"And what if after so much history, we succumb, nay, not to eternity, but to those simple things, such as being at home or sitting down to think!" "THE SHAME" "It's 7.00 a. m." ""Today'', with carlos Francino for Cadena Ser." "The investigation into the death of four workers would seem to point to..." "Manu..." "Manu!" "Shit." "Dammit!" "There's no water again." "There was a minute ago." "If you want to drink there's a jug in the pantry." "Manu..." "It's dark in here, isn't it?" "Did you sleep alright?" "The water's been cut off again but there's some for your medicine." "Have you been up long?" "Did Pepe oversIeep?" "He had to help me with my science homework." "Have you had breakfast?" "He was supposed to help me." "OK, get it ready," "Pepe'II be in now." "Did you tell Manu you would help him?" "Dammit." "I forgot." "I took a sleeping pill and..." "Today's Friday." "We have the weekend." "Isn't today that school holiday, Saint Thomas or something?" "Yes." "If you're not helping him, tell him." "He's been waiting." "Hi, I'm sorry, last night I fell asleep late and..." "I'II have my coffee and we'II finish your homework." "It's not here." "The workbook." "Yes, it is." "Yesterday we almost finished it at Rocio's." "Maybe you left it at Rocio's." "No." "Have you looked in the other backpack?" "tell you what." "Have you had breakfast?" "I need a coffee." "I'II have one and help you look." "Hey, this water thing is a problem." "I can't make rice without water." "...the third time this month." "Some 80,000 people could be without water as a result of the cracked pipeline." "A group of neighbors are protesting about what they consider poor management." "Technicians are looking for the origin of the problem while employees have been jostled by indignant residents..." "Did you find it?" "Look..." "Come here." "You did your homework at Rocio's." "I told you already, we were..." "Yeah, but I want him to tell me." "Yes, we were doing the homework." "Right, and we came straight here." "well, we stopped at the store to get milk." "I remember, we were going over the reproductive system of..." "That's it." "We left the notebook at the store." "When I went to pay I Ieft it on the counter." "I Ieft the notebook." "Quit biting your nails, look at your fingers." "It's my end of term project." "I have to hand it in." "It's okay." "Now you go along with dad to the store and get that notebook." "Now?" "It'II take two minutes." "The store's in VaIIecas." "In VaIIecas?" "Don't you worry." "I'II go and get your notebook." "Tonight we'II finish the project." "He's acting weird." "That boy is not stupid." "I'm going to tell you something you mightn't like." "The other day Rosa took my father's watch." "She took it?" "What for?" "To sell it." "I don't know." "Do you remember the imperial soldier from "Star Wars"?" "I got in London when I was ten?" "I do." "It's gone too." "What are you talking about?" "That Peruvian girl is stealing from us." "I know it sounds shitty." "If she's stealing she's stealing." "Are you OK?" "I have to hand in the project." "Goddammit." "Think a little about things before you do them, understand?" "This project is a real drama." "That notebook has three months of work in it." "telling him it's no big deal is no help." "I'm sorry." "I'm pissed off." "He busted the sidecar." "It was a present from my cousin." "Did you hear what I told you about Rosa?" "Yes, I heard you." "You're out of your mind." "Do you have any proof?" "Proof of what?" "That Rosa took the watch." "Yes, it's not here." "The proof of a robbery is that you've been robbed." "She won't leave a note:" ""I've taken the watch." "Rosa."" "It could have been Manu." "You're accusing her without evidence." "Evidence, come on, screw evidence." "I'm not the general Attorney." "Jesus!" "It can't be fixed." "Do you have a problem with Peruvians?" "What does it matter if she's from Peru or from Tarancon?" "The other day you told off the kid who delivered the groceries." "half the groceries were ruined." "My father's watch has a sentimental value for me." "And that woman has sticky fingers." "Are you calling me a racist?" "Today's not the day to talk about this." "hello." "How's it going, Rosa?" "Sorry I'm late." "Two full buses passed and didn't stop." "Don't worry." "Pepe is cooking today." "Jimena is coming for lunch." "Just tidy the kitchen a little." "And there isn't any water." "You can't do much with one jug." "Okay." "There's a list for you." "Go to the hardware store to get wood glue." "One of the living room chairs is about to break." "Is there no school today?" "No, but Manu has to go to the dentist at 1 :30." "Wasn't it the hairdresser?" "No, the dentist." "He needs a hair cut." "He can't walk around looking like an orphan." "The appointment is at 1 :30." "And a haircut later if there's time." "Can you take him?" "Yes, of course." "You can eat lunch out, or go to Burger King." "We'II have finished by 4:30." "Excuse me." "Do you have the time?" "Sorry?" "Yeah, do you have the time?" "A watch." "It's 9:30." "I'm going to..." "She's got the watch." "I'm going to tell her." "Hush, she's going to hear you." "Of course, that's the point, I'm going to tell her." "You used to like Rosa." "Don't you Iike her anymore?" "What good is it that she's Peruvian?" "She doesn't sing him Peruvian songs." "What's that got to do with it?" "She understands him and knows how to handle him." "Are you going to the store?" "We don't have all day." "To VaIIecas?" "Yes, to VaIIecas." "The notebook won't be there anymore." "The owner probably saw it and threw it away." "AII right." "I'II go to the store." "They won't quit picking on him, no matter what projects he turns in." "They are accepting him now." "That's weird, especially