A Time to Love and a Time to Die Page #9

Where are you going?

You're always running away.

Goodbye, Oskar.

Who do I see about this?

This is for Elisabeth Kruse.

I'm her husband. It came after she left

for work this morning, I thought...

Room 72. Cellar floor.

Your wife is

the daughter of Bernhard Kruse?

Yes.

Sign here. Kruse.

Under your signature write,

"Husband of Elisabeth Kruse"

and the date and registry office

of your marriage.

Sign.

The Kruse package.

For what am I signing?

The receipt for the ashes

of Bernhard Kruse.

Cause of death...heart disease.

Sure.

What else?

Complete discretion is to be exercised.

And, er...no death notices

in the papers.

Understand?

-Josef.

-Well?

It was this.

Her father's ashes.

I went to Pohlmann's, he wasn't there.

Pohlmann has been arrested.

He saw them coming.

He ran into the street

to draw them away from the house

so that I could get away.

A cigar box,

it's almost like a coffin.

Usually they use old tin cans

or paper bags.

You knew him?

He was our family physician.

A fine man,

and this is all it comes to.

What do you think I should do with it?

She'll be here soon.

There are graves in the church garden.

It's consecrated ground

if that's what you want.

What will happen to Pohlmann?

And you?

If I'm not caught, I'll survive.

You must hate us.

Hate.

Hate makes one forget to be cautious.

Besides, I remember the time before -

the Germany I grew up in and loved.

And there's Pohlmann.

Am I to hate him? Or Pastor Brenner

who hides me here?

Shall I hate them?

-Are there many like them?

-Yes. Not enough, but many.

It isn't hopeless.

You say that there's h ope!

Of course.

I'm alive, isn't that proof?

You'd better go now.

It will be kinder if you've buried that

before your wife comes.

Good luck, Ernst.

Good luck, Josef.

Is it your wish that the child be baptised

and brought up in this faith?

Yes.

I baptise you Christina Renata

in the name of the Father,

the Son,

and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Amen.

Ernst, I've nothing but good news!

There's no work until the factory

can be moved. At least three days!

That's wonderful.

We can sleep late

and do anything we like.

It's a miracle, isn't it?

It would be if we had

a place to sleep.

We can't stay here, they only take

families with children.

But I only told you the first miracle,

the second you have to see to believe.

It's not very far, we...

What are you talking about?

You're wasting time!

Let's get our things and go.

It's hardly touched.

Even some of the windows are in.

-lt must be a mirage.

-No, no it's real. I'll show you.

Frau Witte!

This is my husband.

-Good evening, Herr Gr?ber.

-Good evening.

Yes, he's everything you said.

He is handsome! And his eyes...

-We're not late, are we?

-Late? One is always on time!

But first you'll want to take

your things to your room.

How did you find this place?

By accident. The street

I meant to take was blocked.

I really don't serve meals anymore,

not for two years,

but I couldn't say no to your wife.

You too, eh?

So I decided the butcher

wouldn't say no to me either.

In the soup, you'll find

a little piece of sausage.

It's my daughter's room,

her name was llse.

It was the second air raid

she didn't come home.

I never reported it, I didn't want

anyone else in her room.

But I want you to have it.

Please, let her stay on here,

I have no one else.

Thank you.

When you are ready for dinner,

give me five minutes warning

so I'll have the table set.

I want our house to be

exactly like this one.

Tiled stove and...everything.

Can't you see it, Ernst?

Our families together

for Sunday dinners,

children climbing all over them.

(Sighs)

Everybody talking at once.

I didn't know you

wanted children so much.

It's your children I want to have.

In times like these

doesn't that frighten you?

Other things frighten me more,

like not having them.

My father's brought a thousand babies

into the world.

But wait till you see his face

when he holds ours.

Oh, how he'll spoil them!

What is it?

Nothing.

Ernst?

What aren't you telling me?

There's something!

You're going away.

No, I would have told you that.

Then what?

Is it something I did?

Something I didn't do?

My father.

Dead?

Dead.

There were still a few bottles of wine

left in the cellar.

And I thought I'll...

Shall I serve dinner now?

Yes, Frau Witte, please.

Soldier, you must be insane.

New orders come through every hour

cancelling furloughs.

But you're not satisfied with even

all your furlough! You want it extended.

Sir, my wife...

Broke her leg? Is having twins?

Or double pneumonia? Which?

We were just married, sir.

We've had very little time together.

Even if it meant one more day,

I had to take the chance to ask.

You're due out on a troop transport.

The train leaves at 6 in the morning

and you must be on it.

Report here at 5.

Even Reuter would approve of

Frau Witte's wines.

Berndtcassler, 1 935.

According to Reuter,

the perfect wine for lobster...

if we just had some lobster!

Don't open it, Ernst.

It doesn't do any good.

This one will.

(Sobs)

I'm not really crying.

And if I do cry, don't worry about it.

It isn't sorrow. I'm happy.

So much has happened

in these weeks,

I can't press it all into myself.

I've tried, but it won't go.

Tonight you must be patient with me.

I wish I'd taken you out of the city,

to a village or somewhere.

Even if I didn't have to work

at the factory, I'd want to stay here.

Because I'll need to be some place

where I've been with you.

Do you want to sleep now?

I can sleep on the train all the way there.

Then? Will you ever have a bed?

The best I can hope for after tomorrow

is a field cart

or a sack of hay from time to time.

It's not that bad. You get used to it

soon enough. And summer's coming.

It's the winter that...

As soon as I hear from my parents

I'll send you their address.

If they're anywhere close,

try to visit them.

I will.

They're gonna love you.

Kiss them from me.

(Air raid sirens begin)

(Man's voice) Everyone to the shelter!

Lights out.

Herr Gr?ber!

Herr Gr?ber, the air raid shelter is

around the corner on Leibingstrasse.

Ernst!

No matter what happens,

I don't want to spend my last night

with you in a cellar.

Could we stay?

I understand. I'll tell the warden

that everyone is out of the house.

(Engines drone)

(Explosions begin)

Ernst.

What happens if the planes

destroy the station?

Or maybe the train?

They'd make us walk.

Darling, please don't

come to the station tomorrow.

Last time, my mother went with me

the train was late leaving

and there was

this nervous, weeping woman

saying the same things over and over.

Not my mother as she really is at all.

No, we shouldn't do that

to each other.

-ls this seat vacant?

-Sure.

Maxl, say goodbye to your daddy.

The child, must be tired.

Go along, Elsa.

He can wait.

(Man) I wish you had stayed home.

(Train whistle blows)

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