"The day I turned 27, I decided to change my life." "In the morning, I grabbed my clothes and took them to the Laundromat." "And then got a job at a bar." "I had made up my mind." "Nothing was going to be the same." "The following day, mi ex husband phoned me." "He wanted to meet me." " How are you?" "You've gained weight." " This shirt's too small." "At the Laundromat, they gave me the wrong bag." " I'll have to go on a diet." " Two identical bags?" "No, quite different, but I didn't notice it then." " Why don't you take it back?" " No way." "How did it go with your new job?" "I served 48 black coffees, 20 espressos and 15 lattes." "We could go out some day." "Go to a movie, or something." " OK." " We always say that, and then we never meet." " You're right." " We make loads of plans and nothing happens." " Come to my place to watch a video some day." " When?" "One of these days." "I have to go now, before the pet shop closes." " I want to buy an orange canary." " A canary?" "Yes, one that can't sing." "I have time." "I'II go with you." "Waiter!" "Here, this is for you." "What is it?" "There's 1,200." "It's enough for 2 months, right?" "I can't take them." "Go on." " No." " Yes." " You want some?" " What is it?" " Washing powder." " Is it for all kind of clothes?" " Yes." " For wool too?" " Yes." "Can I use it in the shower?" "It's very soft." "Look at my hands." "Perfect." "Can I have some more?" " More?" " That's it." " Please..." " I can't." " OK." "Thanks." "Hi." "Would you get me a large coffee latte?" "Thanks." "You can pay me back with your first paycheck." " They make me wear this ugly overall" " Is it as heavy as working in a?" "Devi asked me if my mew job was as heavy as working in a garage..." "I said I'd served 17 black coffees, 30 espressos and 12 coffees latte." "I thought of dining with him but told him I'd bought a canary." "He had a present for me, an answering machine." "And I also have a present for you." "It's an answering machine." " I came back for more soap." " We've come back from a funeral." "One of the girls was handing out free samples." "A bus smashed her against a building." "She died on the spot." "The passengers didn't even get hurt." "Nobody noticed that Cristina was under the wheels..." " and the passengers took all the free samples." " I'm so sorry." " Are you going to work, anyway?" " Yes." "I'd like to see you outside work." "I'II take you out to dinner." " OK." " I'll pick you up right here, tomorrow at 7 pm." "Fine?" " Come with me." " Where are we going?" "I made reservations in a Mexican restaurant." " How long will this take?" " No idea." "Aren't we going to be late?" "We're going to loose our table." "Describe your ideal man." "A man who won't depend on a woman for absolutely everything." "An independent man, but at the same time..." "The man of your dreams might be here... the man you 're looking for." "Does any of our participants look like him?" "How awful." "A friend from high school." "Garbuglia." "Mario Garbuglia." "What did you do all this time without a girlfriend?" "I was in a crisis because I was losing my youth." "Come on in." "Leave the bag over there, I'II be right back." "You want something to drink?" "Coffee, a glass of water?" " Coffee." " A glass of water." "It's so hot." " What're you doing?" " Nothing." "When... my ex-wife left me, I visited a fortune teller." "She needed... something that had belonged to her." "I didnnt have anything." "With the pendulum you don't need anything." "Come." "Think of a question." " Any question?" " Yes." "Don't tell me." "Search position." "Hi." "Why did you invite me over?" " To tell you I've quit smoking marihuana." " Aha." "I'm going to change my life." " We won't see each other any more?" " No." " What did you make for dinner?" " Just sit down." " What's this?" " 4 chickens, chopped into 12 pieces each." "48 pieces of chicken." "Devi refused to eat." "He made me put all the food in several plastic bags." "Then we gave them to the poor." "And he took me out for dinner." "That was our farewell." "With my first paycheck, I bought a ticket to Mar del Plata." "I wanted to spend a weekend on my own." " Where to?" " To the airport." " Where are you flying to?" " Europe." "What?" "Excuse me, may I?" "Forgive my Spanish, I haven't had much practice." "What an incredible city, right?" "Mar del Plata is one of the nicest places in the world." "I've been to the Casino." "All my friends told me that in South America..." "I should try that "waanderful" marihuana of yours." "Do you know where I can get some?" "In Paraguay?" "Are you cold?" "Here." "It's an Armani." " Don't you have a cigarette?" " No, I don't smoke... but I can go and get some." "What brand would you like?" "Any brand." " Yes, but... blondes or blacks?" " It's the same." "Just a minute." " Hello?" " Silvia Prieto." " Who's calling?" " It's me." " Who's "me"?" " Armani, from Mar del Plata." "I phoned your hotel and then flew to Buenos Aires." "Where did you get my number?" "How do you know my name?" "I asked for your number in the hotel and looked it up in the phone book." " There're only 2 Silvia Prieto." " What do you mean?" " Hello?" " Silvia Prieto." " It's me, who's calling?" " Silvia Prieto." "I couldn 't stand the bar any longer." "In total, I'd served more than 3,800 coffees latte and... almost 12,000 black coffees." "It was too difficult to keep track so I quit working there." "That day, my ex-husband called me to remind me of... my invitation to watch a video." "Hello?" "Yes, I'll be right down." "Hi, this is Brite, this is Silvia." "We brought "empanadas"." " Did you rent another one?" " No." "Come on, put it on." "Brite's dying to watch the video from our wedding... and none of us has a VCR." "Did I wear a white dress?" "How awful, I'd forgotten