breakfast in the morning.

Her birthday's over now, Mum. Stop spoiling her.

Of course I have to spoil her. She's my baby.

Er, no, Mum, it's MY baby.

I'll run you a bubble bath before bed.

Oh, God, Maggie, please!

Dad, it's a breast. Get over it.

Talk to your daughter now, Veronica!

About what?

If we were back home...

What is it that you said when we first come here?

"This is home now."

Go and cut the cake.

Ugh!

LAUGHTER

BABY BABBLES

I think I'm going into me shed.

Is he missing Sylvie that much?

You know the two of them close.

And he really, really nuh like that Roy.

Who does? I don't trust him at all, Mum.

None of us like him, it's true.

But he's worried about her.

He's not even sleeping.

But it's Queenie I worry about.

SHE SIGHS

No. No, let her stay, since she loves her mother so much.

Roy! I never signed up to be anyone's dad.

Sorry, Roy, I...

It's cos of her I can't get a minute alone with you. Please...

MUSIC: Up by The Saturdays

Queenie.

I've been calling you for dinner.

I'm not hungry. Queenie, please.

Can't we just go to Grandma and Grandad's for dinner?

No.

I've told you, we're a family now, OK?

Me, you and Roy.

Queenie, look, I know, OK?

I know that you and Roy don't get on.

I know that he can be particular.

And if you don't listen to him...

..he can get cross.

And I know that's not nice...

..but can't you see if you do listen to him, things will get easier?

He's not my dad.

Well, your dad isn't here, is he?

But Roy is.

Please...Queenie.

Xxxx

She has no respect for me.

I bring you into my house...

..under my roof...

..I even let you bring this likkle girl, who has no manners,

and this is how you repay me?

By making me sit and wait until my food gets cold?

I said I'm sorry, Roy.

Queenie didn't even know. She-she was just doing...

The reason why your girl has no manners is cos you never teach her

how to respect her elders.

MUSIC FADES OUT

You're lucky I let this likkle girl into my home.

You will always be stupid, just like your mother.

When will you be back? I don't like being here alone.

As soon as I can, Queenie.

Roy just wants to talk things through.

Well, why can't I go to Grandma and Grandad's or Aunt Maggie's?

Because, Queenie, they will ask questions.

And what happens at home stays between us.

Where is home, Mum?

This is home, until me and Roy sort things out.

Now, remember what I told you - do not open the door to anyone.

There's food in the fridge if... if you get hungry.

OK.

OK. I'll see you tomorrow.

Please...

..come back.

That's how it goes with the women in our family.

I've never really known how anyone feels.

If I learned one thing from them, it's to be strong, whatever that is.

It usually means covering things up.

There's no room for feelings.

Is that why you've been saying "I'm fine" or "I was fine"

since we started seeing each other?

I was fine.

I, erm...was safe enough,

and my mum would pop in to make sure I had enough food and...

And for how long were you left alone in that flat?

I don't remember exactly.

A few months.

Once Auntie Maggie found out,

I went to live with her and Diana for a while,

when Diana was just a baby.

That was fun.

Diana was like my little dolly.

And then my grandparents, and...

..then my dad, which was...

It was not good.

His wife wasn't very welcoming when the daughter that she'd always tried

to ignore turned up on their doorstep and asked to stay.

Sounds like you were always made to feel like you were the problem.

How did that make you feel?

It's like you said.

Like I was the problem.

OK. Well...

..Roy rejected you, which, of course, he shouldn't have.

Your mum rejected you.

And the first relationship you were in that felt safe ended,

which would've felt like the biggest rejection of all,

so this behaviour, this casual sex,

is you looking for constant affirmation.

Affirmation that you're wanted.

All right.

Your ex-boyfriend moved on quickly.

You lost one of your best friends.

No.

Cassandra lost herself.

And then you felt rejected by your boss.

That one just...

That one didn't surprise me.

How do you mean?

Well, she...

..she stuck with her own, didn't she?

She wasn't going to believe the silly, little black girl whose work

was slipping over the office heart-throb.

I don't understand why it's all about me being rejected instead of

the people that are doing the rejecting.

And what if I liked the casual sex that I was having then?

Respectfully, Queenie, you yourself told me you weren't having much fun

during those sexual encounters.

So what? Are you... Are you saying that I had casual sex

because nobody ever loved me?

No.

