"STARS" "Îœy '55 Ford Fairlane was a nice little straight six." "I traded it in for a Biscayne in 1 960." "Its top speed was 91 miles per hour." "But I really got myself a nice one in '64." "I spent $4,000 on a four-door Buick Electra 225 hardtop." "425 cubic inches." "There were only 1 1 ,000 on the road in North America." "Do you know why they called it the 225?" "Because it was exactly 225 inches long, bumper to bumper." "That was some car!" "I'Îœ buying" "print SHOP" "WE'RE OPEN" "Hello!" "JUNE 1 999" "Hi, Dad!" "How's it going?" "Hello!" "Hi, Ernest!" "Hello!" "This machine must be 85 years old, easy!" "Your daughter forgot this." " This isn't the Gutenberg era!" " Thanks, Dad." "With the Heidelberg Quickmaster 46, you're done with negatives and camera." "It uses phototypesetting." "You'll save a ton of time and money." "A ton!" "Hi, Biscuit!" "Get out of my way." ""lt was caused by a falling meteor."" ""lt looks like a huge ball of fire!"" ""lt is a ball of fire!" "A vast ball of fire!" ""lt's heading towards us, at an incredible speed!"" ""Towards us?" "But if it keeps on coming..."" ""That fire-ball is going to collide with the Earth!"" ""Great heavens!" "But that'll mean..."" ""...the end of the world, yes!"" "Come on, pumpkin." "It's time to go to sleep." "Just one more page." "No, we're getting up early tomorrow." " Sweet dreams." " Good night." "Don't let the bedbugs bite." " How sweet!" "You put our star up." " Yep." "wedding anniversary" "Take a look at this one." "Yeah, not bad." "It's in Laval." " Nothing in the Plateau?" " lt's too expensive." "We need a good school nearby for Rose." " Of course." " And a big yard." "yes." "A nice house with big windows, like this one." " Îœom?" " yes?" "When'S the end of the world?" "Don't worry, Sweetie." "It'S a long time away." "It'S not for at least another zillion years." "Come on!" "Good night, Sweetie!" "Go to Sleep." "We're going to grandma and grandpa'S tomorrow." "Can you Sleep with me?" "Lucie'S parents, Roland and LiSette, were retired and living in Saint-NicolaS, near Quebec City." "Like every year, we were Spending the Saint-Jean-BaptiSte Day weekend at their house." "Why was the car embarrassed?" "I give up." "because it had gas!" "You're So Silly!" "jackass!" "It's BenoÃ®t and Suzanne!" "Hello!" " Hi!" " Hello!" "It's ClÃ©ment and Îœonique!" "Quebec City, man!" "Hello!" "Finally, they're here!" "Safe and sound!" "Hey, Biscuit!" " That thing makes quite a racket!" " Yep!" "Hi, Îœom!" "Are you guys hungry?" "I made egg sandwiches." "It's good to see you." "Where's Dad?" "He's coming out now." "How about some pulled pork?" "We ate on the way." "I made a nice soup with buttermilk." "Some dessert?" " Bunny!" " l'm so happy to see you!" "Îœe too!" "If it isn't little bunny number four coming to see her grandpa!" "Îœy little Rose!" " Grandpa!" " And Îœathilde!" "Hello, Îœr." "Beaulieu!" "Îœy father-in-law calls all his kids "bunny,"" "and his grandchildren, "little bunny."" "Suzanne, bunny number one." "Sunscreen!" "She's the eldest." "She's a nurse and mother of two little bunnies, Philippe and Îœathilde, little bunnies number three and five, respectively." "Her husband BenoÃ®t is an enthusiastic pastoral worker and weeder of Virgin Îœary shrines." " Lemonade?" " l want some!" "I want some too!" "Here you go." "Lucie is bunny number two." "She's my girlfriend." "For 1 6 years, we've lived "side-by-side," as Roland would say." " Grandpa?" " Yes." "Do you wanna hear a joke about gas?" "Lucie is a proofreader and mother of little bunny number four, our girl Rose." "I shouldn't have drank so much soda earlier." ""Drunk" is the past participle." "Come help me with the birds, OK?" "Îœonique is bunny number three." "She's married to ClÃ©ment." " He's a mechanic." " Lemonade?" "Thanks. I'd prefer a beer, though." "Get it yourself." "Either your valve covers or your rings are finished." "OK!" "I'll get you a beer." "No thank you, no way." "Watch the door!" "Come on, Dad." " Nice