"MURCIA, SPAIN, 1959" "I've brought you more hazelnuts, more chips and more olives." "Thanks, Melchora." "If there's nothing else you want, I'll go now." "No, thank you." "See you tomorrow." "See you tomorrow." "Good night." "Good night." "And thanks again." "All right, let's see some action." "You call first." "Pass." "Pass." "Armando saw how things were." "He's doing well in the cannery." "He's doing well with the girls." "He's got loads of them in Paris." "Well, Paris is Paris." "La liberte." "And la fraternite." "And la charcuterie." "La charcuterie?" "In Paris, people kiss in the streets, screwdriver kisses, in the middle of the street." "They kiss in taxis, on the bus, in the subway." "The last time Armando came, he told us how often he scored, remember?" "But that's in Paris." "It would be impossible here." "I think the only way to score with a woman is to let her talk." "Apart from that, if Armando sees a stunner on the Rue St. Honore, or somewhere like that, he says, Comment ca va, cherie?" ", and the next minute, "What color is your underwear?"" "Then he says, because those things are normal over there," ""Salmon, cream, white, black, blue?"" "And if she says blue, which is bleu in French," "Armando asks her, "What shade of bleu?"" ""Nanking bleu, royal bleu, navy bleu, sky bleu?"" "And if she answers sky bleu" "Armando says, "Me permettez vous..."" "What?" ""...give you a pair of sky blue panties with a matching bra?"" "What's she going to say?" "Yes, obviously." "And it's not as if Armando were Marlon Brando." "He's like us." "Worse." "He never scored here." "Nobody scores here." "But there is there and here is here." "And there, it's France, Paris," "Notre Dame, La Boheme, the Moulin Rouge, Pigalle." "Talking of pairs..." "PARIS, LES HALLES DISTRICT" "Come on!" "Me?" "Yes, you." "Mr. Martinez, right?" "Yes, Andres Martinez." "Come on, then." "And my husband, Mr. Pierre, works for Citroen and he earns good money." "But, believe me, life in France, and especially in Paris, is expensive." "So I work too," "I've got a little vegetable stall in Les Halles, "Le Piment Rouge"." "I sold vegetables in Spain." "The difference, Mr. Martinez, is that in Spain a greengrocer is a greengrocer, and in Paris, a greengrocer is a marchande de legumes, a real lady." "I wear a hat all day long." "My customers call me "Madame", "Madame Bernarda"." "And I'm a "madame" From head to toe." "So, it's the same regime back there, isn't it?" "Toujours le General." "Well, oui, oui." "Oh, la, la, quel dommage." "When your friend, Mr. Armand, who's a customer of mine, came to the "Piment Rouge" and asked me," ""Madame Bernarda, do you know a nice place for a Spanish friend who's coming to Paris for a few days?" I said, "Bien sur!" "."" ""My own house." We've never rented out rooms but as it was for a friend of his and a Spaniard too..." "You'll have all the freedom you want here." "I mean, as if we would deny anyone freedom!" "Look." "You see?" "That's Pablo Iglesias, and that's Lenin." "The other one is Don Alejandro Lerroux." "Could you want more freedom?" "Come this way." "Par ici, par ici." "Par ici." "Your room, monsieur." "Your friend told you the price." "15 new francs per day, including petit dejeuner." "D'accord?" "Yes, d'accord, but..." "Charmant, isn't it?" "It's interior, but that doesn't matter." "I guess you'll be in the street all day." "Oh, Paris." "Well, I..." "The air is very pure here." "In the morning there are birds singing." "Not to mention the butterflies that land on the flowers on the curtains!" "This way." "Well, actually..." "Par ici." "Le cabinet de toilette, avec douche, hot water, naturellement." "Le cabinet is just for us." "The woman upstairs, an American painter from Ohio, has her own, and so do those downstairs." "That's Le Diable and his family." "Tu connais le Diable?" "Le Diable, world wrestling champion, idol of the Cirque d'Hiver Three francs for a shower, d'accord?" "Yes, d'accord, but I might..." "La balance." "That's terrible!" "Forget about it, it must be broken." "Three francs, d'accord?" "Yes, but maybe later..." "Allons-y, allons-y." "Wait, I want to show you something." "Look carefully." "See that bell tower?" "It belongs to a convent church on the corner with the boulangerie." "You see?" "Bou-lan-gerie." "That's a bakery, isn't it?" "Very good!" "Very good!" "Well, two streets further up is the Place Pigalle." "You've heard of the Place Pigalle?" "Yes, yes, Pigalle." "Pigalle, Paris, mon Dieu!" "Take a look out there." "You hear the noise of the cars?" "Those cars are in Place Pigalle." "And behind that, further off, is the Seine." "You can't see it, but it's in behind there." "The Seine." "I'm delighted to see you, really delighted." "Same here, just imagine!" "You're thinner, aren't you?" "Sit down." "No, I'm the same as ever." "I don't know." "I think you're a lot thinner." "And you look terrible." "I do?" "Awful." "It was the journey." "Speaking of which, you didn't see me at the station." "Did you go there?" "No." "That's why I said you didn't see me." "I couldn't go." "You don't know Paris." "There's nowhere to park." "You may as well not have a car." "What a city!" "What a city!" "Why on earth did you come here?" "Isn't it true, Mme. Bernarda, that Paris is impossible now?" "Oh, la, la, mon Dieu!" "You hear that?" "C'est tres sympathique votre ami, Mr. Armand." "She says you're very nice." "In French, "sympathique" means nice." "Get used to it." "I must go, I've got a lot to do." "Make yourself at home, Mr. Martinez, d'accord?" "Here are the keys, one for the house and one for the cabinet." "Enchantee." "Au revoir." "Au revoir." "A tout a l'heure." "A tout a L'heure." "A bientot." "A bientot." "Goodbye." "Sit down." "You look really awful." "You think so?" "What did your aunt die of?" "Heart trouble." "I'm not surprised." "At this rate, we'll all die of heart trouble." "Poor woman." "But anyway, you must be delighted." "Isn't this what you wanted?" "Well, it's..." "Hey, that's Lenin." "Yes, they're lefties." "You want them to have photos of bishops?" "No, they've got those." "The room is awful." "I'm looking out at a wall!" "What do you want?" "A balcony, like in Murcia so you can watch the religious processions?" "You haven't come to Paris to sit on a balcony like an old woman." "It's not that bad." "It's not?" "I admit their bedroom is horrible." "Look, I want to go somewhere else." "You what?" "If it's possible, I'd like to go somewhere else." "But where?" "You're being difficult." "I didn't think you were so fussy." "Tell me, what do you want to do?" "Go to some little hotel..." "You should have told me." "But I told you on the phone," ""A little hotel overlooking the Seine."" "Yeah, and where they spoke Spanish." "You can't have everything." "I should never have got involved." "It took me a lot of time and trouble to find this place." "It seemed to be ideal," "and now you don't like it." "Don't be angry." "I'm not angry." "What'll we do?" "About what?" "Moving." "You really want to move?" "I told you that!" "If you really don't like this, which I can't understand, we'll look for something else." "But not today or tomorrow." "You can't rush these things." "I'm only here for two weeks." "That long?" "Well, more or less." "Tomorrow we'll see if we can find