"For my kitten, from her sis... the wicked little mouse with love, Marcela" "Who's there?" "Who's there?" "Hello, who is it?" "Nela?" "It's me Doctor." "For you, I'm always here." "Thanks." "What's going on?" "Nothing." "Why?" "I've been calling non-stop." "I unplugged the phone." "How's your father?" "He's doing fine." "Is he following my treatment?" "Of course." "And he couldn't be better!" "Good." "I was worried." "Don't worry." "He's fine." "He just beat me at chess." "Really?" "I swear!" "lmpossible!" "Does he feel like eating?" "Ravenous." "Cheers Dad!" " Excuse me?" " I'm talking to Dad." "Yesterday he had steak and two sausages." "He even had beer." "Is that O.K.?" " A bottle?" " No, a glass." "That's fine." "If he feels like eating or drinking, great, but in moderation." "Of course." "So,... when can I call you?" "Whenever you'd like." "I'm at your disposal." "Might I invite you to the movies?" "It depends what movie." "An American one." "With pleasure." "Afterwards, if you want, we can go to your place or somewhere else, at my place it's a bit complicated." "You idiot!" "lmposter!" "My father's dead, asshole!" "Right here, next to me, moron!" "When are you coming to get paid for your good advice, you quack!" "I'm gonna have the militia lock you up, you won't get away!" "I'm not here!" "I'm not here!" "Open up Nela, don't be an idiot, it's me Marcela!" " What do you want?" " Open up and I'll tell you." "Is Dad there?" "How is he?" "Fine." "He's gone out." "Come on, open up!" " I'm not dressed" " So what..." " I'm with a guy." " You idiot!" "Dad no longer wants to see you." "He forbids you to come to his funeral." "Open up, for God's sake!" "You know I have the keys." "Come on Nela, now stop it!" "I'll break the door!" "I want to see Dad." "Open up or I'll break it down!" "Then I'll open it!" "And I'll bash your stupid face in!" "Get out!" "Go away, I'm telling you..." "Help!" "Help!" "Robbers!" "Robbers!" "Leave or I'll set the place on fire!" "I'll start a fire, d'you hear?" "Fuck off, you dirty cop!" "You piece of shit!" "I wouldn't mind seeing you burn, bitch... a heap of ashes." "See you later, Dad!" "Excuse me!" "How dare you!" "Hello professor Gilescu." "It would be best if she left." "Why are you here?" "You operated on my father." " For what?" " bladder cancer." "His name?" "Truica." "He worked for the Ministry of Chemistry." "Yes, I knew him when we were underground." "Yes, I know." "I know him very well." "We wrote for the free press." " How is he doing?" " bad, he just died." "Yes, yes..." "I remember now..." "Your father had a slightly anarchic attitude when, instead of going to the front to fight, he put his arm on the train tracks." "Professor, there was no one better, braver, fairer than my father." "If he put his arm on the tracks, it was to stay true to his ideas, to himself." "Others could fight on that front, he couldn't." " Well... well..." " Well what?" "I don't care, that's not why I'm here." "That's true..." "well, why are you here?" "Ten days ago, my father wrote his will." "Let me read it to you." "Don't bother, read the essential." "My father does not want to be buried." "He wants to donate his body to science, for medical experiments and transplants, and that the rest be cremated" " at the hospital." " Really?" " Do you want to read it?" " I believe you." " Miss..." " Truica." "Your father wasn't a special case, he was a rather ordinary patient." "I know all about his illness, I don't need to do an autopsy." "And your students?" "Doesn't it interest them?" "My students?" "Why?" "Couldn't you preserve some organs?" "And preserve them where?" "We lack alcohol, formaldehyde..." "everything." "I've even had to cremate some interesting case studies." "It is not bodies that we lack, but refrigerators." "We don't even have them for meat but let's not get into politics!" "When the power's out, the bodies liquefy and trickle onto the floor." "I don't usually cry." "I'm very tired." "Coffee?" "What about the Institute of Hygiene?" "Why?" "I could give them the skeleton." "What for?" "They could use it as teaching material." "They use plastic ones." " Really?" " Really." " I didn't know." "Well..." " Wait!" "Professor Cerchez please..." "What about a cornea transplant?" " When did he die?" " Three hours ago." "It has to be removed one hour after death." "And no cancer." "Thank you anyhow." "You should incinerate him without a ceremony." "I'd like to accompany him on his final journey." "You'd like to?" "No... what I meant is..." "Don't worry." "I know what you meant." "Can I have your number?" "You could, but I don't