"MY EVENING WITH MARGUERITTE" " Hello, Germain." " Hi, Paulo." "Missing money!" " Forgot something?" " Yes, I forgot to tell you that besides asshole, you're a thief, it's missing money!" "It would have been enough, if your work was finished." " Get lost!" " What?" "I finished the job." "You thought it'll take ten hours, but I completed the job in eight." "This is Shit!" "Shit!" "Here, you bastard!" "Pig!" " Go away, jerk!" " Shut up, you thief!" "That's not all." "There were ten hours, he owes me two hours." "One, two, three, four," " Five, six ..." " Nineteen." " Are you talking to me?" " Yes, young man, there are nineteen." " What's funny?" " That you called me young man." "You are a young man compared to me." " Do you come here often?" " Almost every day of the Lord." "But something puzzles me." "Why do you count the pigeons?" "Well, to see if any missing, or if there are some new." "See that small with white feather on the wing?" "That one is new, it wasn't there on Saturday." "Yes, I noticed." "I called it White Feather." " You also give them names?" " Yes, to recognize them." "If you look carefully, no two are alike." "All have their own personality, like the kids." "Do you have children?" "No, do you?" "Although, if I you had children..." "You couldn't confuse them." "If they were nineteen, not so sure." "Let's see tell me the name of the other." "The others: we have" "Pedrito and a Bow Tie, always smooching." "This next is Stubborn." "There is Cookie." "The one who always wants to go first is Johnny." "The one with a pen in his beak is Thief." "Always stealing feathers." "And the little one playing smart" "That's called Marguerite." " Well, like me." " Really?" "Yes, my name is Marguerite, with two tees." "It was my father who registered it so." "Could not write very well." "My mother insisted on keeping it like that." "I liked it." "I am the fruit of a love story." " Well, like everyone else." " No, not all." "Some are the result of carelessness." "Well, gotta go." "Perhaps we meet again." "Thank you." "Thank you, sir... your name?" "Chazes, Germain Chazes." "Mr. Chazesen I am delighted having met you." "Thanks for introducing me to your large family." "Do not leave your bag there, these brats will snatch it." "There isn't much inside." "Yes, but..." "That is not written on it." " Hello, Germain." " It's my birthday, a glass!" " A good sparkling wine." " It is "Blanc de blancs."" "And how old are you now?" "That I can'ty say, it's a State secret." " Hello, Yusef." " You look older." " How so?" " Please!" " Screw you!" " Asshole, my shoes!" "Mr. Landremont, want a glass?" "Thanks, my dear friend." "Never alcohol, water for me." "So..." "King beheaded, five letters..." "Spaghetti with tomato!" "Look at the chick there." " I see nothing." " It's the nurse from the ambulance." " It drives me crazy, but I do not know how ..." " Capet!" "Louis Capet, Louis XVI, beheaded in 1793." " Which one?" " The one in pink." "Today's special, Two cheeses in one." "That's not the dish of the day!" " Who is the spaghetti for?" " The girl in the window." "Leave it to me." "I will never see you again." "Don't bother." "You are a perfect bastard, a bastard." "That suits you just fine." " Spaghetti?" " For me." "Will you let me talk?" "Let me talk!" "Stop talking, can't hear you." " And to drink?" " A glass of red wine." "Yeah, yeah, you know what?" "I can't hear you." " Excuse me, are you Marie-Christine?" " No, Stephanie." "No, I said it." "Perfect, she broke up with the boyfriend." "Francine, a glass of Cote de Rhone." " Ready for this?" "She's called Stephanie." " Stephanie?" " You'll bring her the wine." " Are you crazy?" "Now?" " Sure now!" "Wanna wait for tomorrow morning?" "Francine, put everything on my account." "And when are you going to pay?" "It is a State secret, ciao!" "Secret Defense." "Yusef!" " What?" " Come." "Have you finished all that blabber?" "." " Come on, it's the environment." " Sure." " For the domino table." " Do you love me?" "Give me a kiss." " Come on." " Not now." "Oriente Maupassant." "One, two, three, four." "Oriente ..." "A guide." "Guy de Maupassant." "Do not you have thought, sure, Guy de Maupassant." "Sure, the Guide Maupassant It's like the Guide Michelin." "No, the Guide Maupassant?" "Come on, that's a good one!" "Guy de Maupassant like the Michelin Guide?" " What an ass!" " What?" "No, nothing." "Damn!" "That's enough, stupid mechanic!" "Let's see, Chazes." "Don't you know the answer?" "Is Mr. Chazes gone fishing?" "The problem of Chazes is an empty head" "Very, very empty, I think." "Am I wrong, Chazes?" "Got Mail!" "Got Mail!" "Fuck." "OK, I'm leaving it here." "Not funny." "Bravo, you moron!" " I will clean it, Ms. Chazes." " No, leave it." "Move!" "No more nonsense." "At birth, had to get it out with forceps." "Ten hours of torture so big it was!" "Ten pounds!" "Do you know how much is ten pounds?" "Five kilos!" "It amounts to this, a bag of potatoes, rice, oil and margarine." "To end up with that." "That thing eats, costs money, is dirty." "It's all the satisfaction I get?" ""That."" "Refer to a human as "it."" "I would not call "it" a dog." "If you have dog, you say "dog"." " It's me." " Yes, yes.." "People should think twice before making children." "A child is not like a dog to be abandoned on the side of a road." "What are you mumbling about, honey?" "I mumble because..." "I