about it." "Rewind it, I want to look at the dress." "It looks great on you." "Look, there's Devi." " Hello?" " Silvia Prieto." " Who is this?" "What do you want?" " Don 't hang up." "It's me, Armani." "Please, don't bother me." "I'm watching a movie." "I told them I'd quit the bar." "Brite got me a job as a promoter." "The uniform they gave me belonged to Cristina, the girl hit by the bus." "It had to be fixed, Cristina was a bit fatter than I." "The waist should be tighter." " I'll fix it at home." " No, my dressmaker will do it." "And straighten up your visor." " Is it better now?" " Yes." "Did you know Marcelo moved in with me?" " He left his downtown apartment?" " It was senseless paying 2 rents." " Do you use your maiden or married name?" " My maiden name." "Not me." "Since legally we're still married, I use my ex husband's name." "Rossi." "I don't." " So you are not Echegoyen." " No, I'm not Echegoyen." "Ah, no..." " What does it say here?" "Tell me." " Prieto." "Silvia Prieto." "Information, Lorena speaking." " I need the number for Silvia Prieto." " Hold on." "Silvia Prieto on Godoy Cruz St. Or on Virrey del Pino?" "Virrey del Pino." "It's 5530248." " Hello?" " Silvia Prieto." " It's me." "Who 's calling?" " Silvia Prieto." "Confused, I arrived home." "The phone was ringing." " Hello?" " May I talk to Silvia Prieto?" " Who's calling?" " Silvia Prieto." " She's not in." " Do you know when I can find her?" "No." "She's in Europe." " She'II be back in a month or so." " Thanks a lot, bye." "Listen." "What would you do if... a woman with your same name walked into your life?" "Another one?" "I'd kill her without a doubt." " What?" " I'd smash her brains." " Are you serious?" " Yes." "I just... lunched with my ex-husband, he's just come back from the US." "He lived in LA for 3 years." "I'd like you to meet him." " What does he do?" " I don't know what he did there, but he's a writer." " Well known?" " More or less." "He published some poems, but it was a long time ago." "I don't know if I'm interested." "Don't insult me." "He's my ex-husband." "All right." "Fix me a date." "But..." "I don't feel ready to start a new relationship." " Are you Gabriel?" " Yes." " Hi." "I'm Silvia." " Nice to meet you." "What shall we do?" "Do you have your own place?" "Not yet." "I'll rent an apartment." "Got back from LA 2 days ago." "Of course..." "I haven't slept with anybody in the last 4 years." "A guy from high school didn't make love for 6 months... for the feart that sex would affect his low pressure." " The same with my ex-husband." " What's his name?" " Marcelo." " Marcelo who?" " Echegoyen." " Marcelo Echegoyen." "It's the same one." "It turned out Gabriel and my ex-husband went to school together." "I forgot to take my artificial nails off." "Gabriel woke up all scratched." "Silvia, may I borrow some money from you?" "I got back three days ago and don't have a job yet." "How much do you need?" "I don't know... 50 pesos?" "I told him I kept the money in a Tupperware in the fridge... and he took 50 pesos." "As it was chilly, I gave him the Armani jacket." "Since Mar del Plata, it rested on the same chair... getting too dusty." "Sure this is a gift?" "It's a man's jacket." "For me it's useless." " When will we see each other again?" " I don't know." "Call me as soon as you have the 50 pesos." " Tell me something about LA." " What do you want me to tell you?" " That's a nice jacket." " It's an Armani." "They sell nice stuff there." "Amazing." "Right." "So soft." " They don't make jackets like this here." " It's Italian." "Let me try it on." " I'll buy it off you." " It's almost new." " 50?" " 100." " 100?" " You could be in the Vogue Uomo." " 75." " Done." "Thank you." " Rossi..." " What?" " Do you remember Garbuglia?" " Garbuglia?" " Mario." " The one we went to school with?" " I saw him the other day on a match making show." " On TV?" "It seems he's dating contestant number two." " You're kidding." " Maybe they'II end up getting married." "They went out 3 times already, and everything's going smoothly." " We should get his number and call him." " Let's call the TV station." "Two old high school classmates saw me on TV and called me." " I almost didn't remember them." " Stop bragging about it." " The whole neighborhood saw me and I say nothing." " I donnt brag about it." "I'm just amazed at the wide scope of the media." "Rossi and Echegoyen." "I haven't seen them in 10 years." "What's next?" " The variety show and then dinner." " I won't go there." " We have to go." "It's already booked." " I hate variety shows." " The cameras will be there..." " It's a show for men." " I understand many couples go." " It's sexist." "Marta, do you want a wedding party or not?" " You want to party or not?" " Yes!" " Yes, what?" " Stop it, don't torment me." "Yes, I want to party!" "If you want to party we must be at the theater at 11;15." "That same evening Gabriel came to my place with 50 pesos and... a bottle of whisky in his hand." "Hi." "I've got the fifty pesos." " There was no hurry." "Thanks." " May I come in?" "Before we met, I told Brite..." "I wasn't ready for a new relationship yet." "I brought this whisky, acid and some joints." " Didn't she tell you?" " I thought all this would tempt you." " I quit marihuana a little while ago." " But just once..." "No." "I made a decision and I'm going to keep it." " I've changed my life." "I can't go back now." " I got it." "But come in, anyway, you're not going to stand there..." " Sure you don't want some?" " No, thanks." "I'll get you a glass." " Do you have anything to eat?" " Yes." "There's chicken in the fridge." "I'II put some in the oven." " They're already living together." " Who?" "Marcelo y Brite." "As though they were married." "They save on rent." "I know what I'm