"Germaine!" " Yeah!" "Don't say yeah and stay in bed!" "I'm out of bed already." "Didn't you bring your pisspot down?" " Good morning to you too." "Have a quick sandwich, you're late." " I'm not hungry." "I'll eat on the bus." "What time did you get home last night?" " Me?" "Yes, you." " Twelve o'clock." "Twelve o'clock?" "I was still awake at twelve and I didn't hear you." "I didn't have my watch on but it can't have been much later than that." "When your father was your age he had to be in before twelve o'clock, ask him." "Don't you start." "I'm talking to her." " Sure." "Let her get away with it." "Like with those tiny skirts she wears." " Short skirts are the fashion nowadays." "That's Mol for you!" "Let her hang around in that town and you'll see." "I work there, Grandpa." "I'm talking about you going out in Mol, to all those dodgy bars there." "Oh come on, dodgy bars..." " I hate to say it but he's right." "You don't learn anything good in Mol." "Pretentious gits." "They threat ordinary people like shit." "Can't you stop moaning for once?" " You need to learn to behave." "And you, you always make a row when you eat, you do." "It's disgusting." "You need to learn to keep your mouth closed when you eat." "Hey, you cheeky little madam!" "Did you hear that?" "That's what you get if you let her do what she likes." "That's enough." "Don't start going on, first thing in the morning." "That's it, have a go at me, boot the old guy back into his shed." "One of these days I'll kick the bucket and then you'll be happy." "You can knock the wall down and make the living room bigger, with fitted carpet and central heating." "If you're going outside, take some apples for the chickens." "Not all salami again, eh?" " You'll see when you open it." "Germaine, are you keeping an eye on the time?" "Jan, don't you need to have a crap?" " No, I don't think so." "Where's my cap?" " It's on your head." "Are you going shopping?" " Want me to get you something?" "Don't forget that letter." " What letter?" "That one there." "Or is there something wrong with your eyes?" "To Mr Richard Nixon, President of the United States." "Another one?" "What was in the paper this time?" " Just make sure you post it today." "I'll put it in the post-box." " No, no, there's no stamp on it." "And get a move on!" "Anyone would think you had all the time in the world." "There, that'll be Alice and you're still here!" "Where are my sandwiches?" " Here, in your bag." "Hello, Jan. Is Germaine ready?" " She's coming." "Daughters are nothing but trouble, eh Rik?" "Definitely." " Hey!" "Wrap your scarf round or you'll catch pneumonia." "You and your pneumonia!" "I know what I had to tell you!" "I had a really strange dream last night." "What did you dream now?" "I was on my checkout at the supermarket." " And, um... was I there too?" "No, that was really strange." "My checkout was the only one open and it was incredibly busy." "Suddenly someone puts a packet of chewing gum down in front of me that I've never seen before and I know we don't sell that kind of gum." "So I look up at the customer and guess who is standing there?" " Don't know." "The lead singer from The Hollies." " Allan Clarke?" "He winks at me!" "I can't believe it and blush bright red." "I think, "I have to speak English."" "I say, "I'm sorry, but we don't sell that here." "I don't know that article."" "Suddenly everyone starts laughing, the whole queue behind him and him too." ""Well, darling," he says, "Then it's time you got to know it."" "Then I take a good look at the packet of chewing gum and d'you know what it is?" "A packet of English Johnnies!" "Condoms?" " Shh!" "Not so loud!" "Aren't the union guys going back upstairs today?" "Yeah, I wonder what it'll be this time?" "The same as last time." "A kick up the arse and back down the stairs." "10 francs an hour more..." "They'll have a laugh in Brussels." "If they don't get anything, it could turn nasty." "Yeah." "When I hear those upstarts with their big mouths, going on about striking and the trade unions..." "What crap did Kris spout?" "We won't get anywhere like that." "True." " He's just asking for trouble." "That was an Englishman!" " Who was it?" "Did you see him?" "No, but his steering wheel was on the wrong side." "Maybe it was your heart-throb, that Beatle?" "You're no longer interested, or what?" " I just think he's good-looking." "Oh, the bus!" "Germaine, take a look in the tinned food aisle." "Remember him?" "Who?" " Luc." "Luc Verheyen, from school." "He did Latin." "You were crazy about him, Germaine." "Me?" " No, me." "Watch out, he's coming this way." "You take him, I'll close my checkout." "Germaine?" " I don't want him to see me." "Have you gone mad, Germaine?" " You take him, the pretentious git!" "Going to wallpaper your student digs?" " Pardon?" "Don't you remember me?" "Or are you ignoring poor people now, Luc?" "What d'you mean?" "I really didn't mean to..." "Oh, Alice!" "It's Alice, isn't it?" " So you do remember." "You did Economics." "You were always with your friend, what was her name...?" "What did she look like?" "Not pretty enough to remember her name?" "I mean Germaine." "Of course, Germaine." "How's she doing?" " Fine." "She's in a serious relationship." "Right." " Yeah." "With a real smart guy." "A doctor!" "Well, a specialist." "Ear, nose and throat." " Right." "But I think she's going to regret it." "A boring old guy like that." "He's almost 30, he's not right for her." " No, I wouldn't think so either." "That'll be 80 francs." "Hey, it's the reunion dance at school next weekend." "You're coming too, aren't you?" " I don't know." "Go on!" "It'll be fun, all back together again." "And bring Germaine." "The poor thing deserves some fun." " We'll see." "Right..." "Bye-bye!" " Thank you." "Where is Germaine?" "In the toilet?" " No." "I looked and she wasn't there." "Sorry, Lode." "I was looking for a 5 franc coin that had rolled somewhere." "Well?" "Did you find it?" " No, it seems to be gone." "That's OK, we'll just deduct it from your wages, as usual." "You're going to sell our newspapers and Greece brochures at that reunion, eh?" "Why didn't you ask her if you could put up a poster against the Greek colonels?" "You know that girl, don't you?" " Here in Mol?" "The Greek colonels?" "They'll think it's a musical about gays." " They mustn't know at home, must they?" "What?" " Acting the left-winger at university and putting a suit on at the weekend for mum and dad." "Aren't we the hypocrite?" " That's not being a hypocrite." "Those are guerrilla tactics, used on my father." "Withdraw when the enemy attacks and choose your confrontations." "That's Mao, Leo." "That's Mao." "Ursula Andress is a guy, I swear." "Don't be ridiculous!" "Ursula Andress!" "Have you taken a good look at her?" "That's a guy, everyone knows that." " Tjip!" "Wanna bet?" "How much?" " They'll get nothing again." "How long have the delegates been up there now?" "Seems like it may be hard going." " Give the guys time, Kris." "We've waited so long." " That's just it!" "They've bullshitted for long enough." "What is the bloody problem?" "Have you ever taken a good look at her?" "Other women have got narrow shoulders, tits, wide hips, so having babies is easy." "All of them." "Our youngest knows all about it, eh?" "But Ursula Andress has got wide shoulders and narrow