"At first, it's dark." "I look for something to dream about but nothing comes, except a little tune" "to send me to sleep, then it comes by itself." "You just have to let yourself slide." "MY ANGEL" "Are you open?" "It says so." "I never saw you before." "They redid the window." "Are you free to sleep with?" "How many of you?" "No, just me." "The door." "I'm cold." "Is it expensive?" "Can't you close the door?" "Where's the effing phone?" "How old are you?" "Twenty-seven." "Got a family?" "Kids?" "No." "Why not?" "Because I can't." "No, up here." "Mumps." "Do you mind sending somebody else in?" "It's me, Peggy." "Peggy who?" " I'm only minding the store." " Put Josie on." "She's not in." "Try tomorrow." "I can't." "I get out today." " Out of where?" " Jail, where else?" "Harvard?" "I'm taking the train." "I get in at noon." "What do you want?" "Who should I ask?" "Anybody?" " Bring the kid to the station!" " What kid?" "My little boy!" "Bring him to me." " Why can't you get him?" " It's too far or I wouldn't ask you!" "I have to hang up." "I have people waiting." "Please don't hang up!" "Get my boy!" "They're turning him out." "He needs care!" "I'll look after him." "I'm sick of it all." "If anything's worse than being a hooker, it's being an unlucky one." "I'm getting out." "Bring my boy to the station." " Bring him to the station!" " No!" "What station?" "Why?" "He has the key!" " Where else could I put it?" " Key to what?" "All my life savings, in the locker!" "Five years on my back." "Add it up!" "It's like getting steamrollered!" " It's mine, not his!" " I don't get it." "Who is "he"?" "Kovarski!" "He owns the joint." "He takes 50% from all the girls." "Not me!" "I can outrun him!" "I'm the one that got steamrollered, not him!" "Ain't you ever dreamed of buying a ticket for another ride?" "Starting over?" "Ain't you ever?" "Yes." "You still there?" " Tomorrow, Central Station." " I don't even know you !" "So?" "We can still help each other." "Ain't you ever heard of corporate spirit?" "Ask somebody else!" "Don't let me down." "You're my last chance!" " Why?" " Because I'm out of credits!" "His name's Billy Karouge." "Berg Hospital in Saint-Jean." " What's wrong with him?" " Berg Hospital!" "I said no!" "I won't go!" "Anybody... anybody got a car?" "I've been waiting for you, you know..." "I've been waiting." "Your key." "Where is it?" "How old are they?" "Eight and four." "You shouldn't go around like that." "You'll get into trouble." " What kind?" " I don't know." "It could make people nervous, leaving all that out on display." "How many stores do business with the blind down?" "Is it hereditary?" "What?" "The glasses." "Don't get me wrong." "I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth." "Do you want to pull over?" "Where?" "Oh, anywhere." "I'm plumb in the middle." "Middle of what?" "The 13th day, since midnight." "That was a parking spot." "13th day of what?" "You know how women are built?" "Picture it, roughly?" "I mean inside." "There's a calendar." "On the 13th day..." "On the 13th day, a woman nestles in her lover's arms, still all hot and steamy, and she whispers in his ear that they might be needing a baby's bedroom." "Not that I've done much whispering in my lover's ear lately." "I haven't had much chance since he left." "That's why I told him..." "I was expecting one." "Now that I've told him, I need one." "Not tomorrow." "I need it now !" "Why else would I freeze to death in a window?" "Another parking spot." "But surely, if you need one quickly... can't you adopt one, ready made?" "No?" "What do you want?" "I've come for little..." "Billy." " Billy what?" " Billy Karouge." "Sign here." "Sign!" "Sign." "What for?" "To take him away." "Don't you have any... any tiny ones..." "How will you take him?" "I don't know." "On foot?" "You're responsible." " For what?" " Him." "No, I'm not responsible." "You are." "Look at me, frankly." "Do I look responsible?" " No." " Right." "But you're still responsible." "We can't keep him." "But look out." "For yourself." "He's ready, there." "Which one?" "With the bag under the bench." "You gonna take care of me?" "No." "Who is?" "Your mother." "Got no other clothes?" "Yeah... but they're small too." " She only brought small stuff." " Who?" "My mom." "The last time she came." "My shoes fit OK." "They're big... but she didn't bring 'em." "When did she last come?" "Dunno." "Would you still recognize her?" "Dunno." "We usually