"I'm in search of a dream, but nothing's coming." "Then a little music Just like that, to put me to sleep." "And then it comes, all alone." "I have only to sink into it." "Are you open?" "It says so." "I've never seen you..." "We just fixed the window." "Are...are you available?" "How many of you are there?" "I'm all alone." "Close the door." "It's cold." "Are you expensive?" "You want to close the door?" "Where is that damn telephone?" "How old are you?" "27." "You have a family?" "Any children?" "No." "Why?" "Because I can't." "No, it's here...the mumps." "Would you mind sending me someone else?" "It's me, Peggy." "Peggy who?" "No, I'm minding the store, I'm just an extra." "No one's here." "Call back tomorrow!" "Tomorrow's too late:" "I'm getting out now, not tomorrow." "From where?" "The clink, where do you think I'm getting out from, "L'Ecole Polytechnique"?" "(famous Polytechnic School)" "I'm coming by train at noon!" "What?" "What is it?" "Who do I ask for?" "Does it matter which one?" "You have to pick up the kid at the station." "What kid?" "Mine!" "You just have to go get him and bring him to me." "Why don't you go yourself?" "Because I don't have time, I'm too far away, if I could I wouldn't ask you." "Think!" "I can't go either!" "I have to hang up, I have everyone waiting." "I beg you, don't hang up." "You have to go get my kid for me." "They can't keep him anymore; someone has to look after him." "I'm going to look after him." "I'm quitting everything," "I've had enough!" "It's already unlucky being a whore, but being a whore without luck - that's too much." "I want to go away, it's over." "You have to bring the kid to the station..." "Bring him to the station!" "What station?" "What for?" "Because he has the key;" "where else would I put it?" "What key?" "My key!" "For my savings, on deposit." "Five years, behind a window." "When you add up all your johns it's like the weight of the world on your shoulders." "For me it is;" "I'm not giving him anything anymore!" "You understand?" "I don't know what you're talking about!" "Who?" "Him who?" "Kovarski!" "It's his place, his window." "He takes half from all the girls, but not from me, he won't get anything!" "He can run after me" " I'm going away from him." "The weight's on my shoulders, not on his." "Have you ever dreamed of taking a ticket for another turn, of starting over from scratch?" "Has that ever happened to you?" "Yes." "Are you there?" "Tomorrow, station central, I'll be on the 12:05 train." "But we haven't even met!" "I know we won't know each other, but that doesn't mean we can't still help, not me anyway." "There's still the team spirit. 12:05!" "You have to ask someone else!" "You can't hang up, you can't!" "It's my only chance." "I won't get another!" "Why not?" "Because it's about to cut me off;" "I can't ask anyone else!" "The boy's name is Billy." "Billy Karouge, like me!" "Hospital Berg, at Saint-Jean!" "Why the hospital?" "What's he have?" "Hospital Berg!" "I said no" " I won't go!" "Does...does anyone have a car?" "I've waited for you, you know." "I've waited for you." "Your key?" "Where is it?" "How old are they?" "Eight, and four." "You don't have to walk like that, you'll get into trouble." "What kind?" "I don't know, it can make some people nervous, showing all that out in the open." "You know many businessmen working the old Iron Curtain?" "Are they hereditary?" "What?" "The glasses." "I don't know why I'm asking you that." "I'm not going to be nit-picky." "You want to stop, a couple of minutes?" "Where?" "I don't know, it doesn't matter." "Because I'm at my peak." "What peak?" "The thirteenth day, since midnight." "There was a parking lot over there." "The thirteenth day of what?" "You know, more or less, what a woman's made of?" "Do you see?" "No, I'm talking about the inside; inside there's a calendar, and on the thirteenth day and on the thirteenth day, the woman cuddles in her lover's arms, hot and steaming," "and whispers in his ear that maybe they'll need to plan a baby's room." "You, my lover, will whisper to me;" "I whisper to him from afar, inevitably, since he's not here." "I don't have too many more chances." "That's why I told him." "That I was expecting one." "Now that I've told him, I have to have one." "Tomorrow will be too late;" "I have to have one right away." "Why do you think I've been in a window, freezing?" "There was a parking lot over there." "...I don't know, if you need one right away, you