"All the people in the mass meetings..." "She's not here." "She went out." "How are you doing?" "Do you know where she went to?" "No, but..." "she might be at the plaza." " Thank you." "Goodbye." " You're welcome." "Bye." " Mom!" " Jaime, you scared me." "I've asked you many times to let me know where you're going." " What for?" " What do you mean what for?" "One starts thinking and..." " And what?" " Well..." " You don't dare to say it, Jaime." " To say what, mom?" "It scares you to think that one day you might come... and instead of finding me dead in bed... you'll find me dead just somewhere around." "To give the idea of a homogeneous group." "Let's go." "We want to eat!" "We want to eat!" "We want our money!" "We want out money!" "Will you cry, Jaime?" " What?" " Will you cry when I die?" "Of course I'll cry!" "Mom, look what you make me say." "I can't know what I'll do that day." "I want you to know that if you cry a little..." "I wouldn't mind it at all." "Okay, mom." "Fine, I'll cry." "Don't you answer me as if I were some loony old lady." "I mean crying with your soul... otherwise you can shovel your tears up your ass." "What's wrong with you, mom?" "I told you I'll cry!" "We will all cry." "Dorita, the children, everybody." "Do you think Dorita's mother will cry?" "My mother-in-law?" "What does she have to do with this?" "I said that Dorita and the children will cry." "I don't want that woman to come to my funeral." "Why not?" "Because funerals are meant for crying... to show a minimum respect for the deceased person." "Is it necessary to talk about this?" " Yes!" " Well, I don't want to!" "Speak up beforehand, Dorita." "I know what I'm telling you." " I've already talked to Jaime." " But you know what he's like." "He listens but he then forgets." "Speak up beforehand or there'll be serious problems." "Jaime, can you stop doing that for a moment?" "Somebody has to do it." "Yes, but the pool will survive if you stop cleaning it for a moment." " So?" " What are you going to do?" "I'm thinking, Dorita." "Now it's not time to think, it's time to decide." "And let me remind you that we don't have many options." "Is that the witch's opinion?" "This is not about my mother." "It's about yours." "I wish your mother didn't interfere with my mother's things." " You don't have to call her witch." " It comes to me spontaneously." "Don't be funny." "You'd better take care of that heartless old woman." "Why do you call her heartless?" "She didn't even cry when you dad passed away." " Who said so?" "!" " You did!" "Me?" " What's wrong, Jaime?" " It's nothing." "I didn't see you cry when dad passed away." "I cried, Jaime." "I did cry." "Am I wrong or you've already reproached me about that?" "This is the first time I mention it." "Then you thought about it." "Did you?" "Yes... yes." "I cried, Jaime." "I did." " I didn't see you." " No." "You were a kid." "You were a teenager." "You didn't notice." " I did notice." " You noticed what?" "Be strong, co-workers!" "Be strong!" "Be strong, co-workers!" "Be strong!" "Losing a battle doesn't mean losing a war!" "Stay still, man." "Stay still." " Stop bothering me." "Come on!" " Calm down." "Don't let them fool you." "Come on, co-workers!" "Get lost." " Be strong!" " Listen..." "Please, stay still!" "Knock it off, kid!" "You do your job and let me do mine." " Come on!" " What job?" "Retired anarchist!" "There!" "In the balconies!" "Yes, that's it!" "Retired anarchist!" "I represent the retired people, the worse paid workers!" "Be strong!" "To victory!" "Always!" "I prepared a stew with pork skin and bacon." "I couldn't make it with hen." "I had to use chicken because you can't get hens nowadays." " Are you hungry?" " No, I'm not staying." "What?" "And what shall I do with all the food?" "I don't know." "I didn't come to eat, mom." "I can't say I'm surprised." "I sensed it last night at 4 AM." "I said 4 AM." "I woke up at that time." "It was 4 A.M." "I don't know what's wrong with me." "Last year I used to wake up at 5 AM." "It's only one hour but we sleep less and less." "I don't understand why you keep cooking for me." "What kind of question is that?" "First, I like cooking for you." "Second, I can't get used to the idea of you not living here anymore." "Mom, it's 20 years since I moved." " 20 years?" " Yes." "No, it was when... 20 years." "Why are you here, Jaime?" "Why didn't you phone me?" "I just came." " Why do you ask me to phone you?" " What do you mean why?" "Because you phone every day but you never come." "And today you're here." "The phone conversation never fails." ""How are you, mom?" "Are you okay?"" ""Why don't you come by?" "I can't, I'm busy."" "But today you came by." "Why are you here, Jaime?" "It can't be to ask me if I'm fine." "I came for the apartment, mom." " What apartment?" " This one, your apartment." "Well, mine, Dorita's." "Our apartment, mom." "What's the matter with our apartment?" "No, it's not our apartment." "It's Dorita's and