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Magic Moments
> 2019
> Sonya's Death
Episode 8052
Written
by Jason Herbison, Directed
by Kate Kendall, Produced
by Natalie Mandel and Natalie Lynch
Channel Eleven: 05/03/19, Channel 5: 05/03/19
Toadie is packing the car outside no. 30 for his and Sonya's trip to the beach; he suggests to Sonya that they should have holiday getaways more often and
she agrees. They begin to kiss but Toadie suddenly rushes back into no. 30 to pick up Callum's iPad, leaving Sonya alone in the car. Whist sitting in the car
she looks thoughtfully at the houses on the street; at first smiling but then looking sad and forlorn as she contemplates her situation. As she continues to
look wistfully at her surroundings Toadie rushes back out of the house and into the car, asking Sonya if she is ready to go. She tells him that she is, and
they head off out of Ramsay Street to begin their journey to the beach.
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Shortly after departing, they decide to stop at the Lassiters Complex for some provisions. As Toadie returns from the shop he finds Sonya gazing at the lake.
He tries to come up with some excuses as to why he bought so many snacks, but Sonya soon breaks into a smile as she realises he has already started eating
it. Sonya admits that she already knows about his junk food stash at home and in his office filing cabinet, and Toadie jokingly says that he hates Piper for
divulging this information. She tells him that he should eat what he wants and not feel bad about it, and Toadie, astonished at this, wonders if he should be
recording this declaration of Sonya's for future posterity! Sonya goes on to tell Toadie that as well as eating junk food he should try and balance it out
with some walking and cycling with Karl and Shane, although Toadie isn't sure that the world needs another middle-aged man in Lycra. They share a kiss as
Toadie suggests that they should go, although Sonya takes a moment of reflection before following him.
Later in the day, Toadie and Sonya are travelling along in the car listening to Let Me Entertain You by Robbie Williams. They are in a fairly jovial mood
although this doesn't last long as Sonya starts talking about the future, informing Toadie that when she is gone she doesn't want them to have a funeral for
her, she would rather have a memorial by the lake like they did for Caitlin with everyone joyous and not wearing black. Feeling uncomfortable with the tone
of the conversation, Toadie assures Sonya that they don't need to think about this now and that they are getting her the best possible treatment to fight
the cancer. Sonya is adamant however that they need to talk about this at some stage and that they need to be prepared for anything. As he continues to
drive Toadie notices that Sonya is looking nauseous and asks her if she is okay, but Sonya insists that she is fine. They try and lighten the mood once again
by talking about Toadie's mum Angie, agreeing that she is both loud and judgemental, and it is likely they will bump into her when they are in Colac.
Unfortunately, despite the attempts at humour Sonya's nausea comes back stronger than before and Toadie suggests that they head to a rest stop. Sonya
recommends that they keep going for now.
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After some more driving, Toadie decides to pull up at the roadside next to a large field. He gets out of the car and goes over to help Sonya, handing
her a water bottle, as Sonya suggests that her nausea is just due to the chemotherapy and carsickness. Worried by her condition, Toadie offers to take
her to the hospital, but Sonya thinks that all she needs is some fresh air. As Toadie goes to pee in the bushes, Sonya is suddenly overcome by a dizzy
spell and finds it hard to focus on her surroundings.
As Toadie returns to the car he is alarmed to find that Sonya has wandered off but is soon relieved to see her picking wildflowers in the field. Sonya
mentions to Toadie how lovely it is to see something beautiful growing in amongst the weeds, and then suggests that Toadie give a bouquet of wildflowers
to Mark for his wedding. She also implores Toadie to ensure that the wedding between Elly and Mark takes place, informing him that Mark isn't in a good
place and he's shutting Elly out. Worried by the finality of her instructions, Toadie tries to assure Sonya that she can tell all of this to Mark and Elly
when she returns home. They smile at this as Toadie gazes out at the field and Sonya gazes at her husband, both enjoying their surroundings in such a sunny,
wide-open vista.
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A little later they're both standing against a fence railing, still admiring the view, as Toadie receives a text message from Callum with a picture of Nell
at the beach. He laughs as he shows the picture to Sonya, but she is struggling to recall certain details as she mentions that they are jumping into the sea.
