A Promise Page #5

Hello, Friedrich, welcome back.

I hope I haven't been too long.

I'm back in Germany on business.

I took the chance to look you up.

It's very nice of you.

Are you settled in Mexico now?

By necessity, more than choice.

- You're still in the mining business?

- Oh, no. No. I used my knowledge

of chemistry to start

a chemical fertilizer plant.

I'm pleased you've done

so well for yourself.

Do you intend to stay

in Germany for long?

I'm not sure it depends on...

...how my business goes I've

come over to sign contracts

with the company in Frankfurt.

I had no news of you.

Your letters stopped coming.

So did yours.

So eventually I stopped

writing them.

I wrote you a letter just

after the armistice.

Must have gone astray.

A riding accident. I would have

been unfit to serve the war.

In any case we were

kept under house arrest.

Did you want to serve?

I felt a sense of guilt...

...by thinking of all the boys my

age who had to... go off and fight.

When the blockade began I tried to get

out, I was desperate to get back to...

To my home country.

Is that Otto?

Yes.

He's 19 now.

Starting in geography, his dream

is to explore the polar regions.

What about you?

What's your dream?

Oh, I don't have any dreams.

I'm alive.

The wolrd is at peace.

Yes. It is.

I couldn't quite finish it,

there was a piece missing.

No, there isn't. Look.

They're all here.

Where did you find it?

Here.

It's been here all the time.

I sold it.

You never liked it anyway.

- The portrait of Herr Hoffmeister's wife.

- Now, his widow.

Yes, I know.

I'm sorry.

I never got married myself.

I've been with women but...

Well, of course. Far be it from me

to reproach you on that front.

- More tea?

- No, thank you.

- I should be getting back to my hotel.

- So soon?

- I have a business meeting.

- Oh, I completely understand.

- Well, thank you for taking the trouble to visit...

- Could I ask you just one favour?

Yes.

Might I have a look at my old bedroom?

It's... It's silly, I know.

...how sentimental one

becomes with age.

I must warn you that your

room is exactly the same.

- Nothing has changed.

- Not even you.

See? Nothing has changed.

Everything's the same.

No, nothing has changed.

Except us.

I haven't forgotten

my promise to you.

We're nearly there.

It took us a long

time to get here.

Any chance for room?

- Er... No, no. We're booked solid.

- You too? What's going on in this town?

Well, it's the parade.

The war veterans.

They've booked every

single room in the town.

A war wound?

So you're here for the parade?

Yes. Yes, we are.

Well there...

Then you are in luck. We have a...

An unexpected vacancy.

- Er... And that's Herr...

- Zeitz.

Herr and Frau Zeitz?

Yes. Herr and Frau Zeitz.

Is this your first stay

in town, sir?

No. We were here once. Before.

Before.

Yes, indeed, ma'am.

Shall we go for a walk?

Yes.

We walked down this very same

path with Otto. You remember?

Yes. He kept running

on ahead and we'd almost

lost him for the umpteenth time.

I kept calling him to come back.

But actually I just wanted

to be alone with you.

We were stargers then.

As now.

Don't ever leave me again.

Don't ever leave me.

I never ever leave

you from now on.

It took us a long

time to get here.

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