with his Latin King look." "That's enough." "Drop the hair thing." "He's trying to provoke you." "He shaved his head to piss you off." "He's doing a good job." "Look, he's only eight." "He says he feeds the fish, but he doesn't." "Poor things, they're getting thinner." "They're fish." "Fish don't get thinner." "ObIadi doesn't." "ObIada is down to skin and bones." "He asked to keep them in his room." "Let him take on the responsibility." "It's from the school." "Yes, Merche." "Is anything wrong?" "I thought we had." "Yes, of course, no problem." "AII right, thank you." "Didn't you pay for the tae kwondo?" "I forgot." "I'II pay on the way back from the store." "Where's Manu's passport?" "Jimena might need it." "I don't think so." "will you chop the veggies?" "Otherwise, I won't have time." "Manu..." "Stand up." "I'm going to give you a hug." "I'm going to get your project." "And this evening we'II finish it." "Okay?" "I'm going to the market." "Do you need anything?" "bleach, if you can." "Yes." "Do me a favor, wash the wine glasses for me, the ones in that cabinet, and leave them in the living room." "Thank you." "Bye." "You took a Iong time." "I couldn't get the car out." "Everything is flooded because of the broken pipeline." "There's an endless traffic jam." "I couldn't even take a taxi." "I walked." "You walked to VaIIecas?" "And the subway?" "It makes me claustrophobic, you know that." "I tried but I had to get out." "I can't, it makes me sick." "tell me the homework was there at Ieast." "Thank God." "How'd the shopping go?" "Fine, I've peeled a kilo of veggies." "Look, baby squid." "They look great!" "Thanks." "You're welcome." "How about Manu?" "Angry." "He won't brush his teeth." "I said if he doesn't, he's not going to the dentist." "What?" "As if the dentist were disneyland Paris." "Don't worry." "He'II brush them all right." "It's getting to be uphill for me." "We're almost there." "Did you pay for the tae kwondo?" "It's Maca." "Yes, Maca." "No, maybe it's on voicemail." "Yes." "What is it?" "It was Maca, bias' mom." "bias told her that Pereira and three other Iouts were waiting for Manu after school." "That guy is a thug, and he's only ten years old." "Did they beat him up?" "No." "well, they stuck gum on his head." "Fuck." "That's why he cut his hair off." "darling..." "Why didn't you tell us about those boys?" "We didn't know why you'd cut your hair off." "Why didn't you tell us about what happened?" "Honey, did they stick gum in your hair and you didn't tell us about it?" "What are you doing?" "And the fish?" "Gosh!" "Why did you do that?" "Shit!" "Fuck!" "Fuck." "Fuck." "Where's the water jug?" "Over there, on the floor." "help me out, please." "A plastic bag, something." "Hurry." "Come on." "careful." "Are they moving?" "They aren't moving." "They aren't moving." "please, don't." "It moved." "I saw it, it moved." "It moved." "They're alive!" "They're alive!" "hold this, please." "You must realize..." "Manu, you can't..." "Manu, you can't..." "Fuck it!" "Where are the fish?" "relax, they're fine." "Are you okay?" "No." "I can't breathe well." "OK." "Sit down." "Is there an inhaler?" "It's been years since I had asthma." "Shit." "He's driving me fucking crazy." "Why did he do that?" "relax, it's nothing." "Is it not?" "No." "Like hell it's nothing." "I almost slapped him." "I was on the verge of doing it." "Sit." "Nature Studies" "Where's my Sousa T-shirt?" "Manu, behave yourself." "You have to help your mom and dad." "sleep, sleep, little baby..." "your mama is in the fields..." "Don't sing!" "It's a lullaby." "I'm not a baby!" "Where's my Sousa T-shirt?" "Manu," "Pepe loves the fish very much." "Why did you take them out of the tank?" "I don't want to go to the dentist." "I know." "We have to find you a new home." "I thought the tomato sauce was burning." "Just what I needed." "Are you feeling any better?" "How's your asthma?" "It is not asthma, it's the shock." "Let's call Jimena and tell her not to come for lunch." "Something's come up and there's no lunch." "We're not canceling again." "He's much better." "It's going to get better." "Now he's almost killed the fish, we'II get him a pup and see what he does." "It's the school again." "Did you pay for March's tae kwondo lessons?" "Lucia, in March Manu won't be here." "I don't want Jimena to come over." "I don't want to tell her anything." "I don't want Manu to leave." "I don't want to give him back." "We aren't going to give him back." "We are going to tell Jimena we've realized we can't handle him." "We can't manage." "We'II have to find a place for him, until..." "They find some other shitty family that won't give him what he needs." "And in the meantime back to the children's home." "Jimena's been working on our case for almost two years." "What'II she say when we tell her we don't want him?" "We do want him." "We just can't." "Yeah." "Why?" "Because he accidentally erased a document from the computer?" "accidentally?" "He was playing solitaire, you left the document open and he erased it!" "Was it an accident when he threw my contacts into the toilet?" "How could we have thought something like this?" "We're afraid of him." "You can't be alone with him for two hours." "And that's normal." "How could it be normal?" "The same thing happens to me." "He won't stop fucking with you." "He threw the keys out the window, he puts glue in the locks..." "He's spent half his life locked up." "You know what that's like?" "The other day you thought he was going to jump out the window." "That was just me being paranoid." "Five stitches." "Paranoid?" "I thought he was going to jump." "I got scared, I slipped and hit my head on the window." "only we are crazy enough to accept a boy like that." "We knew he