""TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE"" ""HELP WANTED"" "It's closed." "I called awhile ago, about the job." "I talked to a man." "Oh, yes, you must be the Colombian." "Come in." "You didn't lie to my husband, right?" "We don't want girls with bad habits, junkies, or even worse, with some disease." "No." "I'm very healthy." "I have a degree in pharmacology and work experience." "I'm up here." "Follow me." "What are you doing?" "Come here." "Get closer." "Credit in your account is 30 pesos." "Damn it, Anita!" "Pick up the phone." " Hello." " Hey." "Hey, Marga." "What's up?" "Why are you calling so early?" "Early?" "Do you know what time it is?" "Shit!" "It's noon." "Have you met with the realtor?" "No, not yet." "I'm here waiting, and he hasn't arrived." "Damn, in half an hour, I have to be in the office." "And I haven't had breakfast." "Are you sure he is not around?" "It's weird because the guy was very interested." "He said he was looking for apartments located in that area, because they are so well listed and such." "Yeah, well I will charge him extra." "He's wasting my time." "Come on, don't exaggerate." "Ana, you might have 24 hours to spare every day, but others have responsibilities and obligations." "Here we go again." "I am your sister." "I worry about you, damn." "Besides, we both own this floor." "I don't know why you aren't here to show it." "Because I'm not good at it!" "You always say so." "Oh, so now you listen to me?" "Of course I do." "I come here every year with you!" "You come here for me?" "That's funny." "Hey, you went to Bolivia because of me?" "Damn, will you ever leave me alone?" "Do you always have to repeat the same stuff?" "Hallucinogen cactus, Ana?" "You make me hallucinate!" "Sis, you bring it up every time we talk." "It's water under the bridge!" "You like to remove the shit." "Well, is the man there?" "Is he coming or not?" "Two weeks ago." "And don't change the subject." "Shit." "What's up?" "You saw him?" "No." "What if he is inside?" "Inside?" "How come?" "Well, he could have gone through the door and entered." "Great, considering that I don't know him, what am I supposed to do?" "Wait here and ask everybody around me?" "It would be easier if you go to the apartment and wait for him there." "Hey, smarty pants, I've known how to tie my shoes for longer than you you hear me'?" "Yes, you are the boss, and I'm just the helpless child that would be in an orphanage without you." "Close but no cigar." "Anyway, I have to go." "Okay, see you later." "Bye." "What am I doing wrong with this girl?" "Sorry, were you looking for me?" "Are you from the real estate agency?" "You came to see the apartment?" "Yes, I am from the agency." "I was waiting for you." "Well, that's nice." "I've been waiting for you outside for 40 minutes." " 40 minutes?" " Yes." " Please forgive me." " Sure." "I guess you passed by and didn't see me." "How long have you been here?" "Mmm, awhile ago." "I was wondering what could have happened." "I was afraid that something bad happened to you." "Well, to be honest, in my work, where I have very important clients- those who have credit cards that shine until you go blind- if I keep them waiting for 40 minutes," "I get fired, since they are paying and feeding me." "When I work, I am a slave, and only money can set me free." ""Money brings honor, friends, conquest, and realms."" "That's Milton, Paradise Regained." "I recommend it." "And it means that, if I have to wait for you every month for 40 minutes to get my paycheck, we won't get along, truly." "Do you understand?" "Yes." "You are absolutely right." "Okay." "Margarita Sanchez." "Jorge." "Jorge Kepler at your service." "Let's do business." "Well, this is it." "How nice!" "Nice is not accurate." "I would say grim, maybe pathetic, out of fashion, definitely, but there are people that think this is paradise." "Obviously they come from uglier places." "No offense, but..." "Yes, the neighborhood doesn't really have a good reputation, that's true." "Tell me about it." "Although, is there any decent neighborhood in this city?" "Do you live here in Buenos Aires?" "No, of course not." "I come two months every year for work." "Luckily, I'm going back in a couple of weeks." "But my sister already told that to..." "I don't know who she spoke to." "There are many people working in the office." "We inherited this apartment eight years ago." "We thought the country would come out of its crisis." "But you guys won't come out of the hole." "The politicians you have won't help much." "Bathroom and kitchen are here." "Do you want to see them?" "No, this is perfect for me." "Oh, really?" "Well, great." "If you want, when we set the details, you can check the rest." "Yes, I wanted to talk to you about the details." "It would be better for me if we could assemble all the paperwork now." "Now?" "No way." "We have to review contracts, payrolls, and I have another meeting in 20 minutes." "That's too bad!" "It's just that we have a client who is very interested in renting a property in this area." "He was looking for something with these features, and, well, he's in a hurry." "Sorry, it won't be possible." "Such a pity; this person wanted to pay four times the price that is commonly paid in this area." "Four times?" "That is, like... 10,000 pesos." "2,000 euros a month." "Not bad, but there's people waiting for me." "Yeah, he even wanted to pay the full year in advance." "We