"Happiness is not always fun." "FEAR EATS THE SOUL" "Yes?" "Excuse me, but it's raining so hard outside, and I thought, "Emmi, better get inside that bar."" "I pass by here every evening and hear that foreign music." "What language are they singing in?" "Arabic." "Arabic." "I see." "We have German stuff in the jukebox, too." "Nearly half." "But, of course, they prefer the stuff from back home." "Of course." "What would you like to drink?" "What... do people usually have?" "All sorts of things." "Whatever you like... cola or beer..." "That sounds good, thanks." "What then?" "Beer or cola?" "A cola, please." "She's nuts." "Talks a blue streak." "Maybe she never gets a chance to talk otherwise." "Probably." "Well... are you coming or not?" " No." "And why not?" " Cock broken." "Forget it, then!" "Another beer?" " Sure." "Two beers." "How much?" "For nine beers?" " Yes, nine beers." "10 marks 80." "Keep the change!" " Thanks." "Why don't you dance with the old girl?" "Me dance with old woman?" "Why not?" "Your legs aren't broken, are they?" "What's up?" "She says I should dance with old woman." "You dance with me?" "What?" "Dance?" "Yes." "You sit alone." "Sad." "Not good sitting alone." "Why not?" "Lt must be all of 20 years since I last danced." "Maybe I can't anymore." "Don't matter!" "Dance very slow." "Turn the lights off!" "Where are you from?" "Little town in Morocco, Tismit." "Oh, Morocco!" "Yes." "Very nice, but no work." "You speak German well." "Been here long?" "Two years." "Much work." "Me, too." "Half of life consists of work." "You have no man?" "Married?" "My husband died ages ago." "What do you do?" "Work on cars." "All day, all time." "And you spend your evenings here?" "Yes." "Good music," "Arab buddies..." "Don't know other places." "Germans with Arabs not good." "Why?" "Don't know." "Germans not same people as Arabs." "But at work surely?" "Not the same." "German master." "Arab dog." "But that..." " Who cares?" "Better not think too much." "Think much, cry much." "Here!" " Thanks." "Like another drink?" "No, thanks." "I have to get up early." "I'd like to pay for the cola." "One mark." " Me pay cola." "Here!" "Thanks a lot, but..." "You talk good with Ali." "Ali pay cola." "Your name's Ali?" "Not Ali, but everyone says Ali." "Now I am Ali." " What's your real name?" "El Hedi ben Salem M'Barek Mohammed Mustapha." "That's pretty long." " Yes." "In Tismit all names long." "I'm afraid I have to go now." "Goodbye." " Not goodbye." "I go home with you to door." "Not going alone... better." "If you like!" "This awful rain!" "Here we are." "This your house?" " Yes." "You can wait here a minute." "Maybe the rain will stop." "Otherwise you'll catch cold, and it'll be my fault." "What work you do?" "Well... you know..." "Yes?" "I don't like to say." "People always give you such a funny look." "Me not look funny." "No, not you." "Well..." "I clean." "I'm a cleaning lady." "In big company?" "Not too big, but there's a lot of glass." "It's hard work." "There are four of us to clean eight floors." "We do two each, one in the morning and one in the evening." "I'm free in between to do private jobs." "They're always looking for cleaners nowadays." "I never learned a proper trade." "You wouldn't believe some of the things that happen." "One employer sends for me in his Mercedes." "With a chauffeur!" "Who am I to refuse?" "He has a factory or something." "You should wear lighter-colored suits, Ali." "They'd look better on you." "Me?" "Light suits?" "Why?" "Lt's none of my business, but... dark clothes look so sad, don't they?" "Don't know." "Maybe." "It's good to talk with someone." "I'm alone most of the time." "All the time, really." "My children have their own lives." "You have many children?" "Three... two sons and a daughter." "They're all married." "Where... other town?" "No, here." "But they live their own lives." "We get together on special occasions, but..." "With us in Morocco, family always together." "Mama never alone." "Mama alone, not good." "Other countries have other customs." "I'll go see if the rain's stopped." "It's still pouring." "Maybe..." " Yes?" "Why don't you come