"How about a round of chess?" "Damn, I don't have time for that." "It only takes an hour." "Well the game doesn't but if you lose the whole day is ruined." "My ticker couldn't take it." "To be so afraid of death - that you can't even play a round of chess with your brother." "For God's sake for you it seems to be all the same when you die." "Come on, don't get so upset over something like that." "Sometimes it would be good just to be silent." "I thought that for once we could just play a game." "Goddamnit, that line was so naive I think I'll write it down." "You do that!" "Write it down, damn it, and for once we get text that's worth reading." "Johannes Forsman, the Lord has given and the Lord has taken, - bless be the Lords name." "Jesus Christ our Saviour shall raise you on the last day." "Amen." "My condolences." "Thomas, hello." "Hi Kalle." "It's been a couple of decades but I recognized you immediately." "How are you, where have you been?" "Right here." "What?" "I've been here!" "No way, I thought you were dead, - almost all our old schoolmates are already gone." "Well I suppose that " "I'm still somehow alive as I can see my shadow walking beside me." "I moved back to Finland because - there seemed to be no reason to stay over there on the other side of the Pond." "It is a bit lonely here when you don't really know anybody anymore." "That's the way it goes." "How's your wife doing?" "She is dead." "That is unfortunate to hear." "My wife died six years ago." "She was buried there in California, - it is a bit sad not to be able to visit the grave." "All right." "I have to get going, I have food cooking in the oven." "So if we don't meet anymore..." "Yes." "So I wish you all the best." "Same to you." "I sat here because I thought I'd smoke this cigar " "but I can leave if you want." "No no, go ahead." "Thank you." "Sorry, can you stop that." "Can you stop that!" "Good afternoon." " Good afternoon." "It would be nice to talk with you." "It is a rather beautiful park don't you think?" "Could we exchange a few words?" "Or something." "Maria." "Hi." "Hi, I wasn't sure it was you, how are you?" "I'm fine thanks, and you?" "I'm all right, thank you." "You look good, healthy." "I see you got married." "Oh, you mean this." "This is just to keep me safe from all the harassing men." "What's so funny?" "Nothing, just my old head, that's all." "That is how you do it nowadays, just put a ring on your finger and so on." "I'm in a bit of a hurry." "Did you get my letters?" "Yes, I did." "I would like you to visit me sometime, I would like to talk with you." "I believe that mother would have liked that we'd keep in touch." "You have no right to talk about mother, you have no right at all." "I can't do this now, I don't want to talk and I'm not interested." "I've got to go now." "Well, it was nice to meet you." "Yeah, bye." " Bye." "And?" "Buy a scout lottery, the proceeds will be spent directly - on buying instruments for the scout orchestra and the prizes are very good." "What can you win with this lottery?" "The first prize is a top-quality bicycle and the other prizes are - a schoolbackpack, soccer-shoes and - the consolation prize is a ticket to the amusement park." "I could use all of them, - would you come in and help me with that bag." "What is your instrument?" "Well, I haven't really decided yet." "Ok." "What is your shoe size?" "How come?" "If you win the soccer shoes." "Fourty-two" "I take two." "What's your name?" "Thomas." "Would you take that owl over there." "You can have it, it is even older than I am." "What for?" "Just because." "Please close the door after you." "Could we exchange a few words?" "Why not if something comes to mind." "Yes, you never know what comes up." "I think I'm younger than you?" "Probably, I'm eighty-three." "Then I was right, I'm eighty." "Do you play chess?" "A little." "I once had a friend that I used to play chess with, but he died last winter." "It wasn't a big loss anyway because he was a lousy player." "Just couple of moves and it was checkmate." "But he really was a funny fellow, maybe you knew him?" "No, I didn't" "Are you short-sighted?" "Quite the opposite, I have difficulties with the ones that are close." "Thomas, I brought your food." "Helena!" "Oh my god, what happened to you?" "Nothing serious." "I was fixing the lamp and fell off the stepladder." "I should call the doctor." "No, it's just my knee." "What if I take you to the doctor anyway, just in case?" "No doctor, once you go to the doctor - they send you immediately to die in some healthcare-institution." "Where is the medicine cabinet?" "Thank you, you are a good person." "Well." "So you don't want to go to any healthcare-institution, - wouldn't it be nice to have young nurses taking good care of you, - so you wouldn't have to look at this old shop lady." "You have a good rest this evening, it'll be better tomorrow." "Thank you." "Without you I would have lied on the floor the whole week." "No, you would have survived by yourself, - you are a bit like my father." "I think you might have a slightly too good impression of me." "Not at all, you didn't know my father." "Did he live long?" "Too long, even." "He was always complaining that "It's terrible to live so long, - life is such a misery it would be just best to die soon."" "And when it came to his time to go, - he didn't give up until I promised that I wouldn't sell the shop." "I think you are a bit similar." "Here is something to eat so you don't need to get up." "Here is an empty jar if you need to, you know." "Give me your hand." "Why?" " Just give it to me, " "let's see what it tells." "I knew it." "According to this you should have died a long time ago." "You are braving the weather." "So are you, I needed to get some fresh air." "Everyone has his habits." "Your wife, is she still alive?" "No, she is not." "How about yours?" "She died exactly two years ago today." "So you have a memorial day?" "It's not my habit to visit graveyards, if that is what you mean." "You don't seem to be very keen on other people?" "How come?" "It's just a phrase." "I did't meant to offend you." "If you had asked whether I prefer cats or dogs " "I might actually have answered." "I'll try to be more exact next time I ask something." "I'm sorry, I'm talking nonsense." "You don't need to apologise." "I should have known who you are." "Have we met?" "Yes we've met before." "I didn't remember it at first but then you did something - and it came back to me." "It's been over thirty years." "I was your judge." "Come on sit down." "I'm soaked, I've got to go." "I thought you wouldn't come anymore." "So did I." "Did you ever feel guilty?" "When you were judging people did you ever feel guilty?" "It is your job to decide if someone is guilty or not." "My job is just to follow the law, " "I cannot do anything else even if I want to." "If you are now trying to apologize to me, you don't have to." "No I'm not trying to apologize." "Sometimes I am just forced to follow the sections of the law, - like in your case." "Yes, you are not a simple man." "What do you mean?" "Because only such a person could think that the doctors duty - is to extend the life of a suffering human being." "Are you not afraid that if you legalize euthanasia it could be misused?" "You can't misuse euthanasia." "If you misuse it, it is no longer euthanasia, it is murder." "But as a doctor you started to play God." "No man has the right to take someone's life even though - your wife's condition was..." " My wife wanted to die." "She was suffering and dying three months in a hospital bed." "God was pretty damn far from that." "If you had ever witnessed your loved-one dying, you would understand." "I have to go, goodbye." "I do understand, that's all I wanted to say." ""To the judge who judged me."" "Better day today?" "I could say so." "How are you?" "I am fine thank you." "I think we are not going to see each other again - so I came to say goodbye." "Are you planning to go somewhere?" "Yes." "And you are not coming back?" "I don't think so." "I must admit I'm going to miss our conversations." "I guess there are enough old guys like me to speak with." "Where are you travelling?" "You'll find out later." "I'll write to you." "Thank you." "My pleasure." "I wish you all the best." "Same to you." "Bye." "Bye."