"Roman" "What do you want to know?" "The truth" "Are you sure?" "Yes, that's why I've come to you" "How many women have you had in your life?" "You know, women, girls or whatever you call them" "Eight... nine..." "I don't know, maybe fifteen" "That's enough" "I've been married for ten years now And frankly..." "That's enough, too" "Are you sure I don't ever be able to make love to any woman?" "I'm afraid you won't, the findings are typical, and so are the symptoms" "What's your wife like?" "She's wonderful" "Take a divorce" "Romek" "I heard your car" "Come on" "You didn't want to meet you, did you?" "I did" "Your suit is dripping wet" "Don't you want to know why I went to Krakow?" "Why, you have friends there" "Just one" "Why don't you tell me about Zagreb?" "I delivered several lectures I assisted during several operations" "On three occasions, I operated myself I got paid and by the tim" "I was leaving, the money I got was only worth a half of its original value" "Are you tired?" "No" "I say, Hanka darling..." "Mhm..." "Not now, please" "Tell me everything" "I'm not afraid anymore" "I went to Krakow to meet Mikolaj" "He's a friend of mine I told you about him once, didn't I?" "That son of a bitch, I remember" "Well, he examined me and had all the analyses made" "He was quite frank" "I haven't any chances Today, tomorrow..." "Or ever..." "I don't believe it" "These are facts" "Do you love me?" "Well, do you or not?" "You're afraid to say you do although you do love me after all" "Love is not just panting in bed for five minutes once a week" "It is that, too" "It's just biology" "True love is situated in one's heart and not between the legs" "What matters to me is what we have and not what we haven't" "You're young and..." "I can manage" "You'll have to find yourself a lover" "That is, if you haven't found one yet" "I haven't" "Some things are better left unsaid" "Oh no" "All right, so you've been frank with me You won't ever be able to make love to me" "At least that's what the doctors say I'm telling you this" "I want to be with you anyway" "I love you" "May I cuddle up to you?" "Yes" "Tightly, O.K.?" "You asleep, Hanka?" "No" "We've never wanted a baby" "No" "It would perhaps be easier now if there was one" "Perhaps" "Can I help?" "If you're so kind..." "Just hold the funnel, will you?" "May I join, Doctor?" "Make a decision" "It's not very good for you" "But not fatal" "The ward head told me he found it rather difficult to come to terms with you" "Really?" "But it's perfectly simple" "You see, Doctor" "I have a voice" "How's that?" "A singing voice" "My mother is a hard-working woman She wants me to be somebody" "I wasn't admitted to the school of music because of my heart" "I shouldn't sing, my heart's too weak, but Mother wants me to become a singer" "What's your specialty?" "Bach and Mahler Do you know Mahler?" "And... van den Budemayer?" "No, I don't know that one" "His works are... well, difficult But I can sing them" "Mother wants me to make a career abroad or at least here" "This is what that operation's for" "Mother wants the ward head to operate on me or better still, you" "Do you want it, too?" "I want to live, that's enough for me I don't have to sing" "Besides, I'm scared" "I guess the ward head wanted you to reassure me to tell me it isn't dangerous" "I'll be able to do everything afterwards..." "Well, go on, tell me" "Know what, it's not that simple" "Such operations are usually carried out to save, I mean..." "They are the last resort, when nothing else can be done" "Which is not the case with me, right?" "Frankly speaking, that's what I mean" "Various people have different needs" "Mother wants me to have everything" "...while I only need this much" "Good afternoon May I speak to Hanka please?" "I'm afraid she's out" "Oh, I thought she was Thank you" "Want me to give her a message?" "No, thanks I'll try to reach her later" "What is it?" "Van den Budenmayer Beautiful, isn't it?" "Yes" "I once heard it before" "I took a call to you" "Who was it?" "Beautiful, really" "I've bought something for you Care to try it on?" "It's for you" "Hello, Hanka, at last!" "Hanka..." "I must see you You didn't come at four" "All right" "Hanka darling" "All right, I'll be there" "Yes, it's better this way" "I see" "Yes, sure, O.K." "Can you hear me?" "Why, hello, Mum" "When could you send it to me?" "We fly on Thursdays and Saturdays now" "Fine, go to my flat and find that black shawl and umbrella" "All right" "Please come in" "I've been thinking about you" "After we'd talked yesterday, I bought a record" "What record?" "Van den Budemayer?" "In Dutch, it's wonderful" "Remember anything?" "Your singing's beautiful" "A pity you don't want it for a career" "That's what Mother says" "And rightly, too" "What did you dream about when you were my age?" "I wanted to become a doctor, a surgeon" "And what about having home, a family?" "Didn't you dream about that?" "I never thought about it" "Mariusz Zawydzki, Physics" "Eleven..." "Twenty-three..." "Forty-five..." "Eleven..." "Twenty-three..." "Forty-five..." "Oh, I forgot" "Mother phoned She wants her umbrella and shawl" "Why don't they sell shawls in shops where she is?" "Don't you know her?" "She wants to have her own one" "When is the plane due?" "At twelve, a few minutes past" "I don't operate until the afternoon I may go to the airport," "I'm free for an hour" "You're a dear" "Oh, give me the key" "The umbrella is on the coat-stand A black folding one" "The shawls's black, too, it's in the chest of drawers in the bedroom" "I'll find it" "It's me" "Do me a favour, will you?" "Never call me on the phone at home unless you have to" "Anything wrong?" "No, phone me at the office, it's better that way" "Ten to six, right?" "And ten to eight on Thursdays and Tuesdays" "As you wish, Madam Have you been to your mother's flat?" "I send a postcard to you saying I love you and will keep our date today" "A postcard?" "Yes, a silly one, with the Pope on the