also decided to forget about the agency fee." "You'll see." "He's a client with those shiny credit cards, just like you said." "But if you can't do it" "It would be 20,000 in advance for this place?" "No, nearly 25,000." "The client is in a hurry, and you know, "rush" in this business, it's an expensive thing." "And how soon will you have the papers ready?" "Within an hour." "Great, let's do it." "Are you sure?" "This is great news!" "But I must tell you something." "I ran out of minutes on my cell phone." "I should call my boss so she can begin to prepare the contracts and call the client so he can come to see the apartment." "Well, I'm sure there is no problem if we go to the agency." "We work on the contracts, and then you arrange an appointment with your client for some other time" "That would be done in a normal case, but now it would be a waste of time." "We cannot make a contract between us if the client doesn't" "You have one hour." " It is a mere formality." " Yeah." "Well, that's nice." "I don't know." "Something wrong?" "No, no." "I'll be back in a moment." "Perfect." "And he has my cell phone." "Is anyone there?" "Hey, slut." "Hey!" "Did you see the sun?" "I asked you if you saw the sun." "What?" "The least you can do is answer, you fucking whore." "Did you see the sun?" "Everything is going to blow into pieces." "Everything will blow in your fucking Spaniard face!" "Lady!" "Lady, calm down!" "Okay, okay!" "She's crazy!" "She's crazy!" "This woman is crazy." "She wanted to kill me!" "You bastard, tell them what you were calling me." "Come on, tell them!" "I'm sick of these scumbags blaming society for everything and thinking we have to pay for all their vices." "I only asked for some change." "You and your spawn are a bunch of losers." "You act like you don't give a shit, but you would die to have a little bit of power." "You know what?" "Fuck you!" "Fuck you and all those like you that walk in the parks talking to the benches, smelling like shit and complaining about everything." "Don't you dare look into my eyes without taking a bath first, you asshole." "What?" "You don't believe me?" "Are you going to believe" "Enough, miss." "That was a lovely speech." "This is a respectable person." "I've known him for long." "He doesn't look good, it's true, but he, as a citizen, has the same rights as you." "So no one here will say who is guilty." "Who saw what happened?" "I did." "I saw the man approaching her, asking for a dime, and the woman began to beat him like a psycho!" "Yes, sir, I saw it too!" "She beat him!" "He's a good man." "He eats every day at home, and he always prays before meals." "She went crazy!" "Someone can give a statement?" "We can!" "Get up, sir." "Get up." "No, no." "Leave me alone." "I only ask for dimes." "I am a devotee, and what else can I do?" "Turn the other cheek." "Put that away, ma'am." "You should be ashamed." "What the hell was I looking for?" "She's completely crazy." "Today is going to be a weird day." "Pardon me?" "The solar eclipse and all that." "Today's eclipse." "A total solar eclipse." "The night will fall." "Today?" "Yes, in an hour." "It's so strange." "And this spring day in the middle of winter." "When did that ever happen?" "It's all because of global warming." "I'm telling you, this world is going crazy." "Tell me about it, ma'am." "Tell me about it." " Is this everything?" " Yes." "Nineteen and twenty cents." "Keep the change." "Good morning." "How are you doing?" "Hello, dear!" " Hello." " Hello." "What?" "You came to visit someone?" "No, no." "I rent out an apartment here." "Oh, on which floor?" "The fourth." " 4B?" " Yes, 4B." "It has been unoccupied for a long time." "Everyone here is old." "I can't talk to anyone!" "Yeah, right." "How cute is your accent!" "What part of Spain are you from, miss?" "Barcelona." "Oh, how beautiful." "I'm also Spanish, from Cadiz." "Well, not me, my parents are from there." "They came after the civil war." "Oh, the hunger they went through!" "If you knew the stories I heard." "Yeah, it's been a long time since that, and Spain is better now with the crisis and such, but we are not nearly as bad as you are." "What was all that mess in front of the supermarket?" "I really don't know." "They treated me as if I was crazy." "I might be losing my mind a little bit." "And that nosy police officer interfered." "Oh, Gabriel." "He's a good boy." "He was put there after the thefts." "They got robbed three times with shotguns." "I told you, this world is going crazy." "Recently, someone tried to break into the apartments." "I saw them, but they won't get into my house so easily." "No, dear" "They are like cockroaches." "When the police gets here, they're gone." "And they think I imagine those things." "I told all these old folks, in all shades," ""Close the door;" "keep it locked."" "They say yes, but then they don't do it." "They forget, you know?" "Oxygen is not fed to their brains." "Listen, dear, if you come to live here, could you help me with that?" "Sure." "I won't live here, but I'll tell the tenant." " Well, bye, dear." " Bye." "Oh, and a pleasure to meet a compatriot." "Ole!" "I locked the door because the place is a little bit unsafe." "Of course, the client doesn't need to know about it." "By the way, he called." "He said he'll be here in a half hour or so." "She is Victoria, from the real estate." "Hello." "Miss Sanchez?" "Did you bring the contracts to review them?" "When