"THE HALF BROTHER" "To appreciate boxing you have to know where to look." "Don't watch the fists." "The fist is faster than the brain." "First, decide who's going to lose, then keep your eyes on him." "On his upper body, his head, very closely." "That's when you see the glove strike." "That's when you see the points go up." "And, if you're lucky, you'll see the guard, the response to the blow, the loser getting up." "Because now and then, the loser is the one who wins." "I thank you for the hospitality you've shown me here today." "I hope that Arnold Nilsen felt the same, when he came to my circus, so many years ago." "He came to me like a little angel." "I bring greetings from the world's tallest man, the seamstresses, the clowns and the musicians." " What did Arnold do at a circus?" " He made people laugh." " Arnold Nilson was a circus clown?" " Yes." "Is there a nobler profession?" "I knew it." "Mom!" " You look like him." "Your name is?" " Barnum." "Barnum!" "You could hardly have been named anything else." "Arnold Nilsen used to carry my luggage, my most valuable trunk, a trunk full of applause." "I lost track of him after the war, when the circus disbanded." "But I never forgot him." " He said that Arnold was a clown." " Yes, I know." "Your husband made a strong impression on me." "We met once." "He came to my business and wanted to sell a rate letter from Greenland." "That letter, do you still have it?" "No, no, no, I sold it abroad." "I had many interested buyers." "Well, that was nice." "Thank you." "Thank you all." "I want to buy back the letter that fat idiot sold you." " I sold it to a foreign customer." " What did he want with it?" "It's ours." " He sold it to someone else?" " Who?" "I don't know." "Sit down." " How much did he get for it?" " I can't say." "But not as much as a Swedish shilling stamp, but more than a Danish first-day cover." "A Swedish shilling stamp will go for 10,000." "And a Danish first-day cover is worth maybe eight." " I don't care about the money." " Good." "Money isn't what's important." "I just want to know how much he sold us for." " How much did you make on the letter?" " It wasn't a good deal." "I think I got about 50 kroner out of it, and I had to pay 60 in fees." " So why did you buy the letter?" " I don't care about the money." "Can I ask you something?" "Why are you so interested in that letter?" "Because I like it." "Same here." "If I had my way, I wouldn't sell a single stamp here, but it wouldn't be a very good business then." "Getting back to this letter, people are very interested in that kind of thing in Denmark." "Say hi to your mother." "And Barnum." "Not very likely." " Wine?" "At this hour?" " Yeah." " Is something wrong?" " No, what could be wrong?" "Have you ever wondered why Fred left?" "Did he say anything to you?" " Why would he say anything to me?" " You knew him too." "Is that all you think about?" "Are we just messing around with the past?" "Messing around?" "I think we're just living, like most people do." " Is this how most people live?" " I don't know how other people live." "Most people our age are going to parent-teacher meetings..." "Is that all you can think about?" "Having kids?" "You know what?" "Sometimes I think we're together because no one else wants us." " Lots of people want to be with you." " Take your typewriter and get out!" " I can't watch you pretend to work." " What's with you?" "Nothing." "There's absolutely nothing." "Fred once said he was going to find that letter your father sold." "Happy?" "Move!" "Dickhead." "Move!" "Fred?" "Barnum, you've got to help me!" "I can't see anything." " What are you doing?" " Nothing." " Nothing?" " Don't go in!" "Oh my God." "Fred!" " What are you up to now?" " Since I lost everything on Betamax," "I invested in dancing sunflowers." "People can't resist stuff like this." " She throw you out?" " Yeah." " Are you going to write?" " Yes." " What are you working on?" " Nothing." "I have a couple of headlines and things, but otherwise nothing." "What do you dream of, Barnum?" "Maybe just that things were more like they were before." "Change the charge of your dreams." "They're negative, make them positive." "I can't have children." "What does Vivian say?" "I haven't told her yet." "I will, of course." "I'm just waiting for the right time." "If you wait too long, it turns into a lie." "Are you Fred's brother?" " How's he doing?" " He's alive." "Tell him to meet us in Stensparken." " What is it, Barnum?" " Nothing." "Don't lie." "Someone wants to meet you in the park." " When?" " Now." "Don't go." "Get my shirt." "Stay here." "Fucking hell." " Barnum?" " He doesn't smoke." "Hit me!" "Hit me!" "Fred!" "Are you all right?" "Are you friends again?" "How come they knew my name?" "Everyone knows who you are, Barnum." "Oscar!" "Well, if it isn't Barnum Nilsen." "Long time no see." "How are things?" " Maria, look who's here." " Hi!" " It's been ages." " Yes, it has." " How are you?" " Just fine." "And you?" " Would you like a hot dog?" " He already asked." "Look at that!" "You haven't given up." " Is this worth a lot?" " No." " How is Vivian these days?" " Not too bad." " To what do we owe this visit?" " I'm actually looking for my brother." "Did he ever