"I'm ashamed to tell you what he said." "Stupid and an idiot, that's nothing." ""Go fuck yourself', he told me, and "go suck cock- you motherfucking idiot"." "And I'm destructive!" "Isn't it natural to want him by my side for my birthday?" "What's the big deal?" "Stop suffocating him." "Let him come to you." "Come on, Guta." "I saw him today after two and a half months because I insisted." "If it were up to him, he wouldn't call for ages." "He kicked me out of his car." ""Getout", he said." " No way..." "Look at the bruise." "And now he's on his way to Tulcea to see her." "And he's coming back fuck knows when." "Leave him alone." "You're pestering him and it's eating you up, too." "What does Relu say?" "What can he say?" "I've stopped telling him." "In the three years since he's been with that creature she's been controlling him anyway she pleases." "Pick me up, take me there, buy me that- she's got him by his tail, like a little mouse." "Cornelia, this is life, dear." "I told you to have two children." "Then you'd have been able to choose." "She's such a slacker." "This summer at the seaside:" "did she ever pick up a plate to put it in the sink?" "Hers, notours, mind you!" "Is it wrong for me to have access to my son's home?" "And she hasn't given him a child yet." "How long?" "Don't bring him to me." "Take him to the hospital, to Dr. Timaru." "Just go straight to him and tell him Dr. Cerchez sent you." "Well, just slip him a little something." "I don't know." "Whatever you think is right." "OK." "Do you want me to talk to him?" "He said our generation should just disappear." "Patience." " Happy birthday." " Thank you." "Happy birthday and all the best." "Relu, you've met before..." "Just the director and his left kidney." "Mr. Voinescu, secretary of state in the Ministry of Public Relations." " ....for Parliamentary Relations." " Relations, yes." " My sister, Olga Cerchez." " Good evening." "Her husband." "Serban." "Nice to meet you." " My wife, Pusa." " Good evening." "Mrs. Leontina Vaduva, our great soprano." "Great to meet you." "My husband." "Serban." "Prodanel." "I kept my maiden name." "Take a seat." "Good evening." " This is Simona." " Nice to meet you." "To many years of life!" "Who will be living long?" "Cornelia... happy birthday to you" "God grant you health and long years..." "What's that you're drinking, Campari Orange?" "Just orange." "No Campari, else his hand might shake." "Like Dr. Ciomu's." "You're talking rubbish." "Why does everybody think Ciomu cut that guy's dick off" "He mistook the retroperitoneal duct tail for the cremaster, he didn't chop his dick off and feed it to the ducks." "And this is not malpractice?" "No doubt." "But it's not like he meant it." "Don't butt in." "I don't butt into your domestic affairs." "My affairs are wider." "The first floor is non-livable." "Nonsense." "It's in the blueprint." "I'll throw in two garages and a basement unit." "You can call Mrs. Cornelia to decorate the place." "Give the woman a job." "Happy birthday." "She's expensive." "But she's flexible." "Isn't she." "I took the aquarium measurements with Barbu." "Where's Junior?" "Isn't he coming?" "He had an emergency and had to leave." " So he's not coming?" " He called to wish me happy birthday." "He's sorry and he's sending you his best." "Come on, husband, dance with me." "Mr. Voinescu is exhausted." "Yes, ma'am." "Clara!" "Come have a cup of coffee with me when you're done." "I'll make a list of the stuff I need." "I've run out of Pulitutto." "I'll get it for you." "You don't take sugar." "How much do I owe you for Friday?" "Mr. Barbu already paid me." "So how was their place?" "As messy as usual?" "So-so." "Don't tell me the woman has changed her ways." "They're turning his office into a room for her little girl." "You don't say." "How's that?" "They put in a crib instead of the couch." "So where's his office going to be?" "I don't know." "What can I do?" "He's made his own bed." "So your kids, then, how are they?" "How's the girl?" "Good." "She's in college." "So when you dusted Barbu's nightstand, what was he reading?" "I bought him Herta Müller." "He hasn't touched it." "I got him Pamuk." "Afterall, they won the Nobel." "He hasn't even touched them." "The last one I read that I liked was "Beautiful Strangers", by..." "I cleaned the closet." "I only woret hem a couple of times." "They cost over 200 euros." "They won't fit me, I've go twide feet." "For your daughter, then." "She's younger." "Are you done with the living room?" "Don't wait an eternity." "Follow him." " What is it, Guta?" " There's a problem with Barbu." "Don't panic." "He's fine, he's not injured." "He was in a car accident." "How do you mean, he's fine?" "We're going to Slobozia and I'll explain." "What kind of accident?" "He's run someone over." "A child." "He killed him." "Are you coming, Neli?" "There's no signal in here." "Leave me." "So he called me." "There." "Now he's not picking up." "Relu." "He's in surgery." "I talked to him." "Come on, I'm double-parked." "What hospital is he in?" " Who?" " Barbu." "Didn't you hear me?" "He's fine." "The boy is dead and Barbu is at the police station." "So it was his fault, wasn't it?" "I don't know, sweetie." "When