something better, which I doubt." "And we'll find a good excuse for these people." "But you stay here tonight." "All right." "But if I have to stay here tonight we should go now." "Go where?" "I don't know, anywhere." "What I saw from the taxi looked great, and the less time I'm in here the better, right?" "Bonsoir, Mr. Armand." "Bonsoir, Mr. Pierre." "Hello." "Asseyez-vous." "A tout a L'heure." "A tout a L'heure." "Who's that?" "It's Mr. Pierre, Mme. Bernarda's husband." "What's the surprise you prepared for my first night in Paris?" "I've booked seats." "For?" "Tonight," "we're going to the cinema." "The cinema?" "Yes, the cinema, to see a movie." "A blue one." "No, it's not blue, it's Russian." "A Russian movie." "I don't know..." "Listen, in Murcia can you go and see "The Childhood of Gorky"" "or "Ballad of a Soldier"?" "What more do you want?" "You're in Paris and you can see them." "Yes, but going to see a Russian film on my first night in Paris is a bit..." "The cinema is just a few doors away." "And then you can go to bed." "I think it's the best idea after the journey." "I was expecting something else." "I didn't think you were so awkward." "You don't like the house, you don't like Lenin, you don't like the cinema." "Why have you come to Paris?" "To see Paris, not to sit in a cinema." "We could go for a walk, have a few drinks, go to a cabaret, a good restaurant." "I'm dying to taste French cooking." "But French cooking costs a fortune in Paris!" "I'll treat you." "No, because then I'll have to treat you." "Everyone pays for himself and if there are three of us we go Dutch." "There a "snack" here we can go to." "A what?" "It's like a bar." "We can have a beer and a sandwich." "Then you can go to bed." "Why do you keep saying that?" "Because you don't look well." "It's because of the journey." "Possibly, but you don't look well." "What if we take the boat that goes on the Seine?" "Le bateau-mouche?" "Right!" "Une promenade sur la Seine?" "Yes, what do you think?" "That's silly, Andres." "And it's very expensive." "The champagne is compulsory, like in the cabarets." "No, forget the bateau-mouche." "Au revoir." "Au revoir, Mr. Pierre." "Goodbye." "Why is he leaving?" "Why?" "This is his house, he can do what he wants." "What about girls?" "Really, you're supposed to be in mourning." "Anyway, that would be even more expensive." "We'll have to spend something." "What's the exchange rate?" "It's always expensive." "Whatever it is, it's expensive." "And you can't pick up girls in that tie." "I brought another one with polka dots." "If you've brought one with polka dots, that's all right." "Let me think for a minute." "Who's in here?" "I've got Annette, Mimi," "Yvonne, Lili, Martine and the friend of a friend who's called Monique." "Terrific!" "Call her now." "You have to do these things in person." "And Monique lives close by." "I'll go with you." "No, I'd better go on my own." "You don't know what French girls are like." "You have to be very diplomatic." "I'll go and talk to her, you get tidied up and put on the tie with polka dots." "That's great." "Listen..." "What?" "You really don't want to go to the cinema?" "No!" "So long." "Ca va, monsieur?" "Ca va bien?" "Merde!" "Bonsoir." "Hello." "Are you the Spaniard?" "Yes, Andres Martinez." "Ninette." "My pleasure." "It's your first time in Paris, Isn't it?" "Yes, the first time." "What do you think of the city?" "Beautiful." "A glass of wine, monsieur?" "Yes, of course, The famous French wine." "No, it's Valdepenas." "My father gets it from there." "He loves it, he only drinks Valdepenas." "And cider." "He gets that too." ""El Gaitero, the best in the whole world."" "Excusez-moi, monsieur." "I'm going to get changed." "Yes, of course." "And how is Spain?" "They're still... sunbathing there." "I love sunbathing." "I was born here but my parents are Spanish." "Exiles." "I saw that." "My parents have their ideas." "Everyone can have their ideas here." "Yes, of course." "I work in "Galeries Lafayette"." "You must have heard of it, it's the best store here." "Yes, it's one of the places on my list to visit." "You don't say?" "Yes, I've been asked to get a few things." "This dressing gown is from there." "Very nice." "They've got wonderful underwear for women." "I've seen that." "In magazines, "Paris Match" and..." "I was to go on vacation next month, but today one of the girls asked me to swap with her and from this moment" "I'm free." "You know what I'm going to do all this time?" "No." "Rien." "Nothing." "Stay at home, rest and read." "Read a lot." "Asseyez-vous, s'il vous plait." "Thank you." "I can't take all the activity in Paris." "I don't like the foule." "The what?" "The crowds." "I prefer solitude." "Are you married?" "No." "Neither am I." "But you must have all the boyfriends you want." "Oh, la la!" "I've got my own ideas about boyfriends." "Men are necessary, boyfriends aren't." "Why haven't you gone out yet?" "I'm waiting for a friend." "He knows some girls..." "Oh, Spanish men!" "Always thinking about that." "But you're mistaken." "French girls have a reputation That isn't true." "There's a lot of propaganda in France, you understand?" "Really?" "I didn't think that." "There's freedom, of course." "Girls can do as they please." "The thing is, we don't want to." "I am sure, monsieur, that you'd like to kiss me." "Good Lord!" "Yes, yes." "And you can, if you want." "We're not in Spain." "Make up your mind." "No!" "Don't kiss me in Spanish, kiss me in French." "In France, our idea of love is completely different, much better than there, vous savez?" "That's why we're more at ease here." "Par example," "I don't think you need to go out on the town tonight." "No?" "No." "I'm Paris too, aren't I?" "What do you say?" "About what?" "About me." "You?" "Oui, de moi." "Well, if I'm understanding you rightly," "I'd have to say that I don't think it's correct, as a guest in your parents' house..." "My parents won't be back until late." "What do you prefer?" "To go with your friend or stay here with me?" "Allez, viens." "Yes, but what will you say?" "Attends." "Put the light out!" "Oh, la la!" "Bonsoir, monsieur." "Bonsoir." "Je suis Armand." "I've come for my friend, the Spanish man." "He's gone." "He's what?" "He said he was going for a walk." "But we were to meet here." "I don't know, monsieur." "That's what he said." "What?" "He makes me find two girls and then he just goes off?" "If he comes back early, tell him we're in the "snack"." "We'll wait 30 minutes." "I'll tell him." "Thank you." "Goodbye." "Au revoir." "Au revoir." "No, no, no." "Not a chance." "Bon." "Now that we've sorted that out, I'm going to read." "You're going to what?" "Of course, sir, what did you think?" "What did I think?" "The obvious thing." "I mean, I thought..." "I thought, I thought." "Spanish men!" "It's always "I thought..."" "Shall I help you unpack?" "No, I've almost finished." "I didn't bring much." "I thought..." "I thought..." "I thought..." "Allo?" "Oui." "Un moment, s'il vous plait." "Andre!" "Andre!" "Yes?" "Telephone!" "Coming." "Yes?" "Hello, Armando." "Yes, I'm sorry." "You know what happened?" "I started to get a headache and, in case you were going to be long, I went out for a walk." "And I got lost." "Anyway, I got back late and went to bed." "Yes, Mme. Bernarda's