WINDMILL BABY by David Milroy

Act 1



OLD MAY
All night I held my baby in my arms and in the morning I gave her to Wunman. I knew what he
said was true. His garden was a happy place.
The sound fades as the lights brighten.
When I lost my little Ruby I also lost the ring that Malvern gave me. I had Wunman and the
missus and Sally looking everywhere for it. I wanted to put it with my Ruby in the garden. [She
sighs.] But never mind. [Pause.] Took me a while to come good. I was sad for a long time.
Then one day the missus said she had something that would cheer me up. The mail truck had
dropped off a box and inside was a vase for Wunman's flowers and a gramophone. She set it
up on the step and invited me and Malvern to tea. True, ay! For blinkin' tea. Proper china
teacup and saucer. Malvern didn't want to go. He blamed the boss for Ruby's death. But I told
him, 'We're going for the missus,.not the boss'. I got a bucket of water and scrubbed him all
over. Up his nose, in his ears and under his arms. Every time he whinged, I scrubbed him
harder. I borrowed the big hanky off Aunty Darballa and tied it round his neck, polished his
head and cleaned his teeth with charcoal. I didn't have too much to make me pretty, but
Wunman tied some flowers together and I stuck 'em·in my hair. [Pause.] We all sat on the
verandah drinking tea while Wunman cranked the gramophone on the steps.
She demonstrates Wunman cranking and looking at the record spinning.
He started getting dizzy from watching it spin around, so he had to crank 'im like this.
She demonstrates Wunman cranking while looking away.