"THE LIGHTHOUSE" "What is it, Ann?" "I'm hungry." "Try to get some sleep, dear." "We're almost there." "Good morning." "Is the bar open?" "Boy!" "Customers!" "Good morning." "Good morning." "This way, please." "Watch your step." "Some boards are loose." "What time does the bus come?" "eleven o'cIock." "Oh, take this..." "Bring me some whiskey and a glass." "You don't want to have anything?" "That's Javier, isn't he?" "Ann, did you see him?" "No, I didn't see him." "That doesn't work." "Yes, it does." "It has always worked..." "It's only that you have to give it a little push." "Come on, guys!" "There are two alive girls." "Put another stretcher behind me." "please, help me with this." "Lay it down..." "Easy..." "Ready." "Up now." "That's it, up!" "Come on girls, Iet's go!" "shall I help you?" "Thanks." "Is this the boat to Uruguay?" "Yes." "This is it." "I will never come back to this fucking old town!" "So, what happened to you?" "I fell..." "Eat up, or I'II throw it away." "She won't do so." "It's old food." "Look who talks about old things." "Aunt Encarna, shall I prepare some potatoes for you?" "We call them spuds here." "When will you finally stop talking like in Spain!" "Take the dishes." "Aneta, I'm so happy you'II stay living with me, for ever." "Get the dishes to the kitchen." "Aunt AngeIita, I've heard you!" "She's carrying that decanter everywhere." "She's mean, huh?" "She hides things from me." "She locked me up in the henhouse, she says I fart." "Meme..." "What?" "Where are you going?" "To get some rest." "I'm sleepy." "Lazy thing." "always Ioafing." "Meme..." "What?" "Why did we come to Uruguay?" "Because our aunts live here." "I prefer this small town to villa Victoria." "We can do as we please here." "Even Federico can come to visit me." "I want to have a Iot of kids with him." "With him or any other!" "You just want to have kids." "That's not true." "You'd have babies all by yourself." "You told mom that." "Be honest!" "I won't talk to you again." "That's better." "You just tell lies!" "close that!" "They are all dead." "Meme..." "What will happen to us when we grow up?" "You're impossible today." "We're grownups already." "I don't like brushing my teeth, or have lice removed from my head..." "I don't like praying for anyone but mom, dad, julian and Meme." "Lice?" "Yes." "Why do you ask?" "You've never had lice?" "No." "I've never had." "Why are you touching your breast?" "Take your hand off your breast!" "It's nothing, father." "Nothing." "well, is that all?" "Anything else?" "No, father." "well." "Say two Our Fathers and..." "Oh, yes..." "The other day I called my sister an asshole." "What?" "asshole." "I can't hear you." "Speak louder." "asshole!" "What happened?" "Nothing." "Grab your teat." "Why?" "Are you nuts or what?" "You told me I should grab my teat when I see a cross-eyed, didn't you?" "well, the priest is." "Oh, yes, he is!" "well, what did you tell him?" "I cannot tell you." "It's a secret." "No secrets between sisters." "And why are you talking so low?" "How should I know..." "I told him you'd pee in aunt AngeIita's decanter." "Shut up!" "They are here!" "Why would you tell him that?" "I was joking, Meme." "I didn't tell him anything." "You're completely crazy." "AII the same." "You shouldn't do that to aunt AngeIita." "Ann..." "Are you okay?" "You like them?" "Someone might come in." "You like me?" "It's nothing, I'm just singing." "Are you happy?" "Yes..." "Because you are here..." "It strikes you badly?" "It isn't that." "well, if not, what is it?" "I need to get used to it." "It's just an injured leg." "I wanted you to be the first because I Iove you more than any other." "How mean you are!" "You don't want to accept my little gift..." "You'II regret it one day... but I won't be around to comfort you." "And all my kids, all the children I am going to have... will not be yours." "But I'm not hostile and I forgive you." "But Meme..." "You can leave." "Son of a bitch!" "What is it, Meme?" "He's the worst son of a bitch!" "Don't cry." "I Iove you a Iot, Meme." "After mom and dad, you're the person I Iove most." "You, Shorty..." "Don't breathe that way." "It scares me." "I fear you may also die." "Oh, dear..." "I Iove you a Iot too." "I Iove you more." "No, no..." "I Iove you more." "I Iove you more." "No, I Iove you more." "We're leaving." "What did you say?" "You heard me?" "Change your clothes." "will you change your clothes at once?" "As mom liked saying, nothing will be missed here." "close that and go to sleep." "Why don't you want to look at these photos?" "I told you, they are all dead." "Not all." "close it and sleep now." "You should say "get some sleep"." "By the way, want to sing The Shark's song for me?" "Who told you I peed aunt AngeIita's decanter?" "It's true." "Poor her!" "Why would you do that to her?" "You're nuts." "You like making up stories." "A little revenge?" "Enough, midget." "Don't call me midget!" "Then stop bothering!" "And sleep now." "You should say "get some sleep"." "I'm scared, Meme." "Where are we going?" "Are we still in Uruguay?" "Come on, sing The Shark's song." "How does it go?" "Shark, shark, shark unzip my fly" "until you see my trunks and if the shark sticks out" "don't panic cause it's mine" "Don't be so rude!" "I Iearned it from you!" "That's not true." "I Spy..." "Enough, midget!" "Something that begins with 'Y' and has a final 'Y'." "Give up?" "'I'm hungry.'" "That's two words." "It doesn't matter." "I won." "Besides, I am hungry." "It's true." "I'd eat a ham and cheese sandwich..." "You lost again." "And it's two words." "I spy..." "I spy!" "sleep!" "Got it now?" "!" "Fuck!" "Oh, I'm sorry, Shorty." "Forgive me, please..." "Three times one, three: three times two, six: three times three, nine... three times four, twelve: three times five, fifteen: three times six..." "Enough!" "Who will ask me how much is that when I am older!" "You will need to know that without being asked, you ignorant!" "Don't study if you don't want to, but come back to the room." "Aneta!" "No!" "You said we'd go fishing if I studied hard." "You didn't study." "AII the same." "You'II have to." "You have to Iearn Math tables." "You control me because there's no mom to defend me." "Don't give me that now." "Mom is dead and buried." "Lies!" "She's not buried." "You told me so." "AII the same." "I'm in charge of you." "And how long will I have to put up with you?" "until you're a real adult." "Not a midget." "When I'm old as aunt AngeIita?" "You know what I mean." "That's why." "When you're older and you know the Math tables... when you're eighteen and ready to look after yourself." "When you no Ionger need me and you start feeling sorry of me!" "I'm not sorry for you, girl." "I can walk with a limp too?" "It's easy!" "Anyone can do it." "UngratefuI kid!" "You're such a..." "I'II leave you alone for ever." "You're so mean!" "What are you looking at?" "You'II miss this wooden-Iegged sister of yours!" ""Wooden-Iegged?" You should say lame!" "You know what I mean." "Besides, I no Ionger need you." "I'm sick of you!" "You're sick of me?" "Yes, I can't bear you!" "Sure?" "Yes." "help!" "She can't swim!" "quickly or she'II drown!" "Nobody asked you." "If I want to drown, Iet me do it." "You're nuts, girl." "One day, nobody will fish you out." "You always do the same thing." "The old man almost died to save you." "You think that's smart?" "What?" "Nothing." "You said something." "I'm just singing." "You have to be nuts." "I don't care." "I do what I want." "If I want to drown, I'II do so." "If I don't feel like it, I won't." "Easy, my love." "It's over now..." "You had a nightmare." "Where is mom?" "Don't worry." "I told you, she's fine." "She's in the water." "Where she wanted to be." "She loved the river." "Do you remember when she took us to the beach?" "She'd spend hours just watching the water." "Is that why you always dive into the water?" "hold on a second." "You have a fever." "I'm sorry, but they told me you were a paramedic and I need a favor." "It's my sister." "She's not well." "I'm not a paramedic." "I just work in a pharmacy." "Go, I'II follow you." "No." "Take it easy." "It's not a fever..." "Or not much, at Ieast." "It's nothing." "If she's not feverish, then we don't need to worry." "Now, if she is running temperature... that means the body is protecting itself somehow." "But that's okay, you see?" "I feel at ease now." "You watch the temperature to go down." "Or not to go down." "Are you sure you work in a pharmacy?" "well, it doesn't matter." "Thanks." "My name is CarmeIa, but they call me Meme." "I'm Michi." "Isn't she Cathy?" "Mom's friend?" "No." "You didn't see it." "Y know." "I saw that album a thousand times." "I know it by heart." "What photo am I talking about?" "One of Madrid when we lived there." "Mom and two friends are roaming down the Gran Via." "One of them was called Trini and the other Maria Jose." "It was March 16th, her birthday." "Why did we come back from Spain?" "I told you." "Dad couldn't get used to living there." "Fifteen years and he never got used to it!" "Is it true what dad said?" "That I was the pretty and you the smart?" "Dad never said that." "He said you were pretty because you took after him." "You have big mustaches!" "hello." "hello." "I Spy..." "Don't bother!" "I Spy something that begins with an M and ends with a I." "Michi." "What's up with Michi?" "Come on, Meme." ""Come on, Meme", what?" "You blushed!" "You're dating Michi!" "I'II tell him... you peed aunt AngeIita's decanter." "Good morning!" "hello, Tina." "How are you?" "The baby is fussy today." "hello!" "Hi..." "Why don't you go and smoke this at home?" "Is this the non-smoking area?" "The police may show up and close the pub and I will lose my job." "I have a family to support." "You're talking too much, parrot." "Try one of these." "Those kill people." "You know what Boris would say?" "That they cause emphysema." "Don't tell me!" "What else would Boris say?" "That those you smoke cure the flu?" "He'd say that among the many virtues of cannabis... it is the cure of glaucoma." "The eyes, parrot." "Some members of my family went blind because of it." "And I do want to see the bullet that will kill me when I say good-bye... to this life swarmed with grievance." "would you commit suicide?" "Is that true, Andy?" "would you?" "Never." "I'm too much of a chicken." "Who