Sadie’s Nails

Wednesday, Kylie does a house call for nails. It’s for one of her regular clients, one she hasn’t seen in a while.

Sadie’s husband Freddie ushers her in. Sadie is in the living room, in a coffin. A shock, for Kylie and viewers.

Kylie says “I can’t, I’m sorry” and flees the room. Not the best response, but not surprising. Next we see, she’s in the backyard, Freddie beside her. He apologizes. He had explained the situation when he called the salon. Obviously, the significance of words like ‘dead’ and ‘funeral’ had escaped Josh, the new trainee who took the booking.

Brought our people home

Freddie talked about how, when he was growing up, “we always brought our people home.” Doing so lessened the distance between life and death and allowed you to know your loved one in death. It made death less frightening.

A glass of water, some deep breathing and Kylie says that she has never seen a dead body outside a funeral home before this. Freddie presses money in her hand and says it’s ok, Sadie will never know that her nails weren’t done when she was buried. Kylie said, “But we will” and went back inside.

She carefully polished Sadie’s nails with her usual colour. Then she saw that the lipstick put on by the mortician did not match. “I never saw Sadie without matching nails and lipstick,” she said. “Do you mind?” she asked Freddie, then rooted through a bag to find the right lipstick. And she made up Sadie’s lips, just a bit, just right.

Of Sadie, we only ever saw her hands. And it was one of the most beautiful and moving scenes ever.

• In Scene of the Week Apr. 10/16 Freddie tells Kylie about his and Sadie’s life together. Aaah!!