work, Ben!" " Thanks!" " You want a beer?" " Yes please." "BenoÃ®t!" "ClÃ©ment and Îœonique are parents of little bunnies one and two." "Hi, Judith!" "Hi, ÎœylÃ¨ne!" " l'm ÎœylÃ¨ne!" " l'm Judith!" " Give it to me!" " You've had it since Drummondville." "You had it all day yesterday!" "Îœonique is a social worker." "Liar!" "That's enough!" " Great!" " Judith, ÎœylÃ¨ne, come help Rose!" " Come on!" " Slow down!" " Yeah, yeah!" " Wait!" "Happy anniversary!" " Wow!" "They're so cute!" " Lovebirds!" " You always wanted some." " They're so cute!" " Tell them." " They're Roro and ZÃ©zette." "Like Roland and Lisette." "Goodness!" "These kids are going to kill me with love." " l want one for my birthday!" " Again!" " Kiss!" " Oh, kids!" "Kiss!" "Kiss!" "Kiss!" "Here." "Let's blow out these candles!" "So..." "Nice cake." "Thanks!" "You made it yourself?" "You should come help me serve." "Who made it?" "Don't tell me you asked Îœom to make her own cake." "I had no time!" "The girls had their competition." "Îœom offered!" " You're unbelievable sometimes!" " Her own cake!" "Honestly!" "Rose!" "Come here!" "This cake is amazing, Îœonique!" "Thanks." "Give it to Grandpa." "Remember what we said?" "Listen up, everyone!" "Your attention, please!" "What's this?" "Îœy dad made it." " You made this?" " Yep!" ""Roland and Lisette."" "It's beautiful!" "Look at this!" "You're good!" "It's great!" "Îœy pleasure." "That's nice, a homemade card." "Look, you're there with your cakes." "And Fluffy." "Big guy, come see what you look like!" "HAPPY anniversary" "We play a card game here I've never seen anywhere else." "It's called, "l'm Buying."" "Everyone looks for specific card combinations, and gets rid of as many cards as possible." "I'm buying!" "You don't have to yell!" "You either buy or you don't!" "So, ClÃ©ment, any news on the garage?" "Not yet." "Threes here, eights there." "I have one card left!" "You're killing me, Îœom." "Did you hear the news?" "Jeanne got married last week." "Isn't she over 60?" "It was a shotgun wedding." "You're the only ones left!" "You'd like that, Roland!" "I mean, you'd like that, Îœr." "Beaulieu." "It's just that we think marriage is..." "Would anyone like a beer, a Perrier, a brandy or something?" "No, Îœom, we're good." "Sit down." "We're playing!" "OK, my turn." "Seven here, king there." "Give me your gal." "Done!" "I haven't even played yet!" "Jokers and twos are wild." "We affectionately call them the "gals."" "When everyone's ready, the dealer flips the first card." "If it's a gal, you have to discard it." "So, what did the dentist say?" " They'll both need braces." " Yep, braces." "Oh yeah?" " Count your cards, OK?" " Yes." "Bunny?" "Why don't you look in Quebec City?" "You know we want to buy in Îœontreal." "You can change your mind." "We take turns picking cards." "You discard after each turn." "The one next to the dealer starts." "Whose turn is it?" "When it's lagging, it's Paul." "Today would be nice." " Come on!" " We're waiting!" "I'm buying!" "Don't mind me." "Hurry up!" "I'm hungry." "Can we have a bowl, please?" "Just a second." "Get the milk and sugar." "I want a banana." "There's only apples." "Sorry." "He's in decent shape." "He looks good, considering!" "I accidentally saw the radiation marks on his stomach." "His treatments aren't over yet." "When prostate cancer is caught in time, it's no worse than appendicitis." " Nothing to worry about." " He's going to be fine." "Definitely." "Îœonique!" "Lucie!" "Suzanne!" "Come on!" " Here we go!" " He's spoiling them." " lt makes him happy." "Stop right here." "Close your eyes." "Don't open them until I say so." "Quebec City, man!" "I'm not sure we'll ever get independence." "Îœe neither!" "I think we might have missed the boat." "1 980 was the time to do it, with RenÃ© LÃ©vesque." "Open them!" "Wow, bikes!" " Thanks, Grandpa!" " You're welcome!" " Thanks, Grandma!" " Go on!" "I don't believe it!" "Canadian flags on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day." " Watch out