Tatarak Page #2

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Do you remember that

Christmas before the war?

That was so joyful!

So much enjoyment,

so many children.

Your two, the three of mine.

Alina, and, well,

Henryk was still alive.

And Alina's fine.

Her husband's a commie.

I wonder if he'll let her

see her brother.

The girls rather yes,

but surely not the sister-in-law?

Dear God, what a time!

And the river flows...

Let's go now. Let's go.

Yes, he will see you.

What is your name?

All right. Please, do not worry.

Yes, he will certainly see you.

Thank you.

Hello, doctor's house.

No, I'm afraid not.

But he's on duty at the hospital.

Yes, if it's serious,

please go to he hospital.

Yes, yes, he will certainly

see you there, he's on duty.

What are you doing?

Do not go in there, please!

I'm sorry. I wanted to tidy the room.

Like you told me to, Madam.

I told you to tidy everywhere except

in that room. Haven't I told you that?

If I haven't, I'm telling you now.

Please, do not enter that room.

- I'm sorry.

- We do not go in there.

Here. Excuse me.

- See, they're looking at us...

- Because you always...

Like yesterday... with the fellows...

the whole town...

I expect you'll come

to Warsaw, like every year,

on 1 st August to visit the boys' grave.

Yes, yes, I'm planning to,

like every year.

Forgive me, Marta.

You have nothing to reproach

yourself with.

None of that was your fault.

Nor mine, nor anybody else's.

Nobody could have predicted

the uprising would break out.

Nobody could have predicted that.

But I couldn't stop them.

Nobody would've been able to.

Not even I. This is how we raised them.

I still see them

like it was yesterday...

I'm sorry.

How was your day? Was it all right?

It was fine.

I postponed that patient's

appointment to Monday.

Thank you.

He called three times.

Asked if it was for certain.

- Here, have some.

- No, thank you.

- Maybe you'll have some jam?

- No, thank you.

You know what,

I think I'll go to bed, all right?

I'm so tired. Excuse me.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- What time are you leaving?

- Early.

All right them. Have a good night.

Why, are you alone today?

No, no, please, sit down.

I'll sit down too.

Thank you.

It's such a lovely place, isn't it?

Why are you alone today?

Halinka has left.

And who is Halinka?

It doesn't matter.

She's a student and she

always knows better.

And I'm just a simple boy, after all...

- Are your parents alive?

- No, they aren't.

They died during the war.

My grandmother raised me.

She raised a splendid boy.

I'm sorry, I don't know

why I get such silly ideas.

- Where did you go to school?

- In Elblag.

I trained as a raftsman.

But wouldn't you like

to do something else?

Now you start talking like Halina.

I'm not meant to be anything else,

don't you see?

I'm a born raftsman - water inspector

and that's that.

And what does she want from you?

She wants me to read books

and walk with her in the moonlight,

along the river.

- And you would rather play bridge?

- Sure I would.

I saw you two at the stage

the other day.

Exactly.

I'd also prefer you to learn

and read books.

I do read sometimes but there's

nowhere I could get books.

I can't buy them. And, what's worse,

I have to send cash to my grandmother.

Why don't you take books from me?

We have some books.

My husband buys and has them delivered,

but he doesn't have time to read.

They just lie there uncut.

Thank you.

So when are you going to come over?

She just thinks she's

so high and mighty.

She'll be a university lecturer and

tells me that she's ashamed to be

with a blockhead like me. I don't mind

being a blockhead.

I don't need any science to live.

I feel good the way I am.

If she wants to marry me, that's fine.

And if she doesn't, that's fine too.

But you are too young to get married.

Too young, too young.

That's exactly what she says.

But I can't change that!

Why don't you come over tomorrow.

- Do you know where we live?

- I do, I do.

- Right behind Krakowska Gate.

- Everybody knows where the doctor lives.

Do you swim?

I do.

I don't know anyone I could swim with.

Maybe we could meet

one day at the river.

I must go now.

But do come over.

This one's made with an oak leaf.

This one's with an oak leaf.

This one with currant.

And she said her pressure

was going up.

Here, this one is with cherry.

Horrible, so sour these ones.

They taste the same.

And every year when

I make pickles she comes over

to get something for blood pressure.

Lets' go. You shouldn't be sitting here.

Don't you feel any shame?

Aren't you ashamed to be alive?

Because I'm ashamed of myself thinking

of all the deceased, of our sons...

There are so many young people

around now, and they're gone...

They wouldn't be so young any more.

They would probably be married.

Apart from them, there would be

some young women around our house.

How awful!

I detest young women.

That's so pompous.

Let's go. You needn't get so upset.

I am always filled

with such terrible shame

when I see such a young life around me.

Youth is shameless.

You are forgetting one thing.

Life turns into death so easily.

Good night.

I didn't believe he would die,

but he did die.

It's been seven months

and I still don't believe it.

He told me that...

that there was something in his lungs,

it was on the stairs, in our home,

after breakfast, casually,

while he was walking by

on the stairs.

Whaaat! - I shouted.

How do you know?!

Calm down, quiet.

Don't shout.

The kids will hear.

I got the pictures. Chest X-ray.

I'm going to the lung CT-scan today.

What time?

- In the afternoon.

- When will you get the result?

- Right after that or in the evening.

- But I'm playing.

Take it easy. I'll call you.

We met later that day at the Theatre.

I don't know...

He brought some tiles,

went to get some pipes.

I called him in the afternoon.

- Have you got the result?

- No, it will be ready tomorrow.

The doctor wasn't there.

I won't be able to pick it up tomorrow,

the plumber is coming.

He'd been building the theatre

for two years.

He stayed up with the workers at night,

while I went home to be with kids.

The Theatre had been open for some time,

but he kept building it and coughing.

He told me it was an allergy to dust.

On 10th June he took his tests.

I got off the phone,

got into the car...

...and went to the lab.

There were only some doorman

and some lab assistant there. I said:

I'm begging you, please, help me.

Show me my husband's results.

No, I can't. I can't,

not even to a wife.

Personal data protection.

I can't.

Anyway, the results aren't ready yet.

The doctor was absent today.

But, please, show them to me.

After all, you do know all about that.

I can't. I can't,

not even to a wife.

It was a bearded man, in the afternoon?

Yes, Edward Klosinski.

He left. He came back.

It's very bad - he said.

Very bad.

We'll get it ready as first tomorrow.

You may collect it then.

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