you're in an accident, you have to go to the police station." "Come on, you'll try again from the car." "Relu, where are you?" "Why won't you answer when I call?" "When are you coming?" "What do you mean, it's pointless?" "Go ahead." "Relu's asking if he'd been drinking." " He told me he hadn't." " No." "You know he doesn't drink." " Was he speeding?" " Let me talk to him." "Hi, dear." "Right." "That's good." "I thought I'd call that guy in the Police Headquarters." "What did he say?" "No, he hadn't been drinking." "It happened outside town." "Just outside Bucu." "By the gas station." "Overtaking another car." "Apparently three kids raced across the freeway, he tried to swerve and hit one frontally." "So he was speeding." "They came out of the blind side." " We'll find out there." " Let me talk to him again." "OK." "Why don't you have someone takeover your shift?" "Listen, don't hang up." "Should I call Teodosiu?" "I don't know, to tell him where we stand." "Yes, Relu." "Is there an alcohol test at the lab?" "They do the breathalyzer test on the spot, and then again at the hospital." "They do it twice." "So they're taking him to Slobozia." "I called." "The doctor off duty there is Erdogan." "Should we say we're your connection?" "No, a certain Mititelu was contacted." "from the county council." "Listen, Relu." "OK, bye." "It was here." "Good evening." "We're here from Bucharest, concerning the accident." "Mr. Mititelu has been contacted." "Look at that, the lawyers already." "Mr. Mititelu from the Prefect's office." "Get Obama's father too." "He's gonna end up in jail." " Calm down." " I won't calm down!" "Coming here and killing our children " "Hold on Staicu let's see what the ladies want." "Sir, I'm not a lawyer." "We are the boy's parents, we're family." "And what the fuck am I?" "Officer, please." "Where's that bat?" "Go get my bat from the car." "I'll teach you who makes the rules in my house." "Hold on, Staicu, calm down." "Get off me!" "Come here!" "He's gonna go to Bucharest and kill someone else on the way!" "They don't care about the likes of us." "Yes, we just got here, we're inside the precinct." "We wanted to know what we should do next." "I see." "OK, we'll wait." "Good evening." "I'm the mother of the boy who caused the accident." " Yes." "Wait here." " Can't we see him?" "No ma'am, be patient." "Have a seat." "The family of the victim is waiting here as well." "A phone is ringing for you." "Hello." "Yes." "Sir." "Yes." "Sit down there." " Mrs. Fagarasanu?" " Me." "ID." " It says Keneres and Cerchez." " Fagarasanu is my husband's name." "Yeah, hold on a second, they're calling us in right now." "So you're the mother." " And you?" " I'm the aunt." "No, we're not with him yet." " Only the lady goes up." " I'm going as well." "I'm the sister." "Whose sister?" "First decide whether you're the aunt, sister, grandma..." "Take the phone up with you." "It's Penciulescu." "From the Police HQ." "How come she gets to go upstairs and I can't?" "You'll get your turn at giving statements." "Hello." "I'm Cornelia Keneres, the mother." "Tell me what I need to know." "OK, I understand." "I'll call you back when I know more." "One more thing." "When do they open the case?" "I see." "It's open and it's gonna be closed." "And what's going to be on file?" "Please take a seat." "I can't talk anymore." "Good." "You too." "What did you write here?" ""There was no --?"" ""There was no incoming traffic"." "The words are pretty crammed together." "Finish up here and let's do the alcohol test." "Didn't you already pass your test?" "Didn't he already take a breathalyzer?" "Stop meddling here." "For homicide, we do blood tests." "It's the law." "The law entitles him to an attorney." "Did you tell him he has the right to an attorney?" "No one says he doesn't." "I'm asking you, did you tell him?" " Why, are you a lawyer?" " Yeah, if that's how it works." "We know how things go." "Are you a lawyer by profession?" "He's in shock." "He doesn't have experience." "You can have a lawyer in court." "We're just putting a file together." "No." "He's just writing a statement." " One that's to be included in the file." " No missy, you don't have a file yet." "You haven't registered it with the prosecutor's office." "I'm well-informed, you know." "Yeah, you're well informed and very well-connected." "In that case let's not..." "First of all I haven't read my boy's statement." "Let me read the statement." "Ma'am, you're in no position to demand to see it." "Coming here like hyenas ganging upon my baby." "You think he wanted to run someone over?" "Try to put yourself in his shoes." "Did you put yourself in that poor child's shoes?" "Angela, this is going to take forever." "Lawyers and stuff..." ""I, the undersigned Barbu Fagarasanu, son of Aurelian so and so and Cornelia and so on"..." "We're not arresting him." "We're just establishing the facts." " Read on." " Just so you know." ""Residence address, ID number so and so,"" ""issued by so and so..."" ""I hereby declare the following regarding the causes"" ""that led to the traffic incident:" "On March 6, 7:40 pm,"" ""I was driving an Audi Avant, license plate number B-106-PAP."" ""Upon arriving on DN 2A#E60, after