is Boris?" "The owner of this pub." "He was a big guy." "Is he dead?" "Extraordinary people never die." "Like my mother." "Like your mother." "And like my little brother, julian." "Did I scare you?" "This is for you." "For me?" "If you don't like it, I can give it to Aneta." "It's pretty." "Thanks." "You can give it a name and tell your secrets to it." "What secrets should I tell it?" "Secrets." "I Iove the things you say." "Sorry." "Hello, Michi." "hello." "The beers I asked you." "CarmeIa!" "Meme!" "Let me go." "I need to be alone." "What's up?" "You don't trust me?" "AII men are real crooks!" "You hear me?" "Let me help you, Meme." "I want to die." "Meme..." "Come on!" "CarmeIa..." "Meme..." "Excuse me, sir." "We don't have money and we do need to go to Montevideo... because my sister, Meme, needs to have her leg operated." "If we don't reach the hospital in time, they'II have to cut it off." "please, sir..." "Be nice." "Come on, he accepted." "When have you started smoking?" "Today, and for ever." "In those times I used to work as a journalist for "La Voz"..." "I wanted to be a writer instead of a journalist." "So my articles were..." "Oh, God!" "incredible!" "I wanted to impress them all." "But one day the editor-in-chief called me and said:" ""Look... stop making the readers thrilled with your stories."" "Don't make the readers thrilled!" "Here." "Do you think this'II make me good?" "Yes, sure." "Boris said it's good." "He's a doctor and friend." "Joints are good for glaucoma." "It'II ease the pain in your eye." "Cannabis is the best for the eyes." "Sure." "God!" "This "junk" smells queer!" ""Joint"." "Joint..." "Sister, how are you?" "Is my dad somewhere around?" "Somewhere in the park." "I'II look for him." "We'II talk later." "hello, daddy." "hello!" "You look quite cheerful today!" "Now I am." "This is DoIores." "By far, the best in the family." "Are you his escort?" "Yes, why?" "What are you smoking, dad?" "I'm fed up with eating sandwiches!" "What will we do?" "hello." "Don't worry." "I can do anything." "Such as?" "Baby-sit." "slow down!" "I can look after kids instead of old chaps." "Kids are really a pain in the ass." "How do you know that?" "I know." "I meant boys..." "hello, CarmeIa." "What do you want now?" "I wish we could talk for a while." "Go to the room." "Come on!" "I imagine." "You're here to scold me for what I did." "But you fired me." "You couldn't be so alike." "I can't believe you're not CeciIia Ezcurra's daughter!" "You make the same disgusting face when you don't like something." "Your mother and I were mates at Sacred Heart school, in Concordia." "She who's so angry with me, I held her in my arms when she was born." "So, you must be Aneta?" "And my brother was called julian." "Did you know him too?" "Is it true you held Meme in your arms?" "Want some?" "Fernando?" "Yes?" "shall I take this too?" "Yes, please." "When my husband died, cecilia came to visit me to the farm we have." "That was so comforting to me." "I remember that." "We had just come back from Spain." "Sure." "Sure." "Sure." "Your mother and I were like sisters." "Neither of us had any sister." "well, I have a brother." "I'II hold it." "What does he do?" "Math teacher." "Up!" "That's it." "Meme!" "You never had kids?" "No, I couldn't." "I'd Iike you to come to our stand at the market tomorrow... and start working with me there." "What do I have to do?" "Just sell this bric-a-brac to tourists." "That means..." "That means, what?" "You'II make me believe I am working to pay me a salary?" "You're as arrogant as your mother." "Oh, my father!" "Poor thing!" "When you left the hospital he had a fist of laughter." "He'd say:" ""I Iove being on drugs!"" "That cigarette you offered him!" "Do you smoke that stuff?" "well, from time to time." "From time to time?" "Come here, Aneta!" "You must be Meme." "I was waiting for you." "How did you recognize me?" "They told you I walk with a limp." "No." "They said you were beautiful." "I'm Richard, a friend of DoIores'." "Come." "Fernando was waiting for you, but he had to leave." "I overslept." "This is the stand you'II work in." "What am I supposed to do?" "I don't know the prices or anything." "Just sell." "These are antiques." "We'II help you out with the prices." "hello!" "She is Sonia." "My wife." "She is Meme." "How are you?" "Fine and you?" "Very well." "We know you already." "DoIores talks about you all the time." "What does she say?" "What are you doing here?" "It's my fault." "I promised her I'd show her the market." "I guess I shouldn't?" "hello, Sonia." "Who's this beauty right here?" "This beauty gets out of school every time she can." "Is she your sister?" "Yes, unfortunately." "What's your name?" "Aneta." "Aneta." "How are you?" "I'm Richard." "Hi..." "Do we have anything to offer her?" "Want to see something?" "DoIores had to go to the bank." "But she's coming?" "Of course." "Sure?" "Yes, sure." "tell me what I have to do then." "For the time, just have a sweet." "Thanks." "That shorty is wonderful!" "She sang the Shark's song for me." "What?" "actually your mother was different." "She had such a smooth skin." "She was so beautiful!" "Like me." "You're lovely." "No..." "beautiful, especially with that hat." "You like it?" "I make them myself." "I die them and I sew the buttons on." "Anyway, I'm the smart one and Aneta is the pretty." "hello, Sonia!" "hello." "How are you?" "Fine." "How much?" "Five hundred..." "Fifty..." "Fifty, you won't get it cheaper anywhere." "Today's your day." "They'II buy all your things!" "Today, a hundred, tomorrow, two hundred." "One hundred now." "It's from Jamaica." "Handmade, see?" "Handmade by local people." "Enjoy it!" "will you help me or not?" "I'II help you only if I can skip school tomorrow." "I told you a thousand times you can't miss school again." "Forget it!" "Then, I won't help you." "I'm tired." "Tired of what?" "You spend all day watching those photos!" "We have to work." "This is the way art is." "Now you tell me you are an artist!" "Richard says so." "Artisans are artists." "You're nuts, girl." "Richard told you that so you wouldn't be sad." "You're so weird!" "You talk like a Spaniard but you are Argentine." "Enough, please!" "Enough!" "Enough!" "You are mean!" "Who do you think you are to hit me?" "You damned cripple!" "What did you say?" "You damned cripple!" "Fucking midget!" "You four-eyed monster!" "Meme!" "What?" "I just don't care what you say!" "I won't go to school tomorrow!" "I swear you'II pay for this!" "You're so mean!" "I'm so happy to see you again, Meme." "I was worried about you." "I never knew what had happened." "Are you serious?" "I'II tell you something Boris used to say:" ""You can doubt about the sun, but never my word."" "You always surprise me." "You should become an actor." "Any role could suit you indeed!" "Tough." "To express something, you have to have something inside." "And I've only been lucky so far." "You drink too much." "Why don't you ease off, just a bit?" "I don't understand you." "Yes, you do!" "well, tell me." "How's everyone getting on at the pub?" "Kitchen crew would always ask after you." "Tina!" "She had a baby girl." "She called her Aneta." "She says she's always liked that name." "She's a beautiful little brunette." "silly, I'm joking." "She's called CarmeIa." "seriously?" "You're so mean!" "You look so beautiful." "Thanks." "Very beautiful, indeed." "What about the other parrot?" "Where is she?" "At school." "How long are you staying here?" "I don't know." "One or two days, perhaps." "I've been here for about a month." "Tina is probably pregnant again." "What?" "What is it?" "My leg." "I banged it and it still hurts." "Sometimes I cannot even step on it." "I don't know what to do." "Try not to think about the pain... and don't feel sorry." "You're not the only one that suffers." "I know many that suffer even more." "really?" "Bye." "Thanks." "Aneta!" "Fernando?" "hello." "Is Aneta there?" "No, nothing..." "I'II tell you about it later." "Want some?" "No." "tell me something, but I want you to be honest with me." "Did you forgive me?" "No." "But I took my revenge." "A little revenge?" "Very little." "But Richard told me that all you do is because you love me." "You've seen Richard?" "Is that true, Meme?" "tell me, is it true?" "No." "There're some things I do just because I enjoy doing them." "Because I'm very selfish." "only because of that." "well, I don't care because you always speak with the truth." "And that's good." "You're the most honest sister I have." "Have you been dating him long ago?" "No." "We're not dating, come on!" "Three months, more or less." "I Spy..." "What is it?" "Something that begins with an I and ends with a Y." "Begins with I and ends in Y?" "I care a Iot for you, Shorty." "And don't you care a bit for Sonia?" "You're impossible!" "Wait!" "I've just had a great idea!" "feel like making a toast with me?" "Okay." "Let's become friends again." "Now, it'II be your turn to forgive me." "Do you remember when you peed aunt AngeIita's decanter?" "I never did that!" "You liked making up that story." "Your little revenge?" "If you never did that, then you don't need to worry." "You're evil!" "Aneta." "Aneta." "What?" "Meme, what's the matter?" "You know what happened to you?" "My hip hurts a Iot." "No, no." "Easy, come down easily." "You had an abortion." "Did you know you were pregnant?" "I want a cigarette." "You have to take care for a few days and you'II be all right." "You're strong." "I'm a friend of DoIores." "She called me from the farm house to ask me to look after you." "Fernando and your sister are outside." "They think it was a common bleeding." "will you give me a cigarette?" "Here." "You don't want it?" "Don't be sad." "Meme will be all right." "I'm sad because I've lost my album as well." "What?" "I've lost all my photos." "You should pay a visit to the doctor more regularly." "And forget about having babies for a while." "It could be dangerous." "I won't die that easily." "I never said you were about to die." "I'm only lame." "I want to have babies and that's what I'II do." "Many lame women have kids." "Don't talk like that." "will you give me a cigarette or not?" "You can't smoke." "Just one." "Not even a half." "And you know why." "Okay, I know." "I have only one lung, so what?" "will you give me a cigarette or not?" "This is some kind of punishment