Pay attention Nikske

You go

Have you hurt yourself?
Nikske: Holes! Holes! Hoooles!

Holes! There! There! Holes! Holes! Holes, boo-hoo-hoo!

Boo-hoo-hoo…

Okay, come on, we’ll take them off.

It isn’t serious, watch carefully, I’m going to repair them!

But… she knows how to do magic…

Hello!

Hey! Who’s that?

This is Nikita. She’s been asking me a million questions about you.

I’m going to call him Papa Moustache.

(silent)

Do you know, we’re invited to go to his house and eat dinner tomorrow?

But, actually mommy, why didn’t you go see your dad anymore?

This is impossible…I’m dreaming…they’re drunk…they’re dead drunk.

We bought some Magicolors but we forgot to buy paper!
Hello, Cecile.

Wow, they’re pretty nice! Are you happy, Nikita?
Welll…not really. I already have some.

Hello Nikske, what do you think of my new private spot?
Wow, that’s great! Really neat.
In the Brussels dialect, this diminutive of Dominique means ‘little nothing’. (This aside is in the text).

My neighbor loves me, that’s right, he loves me! I go…he loves me! He’s the one who told me to put my car there.

I hope you’re not afraid of dogs? ‘Cause Kimi loves children! So you know, I’m walking, you know, she sees a kid, she crosses the street! This dog, he’s unbelievable!

Watch this, I’m switching my “Télémoustique” for the “Soir Illustré” my downstairs neighbor gets!
And he just loves me, my downstairs neighbor!

He’s a real good animal. Not like that Doberman.

Watch out, huh? What a dog – 25 kilos!

But one day he gave me a bite on the ear. Well, maybe that was sort of my fault.

He wasn’t the kind of dog you play with. I think I’d gotten him a bit over-excited. I was sort of scrapping with him.

Yeah, but, listen, is it me or you who’s telling this story?

The day after, I had him put down. But you’ve got to understand, this dog loved me, I did what I could. But one day, he just went crazy!
Okay..I can see this one is also on the road to ruin.

I called up Veeweyde. They wanted to bring me the body. That? Not here with me! {aside in the text: Veeweyde is an animal refuge}

HA BRAVO VEEWEYDE, BRINGING THE BODY HERE, LET’S LEAVE IT, IT’S OKAY, YEAH?

But when it comes to helping out before we took the dog in the first place, they never mentioned that he was a night guard dog in a parking garage and that he was dangerous! They didn’t bother to do that, huh!
Hey, Papa Moustache, you’re not talking right!

Well, not Flemish, I’m from Bruxelles, but watch out, man, I’m perfectly bilingual!

And it’s for that same reason that I ended up doing my pre-prension work as a corporal with the fire brigade!

They were all disappointed when I left the service. THAT, I can tell you!

Jean-Pierre, we’re going to miss you! Everyone loved me there – CORPORAL, Dominique!

Yes, Dominique, yes!
Mommy?

WARRANT OFFICER!!
I want to draw.

What do you mean?
“On top”...that’s the Brusseleer! {Brussels mix of Belgian French and Dutch, as per Wikipedia)

But…no way, Dad!

No! NO! “On top”, that’s not correct…you have to say “onnn the toppp!”

Well, as far as I’m concerned, it’s just an abbreviation.

Okay, Dominique, have your way, let it go, I understand, let’s let this drop. I’m not talking about this with you any more, roger OUT!, anyhow it’s always been like this, you’re exactly like your mother, you’re two sides of the same coin.

Ha ha, she has long hair, your friend?
But..no? Why?

You just said that it’s your friend and that she has long hair.
Ha..no, that’s just a man.

But, Nikita, Cecile is right, you just said that -
ha, but mommy, it was just, you know, a little pretend.

WELL THEN YOU’RE A LITTLE LIAR!

WHAT IS IT, ANYWAY, MAKE BELIEVE? MAKE BELIEVE, IT’S LYING, IT’S LYING!

See you in a minute, ommy!
Jeez, if I say anything, there’ll just be another drama!

So, Dom, I hear you’re at loggerheads with your mother again?
Well, yes, you heard right.
[aside in the text: ‘dom’, in Flemish, means ‘animal’}

She told me she’s furious with you because you want to take on cleaning jobs.

She told you that? That’s ridiculous!

Hey, have you ever seen this?
Uh….no….

{silent}

{silent}

CRACK!

This thing here, this is the trunk from when I brought my stuff back from when I was with the pirates.

Anyway, you’re not going to tell me…she’s one of a kind, your mother!

That’s what I’m good for, huh?

Anyway, she’s always only thought of herself.

And you? And you, Dominique?

You, you, you were always in league with her!

I gave my all for you!

[silent]

I always recognized my responsibilities..

I gave you everything, I did everything I could for you…

I worked like a slave, day and night! Everything! I did everything for you!

[silent]

Everything!

That is to say, that is to say…

Thhhhat issssss toooo saaayyyy, thaaaat issss toooo saayyyyy!!!!!

That is to say…you aren’t going to come in here and be a ball-breaker!

But Dad…I didn’t even say anything!