exiting Bucu,"" ""doing approximately 140 km per hour, I engaged in overtaking a vehicle."" "Give me your phone so I can call Carmen." "Forget about that." "Better let me read it." "Isn't the speed limit outside town areas 110?" "And Mr. Barbu was doing at least 140." "If not 150, as the analysis will show." "Hold on, I'll get to you in a moment." "Barbu, you write 110 here." "The car he was overtaking was doing 110." "Comeon, 110..." "Yes ma'am, do you want to compare the statements?" "The witness wrote 110, so if he was doing 110 - -then how fast was Mr. Barbu going?" "He can write whatever he wants." "It's his signature." "No ma'am, this is a farce." "He can't write 110 when he was doing 160." "You write what I tell you." "If you're honest, you stand a chance in court." "If you lie like this and write 110 like she says, you're not doing yourself any favors." "Just do it." "We're all done here, going for the blood tests." "You come with me." "Are you coming as well?" " Of course." " Just follow us." "Can I take my phone out of my car?" "No one touches the car before the expert sees it." "It's evidence." "I see your breathalyzer test came out negative." "I didn't drink anything." "I ate two liquor chocolates before I set off." "Narcotics, barbiturates?" "Is he on any medication, any history of psychiatric disorders?" "Get up, please." "Follow my finger with your eyes." "Good." "Stand on one leg, raise the other knee to your chest." "Now turn sharply towards your mom." "Your whole body." "Thanks." "We'll get a blood sample now, and again in an hour." "We also need a urine sample." "Give me your phone again." "You fill this out." "Get Junior in here so we can draw some blood." "Please take off your jacket." "Sit down." "Roll up your sleeve." " Is the needle disposable?" " We use nothing else." "Can you unpack another one, so I can see for myself" "I can't do that." "It comes with the inventory kit." "Unpack another kit and I'll pay for it." "The serial number is in the documents." "Let's give him another needle, can we?" "Happy?" "I saw you called, but I was busy." "So far: the statement is taken care of." "Now we're at the hospital for the blood tests." "Straight home." "OK." "Listen, when you get home in the morning," "I'll put him to bed in his old room." "You can come sleep in my bed." "Erdogan is nice." "But the cops were very uncooperative." "A guy and a girl, coming down hard on the poor child." "OK, bye." "Pretty high blood pressure, cold limbs." "It's a nervous reaction." "What?" "I barely touched you." "What?" "What can it be?" "He might have hurt himself in the crash." "Lift up your shirt." "It's a bit swollen too." "How did you hurt yourself like that?" "Some of those guys chased me around." " What were the police doing?" " Before they got there." " They smacked him." " The animals." "He'll be fine." "Do you have anything for anxiety?" "Praxiten?" "I'll tell you what I have." "Raise your arm." "I have Stilnox." "You can take that." "Come see." " Tavor?" " What concentration?" "One mg." "He should take two." "You need to relax." "Try to stop thinking about it." "Lots of sleep and plenty of food." "Smoke less." "He should quit." "And take a hot bath..." "No." "Straight to bed." "Maybe rub some anti-inflammatory gel on his back." "I'll go before Cerchez gets worried." "It's two o'clock." "I have a lot of catching up to do tomorrow." " Diclac?" " Very good." "Take care." " I owe you for life." " Don't you worry about it." "Take care." "Bye." "Take off your T-shirt." "Does it hurt here?" "There are two ways to do this." "It's either our expert or theirs." "Ours." "That way we speed it up." "Better theirs and we sort it out with him." "If we force ours on them, that will only antagonize them." "I made you orange juice." "In the fridge." "Did you get some rest?" "Get mean Olynth for tonight." " I have seawater nasal spray." " No good." "Or Nasomer." "Tell me what you want and I'll get it." "I told you." "Olynth." "Green." "Sealed." " I got it." " Better write it down." "Olynth." "Green." "Regular." "Write it down." "She won't remember anyway." " Is it oily?" " No, it's a spray." "Please don't buy anything else." " Anything else?" " No." "Are you going to bed again?" "I wanted to talk to you." "Should we talk to the guy in Slobozia?" "He's been contacted." "Just go there." " What's this here?" " What?" "DoN." "Decision of non-prosecution." "1." "The evidence." "2." "Contact the expert, Guta will do it." "3." "Perhaps the most important." "The parents must withdraw their formal complaint." "Perhaps we can pay for the funeral." "As a first step." "The mother should be contacted first." "Not just now." "Give them a bit of space, you know." "Right." "Talk to Erdogan, make sure the blood test is ready by 11." "I did." " And the autopsy results." " In a week." " Can't it be done sooner?" " It can't be done sooner." "Then why is it possible for the blood results?" "Blood alcohol levels are evidence in the case." "And the autopsy is not?" "It's not, "Controlia"." "It won't show anything new." "They won't open him and see it was the liver that killed him." "So now you're in forensics, too." "Well, you're not thinking straight." "Leave me