was highly strung." "But not hyperactive." "No one said he was incapable of sitting still" "for 30 seconds." "He's not hyperactive." "Very active." "He can't sit still." "If we'd known he was highly strung, would we not have taken him?" "No." "You know why?" "Because we aren't the Red Cross or Saint angelina jolie." "How am I supposed to handle that kid if I don't know the reproductive system of amphibians?" "Yes?" "He says he doesn't want to go to the dentist." "please, you get along with him, get him to understand he has to go." "Try, please." "He doesn't... seem to want to." "No one fucking wants to." "Nobody wants to go to the dentist." "Try, please." "What time is it?" "We won't make it." "It's sweet." "What do you mean it's sweet?" "The stock, it's sweet." "This is sweet too, fuck!" "Did you put sugar in it?" "No way." "Why would I?" "Are you sure?" "This can't be." "It's sugar." "Rosa changed the sugar jar for the salt jar!" "Goddammit, the sauce and the stock are ruined." "She can't have done it on purpose." "What am I going to do about the rice?" "What are you doing?" "Did you take it?" "What?" "I dropped a 100 euro bill under the bed." "Did you take it?" "No, I didn't." "So there's no doubt about it." "I can't believe you put it there to see if Rosa would take it." "We are going through something serious and you keep looking the other way." "She ruined my rice." "She stole 100 euros, the soldier, and she's got my dad's watch!" "Rosa, could you come in here?" "I think I managed to convince him." "Don't worry, nothing's wrong." "But look, you've been working here for eight months." "We're very happy with your relationship with Manu." "You're very patient, you seem to get along with him." "I don't know if you've noticed but you switched the jars." "I mean, you mixed the sugar and salt." "I did?" "I'm sorry, I didn't realize." "And now what should I do?" "Do you have any ideas?" "I ruined the lunch." "I wasted an hour and a half cooking." "Pepe." "I don't mean to offend you, but..." "Pepe, please." "There was a 100 euro bill here." "I'm sorry." "I'm a bit tense today." "Don't take it wrong." "No..." "Don't worry, it's all right." "We all have those days." "Do you need anything while I'm out?" "could you get some glue for the chair in the living room?" "It's coming unglued." "Yes." "I wrote it down." "Guess what?" "Your mum didn't want me to tell you, but I know her." "She told me she'd Iike to speak with you." "See you, honey." "The fish are in your room." "Ready?" "Bye." "Bye, Manu!" "Let's forget about the lunch." "Let's call Jimena and tell her not to come." "Fine, that's the least of it." "But we won't tell her anything." "We'II talk about the usual, school, problems with children..." "unbelievable." "Do you really want to pretend nothing is happening?" "He didn't tell us they stuck gum in his hair." "How lonely you must feel to..." "Excuse me." "I saw a movie once about an explorer who said that when you get lost in the forest you don't die of cold, or hunger, or being eaten by wolves." "You die of shame." "You feel so ashamed of getting lost that you don't ask for help." "And by the time you realize it's too late, you're dead." "We canceled the trip to Rome in the airport because he wouldn't get on the plane." "That was the first time we thought it, but we got scared." "We were ashamed just thinking it." "We let it go." "He erased a document with the figures for the semester." "We thought it again, we were ashamed, and we let it go." "If you were capable of thinking he might jump out the window..." "Look, I'm sorry, but no." "hello?" "Excuse me?" "Speaking." "No, but..." "In that case..." "Oh, sorry!" "Second left." "Bye." "One week." "That's all I ask, one week." "If we still think the same way, we'II call Jimena and tell her." "That was her, right?" "No, it's Irene." "Jimena's co-worker." "Jimena has a problem, something about her mother." "Irene is coming." "She'II be here now." "But there's no lunch." "Yes, lunch is on." "We must have something, there's always something." "Are you going to tell a stranger about your problems with Manu?" "I don't care if it's Jimena, Irene, or Jack and his beanstalk." "We need help." "It's him or us." "We'II make lunch, we'II tell Irene what we have to tell her, and get on with our lives." "Fuck, I can't believe we still don't have water." "I won't be able to have a shower before lunch." "If I manage to make lunch, that is." "What are you doing?" "We're going to make Peruvian food." "Look, sea bass." "That's it, sea bass." "We'II make a great impression." "Stop looking at me like that and help out." "She's due any minute." "How do you look when you give back a child?" "Stop the soap opera." "This is driving me insane too." "Because you don't know how to handle him." "exactly." "And neither do you." "Why can't we learn, instead of just giving up?" "Don't tell her, please." "Stop begging!" "We made this decision together." "The fish needs to be defrosted and then marinated, 20 minutes." "What I don't know is what the hell you're supposed to add." "will you get it?" "It's her." "No, I'm going to the bathroom." "Do you know them?" "The Dandys?" "That group is mine, the album." "I produced their latest album." "That's great." "I'm a friend of Juande's." "I haven't seen him in a while." "Seven years ago I was" "almost president of the fan club." "What a coincidence." "Sorry about Jimena." "They must have told you about her mother." "They said she couldn't make it because something came up." "Her mother got seriously ill and she had to rush to Las palmas." "She's quite ill." "Heavens!" "Jimena is..." "She's really helped us with all the adoption business." "would you Iike something to drink?" "No, thanks." "You've got