for being so mean." "I liked Richard from the very beginning." "And I think he liked me too, in the end." "The three of us liked the three of us..." "But as mom used to say..." ""Nothing will be missed here."" ""My dear parrot..." "I have good news for you and for the other little parrot." "I'm going to spend some time at the cottage by the lighthouse... and I'd Iike you to come with me." "I think you'd recover there should you put up with this tamed lion."" "And now, you'II see the paradise." "So?" "Do you Iike it, shorty?" "Is this yours?" "Let's say I inherited it." "From Boris?" "And that painting?" "You liked it." "I'm going out." "Where?" "To the beach." "Be careful, OK?" "Yes!" "And be a good girl." "hello, I'm going fishing." "Watch out for sharks, will you?" "Shark, shark, shark unzip my fly" "until you see my trunks" "hello." "hello." "Let's see if you Iike what I did for you." "It's beautiful." "It was pretty hard for me to do it." "Considering that I'm helpless!" "It's even nicer than my leg." "I'II always take it with me." "As I'II always take you." "Can I tell you a secret?" "Do you know what I Iove most about life?" "The water... and to dream about making love." "Can I tell you another secret?" "Oui, madame." "I'm serious!" "Oui, madame." "When I saw you at the pub for the first time..." "I felt that my Iife, which had been twisted... would never go straight again." "But I didn't care." "Do you understand?" "It was twisted." "And I had struggled to straighten it up." "until I met you." "And then I didn't mind going back again to whom I used to be before... having a healthy leg, dancing..." "I didn't mind the pains in my back or the crutches." "I understood that what was twisted would never be straight again." "But I didn't give a damn." "Maybe." "We have to Iearn to live with twisted things." "Such is life." "Don't pay attention to me anyway." "It's nonsense." "I get myself messed up." "I feel things I can't describe." "I'm a brute." "I see." "There's nothing harder to keep than a bad reputation." "Your whiskey..." "Thanks." "Can you swim?" "Sure." "Why?" "She'II jump." "Meme." "She'II jump into the water." "Where?" "Oh, shit!" "I told you." "Hurry up!" "She can't swim!" "Andy?" "Why did Andy leave?" "What are you doing, Meme?" "I'm looking at the sea." "Meme, come down!" "Come here, Meme!" "Come down, Meme!" "What are you doing?" "Meme, no!" "Come here, Meme!" "She's my sister, Meme." "They have to operate on her leg." "If we don't reach the hospital in time, they'II have to cut it off." "please, sir." "Be nice!" "I always said the same, but then, I'd get carried away... and wouldn't stop till I made them cry." "We traveled for free for so long." "We should build a monument to my leg." "We ate thanks to it so many times!" "And to this poor little orphan who stood up for you and told stories." "talking is easy." "Being a lame person is difficult." "Besides, don't forget that I'm an orphan too." "I'm even more of an orphan than you are." "Are you trying to show who deserves more pity?" "Apart from being an orphan and a lame person..." "I had no saint Meme to look after me." "No, but you had saint Aneta who saved you from drowning... and going to jail every time you were caught driving without a license." "I was never stopped driving." "Oh, weren't you?" "And if I was, I had to work things out on my own." "What a liar!" "Want to know something?" "I spy..." "I spy a cop with a bunch of tickets in his hand." "Liar!" "Oh, really?" "Look..." "I can't believe you." "Ann, get going." "Think of something fast!" "tell him you are saint Meme." "Come on, asshole!" "And you call me asshole?" "No." "tell him I'm a cripple and they are going to cut my leg." "Fuck you!" "girls!" "Didn't you say that talking was easy?" "Good morning, officer." "The thing is, my sister does have a license... but she forgot it in the bathroom." "She goes to the bathroom a Iot." "You're doing great at this, aren't you?" "You are to blame because I make a living from clothes." "Dorita..." "Look this, here..." "Are spoons here?" "Yes." "We'II straighten it up with a tuck." "You may go now." "I Iike doing other things too, you know?" "I bought a camera and I take photos." "You're smoking too much!" "DoIo, that's my only vice." "Bye, DoIores." "Bye." "Have fun." "will you come back late?" "Yes." "I go to the movies with alex." "Bye." "She's a young lady by now." "AII boys are mad about her." "And she doesn't even notice." "I wonder who does she resemble?" "Poor me!" "I work all day long." "Don't I, Dorita?" "See you tomorrow." "Bye." "Right now I don't want to worry about men." "So..." "So?" "So no fucking for the time being." "You're so rude!" "No, I mean it." "What did the doctor tell you?" "That my pelvis was shattered." "He's talking about a graft." "And what did you tell him?" "To do a graft on him." "Do you want me to talk to him?" "You still smoke a Iot." "How much?" "AII I can." "Put that down." "Come on!" "You see, DoIores?" "I don't know what's worse... her lung or her brain." "Meme, I'm no shrink." "I can't cure madness." "I don't want you to cure it." "It's my best gift." "I'm telling you:" "Stop smoking." "This is not the first time I tell you this." "Be careful with alcohol too." "The medication is not working." "What about living?" "Can I Iive, doctor?" "You can do whatever you want." "But if you get too smart, I'II support the graft issue." "would you rather I did that?" "I'd rather not hear bullshit." "Don't talk nonsense, Meme!" "It's OK, DoIores." "I'm used to that." "She knows I'm weak as a man, as well as a doctor." "I've been listening to her for 7 years." "She hasn't grown up." "could I ask you something?" "Yes, of course." "well, in fact it's about a friend of mine." "tell me." "What were you talking about?" "Not about you." "I see." "I'm taking this one with me." "I'II take the big one." "Is the cab yours?" "It's a friend of mine's." "Why?" "Do you Iike fishing?" "Yes." "I Iike fishing." "Wait for us so we go back with you." "Parking is forbidden." "I'II be fined." "Don't worry." "You call me and I'II fix it." "Ok." "Safe trip!" "Thanks." "Why do you have to go now?" "I have lots of things to do." "Fernando waits for me at the harbor." "We'II go straight to the farm." "I promise..." "No, I'd better not make any promises." "I admire you, dear." "You admire me?" "Why?" "I told him to wait for us." "Who?" "The cab driver." "What is it with you?" "Good-byes are like this." "tell Fernando that I send him a kiss." "I always remember when he bought me ice-creams." "ConaproIe ice-creams?" "I'II tell him." "Come back soon." "Meme needs you." "DoIo..." "I'II miss you." "You're so sensitive!" "Oh, this thing!" "It's for you." "As the ones from Jamaica, remember?" "The tourists." "Handmade..." "Handmade." "I need some of the stuff you used to give to my father." "When I go, I'II take you some." "tell us when you get there." "What's his name?" "Whose name?" "The cab driver..." "I don't know..." "Javier." "Take care." "Don't hurt your eyes." "No." "He lives in front of the square." "It's amazing he's from villa Victoria too." "His father is one of the owners of the palace hotel?" "I don't like him." "What?" "Do you know him?" "I don't like anything coming from that town." "It's not possible." "He was too young then." "AII I know is that this princess can't stop traveling by cab." "Shut up!" "I called him." "He picked me up at school." "We talked all the way back here." "He remembers every street, who lives in each house, what they do..." "I can't remember anything from villa Victoria." "Memory is a weird thing." "I remember some things clearly, but not others." "I try hard, but I can't." "Ann..." "Come on." "How can you try hard to remember something?" "You speak worse every time." "How do you say that?" "I try hard, as when I have to do a poop." "And you?" "You're nuts." "I don't need to try hard that way." "Nobody does." "You're a bit of a brute." "Yes, I'm a bit of a brute, so what?" "I didn't go to school a Iot." "You say that all the time." "Memory just comes." "It has nothing to do with physical strength." "Though I sometimes have to try hard to forget." "You try hard too!" "As when you have to do a poop!" "No, you ass." "I try hard not to shit myself." "Ann..." "What?" "I'm sorry." "Why sorry?" "Because I'm mean." "I've always been mean to you." "Yes." "You've been a real bitch." "hello!" "Do you want me to carry it?" "No, thanks." "What are you laughing at?" "Don't you ask me who he was?" "Who was who?" "Come on." "The boy who was with me." "He's alex." "We dated some time ago." "I didn't notice." "You're a free girl." "I used to play in villa Victoria." "What do I get if I score?" "Why should I give you something?" "well, OK." "What do you want if I don't score?" "Too complicated." "What do I want if you don't score?" "I don't have to ask you anything." "well, OK." "If you want to throw, do it from here." "It's a bit far." "You're the one who wants to bet." "OK." "From here." "But if I score, I'II ask you out." "You said you were free." "You said that." "But if you don't score, and you won't... you will never ask me out in your whole life." "OK?" "It's too risky." "You don't take your chances?" "I would, if it was something else." "Oh, you would?" "And what do you want?" "If you score, I'II give you a kiss?" "Maybe." "I Iike that better." "Men..." "well, OK." "Let's do this:" "You throw it." "If you score, you get the first prize." "And what if I lose?" "Then you get the second prize." "Don't you want to know which the first prize is?" "I can imagine." "You are wrong." "shall I tell you?" "You're telling me anyway." "You're dying to tell me." "As you insist, the first prize is... a kiss." "I thought so." "And the second?" "Two kisses." "Come on." "What if I throw without looking?" "I'm leaving." "You're complicated." "I'II be late because of you." "If I throw it and I score... which would be the ultimate prize?" "Aneta..." "Aneta!" "The ultimate prize for you would be to go back to villa Victoria... to have a house by the river and a woman like me... who would wait for you with home-made bread and lots of kids... and who would love you for ever." "Am I right?" "You are..." "I take that bet." "OK." "That bet." "Thanks." "You missed your chance." "Bye." "I Iike you." "I Iike you too..." "I think." "hello, Meme." "Can I