Kolja Page #3

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cops will get interested.

I knew I was being stupid.

I could feel it in my bones.

I'm sorry, Mr. Louka.

But you'll be all right,you'll see.

The boy will stay with the aunt.

And when should I expect them?

- Who?

- The cops.

I'd say soon.

[ Thunder Rumbling ]

[ Knocking ]

[ Loud Knocking ]

[ Louka Panting ]

Frantisek Louka?

- You're this boy's father?

- ''Father?''

The lady he was staying with

is downstairs in our ambulance.

She's had a stroke. She

says you'll take over.

But I'm only a distant father.

I mean to say a stepfather.

That's your problem.

Sort it out yourselves.

She sent him here while

she's in the hospital.

[ Thunder Rumbling, Rain Pattering ]

[ Boy Sniffling ]

[ Sighs Deeply, Exhales ]

- Come on then.

- [ Sniffles ]

Don't just stand there. Come on in.

Mr. Broz, have you heard?

Oh, so you do know?

Then come fetch him right now.

This wasn't part of the deal.

- [ Babies Crying ]

- We can't solve this on the telephone.

Drop by tomorrow.

I can't hear you.

- One night won't kill you.

-[ Crying Continues ]

Give him a bath and put him to bed.

Screw this.

[ Thunder Rumbling ]

You have some slippers?

Something to wear indoors?

A fine conversation this is going to be!

This is all I needed.

Here they are.

Slippers. Yours.

Take your shoes off, see,

and put your slippers on.

- [ Sniffling ]

- Look, stop snivelling.

I'm not thrilled myself.

Stick it out for one night here...

and then it's off to the gravedigger's.

He got us into this and

he'll damn well get us out.

There you go.

Look what we have here.

Some crayons and paper. You can draw.

Why don't you sit down

and draw something?

Draw. Come on, draw!

So, stare out the

window. What do I care?

Be pigheaded then. Take a good look.

[ Sniffling ]

Eat.

At least drink your tea.

Tea.

Russian tea, what you

people drink nonstop.

I put sugar in it.

Don't pretend you don't understand.

You must understand something.

We're both Slavs.

I don't speak Russian,

you don't speak Czech...

but you must understand

the word ''tea''.

We have it, you have it.

We use the same word.

There you go.

Now we're getting someplace.

[ Radio Announcer] At the moment there are

- [ Sniffling ]

- on the territory of our homeland.

[ Clicks Off]

[ Sniffling ]

Stop snivelling and sleep.

One night won't kill you.

[ Sniffling, Whimpering ]

Fine. Be that way.

[ Broz ] She was against

the wedding all along.

- Who was?

- Marus, my wife.

She kept saying, ''You'll

get him into trouble.''

She was right about that.

She was.

So I can't ask her to

take in a fifth child.

Mr. Louka, our place is

a madhouse these days.

Try to put up with him.

I'll take 2,000 crowns

off what you owe me.

No, three, 4,000.

And what am I supposed to do with him?

Can't that woman with

gold teeth take him in?

Pasha? Been back in Leningrad for ages.

Look, his aunt will be out of

the hospital in a couple of weeks.

Keep the boy. It's

in your best interest.

That's why the aunt

left him with you--

for your own sake.

Looking after your wife's child

makes your marriage look genuine.

To whom, exactly?

The police, when they interrogate

you. And they will come.

- Have you been questioned before?

- No.

I was. Once.

The first cop was real nice.

The second one was named Novotny.

He was sharp as a razor.

Sooner or later they'll come for you.

And they'll grind you

down slowly but surely.

When my old mother taught me to sing

She would often weep

[ Rumbling Sound ]

[ Loud Thumping ]

Mr. Louka, you didn't put up the flags.

You said you'd do it and you didn't.

I've been too busy.

I'm doing concerts every

day for the workers.

Well yes, but you're the only one

who didn't do it. All the others did.

What a nice little boy.

Who do you belong to, then?

He's my nephew.

What's your name, dearie?

He won't talk. He's terribly shy.

I don't care about the flags...

but you're drawing

attention to yourself.

I'm a coward.

Last year...

I didn't give a damn and it was okay.

But we mustn't give them any

excuse now we're in the sh*t.

[ Russian ] Ours, yours.

What did you say?

[ Russian ] Ours. Yours.

So you can understand when you want to.

The thing is, we put up

your flag because we have to.

Once we put it up in gratitude.

But that was before we realized

that you Russians are scoundrels.

You understand? No, you don't.

You're expansionists!

Wherever you march you stay.

But not you, you'll

go back to your aunt.

The moment she gets better I'll

pack your chemodan and you'll be off.

[ Russian ] ''Chemodan.''

That's all the Russian I know,

because they stole mine in Moscow.

You steal suitcases

and other people's land.

[ Russian ] Ours is red.

What's so beautiful about it?

It's red like your underpants.

Now ours is beautiful.

- [ Russian ] Ours is red.

- You don't understand a thing.

Look what I bought you.

- Russian eggs.

- Russian?

Some Czech hens...

lay Russian eggs, and

they don't even know it.

[ Knocking ]

[ Russian ] Grandma!

Hello.

- I've come for my lesson.

- Today?

- Isn't it convenient?

- No, it's fine.

It's just that I have a visitor.

[ Laughing ]

- Is he your little boy?

- No, no.

- A grandson? - Of course

not. I'm babysitting--

I'm baby-sitting for a

colleague from Leningrad.

The boy is Russian.

- [ Russian ] Hello, kid.

- Hello.

- [ Continues ] What's your name?

- Kolya.

[ Chattering Continues ]

Shall I begin?

We'll put the light on

so you don't get scared.

And here's a steamboat.

[ Steamboat Sounds ]

[ Steamboat Sounds ]

[ Cello Stops ]

[ Russian ] Ours is red.

So we're putting up flags after all!

Tamara Komarova.

Nurse, take the child out.

[ Speaking Russian ] Am

I going to see Grandma?

She died yesterday.

At seven A.M.

You're her... what?

Nothing. Just an acquaintance.

We didn't know where to send her things.

Dressing gown, teeth,

spectacles, watch--

[ Russian ] Where's Grandma?

Grandma is asleep.

We mustn't wake her.

[ Russian ] Faster.

[ Man ] Write to the Welfare

Office and have him put into a home.

Say you're his stepfather.

His mother has left,

and you can't look after

him due to your job.

Or put him in kindergarten.

He can't stay here.

- Look what he's drawing.

- A coffin, isn't it?

It's not a bad drawing.

Gentlemen, the bakery won't wait.

[ Klara Singing ]

[ Chattering, Laughing ]

Are you his dad or his granddad?

His granddad.

Fill out these forms and send them...

to Comrade Zubata at Social Services.

- And when do you

think--? - I can't say.

I don't understand.

You say the boy is from Yugoslavia.

His parents let him stay

with you, Just like that?

So he'd see the Czech countryside.

And why is he called Kolya?

That's a Russian name.

Kolya is short for Nikolai, Mom.

It can be a Yugoslav name too.

- Couldn't he stay here for a few days?

- No.

He's pale.

He'd have the fresh air

and he'd be company for you.

[ Mother ] What's the world coming

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