"ACHING HEARTS" "It was the first time I tried to undress a girl." "I didn't know how far I could go." "Or what she expected." "For we had only known each other for a short while." "I only knew her name was Agnete, and she was on the language line." "She was in the same form as the girls from our old class." "How could I avoid hurting her, when I realized she didn't need a bra?" "So Toke's excursion on the roof came at the right moment." "Toke, get down!" "Toke, it's dangerous, get down!" "You're crazy!" " Is Toke on the roof?" " Toke!" "Get down from there!" "It's dangerous!" "You're out of your mind, Toke." "Toke...!" "Toke, get down!" "God, it was beautiful!" "You could see the cathedral and the lakes behind..." " It was so beautiful." " You're really filthy now." " I just slided down." " I'm so pissed off!" "Nothing happened." "The view was magnificent..." "It's more than ten metres down." "Toke, let's dance." "Come on now." "Who did Toke want to impress?" "If it was Lise-Lotte, he'd made it!" "For shortly after it was their turn to sneak into her room." "He has emptied a whole bottle of gin." " It cost nothing." "It was dirt cheap." " Yeah, right." "Open the door!" "I need to piss." "He's fallen asleep with his pants down." "Wake up!" "Would you like a beer?" "I've got two left." " May I have half a beer?" " Half?" "Jesus, Birger, your trousers split." "Go home and find some sewing thread." "Birger, goddamn it." "You took my duffle coat." "Birger, you took my duffle coat..." "Birger, the bike is locked!" " I can make a decent meal." " You can't." " Like Swedish stew." " That's sweepings and sausage-bits." "Agnete had two sisters." "The eldest, Benedicte, was single   but she had a daughter, Josefine." "My husband must be able to make sauce hollandaise." "Helene went to college and lived with Leif in Aarhus." "I know of Holland, but where's Bearnaise?" "It actually derives from Béarn, which is in France." "Agnete's dad was a High Court judge." "What about bouillabaisse then?" "It's a French fish soup from Marseilles." "I don't know the difference." "What's Hollandaise for?" " For fish." " You beat some eggs..." "I'll use a powder." "Then it won't separate." "Well, Jonas, did the two of you become members of Minerva?" "That's still the name of the Students' Union, right?" "Yes, but we haven't become members yet." "It was one of the best things in school." " We plan to." " Then you're going to write poetry?" " Are we?" " Yes, as a member of Minerva." " Dad, did you write poems back then?" " I certainly did." "Good poems." "Leif, you never wrote poems." "Why haven't you written a poem for me?" "A love poem." " Are they old school sweethearts?" " Yes, since senior school." "Leif studies economics." " What's she doing?" " Benedicte?" "She's a legal secretary." "She lives downtown with Josefine." "The kiss meant that we were now sweethearts." "Was this what I wanted?" "Or was I more impressed by Agnete's family?" "And most of all by Helene?" "Inger Solbjerg Nielsen." "Torben Dencker." "Birger." "And Toke..." "Well, Toke wrote a major study of Hitler's chance of winning WW2." "But 21 pages is too much." "Will it count for two then?" "With the same mark?" "Else Marie." " What did you get?" " 'A minus'." "Would you like to see?" " Read it at home, if you want to." " Right." "No wonder that Toke was the expert on WW2." "His dad had been a member of the resistance movement   and had written a book about the movement." "Birger...?" "I can borrow a pushcart at the hospital and pick up your stuff." " Wouldn't that be perfect?" " Yes." "Today...?" " Late afternoon." "Okay?" " What's going on?" "I'm going to stay with Jonas." "My mum's going on convalescence." "Hi, where are you going?" "To see Arne Vium." "I'm writing an essay about his new book." " Want to come along?" " Have you made an appointment?" "I called and asked him." "Are you coming?" "Well..." "How long will it take?" " Come in." "And you are...?" " Jonas." " I'm here to remember what you say." " The twopenny ale, that is." "You quote Proust for saying: "You only love what you don't possess."" "But is "love" the real word here?" "Shouldn't it be "being in love"?" "That you're in love with what you don't possess?" "Well, I don't know..." "Have you read Proust's "In Search of Lost Time"?" "Only excerpts." "But I read your book." "Ibsen says something similar." ""The victory of victories is to lose everything." "Only that which is lost remains eternal."" "Provided that you have loved." "But the point in your novel is that you're only truly in love, if it's unrequited love." "Right?" "Well, how do you define the difference between being in love and to love?" "Being in love is selfish." "To love is altruism." " Did you get that?" " I think so." "I didn't know the word 'altruism'." "But that wasn't important." "Agnete had full control of the details." "Gentlemen..." "Gentlemen." "Gentlemen." "Adrian Bentzon is the best." "I've got two of his..." " "Creole Love Call"." " And The Viking Jazz Band?" " 'Schlafe, mein Prinschen'." " Do you need some linen, or...?" " No thanks, I brought my own." " You didn't have to, but okay." "There's a foldaway bed in the basement that you can use." "Private entrance!" "Classy..." "If we remove the wardrobe, there'll be room for the foldaway bed." "Look, what I borrowed from my mum." ""Four Roses"." "Bourbon." " Did you bring glasses as well?" " Yes." "What's it like to have loonies for neighbours?" "Don't call them loonies in front of my dad." "I was listening to the radio, which you can't do during reading time..." " At fixed hours?" " Yes, from 6 to 7.30." " Then Futten came along." " Futten?" "Our boarding supervisor." "He was furious and confiscated my radio." "I asked when I would get it back." ""When you leave," he said." ""Fine," I said. "I'm leaving." "Could I have my radio back, please?"" "Well, there was no way back, so I had to leave." " Your mum says you were expelled." " No." "I left on my own accord." "But they'd probably throw me out sooner or later..." "Why were you sent to boarding school in the first place?" "My mum couldn't handle me." "I've been there since form 5." " Can she handle you today?" " Oh yes, no problem." "Well, keep your antics on a leash." "You have to do your homework." "Of course." "Then we took the train to Copenhagen   and walked to the dance restaurant in Tivoli Gardens." "A rum and coke is 4.25 in there." "There are also naughty girls..." "You just buy them a Martini." " You just bought them a Martini?" " Right." "Then we danced with them." "Well... what did you think?" "You thought we got it off?" " No..." " Yes, you did." "Right?" "No." "One of my friends did." "It only takes a minute." " I don't believe you!" " It's true." "You can't last any longer." "You're lying through your teeth." "I don't believe you." "Just wait and see." "Cunt, booze and swing..." "That's the real thing!" "31." "Of course I laughed at Birger's dirty stories." "Also to cover up my own