- Note to people: The song is originaly in french. The title of the song, ''Ti-cul'' cannot really be translated. Word-by-word, it says Lil'-butt. It means something like teenager.
Note to Matt: chester got some problems translating my text. He may have translated word-by-word some things that doesn't make sense in english, etc. He said himself he did a rough translation. It was just to inform you.
EDIT: Though I don't see anything translated wrong...
- Lyrics: see attached file
- Number of words:
French version: 2310 words
English version: 2281 words (cool)
Lil'-Butt
David Andrew returned home, wet from head to heels. His mother was waiting for him with a panicked look on her face.
- Where were you? It's past midnight! I hope you arrived safely at the university to pay for the next semester. Well, did you pay?
- Yeah yeah, there was more people than expected over there. I also was standing in the wrong waiting line, so it took more time than it should have.
- Next time, I will definitely not let you go without the butler. I was very worried, especially since you had about $5000 dollars in your pockets! I thought you got robbed or beat up, you know!
The young man walked towards the living room, threw his backpack beside the couch, then walked slowly towards the stairs leading to his room. Gisele, his mother, was still at the door looking at her son. He seemed troubled and tired, lost in himself.
"Listen David", said his mom right before he got on the first step, "I know very well that you do not like studying law. I understand your feelings, we all were forced at one point or another to make decisions that didn't seem to be the best ones at first sight, but please, you have to trust me! Your father and I only want you to live in prosperity later on in your life. This is why we want you to become a lawyer, and you have to keep pushing towards this goal. Please, don't give me a long face, it's the best choice for you, especially since you have a talent in this domain."
The mother and her son were now staring at each other. Her eyes were desperately waiting for a comforting answer. David slightly opened his mouth and shook his head:
- You have, absolutely NO idea of what I'm feeling right now.
He then walked up the stairs one by one, as if each word was pounding with his mother's heart.
That was definitely not the recomforting answer she was looking for. Gisele was now alone, still standing at the front door, thinking of a way to cheer David up. She strolled to the kitchen to prepare some tea before going upstairs to have a talk with him.
The lawyer to be was already in bed when Gisele entered his room. His wet clothes laying on the wood floor, she hurried to the butler, telling him to dispose of them. She returned to the room, and David was now sitting on his bed, his back against the wall. Gisele sad down next to him, and put his tea cup on the desk next to his bed.
- Dave, I know that you're upset. You told me a million times that you would rather become a comedian or an actor. If only you knew how much these people suffer everyday! Becoming an actor will not make you happy in life.
She felt as if he was still as lost as when he arrived home, but now he seemed somewhat tormented. She knew very well why : David would have loved to spend those $5000 to enter in a movie school instead of bearing with another law school semester. After all, it seemed like he was living only to become a comedian. Even with that in mind, she was strictly against such decisions. To keep her hopes high, she kept reminding herself that one day, maybe, her son will thank her for not embarking in this masquerade that is the work of actor.
- Mom, said David, I think I should tell you something. I don't think that I passed all my finals last semester.
Gisele, dreaming of seeing her son thanking her, was now listening to every word he was saying, with a shocked look on her face. Yet she still managed to stay calm.
- I don't even know, continued David, if studying in law school is even a good thing, mom. Since I was young, I wanted to become an actor, not a lawyer. Don't you realize that everything I did before entering university was somehow linked to being a comedian or an actor? Being on the school's improvisation team? My cinema courses in high school? That never crossed your mind before?
- No! When you were in high school, I remember the time when I had to come pick you up, because you had smoked too much. THAT, was the event that made me set up limits and barrier on your paths, that's when I decided to get you in law school. Because I think that you deserve more than ending up in a rehabilitation center, and playing Mr. Comedian while saying that you don't have a drug addiction! Anyway, you don't even know what kind of people you should hang out with, you would have never started to smoke if you had gotten better friends.
- So that's the only thing you remember about me last year? When I smoked a joint at school?
- I also remember when you'd shut yourself in your room all the time to listen to Pink Floyd, I think. You like Pink Floyd a lot, don't you?
David sighed. He then shrugged, and passed his hand on his face.
