"Alexandra" "Hey, come here!" "It's a kind of a crane, it fixes the tram." "And they move it about." "Don't be a piggy!" "Wait, wait." "Give it to me." "Let me show you a trick." "Eat the tip first." "Quick." "And now..." "you eat it from that side." "Keep it above your head." "Is it good?" "Yes." "Keep it above your head." "Let me finish what's in my mouth." "The kerb." "Take care." "That's it." "Good girl." "Hands first." "How did the first people know the water was called "water"?" "Their mother told them." "Or maybe their father." "No." "Who was the very first to say "water"?" "The Romans, I think." "Let me see you." "Who?" "Your grandmother's great grandparents." " They said "water"?" " Yeah." "They said "aqua"." "Don't tell mom you ate sweets before dinner." "No." "But how did they say "cupboard"?" "Cupblacupbladboard." "Cause they were spoke fast..." "Let me have a smoke." "How did they say "Alexandra"?" "We named you Alexandra, me and mama." "Let's go." "And you have the face of an Alexandra." "Or do you think you look like a Georgeta?" " No!" " Of course not." "Come on." "Look, dad, look!" "Wow, you're so cool!" "I'll call the lift." " What, it's out of order again?" " Yes." "We'll take the stairs." "Oh, mister Tavi, what's up, pal?" "Just a sec." "Taking the stairs." "You?" "I'm picking my sister up from the hospital." "What's wrong with her?" "A slipped disk, nothing too serious." "Look, dad!" "Look, dad, I can fit through, see?" "Get out of there!" "Get out!" "If you do that again, I'll get angry." " I can't go on." "Will you carry me?" " No." "C'mon, like a sack of potatoes." "Head down!" " But why is your name Tavi?" " From Octavian." "My parents chose it." "Your Grandma." "Oh, grandma." "Me, me, me..." "Hi." "Hi." "Oh, it's you." "I thought Cezar was back." "How are you sweetie?" " The bike is broken, mommy!" " What's wrong with it?" "A wheel fell off." "A wheel?" "The pedal, it wasn't properly attached." " But you'll fix it, right?" " Right now, love." "Hello!" "Where are you going with your shoes on?" "Take them off." " How was the park?" " Nice." " You had a good time?" " Yes." "Let's eat the meatball soup, it's ready." "But we wash our hands first, right?" "No, I'm clean." " You realize these won't come off?" " They will." "Let's get you changed." "No, I like Fulga more." "Fulga makes milk and Milka makes chocolate." "So Milka was in the park." "How big was she?" "No, it wasn't Milka, it was Fulga." "I'm going to lie down for a bit, I feel sick." " Let's give baby some food, OK?" " OK." "Itza, where's that green toolbox from Praktiker?" "Check the new cupboard in the small toilet." "If it's not there, maybe Cezar put it in the car." "How is it going?" " Good." "I'm done in a second." " Ok." "Next Saturday come for Alexandra at one o'clock, cause in the morning she has her piano lesson." "Piano lesson on Saturday?" "Yeah. 'Cause on Friday Mrs. Ivanov has a concert in Urziceni." "I'm sorry, but I don't agree." "I'm sorry too, but there's no other way." "But Saturday is my day with her." "Then you take her and wait for her there." " No." " What?" "It's not your business to organise my time with her." "It's not a matter of "your time"." "It's her time, what's good for her." "You have her the whole week and now you want to organise her Saturday." "That's sabotage." "It's not sabotage." "She can't do it on Saturday." "And anyway, we want what's best for the child, right?" "Exactly." "And Alexandra needs to spend some time with her real father." "Now it's the piano, next time it's something else and Alexandra has stopped calling me "dad"." "I don't get you." "What don't you get?" "Today, in the park, Alexandra kept asking why my name is Tavi." "And now on the stairs, she asked why my name is Tavi." "So what?" "How dare you teach my daughter not to call me "daddy"?" "Man, you really have a problem." "Alexandra's just a child." "Mine." "Unfortunately." "But that's not what we're talking about." "What are we talking about, then?" "She's just a child, she's curious about things." "Please!" "Don't give me that shit from Cosmopolitan." "This is me you're talking to." "I don't think she's curious." "I think somebody's teaching her." "Somebody who wants to