hips." "That's a guy, I swear it is." "I didn't see a dick when she came out of the sea in that white bikini." "You should learn to listen." "I just told Jan she's had an operation down there." "How do you know?" "Did she show you her scar?" "Very funny!" "Well?" "Nothing?" "What...?" "They're coming from Brussels to sort it after the New Year." "I knew it!" "D'you know what you two are?" "Two bloody crap delegates, that's..." "Kris..." " What?" "It's true, isn't it?" "Why d'you think we sent you up there?" "To have a coffee with them?" "That's the third time you've let them walk all over you up there." "I can't believe it!" " It's not that simple, Kris." "Isn't it?" "I reckon it's very simple." "In Liège they got a 2,000 franc rise months ago and we, we get shit all." "It's that simple." "You're forgetting one thing, Kris." "Liège isn't Balen." "So?" "Liège isn't Balen, what kind of crap is that, you jerk?" "Well, it's true." "In America people earn twice as much as we do." "What are you on about?" "America!" "Are you going to defend these two losers?" "Call them delegates?" "D'you know what I call them?" "Arselickers!" "Arselickers!" "Stupid little upstart!" " There..." "listen to that." "Too stingy to join a union but happy to benefit from any increase we get." "They're arselickers and you're a freeloader!" "Calm down, calm down." "Guys!" "Guys!" "Stop that!" "Now's not the time." "Well, are we going to do any work today?" "Or d'you think that zinc grows on trees round here?" "Is that bread there again?" "No one can get by." "It's got to dry." "I can't give the animals mouldy bread or I'll be burying the lot of them." " Be quiet!" "There's always bread there." "We tread on it and the crumbs go everywhere." "You'll be glad when I'm gone." " Are you starting again?" "Then you can knock that wall down and then you'll have a big..." "Calm down, before you choke to death." " Big living room..." "Fitted carpet..." " I can't hear the television!" "... and central heating." "That's what you want." "If you need to go to toilet, take some antifreeze." "Your bum freezes to the seat." " For goodness sake..." "Oh there, that pretentious git." "I'd like to see him work his arse off in our workshop." "He'd have less to sing about then." "You can laugh, but d'you know how much he earns?" "He doesn't live in a hole like us." " What did you say?" "A hole?" "Yes, a hole!" "H-O-L-E!" "To think you even bought the place." "Go to your room!" "For the rest of the evening!" "Gladly." "I'm gone already." " Cheeky little madam!" "Don't forget your pot." "It's not our fault you weren't born in a mansion." "We can't all be millionaires." "A hole, bloody cheek!" " Bloody airs and graces." "Where I come from, that was a hole." "We slept under the roof, with snow on our bed in the winter and sheaves of straw stuffed in the holes in the roof." "If the wind blew hard..." " Alright, your hole won." "Congratulations." "Goodnight." "Bloody airs and graces." "His name is George!" " Whose is?" "That cute Englishman!" "It's George." "I bumped into him and he asked me!" "Asked you what?" " Into his cabin." "But I don't dare, not alone." "You have to come too." "Don't be silly, Alice!" "What can happen?" "Wear your knickers with the British flag!" "You wicked girl!" "Come with me." "Please!" "Where is he then, this George of yours?" " Wait till you see him." "That's him." "Mind your manners, eh?" "Well, well, lucky me, I got two for the price of one." "Hey, he doesn't think that we..." " Hi." "This is Germaine from the supermarket, my friend." "Hi!" " Hi!" "Well, it's bloody cold out here." "D'you want to go inside?" "I'm freezing." "Come on then." "Up you go!" "I can see she's done that before." " Hey, uh..." "You don't think I am a girl who goes with everybody, eh?" "No, no!" "Not at all." "You know what?" "I think you're a bloody virgin, Germaine." "Watch out!" "Virgin!" "What?" " Don't look at me." "What d'you think of him?" "On a scale of one to ten?" "So..." "What's your destination, ladies?" "London?" "Paris?" "Amsterdam?" "Liverpool!" "Liverpool?" " Yes!" "Alright." "Liverpool, here we come!" "Oh my God!" "Whoops!" "I forgot." "I've got a delivery here in the morning." "Ooh, but..." "Then let's go tomorrow!" " Yes, George, you promised us." "One day I'll take you home with me, Alice, don't worry." "Now that is a promise." "Do you know Radio Luxemburg, the station of the stars?" "Yes, we listen to it every Saturday, to the Top Fifty." "It must be funny, always on the road with your truck." "And when you wait, do you always take girls in your truck or what?" "Do I take girls in my lorry?" "I was kind of hoping this would be the first time tonight." "What do you think, Alice?" "Don't you ever miss your home when you are on the road?" "This is my home." "I spend more time in this than in my house in Liverpool." "Oh, do you sleep here?" " Yeah." "You're awful, you are!" " It's very nice!" "Can I go in there?" "Yeah, sure." " Oh yeah, why not, there you go, Alice!" "Wait, I'll show you how to make it cosy." "You should close these." "There you go." "If you want something to drink, there's some down in the box." "She'll be alright, will she?" "Can you believe this?" "It's so childish!" "Coming to the toilet with me?" "You see students starting to take action everywhere, Clem." "So why not here in Mol?" "It's just a matter of organising it." "A student council is the first thing." " A student council?" "And what else?" "What you need here..." "Don't tell anyone you got it from me." "Promise?" "Have you seen this?" "It's the "Red Book for Students"." "It was banned by the courts." "It's subversive, you shouldn't have one." "Here. "Contraception."" ""You use contraception to prevent you having a baby."" "Seriously?" " We've known that for ages, Luc!" "Here, look." "Or do you think they only have that at university?" "Are we going to stand around here or are we going to have some fun?" "Good luck with your little book, Luc." "Cheers!" "Did you see that?" "That Luc didn't even glance at me." "Who does the guy think he is?" " You know what he's like." "Maybe he just didn't see you, I don't know." "You didn't go over to him either, did you?" "I'm not Luc Verheyen's lapdog." "I'm off." "It's the kissing dance." "You don't want to leave now!" "Hey, Germaine!" " Hello, Mr Sleeckx." "Good evening." "Did I hear you'd left school for good?" " Yes." "You know what I told you, eh?" " Yeah, yeah." "And I mean it, you know." "You've got what it takes to do well." "I know, Mr Sleeckx, but studying's not for me." "Good evening!" "Oh dear." "Oh dear..." "Oh dear." "This is a great little car!" "You're really close to the ground." "It's like one of those cars at the funfair." "And it gives you the feeling that you're going really fast." "This evening can't go fast enough for me." "I was born here." "I'm ashamed really, but then again, it's not my fault." "You're sure your parents aren't home?" "They're away for at least another week on a skiing holiday." "8 JANUARY 197 1" "Well?" "What did the guy from Brussels have to say?" "Marcel!" "Hey!" "Have you gone deaf?" "The decision has been postponed." " Arselicking dickhead!" "What was that?" "Bloody hell!" "See what happens?" " He should keep his hands off me!" "And grab those upstairs by the collar instead!" "Those upstairs might listen if you were more reasonable!" "But no, a 10 franc rise!" "Are you crazy?" "10 francs?" "We'll never get that!" "I want to earn the same as the guys in Liège." "That's all!" "And if I can't, I'll smash..." "Hey, Kris, calm down, pal..." "You don't want any accidents to happen, eh?" "Something has to happen or there will be an accident!" "Something is going to happen, son, we have all waited long enough." "Come with me." "All of you, come with me." "Come on!" "Where are you going?" " To see the engineer." "Someone has to make them understand that things have reached boiling point." "Piet is from your union, Marcel." " I've got nothing to do with this." "Cut the crap, Frans, just come with us!" "Hey!" "Come with us!" "Come on!" "Be quiet, guys!" "Shush!" " Guys." