One Summer of Happiness

ONE SUMMER OF HAPPINESS

The bitter wind of life-

- swept in over a child

in the prime of her life.

She sacrificed her life

on the altar of aberration.

The coming of the new age

has without mercy-

- swept in over our

quiet corner of the world.

But what was

the point of this sacrifice?

Only God knows.

He may have meant

for it to be a warning.

He may have wanted to say:

Heavy is the price

for ruthlessness...

...aberration and selfishness.

Heavy is the price for the seducer.

Truly I say unto you:

Whosoever shall offend one of

these little ones that believe in me-

- it is better for him that a

millstone were hanged about his neck-

- and he were cast into the sea.

God's punishment is hard on man.

But it is better

that one person should succumb-

- as a horrific warning-

- than that the entire people

should perish. Amen.

It's so cold.

And summer was just here.

It will never return.

Summer can't last, even if

you would give your life for it.

Do you remember when

everything was in bloom, Kerstin?

An eternity ago...

...where the beautifuI

girls all reside. Hurrah!

Hi! Congrats!

- So you made it.

- Get up here.

We're proud of you, Gran.

It was an embarrassment

that you only got a B in math-

- but we'll have to forgive you.

You've earned some rest now.

Marianne was there - sweet as candy.

She said I'd come back

with a tan and smelling of hay-

- and that she'd be waiting,

faithfuI untiI death.

Four cheers for Gran!

Marianne won't wait that long.

Sing of the graduate's glorious day

Let us rejoice

in the time of our youth

While all our hearts

still are beating strong

And the bright,

shining future is ours

There's no time for gloom

in our hearts and minds

A few days later,

when things had settled-

- I went to

uncle Anders's farm to relax.

Out in the sticks with the simple

people, like my dad always said.

- Do we have to listen to that noise?

- That coffee-grinder sounds worse.

It's easier to take

with the smell of coffee.

You're up early today.

It's only 8 o'clock.

When in Rome... Up with the lark.

- Be carefuI or he'll hear you.

- AII I do here is sleep.

- Shouldn't you get dressed?

- Are you having a reception?

We're planting potatoes today.

Care to come along?

No, but I'll plant

some flowers if you want me to.

Good morning. StendaI.

Step up and say hello.

- Gran StendaI, my brother's son.

They got their last name

from the farm.

They only liked the name

and moved into town.

- And took the name with them.

- They couldn't take the farm.

- I'm Kerstin.

- Let's eat.

- Is that the help you're getting?

- Yeah.

Do you have a coverall

I can use, Sigrid? I'll tag along.

You changed your

mind all of a sudden.

You won't plant flowers

among the potatoes, right?

There you go.

Don't give Kerstin any ideas.

She's from a decent home.

Mine isn't all that bad, either.

And you said you wanted help.

Right...

- It's not all that warm.

- Just wait untiI this afternoon.

Get these bags up there.

Knock it off! You're not big enough.

Get a better grip.

There.

- Don't look so spitefuI.

- Do I?

How old are you? Fifteen?

Fourteen and a half. And you, sir?

Don't be so formaI.

We're all familiar around here.

Except with the minister.

We call him "Reverend".

- I'll soon be twenty.

- I'll have to call you "uncle".

- Is your back hurting yet?

- Don't you have machines for this?

Not when you only have 40 acres.

Don't get dirt on your fingers.

We don't have much of that here.

You're doing well.

What do people do

for fun around here?

- Fun?

- Dancing and such.

I'll go stir crazy

if I can't be around people.

People go dancing

by the lake during summer.

What about the rest of the year?

Do you hibernate?

You get so tired

that you just go to bed.

There's a meeting

at the schooI tomorrow.

I'll have to go and check it out.

- Do you find this boring?

- Yeah, don't you?

Are you happy here?

Of course I'm happy.

- Are you helping me out?

- Not at all.

- You think I can't keep up?

- Of course you can.

- It's a lovely piece.

- My hands are pretty useless.

Planting potatoes makes you stiff.

Let Kerstin sing something.

- She's a reaI song-bird.

- I can't.

You can't?

- She sings solo in church.

Come on. Which song?

- I don't know any songs like that.

- You could do...

What's it called? "Just a day,

and just a single moment"...

Do that one.

Uncle? How old is Kerstin?

Kerstin? Well...

- You're seventeen.

- What did she tell you?

- Fourteen.

- She's been pulling your leg all day.

- I have to get back home.

Maybe so. Goodbye and thank you.

Goodbye.

- Will you go to the schooI tomorrow?

- I don't know.

- I don't think they'll let me.

- What? They won't let you?

Young people are funny, Sigrid.

When he was singing...

...she wouldn't take her eyes off him

and watched him with her whole face.

- She'll show up tomorrow.

- That's all we need.

What?

Right...

Hey there.

You're going to the schooI, right?

I'll give you a ride.

So she didn't show up?

Who?

I just had a look around. Who's

that strange fellow down there?

That's Torsten.

He's been a bit slow since birth.

- The Fredriks took him in.

- Are you spying on me?

No, I was going to the schooI to

see what the youngsters are up to.

- What's the meeting about?

- The youngsters have this club.

- Do they do anything in particular?

- It's an amateur theater club...

...and they have a study circle.

They just want to play together.

- The farms are far apart.

- Will there be dancing tonight?

At the schooI? Are you insane?

The minister's already upset.

He feels that the only union-

- that God has blessed is marriage.

- And people buy that?

- The religious people support him.

What about you? Where do you stand?

Try to figure that one out.

Are you coming to the schooI?

- It's a backwater place.

- I don't really know.

Don't let the Fredriks hear you.

They toe the line for the minister.

- Why don't we go inside?

- Why are we out here?

- The schooI's locked.

- Go get the key.

- Klas went to get it.

- Did you get the key?

The meeting's off.

The minister won't give up the key.

- But we got permission.

- Let's break the door in.

Calm down!

There's no use getting all worked up.

- We'll have the meeting on Wednesday.

- Hell no, let's show the minister.

We'll show him!

I think we should go home.

Don't let him pass.

This road is closed.

- Please step aside.

- No, no... Stay there.

Damn minister...

I told you to step aside.

RascaI!

Calm down!

- What are you doing?

- The minister closed down the schooI.

I don't see how he can keep

people out of a public building...

- ... but this won't solve anything.

- There won't be any more meetings.

We can't just stand around here.

You can have my old barn. Fix it

up and have your meetings there.

- Thank you.

- Come. I have a suggestion for you.

Uncle Anders suggested that the

club would take over his old barn-

- and turn it into a meeting place.

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