tell you something?" "Not now." "What happens?" "Your leg hurts?" "A little." "Somebody gave me this for you." "What is it?" "Aren't you going to open it?" "Later." "Aren't you a bit curious?" "So so..." "OK..." "What is it?" "Nothing, nothing." "tell me the truth." "You don't want to tell me?" "I had a call from home." "My old man is ill and my brother can't go." "I have to go back to villa Victoria." "When did they call you?" "Last night." "I didn't know how to tell you." "You didn't?" "Aneta..." "Why now?" "Why not?" "Because we were so happy..." "I Iove you..." "I'II write." "Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday, dear Carmela, happy birthday to you!" "Thanks." "Paty." "Happy birthday, Meme." "Thanks, Dorita." "OK." "Go ahead." "Bravo!" "Meme, look what they brought for you." "Oh, how big!" "What could it be?" "I don't know." "The lighthouse." "Listen: "I adore you, Andy"." "It's from Andy, Meme..." "Now that we're older, I wanted to ask you something." "What you did to aunt AngeIita, was it true?" "You peed in her decanter, didn't you?" "What are you talking about?" "Come on, tell me." "No..." "Yes, please." "No..." "I'II go, but you'II tell me, OK?" "No..." "Yes..." "Meme..." "This is from Paty and me." "Thanks a Iot, Dorita." "You knew they would cut my leg off?" "Meme, it's an umbrella stand!" "When I have my leg cut off, I'II put it here." "Meme..." "What?" "Look who's here." "Fernando!" "hello." "What a surprise!" "Did you know it was my birthday?" "I didn't know." "Dorita, this is a friend of mine I haven't seen in a Iong time." "He's my best friend's brother." "hello." "What is it?" "And DoIores?" "And DoIores?" "That is why, dear Andy, I have started to doubt about the sun." "Dolores was the sun and she was put out in silence." "Life, this fucking life... is determined to take kids and mothers away from me... and it's beginning to be unbearable." "It's too much." "Somebody, somewhere, doesn't want me to be happy." "And I'm afraid he might succeed." "Things are still twisted." "Love, the eldest parrot." "I know, Sofi, but I'm scared anyway." "It's been twenty days." "I've never been so late before." "What?" "I don't know." "I don't remember." "A long time ago but I was careful." "I told you, don't you remember?" "I'm not going to tell her yet." "Sofi, I have to go." "I'II call you later." "I don't want to know who's the father." "I just want to know what you are going to do." "When did you start eavesdropping?" "You've been drinking..." "Ann, I made you a question." "I'm going to have it." "Have it?" "Yes." "Don't you always say that children are a gift?" "When they are the fruits of love." "What are you talking about?" "You never loved anybody." "You've always done it as a sport, haven't you?" "You tried to get yourself pregnant with anyone, and you failed." "Don't talk to me like that." "I'm sad today." "I don't care." "I'm sad too." "But I don't mess in anybody else's lives." "And now, leave." "I don't want to see you." "Ann, don't get mad." "Why are you angry?" "Because I'm sick and tired of your despise for Javier." "I didn't ask you to tell me who the father was." "You see?" "You don't care!" "No, I don't care, of course I don't." "Men are all the same." "They never love you or hate because of who you are." "They only think of themselves and what they think you are." "But if you want to have it, I'II help you." "I'II help you raise it." "Aneta, Shorty... don't be sad." "What's happening to you is so nice." "Come here, Shorty, don't worry." "We can fix my room, which is bigger, and put the cradle there, OK?" "Another Ezcurra in the family." "It has to be a girl." "A girl..." "like you and me..." "like mom." "A girl for the two of us." "Aneta..." "Aneta, please!" "I want to talk." "Even if it's the Iast time, it'II be better." "I phoned you lots of times." "I wrote you and you didn't answer." "Aneta..." "Yes, you wrote me." "It's true!" "Then why didn't I get the letters?" "Suppose that you did write to me... what did you say in that letter?" "That I had to wait for you, because you'd come back some day?" "No." "Just the opposite." "I was not going back." "I couldn't stand the city anymore." "I said that I'd wait for you here, for ever." "Do you want to know what?" "I don't want to talk about this." "It's over." "Lots of things happened." "Yes." "Too many." "What do you mean?" "I'm talking to you!" "I know everything, Aneta." "Don't be ridiculous!" "should I tell you what I know?" "No, I don't want to know." "Meme told me." "Meme?" "You saw Meme?" "You went to Buenos Aires and you didn't call me?" "Javier?" "Meme was here... in villa Victoria." "It's so strong." "I've always wanted to drink one of these cocktails." "What's the name?" "Saint Javier." "Saint Javier?" "Like you..." "What did you come for, Meme?" "What did I come for?" "Son of a bitch..." "What are you saying?" "Nothing." "I'm singing." "My father used to bring my mother here when they went out together." "He'd drink seven "Saint Javier", and my mom only half of one." "Then they would take a walk and my mom would eat some candy." "So funny!" "people are healthy here." "Fresh air, sun..." "It was a good choice to stay in villa Victoria." "congratulations." "tell me the truth, Meme." "You don't like me." "You never told Aneta that I had called her." "You hid my letter." "Your letter." "Your only letter." "Two phone calls and a letter in four months." "You're not what I would call "obsessive"." "I don't believe you." "Meme was not here." "Yes, she was." "She said you were pregnant." "And that I was not the father." "This is yours, from now on." "I talked to miguel." "He'II find us a good gynecologist." "He'II find "us"?" "I don't want anything bad to happen." "Don't worry, Meme." "I had my period this morning." "What do you mean you had your period?" "You never tell me anything!" "You never tell me!" "I was just late." "I was wrong." "You were wrong?" "That's my problem, Meme." "Yours or ours?" "What am I for you?" "My sister." "You're just my sister." "Who are you mad at, Ann?" "Me or the world?" "There you are!" "I'm not mad at anyone!" "shall we go?" "Nobody cares about me." "What do you mean nobody?" "I care about you, a Iot!" "But you're my sister." "Ann, are you ready?" "Yes, I'm coming." "I Ieft a pie in the oven." "For tonight." "Bye." "She asked me out to a concert." "I don't know who they are yet." "Don't wait for us." "We'II eat outside." "Great!" "Bravo!" "A bit to the Ieft!" "That's good, great!" "That's it!" "Perfect." "Get closer, a bit more." "That's it." "smile!" "You want to dance?" "I'm a great dancer, you know!" "Come in." "You have visits." "hello, Meme." "How are you?" "I didn't want you to come, but they insisted." "I'm better, I just felt dizzy." "You jumped into the water and caught influenza." "Do you still believe that you're immortal?" "influenza?" "Just because of a lousy jump into the water." "I'II be right back." "You go on smoking?" "That's my problem." "I know." "But it's also mine." "Besides many things, I'm your doctor." "Besides nothing." "I'm a married woman now." "Make an effort, CarmeIa." "Do it for anybody you love." "But take care of yourself." "You need help." "I want you to tell me again if I can have a child or not." "But I want the truth." "You know the truth." "Then I don't need anything." "Fernando." "Fernando!" "Why are you mad at me?" "I don't know." "I shouldn't be mad at you, should I?" "hello." "hello." "And Meme?" "She wanted to leave the bed." "She said she had to work." "Ann..." "I've been thinking." "When Meme gets better, we'II go on a trip." "I'II take her to Madrid." "She has always wanted to go back." "That's a good idea." "But she doesn't have to know that it's our idea, or she won't go." "No." "But you tell her." "She can always see through me when I lie." "Has Meme always been like that?" "Like what?" "Did she always do those things?" "What do you mean?" "Jump into the water?" "I always liked Meme because she always dared do anything... to be happy." "I think we'II never really get to understand her." "I'm talking nonsense, aren't Y?" "Can I ask you a question?" "When you two were little... and you asked Meme about the future... about what would happen to you, what did she use to say?" "That everything was possible, right?" "How many times did she tell you that your mom was happy... so that you could go back to sleep?" "Many." "And was that true?" "well... now it's your time to lie a little." "How did that song you used to sing go?" "How did it go?" "No, I won't sing it to you." "Come on, just a little." "A little, come on." "Shark, shark, shark unzip my fly" "until you see my trunks and if the shark sticks out" "unzip my fly until you see my trunks" "and if the shark sticks out don't panic cause it's mine" "The carriage has arrived." "My dear, life runs away from me and there's nothing I can do... but you already know the three times table and don't need me anymore." "If you only understood how I love you and how I've admired you!" "Not because you put up with me, but because of who you are." "You've never been my walking stick, I don't want you to be anybody's." "You were my support and my soul... and that's so different." "You were my lighthouse, my real lighthouse." "And no matter what we've lost... we're never going to lose our past." "Don't tell anybody, but you've been the person I loved most." "Because you were the one I hurt most too." "My dear Shorty... don't be sad." "I'm leaving with a light body and with my lungs full of air... feeling nice and with no pains... flowing down the river, with mom." "You were right." "Not all of them are dead." "I love you and I'll never stop loving you." "I love you more..." "No, I love you more." "By the way... do you remember you used to ask me if I peed in aunt AngeIita's decanter?" "I spy... a thing that starts with a "Y" and ends with a "T"." "You were right."" "Go ahead." "Throw it." "Same bet?" "Same bet." "One usually thinks that time went by and killed them" "But they had a return ticket" "Those little things in life those little memories we have from other times that can be found in a corner, in a piece of paper or a drawer" "They sneak up on us as thieves behind doors we're at their mercy as if we were dead leaves" "blown by the wind and they smile sadly at us" "prompting us to weep when we're all alone" "THE