insecurity." "It suited me well that Agnete was so inexperienced." "I'm particularly intrigued by what you write of guilt and shame." "You mention the self-created, self-afflicted shame." "I can't help wondering whether you're thinking of mum and Josefine?" " Maybe." " Well..." "I thought as much." " You never mentioned Ibsen." " He said it himself." "Good." "It's a brilliant essay." "We didn't write that well." "I can't wait to hear H.P.'s verdict." " Does he always read your essays?" " Sometimes." "The good ones." "Josefine is 3, and Benedicte is 19." "Come on." "I have to hand in my essay." "It was due yesterday." "Agnete told me about the family shame   because her eldest sister Benedicte got pregnant by a class-mate." "When their mother found out, there'd been an uproar." "And Benedicte was ready to drown herself." "She was only 15." "The only thing my mum cared about was the gossip." "What would her fancy friends say if she had to push the pram?" "It was all about her shame." "She never gave Benedicte a thought." " How did your dad take it?" " He was nice about it." " And everybody loves Josefine." " Hello?" " I just handed in my essay." " But that was yesterday, wasn't it?" "I'm sorry." "The fair copy is rather rushed." "Why do you use backhand?" "What's the idea?" " Are you left-handed?" " No." "Is it important?" "Not really." "But a psychologist might think so." "Or a graphologist." "Say what?" "My guess is there is a holding back of a kind." "An invocation." "A keep-away-from-me attitude." " Would that be you?" " I don't think so." " I have a sweetheart." " Jonas..." "Good." "Although H.P was a supply teacher, he supervised the residence hall." "There was only a board partition between the rooms   so when my neighbour had female company " " I could remove a knot from the board partition and see everything." " Boysen, that's unacceptable." " You can't peep like that!" "Listen..." "Years later I ran into my old neighbour   and there was something he wanted to confess." "When I had female company, he took a knot out of the wall and peeped." " So we were in it together." " That's no excuse." " Being a peeping Tom, too." " Boysen, what did you see?" "And what did he see?" "What did he see...?" "Several of his girls ended up in my room." "I knew what they could do, you see." " What an immoral teacher." " Is that good, Christian morality?" "Well..." "Christian morality is also to partake of life." "Make sure that you live your lives while you're young." " It's over all too soon." " When did you marry?" "I was 29, when I married Tina." " I won't marry till I'm 37." " Why wait so long?" "That's another 20 years." "Why wait so long?" "Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name." "Thy Kingdom come." "Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." "Give us this day our daily bread." "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." "For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, now and forever." "Amen." "Toke, you don't have to be a believer to be here, but when you do come   and we're opening up, it's wrong of you to place yourself on the outside." " It doesn't hurt to pray." " No." " I thought it wasn't compulsive." " It isn't." "Or rather..." "Yes, it is." "In our home you may offer your thanks to Our Lord." "Then I can't be here." "I can't thank someone unknown to me." "Toke, offering your thanks is just a sign of humility." "I'm not so sure I have anything to offer my thanks for." "Jonas..." "Lise-Lotte..." "Toke is very weird towards Lise-Lotte." " Can you find out what's wrong?" " He says I owe him 1 krone." "The amount is no problem, but I already gave it to him." " He's making it up." " But why 1 krone?" "He invited me to the pictures, but told me to pay for myself." "And I already did." "Will you talk to him?" "I rarely went to Toke's place." "I think his parents' divorce bothered him." "And the fact that his mum had moved to Copenhagen." "She borrowed 7 kroner and only paid me 6." " That's why she owes me 1 krone." " Damn it, Toke!" "What a lot of fuss for 1 lousy krone." "And you're dating her!" "It's a principle." "Why doesn't she just pay me?" "She's so... romantic." "And she's got big tits!" "She does too." "They're only good for shooting at." "Robin Hood and his merry men shooting at a target." "Merry men..." " Where did you get that from?" " Nowhere." "I made it up myself." "Oh, shit!" "It's a German Panzer 6." "A Tiger Tank." "The biggest tank in the world." "A direct hit won't hurt it." " You know who else owes me money?" " No?" "Birger." "He owes me 10.50." "Spending money is his motto." "But why spend other people's money?" "Why can't he just say it then?" "If he's tired of her." "One shouldn't behave like that." " He thinks she's too romantic." " Romantic?" "Meaning what?" " Sentimental?" " Something like that." "Are you very hungry?" "Would you like some roast beef?" "Have you got that?" "I'd love to." " Did he ask what you came for?" " No, I didn't mention it." "Oh..." "Hello." " Have we got any fried onions?" " No!" " Is Dad in court?" " I believe so." "Did you take all the white bread?" "How much is left?" " This..." " Let me see." "You know why she's cross?" "Because I made a sandwich for you." "It's true!" "She's so tight-fisted." "She's afraid you'll eat everything." " Because I got a slice of roast beef?" " She probably wanted to save it." "But when Helene is here, the sky's the limit." "She can empty the fridge and take it all back to Aarhus." "Even an entire egg tray." "An A...?" "Excellent." "And well deserved." "Have you seen H.P.'s comments?" ""This is the kind of essay that makes it a pleasure to be a teacher." "Go on!"" " That's great." "Congratulations." " Thank you." " Thank you." " You're welcome." " Jonas, have you ever seen the court?" " No." "This is the jury courtroom." "And the judges are here..." "A deaf-and-dumb scream on the way to the crematorium" "While vermin have a feast in pits of snakes and kindergarten" "To this there's only a clear and unequivocal answer:" "When the Fool fails in bleaching ivory, he will try to blacken ebony" "The next poem is by a supplier, who calls himself "The Broken Pitcher."" "I don't get it at all." "Do you?" "Darling, like a dog chained to the side of the mountain" "Like an icy wind in a desert of ice" "Like a bird flying with wings of lead is our love, my darling" "Am I he, Ahasuerus, who must forever push a grand piano" "Along a beach, darling" "Yes, the forgotten pitcher once again tries to express a locked in   maybe failed love." "I'm fascinated by his metric talent, although he should be careful   not to go to the well so often that he is broken at last." "Those were the submitted poems, and now we'll proceed to the lecture." "H.P will speak about existentialism." "Thank you." "Leave your clothes here, and then you get a ticket." "Don't lose it." " It's 5 kroner, isn't it?" " 5, yes." " Are you serious?" "5 kroner?" " Including cloakroom." "And a stamp on your