daughter left a note in my room." "Yes, Ninette, I think that's her name." "Ninette, yes." "Imagine how I felt." "Hey, what about the girls?" "What girls?" "Yes?" "What a pity!" "Listen, what time is it?" "8:00?" "And you're at work?" "Just like back home." "Well, all right, come and get me this evening." "No, listen, I..." "Look, I still have a bit of a headache and my stomach is kind of upset." "Why don't you come by tomorrow Instead of today?" "No, I'll be fine tomorrow." "I don't know, when you finish work." "No, really, you needn't bother." "I'm not that ill." "Well, I mean, I'm ill, but it's not that bad." "All right, tomorrow." "All right, goodbye, Armando, and thanks." "What about..." "They've gone to work." "Nous avons toute la journee pour nous." "What if they come back?" "Mais non, c'est pas possible." "That friend just wants to corrupt you." "Yes, yes, he wants you to go out with bad girls, and when you've got me you don't need to go anywhere, do you?" "It's me." "Montrez la patte!" "So this is Paris!" "Oui, monsieur." "Avril a Paris." "How about if you and I go for a walk together along by the Seine in the rain?" "Very romantique, isn't it?" "And then dinner on the bateau-mouche." "You're such a bore about the bateau-mouche!" "Toujours le bateau-mouche!" "C'est insupportable." "I told you I don't like the ruckus in Paris." "We'll go another day." "But if I leave everything for another day when I get to Murcia I'll have nothing to tell except about us." "What do you mean?" "You can't tell anyone about us." "In Murcia I can." "To whom?" "The guys I play cards with, or in the club." "All right, in Murcia." "But not here, and certainly not to your friend." "But if I don't tell him and I don't go out with him, he'll get suspicious." "Mais non, ce n'est pas possible." "Now we'll love each other again." "And then we'll stay here, "squizzed" together..." ""Squeezed"." "We'll smoke and we'll drink and we'll play records." "But I can smoke and drink and play records all day long in Murcia." "And this?" "Can you do this all day long in Murcia?" "But for me, the French use a lot of cream, a lot of butter." "But we, on the other hand, have got olive oil." "The problem is very few Spaniards can eat." "Now, Mr. Pierre, don't exaggerate!" "Hardly anyone eats in Spain!" "It's a country that lives on croquettes and grilled shrimp." "And don't say otherwise!" "I'm not saying otherwise, but..." "And do you know why?" "I'm going to tell you." "We're going to prevent the capital factor from prevailing over labor and as the instruments of production are not as a rule the property of those who use them this has led to the creation of two social groups," "the wage earners and the owners of the means of production." "And either you eat croquettes and grilled shrimp or you die of hunger." "What do you think?" "What do I think?" "What I think, Mr. Pierre, is that you love Spain very much." "It's only when you live outside your country that you really come to understand it and, despite that, to love it." "Ninette, get the bagpipes." "Oui, papa." "Why do you want the bagpipes?" "To play them." "I want to show you that I love Spain and haven't forgotten it." "First," "I'll play "Asturias, beloved homeland"" "because we're from Asturias and we feel very attached to our native land." "And then, "Oh, Carmela!"" "Yes!" "He plays that really well." "What do you think?" "Whatever you say, Mr. Pierre." "Dad..." "Thank you, Ninette." "What's going on here?" "I don't get it." "Why did we have to listen to him playing the pipes for an hour?" "He doesn't play them badly." "No, but it's a drag." "So why did we have to put up with it?" "If he doesn't play the pipes he talks politics, and that's worse." "By the way, what's all this that in Spain you don't eat?" "I eat more than I do here." "What he meant, and he's partly right..." "And the daughter, Ninette, why is she never at work?" "She's on vacation." "Aren't you any better?" "Just look." "How are the nights?" "Depends how you look at it." "What does that mean?" "I'm either cold or hot." "Feverish." "Are the girls pretty?" "Gorgeous, and very nice." "Monique and Veronique." "They want to meet you." "Monique is thrilled at the idea of going on the bateau-mouche." "She is?" "I keep talking about you." "The three of us are having a great time." "Last night, we were at a strip-tease." "You mean, like..." "Like that." "You were right." "The chambre is horrible." "And the outlook is bleak." "The greengrocer, The piper and Spindle-shanks." "Who's Spindle-shanks?" "The daughter, Ninette." "A bit scrawny, isn't she?" "You talk such rubbish." "And she's decent." "You think so?" "Everyone says so." "Nothing but home and work." "And reading novels." "Just as well, because you know what the parents are like." "But I thought that in Paris, And with their ideas..." "Why do they love Lenin?" "I forgot the most important thing." "I found a hotel for you." "Just like you wanted, beside the Seine." "And at a good price." "Are you pleased?" "Yes, of course." "The thing is, now, as I'm ill, I can't leave." "It wouldn't be nice." "You think it wouldn't be nice?" "Yes." "After I searched Paris for an hotel you think it wouldn't be nice?" "For God's sake!" "First you want to go, then you don't want to go." "Which is it?" "Stop messing around, Andres." "Shit!" "Au revoir." "Bon appetit." "Au revoir, Mr. Armand." "A toute a L'heure." "Andre." "What?" "When you're in Murcia, will you miss me?" "Of course." "Have you always lived alone with your aunt?" "No." "With my aunt and with Linda." "Avec qui?" "A little dog, cinnamon colored." "We loved each other very much but it started to go sour, you know how it is." "Anyway, things cooled off and we left it." "By mutual agreement." "Hey, tell me something." "You..." "Even though you're French you're not like people say French girls are." "In what way?" "What way do you think?" "That way." "Being easy, adventurous, going off with anyone." "Of course not." "What did you think?" "Then, you and me..." "It was the first time." "Come on, don't tell me that." "As a child, what I liked most about American movies were the love scenes on the stairs." "Didn't you?" "Yes, very much." "This is going to be a mess." "It's natural, these things are always a mess." "So why did you do it?" "Quoi?" "That." "There's only one reason for doing that." "What reason?" "L'amour." "What amour?" "Ours." "Hang on, let's see, if we can understand this." "It's easy to understand." "Excuse me, it's not so easy." "I've just arrived and I don't think I'm very much in love." "You're not, but I am." "How can you fall in love in half an hour with a man who's just arrived from Murcia?" "Does it bother you?" "No, it doesn't bother me, but I don't understand it." "Then we've got nothing more to say, sir." "Forget what happened between us." "I'll do my best to forget it too." "Ninette, don't be angry." "Earlier, you said that in Murcia you'd miss me." "Yes." "And from missing a person to being in love is only a few steps." "Yes." "I don't know, possibly." "And that means you could be in love with me, like I am with you." "I'm not saying no." "Then why don't you want to live here with me?" "Don't you like Paris?" "How should I know?" "I haven't been outside yet!" "C'est vrai." "You