think that...." "To hell with it." "You think what?" "In families with tender moments" "Where they tousle your hair saying "It's the spitting image of his father."" "I'm not a portrait of anyone." "In any case, not of a pair of balls." "Do not talk like that about father." "What do you expect?" "In fifteen words I say twelve of profanity" "Words that spoil everything." "It's what I know, I can't speak otherwise of my father." "I had no example to follow." "I had to figure it all alone." "What?" "I'm glad that you exist." "Every day I say I have luck." " Luck why?" " Because I love you, my darling." "I like to be inside you." "It's where I'm better, so soft, warm ..." "As if it were silk." "Or feathers." "Have you heard the guide Maupassant?" " Hey, Germain." " What?" "Who is it?" "Julien." "Come help, it's Landremont." "He cries, screams, he wants to kill himself." "Shit." "I'm coming!" "Stupid Landremont, goes crazy from time to time." "Since his wife died." " How long ago?" " Three years, had cancer." "Shit." "He calls for help and then he won't open, the idiot." " You had people?" " Annette." " Sorry." " I'm sick!" "Everyone gets on my nerves." "That simple!" " Open!" "Landremont!" "Everyone to hell, is that clear?" "Open up, dammit!" "You won't bring her back by doing all this." "She's dead already." " Do not say it." " What?" " It's worse." " I can not anymore." " Sure, all will be well, if you open." " Open." "Come!" "You don't want us to break the window." "Of course not, come." "Come on, give it to me, don't be a jerk." "Now, now." " I'm going to piss you guys." " Okay, go, go." " He did it again." " Excuse me." "Germain!" "I can't believe it!" "That again?" "I've had enough!" "Yes again!" "Why do you errase it every time?" " It is a public monument." " And why can't my name be on like the rest?" "It is reserved for the dead Don't you understand?" "Should I be dead to have my name on?" "Yes, and dead at war." "That's a good one." "For God's sake, tell me why you do that?" "." "I don't give a shit.." "Good morning, Mr. Chazes." " Are all?" " Yes, all." "Would you like to read?" "I had the opportunity, but it did not happen." "Crabs, enough!" " How are you called?" " Crabs." "I don't understand." "Lice, if you prefer." "Are you referring to pubic lice?" "Yes..." "We also say that of kids, they cling to us like leeches, it's enerving." "Yes, yes, I see comparison with crabs." "That is, you got it." "Yes, I did understand you." "Speaking of," "My friend Zecouk Jojo has a parrot that he named De Gaulle because that parrot always says:" ""I understood, I understood."" "Your friend is a chef?" " Do you know Jojo?" " No, I didn't have that pleasure." "How did you know he's a cook?" "You just called him Jojo "The Cook"." ""The Cook" in English means Le Chef." "Zecouk means ...?" "Sure, sure." "Of course, as the butcher called pâté and the carpenter, Plank." "Jojo Le Chef, but in English." "But, of course!" "I bet even he doesn't know that." "Jojo, with that name, you did well becaming a cook." " What?" " That's it." " Give me a hand." " Let me take it, where?" "At the center, we have a wedding tonight." "Hey, Landremont." "Fortunately, Jojo is a cook." "Look, it's called Zecuk." " What are you telling me?" " Don't you understand?" "Zecuk means "cook" in English." "Don't you get it?" "Over your head, you're really thick." "This guy is impossible.." "Germain, my last name is Pelletier." "My name is Joël Pelletier." ""The Cook" is because I was in England." "It's a nickname." " My name is Pelletier." "That one is a nickname." " OK, OK." "Yeah, as when you're being called "The Moron."" "Don't you feel like peeing again?" "Stop that, Germain isn't more of moron than you all." "Besides, he's the nicest." "What would you like, Germain?" "A glass of white." "Francine, the market on Wednesday, would you lend me the Van?" "Sure, like every Wednesday." "Hello, Germain." "Wow, what a perfume!" "Going to a date?" " Yes, a date with me." "Stéphanie." "Hello, Stéphanie, this is Julien." "Julien is second to none, What do you think of him?" "You will love him." " More than a lot." " Germain, stop that." " He's timid, doesn't dare telling you" " That's embarrassing." "Stay with him, is a good guy." " Plenty of girls after him, believe me." " Germain." "Go help Jojo bring tomatoes from the garden." "We need some, right Jojo?" " But there are plenty of tomatoes feft." " No, there are not." "It's urgent." "Ah, I get it." "Come, Germain." "See you, Stephanie." "Hey, Yusef." "It smells weird." "Look at her." "Go ahead, help yourself, feel free." "When I give to her, she throws them to my face. away She prefers stealing them." " It is not nice what you do." " You plant them in my house, I might as well use them." "You smoke too much, how many times I tell you." "So don't tell me, shut up, especially you." "I wouldn't not want to be the son of a mother like that." "I did not choose her, neither she chose me." "I understand now why you moved out of that house." "Why are you staying so close with your caravan?" " Go further away." " I can go to the end of the world." "Between my mother and I the distance is in our head." "It's something ...it's..." " It's symbolic." " That's it, symbolic." "Besides, my garden is here." "Come and see." "I've planted it all, by myself." "Look, cabbages." "Endive, leeks." "Look at the greenhouse, I built it