hand, so you can in and out as you please." " Can you afford it?" " Come on now..." "One for me." "Haven't we met before?" "What do you do?" " A bit of everything." " Post office?" "You invite me, and yet you want me to pay." "I have already paid you, Toke." "I laid out the money." "You're such a stingy piece of shit." "Forget about it." "God, she's crazy." " A Tuborg, please." " Gold Tuborg for me." "One Tuborg, one Gold." "How can you order Gold, when you owe me 10.50?" " Because..." "You want it now?" " Yes, I'd like it now." " I haven't got it." " Then you can't order a Gold." " For my money." " 3 for a beer, 4 for a Gold." "Would you like this instead?" "You can have it." "Now I only owe you 6.50." " Are you short of money, Birger?" " Yes." "May I have two Tuborgs, please." " 6 kroner." " Birger..." "So..." "You want this one as well?" "Eh?" "Now I owe you 3.50." " No, I don't want to." "It's midnight." " Come on, let's go to a bar." " They close at 12." " No, they don't." " Come on, Toke!" " We're going home." "Let's see if I can walk straight." " Look, I can!" " Nice, Toke." "Come on." "I can walk straight." "Didn't I tell you?" "I can do it." "Toke, come here!" " I don't want to go home." " But we do." "Birger gave me a Gold, and then I had 4 beers and a bitter..." " That's why you're so pissed." " I'm not going home now!" "Damn it, let me go!" "Die Fahne hoch..." "What the hell...?" "Look at you, boy!" "Have you gone crazy?" "Singing Nazi songs..." "Off to bed!" "And Lotte, what is the equation?" "It's" "B divided by 2A   the square of" "B minus 4AC, divided by 4A." " And you insert that." " Right." "The square of 5 minus 4 multiplied by 0.5..." " That's correct." " Girls are good in many ways." "Like what?" "But..." "Right, Boysen?" "But they need to be careful." " No, it's the man's responibility." " Girls can protect themselves, too." "Girls can use a diaphragm, but don't make me talk about that." "Go on...!" "Why is the Pope against contraception?" " Because..." " That was a good one, Birger." "Soon everybody knew that I was dating Agnete." "Though I didn't want to commit myself, I was part of making it public." " My dad went to the same school." " He's local?" "Yes." "But he was presiding judge in Odense." "Where did you go before the Cathedral School?" " I went to... to..." " Lower secondary?" "Let Agnete eat, please." "Birger, tell me..." "Did boarding school include blazer and stuff?" "No, nothing so fancy." " It was Haslev, you know." " Evangelical." "The headmaster always said grace." ""Thanks for all your gifts." "Amen." Then we pitched into the food." "Well, let's drink a toast to Agnete." "Nice to see you." " Thanks." " Cheers." " I've met your dad before." " Where was that?" "It was several years ago." "I was eight." " Where?" " At our place." "Really?" "My dad never told me." "My mum won't sleep with my dad." "It's been like that for many years." "One night he came home and started yelling that he demanded his right." "My mum locked herself up in the bedroom, and my dad shouted at her   and slammed the doors." "And then your dad came and talked to him." " That's when I saw him." " And then?" "Nothing." "Your dad talked him down, I think." "And he was going to the Hague the next day for a meeting." " I don't know what it was." " But why did my dad show up?" " Did your dad call him?" " I don't know." "I can't remember." "I was only eight." "I just remember your dad came." " I saw Agnete home through the park." " Good." " Birger, your bishop." " Oh, I'll make another move." " Jonas, do you ever wear these?" " Is that where you want it?" "No, I don't." "Dad, do you know Agnete's dad?" " Well, I know of him, that's all." " You never went to their place?" "No, never." " Agnete says so." " Really...?" "No, I don't recollect that." "It wasn't easy to look after Birger and Agnete." "It suited me well that Birger moved out." "It was spring   and Helene and Leif came, while Agnete's parents went travelling." " What does it say?" " "One beer can get me drunk."" ""If I had ten before that."" " Ten beers?" "I'd like to see that." " Have you ever been really drunk?" " Only once." "On New Year's Eve." " "My wife only has one flaw."" ""She's unbearable."" " What's so funny about that?" " I don't know." "It's just funny." " You think so?" " Yes, I do." " I think Dad gives another round." " And he gives something else." " Some more?" " No thanks." " What kind of cognac is it?" " An expensive one." "Here we go, Jonas." "Have a cigar." "Are you sure Jonas can stomach that?" "It'll make him sick." "Of course he can." "Come here, let me fix it." "Leif, if Jonas never smoked before, he can't stomach a cigar." "Nonsense." "It's good for him." "And a light." "It's good, isn't it?" "A good dinner and a good cigar go together." "It makes you stink!" "Here..." "Let's dance." "You can't do that." "It's a good cigar." " You know how to waltz, right?" " Of course." "One, two, three..." " Don't you want to dance?" " No." " Goodnight." " Goodnight." "Did you brush your cigar teeth?" "Breathe!" "Be good, children." "Goodnight." "I can't stand her." "She always wants to spoil everything." "She and mum, they're two of a kind." "And they always stick together." "I think you're exaggerating." "It was quite innocent." "Leif just laughed at it." "That's what you think." "But mum didn't want any more kids after Helene." "I've always felt unwanted." "Helene may be your mum's favourite, but you're your dad's favourite." " My father wanted a son." " Then you're the son he never got." "You and your dad stick together." "Your mum and Helene stick together." "Or would you rather swap?" "No." "Why don't you lie down...?" "Jonas, we can't..." "Helene and Leif are right next door." "I'd like you to go now." "You're home alone for a change." "Nothing will happen." "You don't know my mum." "She'll sniff at the sheets and all." "I know her." "I'd like you to go now." "Agnete stayed stand-offish, so in the end I had to go." "We hadn't made it further than the first night, when I took off her bra." "Only 3rd year pupils can smoke, right?" "Right." "And only on the balustrade." "What's her name?" "Inger Olesen." " Which one of them?" " The tall one." "The other one is Lena something." "Same class as Agnete and Lise-Lotte." "Hi, Karsten." "And Lise-Lotte has a sweetheart from the second year." "Good for her." "It's due to springtime." "And the spring made me want to be alone." "Although it was natural and innocent, I knew I started something." "Jonas, I believe Agnete is upstairs." "Right." " Hi." " Hi." " Don't sit on my clothes." " I won't." " Where have you been?" " I went for a ride on my bike." " It's a beautiful day." " Yes." "But why didn't you ask me?" " I didn't know you wanted to come." " No." " Are you tired of me?" " Not at all, but you know..." "Sometimes you want to be on your own." "Don't you know the feeling?" "I guess so." " You're not lacking in clothes." " Most of it is old." "I can feel