can maybe adopt one, ready made?" "What are you here for?" "To pick up a kid." "Billy." "Billy what?" "Billy Karouge." "Sign there." "Sign." "Sign." "What for?" "INSTITUTION OF THE CHILD PSYCHIATRY To take him." "You don't have any..." "little kids?" "How are you going to take him?" "I don't know; on foot." "You're responsible." "For what?" "For him." "No, no, I'm not responsible." "Yes." "Look at me, frankly:" "do you think I'm responsible?" "No." "Bon." "But you're responsible all the same." "We can't keep him any longer." "Watch yourself." "He's ready." "Over there." "Which one?" "With his bag, on the bench." "You're going to look after me?" "No." "Who then?" "Your mother." "You don't have anything else to wear?" "Yes." "But it's too small." "Everything she left me is too small." "Who?" "My mother." "When she came, the last time." "My shoes don't fit; they're big, but she didn't give them to me." "When was the last time she came?" "I don't know." "If you see your mother, will you recognize her?" "I don't know." "We usually go that way." "We go up to there." "What's out there?" "How should I know what's out there?" "Are you family?" "Whose family?" "The two of you." "No." "My name is Charlie." "I like to pick up people on the road." "Sometimes we get on..." "Sometimes..." "You feeling sick?" "No." "I can stop, it doesn't bother me." "Where?" "I don't know, wherever you want..." "You have any children?" "No, not yet." "Sure it doesn't bother you?" "What?" "Stopping for a couple of minutes?" "I don't know where, somewhere away from everyone." "Are you hungry?" "No, I'm fine." "We're going to stop a while;" "you're going to eat a little something." "Don't worry, I have some cupcakes." "Cupcakes don't fill you up." "I'm full, it's okay." "How about an ice cream?" "You like ice cream?" "Yes." "You feel like an ice cream?" "No." "Don't worry about it, you're going to go for a little walk." "He can't go for a walk, he's not well!" "What is it you want?" "What do you think?" "That you can come stick all that under my nose without making me hot for it, and it doesn't bother you, and I stop, and I don't stop?" "What do you want?" "What are you after?" "Charlie?" "What?" "Why are you yelling?" "He's not yelling: we're having an argument!" "Does it make you sick?" "What?" "Being hot for her?" "You're starting to piss me off, understand?" "There, he's yelling." "Does it annoy you?" "Does it annoy you to look after me?" "You don't like children?" "When people talk to you, do you understand anything?" "You can tell me I'm crazy, dragging around a...a simpleton who looks at me like he's won the jackpot?" "You haven't won anything at all!" "No, it..." "And don't be rude!" "I'm here because I'm doing a favor," "I don't even know who for;" "I'm here because I'm a nice girl, and also a little stupid!" "Oh?" "So now I'm in a hurry." "Don't talk any more, to anyone." "Don't say anything, don't think anything, and don't be a pain in the ass." "I'm taking you to your mother and safety." "Agreed?" "I'm talking to you: agreed?" "It hasn't started then?" "What hasn't started?" "That I not talk any more." "Stand in front, so she can see you." "Stay here, don't move:" "look over there." "A little while ago..." "it wasn't that simple, what I was trying to say." "What was it?" "I'm going there, see, just over there." "I'll come to say goodbye." "Excuse me; can you look after him?" "Talk in the window." "Can someone look after him?" "He's gotten lost, he's looking for his mother." "How did he get lost?" "She was supposed to come for him." "She isn't here." "You have something there..." "Can I talk for two seconds?" "I have to go, someone has to find her." "He's too big to find her all alone?" "No, he isn't." "He only has to page for her." "But he can't." "You want to make a page for him?" "I don't want." "I want to leave!" "Page whom?" "She isn't here, she isn't anywhere." "I have to go, I'm going to leave him here." "I'm leaving him with you." "No, not here: this is for tickets." "What do you want me to do?" "Where do you want me to take him?" "Where?" "Peggy works over there." "You'll come back with your mother, you can have it then." "It's still there." "It's closed." "Go to the other door." "Does Peggy work here?" "Why?" "We don't take couples here." "He's hers." "She's going to come looking for him." "I don't know where she is." "What's she going to come looking for?" "Him." "Lena - you know where Peggy is?" "Who?" "Peggy!" "I'm