saying." " About marriage?" " No, about rent, work." "If I'd known, I'd have taken Marcelo's apartment and wouldn't... have this problem of finding a house." "But now it's too late." "Why did you come back?" "I'm getting older..." "I'm almost 30, I want to settle down." "I'd like to have a family, get married, have kids..." "And why did you leave?" "I was sick of the Argentinean bourgeois life." "Being blonde and what that represents here." "There, nobody cares about the color of your hair." "Being blonde is not such a distinctive trait." " Wasn't it easier to dye your hair?" " I never thought of that." "Brown." "I think it would look good on you." "And you would look good with curly hair." "We woke up almost at noon and I told Gabriel... to have breakfast at the steak house around the corner." "I wanted him out of my house to avoid the morning's intimacy." "I'd had a bad night." "I slept very little and had lots of nightmares." "While we were having breakfast I told the ones I remembered." "Last night I had a nightmare too." "I had... your artificial nails on and was sticking them on somebody's jugular." " Whose?" " It wasn't clear;" "I couldn't see well." "Where is the jugular?" " I don't know." " What do you mean?" "Didnnt you dream it?" "I must've dreamt the word, not the image." "I'm a writer." "Yeah, I know." " Poems." " Brite did mention it." " I've published a book." " With a big publishing house?" "Poetry." "You might get it at a second hand store." "Everything is delicious." "It's amazing how fame changes you overnight." "For a long time I used to think no woman could find me attractive." "I lack the freshness of youth or the assurance of maturity." "When I wake up, I have bags under my eyes." "My salary... is just enough to make a living." "That's why I went on TV." "At least I became famous." "Television saved my life." "Tell us something from there, Rossi." "I'm Echegoyen." "I'm so sorry, you're right, Echegoyen." "Tell us something from there." " The one who was there is Gabriel." " Where was it you were?" " In Los Angeles." " Tell us something." " What do you want to know?" " How do they live there?" "How should I know." "There I got used to Chinese restaurants." " But they aren't as good as here." " Is that right?" "This is the best food ever." "At the TV station, they told me Marta is a good cook." "At Silvia's, chopped chicken is all there is." "I hope they didn't lie about Marta being a good cook." "Marcelo, I bought this for Brite, a present from LA." "I just found it yesterday..." "I'd left it forgotten in the bottom of my bag." "Open it." "Do you like it?" "Is it something typical from over there?" "So?" " It's pretty." " Isn't it?" "When I saw it I thought of Brite." "They're very much alike, right?" " Well..." " I mean this part here..." "Not at all like Marta." "It's cute." "She's going to love it." "I can't believe he said it looks like me!" "It's horrible!" "I don't think it's that ugly." "How can you say that?" "I just don't get it." "It's a cute little thing..." "During all these years, he saw me like this." "This is how he sees me." "That's me for my ex-husband!" "I don't know why you are so upset." "It looks a lot more like Silvia." " You think so?" " Yes." "We'll put it on the upper shelf and that's it." "In a second you'II forget it ever existed." "Do you care for some washing powder?" " Have we met before?" " I don't know, no idea." "When you get home, take 2 items of clothing alike... one in your regular washing powder, the other one in Brite." " Aren't you a waitress?" " I used to." " That's where I know you from." " Maybe." " Can you give me another one?" " Here." " Thanks." " You're famous." " Yeah." "Silvia, I've got a present for you." "Look how pretty she is." " Why do you give me this?" " It's a cute little figure." " She looks pretty much like you." " Like me?" " I named it "Silvia Prieto"." " "Silvia Prieto"?" "You sure it looks like me?" "I can't see the resemblance." "I put it away in my purse." "I thought of chopping it as if it were a chicken... but when I got home I forgot about it." "I went straight to the phone... and dialed the first number that crossed my mind." " Hello?" " Who's speaking?" "What do you mean "who's speaking" Who called who?" "Don 't you think I should ask "who's speaking"?" " I'm sorry, you're right." " Who's speaking?" "It's Silvia." "Silvia Prieto." "I see, how are you?" "I'm fine, quite fine." "You've been out of the country, right?" "In Europe." "Yes." "You called me while I was away." "We arranged to meet for tea the following day..." "She asked me how we'd recognize each other" "I said I was 27, medium height with curly dark hair." "She said: "I have straight brown hair?" I didnnt tell her... what I'd wear because I didn 't know." "The following day..." "I spent hours trying to make up my mind." "I tried on the overall I wore as a waitress." "Out of context, you wouldn't guess it was a uniform." "I thought of being casual about it and showing up... in my promoter's uniform." "I didn't want to show empty handed, I thought of a present." "I found the answering machine Devi had given me." "I hadn 't taken it out of the box." "It seemed too important for an unknown person." "Chocolates, perfume, a purse, nothing seemed suitable." "That is until I found Gabriel's empty whisky bottle... and decided to make a bottle lamp out of it." " What do you have there?" "Let me see." " Nothing, just a fur coat." " It belonged to my grandmother." " But there's something else... in the very end." "A bottle lamp!" " It's for a present." " Who for?" "I'm meeting somebody for tea." " It's obvious you made it yourself." " Do you tink so?" " Sure." " Well, it's worth more." " You didn't even put a lamp shade!" "The lamp shade is missing." "Are you