mine and..." "And what?" "Well..." "Jaime, since you were a kid you were very articulate." "You started talking and never stopped and now you're..." "What's the matter, Jaime?" "I don't know how to ask you to leave the apartment, mom." "If you don't know how to ask, just don't." " What do I get with that?" " You don't get it." "You never asked and I never answered and that is that." "I don't know what you'll get but you won't lose your mother." "The only one you have, Jaime." "Why do you say I'll lose you?" "I'm not leaving my apartment, even if it is yours and Dorita's." "I lost my job, mom." "The company made staff redundant and started by the higher salaries." "I bet it was your mother-in-law's idea." "We need to sell this apartment." "Things are difficult." "We might have to leave the country." "I don't want that woman to come to my funeral." "Did I tell you that?" "Dorita and I aren't doing well." "We took a mortgage in the house." "If I don't pay the school fees, the children won't be able to go." " It's hell for me, mom." " I don't want her even if she cries." "I can't take it anymore, mom!" "Please, help me." "I've discussed it with Dorita." "You can come live with us." "You'll be very comfortable." "The maid's room is available." "We had to fire her." "You'll see." "You'll be fine with us... and if we leave the country, you'll come with us." " What's the problem?" " No, I can't." " Why?" " I can't, Jaime." "I can't." "I have many reasons to tell you that I can't." " What reasons?" " That your children don't love me." "They adore you, mom." "They show signs of adoration every now and then." "Why don't they visit me or phone me?" "They are young." "They always remember you." " I don't think so." " Yes, mom." "Don't insist." "Jaime." "It's useless." "I can't." " Why?" " I imagine what it'll be like." "Your wife talking to her mom on the phone all they long." "And her mother talking to her about us." "No, don't insist." "And honestly, I don't want to leave this place." "It's mine and Dorita's, mom." "There are many reasons that I don't want to tell you now." " Why not?" " It's too long to explain." "Then start." "You're upset, I'm upset." " I'm not upset." "I'm very calm." " I'm seeing someone..." " And what does it matter?" " ...things you can take wrong." "What do you mean you're seeing someone?" "Do you have a boyfriend, mom?" "His name is Gregorio." "He's a good man." "He's 69." "It's not so bad, Jaime." "Don't react as if it were a Greek tragedy." "What's the matter, Jaime?" "Didn't you hear me?" "Yes." "His name is Gregorio and he's 69." "You don't like Gregorio?" "Well, no, it's not a good name." "He is 69, mom." "You're 82." "So what?" "Are you going to say he could be my son?" "Don't even calculate it." "I did." "It's not possible." "Besides, it's not my fault if young men fall for me." "You're 13 years older, mom!" "Do you want me to go out with somebody who is 120... so I don't even get the chance of getting to know him?" " Is this serious?" " It's very serious." "It's so serious that we're about to move together." " Are you getting married?" " What century are you from?" "Since when do you need to get married to live together?" "And where are you going to live?" "What a question!" "Here, in my apartment." "What are you thinking about, Jaime?" "What are you thinking about?" "I'm thinking about Dorita's face when I tell her." "Wouldn't you like to know what I'm thinking about?" "Why don't you ask me?" "What are you thinking about?" "I'm thinking about your mother-in-law's face when she finds out." "Hello... yes." "With Dorita, please." "Okay." "Well, tell her I'll be late." "All right." "Bye." " Hello." " I'm hungry." "Yes, it shows." "Don't tell mom." "She's always bugging me about the diet." "If she says anything, I'll send her to hell." "Don't worry." "I won't say a thing." "Besides, it's impossible to talk to her." "Dad, I'm very upset." " Why?" " Are we going to leave?" "I don't know, Julieta." "It's an idea." "We haven't decided it yet." "I don't want to go, dad." "What would I do without my friends?" "And mom wants me to go to architecture school... just because she didn't graduate." "Do you understand?" "No." "I don't want to pay for her frustrations." "I don't like architecture." "I'm not going to study architecture." " But architecture is a career." " Yes, but I don't like it." "You don't like it." "Do as your brother." " What?" " What?" "Pablo doesn't want to study that." "Didn't he tell you?" "What does he have to tell me?" "He wants to study economy, like me." "He's a coward." " And what do you want to be?" " I want to be an actress." " Does your mother know?" " No, I didn't tell her." "Do you know what your brother wants to be?" "Yes." "He wants to be a tango dancer." "So?" "Did you tell her?" "Yes, Dorita, I told her." "Sleep well." " Did you tell her?" " Yes." "And?" "Jaime." " You've been drinking!" " Yes, Dorita." "It's nothing." "Wash your mouth before coming to