up for a while?" "I'll make us a coffee, and maybe the rain will stop." "I'd like to, but..." "People always say "but"." "And nothing ever changes." "Come on up!" "I've got a bottle of brandy." "A Christmas present from my oldest son." "You like brandy?" " Brandy?" "Yes." "There you are." "It's no fun drinking alone." "Good evening, Mrs. Kurowski!" "I wanted to give you the 3 marks 50..." "I owe you." "There... and thanks a lot." "Thanks." "Goodnight!" "Goodnight!" "Come on up!" "Mrs. Karges?" "Lmagine!" "Mrs. Kurowski's got a foreigner up there." "What?" "A black man?" " A real black?" "Well, not that black, but pretty dark." "She's not really German herself." "With a name like Kurowski!" "What are things coming to?" "I wonder what she's up to with him." "No idea." "Maybe she's buying a carpet." "At 9:30 at night?" "Who knows?" "Goodnight, Mrs. Karges!" " Goodnight." "Very good coffee." "My family says Emmi's coffee is enough to wake the dead." "Would you like a brandy with it?" "Please." "My husband was Polish, not German." "He was a foreign worker during the war." "He just stayed on afterwards." "My parents were still alive then." "They said, "Emmi, this'll come to no good."" "Because he was a foreigner, you see?" "Cheers!" " Cheers!" "My father hated all foreigners." "He was a party member." "Hitler's party." "You know who Hitler was?" " Hitler?" "Yes." "I was in the party, too." "Everyone was... or almost everyone." "But Frantizek and I got along fine." "That was my husband's name." "But then he started having liver trouble." "He always drank too much." "But he was always a lot of fun." "He died in 1955." "Oh well!" "Another drink?" " Yes." "And you?" "Are you married?" " Not married." "And your parents?" "Parents dead." " Both of them?" "Papa very old." "Mama very sick." "Any brothers or sisters?" "No brother." "Five sisters." " Five?" "Five sisters." "Ali smallest." "All sisters older." "And they're all still in Morocco?" "Not just Morocco." "Algeria, Tunisia." "Papa go walking with camels." "Papa Berber." "Berber walk all over Africa." "Ali must go now." "Very late." "Have another drink!" "Just ten more minutes." "Last tram now." "Tram go, Ali walk home." "Where do you live?" " Very far." "Hofmann Strasse." "Do you have a room there?" "Yes, with five friends from work." "Six in small room." "Six men in one small room?" "Three beds here, three beds there." "What's kif-kif?" " "Who cares" in Arabic." "That's funny." "But six men in one room, that's inhuman." "Arabs not human in Germany." "Different earlier." "But since catastrophe in Munich, not good." "You know what?" "Have another drink, and I'll fix you up a bed." "You can sleep here tonight." " Ali sleep here?" "Because you have such a long way, and there are six in a room, and because you're nice." "You nice." "Very nice." " Thanks." "When do you start work?" "Six-thirty." "Good." "Me too." "We can have breakfast together." "I'll get your bed ready." "Have another drink!" "The bathroom's down the hall." "I must have a spare toothbrush." "I bought a ten-pack once." "There." "Thanks." "Thanks a lot." "Goodnight!" "Goodnight!" "I've laid out one of my husband's pyjamas for you." "Sleep well!" " Thanks." "What's the matter?" "Ali no sleep." "Much thinking in head." "Wants to talk with you." "OK?" "All right." "Sit down here." "Ali much alone, too." "Always working, drinking." "Nothing else." "Maybe German right:" "Arab not human." "Nonsense!" "You mustn't even think that." "You said yourself, thinking makes a person sad." "Though it's not really true... that thinking makes you sad." "Of course not." "What else should we do with our time?" "All the years, all the months... and suddenly it's over, and what is there to show for it?" "My God, I..." "Good morning!" "Your coffee always good." "I'm actually quite a cook." "You must come for dinner sometime." "I'm sure you'd like it." " Sure." "Maybe..." " Yes?" "Oh, nothing." "It's just that..." "an old woman like me..." "You not old woman." "You good." "Big heart." "Really?" "My God!" "Don't cry." "Please!" "Why cry?" "Because I'm so happy and so full of fear, too." "Not fear." "Fear not