hear?" "L'accordeon, le piano du pauvre." "The rabble's Paris!" "C'est la musique des amoureux, du vrai homme, de la vraie femme, du peuple, du bal de Paris." "I don't understand, but I love it." "I don't know why, but when you speak to me in French" "I like you more." "I love you more." "Andre, je t'aime." "And I love you." "I'm almost ready." "Thank you." "I'll tidy up and we can go." "Thanks." "Well, were the chick peas tender or not?" "Very tender." "Which did you prefer, the "cocido" today, the "paella" on Thursday or the "fabada" yesterday?" "It's hard to choose." "No, no, monsieur." "You have to pick one of the three dishes." "You can't be a conformist." "You always have to take a stand." "Just one dish." "And give your life for it, if necessary." "Well, I'd give my life for the "fabada"." "Where are you going?" "To get my cigarettes." "You shouldn't be walking on that bad foot." "I'd have got them for you." "It only hurts when I stand on it." "I don't understand how he fell out of bed." "No, it was when I got up that I twisted my ankle." "But don't worry." "With a bit of rest I'll be fine." "Rest?" "You've been resting for six weeks and it's still the same!" "No, thank you." "It's..." "Look, I..." "At times I think, and forgive me, that maybe you're a bit... a bit..." "A bit what?" "A bit, you know." "No, I don't." "A bit of a fairy." "Come on!" "No, I'm not criticizing." "Look at us." "And everyone can do as they please with themselves." "The fact is, since you've been here your only visitor is your friend." "You don't think that my friend...?" "No, I don't think anything, but it's odd." "Two young men, single and in Paris, without women." "It's a bit surprising, isn't it?" "No, it's not." "Between Armando and me there's none of what you're talking about." "We're just friends." "But friends like in the old days?" "Yes, like in the old days." "Oui?" "It's me." "Entre." "We're going now, love." "What's the movie?" "One with Marilyn Monroe." "Don't expect us for supper, we're staying for the discussion." "What is there to discuss about a Marilyn Monroe movie?" "Comedy as escapism in Hollywood cinema." "Au revoir, Ninette." "Au revoir, maman." "And now, carry on telling me what Murcia is like, but in detail." "I'll tell you again all you want to know about Murcia but first tell me something about Paris." "What's Montmartre like, the Eiffel Tower?" "Look, Andres," "I don't care about Paris." "I came here to work and to live because of circumstances that you know." "Paris..." "What do I care about Paris?" "As for the Eiffel Tower, every time I pass it" "I cover my eyes." "You don't say." "Yes, indeed." "If they're proud of their tower, I'm proud of my pipes." "Do they come to hear me play?" "No!" "So I refuse to look at their tower." "What do you think?" "Whatever you say, Mr. Pierre." "Come on, we're going." "Yes." "Where's Ninette?" "In her room, reading." "She's always reading." "That girl used to be much livelier." "She played jokes on us, didn't she?" "Yes, but it's her nature." "She's always been like this." "You have to remember she's French and we're not." "Yes, it's a misfortune." "I'm from Cangas de Onis and it turns out that my daughter is a foreigner." "Daughters bring nothing but misfortune." "But they must give you some satisfaction too." "No, they give the satisfaction to someone else." "Who can understand a French woman?" "A French man, bien sur." "But then, who can understand a French man?" "We should just stop worrying about it..." "Andre, where are you going?" "You can't come out like that!" "Where are you going?" "As it's stopped raining," "I was just going to see the Eiffel Tower." "If I don't go out, your family will get suspicious." "Non, ce n'est pas possible." "Yes, it is possible." "My idea about your ankle was good, it justified you not walking." "Yes, but the bandage is a nuisance." "Having an upset stomach was worse." "Now you can eat everything." "Not everything." ""Fabada", "cocido" and "paella"." "I understand, mon amour, that because of me and my selfishness" "and my fear that you'll meet a French girl you like more than me, you're giving up a lot of things, going out, enjoying yourself, seeing Paris, and I apologize again." "No, it's not that." "I have to go and buy some things that people in Murcia asked for." "Mr. Armando told you that he'd buy them." "No, he thinks that everything in Paris is better and cheaper in Murcia." "He won't buy anything." "Say what you like, but Mr. Armand is tres sympathique." "But he acts like a "grich"." "A "grouch"." "But he's very funny." "Every time he sees me he says I'm a toy." "No, he says you're a doll." "C'est le voisin, the neighbour..." "Bonsoir." "Bonsoir, monsieur." "Je m'excuse." "Mon Dieu!" "What a tumble!" "Ask him if he's all right." "Ca va, monsieur?" "Ca va bien?" "Merde!" "Bernarda..." "What?" "Tomorrow" "I'm going to the Spanish Consulate again." "What do you mean, again?" "I didn't tell you, but a while ago" "I asked my contacts to find out if we could go back." "Just out of curiosity." "And?" "They said we could go back whenever we wanted." "That hurt me, I have to admit it." "I thought they were more scared of us." "If we haven't gone back it's because we didn't want to." "Of course!" "I'd turned 23." "It was time to give myself to someone." "Why?" "It isn't normal that at that age a young lady is still a young lady." "And?" "Well, you arrived and voila." "And voila." "I'm French, don't forget." "And not by chance." "It's because of Alejandro Lerroux." "The man in the photo?" "Yes." "I'm called Alejandra for Lerroux." "Your name is Alejandra?" "Of course." "Alejandra, from Alejandra to Alejandrina, from Alejandrina to Nina and from Nina, Ninette." "Hey..." "If we go back to Spain, we have to go first to Covadonga, to see the Virgin." "I promised her." "Remember Tovarich Julianov." "Yes, and?" "Religion is the opium of the people." "Give over." "I'd like to know what comrade Vladimir Ilyich would have written, with all my respect, if he'd been born in Cangas." "Right?" "The fact is, on the steppes they take everything very lightly." "Hello." "Are you alone?" "Yes." "Where's Ninette?" "In the shower." "And the greengrocer and the piper?" "Working." "So we're alone." "I told you that." "Let's go to your room." "No, we'll go into the dining room." "It's brighter." "Want some coffee?" "I'm in no mood for coffee." "And the stuff I wanted?" "There wasn't any." "What do you mean?" "There was no girdle in that size." "Who was it for?" "The canon?" "For my manager's wife." "She must be very fat." "People here are a lot thinner." "It's because she's fat that she needs the girdle." "There was none." "And was there no cheese either?" "Yes, but I didn't get it." "Why not?" "It smelled bad." "Camembert smells like that." "Don't you realize?" "You can't come back from Paris with a girdle and a bit of cheese." "So, your ankle?" "What about my ankle?" "Shit, Andres." "What you're doing isn't nice, it isn't nice at all." "And what am I doing?" "I understand that it's hard to score in Murcia and you wanted to make the most of Paris." "But, really, I mean, for heaven's sake!" "Getting involved with Mme. Bernarda!" "What are you saying?" "That Mme. Bernarda and I...?" "Are you joking?" "How long have we known each other?" "Twenty