Jorge called me, I was nearby." "I came to oversee the transaction so that we were all satisfied." "Don't worry." "Contracts will be here when our client arrives." "I hope so." "Well, we have time to drink a cup of coffee, right?" "Can I have my phone?" "Will someone come to supervise your part of the contract?" "It won't be necessary." "I'm a lawyer." "Something wrong?" "No, no." "Nothing." "Weirdo." " Yes?" " Marga." "Hi, Ignacio, what's up?" "Ferres is here." "Look, I'm busy now." "I'll be there in 45 minutes or less." "What?" "Are you not coming?" "No, no." "I said I'll go later." "Marga, I don't think I need to tell you how important this meeting is." "Well, don't say it." "And what should I do?" "Cover me, damn it." "You know the terms of the agreement." "Yes, but I don't have your legs, Marga." "Shave them!" "Damn!" "Do something!" "You know you are good at it." "I don't like that comment or whatever you meant by that." "I work more than anyone in that office." "That's why I keep my job." "I have to come here every year for two months to supervise all of you." "I can't tell if it's a reward or a punishment." "First, Marga, I had a horrible lunch with Ferres at some place that serves the Mediterranean food you love so much." "So please don't talk to me about gender equality now, because you'll make me sick." "Second, as far as I know, our supervisor is Joaquin." "Next year, when I return to this filthy country with a promotion," "I don't want to hear you begging for your life." "Third, Ferres is your client and your commission." "But we are on the same team, Ignacio." "Are you going to do something or not?" "Are you really not coming, Marga?" "What is more important than this?" "I'm going to kill a compatriot of yours." "Then I pay a bribe to set me free." "That's how it works in your country, right?" "Do whatever you want." "If Joaquin finds out, I won't take the blame." "Just cover me." "Okay, but I hope you consider treating me like a special client sometime." "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." "Do you need something?" "No." "I could have sworn" "May I help you?" "Yes, please." "So you're the boss of the agency?" "No, I'm above Jorge." "Oh, you are a supervisor?" "Kind of." "We call my role "driver."" "Does it work?" "We're doing fine." "We are very organized, and everyone is incredibly efficient in their role." "It's a group that complements perfectly." "I'm very proud." "I was in charge to recruit the right people." "Nowadays, we have a dream team." " Sugar?" " No, thanks." "It's crucial to rely on your teammates." "I wish I could say the same, but in my office, they don't know what teamwork is." "They all want to walk over you." "Anyway, I don't understand why your client is paying so much for this." "It's not worth it." "Salva" "Mr. Salva has no money issues, specifically." "What he lacks is time." "We've been working on this for weeks." "If you knew how hard it is to please him, you'd be surprised." "But don't worry." "I think this is exactly what he is looking for." "Yeah, but I still don't get it." "He can afford something better." "It's more or less what I pay for my apartment in Barcelona, in Spain, not here." "Jorge, your coffee is getting cold." "Don't worry." "He said he'll be here in 20 minutes." "It's not that." "I assured the apartment would be perfect." "What if it's not the right place?" "Salva is the only one who can be sure." "It will be fine." "Don't worry." "No." "Jorge, don't." "It is a very important operation for him." "Actually, it's important for everyone." "We've been through difficult times." "We've barely slept." "Therefore is the importance of the pyramid." "There has to be few at the top to cheer up the others." "Jorge is a good man, a little impulsive, though." "Do you know what I mean?" "Yes, you know what I mean." "Thanks." "Hello." "Hi, Marga, it's me." "Hi, Luis, how are you?" "Fine, and you?" "YOU seem nervous" "No, it's just that I wasn't expecting you." "I couldn't be there for 15 days, you know?" "I missed you." " Really?" " Seriously." "I left you a message on the voice-mail." " Have you heard it?" " No." "Are you busy?" "No, I'm in the middle of something, but I'll tell you later." "Tonight?" "Okay, in your house or mine?" "Are you going to start with that again?" "No, it was a joke." "Tell me, why not?" "Why can't we?" "Your wife is in your house, and my sister is in mine." "I know." "Well, then where do we fuck, in your car?" "You don't have to be rude." "Sorry." "Forgive me." "I know you're going to talk to her when she gets better." "Hey, I love you." "You hear me?" "Yes." "Should we meet in the same place?" "At 8:30, okay?" "Yes, perfect." " Bye." " Bye." "Have you heard about today's solar eclipse?" "An eclipse?" "Today?" "Yes, it's going to be a total eclipse." "It might get dark in a little while." "An eclipse." "Why today?" "You're so dumb, Jorge!" ""Why today?" Why not?" "What is so special?" "It can happen any day." "Nothing, it's just weird." "I don't know;" "the neighbor told me that when I was in the supermarket." "Maybe it's a lie." "There's no problem." "Night can come." "I brought a lamp." "Was that in here?" "No, I brought it." "No, you didn't bring anything." "I brought it." "Jorge said we might need it." "There might be a broken shade in this old house, and you can't make a deal in the darkness." "Remember that apartment we were showing?" "Where was