it, Jonas." "You're getting tired of me." "I haven't said that at all." "I just wanted to go for a bike ride." " Is that against the rules?" " No, but I'm not stupid." "I've got eyes in my own head." "I think... we should take a break." "It would be good for both of us." " For how long?" " I don't know, but please go now." "Agnete had phrased the words, so now I was free." "And I could feel it." "It was our summer holiday, and Birger taught us to play Hearts." "What do you say now?" "You hadn't expected that!" "What was that for?" "There was a girl at boarding school that I fancied a lot." "When I think of a really lovely girl, I think of her." "What was she like?" "She was pretty and naughty and..." "And yet she stuck to one guy." "Only it wasn't me." " Why not?" " She wasn't that naughty." "Agnete has a sister..." "Helene." "She's one to dream about." "She's so soft, and..." "She makes your knees wobble." " Was Agnete your first sweetheart?" " No." "I had one in lower secondary from the form below me." "But Toke nicked her." " And the two of you share a desk?" " Yes." "In the end she stood us both up." "And then we had that to talk about." "In our second year I want a sweetheart." " I'm looking forward to it." " To what?" "Everything." " What about Lena and the other girl?" " Inger Olesen?" "Right." "What about them?" "I don't think so..." "We didn't know how close we were to our dreams." "At the start of the 2nd year we were invited to a party at Lena's place." "Her parents had a grocery outside town and had gone to the Harz." "Second year of secondary school, autumn 1962" "There must be matches somewhere." "How about a shoe lace?" "Or a piece of chocolate?" "I found some!" "What's your family name?" " Mehlsen." " That's a funny name." "Well, there's an "h"." "And it is mute." "Is it French?" "Excuse me..." "I was looking for a pair of rush shoes." "The basket is over there." "Excuse me." " I think little Agnete is jealous." " Yes." "Isn't she a bit immature for a French charmer like yourself?" "Oui." "Peut-être..." "You can go in there." "It's my little sister's room." "I knew what Inger Olesen wanted me to do, but I wasn't ready for that." "She didn't want me to touch her breasts, which I wanted to." "I was confused until I heard the cotton in her bra." "End of romance!" "Ladies and gentlemen." "You're seen to do lewd dancing." "Cheek to cheek." "Is that correct, young man?" "The den of vice." "Sodom and Gomorrah." "And no laughing, Sir." "What?" "Did you kiss as well?" "I'll teach you..." " What's going on?" " Say "I'm sorry" 20 times." "I'm counting:" "One, two..." "One minute!" " What?" " Two, perhaps." "Then I'll do the circle, centered in O, on p1,p." "Neither I nor Inger Olesen felt an urge to repeat the failure." "For the first time I took the time to do my homework." "Jonas, I wasn't sent by Agnete, but..." "Either the break is over, or you tell her it's finished." "She feels terrible." "Don't you know?" "Well, we've dated almost 6 months, and I was never really in love." "Then you have to tell her." "She's waiting for you." " Right." " You must!" "And how are things between you and your sweetheart?" "I'm getting tired of Karsten." "I always have the bad luck." "Jonas, you have to talk to her." " Hi." " Hi." "Don't forget it, Jonas." " What did he say?" " Nothing, really." "Yes, he said that he'd never really been in love with you." " So don't wait for him." " No." "Come..." "History, A." "French, B..." "You're improving." "Math, B plus." ""Is now more mature and conscientious."" "Unbelievable!" "How did you do that?" " Abstention." " Well, keep it going." "I never got around to talking to Agnete." "Maybe everything had already been said." "I had always envied those rowing on the lake." "So Birger and I entered the kayak club." " Will Agnete be more lucky this time?" " What do you mean?" "It's baby-snatching, you know." "Haven't you seen him?" " He's first year..." " What are you talking about?" "Well, Agnete..." "She has a new boyfriend." " They walk hand in hand." " Who?" "Agnete and Henrik Thiele." "He lives in the residence hall." "They look very happy, I must say." "I see." " What about tonight?" " I'm busy." " I have another appointment." " Doing what?" " Going somewhere." " Where?" "The residence hall." "H.P. has a study circle on Morten Nielsen's poems." "For the residents." "So that's where I'm going." " But you can go as well?" " It's not exclusive in that sense." " Others can join in as well." " I see." " You shouldn't come, Jonas." " But if admission is open, why not?" " You never liked poetry." " Maybe I could learn..." "But not today." "He thought he could make a difference and joined the Resistance." "Hello, Jonas." "Want to join us?" " You're welcome." "Have a seat." " Thank you." "Some believe it was suicide, but most likely it was an accidental shot." "But in his poems Morten Nielsen does circle about death." "Not as a concept, but corporeal death." "Sudden death." "The death which meant that he couldn't fullfil the task given to him." "Somewhere he writes..." "We only know, both of us, that the other one is there" "That's all there is to it We shall probably meet" "He's not talking about his beloved here." "But about death." "That's all there is to it We shall probably meet" " The five final poems for Thursday." " The book is sold out." " Try the library." " It's out on loan." "How about some philosophy?" "I'd like to hear about Nietzsche." "Nietzsche?" "Why not?" "If people want to..." "How could you do it?" "You come bursting in as if nothing happened." " Just like that." " But we agreed to have a break." " I think we should take it up again." " You're not even sure." "Yes..." "Yes, I'm sure." " I think we should go on." " But I don't." "And that's it!" "I was surprised at my own jealousy." "But it made me throw decency to the winds and use the cheapest of tricks." "Look what I found at the second- hand bookshop." "Morten Nielsen." ""Warriors without Weapons." Isn't that amazing?" "So... it's for you." "Here you go." "Thanks." "I hadn't thought of that..." "Well, come on in..." "We're having tea." "Thank you." "Oh, it's Jonas." "Hello." "Come in and have a cup of tea." "Thank you." "Hello..." " Henrik Thiele." " Jonas." "We haven't seen you in a long time." "What have you been up to?" "Quite a lot." "I've been busy with my school-work and..." "There's a lot more in the second year." "Jonas has really been busy." "That's for sure." "Here you go..." "See what Jonas found." "Morten Nielsen's poems." "In the second-hand bookshop." "We should have thought of that." " You want some bread?" " Some are found in "Danish Poetry"." "Henrik was telling about his parents, who are in Bahrein at the moment." "My father is an archaeologist." " Have you been there with him?" " Yes, last summer." "For a month." "It was very hot..." "They are excavating the capital down there." "An ancient country called Dilmun." "The descriptions of Dilmun correspond to the Garden of Eden   