for your flag!" " Thanks, Grandpa!" "Be careful!" "Don't go too far!" "Thanks, Grandma!" "Thanks, Grandpa!" "Dad, Îœathilde could have taken Rose's next year." "Rose could have Philippe's." " ÎœylÃ¨ne could have Judith's." " lt's too much!" "You're retired!" "You have to watch your budget." "Paul, let's take the dogs for a walk." "Come on, pedal!" "It's hard on the rocks." "OK, let's stop here." "Use the kickstand." " Let's let them run." " Good idea." " Come on, run!" " Go on!" "Let me have one." "Yeah." "You don't smoke Canadians anymore?" "I guess it's all the same." "I got a nice one!" "Damn!" "What do they put in these?" "It tastes like crap!" " That's too big." " Give it to me." "So, it seems like the radiation is helping." "Yeah, right!" "I can't get it up anymore." "No fair!" "You're further ahead." "Don't go in the water, Îœathilde!" "Kids!" "Let's take some pictures!" "Look, I found a frog!" "Rose!" "Look at me!" "ÎœylÃ¨ne, Judith, turn around!" "Gross!" "It's all slimy." "Where did you find this?" "Isn't that you?" "Of course it is." "I'm asking where you found it." "It was in a box of family photos." "is that your father?" "Yes." "You scratched his face off pretty good." "It was the day my mother left." "Left..." "As in she left town, or she died?" "As in took off." "I'm sorry." "That day, my mother sent me to the store to pick up some pictures." "We had gone to the church picnic for the poor." "The priest had taken pictures of the whole family." "Don't touch that, you little brat!" "Get out of here!" "We lived in squalor on Tourelle Street." "Îœy father was a drunk and a gambler." "All he did was get his wife pregnant." "He gave her nine kids." "Goddamn sissy music!" "No, let go of me!" "Let go!" "Let someone else screw you, you damn slut!" "We never saw her again." "She died 1 5 years ago." "Cancer... of the pancreas." "Just like I have." "Yes." "All right!" "Let's go, before your mother-in-law starts to worry." "What are you waiting for?" " Rose, wait for me!" " Hurry up!" "We look like a couple of wimps with our poodles, huh?" "Rose, I have to pee." "You OK, Dad?" " He'll be fine." " That happens with radiation." "We'll get a drink of water." "I'll bring some hotdogs back out." "No, Îœom!" "We're gonna burst." "Sing, then!" "Go on, sing!" "Rosaire's raccoon?" "Didn't we throw that thing out?" "Are you going to tell the story?" "Why don't you do it tonight?" "But I like it when you do it." "You start. I'll be right back out." " Grandpa?" " Yes?" " What are the hens like?" " They're nice and plump." "And don't forget the tooshie." "I won't!" "Nice and plump..." " Îœathilde?" " What?" "Do you like stories?" "Yeah!" "Come here and I'll tell you one." "This is the story of a nice raccoon who was very hungry." "He always had to look for food around people's houses, because back then, people had hens in their yards." "And a hen was like a feast for a raccoon." "But when the raccoon saw the hens, all nice and plump, he went completely crazy." "He threw himself on the hens." "He slit one's throat, decapitated another, clawed to the right and to the left like a maniac." "There was blood everywhere, like, 1 0 centimetres of blood, a lake of blood." "Then, there was a deathly silence, and it smelled like rotten chicken." " You OK, girls?" " Yeah." "That's when Grandpa's dad," "Rosaire, came out." "Rosaire didn't hesitate." "He smacked the raccoon on the head with a shotgun." "Did he die?" "Instantly." "He didn't suffer at all." "But that's not it." "Rosaire pulled out a big knife, turned the raccoon around to empty it before stuffing it, and shoved the knife deep in its tooshie!" "Îœom!" "Rose must've told her the raccoon story." "With the knife deep in its tooshie!" "Why don't you tell them?" "Here, I'll give you a boost for the road." "Îœonique, come here." "Come on!" "Lucie?" "Wait." "Bunnies..." " Here, Suzanne." " Dad, you shouldn't have." "Thanks, Dad." "Later!" "Open them in the car." "Thank you." "I love you." " You too!" "Ah, my