“I'll be glad when this is over.”
Why it's great
He does not grieve out loud; he just wishes the hardest day were behind him.
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I'll be glad when this launch is over.
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Visiting Ronnie Before the Funeral, Explained
Another Year · 2010
Chapter 19 of 25 · 2'15"
Tom and Gerri visit Ronnie at home before his wife's funeral. He answers their questions in monosyllables — he's been eating only beans, and he'll "be glad when this is over." Talk turns to whether his son Carl will turn up, and he leaves it to the young man himself.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:33–1:14
Ronnie Before the Funeral
42s
Visiting Ronnie Before the Funeral, explained
What happens
Tom and Gerri call on Ronnie at his home before the funeral. They ask how he's managing and whether he's been eating; he says he's only had beans and that he'll be glad when it's over. The talk turns to Ronnie's son Carl and whether he'll show up, which Ronnie leaves up to him. The funeral director arrives to check on the arrangements.
What's really going on
The scene is all restraint, and that is what makes it heavy. Nobody says 'grief'; instead there is food and logistics. 'I'll be glad when this is over,' Ronnie says, which is as close as he comes to naming the day ahead. Gerri asks whether he has eaten, and he admits to 'some beans' — a small detail that says everything about how he is coping. Then the practical worry: will his son Carl come? 'The question is, if he'll turn up,' Ronnie says, and when Tom says it's up to him, Ronnie answers, 'He'd bloody better.' The anger and the hurt come out sideways, in one word, because nobody in the room is going to open the door any wider.
Key lines & what they mean
- “I'll be glad when this is over.”
- Ronnie's answer about how he's coping: not sadness but the wish for the funeral to be finished, which says more than a speech.
- “The question is, if he'll turn up.”
- Ronnie's worry about his son Carl: not whether he was told, but whether he'll bother to come.
- “Well, that's up to him.”
- A mild shrug from the others: if Carl chooses not to come, that's his choice to make.
- “How are you managing, Ronnie?”
- Gerri's gentle question, the kind you ask someone in mourning — practical care wrapped in a single word, 'managing.'
Theme
- Death & grief — Ronnie's flat lines and small answers — beans for dinner, 'glad when this is over' — carry the weight of the day ahead.
- Family love — Tom and Gerri's visit, the sandwiches, the beer and the talk of Carl all show family trying to hold him up.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
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Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“The question is, if he'll turn up.”
Why it's great
Doubt is left hanging in one short clause instead of being pushed at anyone.
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Use it yourself
The question is, if that job will still be open next week.
“Well, that's up to him.”
Why it's great
It sets a boundary without pushing, handing the decision back to the other person.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Whether we meet on Friday is up to you.
“How are you managing, Ronnie?”
Why it's great
It asks not how he feels but how he's coping, which is kinder and more useful.
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Use it yourself
Since your operation, how are you managing at home?
Up next · 20turned upThe scene: Carl Arrives After the FuneralTakeaways
What you walk away with- Be glad when means you want it over
- Turn up simply means to show up
- Up to him hands the choice back
- A load of just means plenty
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhat is the occasion of this scene?
It's the day of the funeral for Ronnie's wife. Friends and family gather at his home before the hearse arrives, and Tom and Gerri come to check on him.
Why does Ronnie say he'll be glad when it's over?
He is dreading the funeral. 'I'll be glad when this is over' doesn't mean he won't grieve — it means the hardest day, as someone calls it, can't end soon enough.
Why is Ronnie worried about Carl?
Carl is his son, and Ronnie isn't sure he will come to the funeral. He says the real question is whether Carl will 'turn up,' and even that he'd 'bloody better.'
What does 'turn up' mean?
It means to arrive or show up, often when the arrival is uncertain. Ronnie uses it about whether his son will come to the funeral.
How does the scene end?
The funeral director arrives, confirms the arrangements with Tom, and asks if Ronnie has the keys. Everyone is ready, and 'just the four of us' will go.