in the Old Testament." "His parents had been away for more than a year." "This was why he lived in residence." "He had an aunt in town, that was all." "I couldn't help playing familiar, and Agnete's mum played along." "In the end Henrik left." "He was dining with his aunt." " It's kind of brave of him to leave." " That's because he trusts me." "Why did it have to take so long?" "I'm sorry." "It makes me feel guilty." "Henrik is so vulnerable." " H.P. has to look after him." " Why H.P.?" "There's nobody else." "Except loathsome auntie Asta." "Jonas, I don't want you to come along." " Why not?" " I just don't want you to." "Stay here." "I was already regretting..." "But it was fascinating to be part of a drama." "Agnete?" "Never do that to me again, Jonas." "Agnete wrote a farewell letter to Henrik." "When Lise-Lotte read the letter, she was so moved that she copied it   and sent it to Karsten." "Toke, what are you doing?" "I'm just taking notes." "Will you tie a bow for my doll?" "Should your doll have a bow?" "Says who?" " Grandma." " Grandma said that?" "You can't tie a bow?" "Then I'd better do it." "What is that book?" "Is it identical to Toke's?" " Yes." " But is it the same?" "Yes." "There." "Now go down and show the nice bow to grandma." "You have to explain that." "Do both of you write in that book?" "Yes." "Toke is interested in philosophy." "And so am I. Since we started in H.P.'s study circle we've had this book." " What do you write about?" " Philosophy." "Toke does most of the writing." "Stray thoughts, you know." " May I see?" " No, you may not." "There's nothing you can't see, but I won't let you." " Less than... 1?" " 1... or x equals..." " Birger, someone to see you." " Who?" "I don't know." "It's Lena." "Hi..." "You want a cup of tea?" "Please." "I'll get you a mug." "Hitler did read Nietzsche, but he misinterpreted him." " He didn't read Nietzsche." " More than you did." " So what?" "That's irrelevant." " Right, but they weren't all stupid." " Goebbels was intelligent." " Who?" "Göring?" "No, Goebbels!" "Don't you know him?" "Minister of propaganda   and a psycopath, but intelligent." "You know who was the worst?" "Boysen!" "He wants to buddy all." "It's easy to be clever with children." " He goes beyond the reading list." " And you imbibe his Christian shit." " That's pathetic." " Pathetic?" "Yes, all that praying..." "And he only wants an audience   for his sleazy undergraduate memories." "No thanks!" "Good night." "May I ask you a question?" "Do you write poetry in the book as well?" "Yes." "Poems for each other?" "Jonas, you're the one I like." "You're my sweetheart." "And don't be jealous of Toke." "He may switch to another school   and move in with his mother in Copenhagen." " Why?" " He doesn't get along with his dad." ""The drops are shaken off, and you put it into the calorimeter."" " "Stir briskly..."" " Do I stir now?" ""And once the thermometer stops, you read the temperature."" "Birger is wanted at the headmaster's office." "Birger..." "The headmaster!" " Isn't this coffin what they need?" " For what?" "What do you mean?" " If they're having an abortion." " Toke, for God's sake." " Is Lena pregnant?" " Why else would she come here?" " Do you know it for a fact?" " I'm not stupid." "Birger, your books..." "What did the headmaster want?" "Nothing special." "But... they threw me out." "What?" "But why...?" "Because Lena is pregnant by me." "My dad has taken me out of school." " They wanted to know the father." " And... what will you do?" " They all support the headmaster." " And...?" "Well, I'll have to do something else." "They are getting married." "According to Birger." " Aren't Lena's parents distressed?" " Of course." "It was a shock." " And for Birger's mum." " How far advanced is she?" "Five months." "But you can't tell." "Poor girl." "Five months without talking to anybody about it." "When will you learn that there are always consequences to take?" "Sometimes I get the impression you only think of tra la la." "You're totally irresponsible." "Have you never heard of contraception?" "Whatever do you learn in school?" "I was afraid my father would keep up his sermon." "Instead he pointed out to the school that Birger's mum was single   and that a defenceless boy had been used to make an example." "After a discussion amongst the teachers, Birger was allowed back." "But nobody suggested that Lena could come back as well." "I think you have visitors." "Hello..." "Hi, Birger." "And congratulations." "And this is the wonder?" "Isn't she cute." " What's her weight?" " 3100 grammes." "A bit tiny." "She'll grow up to be big..." "and cheeky." " She looks that way." " And we brought some flowers." "Right, from the park." "They'll think I nicked them." "Mine are genuine." "A mum-child bouquet." " They're from all of us." " Did her eyes open yet?" " Do you think it's a puppy?" " You never know." " Would you like to hold her?" " Well, yes..." " Mind her head." " Which way should I hold her?" " Have you seen this?" " They're beautiful." "Thank you." "You'd better take her..." " What are you going to call her?" " Tina." " Like Boysen's wife." " Birger..." " You wanted to wait till you were 37." " That's what I said in my youth." "Toke, please remove those sunglasses." "You're not in the sun." " The light bothers me." " Then bring a medical statement." "Jens Jacob, carry on." ""Je me suis ..."" " "I venture to come back."" " To return." ""They don't recognize us, and mother is worried."" "We were now in our final year and had to prove our maturity." "Even Steffen took an interest in poetry." "And Birger was a jazz expert." " And Svend Asmussen is great." " Not really..." " Will the Viking Jazz Band come?" " No, they came last year." "Finally Agnete was home alone." "In bed with a cold, she said." " I mustn't be cooled down." " Come on, now." " May I join you." " No, it's my bed." "Hello." "Aren't you going to answer it?" "I'll answer it up here." "Toke called and asked himself over, but I said it was a bad idea." "Come on then, get your shirt off!" "Come on." " But you keep your pants on, okay?" " I will." "Well, it'll be alright." " Jonas, how are you?" " I'm fine." "They tell me you're the new chairman of Minerva?" "Exciting..." " Any plans for new events?" " I'm planning a theatre tour." " They're doing "Hamlet" in Aarhus." " Agnete told me." "I just read a very interesting book about "Hamlet"." "It claims that we all misunderstood the play." "I can recommend myself as a speaker in my old students' union." "To shake your perception of "Hamlet"." "What do you say?" "Thank you." "It sounds like a good idea." "And relevant to our event." "That's what I thought." "What about your own father?" " He could talk of Freud, you know." " What's wrong with mum?" "Well, she probably thought you were in bed." "Without visitors." "And it doesn't help that Jonas' friends make the girls pregnant." "The next poem is by a new person under the name "The Recluse"." "The poem is