good." "Fear eat the soul." "Fear eats the soul." "That's nice." "Is that an Arab saying?" " Yes." "All Arabs speak so." "It's late." "Must go now." "If I come late, not good." "When boss mad with Ali, real mean." "I must go, too." "I'll get dressed, and we'll go down together." "I'm taking the subway." "You too?" "No, I take tram." "Well, then..." "Goodbye!" " Goodbye!" "Today, a man chatted me up in the subway." "Me!" "An old woman!" "A foreign worker." "He wanted to buy me a coffee." "They stop at nothing." " But..." "No, nothing's sacred to them, not even old age." "They're filthy pigs." "The way they live!" "Whole families crammed into one room." "All they're interested in is the money." "Maybe they can't find a decent place." "No!" "They're stingy." "Stingy, unwashed pigs." "And they have only one thing in their heads:" "Women." "But they do their work." "That's what they're here for." "Hogwash!" "Go down to the station and look around." "A load of trash!" "None of them work." "Exactly." "They live here at our expense." "You only have to read the papers:" "Full of rapes and so on." "But some of them are married to German women, aren't they?" "Some women would stoop to anything." "I'd die of shame." "The mere thought!" "I've always said, women like that are filthy whores." "There's one where I live." "She must be 50 at least." "She's got one." "A Turk, I think." "He's much younger than she is." "But no one talks with her anymore." "Serves her right!" "Maybe he talks with her, and she doesn't need anyone else." "Nobody can live without others." "No one, Emmi." "And what can you talk about with someone like that?" "Most of them don't speak a word of German." "All they want is sex." "They're not interested in talking." "Some women want it that way." "Uncivilized." "Sex on the brain." "I'd die of shame if I were like that." "Well, we'd better get back to work!" "Get me a beer!" "Get it yourself!" "Lf I have to get up, you're going to get it good." "You wouldn't have the energy." "You'll see." "I have to go back to work in Friday." "At last!" "Lt's easy for you to laugh." "I'm not laughing." "I just want my peace during the day." "Because I don't leave you alone." "It depends how you look at it." "Who's that?" "Do I know in here who's ringing out there?" "Then you'd better look." "Lazy swine!" "Mom!" " Christ Almighty!" "Guess who's here." " I heard." "Be nice to her, Eugen!" "Come in, Mom!" "Hello!" " Hi!" "" "Eugen's on sick leave till the day after tomorrow." "You're sick?" " Sort of." "Shall I make you a coffee?" " Yes." "That would be nice." "What've you got?" "A fever and a cough." "Bull!" "He's just lazy." "The hell I am!" "I had a cough and fever, but I feel better now." "Aren't you working for your manager today?" "No, that's tomorrow." "And otherwise?" " Not too bad." "Oh well!" "Your coffee." "Want one, too?" " Leave me alone!" "Mind your manners while Mom is here." " I'll do what I like in my own home." "It's my home, too." "Shut your trap, and put some clothes on you, you slut!" "Just look at you!" "Lt's like this every day, Mom." "Do you have any foreign workers where you work?" "Don't mention foreign workers." "It makes him see red." "Why?" " Because they're swine!" "Oh, I see." "Yes they are!" "He's even got a Turkish foreman." "He just can't get over it." " Can't get over it?" "I ignore the guy completely." "And when he gives you orders?" " He doesn't give me orders." "Sure he does." " Then..." "Get me the cigarettes!" "I wouldn't dream of it." " Krista!" "Yes?" "Leave it, Mom!" "I'll get up." "I'll get them myself." "I've fallen in love." "What?" "Yes, Krista." "I'm in love... with a Moroccan." "He's 20 years younger than me." "Probably more." "You've got a strange sense of humor, Mom." "It's no joke." "It's true." "I'm in love... with a Moroccan who's younger than me." "Much younger." "I felt it was my duty to tell you." "Don't bother!" "I'll see myself out." "Bye!" "Bye, Mom!" "You know what?" " No, but I'm sure you'll tell me." "Your mother's got a screw loose." "A cola!" "Good evening!" "Strange, it's not even raining today." "No, it's not raining." "It's really