"I don't know how it come to happen,... how it occurred." "I tried to intervene... in all sorts of ways,... but I should have been able to do something." "¤ MY SON TO ME ¤" "Today I'm going to move the furniture in the salon." "I've given some thought to it." "Tonight things might seem new..." "Please pass me the marmalade?" "¤ I'm back to look for you." "¤ I knew you were expecting me." "¤ I knew we couldn't... ¤ live anymore without each other." "¤ I'm back to look for you." "¤ What's to see --- I haven't changed much." "¤ I see that you, on the other hand,... ¤ have developed yourself well." "¤ The time." "¤ Both of us... ¤ have been through the wars." "¤ Both of us... ¤ have looted, robbed, ruined... ¤" "Grandma, is that you in the painting?" "Hello, Alice." "Good afternoon, ma'am." "Come along." "This is downright ugly." "Are you OK?" "Yeah, sure." "What's the matter?" "Nothing, I was just asking a few questions." "Really?" "Sure, they've already left." "~ Are you settled?" "~ Yes." "Mom's shopping and Dad's working out." "Julien!" "I saw your teacher this morning." "You can do better in physics." "This term you have 13, 11, 10..." "It's time you earned better grades." "You're going to go to makeup classes." "Honors-level classes." "Tuesday and Thursday afternoons." "~ What's the matter?" "~ Nothing." "But...?" "But, normally,..." "I have football on Tuesdays." "After football." "~ You got a problem with that?" "~ No." "Are you going to Thomas's party on Saturday?" "I don't know." "It's odd that you never talk about your parents." "There's nothing to say." "There's always something to moan about." "Julien." "Julien!" "I'm watching TV!" "Already?" "Come here." "Up to your room --- you have to review your physics homework." "Then, if you want, you can play the piano." "Hurry on, now... you're about to miss the bus." "Hey..." "I've already see your dick." "I've even washed it for you a few times." "Hands off!" "You're not big enough yet to scare me." "Come on." "Give it a rest!" "For who is this little show?" "Are you hiding it from me?" "That's new." "Are you scared of me?" "Are you going to drop your hands?" "See..." "It's not that difficult." "What drama..." "My God, what drama." "Julien?" "Julien!" "Take it." "Wait." "It's for you." "Are you playing tennis this afternoon?" "I have the rematch with Thierry." "Last time he slaughtered me." "6-3, 6-1, it was brutal." "I did the au gratin for you." "You don't like it any more,... not your Dad, not Suzanne." "I made it for you." "Yeah, only I have some chocolate and candy." "~ I didn't know you did that." "~ If you say you're not hungry,... you're not hungry." "I don't have to ask you anything." "Julien,... do me the favor of cleaning up your plate." "I should just cook out of the boxes!" "Can I go with you." "I want to play without a crowd." "OK." "And I'll be back late." "What are you doing there?" "Did you shave?" "For a present?" "No." "OK, yes, for a present." "You know what your brother's up to?" "He's seeing a girl." "Is that so?" "No, I don't know anything about it." "Julien?" "How's it going?" "I'm fine." "And physics class?" "Fine." "Good." "Hang on." "Let's see..." "Come closer." "What have you been doing?" "You've shaved your face?" "You shaved?" "How can this be?" "How could you do this?" "It's... it's for grandma." "She gave me a razor." "Go get it." "Things going OK?" "What?" "Your passing time with Alice." "Sure." "Why are you asking me this?" "For Mom." "You should have come see me before." "You a letter, a postcard from Alice." "Julien?" "Are you coming in?" "Why aren't you answering?" "I was coming home but today's football... and I ripped my shirt." "That's why you weren't coming in?" "Nothing's wrong, dearest." "If something's going wrong, tell me." "Tell me and I'll fix it." "Let's go to the swimming pool on Sunday." "Sunday?" "What time?" "In the afternoon." "I have football on Sunday afternoon." "Sunday afternoon?" "Yes, extra training for the championship." "You didn't mention this to me." "We only found out today." "And what do you prefer?" "What do you want me to say?" "About that." "Which is more