myself." "Would you like tomatoes?" "Choose yourself." "Beef heart, Crimean black." "And look at these." " Well, what are these?" " Tomato Marmande." "Exactly." "Come on, ladies look how tomatoes go." "The best tomatoes leeks and turnips!" "What a lettuce, oak, batavia, curly." " Ah, like the young lady." " Thanks for the "young lady"." " What would you like?" " Four leeks." "Pick them yourself, Here, the large ones." " Do not have a melon?" " No, melons are there." "Cloclo, Cloclo!" "To accompany the melon, Mr. Seguin has a special wine." "There, four large ones, it's 2.20." "Do you have 20?" "Okay, I have exact thank you very much." "Thank you!" "Pretty and curly." "Remember, we'll bring melons on Friday." " I have a blood test on Friday." " Another?" "That nurse is a vampire." "How is she with you?" " Evasive." " It's better than nothing." "Come, come." "Hello, pretty blonde." " It's taken." " What?" " It's taken." " What you mean taken?" "What guts!" " Good afternoon, Mr. Chazes." " You can call me Germain, if you like." " Really?" " Sure." "I will only do it, if you call me Margueritte." "If you insist, I don't mind." " Agreed." " Fine, then." "I'm late because my nephew and his wife, came from Belgium." "They came without warning, apparently a problem of money." "Did you see?" "I'm telling you all, as if we were in a date.." "A lovers date?" "Mmm.." "looks good that sandwich!" " Would you like some?" " No thanks, I just eat." "Men aren't often seen this time of the day coming to the park." " Do not have a job?" " Yes, I have several." "I pressed the pause button." " I thought about you last night." " About me?" "What?" "About you and our pigeons." "You know, when we rearrange our books" "We always start browsing a couple, at random." "I found a sentence." "Well, I forgot." "I'll find it." ""Can you imagine, for example, a town without pigeons no trees or gardens, where you never hear the thrashing of wings or the crunch of leaves, a nothing to tell us everything? "" ""The change of seasons just seen in the sky the arrival of spring only known by its air or the baskets of flowers brought in from the suburbs by peddlers"" ""A Spring sold in markets. "" " You like it?" " Yes, could you start it again but slowly this time, please?" "Gladly, I apologize." ""Can you imagine, for example, a town without pigeons no trees or gardens...?"" "It can't be." "But it's not bad." " What is the title?" " "The Plague."" " By Albert Camus." " Albert?" "As my grandfather." " I can lend it to you, if you want." " No, no." "You know, the reading for me is..." ""We were 500 when we left, but thanks to the reinforcements, were 3000 thousand when arrivings in Porto. "" ""Upon arrivings in Porto."" "Very good." "Even when he reads, Mr. Chazes makes spelling mistakes." " Would you read another piece?" " Yes, I would." "Suits me fine, I like to read aloud." "But if people see me sitting sputtering on a bench alone," " May take me as a ..." " An old crazy, for sure." "One crazy." "Crazy coming from whistling, hissing, Right?" "In a hurry?" "No, it's alright." "Well, we start then?" "Let's skip the first page to get into action." "The story takes place in Oran in Algeria." " Have you read it?" " No, no." "But I know that Oran is Algeria." "I have another friend, Yusef, and his parents live there." " Oran." " Yeah, well, let's begin." ""From day 18, factories and warehouses spewed hundreds of dead rats. "" ""There were cases in which it was necessary slay the animals whose agony stretched. "" ""Wherever our fellow citizens met," "Rats are piled in garbage cans or long lineups in the sewers. "" "No, I imagine." "Go on, go on." ""In the following days the situation worsened. "" ""The number of rodents grew and the collecting became more abundant every morning."" ""From the fourth day, rats began to leave and die in groups."" ""They came out of dens, basements, cellars, sewers. "" ""Surfacing hesitant in long lines to come staggering into the light, flipping on their backs and then die next to people. "" "It is well written, right?" "Yes, I feel grabbed by the ears, helpless like a rabbit." "Those rats swollen, smelly, screaming," "As if I could see them." "Totally disgusting." "Didn't you read anything by Camus?" ""The Stranger", "The Fall"?" "No, I don't think so." "Well, should we go on?" "Yes, but another day." "I brought you fruit." "Did you whipe your feet?" "How many did you smoke today?" "350 and go to hell." " Why Uncle Georges?" " I'm sick of his face." " But it's family." " All assholes." " Here is your mail." " It's my pension." "Do you want to steal my pension?" "Give it to me!" "Look what I did because of you!" "You asshole!" "Come, sit down." "Let's see what would look good, not blue..." "I got it." "With the Spanish accent, of a flamenco dancer ..." " Do you like dancing?" " I love it." "True, looks great on you." "And making compliments is not my style." "Anyway, I can not afford it." "You'll pay for." " In temperament." " Stop that." " You must collect the rent." " What?" "For where my caravan is." "We'll fix that." "I can also cook for you, Mr. Gardini." "Jean-Michel." "Why do you stick your nose in here?" "Go get my order at the Supermarket and stop looking at me like an idiot." "I have had enough." "Wanna get one?" ""On hearing the screams of joy arising from the city" "Rieux remembered that this joy was still