Le bonheur de Pierre

---

PIERRE, A HAPPY MAN

This story is both

beautiful and horrible.

Most stories are.

The world is full of contradictions.

Nothing exists, unless

its opposite exists as well.

Good rubs shoulders with Evil,

Life with Death,

and intelligence with human idiocy.

I know this dual world well.

I've devoted my life to it.

I am a quantum physicist.

You, I, him,

this table, them -

we are all part of one whole,

linked by a fascinating,

mysterious phenomenon:

quantum physics.

The infinitesimally small

is so small

that we come to doubt

that we even exist.

The discovery

of wave-particle duality

compels us to question

everything we think we know.

It is energy and it is matter,

but it doesn't become matter

until we observe it.

Fascinating!

All humanity and

our whole world could well be

merely the reflection

of our own thoughts.

Consciousness,

the mind, the soul,

could be an eternal flow

of energy

which is and

has always been.

Matter?

A grand illusion.

Reality?

Simply a question

of perception.

May I?

A briefcase. Thank you.

We know already

that we won't find

a car or a piano inside.

What is this?

- A sheet of paper?

No.

It's an airplane.

Now what is it?

A plane crash?

Good. You're getting the idea.

But no, it's a ball of paper.

It's also an airplane,

and it is still a sheet of paper.

And now?

- A sheet of paper?

Not at all. It's the account

for your tuition fees.

You see, everything depends

on how we perceive things.

The class ended 5 minutes ago.

I won't keep you any longer.

Thank you.

Hello?

Mr. Pbret!

It's been a while.

What can I do for you?

Died? I'm sorry to hear that.

It comes to us all, doesn't it?

To each in his own time.

Aunt Jeanne?

My Aunt Jeanne?

No, I haven't seen her

for ages.

Not since she left for Canada,

I was 7 or 8 years old.

It's pretty late.

Can't this wait

until tomorrow?

An inn?

All right. I'm on my way.

Aunt Jeanne in Canada...

Her death reminded me

that life goes by as quickly

as a day at the fair

the summer I turned 6.

Buried deep in my thoughts,

I rediscovered the small boy

who dreamed of adventure,

snow and lands far away.

Oh, yes. The phone.

Hello? Yes, darling.

I'm just leaving, darling.

Yes... No, darling...

I'm sorry, princess.

I was lost in the snow.

I mean, it's Aunt Jeanne.

Hello? Hello? Hello?

I'm leaving. Yes. I'm leaving.

That was my daughter Catherine.

Here was my chance

to take her far away

from Paris to a place

where I could teach her

my philosophy of happiness.

If I could convince her to come.

Darling, I'm going to Canada,

and so are you.

No. That won't work.

Princess, did I ever mention

Aunt Jeanne?

Well, she died and

we're going to join her.

That won't work either.

Catherine!

Yes, sweetheart.

No, I had to see the notary.

Yes. About a contract...

It's complicated. Yes, yes.

No, I know I shouldn't talk

on the phone when I'm driving,

but remember, you called me!

I'll be there soon. Yes. Yes!

Yes! What a temper...

Catherine, pack your bags.

The New World awaits us.

Canada! You're mad.

Why on earth did you agree?

The notary had already

left me several messages.

Who wants her cabin in Canada?

It's miles from anywhere.

An innkeeper in Canada.

Far from the big city rat race.

It would be good for me.

Your mind is going.

And your social instincts.

Hello. What?

He's going to let that inexperienced

slut do the interview of my career?

The man has no balls!

Correction:
he has got balls.

That's the problem.

Because the slut's main talent

is snuggling into his lap!

She mustn't write it alone.

Yes. Thanks.

Talk to you later.

Listen to this.

A picturesque village

with 400 inhabitants

on the banks of the majestic

Saguenay River fjord.

400? 1 ,200 people came to

the last party the paper threw.

A new life, isn't it great?

- No.

I have a life here in Paris.

And I think you should find

an apartment of your own

and settle down too.

You know...

Since Claudia left us,

I need to see you more often.

I know.

But four nights a week is a lot.

And Mother died 10 years ago.

I have my life to live,

I have a career, a boyfriend...

You say you don't love him.

- That's not the point.

He models in GQ, he looks like

a Greek god, that's all I ask.

Look! The will. Do you realize

we're the last of the family?

Stop carrying on about it.

You never saw

Aunt Jeanne again.

I can't!

My whole body feels orphaned.

My DNA's in mourning.

It's biological.

My every cell

howls in loneliness.

Right. Think about my DNA,

that'll calm you down.

We had more than enough

emotion for one night.

Sleep tight, Daddy.

Where's my Pekoe?

Oh, there you are, sweetie.

Time for beddy-byes?

Don't close the door.

Suddenly you're

afraid of the dark?

Sometimes I think you have

a mental age of 5.

I'll leave the door open,

but turn out the light.

Come on,

time for beddy-byes.

There we go, sweetie.

Good night, Daddy.

Good night, princess.

Know what?

To inherit Aunt Jeanne's estate,

we must meet one condition:

to live in the inn

for a year and a day.

Objection, Your Honour.

Please allow my client to serve

his time in his own country.

Lights out, please.

Or else all her property will go

to the municipality

of St. Simone du Nord.

What if it's

the call of the wild?

The only call I'm expecting

is from that rat Jean-Luc.

But not until tomorrow.

I'm going to sleep!

Lights, please.

Usually we turn it off

with the switch.

Princess! You're going to be

able to start your own paper.

Aunt Jeanne has left us

$1 ,673,000!

More than a million euros.

A million euros?

This is the call of the wild!

We have to get dressed.

- Let's get dressed.

Welcome to Montreal's Trudeau

International Airport.

It's 3:
20 local time

and the temperature is -22C.

Thank you for flying Air Transat.

On behalf of captain Bonin and all

the crew, we wish you a pleasant stay

and hope to see you again,

next time you travel.

On behalf of Air Transat,

thank you.

I knew full well that it was

the money that convinced her.

That was her only reason

for coming to Canada.

But I would show her

thejoys of nature,

wide-open spaces

and simple things.

Seen from the sky, everything

is small. Infinitely small.

It's obvious that

we are all linked together.

Is it over? Are we there yet?

One last short trip by car

and we'll be there.

Hello, hello! Michel Dolbec,

Mayor of St. Simone du Nord.

Ma'am.

- Hello.

This way.

Here we are.

And the last one...

Poor Pekoe. Such a long trip

for such a good dog.

It's like being aboard the QEII.

Will we dock tonight,

or tomorrow at dawn?

Dear God.

It's the end of the world.

It's so quiet.

- Oh yeah.

Quiet as the grave.

Hear that?

No. I don't hear anything.

Princess.

Daddy,

this isn't going to work.

Of course it is, sweetheart.

You're tired.

It's a long trip

and you're jet-lagged.

Climb out and look around.

They don't look French.

No, they look Eskimo.

Listen.

You go in the back.

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