- Yeah, Pink Floyd... I see you know me a lot, I'm your son after all, right? I really don't understand why you want me to become a lawyer. I'm your son, and you barely know me! I guess you didn't even realize how much I was dedicated to all my projects that were in link with becoming a comedian. That's why I'd become a good actor, mom! I work so hard when I think about this, if only you'd realize it! But you? Nah, you don't like anything about that. Instead, you change subject, you tell me about law school, and making money, and the day when I'll become an actor, like you don't even care about the life that I want to live! Why must you ruin my dreams, why can't you realize that I simply do NOT want to become a lawyer?
- But David, we can't all live our dreams! And as the years go by, you'll learn to love being a lawyer. You have to believe me, the same thing happened to your father!
- What if... I didn't want to become a lawyer? Hey, have you thought of that one?
- Just make an effort, ok dear?
Gisele took off the top sheets on her son's bed, and asked him to try to go to sleep. David sighed deeply again, his eyes closed. He wanted to keep this discussion going a bit longer, but he was resolved to the fact that such a conversation with his mother would go nowhere. He laid himself down, and let her talk, awaiting the moment when she would finally leave.
- It's everything that you do in university that counts, said Gisele while kissing David on the forehead. If you fail too many classes, they'll end up kicking you out. And since you already completed one semester in law school, it would be absurd to change your field of studies. If you did that, in the end you would have lost a year of salary! That's a lot of money, dear...
She got up, picked up the 2 tea cups, still full, and walked towards the door. She turned off the lights, and turned around, basking in the hall light to give a few last words to her son : "One day David, you'll understand why I'm doing this".
David poured himself a cup of coffee, and went to sit down in front of his mother in the dining room. He was mute, still harassed by what she had said the night before. Gisele broke the heavy silence, coming back on the same topic.
- Ok David, I thought about what we talked about yesterday, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in taking theater classes during your vacation.
The teenager's eyes migrated across the table, from his coffee to his mother's face. He was skeptically staring at her, frowning, just wondering why she decided to suddenly help him.
- You know, yesterday you were talking like you never had a dream of your life, said David. "We can't all live our dreams!", my as s! As if we're all destined to do a job that we don't like! Like you, and dad who decided to make money instead of trying to grasp your dreams! Even if I did go take theater classes, you still do not push me to do what I really like. You still want me to become a lawyer, and work with piles of papers like all those brain dead workers that spend their whole lives in a tower just flipping pages and pushing pencils! Disgusting! Well you know what I think of this kind of life? I think it's not worth living, it's just a pile of...
- O.K., breathe, relax!, said Gisele, interrupting her son. Look, I wanted you to do this theater business during your vacation to see if you really did have some talent. Not anyone can become an actor. What I really had into mind was to make you enter in a movie school or something, if you really had potential. Son, you have to know that I also had dreams. I wanted to be a musician, perform in front of a huge audience and become famous. Perhaps I didn't hang on to that dream as much as you do right now. Nonetheless, I know that I didn't have much luck, unlike you. My parents systematically rejected the idea of me even playing an instrument! Your father and I decided that you could have a taste of your dream during your vacation.
- You would never EVER let me go to movie school, not even in a hundred years. You're giving me false hope, and it's really pathetic.
- Son, you can't rely on acting to live long and prosper, we already discussed that. Don't you even want to at least try it just once?
- No! And I can't believe how much this family only thinks about money! You want me to make a lot of money, that's the only reason you sent me to law school. Hey, you don't need a lot of money to be happy, you realize that? Do you even realize that?
David closed his eyes, took a long breath.
"And you know what, it's already too late".
He stood up quickly, walked to the front door, put on his sneakers, and left the house.
Too late?... Have I ruined his dreams?, wondered Gisele. Did I just act like my father, does he still want to become a comedian?
The mother suddenly sensed sickening shivers springing down her spine. She grasped her cup, her took a long coffee sip.
Well...too bad, I guess., she told herself. How in heaven's name could I have been nicer? I offered him to take a course in theater and cinema... Well, I just hope he soon sets his mind on becoming a lawyer.
♫
A month later, the evening before the start of the new semester, Gisele had organized a crustacean meal for the family. She went to David's room to tell him to come and eat. He wasn't there.