threatened" "Because he knew what the ecstatic crowd wasn't aware of, and that can be read in the books. "" ""And that perhaps the day would come when, for the misfortune and education of men the plague will wake up the rats and send them to die in a happy city."" "There." " Is it over?" " Yes" "We had read "The Plague" in ten days except a few passages." " You have read it." " No, don't say that, Germain." "You are an excellent reader." " Reading is also listening." " Listening?" "Yes, look at the children." "To teach them, we read aloud." "If we read well, if they listen well, they ask for more." "And then, they need it, too." "And become addicted, as with a drug." "I have never taken drugs, nor books." " here, I give it to you." " No, no." "But this time, keep it." "Yes, I insist." "In this World we're just passing things" "I'm passing this book to you." "I have underlined with a pencil all the parts we have chosen, and read." " Thank you." " I won't say "it's nothing"" "because it is not "nothing"." "If you want, I will show you texts" "I particularly liked." "Will you?" "With those gentle eyes of yours, you must have made many men do what you want by saying "Will you?"" "Well, goodbye, Germain." "Goodbye, Marguerite." ""Plague"." "Let's see ..." ""The next day," "April 17 ... "" "The shock was terrible in the South." "The buildings have collapsed, there are 32 dead and hundreds injured." "Hell, there are those who have no luck." "If they don't drop bombs from the sky, the earth moves under your feet." "Then there are times when cholera hits." "Or the plague, as in Oran on the book by Camus." " Have you read Camus?" " Not everything." ""Plague," "The Fall" "The Stranger."" "Since when you're intersted in books?" " What happens to Francine?" " Yusef's gone." " Go where?" " No, with whom." "With Stephanie, the nurse." "I had no idea, I thought ..." "Nobody noticed, but that's it." "Don't give me that look." "Poor thing." "Well, cry or play?" "Do not cry, honey." "Yusef will come back, you'll see." " Come on, Francine, how old are you?" "50." " What?" " I'm 50." " Well, what do you want..." " What do you mean "what do you want."?" "I didn't imagine there was much difference in age." "Yusef knows that an old pot makes better soup." "I'll just say two words." "Bra-vo." "It's normal, I'm trying to help." "Besides, is not the only Yusef" "It's like Dr. Pélisson's car" "Of course you know, come here." "He was just about to scrapp it, but on the end, found a buyer." " Yes." " You are inspired." "Must be well read." " I'm going, I have things to do." " And books to read." "No rush, do not rush to return." "What a jerk!" "What a jerk." "Those idiots" "Maybe they find it funny, but reading is difficult." "I'm telling you because you make fun of me." "Look, read a word, you understand, the second and third." "Still, marking the line with your finger." "Eight, eleven, twelve, and so on, all the way to the period." "But that doesn't help." "The problem is that as much as you try to put them together, the words are loose." "They look like a bunch of bolts and nuts in a box." "Do you understand?" "For those who know, it's very easy." "Look at Marguerite." "You should see the grandmother." "Forty kilos, wrinkled like a dry prune." "With thousands of shelves inside her head, and on those shelves books and more books." " She understands everything." " Hello." " What?" " Your vegetables are so beautiful." "You should do only that in your life, gardening." "I wanted to be a stained glass maker" "Stained glass maker!" " It doen't even exist such word." " Yes, it does." " Want one?" " Quiet, Jacqueline." " Where did you see a stain glass?" " In the church, by the window." "It is beautiful." "You can work as an apprentice at Pyrex, I know an accountant there." "Not bowls, I want to make stain glass." "Making stain glass is not an job." "You find it disgusting?" " Do not touch him, he's my kid." " Shut up." "I finished, it's disgusting." "What did you say?" "Apologize now." "What?" "Apologies?" "Want another?" "Where are you going with this, put it in your manure?" "I do not put in manure, I take the manure out, get out!" "You're blocking my view, move." "I told you to go away." "Now!" "Son of a bitch, you're crazy!" "Out!" "I'll count to three." " One!" " If I leave, you'll never see me!" " Two!" " Okay, Jacqueline, sorry." " Three!" " Damn, you're crazy!" "Bitch." "Fucking bitch." "You'll regret it!" "You're crazy!" "You'll hear from me, and it won't be good news!" "You'll see!" "Hi, Jackie." " Hey, son." " Mr. Mayor, how are you?" " Don't you pick up the phone?" " It's been disconnected." "A Gardini called about a caravan that you are keeping here." " He wants it back." " Let him come, the door is open." "I was told that he lives here." "Lived." " What did he do, that man?" " He hit my kid." "And me." " Do you want to report him?" " I can manage alone." " You aren't threatening me, right?" " Me?" "No." "I was just asking." "Bye, Jackie." " Goodbye, Mr. Mayor." " By the way, do you have a fork?" "No, I have nothing like that." " How long have we known each other?" " Long." " Don't do anything stupid." " No." " And the fertilizer?" " What about fertilizer?" "Ferilizer, fertilizer." "Manure, compost ..." "You can stuff your soil with all that." "If bad, it'll remain bad." "At best, it'll give 4 or 5 potatoes the size of a marble." "But if you