years." "Have I ever made a joke?" "No." "I mean, really." "Abusing a family to whom I recommended you." "Armando..." "lf it had been Spindle-shanks" "I could have understood, but not even then." "But it'd be more logical." "Armando, I'm not involved with Mme. Bernarda." "No?" "No!" "I'm involved with her daughter." "Ninette." "You're involved with Ninette." "Yes." "No." "Oui." "With Ninette, pas possible." "With Ninette, oui, possible." "But, how come?" "How come?" "Since the first day." "No." "Yes!" "No, no way." "All right." "How did it go?" "Tell me." "Was there a struggle?" "No." "What about you and Monique or Veronique, or what's-her-name?" "She doesn't exist." "What?" "There's no Monique, there's nobody." "Since I've been in Paris, nothing." "Well, then?" "If I'd had to, I'd have introduced you to two Spanish girls." "They're here looking after children." "But very decent." "We just meet, talk, ha-ha and good night." "Shit, Armando." "NO URINATING" "Bonjour, Mr. Armand." "Bonjour." "Hello." "Hello." "Bon." "So you've told your friend about us?" "Me?" "Told me?" "What would I tell him?" "You can tell from how he looks at me that he knows." "You can tell from his face." "Why are you looking like that?" "Like what?" "Can't you see?" "You needn't argue." "It's normal that, as he's your best friend, you'd tell him." "Andre and Spindle-shanks are having an intimate relationship." "Voila." "Have you any objection?" "Who, me?" "No, none at all." "Have you told him the other thing, the most important?" "No, he hasn't." "What's the other thing?" "The other thing is that I'm pregnant." "What?" "We're going to have a baby." "Is that possible?" "Of course!" "It's normal, isn't it, Mr. Armand?" "Well, yes, it is, because if you and he..." "What a mess, Andres." "Don't be afraid." "It's not your responsibility." "I'm not asking for anything." "You can go to Murcia whenever you want." "Right now." "Ninette, it's not that." "In that case, take off the bandage and put on your jacket and the tie with polka dots." "I'm going to show you Paris." "We'll walk by the Seine, we'll have dinner on the damn bateau-mouche, we'll go to the Louvre and at night to the Moulin Rouge." "Ca va?" "Ca va." "Allez." "Bonjour, Mme. Bernarda." "Bonjour, Mr. Armand." "Bonjour, Mr. Pierre." "Bonjour." "Andres is feeling much better, we thought we'd go out for while." "No, you can't leave here." "No?" "No." "Hello, dad." "Hello, mom." "Hello, Ninette." "Why aren't you at work?" "Haven't you heard the news?" "No, I was going to take Mr. Martinez to the Louvre." "The Louvre?" "Forget it." "Good morning." "It's a miracle!" "Mr. Martinez isn't limping." "He's cured." "Armando brought me a special ointment." "I put it on and that fixed it." "I don't even need the bandage." "I heard you say we can't go out." "Why?" "C'est la greve." "La greve." "Ah, la greve." "La what?" "La greve." "The general strike." "No one thought it could actually happen." "Oh, no?" "This isn't Spain." "Electricity, gas, theaters, transport, the mail, tous fermes." "No taxis, no subway, no stores, no cafes, rien de rien." "That's why you shouldn't go out." "It isn't worth it." "Aren't the river boats working?" "No, they're not." "I rang a group of Spanish friends, republicans like us, and they're coming here." "I've bought "chorizo" and "salchichon"" "so we can have some proper food." "We're going to have a wonderful afternoon." "And I'll play the pipes." "Dad, mom," "I'm pregnant." "By whom, ma cherie?" "By Mr. Martinez." "Did you hear that?" "Yes, she's pregnant by Mr. Martinez." "I'm going to prepare the food." "Mr." "Pierre..." "Yes?" "You're an admirable man." "I really mean that." "You think so?" "Absolutely." "And very European." "You mean because of Ninette's joke?" "I'm used to it and I prefer that to having her reading novels all day." "Dad..." "Yes?" "It isn't a joke." "No?" "This time it's true." "I'm pregnant by Mr. Martinez." "Are you saying that this gentleman," "in my own house, dared to..." "I let him." "We did what's natural between a man and a woman." "I can explain..." "Be quiet!" "And sit down!" "Don't say a word!" "Bernarda." "I heard everything." "Child, is that what you call reading?" "And what do you have to say?" "Me?" "Yes, you." "It's your fault, you brought that scoundrel here." "Be quiet!" "Ninette, assieds-toi." "Dad..." "Assieds-toi!" "Now, listen carefully." "We're all going to talk man to man, and very clearly." "What I'm going to ask is very simple." "Quel horreur!" "I don't believe it!" "It's always the same." "Why don't you Scots fuck off?" "We're sick of your music!" "Merde!" "MURCIA, A YEAR LATER" "You said the minimum order was 50, right?" "No, it's not 50, it's 100." "I told you that, 100." "Are you deaf or what?" "If I were only to print one, Which would you recommend?" "The ones with the gold border or the ones with the lamb?" "My niece Turitas is making her Communion." "Her real name is Virtudes, Virtuditas, but we call her Turitas, and as I'm studying..." "Don't tell me your life story." "Both the Good Shepherd and the Dove are very popular and the price difference is very slight." "In favor of which?" "The ones with the gold border are cheaper." "100, with gold borders, for Tortitas..." "Turitas." "Well, whatever, they're 25 pesetas less than the Good Shepherd." "I'll have those." "And little girls love gold trimming, don't they?" "I don't know about Torootas, but today little girls like Elvis." "Sunbathing in the nude again?" "First, I'm not in the nude." "No?" "No, and second, sunbathing is very healthy." "With the windows open." "Of course, darling." "It's bad to sunbathe through glass." "And you lose ultraviolet radiation." "Leave that, I'll tidy up later." "Look, when I lived on my own" "Melchora had the house clean and tidy." "Why isn't it like that now?" "Because your mother fired her." "They didn't get on well." "Mom never wanted servants." "She prefers to do it all herself." "To do it all herself, badly, you mean." "Dad's shoes." "Andres!" "When the windows are open it's cooler!" "Yeah, and the view's better from the barracks, especially for that captain with his field glasses." "Stop exaggerating." "Exaggerating?" "What about your mole?" "He's told the whole club." "Quoi?" "The mole you have there." "Who told that captain about your mole?" "You know what it is?" "At first, you let me work in the store." "We put up the sign "On parle francais", the tourists came, I spoke to them in their language..." "You flirted with all the customers." "That's not true." "Yes, it is." "In one month, you sold 540 catechisms." "That's never happened in Murcia, not even during Lent!" "Yes, Maruja?" "The manager says can you go to the printer's, something's happened with that gadget." "He told you already but you didn't listen and now what'll they do?" "Tell him I'm on my way and not to touch the Minerva." "Well, hurry up." "You know him." "He'll get nervous and screw everything." "Say what you like, I was useful in the store." "You needed an assistant." "That's why I got her." "But Maruja doesn't speak French." "And she's common and unfriendly." "That's what you need in a store." "Someone unfriendly who doesn't chat." ""A catechism?" "Here's a catechism."" """ "Haven't you got another?" "" "No."" ""Got a St. Damian?"" ""Yes, here's