it?" "Constitucion?" "Yes, Constitucion." "It was a mousetrap." "We were beginning with the real estate agency, and that was one of the first apartments we had for rent." "Do you remember what happened?" "Of course I remember, those two stoners." "She gave me my first seller's lesson." "What time was it?" "Around 8:00?" "No, earlier, about 6:00." "It was winter, and it was getting dark." "A young couple was going to see the apartment." "They didn't have much money, but that wasn't the problem." "They were two idiots." "I think they would have rented a place on the subway stairs even if someone would have taken advantage of them." "No, you're being modest." "They were a little romantic." "A little hippie too." "The kind of people that won't have a TV because they think it is a capitalist invention." "Two assholes, right?" "Exactly." "The thing is that they were coming at 8:00, and we got there at 7:00." "We were going to clean, to sweep up rat shit, to open a window to have fresh air, as long it didn't face a dump, things like that." "But" "But when we got there, we heard some noises." "I thought they were rats." "But they weren't rats." "They were two drug addicts, two guys in their early 20s, homeless." "I was about to call the police when Victoria had a great idea." "Sure, because if we had called the police, we were going to be in trouble." "They sneaked in through the window to smoke some crack and spend the night." "We had to think fast." "And I came up with an idea." "We look for some clothes" "Because the old tenants left some clothes." "The problem is that it was a woman who lived there." "So we had nothing but woman's clothing." "While the guys changed their clothes, we cleaned the apartment fast, and when the clients arrived, there was Jorge, me, and a beautiful gay couple." "The guys were pretty bad actors, but the other couple was so sentimental that it worked out just fine." "We rented the apartment." "They didn't haggle a cent." "And the two junkies?" "We gave them some money, and I told them they had to leave." "Their contract was for one night." "Will you excuse me?" "Hello?" "Margarita, where are you?" "Oh, hi, Joaquin." "I haven't been able to call you." "What happened?" "I left you a message." "A message?" "When?" " 15 minutes ago." " I haven't heard it." "I talked to Ignacio, though." "I told him I was going to get there a little bit later." "Great!" "What about Ferres?" "Excuse me, Joaquin, I can't go yet." "You know I've never stood anyone up." "Well, there's no reason to start now!" "It's an important day." "Every day is important." "Yesterday I stayed until midnight with the Brazilians." "Don't tell me that every day is important, Margarita." "What else are you going to tell me?" "The story about a brick on top of another?" "That each worker makes a company great?" "That a company is a large family?" "I taught you all that, Margarita." "Is that clear?" "Yes, Joaquin, you see, the thing is" "Anita, my sister." "What happened?" "Well, she- last night, she went to a party with a friend." "And this morning when they returned to her friend's house, she lives in Constitucion, you know?" "That horrible neighborhood." "They found two junkies smoking inside the house," "God knows what kind of drug that is used in this country to get high, and they threatened the girls with knives, and then" "God, I'm so embarrassed." "What?" "Then they-they started groping them." "The girls cried for help, and the junkies left." "Poor thing, she's in shock" "Fuck, are you for real?" "I'm sorry." "Well, Joaquin, we are two women alone in this country that is no-man's-land." " We are used to it." " Sure, sure." "But I would ask you to keep this between us, please." "Of course." "I'm a little embarrassed, and for Anita's sake." "Yes, Marga, don't worry." "I'll tell Nacho to take care of Ferres." "Take your time." "No, no." "I'll handle Ferres." "No one will defeat me." "Besides, it's what Anita expects from me, to be strong." "Well, call Ferres to arrange a new appointment." "He is going to stay longer at Ignacio's office." "Yeah, yeah, sure." "Don't worry." "I'll call him." "Well, okay." "Cheer up and give a kiss to Anita from me." "Thank you very much, Joaquin." "Thank you for trusting me." "No problem, girl." "I'll talk to you later." "Motherfucker." "Have you seen my keys?" "No, you took them when you went to buy coffee." "No, I didn't." "How did you open the door downstairs?" "How did you open the door for her'?" " With the entry phone." " Obviously." "Maybe you dropped them somewhere around here while talking on the phone." "No, I wasn't carrying them, and I didn't have them at the front door." "Well, maybe you dropped them while you were shopping, right?" "No, certainly not I swear that" "Well, we're in trouble because in the room next to the kitchen" "Which one?" "The laundry room?" "No, the other." "Well, I heard a noise." "I think there might be a rat." "It wouldn't be good to find a rat while Mr. Salva is in here." "The key to that door is on my key chain with the other keys." "Although I think it is stuck, it was open when I arrived." "Don't worry." "I don't think that Mr. Salva is afraid of rats." "He won't be intimidated by that." "Besides if the door is closed, the rat will not get in or go out." "So everyone is happy." "That's great, but I need my keys." "You're right." "Besides, Mr. Salva will be here any time now." "Well, I'll look for them." "Uh, and what happens