They are both worried at the memory lapses Sonya is suffering from but decide not to say anything, instead focusing on their family and lamenting the fact
that Callum is always so far away pursuing his dreams and unable to visit often enough. Sonya mentions how proud she is of Callum and Toadie can hear the
sadness in her voice as he strokes her hair, asking her if she is ready for the next part of their trip. They head back to the car and start listening to
East 17 as they travel along the road.
After a short while, Sonya turns down the music in the car and asks Toadie what he thinks about Nell playing football one day, suggesting that they should
sign her up. Toadie becomes increasingly worried at Sonya's memory lapses as she mistakenly thinks that Dipi plays football when she meant Yashvi, but more
worryingly his concerns about Sonya's talks about the future come to the forefront again. He asks Sonya why she is putting together a wishlist for their
future plans, and when she tells him that she has written a letter for Hugo, he assures her that she will be home to tell him what she meant to say in
person. He admits that her talks about the future are freaking him out and Sonya turns up the music in the car to try and end the conversation, leaving
Toadie at a loss. As they head further down the road Toadie wonders which turning they are supposed to take, however he becomes distracted by Sonya who
is becoming increasingly upset. He asks her what's wrong and Sonya apologises, wiping away tears and telling Toadie that she shouldn't be having the
thoughts she is having right now.
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Toadie asks Sonya to talk to him to tell him what she's thinking, and he becomes alarmed as she starts talking about what happens when you die. A stunned
Toadie tries to placate Sonya by telling her that she is not going to die, but Sonya becomes thoughtful and suggests that everyone will die eventually.
She tells Toadie:
"I mean they talk about heaven, and they talk about this place where you reunite with people that you've lost like it's magic or something. But no one
knows if it exists. No one knows because no one's ever gone there and come back. And I'm just so scared that I'm never going to see you and the kids again.
And we can do everything we can to try and reassure each other that it's going to be okay, but we don't know. We don't know anything! We don't know what
happens."
As Sonya finishes her speech, Toadie blinks back tears and takes hold of Sonya's hand, kissing it. He doesn't know what Sonya wants him to say in riposte,
but Sonya doesn't let him have the chance to reply and quite matter of factly changes tack and informs Toadie that they have missed the turn-off.
At the roadside, Toadie has pulled over and informs Sonya, who is admiring the greenery around her, that the Sat Nav isn't working and they'll have to
use the phone. He is still concerned about Sonya's mindset and her probing questions about life and death, assuring her that they are only a few weeks
into her treatment and there is still a good chance that she can beat this disease. Toadie takes Sonya's hands in his, but she can barely respond,
informing him that her scan earlier this morning wasn't very positive; the chemotherapy having had no effect on the tumour in her brain. She admits that
she has been downplaying her symptoms and divulges to Toadie that she has been suffering from numbness in her hands and problems with her vision.
Astonished by this revelation, Toadie asks Sonya what else the doctors said when she had her scan, and she gravely informs him that the prognosis is
grim, indicating that she has no more than a few days left to live. Devastated by this, Toadie struggles to comprehend the news as he heads back to
the car. He becomes angry as he implores Sonya to get in the car so that they can drive to a hospital, but Sonya's mindset is one of resignation and
Toadie becomes frustrated and terrified at the thought of losing her, screaming and hitting the steering wheel in anger. As Toadie slowly calms down he
apologises to Sonya for losing control, but Sonya is understanding and strokes his hand. She tells him that they should keep heading towards the beach so
that she can see the kids.
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After a little bit more time driving, they eventually arrive at the beach, but Sonya is confused when Toadie pulls the car over again before they reach
their destination. He tells her that he understands her need to see the children but once they have done that, he will drive her straight to the hospital,
going on to inform her that there are other specialists that they could try who may have different options, including the clinic Georgia told them about in
Germany. Although concerned by Sonya's grave news he tells her that no matter how large the tumour has grown they're going to continue to try every
conceivable option to beat this. Knowing that Toadie needs the reassurance and hope to hold on, Sonya smiles and promises him that she won't give up.
They say a quick 'I love you' to each other and kiss through the tears.
