The Door Page #4

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your God doesn't want me to go.

It's a shame.

I'd like to see how you fit in a village.

Would you go out to the railway station

at Csabadul and walk along the ramp?

But if anyone asks about me,

don't chat, alright? I'm fine and healthy.

Good morning.

My uncle wasn't as impetuous as his daughter.

He kept everything for himself.

So he died young.

Emerenc is here with her little daughter vike.

This whole time we have not heard

any news of her life.

When she turned up with her baby,

who he knew nothing about,

we thought he would beat her to a pulp.

If he hadn't been recovering from a stroke,

he would've too.

Who's this child?

- vike.

- Who's child is it?

Mine.

How dare you bring your bastard

into the home of your parents?

Who made you pregnant?

Who did you roll in the hay with, you slut!

Who's the father?

What's the name?

vike.

There, yes!

In the end, he came to love the child

more than his real grandchildren.

He burst into tears when I took her away,

and never forgave himself

for letting the child be taken from him,

when she was so sweet.

Just wait till the truth comes out!

That's vike Grossmann.

That's the person

I was waiting for the other day.

She lives in America,

she sends me money.

That's what she looked like when I took her

home to Csabadul from Pest,

only now I don't want to see her face,

because she wouldn't come when I asked her to.

Yet if it wasn't for me, she would have

her head smashed against a wall

or been killed in a gas chamber.

Up until then

I was respected by everybody.

Well, you can imagine how pleasant it was

for me to have to tell my grandfather

that the baby that I'm carrying

in my arms is mine

and would you please feed her until after the war

because I can't provide for her in Pest.

You remember the

Jewish Laws, don't you?

Yes.

The old ones chose to drink yanide,

but the young paid to escape,

so they gave her to me,

and I took her home to the village.

Don't ask me what reception I got.

Take it.

You're a thief too?

You think because of the war

you can get away with everything?

They took very decent care of the child

for over a year.

And then the Grossmans came back

and I went to fetch her.

Poor things,

wanted to start their life again,

but in the end they went abroad.

And I said goodbye

to the little girl for ever.

Did you walk along the ramp?

Yes.

I had this heifer,

she was a sandy colour,

I looked after her

since she was a calf.

People used to laugh at me,

because she followed me everywhere.

But in the end

we had to sell her.

No! No!

No!

Viola! Viola!

Viola!

- What happened?

- People, the calf jumped off!

Viola!

Get up, Viola!

I want her to learn never to love anyone

because then no one of hers

will ever be beaten to death

and she won't jump off from anywhere either.

Go on home now.

We have talked enough.

Take Viola home with you.

The heifer was named Viola?

Go on.

The dog's tired.

Good morning!

Good day to you!

Give extra for the collection box

it's bound to count double at Easter.

I would be grateful if at least on Good Friday

you could leave me alone!

And when you've finished,

could you please cook the plum soup.

The fruit is out on the kitchen counter.

Why don't you try some sweeping?

After all you're off to church to weeps,

so you may as well do bit works as well.

Because there are two kinds of

people in this world:

those who sweep,

and those who get others to sweep.

Jesus swept.

Sometimes she irritates me so much

- forgive me Lord - I feel like killing her.

Although she is self-sacrificing

and generous.

Her goodness is natural,

whereas I was raised to be like that.

What I think is faith

is perhaps only discipline.

Why does everybody trust her

when she does not trust anyone?

Whereas everyone

looks at me with suspicion.

Just be more straightforward

in the words you use.

Whether you are asking or giving.

To people or to God.

I couldn't wait for you,

I was so hungry.

Good Friday was the only day

my father would fast.

Even the piano lid was locked

so nobody would start playing.

I keep this fast,

as you very well know.

Don't look so triumphant because

I haven't even tasted your chicken paprika,

and I'm not paying for it,

because I didn't order it.

It's a fine God you've got

if he judges with plum soup.

My God, if he exists,

is everywhere,

he is at the bottom of the well

and in Viola's soul too.

Now you listen to me,

because I'm about to strike.

The master's not got long to live,

you know that yourself.

There'll be no fasting in that house

- at least I won't be the part of it.

Princess of Plums.

Go on, go home.

It's Friday, you've got to read

the Bible in German.

Now listen.

I'm going to show you something

that no one has ever seen before

and no one ever will again

until I'm in the grave

If you tell anyone,

I will curse you.

The Grossmanns' safe?

That was pried open back when

the Arrow Cross Party was still in power.

Who's that handsome man?

That's the lawyer's son.

He's different from

what I have imagined.

He came to me one night. I'm on the run. Hide me!

I didn't ask him who was after him. I hid him.

Why did they look for him?

Well, they said he was a communist.

A few years later his

communist comrades took him away,

accusing him of

being a British spy.

But then later on

he became atop dog.

He never mentioned me in his biography,

though I was certainly part of it.

It was after he left that I found my tomcat

strung up from the door handle.

Well, another one came to replace him,

but than that one was poisoned,

I think by the same person.

So than I decided that a cat

doesn't have to go out,

he can live indoors

like a posh Pekinese dog.

Can't, for the life of me,

tell you howl manage to have nine.

They're prisoners but they're alive.

That's why I never open my door.

Because if the tenants here found out

I had to get rid of seven of them

because you're only allowed two.

When I die you must tell the vet

to put them all down.

Because you can't do more for a person

than to stop them suffering.

Suppertime!

We should invite her in!

She wouldn't come anyway.

The pavement has to be clear.

You haven't slept for days because

the God forsaken snow keeps on falling.

When you are done with this

you have to start over again.

- But you're ill!

- Alright... go home!

Emerenc, you should be in bed!

Go away.

Can't you see I'm busy?

You go home,

you look after the Master.

You do the cooking and cleaning

while this damned snow keeps falling.

It's nobody's business

whether I stay in bed or not!

I can't stand when they spy on me.

Yes?

Good morning.

Yes, she's here.

The Minister of Culture.

Is somebody pulling my leg?

Yes...

...yes, it's me.

Thank you.

Thank you very much!

Thank you!

He said he finished my book last night.

He likes it very much.

He told me I should ignore the critics.

They're only party soldiers.

He'd like to meet me.

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