going to give a lamp with no lamp shade?" "I'd never give anybody a bottle lamp with no lamp shade." "Brite was right..." "I rushed into a pharmacy to choose a new present." " What brand are you looking for?" " What do you have?" "Revlon, Helena Rubinstein, Sedal, Wellapon, Plusbelle, Springtime..." "Give me an imported one." "Head  Shoulders, Flex, Timotei, Satinic..." "The one that has more products in it." "I'm trying to make an impression." "Give me the largest bottle." "Hi." "I'm Silvia Prieto." "Hi." "I'm Silvia Prieto." " I brought you "normal hair", just in case." " I'm "dry hair"." "They told me "normal hair" is not only for normal hair... but for all types of hair." "They'll say anything for a sale." "But it's the thought that counts." "I'm so glad you called me." "I even brought my camera so we can have our photo taken." " Where did you get them?" " What?" "Your nails." "They're not local." "You bought them in Europe?" " Yes." " Too refined to be from the US." "Where did you go in Europe?" "Italy." " Siena!" " What?" " You haven't been to Siena?" " Not really." "If you haven't been to Siena you haven't been to Europe." "You konw what?" "We should call each other by our first names." "After all, we're almost relatives." "What do you think?" " About what?" " About our first names." " Yes, of course." " Tell me, Silvia, what do you do?" "I'm a promoter for a renowned washing powder." "Before..." "I used to be a waitress." "Just like me, services for the middle class." "I'm a singing teacher." "I was thinking there must be... others Silvia Prieto not listed in the phone book." "And those who don't live here?" "The ones from the provinces?" "And the married ones?" "And those with no phone numbers?" "Those listed under another name?" "And the minors?" "There must be thousands." "We should contact them." "A Silvia Prieto club, with regular weekly meetings... like when we were young." "But I bet we're all lonely women, and that's going to be depressing..." " I don't think there is any man named Silvia Prieto yet." " No." " I'll ask the waiter to take a picture of us." " No!" "What do you mean "no"?" "The two Silvia Prieto together..." " No, please, no photos." " Fine, no photos, no photos..." "I went back home by bus." "Gabriel was waiting for me." "This time I didn 't invite him in." "Why are you staring at me?" "Is my hair that ugly?" "I love your coat." "You look like Maradona when he returned from Italy" "It was my grandmother's." "I always loved the smell of moth balls, it drives me nuts." " What's that in there?" " Nothing." "What do you mean nothing?" " My bottle of whisky." " Now it's a lamp." "Here, I made it for you." "When I was a kid, they'd call me "Bottle Lamp"." "I never knwe why." "At school, the useless were called "Bottle Lamp"." "Those who were good for nothing, the disposable ones." "You'II have to find a lamp shade." "I couldn't find one." "I went to the hardware store and they sold me this metal thing." "I could also use it with a soft white lamp bulb." " That way it won't blind you." " I guess so." "Gabriel called me to tell me he had moved in with Garbuglia." "He rented a small studio in Colegiales... a couple of blocks away from Thomas and Lacroze streets." "Good night." "Good night, sleep well." "Gabriel?" "Are you sleeping?" "No." "Remember that guy from school we'd call "Bottle Lamp"?" " No, I don't remember." " You don't?" "No, Garbuglia, I don't remember." " Good night." " Good night." "Sleep well." "Wasn't it Marcelo?" "I think so." "What?" ""Bottle Lamp"." "It was Marcelo, I'm almost sure." "But I can't remember why we called him that." "What kind of people are called "Bottle Lamp"?" "What kind?" "There's a tribe in the Amazon, the "Bottle Lamps"." "What are you saying..." "We'll have to buy a lamp shade." "It doesn't look very nice as it is." " "Bottle Lamp"." "Poor Marcelo..." " Why "poor"?" "He represents so little." "A poor ornament made out of nothing... just cheap decoration." "False Clues." " Here it is." "Look." " Let me see." "You see?" "He wasn't lying." ""When the night lost in sources of light... forgets its dream." "When?" " You changed brands." " What?" "Deodorant." "You changed brands." "And you put on way too much." "It's not my smell." "It's Gabriel's." "Where is he?" "I can't see him." "He puts on tons of deodorant and the apartment's really small." " The first clashes of cohabitation." " Tell him." " What?" " That fragrance is horrible." " How can I tell him that?" "Besides, it doesn't bother me." "It just smells of deodorant." " It's awful." "What is it?" "Pine?" "Sandalwood?" " I don't know." " Does he take showers?" " Every day, but never dries the floor." "Puts on tons of deodorant while he's still in the bedroom." " He uses bottled deodorant?" " I mean spray, half a can." " You must tell him." " I can't." "I don't dare." "It'd be worse if he were dirty, you'd have to ask him to use it." "Look at the bright side of things." "Learn now for when we get married." "Learn how to live with someone else." "Why can't you write something like this?" " Because I'm not a writer." " So what?" "Marta, the writers write, the others don't." "Writers are sensitive people." "I wish you were sensitive." "And I wish you were Marilyn Monroe" " Are you sure it's fine?" " Absolutely." "I almost never wear it." " It's so expensive." " I didn't buy it, it was my grandma's." "Tomorrow I'll give it back." " Marcelo invited me to dinner and I want to dress up." " Sure." "You're stiff, Silvia." " What?" " Stiff." "Take a look at yourself." " Don't you see?" "You have to loosen up." " Yeah... you may be right." "In the past I smoked marihuana, and that was relaxing." "But now we're all stressed out." "Why don't you call Marta?" " Marta who?" " The one who's marrying Garbuglia, don't