"We're in England." "In the heart of Yorkshire." "In the town of Hutton Buscel." "As in every village, there's a church, a cemetery, an Indian restaurant... and a school." "This is the school principal, Toby Teasdale." "This is his wife, Celia Teasdale." "Toby Teasdale's best friend, Miles Coombes." "His wife, Rowena Coombes." "The whole town gossips about her." "Lionel Hepplewick, the school caretaker." "His father, Joe Hepplewick, the town poet." "Sylvie Bell, the maid of the Teasdales." "Josephine Hamilton, the mother of Celia Teasdale." "She's very discrete." "And then there's Irene Pridworthy, the vice-principal of the school." "It's the beginning of summer." "Celia Teasdale is doing the spring cleaning." "They must be in the shed." "I'll have a look." "Sylvie, can you continue with the attic?" "I'll be right back." "Damn." "Can't you hear the door bell?" "Open the door." "Mr Hepplewick." "You're busy, aren't you?" "I'm having a little break." "Time for a cigarette?" "Nice weather, isn't it?" "I hope it's going to stay like this." "After all the bad weather..." "It's going to be nice until Thursday." "Then the clouds come, in the late afternoon." "There's a chance of a shower, but all the signs say we'll have a hot weekend." "Will it be hot all day long?" "I think so." "You should be a weather man." "Impressive how you predict the weather." "What can I do for you?" "I promised to stop by." "What for?" "Did you forget?" "A while ago, your husband and you asked me to have a look at your garden." "Of course, I remember now." "Now that the sports field is finished, I have time for your garden." "Well, that's good." "And this is our garden." "We don't have green thumbs." "I can see." "To be honest, we don't spend a lot of time on it either." "Handy, this little shed." "It's full of junk." "The previous principal, Cowlishaw, built it." "He was a very good gardener." "Did you know him?" "No, in his time, your father was still the caretaker." "Isn't his name Joe?" "How is he?" "He's still very energetic." "He has a bit of a problem with his knee, but other than that, he's fine." "Does he miss your mother a lot?" "He's coping pretty well." "She was ill for a long time, wasn't she?" "Yes." "To be honest, we were quite relieved when she died." "At that stage, she was as thin as this." "Really?" "How thin?" "As thin as my fist." "From 95 kilos to as thin as a fist." "Yes, that's very little." "This thin." "I think it'll work." "We'll make something of it." "Shall I give you a tour?" "That won't take long, because this is all there is." "I'll make some tea." "Or do you prefer coffee?" "I never say no to a cup of tea." "I'll be right back." "Hello, Mr Coombes." "Everything alright?" "Is the lady there?" "No, she's making tea." "I'll be back later then." "Alright." "She wants to know if you want sugar." "One moment. 15, 18, 3." "Do you want sugar or not?" "Three lumps." "You didn't need to ask." "You know I want three lumps." "How?" "You knew." "I did not." "Working hard?" "Do you have to clean up his empty bottles?" "None of your business." "Your boss empties quite a few, doesn't he?" "What are you doing here anyway?" "I'm going to fix up their garden." "And my mother's garden?" "It's so small." "It has to be done as well." "A layer of concrete and that's it." "Isn't that Mr. Coombes?" "Yes, he must be looking for his wife in the bushes." "Who does she have this time?" "No idea." "She's doing it with the entire squash club." "Has she done it with you yet?" "No." "So she doesn't do it with everybody." "Easily solved." "I just have to buy a racket." "So, two lumps?" "Three." "Jerk." "Are we still going out on Friday?" "I don't know." "You promised." "I don't remember." "Or I can take somebody else." "When will you let me know?" "Later." "There are candidates enough, you know." "I have plenty of choice." "I bet." "Absolutely." "If you don't feel like it, I'll take somebody my own age." "Drop dead." "What a mess." "This can all go to the rubbish tip." "That asshole dumps all his bottles here." "It's a mess, isn't it?" "A bit, yes." "Without sugar, right?" "Can you do something about it?" "I'd have to buy some things." "Like what?" "Tools, seeds, manure." "We have garden tools, don't we?" "They can go straight to the scrapheap." "How unfortunate." "I can buy new tools, can't I?" "I understand, but this isn't a good moment to buy things." "How shall I put it?" "It's a bit delicate." "I can get it very cheap." "That's nice, of course, but that's not the problem." "There's a chance we're leaving this place if my husband gets transferred." "Transferred?" "It's not certain yet, but..." "And you'd go with him?" "Yes, of course." "It's not certain at all, but there is a chance." "It's all very uncertain." "I hate moving." "Actually, I don't want to talk about it." "Most people don't realise that school principal is a hard job." "The parents, the government, everybody wants something from you." "And who ends up the victim?" "Your husband." "Yes, and as a result his family as well." "It's really a very hard life." "As the wife of the principal, one shouldn't complain, but it's not easy." "Broken tiles would be good." "Sorry?" "Broken tiles." "Yes, maybe." "It has to be laid well, of course." "Of course." "So you don't know if you're going to stay?" "Whether your husband leaves or not?" "So what shall we do?" "I really don't know." "I don't want to burden you with this." "You're not burdening me." "What do you think is best?" "I can't really judge." "But there is a chance you might stay, so just let me start." "Really?" "You'll be happy with my work." "I can come over four times a week or so and I'll do everything." "Maybe that's the way to go." "And I'm not expensive." "That's true." "It's not going to be an expensive job." "Sweat is cheap." "I'm glad you agree to do it." "And now, to work." "It's going to be a joint effort." "After all, it's your garden." "Your money for my sweat." "One good turn deserves another." "When will you start?" "Right away." "First, I'll clean up the shed and I'll buy some things." "Can you keep the dockets?" "If only for tax purposes." "You'll get all the dockets." "Bye bye, Lionel, and good luck." "Goodbye, Mrs Teasdale." "Call me Celia." "Do you mind if I call you Lionel?" "No, that's fine." "Ok, there we go." "What a mess." "Use your brain." "You don't put that on clean laundry." "The word 'clean' doesn't ring a bell, does it?" "You can be so incredibly stupid." "I didn't see it." "That's how we do it." "You can throw that in the bin." "Stupid bitch." "Are you still there?" "I'm just about to leave." "What's happening?" "What do you mean?" "Are we going out on Friday or not?" "Answer me." "I think not." "What?" "I'm not going out with you." "Why not?" "I've got plenty of choice." "Who then?" "I'm sorry, but that's private." "But you promised." "Who is it?" "What's her name?" "You'll find out." "Ok, and when I know who she is, I'll smack her." "five days later the enamoured gardener" "Eat something, Toby." "I'm not hungry." "Just have some toast then." "No, thank you." "What's he doing there?" "He's cleaning up the shed." "Is that necessary?" "Do we need a clean shed?" "You can't even get in anymore." "When will he start on the garden?" "He's been in that shed for three days." "First, everything has to be neat." "He's a clumsy oaf." "Somebody got hurt on the cricket field because he made a miscalculation." "Beware not to end up in plaster by one of his mistakes." "What's that?" "That's tea." "If you eat something, you'll feel better." "No." "It's better than drinking all night." "Why do you drink so much?" "Without booze I'd have given up a long time ago." "You drink one bottle after the next." "You promised Miles and me you'd drink less." "I am drinking less." "You're not." "I stick to my limit." "Three glasses of whiskey." "So what?" "Plus what you drink in the pub." "Ok, plus one in the pub." "That makes four." "Ok, five." "And they're very full." "No, they're normal." "But that's way too much." "That's up