quite nice." "I'll pay right away." " One mark." "Here you are." "By the way, this is my bar." "Yes, OK." "And?" "Good evening!" "Good evening!" "Yes?" "Yes." "Well then..." "Like it?" "Tastes good." "Dig in, there's plenty." "Thanks, not too much." "Want a coffee afterwards?" " Yes, coffee." "Ali bring money." "No!" "Why no?" "Ali eat and drink." "Always you pay." "Not right." "But I like to." "I earn enough." "And money spoils a friendship." "Not spoil friendship." "You take money!" "Everything good!" "I'll keep it for you in the drawer." "When you need it, just take it." "That money not for Ali." "For Emmi." "I don't want it." "It's your money." "I don't want a penny from you." "You make me so happy." "Good evening, Mr. Gruber!" "Good evening, Mrs. Kurowski!" "Good evening!" " Good evening!" "This is Mr. Gruber, the landlord's son." "Please have a seat." "Thanks." "Like a brandy?" " Yes, please." "But I have something serious to talk about with you." "Well, then..." "I can only think... you haven't read your lease properly." "Of course I've read it." "Then you must know you're not allowed to sublet..." "Section 5, clause 2." "You mean, because of Ali?" "Yes, Mrs. Kurowski." "I..." "Cheers!" " Cheers!" "Lt's good..." "All I can say is... your lodger must move out... and tomorrow, Mrs. Kurowski." "But Ali's not a lodger." "We're going to get married." "Well, that's different." "I'll be on my way then." "You're old enough to know what you're doing." "Goodnight!" "Goodnight!" "Good grief!" "What have I done?" "What he say?" "He said you can't stay here." "Not good man." "He's like everyone else;" "no better, no worse." "I told him we were going to marry." "We marry?" "You and me?" "OK." "Good idea!" "But I didn't mean it." "I just said it because..." "You and me marry... very good." "Now drink!" "Cheers!" "For everything good." "Yes, Ali." "Good for everything." "Now we go tell Arab buddies." "...and they were so huge, with big sleeves and trousers, and this little man came along and just vanished in the suit." "We laughed our heads off." "Cheers!" "The filthy old whore!" "You're just envious." "Envious?" "Of her?" "Now I'll play our record." "Come on, let's dance!" "Lt'll never work out." "It's unnatural, plain unnatural." "Of course it won't work." "So what?" "Civil Registry II, Munich" "You know what my name is now?" "Long name." "A very long name." "Emanuela ben Salem M'Barek Mohammed Mustapha." "Sounds terrific, doesn't it?" " Very nice." "Nice?" "I don't know..." "Yes, nice." "If you say so..." "Come on!" "Hello, Krista!" "This is Mom." "I'd like to invite you over." "Albert and Bruno, too." "Next Saturday..." "Why?" "No special reason." "I have something I want to discuss with you." "Call the taxi!" "This is where Hitler used to eat, from 1929 to '33." "I've always wanted to come here." "Hitler, you know?" " Hitler, yes." "Let's just order the most expensive things on the menu." "The best soups, the best starters." "Or do you want something special?" "I eat what you eat." "Good heavens!" "Look at that!" "Caviar costs 45 marks!" "Still, today's a special day." "Did you know that there's golden caviar, too?" "I read it in a magazine." "Golden caviar?" " Yes, like real gold." "But it goes to the Shah of Persia." "Ordinary people can't get it." "Caviar's good for love, they say." "Good for love?" "Yes, it puts you in the mood." "But I don't believe that." "Or only a bit." "So, I'll order now." "Waiter!" "Have you decided?" " Yes." "We've decided." "Two lobster cream soups, caviar for two... and Chateaubriand... for two." "How would you like the Chateaubriand?" "How?" "Grilled, I thought." "Of course, ma'am." "Rare, or medium?" "Rare, that sounds good." "Rare, then." "Almost raw." "Good." "Raw?" "Actually..." "If it's raw, we'd rather..." "What was the other one called?" "Medium." "That's not raw?" "No, it's medium." "That'll be fine." "An aperitif to start with?" "An?" "Oh, of course!" "What kind?" "Maybe..." "What would you recommend?" "You'd enjoy our house aperitif." "Well, if you say so, fine." "He really had me on the rack there!" "Lf you're not used to things like that!" "Well, what's