cross here." "We go as far as there." "What's that way?" "How would I know?" "Are you related?" "To who?" "Each other." "No." "I'm Charlie." "I like picking people up." "We sometimes hit it off." "Sometimes." "Aren't you car sick?" "No..." "I can stop, no problem." "Where?" "I dunno..." "Wherever you like." "Got no kids?" "Not yet." "Are you sure you don't mind?" "What?" "Pulling over for a minute." "Somewhere... where we're not all on top of each other." " Hungry?" " No, I'm fine." "We'll stop so you can grab a bite." "No need." "I've got cookies." "They don't fill you up." "I'm full up." " Ice cream." "You like ice cream?" " Yes." " You want one?" " No." "So take a walk!" "Can't you see he's incapable?" "What do you want from me?" "Flashing your butt, giving me a hot knob with your stop-go act!" "What do you want?" "Charlie?" " Why are you yelling at her?" " He's not!" "We're talking." " Does it hurt?" " What?" "A hot knob?" "Screw the two of you!" "Here, he's yelling." "Does it bug you?" "Does it bug you to take care of me?" "Don't you like kids?" "When people talk to you, does it sink in?" "Why am I stuck here with a goose, grinning like he laid a golden egg?" " You laid nothing!" " Telling me." "Don't be rude!" "I'm only doing this to help a stranger!" "Because I'm a soft-hearted twat!" "Now I'm in a hurry, so shut your trap." "Don't speak, don't think, don't ogle my ass, don't get smart." "I take you to your mom, bye-bye." "OK?" "I'm talking to you." "OK?" "Hasn't it started?" "Hasn't what started?" "Me shutting my trap." "Stand where she can see you." "Stay here." "Don't move." "Look that way." "And..." "And..." "I didn't mean to say "goose"." "What did you mean?" "I'll be over there, see?" "I'll come and say goodbye." "Can you take care of him?" "Speak in the hole." "He needs help." "He lost his mother." "Lost her how?" "She isn't here to meet him." " You got a smudge." " Let me talk!" "I've got to go." "Somebody has to find her." "Isn't he old enough himself?" "No, he isn't." " He should make an announcement." " He can't!" "Can't you do it for him?" "No I can't!" "I have to go!" "You should make an announcement." "To who?" "She's nowhere around!" "I have to go." "I'm leaving him here." "No!" "It's a ticket desk!" "Where else can I put him?" "Where?" "Peggy works there." "Come with your mom, you'll get a discount." "It's still there." "Closed." "Try next door." " Is Peggy in?" " We don't do couples." " This is for her." " What?" "She's not here." "Him!" "Lena!" "Know where Peggy is?" "Who?" " Try upstairs." " I'm leaving him." "Not here." "I'm busy." "Peggy?" "Why?" "Don't move." "Where is she?" " Who?" " Peggy." "Too bad." "He can wait." " Need anything outside?" " Some smokes." "Tell her he's here." " Tell who?" " Peggy." "Tell her what?" "She's not here." "I said I'm coming!" "Try upstairs." " What's up?" " He wants Peggy." "She's not here, Peggy." "How about me?" "Who are you ?" "Why do you want Peggy?" " I brought her boy." " Out the back!" "Come here!" "Who said you could come up?" " I can wait outside." " Don't move." "You want to see Peggy, she's in jail." "Go out that way." "I don't and she's not." " Where is she?" " Search me." "I don't know her." "I don't have time for this." " No towels." " You fix it." "Peggy's out." " What's up?" " Peggy's out." "Since when?" " He'll tell you." " Tell us what?" " Sit there." " Who's he?" "Why did Peggy call you?" "She wants her boy." "Here, give him to her." "I'm off." "Out that way!" "How do you know her?" "Sit." "You'll be fine." " Where was she?" " I need to work here." " Did she mention her key?" " Peggy's out." " No shit!" "Where?" " She never had a son." " What's that?" " Since when?" "Peggy's your mom?" " She'll come for him." " You can't stay here." "Stay put, I said!" "You sure he's hers?" " Whose?" " Peggy's." "She's out!" " Out of where?" " Jail!" "He's all yours." "I have to meet somebody." "Take care of him." "Excuse me." "Her son?" "He'll kill him!" " Did she mention a key?" " Tell her to take it and run!" "And never come back!" " He'll hurt her!" " Who will?" " Kovarski!" " Where's the exit?" " This place!" " And us!" "It all belongs to him!" " He'll mangle her!" " Peggy's out!" "She's in the hospital." "They called to ask if she has any family." "Where's the bathroom... please?" "Tarouge?" "Karouge." "KA-rouge." " Tell your mom you need nose drops." " I'm OK." " Was she admitted today?" " I dunno, yes." "Where is