The room was in order, everything in its place. It was still unusually empty. On the bed was a letter with a small gift packaged under it. She took the letter without knowing what it was, but she still read it with attention, knowing it was destined to her.
" I never told you that, mother, but I wanted to leave far far away, and this for a while now. I want... no, I need to become a comedian, not a lawyer, and I know I can become one. The day that I was supposed to go to university to pay for tuition, last month, I decided to go to a travel agency. With the $5000, I bought plane tickets, and kept the rest to buy stuff for when I would move. I'm happy that you didn't realize that I was lying when I told you that I paid for university, but you gave me hope. Now I believe that one day, I'll be an excellent actor!
I wondered, when I bought the tickets, if I had done the right choice. I doubted my acts for about 2 or 3 hours, right before I had this... conversation with you, the other night. One thing is sure, I didn't have a shadow of a doubt when I went to bed that night. You showed me how much you didn't care about me, just about the money that you wanted me to earn later on in life, etc.
It's alright now, I'm legally allowed to take care of myself now. I found an apartment somewhere in the country, looking for a good opportunity to work in the movie field. Don't worry about me, or my "future". One day, you'll see me on your television set, and then on the big screen. I will probably change my name for something more catchy, artistic. I don't really like the name David Andrew, I thought I could rather be called Jack Berry. I'm writing all of this so that you do not panic, just know that I'm alright.
Also, I left you a little gift so that you may remember me. I'm sure that you will like it a lot, mother.
David"
Gisele put down the letter, and unwrapped the little package. Inside was an album, "Pink Floyd - The Wall". She smiled, as she had never gotten the occasion to get this title. Her father didn't want her to buy it, he wanted her to learn the value of money at an early age.
Holding the present firmly with her two hands, she looked around her son's room. There was about 6 or 7 Iron Maiden posters. There were no Pink Floyd posters.
He... he liked Iron Maiden, not Pink Floyd...
A tear rolled down her cheek. Gisele then realized that she didn't know her son all that much. She also realized that it was useless to try to keep him from doing what he wants any longer, because he had already succeeded at life, even more than his mother; he found a way to live his dream.
Thanks to chesterr01 for translating my Mini-WWYP originally in french
Note to Matt: chester got some problems translating my text. He may have translated word-by-word some things that doesn't make sense in english, etc. He said himself he did a rough translation. It was just to inform you.
EDIT: Though I don't see anything translated wrong...
- Lyrics: see attached file
- Number of words:
French version: 2310 words
English version: 2281 words (cool)
Lil'-Butt
David Andrew returned home, wet from head to heels. His mother was waiting for him with a panicked look on her face.
- Where were you? It's past midnight! I hope you arrived safely at the university to pay for the next semester. Well, did you pay?
- Yeah yeah, there was more people than expected over there. I also was standing in the wrong waiting line, so it took more time than it should have.
- Next time, I will definitely not let you go without the butler. I was very worried, especially since you had about $5000 dollars in your pockets! I thought you got robbed or beat up, you know!
The young man walked towards the living room, threw his backpack beside the couch, then walked slowly towards the stairs leading to his room. Gisele, his mother, was still at the door looking at her son. He seemed troubled and tired, lost in himself.
"Listen David", said his mom right before he got on the first step, "I know very well that you do not like studying law. I understand your feelings, we all were forced at one point or another to make decisions that didn't seem to be the best ones at first sight, but please, you have to trust me! Your father and I only want you to live in prosperity later on in your life. This is why we want you to become a lawyer, and you have to keep pushing towards this goal. Please, don't give me a long face, it's the best choice for you, especially since you have a talent in this domain."
The mother and her son were now staring at each other. Her eyes were desperately waiting for a comforting answer. David slightly opened his mouth and shook his head:
- You have, absolutely NO idea of what I'm feeling right now.
He then walked up the stairs one by one, as if each word was pounding with his mother's heart.
♫feel the beat♫
That was definitely not the recomforting answer she was looking for. Gisele was now alone, still standing at the front door, thinking of a way to cheer David up. She strolled to the kitchen to prepare some tea before going upstairs to have a talk with him.
