Mother Kusters Goes to Heaven Page #6

When he lost all restraint lying

under my sheet

But a guy caught his eye

and he gave me the boot

What could I do

but part with the brute?

I want a new man

a real one with zest

Who knows a girl's worth

when she's giving her best

Men, they forget

us women so quick

That skin of theirs

is so damned thick

Women are women

from their heads to their toes

But sadly, with men

you're not clear how it goes

Come on, Mom! Let's go!

I checked out the place.

It's a perfect location.

Near the opera house facing away

from the street, and quiet.

Just what I've always wanted.

Then you were lucky.

The tram stops just round the corner.

I can get to work in ten minutes.

The furniture's nothing special,

but it'll do for now.

We can add things as we go along,

or replace them.

And we can move in tomorrow!

Ernst, your wife's in an awful hurry.

Don't be sad, Mom. It's not far.

We can phone, and you can come visit.

Chin up, my boy! Don't worry about me!

Come on, dear! We have to pack!

Ernst!

Mrs. Ksters!

I was just walking past...

and I thought I'd ring.

I hope you don't mind?

On the contrary, Mrs. Ksters.

We're always glad to see you.

Would you like something to eat?

I've just made some sandwiches.

- Thanks.

- Come in!

It's all so hard for me.

When you have someone at your side

for 30 years...

you don't need to talk much.

And the worries weigh only half as much.

Why don't you come to us

with your troubles?

The main thing is to get them off

your chest.

Yes. I feel so lonely...

so abandoned by everybody.

Since my husband's death...

the whole family's broken apart.

My daughter was always on the move...

but I thought,

now that she works in Frankfurt...

she could at least live with me.

Even if she does work in that dive

and drags her father's name in the mud.

And now my son...

has moved out with his wife...

and I'm all alone in that big apartment...

talking to myself.

- Good evening, Mr...

- Good evening, Mrs. Ksters!

I happened to be passing

and I thought I'd ring.

Yes, that's fine.

Why don't you come along with us?

We're meeting some comrades

for a glass of wine and a chat.

But I'm not prepared,

and I'm not dressed right.

Nonsense, Mrs. Ksters!

Things like that are not important to us.

Outward appearances don't count with us.

Well, all right...

if you don't mind...

I'll come.

Hello, Mom!

I thought I'd drop by.

That's nice. Come in!

- How are things with you?

- So so.

How's the little one?

Good. He screams like all babies.

That's how it is.

And how are you?

Oh, you know.

I'm alone a lot.

I'm sorry about that, Mom.

Nonsense! You don't have to be sorry.

It has its good sides.

You have time to think when you're alone.

Yes.

- You know, I've joined the Party.

- What party?

The German Communist Party.

But, Mom!

You needn't worry.

They're ordinary people. They talk to me...

and they take me seriously.

Yes, they take me seriously.

I don't know much about politics,

but they try hard to explain it.

The business with Dad, too.

And why?

Out of the kindness of their hearts?

Everybody's out for something.

Once you realize that,

everything becomes simpler.

I want them to be nice to me...

and to talk to me,

and if they want something from me...

that's only fair.

I don't dare tell Helene. She'll throw a fit.

You don't have to tell her.

Just try to understand it yourself.

I'll try.

They give me strength

when I sit here all alone...

with my thoughts eating away at me,

you understand?

Yes, Mom. I understand you.

I keep thinking of Dad...

and what he did.

And slowly, I begin to understand

why that happened with Dad...

and all those around him.

And that helps me.

It's important. You understand?

Sure, Mom.

You know what's important for you.

I don't blame you.

I'd better be going. Bye!

- My love to Helene and the baby!

- I'll tell them, Mom.

...for socialism can neither

be improvised...

nor brought about

by a putsch or conspiracy.

It can only be the outcome...

of struggle of the working classes

and the people.

What the workers experience...

in the present state of crisis...

helps them develop

their class awareness...

and prepares the ground

for the class struggle.

The more the Party identifies

itself with the working masses...

the closer this struggle will come.

We therefore demand...

the securing of jobs...

by increasing mass purchasing power.

We must put up resistance

in the factories, in municipalities...

on the streets and in the squares.

We condemn the profiteers

and the big combines.

Stop the extortion

by multinational oil companies...

which exploit our people...

and destroy jobs with price fixing!

It's not wages that determine prices.

It's the monopolies.

No more short-time work

and factory closures!

We demand an end to mass layoffs!

Dismissals without the provision

of alternative employment...

must be forbidden by law.

Our Party urges all workers, employees...

union members, Social Democrats

and Young Socialists...

to join forces in combatting...

those responsible for the impending...

social crisis.

Not the farming people and workers

are our enemies.

We all have a common enemy

who robs and exploits us.

Capitalism.

Nobody's safe from sackings

and price increases.

Let us act together.

Today rather then tomorrow.

Let us act now!

Thank you, Comrade Tillmann,

for your interesting remarks.

Today, we are able to illustrate

his theoretical analysis...

with an authentic case.

I'd like to welcome Mother Ksters...

who joined our Party a few weeks ago.

You all know the tragic case of

her husband, Hermann Ksters.

She has volunteered

to speak to you today.

Good evening, everyone!

This is the first time I've ever

spoken to so many people at once...

and I'm not as good a speaker

as the others...

but I can explain, I think...

why I joined this party at my age.

I must confess...

it's not because of politics,

which I know too little about...

but because of the people...

I've found among you.

And these people have told me...

that we mustn't accept

everything as God-given...

that it's not all fate.

I believe them, and that's why I'm here.

I have come to realize...

there's a reason for everything...

for all the terrible things

that happen in the world.

I was married to my husband for 40 years.

That's a long time...

but much too short as well.

Because, what did I do all those years?

I did what was expected of me...

what is expected of every woman.

I had children, kept house and so on.

And Hermann did...

what was expected of him.

He went to work...

went to war...

And that was the way of things.

But is that life...

I ask myself now?

Is that really life? Or did we just live...

in the way others wanted us to live?

Was that really our life? I don't know.

Down in the valley...

all you see is the mountain.

But up on the mountain...

you can see many valleys...

and mountains.

Forty years...

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