have a black ground, thick, lumps, that sticks, it will give you everything within." "You won't need fertilizer." "What's the matter?" "You're special, Germain." "Thank you for all these wonderful veggies, but how do I bring them home?" "I will need a wheelbarrow." " It will take them, where do you live?" " Aux Peupliers." "The residence at the town's end." "An old friend of my mother lived there." "She spent the day playing Scrabble and chewing letters, until she swallowed a "Z" and died." "No, excuse me, Germain, no ..." "It is very sad." "Poor friend of you mother." "An unfortunate accident." "The truth is that I am very well in that residence." "There is good atmosphere." "The staff is very attentive." "You see, aging is cumbersome to others." "But age has an advantage if you get bored, it doesn't last too long." "There is a phrase that got stuck inside my head, it's of the novel we just started." "He says: "Howling like a dog on the grave of his mother."" "Are you sure of that phrase?" "Yeah, yeah, sure." ""Howling like a dog on the grave of his mother. "" " Yes, here it is, you're right." " Yes?" ""We always come back at the grave of our mother to howl like a stray dog. "" " That's it." " Germain, I'm impressed." "You have an excellent auditory memory." "No, not at all." "I just remember what I hear." ""It isn't good to be loved so much so young, so soon. "" " "It may create bad habits"" " What about me?" " I would like to hear, too." "Excuse me, I'm sorry." "Forgive me." ""It isn't good to be loved so much so young, so soon. "" " "It may create bad habits"" ""We look, we hope, we wait."" ""With a mother's love, life makes at dawn a promise it'll never keep."" "This is the title." "The title, "The Promise of Dawn."" "At first, life makes promises that does not keep." "That's exactly it!" "There is the maternal love, and then ..." ""Every time a woman embraces you and holds you tight against her chest, those aren't more than condolences. "" ""We always come back to mother's grave to howl like an abandoned dog. "" ""Never again, never again, never again never again adoring arms will hold you or sweet lips will talk to you about love."" "Well, that's according to the author, Romain Gary, who was passionate about his mother." "Why?" "This wasn't a made up story?" "No, no, is the story of his life." "What if it were the other way?" " The other way?" " Yes" "If not loved by his mother, what would have happened?" "I don't know..." "If someone didn't receive enough love as child, everything is left to be discovered, No?" "I have no idea." "I do not know." " Do you still have your mother, Germain?" " Oh, yes." "How was she with you, as child?" "She did not care." "And now?" "Same thing." "She doesn't care about me." "I'm nobody." "What you say is terrible." "The indifference is the worst thing, especially in a mother." "Jojo says it, no maternal instinct." "Never had it." "I was a mistake, an accident of July 14." "A firecracker." " What is your name?" " Jackie." "Jackie." "Away with the leeks!" "Leeks!" "Leeks!" " Leeks!" " What are you doing?" " Hey, what do you do?" " Leeks!" "Go back to your house!" " What have you done?" " No, no." " What the leeks have done to you?" " Nothing, nothing." "I begin to worry." "This morning she pulled all the leeks out." " The other day, she wanted to paint the cat." " Depends on the color." "Hey, don't start me." " You changed your hair style?" "Looking good." " No, I've changed nothing." " What if you put it in a home?" " Who?" "It will not be Francine." " Your mother." " What?" "She certainly won't go." " You take her by force." " Try it and you'll end up with a fork stuck in your belly." "Okay, okay." "His mother is his mother, in life there is only one mother." " Just what I needed, having multiple." " Stop it, she's not that bad." "She just lost her mind a little." "Like a fish, rotting starts with the head." "Hey, you speak of my mother." " Have a little respect!" " I joked." "At this age, yet I must put up with all your bullshit." " Thank you, Francine." " Very nice." "I like when you wait for me at the stop." " Do you like meatballs?" " You should know by now" " I like everything about you." " Oh, sweetheart." " Careful." " Yes." " Are you staying tonight?" " Sure, why not?" "Make me a boy tonight?" "Many even." "No, I'm serious." "What would you do with a father like me?" "I did not finish primary school, I can not put three words together." "I am zero." "What could I give to a child?" "Love" "How is Francine?" "What do you think?" " She's angry." " Damn ..." "True, Stephanie is young, but she's trouble." "Well, Francine also, but it's safer." " What would you in my place?" " I'm not in your place." "Just being in my place is hard" "In any case, I can say this:" "you end up howling at the grave of your mother like a stray dog." "Well said, you're absolutely right." " You went to play golf?" " No." " Please." " It's for you." " Is it for me?" " Wait" " What is it?" " Please." "Open it." " A dictionary." " As you can see, it is not new." " I've used it a lot." " Yes" " It became useless, you know everything." " Not at all." "But I'm not at the age to travel." "Traveling with a dictionary word by word." "We get lost in a maze." "We stop, we dream." " You like it?" " Very much so." "But Germain" "I think we have not read anything since "The promise of dawn."" " It's true." " What