put distance between her and me." "Listen." "Neither me nor Cezar asked Alexandra not to call you "daddy"." " I swear." " Very good." "Then, next Saturday at 9 a. m. sharp, I'll be here to pick her up." "And you'll take her to her piano lesson." "I'll go where the hell I want." "The dictatorship is over, Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu!" "Get this in your skull." "The piano is very important for Alexandra." "And it's not you paying for the lessons." "I pay 400 for the kindergarden." "So next Saturday, Alexandra comes with me and that's all, folks." "You're unbelievable!" "What will you do if next Saturday I don't let her out at all?" "The law allows me to keep the child away from you if I pretend she's sick." "Nice you've all organised yourselves against me." "It's the bike ready?" " Not yet, love." " You're paranoid." "Don't call me paranoid in front of my child!" " What does "paranoid" mean?" " Congrats!" "Honey, go in the kitchen and finish your meal." " But how long will it be?" " Not long, love." "Get in the kitchen!" "Don't pull at me!" "Go and eat!" "Fuck your mother, you dirty cunt!" "You fucking bitch!" "Eat this, you stinking cunt!" "Fucking bitch!" "Suck my dick, stupid!" "Tavi, won't you eat something?" "We have carrot stew, the way you like." "I don't want anything, thanks." " Is something wrong?" " Nothing." " How's work?" " Good." "We are connecting and disconnecting people all day long." " You seem upset." " I am upset." "Why, what happened?" "How can I not be upset, Itza?" "When I see that Iulia wants me out of Alexandra's life?" " Now what's she done?" " What's she done..." "She's forced her not to call me "dad"." "That's what she's done." "She asks her to call me "Tavi"." "Not "daddy", although I am her daddy." " I've never noticed it." " Who knows." "But today Alexandra asks me why is my name Tavi." "And in the park she says "Catch me, Tavi!"." "What do you mean, to catch her?" "At the toboggan." ""Catch me, Tavi!", not "daddy"." "It's reached the level of dirty tricks and nastiness, and I don't consider it fair." "Well, you know I don't like to interfere, but you also..." "What?" "She's just a small child." "She doesn't even know to write." "She gets letters mixed up sometimes, it's normal." "Why doesn't she get confused when she speaks about her mama?" "I don't understand." "Why doesn't she get confused when she talks about her mom?" "Because her mom's name is Iulia." "If she had a name sounding like "mama", maybe she'd mix up the letters, who knows." "I'm sure she wants Alexandra not to love me and that's why she..." "C'mon, Tavi..." "If Cezar and Iulia want their own child they should make one!" "Or adopt one." "Alexandra will be my daughter forever." "What, you orangutan, are you complaining again to my mom in your own sweet style?" "Nobody's complaining." "Put out that cigarette and stop talking nonsese!" "I'm talking nonsense?" "Aren't you ashamed to be shovelling nonsense into that kid's head?" "I'm not shoveling anything." "And put out that cigarette." "There's no smoking in here anymore." " Since when?" " Since Wednesday." "I don't believe you." "Of course you don't, you're paranoid." " Please, lulia." " C'mon mama, he was always paranoid." "Remember the tantrums and the accusations he made last year, before the divorce." " When he hit the TV set with the axe." " You provoked me." "Nobody provoked you." "He's sick in the head." "Iulia, Tavi, stop it." "Enough of this hatred and bad-blood, what the hell!" "Today, tomorrow wo could be dead and we'll be sorry." " Life is so short, stop this." " That's right, Itza." "Why are you butting in?" "Shut up or take your stupidity elsewhere!" " Did you hear what I said?" " Go to hell, you rotten cow!" "The way you treat your mother shows how much you care about people." " Fix that fucking bike and get lost!" " I'm fixing it." "Or leave it like that and we'll fix it." "Suck my dick, you bitch!" "This lift is killing me." ""Carrefour" was insane, even though it was afternoon." " What did you buy me?" " Nothing." "Usually it's more crowded in the morning." " Tell me, what did you buy me?" " Pineapple compote." " Give it, give it!" " First finish your meal." " Compote, afterwards." " I