have a phone." "Eternal glory to those who died fighting capitalism." "Where were you?" " Why?" " Come on!" "I didn't answer the phone." "You knew I'd call." "That's the point!" "Let's go get a beer." " I'm in a movie..." " Oh?" "A director cast me for a pretty big role." "It's shooting in the mountains." "A historical film." "What d'ya think?" "With Joan of Arc?" "No, with bandits." "I'm meeting the director here at eleven." "I want your opinion." "What's that?" "My father." "Nela, you're great!" "I love you terribly." "Do you love me?" "No, Gelu." "If it changes, I'll let you know." "Nela!" "You could act." "In black and white or color?" "You have an interesting face." "but I have bony legs." "You're wrong." "They're not bony." "Right?" "It's very supple." "Legs are important in a film, but not everything." "Is that so?" "Tell me, how does one make such bombs?" "Is there such a lack of talent?" "Let me be, it's my opinion." "Read this." "It's for you." "You speak of something you know nothing about." "What do you do?" "Psychology..." "Two years in Paris..." "Dad in Moscow, me in Paris..." "At the Institute of Psychology." "Cheers, Dad!" "And if I said that our psychology here was worthless?" "It's true." "Hey, that's my father!" "We took a walk." "Now we're going home." "Honey, I've been appointed to Copsa Mica." "I leave tomorrow at 6 am." "If you want to come only to the station." "Gosh, did he wait for this nomination." "It's my dad..." "I swear!" "He died..." "I had him incinerated today for 300 lei..." "What if I scattered his ashes at sea?" "He'll wait in the fridge until he gets a spot at the Hero's Monument." "Well, see you tomorrow... maybe. bye!" "Well Nela, you little bitch..." "You burn Dad up without telling me." "Don't I have the right to know?" "I'm his daughter too." "Since we were kids, you latched on..." "While he was alive, he was yours, all yours." "And now you still take him, even his ashes." "Go ahead, take it all!" "Do you remember Nela, we used to play with Dad's gun, and he found a bullet inside;" "he slapped me and I got a bloody nose, and he took you in his arms and gave you kisses." "Read this note on the train." "Remember, we used to fight for the window seat, the best seat, the seat that..." "What're you doing?" "I'm waiting." " Get out." " No." " Why not?" " And go where?" "Where?" "On the other train." "We can't go further." "The waters carried away the ballast." "I'm not moving." "I'm taking this train back." "She refuses to get off." "And why does she refuse?" "Is it the rain?" "It's the snakes!" "Take her out!" "Take her luggage down." "She must have filled it with rocks!" "You're lucky!" "It's raining less." "Thank you, sorry to have bothered you." "It doesn't matter." "That's my job." "Duty comes first." "Now what are you gonna do with these bags?" "I'm not going in the water." "I'm afraid of snakes." " What's inside, rocks?" " books and my toothbrush." "Thanks." "I'll keep it for my coffee." "Father Anghel!" "What?" "How bad is the flooding?" "How are you?" "Fine." "Cigarette?" "No, I don't smoke." " What're you gonna do?" " Wait." " Are you crossing?" " Not in the water, I hate snakes." "Do you speak French?" "Just take it for your coffee or instead of it." "Come on..." "Let's cross." "Go on, Father Pamfil!" "bring down this trunk." "Shit!" "Hey you, be careful!" "Use the little bridge, or you fall." "You take the little bridge, wise guy!" "The wood is rotten, I'm going through the water." "He fell!" "What's wrong dummy?" "Did you fall?" "I slipped on a corn cob!" "Goddammit!" "I skinned my knee." "I told him not to go in the water, what an idiot." "The bags fell in." "That's life." " It's soaked." " Who cares!" "What a stallion!" "Careful of the current!" "Look at that!" "Watch out!" "You'll get your balls wet!" "Hey!" "Are you gonna mount us too?" "They're all wenches!" "From the ball bearings factory." "Hey big boy, you're losing your pants!" "Careful!" "I'm coming without them..." "The beast made it out." "Pamfil, where's the other bag?" "I gave it to the fish." "Hey loser, ol' man's gonna beat you!" "Here the old swindler calls, a pan hanging from his balls." "Coming..." "I'll get you yet!" "Hang in there Gaston, you'll get some honey bread my son." "Some well ground wheat you pass, and a good kick right in the ass!" "This bloody swamp!" "Hey daddy!" "See, you did lose your pants!" "You're such an idiot!" "Drink up, alcohol tempers our suffering and gives us hope." "More." " You're an Orthodox priest?" " Yes." " Want to pray?" " I'm atheist." " Does one say that?" " Yes." "When's the train?" "Soon, I