Mute (Néma)

FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF GOD'S GLORY

How you doing, my son?

Son? Cat got your tongue?

'Been a while?

Yes.

Want me to give you a hint?

No, I remember.

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

Uh-huh.

And how long has it been since your last confession?

I don't remember.

A long time.

Since I was a kid.

Well, take it easy - it's like riding a bike.

Son...

... the day is rolling by...

... and I have company coming for lunch.

Actually, my company is bringing lu...

Father, I may have committed a terrible sin.

What's your sin, my son?

I don't know.

You'll have to tell me.

MUTE

I'M DEAF AND MUTE. CAN YOU GIVE ME A RIDE?

How far you going?

I know which way, but...

... how far are you going?

Can you read lips?

HOW FAR?

A hundred kilometres or so? But which city?

Whatever. Just tap me on the shoulder when we get where you're going.

... if you know, that is.

I know, I know. Phone lines down.

But today I almost wish I were you.

Father, I'm sorry this is taking so long.

I'd speed it up if knew how, but I don't.

That's allright, son. I'm interested now.

But your company...

Will wait while I'm doing the Lord's work.

Son, did this man rob you?

No.

Unless you count my peace of mind.

Does that count?

Most assuredly.

What did he do?

Nothing.

Looked out the window.

What did you do?

Talked about my wife.

I mean...

I complained about my wife.

I ranted about my wife.

I spewed about my wife.

He was a deaf-mute, don't you see?

I could say anything.

He was deaf, he was mute, and I thought he was asleep, for Christ's sake!

Sorry, Father!

What exactly did you say about her?

I told him she was...

... fifty four.

And I'm fifty.

We've been married twenty-six years.

One kid, a daughter.

My little Kinga.

She goes to college now.

I don't know how I'm going to keep her there, because...

... two weeks ago, my wife...

It turned out she had a lover.

Without a warning.

A teacher. She calls him Cowboy Rob.

Turns out a lot of those nights I thought she was at the Book Circle...

... she was "riding" with Cowboy Fucking Rob.

She's fifty-four!

That's what I can't get over, it means she started up with this guy...

... what guy, a fucker... ... at fifty-two!

His name's Robert, by the way.

Fuckin' fifty-two!

Wouldn't find her medicine without her bifocals, for Christ's sake!

And she's fucking this guy!

I gave her a nice house, a car...

... and she threw it all away to get drunk and shag this douchebag, who is...

... - wait for this - who is fucking sixty!

I'm on the road a lot, that much is true.

Over three hundred days last year.

Kid applied to college... ... she was on her own.

It was all my fault.

All of it.

So good you're here.

These things had to come out.

I could've spoken them aloud to the empty car, but...

... it wouldn't have been the same.

Do you understand that, father?

Of course I do.

Proves that confession is good for the soul.

And what else did she do, besides sinning with this...

... Cowboy Rob?

Well...

... there was the underwear.

She bought underwear.

Hid them in the guest room closet.

It was full of them... Full of panties.

She said Cowboy Rob was a real "panty-man".

I think she would have gone on, told me just how that worked...

... but I got the picture.

But it was the good stuff! Lots of quality underwear.

I imagine she took her pills when she put on her latest panties, and...

The funny thing is, a lot of it hadn't even been worn!

It was their foreplay, fuck! Collecting panties!

And it's not the worst part of the story.

When I asked about the money, we got to the real problem. Embezzlement.

Embezzlement?

She worked for Education Office in county.

Not far from their Motel where they played their dirty games.

What was her job?

She was a financial assistant. Right next to the boss, who was a political dumbass.

Couldn't even add two numbers.

So Barbara had control over that vast amount of money.

Thatís how she ended up embezzling.

You awake, buddy?

I take that as a no.

Where was I?

Yeah, the auditors started investigating...

... it turned out in no time.

I asked her how she could spend that money on panties.

I didn't feel angry, I was honestly curious.

Her answer kicked me in the ass.

They got interested in the lottery. Wanted to make it back that way.

They must have bought more lottery tickets than anyone in history.

More than two thousand in november, she said.

One time-this was in January, while I was out on the...

... road trying to earn back the price of the coat I got her for Christmas...

they went out for poker... ... and lost a big amount.

But, she said, they didn't like that so much.

Lottery was their favorite.

They were plugging in more and more because it never worked.

Pathetic. isníit?