the car keys." "Registration, too." "Mrs. Keneres?" "Where've you been hiding?" "Come on." "Let's see what you got for us." "Perfect." "So I was wondering, when's the expert appointed?" "I've filed the blood alcohol level." "Next is the technical analysis of the vehicle." "We already have the police report and the statements and the car registration." "After the forensic report, we're getting the expert." "And the gentleman by the car, who is he?" " The gentleman is an expert, too." " Is he going to be in charge?" "Him or another one." "Because I asked him, and he didn't answer." "I'm referring to the gentleman outside." "He's now conducting the technical expertise which the expert uses for his own expertise." "So one does the expertise, and the other does the report?" "It depends." "Love, shouldn't we better make a copy of Tintaru's report?" "The lady can take it home, read it through." "So the gentleman is a sort of sub-expert." "Or full expert, if the parties agree on him." "I see." "Can't the parents challenge him?" "No." "I don't see why they would." "He's appointed by us, he's a local." "They're very simple people." "Speaking of which, I think... it's appropriate and humane for you to cover the funeral expenses." "Absolutely." "It might be a good idea to go to the funeral on Saturday." "I think, as parents, they might feel..." "Last night I thought the father was rather..." "Who?" "That was the brother-in-law." "Naturally he was upset when he saw his nephew splashed all over the road." "You weren't there: the poor boy was thrown 26 meters into the air." "The church is this one here in the village." "If you want, I can tell you where they live." "Could you also let them know, before I show up at their door..." " What's their name?" " Angheliu." "Luminita, and he's Traian." "Mrs. Keneres, may I bother you with just one question?" "Are you an architect?" "Set designer by profession and architect by choice." "Why?" "I googled you last night." "And I have a favor to ask." "My brother's family bought some land in Mogosoaia, lake-side." "And they need a blueprint." "They have the blueprint, they already started building." "They have the construction permit, and it specifies the distance from the lake..." "The limitation, you mean." "The sad thing is, the lake level rose, and when the inspection came, the limitation was not the same." "And they had started building." "I'd like to ask you if you know anyone..." "I know someone who was with the Surface Water Tabulation." "I can send you to him." "It's not that pressing." "They ran out of money for the moment." "Just think about it, and maybe you can find a way." "Don't forget about the statements." "To get the file right, we need to change the witness's statement." "Bye, ma'am." "If your boy was doing 110," "Mr. Dinu Laurentiu can't have also been doing 110." "I can contact him for you and give him your son's number." "Better give him mine." " I don'thave it." " I'll give it to you." "Good." "We'll add it to the file." "Barbu?" "Hi, it's Carmen." "I'm in Bucharest, I'm already at home." "Is Barbu still with you?" "Can I..." "Thanks." "Barbu?" "I'm in front of the door and I can't get in." "The key is working fine." "The bolt is shut on the inside." "Mrs. Clara!" "Can't be." "Why should she?" "OK, I'll call her and call you back." "Listen, Barbu..." "I got it." "That's right." "Hello." "I got a call from this number." "Yes, Mr. Laurentiu." "I was expecting your call." "Well I don't know, he's not exactly approachable." "Post-traumatic shock ..." "Right." "No, no, two weeks is much too late." "Tomorrow." "What time?" "Four-ish?" "You'll know me." "Blonde, medium height." "30 looking like 60..." "I'm kidding." "We'll find one another." "Why would you mind if I came along?" "I'll tell him." "OK, Mr. Laurentiu." "Dinu." "Hey there, Carmen." "So you're here too?" "Hello." " What?" " All done with the analysis?" " What about the little one?" " I left her with my mother." "Very good." "How are you doing, baby?" "The shoulder still bothering you?" "He felt a bit dizzy." "How much Tavor did you give him?" "If he felt dizzy, how come you're letting him smoke?" "Baby..." "I take a puff every now and then." "But you, you just smoke your lungs out." "You go ahead and smoke, it's not you I'm worried about." "Forget that." "Tell us what you did." "At least open the window." "I did a lot." "Rocket science." "This guy, is he going to be the expert?" "That's what I got." "OK." "I'll ask Guta to deal with that." " What else have you done?" " Better tell me what you did." " I thought about you." " You're funny." "I made calls all day." "I took the day off." "I went to the bank and withdrew 20 thousand, and tomorrow I have a bank appointment for euros." "Here." "Your phone." "Do you have a charger?" " The other driver contacted me." " What other driver?" "The guy you overtook, that one." "The witness." "He wants to meet us tomorrow." " Why meet him?" " To get him to change his statement." "It's good that the witness has been contacted." "I'm not going anywhere." "What's that to me?" "Barbu, this is no joke." "You're so good with arrangements." "Why don't you arrange it?" " Can't you deal with it?" " No, Relu." "You