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Calm down!" "Calm down!" "That's as maybe, but what can I do about it?" "You can go upstairs." "And tell them our patience is up." "You're an engineer, dammit, they'll listen to you." "I have nothing to say upstairs." "That's your delegates' job." "Our delegates are hand in glove with management, you know that." "Listen, listen." "I can't interfere." "If you're not happy, just get your coats and go across the bridge." "Go on strike?" "Well?" "Are we happy?" " No, we're bloody not!" "You all heard what he said, so get your coat." "We're crossing the bridge!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "Hold on!" "That wasn't the idea!" "You idiot!" "Stop him, pal!" "Stop him!" "Kris, what madness is this?" "Can't you read, or what?" "STRIKE" "Piet!" "Piet!" "Are you serious?" " Am I serious?" "D'you think we're joking or what?" "Equal pay for equal work, eh Jan?" "10 francs for everyone." "How about that?" "Yes, but are all the unions going to agree?" "The unions can go to hell!" " But you're a member yourself." "Of the Reds." " lf they want to join in, that's fine." "Otherwise they can stay away from us." " This has gone on for long enough, eh?" "But, what am I going to do?" " What are you going to do?" "Strike too of course!" "Or do we have to bloody throw you in the canal?" "That'll do, Kris." "Calm down, son!" "Sir!" "Sir!" "We're students who've come to show our solidarity with the workers." "We're looking for Kris." "He phoned us." "D'you know what you can do, pal?" "You can kiss my arse!" "What's up?" "Are you back already?" " I'm ill." "You're ill?" "And you just come home?" "You're a fine one!" "I was allowed to." " Allowed to?" "Soon you'll be allowed to stay home for good." "Bloody airs and graces!" "Don't you feel any better?" "Didn't the antacid tablets help?" " I expect it's cancer, eh?" "That's not funny." "You're very picky with your food lately too." "Mum, please, that's the cigarettes." " You don't listen, do you?" "How often have I said that those filthy...?" "Out of the way!" " Go back!" "I'm not going back." " Go to work!" "It's cold outside, let me in!" " No way!" "What's going on?" "Did you fall ill at work too, or what?" " I wish." "There's a strike on!" "Did you ever hear of such a thing?" "You've got to go back, you idiot!" "Go to work." "Have you seen that bunch standing there?" "They're not kidding." "A smack in the face and then into the canal." "Now let me in!" "You shouldn't go on strike at the factory." "The factory gave us a job, a house, a school, a church." "And lead poisoning and pale kids." " You be quiet, Germaine!" "What is all this drivel about?" " That bonus they got in Liège, you know we..." " Guess what the lunatics want?" "Ten francs an hour!" "I bet those young upstarts were behind it." "It was the young upstarts in 1913 too, it always is." "What about our mortgage?" "The 120,000 francs for our house?" "How long will the strike last?" "Oh, you don't know!" "And if you get fired, then what?" " Then what?" "How do I know?" "I do know one thing, Clara." "I can't cross that bridge!" "What about the scabs?" " There aren't any scabs, Dad!" "Every strike has its scabs." "There were some in 1913 too." "And in '36 in Olen and in '62." "There always are, otherwise it's not a strike." "The police will come, won't they, to ensure you can go inside unharmed?" "Men!" "Fall in!" "Poppeliers, I'm going to say this only once, get out of the way or people are going to get hurt." "Everyone can now go inside, without being afraid." "Your right to work is guaranteed." "10 francs now!" "10 francs now!" "10 francs now!" "10 francs now!" "10 francs now!" "10 francs now!" "WEEK ONE OF THE STRIKE" "No, pal, you won't be getting strike pay." "You're getting bugger all." "The socialist union doesn't recognise the strike." "No strike pay?" " Nope." "Our union laughed when I asked them." "But... what are we supposed to live off?" "You'll have to ask Piet, eh?" " And Kris, those two will sort it!" "Eh, Kris?" "That's enough, guys." "Bloody hell!" "Sit down, pal!" "We're going to show those unions that we don't need them!" "That we can win the strike without them!" "From now on we will form our own independent strike committee." "We are the trade union!" "What does that mean?" "That means everyone can join in." "Union member or non-union member, red, yellow, blue, green, mauve with yellow stripes, whatever, as long as we're all pulling in the same direction." "Us on our own, Piet?" "Against the big boys in Brussels?" "You don't know what you're doing." " We're not alone." "Some shopkeepers came to see us and offer their support." "And there, in the corner, Jef Sleeckx, a teacher from the state school, is here with two colleagues." "They spontaneously came to help us last night with our nice pamphlet that the police love so much." "Secretly stencilled at school on the school's paper." "Thanks very much, Jef." " Our pleasure, guys, our pleasure!" "An A plus, Jef." "Guys." "Guys, it won't be easy." "It's like Jan said, we're fighting the big boys in Brussels." "We'll have to use our brain." "There is no one who is going to do it for us." "And don't forget, guys, we are the bloody union!" "WORKERS" " STUDENTS ONE FRONT" "Hey, have you seen her?" " Who?" "Who!" "How many did you shag here?" " Germaine?" "Eh?" " No, I haven't." "Do you know where she lives?" " No." "Another no." "Hey, Luc, is that what you mean by joining up with the proletariat?" "Fucking a girl from the suburbs?" "That reminds me of Helga." " Who?" "Helga, who studied German, when she fucked she had to think of Chairman Mao or she couldn't come." "That's it, laugh!" "Go on, laugh!" "I don't think it's funny." "Bet her boyfriend doesn't either." "Workers - students..." " One front!" ""In 1970 the workers at Vieille Montagne earned between 7,500 and 8,500 francs for the unhealthiest work."" "Here, that word." "What does it mean?" ""Merely", you must know that word." ""We merely ask for 10 francs per hour more, but they don't want to give us more than 2 francs 75."" "Put it all in there." "People should know." "That's what's said up there." "They're never going to give in, never ever." "They'll starve you into submission." "What are you doing here, anyway?" " Kris!" "Can't you see what he's doing?" "Who did you hear that from, Marcel?" " From Twaddle, from Personnel." "He literally said, "Let them strike, hunger will make them come crawling back over the bridge."" "That's what they're saying upstairs." " Well, now we know." "Then it's hard against