eldest..." " Girls!" "For the drive." "We're driving to Îœontreal, not Winnipeg." " lt'll go bad." " l want that one." "You gonna make it to Îœontreal in this thing?" "I don't like my bunny and little bunny driving in that." " Dad, please." " lt's OK. lt's all fixed." "Yeah, fixed..." "A tradition, a Beaulieu ritual:" "waving goodbye with any object that flies in the wind." "$1 5,000?" ""To help you buy your house."" "We're turning around." "Something's up." "This is too much." "This isn't right." "Usually it's $500." "This is $1 5,000!" " Don't you have anything to say?" " l don't know what to say!" "Your father wants to help us." "He can afford it." "It makes him happy." " We're going back." " No, we're not." "You know how stubborn he is." "It'll just start a fight." "I don't like it." "I really don't like it." "Are you all right?" "JULY lt's dark, slanted and it smells funny." "Well, the house is over 1 00 years old." "It can't be too expensive." "That's right!" "It's only $225,000." "is that in dollars or pesos?" "That's a good price for a cottage in the Plateau." " Forget the Plateau." " Come on, Rose." "So, what do you think?" "Too small." "Too ugly." "Yes!" "Sold!" " Do they live there?" " There aren't usually this many." "These are the neighbour's guests?" " This is ridiculous." " Hello!" "We're leaving." "We could get this one for $1 50,000." "That's still a lot of money." "Yeah, but we can pay it off over 30 years." "30 years?" "Dad, let's buy it!" "Please, Dad!" "Let's buy it." " Hello!" " Hi!" "You'll be taken care of." " l understand." " You'll see." "We're giving him a big sendoff for his 40 years of loyal work." "Your father was an artist." "AUGUST" "Kids?" "It's time!" "Don't move!" "Stay there." "Excuse me." "Thanks." "Here!" "Rose!" "This is for you." "Hang on." "Let's put this on right." "I don't want to pull your hair." "OK, let's spin!" "Don't hit anything yet." "Spin!" "Hey, everyone!" "Go for it!" "Go for it!" "This way!" "Swing!" "Just a little harder!" "You got it!" "Yeah!" "Oh my God!" "You can do it!" "Îœy God!" "Roland!" "An attendant to Room 1 1 ." "Attendant to Room 1 1 ." "Hold on." "Roland had emergency surgery for an intestinal obstruction." "That's why he was vomiting so often." "They operated on his intestine." "That's why he was vomiting so often." "He really gave me a scare." "I hope he'll be all right." "He looks good, Îœom." "Suzanne, pass me that box of cookies." "Yeah." " This one!" " Thanks, Îœom!" " Paul?" " No thanks." "I hear you bought a new computer!" "Yes, a Îœac G3." "350 ÎœHz processor, 64 ÎœB of RAÎœ, 1 6 ÎœB of VRAÎœ, 1 0 GB, a FireWire port, 32x CD-ROÎœ, cache bus speed of 1 75 ÎœHz," "Rage 1 28 video card, standard 56k modem," "Ethernet and three USB ports." "What about your old computer?" "I'm sending it to Africa." "I'll take it off your hands." " Really?" " Yeah!" " Cookies?" " Yes please!" " Îœrs." "Beaulieu?" " Yes?" "Are you the family?" "I'd like to speak with you." "Now?" "Yes, I'm operating in a few minutes." "Please come with me." " All right..." " Girls?" "Watch the kids, OK?" "The operation was a complete success." "A short section of the intestinal tract was removed." "It was a routine operation." "OK, grandpa, we're going to operate." "Scalpel!" "Spoon!" " Needle and thread!" " l don't like needles!" " You'll be fine, Grandpa." " No needles!" "You'll be fine." " lt hurts." " l'm almost done." "The operation was a success!" "Success!" "We'll have to start thinking about putting Îœr." "Beaulieu in palliative care." "Whoa there!" "Why would you put him in palliative for prostate cancer?" "Îœrs." "Beaulieu?" "Your father doesn't have prostate cancer." "It's pancreatic cancer, but he didn't want to tell you." "It's an aggressive cancer." "It's advanced and can't be cured." "He has three months left, at most." "I don't want to lose my father." "Thanks, sweetie." "Dad, drive!" "The Quickmaster 46 will be here in two weeks." "Yeah, OK." "It's your kind of machine!" "Dammit!" "I..." " This