don't know how patronizing he was." "I can't meet him in the state I'm in." "He's an asshole." "To do what?" " He wants money, right?" " Money, what else?" "So if you're taking care of it, take care of it!" " Sometimes you have to get involved, too." " Not just us." "Then let me fucking take care of it." "Cut it out with the "us" thing." "OK, ballsy." "You take care of it." "Are you nuts?" "Stop yapping." "If he doesn't want to go there, he'll go to jail." " It might be good for him." " You're nuts." "Yeah, make one of your scenes, why don't you." "Very good." "You should see what an expert report looks like." " You know what I was thinking?" " What?" "Wouldn't it be nice for us to cover the funeral costs?" "Yeah?" "How much can a funeral be in Bucu?" "Eight thousand?" "Make it ten." "Barbu, listen up." "Forget whatever you're doing and pay attention." "The funeral is set for Saturday." "And however much you want to blame us for this and that, you really need to make an effort and be there." "Are you all mad?" "You have to give your condolences." " It's the thing to do." " What condolences?" "You want a freaking mob running after me?" "No one'll do you any harm, dear." "Look, your father's going too." "And Carmen." "We're all going." "It's good for you to face this." "You'll understand in time." "OK, I get it." "Let's go." "Where to?" "Carmen, I'm counting on you." "Stay here." "Relu, why are you stuck to your chair?" "Give him a break, stop making such a..." "Leave him alone." "Why do you keep treating us like enemies?" "If we don't mean well for you, who does?" "Stop whimpering, woman!" "Your mother's trying, we're all trying." "Tell him that if he doesn't show up, he'll be thrown into jail." " Is that what you want?" " I want to be left alone." "Stop meddling." "Stop making phone calls, stop interfering." "I'll take care of things." "Then let him crucify himself, like Jesus." "The keys." " Who cares about keys now?" " The keys to my place." "It's OK, Barbu, I have my keys." "You go wait for me outside." "Give me my keys." "Those you used to get in." "Unbelievable!" "How would we bother you?" "You have your room." "I can make sure you eat well, no one intrudes." "Carmen has her luggage with her." "I brought your stuff over." "You want to keep me waiting?" "Give me the keys already!" "Here." "And the nosedrops." "What's this?" "Tell me." "What did I ask you to get me?" " Didn't I say, regular Olynth, green?" " Yes." "I did." "So what is this?" " Olynth." " What color?" "It's exactly the same, just twice as expensive." "Are you a complete imbecile?" "Have you tried it?" "She's your mother!" "Do as you please." "Your father is my witness." "I'm washing my hands of you." "Blow me." "You too." "What did I do to you?" "You're putty in her hands." "She can bend you sideways and backwards." "Don't look at me, he's right." "You really are putty." "I keep asking you to back me up and talk to him." "Instead, you just let me do all the talking." "This is such a huge thing, yet you two can't act decently." "Why don't you compromise just a little bit?" "Let him sleep where he pleases and let's focus on the important stuff." "Is where he sleeps so important?" "So let him sleep here so we can concentrate together." "But no, he must follow her and raise her offspring." "And you give him cigarettes, pizza and Coke." "Get dressed now and go get him back." "I'm going where the hell I please." "Tell him that if we don't take care of things, he's finished." " Yes?" " It's me." "It's me." "A bit faster, please." "My wife is waiting." "Right." "So what do you suggest?" "What do I suggest?" "You called and scheduled this meeting, so I imagine that you too have an interest in this." "That, I didn't like." "I called you because I was called and told to call." "I could have called to ask not to be called anymore." "I'm a busy man, I can't be at your disposal." "I'll take care of it without you, if you're that busy." "Be my guest." "It will take forever and it won't work out." "Allow me to explain." "You are, I hope, familiar with the circumstances." "You might not know that your son tailed me from way back." "He has an A4." "I have an ML." "Same speed and start-off time, so overtaking me wasn't easy." "My ML has more engine power, but considering its bigger wheelbase..." "I look at you and I can't tell if you're getting anything I'm saying." "Please listen closely." "This is me." "This is him." "We're now in Bucu where he was still behind me, and he once again flashed his headlights at me." "This is the village exit, OK?" "I move to the left lane to overtake a minibus." "He follows right behind me." "This is the accident site, OK?" "He flashes his headlights, but he also signals, which he should have done from the beginning since that's the overtaking etiquette." "I swerve to the right lane to make room for him." "He steps on the gas and starts overtaking me." "Since we are right by the exit sign," "I step on the gas from 50, the urban speed limit, to 110, the freeway speed limit." "It would have been ideal for him if I hadn't accelerated." "But it doesn't say anywhere that I'm not allowed to." "So he had no other chance but to accelerate even more." "I only