one." "Pay up and go away."" "I don't want us to get angry." "But it's not fair." "You don't let me do anything and I'm bored." "If you had real children, not imaginary ones, you wouldn't be so bored." "It was a utopian pregnancy, psychic, emotional." "The doctors explained it." "Yes, they explained it three months after we got married." "I really thought I was pregnant." "You know that what I'd like most is for us to have a baby." "Yes." "A boy, blonde, blue eyes, who weighs exactly 3 kilos 400 grams at birth." "And for that we have to...?" "Wait for Cancer to be in conjunction with Saturn so the baby is born under the protection of Jupiter," "the most favourable planet." "And... well..." "You can laugh, but you know nothing about astrology." "I'm going out." "Where?" "I have to do an errand for Dona Remedios." "When's your mother coming?" "In a few days." "Good afternoon, Maruja." "Good afternoon." "What are you doing?" "Labelling rosaries, can't you see?" "Hot, isn't it?" "lf you say so." "No, that's how it is." "Then that's how it is." "Like I say, that's what it is about spring." "I don't know what it is about spring." "It stirs the blood." "It stirs the blood because the heat begins." "Spring is the start of summer, and in summer, you know." "I know what?" "It's warmer than winter." "Where's Don Andres?" "Upstairs?" "Balancing those whatsits." "No, no, forget it." "Maruja, what color is your soutien-gorge?" "My what?" "And your petite culotte?" "What color is your underwear?" "What a nerve!" "Go upstairs." "Go on." "Good God!" "Hello." "Hello." "What are you doing?" "You can see." "How's business?" "Bad." "Why's that?" "My in-laws won't go to Mass, they've kept their ideas and my customers know it." "When Pierre played the "International" on the pipes the police were here in five minutes." "And?" "They took the pipes away." "Why are you here?" "Mr. Pierre invited me to supper again, as Mme. Bernarda is in Madrid, to talk about France, creme de tomate, omelette au fromage, rognon de veau saute...." "Our French cooking." "I've brought him dessert." "Yeah, take the Camembert into the kitchen." "How do you know what it is?" "How do you think?" "Since they transferred you here, you spend more time in my house than in yours." "That's because your family like me, they're nice and they invite me." "It seems to bother you." "Where's Ninette?" "She's gone out." "Where?" "On an errand for her mother and..." "Why do you care where my wife is?" "That wealthy Dona Remedios and your mother-in-law are up to something." "It's very odd." "It's the third time they've gone to Madrid in two months, isn't it?" "Don Andres!" "Yes, Maruja?" "They've come for that thingy for something or other." "Ah, the check!" "Yes." "It's in the top drawer of the writing desk." "Tell the supplier to sign the receipt." "All right." ""They've come for that thingy for something or other."" "And you know what it is." "You're smarter than I thought." "By the way, that Maruja..." "How can she be so unfriendly?" "She's not unfriendly." "She's decent." "Maruja, it's gone 8:00." "I'm just finishing." "Be careful you don't fall." "I'm used to it." "Is anything wrong?" "Are you all right?" "Yes, there's nothing wrong." "Maru, has the Archangel Gabriel arrived yet?" "Yes, Don Andres, he's right there, on the table." "You know what, Maru?" "Right now, in the store, there are only the three of us." "You, the Archangel Gabriel and me." "And the Archangel is made of plaster." "He doesn't feel a thing." "You understand, Maru?" "Yes." "There are just the three of us and he sees nothing." "Exactly, nothing." "You asked if anything was wrong." "Yes, something is wrong." "You're magnificent, Maru." "Magnificent, magnificent." "Don Andres, what will people think?" "There's no one here." "What will you think, Don Andres?" "I don't think, Maru." "Don Andres!" "Be careful with the third button, it's loose." "How can anyone think looking at this, and at this mouth that's saying," ""Eat me, Andres, eat me"." "Andres, this is crazy." "I'm not French, I'm Spanish, and very, very Spanish." "What does that matter?" "It doesn't, because I'm very Spanish and I'm crazy about you." "What?" "Yes, crazy." "Don't you know you get me going every time you take off your workcoat?" "Sweet Jesus!" "What's going to become of us?" "Holy Virgin!" "Coming!" "Who is it?" "It's that priest." "He's come to talk to Mr. Pierre." "Don Roque." "Do up your buttons." "What did you tell him?" "That you..." "You were in the basement and I was doing those account things." "They're called delivery notes." "My father-in-law is out." "Tell Don Roque to come back in an hour." "No, Mr. Pierre is here." "He went up the main stairs." "He's all twitter-twitter with the birds." "He's here?" "He could have caught us!" "This is very dangerous." "We should rent an apartment." "Are you crazy?" "In my name, you won't appear anywhere." "I rent it, you pay for it." "On the outskirts." "Now, go on, he's waiting for you." "Hey!" "Why does that priest want to see your father-in-law?" "He's called Don Roque and don't grab on to me." "To get him to go to church, of course!" "I've told him," ""Go to Mass!" "Is that so hard to do?"" "Don Roque, you're welcome!" "Feel right at home." "Thank you, my boy." "You feel right at home too." "How are all the family?" "They're all fine, thank you." "I'm delighted to hear that." "Go on up." "Thank you." "You married my daughter, didn't you?" "No, Fr." "Rebolledo married your daughter." "Rebolledo?" "Forgive my mistake, but all of you go round dressed up in the same uniform." "Here we go." "Well, what do you want?" "I know you're very anti-clerical, but even so I've come to ask you for a recommendation." "For Paris?" "No, not for Paris, for here, for Murcia." "Tell me." "Well, I've got a godson, very smart, 20 years old, Alfonsito, who doesn't want to continue studying law." "I wanted to get him into the garage where you work." "As a mechanic?" "No, in the office." "I could ask Frutos, the union rep, but he's always putting me off." "So I prefer to ask you, among other reasons because you've become the master there, right?" "No, I haven't." "The masters are the masters." "They respect me, that's all." ""They respect you." Don't be so humble." "In the Confianza Garage what Mr. Pierre says is gospel." "You mightn't read it, but your word is gospel." "Having been out of Spain for a long time and being on the wrong side, my friend, that's a great thing." "But people are so used to seeing us and we've asked so many favors, that nobody pays us a blind bit of notice, and that's the truth." "Apart from all that, you've done a lot of silly things." "I mean, giving Franco, for us, "the little commander", a royal welcome into the churches." "Come on!" "Well, the stupidities you commit behind the Iron Curtain are considerable too." "Father, do you want me to get your godson a job or not?" "Of course." "You've done a lot of silly things, end of story." "Send Alfonsito to the office on Monday, at 9:00." "I'll see what I can do." "I really appreciate that." "Well, Mr. Pierre, I won't bother you anymore." "No, no, I'll go with you." "I'm going to the newspaper stall for "L'Humanite", the newspaper I subscribe to." "What the Church sends me, without being subscribed, is the "Workers' World", and recently it's very good." "Very good!" "Andre..." "What?" "Mom's opening a business." "So that's it." "What is it, a doughnut stand?" "Mom's become good friends with Dona Remedios." "Something I don't understand." "I'll explain it." "Dona Remedios has been a vegetarian for thirty years." "She won't even taste a chop." "Like crickets." "She happened to meet mom and mom gave her an address in France where she could order some weeds or other, and she advises her about vegetables." "Anyway, they've become great friends and between them they're going to open a boutique." "A what?" "A fashion store." "Beside the Plateria, in the best area." "With the way she looks, your mother is opening a fashion store?" "Have we all gone mad?" "She won't be selling her dresses." "They'll be ones she's ordered from Paris and Madrid." "And it won't be just dresses." "There'll be underwear, nightdresses, jupons, porte-jarretelles...." "Porta-what?" "Garters." "The thing you used to wear." "Well, mom won't be the only one working with Dona Remedios." "I'm going to help." "Not a chance." "You selling panties and briefs to all the sex maniacs in town?" "Forget it." "It's been decided." "Decided?" "Yes." "Another thing, the store will be called "Ninette"" "and underneath "Modes de Paris"." "Are you saying my wife's name will be displayed in a street?" "Yes, Andres." "I say it won't." "I say it will." "It's done." "When are you going to open?" "I don't know." "In a few weeks." "The painters are in at the minute." "Why?" "Because you'll be in the store most of the day." "Don't forget that I'm used..." "I was used to working and I get depressed doing nothing." "You know that." "No, in theory, I don't think it's a bad idea." "And I can't demand that you stay in the house all day." "That's obvious." "Well, then?" "I don't know." "If you want that maid to come back," "I'll persuade mom that Melchora is essential for you." "I don't need anyone in the house." "It'll be more peaceful." "Mon amour." "I'm going to love you much, much more." "The light." "Listen, the name Ninette in modern letters." "Nothing gothic or English." "D'accord." "ARTILLERY BARRACKS" "I know a real lady shouldn't have eau-de-vie for breakfast, but..." "But you're not a real lady, cherie." "How was Madrid?" "Great, great." "By the way, Ninette told me you agree about the boutique." "Is that true?" "Yes." "After she told me, I thought about it and it's just what this city needs." "Think about this, Bernarda." "With your head for business," "I think this idea of Paris fashions will be a great success, and the advantage is if anything should go wrong the one who loses money is Miss Rabbit-food." "That's good thinking." "Excuse me, Don Andres..." "Yes, Miss Maruja?" "Nothing, it's..." "It's 8:55 and I've opened the store." "I'm going down to the basement to count those thingies, so someone will have to attend the counter." "Yes, I'll be down now." "You can start the inventory, and please bring up the accounts ledgers and leave them in the back room." "No, if you want those big books go and get them yourself." "They're a dead weight and I end up with a sore back." "All right, I'll see to it." "You'd think I was that strongwoman who pulls cars with her teeth." "Really!" "Mais voyons!" "Qu'est-ce que c'est que ca?" "Isn't she rude?" "It's just her character." "Character, my foot!" "You can't have someone like that in the store." "You should fire her today." "The cheek of her!" "I can't fire her." "There's a labor ruling that prevents me." "Mr." "Pierre, isn't that so?" "According to the legislation, you can't fire a worker for being unpleasant." "Did you hear how she answered him?" "He has to put up with it." "There is a very good law, one of the few things done well in this country, that defends the worker against the capitalist boss." "In this case, me." "Incroyable." "It's incroyable, but that's how it is." "Now, let's go or we'll be late for work." "But first, a toast." "Why?" "To..." "Ninette," ""Fashions from Paris"." "To Ninette." "Are you out of your mind?" "Forgive me, Andres, I'm sorry." "Don't be angry." "You don't think!" "I got upset when I saw that your wife was smooching you." "Well, you have to put up with it." "That's the problem with these things." "I can't put up with things." "Andres, this thing can't go on like this." "Nothing irreparable has happened between us yet." "Yes, but I have a feeling, my love, it could happen any minute." "Yes, well, until it happens, let's not get tragic." "Prepare the prayer books for the Clarisas, not the thingummy-jigs." "You know something?" "What?" "She knows everything." "And she's pretending." "Remember, she's French, you know, brazen." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Well, Armando!" "Good evening." "Are you looking for Don Andres?" "Yes." "Upstairs, in the "bureau" with those thingies." "The orders." "Have you got the time?" "My watch has stopped." "Yes, of course." "It's 8:15." "Almost 8:20." "Thank you, you're very kind." "Armando, you needn't be so formal." "Listen," "Maruja." "Yes." "That checked blouse is lovely." "Yes, it's new." "It looks great on you." "I've never worn it before." "Listen!" "Isn't that a coincidence?" "Recreation." "Speaking of recreation, are you busy tonight?" "Maybe I am." "Maybe I'm not." "It depends." "Armando!" "Pink." "Pale pink." "To be honest, I can't complain." "Mari Merche is delightful." "She's pleasant, polite, always willing to bring me anything, a glass of water at night..." "And if she has to argue with her mother because of me, she does it and takes my side." "Shit!" "You're lucky!" "But I can't stand her." "And what's worse, I'm getting a thing about her." "That's it, that's it." "But if she and I weren't married why would I dislike her like this?" "By the way, we really miss Ninette's coffee." "She goes to bed early now, she's busy at the store." "Poor thing." "Are we playing or not?" "Cut." "What a pity." "It's me, Ninette." "Entre." "Listen," "I wanted to talk to you before the game finishes." "By the way, they haven't played for ages." "They only meet once a month." "Why?" "You know Andres." "He said that his friends only came to see me, that they never used to get dressed up to play cards, that they wear lots of cologne and the store stinks afterwards." "Listen," "I still think we have to fire that Maruja." "It's my maternal instinct." "Mom, if Andres is flirting with Maruja it's because he feels dominated by all of us." "But he isn't dominated." "You still let him smoke and read the newspaper." "Yes, but he thinks he is, and that's why he wants to take off that girl's blouse." "You have to get angry and sort this out." "You can't let that go on in your own home or forgive your husband just like that." "A woman who isn't able to forgive isn't a real woman, and I'm not the one who has to get angry, she is." "And I've taken steps to make sure that Maruja gets really angry." "What steps are those?" "When she spies on me, which is almost always," "I kiss and cuddle my husband." "Then she gets furious." "And when a Spanish woman gets furious," "I'm told no one can put up with her." "And Andres won't put up with her." "And if your system doesn't work?" "Bon, there's no divorce here." "That's why men cheat on their wives." "Men like to