Ésimésac

ESIMESAC

Back then, in my village,

families popped kids by the dozen.

The only form of contraception was postponing delivery.

Mrs. Gelinas carried her last one a long, long time.

Then he was born.

He was strong.

Real strong.

But he was missing the one thing that always follows you everywhere.

He had no shadow.

Except for his sister Marie, who perched on him like a bird,

to teach her brother to fly.

What's for dinner, Mom?

Misery, as much as you can eat.

Same as yesterday.

The house specialty.

Where's your sister?

Marie, supper!

The house specialty.

- Can you plant... - Stop!

- Hot water? - Yup.

And salt and stale bread to dunk in it.

As long as the family's together.

Yeah.

Misery loves company, as you know.

GENERAL STORE Beer and Flies

Supper, dear.

Does your calendar balance?

Hard times seem to drag on forever.

A crust of bread.

- We're done for. - Come, come. This too shall pass.

- Eat up. - Things were going so well.

What went wrong?

It's the financial crisis.

It must be real, everyone says so.

Crisis, sure. But what about the butter?

A financial crisis doesn't dry up a cow's milk faucet.

I love you.

Our garden had better grow,

or we'll be in trouble.

Garden? We haven't sowed it yet, Mom.

But,

some people don't even have misery to eat.

Everyone's in the same pot.

Was it always like this?

You're born and then starve the rest of your days?

Esimesac, you never knew the good times.

You're only two.

Why's he the oldest if he was born last?

I carried him longest.

I remember when we ate our fill.

Me too.

You're short, Meo.

I'm not asking for charity, you know.

Mark it down, I'll pay later.

No credit. Do you cut hair on credit?

Long hair, you can ignore,

but hunger gnaws at you.

I've nothing to eat, so I have to drink.

- Another pint, Hubert? - No, I'm broke.

A glass?

- No thanks. - A thimble?

- Pour me a nip. - Coming up.

The blacksmith buys flour.

The smithy's different.

He's rich as the queen

thanks to the bomb skirts he makes.

Bomb skirts?

Bombshells, for the war.

Says he'll pay with produce.

Problem is my garden doesn't produce.

Then let's go grow our gardens.

We could pool together.

It's true we each work our own plots.

I say, instead of division,

we should try addition.

Addition?

Addition, Toussaint.

Yeah, pool our tools and sow one big garden.

One big manure pile...

You're good at weeding, he's free in August... Let's do it!

If everyone pitches in to help,

the sum will be greater than our separate totals.

You lost me, but it makes sense.

It's strength in numbers.

Whoever wants to eat this Fall, join me tomorrow behind Garceau's.

Come on, Marie.

Sure is smart for a kid born last year.

It's 'cause he's old for his age.

And he sure is strong!

Look, the queen has a nosebleed!

He can make England bend.

Not a shadow of a doubt.

Easy for him, he has no shadow.

- Hubert! - What?

Don't say that.

The Good Lord didn't give him one.

Sorry.

A shadow's size often matches the pride of the person who wears it.

The village blacksmith

was famous as the strongest man in Saint-Elie de Caxton.

But the only opinion he truly valued was that of his daughter,

Anna Domini.

We'll plant Caesar salad,

mashed potatoes, french fries,

and baked potatoes.

- Baked potatoes? - Sure thing.

Sow 'em in tin foil.

We'll plant peppermints...

Bottles of gin, cans of soup...

We'll plant...

Apples of your eye, jelly and pie.

Sacks of flowers and oats...

Horse slippers and pigs' ears...

For happy boys and girls!

Can we grow whatever we want, Esimesac?

The fruit's not in the seed, but how you grow it.

Here's to how you grow it!

Some say nothing will grow.

Too stony, the soil's poor.

We'll clear them stones.

- To the stones! - Quit toasting,

and start destoning.

I'm going to plant carrots, OK?

Perfect, Marie.

Anna?

Yes, Dad?

Look how shiny it is.

A new penny?

No, an old nickel I straightened.

Fine work, don't you think?

Very nice.

Money's lost it's glitter?

It's not worth more because it shines.

I work for a living.

I'll earn a buck for this nickel.

I know you have to work. Like everyone.

What do you mean?

They're all clearing a field

to make a community garden. They're working too.

A community garden?

I don't want you involved.

Growing iron is a better bet!

As long as I make bomb casings, we won't go hungry.

- Mr. Riopel. - Our new priest...

Where is this famous garden that the parish is toiling over?

The garden?

Over there, fourth field on the right.

Just behind the Garceau place.

Have they boondoggled you too?

I was asked to bless the seeds.

Esimesac drafted you for his big green dream?

- Not at... - I'm fond of team sports.

But sowing seeds in a gravel pit is a waste of time.

It wasn't Esimesac who asked me, it was your daughter.

You mean Anna?

I always wondered, do seeds grow better if they're blessed?

Does that mean the crop is pre-blessed?

You re-bless it before the harvest.

Just as I thought.

It's like applying a blessing primer.

I don't know if I can move it.

I'm sure you can, Esimesac!

No shortage of sunshine here.

Not a cloud since May.

Somebody must've left their rosary on the clothesline.

Did you try hanging out wet clothes?

Whenever my mom put out her laundry, it rained.

We even asked the witch to summon rain.

Nothing.

Her spells are weaker since Babine joined the circus.

Well,

that's another story.

Ready.

Come, Marie.

- Go, Esimesac! - You can do it.

Think of all the hungry mouths.

That'll give you strength.

Holy cow, he's strong!

Still amazes me.

No shadow, lots of muscle.

His little sister told me he's so strong,

you don't smell his farts, you taste 'em.

Been playing in the sandbox?

Didn't I tell you not to?

You should come too.

- Esimesac says... - Esimesac!

Think he's going to save the world?

He doesn't spend his days shining pennies!

Nothing's ever grown in this soil.

Hoe it alone or together, it's nothing but rock.

Our land inspires our dreams.

Can't wait to see you eat dreams come winter.

Franks and dreams, pebble pie...

A bitter burp.

A cavernous belch.

You don't understand!

We need a gizmo to fetch water.

A gutter or something.

No, we need a water tank.