if Salva comes?" "We show him the apartment and see what he thinks." "I'll be right back." "Elevator!" "Shit." "Where R is the number of sunspot." ""THE SUN WILL BECOME DARK AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD" ""BEFORE THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD COMES." "JOEL 2:31"" "I lost my keys." "Have you seen them anywhere?" "Why don't you look inside your cunt, you filthy whore?" "Do you need something, ma'am?" "I lost my keys." "What happened to your eyebrow?" "I am looking for my keys." "I'm not doing anything wrong." "I just want to know if you have seen them or not." "No keys over here." "You might be looking in the wrong place." "Would you like to clean yourself?" "She tried to hit me again." "Mr. Salva?" "No." "Margarita." "Your credit is insufficient to make this call." "What?" "Your credit is insufficient to make this call." " I didn't find them." " What?" "The keys, couldn't find them!" "But I'm sure they were" "Mr. Salva." "No, no, no." "He is Alberto, and she is Angela, from the real estate." "They came because" "I know, because it is a very important deal." "You were working for weeks, and you have barely slept in days." "Is something wrong?" "Why do you ask?" "Oh, no, nothing." "Have you brought the contracts?" "Not really, no." "Emilio, our lawyer, is going to bring them." "He and Salva should be getting here in any minute." "I hope so, because it's about time." "Time for what?" "Jorge said that you had to leave early." "Jorge, are you sure you don't have my keys?" "No, why would I want your keys?" "Maybe you took them without realizing." "No, I'm sure I didn't." "Well, can you check, please?" "I mean, if you could please check if they are in the box over there or in your pockets or somewhere." "Miss Sanchez, you opened the door, left the keys, gave me your cell phone so I could speak to Victoria, and while I was talking, you closed the door and went out to buy coffee." "Jorge, don't worry." "When Mr. Salva is finished signing the contracts," "I'll call a locksmith to change the lock." "I'll ask the building manager for a copy of the front door key." "We'll pay for it." "We will not have an argument over a bunch of keys." "Listen, why don't we solve the situation with Miss Sanchez now?" "Because we won't do that until Mr. Salva says the apartment is okay." "Also, we don't have the papers to do so." "Well, I insist we find a solution now, so we don't have her waste any more time." "Don't insist." "It is not possible." "And if it's not possible, it's beyond question, Jorge." "And, Jorge, next time you finish the minutes of a cell phone, say it." "What?" "You finished the minutes of my cell phone." "I only called Victoria." "Well, it had to be a very long conversation, right?" "Because I had more than 60 pesos, and now I have nothing." "Miss Sanchez, you spoke after I did." "Are you trying to call me a liar, crazy, or something?" "Because I don't seem to get it." "Okay, we don't have to be friends, but let's be cordial, please." "I have been cordial." "I gave him my cell phone, and he left me with nothing." "And now I can't make phone calls." "We'll pay for that as well." "Don't worry." "Does anyone have a cell phone?" "I need to make an urgent call." "Anyone?" "No, with the rush." "We're all pretty upset." "Come on, Mr. Salva." "Come on." "Did you hear that noise?" " What?" " What?" "I don't know." "Something fell down in the kitchen." "I didn't hear anything." "No, neither did I." "Well, I did." "Perhaps it was the wind coming from the laundry room, right?" "No, Jorge." "No." "That's the sound of the wind, and that's how it sounds when something falls to the ground." "I can still distinguish one thing from the other, even if I lose my keys," "I'm accused of abusing a homeless pervert," "I fall headlong down the stairs, I hear noises in my head, people treat me like I'm crazy, or I'm about to lose my job." "I don't think I'm Napoleon yet." "But who knows?" "It's still noon." "There is still time." "The noise came from there." "Let's see." "What do you see?" "Do you see the rat?" "Whatever has made that noise must be something more like Godzilla." "No, it's not a rat." "So what is it?" "I don't know." "It looks-it looks like a sack of potatoes." "If it's a sack of potatoes, it certainly is not going to cause problems, right?" "What's the problem, exactly?" "The problem is that it was not there before." "Maybe it was there, and you didn't see it." "But then where did it come from?" "Let me understand this." "What is the problem?" "The sack or the potatoes?" "The problem is that a sack of potatoes does not appear spontaneously anywhere." "It sounds obvious or stupid, but things work that way." "And don't look at me like that." "It's true." "Yes, it is true." "It looks like a sack of potatoes." "It doesn't mean that it's full of potatoes." "It can be anything." "Did you return after the last tenants left?" "No." "Well, there can be toys in it, clothes, something like that." "Yes, maybe I didn't see it before." "No need to worry." "It's okay." "Quiet, Margarita." "Easy." "It's all good." "It's all right." "Okay, Margarita?" "Who drives the car?" "Who drives the car?" "You drive the car." "You are driving the car." "I'll see if the neighbor on the second floor will lend me her phone." "Hey, by the way, what were you carrying in those boxes?" "Boxes?" "What boxes?" "The boxes you brought in the elevator." "We didn't