vinyl records!" "She likes the Dandys." "Can you believe it?" "Don't leave me alone." "Do you feel okay?" "I wouldn't be able to even look you in the face." "I wouldn't even be able to look myself in the mirror." "We're leaving." "I'm going to a hotel, to my sister's or wherever." "And I'm taking Manu." "unbelievable." "He's done it." "I told you." "I told you this was going to happen." "He hasn't done anything." "He's a boy with problems." "I'm not about to keep on screwing up his life." "I can't take any more." "I'm tired." "That woman is waiting for us." "If you feel like it, come out." "Otherwise, whatever." "hello." "Irene, Lucia." "Jimena couldn't come, her mother is ill." "How are you?" "Nice to meet you." "You're staying for lunch, right?" "I'm cooking." "Food from the homeland." "From Peru, I mean." "Of course, for alex." "We don't call him alex." "He didn't like it." "Kevin?" "It's Manu." "He didn't answer to Kevin, he just wouldn't, and I'm glad, because the name Kevin..." "Three names, that's a mouthful." "Do you Iike sea bass?" "I do." "I'm not a big eater." "I'd Iike to see Manu now." "He's out, at the dentist, with the girl who looks after him." "Rosa, right?" "Have you changed the boy's nanny?" "No, it's the same one." "well, that's a shame." "I thought he'd be here." "Since Jimena saw him a month ago, we thought it wouldn't be necessary." "If you don't mind, since I've just taken on this case, and even though Jimena's reports are very good," "I'd rather go over everything more or less from scratch." "In order to get up to date." "naturally, each one has her own..." "olives?" "Jimena had to leave so suddenly that I didn't have much time to go over your case." "How is the boy?" "well, he's..." "So so." "It depends." "Sometimes bad." "Other times fine." "What about his sphincter control?" "He's learning." "It's hard for him." "He still pees in his pants when he's scared." "Like everyone else." "And trouble in concentrating?" "Quite a bit." "He tries." "He's much better at school." "In some cases of hyperactivity, behavioral disorder, etc.," "the medication is very important." "well, the test results didn't..." "He's not hyperactive." "You're right." "Nowadays, any child who fidgets a bit is labeled as..." "And the medication?" "He takes his pill in the morning and at night." "It seems the family in Badajoz didn't take care of his teeth." "They didn't take care of a Iot of things." "How are his teeth?" "Better." "They're fixing them all so they can put in some caps." "He sees the dentist every week." "Poor thing." "You know, very few people take in eight year olds, especially with behavioral disorders." "We're brave." "Or we're out of our minds." "Manu's case isn't easy." "Three families in eight years and so many care homes." "I know you had problems at first." "How are things now?" "I thought they were pitted." "Did you hurt yourself?" "No, no, I'm OK." "Manu's improved." "He could be better, it's a matter of time." "In the uncertain adventure of adoption, the parents' response is crucial." "So, if you don't mind, we'II focus on you for a moment." "Jose, you own a record label, isla Desierta." "Yes, a small label." "well, you know it." "Yes." "Lucia, you're head of communications at the SchieIe Foundation." "I was." "I quit." "You quit?" "It was a good job." "Yes, I know." "I try to be with Manu." "Quitting your job to be with Manu is positive." "But if you give up something as important as a career, you have to be prepared." "I'm happy to do it." "And it's rewarding." "Perfect." "Otherwise, that might come back against the child." "Without realizing, the parent might make him pay for the sacrifice." ""I sacrificed myself for you, and this is how you pay me back?"." "You know?" "Yes." "well, maybe, but..." "It's just an example I'm not saying it's your case." "Excuse me." "Yes?" "No." "The water isn't back on." "No idea." "AII right." "Am I going crazy or is she an idiot?" "She's a bit of an idiot." "Why does she speak so weird?" ""The uncertain adventure of adoption"." "She's treating us like retards." "I'm not cooking for her." "It's her job." "Her job is to give us shit?" "You're avoiding the issue." "I don't care what she's like, but if you're going to tell her you don't want Manu, do it now and stop wasting everyone's time." "Were you serious about leaving with Manu?" "I'm working." "I have another appointment." "Remember what Jimena told us?" "Every family has kicked Manu out after a while." "He's used to it." "He's crying out for us to do the same." "He's really scared." "So am I." "Yes, but he's the child." "If you don't want him, we have to think hard about us." "Don't threaten me." "It terrifies me." "I don't know what I'd do without you." "This really hurts." "I don't know where to go." "Do you really think we can cope with him?" "If we don't try, it'II be even worse." "Okay." "We won't tell her." "We won't tell her." "I hope some day we'II laugh about this, because right now it's not funny." "What'II we do about her?" "I don't care." "What matters is you, and Manu." "What'II we tell her?" "What she wants to hear, and she'II leave." "What about the sea bass?" "It'd be a waste of a good fish." "Make it for me, OK?" "AII right." "For you." "And for Manu." "Thank you, thank you." "I'm going to call Rosa." "Keep her occupied for a minute." "It's Pepe, how did the dentist go?" "Okay." "No, it's no big deal," "I'm making sea bass and I'm not sure about some things." "No." "The marinade is just crushed garlic and salt." "Yeah, but then you add minced chili and freshly squeezed lemon." "Then pepper and parsley, and you can throw in some coriander if you want." "Yes." "Yes, don't worry." "Okay, okay." "Goodbye." "Is it true you know my