You, with your highfalutin college-educated way of talking…Thhhat isss tooo sayyyy!!!!”

Well, what I wanted to say is that, all the same, the least of a parent’s responsibilities is to feed their children.

I have no responsibility, no obligation!

But…surely there are laws that say so.

NO RESPONSIBILITY! Nobody’s going to come in here and tell me what to do.

That’s none of my business.

Oh, what a cop-out…”That’s none of my business.”

But when she left me and was having her little adventures in the Ardennes, where was she living?

“It’s none of my business!” Oh yes… “It’s none of my business!” that’s the way you are, huh? “That’s none of my business!”

“That’s none of my business!” You have ALWAYS been on her side! “That’s none of my business!”

She really turned you against me.

And you all just let me go. It was like that, you can’t deny it!

Here’s a clear example, that even you can understand: you didn’t even visit me when I was in the hospital.

And you knew I was in there, didn’t you?

Listen – you couldn’t even be bothered to see me for four years. So why should I have to drop everything because you’ve decided to flush your health down the toilet?

I’m talking about the booze. You were in the hospital with cirrhosis and internal hemorrhaging because you were drinking too much!

NO, DOMINIQUE, NO! THAT WASN’T THE WAY IT WAS!

Oh, really? I passed you in the street one time, a year ago. You couldn’t even stand up. Cecile had to hold you up, just so you could walk.

We were just a meter apart, but you didn’t even recognize me!

LIES, DOMINIQUE! COMPLETELY UNTRUE! I wasn’t even drinking then.

Stop it! You are ALWAYS drinking!

Well, if you drink with the people you live with, that’s normal.

You wouldn’t believe it, but even Cecile and I sometimes argue.

We go sulk in our corners…

But one hour later, it’s over!

No, Dominique, no…that’s no way to live.

But anyway, I’ve always been on top of my responsibilities…

And I’ve always been an excellent father.

Can’t you admit even that?

I can admit…that you were a remarkable father.
It was down to me, anyhow, that every day you had something to eat.

Is it true, or false? And that, is true!

WHAT?

What did you say?
I didn’t say anything!

If you have something to say, it’s not worth your trouble to pussy foot around!
But I didn’t say anything!

I’m a good guy…but don’t go playing with my feet, huh? [note from translator: Brusseleer idiom?]

You don’t think I understand your little game?

Pay attention, okay! You can’t hold back…Oh yes, Dominique, it’s like that, and it’s no other way…I can guarantee, on my mother’s grave, you all abandoned me!

ALL OF YOU! All of you, Dominique, it couldn’t be more obvious, you all abandoned me!

But no, Dad…you were the one who abandoned us.

[silent]

And yet my father is really a pretty rational individual.

Throughout the night, they heard doors and window shutters slamming upstairs.

He thought that it was just a breeze, a current of air, and he shut them all, one by one.

But one hour later, they were open again.

This time, my father went back up, shut them all one more time. This time he checked to make sure they were all in good repair, that there wasn’t something wrong with them.

He’d barely made it back down the stairs when they started to open again, one after the other…

Then there was a noise, just one, hard to identify. The dog started to howl like mad.

My father went back up one more time and shut everything up. This was the third time he’d been up there. You’ll believe me when I say he felt seriously weird about the whole thing.

He took the dog with him, it was a fox terrier, and there…right in front of the door, the dog froze!

He sniffed under the door and his hair stood on end. I can tell you, that night, my father had a hard time getting any sleep.

So, in the end, he got up and wnt on tip toe to look at the dunes…it was at that very moment that he felt a kind of suction, right next to his ear.

Gulp…you want something to drink?

No, that’s okay…i’d rather get going, I’m getting hungry…If you want, we can go to your house, I’ll make you a little something…

You want a quick coffee? I’m making some for my Thermos.

How’s he doing?

He’s okay…

Oh really? And what’s she like?
She’s great, really…I don’t know…she’s special!
That’s all we want, you know, to see our son, happy with someone!

I hope we’ll see her around here sometime.

[silent]

Well, I think I’ll be off, now.

Something simple, but nice!

Simple, huh? You think we’re going to be finished making that sometime tonight?

Hold on…are you really single?

Single? Yeah, yeah…I mean, I was with the same girl for two years. But now, now I’m single, sure!

[silent]

Don’t you think it’s just…a little too much?

Yeah, but I like things you can make quickly…otherwise, you spend your whole life cooking!
Sure, but what kind of stuff do you eat? Give me an example of a dish you like to make…

When my son is around, I might make pasta with tuna…

It’s a dish that may sound simple, but deep down, has a certain complexity…

First, you need to fill a pot with water…

When that’s boiling, bam! I throw in the pasta, in one big handful…

That’s a good time to get the can of tuna open. There are a million brands to choose from, but I prefer ‘Saupiquet’.

There are plenty of options; in oil, no oil, you can choose…

Now it’s time to open a second can…this time, of tomato sauce.

You need to be on the lookout, if you want properly cooked pasta…I don’t pay much attention to the time they print on the wrapper.
I take a few pieces out with a fork so I can see for myself. If they’re okay, I run them under cold water for a second.

