The Assam Garden (1985)

Deborah Kerr: Helen

Quotes 

• Carol : I'm afraid I wont be able to be coming much longer, Mrs Graham.

  Helen : Oh?

  Carol : The round doesn't pay any more. Since they opened Asda - a big supermarket on the roundabout - people just drive in and buy it frozen.

  Helen : Well, I certainly have no intention of going to Asda.

• Helen : Your husband is better?

  Ruxmani : Oh much better. Thank you very much.

  Helen : Good.

  Ruxmani : All night long I'm praying, please Lord Krishna, make my husband Mr Lal better. Thanks to the god he is better.

  Helen : Thanks to our National Health Service I would've thought.

  Ruxmani : Oh no! That doctor was no good. Without the gods nothing is possible.

• Ruxmani : Why you not getting a man to do the gardening? Plenty mens unemployed these days. You can pay a man pounds to an hour - no bother at all.

  Helen : I can't do that. For one thing I can't afford to pay a man.

  Ruxmani : Very big place. Your husband, Mr Graham, he didnt leave you much money maybe?

  Helen : That will do.

  Ruxmani : Really. I'm very sorry. It must be very hard for you. Please, any time you are wanting help with things, come to me. My house your house. Okay?

  [she touches Helen on the arm] 

  Helen : [pulling away]  How dare you! I can't sit around feeling sorry for myself all day let alone gossiping in other people's houses. You immigrants might be able to afford to do that but I can't. I have to work. I've got to get the garden ready and it's *got* to be up to scratch. This is England in the 80s not India in the 40s, and it's time you people realised it.

• Ruxmani : So why you not having children?

  Helen : [pause]  The war... I dont know. Well, we didnt have much of a sex life I suppose. Arthur lost interest in that side of things after a couple of years. I didn't. But there wasnt much I could do about it on my own.

• Ruxmani : Is it that you were very ugly when you were younger lady?

  Helen : [taken aback]  Not especially. Perfectly average. In fact, rather better than average. I used to be pestered when I was at college. I think people rather wondered why I picked Arthur. Because he was no oil painting.

  Ruxmani : So if you were pretty lady... then why your husband not... bothering with you? I dont understand.

  Helen : Well, it certainly wasn't for want of trying. I'd dress for dinner... make myself look pretty... I'd tease him and try to jolly him along. Whisper sweet nothings, all that kind of business. Pathetic really. Of course in the hot weather one's own body was unbearable let alone anyone else's.

  Ruxmani : In cool weather it's nice time.

  Helen : I wouldn't know.

• Helen : What will you do if Mr Lal goes first?

  Ruxmani : Many things. All in India.

  Helen : I can't see that a woman would choose to be a widow. She might choose not to marry in the first place and... go for a career. I might have done that myself. At college I had no thought of anything else. None of us did. Our work was *the* thing. And being independent.