went up to 110, and I saw the children." "He was doing at least 140 and did not see them." "And here's where the impact took place." "Right." "And can't it be that here, where you were doing 110, you were actually doing 90?" "Absolutely." "From all points of view:" "physics, visibility, the psychology of overtaking, it is quite the same thing." "I was doing 90, he was doing 110." "You want him at 5O?" "Then I was doing 50." "The exact same thing." "Well then?" "That's exactly what I'm begging you." "What are you begging for?" "Tell me how much." "You do realize how brutal this sounds." "I apologize, I had a very hard day." "I'll rephrase it." "What exactly would determine you to show, by changing your statement, the kindness you failed to show when you wouldn't let him overtake?" "Let's try the following calculation:" "for manslaughter, the legal system indicates up to fifteen years." "In this case, the fault is divided." "The child crossed negligently, the parents didn't supervise him, so seven years, maybe six." "No previous offenses, let's say three, early release included." "How much are three years worth, as opposed to nothing?" "See you can't do the math?" "You do it." "I can tell you you've planned to buy non-prosecution with $O, maybe 100,OOO euros." "Is my math right?" "No, Mr. Laurentiu." "Here's the deal." "I do not have that kind of money, and if I did, I would be unwilling to give it to you." "We'll squabble and argue in court." "I'll waste my time and you'll waste your time." "Worst-case scenario, I'll get him suspended time." "I don't think so." "But even so, do you want him, at his age, to go through life with such baggage?" "Well, you're not giving me much rope here." "See?" "I'm sorry, I really have to go." "When I come back from Munich," "I'll take some time and change my statement." " So where are we now?" " I told you," "I'll drive to Bucu and change my statement." "Or wherever the case is moved." "And you either give me 80,OOO euros in two weeks or a symbolic amount now." "What's symbolic?" "Let's say 100 euros." "But I don't have..." "Wait." "I have thirty, forty, that's all." " I'll go get it." " From an ATM?" "No point." "Or I'll get another coffee and you pay for it." "Excuse me." "Another coffee for me." "Or, wait." "Got any digestives?" "Amaretto." "Is that OK?" "What are you doing?" " Hi, Carmen!" " Good evening." "I didn't get you anything." "I forgot about the women's day." "Barbu isn't here." " When is he coming back?" " After you've gone, I guess." "What do you know!" "What changes are you making here?" "The same you saw yesterday when you were here." "Are you bringing the little one to stay with you?" "I'd like to." "Let's go to the kitchen." "I made some soothing tea." "Will the father let her leave Tulcea?" "Miruna, you mean." "Her father is abroad." "That's right." "I think you mentioned it." " Grand Marnier?" " I don't think so." "Cointreau?" "Something strong and sweet." " Bailey's." " That's OK." "Once you're done redecorating, we'll get Clara to clean up." "We'll get someone else." "Why?" "We caughther being indiscreet." "I'd be willing to babysit on certain afternoons." " Ice?" " No." "How's Barbu doing?" "He's very tense." "He barely slept last night." "Me neither." "Me neither." "We must have put out this bad vibe." " Did you try giving him a pill?" " I'm against pills." "I don't even give Miruna pills when she has a fever." "He must restand disconnect from all this." "He can't waste nights." "Let's accept it's not easy for him." "I think we should take over some of his responsibilities." "That's what I said." "I think you should talk to the witness for him." "He's not up to it." "Would you go, the way he talked to me?" "You were there." "You were in our house, you saw how he behaved." " After what happened..." " I wasn't myself after that." "I understand." "See?" "This terrible thing had to happen forus to meet and talk like civilized people." "Don't get me wrong." "I'd give my life for him." "I'd cut off my hand for him." "But if you keep pulling away, how can we be close?" "That was your doing, too." "You're not the nicest person in the world." "If you mean the incident earlier, then you're right." "Barbu didn't let me open the door." "Here's the thing." "I am, you know me:" "If I've got something to say, I'll say it loud and clear, offensive or not." "You're not the most beautiful woman and neither am I." "We are both two women with some life experience." "This should bring us together, rather than apart." "If we can communicate." "Listen... and if we get along, then Barbu will be all the better for it." "No need to love each other." "You're a mother too." "You'll understand." "I pictured Barbu's future somewhat diflerently." "You've come into his life with a certain baggage." "I, too, tried to understand:" "OK, so that's what Barbu likes." "What's good for him is good for me." "I don't think I can be any clearer." "Am I right?" "Am I not right?" "I say we work together." "I already met with the witness, though I swore I'd stay out of it." "But I ask one thing of you." "You get him to come see the child's parents." "It's his future at stake." "Tell him you'll come too." "I couldn't face those