called "Weakness."" "I talked of everything and nothing the day I saw you anew" "You talked of the man you love The man who does not love you" "I heard you reading the poem as your hand caressed my hair about two who love each other and heal each other's despair" "Together we read all the sonnets you became the mate of my soul" "But weakness, thy name is woman, for the other man was your goal." "The ghost has told Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother Claudius   who poured poison into his ear." "Hamlet doesn't know if this is true." "But fortunately a group af actors come to Elsinore   and Hamlet asks them to perform "The Murder of Gonzago."" "This is a play about a poisoning case, and it is a way of testing Claudius." "But this is important:" "According to the text the actors have to and nobody knows why..." "perform the play as a pantomime." "They comply, and Gonzago gets poison in his ear etc." "And Claudius is totally unaffected by what he sees." "In other words:" "Claudius is innocent." "It's so incomprehensible that most productions skip the scene   in order not to confuse the audience." "Then the actors perform it as a play   but Hamlet ruins the text by interpreting it to Claudius." "We were surprised to hear of Claudius' innocence." "But we got the point." "And although Agnete's dad knew   how to capture an audience, we began to tire after an hour." "And what does the queen in "The Murder of Gozago" say?" ""In second husband let me be accurst!"" ""None wed the second but who kill'd the first." This is what he regrets!" "The fact that he married his brother's wife." "And the English text says:" "O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven." "It hath the primal eldest curse upon't..." "A brother's murder." "And what does the dictionary say of "offence"?" "I didn't know how to stop Agnete's dad, who talked on and on." "When Hamlet stabs Polonius, who hides behind the curtains   with the words "Is it the king?", Claudius realizes the threat." "Hence he has to keep up appearances, and it is totally unfair   that he has been called the smiling scoundrel for centuries." "He is not!" "We have all been fooled by the ghost." "Time is up, I'm afraid, although it's very interesting." " We have to stop now." " Could you give me 15 minutes?" " There's no rush, is there?" " That's for the library to decide." "And some have to catch the last bus." "When I gave out the tickets, I made sure Toke would sit in the back." "Six kroner for you..." "We've got seven minutes, so hurry up." "Jonas, they play Beckett at the other theatre, and I already saw "Hamlet"." " I'll go there with Toke." " You can't..." "You really can't." " When did you decide that?" " Two days ago." "Toke got the tickets." " Why didn't you tell me before?" " I'm sorry." "We got our money back." "We'll be back before your play ends." "We've got five minutes, so we have to run." "My lord, I pray you, now receive them." "No, not I;" "I never gave you aught." "My honour'd lord, you know right well you did." "And, with them, words of so sweet breath composed   as made the things more rich." "Take these again;" "for to the noble mind   rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind." "There, my lord." " Are you honest?" " My lord?" " Are you fair?" " What means your lordship?" "If you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to beauty." "Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?" "He listens to all these old tapes from a former life about a love affair   where he behaves like a pig." "But then he grunts like a pig, too." "And he reels and rewinds." "And he's the only character." "It's a monologue." "Very powerful." "And not very absurd." " What was "Hamlet" like?" " Your father was there." "He was?" "To see "Hamlet"?" "Yes..." "He was taking notes." "And asked for you during the break." "Jonas..." "The production of this play is all wrong." "But if you know that the ghost is lying, you translate it like that, of course." "It could be fun to modernize it a bit." "To make use of slang..." "Shakespeare often makes use of slang." "If, for example, I say to you:" ""Young man..." "Jonas."" ""I don't mind you fucking my daughter, but don't wipe it off in the curtains."" "Would that be something I'm telling you now, or lines from my translation?" "There's no telling, right?" "And what does Hamlet say to Polonius?" ""Let her not walk in the sun." "Fertility is a blessing." "But not the way that your daughter may be fertile."" "You could easily express that in a more saucy way." "Why didn't you say you were coming to the theatre?" "Well, it was just an act of impulse." "You need to see "Hamlet" at least once every ten years." "Fine!" "Just leave it there, so they face each other..." "Aren't we supposed to take the other piano back?" "Well, I haven't quite decided yet, so we'll leave it for now." " What's going on?" " We bought a new Steinway." " So we don't take the other one?" " No, this is fine." "Goodbye." "I'll see you out." "What do you say, Jonas?" "Beautiful, isn't it?" "A Steinway!" "The king of grand pianos." "Listen to the sound." "That's the Steinway sound." "Jørgen..." "Jørgen!" "Will you please stop?" "Stop!" "How much is that piano?" "We simply cannot afford it!" "But it's..." "It's a Steinway piano." "It doesnt lose value." "But it's too big." "The room is all ruined." "So domestic comfort is the problem?" "No room for knick-knacks?" "Well, isn't that sad?" "There's plenty of room." "Buy all the knick-knacks you want to." "There's twice as much room now." "You don't have the money." "It has to come from somewhere!" "Meanness, thy name is woman!" "False as water." "A frigid, cold piece of shit!" "Shakespeare saw through you, my girl." " Jonas speaking." " It's terrible..." " My dad was suspended from court." " What do you mean?" " He's been dismissed." " Why?" "He had a jury case, and he tried to intervene, which he can't." "He began quoting Shakespeare." ""Things are not what they seem..."" "So they had to discontinue the trial and ask my dad to leave." " He refuses to open." " He locked the door?" " Hello." " Hello, Jonas." "Dad." "Won't you come out?" "Jonas is here." "I haven't got the time." "Don't disturb me." " Dad, please open." " No!" "I do not want to be disturbed!" " How long has he been in there?" " Three hours." "Since he came back..." "He's working on that silly translation." "Jonas, why don't we call your dad?" "We've tried this situation before." "He made a fool of himself in court on that occasion as well." " When was that?" " It's almost ten years ago." "He was hospitalized for a month afterwards." "It was all over the papers." "It was so embarassing." "I'm afraid it might happen again." "Dad?" " What was he doing?" " Writing on the wallpaper, I think." "Jørgen Engelbrecht?" "Dr. Mehlsen here..." " Could we possibly talk?" " No, I definitely don't want to." "I know it all!" "I'm perfectly aware that Jonas is spying on me." "It took me a long