Christopher and His Kind Page #6

Where were we?

Full stop. Close quotation marks.

Good.

It must be very polarising, this Nazi business.

- Hard to sit on the fence, I'd imagine.

- Yes, it is.

Berlin's fairly seething, what with all the poverty

and wounded pride.

I'd say Communism

was the best hope for peace.

Then why not stay here and join the Party?

I can't do that. I have Heinz to consider.

Yes, Heinz.

Of course.

So where will you go?

Amsterdam, probably, for the time being.

That's all one can say, isn't it?

"For the time being. "

It always breaks my heart a little

to see you leave.

You should be used to it by now.

Oh, no.

I'll never get used to it.

And how awful if I did.

I'll be back.

I always am.

And so once again I cast off from England

and threw in my lot with Heinz.

Two lost souls wandering around Europe

on the brink.

I have to admit, I felt a little guilty flitting

from country to country to save a single man,

whilst others were preparing to save the world.

But then our luck ran out

and Heinz was arrested by the Gestapo.

And that... was that.

Daily Worker, ladies.

No appeasement.

Fight the Fascists.

- Excuse me, miss.

- I'm exercising my democratic right.

Only you would choose to sell the Daily Worker

in Knightsbridge.

I have no say in the matter.

I go where the Party tells me.

You are looking impossibly young.

- Aren't you ever going to age?

- I do hope not.

My God, the varnish!

I somehow felt that red

was more appropriate.

I must confess, I carry it with me everywhere.

Isn't it funny, darling?

You're the one that became famous.

And you know, I must say, I'm rather enjoying it.

And meanwhile, poor Heinz...

Well, I...

I dread to think what he's being subjected to.

A year labouring for the state

followed by two years in the army.

It's frightfully harsh.

It could have been worse. He might have got

carted off to a concentration camp.

You did all you could.

I wonder if I did.

I wonder if I did really.

And what's worse, I even feel relieved.

Hm.

Do you ever miss Berlin?

Oh, no.

I never miss anything.

Sometimes I wonder

if I shouldn't have had that kid.

I think I'd just about have cut the mustard

as a mother.

I'd tuck him in and I'd sing to him.

And then I'd go out and f*** filthy old men

to pay for the brat.

Then why not marry and have another?

Because I've lost my faith in men.

Well, that's a shame.

I've simply no use for them any more.

Not even you, darling.

Oh, well.

Back to the Revolution.

Might we see each other again?

Goodbye, Chris.

Goodbye.

Seems like

everyone's caught Communism like flu.

It's fair to say that the closest we've come to

solidarity with the workers is sleeping with them.

Well, that's a cause of sorts.

The only cause you really care about,

Christopher, is yourself.

Isn't that rather unkind?

Mm.

But you've turned it into an art form.

Rather successfully as it happens.

I used to be a little in love with you.

You knew that, didn't you?

Yes, I thought you did.

You're lucky.

You're not burdened by the concept of sin.

And it is a sin, Christopher.

Although I fully intend to carry on sinning.

Look, please, don't start on about God.

You're going to have such a conversion

one of these days, my dear.

I do loathe the sea.

It's so wet.

And sloppy.

I don't belong here.

I'm not sure I belong anywhere.

I rather like being a foreigner.

I wonder where we might end up.

Wystan was right.

I've never known about anybody except me.

You see, I was never able to commit.

I only ever sort of added to the chorus.

And now, of course,

politics are more and more about the individual.

The gay liberation movement

seems to have taken me to its heart.

It's very nice of them, really.

A cause at last.

But then I think it always was my cause.

And somehow,

you know,

it makes sense of what

I was trying to do for Heinz.

All those years ago.

Christoph.

You write again about Berlin?

Yes.

For a British newspaper.

A lot has changed, ja?

What's left of it.

Ja, when the city was cut in pieces

and we end up in the Russian sector.

Rotten luck, eh?

We all hate the Russians, Christoph.

We would much rather be here in the Western...

Maybe one day.

My friend, Christoph, the famous writer.

I suppose you could say that.

Tell me, there are skyscrapers in America?

Oh, yes.

And you see Hollywood?

I live near there, actually.

And the Grand Canyon, you see that?

Yes.

It's um... very big.

And cowboys?

No, I haven't seen too many of them.

I feel guilty, Heinz.

All that I made you suffer.

I should never have taken you out of Germany.

But, Christoph, you changed my life.

What we had,

what we did,

I would not miss for the world.

Look, Christoph,

my wife Hilda.

Well, she looks...

...very nice.

Yeah, she's a good girl.

And she doesn't ask questions.

That's all right, then.

And this is my son...

...Christoph.

Christoph?

Ja.

Well, well.

You know, Christoph,

you're not getting younger.

That's the way it tends to go.

You live alone, yes?

At the moment.

See, that is not good, to live alone.

You need a family around you

to keep you company,

to look after you when you are sick.

Heinz, I'm not decrepit.

But, listen, Christoph, we could be your family.

What?

Hilda, Christoph and... I.

Out there in California.

Ah.

Well, I'm not so sure about that.

You see, the life I lead...

...my... my plans are so uncertain.

Um... I'd have to think it over.

Look, we'll see how it goes.

And I'll write to you. We'll keep in touch.

You do understand, don't you, Heinz?

You do, don't you?

Yes, I...

I understand.

Frulein!

Oh!

When the city was divided,

we got the Americans.

Oh, I'm so happy.

We're all so happy.

I thank God the Russians didn't get us.

Communism...

Oh, Isherwood.

You look like a child.

It's lovely to see you, Frulein.

Isherwood, Isherwood...

The last years of war here, Isherwood...

- Yes.

- Terrible.

We were in the cellar nearly all the time.

Holding each other.

We prayed so much, we got quite religious.

Ah.

Is the yodeller still there?

No, thank God.

The Nazis shot her.

It's the one good thing they did.

Another survivor, eh, Frulein?

Another survivor.

It was damaged a little.

But I mended it.

For you.

No. I couldn't.

Take it, please.

And when you look at it, you will think of Berlin.

And Frulein Thurau.

And smile.

Thank you.

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