leaving him with you." "No, not with me." "I'm busy." "Peggy who?" "Who's there?" "Don't move, I'm coming." "Where is she?" "In the clink!" "Who?" "Peggy." "I don't give a damn, he's going to wait for her." "I'm going to "Chez Ditch", want anything?" "I want some cigarettes." "Just tell her he's here, that's all!" "Tell whom?" "Peggy." "What do you want me to tell her?" "She isn't here." "I said I'm coming!" "Ask up there!" "What's going on?" "He wanted Peggy." "Peggy's not here;" "I'm here if you want." "Who are you?" "What do you want with Peggy?" "No not that way, go down the other way." "Can you come here?" "You don't have to come up alone: have you asked for anyone?" "I can wait for you outside." "Stay here!" "If you want Peggy you have to write to Verviers;" "she's in the clink over there." "Go out that way." "I don't want to see her, and she's not in the clink anymore!" "Where is she?" "I don't know." "I don't know her." "Ania!" "I have to go." "I don't have time!" "Ania!" "We're out of towels." "Ania!" "Peggy's out.What?" "What is it?" "Peggy got out." "When?" "When did you see her?" "Ask him, he'll tell you." "He'll tell us what?" "Sit there, don't move." "Who's she?" "No not there, we need it." "Why did she call you?" "To find her son for her." "Here he is, give him back to her." "I'm leaving." "What did she say?" "How do you know her?" "Sit down." "They'll look after you." "I have someone, can you clear out?" "Go on, that's it." "Peggy's out." "You kidding?" "Where is she?" "She never had a son." "What's that?" "When did she have him?" "Peggy's your mother?" "She's his mother." "She'll come get him." "Don't stay here, we need the room." "Yes, stay there;" "I told you to sit down." "You sure he's her son?" "Whose son?" "Peggy's." "She's out." "Out from where?" "The clink." "You have to keep him now." "I'm leaving, someone's waiting for me." "You have to look after him." "Excuse me." "If that's her son he can smash his face in." "Did she tell you about the key?" "That she was taking her key, taking everything and going away?" "That she's not coming back." "Tell her she's never coming back." "Don't you see he's going to hurt him?" "Who?" "Who's going to hurt him?" "Kovarski!" "How do you get out?" "Where do you think you are here?" "Everything here is his: her, me, everything!" "He'll tear her to pieces." "Peggy got out." "She's at the hospital." "They just called to see if she has any family." "Where's the toilet?" "Please?" "Tarouge?" "Karouge:" "Karouge." "Tell your mother to give you something for your nose." "It's okay." "Was she admitted today?" "I don't know." "Is she here?" "We'll call for you." "No don't bother to call for me, I just want to know where she is." "We'll call for you." "You can have a seat over there." "They'll call for you." "When you hear your number it will be your turn." "Look at it." "There's someone waiting for you?" "Yes." "You know him." "You want to go?" "Yes." "If it was just to take me to her you didn't have to bother." "Maybe my mother won't know what to do, not like you, she's not used to it." "Used to what?" "Looking after me." "And I am, maybe?" "All the same, you manage." "Excuse me, there are people waiting." "Come sit down." "I'm sorry, excuse me..." "Would you know... you don't know if...where I can get a certificate?" "A pregnancy certificate?" "I need a certificate saying that." "For...?" "For one." "No, for how long?" "Are you being treated here?" "No I'm not being treated, it just happened to me." "I'd need a paper, to show..." "Are you Karouge?" "He is." "Can you come with him?" "Take her down where?" "What does she have?" "She wanted to get off a train." "Off a moving train." "What did she do to herself?" "Is it bad?" "Bad enough, yes." "She died an hour ago." "You think she'd brought me some bigger things?" "Are you family?" "He's her son." "There's someone waiting for him." "You'll settle her affairs, the removal of the body?" "No, not me." "I'm going to go now." "I'm leaving." "He doesn't have to stay here." "He needs to go back where he came from." "Come on." "Come on, come on!" "I want to be left alone, I want them to leave me alone!" "I brought you and that's it, it's finished!" "I don't know you, I don't want you here anymore!" "Which way?" "Leave it!" "Come on!" "It's mine." "Don't argue with me!" "Go away!" "Go back where you came from, go where you want, but let me go!" "Let me go, understand?" "!" "Go on; all you have to do is go." "Get out