bed, please." "For how long have you known each other?" "For about a year." "No, two years." "Sorry." "Don't you remember, mom?" "I don't remember well." "It's as if it had been yesterday." "It's only that I got confused when I wanted to be precise." "It's always the same." "I got confused." "You got confused?" "Was it one or two years ago?" "It was... one year ago." "I got confused with the years." "How many did we say?" "We didn't say how many years." " You didn't tell me anything." " Let's say one year and a half." "That's not it, mom!" "The fact is that you didn't tell me." "You never asked, son." "I can't ask you something I don't know about." "You didn't even insinuate it." "Wait a minute." "Maybe I didn't tell you... but many times I did insinuate it, Jaime." " Mom." " What?" "Don't lie to me, mom." "You never said a thing and we talk every day." " Yes, we talk over the phone." " Yes, over the phone." " And what do you always ask?" " What do I ask?" "You ask how I'm doing." "And what do I answer?" "You tell me that you're fine." "I tell you that I'm fine because I'm fine, Jaime." "I have a boyfriend!" "How do you want me to be?" "I'm very happy." "You don't need to worry about me." "I don't worry, mom." "Don't forget what I told you." "It's very important." "This young man..." "he's a good man." " It's not you, mom." "It's me!" " What about you?" "It's me." "I'm in the middle of a real mess!" " What's the matter?" " The apartment is the matter." "Dorita is the matter." "The children are the matter." "Your mother-in-law is your matter." "Mom!" "Jaime... don't you want to know how we met?" "No." "I'll tell you anyway." "It was because of the garbage." "What?" "We met because of the garbage." "Don't tell me he's the garbage man." "No, he's not." "But what if he were?" "What wrong have they done to you?" "I don't know." "Nothing, I suppose." " So, he's a garbage man, mom." " A garbage man is a worker, Jaime." "It's an honest job." "As honest as that job of yours." "I don't have a job!" "I've been fired, mom." "Okay, as that job you no longer have." "And be careful, Jaime, because you never know." "Due to the circumstances... tomorrow you might be looking for work in the garbage business." "Is he a garbage man or not, mom?" "He's not a garbage man, Jaime." "He's poor." "What does that have to do?" " Don't you understand it?" " What do I have to understand?" "But then..." "Haven't I told you how we met?" "Up 'till now the only thing I know... is that he's not a garbage man but he's poor." "That means that I told you something." "The garbage, mom." "What about the goddamn garbage?" "Jaime, now I understand what your problem is." "It's the anxiety." "You're too anxious." "And that is normal... because it's the illness of the globalized middle class." "It's not only the globalized middle class that is sick." "It's not only the globalized middle class that is sick." "No, we are all sick." "You'll lose your pawn." "This wild capitalism is making us all sick." "The fact that we're all sick doesn't mean we're all dead." "Hold it, partner." "Not yet." "I'm not done." "We extract the antidote from the poison itself." "What are you doing?" "Otherwise, it will poison us all." "Checkmate." "Better to die standing than to live on your knees." "What is that about the globalized society, mom?" " Society... those are not my words." " That I know." "No, no." "It's one of his intelligent, brilliant lines." " That's all I needed!" "A lefty!" " Gregorio a lefty?" " No, not at all." " No, mom, a communist!" "No, he's not a communist." "He defines himself very well in his own words." "He calls himself a retired anarchist." " That doesn't exist, mom." " It does exit." "Because if Gregorio says it exists, it does exist." "Tell me, what else does he say?" "He says so many things..." "interesting, original things." "Do you know who he reminds me of?" "Of you when you were young." "You always talked about the oppressed class." "Do you remember when the Police came looking for you?" "What a fright!" "As I was saying, you talked about the oppressed." "I can hear your words." ""We must do something. "" "You were lucky to escape." "You fled through the terrace." " Yes, mom." "Things were different then." " Luckily things were different." "What else can I tell you?" "He's always saying things like that." "He talks about the oppressed and that there are too many poor people." "He says that the rich get richer and richer." "And he always ends talking about the revolution!" " And is he going to change things?" " Why not?" "It's time for the rich to realize... that they have to dig into their pockets... to give the poor some of what they have." "Otherwise, the poor will dig into their pockets... to take everything from them." "Make some noise now!" "But that guy is crazy!" "But, Jaime, you used to say the same things!" " I was 20 year old, mom!" " Well..." "Aren't you envious of a man his age saying them now?" "And what about the