important to you?" "Football with friends or the pool with your Mom?" "But it's important to the team." "Tell them you forgot you had other plans." "Yeah, but the coach doesn't believe... that swimming with my Mom is more important... than the championship." "Don't tell him the truth." "What, then?" "I don't know, you can find... some excuse." "You can make up something." "~ Like what?" "~ Don't play the fool." "Say that you've got a family get-together." "You want me to lie?" "Sometimes it's better to shade the truth than to hurt someone's feelings." "OK?" "OK?" "Agreed." "What's agreed?" "About the pool." "Shall the two of us have a game of football?" ""It's for you, Alice."" "~ Yes?" "~ It's me." "What's up?" "Can I come in?" "Sure." "And what's that?" "It's for you." "And this?" "It's for you." "For Easter." "Easter?" "~ It's not Easter." "~ Not yet, but..." "I bought it a while back." "I was afraid I'd lose them." "Something's bothering you?" "Are you upset?" "What money did you buy them with?" "From what Dad gave me." "I forbade him to give it to you this month." "Yeah, it was from before that." "To buy chocolates so far in advance..." "You're not normal." "What a stunt you've pulled!" "You've lost all perspective!" "I never taught you to do things like this!" "Come on, take this, clean it up." "I don't want your chocolate!" "Now go away!" "You beast!" "Take this,... you've got to help me." "Carry this to the garbage, it's out front." "Your father put it out." "~ Mom, can we talk?" "~ Sure." "I want to talk about Julien." "He's having some problems." "Drop it, Suzanna, it's none of your business." "You always say that." "Julien's my brother, so it IS my business." "He's not happy." "At his age, that's not normal." "Watch what you're doing!" "It's all stained!" "You don't things are OK with him?" "He doesn't eat, he doesn't talk..." "What do you want with the rabbit?" "Rice or mashed potatoes?" "Rice." "And that shirt?" "I bought it yesterday." "How could you afford it?" "It was second-hand." "Without telling me anything?" "That blue is horrible." "It's ugly." "What bad taste!" "Tomorrow you're going to the shop... and getting your money back." "It's impossible." "Why's it impossible?" "What do I tell them?" "That's not my problem." "Assume your responsibilities." "Take it off right now." "It's true, that blue isn't very pretty." "Did you hear me?" "Look, my parents... don't do anything special." "My Dad works a lot... and comes home late." "And my Mom takes care of the house, that's all." "Is it true what they say?" "What do they say?" "Things are a bit odd." "That she often goes to your teacher and she checks your notebooks." "It happens a lot." ""You're a bit tired."" ""You have health problems."" "Sometimes I get things wrong, but nothing more." "You've been talking about me?" "Of course." "How's it going?" "~ How were classes?" "~ Fine." "Everything's fine with you." "You didn't call yet?" "Where's the other one?" "In bed." "Julien has resumed crying." "He cries a lot." "It's a difficult age, I know." "You always say that." "It's not always easy, not for him or for anyone else." "I'm not here a lot, I'm away at work." "Your Mom does what she can." "It's clear that not to see anything is practical." "Suzanne, lay off the criticism." "A lot happens at home." "~ That's good." "~ I'm not talking about her." "Is there a room on campus?" "Yes." "It's free after Easter." "It's a good opportunity." "For exams." "You avoid everything coming and going by train." "It's not good for you." "Like for all adolescents." "But he's not well, he's not happy." "If you don't see this it's because you don't want to!" "You know I do everything I can." "He also has to make an effort." "No, it's something far worse." "Mom's too harsh with him, and you don't do anything!" "What's wrong with you?" "You're obsessed with your class work." "You're more interested in your work than in what's happening in your own home." "Enough already, Suzanne!" "I do what I can." "Now leave me alone --- I've got work to do!" "Go away!" "I have to work!" "And think about that room at the university." "On the shelf, above