The House on Chelouche Street Page #3

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I would give you a ring for each

finger. I would give you my life.

But I don't own my life.

And I don't know

what will happen to me tomorrow.

You're right. You shouldn't.

You have enough trouble.

Nisso, trust me.

Come on.

Your wish is my command.

You don't want to? Fine.

I'll try again tomorrow.

What is it, Sami?

I think the drill is broken.

It's bent.

Hold on, OK?

How is everything, Sami?

Sh*t.

- No change?

Yes, there's a change. In the hole.

- Which hole?

The drill hole.

Sami, if you don't fight them,

they'll sh*t all over you.

They'll end you.

Do you hear me?

I can see you here,

sitting by the same drill,

making holes.

What's with that chanting

over there, max?

Sorry, sir? -Stop playing

your games. Do you hear me?

Grossman... -Shut up! I don't want

to hear another word from you!

I'm sick and tired

of your jokes.

You're affecting my workers here.

I don't know what you

want from him either.

And you, if you don't

go back to your job,

you can go home,

and don't bother coming back!

Come on!

- Stop yelling, Grossman.

You're not scaring anyone.

Stay there.

Stay where you are, I said!

Don't yell, Grossman.

This is not a sweatshop.

Shut up

and get back to work.

This isn't the workers' union,

either.

Not the union?

We'll make it the union.

Max, Are you organizing

a strike?

I'll kick you out, Max.

I'll kick you out like...

like a dog!

What are you doing, Asher?

Get back to your grinder. Now!

This will not end well, people.

Get back to the grinder, I said.

I'll call the police!

The police?

What are you doing in there?

Get out! Join your friends!

Sami, are you coming with us?

Where to? -We're going to the

union building. The Brener House.

Do I have to go?

Only if you want to.

Should I stay?

- You don't have to, Sami.

Hello.

- Hello.

Am I interrupting?

No. Come on in.

You told me I could come here

if I wanted to.

Sit down.

Are you not working today?

We're striking.

- Striking?

I'm going to have lunch. Want

some? -I already ate. Thanks.

And then?

- And then I left the Kibbutz.

And your husband? -Stayed there,

growing corn and his own belly.

Do you ever see him?

- Not for a long time now.

I thought of moving to a Kibbutz

once. -Maybe. Why not?

But you left after 10 years.

- I did, yes.

The sense of camaraderie.

- Huh? -A sense of camaraderie.

Sonya doesn't have a sense

of camaraderie. She's a loner.

I didn't love them enough,

so they didn't love me.

And you prefer being alone?

- I don't know. Right now, I do.

I can do what I please, and not

what the members' assembly decides.

Alone.

No family of 200,

no husband. And they all know what's

best for me, how I should live.

Who I should love,

who I should talk to.

Our back yard

is just like a Kibbutz.

A family of 50, and a mother.

And you can't read at night,

or have even one moment to yourself.

There's no where to run.

And everyone's giving you advice.

Yes, but I don't know.

- What's that?

What I want to do with my life.

- I don't know yet, either.

And I'm 25.

When I was little,

I wanted to play the piano,

But there wasn't one in the Kibbutz,

so I played the violin.

I played it for 10 years,

and...

When it's time, you'll know.

Maybe.

And if you don't,

that's fine, too.

For instance, I know now

that I have to go to work.

Finally...

it's over.

What time is it?

- Six o'clock, I think.

It's late.

I thought I'd be able

to finish the book.

Finish it tomorrow.

Did you like it?

Not so much.

Why not?

I didn't get it, I think.

How can she sell herself

to all those old geezers for money?

She'd be better off

working in a book store.

No, I mean,

I get the money part, but...

How could she,

without loving them?

How could they,

without loving her?

It's not the same thing.

If it were me, I couldn't do that.

- Couldn't do what?

Have you ever been in love?

I don't know.

Do you have a girlfriend?

I used to,

but now I'm abstaining.

Abstaining?

I don't care about that anymore.

I mean...

Going out, watching a movie,

walking on the beach,

and then all that...

I'm not interested

in the girls I know.

Well, I would stay,

but I have to go.

My mom will be worried.

She...

Yeah, you'd better go home.

"Warning:
A Jewish soldier

imprisoned by the enemy

"was sentenced by the British

conqueror to a flogging.

"If the punishment is executed,

British officers will suffer.

"Signed:
The Nationalist

Army Organization. "

Sami.

What are you doing here?

Think of your mother! Running

around in the dead of the night.

Jackass! Camel!

Sasson, where are you?

I'm here, Abu Jaber.

Through there, quick! Run home!

Who were these people, Sasson?

What do I know?

Nobody. Let's go.

Go to the pharmacy tomorrow

and get everything on my list.

Don't worry, Clara.

Jacko will be fine.

- I hope so, Doctor. I hope so.

He's such a good boy.

How's he doing, mom?

- How's he doing?

If you were here,

you would know.

But mom, I...

No buts. I know where you were,

and I don't want any of this!

I don't want that.

Leave that for others.

All I need now

is for you to get caught.

Where are you going?

Come on, sit down.

I want to talk to you.

Mr. Goldfein said you haven't

been to work for two days.

That's right.

And you didn't tell me anything?

Where do you go every morning

with your backpack?

What do you do all day?

I go to the workshop.

- You go to the workshop.

And you don't work?

We're on strike.

- On strike?

What strike? Do you want

Goldfein to fire me too?

But everybody else... -You're not

everybody! Don't be like them!

But how can I not?

- You can, Sami. You can.

If I can,

you can also stand it.

Think about your mother.

- But what do you want me to do?

What do you want me to do?

You told me to get a job, I did.

I didn't decide on this strike.

- Don't yell at me.

I can't do this anymore, Sami.

I don't have the energy for this.

You're not helping me, Sami.

What's going to become of us,

max? -I truly don't know.

This strike has gone on too long.

That can't be good.

You don't think we'll win this?

Look, we want Goldfein to sign

an agreement with the union.

That much would be

an accomplishment. Winning...

look, even if Goldfein gives us

a raise of a dime a week,

you'll keep drilling holes,

Asher will forever cut metal

and me...

No, Sami. At least you can leave

and get a high school diploma.

You can go to night school

or learn a profession.

But what will I do for bills?

There's plenty of Goldfeins

out there. You'll find something...

The face!

Punch him in the face!

In the face, in the face!

- Communist!

Go back to Russia!

You want more?

No.

Take off your shirt.

Go get cleaned up.

That's what you look like.

Are you sure I can stay here?

- I'm sure.

Unless you'd rather go out

on the street during curfew,

and be thrown in jail

for the night.

With a mug like yours...

the Brits will never let you go.

Sami.

Sami.

Sami.

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