to me to decide." "What's he doing there?" "Thanks to Miles you were not suspended that time." "He covered your back, as a friend, but there's an end to everything." "Irene tells me really bad things about you." "I don't care what she says." "And in the morning I read the paper." "We can't talk during the day." "At least, you're sober now." "When we talk, we always end up fighting." "You start to cry and I start to drink." "And that character has a good laugh." "We can talk normally, can't we?" "Yes, of course." "Apparently not." "In the beginning, we never had fights." "But we didn't talk either." "Now go do the dishes or something." "I have to go to a meeting." "You'll be rid of me for a while." "Sylvie's doing the dishes." "I thought Sylvie didn't work on Saturdays." "She's making up for Wednesday today." "It will be a nice weekend with Sylvie and Hepplewick." "He's working so hard." "He only makes noise." "He's so stupid, he might be lost in there." "He wants to use broken tiles." "Is that ok with you?" "Broken tiles." "What will they invent next?" "Don't start crying now." "I'm trying." "I know." "Our marriage is over, isn't it?" "I don't know." "It's best if I leave." "Ok, if you think that's best." "I should go and live somewhere else with the children, for a while." "I think I'll go to my mother." "Hey, Hepplewick." "Don't let me interrupt." "I only wanted to say the sports field needs mowing." "If you can spare a moment, that is." "That used to be mine." "I didn't think you were the type." "It belonged to my wife." "Celia, I'm off." "As if she cares." "You didn't go dancing, did you?" "I did." "Pete Barclett asked me to go with him and I liked that idea." "Are you working out?" "What did you say?" "Good morning to you too." "I'm going out with him again, soon." "He's very nice." "You know Pete Barclett, don't you?" "He's nice." "That's good." "He has a car." "Wow." "You don't care, do you?" "Well, you'll be sorry." "For sure." "Would you like a cup of tea?" "Yes, I could do with one." "Are you working on the tiles?" "It's really very beautiful." "It looks exactly like I imagined:" "red, green, blue, red." "My husband loves it too." "Did you just hear everything he said?" "You might have." "When he gets worked up everybody's got to hear about it." "He's a very intense man." "There's nothing wrong with that." "No, I envy him for it." "Few people are like that anymore." "Everybody's so superficial." "Terrible." "I saw your father in the village." "He looks good." "How old is he now?" "Almost 72." "That's not that old." "Sorry, am I talking too much?" "It doesn't bother me." "Once I start, I can't stop." "You're more the silent type, aren't you?" "I can talk away too, though." "Do you really want to talk?" "Shall we talk about music?" "Do you like music?" "That's not what I meant." "What kind of music do you like?" "You do like music, don't you?" "Yes, a lot." "What kind of music?" "Classical." "Don't you like pop music?" "Yes, some of it is quite good." "I think it's just noise." "Do you like Sibelius?" "Yes, very much." "Jean Sibelius, 1865-1957." "Do you know his violin concerto?" "Yes, beautiful." "And Swan of Tuonela?" "That's really great." "Do you know Nielsen?" "Carl Nielsen, 1865-1931 ." "He's a Dane, similar to Sibelius." "You'd probably like him too." "I'm very curious." "I'll definitely give it a try." "He sounds a bit like..." "Many people love Mahler these days." "Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911." "He's very popular, as opposed to Bruckner." "He's a lot better." "He's a real genius." "Somebody said:" "Mahler was looking for God." "Bruckner found him." "I think it was the Furtwängler." "Did he find Furtwängler?" "No, God." "Oh, of course." "Bruckner found God." "Anton Bruckner, 1824-1896." "1896?" "That's fairly modern then." "Fact is they both loved music." "And gardens." "My husband isn't a great music lover." "Look at that." "That's a thing to..." "An expander." "To get firm biceps." "You wouldn't need it." "All this work makes you muscular." "Sorry, I let myself go a bit." "You're insecure, aren't you?" "That's true." "As if you fell off your bike." "What do you mean?" "Everything hurts and you're afraid to get back up." "But you still have to get back up." "And ride again, right away." "Or else, you'll never dare to." "That's true, but..." "I'm getting confused." "You understand very well." "It's so hot." "I have trouble breathing." "You did a great job." "What a difference it makes." "Everything's so neat." "You're a real..." "Well?" "How long have you been a gardener?" "I'm really a baker." "I went to the baker's school." "Really?" "Why aren't you working as a baker anymore?" "The bakery was shut down." "It's all still there, but nobody's using it." "You should start it up again." "We have to drive kilometres for a decent bread, here." "How could I do that?" "With a loan." "Come on." "My only security is my father's wheelchair." "We'll find a way." "I could help you." "I'm not rich, but I know people." "We'll do it together." "I'll work in the shop." "Oh, I'm so looking forward to those lovely aromas." "You have to get up very early." "We'll also make cakes." "Can you do that?" "I can do a lot." "We'll make cakes, petit fours, apple turnovers." "I can smell them already." "What do you think?" "It's all going a bit fast." "Don't you think it's an exciting idea?" "You must think I'm strange, but I'm really excited about it." "Aren't you?" "Sure." "Of course, it's different for you, because you didn't live in that hell." "But I really couldn't continue like this." "I'd do anything to..." "Excuse me." "You can see what shape I'm in." "I'm only realising now how terrible it all is." "Sometimes I hate being a woman." "I'm glad you're a woman." "I'm going inside now." "I need to take a cold bath or wash my hair." "How about the sports field." "I'll get right to it." "You can count on me." "I have to go, madam." "Dirty bastard." "You'll regret this." "What a nitwit, that Hepplewick." "What's this?" "What happened?" "Hepplewick is a big asshole." "That's surprising." "I don't understand for a moment what someone can see in him." "Oh, is it you?" "I think so, yes." "Didn't you have a meeting?" "We finished early." "You've been crying." "No, hay fever." "No, you've been crying." "Are you surprised?" "I find it strange that everybody's crying." "Who else then?" "Sylvie was crying over Lionel." "Unbelievable." "To cry over Hepplewick." "She must have tears to spare." "She's attracted to the biggest fool." "What did you say?" "The biggest fool." "You're not exactly looking splendid." "Just the kind of comment I needed." "You clearly need a holiday." "You bet." "Listen, Celia." "I'm sorry about making these nasty comments all the time." "They're out before I know it and then I regret it." "I'm afraid that's how it goes." "Those nasty comments have become part of our relationship." "You don't know me any different, because I've always been like that." "Things slowly became like this." "In the beginning, you said these things as a joke, but now you mean them." "No, I don't mean them." "You don't know how much you hurt me." "Wednesday, when I wore that evening gown, you called me a monkey in a tutu." "That's really not funny and hurts me a lot." "An insecure woman continues to worry about something like that for a long time." "When I looked into the mirror after we got home, I thought you might be right." "Do you realise that a remark like that can hit me like a rock?" "I'm sorry." "You didn't look like a monkey in a tutu at all." "It's a nice day, isn't it?" "Shall we go for a walk?" "Where do you want to go?" "I don't know." "Maybe to the pub." "No, not to the pub." "That was a joke." "We're not going to the pub." "I think I'm leaving for a while." "If I stay here, I'll go bonkers." "Where are you going?" "I don't know yet." "I need to broaden my horizon." "Start a small business, for instance." "Like a vegetable shop?" "Yes." "I see." "I want to do something useful again, something