the tablecloths." "It's for you." "I bought it in advance for Easter." "~ You like it?" "~ Yes." "It isn't too big?" "No, it's stylish like this." "I'm preoccupied with Julien." "I don't think he's well." "He cries a lot." "He's just not himself." "You're talking like Suzanne." "She's talked to me, alright." "And?" "Julien is just fine." "Just fine." "His head's on straight." "It's Suzanne." "She's wrong." "You haven't been listening to her crap?" "She should be put to work." "I'm afraid that her studies...that she's just not doing very well." "It wasn't a good idea." "She's not an intellectual." "It was your idea." "You're a bit arrogant." "You want everyone to be like you." "You said that, and you don't deny it." "You persuaded her." "She wanted a technical diploma." "It seems to me that's more mature." "More mature..." "OK." "You're being even more insolent." "OK, what do you suggest?" "Have you told her about living on campus?" "You already knows that we've organized a week of examinations." "As I was asked, I've been paying attention to Julien." "Unless..." "I prefer to talk with him directly." "Contrary to their latest results,... these have been disastrous." "I don't understand." "He hasn't handed in half of his homework." "And when he HAS done it, it isn't to the point." "I'm sorry to say this because I know what it implies about his studies." "I've called Julien." "I mean to talk with him." "But it's nothing." "He hasn't said anything, he hasn't explained anything." "Often this deterioration in performance... is accompanied by a change in attitude." "Sometimes, in violence or aggressiveness." "But not in this case." "It's all very odd." "It is like eczema of the thighs." "That's something new." "The dermatologist says, as does the doctor, that it's all in your head." "So something is going on with you." "Are you doing this to get me worried?" "So I'll be sick?" "No, nothing's going on." "For God's sake." "Stop saying that nothing's going on!" "Alright?" "Alright?" "Very well." "From now on, come directly home after school." "You can't see your friends." "And your piano lessons have finished!" "No more taking walks,... no TV, no football." "And of course, no visits to Grandma." "I'm tired of seeing you here." "Even at your grandma's was less sordid." "Yes, but she's not well." "~ She doesn't want to see anyone." "~ Yeah, right." "One other thing:..." "I warn you, on Saturday,... at Sam's party,... you arrange things, but it's better if you go." "¤ Both of us... ¤ have ended the war." "¤ Both of us... ¤ have looted, robbed, ruined." "¤ Who won, who lost?" "¤ No idea, we don't know... ¤ we stayed with bare hands." "¤ But after... ¤ the war,..." "¤ we're left" "¤ to make... ¤ the peace... ¤" "Come on, open up!" "Let me in!" "I saw your car, I know you're here." "I want to see my grandson!" "You can't keep me from seeing him." "Seriously, you're sick!" "You've never been normal, my daughter!" "Julien!" "They coming to get you!" "They know you're here!" "I swear, Mom, I didn't know." "I only knew he had a party." "But I told him not to go outside." "He didn't know I was going." "There!" "Why have you done this to me?" "Why did you do it to me, why did you do this?" "Why have you done this to me?" "Why?" "Why are you doing this?" "Because you're asking for it!" "So there." "And now, it's your turn." "Go away." "I told you to leave." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, pardon me." "Don't even budge!" "I prohibit you from moving." "Get up." "Put on your shoes and down to the kitchen." "You are going to stay seated here." "All day if necessary." "I don't want you to even budge." "Suzanne." "I don't want to hear a single word." "You don't get it?" "I told you not to go outside." "~ It'll just get worse." "~ No, I think not." "See?" "I don't believe it, Julien." "I didn't believe they were going to let me go." "It's important for me --- on campus, everything will be different." "I have to get ready for my exams." "When you see that we can go, things will change, that's for sure." "Mom will have to understand the effects of her attitude, and that will have to