garbage?" "What garbage?" "The garbage!" "Didn't I tell you how we met?" " No, you didn't." " That's strange." "I could swear that I had already told you." " You're staying for dinner, aren't you?" " No, I can't." "You can't." "Then go and I won't tell you anything." " What are you doing here, dad?" " What am I doing here?" "That's what I should ask you." "You haven't gone to school for three days." "And how did you know where I was?" "What does that matter?" "Your sister told me." "My sister..." "she has such a big mouth." "What is this?" "Aren't you going to continue studying?" "I don't know." "What do you mean you don't know?" "We've already talked about this." "Pablo!" "I'm going." " Well, dad, I can't now." " Listen... wait..." " Dance with your heart." " Yes, professor." "You never told me about the garbage." " What garbage?" " Gregorio's... and how you met Gregorio." "It's true." "I never told you." "As I was saying, whenever I cook, I think you're coming for dinner." "It's a habit of mine that I can't get rid of." "I always think about it." "And then we all know what happens." "I cook and you don't come... and I don't know what to do with all this food." "I believe I have to throw it away." "Nowadays, I really can't throw away... or put the food on the street." "I feel bad about it." "But curiously enough... the food that I thought I was throwing away..." "I wasn't really throwing it away." "Gregorio told me..." ""Nothing is wasted, everything is transformed. "" "He's quite a philosopher." " Mom!" " What?" " You were telling me." " Yes, but I forgot." "You were saying that he was a philosopher." " Who?" " Gregorio!" "He said: "Nothing is wasted, everything is transformed. "" "Gregorio would never say something like that." "That's too complicated for Gregorio." "Mom, the garbage." "What about the garbage?" "Of course!" "After all, I haven't told you how we met!" "No." "Listen..." "I remember I would go out at night... carrying the food that nobody had eaten... because sometimes my guests do not show up." "I would go out with the food... and I would put it beside the tree on the sidewalk." "I know you're dying to know why I did it." "Ask me." "Aren't you going to ask?" "Yes, mom." "Why did you do it?" "I'll tell you." "I thought that if the food had not been eaten... because my guests never showed up..." "I thought that perhaps it'd feed the poor street cats." "So I would leave the food I had prepared so lovingly... and I would go to sleep." "But then I would wake up at 5 AM ." "Do you know that now I wake up at 4 AM ." "I think I've told you so." "Yes." "I wake up and I have one hour less of sleep." "I don't like it at all because it's not normal." "It concerns me." "I don't like waking up one our earlier." " Mom, go on" " Go on with what?" "Yes, of course." "But, please, don't interrupt me." "The thing is that at 5:00 I went out to the street... got closer to the tree... and saw that the cats had eaten up everything." "And so nights went by." "And days, of course." "Then, one night I got closer... and something caught my attention." " The cats had left all the food?" " No, something even stranger." "Inside the bag there was a note." " Are you sure it was the cats?" " Don't be impatient." "What was most surprising is what the note said." "So?" "Aren't you going to ask me what it said?" "Yes, mom." "What did it say?" "It said, I'm quoting:" ""Everything was delicious, Ma'am." "But the beans needed more cooking... and the aubergines more garlic." "Thank you. " End of quote." "Fancy cats." "So they wrote that?" "Yes, the cats wrote that." "Who was it then?" "That's what I asked myself!" "It was then that I decided to investigate." "The following day I got up at 4:00." "I couldn't catch the one that had written the note." "But I found another note." "It said, "Congratulations." "Your red peppers are just like my mother's." "PS.:" "Next time add some meat, if it's not much to ask... because I'm not a vegetarian. "" "I didn't understand a thing." "Days went by and nothing." "One day I asked myself..." ""At what time does this guy come to eat from the bag?"" "Once I went out at 3.:00, but nothing." "Another day I went at 02, and nothing." "At long last one night at 1 .:00, I caught him." "That's how I met Gregorio." " Gregorio ate the garbage?" " No, Jaime, he didn't eat garbage." "He ate the delicious meals that I prepared for you." " Leftovers, mom." " Because you didn't eat it!" "I moved 20 years ago!" "20 years, mom!" "So why can't I stop thinking about you each time I cook?" "Because I'm always thinking that one day you'll come to eat!" "I went to the tree, I looked at him and asked him..." "" Is it you?"" " Is it you?" " Yes." "Nice to meet you." "I'm Gregorio Stepan..." "Just call me Gregorio." "I'm sorry I didn't sign the notes." "I thought my name didn't mean anything to you." "Can I ask you something?" "Why do you do that?" "I don't know what you're talking about." "Why do you take the food