know her last name." " The one on TV?" " Yes." "She's a great masseuse." "She's not expensive." " You think so?" " Definitely." "Tell her I sent you." "You'II get a discount." " OK, thanks." " No, thank you for the coat." "Moth balls..." "love them." "The pockets are empty, right?" " I already emptied them." " Great." "I'II return it tomorrow for sure." "Silvia Prieto!" "He took me for your ex-wife." "I'm not Silvia Prieto." " Silvia Prieto?" " Is that all you can say?" "You're wearing the jacket I gave Silvia Prieto." "I finally found my Armani." "It's getting cold and there's too much "humideety"." "Sure, sure." " You are..." " No, I'm not Silvia Prieto." " Yeah, but that's my jacket." " Right, it's your jacket." "When you are done eating, you'II have to give it back to me." " What do you mean?" " My jacket." " I paid 75 dollars for this jacket." " You don't understand." "I went to buy cigarettes and Silvia Prieto disappeared with my Armani." "Sure, sure." "Over a month" "Look, may be you can help me." "They told me the marihuana in Argentina is great." " I have no idea." " He's a narc." "Help yourself, eat as much as you like." "It's all delicious..." " The frittata looks very good." " Tortilla." "Do you want to try it?" "Thank you." " How much did you pay for my jacket?" " 75 dollars." "I don't want to lose a friend just when I've found one." "I offer you 75 "dollare" and you give it back to me." "Then it must be worth a lot more." " It's an Armani." " No less than 90." "Do you want 90?" "I'II give you 90." " Do you have change?" " Let's make it 100." " OK." "Do you have any coins?" "Brite..." "Don't you wonder why I took you out for dinner?" "I've got 65 cents, we need 35 more for the tickets." "I left all my coins in the jacket." "I wanted a quiet nice dinner, but that Italian guy..." "A pain in the neck." " You left the money in the jacket?" " Just the coins, the wallet's here." "Whatever." "Besides, you should get even with Gabriel." " Get even?" " He sold a jacket that wasn't his." "But I recovered my 75 pesos... and made 25 pesos extra." "The deal of my life." "Gabriel doesn't have to know that." " I can't do this to an ex-classmate." " He's my ex-husband." " It's cheating." " Did he... tell you the jacket was not his when he sold it?" " No." " Cheating." "Didn't he make you believe he brought it from LA?" " Well, actually..." " Cheating." " And that awful little doll..." " That's none of my business." "He said he'd brought it from LA, but anyone could claim it anytime." "I'm so glad I got rid of it." "I don't know..." "I mean..." "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to get married." "But we'd better keep on talking at your place." " Yeah, with no coins for the bus?" " Screw the bus!" "I have 100 pesos." "We can take a cab." " How are you going to do it?" " Do what?" " You want to marry me but you can't fight for your rights." "Here's a cab." "The following day, Silvia Prieto phoned me again." "She said the shampoo I gave her had ruined her hair." "They recommended her... a conditioner of a different brand... but they assured her it was the best thing for her hair." "She called me while she still had it on." "She had to wait some 20 minutes." " I'm a bit concerned about Silvia." " Prieto?" "She's obsessed with a woman who shares her same name." "I mean who "has" her same name." "She can't stand the very idea, she even talks of killing her." " Are you serious?" " Of course." "She really hates her." "In fact, what she really hates, more than the person, is the name." "Picture the other one undergoing plastic surgery to look like Silvia, like Michael Jackson." "It would be horrible." " I don't think she'II go that far." " No." "I hope not." "Of course not." "Marta, what's your last name?" "Soon it'll be Garbuglia." "The TV people are all very happy." " I can imagine." " We are the spoiled couple." "They want to announce the wedding." " Congratulations." " No." "They want to announce it, but we don't." "We are no opportunists." "We met just a little while ago." "We just need some more time." " Marcelo asked me to marry him." " And?" " I'd love to... but it makes no sense since we already live together." "He moved in with me." "It's as if we were married." "When Gabriel and I married, we lived with our parents." " You get married, and suddenly, you live with a stranger." " I agree." "You and Garbuglia are an example." "You should get a divorce rather than getting married." "Divorce?" "If we are not even married!" "Split up for a while, until the wedding day." " I never thought of that." " That's how I see it." "Yes, I see..." "Did you know Gabriel was kicked out from Garbuglia's?" " Why?" " Marta kicked him out." "She gave him an ultimatum:" "He's leaving on Friday." "Garbuglia asked him the money for the rent but he didn't have it." "Garbuglia asked him what to do." "Gabriel said: "Nothing"." ""What do I tell the landlord?", Garbuglia asked." " Do you know what Gabriel said?" " No." " "Tell him to fuck off."" " What?" "That's what he told Garbuglia to tell the landlord." " It sounds fair to me." " To me too." "They also had some clashes living together." "Landlords shouldn't be spoiled by paying them right on time." "I agree." "When you need something from them, they take months to fix it." "Now there's an empty bed at Garbuglia's." "It's very well located." "Downtown, buses and subways everywhere." "Plenty of light and no noises." "Marta says the apartment is quite comfortable." "And it's completely furnished." "It's 360 pesos a month." "It's not that much." " Not really." " Split in two." "Plus utilities, but Marta says it's not much." "With no real estate agency involved, it's even cheaper." " It sounds good." " Your suitcase is over there." "I put it on the bed." " It'II