complicate their lives so as well as having their wives pester them they look for other different women to pester them too." "Masochism, you know?" "Where did you learn that?" "Reading, observing and listening to people in the Galeries Lafayette." "Well..." "Look, life goes past in a flash." "You blink... and you're my age, forty." "And at forty, you're in the reserves, especially if you take away 15, like I do." "You have to make the most of time." "If it were me," "I'd kill both of them with a shotgun." "Good night, Ninette." "Bonne nuit, maman." "One last hand?" "No, that's enough." "Look at the mess you've made!" "Next time, put out a bit of ham." "A bit of ham!" "You should have played a bit better." "Listen, next time, don't wear so much cologne." "This place stinks." "One likes to be clean." "Everything annoys him." "When is Ninette opening the store?" "We don't know yet." "We'll see." "Tell her from me that I'll be her first customer." "Sure." "And give her a kiss." "My regards to Ninette." "I'll tell her." "And learn to play." "Hello." "Hello, mon amour" "Port..." "Porte-jarretelles." "Give me a kiss." "Why?" "Because I need it." "Weren't you angry with me?" "No." "Well, yes." "The other day I was in a bad mood." "But it would be unfair." "I'm sure she's sorry." "Who?" "Maruja." "Maru, as you call her." "She's a nice girl and very hard working." "You have to keep her forever." "What?" "I'm going to fire her." "You can't." "The labor laws don't allow it." "To hell with the labor laws!" "Who bothers about them here?" "Andres, it's best if she doesn't go." "You may be on your own soon and you'll need company." "Why do you say that?" "Because my parents are moving to an apartment near the store." "No, they needn't move out." "And I'll be out all day." "Maruja can't possibly leave." "Don't you realize that It could be dangerous?" "Why?" "Just suppose, and it's only supposing, that that girl fell in love with me." "I wouldn't be surprised." "You're a very attractive man." "Tres sympathique." "And you've got a wonderful smile." "It wouldn't matter." "What's your idea of morality?" "Do you think Murcia is Babylon and everyone here can do as they wish?" "But I'm not jealous, mon amour." "Well, you should be." "You're right, but you're mistaken." "I can't hear anything." "Maybe it's broken." "By the way, when will you give me one of those birds?" "I told you, they're not mine, they're my son-in-law's." "You give me one and if he misses it tell him it flew away." "He won't believe it." "You want the bird inside its cage." "Of course." "Do you expect me To carry it on my finger?" "Anyway, what I like most about birds is the cage." "We have to go and play at the club." "No." "Why not?" "Because." "I don't want to be seen so much In public with you." "It harms me." "And we went" "To the soccer game last week." "What about me?" "Doesn't this relationship harm me?" "People are evil minded." "And priests are getting a bad reputation these days." "Since we started wearing civvies, you wouldn't believe what they say." "I know what they say." "Among other things, that one day you'll be able to get married." "By the Church, of course." "Indissoluble matrimony." "God prevent such a misfortune!" "Bonsoir!" "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon." "Maruja," "I've never seen anyone who suits a uniform as much as you." "Oh, la la!" "Bonsoir, Ninette." "Bonsoir, papa." "Ninette." "Don Roque." "Bonsoir a tout le monde." "Mme." "Bernarda." "How are you?" "Bernarda, what's happened to you?" "Nothing." "This model came from Paris, I liked it and I put it on." "Isn't it tres jolie, mon pere?" ""Trays jolly"." "These are the bags." "Like them?" ""Ninette." "Fashions from Paris." Very nice." "Are you the Spaniard?" "Yes, Andres Martinez." "Ninette." "I am sure, mademoiselle, that you'd like to kiss me." "Why is the door closed?" "We're balancing the books." "What did you want?" "Why the urgent call?" "Are you happy?" "Happy?" "Yes, really happy." "Well, no." "Sit down." "Look, Armando, there are women who like glamour, indirect lighting." "They're usually mysterious, a little unstable and spend a fortune on perfume and clothes." "Then there are others, docile, simple, home-lovers, who adore waxing the floors, who move their lips a little when they read and who, when they kiss you, are wondering if the tap is turned off." "Those women are a drag, but they're there." "They have their good side." "Maruja..." "She is both those kinds of women together." "You follow me?" "Frenzy and slippers." "What you have to do is marry her right away before someone else gets her." "There are lots of men after her because she's a real looker too." "Get married and take her to Paris." "Armando, love is like fruit salts." "If you miss out on the first effervescence, it tastes like hell." "She said that last night." "About fruit salts?" "No, about getting married and going to Paris." "I took her out for dinner last night and then for a walk on the outskirts." "Well, it's the third time we've been out." "And it's true, she's a looker." "And her kisses, Andres." "They're never-ending." "You never said anything about those little outings." "She doesn't want anyone to know." "You know what they're like here." "She says she's crazy about me and that this is terrible and what's to become of us." "Did you see how she's dressed today?" "That's for you!" "Today, today, Nanking." "Nanking blue." "Go on." "Cold, dominating..." "Watch this." "What are you doing?" "Packing for the trip." "What trip?" "That's my case." "Of course." "You're coming too." "Me?" "Where?" "To Paris." "We've got lots of thing to buy." "You for your store and I for mine." "What store?" "Look, Andre," ""La Fuensanta" is very old-fashioned, like the house." "No one comes in." "Dad's been offered the Citroen dealership for Murcia and this place could be the car showroom." "Dad will run the technical side and you, the commercial and administrative side." "Dad doesn't want to go back to Paris because he loves Murcia, so we'll look after everything." "But..." "We'll buy things for the boutique, clothes and disc brakes, all those things." "And it'll be our honeymoon." "We'll walk along the Champs Elysees, the Bois de Boulogne..." "We'll have dinner on the bateau-mouche." "Et on dinera sur le bateau-mouche... ou dans le Quartier Latin." "Bien sur." "Since it opened, all the best hotels have tried to imitate it." "Kings, princes and other celebrities, musicians, painters, have stayed here." "That's a Tintoretto." "Oh, no!" "What did he say?" "Coco Chanel lived in our room." "Every room has got a fireplace and pink lampshades to enhance the ladies' complexions." "Do you like it?" "Yes, tell him it's fine." "Everything is at hand, the floor, the walls, the telephone..." "It's her!" "Yes, it's her." "Ninette, I can see the Eiffel Tower, and the Seine, and the boats." "That must be Montmartre..." "Ninette, please, don't do this to me." "Mon amour, it's spring, the best time in Paris." "The heat is beginning." "The breeze is gentle, from the north west." "And everything is as good as when we used to sit on the stairs at night." "Remember?" "Of course." "And Aries is entering the moon's house today." "C'est le moment." "Translation:" "D. Mac Closkey" "Subtitles:" "LASERFILM"