But the love you had growing up was inconsistent

and unreliable, and so now, love to you feels like something

that's always about to go.

Well, just...

That's just how it is for girls like me, though.

What do you mean, girls like you?

Loud, brash, sassy, confrontational, bitchy!

That's the problem - I can't not be a strong black woman, Janet, OK?

I... I can't walk into any place and not be a black woman.

On the bus, on the Tube, at work,

in the canteen, in the car, it's...

No, I-I don't need your water. I don't need it because guess what?

I'm... I'm a strong black woman,

and we don't need anything.

We don't need anything and we don't need anyone.

We can just take everybody's shit and it doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter how much we've been through,

and it doesn't matter how much we can't take any more, and it...

SHE PANTS

I can't...

I can't breathe.

Is this a dream?

No, it's my nightmare -

coming all the way to North London

because my granddaughter is doing things I told her not to do.

What happened?

You fainted. It happens.

Queenie will be fine.

Let's see how fine she is when I finish with her.

Come on. The cab is waiting outside.

I'm sorry about before. I...

I think I've been holding a lot in.

I just... I don't know why...

I don't know why it came out like that.

There's no need to apologise.

I'll see you next week.

I doubt it.

And how many times do I have to tell you to listen?

Because if you had just spoken to your mother,

like I already told you,

you wouldn't have to pay some woman we don't know

to talk about family business.

And I wouldn't have to pay to jump in a taxi across London

because she phoned me to tell me that you'd fainted, Queenie!

You know how much pain I had to tek tru my yout?

No good will come of all this digging.

Sometimes we have to leave things in the past.

We're here, Grandma. Where Queenie?!

I'm here, I'm here.

Oh!

What a journey.

Oh...

Right.

How much, driver?

That'll be �70.

Lord, have mercy!

Me whole pension finish.

Actually, do you think you could take me somewhere else?

Where else? You live here now.

Not to live, Grandma, I'm just going to go to Kyazike's.

Oh, are you now? I don't think so.

Queenie, you need to come inside. We need to talk about...

Can we please just talk tomorrow?

I can't do any more talking today.

Make sure.

This discussion is not finished.

TAXI DRIVES AWAY

DOOR OPENS

It's just me. Where Queenie, deh?

You kill her for fainting?

She gone to her friend.

The African one.

Sit down.

Let me make you a cup of tea.

I just don't understand why the girl don't listen.

It's for her own good.

Ever since Queenie was young, she let her emotions run her.

She's just like her mother in that way.

They're the same, but different.

She too soft.

You will have to speak to her, Wilfred.

The same way Sylvie always listened to you,

Queenie might hear you over me.

Hmm?

Maybe if all of we had learned to talk about our troubles back then,

we wouldn't carry so much on our shoulders all the way to the grave.

I wish we had spoken more when we was young.

Whatever you'd have told me, whatever you'd have said...

..I would have loved you the same way.

Queenie will keep going to therapy.

I think we have to learn from this new generation, Veronica.

SHE SIGHS

Hm. What are you doing here?

I'll give you a clue.

Mm.

It's nice to see you too.

Where's Kyazike?

She went out.

Apparently the paint fumes were getting her high.

Why are you painting in the house at 8pm?

Well, I was working all day, and Kyazike wanted

to surprise her mum before she got back from work in the morning,

so...here I am.

That's nice of her.

Yeah.

Talk to me, Big Q.

Hmm? What's happening?

I had therapy today.

OK.

Heavy session?

Yeah, you could say that.

I'm tired.

Want to talk about it?

Not really because...

..if I tell you everything, you won't want me.

Nobody really wants me.

DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES

You still haven't finished? Shh.

Queenie's sleeping. How you mean?

I mean she came over and she just...

I don't know, she just looked bare tired, like...

..more tired than I've ever seen anyone

so, yeah, I just put a blanket on her and that.

I can see that.

What?

Cool. Erm, listen.

If you fuck about Queenie...

Oh, man, this. ..she's not going to indirect you on her socials

and move on with the next guy

the next week.

It's going to break her.

And why you telling me for?

And I know you're my family, my cousin or whatever,

but I'm not the one with commitment issues.

Queenie doesn't need someone who's going to

chat to the next girl every week.

Our girl's vulnerable.

She's not good.

She will be, but just not right now,

so you need to leave her alone.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media

Repair and Synchronization by Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0