would you like to read next?" "I don't know How about an adventure novel?" "A police story?" "Well ..." "Yes, the Amazonian Indians." "Yes?" "And why is that?" "As a child I had a comics book where I saw how they live." "What a good life." "They walk around naked with a case to cover their ..." "Yes, their sex." "That's it." "They do nothing." "They play the flute, drink, they smoke pot" "They look at topless girls with a feather to cover their ..." "I think I have another thing in my library." "A novel." "Yes, a novel, but you must come to my house." "Well, my home ..." "I do not want to bother you." "Bother?" "Of course not." "Come Tuesday, for a tea." " Tea?" " Yes" "Okay for a tea." "You have to know how to write the word Eh, Jeremy?" "Let's see, "labyrinth"." "L-A. .." "Labyrinth ..." ""Labyrinth ..."" "L-A-B ..." "Y-R-I ..." "With one, or two R?" "What do you think?" "How do you write?" "You don't even know." "Well, see, people's names." "Marguerite." "Marguerite." "With one L." ""Flower name" How easy!" "Thanks for the info, Right?" "Let's see, Annette." ""Anete."" ""Anete."" "Anete." "Wow, it's written differently." "It means "fennel"." "What, good to see, "Germain"." "Where is Germain?" "G-E-R ..." "I have it, Germain, "One, cousin, etc., "good." ""Two, a resident of Germany, Germans," "Burgundians" "Franks, Goths," "Lombard" "Saxons, Teutons, Vandals. "" "Yes, dear, vandals." "Look, we are not alone." "You see, Jeremy." "Let's see "tomato" and then go to bed." "Tomato, tomato." "Tomato, tomato, see, Where is it?" ""Solanaceae"." ""Solanaceae, see olivette tomato or pear. "" "Do not have more variety the tomato pear?" "And the marmande?" "And the San Pedro, Patanegra?" "To say a few." "What, it's not the season?" "Let see Solanum, Solanum ..." ""Family dicoti plants ..."" ""Dicolte ... dicoltilo ..." "decoltedi ... "" "Fuck!" "It sucks!" "I can't believe it!" "You're right, that's Chinese, not for us." "Missing a lot of words, and words meaning nothing ..." "It's not for us." "I'm returning it to Marguerite." "Here are your clothes." "See you tonight." "What did you say?" "What?" "Ah, the shirts." "What a shitty weather, and all these taxes." "That's equality, rain for all." " Who are the flowers for?" " Don't worry, not for you." "Let's see." "4, 5 and 6." " Heck, if has been fixed." "And this shirt, is it from Tutti Frutti?" " Go for a walk, okay?" " Right." "Have you seen the hall?" "They covered it all with graffiti." " Assholes." " Who did it?" "The little morons, as always." "Newly painted!" "What do you drink?" "A strawberry soda." " Those vandals." " Vandals, Teutons, Lombards." " Thugs." " Yes, Lombards." "As you'd say Burgundians, Franks, Goths." " What else?" " I don't know..." "Saxons," "Swabians, Teutons, Vandals." " I'm getting fed up." " Where did you get all this?" "You have a simmering knowledge." " And this?" "A dictionary?" " Touch that and I'll kill you!" " But what is it?" " Well, do not start." "I do not want to see you here, fighting!" " Ciao, Yus, how are you?" " Hello, Germain." "Ah, Yusef." "Bravo, Yusef, I do need bread, but not wet." "Quick, dry yourself." "Come on, smile." "Hey, he's back?" "You see, he's a two-timer!" " That's why the hair and..." " Sure." "You see, Francine?" "As I was telling you..." "Cooking is better ..." "What is it?" "You went bananas?" "Lost your mind, go see a shrink!" " As I said ..." " No, don't say anything." " Don't talk." " Tha's a good one, now I can not speak." "Okay, your turn." "THE RESIDENCE LES PEUPLIERS" " Good afternoon." " Hello." "I came to see Marguerite." "Marguerite... who?" "We have several." " Marguerite with two tees." " Mrs. Van de Veld." " Is she expecting you?" " Yes, for tea." "First floor, down the hall." " Thank you." " Sure." "Germain." " From my garden." " Oh, thank you." "From your garden, even." "Come in." "Walking with the dictionary?" "No, I'm returning it" "No use, not for me." "Not useful?" "Yes, as I don't know how to spell many words, I don't find them." "And when I find them, I don't agree." "For example, in my field" "Tomato varieties, they only wrote one, pear tomatoes." "The other don't grow in the dictionary." "I agree, Germain." "It is very incomplete, I searched "crabs."" " And I'm still looking, it's not listed." " See?" "I didn't even offer you to sit, No, no, not there!" " There ..." " Yes, but it's too late for me." "Clear cutting the Amazon rainforest to make dictionaries, what a waste!" "They are useless." "Idiots!" "No, it's like giving glasses to a shortsighted person." "Suddenly, he sees too much, all defects the holes in himself." "With you I tried to learn, but it hurts." "It was better before, all fuzzy, simple." "I'll make the tea." "It also hurts me to hear you talking like that." "It's it you there?" " In the photo." " Yes" "How about that!" "You weren't much heavier than now." "Where is the camping?" "In Zaire." "Well, the Congo, if you like." "I was sent there in a medical mission, with W.H.O." "What is W.H.O.?" "W.H.O. is the World Health Organization." "Wait, pass me that." "Let me help." "So, you were a famous Scientist." "Let's say a science person, that's enough." "May I serve you?" "Thanks, not too much." " You're doing well here, it seems." " Yes" "But it's very expensive." "My nephew helps me, but for how long?" "His wife doesn't like it." "So, we give up?" "Give up hat?" "The