exciting." "What can I say to this nonsense?" "I don't know." "Just shut up." "five weeks later bad weather, in a tent" "Hello, Miles." "Hello, Celia." "Must be hard work on your own." "Yes, it clearly is." "I'm sorry for you." "You're in the way, Miles." "Attention, attention." "In ten minutes, the gate will open." "We'll start right away with the first contest: the 100 metres for mothers." "What's keeping him?" "Who?" "Lionel." "He should have been here an hour ago." "And we'll have 50 guests soon." "You have plenty of time." "Take it easy." "Can't you see we haven't got anything yet?" "It's only the school's sports day, isn't it?" "We have confidence in you." "That's why we picked your company." "And that's why nothing can go wrong." "Everybody chose you, except Toby." "For Toby, it's unbearable if I can do something independently." "Are you really working full-time as a caterer?" "Together with that Lionel Hepplewick?" "That's a strange choice." "Everybody says that." "It's true." "I don't think so." "Some people need a bit of stimulation." "Does he react to stimulation at all?" "Of course." "Don't be so negative." "He's like me." "I never had enough stimulation either." "And what's your company called?" "The Tea Service." "Did Lionel think of that?" "No, I did." "A fine name." "Certainly." "And what kind of a company is it?" "Very simple:" "Suppose you and Rowena are sitting on the couch and suddenly feel like tea." "You call us and 15 minutes later we bring what you ordered." "Isn't it easier if I put a kettle on myself?" "Let me summarise:" "I grab the phone." "I call you around tea time." "Earlier." "We're not magicians." "And what if you're underway to a customer?" "Than you leave a message on our machine." "We listen to your message while we're on the way and call you back." "That's pretty complicated." "Not at all." "If you have to keep calling your own number, nobody can get through." "I always get a reaction like this." "I don't say this to put you down." "It just seems complicated to have to keep finding a phone booth... when you're on the way to customers." "We have a van." "Did you buy it?" "Lionel found one, almost for free." "He really knows all about vans." "I don't feel like talking anymore." "I have too much to do." "Ok?" "Ok, I'll go." "I'm only asking these things because I want you to be well." "Isn't Rowena here?" "She's warming up for the 100 metres." "Good luck." "Where were you?" "Everything took a bit longer." "I'm disappointed in you." "It starts in 15 minutes." "Dad says: everybody works till they're dead, but the baker quietly bakes his bread." "I'm fed up with those rhymes." "You're developing a sharp tongue." "Better be careful." "You could scare me." "I don't like your tone of voice." "Why did it take so long?" "Do you want to see the bread or not?" "Yes, but hurry up a bit." "This is our first bread." "It looks a bit strange, though." "Was that intentional?" "It looks very peculiar." "Isn't that a good thing?" "You can recognise a real baker by his style." "Can you cut sandwiches from it?" "How do you cut it?" "Don't be so critical." "Where's the knife?" "That knife is way too blunt." "It's like concrete." "It's just firm." "That's what you want for sandwiches." "I'm sorry, but this is impossible." "It's really way too hard." "What is it made of?" "Yeast, flour and skill." "But this isn't edible." "What do you mean?" "Well, look." "Have a good look." "Did you hear that?" "There will be older people too." "Some with false teeth." "It's bread especially for young people." "Nonsense, this is really terrible." "What do we do now?" "I know." "We'll only offer cake to the guests." "Where are the cakes?" "I'm a bit behind schedule." "How is that?" "I had to help dad." "Yes, so?" "I didn't make them." "You didn't bake cakes?" "So, we have nothing." "There's bread." "This is a real disaster." "What shall we do?" "I know." "Let's quickly go to the supermarket." "Thanks a lot, Lionel." "Quick, give me the keys of the van." "I'll be right back." "Shall I help you start it?" "I'm not as clumsy as you think." "Good luck." "I'm sure you'll win." "Thanks." "Everything ok?" "Yes, fine." "I'd like to get my hands on that little woman." "Nothing wrong with that bread." "Hello, Mrs. Pridworthy." "Do I know you?" "I'm Lionel Hepplewick." "I'm a bit peckish." "Is there anything to eat?" "Is Mrs. Teasdale here?" "She's gone for a moment." "Are you giving her a hand?" "We're working together." "So you're that Hepplewick?" "Now I see:" "you're our caretaker." "The man of the explosion." "That boiler was old." "So you're her partner?" "Business partner." "And in bed?" "No, what makes you think that?" "She's a bit unstable lately." "Really a mental wreck." "What's that cow's muck doing there?" "That's bread." "Are you serious?" "Who made that thing?" "I did." "Can I taste it?" "Is it ok?" "I'll get the butter." "There's no need for that." "Nice, isn't it?" "It's got character." "You're an expert." "It's ok." "Keeps you regular." "Rich in fibre." "That's just what I needed." "Thanks and see you later." "What an incredible bitch." "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention?" "In a couple of minutes, the mothers' race will start." "I don't want to miss it." "Participants, please come to the line." "The van isn't working." "Oh, no." "He's gone again." "It's going fine." "Everything's going well." "What's that van doing on the cinder track?" "It doesn't want to start." "Ok?" "Get it away from there, now." "What do you want?" "For me to lift it and put it aside?" "Lionel's in charge of the car." "Call him." "Don't you think I have enough worries?" "I'm all on my own here." "Take it easy, it will be alright." "We'll tow it away." "Where's Hepplewick?" "No idea." "He was here just now." "Shall I have him paged?" "Never mind, he's useless anyway." "Get a grip on yourself." "Why does everybody say that to me?" "Maybe because you act all stressed." "What's that strange thing?" "A bread." "Baked by Lionel." "Is it meant to be eaten?" "Careful, Toby." "I'm a nervous wreck and I can explode any moment." "Can I help you?" "What can I do?" "There's sliced white bread." "You can make sandwiches of them." "Is it in that bag?" "Did you buy biscuits as well?" "Yes, have a look." "Also in that bag?" "Isn't that a bit too little?" "There's never much left on Saturdays." "If it's not good enough, forget about it." "No, It's fine." "What do I put on them?" "There are tomatoes and cucumbers." "Is that it?" "Now what?" "Did you do that?" "Did you do that?" "I took them out of the bag like this." "What should I do?" "We'll just put it on the bread." "I didn't deserve all this." "It'll be alright." "No it won't." "It's going all wrong." "Don't yell like that." "Shut up." "What should I do?" "I'll tell you what you should do." "Take a bit of tomato sludge and dump it on a slice of bread." "Rub it in and then put another slice on top." "The result is a fine sandwich." "Please leave." "I can do it on my own." "I don't need help." "Shall I tell the people..." "No, I can manage." "I'll manage all on my own." "See you later." "They can't start until I say so." "I decide where and when they can sit down." "Mrs Pridworthy here and Colonel Malton there." "And they both get half a cake." "And Rowena Coombes has to sit outside." "Teddy bear there, Barbie there, and the rag doll there." "Mr. Rabbit here." "Fluffy can sit next to me." "And I pour the tea, because I'm the hostess." "Ladies and gentlemen, due to circumstance tea is served a bit later." "Not before your turn, Mr. Rabbit." "And get your feet off the table." "Say hello to Teddy." "What do you mean?" "Sit down, you." "Do as I say." "Not on Mr. Rabbit, idiot." "Sit down." "Is there alright?" "Sit down." "Ok, I'll sit down." "Sit." "Did you wash your hands?" "Yes, but..." "Eat, you." "Don't touch the pastry." "How often have I said you have to eat your bread first?" "Sorry, but I thought I already finished it." "Do you know what happens if you don't eat your bread?" "Please, stop