up?" "Why did you ask us over?" "You have to know sooner or later." "Are you ill, Mom?" "Why ill?" "Because this is all so official." "I'm anything but ill, Albert." "I've married." "You've..." "Mom!" "But..." "Who..." "Who did you marry?" "Come on in!" "This is my husband." "El Hedi ben Salem M'Barek Mohammed Mustapha." "I call him Ali." "Leave him!" "You shouldn't have done that, Mother." "It's a disgrace." "You can forget you have children." "I want nothing to do with a whore." "Come on, Eugen!" "We're not staying in this pigsty." "What would we like?" " A Libelle." "Libelle." "Not lemonade." "Like butter." "Butter." "No, not butter." "Like butter." "Libelle." "No, mister, not that!" "Make up your mind!" "I don't have all day." "Well?" "Libelle, like butter." "Not lemonade!" "Listen!" "You go and learn some German first!" "Then come back!" "No understand." "You understand me all right." "Learn German first, then come back." "Goodbye!" "Don't understand!" "I say Libelle, like butter, not lemonade." "Why you not understand?" "Why?" "What does he want?" "Libelle." "Sure, that's the new margarine." "Do you think I don't know that?" "He not give Libelle." "Say he don't understand." "It's written clearly on the list:" ""Libelle"." "I say: "Libelle, like butter." He give lemonade." "He just doesn't want to serve you." "I'll show him!" "What you do?" "I'll go over and have a word with him." "I've been a customer of that swine for 20 years." "No fight!" "Fighting not good!" "I won't fight, don't worry." "Hello!" "Hello, Mrs. Kurowski!" "What'll it be?" "Tell me, Mr. Angermeyer, why won't you serve my husband?" "What's he done to you?" "Not serve your husband?" "He can't tell me what he wants." "He asked for Libelle." "Margarine." "You see, I didn't understand." "You understood him, all right." "But you didn't want to understand." "And you know why?" "Because he's a foreigner!" "That's why you didn't understand." "I'm not letting you accuse me of prejudice against foreigners." "I have nothing against foreigners, not even yours." "Serve him, then, when he comes in!" "I can't serve someone who can't speak German." "Nonsense!" "He can speak German better than you." "I'm not letting you tell me... a black can speak better German than me." "Not you!" "And that's the last time I serve you, too." "I don't need trouble in my shop." "Leave the shop at once or I'll throw you out!" "You!" "Yes?" " Out!" "Mrs. Kurowski!" " Yes?" "We've been meaning to have a word with you." "About cleaning the staircase." "In all seriousness..." "We've spoken to everyone in the house, and they all agree." "About what?" "About the dirt in the house lately." "Dirt?" "I don't see any." "But everyone says there is... and we've all agreed that you'll have to clean twice a month." "Me?" "Why?" "We've had our system for years." "Yes, but the situation has changed radically." "Radically!" "Lt's the same everywhere." "With people like that in the house, dirt takes over." "You know what I say?" "You put your own house in order, and I'll see to mine." "I don't meddle in your affairs." "We have nothing to reproach ourselves with." "If you ask me, you're envious, Mrs. Karges, you're just envious." "Good day!" "The nerve?" "Me?" "Envious?" "What does she mean by that?" "Hello!" " Hello!" "Here!" " Thanks." "That's 236 marks 50." "Five hours overtime." "One every day." "And I thought you were boozing it up somewhere." "No understand "boozing"." "Drinking." "Beer or liquor." "Ali not drink without you." "That's all right." "I earned 210 marks this week, and you 236.50..." "That makes 446 marks 50 in all." "We'll be rich, Ali... and we'll buy ourselves a little piece of heaven." "Why heaven?" "Oh, just a fancy of mine." "I take a shower." "Want a coffee?" " Coffee?" "Yes." "You're very beautiful, Ali." "Coffee's ready." "Here!" " Thanks." "Paula!" "What brings you here?" "My sister died today." "She'd been sick a long time." "The funeral's on Monday morning." "I wanted to ask if you'd fill in for me?" "Come in, please!" "This is Mrs. Borchert." "She works with me." "Ali, my husband." "Your?" "Yes, Paula." "We've been married for three