hope." "Thanks." "I feel better." "Are you gonna give us something?" "Gypsies aren't ashamed to beg." "That's for me." "He carried you on his back." "Doesn't he deserve something too?" "Hey, morons!" "Over here!" "Hey!" "why don't you come here and kiss my ass..." "What's he trying to say?" "Maybe he's sending us a message." "No message." "He's making fun of us." "You're going to catch pneumonia." "You must change." "Where can I change?" "What do you mean?" "Right here." "Hey girls, come here!" "Come sing The Song of Rumania next to me!" "Are you listening?" "Gather round her, just in case any smart alecs want to take a peek." "Hey!" "You guys, go away!" "Get out of here guys!" "The peep show's for another day!" "Go on!" "Well daddy?" "See this?" "Take him away!" "What're you doing here?" "Get out!" "Hey you guys, there's the train!" "God help us!" "With God's help, I'll find him someday." "Find who?" "My man." "He left a year ago to look for work and never came back." "For someone else." "A Moldavian for sure." "If you find her, have him locked up." "And who'll pay my child support, huh?" "No sir, I want to find that damned Moldavian and... strangle her!" "It's tsuica!" "Of course!" "Not used to it?" "Why be a priest?" "To avoid military service!" "And to lighten their suffering..." "You promise?" "On my honor." "Under Hitler there was a priest who passed himself off as a Jew," " and he died with the Jews." " I know." "Maximilian von Kolbe." "Except he was Catholic." "Do you think..." "Pig!" "Shame on you!" "It's you with the eggs." "Hey!" "Look, you broke my eggs." "His hand was roaming..." "What did I do to you?" "Did I break your arm?" "And you want to die for them, father?" "I'm trying." "Don't move!" "Stay here for heaven's sake!" "Forgive me Lord!" "Put those rings in your bag, you're inviting trouble." "Where are they all gonna go?" "Well, it is the workers' train." "Move or I'll punch ya!" "Why're you beating on us?" "We're disaster victims." "If you're such victims, what're you doin' in the workers' train?" "Go home assholes!" "And you want to save them?" "Especially them!" "Go on, your turn." "Your move!" "Were you at a wedding?" "Some Adventists'." "Sing the Hemorrhage Song." "Little Mary, Make me a tart of golden wheat." "Put it on my stomach." "Take a scarf and wrap it around." "Stop me from hemorrhaging." "Is it far?" "We have arrived." "Do you know people here?" "No one, but I'll manage." "Unfortunately, I can't help you." "My wife gets jealous." "So what?" "She keeps her eyes on me even in church, communion or confession days." "She gives me dirty underwear so that I'm ashamed to undress." "What about divorce?" "It is forbidden for us." "Let's say goodbye now, she'll be waiting for me outside." "Fine with me!" "Goodbye." "Bucharest-Paris through Copsa Mica." "Two-minute stop-over, or else... the rest of her life." "Do you remember Nela this obsession with trains, with train stations..." "Where do we get it from?" "The only thing we have in common..." "From Dad, of course." "He's the one who put his arm on the tracks, isn't it so?" "What else can it be?" " First they ripped your blouse?" " Yes." " Then your skirt?" " Yes." "And your shirt?" "I didn't have a shirt." " You had underwear on?" " Yes." " And you were wearing a bra?" " What bra?" " They threw you down?" " Yes." "And then?" "I kicked one in the face." "Well done." "And then?" "They hit me on the head and I fainted." "And then?" "When I woke up, I saw a man." " From the group?" " No." "All bloody, he fought with them." "Please sign here." "That man from the shack, he told you his name?" "No." " You'd recognize him?" " Yes." "Sign here." "Tomorrow morning go to the doctor and get a medical report certifying the rape." "Here, you still have two more copies to sign." " So..." " I'm hospital bound." "Meet me back here in exactly 24 hours with the medical report." "Go see the assistant director on my behalf." "Butusina, he's my cousin." "Thank you." "Cigarette?" "It's my last one." "A sausage." "After the parade." "I didn't ask when you felt like serving!" "Father Gogu!" "Ask this wench what she wants." "Yes, Miss?" "A sausage." "This early?" "before breakfast?" "Go get a flag, a sign, a picture, like every good patriot, or else push a Party float, and after having cheered as loud as possible, come back, and if there are any left, we'll serve you your sausage." "Fuck off, you scoundrel, aren't you ashamed?" "You're loaded!" "Come over here!" "Militia!" "Come here, or are you all in on the plot?" "Get the hell out of here, I don't need you!" "I'm gonna knock over your entire