from the cats?" "Do you think that the poor cats need it more than I do?" "Can I tell you something?" " Yes." " You won't get upset?" "No, tell me." "You look pitiful." "You look worse than the cats." " You're not upset, are you?" "No." "I've been told worse things." "And something else..." "Let me finish." "I believe that behind that appearance... there is a young man." "Moreover, a good looking man." "May this... humble food taker tell you something... without offending you?" "Well, that depends." "Behind those wrinkles, that white hair... that dreadful dressing gown..." "I'm completely sure there is an angel." "Excuse me." "No, wait a minute." "Leave that there." "Where do you think you're going?" "I told him to stay." "Yes, I invited him to come in." "I admit that at first I felt a bit scared." "But I insisted and, well, he came in." "I glanced at him but I didn't see anything." "And then when I was looking for some of your father's clothes..." "I asked myself... what could surprise me at this age." "Then I found your father's clothes." "I found that dark suit he always wore for parties." "Gregorio tried it on and it fit him perfectly." "I didn't have to fix anything." "It was perfect on him." "Jaime!" "Jaime!" "Did you need to do it outside?" "It's not important." "Everybody will find out." "Do you think people care about what happens to us?" "All I know is that we should have sold the apartment... before selling the van." "I'm working on it, Dorita." "Don't push me more, please." "We'll have to sell this house... before you can get your mom out of the apartment!" "What are we going to do, mom?" "Look, I'll stay a bit longer 'cause I have to buy some things." " Do you want to go now?" " I'm talking about the apartment." "What shall I tell Dorita?" "Don't ask me to give Dorita some advice." "I know what will happen." "I'll talk to her... she'll ask her mom and then they'll do whatever they want." "Do you know what I'm talking about?" " Of course I do." " What about?" " About the piece of advice." " What advice?" " The one I have to give Dorita." " What advice can you give Dorita?" "Why are you angry?" "You go angry when I say I'll give Dorita some advice." "Look, do me a favor... go talk to your mother-in-law." "Ask her to give you some advice." "Let's see what she gives you!" "But what does she have to do with this?" "Tell me something." "Are you going to be against me?" " But I'm not for nor against you!" " Then you made up your mind!" "For God's sake." "Let's start this over again, please." " I can't." " Why?" "Because I can't." "As Gregorio says, I've started again so many times... that I feel like finishing." "Do you know what, guys?" "I'm getting tired of talking so much." "I'm not the one I used to be." "I should be resting." "Feeling... the pleasure of the work done." "But life doesn't let me." "I feel I must go on." "And the worst part is when I feel that I've touched the bottom... something clicks and says..." "" It's worth it. "" "It's worth it." "Is it worth it?" "Yes, it's worth it." "It's worth it." "Here." "It's linden tea." "It's good for your nerves." " Is it bad?" " What?" " What's happening to you." " What do you think?" "I don't know." "That's why I'm asking." "It's a way of speaking, mom." ""What do you think?"" "Yes, it's very bad." "Then why don't you tell me once and for all, Jaime?" "Why do you go round about?" "I'm your mother." "I'm not an ogre." " Jaime, what do you want?" " The apartment, mom!" " And besides that?" " Nothing else." "Then it can't be that serious." " What else can I ask you?" " So many things, Jaime." " Tell me." " You can ask for advice." "I would gladly give you some advice but not to your wife." "If I try to give her some advice, she goes to her mom." "Then they make me say things I never thought of saying!" " Mom!" " What?" "It's bad." "I'd like to know what you consider to be bad." "What do you mean?" "That perhaps what's bad for you it's nothing to me." " What's your point, mom?" " Jaime..." "I'm closer to playing the harp up there than the guitar down here." "That allows me to speak differently." "Do you understand?" "What I mean is simple." "Perhaps what's happening is not so bad." "If you can see things differently... why don't you see them from my position?" "You don't even know who I am, mom." "What do you mean?" " I know you." "You're my son." " No." "I'm your mother." "What do you mean "no"?" "I gave birth to you." "I remember that." "I don't mean that." "I mean something else." "Do you understand?" "No, I don't." "I really don't." "But if you make an effort..." "I'm sure you will explain it better." "What I mean is that... that I'm what everybody wishes to be." " A good father, a good husband..." " A good son-in-law." "Perhaps I'm not as good as you want me to be." "And regarding my mother-in-law, I can't stand her, either." "Don't tell Dorita." "It's so good to hear that." "Look, the truth is that..." "I'm what you'd call a prototype