is" " RÃ©al Godbout?" " Îœr." "Godbout is a cartoonist." " l know." "We're printing his next book." "You'll take care of the scans." "You all right?" "Yeah." " Hi, BenoÃ®t!" "How are you?" " Good, you?" "Good." "Let me help you." "You got it?" "Yes. I'm fine." "Thanks for this!" "This way." "I need to get the Internet for work." "You can do that with this model, but you'll need an external modem." "I'd suggest the 1 200-baud Starshooter." "is it expensive?" "Around $1 00." " Hello?" " Hi, Paul!" "You called?" "Hi, Ben!" "We plugged the modem in, but nothing's happening." "Did you buy any communication software?" "Get Eudora Pro version 3.0." "is it expensive?" "Around $1 00." "Right." "OK!" "Ben, the computer's not working at all anymore!" "You need a better processor for the new system." "You should buy a new Îœac like mine, a G3!" " How much is that?" " 3,400 bucks." " 3,400!" " Bucks." "He says we need a new one." "We bought it, but now we can't open the programs!" "Your computer's too fast." "You have to upgrade your software!" "Worthless damn machine!" " l can't connect to the Internet." " Who's your provider?" " Îœy provider?" " Yes, your provider." "Click "Configure."" "Configure..." "Enter "1 234567" as your lPV4." "Yes." "For your ip, enter 67.1 54.690." "Next, under PPOE, enter "Cybercom" as your provider." "Yes." "Next, do you have an email name?" "Please choose one." " Paul." " Already in use." "Choose another." " Lucie!" " Already in use." "Choose another." "Paul 2!" "Already in use." "Choose another." "PAULXW7896!" "How about that?" "Great choice!" "Congratulations, you're now online." "Thank you for using Cybercom." "It's working, goddammit!" "Roland?" "Darn it, Roland!" "I told you to stay put until I got back." "See what happens?" "I'm allowed to walk around in my own damn house!" "Your stitches came open!" "You stained your pyjamas." "I'm at home." "I'll walk when and where l like!" "Stop being foolish!" "You're acting like a 2-year-old!" "All right, let's get you cleaned up and changed." "Would you rather sit on the toilet bowl sulking?" "Lisette!" "Hello?" "Hi, Lisette!" "How are you?" "Yes, just a second." "She's crying." "Hi, Îœom." "What's wrong?" "I understand why you're freaking out." "That's normal, isn't it?" "Soon, he might be too sick for you to take care of him on your own." "We talked about this." "It might be time for him to go to the PCC, don't you think?" " Grandpa?" " Yes?" "What's a PCC?" "PCC: palliative care centre." "What's palliative care?" "Palliative care: treatment and psychological support provided to patients at the end of their lives." "That's what." "SEPTEÎœBER" "Despite his misfortune, Roland was very lucky to be admitted so quickly to a centre like this one." "They take in terminal patients, but only have a few rooms." "The atmosphere is completely different from the hospital." "The place emanates calm and tranquillity." "Hello!" "How are you this morning, Îœr." "Beaulieu?" "I'm dying, for Pete's sake!" "That's how I am!" "Oh my!" "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed!" "What's it gonna take to put a smile on your face?" "Would you like some juice?" "Coffee?" "Tea?" "First of all, don't talk to me like I'm a baby." "Second, I can still take care of myself." "I don't need some fatty waiting on me!" "What are you drawing?" "Naked women?" "No, nude girls!" " Night." " Night." "Îœr." "Beaulieu?" "How about I play you a song?" "Classical, pop, jazz, country, Gregorian..." "What is this, some kind of damn music camp?" "Go roll that piano into oncoming traffic, little girl." "Get the hell out!" "is something wrong?" "They don't tolerate patients insulting the volunteers." "You can't act like you own the place!" "You're sick, like everyone else!" "Remember, they can send you back to the hospital!" "You won't get the royal treatment there!" "Please." "OCTOBER" "Red!" "Right, Dad?" "No, silver!" "It's the best-selling colour in the world!" "A Beetle convertible." "Right, Dad?" "That's not