of here." "Go on." "Is it yours?" "It's my son's." "He's at his violin lesson." "I'm waiting for him." "Can I get you something?" "A tea, a fruit juice, a room, for a quarter of an hour, or ten minutes, as long as you want, with me?" "I don't know, I saw you here, I told myself you might have ten minutes to kill," "that you might help, do a good deed, if you had the right kind of chance." "I'm not trying to push you one way or the other." "You're sure not to miss with me, I'm a true collection box;" "you can make a move." "I'm not asking for the moon, just five minutes." "Just get up, and go pick up a key." "Are you interested?" "Not this time." "He didn't want to?" "He didn't want you?" "Some people don't want to help, that's all." "You'll find someone." "Someone who's not taken." "Like me," "I'm no one's now." "Is there really someone waiting for you?" "Yes." "Why do you ask everyone then?" "You have a home, for when it rains?" "Did they ever read stories to you?" "And afterward, you'd fall asleep, and let yourself sink into the story?" "What is this?" "The fire station." "How many of them are inside?" "Are you going to ask all of them if they want to be of service?" "I'm going to ask them to look after you." "This isn't where you have to ask." "Yes, I've found that out." "Give me your hand." "Which one?" "Give it to me." "Show that to them; you won't forget?" "It's not spelled like that." "It's spelled with a "K", like "kiwi." Don't bother knocking, they wouldn't like it." "I don't like it either." "Listen;" "listen to me." "Don't you see that I can't even look after myself?" "Yes." "Tell them...tell them you're all alone, they'll come." "They'll know what to do." "Me, I don't know." "I'll tell you when to stop." "Keep going?" "Can you go back where we came from..." "can you take me back?" "No, never mind, don't bother." "You want to turn around?" "Yes." "Can you go faster?" "Stop here?" "No it wasn't here, it was farther, farther." "You pay by the night, even if you don't stay." "We're staying." "We'll take two." "I only have one." "With two beds." "Dry off." "I really need to warm up." "Get under the covers." "They're too thin;" "they won't warm me up." "Tomorrow morning I'll take you back." "And until then?" "Until what?" "Until tomorrow morning." "What do we do?" "Nothing, we're here." "What do you want to do?" "He won't wait for you, before going to sleep?" "Who?" "The one who's waiting for you." "Is he waiting for you a lot?" "A little bit?" "You're going to be late, because of me?" "You don't want to talk to me?" "Are you going to be late, because of me?" "No, but it's about over." "I still have three minutes." "For what?" "To start being late." "It's not worth worrying about it beforehand." "I'll start worrying in two minutes, when today is over." "What's happens when it's tomorrow?" "You like waffles, when they're hot on the inside?" "There's just a short moment where you have to bite inside." "If you wait a little too long, it gets cold, it's not good anymore." "With girls it's the same - there's just the moment where you have to get inside, so they don't miss their chance." "Their chance for what?" "Their chance to have a home, for when it rains." "What kind of home?" "A home where they hear the sea, like inside a seashell." "A home with someone inside waiting for them." "Someone who waits for them a lot?" "Yes, a lot." "To take care of her?" "To take care of her, and she takes care of him." "How does she take care of herself?" "By holding him tightly, holding him against her." "And him, he holds her too?" "Yes." "He feels good that without him, she lights up no more." "Without him, she's in the darkness." "In his arms, all the blues can be cured." "And if she misses her chance?" "He might not wait much longer." "And she won't have it anymore?" "She won't have what?" "Someone to hold." "Sometimes they're good lukewarm too, waffles." "Go to sleep I can't." "You can't sleep either?" "You think it's getting colder?" "I think you need to stop talking." "How come?" "Because I think it's going to annoy me." "How much?" "A lot?" "A little bit?" "Want to do me a favor?" "Yes." "Close your eyes and be quiet." "If I close my eyes it's worse." "I see everything all the same, but you're nowhere near." "And it builds up inside me." "What does?" "You know, like fizz bubbles inside a bottle of Coke, when you shake it and it rises up and pushes against the cork." "It's nothing." "It'll go away." "It's