change." "I tell you that's going to be more than difficult." "What she's doing isn't right." "I'll never leave, Julien, you understand?" "I'll never abandon you." "We have to do something about your mother." "I've heard she's deathly ill." "Yes." "Do it." "Do you have a lot?" "Yes, I'm a collector." "~ How many?" "~ With this one, seven." "All blanks?" "Yeah." "For the real ones you need a weapons license and I'm too young for that." "But with these you can have some fun." "How?" "I play with them a bit." "With this, for instance, you can have some influence." "Julien, your mother." "I told you to come straight home from school." "~ What's that scent, cinnamon?" "~ Yes." "It's very rich, I love it." "~ I also go for vanilla." "~ I love it." "Julien, you've dressed up for your sister's birthday?" "It's very rich." "I knew you'd like it." "And how is life there?" "It's good." "~ And the campus?" "~ I like it." "Have you made any friends?" "No, I've still got the same ones but we spend more time together." "We know each other and that's best for working." "Are you out of the dorm more?" "I have two solid months of work so that I haven't stopped to think about it." "You're here..." "I have a new friend." "Latia." "She's from Mali, very stylish." "You'd like her." "What about Alice?" "What about her?" "I don't know." "We don't see each other much." "We're not together." "You know?" "It was bad not being able to go to Grandma's funeral." "But I had no time." "I would have liked to go, but I couldn't." "Me neither." "Why not?" "Mom... told me she'd died... only after the funeral." "But why?" "Just to protect you." "And your room is locked up?" "That's how it is." "She decides when I can go in." "Your son has called us saying that he wants to commit suicide." "~ When?" "~ A while ago." "Julien?" "Why not tell me you were so badly off?" "~ Hello." "~ Ma'am..." "Good day." "Ma'am,... your son has called us saying that you beat him." "That I beat him?" "Why did you say that?" "Sure, I've slugged him a bit." "Slugged?" "Slugged how, Ma'am?" "Like any mother angry with her son." "I was upset, it's true." "Certainly tired." "But you can see he's fine --- I don't understand." "It's the first time for something like this." "I don't understand why he called." "What my wife says is true, it's no big deal." "And you, you're often at home?" "Don't you work?" "I'm a university professor, I have a lot of work." "Above all now, with the exams." "I'm not home much." "But my wife doesn't work --- she runs the house, and does so very well." "Very well." "We want to talk with your son." "Where can we be alone with him?" "~ Alone?" "~ Yes, ma'am." "Here." "No, a closed room." "It's not that serious." "She hasn't done me much damage!" "What is "much damage"?" "A little?" "A little more?" "No, absolutely not." "~ Was he your father?" "~ Yes." "~ But he doesn't beat you?" "~ No." "Has it happened before?" "~ What?" "~ That your mother hit you." "No, it was the first time." "Show me what happened." "Turn around?" "Hold still." "We see no reason to take you to the police station." "I don't know how this came to happen." "Very well, ma'am." "I repeat..." "I don't know what fly bit him." "Everything's OK." "~ Goodbye, sir." "~ Goodbye and thanks." "Tell me." "Where did you get this sweater?" "I asked you a question." "And lose the toy." "Julien?" "It's not a toy." "Come on, that's enough." "Stop it." "Stop it, you hear me?" "Do you want to answer me?" "I want to kill you." "Tell me." "Where did you get this sweater?" "Get back." "It was in the piano." "You hid it?" "Where did you get it?" "I asked you a question." "You know --- I can do it." "Cut the crap!" "Will you answer me?" "It's from your grandma,... right?" "So what?" "Very well." "Besides, it's not very pretty." "No!" "Do you want to kill me?" "Go ahead." "Kill me." "You can kill me, Julien." "Yes, Julien." "Kill me!" "Kill me!" "They found Julien huddled on the stairs." "He said nothing,... he explained nothing." "It could have been much more serious." "The life of my mother wasn't in any danger." "Today she was able to talk." "She told me she wasn't angry."