practical, sweetie!" "A station wagon." "Right, Paul?" "But red!" "Right, Dad?" "You're dreaming, girls." "Our car's still going!" " lt's 1 3!" " lt's older than me." "The brakes and shocks are finished." "Yeah, but ClÃ©ment can fix it." "Dad, please!" "We'll even let you pick the colour." "Right, Îœom?" "It's pretty awesome!" "Right, girls?" "Lisette?" "Can you put this one up too, please?" "This looks like one of our old cars, doesn't it?" "Yeah." "Roland had really calmed down." "He had obviously sorted out his emotions." "Lisette was by his side pretty much every day." "Lucie and her sisters shared the evenings." "We were on rotation so Roland wouldn't be alone for too long." "I can't believe how tall you're getting, Rose." "I'm 1 .1 5 metres tall." "1 .1 5 metres!" "Tell me, little bunny, how much is that in inches?" "All right, I'm off!" "I'm leaving you with your daughter." "I'll go get caught up on the washing and ironing." "All our evenings with Roland unfolded the exact same way." "Shall we?" "Yes." "THE cigarette" "THE SCRABBLE GAÎœE" "THE DEPARTURE" "THE END" "I'll be right back." "Pretty awesome, huh?" "Bye, Ernest!" "is it Îœrs." "ÎœcDuff's birthday?" "No, Îœary left us." "She got better?" "Come on, sweetie." "We never showed you our new car, Îœr." "Beaulieu." " lt's great, Dad." " Yeah." "It's nice that you're trying to spare me, but I already know about Îœrs." "ÎœcDuff." "I picked it out." "Did you notice the racoons on it, Dad?" "Would you like a cookie?" "Here." "It has a cream filling." "Yes?" "Can I ask you something?" " Under your chin?" " Yeah." "Turn." "Are you gonna shave me?" "I'm getting there." "Paul..." "Yes?" "You can call me "Roland."" " Paul..." " Yes?" "Are you ever going to marry my daughter?" "Come on." " lt's late." "What are you doing?" " Nothing." "Nothing?" " Night." " Night." "Love you." "NOVEÎœBER" "Hello?" "The doctor said Roland was getting worse and that we should be at his bedside." "He didn't know how much time he had left, but he said we should come up soon, because it might be the beginning of the end." "Why is Quebec City so freaking far?" "Excuse me." "Can I have a word with you, Îœrs." "Beaulieu?" " Yes." " You and your daughters." "All right..." " Take the kids out." " l'm going for a smoke." "Rose, you stay with your grandpa, OK?" "Come on, kids." "We're gonna let Grandpa rest." "Should we transfer him to the hospital?" "Will he lose consciousness?" "Listen, your husband... your father, is in a critical stage." "He could let go and slip away fast, or he could hang on..." "Roland could let go or hang on." "The ball was in his court, so to speak." ""Do you like soft caramels?" ""Answer me." "Do you or do you not like soft caramels?"" ""l, er..." "Soft caramels?" "I..." "Yes, thank you, but..."" ""Go out and buy six penny worth of soft caramels!"" "They have two rooms for families here." "We're gonna stay there." " And Lisette?" " She's exhausted." "She spent three months here." "She needs to rest." "BenoÃ®t's driving her home." "We'll call her if anything changes." " You'll call me too?" " Yes." "Here's a present, Îœom." "Thanks, sweetie!" " Buckle up." " l will!" "Dad?" "Yes, sweetie?" "is Grandpa going to die?" "I think so, darling." "Where will he go after?" "Well..." "His soul, his spirit, will go up to heaven, and he'll be able to watch over us all." "He'll be happy there." "He won't be in pain anymore." "And he'll have his new pyjamas?" "He'll have his new pyjamas." "I can't get any sleep in this place!" "There's always someone coming or going or a door closing." "Well, people work here overnight." "I hope Îœonique was able to get some sleep." "Good morning!" "Hi, Îœo." "So, how'd the night go?" "Did Dad wake up?" "Did he say anything?" "Nothing." "Niet." "Nada." "He didn't wake up once." "His breathing is calm." "He snored a bit." "That's all." "Come on, girls." "Let's turn him over." "All right." "Pull the slide sheet to the edge." "Watch his legs." "Not too far." "His head." "Hang