it." "What on earth possesses you?" "Relax." "Stay here for a moment." "Nobody's going to hurt you." "I'll go get some help." "Teddy and Mr. Rabbit will look after you." "Won't you?" "We'll look after you." "Did you hear?" "Take it easy." "I'll be right back." "Is she there?" "Yes, but careful, she bites." "What kind of nonsense is that?" "It's me, Toby." "I don't know if you hear me." "I'm sorry about everything." "I know I haven't been a good husband." "I've often been nasty to you, but that's going to change." "Everything will change." "I'm with you." "From now on, I'll help you with everything." "Everything will be alright." "We can do it together, really." "five years later a funeral" "Wait one moment." "Do you want to sit down?" "Yes, I need to sit down." "There's a bench there." "Are you ok?" "Yes." "I'm not sure if it was wise of you to go." "We weren't that close to Joe Hepplewick." "I'll be alright in a minute." "Take it easy." "There's no hurry." "It was a beautiful funeral." "He's dead and buried." "Farewell, Joe Hepplewick." "The good thing is we got rid of his terrible little rhymes." "Did you see Lionel?" "Did you talk to him?" "Apparently, he's doing very well." "Unbelievable, isn't it?" "Nobody had faith in him, but you were right." "You always said he was being underestimated." "That Hepplewick." "Did I say that?" "Do you want to get away for a week?" "A short break would do you good." "You hate holidays." "No, I don't." "Not since I stopped drinking." "I don't feel completely recovered yet." "Remember what the doctor said?" "Recovery would take long." "That's true, but it's been five years now." "You go ahead." "No, I'm not leaving you here." "Would you mind getting a blanket from the car?" "I'm a bit cold." "Of course not." "I'll get it." "Don't walk away now." "You really look a lot better now." "Really." "I'll be right back." "Where is he?" "I'm freezing here." "It's very nice of you to have come." "I really appreciate it." "I heard you were ill." "Yes, that's true." "I would have visited you, but..." "No need for apologies." "I had very few visitors." "Everything was too much for me." "I needed peace and quiet." "I understand that very well." "You illness is taking very long." "Yes, five years now." "By the looks of it, you're doing fine." "I owe that to you." "You gave me the last push." "I did?" "Absolutely." "Because of you I'm now into snacks." "When you stopped, I bought a cafetaria." "Little investing, lots of profit, no losses." "Ideal." "Except, you shouldn't eat that junk yourself." "I was only kidding, of course." "Of course." "My wife is waiting for me." "I have to run." "She can have quite a temper." "Are you married?" "Yes." "Do I know her?" "No, she's very different from you." "A real little business woman." "One with brains." "She complements me well." "What would have happened if we had continued?" "What would have happened if we had continued together?" "What do you think?" "I don't know." "Nobody knows what would have happened." "You can't know, can you?" "Tonight, I'm eating fish in a herb broth, with parsley." "It's all ready in the fridge." "Toby made it." "With bread and butter..." "And than I'll have a piece of rice pudding." "Or it went like this." "Or he said this:" "You can count on me." "I won't let you down." "Has the lady come back yet?" "Yes, but careful, she bites." "She bites?" "I'm back." "No panic." "Don't get so worked up." "Don't panic so quickly." "You can always count on me." "five years later a new woman" "Is it really you?" "It's terrible." "At each funeral I feel like I'm being buried myself... but that everybody is too scared to tell me that." "You look good, as usual." "I just keep going." "Doesn't Sylvie look after you?" "Yes, as best she can." "I always thought you drank because of me." "No, I don't need anybody for that." "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" "Yes, five years already." "I sometimes hear about you from the children." "They sometimes come over." "They also talk about you sometimes." "They like you a lot." "Nice of you to come today." "I don't care about Joe Hepplewick." "Lionel and I are here because we were in the neighbourhood anyway." "We could combine it well." "Don't you get a day of for a funeral?" "He didn't ask for it." "Are you still in catering?" "Yes, I still am." "Business is going well, I heard." "Our turnover doubled in one year." "A question." "Do you live with him?" "With whom?" "With Lionel?" "I thought you knew me better than that." "No, I don't live with anybody." "Me neither." "How's Miles?" "He's in Australia, with Rowena." "Did they emigrate?" "Yes." "Why did you never visit me in that clinic?" "I was really very ill." "When?" "Five years ago." "I missed you a lot back then." "I thought I was the one who made you ill." "Sorry." "Don't forget to eat now and then." "Yes, I'll remember." "How did it go?" "Everything went perfectly." "The sermon was beautiful." "My cousin read my dad's poems." "I was touched." "Shall we go?" "Ok, the tank is full." "Tomorrow will be an early day for you." "Careful, don't slip." "Or it went like this" "Or he said this:" "Maybe we should take a break." "I almost left." "I was this close to leaving you." "Again?" "Yes, again." "Of course." "You don't think I'm happy, do you?" "In the morning, things sometimes look so pointless that I only want one thing:" "Stay in bed and never get up." "Happens to me too." "That's normal." "No, it's not." "Maybe we should take a break." "Yes, that would be good for both of us." "I've been saying that for ten years." "Ok, we'll bring the children somewhere and go on a trip together." "Are you serious?" "Yes, of course." "We'll make a new start." "We can do it." "It's all I want." "Let's go before it rains." "Oh, one more thing." "Don't ask me to stop drinking." "I can never do that." "But I'll make sure it doesn't bother you anymore." "Let me get a change of shoes." "What is it, Lionel?" "Sorry, I don't have much time but I wanted to tell you everything is fine." "What do you mean?" "Our bakery." "Oh, the bakery." "Yes and the other thing too." "I understood you well just now and you understood me too." "I can guarantee you:" "With me, you'll never fall off your bike again." "I don't think it's realistic." "What isn't?" "The bike, the bakery." "It's all just daydreaming." "But just now you said..." "I know." "But when you think about it, it's insane." "Insane?" "Sorry, it's my fault." "I'm rather confused, lately." "Forget what I said." "I'm sorry." "Can you just forget all about it?" "I'll be seeing you." "I don't agree with this." "No, I don't agree with it." "I love you." "Do you hear me, Celia?" "I love you." "five weeks later the terrace of a hotel" "Nice and lively here." "People everywhere, full tables and that gypsy music." "The sunlight reflects on the wheelchairs, the hearing aids are whistling." "You can die here without anybody noticing." "Waiter." "What do you want?" "I want a paper." "Even in this asylum, I need news." "I can't go a day without a paper." "I'm fascinated by people who want to convince others that they're right." "When you get older, you put everything more into perspective... and you join the mainstream, as Miles did." "Other people have no more opinion at all." "I find that more interesting." "Want to go for a walk?" "Let's at least do something." "Aren't we doing something?" "We're sitting." "Very funny." "You should have gone with Lionel then." "He'll miss you." "I don't like this." "Good that I fired him." "He made your life hell." "It was no picnic." "Knocking on our window, yelling through our mailbox." "I didn't forget, you know." "Obsession in its purest form." "I don't wish this kind of insanity upon anybody." "I hope you never gave any reason for it?" "Did you encourage him?" "Of course not." "He's deranged." "In hindsight, it also had a nice side." "It's a boost to your ego when somebody's so crazy about you." "Every disadvantage his an advantage." "If those servants don't react, I'll get that