"Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Look, a warm scarf." "They won't be able to stand it." "They have to stand it for their own sakes." "They'll never get used to it." "I know them." "The two of them are one." "Everyone has to live their own life." "Say goodbye to your Father." "He must go back tonight." "Boys, write down everything that happens to you in this notebook." "There is a war going on." "We're a family even if we are apart." "I want to know about everything." "About everything." "Don't leave out a thing." "There is a war going on." "14 August, 1944" "Father and Mother don't know we eavesdrop on them in the evenings." "Father thinks twins attract too much attention in wartime." "So we are to be separated." "Mother is crying." "We don't cry." "We won't let them separate us from each other." "'cos we can't live without each other." "We're coming from the big city, All night long..." "Come!" "Hurry up, will you!" "Wait for me here." "Mother!" "Mother, can you hear me?" "For years you didn't think of me." "You didn't come." "You didn't write." "You know why." "I did love my father very much." "And now, you remember your mother too, and expect me to help you?" "I ask nothing for myself." "I just want my children to survive the war." " Why bring them here?" " They ARE your grandchildren." " How many are there?" " Two." "What did you do with the rest?" "Bitches bear litters of four or five." "They keep one or two and drown the rest." "Do they at least have a father?" "I wasn't invited to the wedding." "She is your grandmother." "You will stay with her for a while." "Until the war is over." " Open your mouth!" " What?" "Open your mouth!" "Stay strong." "You must survive this until I come back for you." "The war could still last for a long time." "I'll put them to work." "Food isn't free around here." "Whatever happens keep up with your studies!" "You mustn't give them up!" "My darlings..." "Be good." "I'll write soon." "Mum!" "Mum, don't go away!" "Mum!" "Go!" "Not once did she show up in the past twenty years!" "I'll teach you a lesson!" "You stay outside, sonsabitches!" "Grandmother is mother's mother." "Before coming to live in her house, we didn't even know that our mother's mother was still alive." "We call her Grandma." "She calls us sonsabitches." "Get to work, sonsabitches!" "Grandmother lives on the very edge of town." "Damn you two!" "Nobody comes there, except for the postman." "That's all I need!" "Your cursed mother..." "She only has one neighbour, an old lady who is blind and deaf." "The hell with all this crap!" "No one likes Grandmother." "People just call her the witch." "They say she poisoned her husband, our grandfather." "We didn't even know we had a grandpa." "I'm hungry." "I see you're getting it." "You have to earn your food." "It's not about that." "Working is bad, but it's much worse looking at somebody else toiling." "Sonsabitches!" "So you felt sorry for me?" "No, Grandma." "We just felt ashamed." "You've earned your food." "So, Sonsabitches..." "This is where you're going to sleep." "Potato soup!" "Eat!" "You go get some firewood, I'll bring the water." "Unfortunately we must do certain jobs for Grandma," "Otherwise she beats us and locks us out for the night." "We study, just as we promised Mum." "And whatever happens to us we write it down in Father's notebook." "We have Father's encyclopedia and the Bible we found here to study from." "We use the Bible for reading, dictation, and to improve our memory." ""Wake and behold the Lord's house and altar."" "We already know the Ten Commandments by heart." "Sonsabitches!" "Wake up!" "Come on, out!" "Go on, get to work!" "Hurry, hurry!" "You go for firewood, I'll fetch the water." "We have to write down what happens, what we see, what we hear and do." "We have a simple rule to decide if our writing is good or bad." "It has to be true." " A great party." " Yes, I liked it a lot." " Who are you?" " Who are you?" " We live with our Grandma." " They live with their grandmother." " Are you hungry?" " Are you hungry?" " No." " We're not." "Yesterday a German officer moved into Grandma's other house." "The officer is the Commander of the camp beyond the border." "The foreign officer" "But he spends the weekends at Grandma's place." "Grandma's house is surrounded by a garden," "There is a spring at the end of the garden." "Then comes the forest." "On the other side of the spring is another country." "We're not allowed near the barbed wire because guards might shoot us." "Barrack 2!" "Roll call!" "There's a war going on." "And people kill each other in war." "Koszeg from the West" "It's two weeks since Mum left." "She hasn't sent a letter since." "Fresh radishes, ladies!" "Come, take some." "I