LIGHTHOUSE" "What is it, Ann?" "I'm hungry." "Try to get some sleep, dear." "We're almost there." "Good morning." "Is the bar open?" "Boy!" "Customers!" "Good morning." "Good morning." "This way, please." "Watch your step." "Some boards are loose." "What time does the bus come?" "eleven o'cIock." "Oh, take this..." "Bring me some whiskey and a glass." "You don't want to have anything?" "That's Javier, isn't he?" "Ann, did you see him?" "No, I didn't see him." "That doesn't work." "Yes, it does." "It has always worked..." "It's only that you have to give it a little push." "Come on, guys!" "There are two alive girls." "Put another stretcher behind me." "please, help me with this." "Lay it down..." "Easy..." "Ready." "Up now." "That's it, up!" "Come on girls, Iet's go!" "shall I help you?" "Thanks." "Is this the boat to Uruguay?" "Yes." "This is it." "I will never come back to this fucking old town!" "So, what happened to you?" "I fell..." "Eat up, or I'II throw it away." "She won't do so." "It's old food." "Look who talks about old things." "Aunt Encarna, shall I prepare some potatoes for you?" "We call them spuds here." "When will you finally stop talking like in Spain!" "Take the dishes." "Aneta, I'm so happy you'II stay living with me, for ever." "Get the dishes to the kitchen." "Aunt AngeIita, I've heard you!" "She's carrying that decanter everywhere." "She's mean, huh?" "She hides things from me." "She locked me up in the henhouse, she says I fart." "Meme..." "What?" "Where are you going?" "To get some rest." "I'm sleepy." "Lazy thing." "always Ioafing." "Meme..." "What?" "Why did we come to Uruguay?" "Because our aunts live here." "I prefer this small town to villa Victoria." "We can do as we please here." "Even Federico can come to visit me." "I want to have a Iot of kids with him." "With him or any other!" "You just want to have kids." "That's not true." "You'd have babies all by yourself." "You told mom that." "Be honest!" "I won't talk to you again." "That's better." "You just tell lies!" "close that!" "They are all dead." "Meme..." "What will happen to us when we grow up?" "You're impossible today." "We're grownups already." "I don't like brushing my teeth, or have lice removed from my head..." "I don't like praying for anyone but mom, dad, julian and Meme." "Lice?" "Yes." "Why do you ask?" "You've never had lice?" "No." "I've never had." "Why are you touching your breast?" "Take your hand off your breast!" "It's nothing, father." "Nothing." "well, is that all?" "Anything else?" "No, father." "well." "Say two Our Fathers and..." "Oh, yes..." "The other day I called my sister an asshole." "What?" "asshole." "I can't hear you." "Speak louder." "asshole!" "What happened?" "Nothing." "Grab your teat." "Why?" "Are you nuts or what?" "You told me I should grab my teat when I see a cross-eyed, didn't you?" "well, the priest is." "Oh, yes, he is!" "well, what did you tell him?" "I cannot tell you." "It's a secret." "No secrets between sisters." "And why are you talking so low?" "How should I know..." "I told him you'd pee in aunt AngeIita's decanter." "Shut up!" "They are here!" "Why would you tell him that?" "I was joking, Meme." "I didn't tell him anything." "You're completely crazy." "AII the same." "You shouldn't do that to aunt AngeIita." "Ann..." "Are you okay?" "You like them?" "Someone might come in." "You like me?" "It's nothing, I'm just singing." "Are you happy?" "Yes..." "Because you are here..." "It strikes you badly?" "It isn't that." "well, if not, what is it?" "I need to get used to it." "It's just an injured leg." "I wanted you to be the first because I Iove you more than any other." "How mean you are!" "You don't want to accept my little gift..." "You'II regret it one day... but I won't be around to comfort you." "And all my kids, all the children I am going to have... will not be yours." "But I'm not hostile and I forgive you." "But Meme..." "You can leave." "Son of a bitch!" "What is it, Meme?" "He's the worst son of a bitch!" "Don't cry." "I Iove you a Iot, Meme." "After mom and dad, you're the person I Iove most." "You, Shorty..." "Don't breathe that way." "It scares me." "I fear you may also die." "Oh, dear..." "I Iove you a Iot too." "I Iove you more." "No, no..." "I Iove you more." "I Iove you more." "No, I Iove you more." "We're leaving." "What did you say?" "You heard me?" "Change your clothes." "will you change your clothes at once?" "As mom liked saying, nothing will be missed here." "close that and go to sleep." "Why don't you want to look at these photos?" "I told you, they are all dead." "Not all." "close it and sleep now." "You should say "get some sleep"." "By the way, want to sing The Shark's song for me?" "Who told you I peed aunt AngeIita's decanter?" "It's true." "Poor her!" "Why would you do that to her?" "You're nuts." "You like making up stories." "A little revenge?" "Enough, midget." "Don't call me midget!" "Then stop bothering!" "And sleep now." "You should say "get some sleep"." "I'm scared, Meme." "Where are we going?" "Are we still in Uruguay?" "Come on, sing The Shark's song." "How does it go?" "Shark, shark, shark unzip my fly" "until you see my trunks and if the shark sticks out" "don't panic cause it's mine" "Don't be so rude!" "I Iearned it from you!" "That's not true." "I Spy..." "Enough, midget!" "Something that begins with 'Y' and has a final 'Y'." "Give up?" "'I'm hungry.'" "That's two words." "It doesn't matter." "I won." "Besides, I am hungry." "It's true." "I'd eat a ham and cheese sandwich..." "You lost again." "And it's two words." "I spy..." "I spy!" "sleep!" "Got it now?" "!" "Fuck!" "Oh, I'm sorry, Shorty." "Forgive me, please..." "Three times one, three: three times two, six: three times three, nine... three times four, twelve: three times five, fifteen: three times six..." "Enough!" "Who will ask me how much is that when I am older!" "You will need to know that without being asked, you ignorant!" "Don't study if you don't want to, but come back to the room." "Aneta!" "No!" "You said we'd go fishing if I studied hard." "You didn't study." "AII the same." "You'II have to." "You have to Iearn Math tables." "You control me because there's no mom to defend me." "Don't give me that now." "Mom is dead and buried." "Lies!" "She's not buried." "You told me so." "AII the same." "I'm in charge of you." "And how long will I have to put up with you?" "until you're a real adult." "Not a midget." "When I'm old as aunt AngeIita?" "You know what I mean." "That's why." "When you're older and you know the Math tables... when you're eighteen and ready to look after yourself." "When you no Ionger need me and you start feeling sorry of me!" "I'm not sorry for you, girl." "I can walk with a limp too?" "It's easy!" "Anyone can do it." "UngratefuI kid!" "You're such a..." "I'II leave you alone for ever." "You're so mean!" "What are you looking at?" "You'II miss this wooden-Iegged sister of yours!" ""Wooden-Iegged?" You should say lame!" "You know what I mean." "Besides, I no Ionger need you." "I'm sick of you!" "You're sick of me?" "Yes, I can't bear you!" "Sure?" "Yes." "help!" "She can't swim!" "quickly or she'II drown!" "Nobody asked you." "If I want to drown, Iet me do it." "You're nuts, girl." "One day, nobody will fish you out." "You always do the same thing." "The old man almost died to save you." "You think that's smart?" "What?" "Nothing." "You said something." "I'm just singing." "You have to be nuts." "I don't care." "I do what I want." "If I want to drown, I'II do so." "If I don't feel like it, I won't." "Easy, my love." "It's over now..." "You had a nightmare." "Where is mom?" "Don't worry." "I told you, she's fine." "She's in the water." "Where she wanted to be." "She loved the river." "Do you remember when she took us to the beach?" "She'd spend hours just watching the water." "Is that why you always dive into the water?" "hold on a second." "You have a fever." "I'm sorry, but they told me you were a paramedic and I need a favor." "It's my sister." "She's not well." "I'm not a paramedic." "I just work in a pharmacy." "Go, I'II follow you." "No." "Take it easy." "It's not a fever..." "Or not much, at Ieast." "It's nothing." "If she's not feverish, then we don't need to worry." "Now, if she is running temperature... that means the body is protecting itself somehow." "But that's okay, you see?" "I feel at ease now." "You watch the temperature to go down." "Or not to go down." "Are you sure you work in a pharmacy?" "well, it doesn't matter." "Thanks." "My name is CarmeIa, but they call me Meme." "I'm Michi." "Isn't she Cathy?" "Mom's friend?" "No." "You didn't see it." "Y know." "I saw that album a thousand times." "I know it by heart." "What photo am I talking about?" "One of Madrid when we lived there." "Mom and two friends are roaming down the Gran Via." "One of them was called Trini and the other Maria Jose." "It was March 16th, her birthday." "Why did we come back from Spain?" "I told you." "Dad couldn't get used to living there." "Fifteen years and he never got used to it!" "Is it true what dad said?" "That I was the pretty and you the smart?" "Dad never said that." "He said you were pretty because you took after him." "You have big mustaches!" "hello." "hello." "I Spy..." "Don't bother!" "I Spy something that begins with an M and ends with a I." "Michi." "What's up with Michi?" "Come on, Meme." ""Come on, Meme", what?" "You blushed!" "You're dating Michi!" "I'II tell him... you peed aunt AngeIita's decanter." "Good morning!" "hello, Tina." "How are you?" "The baby is fussy today." "hello!" "Hi..." "Why don't you go and smoke this at home?" "Is this the non-smoking area?" "The police may show up and close the pub and I will lose my job." "I have a family to support." "You're talking too much, parrot." "Try one of these." "Those kill people." "You know what Boris would say?" "That they cause emphysema." "Don't tell me!" "What else would Boris say?" "That those you smoke cure the flu?" "He'd say that among the many virtues of cannabis... it is the cure of glaucoma." "The eyes, parrot." "Some members of my family went blind because of it." "And I do want to see the bullet that will kill me when I say good-bye... to this life swarmed with grievance." "would you commit suicide?" "Is that true, Andy?" "would you?" "Never." "I'm too much of a chicken." "Who