paper myself." "After that, if you like, we can go for a walk." "Is that dance music or what?" "As if it's my fault that this hotel is so bad." "You always blame me." "Remember me?" "What are you doing here?" "I'm a waiter here." "They're keeping an eye on me." "I need to talk to you." "Who's keeping an eye on you?" "My boss." "He doesn't trust me." "I absolutely need to talk to you." "Why?" "It's a matter of life and death." "I'm coming." "I'll be right there." "There." "Now what on earth do I do?" "Can I help you?" "No, I'm only looking for my husband." "Nice weather, isn't it?" "Definitely." "What are you doing here?" "This is a better spot." "Ok, shall we go?" "You know who I just saw?" "No, who?" "An old..." "An old man?" "So what?" "No, really very old." "Ancient." "There's plenty of old people here." "Shall we go then?" "You're not wearing those shoes, are you?" "What's wrong with them?" "They're for inside the house." "So what?" "You can't go for a walk on them." "I'm hopeless." "I'll never understand these basic things." "Of course you don't wear shoes for inside the house outside." "I'll write to him and tell him once and for all... that it has to be over." "Here's your tea." "I don't want it anymore." "I already had some." "This is the only way I can talk to you." "Here's a note." "No, I have to pretend now." "No, I don't want anymore." "I already had three." "Then I'll kill myself." "Ok, pour me some then." "I love you." "Look out." "I already knew that, but..." "I'd give my life for you." "At least pretend you're working here." "People are looking." "Clear that table." "Do something." "Yes, of course." "Thanks." "You're right." "Have another cake." "No, thank you." "Please have another cake." "One more then." "My husband's coming." "Go, quickly." "We'll see each other." "I'm very grateful to you." "Blow your nose." "What are all those people doing in front of the windows?" "Are you ready for a walk?" "Did you order tea again?" "Yes, I felt like some more." "Is that a love letter?" "No, give it back." "It's mine." "It's none of your business." "'Don't bother me anymore...'" "It's a poem." "I don't know what you're doing, but I'm not crazy." "You stay here." "I'll go for a walk." "Didn't you order tea?" "It's the only way." "I'll pour you a nice cup." "I can't wait any longer." "Me neither." "Listen to me, Celia." "There it is:" "I love you." "We know that, but..." "I love you." "I knew I loved you, but now I know I can't live without you." "I love your voice, your hair, your eyes, your hands, your feet." "I love you the way you are." "I dream all night of you." "When I wake up without you, I feel a strong pain." "I don't suffer when I'm near you." "I wouldn't wish this suffering on anybody." "You're everything to me." "You're the north, the south, the east and the west of my life." "You're my universe, Mrs. Teasdale." "Nobody ever said such beautiful things to me." "I don't know what to say." "Say 'yes'." "It's not that simple, much as I'd want to." "Just say 'yes'." "But I have a family." "Your husband doesn't love you." "He does in his own way." "He doesn't love you." "Can you swear he loves you?" "No, not at the moment." "Have another cake." "Yes, please." "I have two children." "I'll look after them." "They cost a lot of money." "I'll work hard." "Now eat that cake." "I'm going to explode." "There are only a few more." "Shall I put them in my bag?" "Fine, but have some more tea as well." "You can sit there." "There's a table free here." "I received a compliment because they never made this much on the terrace." "I'll sit there, but I won't eat anything or I'll be sick." "Now, first about my plans." "The bakery?" "I did some research and there's not much future in it." "But I'm betting on more horses." "What's that?" "It's not very concrete yet, but there are options for a tinsmith." "Can you do that too?" "Yes, that's one of my skills as well." "I learnt the ropes from my uncle, who was a tinsmith." "You don't seem very enthusiastic." "I can't quite picture it yet." "I have more ideas." "I could be a grocer." "Or a real estate agent." "That's so simple, a child could do it." "You look for somebody who wants to sell and somebody who wants to buy." "You increase the price and the difference is for you." "It's hard to choose, isn't it?" "I could also work in hospitality." "They're happy with me here." "They're keeping a constant eye on me, so they'll make me an offer." "When you're with me, I can fly and the world's my oyster." "I think that's a bit scary." "Why?" "We're not really made for each other." "You need another type of woman." "You need an enterprising woman and I'm not one at all." "I don't like risks." "I'm from a pharmacist's family." "Pharmacist, that sounds good too." "No, that takes a lot of study." "No, no more cake." "You have to stop now." "If I understand you well, you want security." "Your chef keeps looking at you." "You'd better go." "I'll go." "Call me when the coast is clear." "What about a farm?" "That would be nice for your boys as well." "At your service, madam." "On top of everything else..." "That was a nice walk." "It really did me good." "You look sad." "What happened?" "Do you need a hanky?" "Is it in your bag?" "A bag full of cake." "Is that normal?" "Yes, apparently." "As is drinking three cups of tea at three different tables." "I need to tell you something." "I talked to Lionel." "He followed us and works here now." "I figured as much." "That explains a lot." "That damned Lionel." "Can you tell me what happened?" "No, it's too complicated." "So he works here as a waiter?" "I'll be right back." "What are you going to do?" "Tell them they have a lunatic working here." "It really has to stop." "Why are you staring at me like that, old codgers?" "Your husband is a bit overworked." "He wanted to hit me with a chair." "I managed to calm him down thanks to my medical knowledge." "Be in touch, ok?" "I'm patient." "I'm very patient." "I have all the time in the world." "five years later a funeral" "Sorry, Miles, I was lost in thought." "Of course." "I'll wait for you in the car." "Take your time." "That's very nice of you." "The board decided to dedicate a bronze plaque to Toby." "That's a beautiful gesture." "They wouldn't do that for me." "Do you know what you're going to do?" "I don't know yet." "Work." "Do something all for myself." "My life was not exactly a picnic." "I was always the laughing-stock." "And these last years were hell, with Toby paralysed, waiting for his death." "I'll wait for you in the car." "Ok?" "I'm coming." "Take your time." "Do you work here?" "I do the odd job here." "I'm digging graves." "Are you serious?" "I heard you moved." "Yes." "I waited for you for a while." "I expected to hear from you, but I didn't." "I kept on waiting." "Then things went wrong and I had to be hospitalised." "And now I have this job." "Do you like it here?" "Yes, but I have other plans." "We should talk about them for a moment." "Would you like to be a vicar's wife?" "You have to like it or I won't do it." "No, I wouldn't like to be a vicar's wife at all." "Sorry." "I respect that." "Ok, I'll forget about that then." "Sorry, but I really have to go now." "Know what I'll do?" "With each vacancy, I'll ask your opinion first." "Fine." "Goodbye then." "We'll get there." "It's a matter of days." "It's a matter of days." "Or it went like this" "Or he said this:" "I can hit him in the face but what good would that do?" "I have to tell you something, Toby." "I talked to Lionel." "He followed us and works here now." "Everything suddenly becomes a lot clearer." "That Lionel." "I've always said he's a raving lunatic." "I can hit him in the face, but what good would that do?" "It's my fault as well." "I did encourage him a bit." "So you encouraged him after all?" "Only a little bit." "Stop hiccupping." "I can't." "You wouldn't have done it if you had been happy, so it's also my fault." "I have to try a bit harder." "Did it go away?" "I'll go upstairs then." "Did he see you?" "You didn't