time to realize, but now I know, so forget it!" "Do try to enter, but you can't!" " Has he had anything to eat?" " No." "He has a thermos and some cookies, that's all." "And he bought a Steinway, although we already have a grand piano." "So now we've got two." "Jørgen Engelbrecht." "Jørgen Engelbrecht!" " Could you open, please?" " You have no right to be here!" "You must betake yourself!" " May I use the phone?" " Yes, of course." "Jonas, go home." "Hello?" "Dr. Mehlsen speaking." "Is the chief constable in?" "It took two policemen to force the door open." "I've never seen him so mad." "He was shouting and yelling and all purple in his face." " My dad says he'll recover." " But can he be a judge?" "You can't have a judge that interferes." "That's impossible." "My dad also says thatjudges can't be fired just like that." "But it can't go on like this." "They all gossip in class." "Inger Olesen, the bitch, can't hide her spite." "I don't think so." "They're all sorry for you." " Like in Lena's case." " That was hypocrisy." "And Pharisaism." "You don't know my class." "I thought Agnete would need Toke less now." "But it was as if her shame meant they got along even better." "Jonas?" "Whatever happened to Agnete's dad?" "It's terrible." "I don't know." "I wasn't there when he was committed." "But there's something else." "I think that Toke is a bad influence on Agnete." "I can't talk to her anymore." "Why do you put up with it?" "You're her boyfriend, right?" "Well, then don't put up with it!" "I have to get my school bag." "See you later." "It's because she's so fat and clumsy and sentimental." "And she menstruates most of the time." "It's really too much." "And she uses those old-fashioned towels." "It's so smelly." " You sound like Toke." " Oh..." " She asked if we were sweethearts." " What for?" " Because you see Toke a lot." " That's none of her business." " I might just agree with her." " Don't you start as well." "Well, I don't know." "What is it that you have to talk to him about?" "Maybe there are things he understands better than you." "I fail to see that." "That's because your outlook is so optimistic." "Toke's isn't." " Well?" "Is that a flaw?" " No, that's why I need you." " How's your dad?" " No change." " Would he like us to visit him?" " No." "Not yet." "The square of 2r multiplied by sine a   multiplied by sine b..." "I wanted to get Agnete away from Toke." "So I arranged a holiday in my parents' beach cottage." "Just for Agnete and myself, plus Birger and Lena." "It was my plan to put an end to innocence." "You won again?" "How much would that be...?" " I got five..." " It's no fun being three for Hearts." " Why didn't Agnete come?" " She had to write an essay." "And her sister Helene is home for the holidays." " Why didn't you bring the sister?" " Yes, why didn't I...?" "I think fresh air is good for her." "I found it hard to explain Agnete's absence." "Although the essay thing was true, I felt she didn't like Birger too much." "Where did this resentment come from?" " Hi, Dad." " Come down and say hello." " Will Jonas be staying for dinner?" " Yes, please." "My apologies, Jonas." "Dad has promised that everything will be fine again." " Right, Jørgen?" " Yes." " Jonas?" " Please." "We'll take some brisk walks to get dad started again." "Agnete?" " Where's the grand piano?" " The Steinway?" "They were so kind as to take it back." "I hate her." "Things are exactly as she wants them." "Dad has been reduced to a yes-man." "And we'll take some brisk walks, right?" "Am I being unfair?" " It hasn't always been easy for her." " No." "And you know when it went wrong the first time?" "On their wedding night." "Because Dad happened to break wind." "From then on she's been frigid." " There's more to it than that." " Not a lot." " Agnete?" "Telephone." " I'll answer it here." " It thought it was about philosophy?" " It is." "And poetry." "What's this then?" ""A certain person once again sucked up to the teacher by agreeing."" ""How can a certain person chair Minerva and not read any books?"" ""I'd like a certain person to learn how to use a deodorant."" ""I have to sit on the edge of my chair."" "It's pure smearing." "Have you been reading all this?" "And what is your answer?" "Nothing at all." ""Dear Toke." "Forget the Foreign Legion." "Alarm called off."" "Which alarm is that?" "That my mum..." "That I wasn't pregnant." "That you were not pregnant?" "So you slept with Toke?" " Here?" " No." " At Toke's place?" " No." " Where was it then?" " In H.P.'s flat." "In H.P.'s flat?" "What were you doing there?" "He was away for the holidays, and I used it to write my essay." " Have you been there often?" " Only to hand in essays." " And you borrow his flat?" " Only that once." "I couldn't stand being with Helene and Leif." "Now I know why you play hard to get." "And why you didn't come with me." "Because you had a date with Toke." "I don't want to do this anymore." "Making a fool of myself..." " Say hi." "Or "Heil Toke!"" " You know he's not a Nazi!" "He only wants to provoke." "He's no more a Nazi than you." "He's crazy about WW2." "Too bad Hitler didn't win." "Napa leatherjacket and a white shirt!" "Suit yourself!" "I've had it!" "May I come in?" "Yes..." "I hadn't arranged for Toke to come." "But he came anyway." "And his condom broke." "But nothing happened." "And after that he has wanted me to ditch you." "But I didn't want to." " Does your mum know you left?" " No, and I couldn't care less." "Which governments had the king appointed till then?" "From the right." "It was thus adopted that the king could never appoint a government   which had a parliamentary majority against it..." "Jonas?" "I agree with you on that." "It's a decisive step to democracy." "And parliamentarism." "Jonas, did you hear what happened?" "Toke's dad went completely mad." "He smashed all Toke's plastic models." "And kicked him out." " Why?" " They argued over the occupation." "Toke said the Danes were to blame because they hadn't rearmed." " And?" " His father got furious." "He smashed all his planes and tanks." "Now he'll move into residence." "Today." " I thought he was going to his mum's." " Not four months before our exams." "Of course it was tough on Toke to be kicked out." "But I found it hard to understand that Agnete had to move his stuff." "Don't press me." "You did it once with Henrik, and if you want to know   how close to suicide he was, just ask H.P." "Agnete, Toke all but raped you, and you want me to feel sorry for him?" " This has to stop!" " I never said that." " I said it came as a surprise." " That's not what you said yesterday." "But now you know." "I don't know what to do..." "I like you both." "But in different ways." "If you press me I have to choose Toke." "Nobody likes him, and it may be his own fault, but I like him." "I talked to him about his dad, and he was crying." "Don't you believe it?" "He was actually crying." "You'll be alright." "You're popular, but Toke isn't." " You choose him out of pity?" " No." "But I think I love him." " And you don't love me?" " Not in that way." "It's pathetic to cry like that..." "Sorry, Toke taught me that word." "If that's what you want, that's what you'll get." "I was so bitter that it clouded everything." "And then camejealousy when I saw them." "They stopped going to Minerva meetings." "When I passed the residence hall, I barely looked." "Girls were not allowed in, but with H.P. 