months." "Oh my God!" "Hello!" " Hello!" "Well, I'd better be going." "Have a coffee with us!" " No thanks." "I'll ask Hedwig about Monday." "Who'd have dreamed that!" "But Paula!" "That woman no good." "Nonsense!" "She's OK." "She was just surprised." "That woman has death in her eye." "No wonder." "Her sister just died." "No." "Other death in her eye." "You're imagining things." "Come on, get dressed!" "Let's go see buddies." "Germans not good." "I don't feel like going out today." "Why don't you bring your friends here... for a drink?" "Lt's much nicer here, isn't it?" "Buddies come here?" "Yes!" "Get dressed and bring them here!" "Hi!" " Hello!" "Nobody's here yet." "Probably doing overtime." "A beer?" " Small beer." "How are you?" "Good." "Happy?" "Don't know." "Come by my place again sometime." "Maybe." "I'll make you some couscous." " Your couscous good." "Well, then?" "Don't know." "Or are you scared of your wife?" "Ali not scared." "Well, come by then!" "Maybe." "Hello!" " Hi, Ali!" "Come to my home?" "Little party." " OK." "I'm not going to that old whore's place!" "She not old whore!" "All right." "Let me go!" "Come on!" "Come to my place?" "Little party." "Bastards!" "Lt's on the next floor up." "Can't get a wink of sleep." "She's got four foreigners in her apartment." "Four of them!" "You're not safe anymore." "Now, now." "Let's not exaggerate!" "I'm not, officer." "They're all Arabs." "You know what they're like:" "Bombs and all that." "They're not all like that, ma'am." "Come on, Hans, we'll have a look." "Did you see that?" "Policemen with long hair." "Things sure have changed." "Five!" "One, two, three, four, five!" "Again nothing!" "At last!" "Lt's your turn." "Cheers!" "Good evening!" "Sorry, but your neighbors say the music's causing a disturbance." "If you would turn it down, please..." " But..." "Sorry, but if it disturbs them..." "OK, I'll turn it down." "Goodnight!" " Goodnight!" "Six." "Turn the music down a little!" "Why?" "They've set the police on us." "Could you hand me a knife?" "The subway rates are going up." "It was in the paper today." "Not again!" "I read it, too." "Want a piece?" "Stop being so peculiar!" "Hand me a knife, will you?" "And it said, women should have a cancer test every six months." "Every six months?" " Yes, every woman." "Not that it does much good." "My sister-in-law, for instance..." "Let's sit over there!" "Anyway, I'm making an appointment for next week." "Make one for us, too." "You'll come, won't you, Frieda?" "Yes, if you're going." "I'd be scared alone." "Hello!" "Hello, Mrs. Kurowski!" "That rabble!" "Can't we do anything about it, Mr. Gruber?" "Why?" "They seem very happy together." "What's happiness?" "There's still such a thing as decency." "I fail to see anything indecent, hard as I might try." "Goodbye!" "Can you understand it?" "No." "Everyone's looking." "Don't let it bother you!" "They're just envious." "No understand "envious"." "Envious is... when someone doesn't like another person having something." "Understand." "They're just envious." "All of them." "Why do you cry?" "Because I'm so happy on the one hand... and on the other, I can't bear it anymore." "All this hatred!" "From everyone!" "Sometimes I wish I were all alone with you in the world... with nobody around us." "I always pretend I don't care, but I do." "I do care!" "Lt's killing me." "Nobody looks me in the eye anymore." "They all have such a horrible grin." "They're all swine!" "Dirty swine, all of them!" "Stop staring, you stupid swine!" "This is my husband, my husband." "I love you, too." "Me more." "How much?" "So much." "And me, from here... to Morocco!" "Do you know what?" "Let's go away somewhere." "Somewhere where we'll be on our own, where no one knows us and no one stares." "When we get back, it'll all be different." "Everyone will be nice to us." "They will." "They're back again." "Who?" "Mrs. Kurowski and her foreigner." "You know," "I always thought she was nice." "She is." "But that foreigner!" "Things like that don't last." "You reckon?" "Of course." "Listen!" "Next time she walks by, go out and say hello." "To her?" "No!" "Anton, don't forget