bring any boxes." "Yeah, but there were boxes in the elevator." "They didn't bring anything." "Are you sure you're okay?" "Who is it?" "Hi, I'm Marga, your neighbor from the fourth floor." "We met awhile ago." "Hello, darling!" "Hello, how are you?" "I hope it's not a bad time." "Not at all." "It's just that I have a problem, and I'm out of minutes on my cell phone." "Well, I was wondering if you had a phone that I could use to make a phone call." "It's local." "It's a matter of life or death." "Of course." "Come in." "Do you feel all right, dear?" "Yes." "Perfectly." "You don't look good." "I better bring you something warm." "Is tea okay?" "No, don't worry, ma'am." "Well, make your phone call." "I'll take care of it." " Hello." " Ignacio, it's Marga." "Oh, Marga, what is it?" "There is a word for people like you:" "backstabber." "Hey, why so much anger?" "Why?" "Because we're supposed to work as partners." "We work for the common good, and when that happens, pettiness is left aside." "Marga, I don't understand what you mean." "I'm saying you're a piece of shit." "You wanted to fuck me, you little bastard?" "You're nothing but a slug full of salt writhing on the floor." "A slug?" "Marga, that's so mean." "Look, Ferres was my client, and he still is." "I've talked to Joaquin, and he has no problem." "So let me talk to the old pig." "I know he's in your office." "Oh, yeah, you talked to Joaquin about your sister." "Tough." "Did he tell you?" "Yes, and, you know, it's kind of weird." "I forgot to tell you when we spoke, your sister called." "Bastard." "She was looking for you a half hour ago." "She said she called your cell phone and left a voice-mail, but I don't know what she wanted to tell you." "The thing is, we talked awhile." "Well, she sounded just fine." "What the hell do you want?" "You want my commission?" "If that's what you want, fuck you!" "Because you won't get it." "You hear me?" "When I get back to Spain, I will make sure that they will hear a lot of shit about you upstairs." "I will make your life much more miserable than it already is." "Do you understand?" "Calm down, Marga." "I don't want the old man." "I don't give a shit about him." "And besides, he doesn't want me." "He wants you." "I can figure out why." "I was thinking of something else, something more rewarding, something to forget the conversation" "I had with your sister." "Son of a bitch." "I'm not a bad guy, Marga." "Should we meet in the coffee shop in front of here at 9:00?" "If it's for a cup of coffee, all right." "If not, at your house, at 10:00." "And take a shower." "Okay, I'll take a shower and send you a message." "All right, but don't expect an answer." "I don't have minutes." "I can't even hear my fucking voice-mail." "Is it a phone from the company?" "Yes." "Star, 6-5-4." "They'll give you some minutes." "Okay, and now can I talk to the old pig, please?" "I brought strawberry tea." "The bag is still inside so be careful." "I just bought it at the supermarket." "Oh, you shouldn't bother." "Drink it." "It's good for the nerves." "I'll go get sugar if you want to add some more." "Yes." "Hello, Mr. Ferres." "How are you?" "Oh, Marga!" "Glad to hear from you again." "Hey, I'm sorry about your little sister." "It's unbelievable the moral degradation that this country has fallen into." "It is filled with blacks, queers, and perverts." "When I started doing business here, it was something else." "It was before all this corruption." "Anyway, how is she?" "Who?" "Who?" "Your sister, my dear!" "She's okay, you know, a little bit shocked." "Sure, poor thing" "Anyway, I wanted to have everything set with you before I go back to Barcelona, because otherwise it will take a couple of weeks." "We can meet there when you return." "But I thought maybe we could meet tonight." "But if it's not possible, no problem." "Yes, it's possible, Mr. Ferres." "I will leave Ana in the house with some friends that live downtown." "She doesn't want to go home now." "We're both alone." "And we could meet up around midnight." "If it's not too late for you." "No, not at all." "Wonderful." "Let's close this issue, and we can have a drink, just as friends." "What do you think?" "Without worrying about business." "Yeah, right." "That's perfect." "In the bar of my hotel?" "Okay, great, Mr. Ferres." "Good-bye." "Bye, Marga, bye." "Have you finished it already?" "Yes, the truth is, that was delicious." "But I have to go." "I have a lot of things to do." "Now?" "So soon?" "I wanted to talk for a while." "I wanted to know things about Spain." "I want to go there so bad." "Yes, I can imagine." "Thanks for everything." "Well, hopefully we'll meet again." "And take it easy." "You look so worried." "And you're too pretty and young to be like that!" "You have three pesos." "First new message." "Hello, my love." "I wanted to hear your voice, but I don't think it will happen." "I came back before because I miss you." "About the issue, don't worry." "It is practically solved." "I love you." "Call me." "Second new message." "Marga, it's Joaquin." "I've been calling you for a while to talk about Ferres." "I know you finished late with the Brazilians, but don't forget that we have an appointment with him, okay?" "Third new message." "Marga, hey, I've received a call from the real estate." "The agent had a car accident and won't make it." "So they have apologized and said that they will call you this afternoon to arrange