have lovely apples, buy one for your child." "I have compotes as well!" "And sausages!" "Fragrant sausages and beans." "I have beans, madam." "What is it?" "Hey, hey. hey!" " Damn you, bitch!" " Stop her!" "Stop!" "Catch the thief!" "Catch her!" "Catch her!" "Catch her!" "Thieves, thieves, thieves!" "They're fuckin' thieves!" "Run!" "Thieves, thieves, thieves!" " Let my brother go!" " I didn't steal anything." "I didn't." " What did you steal?" " Nothing!" "I'm not a thief!" " Talk, damn it!" " I'm no thief." "I didn't steal a thing." "Come here!" "Go on!" "Speak." " What did you steal?" " I'm no thief!" " What was it you stole?" " I didn't steal anything!" "The first lesson is to train the body." "Grandma beats us every morning." "She beats us with a wet towel pulling our ears in the meantime." "The postman, the innkeeper and others also slap and kick us." "We don't even know why." "We decide to train our bodies to take pain without crying." " It doesn't hurt!" " Thief!" " It doesn't hurt." " Sonofabitch!" " It doesn't hurt." " Dirty pig!" "Scumbag!" "Shithead!" "For a start, we slap each other and then move on to punching as well." "Stand up!" "At first we cry out in pain, 'cos it hurts so much." " Dirty pig!" "Scumbag!" " It doesn't hurt, it doesn't..." "It hurts so much..." "It hurts so much..." "It hurts so much..." "It doesn't hurt!" "It doesn't hurt!" "It doesn't hurt!" "It doesn't hurt!" "Dirty shithead!" "You pig!" "You filth!" "Potato soup!" "Bring wood!" "Fetch water!" "Mum hasn't written for at least a month." "It stinks." "Picky, are you, sonsabitches?" " It's shit." " Shut your mouth!" " More!" " Give me one, too!" "Here!" "Look..." "We're turning the other cheek, just like the Bible says." "What the hell are you doing?" " What..." " It's just a game!" " Fuck!" " Stop shouting, hit us instead!" "Fuck!" " What the fuck is going on with you?" "What?" " Nothing!" "Hit us!" "Just hit us!" "What is this?" "Hit me!" "It doesn't hurt." "Go on!" "Hit me!" "God damn it!" "We spy on Grandma every evening from the attic." "She always gets very drunk and keeps cursing our grandfather." "You damned pig!" "You just got what you deserved." "Grandma hides different kinds of treasure in her chest." "Come here, my precious." "Come here." "Those sonsabitches." "I won't let them take these from me." "I must hide them." "I will hide them." "I won't give them away." "Not to anyone." "I won't." "I won't give them away." "They can't prove anything." "Nothing." "The neighbour's daughter steals everything she can." " Thief!" " Don't hurt me!" " We've often chased her from our garden." " You can't catch me!" "When she comes to steal from us, we punish her for what she did to us." "What's your name?" "Stop kicking!" "It hurts, doesn't it?" "There you go!" "I'm not afraid of you." "Do you want to play with me?" "We never play." "I do." " And I steal." " Stealing is forbidden." " You steal, too." " Stealing is a sin." " Is it?" " Yes, that's why." "What about my mother?" "She's deaf and blind." "She needs to eat." " You steal for your mother?" " She steals for her mother!" "That's for you." "My poor mother is deaf and blind." "Harelip says the mail is slow because of the war." "That's why we get no letters from Mum." "Harelip is our best friend." "She also teaches us how to steal." "She is very brave, and she's not afraid of anything, not even bombs." "We have to learn not to be afraid of anything, too." "Not again!" "Not again!" "Don't leave anything here." " Get out!" "Get to the shelter." " Let me go!" "Everyone will die." " Get out!" " We won't go to the shelter." ""Practising blindness and deafness."" "I'll be the blind one." "And I'll be the deaf one." "Do you hear it too?" "I don't understand." "I can't hear the planes." "Aren't you scared?" "I'm very scared." "I'm very scared." "I can hear the planes." "They're flying low." "They're full of bombs." "Run!" "I am your friend." "Friend." "Friend." "Snow has fallen." "The roof of the attic has collapsed." "The trains come less and less often into town." "Every week we go to the station, but Mum never comes, even though she promised." "Next week we won't go anymore." "We don't even know when we last saw Mum." "I'm hungry." "I'm hungry." "I'm hungry." "Come." " Why are you lying here?" " I haven't eaten in four days." "I don't want to be a soldier." "I'm starving to death." "I'm starving to death." "They mustn't see me." "They would shoot me dead." "I haven't eaten in four days." "Shall we bring you something to eat?" "Anything!" "But you can't tell anybody." "Not even your mother." "You can trust us." "Soldier!" "Soldier!" "We're here!" "We got you some blankets." "And some food." "Run!" "We bury the soldier's weapons opposite