be like being 18." " Again?" "She's unbearable." "She called to tell me the conditioner... left her hair flat and body less, and her hairdresser... recommended a new mud, originally from Colombia... but processed in the Nordic countries, I don'r remember... if in Sweden, Finland or Norway." " You don't remember or she doesn't?" " She doesn't." " I hate that woman." " I'm curious to meet her." "What does she look like?" " Dry hair." " Yes, but besides that." "Dark and straight." "With all that stuff she'II end up with a head full of curls, like you." "She's got the devil in her hair." "That afternoon, while getting back from work... my bus got stuck in the traffic, under a bridge." "I made three wishes:" ""May Silvia Prieto die; may Silvia Prieto die; may Silvia Prieto die."" "I remembered I had Silvia Prieto in my purse." "I took her out, stared at her, and threw her out the window." "I think we have that book at home." "May I see it for a minute?" "Yes." "Gabriel Rossi." "He used to be our neighbor." "He was a friend of my brother's." "They had a band." "Rock." "People used to call him a funny name." "What did they call him?" "It's useless, I can't remember, but it was a very funny name." "Worst of all was, he really looked like that thing." "I've remembered!" "Bottle Lamp!" "Santi?" "Are you leaving?" " Bye." " Bye." " See you." " See you." ""The Other Self"." "Drink it." "It's good for your throat." "What are you doing?" " We're having a meeting today." " Here?" "No, somewhere else." "2100 Altolaguirre Street." "Villa Urquiza." " How do you know?" " We rehearsed two blocks away from there." "After the episode of the train and the bottle lamp..." "Gabriel got off the train and came back to the city." "He wandered about, not knowing where to go, and... he slept in the woods of Palermo." "Early in the morning, as soon as the Planetarium opened, he went in, took a seat, and stretched his legs..." "looked at the sky full of stars and lit a joint." "Half an hour later, he was in a police patrol car." "That same day, Brite found out she was pregnant." " Here I am." "How is it going?" " Very well, really." "Thanks." " Sure you don't want to come up?" " Sure." " I don't want to snoop in when Marcelo is out." " Sure." " What's going on with Marta?" " What do you mean?" " The date is fixed..." " Yes, the date." " You'd better start getting ready." " For what?" "Do you know when her fertile days are?" "Excuse me if I sound nosy, I'm not sure how informed you are... but I'm sure you and Marta don't want to waste any time." "Marta is no longer a girl." "I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable." "When was her last period?" "The exact date of her ovulation." "Do your math." "The man is supposed to take the first step, right?" "OK., let's change the subject." "Did you visit Gabriel?" " Not yet, I had no time." " Besides... you had all those problems, over the money for the rent." "Marcelo is much more responsible." "I know them both pretty well." "I didn't know he was called Bottle Lamp." "His mother called him Bottle Lamp when he was a kid." "He went wild." "To wind him up." "At his age, you can't carry marihuana, he's almost 30." " But he's an artist." " A poet." "They'll let him out." "I asked the pendulum." "Meanwhile, he's got room and board for free." "Marta thinks the same." "It was bound to happen, just arrived from LA, no work... it's obvious he was unable to find anything better." "Garbuglia, I've got to go." "Bye." "Calderón, Sergio." "Braun, Federico." "Gómez, Alberto." "Oliva, Javier." "Prieto, Silvia." " I brought this for you." " What is it?" "Washing powder." "I had to show them to the guards." "You can use them for your clothes or for bathing." "Thanks." "Brite asked the pendulum... and it said you'll be out soon." " When?" " It can't answer that." "It just says "yes" or "no"." " Ask if it's going to happen before next month." " OK." " What else?" " She's pregnant." " Who?" " Brite, from Marcelo." "My ex is expecting a child from your ex." "They'll have to get married now." " Are you two divorced?" " No." "Neither are we." "Do you have more free samples?" "Yes, here." " More?" " No more." "That's it." "I brought my canary, but they wouldn't let him in." "I wanted you to see him." "Brite was here with a lawyer." "They made me sign the divorce papers." "Marcelo called me to tell me... one of these days I'll have to sign those papers too." " They already set a date." " Yes" "Next week the promotion will be over." "I'm gathering more free samples." "I'II bring them to you next time." "Sampling free samples?" "Brite asked me if sexual contact was allowed in here." "What did you do with the canary?" "I had to leave it in a bar, they'II take care of it." "He doesn't sing any more." "As I left prison I headed straight home." "Only when I was opening the door and walking up the stairs..." "I realized I'd forgotten to pick up the canary." "He stayed in the bar, abandoned, for a whole week." "It's a lot fatter." "My daughter thought it was going to give birth." "Male?" " No." " Female?" "Did he ever sing?" "No." "He never sang." " Who is it?" " It's me, Marta." "Garbuglia, did you talk with Brite about my ovulation?" " Marta, listen..." " Just answer yes or no!" "Did you talk with Brite about my ovulation or not?" "Yes." "Garbuglia, I swear I don't understand you." "I wasn't looking for this fight." "I'm nice, gentle, good humored... you know me from school, you know how I am." "We're roommates now, and we never had a problem." "It was different with Gabriel, but because she got in the way." "Bye." "How could I know it was his nickname?" "I'm a peaceful guy." "I could've waited for the rent." "But Marta got in the way." "I can talk to her, if you want." "It's not my fault he's in prison." "I'm