Episode 512

Extended Summary

Carly is in Ben’s caravan, showing him a picture of a house opposite the beach but Ben doesn’t want too much debt and asks if they really need four bedrooms. Carly thought Italians liked big families! Ben agrees to look at it.

At the hospital, Pippa apologises for having a go at Adam over Sophie’s accident. Adam admits he shouldn’t have conned Alf into letting him do the renovations. He asks what they’re going to do about Sophie not being able to read. Pippa goes to talk to Donald who is not surprised. He says Sophie is very bright and can enrol in the remedial reading programme; it’s up to Pippa to convince her that she can do it.

The next morning Sally finds a miserable Lance at Café de Waves. He’s missing Martin and bites Sally’s head off when she tries to help.

Ben and Carly return to Summer Bay House with Fred Scott the real estate agent after viewing the house. They sit down to look at the figures and Fred tells them they simply can’t afford it. They go to the Diner and Carly moans about Fred not letting them buy the house. Ben says they just have to wait until they have a decent deposit. He leaves to start his new job and Carly tells Grant and Ailsa she’s going to prove to Ben that they can raise the money somehow.

Pippa and Steven are at the hospital for Steven to have the plaster cast taken off of his leg and run into Donald who has been to see Sophie and says she seems relieved to have things out in the open. Pippa goes in to see Sophie who says Donald talks like a dictionary but is alright! She wishes she’d known there are easier ways to get help.

A customer complains about the slow service at the hot dog stand and Marilyn has a go at Lance because they’ve run out of gas; she told him they needed a new cylinder last night. She knows he’s missing Martin but there are more important things to think about. Lance says not for him there isn’t. Alf supplies Lance with a gas cylinder at the store and makes a joke about what the Army must be making of Martin. Lance defends his mate and Alf apologises. Lance says he and Martin used to do everything together but Alf says things change; you get married and have kids. Lance asks if you don’t feel trapped.

Pippa and Sophie arrive at the Diner and Carly asks Pippa if she and Tom can be guarantors for a personal loan to cover her share of the deposit. Pippa says if they can’t afford the deposit they can’t afford the house. She can’t encourage them to get into debt; Carly will thank her in the end.

Sophie arrives at the surf club and apologises to Adam for landing him in hot water. Adam is just glad she’s OK. Sophie tells him about the remedial reading classes and is surprised to learn that Adam went to university and was planning to be a teacher until his parents died. He tells Sophie about him and Matt having to find a new place to live.

Lance is connecting the gas cylinder and Marilyn apologises for being mean. She says she misses Martin too but Lance says she was the one who kicked him out. Marilyn says he has her to look after him now but Lance says it’s not the same. Marilyn hopes not; she’s going to be his wife. She asks for a cuddle and Lance obliges but doesn’t look very happy.

Lance catches up with Sally on the beach and apologises for being grumpy. Sally tells him he should be happy because Marilyn is really pretty. Lance says Martin never used to talk about houses and settling down. Sally asks if he doesn’t love Marilyn any more. Lance just doesn’t think he’s ready to get married, but how does he tell Marilyn? Marilyn is cleaning when he arrives home. She’s taken Lance’s hub caps off the wall, rearranged the furniture, and is putting his thongs outside because they smell like dirty feet. Lance goes mad as he wants everything back the way he and Martin fixed it.

Steven arrives home with his plaster off. Sophie thanks him for keeping quiet and tells him she’s apologised to Adam. Ben arrives home from his first day at work and Pippa tells him they had to turn Carly down over the personal loan. Ben agrees with her and he doesn’t look happy. He goes to the Diner and tells Carly they pay their own way; if they can’t afford something they go without. He tells Carly it’s not going to happen again. Carly asks how they will ever afford their own home and Ben says they will work hard like everyone else.

Marilyn has prepared a candle-lit dinner and asks Martin to open the wine but Lance wants a beer and pushes his food away. Marilyn starts crying and wants to know what’s wrong. Lance says there’s no point as she wouldn’t understand and storms off.