nothing... has it ever happened to you?" "I don't know what it's like." "Girls don't have bubbles." "What do they have?" "They have..." "I don't know, ice cubes." "What does that mean?" "It means...it means that sometimes, deep down, waiting, the ice cubes melt." "That's why girls always think they're crying over a "yes" or a "no", but ice cubes are only water." "Can I ask you something?" "Ask." "If it bothers you I won't ask." "Then don't ask." "You think it's possible, that if we go to sleep next to someone, we can dream the same thing?" "Sure, the trick is just to fall asleep at the same time." "Are you ready?" "Wait." "I'm waiting." "Ready?" "Ready." "I'm sorry." "Did I wake you?" "Are you all alone?" "Would you by chance have five minutes?" "Go wait for me in the room." "Go on, go wait for me in the room." "There he is." "We have to go." "Come." "I'm a friend of your mother." "Come." "You have to return what she gave you." "The key: where is it?" "What key?" "I don't know anything about it!" "Where is it?" "Why are you grabbing her?" "Tell me where it is." "Why are you grabbing her?" "Where is the godd____d key?" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Come on!" "You couldn't stay in your room?" "Leave me alone for three seconds?" "This isn't my problem." "I have nothing to do with this!" "I don't want your troubles;" "I want my own!" "Three minutes, so I can concentrate!" "You're going to go sit over there, wherever you want." "You okay?" "Fine." "You're going to sit down." "If they ask you what you're doing there you say "good afternoon", say that you're waiting... that you're waiting for someone to look after you." "Let's see." "Let's see what you have." "Hurry up, take it off." "Does it hurt?" "You have to look out for yourself." "You have to go far away;" "this guy won't leave you alone." "Is it your mother's?" "Yes." "When did she give it to you?" "When she came to see me." "She tied it on." "You know what it is?" "It's her key." "It's yours now." "She left it to you, it's yours, they mustn't take it from you." "Do you see the number there?" "What's it for?" "To remember?" "To remember what?" "The number." "Do you do it on purpose?" "Do what?" "The number to what?" "Look, what's a key used for?" "To open a door." "Your mother left everything she had behind a door with the same number." "Remember the station, where she didn't come?" "There's a place full of doors with numbers." "You see the one there on your key, and as soon as you see the same one on a door you open it, take what she left for you, and go." "Where?" "7 and 6, go on." "Are you cold?" "Put the key in the hole and turn." "Hurry up." "And then, if you think of her, of your mother, you can tell her something, if you want." "What should I tell her?" "I don't know; tell her where you are, that you're doing well." "I'm not doing too badly." "Frankly, I can't tell her anything anymore." "You're right, don't say anything." "Hurry up." "You can leave if you want." "For Saint-Jean you change at Ursel." "Where are we going?" "You're going back home." "He found her?" "Who?" "His mother." "Yes, he found her." "Direction Saint-Jean." "Yes, yes." "Two return tickets?" "No, not returns." "How are you paying?" "Cash." "And directly?" "No, directly we haven't." "Here 64.20ˆ" "Ok." "Madame..." "Madame!" "Cold?" "No." "Hungry?" "Thirsty?" "Is there something you could tell me?" "Anything at all?" "If you tell me I'll give it to you." "You know what would be good?" "What?" "That you keep the lid on it, and stop palming it off on everyone." "It would've been a souvenir for you." "I'll remember without it." "Want to tell me, in exchange for something?" "If you want to trade," "I'll tell you mine, and you tell me yours;" "that way you lose nothing, it makes us even." "Except that mine isn't a little thing." "Mine is that, you're all I have." "What are you waiting for?" "The other train, to take you back home." "It isn't home; it's no one's home." "You think they're cooling off?" "I'm not thinking anything." "I'm taking you as far as the door." "And then, I'm going." "You know what that is, what's inside it?" "You have to keep it with you." "Don't give it to anyone, don't show what's inside." "It's for you, for later on." "You promise?" "I promise, if you tell me." "If I tell you what?" "You know; we said we'd make a trade." "Were you like that, before?" "Before you came out?" "Weren't you like that, before I came out?" "No." "You were less tense?" "Just