mother?" "Yes." "Where is she?" "In Peru." "How do you know her?" "It's a Iong story." "I'II tell you another day, when we've got time." "Can I speak to her?" "If you want, we can try." "Come on." "What are you doing here?" "We were going to the dentist." "What's all this?" "nelson's birthday." "At lunchtime?" "We wanted to finish before you got back." "This is Manu." "What a surprise." "Rosa tells me all about her boy." "Bauer called about the bar." "I'm so sick of those chumps..." "Do you want anything, a coke, beer, whisky?" "I'm joking." "How about a glass of milk?" "Go ahead." "I'm going to get changed." "Aren't you warm?" "We're celebrating nelson's birthday." "He's a neighbor's son." "What'II you have?" "milk." "Cheers." "I was so thirsty." "See how he's looking at you." "Of course." "He's only seen me in my work clothes." "Am I very different?" "Time for the cake and the candles." "will it take long?" "I invited them." "I'm not going to rush them." "Make yourself at home." "Can I speak to my mom?" "Let me call to see if I can find her." "help yourself." "Excuse me, I was just putting the fish in." "Can we carry on?" "Sure, but I thought we'd be talking about the boy." "The reason for this meeting is your request to move on from fostering to adoption." "You want to adopt, don't you?" "Yes." "Okay." "That means a change in your legal status, and there are certain formalities involved." "What kind of formalities?" "A kind of aptitude certification has to be issued." "We've got that." "I'm here to revise the old dossier." "We have to pass the exam again?" "It's not an exam, we're not in school." "Experts from the Community came," "we talked to psychologists..." "What does that matter?" "Jimena was there for all the talks." "Jimena used to be on the case, and now I am." "I hope this isn't a problem for you." "No, no, no problem." "No problem." "Manu's story is a failure by society, by institutions, by the families he's had the misfortune to live with." "This cannot happen again." "We can talk now or another day, but this has to be dealt with." "No, no, not another day." "That's fine." "deal with what?" "We're still missing some details, and without a final decision, we have doubts as to whether you are apt for adopting Manu." "Apt?" "It's not just one thing." "There are some things in your file that raise doubts." "We aren't apt?" "Where did you hit yourself?" "It's nothing." "Dammit!" "I split my lip." "Does it hurt?" "I'm feeling dizzy." "No, no, really it's nothing." "That chair..." "My God." "Wait, Iet's go to the bathroom." "Excuse us." "What are you doing?" "They're going to give him back." "Yesterday I realized." "I knew something was happening." "I'm going to Lima." "I'm going with the boy." "You're leaving?" "We're going together." "The boy and I. He's not wanted here." "That can't be true." "He's worn them out." "You told me yourself he behaves horribly." "How do they expect him to behave, after all he's been through?" "I don't care how he behaves." "Yeah, but they're his parents." "That's not true." "They took him away from me." "You lost custody of him." "For negligence, you were drinking, your place was a dump." "You almost burned it down." "You weren't a great mother." "I burned a curtain." "They said I'd get him back." "When you stopped drinking." "I quit drinking!" "Three years later." "I fucking quit!" "I quit, and when I went for him he wasn't there anymore!" "You got there too late." "I want another chance." "It's kidnapping." "They throw you in jail for that." "He won't be able to handle another family." "What can I do?" "You've got no papers." "I've got his passport." "He's a minor in the process of adoption." "You should never have seen him." "Do you want to screw up his life again?" "I'm only doing what any..." "Any Iunatic would, in my opinion." "Crossing the ocean to find a child you hardly know and getting a job as a maid in the house where he lives!" "You talk tough for someone living like parasite, don't you?" "I get him up in the morning, I dress him," "I take him to school, I feed him..." "That doesn't make you his mom." "well, what does then?" "I gave birth to him!" "A couple of things." "Protecting him, caring for him, not burning down his house..." "I gave birth to him, and he doesn't even know." "Though sometimes, when he looks at me..." "You're talking nonsense." "I hate them." "They have what's mine." "BaIdy." "tell them to stop." "Don't worry, it's nothing." "They're fighting!" "What's going on?" "Stop that!" "Can't you hear me?" "Let's go." "I want speak to my mom." "She's not answering." "But you and I have to talk." ""Buy glue for the chair, Rosa." In one ear and out the other." "She must think we're idiots." "Look at me." "I'm not surprised they want to take Manu away." "She didn't say that." "She said we're not apt." "She said she has doubts." "Don't kid yourself." "They're going to say no." "Keep your voice down." "Stop saying that!" "I'm in my own house." "This is surreal." "We wanted to give him back, now they want to take him away." "I think I'm feverish." "Excuse me." "Are you okay?" "Yes, he's better." "I have to leave." "call me and we'II meet whenever you can." "You're leaving now?" "We'II continue some other time." "We can't force things." "And I'II have to come back to see Manu." "But we don't know what's going to happen." "No, and neither do I. There's no final decision yet." "The fostering situation has to be revised." "That's all you need to know." "Why?" "I don't understand." "Look, I've got another appointment." "I'II make you a sandwich and in half an hour you're gone." "I have to leave in half an hour." "Thank you." "She's staying." "I'II just make her a sandwich." "What are you so happy about?" "She's out to