citizen, mom." "Of course." " A what?" " A common, ordinary man." "Like the ones you see in commercials." "They smile all the time They're happy." "They change cars every year." "They go shopping with the family." "If the dollar is low, they go to The Bahamas, to Miami." "That's me, mom." "That's me." "It's as I said, Jaime... what's bad for some people is nonsense for others." "No, I'm not finished." "What I'm trying to say is that I'm only appearances, mom." "Only appearances." "And what's behind it?" "Fear." "Fear?" "Fear of what?" "Fear of losing everything." "It's always stopped raining." "When you were a kid, you said that the rain made you sad." " Do you remember?" " No." "Of course not." "You were too small." "But it was so." "Rain used to make you sad... and you wouldn't go out." "One day, I bought you a pair of boots and a raincoat." "You tried them on." "They were so cute on you." "And from that day on, you hoped it rained so that you'd go out... and play in the puddles and splash the water all over." "And you had such a great happiness... that it even made me happy." " Do you remember?" " Yes, now I do." "Are you coming to sleep?" "Yes, I'll go in a moment." "What are we going to do, Jaime?" "We'll work things out." "And your mother?" "Don't worry." "She'll leave the apartment." "And what are we going to do with her when we leave?" "It's getting cold." "Stop doing that and come here to eat." "Hear that?" "Sounds like a violin!" "It's ready." "I've fixed the toilet." "Tomorrow I'll fix the faucets in the tub and in the sink..." "I bought paint for the frames." "It's a bit lighter but it'll be great." "Don't leave the tools laying around." "Not now." "Now eat." "You can have cold meat but potatoes are awful when cold." "Don't you eat?" "No, I'm on a diet." "Can I ask you something?" "Why do you lie to me?" "You're worried." "I don't know you much but I do know you a little." "Look, if things are so bad, I won't get upset." "I'll just leave." "That's all." "No, you're not leaving." "Did you forget you have to fix the faucet?" "Tell me, Jaime, do you get along with your wife?" " With Dorita?" " Unless you have another woman." "Mom, why don't we talk about the apartment?" " Precisely." " I don't see the connection." " You answer me." " It's absurd what you're asking." "I don't know." "We talk, we share some things..." " like all the couples do." " Yes." "Do you make love?" "What?" "I'm asking if you have sex with your wife?" "What is this about, mom?" "A mother always wants to know if the wife is good to their son." "You sound more like a shrink rather than a mother." "Precisely." "Then answer me and don't avoid the issue." "Do I ask you what you do with Gregorio?" "Do I ask you that?" "What are you suggesting?" "Are you saying that I sleep with Gregorio?" " Yes." " Ask me!" "Okay." "We don't get along, mom." "I don't know." "It's the problems." "We argue." " Then you don't do it." " Seldom." "Almost never." "Okay, mom, we don't do it at all." "Gregorio says that the revolution of humanity... lays in the equal distribution of wealth." "And it will happen when people eat and fuck better." "Gregorio has such lines!" "Mom, what does this have to do with the apartment?" "Jaime, If you and your wife did what you're not doing so often... you wouldn't think so much in the apartment." " How can you know, mom?" " But, Jaime, I'm 82." "I know!" "And regarding your mother-in-law..." "Jaime!" "You knew I would come back." "Yes." "I know you as if you were my son, Jaime." "What I cannot understand is why you get upset." "I'm not upset, mom." "I'm confused." "I just don't know what to do." "You know very well what to do with your wife." " You're an adult." " I'm talking about the apartment." "And what do you think I'm talking about?" "You think everything is simple." "I don't make things simple." "They are simple." "It's us who complicate everything." " And who says that?" "Gregorio?" " No, it's me who says so." "We women say intelligent things every now and then." "When they let us, of course." " Are you going out?" " No." "What is all this?" "Are you expecting people over?" "It's true." " I didn't cry." " What?" "When your father died, I didn't cry." "I didn't cry." "And do you know why I didn't cry?" "Because... sit down." "Sit down and make yourself comfortable." "Things were very different in those days." "Imagine the '40s." "Marrying meant for a woman... to tie her destiny to a man for life." "That's what my mother told me." "And her mother had told her that." "That was my great-grandmother." "I did everything to look after your dad." "And the worse of it is that I liked it." "When he got diabetes, he was very ill." "Despite the fact that I disliked injections..." "I had to learn to give him the shots ." "It was terrible." "I got very nervous when I had to inject him." "Seeing you dad's butt always made me nervous." "The thing is that at the end I stopped injecting him." "And that's when he started