another appointment." "I didn't arrange anything because I'm not good for those things." "You always say I'm so slow, so I didn't want to ruin things." "Who is it?" "It's Marga, your neighbor from the fourth floor." "Hello." "What a surprise, so soon!" "Hello, can I come inside for a moment?" "Yes, dear, come in." "There are some people at my apartment." "I don't know who they are." "It's too long to explain, but we have to call the police!" "But how did they come into to your house?" "Because he told me he was a real estate broker." "No." "No, no, no." "You told him that." "We have to call the police." "That's what we have to do." "Calm down, dear, calm down." "Who is the agent?" "Didn't you call him?" "Yes." "Well, no, no." "What do you mean exactly?" "It seems to me that you are not okay." "Enough!" "I'm perfectly fine!" "Damn, everyone telling me the same." "I think tea will help" "Jose!" "Jose!" "No." "Jose." "Why?" "Jose, why?" "It can't be." "I talk to him... and I feed him." " Did you hear that?" " No." "Ma'am, we need to call the police." "It was an accident." "I dropped the tea accidentally." "I wanted to tell you, but I was embarrassed, so I ran out." "It's him." "Him?" "Who?" "The real estate broker." "He didn't know we were here." "That's why he was buzzing on the apartment next door." "Nobody lives next door." " I better go." " No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Who is it?" "Hello, is Marga there?" "Yes." "Are you the realtor?" "No, I am not." "See'?" "He's a phony!" "I am her husband." "What?" "I'm not married." "Ma'am, we've been married for five years." "Notice that she wears on her right hand, a silver ring with a tear." "It's our wedding ring" "It's my mother's wedding ring." "She died, and I" "That's not true, Maggie." "Why don't you shut up, asshole?" "My goodness, here we go again." "Ma'am, this is one of the guys who was trying to enter the building." "Don't you see?" "No." "How do you call the police in this fucking country?" "No." "Ma'am!" "Ma'am!" "Shut up, or I'll kill her." "You told me when we were downstairs, you thought you were going crazy." "We're sorry, ma'am." "We will not bother you again." "Let me go, asshole." "Okay, stop fucking with me." "What do you think?" "You think you're gonna have my apartment without paying a dime?" "You better let me go now!" "Shut up!" "Okay?" "This is too stressful for us to handle more complications." "So you like the electricity." "Jorge, stop!" "Do you want all the neighbors to find out what we're doing?" "If they didn't find out already." "Keys?" "In the pocket." "Come on." "We're running out of time." "I don't think Salva is coming." "He should be here by now." "Shut up, okay?" "Salva has never let us down." "But maybe we did." "No, it can't be that." "I talked to him awhile ago." "He's just delayed." "But he will arrive on time and will come with us." "At least think of that as a possibility." "Perhaps he is tired of our incompetence." "Didn't you realize that Emilio hasn't come either?" "Emilio is special for him, and you know that." "Emilio is special because he actually does the things Salva asks for." "Salva is coming." "He did everything for us." "If you don't believe in him, leave." "You're a bunch of cowards." "I'm not a coward." "And I do believe in Salva." "But I also believe we aren't worthy." "Are we going to discuss this much longer?" "We have a lot to do." "You're forgetting one detail." "Did you bring the ropes?" "Yes." "We will tie her up until everything is over." "Tie her?" "This woman can jeopardize our mission." "Do you have a better idea?" "Shoot her in the head." "Nobody would say that you're an intelligent person when you come up with these caveman solutions." "I also think she might cause problems." "And I think what Jorge says is quite intelligent." "We haven't studied this for many years just for this chick to come to ruin everything." "Do I have to remind you that this is the only opportunity we'll have in our lifetime?" "No." "No, I haven't seen anything." "I'm not going to tell, really." "I will not say anything." "Please, please." "Don't do anything crazy, please." "It doesn't matter what you've seen." "You just don't know a thing." "If you only knew what we were doing." "Enough." "Until Salva gets here, you do what I say, Jorge." "Alberto, think clearly." "You're a driver." "You got a lot of responsibility." "Jorge, tie this woman." " Victoria, I think" " Tie this woman!" "I'll help you." "Angela, go help Victoria with the boxes." "No." "No." "No." "Where do we take her?" "Let's tie her in the kitchen." "Beware of the jars." "I dropped one on the stairs while waiting for Jorge's signal to come in." "Stay still, okay?" "Nice invention, huh?" "Angela, you brought the ropes, right?" "The Founding Fathers could have given this a good use." "I've already told you." "Look in the other box." "It's such a pity I can't take much with me now." "South American shit!" "Good for nothing!" "Because you're so smart, right?" "You should have seen your face when I mentioned euros." "Something changed in your face, the twinkle in your eyes." "Pathetic." "Sometimes we pay a very high price for money, you know?" "Thackeray said that." "That's so deep, Jorge!" "Why don't you slice your throat and see how much time it takes for you to bleed to death?" "In time, in time." "What are you doing?" "What are those candles for?" "A ritual?" "Not exactly." "Are you a satanic