The lawyer to be was already in bed when Gisele entered his room. His wet clothes laying on the wood floor, she hurried to the butler, telling him to dispose of them. She returned to the room, and David was now sitting on his bed, his back against the wall. Gisele sad down next to him, and put his tea cup on the desk next to his bed.
- Dave, I know that you're upset. You told me a million times that you would rather become a comedian or an actor. If only you knew how much these people suffer everyday! Becoming an actor will not make you happy in life.
She felt as if he was still as lost as when he arrived home, but now he seemed somewhat tormented. She knew very well why : David would have loved to spend those $5000 to enter in a movie school instead of bearing with another law school semester. After all, it seemed like he was living only to become a comedian. Even with that in mind, she was strictly against such decisions. To keep her hopes high, she kept reminding herself that one day, maybe, her son will thank her for not embarking in this masquerade that is the work of actor.
- Mom, said David, I think I should tell you something. I don't think that I passed all my finals last semester.
Gisele, dreaming of seeing her son thanking her, was now listening to every word he was saying, with a shocked look on her face. Yet she still managed to stay calm.
- I don't even know, continued David, if studying in law school is even a good thing, mom. Since I was young, I wanted to become an actor, not a lawyer. Don't you realize that everything I did before entering university was somehow linked to being a comedian or an actor? Being on the school's improvisation team? My cinema courses in high school? That never crossed your mind before?
- No! When you were in high school, I remember the time when I had to come pick you up, because you had smoked too much. THAT, was the event that made me set up limits and barrier on your paths, that's when I decided to get you in law school. Because I think that you deserve more than ending up in a rehabilitation center, and playing Mr. Comedian while saying that you don't have a drug addiction! Anyway, you don't even know what kind of people you should hang out with, you would have never started to smoke if you had gotten better friends.
- So that's the only thing you remember about me last year? When I smoked a joint at school?
- I also remember when you'd shut yourself in your room all the time to listen to Pink Floyd, I think. You like Pink Floyd a lot, don't you?
David sighed. He then shrugged, and passed his hand on his face.
- Yeah, Pink Floyd... I see you know me a lot, I'm your son after all, right? I really don't understand why you want me to become a lawyer. I'm your son, and you barely know me! I guess you didn't even realize how much I was dedicated to all my projects that were in link with becoming a comedian. That's why I'd become a good actor, mom! I work so hard when I think about this, if only you'd realize it! But you? Nah, you don't like anything about that. Instead, you change subject, you tell me about law school, and making money, and the day when I'll become an actor, like you don't even care about the life that I want to live! Why must you ruin my dreams, why can't you realize that I simply do NOT want to become a lawyer?
- But David, we can't all live our dreams! And as the years go by, you'll learn to love being a lawyer. You have to believe me, the same thing happened to your father!
- What if... I didn't want to become a lawyer? Hey, have you thought of that one?
- Just make an effort, ok dear?
Gisele took off the top sheets on her son's bed, and asked him to try to go to sleep. David sighed deeply again, his eyes closed. He wanted to keep this discussion going a bit longer, but he was resolved to the fact that such a conversation with his mother would go nowhere. He laid himself down, and let her talk, awaiting the moment when she would finally leave.
- It's everything that you do in university that counts, said Gisele while kissing David on the forehead. If you fail too many classes, they'll end up kicking you out. And since you already completed one semester in law school, it would be absurd to change your field of studies. If you did that, in the end you would have lost a year of salary! That's a lot of money, dear...
She got up, picked up the 2 tea cups, still full, and walked towards the door. She turned off the lights, and turned around, basking in the hall light to give a few last words to her son : "One day David, you'll understand why I'm doing this".
♫feel the beat♫
David poured himself a cup of coffee, and went to sit down in front of his mother in the dining room. He was mute, still harassed by what she had said the night before. Gisele broke the heavy silence, coming back on the same topic.
- Ok David, I thought about what we talked about yesterday, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in taking theater classes during your vacation.
The teenager's eyes migrated across the table, from his coffee to his mother's face. He was skeptically staring at her, frowning, just wondering why she decided to suddenly help him.