Toadie and Sonya arrive at the beach house but find that there is no one around. Spotting a note on the table, Sonya passes it to Toadie, who learns that
Jade is at the shops and Callum has taken the kids down to the beach. Sonya is desperate to go to the beach to see them, but Toadie is concerned that she
needs to rest. He is overruled however as Sonya insists that they cannot have come this far and not go down to the beach to see them, becoming particularly
adamant after spotting a discarded bucket and spade on the grass.
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At the beach, an unwell Sonya staggers down some steps that lead towards the water, as a worried Toadie assures her that they will be there soon. He manages
to stop her for a few moments in order that she can catch her breath, but Sonya's grave facial expression catches Toadie cold as he realises the importance
of Sonya seeing the kids. Concerned that Sonya has accepted her fate and that seeing the kids is a final act of catharsis for her, he frantically asks her
whether she has given up, despite her promises that she wouldn't. Sonya admits that despite her promises to him she has come to the realisation that she will
not be there for him and the kids much longer, and that he will need to find others to lean on such as Karl and Susan, Shane and Dipi and Callum. With this
final acknowledgement of Sonya's fate they both become overwhelmed, resting their foreheads against one another as they break down in tears. Voice cracked
with emotion, Sonya struggles to get the words out as she tells Toadie what she needs of him when she has gone. She talks to him firstly about Callum and
Nell:
"I've missed so much of his life but you'll be there, okay? You're going to be there. And my Nellyfish. Don't let this define her, Jarrod. Don't let it
define her."
Toadie promises her that he won't let this happen. Sonya then moves on to Toadie's own life, telling him:
"I was so broken and you made me realise I'm worthy of happiness. You have to love again. When all of this is passed, when all of it's passed you have
to love again. Okay?"
Sonya kisses him and then glances back towards the beach, her intent still being on getting to her children. Toadie offers to go ahead and get them for
her, but Sonya keeps walking, assuring him that she is okay and can make it. As she continues to head down to the beach she spots Callum, Nell and Hugo
in the distance playing and smiles, happy that she has finally reached her goal of seeing them.
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Realising how weak she now is, Toadie warns Sonya that they shouldn't be out here in her condition, but Sonya contends that there is nowhere else they
should be as they are together as a family again. Toadie once again offers to bring the kids over to see her but in her weakened state Sonya realises that
she doesn't want her children to see her like this, and instead asks Toadie to sit with her as she holds his hand. As he envelopes her in his arms, Toadie
realises that Sonya is shivering, and he becomes upset about how warped the situation has become as he can no longer take care of her like he feels he
should. Sonya assures Toadie that he has always taken care of her and saved her so many times, and therefore it is okay that he cannot save her now.
Despite Toadie's futile attempts to take Sonya away from the beach towards home, they remain where they are as they watch their children playing in the
distance. Toadie kisses Sonya's forehead while she continues to weaken, her breathing becoming shallower as she desperately tries to cling on for a little
longer.
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In her deteriorating state Sonya gently tells Toadie:
"I'm sorry I scared you before in the car. Talking about death, I'm okay. I'm okay with it, I really am. What I said about heaven, I know it exists... It's
with you. It's with all of you."
Her vision blurs even more rapidly but she is still able to make out her kids in the distance, happy that they are safe and content together. In her final
dying breath, she manages to say to Toadie:
"I love you"
Toadie responds with his own professions of love for her, but soon the light fades from Sonya's eyes and she becomes limp in his arms. He tries in
desperation to wake her whilst his children continue to play in the distance, but his attempts are futile and instead he cries out in anguish and despair,
terribly aware that his beloved Sonya has passed from this world.
Featured Regular Characters: Sonya Rebecchi, Toadie Rebecchi
Guest Cast: Morgan Baker as Callum Rebecchi
Trivia Notes
• This episode had no recap
• This episode had no opening titles, with only Eve Morey and
Ryan Moloney being credited after the first scene
• Scarlett Anderson (Nell) and John Turner (Hugo) appear but are not credited
• Past character Georgia Brooks is mentioned
• Final regular appearance of Eve Morey as Sonya Rebecchi, though the ghost
of Sonya would go on to make an appearance in episode 8903 in 2022, in what was believed at the time to be the last ever Neighbours episode
• The song 'It's Alright' by East 17 would return to haunt Toadie in a 2024
episode, when he hears it on a playlist and is reminded of the day Sonya died
Summary
by Michael
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