hard." "We should start thinking about food parcels." "That'll take a while to set up." "I'm going to go round all the doctors, ask if the strikers can put off paying until after the strike is over." "Right." "Like that's gonna happen." " They'll have to agree." "Doctors who won't cooperate will be blacklisted." "And they're all dependent on Vieille Montagne, more or less." "Look, Kris, your pals have come to play." "What's up?" "Are you scared, Marcel?" "Workers - students..." " One front!" "Workers - students..." " One front!" "Great." "Luc?" "Hold it up, I've got to reach right back there." "Like this?" "Workers from Vieille Montagne!" "We support your heroic fight against your bourgeois employers and against the unions who've sold out to them, their loyal henchmen who betray you time and again." "There you go, it's the trade unions' fault again." "Listen, I want to support the committee as much as I can but don't let those communists take over." "Or I'll have nothing more to do with you." "I'll go and have a chat with those guys, ... to the workers." "Who are standing up for their rights everywhere in factories today." "Only then will we succeed in setting up a militant workers' party that will always defend, in all circumstances, the workers' interests and only then will we be able to raise a clenched fist and crush bourgeois employers forever." "Only then will we rid ourselves of the itch of capitalism forever." "Workers - students..." " One front!" "This is just the beginning." " The fight will continue!" "This is just the beginning." " The fight will continue!" "What did you say to those guys?" " Nothing special." "Come on, Piet." " No, I didn't." "I said we're pleased they want to help us." "Seriously, Piet." "Then I said that if they weren't out of here in five minutes, we'd grab them by the balls and chuck them in the canal." "Right." "You came in the mini, eh?" "Can you take Arnout back, I have to go to the printer's?" "Yeah, fine." " You're going back to uni, aren't you?" "Yeah, yeah." "What did I tell you?" "That strike committee is in the hands of the reformists." "Kris had said that too." "That Kris is a really good guy, we should stay in contact with him." "Bloody hell, there, look who's there, look..." "Oh, shit." "A routine check, mustn't attract attention." "You know what to do if they question you, don't say anything, cos those guys are trained to use everything you say against you." "Papers please." "Oh, Luc Verheyen." "Your dad thinks you're at university, studying." "Hi Cyriel." "I don't wish to make a statement." "Come on, out of there, the lot of you, and show me your ID card." "WEEK THREE OF THE STRIKE" "Germaine?" "You're not being sick again, are you?" "No." "I swallowed my chewing gum." " Swallowed your chewing gum?" "I heard you being sick." " No." "I swallowed my chewing gum." "Did you go to bed chewing gum?" " Yes." "You know swallowing chewing gum can give you appendicitis, don't you?" "Where's your pot...?" " Hey!" "Are you going to check how much I've pissed and what colour it is?" "I'm going." "You were so sweet when you were little." "But that was a long time ago." "Hi Maria." "Hi Germaine!" " Hi." "Wow!" " Yeah, yeah." "He had a delivery to make at the factory but he wasn't allowed in." "So, you are still waiting?" " Oh, it's OK." "These guys have all my sympathy." "My father was a miner, you see." "He went on strike to save his pit." "They fought for two months, but after that it was over and out." "I understand what these guys are going through, but in the end they always lose, poor bastards." "Anyway, I better get going." "See you soon, sweet Alice." "Wow!" " I know." "Incredible, isn't it?" "How are things with Luc?" "Have you seen him since?" "No, that's why I'm here." "Could I phone Mol?" "Of course." "If the phone hasn't been cut off." "What?" "Is it that bad?" " Like everywhere else, eh?" "If there's only my money coming in..." " I'll pay for it, as usual." "What d'you mean, you don't know?" "What does it say here in the police report then?" ""Stopped in Delystraat in Balen"." "What were you doing there instead of being at university?" "You should be ashamed!" "Ashamed!" "Do you ever attend lectures, son?" "Or is being those Maoists' chauffeur a full-time job?" "The freeloaders!" "I was doing some friends a favour." " You call them friends?" "D'you know what I call them?" "A bunch of lunatics." "And you hang around with them?" " It's someone from uni." "I was helping." "Helping?" "D'you really think those guys have come here to help?" "They've come to smash the place up." "And take what they can." "All power to the workers!" "D'you know what that means?" "D'you ever think?" "Is there ever anyone home up here?" "That'd be nice." " Yeah, that'd be nice." "They take everything you've worked for all your life!" "They take it!" "Gone!" "One day it's all gone!" "Then you can forget about going to university too, eh?" "What else is this idiot going to put us through, eh Mother?" "Dad, can Germaine phone Mol?" "She'll pay for it." "Of course, child." "What?" "Didn't he give you his phone number?" "Don't you need to go to the toilet?" " No." "Alice!" "Come on!" "Go away!" "And don't think I won't find out if you get up to something, because I've got connections." "One telephone call and I know everything." "If you put a foot wrong." "And woe betide you if I hear something I don't like." "Woe betide you!" " Shhh." "Father!" "Retard!" "Mrs Verheyen speaking." "Who am I talking to?" "Hello, is Luc home please?" "Who am I talking to?" " Germaine Debruycker." "I'm at university with your son." "Luc can't be disturbed, he's studying." "Can I give him a message?" "Well, actually, it's really stupid." "I lost my purse at a party and all my mum's cards were in it." "Now I'm phoning everyone to..." " Hold on." "Luc, it's for you." "Something about a purse." "Not too long." "Luc speaking." " It's Germaine." "Yeah?" " Germaine Debruycker?" "You do remember me?" " Yes, of course." "You'd never guess!" " What did you say?" "Your purse?" "I get it." "You can't talk freely." "Just say yes or no." "OK?" "Yes." "We need to talk, urgently." "Can we meet somewhere?" "Yes." "Tomorrow at 8 by the Rex in Mol?" " Yes, yes." "Good luck." "Have you seen it?" " What?" "That purse." " Oh, no, no." "Another thing, you're not going out this weekend." "But dad..." " You're staying home!" "You can kiss goodbye to your car keys." "You'll get them back when I say so." "Oranges, salami." "Here, more shampoo." "Where does all the shampoo go?" "I suppose that's Germaine?" "Young girls want to wash their hair." "Washing your hair once a week is enough, Clara." "Otherwise it gets too greasy." "I've told her loads of times, you know what she's like." "Let's see... 4,000 francs from Germaine, from the supermarket." "Dad's pension, 7,000 francs." "That's 11,000 francs in total." "D'you think that's enough?" "Germaine didn't go in every day, she won't have that much." "Things always go bloody wrong!" "No matter how you look at it, the payment on the house is the problem." "So we won't have enough." "Are you going to make a habit of drinking whisky every evening?" "Don't worry, the bottle is almost empty and there's no money for another one." "Good job we've got Dad's pension." "Look at Rik, he hasn't even got that." "Germaine was there