want pineapple compote!" "Didn't you hear me?" "Eat everything, then compote." " What's up chief?" " Hi." "Everything's fine." " Something happened to the bike?" " It's fixed." "Cool." " Leave it, I'll take it." " No, I can manage." " And what's wrong with you?" " Ask Tavi." "What's wrong with you people today?" "Nothing's wrong with me." "Except Octavian and his paranoia." "Meaning?" "Meaning he accuses us of asking Alexandra not to call him "dad"" "and not letting him see her." "Why are you lying?" "Aren't you ashamed?" "I only said I noticed Alexandra doesn't call me "dad"." "And I wanted to know why." "That's a big lie." "Nobody asked Alexandra anything." " Tell him." " Yes." "Well, a couple of weeks ago I also noticed..." "What?" "Two weeks ago I thought I heard her calling me "dad"." " When?" " I don't remember exactly." "I was in the car, driving back from the kindergarden." "And I thought I heard." "Who's paranoid now, eh?" "Who's paranoid now?" "It's true, see?" "You're trying to fool me!" "No, I explained it to her clearly:" "Tavi is your dad." "I'm only Cezar." "I don't want that either, you know." "Let's face it." "My daughter is being manipulated." "That's nasty." " Are you starting again?" " I'm not starting anything." "But this is the truth." "First the piano lesson and now the compote." "What's wrong with it?" "Shopping for Alexandra should be done by me or you." "That'd be fair." "Or Alexandra will think the one who buys her things is her dad." "It's already happening." "If we're out of Zymafluor, will you run to the drugstore at midnight?" " Yes, I will." "Call me and I'll do it." " That's absurd." "Absurd or not, Alexandra doesn't know who her real father is anymore." "The poor child is confused." "You've screwed her head up." " You're unbelievable." " Screwed her head up!" "Mama!" " Mama, come here please!" " What's wrong?" "What's up?" "Alexandra, come with me, honey, we've something to discuss." " What do you want?" " Stand there, we need a witness." "A witness for what?" "Honey, pay attention." "Who's your grandmother?" " Is it done?" " It's done, my love." "Forget your bike for a moment." "Who's your grandmother?" " Good girl." "And who's your mommy?" " You are." "Good girl." " And it won't break anymore?" " No, it won't." "No, because daddy fixed it." "Alexandra, pay attention." "Tell me please, who's Cezar?" " Cezar is Cezar." " Where's Cezar?" " On the couch." " Good girl." " And daddy?" "Who's daddy?" " Good girl, Alexandra." "Show us again who your daddy is." "Bravo!" "Go and give dad a kiss for fixing your bike." "Alexandra, did me or mama ever ask you not to call daddy "daddy"?" "Did we make you not call daddy "daddy"?" "I want pineapple compote, mommy!" " Yes, but answer Cezar's question." " Answer, Alexandra!" "C'mon, leave her alone." "Good girl." "Let's open the can." "I hope it's clear there're no bad intentions." " You've seen it yourself, I mean." " Well, yeah." "I told him that from the beginning." "The child is healthy, she eats well, she sleeps like a log." "She's growing very well." "Sweetie, aren't we going to Vlad's today?" " What's the time?" " Six." "OK." "I'm leaving now." "We're going if you want." "My cigarettes." "Daddy's going now." "You're going to your job, to the office?" "Yeah, I have a lot of work at the office." "But I'll see you next Saturday, OK?" "Yes." "Do you want to go to the circus, to see bears and the dogs on bicycles?" "Yes, I want." "A very cool Russian clown is coming, too." "Who?" "You'll like it." "He does a lot of nutty things, walks on a rope..." " We're going, alright?" " Yes." " Want pineapple?" " No." "Then I'll give baby some." "And you eat, too." "Then I'll pick you up next Saturday, OK?" "I thought we talked about the piano lesson." "I don't care." " Bye, love." " Bye, daddy." "Goodbye." "You're making us look ridiculous in front of Mrs. Ivanov." "I don't give a damn." "I'll explain to her that we'll go on Sunday, lulia." "Up to you." "What if she doesn't agree?" "We'll see." "If she just doesn't agree, I'll take her on Saturday and that's it." " Good bye, my princess." " Good bye, daddy." "Respect, mister engineer." " Bye." " Bye." " Good afternoon." " Good afternoon."