stand, bastard!" "I'll rip your hair out!" "We starve while you hog yourself!" "You again!" "You should be at the hospital." "You know, I could have you out on the next train." "Listen to me." "What d'ya want from me?" "I ask for a sausage, and get insulted." "Do I kiss her hand, go to prison, or what?" "You're lucky you were raped, otherwise..." "Get in!" "I'll take you to the hospital." "It's bullshit:" "protests, disputes, unrest..." "We're not Hungarian!" "Rumanians are gentle!" "That's right Stelica, throw me out the windshield!" "Ask this idiot for his identity papers!" "Someone just died, that frees up a bed for us..." "A doctor will come and give you the report the police need." "Go on girls, smoke!" "I'll have you all thrown out!" "Get out of this bed." "I was just..." "And if you're not happy about it, leave!" "You've been lounging around here for weeks, like at home!" "It hurts." "We all hurt." "Calm down and shut up!" "I can go on the floor." "Sit down where I told you to." "And I say I'll sit on the floor." "That's my place!" "Didn't you hear the doctor?" "What d'ya want?" " An apple?" " I've got one." "I'm sorry I took your bed, but it won't be for long." "Don't worry about me, I'm fine, no one bothers me." "I was in this bed with an old lady who took three days to die." "What were you doing roaming around with hoodlums out at night?" "I didn't know." "I just got here." "And why didn't you scream or hit them?" "I did, but they hit my head and I fainted." "Recently we had a similar incident, the hairdresser... ben, the hairdresser, had an 18 year old son." "A high school student!" "One day, he was playing craps and he lost: tapes, jeans, his bike, everything he had." ""What can you bet now?"" ""My mother!" "If I lose I'll let you fuck her!"" " And he lost." " Of course!" "believe it?" "It's possible." "And his father killed him and went crazy and his mother swallowed rat poison." "Enough idiotic stories!" "You, loana-Maria, come with me." "I'm Dr. Dimitru Bostan." "Urologist." "I didn't introduce myself." "Last night I was coming back from a patient's." "I yelled, took an iron bar, and they got scared, one ran off, the other two tried to hit me with a bar, but I was faster, I used to box when I was a kid!" "Well, luckily nothing happened to you." "No need to stay here." "Cigarette?" "No. by the way, you can't smoke here." "If you want coffee, I can heat it up." " Without a cigarette..." " That's it." "With all said and done, I'm very grateful to you." "How can I repay you?" "Don't be silly." "You're lucky I was passing by." "Well, thanks for having fought for me." "You were all bloody." "No big deal." "Last week I fought with a butcher right here." "What for?" "He had set his wife on fire... because she had a retarded baby." " I beat him with a pipe." " It happens often?" "Every week." "I calculated." "What're you doing today?" "Nothing, why?" "On Saturdays, I go to the outskirts of town, sleep wherever, and eat whatever." "I get back Sunday evening, refreshed." "Wanna come?" "As long as you buy me some sneakers." "I lost my bags, so I have no shoes." "No need to, we're the same size." "If we respected the European pollution standards, much looser than American ones, we'd have to evacuate the city, and fence it off like a mine field." "They're perfect." "My first pair not to give me blisters." "I'll show you my patients' files." "The percentage of silicosis is inordinate!" "I'm not even counting handicaps, alcoholism, malnutrition..." "all that passes for normal." "No, I mean the others." "There are 23.000 workers, earning over 4.000 lei." "Fresh from the farm they make more than me." "Do you count bribes?" "I don't take them, and I never will." "No, listen, I'm talking about... something that should provoke an international scandal." "My file for Bucharest got held up by Butusina and his Securitate." "Watch out." "For the moment... he wants to lock me up." "What're his chances?" "In theory, he is the law." " Is he really illiterate?" " Completely." "A shell wound promoted this army child to Party district 1st secretary, but when our hero was sent to school for another promotion, they discover he's illiterate." "He can only sign and read capital letters." ""Comrade, how can this be?"" ""It's the bourgeoisie."" ""Fine, but you must take a literacy class."" "The truth comes out:" "the booming cannon and all the explosions had traumatized him." "What is it?" "What's going on?" "You bastards!" "Are you trying to kill us!" "You morons!" "What the hell are you doing here?" "We're taking a walk." "Do you want to be killed, for god's