Grandma's house, under the bench just outside the officer's window." "We don't want to die like that soldier." "We decide to endure starvation much longer than he could." "Are you done with all your chores?" "You can go and check." "All right, you deserve your food." "We have mushroom soup." "What now?" "We won't eat anything for four days now." "We'll only drink water." "Fine." "You don't have to." "But you'll have to work as before." "Where are you, little ginger one?" "That's right!" "Smells good, doesn't it?" "You two want a leg?" "We can do it." "We realized that if we work non-stop then we don't feel so cold." "Everyone is starving in town." "We only have potatoes left." " God bless you!" " Good day to you." "Here, give it to me." " Give it me." " Wait, you must sign for it." " Sign it?" " There." "Like that." "A cross will do." " God bless you!" " All the best to you, too." "What do you want, sonsabitches?" ""My dear children," "I haven't seen you for a long time." "My little darlings, my dear ones." "I miss you so much." "I love you very much." "You are all my joy." "I promise, I will never abandon you." "I hope you are fine."" "It wasn't nice of you." "We're freezing." "We don't have warm clothes." "And you keep them here?" "Hide them from us?" "Things our mother sent us!" " No!" " Let go!" "No... no!" "Rot in hell!" "Bitch." "She won't come back, anyway." "She's never coming back." "Never." "We have to forget the loving words of our mother, because no one says things like that to us now, and because remembering them hurts so much." "We don't want it to hurt so much." "SCUM!" "SWINE!" "BASTARDS!" "PIGS!" "FILTH!" ""Training the soul."" "My dear ones!" "My treasures!" "My boys." "I love you." "I will never abandon you." "Never." "I miss you very-very much." "Don't be afraid." "Stay strong." "Don't be afraid." "I miss you very much." "Stay strong." "You mustn't stop your studies." "No matter what." "I love you." "Only you." "You are all my joy." "I always think of you." "I'll never abandon you." "I love you." "Only you." "I love only you." "You are my only joy." "SWINE." "IDIOTS." "BASTARDS." "I love you." "I love only you." "You are my only joy." "I love only you." "Only you." "My beloved darlings." "I'll never abandon you." "Dirty... scumbag... villain... thief... shithead... scumbag... bastard..." "scoundrel... you fuck..." "murderer... scoundrel.." "bastard... miserable... beggar... bastard!" "Grandma!" "Open the door!" "Grandma!" "What is it?" "Roast it!" "Who let you do that?" "Who do you think you are?" "I'm the boss here, you snotty brats!" "Roast it!" "I won't." "I'd rather die." "All right, I'll roast it then." "You don't know how to do it." "You dirty scoundrels." "Why has God cursed me with you?" "It was my best chicken." "You love killing, don't you?" "You fetch water!" "And you bring some wood!" "Bastards!" ""Practising cruelty."" "We don't like to kill, but we have to get used to it." "We begin with killing beetles." "Then we go on to fish." "We grab them by the tail and smash their heads... against the rocks." "Later, we also kill animals that we don't have to." "We catch a frog and nail it to a plank." "We cut open its stomach." "We catch butterflies and staple them on paper." "Soon we have a large butterfly collection." "It is December." "Christmas is coming." "The officer celebrates with his friend." "Caps!" "I saw you beating each other with a belt." "Was that also an exercise?" "The officer says he saw you beating each other with a belt." "It was an exercise to train our bodies." "It was for bodily fitness." "Why?" "The officer asks why?" "So we get used to pain." "To get used to pain." "Do you like pain?" "You like pain?" "No." "We just want to conquer pain..." " ...cold..." "... and hunger." "No, they just want to conquer pain, cold and hunger." "Yes..." "I understand." "You are great boys." "The officer admires you." "These brats are annoying me." "Kick them out." "Are you jealous?" "Of them?" "Ridiculous." "Two little savages!" "They're cute, don't you think?" "I've had enough!" "I'm leaving!" " Don't be an idiot!" " Out!" "Slowly, everything freezes." "Our hands and feet are full of sores and lesions." "We itch all over." "We have lice." "The people in the town are weak." "They die easily." "But we are strong... and trained." "We won't die so easily." "Harelip!" "Harelip, do you hear us?" "Harelip!" "Harelip!" "Let us in." "It's us!" "Harelip!" "Harelip!" "Look at me." "Is your mother here?" "Where is she?" "Is she still alive?" "I don't know." "It's be so good to have some money." "Ask the Reverend." "He gave me money to show him my hole" "and some more so I wouldn't say anything." "The church is just next to the inn." "Go there!" "I didn't