Indians of the Amazon." "I found this novel by Sepulveda." "It is a Chilean writer." "It is the story of indigenous people in a distant country being accused of killing a white hunter." "In fact, the culprit was a beautiful panther." "Then, that's it." "Let the Indians return to their jungle." "Wait." "What is the title?" ""The Old Man Who Read Love Stories."" ""Stunned, he got up holding the machete with both hands and waited for the final combat. "" ""The female moved her tail frantically. "" ""her small ears vibrated capturing all the noises in that jungle but she did not attack. "" ""Surprised, the old man moved slowly to reach his gun. "" ""Why don't you attack?"" ""What kind of game is this?"" ""Cocking the gun, he pointed."" ""At such short distance he couldn't miss."" "And then?" "Next time, Germain." "You're tired." "Well, actually, after today" "I don't think I'll be able to continue reading to you much longer." "Why?" "Because I don't see very well." "I suffer from macular degeneration due to age." "I have spots in the center of the eye." "And these spots increase." "I can hardly read." " This is why the magnifying glass." " Yes" "Soon, my dear Germain will disappear in shadows." "I can no longer count the pigeons." "Can't you have an operation?" "My sight is dying, it cannot be operated at death." "Soon I'll need a cane for avoiding obstacles on the street." "Wait." "I'll take care of the cane." "Who were the flowers for?" "This morning, seeing the bouquet, I thought they were for me." "I've waited all day." "Hoping to see you at each stop." "Why would I bring you flowers?" "Yes... why." "Who were they for?" "I'm not Francine!" "You behave like Yusef!" "Do you love her?" "What is her name?" "Marguerite with two tees, the flowers were for her, this too." "And she's also 95 years old, and yes, I love her." "Satisfied?" "You're mad." "Come sit." "Sit." "Why didn't you tell me?" "How, in what order?" "An elderly woman who counts pigeons a dictionary where your name is "fennel"" "a city infested with rats..." "Who would believe me?" "I believe you." "If you saw her..." "Those fragile legs." "A crystal figurine, like those sold in stationery shops." "like a deer in the window..." "I could break it just like that." "But now..." "she'll see the film in black and gray, and soon, in black and black." "Does it seem fair?" " She's getting blind?" " Yes, blind." "What can I do?" "Spray windshield washer to clear her view?" "Don't get angry, Germain." "I'm not angry, but what will she do, if losing her sight?" "What about all her books?" "Reading is like breathing for her." "When you stop breathing, what do you do?" "You read to her." " What?" " If she can not read, you do it for her." "I'll never be able to." "You must try." "Let me see." "Her cane." "It's beautiful.." "May I help you?" "Yes, I'm looking for a book." "You came to the right place." "Do you know the title, or author?" "No, a book, you know." "Essay, documentary, fiction?" "Well, I don't know a book that tells a story." " A book." " What kind?" "Short." " A novel?" " Yes, a novel would be nice." "Not too big, and easy to read." "A novel... not too big and easy to read." ""How was formed this floating street?"" "It makes no sense, but let's do it." " "What ...?" marine" " Mariners." "Yes." ""What sailors aided by architects, had built in the middle of Atlantic" "on its surface, above a grave 6,000 meters deep? "" "Damn, that's deep." "6000 meters is 6 Km." " Thank you." "So the Atlantic is very deep, not just big." ""A long street slate roofs, several modest shops and immutable. "" "Shit, it starts already and I have no dictionary." " Immutable ..." " Means that do not move." "Like you when we don't agree, you are immutable." "Immutable." ""How was that staying in one piece without even swinging ... "" "Swinging?" "Sure, the waves." "The waves did not wobble." ""The girl believed to be the only one in the world. "" ""did she know at least she was a child? "" " What don't you understand?" " No, it's that I..." "I think of that little girl lost in the middle of nowhere and Marguerite, a tiny sparrow." ""As if she lived, loved, always found about to die. "" ""A human being infinitely disinherited in this" "Aquatic loneliness "" "Faster, again." ""As if she lived, loved, always found about to die. "" ""An infinitely disinherited ... "" "Louder" " Like when we make love?" " What?" " You say "Faster, Harder"." " Stop it, Germain." " What's wrong?" " I like making love, but not to speak of it." "Continue." "The beautiful Cadiz has velvet eyes ..." "What are you doing?" "You're crazy, give it to me!" "Give it to me, give me the hose!" " Why are you watering?" " Do not touch me!" "Let me go, let me go!" "I'm calling the police!" " No, come on, get in house." " Help!" " Get inside!" " Help, help!" " Go up." " I'm your mother, dammit!" " Go upstairs, Mom." " Leave me alone!" " Go up." " You're hurting me!" "Enough, up, watch your head." "You're hurting me, asshole!" "I'm tired, I get tired." " I get tired." "Lie down." "I'm tired." "I'll make coffee." "Now, I'll tell you who your father was." "Luis Mariano!" "I used a soldering iron." "This is why you see black around the eyes." "Then I polished it with sandpaper," "After with a chamois and then I painted it." "Well, what do you think, is it nice?" "I'm not detesting it, Germain." "It's a litotes." "Like "You