get us." "I've got nothing to hide." "I want to know why we aren't apt." "I can't believe it." "At this stage, I have to act like a model father." "It's normal." "They need to know who'II be looking after Manu." "You're wrong." "She isn't Jimena, she's Supernanny." "AII this legislation." "They'II end up IegisIating jacking off." "Don't biological parents fuck up?" "Does anyone complain?" "That's how it is." "We've been thinking about giving Manu back for months." "Maybe they're..." "We're not sure about how to raise a difficult child." "Who would be, with a freak like Manu?" "Sorry, I didn't mean that." "But he is a bit freaky." "Not totally normal, Iike you and me." "The Amazon jungle is the only thing you see from the window." "And no matter how hard you look you can't see the end." "miles and miles of trees." "That's where she lives?" "She has a house there." "But she has to fix it up." "What's her name?" "My mom's." "VioIeta." "If you don't want to stay here, I can help you go back to her." "If I go with you, will I meet her?" "Yes." "She couldn't keep me when I was little." "That's why they took me to another place." "Can she do it now?" "Yes, she can." "Now she can!" "She wants you to forgive her and give her another chance." "Are you leaving today?" "This evening." "I don't know when the train leaves." "Can I go?" "Your mother will be so happy." "Wait here." "So, what's the problem?" "Why aren't we apt?" "I said there are doubts, not that you aren't apt." "What we have to decide is whether you're the parents the minor needs." "The minor, Manu." "Yes, of course, Manu." "Yes, but why the doubts?" "Let's see." "I'm interested in how Lucia has dealt with her infertility." "Fine." "I dealt with it, what other choice was there?" "In cases of infertility, it's seen as a positive factor when it's accepted and integrated as a mature experience." "I know." "Do you think Pepe..." "Do you feel supported by your partner?" "Hey, excuse me, listen..." "Pepe, it's okay." "It's logical for her to ask that." "Have you two talked about it?" "Yes, of course we have." "Pepe has always supported me on that issue." "Excuse me." "And I almost told her I wanted to give my son back." "To that woman." "How could I?" "relax." "I have a bad feeling about this." "Just concentrate, will you?" "We got cut off." "I thought it was my next appointment." "I don't know if we have enough time to finish." "Jose..." "I'd Iike to ask you some questions as well." "About your character, your temperament..." "Do you see yourself as someone calm or irritable?" "Do you think you control your emotions well?" "I don't know if I'm the right person to answer that." "I'm interested in your answer." "Do you lose your temper easily?" "I don't know; it depends." "You lost ten points from your driver's license, all at once." "Oh, hell." "The tickets." "You lost your temper." "I lost my temper." "Of course." "You had an accident in Cuenca." "You ran over a trash can." "I know you don't want to hear her name again, but we talked this over with Jimena." "That's why it's in the dossier." "Jabaga, August 20." "Jabaga?" "Yeah, at Jorge's wedding." "Do you track traffic tickets too?" "It's not that." "It seems you spent the night in jail for assaulting a police officer." "For the accident and not wearing a seat belt, you lost ten points." "And then the ticket." "I thought it was in Cuenca city." "The accident in Jabaga and the jail in Cuenca." "There's no mention of alcohol." "Had you been drinking?" "No, I'd been at a wedding but I was on antibiotics." "This is worse than Guantanamo." "I'm going over all this to know what happened." "I want to know about this assault on a police officer." "I didn't assault him." "He insisted I was drunk, he made me take a breathalyzer 3 times in 10 minutes." "I hadn't had a drop." "I was getting high just from blowing." "By the third time I'd had enough." "I grabbed him by the lapel." "That was the assault." "I grabbed his lapel and fucked up." "A misfortune, Iike any other." "OK." "I have your version now." "That's all I wanted." "Now let's go back." "Do you think you're quick-tempered?" "I want to know if you lose control of your emotions easily, because a father can't..." "I know he can't, not anymore." "My father could do a Iot of things and no one said anything to him." "Excuse me." "Just a second." "Yes?" "No, there's still no water, and we're getting sick of this." "I know, but when will...?" "Okay, okay, okay!" "What's this about Jabaga?" "What's what?" "What were you doing in Jabaga?" "I was coming back from Jorge's wedding." "You couldn't go, you had a conference in bilbao." "You don't go through Jabaga to get to Jorge's place." "A few of us went for a drink in the next town." "What's the big deal?" "olga has a house in Jabaga." "Did you meet up with her again?" "What are you saying?" "Did you meet up with your ex again?" "No!" "Her parents have a house there, it's a coincidence." "I don't think she was even there when I had the accident." "You told me you only lost five points." "I didn't want to worry you." "I'm telling you I didn't get together with OIga." "Okay?" "Let's go back." "If she finds the porn films, she'II call a SWATteam." "I need to see the medical report and a few more things, but we can leave that for next week." "Let's finish it now." "Manu is better." "I told you he's taking his pills" "and he's calmed down." "No, this is for the two of you." "The last time Jimena came you were seeing a gynecologist." "You'd been bleeding." "well, not bleeding exactly." "I had candidiasis." "Yes, that's what it says." "Jimena was surprised you were seeing the gynecologist so often." "As often as necessary, if you have a yeast infection." "Thanks to that they discovered