do anything to that girl." "Who is this Harelip, anyway?" "No one will believe what a retarded girl says about me." " That girl is lying." " It doesn't matter who's telling the truth." "Do you at least know what this is called?" "Yes, Reverend." "It's blackmail." "The Lord is testing me." "Come on Saturdays." "But don't think I'm giving in to blackmail." "I only do it out of charity." "Can I help you?" "We're looking for waterproof rubber boots." "Boots with a lining cost a lot." "We have money." "That's only enough for one pair." "You're the same size." "You can take turns wearing them." "That's impossible." "We go everywhere together." "Go and ask your parents for money." "We have no parents." "We live with the witch." "Poor things." "Try these on!" "Put the money away." "Buy some warm socks instead." "Thank you very much." "Good afternoon!" "Good afternoon!" "Good afternoon!" "I came to get some potatoes for the Reverend." "People say you have potatoes." " How much do you need?" " Ten kilos." "Wait." "Oh my God!" "You look very handsome." "And you look very dirty." "Come on now!" "You're not afraid of me, are you?" "We are not afraid of anyone." " Don't you ever wash?" " It's none of your business." "Will you let the boys help me?" "I don't mind if they're willing." "Then come on, boys!" " When will you bring the money?" " In two days." "Come on!" "Are you going to be here in the meantime?" "You aren't embarrassed in front of me, are you?" "I could be your mother." "Then I'll start." "You see." "I'm not embarrassed in front of you." "You are just young boys, little boys." "Come on in." "I want to cut your nails." "Come on!" "What a pity you aren't older." "It is really good to play with you." "Come on, come on!" "Faster!" "Move it, dirty Jew!" " Get back in line, you louse!" " Wait!" "Wait!" "Catch the shoemaker, too!" "You lousy Jew!" "Snotty Jew!" "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" "Jew, get in line!" "Are you hungry, Jew?" "Move it, hook-nose!" "Faster, Jew!" "Faster, faster!" "Move it!" "Go on, eat!" "The shoemaker was our best friend." "You are too sensitive." "It's none of your business." "Those people are animals." "Dad always said, if somebody does something wrong, he must be punished." "Because that's the only way he'll learn." "Our mother used to say, don't be afraid, God sees everything." "He will know the righteous ones." "They killed the shoemaker in his workshop with his own hammer." "He was a righteous one." "Here is the money." "Can you read?" "Of course, Reverend." "There you go." "This has beautiful stories about Christ and the lives of the saints." "We know those already." "We have a Bible." "So you know the Ten Commandments." "Do you keep them?" "No." "We don't keep them, Reverend." "Nobody keeps them." "It is written: "Thou shalt not kill!"" "But everybody does." "Grandma!" "Grandma!" "Grandma, where have you been until now?" " I saw a wolf..." " Come." "Come home." "Who's feeding the pigs?" "You see?" "Sonsabitches!" "Are you the witch's grandchildren?" "You are the witch's grandchildren." "She's not a witch." "Shut up, I wasn't asking you!" "Separate them!" "Sit down!" "Let me go!" "Did you see a dead soldier in the forest?" " We did not." " Liar!" "You are both lying!" "There was a dead soldier there, but we didn't find his weapons." "Take the other one outside!" "Come here!" "Wrap a cloth around his ears!" "He mustn't hear a thing!" "Pig!" "Let me go!" "When was the last time you brought firewood to the parsonage?" " Two days ago, Tuesday morning." " I told you to plug his ears!" "Let me go!" "I'll go outside." "You're not going anywhere." "You'll listen to this." "You like the maid, don't you?" "Let go!" " Do you like the maid?" " I like her." "Do you know what happened to her?" "When she lit the fire this morning, the stove exploded." "Her whole face is gone." "I'm happy she is alive..." "after such an accident." "You stay!" "You stay." "What did you say?" "What did you say?" "Enough of this nonsense!" "It's YOU, who bring firewood to the parsonage!" "It's YOU, who walk around the forest all day!" "It's YOU, who rob corpses!" "You're capable of anything." "Anything..." "Why didn't you tell me?" "How could I know?" "I'll do anything." "I'll do anything." "Just tell me what to do." "What should I do?" "It's not the blows that hurt most." "We can stand them." "We're strong and steeled." "But when they separate us, that is the most painful." "Then we almost die." "Sonsabitches, you're back!" "I brought some milk." " Out!" " Fuck your mother!" "Wankers!" "They are MY grandchildren." "Our friend, the officer, left without saying goodbye." "And now it's only the three of us." "The Germans from the camp have also left." "They're