people." "Barbu even less." "Put yourself in his place." "Tell him he has to go anyway to pick up his car." "I'm not going to teach you what to say." "Make it sound like your idea." "OK." "So tell me what are your plans for the future?" "Have you two thought of having a child of your own?" " What can I say, ma'am..." " What can I say, Cornelia." "I've been asking you for ages to call me Cornelia." "You really want to make me feel old, do you?" " Can I have one?" " Go ahead." "Another thing." "Quit smoking." "Maybe this way he will, too." "In time." "The thing is, Barbu and I are breaking up." "So the baby plans are no longer an option." "Come on, kids." "Is this the right time for such a thing?" " It's been long coming." " Why didn't Barbu tell me?" "What about the baby's room?" "I'll bring Miruna to Bucharest anyway." "We'll rent." "Have you got someone else?" " No." " Why, then?" "I won't go into details." "There are reasons." "In the beginning, he wanted us to have a baby." "I didn't feel like getting pregnant again," "I wasn't fully recovered yet, physically and sexually." " But you got better." " Of course." "Then we stopped using protection." "He made me do all the tests." "You know, he has a thing about bacteria." "He won't let me touch him either." "HIV1, HIV2, hepatitis A, B, C..." "All the gyno tests, HPV, candidiasis, chlamydia, Pap smear." "They're required." "He didn't want to take them." "He said he was fine." " Of course he's fine." " Well, I'm fine, too." "Maybe he wasn't thinking about you, but about the baby, so it comes out fine." "But I already had a baby, and it came out fine." "Anyways." "I did the analyses, and for a year there was nothing." "It just didn't happen." "It's delicate." "I don't know how to put it." "You can tell me." " But this stays between us." " Absolutely." "Are you sure you want to hear all this about him?" "We don't have secrets in our family." "OK." "You don't realize it then but if you add it all up, that year and the one after, nine out often times he didn't come." "I mean, sure he came, but outside." "So I understood he didn't want a baby anymore." "But he didn't tell you that." "Barbu doesn't have the guts to say what he wants." "I don't know where he gets that cowardice." "He wants something, but acts as if he didn't." "That's his problem." "Then we started to use protection again." "And when he came out, his condom wasn't on." "Where was it?" "Half was inside me but emptying on the bed sheet." "No danger, then." "And yet, I saw his face go white." "He got up, turned on the light, checked how much was still inside." "He kept peering at me." "I said, why don't you get the flashlight and check?" "If we had a flashlight, he'd have used it." "And he said, go get washed real well." "OK." "I washed." "The rest of the month he didn't touch me, but he kept bugging me:" "Did you get your period, why didn't you get your period?" "He acted strange as hell." "When was that?" "This stuff happened four months ago." "In the meantime we talked about it." "We're civilized people." "It'll take him a while to figure out where he's going." "Miruna is very fond of Barbu, and she's sort of stuck on him." "Yeah." "Did you get some rest, baby?" "We have to talk." "Isn't Carmen coming?" "She's coming." "Listen here." "You're still coming, I hope." "Keep quiet." "If I said I'd come, I'm coming." "I'm listening." "Right." "We know-or at least I know- that you're not going to change." "I said it ten years ago, and five years ago." "Change what?" "Help me understand." " Why are you treating me like this?" " You can't understand." "You just have to accept what I'm about to tell you." "What?" "If we go on like this, we'll get nowhere." "Give me a minute." "I need to talk to my mother." "Don't I accept everything from you?" "Including the fact that you don't love me." "I just want you to respect me." "That's all." "You owe that to me." "Let's switch places." "Let me call you." "You wait for my call and see if I respect you or not." " So I can't call you anymore?" " Let me take the first step." "This is a difficult time for me." "I need to think about what it means." "There's nothing you can contribute here." "I'll call you in a month, a year, six months." "I don't know." "But let me be the first to call." "And maybe then we can have some sort of relationship." "Because if we go on like this, in ten years, twenty, if you're still alive, we'll be in the same place." "I'm not getting any younger." "For the time I have left, I'd like to have you by myside." "From now on anything can happen." "I'm no longer willing to let things slide." "With what I'm going through, my problems... whether they're my fault or yours..." " What did I do wrong?" " Never mind now." "I'm putting this on the table." "You can say yes or no." "You either let me call you when I feel like it, or it's nothing." "And a suggestion." "If it's hard, find a substitute." "A dog, a lover, a hobby." "People your age visit the Pyramids." "Other people my age have a normal relationship with their child." "Parents find their fulfillment in their children." "Everything they failed to accomplish, they achieve through their children." "So we're agreed." "Come on, the