I has a tear in the neck of my uterus." "Don't you have that there?" "What was that?" "Nothing serious, apart from a risk of infection when you're older, and incontinence." "Incontinence...?" "You never told me." "Jimena asked about my health and as I was seeing the gynecologist" "I told her about it." "Is it serious?" "No." "It's personal." "Thank you for your honesty." "That's quite a cut." "How did it happen?" "It's nothing." "I slipped on the stairs the other day." "I got some stitches." "That's it." "Leave some for coffee." "Anyone want coffee?" "I do." "Excuse me." "It's my sister." "Just a sec." "hello?" "I can't talk." "Is there anything wrong with her?" "How is she?" "I'm almost finished." "You had asthma as a child, right?" "Yes, but I'm completely over it." "Any attacks recently?" "When I'm stressed, but it hasn't happened for a while." "In the first report, you told Jimena about the history of heart problems on your father's side." "Yes." "Your grandmother and your father died of heart failure, and two of your brothers had heart attacks, one of them this summer." "Can you tell me about that?" "I don't know." "What do you want me to tell you?" "It's not common for an entire family to suffer the same thing." "Does that worry you?" "Does it scare you?" "Manu is adopted." "He won't inherit my family's illnesses." "I'm not talking about Manu." "I mean you." "I don't understand." "What's your question?" "Are you or have you ever been afraid of having a heart attack?" "Jesus, you sure do ask some questions..." "Everyone on my father's side has died of cancer: his father, two brothers, two cousins..." "Throat, stomach, bone, lung and lung." "They're sitting ducks." "I always think I'm the next to go." "There are times when I'm scared to death." "Aren't you Iike that?" "well, I try to cut down on salt." "I go running from time to time." "I try not to take things too seriously." "A healthy lifestyle." "I'm not a lama, I do what I can." "Do you think you're a hypochondriac?" "No, not at all." "Just the opposite." "I never think it'II happen to me." "Okay." "Jimena says there was an important incident in the subway with your mother, when you were six years old." "Not that I mind, but Jimena has no reason to know..." "Important for what?" "For you." "Can I ask how you think it affected you?" "I know where you're going with this." "I just figured it out." "You really get into this." "Excuse me?" "No, no, yes." "You know what she wants?" "She wants me to lie on the couch and tell her when my drunk brother told me who Santa was, right, Freud?" "If you think sarcasm is the best way of..." "Or when I saw my dad leaving bingo with a woman who wasn't my mom." "That's what you're after, huh?" "The traumatic event." "I don't know if he's serious." "I just don't understand what that has to do with my son." "What are you doing?" "I never told Jimena." "I told her it was confidential." "You told Jimena about...?" "Why does Jimena need to know anything about my mother?" "We became good friends." "I told her it was confidential." "It is." "It's only important to us." "Who is us?" "It could have affected you a Iot or just be a small thing." "That's why I asked." "Everything that affects you" "can affect Manu." "I don't see how." "Imagine you're in the subway with your son, and there's a power cut." "How would you react?" "I never take the subway." "Maybe that's got something to do with it." "I'm sorry." "I have nothing against you." "We've put up with all we can." "Now I have to ask you to leave." "Okay." "please forgive me." "I didn't think she'd mention it in..." "Drop it, all right?" "Thank you for your time." "I'II call you." "By the way, does Manu ever ask about his biological mother?" "He used to, a bit." "hardly ever anymore." "What would you think if Manu wanted to meet her?" "His biological mother?" "If the adoption goes through, Manu has the right to meet her." "Jimena didn't tell us about that." "The law makes it clear." "Do you know anything about her?" "No." "well, she was an alcoholic or a drug addict." "She abandoned him." "She started a fire." "would you object to Manu meeting her?" "please, I think you have enough information." "It's important to know if you accept the minor's origins." "He's not a minor, goddammit!" "He's Manu, my son, not some course work for college." "For God's sake!" "Of course we accept his origins." "Many parents have no interest in the culture their child comes from." "You smoke crack, don't you?" "Do you smoke crack, or hear voices, or anything?" "You think I enjoy this." "Your private issues embarrass me." "I've got enough on my plate." "Pepe's right there." "If you don't like your job don't do it." "Get out of here, please." "Get out." "Listen, wait." "Wait a minute." "Good afternoon." "hello." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Manu's case has not been decided." "It depends on future interviews." "But whatever happens, even if the report is negative, you have the right to contest it." "And if you can't keep him, it'II be because it's best for him." "Yes." "Okay." "Thank you, for everything." "I'm sorry." "Goodbye." "I'm sorry, tomorrow's not possible." "If it has to be a couchette, that's fine." "No, impossible, the couchettes together." "Eight years old." "well, start there and we'II figure it out." "Okay." "I'II expect your call." "So it's true." "You're leaving." "What'II you tell him?" ""Come to the airport."" ""By the way, I'm your mother." "Let's fly to Machu Picchu."" "He doesn't have to know." "Not yet." "How will you get him on the plane?" "We're going by train, to Rome." "Tonucha has a house there." "I told him I know his mother." "Fuck, Rosa!" "I've spent six years banging my head." "Isn't that enough?" "I've