reverse side" "When did you mail it?" "After our last meeting, as usual Haven't you got it?" "No, bye" "May I speak to Mr. Mariusz, please?" "It's the right number, isn't it?" "Mariusz!" "For you again!" "Hallo" "It's me, so you're there?" "Yes" "I tried to reach you but the number was engaged all the time..." "I've just come in You must have got the number wrong" "Hurry up, Roman, don't rummage the flat Mother doesn't like it" "Hope I can still make it, they haven't taken off yet," "I'm free at six" "You can have the car" "Oh, but what about you?" "I've got time enough" "That's great I'll come to fetch you" "I'll be free at nine Is it comfortable?" "Yes" "No mail in Mother's flat?" "Ah, I didn't check, you should have told me to when you phoned" "I didn't think about it" "Well, be seeing you" "Roman" "The registration card?" "It's in the glove compartment" "See you in the evening" "I can't sleep" "You were good at physics, ...weren't you?" "Tell me how that law goes" "The loss of weight of a floating body ...is equal to" "How does it go?" "The apparent loss of weight ...is equal to the weight of water that body has dislodged" "Something like that" "I think..." "You've had a bad day" "Was it an operation?" "Yes" "Someone died, right?" "Yes... don't" "Who was it?" "Don't touch me" "Sorry" "It's me" "Why, hello, Hanka darling..." "I must see you" "This is what I've been telling you all week long, but the last two days you refused" "Now I want it" "I miss you" "All right, is Thursday all right with you?" "Any time will be fine" "At six on Thursday, then" "Is anything wrong, darling?" "At six" "Are you there..." "Roman?" "Yes" "No, don't take it off I have very little time" "I've missed you so much" "No... don't" "O.K. Not now" "And never again This is the last time we meet" "That's what I wanted to tell you" "But Hanka..." "Go away now" "All right, we don't have to go to bed But don't make me go, please" "It's not that, but go now" "I love you" "We never talked about it" "And we're not going to" "Did he find out about us?" "We're not going to discuss him, either" "He hasn't found out and he won't ever find out" "Button you jacket up and go" "You're looking swell" "Well, go away now" "Come out" "Come out, will you?" "Come out!" "Why have you done it?" "Tell me, why?" "You wanted to see me having fun with him in bed?" "You should have come last week, you'd have seen everything" "I was here last week, too" "How's that?" "I was sitting on the steps and listening" "Open the door" "Perhaps you'd like me to marry you..." "You know, you could get a divorce and" "Roman" "Please take me in your arms" "Take me tightly" "I can't" "Please" "Oh please do" "You're not going to walk out on me ...just because I went to bed with..." "I didn't know..." "I know you well enough but I never thought..." "I didn't know how much I'd hurt you" "I have no right to be jealous I can't demand it from you" "Of course you have the right" "You were right about that other thing, too" "Nothing should be left unsaid" "I'll never lie to you again I don't want to hide behind a wardrobe" "I had an extra key made" "You won't ever have to" "We should have a child, adopt one You were right" "We need a rest from each other" "Yes" "All right, take a holiday" "And I'll talk to some lawyer in the meantime about that adoption" "No, I want you to go away" "I won't have that physicist..." "Good" "Not too short?" "They're my wife's" "Could you tell me..." "How much is a ticket to Melbourne?" "Go away" "I just wanted to ask how much is a ticket to Melbourne" "Janusz" "This gentleman will tell you all you want to know, Melbourne is his department" "What can I do for you?" "It takes longer if you want a boy, and much shorter with a girl" "The lawyer was very nice It would be fully confidential" "All right, but how long does it take?" "Well, several months with a girl Everybody wants a boy" "You'd just have to provide a certificate of sterility" "I might get it from Mikolaj" "Tell me, Roman Is it what you really want?" "Yes" "Want me to phone you every day from Zakopane?" "No, don't do it" "But you do trust me, don't you?" "How are you?" "I hate you" "Why, you agreed, didn't you?" "Yes..." "But I didn't want it" "Has anything happened?" "What's wrong?" "Nothing yet, but I know I'm a different person now" "What do you mean?" "I want to sing And to have a large audience" "Hallo?" "Good evening" "I couldn't get a connection at an earlier hour..." "Mariusz, please?" "He's away Who's speaking, please?" "A friend from the university" "My son went away to Zakopane to ski" "Do you want me to give him your message?" "The tickets for today are sold out" "The booking-office does not sell tickets in advance for tomorrow" "It's open daily from seven thirty a.m." "Passengers are invited to come back tomorrow" "Two for ten thirty" "What are you doing here?" "I was told you went for a skiing holiday" "I thought, maybe you are in Zakopane So I came here too" "I forgot" "Hold this a minute, I forgot" "Is this the hospital?" "Yes, may I help you?" "This is Hanna Nycz speaking from Zakopane, is my husband there?" "No, Doctor Nycz isn't here today He phoned he wasn't coming" "Yes" "Would you please do me a favour?" "Should my husband phone the hospital," "Please tell him I'm leaving for Warsaw on the first train or bus I manage to catch" "I'll be home in the evening Will you tell him?" "Yes" "I'll tell him" "Thank you" "I'd like to make another call, please" "It won't take long It's a local call" "Right here, at the refilling station" "No, just what I needed They're perfect" "Your ticket, please" "Put the skis in the luggage-carrier" "Your tickets, please Your ticket, Madam" "I have no ticket But I must get to Warsaw" "Roman..." "Yes..." "Where?" "I see" "Can you hear me?" "Your wife is not in that hotel in Zakopane" "She left for Warsaw in the morning" "Thirty-two... fifty-six... thirty-six..." "Hanka darling" "You're all right" "Oh God, you're all right" "I am"