earlier." "He was sitting at the kitchen table crying quietly over his empty cigar box." "Bloody hell!" "Clara, my writing stuff." "Who are you going to write to now?" "I don't believe it." "To the King again?" "King Baudouin?" "Just make sure you don't get into trouble." "Your Majesty, The undersigned is taking the respectful liberty of writing this letter to you." "As you may know, there is a strike on at Vieille Montagne in Balen-Wezel." "Not everyone wanted to go on strike but those with the biggest mouths got their way as usual." "The trade unions will not give us strike pay because they say our demands are unreasonable." "I do not know what to think anymore." "In my opinion the committee is making a mess of things." "Therefore, I would like to ask you to tell the police to be more hard-handed at Vieille Montagne so the lunacy ends." "Things have gone on long enough." "No, no, Rik!" "No!" "Leave it, you don't need to look." "I've just eaten." "I don't want anything." "But thanks for offering." " The one time I've got something." "Help yourself, that's what they're for." " What's all that?" "Coffee." "Spaghetti." "Powdered milk, peas, beans, tomato sauce." "All from the committee." " Bloody hell..." "We've got them by the short and curlies, Jan." "Where's Dad?" "Gone to see Rik, to see how he's doing." "Are you going to help me or are you going to lie there all day?" "Mum?" " Yes?" "How come it's like this here?" " How come it's like what?" "Forget it." "How come it's like what?" "Nothing." "Germaine..." " All this here." "Us here." "It's not like this everywhere, is it?" "When you see on TV how other people live... why do we have to live in this hole?" "Are you going to start that again?" " Yes!" "Look in our garden." "What do you see in our garden?" "Nothing." "And d'you know why?" "Because nothing grows, due to all that filth from the factory." "No trees, no bushes, no grass, nothing, not even any weeds!" "And we have to live here?" "!" "Since when do you care about the garden?" " Since when?" "Don't you ever think about it?" "Am I really the only one?" "Germaine, what are you trying to tell me?" "Nothing!" "No, Piet, that's working cash in hand." " You can't have it both ways, Frans." "It's either working cash in hand or starving." "Felix needs people in Leopoldsburg, and Jean in Hasselt." "I'd like to point out to our activists and members that the strike may soon be recognised by the socialist trade union." "And by the Catholic one too!" "Whoever works somewhere cash in hand can forget about any strike pay!" "Stick it up your arse, pal!" "Bloody hell, Marcel!" "There are some people who need it." "Who we can help to find a temporary job." "What's wrong with that?" "Working cash in hand is illegal!" "As a trade union rep I can never agree to that." "Listen, I need people now and if I can't find them here," "I'll go elsewhere, no problem." "I thought this wasn't going to take long?" "Guys, you heard, eh?" "Those who are interested can put their name down here at the table and start work tomorrow." "And... and with the committee's blessing!" "Not going to, Jan?" "I can get by on Dad's pension and my kid's wages for now." "There's only one problem, the mortgage payments on the house." "Jef, Jef!" "There's another one here with a bank loan." "Good." "I'm looking for a volunteer to come with me." "Sir." "That's OK dear." "We're expected." "So, what you're asking me is to postpone the payments for all those on strike?" "Yes." "For one month?" " One month... or two..." "We don't know how long the strike will last, Mr Dierckx." "And, in the end, it's only five men." "Seven." " Right." "Well..." "I'll have to phone head office in Brussels first." "Right." "Come on." "Tell them lots of your customers work at Vieille Montagne." "And they'll take their money to other banks who do agree." "So there are banks who've agreed?" " All of them." "Except for you." "OK." "No, OK, we can talk about it." "Please, sit back down." "Come on." "He was suddenly quick to agree." " Now the other banks, quickly." "Before he starts phoning round!" "I said, "Sir, it's true we earn our money sweating in the stench, but you wouldn't turn your nose up at it, eh?" "Our money is worth just as bloody much as anyone else's and if you don't want it, we'll take it to another bank."" "I said, "There are enough banks in Mol!"" ""More banks than hardware stores, I said."" "Can you distribute these in the suburbs?" "Give me a good pile, Jef." "Hold on." "It's raining." "Luc, you came in your mini, didn't you?" "Could you drop Jan off at home, because... otherwise the pamphlets will get wet." " Yeah, they'll get beer on them." "Beer on them, he says!" "Monique, give us another round." "Jef!" "A bar of chocolate?" "Left here, Luc!" "Like you, eh?" "I said to the bank manager," ""Have you ever complained about the smell of our money?" "No, eh?"" "It's here!" "Stop!" "Stop!" ""If you don't like it, just say so, and we'll take it elsewhere."" "You should've bloody well seen his face!" " That's fantastic!" "The power being released in Balen is the hoofbeat of the proletariat." "If you could aim that power at the right political targets you would..." " I'll tell you one thing." "If we all pull in the same direction, they will have to give in upstairs." "It's here!" "Hey, stop!" "This is the kitchen, Luc." " So you still know where you live." "That's Clara, don't take any notice of her." "Put the papers down here somewhere." "Take a seat." "This is Luc, a student." "He's come to help us." "Where have you been and what have you been drinking?" "That's what I'd like to know." "You'll never believe it, Clara." "In Mol, with the bankers." "I, Jan Debruycker, have seen to it that no mortgage payment has to be made until the strike is over!" "What d'you say about that?" "Idiot." " No, it's true!" "He went with Jef Sleeckx." " Oh, him." "Another Red from the state school!" " I won't hear a bad word about Jef!" "You're going to look a right fool, if they sell this place... right from under you!" "Watch my words!" "This is going to end all wrong, just like in 1913." "Just like in 1913!" "That's two bloody World Wars ago!" "I've had to hear that for weeks, Luc." " That's enough." "Tell me more about the banks." "What's all that about the mortgage?" "You should've been there, Clara." "You'd have been so proud of me." "Shall I come to your place or you to mine?" "No..." "We can't." "I've arranged to see George." "George?" "There's a strike on." "He doesn't need to come to Balen." "But he's coming anyway." "He's making a detour in his lorry, just to see me." "Wow, it sounds serious." " Yes..." "Yes, it's very serious." "And he..." " What?" "It's... very serious!" "See you tomorrow." " Bye." ""OK," he says." ""It's fine, Mr Debruycker, sit back down again, we can talk about it."" "He suddenly didn't need to phone Brussels." "That was it!" "And you trust those men?" "You think the banks will listen to you, Jan Debruycker from Balen-Wezel?" "They're not scared of Jan as an individual." "It's because they know they're up against the organised working class." "He speaks well too." " Yeah, he's a student, eh?" "A couple more years and he's a lawyer." "Where is he from?" " Mol." "From Mol, madam." "Luc Verheyen." "And what does your father do?" "My father's got an electrical goods wholesaler's, Verheyen..." "There