come here?" "Have a seat." "Yes." "He was here and tried to buy back that letter that your father sold me." " OK." "And?" " No, I had already sold it." "If someone wanted to buy a letter like that today, where would they go?" "A used bookstore, I suppose." "But Barnum..." "That letter isn't in Norway anymore." "It's far too valuable." "It's back where it came from." "Hi!" "Where can I find a directory for Denmark?" "The directories for all the Nordic countries are over there." "Hi!" "My name is Barnum Nilsen." "I'm looking for a letter." "It was sent from Greenland." "Wilhelm Christensen, polar explorer, to Ellen Jebsen." "Around the turn of the century." "The SS Antarctis." "Another Norwegian has asked about the same thing?" "Did he give his name?" "Anything else?" "He was a taxi driver?" "Thank you." "FRED NILSEN TAXI CENTRAL, COPENHAGEN" "Keep up the footwork." "Jab, jab, right hook." "Good." "Yes!" "Good." "40 seconds, then you can go." "Footwork, come on." "Footwork!" "Willy." "I hear you're a guy who can take just about anything." "Do you want to take up boxing?" " Have you done any sports before?" " Discus." "Have you ever heard the expression "the art of self-defense"?" " Yes, it's English." " It's shit." "Boxing has nothing to do with self-defense." "It's attack." "Hitting when you can, and dancing when you have to." "Understand?" " How does that feel?" " Fine." "Let's see." "Want to learn more?" "Hey!" "Enough, enough..." "Take a cold shower." "You're too angry." "Angry people make stupid mistakes." "A boxer has to be sensible, crafty." "Lock your locker before you go." "Go home and rest your temper." "Letter for you, Barnum." "Read it out loud!" ""Dear Barnum, now that you and Peder are such good friends"," ""he would like to invite you to our summer home, if your mother agrees."" "Of course." " Aren't you going to read everything?" " I did read everything." " No, you didn't, Barnum." " I did." ""Your brother is also welcome." "Best wishes from Oscar Miil."" " Wouldn't that be nice, Fred?" " Can't." "You can't?" "What are you so busy with this summer?" " Training." " Training?" "If you absolutely must know, I joined the boxing club." " Haven't you had enough punishment?" " Boxing isn't punishment." "Weren't they the ones who beat you up?" " What are you staring at?" " Nothing." "Thanks for dinner." " You can come along if you want." " Don't lie, Barnum." "Who was that girl at the funeral?" " What do you mean?" " Were there a lot of girls there?" "Vivian." " Are your parents already there?" " Are they coming?" "This place is beautiful." "Freedom." "Can someone put lotion on my back?" "Do the top part, too." " You want me to read your horoscope?" " Sure." "Why don't I start with Barnum." "One of the most interesting and best weeks of the year." "A great excuse for a little flirt." "No one of the opposite sex can feel safe." "I'm going to go swimming." "Remember, a boxer always has two thoughts in his head." "The one says attack." "The other says cover yourself!" "That's one thought too many." "A boxer who hesitates is already down, got it?" "You have a match in four weeks." "If you do what I say, you'll win." " What are you best at?" " Best at?" "Yeah." "There must be something you're better at than others." " Dreaming, maybe." " Everyone dreams, Barnum." "I daydream." "That things happen to me." "Accidents and disasters." "That I get run over by a car, barely survive, blind and deaf for the rest of my life." "Or that I'm in a plane crash in Africa and have to live with a wild tribe in the jungle for 13 years." " Why?" " So people will feel sorry for me." "You're as crazy as that crazy half brother of yours." " Never say that again." " What?" "Your crazy half brother?" "I told you not to say it!" "130." "140." "Good." "150." " I'm sorry." " I'm the one who should apologize." " Would you like some?" " Sure." "Cheers." "Could I have some more?" "I'm Ditlev from Aftenposten." " So." "Nervous?" " No." " So you're looking forward to it?" " No." " How will you beat Asle Bråten?" " Hard." "Who are you boxing for?" "Your country, the club, your coach?" "For my brother." "For Barnum." "Hang on a sec." "We need a picture." "How many hot dogs have you eaten?" "28." "Three more than last year." " You're going to gain weight, fatty." " Beanpole." " Whose is this?" " Mom's." "The Hope of Fagerborg" "Barnum." "Are you ready?" "Fred wants to talk to you in the locker room." "What is it?" "Are you scared?" "I killed Arnold." "It was an accident, Fred." "He was in the way." "He was always in the way." " I didn't think I'd hit him." " Don't think about that now." " Think about the fight." " I was trying to hit him." "I was trying to." "Mom?" "Mom?" "In the red corner, Asle Bråten." "In the blue corner, Fred Nilsen." "Good hit!" "Good!" "Come on!" "Come on, Fred." "Work, work, work, work!" "Yes!" "Fred!" "Get your guard up, damn it!" "Maybe Arnold got what he deserved." "Mom and Boletta went with Fred to the hospital." "They stitched up his jaw." "He was hurt so badly that they even let him out of military duty." "The next day he slipped quietly into our room." ""Why did you lose, Fred?" I asked." ""Lose?" said Fred. "I won, Barnum."" ""Don't you understand anything?""