got a right too, don't I?" "To be forgiven for my sins." "nelson has come to apologize." "I'm sorry." "You're invited to my party too." "Are you okay?" "Something's wrong with me." "I'm sick." "You're not sick." "You are a bit high strung, that's all." "I take pills." "Of course." "To calm you down." "I don't want to be sick or to take any more pills." "Do Pepe and Lucia want me to go too?" "I don't know." "You don't want to go, do you?" "To your mom." "Manu, honey." "Come here." "Come on, take off your pants." "Wait here." "I'II get you some other pants." "You see?" "At eight he's still wetting himself." "They're going to take him away." "They're going to take him away." "I don't care." "I'II follow him, wherever he goes." "I'II find out where he lives and go there, Iike before." "I'm so ashamed." "How could this happen?" "How could I let this happen?" "Let's see how they fit." "They belong to the neighbor's son." "I finally spoke to your mom." "She thinks you shouldn't go." "She thinks you should stay and live your life here." "And she asked me to tell you" "that now she knows you and I know each other, she won't let anyone harm you ever again." "Ever." "No matter what, she'II always be with you." "And you're part of her life forever." "It's very important for her that you know that." "What's wrong?" "Now we have to go back home." "Do they fit?" "Turn around." "I'm sorry." "My temper." "I lose my temper and I don't know what I'm doing." "Maybe she's right and we aren't ready to have a child." "Maybe we really don't want to have a child." "I do." "Don't you?" "Aren't there enough lies already?" "I don't like it either, but it doesn't always have to be like this." "We can try." "New life, new rules." "No lying." "Right now." "Starting now." "Are you sure?" "I think you work late because you don't want to see Manu." "Come on." "Do you really think I'm capable...?" "It's true." "I get home late on purpose." "You've let yourself go." "Since you quit working, you're..." "You never shut up." "It's like this constant buzz." "You annoy me." "I think your sister Rebecca is an idiot." "I don't like your cooking." "I Iike simple things." "Fried eggs, a steak and potatoes." "I'm sick of health food on a bed of spinach." "Fuck." "Now you tell me." "Any day now you're going to faint, you don't eat properly." "I'm worried about your health." "health?" "You know what it feels like to have a sterile wife?" "I slept with OIga." "I slept with her, just once, just that night." "We said no lying." "That's what we said, right?" "Do you hate me?" "Say something." "That woman doesn't have a clue." "It wasn't candidiasis." "Yeah, you told her, a tear, right?" "I was pregnant." "Manu arrived in February and in april I got pregnant." "These things happen." "At eleven weeks, it was going fine," "I was going to tell you." "I had a miscarriage." "displacement of the placenta." "I'm sorry." "You're sorry?" "For fuck's sake." "What did you expect?" "You were working fifteen hours a day!" "If you're the boss, you're the boss." "You don't get anything for nothing." "I'm the boss too, and I work what I have to." "Don't give me that shit." "Did you think you could be a mother" "without giving up anything?" "No." "When I miscarried, I'd already quit." "My God!" "Pregnant, years of trying." "We could have been parents." "And you didn't tell me." "That's where you're mixed up." "It's not something that might happen." "We are parents already." "And you're still a child." "I'm ashamed to grow up." "Seeing how my face changes and..." "I'm scared I'II keep hurting people." "And won't be able to..." "It's like seeing somebody else." "That wasn't me." "That's why you screwed OIga." "To be you again." "I don't like this game anymore." "It's not a game." "Something happened to us." "And Manu has nothing to do with it." "I'm not sure if we still love each other." "Neither am I." "well, maybe that's what we have to figure out." "hello." "Sorry we're late." "The dentist was closed." "Something about a funeral." "We went by my house to pick up some shirts I took to sew." "I bought some glue for the chair." "Don't worry." "We have to buy new chairs." "It's all right." "Did everything go okay?" "What happened to you?" "Nothing, a little accident, but I'm fine." "I'm sorry." "Come here." "I want you to know." "It hasn't been easy, but mom and I have been talking." "If you want to, maybe in the future, you can meet your mother, the other one." "only if you want to, the real one." "Later on, we can look for her and find her." "Understand?" "If you want to." "Sing me a song from my country." "You're grown up now." "A grown up one." "Go to sleep, my baby, I've got work to do." "I have to wash your clothes, and do the sewing too." "Hush, oh hush, my baby, hush, oh hush a bye." "Go to sleep, my darling, my..." "I'II finish up..." "Up in heaven they made tamales." "Up in heaven they made tamales." "Saint Peter knew about it and he sent for twenty cents." "Saint Peter knew about it and he sent for twenty cents." "Hush, oh hush, my baby, hush, oh hush a bye." "Hush, oh hush, my baby, hush, oh hush a bye." "Go to sleep, my darling, my sweetheart." "Go to sleep, my darling, my sweetheart." "Go to sleep, my baby, I've got work to do." "Go to sleep, my baby, I've got work to do." "I have to wash your clothes, and do the sewing too." "I have to wash your clothes, and do the sewing too." "Hush, oh hush, my baby, hush, oh hush a bye." "Hush, oh hush, my baby, hush, oh hush a bye." "Go to sleep, my darling, my sweetheart." "Go to sleep, my darling, my sweetheart." "My papa and my mama want to sell me." "My papa and my mama want to sell me for chili and tomatoes, they want to eat." "For chili and tomatoes, they want to eat."