's help she would be there." "And yet I listened for Agnete's steps in the hope of getting her back." " Five." " The trick is mine then." "Our exams were imminent, and yet we played Hearts at Birger's place." "The more I won." "The more depressed I got." "And walking the paths I'd walked with her, I was hoping to meet her." "But I feared meeting both of them." "And everything Toke did was felt by me as derision." "As if he wanted to tell me that he never slept at night." "I didn't realize I could hate anybody that much." "Yes?" "Jonas, how is Agnete's dad doing?" "I don't know." "I don't see them anymore." " Why not?" " I don't date Agnete anymore." "I see." "That's too bad." "THE CATCHER IN THE RYE" "When was the Battle at Svold?" "One thousand and honk-honk." "Toffee time!" " The nose of the day, Boysen." " And what's his 1st Commandment?" ""Make love to thy neighbour!"" "That's right... and smile!" "Give us some toffee...!" "You want toffee?" "Here you go." "You probably need it." " Thanks." " Only two?" " Let's have more." " Which do you prefer..." "All the pieces in my pocket, and I have a lot..." " Or would you rather have my heart?" " Your heart, please." "And some toffee." "What about chocolate toffee?" "I've got plenty." "Why haven't I seen you before?" "What's your name?" " I'm Johanne, and I'm first year." " And you know what, Johanne?" "May Jonas and I invite you to a party?" "More toffee!" "Here you go." "It was like a deliverance." "I don't know what Johanne's dreams were." "But there were no obligations." "It was springtime and last day of school   for the rest of our lives." "Where were we looking?" "She is so sweet!" "I'd like three beers." "Toke, damn it, take off those shades!" "What's this?" "Can't one leave you alone for two minutes?" "Come..." "Let's dance." "This is too much for me." "Tuesday, June 9, form III K:" "Greek." "And III Z:" "Geography." " Excellent!" " Six days to read it..." "Wednesday, June 10." "Form III A:" "Classical studies." "Friday, June 12." "Form III C:" "English." "And once again III Z:" "History." " Oh no." " And only 2½ days to prepare it!" "The Battle of Svold." "Honk-honk." "And Monday, June 15." "Form III A:" "French." "III Y:" "Biology." "III K:" "Latin." "Tuesday, June 16." "Form III X:" "Physics." " Wednesday, June 17..." " God, she's sweet!" "Form III A:" "German." "Yes?" " Are you busy?" " No." " May I interrupt you?" " Yes, come in." "Just drop it on the chair." " Well, how are you." " I'm fine." "I was examined in English today and got an A minus." " Congratulations." "Well done." " Thanks." "I just got a B minus in physics." "That's okay." " How are you and Toke?" " Toke?" "Not too well." "I don't see him anymore." "Oh..?" "Why not?" "It began when we started doing revision." "Suddenly he became very ambitious and rather nasty." "He accused me of the most preposterous things." " Like Lise-Lotte." " And extensive menstruation?" "Almost." "It's my fault if he doesn't excel." " Says he." " Yes." "It doesn't really surprise me, Agnete." "But it didn'tjust start." "It began on our last school day." "You know why?" "On that day he felt that he was missing out on all the fun." " Am I wrong?" " It wasn't funny to despise the rest." "Especially you." "He spent a lot of time on that." " What is he saying now?" " I don't know." "We don't talk." "How are things with you and little Johanne?" "Ask Mogens about that." "It's a joint project." " You're not in love with her?" " I didn't say that." "Else you shouldn't use her like that." "Agnete, we get our exams in a week." "Can't one have some fun?" " Must everything be so serious?" " She's first year." "And then what?" "I wanted to ask you something, but never mind." " What?" " Forget it." "It's not important." "What are you reading?" "Math." "I have my exam on Thursday." "The last one." "I knew what Agnete wanted to ask me, so I was glad she didn't." "At least for the time being." "That was really not good." "Definite integrals was not what I wanted." " What did you say?" " I just made a mess of it." " I'm afraid I won't pass." " What do you need?" "I'll fail..." "It really wasn't good." "Excuse me, do you know when Toke will be examined?" "He already was." "This morning, I think." " Yes, he was." " This morning?" " Was that always the plan?" " Yes." " He got an A minus." " Really?" "Well, he fooled me then." "He said it was this afternoon." "Where would he be now?" "He's going to Copenhagen, so he'll miss the speech day." " He left?" " Yes, on the 1.35 train." "He really fooled me then." "Well, there we go." "You look happy." "Make sure you enjoy it." "It's the best moment of your lives." "Appreciate it." "Birger..." "Well." "I brought your cap, so you passed." "But it was only just good enough." " You'll survive a C, won't you?" " I need a B minus." "B minus?" "You need a B minus to pass?" "C plus?" "Okay, I'll pass with a C." "Then you get a big C. Congratulations." "Sing of the students' happy days" "Let's enjoy the spring of youth" "Still the heart is sprightly running" "And the future bright is ours" "No storms have harboured yet our minds" "Hope's our friend, to its promises we are faithful" "When we bond in the grove" "Where the lovely laurels grow" "Where the lovely laurels grow" " Hi." " Hi, Jonas." "I'll get some wine." "Red or white for you?" " Red, please." " And for you?" "No thanks." " Is that a recent thing?" " Does it matter?" "Not really." "I've always liked H.P." "Only now did I realize that I was in love with him." "So when we were dating, you were in love with H.P.?" "It's not like that." "I was very much in love with you." "Especially when you didn't want me." "If you knew how often I went to the park in the hope of meeting you." "You never came." "But this is serious." "For H.P. as well." "In what way?" "Do you sleep with him as well?" "I won't answer you when you ask like that." "Actually we're engaged." "When did that happen?" "On my last exam day." " Was that what you wanted to ask?" " I wanted your opinion." " It was important to me." " Sorry, there's no more wine." " And beer is not you, right?" " No." "Congratulations." "Agnete told me that you were engaged." "Thank you..." "I know the two of you have meant a lot to each other." " But..." " Well..." "Congratulations." "Thanks." "Of course I wasjealous again." "But also angry." "Mostly at myself." "Although I couldn't win Agnete, I couldn't really free myself." "So when her dad three months later was asked to resign   and drowned himself, it was no longer me Agnete needed."