tell him?" "Remember what I said earlier?" "Did you get the message?" "So you'll leave me alone from now on?" "Of course." "I'm patient." "I'm patient." "I have all the time in the world." "five years later a commemorative service" "What's wrong?" "Aren't you feeling well?" "I have to step outside." "You're not feeling poorly again?" "Don't worry." "Go back inside." "It's a nice celebration." "It's not every day the school's 50th anniversary." "Go then, don't stand there like a stupid cow." "Don't get so worked up." "Just leave me alone." "Alright, I'll leave you alone." "And I'm fed up with your insults." "Fed up." "I've had enough." "Go find somebody else, who accepts it." "It's over." "Maybe that's for the best." "I have to smoke again." "He makes me smoke so much." "It's me, Lionel Hepplewick." "I didn't recognise you." "It's been a long time." "Yes, five years." "I'm here out of respect for my father." "He loved this school so much." "I heard he died." "I'm sorry." "He's buried there." "You look like you're doing well." "Yes, I can't complain." "I waited a long time for you." "I kept hoping." "Finally, I realised I should stay out of a happy marriage." "Then the plan for the taxi company came up." "A fellow waiter and I started with one car and now we have 20 of them." "Look, my business card." "Vroom Taxis." "H  W. What does H  W mean?" "Hepple and Wick." "I split myself up fiscally." "That's smart." "Good to see you again." "Yes, likewise." "I've got something for you." "Look, Carl Nielsen's fourth symphony." "Remember?" "Called 'The Inextinguishable'." "It always reminds me of you." "My wife couldn't come, unfortunately." "She's giving birth soon." "I'm going inside for a bit." "Can I leave my Mercedes there?" "I think it's alright." "Are you coming?" "In a sec." "I'll finish my cigarette first." "Very nice to have seen you again." "I feel the same way." "Carl Nielsen, 1865-1931." "Symphony number four." "The Inextinguishable." "Or it went like this" "Or he said this:" "Alright, but on one condition." "I'll do it." "Stupid bitch." "Are you still there?" "I'm just leaving." "And?" "What do you mean?" "Are we going out on Friday or not?" "Answer me." "Alright, but on one condition." "That you stop talking about having other options." "Isn't that up to me?" "Then we're not going out." "Do you have to be the only one?" "Exactly." "Forget it then." "We don't go." "Fine." "Wait a moment." "If I only go out with you, will you only go out with me?" "You don't have anybody else?" "Then it's ok." "Deal." "So you on Friday then." "Yes, see you then." "Better prepare yourself." "I have great plans with you." "What kind of plans?" "What kind of plans?" "five days later a diligent student" "Lionel, I'm off." "I have to go now." "Sylvie opens the door if somebody calls." "Are you making any progress?" "Absolutely." "You worked really hard." "That's great." "Compliments." "Very well done." "I wanted to ask you something." "We're having people over for dinner tonight." "We'd like to eat outside." "Would you mind cleaning up a bit?" "If it rains, we stay inside of course." "You look great, if you don't mind me saying so." "Elegant women have become a rarity." "Most of them dress like frumps." "A real woman shows her figure." "I like it that you speak your mind." "I really have to go now." "Keep up the good work." "And once again, well done on the shed." "Am I interrupting?" "I had to take a break." "Teasdale was terrible again, yesterday." "I don't understand she puts up with it." "It was fun last night, wasn't it?" "I really had a good time." "It would be nice if we had our own little house." "Really nice." "It doesn't have to be big, just our own place." "Those houses behind your place are nice." "The view isn't great, but they have nice gardens." "What is it?" "I'm thinking." "I think you're so lower middle class." "It all sounds so gloomy." "If a house like that is your dream, we have little to talk about." "I want a woman with ambition." "I'm just realistic." "I'm just a respectable girl." "What's wrong with that?" "You also don't work on your looks." "Look at yourself." "This is my work outfit." "And when you go out?" "Then I make myself pretty." "I wore something nice yesterday, didn't I?" "That green thing?" "I thought you were the waitress." "Oh, that's mean." "I bought it especially for you." "And now cut it out, or we're history." "You're so obnoxious." "Come with me for a moment." "Why?" "Come on now." "I'm not going to eat you." "What is it?" "Sit down there." "Why?" "Just sit down." "But why?" "Shut up for a moment and listen to me well." "Are you listening?" "It's high time you started working on your self-esteem." "Wait, I'm not finished yet." "Is there a woman you admire a lot?" "No." "is there nobody you admire?" "No." "Don't you find Mrs. Teasdale attractive?" "Don't you think she has style?" "Yes." "Why?" "She has class and style." "And why is that?" "She has money." "That's not it." "But it does help." "But it's not the only thing." "Get up." "Come on." "Do you have to be rich to walk straight?" "No, of course not." "Then why do you walk hunched?" "Look at how hunched you are." "Relax." "I'm not going to hurt you." "Try to imagine you're attached to a cord on your head." "That's what I mean." "Do you understand?" "But I can't see where I'm going." "You don't have to be that stiff." "Relax." "No, keep your head up." "I'll trip." "Occasionally look down for a moment." "Do I look like her now?" "Yes and after a while it becomes automatic." "I bet not." "Now say hello to me." "Look at me." "I'm not in that tree, am I?" "Good." "Now say something like:" "Good afternoon, nice to see you." "This is giving me a pain in my neck." "You're not doing bad at all." "You have to practice, but that's logical." "Do you understand a bit?" "No." "And you were not nice." "I'm afraid to wear that outfit now." "That's a good thing." "If you do your best, you'll be even prettier." "Really?" "Do you find me pretty?" "Sometimes I find myself pretty, but other times I don't." "Do you know who I'd want to look like?" "Like Betty Simcock." "I admire her." "You're kidding." "I have to get to work." "Tea?" "No, I have to mow the sports field." "Practice well, ok?" "I'm going to be very demanding of you." "I don't want to rot away here." "Like my dad says: a weakling doesn't make any dough." "Never forget that." "See you later." "You enjoyed last night, didn't you?" "Very much." "Who were you talking to?" "Nobody." "I'm practicing saying hello." "Did my wife tell you to do that?" "Then practice in your own time." "Would you like some tea?" "No, thank you." "Isn't my wife there?" "She's helping out at a charity dinner." "Nice weather, isn't it?" "Yes, very nice." "What is it now?" "I wanted to ask you for a favour." "Why are you here today?" "Because I had Wednesday off." "What did you want to ask?" "It's about my general education." "I want to have some more of it." "And what's my role in that?" "I was hoping you'd help me." "Funny." "No, that won't be possible." "I'm to busy with school." "I can pay you." "That's not the issue." "It would only cost you one evening per week." "I appreciate that you're eager to learn." "I hardly see that at school." "At your age, you realise what your shortcomings are." "Still, you'd better pick one of the teachers." "No, they're worthless." "I only want you." "What would you want to learn, anyway?" "Languages?" "Literature?" "Literature." "Literature?" "Well, I don't know." "Please say 'yes'." "Do you have a neck problem?" "Do you want to do it?" "I'll discuss it with my wife." "Why do you want this all of a sudden?" "Are you doing it for somebody?" "For whom?" "For myself." "Let's start next week then." "I'm going back to work." "On the shelves, there's a book called Tom Jones." "Do you know it?" "Not the movie either?" "That book seems like something for you." "It's got a few interesting characters." "What on earth is he doing now?" "What's he doing with that lawn mower?" "Only do the edges." "Use the