she?" "You'll be called." "No need." "Just tell me where she is." "You'll be called." "Take a seat." "So, then..." "They'll call your number." "Look at it closely." " Someone's waiting for you?" " Memorized it?" " You want to go?" " Yes." "You should have left me in the other hospital." "Maybe my mom won't know how." "Not like you." "She isn't used to it." " To what?" " Looking after me." "And you think I am?" "You're doing OK." "People are waiting." "Sit down over there." "Sorry." "Do you know where... if..." "I can get a pregnancy certificate?" "I need one." " How pregnant?" " Just the one." "I mean how long?" " Are you registered here?" " No, it only just happened." "I need proof." "Are you Karouge?" "He is." "Can you come too?" "Where is she?" "What's the matter?" "She tried to get off a train." "A moving train." "Was she badly hurt?" "Quite, yes." "She died an hour ago." "You think she brought me some bigger things?" "Are you relatives?" "He's her son." "Somebody's waiting for him." "Will you take her belongings?" "Not me." "I'm leaving now." "I'm off." "Don't let him stay here." "Take him back where he was." "Go away." "Go away!" "This is none of my business!" "Leave me out!" "I brought you here, that's all." "I don't know you!" "Go away!" "Where now?" " Leave it!" " It's mine!" "Don't touch me!" "Go!" "Wherever you want!" "Just leave me alone!" "Leave me alone!" "Go on, then." "Go away from here." "Go away." "Is that yours?" "It's my son's." "He's having a violin lesson." "I'm waiting." "Can I buy you something?" "Tea?" "Fruit juice?" "A room?" "For 15 minutes or, whatever you like, with me?" "Seeing you there, I thought you might have ten minutes to kill" "and you wouldn't mind doing a favor, an act of charity, given the chance." "I'm your opportunity." "I don't want to pressure you but I'm a golden one, a regular collection box!" "Spare what you can." "I'm not asking much." "Five minutes?" "The key's right there." "Would you mind?" "I'm not going to make it." "Did he say no?" "Didn't he want you?" "Some people just don't want to help." "You'll find one." "One who belongs to nobody." "Like me." "I'm nobody's now." "There's nobody waiting for you, right?" "There is." "So why go asking everybody?" "Have you got a house for a rainy day?" "Did anybody read you stories?" "And afterwards, did you fall asleep in the story?" "Did you slide into it?" " Who lives here?" " The fire brigade." "How many of them?" "Will you ask them all to help you?" "No, to take care of you." "It's the wrong place." "It's all I can think of!" " Give me your hand." " Which one?" "Give it." "Show them." "Don't forget!" "Karouge is spelled with a K, like kiwi." "They won't want me, anyway." "Neither do I!" "Listen." "Listen to me." "I can't even take care of myself, see?" "Yeah." "Tell them... you're all alone." "They'll come." "They'll know what to do." "Me, I don't." "I'll tell you." "Do I keep straight on?" "We're going back." "Turn back, please." "No, don't bother." "Not turn back?" "Yes." "Can't you go any faster?" "Do I stop here?" "Not here." "It was further on!" "You pay for the night, even if you don't stay." "We'll stay." "Two rooms." "There's only one left." "With twin beds." "Dry yourself." "I need to get warm." "Get under the cover." "It's all thin." "Won't warm me up." "Tomorrow morning, I'll take you back where you came from." "And till then?" "Till when?" "Tomorrow morning." "What do we do?" "Nothing." "We're here." "What do you expect?" "Won't he be waiting up for you?" "Who?" "The one who's waiting." "How much is he waiting?" "A lot?" "A little?" "A tiny bit?" "Am I making you late?" "Won't you tell me?" "Am I making you late?" "Still plenty of time!" "Three whole minutes." "To do what?" "To start being late." "No point freaking out beforehand." "I'll see when the time comes." "I'll get upset in two minutes, when today is over." "What happens then?" "Do you like waffles?" "When they're all hot inside?" "There's an exact right time to bite into them." "If you wait a bit too long, they go cold and no good." "Girls are the same." "If you miss the right time to munch them, they miss their go." "Go at what?" "At having a house for a rainy day." "What kind of a house?" "One where you can hear the sea, like in seashells." "A house with somebody waiting." "Waiting a lot?" "Yes, a lot." "To take care of her?" "He takes care of her and she takes care of him." "Takes care of him how?" "By hugging him tight, tight