Allez, Eddy! Page #5

Benjamin...

He was better at maths

than the best calculator.

is 43,590,975...

Everyone wanted to be his friend,

they thought he was amazing.

Until the day he had an epileptic fit.

No one thought he was amazing

after that.

They just bullied him

and laughed at him.

Until he'd had enough.

Benjamin!

Hello, Mr Dermul.

Briek didn't turn up as arranged.

Is he alright?

Dad! Dad!

Here.

Fine.

What's the matter?

We'll never be able to wear

Aunt Marjet's dress.

Who said so?

- Mum.

Is it going to be sent down

from on high?

There's nothing to celebrate.

I'll call my family, you can call yours.

We'll celebrate in 25 years' time.

Everything will be fine, Angel.

- No, it won't, Andre.

I think it's great

you want to continue to believe that

but you're refusing to see

that the butcher's shop is finished.

Your father's, grandfather's,

great-grandfather's shop

is dead and can't be saved.

It's great you only want to

look on the bright side

but sometimes you have to admit

you've failed.

That we've failed and

that it won't all be fine.

Come on, eat up.

Hello.

A photo of Eddy for Eddy,

from Roubaix.

For Eddy?

- Your son.

Oh, my son.

Thank you.

Marie?

Is your dad at the supermarket tonight?

At night?

Meat in plastic isn't good.

Isn't it?

- No.

Would you like to take a seat?

- I'll stay standing up.

Have you got any suggestions?

Look...

I'm a successful butcher.

I've got loads of experience

and I can help you.

I've heard your steak tartare

is extremely good.

High quality for four generations.

So what do you propose?

That we work together.

Hello!

Put your party dresses on and

order a bigger barbecue, Angel.

Hi, girls.

Come on.

Listen carefully everyone.

Dad has some important news.

Dermul's butcher's shop is going to

become part of the supermarket.

All the photos and everything. The

whole shop is moving to the supermarket.

Dad will be paid a fixed salary

plus a percentage of sales.

Have you rid yourself of your burden?

Angel...

Give me your hand, my love.

No, the world has turned.

Hey, my darling

Hey, you beautlful thing

Hey, you wonderful girl

Here.

Marie gave it to me for you.

She took it in Roubaix.

You should have been in it too.

I'm not going to cycle any more anyway.

Not even in a new Eddy Merckx team?

- What?

I'm going to work at the supermarket.

Via Magique I can put your name down

for a try-out for a new team

made up of boys

who are as talented as you.

And Eddy Merckx is going to be

the team's patron.

But with my thing...

I can't do it.

No good would come of it.

Everyone's got a 'thing', Freddy.

You can't spend the rest of your life

in this room just because you're scared.

I'll become a butcher.

You'll make a much better cyclist.

Have a rest now.

God bless you, Angel and Andre.

May these 25 years of marriage

be followed by many more.

In the name of the Father, the Son

and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Angel. Come on.

Hello. Hello, Jacques.

- Good evening.

Hello, Marie.

- Thank you for the invitation.

You're welcome.

This is my wife and God, Angel.

I'm Jacques from the supermarket.

- Good evening.

I'll introduce you to some people.

Hi, Eddy.

Feeling better now?

Freddy?

But you're Eddy?

I'm Freddy now.

For Freddy.

Feel my heart.

That's a lovely T-shirt

you're wearing.

I want to tell you something, Mum.

- Your attention, please.

Freddy, come here, son. Come here.

My little champion. Get up on the chair,

so everyone can see you.

Freddy...

I've got something to say.

I still haven't congratulated you

on winning that race.

And I should have done.

So... congratulations, son.

Well done.

And, and, and... that's not all,

ladies and gentlemen,

because Freddy is so talented

he's been invited

to take part in a try-out to join

a team belonging to none other than...

Eddy Merckx!

- Really? Is that true?

But... but he has decided not to do it.

Why not?

- It's his choice, Marjet.

He's big enough to decide for himself.

- Dad... I want to do it.

What, son?

- I've decided... to go to the try-out.

Mum, I'm not Benjamin, I'm Freddy.

And I really, really want to try.

I'm very proud of you.

Mum?

I'm leaving for the try-out.

Are you sure

you don't want to come, Mum?

Come on, Freddy,

the bus will be here.

Stay close to me, son.

Come on.

It's there, Dad.

No, there.

No.

Dad.

- Just a minute, son.

It's there.

Come on, Dad.

Three more minutes.

Three more minutes.

Ten more seconds.

Ten more seconds.

And stop.

Breathe out.

One more time.

One more time.

Your endurance is impressive.

Do you cycle with your friends a lot?

- Never.

Never?

I cycle alone.

In my room.

- You must have a very big room.

He cycles in the air.

- In the air?

Yes, my bicycle is hanging from

two ropes and I train every day.

Our training means

staying at boarding school.

He'd stay there the whole time except

for two weeks at Christmas and Easter.

He's used to being

on his own in his room.

Is there anything else we should know?

Anything that could pose a problem

for your training or your career?

No.

No? Great.

There may be one thing.

There's a wire missing

between my head and my bottom

and they aren't connected

and things sometimes go wrong.

What goes wrong?

In my pants.

You do it in your pants?

Wet them? Soil them?

Soil them.

Has it been looked into?

- Yes, a long time ago.

That is a problem.

In a group with other boys...

- The sponsors won't like it.

You're an excellent candidate

but maybe it's not a good idea.

We're sorry.

Would you agree to him

being examined again?

Would you agree to the doctor here

taking a look at him?

Yes, yes, of course.

If we keep him here this evening,

we may find the missing wire.

Great. Great, see you tomorrow.

Right, son, see you tomorrow.

- No, Dad, don't go.

Freddy, do you want to be

a proper rider?

Right. I'll be back tomorrow. OK?

Come on. Come with me.

Shall I tell you a secret?

Apparently Merckx had to change his

shorts at the Tour de France last year.

He didn't.

- Yes, he did.

He'd done it in his pants. When

he crossed the line it was too late.

Mum.

Right, Dr Verbeek will talk to you.

Hello.

We didn't find the missing wire.

But we didn't find

anything wrong anywhere.

There's an obstruction

in his intestines.

When the intestines can't cope,

they push some of it out.

Can the obstruction be removed?

Irrigation can remove it.

The intestines should work

normally then.

That's not enough for me.

- For me neither.

That's a risk we can't take

because of any negative publicity.

He has the capacity to succeed.

- Agreed, but he risks...

We can provide special support.

I suggest we take a vote on it.

Who is in favour of

Freddy Dermul joining the team?

That's a majority.

If you're prepared to take the risk

that it could go wrong.

That Freddy may find himself

in an embarrassing situation.

Please, Mum.

Of course.

Then Freddy is now

a member of our team.

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