little one." "He can't do anything." "He's a disaster." "Keep the dress, if you like." "Are you back already?" "That Hepplewick is such a jerk." "Do you feel like tea?" "Everybody wants me to drink tea." "It's a change from whisky." "Don't start again." "You know you were almost fired." "If Miles hadn't covered for you, they would have kicked you out." "He said you'd stop drinking." "That's easy to say." "You don't care at all." "What should I do?" "What's with Sylvie?" "She wants private lessons from me." "From you?" "That's strange." "Well, I am a teacher." "She wants to learn about clothes from me." "She must be in love." "With me?" "No, with Hepplewick." "Lesson one is stay away from that loser." "Why?" "He's got something." "He's a big fool." "Are you eating at home, tonight?" "Yes, but I'm hardly hungry." "You can't stop eating." "Ok, but first, I'll save the sports field." "Do you like it?" "It used to belong to Mrs. Teasdale." "Do you like it?" "Do I look good in it?" "Am I walking straight enough?" "Do you want to go to bed with me?" "You must ask me nicely." "I do that now." "I'll have to think about it." "Mr. Teasdale is going to teach me." "About whisky and liver failure?" "Mrs. Teasdale will teach me all about clothes." "Am I doing well or what?" "Do you still think I'm lower middle class?" "Ok, see you tonight." "I love you." "It's going to be great tonight." "Really great." "five weeks later the town festivities" "There's nobody there yet." "I'll quietly wait until they arrive." "I don't see your son either." "Yes, Lionel is here already." "It will be alright." "How are your knees now?" "I'd like to get up and answer: fine." "Unfortunately, there's no improvement." "How awful for you." "Get old if you can, but too old you're half a man." "Did you make that one up yourself?" "You write a lot of poems." "3914, Mrs. Teasdale." "Don't you want to publish them?" "No, I'd rather not." "But why not?" "One should not benefit from a God-given gift." "Think about that one." "I'll be alright here." "What you say is very noble, but it's not correct." "Yes it is." "Somebody who'd be a good doctor, can't become a doctor then?" "No idea." "I've never seen a doctor." "Never?" "No." "What about your legs then?" "That's between God and me." "He wanted it this way." "If God had wanted, you'd have been born with wheels." "God doesn't want us to sit on our butts and suffer." "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that." "It's ok." "I don't like to disagree with the wife of the boss." "Is it alright if I go now?" "Sylvie will be here soon." "She has changed a lot, hasn't she?" "Not at all." "Don't you think she changed?" "She improved a lot." "We teach her what she needs." "So I've heard." "Those are all tricks." "What matters is what's under her clothes." "You're just like all the other men." "See you later then." "when I observe my friends running around like ants and see what a little flower can do in less than an hour then I say to the busy bees relax, let's have some peace." "That's a very good one." "You're way too early." "It only starts in half an hour, at half past two." "You're way too early." "I can do what others can't." "That's the privilege of old age." "The other old people are queuing up." "What's that?" "They put you in this and then they throw sponges at you." "Today, it's my turn." "That's no good for a woman." "Oh, come on." "Which century are you from?" "I'd like to have a word with you." "I have to work." "Just a moment." "I have a lot to do." "take it easy stress makes you queasy" "Lionel's not doing well." "He's worried, I can see." "What can I do about that?" "A lot." "You promised him something." "I promised him nothing." "Yes, you did." "You promised to marry him." "Or are you saying my son's lying?" "I hope not." "A promise is a promise." "Or didn't your teacher tell you that?" "I already knew that." "I don't want to hurry things, because this is a decision for life." "He's waiting for you." "He's busy building a garden house for the two of you." "He's always busy." "He has plenty of time after he got fired." "Listen, that's another story all together." "Teasdale will disagree, but his dismissal was unjust." "Do you hear me?" "As if destroying the heater and two lawn mowers isn't enough reason." "Those are all things from the past." "He's a serious boy and he'll find work again." "You have to be there for him now." "That's your duty." "These days, you think you can do anything... but you're still a woman so you have a woman's duties." "Do you know what I mean?" "I don't want to hurt him, you know." "I'm getting private lessons from Teasdale these days." "We talk about everything." "I didn't know he was such an interesting man." "He's a principal, so he's interesting by definition." "He makes me look at the world completely differently." "And he started drinking less." "The question only used to be:" "do I marry Lionel or somebody else?" "Now I see there are a lot more options." "I have no idea what I really want now." "You're like a fish that looks beyond the water and jumps on the shore." "Exactly, that's it." "But what happens next?" "You suffocate and die." "Because you're out of your element." "Am I not in my element now?" "No, Sylvie." "But it's your life." "All I know is that you have to be subservient to a man." "You must kneel to him and he must kneel to God." "Maybe you think I'm old-fashioned, but it's the truth." "Is that clear?" "You'll be soaking wet." "Shall I push you away?" "I can do it myself." "Think about what I said." "Hey, Mrs. Zambo." "You thought you could avoid me, didn't you?" "I don't know what to do anymore." "Sorry, Mrs Pridworthy, that was an accident." "This is unacceptable." "Look at me." "I'm a gorilla." "Can you see I fixed it?" "I still hate the thing." "Make sure they only throw sponges." "Last year somebody threw a beer can: seven stitches." "And you only tell me now?" "You'll be ok." "You're a woman." "Your dad was also telling me that." "Did he also tell you about my plans?" "I'm full of ideas." "Does a tinsmith sound good to you?" "And what about the bakery?" "There's no future in it." "How are your studies going?" "Did you get your certificate yet?" "I don't like your tone." "You wanted me to educate myself." "Yes, but not like this." "This doesn't help you." "How would you know?" "What are you reading now?" "What if I like to read?" "Your sun lounge is almost ready." "Come and have a look soon?" "I didn't ask for it." "You still want to marry me, don't you?" "I don't know." "Oh, please." "Let me think about it." "First, I have to get to work here." "Ok, we'll see each other later." "Is that thing working again?" "Lionel fixed it." "I wanted to tell you I have some time tomorrow afternoon." "Does that suit you?" "How did you like Great Expectations by Dickens?" "A bit heavy, I suppose?" "No, I loved it." "Would you like a new book?" "What's wrong, Sylvie?" "Something's wrong, isn't it?" "I don't know if I want to continue." "Continue what?" "The lessons." "Why not?" "It sounds strange... but I think, in the end, it's useless." "Didn't you like reading those books?" "Yes, I did." "Then it's not useless, is it?" "No, it doesn't help me." "I've decided to stop." "Did you discuss it with anybody?" "Did Lionel say it's useless?" "And do you agree?" "That's what matters." "I don't know." "That's nonsense." "Don't yell at me." "Sorry." "Everybody always yells at me." "Sorry." "I don't think you want to stop." "I do." "And now leave me alone." "I don't believe you.." "I've never had such an eager student." "I'm stopping." "I can't accept that you stop just because Lionel wants it." "Lionel, the biggest idiot around." "A total twit." "He can't decide what you do." "Listen to me carefully." "You're exceptional." "In 30 years, I only had a few like you." "They don't want to know anything." "They're bored to death." "You're unique." "You have a deep love of knowledge." "You can't stop." "We continue." "Understood?" "It's a waste of time." "See you tomorrow