And While We Were Here

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1

It's okay.

It's okay, it's okay, it's okay.

Let me help you with that.

I'm looking for the concert hall.

I think we may drive right by it.

There it is!

Very funny.

I think it's gonna be good...

us being here.

Sh*t.

What?

I can't find my wallet.

Put it in your suitcase?

No. It's not in my suitcase.

Why would I put it in my suitcase?

Well, it's got to be somewhere.

Maybe it's in the car.

Thank you.

She's lost her purse. Her purse.

Will you just give her a minute?

All right, okay, okay, okay, okay.

When did you have it last?

The train station, I think.

The exchange booth.

- Sh*t.

- Oh, Janey, I'm sorry.

That bastard at the train

station stole it...

when you dropped all your stuff.

This is 170, not 70.

- Where do we need to go?

- We need 70.

Here we go.

Is this it?

I think so.

It's nice.

Yes, I have her credit card numbers

on file in my computer.

Yes, I have them here.

Okay, 5-5-3-3...

7-6-4-5...

8-7-8-7...

9-1-5-7.

5-7.

Yeah.

Expires 12-15.

No, she'll definitely need another card

sent out immediately.

We're here for two weeks.

No, I'm working here.

Yes, I'll hold.

You love how they ask?

As if I have a choice.

Do you know what I'm gonna try

to do while I'm here?

Besides learn Italian?

I don't know why you think

that's so ridiculous.

I don't at all.

I admire you. I just think

it's too late for me.

That's not true.

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

And besides, what's the point?

The whole bloody world speaks English.

Well, I...

am going to finally

transcribe the tapes.

Yes?

All right.

Okay.

Well, if you can see it through to the end,

I think that's wonderful.

What does that mean?

Nothing.

Nothing?

I think it's a fantastic idea, Jane.

I always have. You know that.

That didn't sound very supportive.

You have my support.

I'm sorry if that came out wrong.

I just know how emotional

listening to them can be...

has been for you.

I think enough time has passed.

Well, that's great.

Why do you think he killed himself?

Who?

David Foster Wallace.

I don't know.

You can't get a sense by his writing?

You'll have to read it

when I'm done, darling.

Do you think he recognized a blank infinity

just stretching out?

He got to this point, maybe, where...

it was just day after day after day.

- I really don't know, Jane.

- Just so tedious.

And then of course, he felt guilty.

Most people think life is too short,

and there he was...

- all the talent in the world and it wasn't enough.

-Jane, can I.

Can we not talk about this?

It's just a bit morbid.

Love you.

Love you, too.

Do you feel all right?

- You feel okay?

- Yeah.

You sure?

Mm-hmm.

Are you sure you won't come with?

You'll be so busy.

Might get boring all alone.

I think someone should be here

in case the card is delivered.

True.

And then I think I might go out,

see what the world has to offer.

Well, if you do, leave

me a message, okay?

So I can worry about you.

Okay.

I've left you some money here.

Thank you.

- I'll see you later.

- Have a good day.

Testing. Testing. Okay.

Do you have any stories for my book?

What kind of stories?

Stories that you've prepared.

Or I can ask from a list of stories

that Dad told me about?

Go ahead and ask from your father's list,

God rest his soul.

Let's start with the war.

We went into an air raid shelter.

My mother, your great-grandmother...

she was shaking.

The sirens wailed and...

then there was the sound of a bomb,

and the man next to us...

he said, "I was in a shelter last night

with my wife and my little boy...

and half of it got blown away."

There was blood in his hair.

He was all alone.

That nearly finished my mother, you know.

Here we were in this

tiny town in England...

miles from Germany, from Russia,

from Italy, from any front lines...

and this man...

he had blood in his hair.

We were riding our bikes to school...

when the Germans started firing at us.

We jumped into a hedge.

We were terrified, but...

afterwards we couldn't stop laughing.

It feels now as if I'm the only one

who remembers that.

It's as vivid to me as if

it happened yesterday.

Oh, hi, Leonard.

It's Jane.

I decided to take an

impromptu trip to Ischia.

Or Ischia, as they pronounce it.

See, I'm learning a little bit.

Anyway, I'll be home later.

I hope you have a good day. Bye.

Those friends are all dead now.

There's no one left.

That's one of my regrets, you know.

Sometimes I think I should have

had more children...

not just your father.

You're all alone now that

your parents are gone.

No brothers, no sisters.

I'm upsetting you.

Let's talk about something else.

You want to ask me more boring questions

about the war?

All right then.

The castle?

Castle?

He'd been shot through the neck.

The bullet went in one side

and came out the other.

And there were all these bomb

holes filled with water...

and he couldn't tell which

was the German side...

and which was the Allied side.

When he came home, after

something like that...

you couldn't really complain

- to him about anything...

- Hi.

- Now could you?

- I'm actually going there now.

To the castle.

- You speak English now?

- Yeah.

Why, did you think I was Italian?

- Yeah.

- Yes!

That's great, that's cool.

Hey, hey, hey.

Where are you from?

- London.

- No, in America, come on.

- Maine.

- No sh*t.

I'm from Massachusetts.

That's crazy. That's weird.

- Right?

- Yeah.

Vacation?

- Oh.

- Are you?

- What?

- Are you here on vacation?

Oh.

Sorry. I thought you were saying

you were on vacation.

Me? No.

So, come on.

My husband is working in Naples.

What does he do?

He is playing in a concert

at the end of the month.

Cool. What does he play?

Viola.

The viola.

He any good?

Yes. Very.

How do you keep your violin

from getting stolen?

You put it in a viola case. Right?

No, that's not funny.

What's the difference between

a viola and a coffin?

A coffin has a dead

person on the inside.

Cause viola players are dead. No?

Why is a viola solo like

premature ejaculation?

Because even though you

know it's coming...

there's nothing you can do about it.

I can't help it, I've got this weird

autistic mind for jokes...

and I went to this music/nerd summer camp

when I was like...

- 10 and I played the triangle.

- Right.

And I'm an only child, so...,

you know, understand.

You look too young to be married.

Are you a newlywed?

No.

No.

You're making me feel

like a stalker. F***.

All right.

Hey, have you got 50 cents?

If you can catch it.

What brought you out here today?

- The ferry.

- Ha! "The ferry."

I like it.

They have this device

down in the basement...

it's like a torture cage, they'd lock you

in there until you...

turned to bones.

But can you imagine dying by just sitting there?

That would suck.

In like the 1300s...

thousands of families

lived in this castle.

It must've smelled pretty bad.

All those people crammed onto this rock.

Wow.

I know.

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