going to see the nurse." " She lived next door." " Betty?" "Don't tell me dad slept with Betty." "I don't know if he slept with her." "I saw him kissing her and that was enough." "Maybe he couldn't help himself." "Betty was very cute." "We all thought about Betty." "And me, Jaime?" "What about me?" "Look at that." "Nobody thought about me?" "And that's why you didn't cry at the funeral?" " You could've forgiven him." " I couldn't." "He never admitted it." " Don't you regret it?" " Yes, I regret it." "I regret not having dared to ask him." "Why did you take so long?" "I don't know." "It was an uncomfortable situation." "If I had asked him and he lied to me, what would I have done?" "And if he had told me the truth... what would I have done with that truth, Jaime?" "The worst thing was that I realized that something had intimidated me." "Something for which I was not prepared." "I went to talk to your grandmother and she tried to cheer me up." "She told me, "Don't worry." "He does it with others but he really loves you." "All men do it, it means nothing." "Your father did it to me and you see, he didn't leave me. "" "I thought about cheating on him a thousand times... and about leaving with you from that house... abandoning him." "But I didn't do anything." "Did you love him?" "With all my heart." "As I could never love any other man in my life." "Appearances, right?" "I always thought you hadn't cried because you didn't love him." "Do you know what comforts me?" "Thinking that Betty must be as old as I am now." "Have you seen her?" "No, for Christ's sake." "I wouldn't want to see her in the little life I have left." " How do you know she's alive?" " I don't know if she's alive." "Perhaps she's dead." "How could I know?" "If she's dead and I don't see her here, I'll sure see her up there." "Because nobody skips that." "Sinners go there, victims and wrongdoers..." "Lovers and deceived ones." "Everybody." "You father must also be around there." "I'd like to meet him there." "I have some things to straighten up with him." "And he better not play fool." "Do you know what bothers me?" "Thinking that I could bump into your mother-in-law up there." "See?" "You name her and I remember the apartment!" "Didn't I tell you?" "That woman is like a curse!" "We must do something about this goddamn apartment!" "You want to kick me out!" "You want to leave me in the street!" "I asked you to come live with us, mom!" " And if you move to another country?" " You'll come with us." " Are you serious?" " I'm very serious." " You're crazier than what I thought." " I'll become crazy but I'm not yet." " That's what you think." " And who are you?" "Dr. Freud?" "No." "I'm one of those who invented that famous Dr. Freud... because I'm a mother." "I tell you that without mothers he wouldn't have got where he is." "Listen to me, Jaime." "You're crazy... because do you realize what you're offering me?" "What's so wrong about moving with us, mom?" "Tell me, does your wife think I've taken up the apartment?" "No!" "No... you've just answered." "Now I know that she doesn't think so." "She's told you!" "Yes, but I'll solve it." "Don't worry." "No, you wont' solve anything." "This cannot be solved." "You can't solve it even if you have sex for a month." "Do you know why?" "Because there's your mother-in-law... and your children don't like me." "You want to give me the maid's room." "The one you fired." "You can imagine the kind of vibes she left up there." "I'll drop dead the first night." " If you go to different room?" " To which room, Jaime?" "The kid's?" "Your bedroom?" "The garage?" "Jaime, would you send me to the garage,?" "No, mom, let me think about it." "Don't think because it's useless." "I know what will happen." "They'll send me to a home." " To a home?" " A home for the elderly." "I know what a home is." "You know nothing about a home." "I do!" "And in my case it'll be like putting me in jail!" "Here I can manage on my own." "Well, with Gregorio but kind of alone." "I have somebody to talk to." "Do you understand?" "He's here and I feel good." "What do you mean?" "Who is here?" "Gregorio?" "Yes." "Don't tell me you're living together." "Do you want me to leave him in the street?" "Next to the tree where I used to leave the food with the garbage?" "You brought him to my apartment!" "He's a decent man!" "There's nothing wrong about it!" " And how do I get him out now?" " I don't know!" "But start thinking how you are going to get me out!" "Listen, Jaime... after many years, I have somebody to wait for." "Do you understand?" "Every night I go out to wait for him." "I can't help looking across the street." "I remember other times." "Do you remember Betty with your father?" "But Betty is not around anymore." "And Gregorio does not need shots." "What does Gregorio do during the day?" "What does Gregorio do?" "He protests." " What?" " He protests." "He has no job now." "He's 69." "But he's a jack of all trades." "He does everything