no longer interested in Marta or in the marriage." "I thought about it and won't change my mind." "Final." " A woman is a woman." " Listen..." " What do you want?" " I have the impression you're over-reacting." "I won't forgive his obsession with my reproductive system." " He wants to use me for having children." " It's the best thing..." "It was never in our plans." "I make a living as a masseuse." "What profit would a child bring me or the world?" "My goal is to be an independent woman." "Those are things stuck in your head from watching too much TV." "The day I decide to have a child, I'II feed him organic products... and as soon as he turns 14, I'II cook him and eat him." "The canary never sang again." "I moved his cage several times;" "even bought him imported food... but he remained silent." "I was so worried I went for a clinical check up." " Prieto, Silvia?" " Here." "A few days later, when I went for my test results..." "I passed by the old bar." "It was near the laboratory and I was never there as a customer." "They had new waiters;" "I didn't know any of them." "The test results are fine." "I have less of everything but the percentages are normal." "Less blood pressure, less pulse, less white and red blood cells... less of everything." "And I also feel lighter." "I feel as if I were less tied down to earth, as if I were... getting ready to levitate." "The losing weight thing sounds like you're pregnant." " The doctor didn't say a thing." " Are you sure?" " Yes." " What about the shorty?" " What shorty?" "Come on, I've found out." "In our prisons, there are no guarantees." "If you bribe... the guards, anything can happen." "Here." " But..." " You don't owe me a thing." "What are you waiting for?" "Go to the bar in the corner and let's clear all doubts." "Maybe you'II give us a surprise." " So?" " It was positive." "Yes, I knew it." " We have to celebrate." " We have to return the uniforms." " Later on, when we go out with Marcelo." " I have to meet him later." "Right, to sign the papers so we can get married." "Thanks." "Let's make a toast." "I don 't know how but I ended up walking alone in Palermo." "It was already day time but the sun was not out yet." "The soil was wet, I couldn 't tell if it was rain or dew." "I started going to the avenue, looking for a cab." "My purse was missing but I was holding a card:" "An ace." "That ace was a ticket of a disco wardrobe." "In my wallet, there were 20 pesos and my IDs." " Where did you lose it?" " In a disco." "Did you bring any ID?" "I came here to report I lost them." "You lost them all?" "Passport, credit cards, driver's license." "It was all together." " Tell me your name." " Luisa Ciccone." "How do you spell it?" "C-l-C-C-O-N-E." "Social security number." " I don't remember." " Passport number." "No, I don't remember either." "How was it that you lost your IDs?" " It was in a disco, right?" " Yes." " How did you lose them?" " Dancing?" " Yes, dancing." "Gori, Catalina." "Barilari, Julio." "Levinas, Raúl." "Ciccone, Luisa." "According to the pendulum, you're out next week." "Yes, the judge told me." " How is the canary?" " I sent it to my mother by mail." "I didn't know you had a mother." "She lives in Mendoza and we exchange things via mail." "She always sends me food." "Yesterday, I received a roast chicken." "I sent her the... canary in a box full of holes." "They won't give me my money back at the pet shop." "I asked for a canary that wouldn't sing and it sang all day." "Now... that he's silent I can't complain." "Right after I came back I saw some green plush parrots... sitting on a wooden swing." "I'II get you one as soon as I'm free." "I'm out next Tuesday, at 3 pm." " Marta and Garbuglia are getting married on Friday." " Finally." "They don't want to, but the network already paid for everything." " It was too late to call it off." " You can't do that to an audience." " There's an invitation for you." " Sure." " You won't make it, but it'll be on TV." " When?" " Friday." " At what time?" "From 9 pm." " No TV here at night." " I'll tape it in my VCR." " Will you be here to pick me up?" " Tuesday at 3?" " Yes." "I'II be at the bar." "Brite and Marcelo were legally married on Friday." "Then we came straight home to kill some time before..." "Marta and Garbuglia's party." "They agreed on celebrating both weddings at the same time... since the party was paid by the network." "Only a few names were added to the guest list." "Too bad the network shouldn't know about it... so Brite couldn 't wear her white wedding dress." "You are waiting for Bottle Lamp?" "He was supposed to leave today, and I should've left yesterday." "The paperwork got all mixed up." "Some guy got it all wrong." "Your friend's arrived yesterday and mine just an hour ago." "So, he got out yesterday evening, and I was left in till now." "I had to stay one more night in that rotten pigs stall." "Why don't we move on?" "7 months in there and when you think you're out... a shitty signature..." "and once again back to jail." "Bottle Lamp was really lucky." "He said I could crash at your place for a couple of nights." "He got a free ride to Cordoba." "They came to pick me up with a van, and I told him to take my place." "Anyway, Cordoba is over for me." "Now, it's better to start all over again." "I always have to start all over again." "I'm Walter." "Nice meeting you." " Do you live alone here?" " I used to have a canary." "I know where they sell green plush parrots." "They don't... bother you at all." "You don't even have to feed them." " Is smoking allowed in here?" " Sure, no problem." "I'm so hungry..." "Walter knew it all about Marta and Garbuglia 's wedding." "Gabriel told him I was going to tape the party." "He wanted to watch the tape to see Gabriel's friends live... but