is Boris?" "The owner of this pub." "He was a big guy." "Is he dead?" "Extraordinary people never die." "Like my mother." "Like your mother." "And like my little brother, julian." "Did I scare you?" "This is for you." "For me?" "If you don't like it, I can give it to Aneta." "It's pretty." "Thanks." "You can give it a name and tell your secrets to it." "What secrets should I tell it?" "Secrets." "I Iove the things you say." "Sorry." "Hello, Michi." "hello." "The beers I asked you." "CarmeIa!" "Meme!" "Let me go." "I need to be alone." "What's up?" "You don't trust me?" "AII men are real crooks!" "You hear me?" "Let me help you, Meme." "I want to die." "Meme..." "Come on!" "CarmeIa..." "Meme..." "Excuse me, sir." "We don't have money and we do need to go to Montevideo... because my sister, Meme, needs to have her leg operated." "If we don't reach the hospital in time, they'II have to cut it off." "please, sir..." "Be nice." "Come on, he accepted." "When have you started smoking?" "Today, and for ever." "In those times I used to work as a journalist for "La Voz"..." "I wanted to be a writer instead of a journalist." "So my articles were..." "Oh, God!" "incredible!" "I wanted to impress them all." "But one day the editor-in-chief called me and said:" ""Look... stop making the readers thrilled with your stories."" "Don't make the readers thrilled!" "Here." "Do you think this'II make me good?" "Yes, sure." "Boris said it's good." "He's a doctor and friend." "Joints are good for glaucoma." "It'II ease the pain in your eye." "Cannabis is the best for the eyes." "Sure." "God!" "This "junk" smells queer!" ""Joint"." "Joint..." "Sister, how are you?" "Is my dad somewhere around?" "Somewhere in the park." "I'II look for him." "We'II talk later." "hello, daddy." "hello!" "You look quite cheerful today!" "Now I am." "This is DoIores." "By far, the best in the family." "Are you his escort?" "Yes, why?" "What are you smoking, dad?" "I'm fed up with eating sandwiches!" "What will we do?" "hello." "Don't worry." "I can do anything." "Such as?" "Baby-sit." "slow down!" "I can look after kids instead of old chaps." "Kids are really a pain in the ass." "How do you know that?" "I know." "I meant boys..." "hello, CarmeIa." "What do you want now?" "I wish we could talk for a while." "Go to the room." "Come on!" "I imagine." "You're here to scold me for what I did." "But you fired me." "You couldn't be so alike." "I can't believe you're not CeciIia Ezcurra's daughter!" "You make the same disgusting face when you don't like something." "Your mother and I were mates at Sacred Heart school, in Concordia." "She who's so angry with me, I held her in my arms when she was born." "So, you must be Aneta?" "And my brother was called julian." "Did you know him too?" "Is it true you held Meme in your arms?" "Want some?" "Fernando?" "Yes?" "shall I take this too?" "Yes, please." "When my husband died, cecilia came to visit me to the farm we have." "That was so comforting to me." "I remember that." "We had just come back from Spain." "Sure." "Sure." "Sure." "Your mother and I were like sisters." "Neither of us had any sister." "well, I have a brother." "I'II hold it." "What does he do?" "Math teacher." "Up!" "That's it." "Meme!" "You never had kids?" "No, I couldn't." "I'd Iike you to come to our stand at the market tomorrow... and start working with me there." "What do I have to do?" "Just sell this bric-a-brac to tourists." "That means..." "That means, what?" "You'II make me believe I am working to pay me a salary?" "You're as arrogant as your mother." "Oh, my father!" "Poor thing!" "When you left the hospital he had a fist of laughter." "He'd say:" ""I Iove being on drugs!"" "That cigarette you offered him!" "Do you smoke that stuff?" "well, from time to time." "From time to time?" "Come here, Aneta!" "You must be Meme." "I was waiting for you." "How did you recognize me?" "They told you I walk with a limp." "No." "They said you were beautiful." "I'm Richard, a friend of DoIores'." "Come." "Fernando was waiting for you, but he had to leave." "I overslept." "This is the stand you'II work in." "What am I supposed to do?" "I don't know the prices or anything." "Just sell." "These are antiques." "We'II help you out with the prices." "hello!" "She is Sonia." "My wife." "She is Meme." "How are you?" "Fine and you?" "Very well." "We know you already." "DoIores talks about you all the time." "What does she say?" "What are you doing here?" "It's my fault." "I promised her I'd show her the market." "I guess I shouldn't?" "hello, Sonia." "Who's this beauty right here?" "This beauty gets out of school every time she can." "Is she your sister?" "Yes, unfortunately." "What's your name?" "Aneta." "Aneta." "How are you?" "I'm Richard." "Hi..." "Do we have anything to offer her?" "Want to see something?" "DoIores had to go to the bank." "But she's coming?" "Of course." "Sure?" "Yes, sure." "tell me what I have to do then." "For the time, just have a sweet." "Thanks." "That shorty is wonderful!" "She sang the Shark's song for me." "What?" "actually your mother was different." "She had such a smooth skin." "She was so beautiful!" "Like me." "You're lovely." "No..." "beautiful, especially with that hat." "You like it?" "I make them myself." "I die them and I sew the buttons on." "Anyway, I'm the smart one and Aneta is the pretty." "hello, Sonia!" "hello." "How are you?" "Fine." "How much?" "Five hundred..." "Fifty..." "Fifty, you won't get it cheaper anywhere." "Today's your day." "They'II buy all your things!" "Today, a hundred, tomorrow, two hundred." "One hundred now." "It's from Jamaica." "Handmade, see?" "Handmade by local people." "Enjoy it!" "will you help me or not?" "I'II help you only if I can skip school tomorrow." "I told you a thousand times you can't miss school again." "Forget it!" "Then, I won't help you." "I'm tired." "Tired of what?" "You spend all day watching those photos!" "We have to work." "This is the way art is." "Now you tell me you are an artist!" "Richard says so." "Artisans are artists." "You're nuts, girl." "Richard told you that so you wouldn't be sad." "You're so weird!" "You talk like a Spaniard but you are Argentine." "Enough, please!" "Enough!" "Enough!" "You are mean!" "Who do you think you are to hit me?" "You damned cripple!" "What did you say?" "You damned cripple!" "Fucking midget!" "You four-eyed monster!" "Meme!" "What?" "I just don't care what you say!" "I won't go to school tomorrow!" "I swear you'II pay for this!" "You're so mean!" "I'm so happy to see you again, Meme." "I was worried about you." "I never knew what had happened." "Are you serious?" "I'II tell you something Boris used to say:" ""You can doubt about the sun, but never my word."" "You always surprise me." "You should become an actor." "Any role could suit you indeed!" "Tough." "To express something, you have to have something inside." "And I've only been lucky so far." "You drink too much." "Why don't you ease off, just a bit?" "I don't understand you." "Yes, you do!" "well, tell me." "How's everyone getting on at the pub?" "Kitchen crew would always ask after you." "Tina!" "She had a baby girl." "She called her Aneta." "She says she's always liked that name." "She's a beautiful little brunette." "silly, I'm joking." "She's called CarmeIa." "seriously?" "You're so mean!" "You look so beautiful." "Thanks." "Very beautiful, indeed." "What about the other parrot?" "Where is she?" "At school." "How long are you staying here?" "I don't know." "One or two days, perhaps." "I've been here for about a month." "Tina is probably pregnant again." "What?" "What is it?" "My leg." "I banged it and it still hurts." "Sometimes I cannot even step on it." "I don't know what to do." "Try not to think about the pain... and don't feel sorry." "You're not the only one that suffers." "I know many that suffer even more." "really?" "Bye." "Thanks." "Aneta!" "Fernando?" "hello." "Is Aneta there?" "No, nothing..." "I'II tell you about it later." "Want some?" "No." "tell me something, but I want you to be honest with me." "Did you forgive me?" "No." "But I took my revenge." "A little revenge?" "Very little." "But Richard told me that all you do is because you love me." "You've seen Richard?" "Is that true, Meme?" "tell me, is it true?" "No." "There're some things I do just because I enjoy doing them." "Because I'm very selfish." "only because of that." "well, I don't care because you always speak with the truth." "And that's good." "You're the most honest sister I have." "Have you been dating him long ago?" "No." "We're not dating, come on!" "Three months, more or less." "I Spy..." "What is it?" "Something that begins with an I and ends with a Y." "Begins with I and ends in Y?" "I care a Iot for you, Shorty." "And don't you care a bit for Sonia?" "You're impossible!" "Wait!" "I've just had a great idea!" "feel like making a toast with me?" "Okay." "Let's become friends again." "Now, it'II be your turn to forgive me." "Do you remember when you peed aunt AngeIita's decanter?" "I never did that!" "You liked making up that story." "Your little revenge?" "If you never did that, then you don't need to worry." "You're evil!" "Aneta." "Aneta." "What?" "Meme, what's the matter?" "You know what happened to you?" "My hip hurts a Iot." "No, no." "Easy, come down easily." "You had an abortion." "Did you know you were pregnant?" "I want a cigarette." "You have to take care for a few days and you'II be all right." "You're strong." "I'm a friend of DoIores." "She called me from the farm house to ask me to look after you." "Fernando and your sister are outside." "They think it was a common bleeding." "will you give me a cigarette?" "Here." "You don't want it?" "Don't be sad." "Meme will be all right." "I'm sad because I've lost my album as well." "What?" "I've lost all my photos." "You should pay a visit to the doctor more regularly." "And forget about having babies for a while." "It could be dangerous." "I won't die that easily." "I never said you were about to die." "I'm only lame." "I want to have babies and that's what I'II do." "Many lame women have kids." "Don't talk like that." "will you give me a cigarette or not?" "You can't smoke." "Just one." "Not even a half." "And you know why." "Okay, I know." "I have only one lung, so what?" "will you give me a cigarette or not?" "This is some kind of punishment