poor girl's waiting." "Carmen, please search in my bag for my organizer." "See there under "Parents"." "Angheliu." "Alimixt?" "We turn right after an Alimixt store." "Should be here somewhere." "Ask him." "Hello." "Excuse me, Angheliu?" "Turn left down the first lane." "The red gate." "Thank you." "Still, it's a better-looking house." "Come on." "It's the last thing I ask of you." "It's for your own good." "Don't leave me alone." "Come in with me." "I don't know what to tell these people." "And I do?" "You don't have to say anything." "Just be there." "Come on." "I'm afraid." "I'm scared." "You're a man, after all." "What if they want to hit me?" "I can't just go in and say, what?" "Good day, I'm this and that?" "I'm here to do, whatexactly?" "You don't say "good day", you say "God rest his soul"." "Carmen, you come with me." "You're an outsider, anyway." "Daddy!" " How are you?" " Daddy!" "God rest his soul." "I am the mother of the boy." "He's saying you should come in." "Take mine." "You take them." "Dragos, you stay there where your daddy told you." "God rest his soul." "Let's go to the other room, grandma." "Sit here." "She's a friend," "I asked her to come with me because it's difficult for me, too." "I came here on behalf of my boy." "He's outside and couldn't come in, the poor thing." "He's suffering terribly." "He didn't mean it." "He wanted to tell you and me too." "What can I tell you." "I'm so sorry." "Nothing will bring him back now." "Tomorrow Mihai will come home from the morgue, and they'll lay him down on the table and the priest will sing hymns to a closed coffin." "I never thought I'd come to bear such a burden to bury my child at fourteen." "I thought he'd bury me." "When they told me:" ""Barbu was in an accident..."" "...I thought the world had ended." "And that's nothing compared to what you're going through." "It's nothing." "That was God's plan." "No one was guilty, ...yet here's this terrible misfortune." "Your child wasn't meant to die, and my child didn't mean to do harm." "If only he were to come in through that door now," "I'd ask him, my boy, what were you thinking, crossing the freeway?" "At least if the driver hadn't been that fast, it wouldn't have happened." "Or if he'd driven faster, they wouldn't have collided." "When I saw my child at the morgue..." "Even the nurse at the morgue started crying." "And the idiot, after he hit my boy, he didn't even come out of the car." "Maybe something could still have been done." "He wanted to." "The police wouldn't let him." "The police weren't even there." "And they're sold out anyway." "I want whoever's guilty to pay for it." "I'll see justice is done." "My child shouldn't have died like a dog in the street." "We raised him with love." "And if the law says I'm guilty too for not telling him to cross the road in the right places, then let them take me away, too!" "Please, ma'am, he understands what he did." "I'm begging you please don't ruin his life." "Please don't destroy him." "I only have him." "I'll wait outside." "The deacon is here." "For the bells." "He didn't mean it." "Forgive him." "He's gota good heart, my child." "He's warm-hearted." "He's generous." "He never liked to boast, he didn't brag about his things." "Very shy." "He didn't join gangs." "He doesn't drink." "To me and his father he's the apple of our eye." "We always wanted him to do something with his life." "Since he was little, he was so good and careful not to get low grades in school," "he learned English and French, and poems..." "We sent him to swimming lessons, skating ski-ing..." "Two years of figure skating." "He had a body a very beautiful body." "He was like..." "A pleasure." "Cheerful." "He was so aflectionate and kind to me," "and delicate." "Next year he's getting his degree in chemistry, he's going to publish in journals." "We're so proud of him!" "He's my whole life." "You have another child, but I only have him." "Traian." "Bring me his things." "Just so you can see." "We're gonna keep these things." "These are the last things he had on him." "It's his phone." "They found it somewhere around there." "He called from this phone when he got out from school." ""Mother, look, I finished classes,"" ""I got out of school."" ""OK, Mihai," I told him." "Tuesday." "You can say no, but I want to attend on Saturday, if that's OK with you." "Come light a candle for his soul." "Come where?" "Don't come." "It's relatives and friends." "I get it." "I don't want to upset you." "Just to attend." "No." "Then I would like to contribute... to the effort that's involved." "It's the least." "We don't want it." "Not for him." "I know such a loss can never be repaid." "For me for my poor heart," "so I have a clear conscience." "I don't go to church often, but I have a God of my own and I follow him." "If not, just take it for the brother." "He's young and he needs it." "To go to summercamp, broaden his mind." "Please." " How old is the little one?" " He's turning 11." "Dragos, right?" "He'll need it." "For school, for the future." "I'd like to come by again." "Not now." "Later." " Not now." " Certainly." "Later." "When we all calm down." "When you feel more..." "Mother, please unlock me." "Child's Pose"