a little bit." "But you were already afraid?" "Afraid of what?" "Missing your chance." "Are you afraid?" "Do you think I'm going to miss it?" "Are they still hot?" "No, not for much longer." "Are you all alone?" "No." "I have some rabbits." "Want to come see them?" "I have to stay here." "Why do you have to stay there?" "Because if she doesn't see me she'll get worried." "She's already worried enough, no need to make it worse." "Who is it?" "Your girl?" "No." "The girl who came looking for me." "Why is she worried?" "Because she worries about me, I worry about her." "We worry about each other;" "that's the way it is." "Aren't you going to see her?" "We don't have to miss it." "We don't have to miss what?" "The next train." "He didn't want to, either?" "Yes, he did, he wanted to a lot, he had a great desire to help," "I can't say, there was nothing there, the door shouldn't normally be open." "I don't know, someone must have forgotten to close it, someone who couldn't have known, me neither, I couldn't have known that to see myself in the mirror, on the bed next to him," "I couldn't have known it wouldn't look like people who were going to make a child," "but I can't really say, I've never seen it up close." "It's just...it's just that I told myself that maybe it shouldn't look like that," "like a guy with a train to catch, and a girl looking at her watch because she believes because she believes that you only have to tell stories to make them come true," "and you only have to sniff to make the tears go away." "I thought..." "I thought it was because you were cold." "Me too." "What did it look like?" "You couldn't tell?" "The one who's waiting for you..." "That's what he wants?" "He wants you to have a child?" "Or he'll ask someone else?" "No, it wasn't just that, to give him a surprise..." "I haven't found any idea for a gift... here at least, there's no risk... you're sure to have a good time..." "We have to leave now." "If you want...if you want, you just have to close the door If you want, I'll go ask someone else... someone who doesn't have a train to catch..." "I'll tell him that it's urgent, that he has to come right away, that there's someone calling for help and that I don't know what to do." "...Or maybe, maybe we could pretend I was someone else," "that I'd been looking for me, and that I'd come running... that's why, because I'd run, that's why I was breathing hard, and my heart was pounding," "it's not because I was afraid... and you, you aren't afraid either," "and if you close the door, maybe it could look a little bit like it A little?" "...It won't stop pounding..." "you think that's normal?" "I think we have to go that you have to let go my hand and that I don't want you to touch me." "...Let go, I don't want to I don't want to." "...It doesn't look like this." "...It doesn't." "Coming?" "Can I ask you something?" "If it bothers you I won't ask." "A little while ago...in the room..." "did it look like it?" "...Like the real thing?" "That one there?" "It's not raining...don't worry." "How do I look...okay?" "You have to go." "He's waiting for you." "Funny... it's funny, I told myself that you would open the door, and that we, that we would be like this," "not knowing what to say, and then that we would get a little," "a little closer, without touching or anything, you know, just a little closer, so that I, so that I told you that maybe that maybe we'd have to plan a baby's room?" "What's his name?" "His name is Tom." "You don't have to call me anymore." "No...no." "You don't have to come back anymore." "No..." "I don't." "Who's that?" "Is he waiting for you?" "Yes...he's waiting for me." "He's waiting for me." "What's your name?" "Billy." "You don't want her?" "You don't want to keep her?" "You have to take her away, far from here." "She's a little... a little delicate." "You understand?" "You have to take care of her." "Can I ask you something?" "Ask." "If it bothers you, I won't ask." "Do you think it's true that if we close our eyes at the same time, we can dream the same thing?" "Yes." "Yes, I do." "That you never brought me here..." "And that we're going to go away, very far away..." "Always straight ahead..." "Where the ice cubes never melt..." "Until we've arrived..." "TO BE SOLD" "And it starts to rain..." "And you whisper in my ear," "that maybe we'll have to plan a baby's room." "You think it's true...that I'll open my eyes and your smile will be even better than in my dream?"