she is." "Germaine, Germaine darling, come and join us, come and join us." "This is one of those students they go on about." "He was just explaining..." " Yes, I heard." "From such a well to do family and still gracing us with his presence." "I know people from my class tend to look down on the working class..." "You rather fancy working class, eh?" "You're quite right, little Beatle." "I'm going to bed." "Don't forget to see to the stove and lock the back door." "Goodnight." "Goodnight, darling." "Don't forget the thingy when you go up, eh?" "The what, Clara?" " What d'you take up when you go to bed?" "Especially if you've had a few." "Luc, I think I've got a drop of whisky here somewhere." "I reckon we've bloody earned it." " Yeah, yeah, definitely." "What?" "Two glasses?" "What about me?" " You?" "You can't, with your stomach." "She's had an upset stomach lately." "Keeps being sick." " That's not true." "Haven't you got an upset stomach?" " Not today." "Yeah, yeah." "Right, Luc." "Cheers." " Cheers." "Be honest, what d'you think of my daughter?" "A good-looking girl, eh?" "Yeah, yeah, I've seen uglier ducklings." "He says he's seen uglier ducklings!" "Idiot!" "Are those the committee's pamphlets to be distributed?" "They certainly are." "Here." ""We demand 10 francs for everyone, equal pay for equal..."" " Yeah, yeah, fine." "Rik asked for some." "I'll just go and put them in his letterbox." "Then he can hand them out tomorrow on his wharf." "Are you going back out again this late?" "I'll take her in the car, Jan. I have to go anyway." "Is that the time?" "I must go." "Goodbye." " Thanks, Luc." "I got the surprise of my life when you walked in." "I suppose you'd seen my car?" "Where do we have to take those pamphlets?" "Well, Mr Wonderful Student, haven't you got anything to say?" "Where were you?" "I got freezing cold, waiting there by the Rex." "I couldn't come, Germaine." "Honestly." "Sorry." "Am I trash now, because I let you have your way with me?" "I've been keen on you ever since school." " Yeah, so I noticed!" "You were with those tarts from Mol." "I've heard all about it." " That's not true." "Who said that?" "Where were you then?" "I got into trouble at home." "They found out I spent more time at Vieille Montagne than at uni." "I was grounded for the weekend and I couldn't contact you." "Sorry." "Why are you hanging around at the factory anyway?" "I can understand my father not getting it, but you..." "I want to help the people here, instead of always sitting with my nose in books." "As an intellectual, I want to..." "I..." "How can I explain to someone with no political interests?" "Right, I'm just a drudge from the estate." "Those pale-faced flat-chested tarts from Mol do understand, of course." "But they won't let Mr Lawyer climb on top of them, eh?" "Germaine, Germaine, wait!" "Germaine, Germaine!" "All I want to say is that we can learn something from..." "We can learn from the workers and the workers can learn from us." "That's all!" "When Piet was your age, he was in the Resistance, fighting the Germans!" "He was in a camp too, and he escaped." "What are you going to teach those men?" "You can't even let me know that your dad grounded you." "You should go back to university, Luc." "That's where you belong." "And it's high time you started thinking about our future." "But I'm not worried about the future, Germaine." "I am." "Especially now I will have to tell them at home that I'm pregnant." "Pregnant?" "Whose is it?" " You bloody bastard!" "Yours, of course!" "Or do you think I just do it with everyone?" "Tell me it's not true." "Germaine, tell me it's not true, please!" "It is true, Luc." "It is true!" "I, um..." "I, um..." "I've got to go, Germaine..." "I..." "Sorry." " Got to go?" "Yes." "Sorry, I've got to go." " Where are you going?" "You are coming back, aren't you, Luc?" "You are sure, aren't you, Germaine?" "Yes." "Sorry." "What is going on?" "Is it your stomach again?" "That's it." "I'm making you a doctor's appointment." "WEEK FIVE OF THE STRIKE" "Look, it's Lindbergh." "Been flying today?" " Stop talking drivel." "There are at least ten TV and newspaper journalists at the factory." "We've got them now, Dad!" "Dutch television is there, so are the Germans." "The whole world will know what's going on in Balen-Wezel." "Great big, stupid dreamers, that's what you are." "You should've taken the 6 francs." "Read that pamphlet, Dad." "They weren't giving us 6 francs." "With rising prices, it would've been 2 francs 67 cents." "We didn't freeze our arse off for all those weeks for that." "This is all going to blow up in your faces, but don't count on me." "Who are you going to write to now?" "The King." "Oh, the King?" "Do you really think the King reads all that himself?" "He doesn't even see it." "His secretary does his mail," ""yet another halfwit", and throws your letter in the bin." "You never know." "His secretary may be off ill one day and he opens his letters himself." "Dream on, son." "Dream on." "Why don't you write to the Queen?" " To the Queen?" "Yes, to the Queen." "Then, maybe..." "Because you sometimes hear that she helps people in trouble." "And when she sees "Vieille Montagne"..." "I heard they've got money invested there." "Is that true?" " Yes." "And where did you read that?" "In the coal shed?" "Can I get on with my letter now?" "Silly old loon!" "Your Majesty, Please ignore my previous letter." "Leave your policemen in their stations." "I am a changed man since the strike." "I can laugh again..." "Mrs Debruycker?" "And enjoy myself." "In fact, I haven't felt like this in ages." "The committee is doing very well." "But I do not think they can keep going alone." "A strike costs money." "Therefore, I am taking the respectful liberty of asking you whether you have any spare cash you could help us out with." "Go on, tell him!" "Where have you two been?" " To the doctor in Mol." "She's been fooling us for more than a month about her stomach." "Well, what have you got to say?" "Is anyone going to say anything?" "She's expecting!" "What?" "Your daughter is... you heard me." "Jan?" "Don't..." "You bloody filthy disgusting little whore!" "You're the nail in my coffin!" "Whose is it?" "Who did that to you?" "Bloody hell!" " No, Jan, don't!" "Stop it!" "You'll beat her to death!" "Don't!" "Germaine..." "I'm asking you calmly." "Who... did that to you?" " It took two, Dad." "Me and him." " I asked you what his name is." "You'll love this." "It's that student from Mol that you brought home." "No, Dad!" "Don't!" "You won't do anything without us, will you?" "Do anything wrong and we'll pick you up and chuck you in the canal." "We seemed to get the message across and we've worked well together since." "There's a student with us too." "Do you feel the strikers want you here?" "Yeah, yeah." "At first it was like "what are those guys doing here?"" "But they've realised..." " Verheyen!" "We're here to help them..." "Looks like a problem with the students." " Out of the way." "Bloody hell." "What was that all about?" "Sit down." "We're winning, Jan." "We're not going to balls it up now, eh?" "Piet, at first I thought," ""Don't strike, you have to go to work." "Jan, you have to go to work."" "But then I started thinking about it." "Rotting away in that stinking factory for 7,000 or 8,000 francs." "You