probably scared." "Everybody says... the war is over." "Grandma tells us to visit the empty camp to see if there is anything left there." "In the camp... we found nothing." "A new army is arriving." "Foreigners." "They speak another language." "Grandma says they break into all the homes." "They steal... everything they can." "They are the liberators." "That's what everyone calls them." "Get out of here!" "You aren't deaf?" "No." "And I am not blind either." "She's dead, isn't she?" "Was it the soldiers?" "She invited them in." "There were so many." "She died happy." "It's me they should have killed." "You want to die?" "The neighbour's house has burnt down." "They burnt in there, she and her daughter." "That crazy girl must have left something on the stove." " Sure, Grandma." " They forgot something." "I want to tell you a secret." " What is it you want?" " Come closer!" "I'll tell you where your Grandfather's treasure is hidden..." " We already know that." " What is it you know?" "That the treasure is hidden in Grandfather's grave." "Sleep now, sonsabitches!" "Come!" "Come quickly!" "Get in!" "Don't bring anything, just come." "Come on!" "Who's that?" "Your little sister." "Hurry up!" "We've no time!" " Where to?" " Stop asking questions!" "Come!" "We don't want to leave." " We don't want to leave." " What are you doing here?" "What have you got there in your arms?" "We have to leave." "Come on, bring them!" "I came for my sons, Mum." " I'll send some money." " I don't need money!" " And I won't let the boys go!" " Come on now." "Lieutenant, help me, please!" "Damn it!" " Let's go!" " Leave us!" " Who are you?" "Let go of us." "Let go!" " You scum!" " Who are you, anyway?" " Who are you?" " Scum!" "Damn!" "Fucking bastards!" "What the hell?" "I told you they don't want to go with you." " I order you to get in the car right now!" " They don't take orders." "They are my children, don't keep them from me." "I'm not holding them back." "Go with your mother!" "Please." "We don't want to go away." "Come!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "Don't look!" "Lord, give them... eternal... eternal... peace." "Rest..." "Rest in peace." "Grandma!" "Grandma!" "Grandma had a stroke, so we have to do all the work ourselves." "Let go of it now!" " Let go!" " Why are you following me?" "Let go!" "I'll do it." "Sonsabitches!" "Listen to me carefully." "If..." "I have another stroke..." "This..." "You pour this into a cup of milk." "Do you understand?" "Do you?" "If you can't... do this for me..." "then you're ungrateful..." "Will you do it?" "Will you do it?" "Will you?" "We'll do it." "If that's what you really want... then we'll do it." "Good." "Thank you." "You've grown." "Where have you been?" "In captivity." "Where is my wife?" "Well..." "She did have a husband, after all." "Yes." "I'm the husband of your daughter." "They are my sons." "They are..." "They are... my sons." "And where were you until now?" "You don't give a shit, old witch!" "Where is my wife?" "You could thank me for all I've done for your sons." "Thank you." "Where is my wife?" "Where is she?" "What's this?" "A baby." "Our little sister." "Everybody must be buried in a graveyard." "It's the law." "By morning Grandma had had another stroke." "And we helped her die just as she asked." "Now she lies next to our mother." "In the garden." "We're left alone." "But we continue our studies." "We don't stop." " Show me." " What?" "Your hands." "You don't have any nails." "They ripped them out." "They're rounding up all the men in town." "I have to get across the border." "We know the border." "There's no way to cross it." "There are mines." "I'd rather die than stay here." "Why don't you stay here with us?" "Why?" "At night we dig everything up from Grandfather's grave." "One for you, one for me." "The war is over." "It's peace now." "But not for us." "We haven't learnt the most important lesson yet." "We know a place, but it's risky." "We'll come with you to the border tomorrow." "Good night!" "We'll wake you in the morning." "Sweet dreams." "Good night." "First of all, you have to make it to the first barbed wire without running into guards or being spotted from the watchtower." "The area between the two barbed wire fences is dangerous." "There are mines there." "The mines are arranged in a zigzag." "Every step is dangerous." "But there is a way across." "If you take big steps, you might just make it." "The last lesson is... the separation." "Go, Father!" "You've got 20 minutes till the next patrol." "If you take big steps, then it's possible to cross the border." "Yes, but for that to work, you must send somebody ahead." "Take this with you." "I don't want it." "Take care of yourself." "In Memoriam Agota Kristof"