for being so mean." "I liked Richard from the very beginning." "And I think he liked me too, in the end." "The three of us liked the three of us..." "But as mom used to say..." ""Nothing will be missed here."" ""My dear parrot..." "I have good news for you and for the other little parrot." "I'm going to spend some time at the cottage by the lighthouse... and I'd Iike you to come with me." "I think you'd recover there should you put up with this tamed lion."" "And now, you'II see the paradise." "So?" "Do you Iike it, shorty?" "Is this yours?" "Let's say I inherited it." "From Boris?" "And that painting?" "You liked it." "I'm going out." "Where?" "To the beach." "Be careful, OK?" "Yes!" "And be a good girl." "hello, I'm going fishing." "Watch out for sharks, will you?" "Shark, shark, shark unzip my fly" "until you see my trunks" "hello." "hello." "Let's see if you Iike what I did for you." "It's beautiful." "It was pretty hard for me to do it." "Considering that I'm helpless!" "It's even nicer than my leg." "I'II always take it with me." "As I'II always take you." "Can I tell you a secret?" "Do you know what I Iove most about life?" "The water... and to dream about making love." "Can I tell you another secret?" "Oui, madame." "I'm serious!" "Oui, madame." "When I saw you at the pub for the first time..." "I felt that my Iife, which had been twisted... would never go straight again." "But I didn't care." "Do you understand?" "It was twisted." "And I had struggled to straighten it up." "until I met you." "And then I didn't mind going back again to whom I used to be before... having a healthy leg, dancing..." "I didn't mind the pains in my back or the crutches." "I understood that what was twisted would never be straight again." "But I didn't give a damn." "Maybe." "We have to Iearn to live with twisted things." "Such is life." "Don't pay attention to me anyway." "It's nonsense." "I get myself messed up." "I feel things I can't describe." "I'm a brute." "I see." "There's nothing harder to keep than a bad reputation." "Your whiskey..." "Thanks." "Can you swim?" "Sure." "Why?" "She'II jump." "Meme." "She'II jump into the water." "Where?" "Oh, shit!" "I told you." "Hurry up!" "She can't swim!" "Andy?" "Why did Andy leave?" "What are you doing, Meme?" "I'm looking at the sea." "Meme, come down!" "Come here, Meme!" "Come down, Meme!" "What are you doing?" "Meme, no!" "Come here, Meme!" "She's my sister, Meme." "They have to operate on her leg." "If we don't reach the hospital in time, they'II have to cut it off." "please, sir." "Be nice!" "I always said the same, but then, I'd get carried away... and wouldn't stop till I made them cry." "We traveled for free for so long." "We should build a monument to my leg." "We ate thanks to it so many times!" "And to this poor little orphan who stood up for you and told stories." "talking is easy." "Being a lame person is difficult." "Besides, don't forget that I'm an orphan too." "I'm even more of an orphan than you are." "Are you trying to show who deserves more pity?" "Apart from being an orphan and a lame person..." "I had no saint Meme to look after me." "No, but you had saint Aneta who saved you from drowning... and going to jail every time you were caught driving without a license." "I was never stopped driving." "Oh, weren't you?" "And if I was, I had to work things out on my own." "What a liar!" "Want to know something?" "I spy..." "I spy a cop with a bunch of tickets in his hand." "Liar!" "Oh, really?" "Look..." "I can't believe you." "Ann, get going." "Think of something fast!" "tell him you are saint Meme." "Come on, asshole!" "And you call me asshole?" "No." "tell him I'm a cripple and they are going to cut my leg." "Fuck you!" "girls!" "Didn't you say that talking was easy?" "Good morning, officer." "The thing is, my sister does have a license... but she forgot it in the bathroom." "She goes to the bathroom a Iot." "You're doing great at this, aren't you?" "You are to blame because I make a living from clothes." "Dorita..." "Look this, here..." "Are spoons here?" "Yes." "We'II straighten it up with a tuck." "You may go now." "I Iike doing other things too, you know?" "I bought a camera and I take photos." "You're smoking too much!" "DoIo, that's my only vice." "Bye, DoIores." "Bye." "Have fun." "will you come back late?" "Yes." "I go to the movies with alex." "Bye." "She's a young lady by now." "AII boys are mad about her." "And she doesn't even notice." "I wonder who does she resemble?" "Poor me!" "I work all day long." "Don't I, Dorita?" "See you tomorrow." "Bye." "Right now I don't want to worry about men." "So..." "So?" "So no fucking for the time being." "You're so rude!" "No, I mean it." "What did the doctor tell you?" "That my pelvis was shattered." "He's talking about a graft." "And what did you tell him?" "To do a graft on him." "Do you want me to talk to him?" "You still smoke a Iot." "How much?" "AII I can." "Put that down." "Come on!" "You see, DoIores?" "I don't know what's worse... her lung or her brain." "Meme, I'm no shrink." "I can't cure madness." "I don't want you to cure it." "It's my best gift." "I'm telling you:" "Stop smoking." "This is not the first time I tell you this." "Be careful with alcohol too." "The medication is not working." "What about living?" "Can I Iive, doctor?" "You can do whatever you want." "But if you get too smart, I'II support the graft issue." "would you rather I did that?" "I'd rather not hear bullshit." "Don't talk nonsense, Meme!" "It's OK, DoIores." "I'm used to that." "She knows I'm weak as a man, as well as a doctor." "I've been listening to her for 7 years." "She hasn't grown up." "could I ask you something?" "Yes, of course." "well, in fact it's about a friend of mine." "tell me." "What were you talking about?" "Not about you." "I see." "I'm taking this one with me." "I'II take the big one." "Is the cab yours?" "It's a friend of mine's." "Why?" "Do you Iike fishing?" "Yes." "I Iike fishing." "Wait for us so we go back with you." "Parking is forbidden." "I'II be fined." "Don't worry." "You call me and I'II fix it." "Ok." "Safe trip!" "Thanks." "Why do you have to go now?" "I have lots of things to do." "Fernando waits for me at the harbor." "We'II go straight to the farm." "I promise..." "No, I'd better not make any promises." "I admire you, dear." "You admire me?" "Why?" "I told him to wait for us." "Who?" "The cab driver." "What is it with you?" "Good-byes are like this." "tell Fernando that I send him a kiss." "I always remember when he bought me ice-creams." "ConaproIe ice-creams?" "I'II tell him." "Come back soon." "Meme needs you." "DoIo..." "I'II miss you." "You're so sensitive!" "Oh, this thing!" "It's for you." "As the ones from Jamaica, remember?" "The tourists." "Handmade..." "Handmade." "I need some of the stuff you used to give to my father." "When I go, I'II take you some." "tell us when you get there." "What's his name?" "Whose name?" "The cab driver..." "I don't know..." "Javier." "Take care." "Don't hurt your eyes." "No." "He lives in front of the square." "It's amazing he's from villa Victoria too." "His father is one of the owners of the palace hotel?" "I don't like him." "What?" "Do you know him?" "I don't like anything coming from that town." "It's not possible." "He was too young then." "AII I know is that this princess can't stop traveling by cab." "Shut up!" "I called him." "He picked me up at school." "We talked all the way back here." "He remembers every street, who lives in each house, what they do..." "I can't remember anything from villa Victoria." "Memory is a weird thing." "I remember some things clearly, but not others." "I try hard, but I can't." "Ann..." "Come on." "How can you try hard to remember something?" "You speak worse every time." "How do you say that?" "I try hard, as when I have to do a poop." "And you?" "You're nuts." "I don't need to try hard that way." "Nobody does." "You're a bit of a brute." "Yes, I'm a bit of a brute, so what?" "I didn't go to school a Iot." "You say that all the time." "Memory just comes." "It has nothing to do with physical strength." "Though I sometimes have to try hard to forget." "You try hard too!" "As when you have to do a poop!" "No, you ass." "I try hard not to shit myself." "Ann..." "What?" "I'm sorry." "Why sorry?" "Because I'm mean." "I've always been mean to you." "Yes." "You've been a real bitch." "hello!" "Do you want me to carry it?" "No, thanks." "What are you laughing at?" "Don't you ask me who he was?" "Who was who?" "Come on." "The boy who was with me." "He's alex." "We dated some time ago." "I didn't notice." "You're a free girl." "I used to play in villa Victoria." "What do I get if I score?" "Why should I give you something?" "well, OK." "What do you want if I don't score?" "Too complicated." "What do I want if you don't score?" "I don't have to ask you anything." "well, OK." "If you want to throw, do it from here." "It's a bit far." "You're the one who wants to bet." "OK." "From here." "But if I score, I'II ask you out." "You said you were free." "You said that." "But if you don't score, and you won't... you will never ask me out in your whole life." "OK?" "It's too risky." "You don't take your chances?" "I would, if it was something else." "Oh, you would?" "And what do you want?" "If you score, I'II give you a kiss?" "Maybe." "I Iike that better." "Men..." "well, OK." "Let's do this:" "You throw it." "If you score, you get the first prize." "And what if I lose?" "Then you get the second prize." "Don't you want to know which the first prize is?" "I can imagine." "You are wrong." "shall I tell you?" "You're telling me anyway." "You're dying to tell me." "As you insist, the first prize is... a kiss." "I thought so." "And the second?" "Two kisses." "Come on." "What if I throw without looking?" "I'm leaving." "You're complicated." "I'II be late because of you." "If I throw it and I score... which would be the ultimate prize?" "Aneta..." "Aneta!" "The ultimate prize for you would be to go back to villa Victoria... to have a house by the river and a woman like me... who would wait for you with home-made bread and lots of kids... and who would love you for ever." "Am I right?" "You are..." "I take that bet." "OK." "That bet." "Thanks." "You missed your chance." "Bye." "I Iike you." "I Iike you too..." "I think." "hello, Meme." "Can