are ugly" when actually you mean to say "You are beautiful"" "That's a litotes." "I'm not detesting it it means "I love it."" "I love it, Germain." "Do not open your eyes, I have another little surprise." " Why, what is it?" " Eyes closed." "Here, "What sailors...'" ""What sailors with the help of architects, had built in the middle of Atlantic on its surface, above a grave 6,000 meters deep? "" " It's called "The Girl In High Seas."" " By Jules Supervielle, go on." ""A long street slate roofs," "modest shops, immutable.. "" ""How was that staying in one piece without even swinging ... "" "Like it?" "Very much." " Should I continue?" " Please, do.." "Close your eyes." ""The girl believed to be the only one in the world. "" ""did she know at least she was a child? "" "Wow, "Save the World"!" "Now, that you've saved the world Pay us a round." " Gentlemen." " Listen to him." "You won't give us a chance?" "I have no time." "No time to chat and play with friends?" "What is going on, Germain?" "You stopped drinking, use words we don't understand" "You leave us, what's happening?" "True, you've changed We liked you better before." "He's going to stop fucking, too." "Poor Annette." "I don't fuck with Annette anymore, you're right." "Now, we make love." "I know, 5 or 6 extra words." "Too bad." "And if you don't like me that way, I don't give a shit." "And that's not a litotes." "Today's Special!" "Fuck." "She left the lights on." "You could turn them off downstairs, at least." "Mom." " Maitre, it's Mr. Chazes." " Oops, I forgot." "I was expecting you, good morning." "My sincere condolences, Please, sit down." "Well, let's see." "With no other heir your mother's house is now yours." " In addition to the amount of ..." " The house?" "Yes, her house." "But, she was s tenant." "She was." "Over the years, she purchased it from Mr. Blondeau." "She saved every penny." "She did overtime at the factory days, nights" "And she did well because, suddenly, six years ago, the old Blondeau died." "It was for you all this." "She never told you?" "She also left you a box." "I haven't even opened it." "GERMAIN DESPUIS AND I , JULY 14" "Your father?" "They are my parents." " What's this?" " Well..." "This plastic." "I told you I had not opened it, but when I saw it, I ..." "As she said, it's a piece of... of your umbilical cord." "Do you realize?" "Not a look, a word." "Never." "And for years was devoted to saving money for me just for me." " Can you believe it?" " I think so." "What will I do with all this?" " Except for the photo." " May I see the photo?" "They were very young and good looking." "How long were they lovers?" "Long." "Long time." "At least five minutes." "I am pregnant, Germain." "I am pregnant." "Easy, easy." "Careful." " Stop, stop." " What happened?" "I have to tell Margueritte." "Here, the box." "See you tonight." "She's gone." " What do you mean gone?" " Her nephew came, with his wife.." " But why they took her?" "They couldn't afford it anymore." " When did this happen?" " This morning." " Without warning?" " We were warned, but not her." " She's not coming back?" " I don't think so." "They've taken everything in a pickup Grandma, furniture, books." " Do they live far?" " In the middle of nowhere." " Where is that?" " Northeast of Belgium, almost Holland." "We do have the address." "Did not live a note, something?" " She left this for you." " Ah, thank you." "Princess." "Caramelo, Pedrito." "Bow, Thief." "Cripple." "Plump, you're back." "Marguerite." "Hello, I came to see Marguerite." "Hello, Margueritte doesn't live here." " You're the nephew?" " Yes, but she does't live here." " Where is she?" " Who are you?" " I'm Germain Chazes, her friend." " Yes" "You know, we supported her as we could, but could not continue keeping her." " We are not millionaires." " Where is she?" "Dear, do you have the address?" "Wait, she'll get it." "Ms. Van de Veld." " No, Van de Veld." " Wait." "Do you think we can go now?" "I's OK?" " What a great surprise." " Ah, you have wheels." " Can you go through?" " It has wheels, come on." "Did not realize, Germain?" "This is kidnapping." "Without completing the forms." "Without authorization from my family." "No exit visa." " Embroglio!" " "Embroguglio"?" "By the time I find it in the dictionary, we'll be home, already." "At home, what home?" "I have no home." "Sure, in my house." "Ah, Germain." "Those sandwiches, still looking so good." " Will you?" " Yes, yes, this time I wsnt.." " Thanks." " Please." " Bon Appetit" " Thank you." "A rare find, between love and tenderness," "She had no other address" "She was named after a flower and lived among words." "Adjectives pulled by their hair verbs that grew like weeds, some entering by force" "He entered softly, from my skin to my heart." "In love stories there is't always just love." "Sometimes there is't a single "I love you" Yet, we do love." "A rare find." "I met her by chance in the park." "She did not take much space the size of a pigeon with its feathers." "Wrapped in words in names, like mine." "He gave me a book, and another pages that exploded in front of my eyes." "Do not go right now, it's not the time, wait." "It is not the time, little flower." "Give me some more of yourself." "Give me some more of your life." "Wait." "In love stories, there isn't just love." "Sometimes there is not a single "I love you"" "Yet, we do love.each other."