- You know, yesterday you were talking like you never had a dream of your life, said David. "We can't all live our dreams!", my as s! As if we're all destined to do a job that we don't like! Like you, and dad who decided to make money instead of trying to grasp your dreams! Even if I did go take theater classes, you still do not push me to do what I really like. You still want me to become a lawyer, and work with piles of papers like all those brain dead workers that spend their whole lives in a tower just flipping pages and pushing pencils! Disgusting! Well you know what I think of this kind of life? I think it's not worth living, it's just a pile of...
- O.K., breathe, relax!, said Gisele, interrupting her son. Look, I wanted you to do this theater business during your vacation to see if you really did have some talent. Not anyone can become an actor. What I really had into mind was to make you enter in a movie school or something, if you really had potential. Son, you have to know that I also had dreams. I wanted to be a musician, perform in front of a huge audience and become famous. Perhaps I didn't hang on to that dream as much as you do right now. Nonetheless, I know that I didn't have much luck, unlike you. My parents systematically rejected the idea of me even playing an instrument! Your father and I decided that you could have a taste of your dream during your vacation.
- You would never EVER let me go to movie school, not even in a hundred years. You're giving me false hope, and it's really pathetic.
- Son, you can't rely on acting to live long and prosper, we already discussed that. Don't you even want to at least try it just once?
- No! And I can't believe how much this family only thinks about money! You want me to make a lot of money, that's the only reason you sent me to law school. Hey, you don't need a lot of money to be happy, you realize that? Do you even realize that?
David closed his eyes, took a long breath.
"And you know what, it's already too late".
He stood up quickly, walked to the front door, put on his sneakers, and left the house.
Too late?... Have I ruined his dreams?, wondered Gisele. Did I just act like my father, does he still want to become a comedian?
The mother suddenly sensed sickening shivers springing down her spine. She grasped her cup, her took a long coffee sip.
Well...too bad, I guess., she told herself. How in heaven's name could I have been nicer? I offered him to take a course in theater and cinema... Well, I just hope he soon sets his mind on becoming a lawyer.
♫
feel the beat♫
A month later, the evening before the start of the new semester, Gisele had organized a crustacean meal for the family. She went to David's room to tell him to come and eat. He wasn't there.
The room was in order, everything in its place. It was still unusually empty. On the bed was a letter with a small gift packaged under it. She took the letter without knowing what it was, but she still read it with attention, knowing it was destined to her.
" I never told you that, mother, but I wanted to leave far far away, and this for a while now. I want... no, I need to become a comedian, not a lawyer, and I know I can become one. The day that I was supposed to go to university to pay for tuition, last month, I decided to go to a travel agency. With the $5000, I bought plane tickets, and kept the rest to buy stuff for when I would move. I'm happy that you didn't realize that I was lying when I told you that I paid for university, but you gave me hope. Now I believe that one day, I'll be an excellent actor!
I wondered, when I bought the tickets, if I had done the right choice. I doubted my acts for about 2 or 3 hours, right before I had this... conversation with you, the other night. One thing is sure, I didn't have a shadow of a doubt when I went to bed that night. You showed me how much you didn't care about me, just about the money that you wanted me to earn later on in life, etc.
It's alright now, I'm legally allowed to take care of myself now. I found an apartment somewhere in the country, looking for a good opportunity to work in the movie field. Don't worry about me, or my "future". One day, you'll see me on your television set, and then on the big screen. I will probably change my name for something more catchy, artistic. I don't really like the name David Andrew, I thought I could rather be called Jack Berry. I'm writing all of this so that you do not panic, just know that I'm alright.
Also, I left you a little gift so that you may remember me. I'm sure that you will like it a lot, mother.
David"
Gisele put down the letter, and unwrapped the little package. Inside was an album, "Pink Floyd - The Wall". She smiled, as she had never gotten the occasion to get this title. Her father didn't want her to buy it, he wanted her to learn the value of money at an early age.
Holding the present firmly with her two hands, she looked around her son's room. There was about 6 or 7 Iron Maiden posters. There were no Pink Floyd posters.
He... he liked Iron Maiden, not Pink Floyd...
A tear rolled down her cheek. Gisele then realized that she didn't know her son all that much. She also realized that it was useless to try to keep him from doing what he wants any longer, because he had already succeeded at life, even more than his mother; he found a way to live his dream.
Thanks to chesterr01 for translating my Mini-WWYP originally in french