can't even give your family half of what you want to give them." "And you're happy with whatever you can get, from doctors, school teachers..." "And those students too, Jan. They've worked hard." "They come to sweet talk us while they..." "What's the matter with you?" "Germaine is pregnant." "His?" "Bloody hell, Jan. What can I say?" "We were all like that once." "These things happen." "Does that make him a bad guy?" "We're not leaving until we've got it in black and white that he'll marry you." "What if they won't?" " Won't?" "If they won't then we're going to the police." "Remember, Father, I'll do the talking." "Take that chewing gum out of your mouth." "What will these people think?" "Hello, come in." "Show them, Luc." "Walked into a door at university." "Can you believe it?" "Accidents happen, eh?" "You'd never believe the things that happen to that boy." "They often say the bigger the children, the bigger the problems." "And it's true, isn't it?" "A cup of tea?" "We must admit it came as a shock." " You needn't tell me." "We're going to talk this through calmly with Luc, eh Father?" "Will talking it through take very long?" "You will have finished before your grandchild is born, I hope." "Mrs Debruycker, if Luc's the father, he will of course do the right thing." "What do you mean?" "If he's the father?" "I'm not insinuating anything, but..." "young people today..." "They are much freer than we were and..." "You can't keep a constant eye on them, if you see what I mean?" "No, I don't." "What do you mean?" " I mean that your daughter..." "Germaine." "She has a name." "Her name is Germaine." "I imagine Germaine knows some other boys." "Oh no, that won't wash, Mrs Verheyen." "I just mean..." " You're saying my daughter is a whore?" "Then I've got bad news for you, your son screws whores!" "What my wife means, madam, is that a girl can't just waltz in here and claim she's expecting my son's child." "Father, do you mind if I carry on dealing with this?" "We'll sort this out, we will definitely sort this out." "Germaine... it's Germaine, isn't it?" "Do you love Luc?" "Something like that has to grow, eh Germaine?" "She will learn to love him, that's how it goes." "Try a chocolate." "They're handmade." "Mrs Debruycker, I think we are both modern mothers who know what is available in the world." "So we're going to..." "And the letter they were to sign?" "One expensive chocolate and she forgot her letter, eh Mother?" "It'll all be my fault in a minute!" "I know." "She meets rich folk and she's a goner!" "Am I the one carrying that clown's kid?" "The idiot just sat there." "And you couldn't even say you loved him!" " That's my business!" "And now it's my business!" "They'd better make sure their wonderful Luc marries you or else!" "Did madam smell money?" "No, I'll wait till you bring in the money, eh?" "Jan..." "I need something to smash!" "Here he is, the guilty party." "We know all about it, pal." "Bloody hell!" "I'm going to kill you!" "I'm going to bloody kill you!" "It's OK." "You'll end up strangling him, and he's not worth the hassle." "I said it's OK." "Now listen to me, sonny." "I'll give you five minutes to say what you've come to say." "Five minutes!" "Then I'll throw your sorry arse out onto the street." "D'you understand?" "Your time starts now." "He said I had to make that little slut see sense and get rid of the baby." "He knew of a doctor and he had the money." "Then..." "Then I threw the coffee pot at him." " Did you hit him?" "Why have you come to tell us that?" "Because that's as maybe but it is your own fault, isn't it?" "You should've kept your mitts off her." " It took two, Dad." "I just came to say..." "I really like your daughter, have done since school." "And I would like to marry her." "Right." "Don't let them throw you out at home." "Finish your studies." "Being a lawyer is a good job." "Germaine, will... will you marry me?" "Yes." "Yes, I will..." "My five minutes are up now, I imagine?" " Yes, I think they are." "When will you be back?" " As soon as I've got any news." "Bye everyone." "Shouldn't we have offered that boy a drink?" "He is going to be our son-in-law." "Clara!" "Doesn't it sometimes hurt up here?" "WEEK EIGHT OF THE STRIKE" "Cheers." " Cheers." "Well, Rik, that was it then." "And now you're off to Hasselt." " What do I need to stay here for?" "I'm never going back to Vieille Montagne." "That's finished." "I'm fine at that contractor's in Hasselt." "What are you going to do?" "Vote to carry on striking or go back to work?" "What?" "Vote?" " There's going to be a referendum." "The bosses and unions want to know if we'll take 8 francs or if we want to carry on striking." "It makes no difference to me anymore." "I don't know anything about it." "How come you know?" "The postman brought a letter this morning." "Didn't you get one?" "Bloody hell!" "Watch out, eh?" "Keep an eye on them, they're up to something again." "Wow..." "Liverpool..." "He said so, remember?" "In his lorry." "Alice, one day I'm going to take you..." "You're so lucky!" "I wish I could come too." "What would you do in Liverpool, silly?" "You've got Luc here, eh?" "What's the matter, Germaine?" "Nothing." "I've got to sit at the checkout with that awful Nicole from now on!" "Stuff your result!" "Stick it up your arse, pal!" "Don't be stupid, Kris." "Some guys didn't get a ballot paper." " That's not possible." "Who?" " Me!" "Tjip didn't either!" "And some only received empty envelopes!" "I bet you threw yours away to sabotage us." "10 francs!" "10 francs!" "10 francs!" "Just a moment!" "Who didn't receive a ballot paper?" "And who got an empty envelope?" "Who sent the letters out?" "Head of Personnel?" " Twaddle." "A referendum isn't a lottery, Marcel." "We'll do it again tomorrow, seriously this time." "Have you gone mad?" " Your referendum was rigged." "You're prolonging people's misery so you can get your own way." "Those Tupperware boxes will be useful for you as a young mother, Germaine." "If you have to go somewhere, to some party, you never know, a wedding or some other party, you can take baby food with you." "You make it in advance and put it in a box." "It's really handy." "A Tupperware party also gets you out of the house." "Instead of just sitting around, which is boring." "I'm really pleased with them." "You have to come, Germaine, honestly." "It's great fun and you don't have to buy anything, just come for the fun of it, eh?" "What d'you reckon, Germaine?" "Why?" "Bloody hell, why?" "You stupid little bitch!" "Velpon!" "Who the hell needs any Velpon?" "I know, I don't understand it myself." "I was looking at it all day and suddenly... without thinking, I had it in my hand." "Velpon!" "If you'd emptied the till or stolen something to eat," "I could understand." "Not that I'd approve." "On no account!" "Shut up for a moment and let her tell what happened." "There's nothing to tell." "Lode had seen it and I was dismissed on the spot." "And I had to pay for the Velpon too." "And be grateful he didn't call the police." "Of course." "We have to be grateful too, eh?" "Germaine..." "What am I to do with you?" "Do I need to slap you again, to wake you up?" "Or just feel sorry for you and beat myself up?" "Because I've let it all happen." "You're not responsible for this." " You are too, you know!" "We are all responsible if she