When they’re ready – al dente – you strain them, put them back in the pot, and mix everything together..serve it up in some nice deep plates, and there you go…

Very tasty…and VERY fast!

Don’t you get tired working like that? Two in the afternoon…that’s a horrible time to work, do you know the number of manual laborers who get injured at this time of day?

Silent.

Moustache! Get out of here!

[silent]

[silent]
Someone’s been calling…but when I pick up the phone, they hang up! It’s really annoying, and creepy.
Yeah, that happens sometimes, every once in a while you get a wrong number…

But I think I can hear someone breathing. There’s someone there.
Listen, if it happens again don’t pick up, just let the answer machine get it and stop worrying!

Things not going well? Is it work?

You know what? I wish I could just let everything go, I’m not made for this.

Come on, calm down, we’re going to have a lovely evening together! See?
Listen, there are other things in the world besides your daily life, huh? All this, it’s all well and good but it doesn’t really do anything, does it? I just feel like I don’t actually have the time to do anything with my life. I’m lost…I do a million things and nothing comes out of it…

Okay..well, anyhow, bon appetit!

[phone rings]

Uh…I’ll get it.

Hello?!

[silent]

Can you wait a second?

[silent]

Okay.

Sorry, but she…yeah, I know you know.

[silent]
I’ve waited, and waited…and you haven’t done anything about it!

I know it’s complicated.

But if you hadn’t waited like this, and not done ANYTHING…I wouldn’t have…but, well…

Well, me neither, I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve had enough! You shuld know, of all people!

[silent]

[silent]

So…is dinner ready?

Is that all you have to say?

It was her…the girl I told you about. I’m sure you could guess as much. She…well, don’t worry, I’m going to sort this out. What there is to sort out…when we talk, it’s just…we’re reminiscing. But…I don’t know how to say this..I can’t deal with the fact that she’s treating me like this, it’s too much! Even if it’s over…there’s a standard of common decency!
But when it’s really over…you don’t still cry over it, do you?

So, how long is Nik going to stay with us?
Well, until Sunday, as always. Herve will come to my place and pick her up.

And when is Xa coming back?
I don’t know, he likes staying at his mother’s house just at the moment.

Well, can I put Nik in Xa’s bed, then?
Uhhh….sure!

Mommy, I hate it here…that thing scares me!

[silent]

[silent]

Hee…

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

He’s not there? But I thought…okay, goodbye!

[silent]

[silent]

Mmmm…

I don’t like it…you know I love you but it’s not working…

[silent]

I feel empty…as if a part of me had died…
You can’t talk that way.

I feel like my life is over, like I can’t do anything…
How did we get to this place? Why did you leave just when things were starting to work out?
You need to know that you’re the one I love – no one else!

So why do you live with him, and not me?
But you also have someone new…we can’t always choose.

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

Okay…I’ve just got to do it.

[silent]

What are you doing?
I’m working on a new piece…

About…what?
A hypothetical encounter between Brian Wilson and Thomas Pynchon.

While waiting for the call from the journalist, letting him know where to go for the meeting (one call too many), Pynchon considers a snippet of poetry, inspired by a visit to Manhattan Beach, LA, fina (translator’s note: this last word is in the text but I don’t know what it means. This is a very difficult passage, not least because the writing – meant to evoke a character’s handwriting – is occasionally illegible.)

For this piece (the fragments of which he’ll organize later), Brian wears a California State firefighter’s metal hat. Some of the harmonies make him think of fire – this magic (and the acid he’s constantly absorbing) actually creates a fire.

And so this was the – illegible, looks like ‘finte’ – to come first, the destruction, while in a state of indescribable agitation, of the session tapes, the complete erasure – illegible after illegible – until only silence remained. The soft illegible of the tapes, illegible turning in the emptiness. (Check out the model for the tape resorder – Studio 3 – Western Recorders).

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

What’s up with you? Do you know her, or what?
What are you talking about? What have I done now?

I’ve starting to get really little sick of you never telling me the truth.
Jeez, let up a little! I really can’t see what I’ve done that…

[silent]

[silent]

Would you take me home, please?
But…why?

Guess!
Well, this works out just fine, actually…I need some time alone. I can’t deal with all these little fits of jealousy. If they were justified, fine!

Would you just take me home?

[silent]

Hi, it’s Michel.
I’m listening.

[silent]

[silent]

It’s me, Michel.
I’m listening.
I don’t know any more where I stand with all of this, I’m so uneasy…since we last saw each other, I’ve been weighing up the pros and cons…listen, I have something important to say to you. It’s over, with him. I’ve asked him to leave.
And? What then?
He’s gone!

Oh shit…it’s starting again!

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

Three migraines in two weeks…I’m going to lose my mind.

[silent]

Where the hell is he?

Should I go or should I stay here? No, I can’t go…

How are you?
Okay…and you?
It’s been five days since we last saw each other…I just couldn’t deal with it any more, I wanted to come see you.

But what then? Do you want all this to be over?

I don’t know.

Well, if you don’t know, I do. Let’s stop pretending.

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[silent]

[Sound effects: scratching]

What do you want from me?

I’m not sure it’s my place to say…I don’t know. I’m really hurting.