then." "You'll be there tomorrow, won't you?" "Please." "If you want to talk to me, you have to buy sponges." "You don't have to become a hermit, do you?" "Get a sponge." "Don't become like Lionel." "Come on with those sponges." "You're not listening, are you?" "Yes, but you only see me like some kind of toy." "That's nonsense and you know that very well." "You probably hate me." "Not at all." "You can't do anything about it." "On the contrary." "Just let me be, Toby." "Let me be, Mr. Teasdale." "Maybe we'll see each other later." "Think about it." "It would really be a shame if you stopped." "This is ridiculous." "I want to get out now." "Damn, I'm stuck." "Are you the one carrying on?" "Yes, what did you think?" "Well, what's wrong?" "I can't get out." "That thing is stuck." "You call that fixed?" "It's nothing." "I'll fix it in no time." "Will it be yes or no?" "Get lost." "I don't like this." "Please." "I'm going crazy." "I don't know you like this." "You're a dirty bastard." "In that case, I'm gone." "Ok, I say yes." "Yes to what?" "I said it." "Yes." "That I'll marry you." "I have no choice." "Why?" "Are you pregnant?" "No, stupid." "I'll get you out now." "Come on out." "Never mind." "What?" "Do you want to stay like this?" "Are you sure?" "Very sure." "Shall I throw a sponge?" "Yes, please." "Do it." "It will do me good." "Careful." "I never miss." "That wasn't bad, was it?" "five years later a christening service" "Tom, come here." "You have to look after Jones." "Jones, come back." "Do as I say." "Come off that cross immediately." "You can't play with it." "Do you want me to keep an eye on them?" "No, it's ok." "Tom is really bad." "Didn't you want to be at the christening?" "No, I don't need to." "They're difficult, aren't they?" "Yes, he's a pain especially." "I give them too much freedom." "My father used to belt me." "He always said:" "Spare the rod and spoil the child." "Sounds like him alright." "Short but to the point." "Sylvie doesn't want me to hit them." "And what she says goes in our home." "Aren't you going inside?" "I want to smoke." "I should quit really." "What will be the name of your daughter?" "Anne Charlotte Emily." "Sylvie insisted on calling her that." "Toby's very touched that he can be the godfather." "Yes, Sylvie thought that he..." "Hey, where did Tom go?" "He's there, behind that grave." "So you work for the city?" "I'm in charge of the skittle alley." "I'm making it level." "I found out it's been slanted for 87 years." "Get off your grandfather's grave." "That's my father's grave." "He's been there for two years now, right?" "Yes, he caught a cold in the sun lounge that I built for him." "Your husband's looking well." "He's doing much better since he left education." "It became too hard on him." "Now he works in Miles' computer company." "Microchips and such." "Do you know his friend Miles?" "I don't see them anymore." "Can you keep an eye on the little one?" "What are you doing, Jones?" "You can't play with that." "Put it back." "Those flowers don't belong to you." "Put them back right away." "In memory of Joe Hepplewick, 75 years." "Joe has gone, but his poetry lives on." "I told you to be careful." "This isn't a playground." "Don't do that again, ok?" "There you are." "Couldn't you wait until the end?" "No, I couldn't, to be honest." "Are you officially a godfather now?" "Yes, isn't that something." "I'll personally keep an eye on her education." "I thought you were fed up with education." "This is a special case." "Oh, no." "What is it?" "I thought I saw something there." "A little monster jumping behind a grave." "Look there." "That's a little Hepplewick." "Are you sure?" "Keep an eye on him." "I'm going to say hello to Sylvie." "Where did he go?" "Where is he now?" "There you are." "You gave me a fright." "And another fright." "That's enough or I'll have a heart-attack." "I can do that too, you know." "Don't you forget it." "Are you doing that to my son?" "What's this?" "That's very bad behaviour, Tom." "Come here." "Your wife said you're not coming." "I guess not then." "Thank you for letting me be godfather." "I'll keep an eye on her education." "She's a lucky girl." "Come here." "Don't do that or else..." "Do you still read?" "Yes, but only when I have a little time." "I still don't understand why you wanted to stop back then." "Can you tell me now?" "It was because our relationship took a certain turn." "I don't understand." "Didn't I always behave like a respectable teacher?" "But I'm not talking about you." "You have to come." "We're going home." "We have to eat." "Hurry up, you." "Or it went like this" "Or she said this:" "No, I don't want to marry you." "Come on, please." "Is that better?" "Yes." "That was terrible." "And what's your answer?" "No." "No to what?" "I won't marry you." "Because of those private lessons?" "I'll stop with those as well." "I have other plans." "Mind if I laugh?" "When you see my sun lounge, you'll change your mind." "Help me with that head." "It's rather narrow." "Can you push?" "Ok, how do I look?" "This is a lot better." "It's really a lot better." "It's stuck." "Isn't that what you want?" "It can't come off." "It's completely stuck." "Relax." "I'll help you." "You're right." "It is stuck." "I told you so." "Don't panic." "Come with me." "What will you do?" "Put your head between those." "What are you doing?" "I can't see." "This is a good lever." "I can't see anything." "Hurry up." "I did it." "Now you're the victim, instead of me." "Throw sponges at the gorilla." "That's enough, Sylvie." "five years later the return of the prodigal child" "Are you ok?" "It's my stomach." "Do you believe that yourself?" "Sit down." "Ok, don't sit down." "Great, the principal keeps going outside to vomit." "Everybody's watching." "The parents, the former pupils..." "Yes, I know the guest list." "I'm disappointed that you don't have any self control even now." "And later you have to give an interview." "Why?" "Because you promised." "Who's coming then?" "A reporter from a women's magazine." "I'm already worried about what you're going to say." "What kind of magazine?" "A women's magazine." "Feminist?" "Then I won't do it." "She might be here already." "What's it about?" "No idea." "I hope I won't become aggressive." "You'll probably be very friendly, as always." "We really have to go back inside now." "What should I say to her?" "Up to you." "That you're against abortion and against women's suffrage." "Nonsense." "I don't mind that women vote." "She's here because of the anniversary, so talk to her about the school." "Come along." "A bit longer." "Come, please." "Just a bit longer." "I'm going inside now." "Wait." "Why are you doing this to me?" "What should I say to that woman?" "I shouldn't drink anymore, today." "In memory of Joe Hepplewick." "Joe has gone, but his poetry lives on." "That's what I call a sense of humour." "Are you still alive?" "You gave me a fright." "Yes, I'm alive." "Oh, no." "Is that you, Sylvie?" "It's Sylvie." "How long has it been?" "Five years?" "Can I help you?" "I'm alright again." "You've changed." "May I know why you're here?" "Not for the anniversary, I suppose?" "Yes, but for my work." "What's your work then?" "Reporter." "I'm here to interview you." "So you're the woman of the magazine?" "Do you write for a women's magazine?" "It's a news magazine for women." "It's not that bad." "You haven't changed a bit, have you?" "I hold my own." "Our appointment's at three o'clock at your place." "So we can have a chat now." "What about?" "About the school, about yourself." "I heard that Lionel got married." "He found a woman." "She wasn't as lucky as you were." "Are you seeing somebody?" "Yes." "Is he nice?" "He's very nice." "I bet you didn't marry." "No, that's not my style." "Very good." "I have to go inside or Celia will get angry with me." "In case I never get the chance again." "Thank you." "For what?" "For opening my eyes." "You showed me the way so that I could escape." "I didn't do much." "Oh, yes." "I was happy to do it."