right." "But in this country nobody believes in a 69-year-old man." "What do you want him to do?" "He protests." "He goes out to the street and protests." "I love seeing him protesting against everything." "He reminds me of you when you were young." "Remember you used to protest when you were at the university?" "Can I ask you a question?" "Yes, but let me ask you something first." "Do you love him?" "Please tell me, do you love him?" " What a question, Jaime." " Answer me." "You know, at a certain age... one is happy with less than that." "I think he loves me... and that makes me feel good." "Now you can ask me." "What do you want to know?" "It's an important question." "When I die... are you going to sell the apartment?" "Was is that?" "What worries now?" "What will you do about Gregorio?" "What will I do about him?" "Look, talk to him, get closer to him... because he only needs somebody to believe in him." "Okay, right." "What are you looking at?" "Nothing." "I didn't eat all day." "I'm famished." " Don't tell me you're hungry!" " Yes." "You can stay for dinner!" " Yes." "Why not?" " At long last!" "If I go home they'll ruin my meal." "I'm so happy." "Don't forget that this can be a very important night." " Why?" " Because you'll meet Gregorio." " Really?" " Yes." "Let's go out to wait for him." "He'll be coming soon." "Yes, let's go." "I want to tell you something before I forget..." "Well, I forgot." "Don't worry, you'll remember." " Now I remember." " What?" "You're a good son." "Hello." "We were waiting for you." "I'm with my son Jaime." " Gregorio." " It's a pleasure to meet you." "Why don't you tell us one of those stories... anecdotes you tell so well?" " Do you think so?" " Yes, of course." "Come on, don't be shy." "Tell us." "Do you know the story about Libertario Godio?" "No." "I would remember it with that name." "Libertario... my father's anarchist friend." "They were always together." "I was a young boy." "He was the son of an Italian and a Uruguayan black woman." "They called him Negative." "Because he was against everything." " No, no." " No?" "White hair, black face." "One day he approached my father... and confessed that he couldn't bear it any longer." "He was broke." "He didn't know if he wanted to take the power from the rich." "The only thing he wanted was to take the money from the rich." "My father had known him for a long time and respected him." "He was an old man so he didn't want to contradict him." "The idea he had to take the money from the rich was very particular." "He wanted to manufacture antiques." "Time goes by... and Libertario starts showing up at demonstrations... and in the union." "It was obvious that his business wasn't doing well." "They had noticed that it was a scam." " No, no." "It was worse than that." " What?" "Do you know how he named his antique shop?" " No." " The modern one." "Isn't that something?" "Can you imagine?" " Please pass me the..." " Yes, here you are." "So, when is she leaving?" "Before... when I came home, we kissed, remember?" "You asked me about my day." "We talked." "It was nice." "It's not the right moment to talk about that." "What's wrong with you, Jaime?" "What's wrong with you?" "What's wrong with you?" "What's wrong?" "I'm not going to ask my mom to leave the apartment." "I want to change." "I don't know..." "It occurs to me that we should change." "Change what?" "I don't need to change anything, Jaime." "I need to have what we used to have." "To be what we used to be." "What has gotten into you?" "What did that old woman tell you?" "No, it's not my mom." "It's me." "I don't know." "FOR SALE" "SOMETIME AFTER" "This looks good, Gregorio!" "I have to go for Julieta and Pablo at 10." "I have time." "Don't you want to come?" " Why?" " I shouldn't go." "It's a private matter." "But you're family, Gregorio." "What are you saying?" "She is your girlfriend." "You have to introduce your kids." "What am I going to do?" "I've got nothing to do there." "I met her thanks to you, so you have to come." "You met her because of my high blood pressure." "Look, nature is wise." "She's a good nurse, a good woman!" "Now that you mention nurses... nurses were my father's soft spot." " Really?" " Do you think it runs in the family?" "Stop the psychoanalysis, kid." "Do you like her?" "I love her." "Then what do you care if she's a nurse... a queen or whatever?" "Try to be happy." " Leave your old man rest." " You're right." "I talked to Dorita." "Now the attorneys are in charge." "She keeps everything but I keep the apartment." "Do you think you lose?" "Lose... no way!" "I win." "It's the other way round." "Gregorio, why don't you cook something tonight?" "I'll come with Laura and the kids and we'll all dine together." " Come on!" "Why not?" " No, no." "Cook something." "You're a great cook." " Why not?" " Does she like pasta?" "How do you prepare it?" "It's an old recipe." "Do you remember Toniazzi?" "Look, you cook the spaghetti as usual..."