I tell you something?" "Not now." "What happens?" "Your leg hurts?" "A little." "Somebody gave me this for you." "What is it?" "Aren't you going to open it?" "Later." "Aren't you a bit curious?" "So so..." "OK..." "What is it?" "Nothing, nothing." "tell me the truth." "You don't want to tell me?" "I had a call from home." "My old man is ill and my brother can't go." "I have to go back to villa Victoria." "When did they call you?" "Last night." "I didn't know how to tell you." "You didn't?" "Aneta..." "Why now?" "Why not?" "Because we were so happy..." "I Iove you..." "I'II write." "Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday, dear Carmela, happy birthday to you!" "Thanks." "Paty." "Happy birthday, Meme." "Thanks, Dorita." "OK." "Go ahead." "Bravo!" "Meme, look what they brought for you." "Oh, how big!" "What could it be?" "I don't know." "The lighthouse." "Listen: "I adore you, Andy"." "It's from Andy, Meme..." "Now that we're older, I wanted to ask you something." "What you did to aunt AngeIita, was it true?" "You peed in her decanter, didn't you?" "What are you talking about?" "Come on, tell me." "No..." "Yes, please." "No..." "I'II go, but you'II tell me, OK?" "No..." "Yes..." "Meme..." "This is from Paty and me." "Thanks a Iot, Dorita." "You knew they would cut my leg off?" "Meme, it's an umbrella stand!" "When I have my leg cut off, I'II put it here." "Meme..." "What?" "Look who's here." "Fernando!" "hello." "What a surprise!" "Did you know it was my birthday?" "I didn't know." "Dorita, this is a friend of mine I haven't seen in a Iong time." "He's my best friend's brother." "hello." "What is it?" "And DoIores?" "And DoIores?" "That is why, dear Andy, I have started to doubt about the sun." "Dolores was the sun and she was put out in silence." "Life, this fucking life... is determined to take kids and mothers away from me... and it's beginning to be unbearable." "It's too much." "Somebody, somewhere, doesn't want me to be happy." "And I'm afraid he might succeed." "Things are still twisted." "Love, the eldest parrot." "I know, Sofi, but I'm scared anyway." "It's been twenty days." "I've never been so late before." "What?" "I don't know." "I don't remember." "A long time ago but I was careful." "I told you, don't you remember?" "I'm not going to tell her yet." "Sofi, I have to go." "I'II call you later." "I don't want to know who's the father." "I just want to know what you are going to do." "When did you start eavesdropping?" "You've been drinking..." "Ann, I made you a question." "I'm going to have it." "Have it?" "Yes." "Don't you always say that children are a gift?" "When they are the fruits of love." "What are you talking about?" "You never loved anybody." "You've always done it as a sport, haven't you?" "You tried to get yourself pregnant with anyone, and you failed." "Don't talk to me like that." "I'm sad today." "I don't care." "I'm sad too." "But I don't mess in anybody else's lives." "And now, leave." "I don't want to see you." "Ann, don't get mad." "Why are you angry?" "Because I'm sick and tired of your despise for Javier." "I didn't ask you to tell me who the father was." "You see?" "You don't care!" "No, I don't care, of course I don't." "Men are all the same." "They never love you or hate because of who you are." "They only think of themselves and what they think you are." "But if you want to have it, I'II help you." "I'II help you raise it." "Aneta, Shorty... don't be sad." "What's happening to you is so nice." "Come here, Shorty, don't worry." "We can fix my room, which is bigger, and put the cradle there, OK?" "Another Ezcurra in the family." "It has to be a girl." "A girl..." "like you and me..." "like mom." "A girl for the two of us." "Aneta..." "Aneta, please!" "I want to talk." "Even if it's the Iast time, it'II be better." "I phoned you lots of times." "I wrote you and you didn't answer." "Aneta..." "Yes, you wrote me." "It's true!" "Then why didn't I get the letters?" "Suppose that you did write to me... what did you say in that letter?" "That I had to wait for you, because you'd come back some day?" "No." "Just the opposite." "I was not going back." "I couldn't stand the city anymore." "I said that I'd wait for you here, for ever." "Do you want to know what?" "I don't want to talk about this." "It's over." "Lots of things happened." "Yes." "Too many." "What do you mean?" "I'm talking to you!" "I know everything, Aneta." "Don't be ridiculous!" "should I tell you what I know?" "No, I don't want to know." "Meme told me." "Meme?" "You saw Meme?" "You went to Buenos Aires and you didn't call me?" "Javier?" "Meme was here... in villa Victoria." "It's so strong." "I've always wanted to drink one of these cocktails." "What's the name?" "Saint Javier." "Saint Javier?" "Like you..." "What did you come for, Meme?" "What did I come for?" "Son of a bitch..." "What are you saying?" "Nothing." "I'm singing." "My father used to bring my mother here when they went out together." "He'd drink seven "Saint Javier", and my mom only half of one." "Then they would take a walk and my mom would eat some candy." "So funny!" "people are healthy here." "Fresh air, sun..." "It was a good choice to stay in villa Victoria." "congratulations." "tell me the truth, Meme." "You don't like me." "You never told Aneta that I had called her." "You hid my letter." "Your letter." "Your only letter." "Two phone calls and a letter in four months." "You're not what I would call "obsessive"." "I don't believe you." "Meme was not here." "Yes, she was." "She said you were pregnant." "And that I was not the father." "This is yours, from now on." "I talked to miguel." "He'II find us a good gynecologist." "He'II find "us"?" "I don't want anything bad to happen." "Don't worry, Meme." "I had my period this morning." "What do you mean you had your period?" "You never tell me anything!" "You never tell me!" "I was just late." "I was wrong." "You were wrong?" "That's my problem, Meme." "Yours or ours?" "What am I for you?" "My sister." "You're just my sister." "Who are you mad at, Ann?" "Me or the world?" "There you are!" "I'm not mad at anyone!" "shall we go?" "Nobody cares about me." "What do you mean nobody?" "I care about you, a Iot!" "But you're my sister." "Ann, are you ready?" "Yes, I'm coming." "I Ieft a pie in the oven." "For tonight." "Bye." "She asked me out to a concert." "I don't know who they are yet." "Don't wait for us." "We'II eat outside." "Great!" "Bravo!" "A bit to the Ieft!" "That's good, great!" "That's it!" "Perfect." "Get closer, a bit more." "That's it." "smile!" "You want to dance?" "I'm a great dancer, you know!" "Come in." "You have visits." "hello, Meme." "How are you?" "I didn't want you to come, but they insisted." "I'm better, I just felt dizzy." "You jumped into the water and caught influenza." "Do you still believe that you're immortal?" "influenza?" "Just because of a lousy jump into the water." "I'II be right back." "You go on smoking?" "That's my problem." "I know." "But it's also mine." "Besides many things, I'm your doctor." "Besides nothing." "I'm a married woman now." "Make an effort, CarmeIa." "Do it for anybody you love." "But take care of yourself." "You need help." "I want you to tell me again if I can have a child or not." "But I want the truth." "You know the truth." "Then I don't need anything." "Fernando." "Fernando!" "Why are you mad at me?" "I don't know." "I shouldn't be mad at you, should I?" "hello." "hello." "And Meme?" "She wanted to leave the bed." "She said she had to work." "Ann..." "I've been thinking." "When Meme gets better, we'II go on a trip." "I'II take her to Madrid." "She has always wanted to go back." "That's a good idea." "But she doesn't have to know that it's our idea, or she won't go." "No." "But you tell her." "She can always see through me when I lie." "Has Meme always been like that?" "Like what?" "Did she always do those things?" "What do you mean?" "Jump into the water?" "I always liked Meme because she always dared do anything... to be happy." "I think we'II never really get to understand her." "I'm talking nonsense, aren't Y?" "Can I ask you a question?" "When you two were little... and you asked Meme about the future... about what would happen to you, what did she use to say?" "That everything was possible, right?" "How many times did she tell you that your mom was happy... so that you could go back to sleep?" "Many." "And was that true?" "well... now it's your time to lie a little." "How did that song you used to sing go?" "How did it go?" "No, I won't sing it to you." "Come on, just a little." "A little, come on." "Shark, shark, shark unzip my fly" "until you see my trunks and if the shark sticks out" "unzip my fly until you see my trunks" "and if the shark sticks out don't panic cause it's mine" "The carriage has arrived." "My dear, life runs away from me and there's nothing I can do... but you already know the three times table and don't need me anymore." "If you only understood how I love you and how I've admired you!" "Not because you put up with me, but because of who you are." "You've never been my walking stick, I don't want you to be anybody's." "You were my support and my soul... and that's so different." "You were my lighthouse, my real lighthouse." "And no matter what we've lost... we're never going to lose our past." "Don't tell anybody, but you've been the person I loved most." "Because you were the one I hurt most too." "My dear Shorty... don't be sad." "I'm leaving with a light body and with my lungs full of air... feeling nice and with no pains... flowing down the river, with mom." "You were right." "Not all of them are dead." "I love you and I'll never stop loving you." "I love you more..." "No, I love you more." "By the way... do you remember you used to ask me if I peed in aunt AngeIita's decanter?" "I spy... a thing that starts with a "Y" and ends with a "T"." "You were right."" "Go ahead." "Throw it." "Same bet?" "Same bet." "One usually thinks that time went by and killed them" "But they had a return ticket" "Those little things in life those little memories we have from other times that can be found in a corner, in a piece of paper or a drawer" "They sneak up on us as thieves behind doors we're at their mercy as if we were dead leaves" "blown by the wind and they smile sadly at us" "prompting us to weep when we're all alone"