against her." "Does he hug her too?" "Yes." "Because the one who's waiting, he knows that without him, she can't light up anymore." "She's bumping around in the dark, and all the bruises she gets won't heal unless she's in his arms." "What if she misses her go?" "He may not wait much longer." "And she'll lose it?" "Lose what?" "Someone to hug." "Warm waffles can still be good." "Go to sleep." "I can't." "Can't you either?" "Are you feeling it cool down?" "I'm feeling you should shut up." "Why?" "I can feel myself getting annoyed." "How annoyed?" "A lot?" "A little?" "A tiny bit?" "Can you do me a favor?" "Yes, sure." "Shut your eyes and stop talking." "If I shut my eyes, it gets worse." "I can see everything." "Same as now, except you're even closer." "It pushes up on me." "What pushes up on you?" "Inside, you know?" "Like the fizz in a Coke bottle." "If you shake it, it froths up and pushes up on the lid." "Relax, it'll die down." "Relax?" "Did you ever feel that?" "Not like that." "Girls don't have fizz in them." "They have what?" "They have, I dunno... ice cubes." "How does it feel?" "It feels like... sometimes the ice cubes wait too long inside and they melt." "That's why people think girls cry at the drop of a hat." "It's the ice cubes melting." " Can I ask you something?" " Ask." "Not if it bugs you." "Don't, then." "Do you think, possibly, if two people fall asleep together they can have the same dream?" "Sure, if they fall asleep at exactly the same time." "Are you ready?" "Wait." "I'm waiting." "Ready?" "Ready." "Buzz off until next month, then!" "Daddy, daddy!" "Come quick, Daddy !" "Hope I didn't wake you." "All by yourself?" "Could you spare a few minutes?" "Wait in the room." "Go and wait in the room!" "He's here." "We've got to go." "Come here." "I'm a friend of your mom's." "Come here." "Give me what she gave you." " Where's the key?" " What key?" " Where is it?" " Hands off!" " Tell me where it is." " Hands off her!" "Where's the fucking key?" "Stop it!" "Come on!" "Couldn't you stay in the room?" "Can't you ever get off my back?" "I don't want to be in this story!" "I don't want your story!" "I want mine!" "In my story, I get a goddamn break to concentrate!" "Sit down, anywhere." "Something wrong?" "Everything's fine." "Go sit down." "If anyone asks what you're doing, be polite and say you're waiting..." "for the person who looks after you." "What's that?" "Are you hurt?" "Quick, take that off." "Does it hurt?" "You need a doctor." "And get far away from that guy." "Is it your mother's?" "Yes." "When did she give it you?" "When she came to see me." "She tied it to me." "You know what it is?" "Her key." "Now it's yours." "She left it to you." "Don't let anybody take it." "The number on it." " See?" "What's it for?" " To remember?" " Remember what?" " The number." " Come off it!" " Off what?" "The number of what?" " Think." "What's a key for?" " To open a door." "Your mom left all she had behind a door with that number on it." "Remember the station?" "There are lots of doors with numbers." "Find the door with that number, open it, take what's inside and go!" "Where?" "Seven, six." "Go on." "Are you cold?" "Put in the key and turn it." "Hurry." "And then... if you think about your mother, if you like, you can tell her something." "Tell her what?" "I dunno." "Say you're here and you're fine." "I'm not really fine." "I can't tell her a lie." "True." "Don't say anything." "Hurry up." "Go if you want." "For Saint-Jean, change at Ursel." " Where are we going?" " You, home." " Did he find her?" " Who?" "His mother." "Yeah, he found her." "Saint-Jean, you said?" " Two round trips?" " No, one way." " How would you like to pay?" " Cash." " Is there no direct train?" " Not to Saint-Jean." "Sixty-four, twenty." "Are you out of your mind?" "Aren't you cold?" "No." "Aren't you hungry?" "Aren't you thirsty?" "Couldn't you tell me something?" "Doesn't have to be big." "I'll swap it for this." " You know what would be good?" " What?" "Tie up that box and stop giving it away." "You could keep it as a souvenir." "I'll remember enough without it." "Couldn't you tell me for nothing?" "Or if you want a swap," "I tell you a thing of mine, you tell me a thing of yours." "Then we'll be even-steven." "But mine's big." "It's... you're all I've got." "What are you waiting for?" "The other train to take you home." "It's not my home." "It's nobody's home." "Bet they'll kick you out?" "No bets." "I'll