on, Dad." "Lucie..." "Easy." "The pillow." "He looks even thinner." "It's like he's melting." "He looks like a little chicken." "Hello." "What exactly did your teacher say?" "A hat from another country, like a sombrero or a beret." "It's Red Ketchup!" "We printed that." "Hang on. I'll find another one." ""A German tourist," ""whose husband abandoned her in Las Vegas, finds refuge..."" "Bagdad CafÃ©, 1 987, with Îœarianne SÃ¤gebrecht." "You're too good." "Wait a second." "Do you want anything, Dad?" " Are you thirsty?" " Yes." "Thank you." ""A city policeman escorts a special prisoner" ""to Senneterre in Abitibi."" "Gilles Carle, L'Ã‚ge de la machine, 1 978." "OK!" "Time for sleep." " You see the Big Dipper?" " Yeah." "Look closely, right above the second star." "Right above the second star, there's a little star that no one ever notices." "Well, that star belongs to your mother and me." "It's our star." "Forever." ""Soft caramel."" "That day, brothers and sisters, cousins, friends, neighbours, and former colleagues were all invited by Lisette, and everyone came to pay Roland one final visit." " Îœr." "Beaulieu?" " lt's time to take your medication." " BenoÃ®t?" " No thanks." "Hey, ClÃ©m!" "Shrimp?" "Yeah, I love these." "It's better like this, right?" "You're ClÃ©ment, the mechanic?" "That's right." "Nice to meet you." "Thanks, Îœonique." "Drink a little water, Dad." "If you ever need anyone to watch Rose, we're around." "It'd be our pleasure." "Îœy sweet Roland." " Kids, Rose, go outside." " Can we bring the wheelchair?" "No, it's not a toy." "Go on, and quietly!" "No fair!" "We aren't allowed to do anything here!" "I love you." "Have a seat, Dad." "That was nice, wasn't it?" "It's freezing." "It's November." "Well, my birthday was pretty much forgotten this year." "Damn!" "Sorry, Lucie." " Happy birthday, Lucie." " Happy birthday!" "It's OK." "There are more important things going on." "But I always remember people's birthdays!" " l feel bad." " Stop!" "It's no big deal." "Hey, I have pot." "You wanna smoke a joint?" "You smoke pot?" "No!" "A friend of ClÃ©ment's gave us a little bag." "It'll be fun." "Give me the rolling paper." "How are you doing?" "I'm bored." "How's the shop?" "The Quickmaster jams all the time." "I've been constipated for three days." "What?" "Nothing. lt's just the way you said it." "Well, it's true." "I've been shitting pool balls!" "It hurts like hell." "I'm the opposite. lt's too soft." "Îœy asshole's on fire from wiping so much." "I'm gonna pee my pants!" "Put me to sleep." "Put me to sleep!" "Put me to sleep." "Dad?" "Dad, are you OK?" "Dad?" "Put me to sleep." "Roland had made it clear he didn't want to feel death coming." "He didn't want to be aware of his suffering." "He knew that when the time came, they could give him something to help him through that final ordeal." "If we give him morphine, or whatever else, we won't be able to talk to him, no?" "He already sleeps 23 hours a day." "Yeah, you're right." "We're coming." "Love you." "Love you." "So?" "It's not the one I wanted!" "That ring is for babies." "He looks more relaxed, doesn't he?" "He looks calmer." "It's as if he's smiling." "His breath smells weird, almost like paint thinner." "His metabolism is entering its final phase." "The ketones and acids are starting to eat the inside of-- lt's all right, Suzanne." "We get it." "Look at this." "Cool!" "Side A." " Îœom?" " What, sweetie?" "Grandpa's moving his finger!" ""Someone dies, and it's like footsteps cease." ""But what if it were the start of a new journey?" ""Someone dies, and it's like a door slams shut." ""But what if it were a passage leading to..."" ""But what if were a passage leading to new lands?" ""Someone dies, and it's like a tree falls." ""But what if it were a seed sprouting in fertile land?" ""Someone dies and it's like silence screams." ""But what if it helps us hear the fragile music of life?"" " Grandpa?" " Yes, sweetheart?" "1 .1 5 metres is 3 feet, 9 inches, Grandpa!" "Goodbye, sweet Rose."