she was a good customer." "You're right there." "Just walk out, say hello, and things will be back to normal." "And she'll do her shopping here again." "Yes, they're all going to the supermarket instead of coming here." "You're right, Adele." "In business, you have to hide your aversions." "Mrs. Kurowski." "Just the person!" "Hello, Mrs. Ellis!" " Hello!" "Lmagine!" "They've sent my son to Norway for a whole year." "I'll be right up." "So he asked me to keep his things here for him." "But I've got such a small cellar, and I thought, since I have all that stuff down there, maybe you..." "Of course, Mrs. Ellis." "I don't need all that space." "When would you need it?" "Today, if possible." "His stuff's been down there for ten days now." "It would be very nice if..." "OK." "I'll tell my husband to give you a hand." "I'm sure it's not so light." "It's good to have a strong man in the house." "He'll be down in ten minutes." "Bye!" "Bye, Mrs. Kurowski!" "And thanks a million." "Don't mention it." "Such a nice woman." "And so helpful!" "Yes, she always was." "Here are the cellar keys." "Help the woman move her stuff." "Be nice to her, and she'll be nice to us." "I'm going shopping." "Do you understand?" "Understand." " And put something else on." "Anton, here she comes!" "Out you go!" "Hello, Mrs. Kurowski!" "Back from you vacation?" "Was the weather nice?" " Very nice." "It's high time we took a vacation." "Where did you go?" "Not far." "To Steinsee." "I know it." "Nice place." "Come in and tell us all about it." "Hello, Mr. Kurowski!" "Your mother's back." "She's just gone shopping." "She'll be back in a minute." "Thanks, Mrs. Karges." "I'll wait." "Her husband's down in the cellar... helping Mrs. Ellis rearrange things." "Her son's suddenly been transferred to Norway." "And your mother has the biggest cellar here." "Ah, Mrs. Kurowski!" "Your son Bruno's here." "You got the check?" " Yes, just now." "The letter was in the mailbox when I got back." "With the check." "It's for the TV set." "I'm sorry, but I was so surprised I just lost my head." "I wouldn't have reacted like that otherwise." "You always were a hothead." "Remember the cat?" "My God, Mom!" "You can't hold that against me all my life." "No," "I had really forgotten all about it." "Everything will be OK now." "I've spoken to Krista." "Albert still hasn't gotten over it, but he'll come around." "Sure." "Time heals all wounds." "Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor." "Out with it!" "No need to beat around the bush with your old Mom." "No, you're right." "Brandy?" " No thanks." "Hildegard wants to take a part-time job again." "What with everything being so expensive..." "We've hunted high and low for a kindergarten, but it's hopeless." "They're all booked up." "So I thought maybe you could take Beate from one to five." "I'd pick her up afterwards." "It would be a great help." "Hello!" "Hello!" "I'm going to shower." "Do you think you could manage it?" "Hildegard starts work at Pschorr on the first." "Of course." "I've always been there for you." "Thanks a lot, Mom." "Then I'll be going." "They're waiting for me." "I might come by on Sunday, with Hildegard." "Bye, Mom." " Bye." "Finished in the cellar?" "Finished." "You no make couscous?" "I can't make couscous, you know that." "You should get used to the way things are done in Germany." "People in Germany don't eat couscous." "Couscous good sometimes." "I don't like couscous either." "Where are you off to?" "Ali go to Arab buddies." "Maybe eat couscous." "You're not taking me with you?" "No." "Want to be alone." "Closed today" "Hello." "Back again?" "Come in!" "Have a nice vacation?" " Very nice." "Like something to drink or to eat?" " Couscous." "OK." "I'll put the pan on." "There's some fig brandy in the cupboard." "Help yourself to a glass!" "This is Yolanda." " Hello." "She's from Yugoslavia." " Herzegovina." "Interesting!" "Where's Frieda?" "Haven't you heard?" "She got fired without notice." "Fired without notice?" "For stealing." "No!" "Lt's true." "They say she's been at it for ages." "They caught her with an adding machine." "The next day, she didn't show