when I played the tape, it was blank." "I had made a mistake programming the VCR." "Not to disappoint him, I played the tape of my wedding." "When Marcelo appeared I told him he was Garbuglia... and I said that I was Marta." "Some years ago and dressed up as a bride... he would never recognize me." "In fact, at that point, I didn't give a damn." " We sang out of tune..." " But it was great." "Maybe you can' but you like singing." "I don't know..." "But the important thing is that you like it." "I'II have another sandwich." "Are you Silvia Prieto or you married a Prieto?" "Silvia Prieto." " And you?" " Silvia Prieto." "From Floresta." "What's the street?" " Monroe." " You're the one on Monroe?" "And what do you do?" "Right now, nothing." "I spend my time waiting." "You managed to get rid of work." "She's nesting now." "But I study Linguistics." "I'm almost done with the career, but it's taking me forever to graduate." " Where do you study?" " At the University of Buenos Aires." "You always wanted to study..." "Physical Education?" "I've loved it my entire life... and I was about to start studying, but freaked out and dropped it." " Really?" " Yes." "I got married on my birthday." "I just got 49..." " The day of your birthday?" " Yes." " And wedding anniversary... 27 years of marriage." "I have 2 children;" "Leandro, 25, and Candelaria, 18." " Do you have any kids?" " No, not yet." " You got married recently?" " No, I've been married for 11 years." " Not that long." " Not if compared to you..." "My children are named Victoria and Juan Ignacio." " What beautiful names!" " Like the second name of my future baby:" "She'll be Daniela Victoria." " The Victorias have quite a temper." " Yes?" " Yes." " The Silvias are more..." " Eeasygoing?" "But the Victorias have quite a temper." "She's cute..." "But you can be cute..." "And not photogenic." " You are blushing." " Yes." " You could be a model." " No, not a model." "I'm into design." "It's true that she's shy, look at her." "But it's hot also..." "Let's have our photo taken..." "Are we OK?" "Am I fine like this now?" "Say that again, please?" "I'II write it down for you." " 981..." " I'll write it down afterwards." "I've always lived in Caballito... right by the Cid Campeador park." "First, I lived in a house... until I was twenty something..." "twenty two." "Then I moved to an apartment but in the same neighborhood." "Once I got married, I also stayed in the neighborhood." "We're always about to move, but we're still thinking about it." "I'm a teacher of English." "I've taught for many years." "I got married." "I've been married for 11 years." "I went back to school for a new career, "Counseling"." "It's a new career in Argentina." "I'm always working with people... which I really love." "I'd say I have an ordinary life... but it's a nice life." "I got married 11 years ago." "And I have a baby." "He's 2 and a half years old." " After many years..." " After... eagerly waiting for him during many years... with many, many problems... it finally happened." "And I'm very, very happy... with this baby that fills my life, my days, my nights." "And I want to have another one." "I got lucky one time already... now, I want a little brother for Axel." "I've lived here all my life, I was born in the capital." "But 4 years ago we decided to change our life." "And thanks to that change, to the new peacefulness, Axel came... and now I live in Brandsen." "And I live very peacefully, thanks God." "I'm from Entre Ríos." "Can't you tell?" "I'm from Paraná." "But my whole life is in Buenos Aires..." "I came when I was 16... and got married here some 27 years ago." "I have two children... one is almost a man already." "Leandro, he's 25... and Candelaria, she's 18." "Now I devote myself... to my kids, my husband, I'm a housewife." "When I try to find out who I am, I write." "Writing is very nurturing for me." "I might publish something some day..." "That's who I am." "I inherited my last name... from my grandfather on my father's side." "He came from Galicia, from Spain, that's for sure..." "I don't know if..." "from Galicia or from La Coruña." "He was Spanish... it's Prieto with one "t"... otherwise, it'd be Italian." "I live in Villa Luro." "I've lived there since I was 13." "When I married, I moved to Villa del Parque but then came back." "So I'm Silvia Prieto from Villa Luro." "Victoria is 5 years old and Juan Ignacio is 2 and a half." "And I'm married to Gustavo." "I have a sister... my parents passed away, my dad was from Paraguay." "Our Prieto come from Paraguay." "I guess the ancestor must be Spanish, right?" "When I finished high school, I took a test to find my calling... and it turned out I could pursue a career within Literature." "I started with Literature but it wasn't very engaging." "So I went into Linguistics." "Because it's very interesting... language is something very rich, language is very mysterious." "So I'd like to study it and see... how it functions, under what rules..." "I like that a lot." "How people communicate... how we understand one another, even in a broken Spanish." "Sometimes there are many inferences... many entailments." "People don't say it all." "They say a part, but still you can understand it." "That's very interesting." "No, I'm not from Buenos Aires." "I'm from Resistencia, Chaco." "After high school, I decided to come here." "Two weeks after graduation, after the party and all... and I was here already to study graphic design... and I didn't even know what it meant." "I liked the name and came here." "I don't know if I'd go back." "I haven't made up my mind." "I might go back... or I might go somewhere else." "I like it that way." "Not to plan too far in advance... but do the things I feel like doing... as they present themselves."