cult?" "I don't even know how to explain." "The Wolf Number, do you know what that is?" "You don't, right?" "Are you a sect?" "No, we're not a bunch of crazy, brainwashed people." "Each one of us has done some very important research." "And Salva?" "Salva tells us what to do." "He's" "He's your leader?" "Our guide" "He spent a lifetime deciphering cycles." "He's like a Messiah?" "No, not at all." "He understood that sunspots were the key, their connection with the cycles, the 22 years." "The great cycle that goes from September 1, 1859, until today, today precisely." "But you don't know what that means or what couples are and why we needed to find the driver and the driven." "We found the ideal place to begin our journey." "The greatest journey ever made by any man." "And today we will start it." "You are all crazy." "You asked me." "We knew you wouldn't understand." "Don't you see?" "You've been brainwashed." "No, I feel sorry for you, for all of those that have been told not to use aerosols, for those convinced that the Earth is warming just because it is convenient to use another kind of fuel." "You have never seen the biggest force, capable of erasing everything from the face of the Earth in an instant." "You see it coming out and hiding all the time." "But you don't know anything." "Enough." "We can't continue to waste our time with her." "No, what are you gonna do?" "What are you doing?" "No." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Do you realize that no one will ever know about this?" "It's such a heavy weight." "She is not okay like this." "Stay still." "You're going to cut yourself." "I told you we had to get rid of her." "She's a fighter." "Yes, but you shouldn't fight a battle unless you are convinced that you can win the war." "Jorge!" "Hello." "I am your neighbor from the second floor." "I came to bring her cell phone." "She left it in my house." "But I think I have the wrong apartment." "No, ma'am." "You're not wrong;" "it is here." "Finally, all of us together." "Just in time, Mr. Salva." "Mr. Salva, what should we do with these two?" "Take her to another room." "Who's the other one?" "She is the owner of the house." "She's a menace." "It doesn't matter, Jorge." "Let her stay." "Let her watch." "Are you curious?" "Take her with us." "We can't be rude." "She's our hostess." "Cell phones or anything like that?" "Only hers." "Out." "I see everything is set to begin." "It seems to be the right place." "Very good job." "Congratulations." "I'm very happy about your teamwork" "You dealt with crisis, complications." "Congratulations." "I'm sure you will be rewarded for the work you've done." "Go to your place." "Is this the female?" "Yes, she is." "Excellent choice." "A strong race." "If any of you has the slightest doubt on your soul about what you are going to do, this is the moment to leave our circle." "Do you feel it?" "It's coming." "Now." "No!" "Let me go through this again." "Apartment B on the fourth floor." "Is it yours?" "Yes." "You don't live there, but you were inside before and during the eclipse?" "Yes." "Were you there when they killed the black woman?" "When she was beheaded?" "I've told you a thousand times." "She was killed by those six guys, who committed suicide right after that." "In your apartment?" "Why don't you go up and check for yourself?" "Come with me, ma'am." "I want you to see something." "We found two bodies in your apartment, ma'am." "One of a beheaded black woman, one of an old lady, a neighbor." "But there is no trace of the bodies of the six individuals who, according to you, are guilty of these facts." "No one saw any member of this sect entering or leaving the place, but many neighbors told us that you have provoked incidents shortly before the murders." "Now you have to come with me to the police station so I can understand how half a dozen people disappear without a trace." "Or until I hear a more believable story." ""YOU HAVE BEEN WATCHING PENUMBRA"" "To the milkman, the policeman" "The postman, the newsagent" "I said hi!" "I got used to living with them" "And not to tell them what I know" "They think they are normal" "And I treat them as such" "Not showing" "The sickness that I feel" "Shaking their hands and answering" "I'm fine, and you?" "And you tell me" "That I'm a paranoid" "But it is true" "Sure, they're watching us" "Sure, they're chasing us" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and ten-fingered hands" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and only ten toes" "Solidarity, fraternity" "Equality and compassion" "A bunch of empty words" "Disguised with good manners" "I sing to simple things" "I sing to love and world peace" "They think I'm like them" "They are so ugly, poor things" "What a disappointment" "And you tell me" "That I'm a paranoid" "But it is true" "Sure, they're watching us" "Sure, they're chasing us" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and ten-fingered hands" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and only ten toes" "And you tell me" "That I'm a paranoid" "But it is true" "Sure, they're watching us" "Sure, they're chasing us" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and ten-fingered hands" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and only ten toes" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and ten-fingered hands" "We are surrounded by monsters" "With two eyes on the face and only ten toes"