up, and Yolanda came." "Well I never!" "Who would have thought it of Frieda?" "Of course, she never did look you straight in the eye." "Really?" " You must remember." "Always shifty." "You're probably right." "And then..." "Let's go over there." "There was the matter of our raise." "That's right, 20 pfennigs." "Well?" "You can forget it." "They've probably forgotten us." "Forgotten?" "I can't imagine that." "There's no other explanation." "Come here!" "Listen!" "Yolanda gets 3.40 an hour, 50 pfennigs less than us." "No!" " Yes." "They know all the tricks up there." "We must think of something to get that raise." "Come to my place, and we'll talk it over, OK?" "How about it?" " We'll see..." "What about her?" "There's no point." "She's on a different pay scale." "Six o'clock, then?" " OK." "This is Ali." "Say hello!" "Hello!" " Hello!" "He's a handsome one, Emmi!" "And so clean!" "What do you mean?" "Sorry, but I always thought they didn't wash." "He does!" "He even takes a shower every day." "And just look at those muscles!" "He's really strong." "Come here!" "Go ahead, feel his muscles!" "Terrific!" "And such nice soft skin!" "He's so young." "But he's a good man, really." "What's eating him?" "He has his moods." "It's his foreign mentality." "Would you like something to drink?" " Yes." "Coffee, please." "You too, Paula?" " Yes, but not too strong." "I'll be right back." "Oh, it's you!" "Come in." "But I'm on my way out." "There's still some couscous in the kitchen." "You can warm it up and watch TV." "Or do you want to come along?" "No." "I stay here." "Will you be here when I get back?" "See you later." "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought..." "That's all right, Mrs. Kurowski." "Goodnight!" "Are you going?" " Don't know." "Stay here!" "I hate sleeping alone." "I'll just go wash quickly." "Working nights really takes it out of me." "There's this guy at the movies." "Suddenly there's an awful stench!" "He asks the guy in front of him," ""Did you shit your pants?"" "And the guy answers, "Yes, why?"" "A mouse and an elephant meet." "The mouse says to the elephant, "My, aren't you big!"" "And the elephant says to the mouse," ""My, aren't you small!"" "And the mouse replies:" ""Well, I've been ill for six weeks."" "There he is." " Yes, thanks." "Where were you all night?" "I've been worried sick." "You shouldn't do this to me, Ali." "You don't have to say anything." "Just come back!" "I need you, Ali." "I need you so much!" "Who's that, Ali?" "Your grandma from Morocco?" "What does she want?" "His grandma from Morocco!" "Ten marks." "Another ten." "Fifteen." "Twenty." "Go to my place and get 100 marks for me!" "Hurry!" "He get money, then I play more." "Three whiskies." "Don't let them fleece you!" "You're gambling away a week's wages." "Who care?" "Kif-kif!" "Understand?" "One!" "Two!" "Ten!" "Fifteen!" "Twenty!" "Twenty-five!" "A cola, miss!" "Shit!" "Thanks, and..." "Yes?" "Would you play the gypsy record for me, please?" "The Black Gypsy?" " Yes, that's it." "Thanks." "You dance with me?" "Me sleep with other woman." "That's not important, Ali, not important at all." "I don't want to, but always so nervous." "You're a free man." "You can do what you like." "I know how old I am." "I see it in the mirror every day." "I can't keep you from doing things." "But when we're together, we must be nice to each other." "Otherwise life's not worth living." "I don't want other woman." "I love only you." "I love you, too." "Together we're strong." "Call an ambulance!" "Quick!" "Send an ambulance to the Asphalt Bar, 17 Cornelius Strasse." "Someone has collapsed." "He's groaning terribly." "Thanks." "He has a perforated stomach ulcer." "It happens a lot with foreign workers." "It's the stress." "And there's not much we can do." "We're not allowed to send them to convalesce." "We can only operate." "And six months later they have another ulcer." "And him?" " Oh, he'll recover, but he'll be back here again in six months." "No, he won't." "I'll do everything in my power..." " Well, the best of luck, anyway." "And don't stay too long!" "Goodbye!" "Subtitles:" "Peter + Waltraut Green"