steals Velpon." "Do you know why?" "Because we are stupid arseholes!" "We are stupid arseholes who know no better!" "Because they've turned us into stupid arseholes." "For years, right from when we were kids." "Yes, Mr Bastard." "No, Mr Bastard." "Stupid arseholes." "Germaine..." "All of us..." "Dad..." "Child, do me a favour and get out of my sight." "I don't want you to think I'm blaming you for everything, but right now, I could beat the shit out of you." "But Dad..." " I said get out of my sight!" "Luc!" "What are you doing here?" "Hey, where's your mini?" "What's that?" "Have you been fighting again, Luc?" " It's a present from my father." "I've left home, Germaine." "You've got to go back." " I'm not allowed back." "Make your mind up." "Did you leave or did he throw you out?" "Both." "All hell has broken loose, I'm fed up with being two-faced." "What are you going to do?" " Sleep in the picket van for now." "What?" " I'm not going back, Germaine." "My place is here, especially now." "Didn't you hear on the radio?" "The committee rejected the result of the referendum." "The strike is carrying on!" "What's all this?" "That's your best suit." "Are you going somewhere?" "Now you're going to listen to me." "How often did I say don't let that kid come home so late?" "It was always, "Dad, times are different now."" "Yes, times are very different." "But she's still pregnant, isn't she?" "And she's stolen stuff as well." "My granddaughter is a thief." " Dad, you..." "Let me finish." "I am now the only breadwinner in this house." "So now I will be the one calling the tune." "You are going to make his sandwiches tomorrow." "And you're crossing the bridge tomorrow." " What?" "You can choose." "Either you cross that bridge tomorrow or I'm going to Ostend to live with Virginie." "And you can live off food parcels, because you don't get any strike pay." "Dad, if you weren't my father I'd beat the fucking crap out of you." "You're a scab!" "A dirty, filthy scab!" "They're the clever ones." "They get the best jobs afterwards." "Goodnight." "Bloody hell!" "Where are you going?" "You filthy scab!" "You filthy scab!" "Hey, what's the matter?" "What's up?" "They throw stones, Clara, they throw stones." "Stones?" "I dreamt that I went back to work." "You don't have to go back to work, silly, forget about it." "Come on." "You're staying home until the committee says you have to go back to work." "D'you mean that?" "At first, I was angry, that's true." "But in recent weeks I've felt alive, every second of every day." "I've felt every second trembling through my body." "I haven't felt like that in a long time." "How long have we been asleep?" "But we've woken up with a start and I'm going to stay awake now until they put me in the ground." "We can't afford to get your hair done." " I don't care." "Or don't you fancy me anymore now my hair hasn't been done?" "I hope they didn't hear us." " D'you think your parents don't do it?" "Of course they do, but they make sure the whole suburb doesn't hear them." "We may be from the suburbs, Luc, but we're not animals." "I could get used to living in the suburbs, you know." "I really feel part of it already." "What d'you reckon?" "Can you see us doing that?" "You and me." "A house here in Balen, me working in the factory." "You don't know what you're talking about, Luc." "Have you taken a good look at the men here?" "If you want to help people, you have to be prepared to share their life." "I don't feel better than your father..." "My father had no choice." "But we bloody well do." "I want to get out of here, Luc, don't you understand?" "Here you breathe in more filth in one day than from four or five packets of unfiltered cigarettes, without smoking a single one." "Is that what you what for your kid?" " No, of course not." "But it doesn't solve anything either." " I want..." "I want my child to have a better life than me." "I really do and all the rest..." "They won't do what they want with this little thing in here." "Germaine, what happens today in Balen will always..." "I want you to go back to university." "That's all I ask." "History is being written here, I don't want to miss it." "The workers who... who are taking their own fate in their hands." "Who are forcing the trade unions to go along with them." "Who are forcing the bosses to their knees." "Who say, "Look, guys, look!" "That referendum was rigged, we'll vote again."" "That's fantastic, isn't it?" "That's fantastic." "It'll be fine." " Is he going back to work, or what?" "No, he's not going back to work." "According to the final count, supervised by the bailiff, there are" "586 people who want to go back to work and 596 who want to carry on striking." "Hold on, guys!" "Hold on!" "The committee thinks those 10 votes don't make enough difference and has decided to agree to the 8 franc rise for everyone, a 500 franc bonus" "and coming into line with the other factories from 1st January." "The strike is over." "So, guys, that means back to work from tomorrow." "No!" "The day after tomorrow." "The committee's decided, the day after tomorrow." "Tomorrow we celebrate." "The strike committee followed a reformist policy from the beginning." "You could have exposed that, Luc." "You could have made a Marxist-Leninist statement, but no." "You act as those guys driver and say nothing." "Well, Luc, sorry to have to say so, but in my eyes you're a reformist yourself." " Yeah?" "When Piet was our age he was in the Resistance." "And in a concentration camp." "What can we teach these people here?" "Marxism-Leninism, of course, what else?" "What did you think..." "We've come to sow the seeds of a new revolutionary party." "Don't you understand?" "Look, I'm here to help the people." "To serve the people, like Mao said." "And then I get a typical response like that." "Germaine!" "Germaine?" "Germaine?" "Did you hear that?" "Those guys..." " It's over." "Yes, I know!" "We won." "Hey!" "It's over between us, Luc." "If I marry you now, you'll end up at this stinking factory and we'll end up in the suburbs." "Can you imagine?" "You with your nose above the acid." "Me going to a Tupperware party or the hairdresser's every week?" "And Dad always getting in the way?" "That's not good." "But you're expecting my baby, Germaine!" "That child needs a father!" " That child has got a father." "And it won't want for anything." "And once that father has finished his studies, I'll marry him." "But not before." "Sorry." "Germaine." "Germaine, don't you love me anymore?" "Your Majesty, the strike at Vieille Montagne in Balen is finally over." "I'm writing to say that should you be planning to support us financially at the last moment, it is no longer necessary." "Dad no longer mentions moving to Ostend to live with my sister." "He would be mad." "There is enough room for him in our house." "Germaine is going to have a baby, but she does not want to marry the baby's father yet." "The boy is first going to become a lawyer." "We'll see, I guess." "And Clara seems to be ten years younger." "I will tell you something, Your Majesty, we are doing fine here in Balen-Wezel and I hope you are too." "Regards to the Queen and your ministers." "Especially the one for Work." "Tell him, until the next round." "He will know what I mean." "Says:" "Best Wishes from Balen." "Writes:" "Best Washes from Balen."