take you to the door and then I'm off." "You know what's in there?" "You must keep it with you." "Don't give it or show it to anybody." "It's for you, later on." "Promise?" " I'll promise if you tell me." " Tell you what?" "You know." "We said we'd swap." "Were you always like this before you got out?" "Weren't you?" "Were you less crabby?" "A bit less." "A bit scared, though?" "Scared of what?" "Of missing your go." "Are you scared?" "You think I'll miss it?" "Is it still hot?" "Not so much." "By yourself?" "Nope." "I got rabbits." "Wanna see 'em?" "I have to wait here." "Wait, why?" "She'll worry if she sees I'm gone." "She's worried enough without making it worse." "Who's she?" "Your girlfriend?" "No..." "She's the girl that came for me." "What's she worried for?" "She worries for me and I worry for her." "We worry for each other." "That's what we do." "Aren't you gonna see her?" "We mustn't miss it." "Miss what?" "The next train." "Didn't he want to, either?" "Sure, he wanted to." "He wanted a whole lot." "He had a great big urge to help." "It wasn't his fault." "That door should have been shut." "Someone must have forgotten to shut it." "Someone who couldn't have known." "I couldn't have known either that seeing me in the mirror, sitting beside him on a bed," "we didn't look much like a couple who want to make a baby." "But I can't be too sure because... people sitting on a bed to make a baby..." "I've never seen any up close." "I just..." "I just thought, in real life, maybe it doesn't look like that." "A guy with a train to catch and a girl checking her watch" "because she believes... she believes you can make a story come true by telling it... and tears go away by sniffing." "I thought..." "I thought it was 'cause you were cold." "So did I." "How d'you think it looks in real life?" "Didn't he show you?" "The one who's waiting?" "Is that what he wants?" "For you to make him a baby... or he'll ask someone else?" "No, it was just an idea, to surprise him." "I couldn't think of a present." "You can't go wrong with a baby." "It never fails to please." "We've got to go now." "If you want..." "If you want, you can shut the door... and I can find somebody else" "who doesn't have a train to catch." "I can tell him it's urgent, he has to come quick, somebody's calling for help... and I don't know how." "Or maybe... maybe we could pretend I'm him." "We could say I went to find me, and I came running," "and maybe that's why, because I've been running, that my heart's beating so hard." "It's not because I'm scared." "You're not scared either." "Maybe if you shut the door, it could look like the real thing." "A tiny bit." "It's still beating hard." "Do you think it's normal?" "I think we should go." "You should let go of my hand." "I don't want you to touch me." "Take your hand away." "I don't want it." "This isn't what it's like." "It's not like this." "Coming?" "Could I ask you something?" "I won't if it bugs you." "Back there, in the room..." "D'you think it was like it?" "Like the real thing?" "That the one?" "It's not raining." "But never mind." "How do I look?" "OK?" "You should go." "He's waiting." "It's funny." "It's funny, I imagined... you would open the door... and we'd stand here, like this, not knowing what to say," "and then we'd... we'd move a little closer, just a little, not touching or anything... just to be nearer each other." "So I could tell you... tell you that maybe... we might be needing a baby's bedroom." "What's his name?" "Tom." "You mustn't call me anymore." "You mustn't come back here." "No, I mustn't." "Who's that?" "Is he waiting for you?" "Yes." "He's waiting for me." "He's waiting for me." "What's your name?" "Billy." "Don't you want her?" "Don't you want to keep her?" "You must take her away." "Far from here." "She's a little... a little fragile." "You understand?" "You must take care of her." "Could I ask you something?" "Ask." "I won't if it bugs you." "D'you think it's true?" "If we nod off together, we can dream the same thing?" "Yes, I think so." "We can dream you didn't take me back." "And we'll go far, far away." "Straight all the way." "To a place where ice cubes never run down girls' cheeks." "And then we get there." "FOR SALE" "And it starts to rain." "And you whisper in my ear... we might be needing a baby's bedroom." "D'you think it's true that I'll open my eyes and your smile will be even prettier than in my dream?" "Subtitles by Nigel Palmer"