sake!" "behind the hill, we have tanks, the third infantry is in the woods, on the ridge, at point 27, the communications unit." "No one warned you that" " there's no civilian access?" " No." "Did you meet up with the 12th brigade, the soldiers who guard the zone?" "No sir!" "What an asshole Petculescu is!" "We took a short cut." " but Petculescu could've..." " Leave him alone, he didn't notice you." "That's life... do you want coffee?" "Great idea." "Giurumia, go tell the tanks to wait." "Hello?" "Warbler 2?" "This is Warbler 3." "Stay where you are." "You're doing drills, and we bothered you." "How d'ya find us?" "The guys at telecommunications saw you run, and warned us." "What if you hadn't?" "We would've crushed you with a tank or blown you up with a shell." "Hey Giurumia, did you contact the tanks?" "Of course I did." "Look!" "It's beautiful!" "..." "Disneyland." "You killed it." "What was he doing in the firing zone?" "Hey Giurumia, sing us the metro song!" "In the metro station," "Union Passage where the gypsies go to make their dough." "I know you from nursery school." "We lived on the same road in Bucharest." "My name's bebe." "I don't remember." "Your father was a colonel." "He was important, he had a official car." "He died five days ago." "My condolences." "I remember he had one arm." "After that, you moved to the lake district, into a big villa..." "you had pine trees." "Right?" "Mother went to ask him for some foreign medicine..." "He was a good man." "You had a big floral terrace." "You were on the swings, eating strawberries." "I don't remember." "Do not move." "You fool, don't you recognize us?" "Say the password." "Here: "You break my balls!"" "Please excuse me..." "Sit down, have some coffee." "Did you get lost?" "Yes." "Stelica, unit 3?" "I remember..." "Yes, I've got quite a memory." "That's what I wanted to prove to you, and to show you that you haven't changed." "How about putting a drop of cognac in the coffee?" "You recognize him?" "You don't?" "Well, ten minutes ago he was like this!" "Hey, don't be sad." "That's life!" "I've gotta go..." "Don't worry, my buddy will drive you..." "I'm going to sleep." "You break my balls!" "You said you knew my father..." "I'm gonna read you something:" "from the Minister of Health, five months late..." ""Due to lack of hard currency, we regret to inform you that we are unable to order Necrosol, the medicine you requested, from West Germany."" "Signed: illegible." "Do you hear me?" "lL-LE-Gl-bLE!" "Where did you dig him up?" "I saved him from the lab." "Smartest one in the hospital!" "Wake me up in an hour." "I must make my rounds." "I'm not waiting." "He should put his prosthesis on at home." " Yes?" " Dear Doctor..." "What is it?" "You reserved operating room number 2 for tomorrow morning at 8." "Which operation?" "My business." "The director's taking a recycling class." "Good." "While he's gone, I'm in charge here." "I forbid you to operate tomorrow." "Rather, you must postpone it." "Butusina!" "Too bad you're handicapped!" "Why's that?" "because I'd really like to slug you!" "Why don't you want me to operate?" "According to doctors who examined the patient..." "While I was gone, a committee examined Titi?" "Go to hell, all of you!" "They're my patients!" "I don't need lessons from you!" "You bunch of no-good filthy swine!" "Dirty pigs!" "Doctor, my head!" "Oh shut up!" "That's why you get paid!" "Careful!" "If they operate, you can die during anaesthesia." "If they don't operate, you die of asphyxia." "Dr. Titi, please step into my office." "I'm sorry to disturb you." "It was a free consultation anyway." "What's up Doc?" "Tonight, I want to operate on you." "Why tonight?" "First, I'm on call." "Second, I operate better at night." "Third, that idiot Butusina forbade me to operate on you, so I'll do it while he's away." "If not, I'll break his face." "Have Suzi wash you and then take two sleeping pills." "Think it over." "Listen wench, you come here and act as if you own the place, you get jumped by every punk in town, now you take my man!" "Talking to me?" "Who else?" "And what if I kicked you out on your ass?" "Try it... bitch..." " Suzi!" " Yes Doctor." "You touch her, I kill you." "Got it?" "Yes Doctor." "I'll have you thrown out of here for good." "I'm serious." "Yes Doctor." "Forgive me!" " You'll help me operate tonight?" " Yes." "be here at one." "The exit's over there." "Scared?" "It was bound to happen." " She's crazy!" " Schizo?" "Nympho, compulsive liar." "but she's the best nurse!" "Only once a week, she needs a slap." "That way she's scared of me." "but also loves me." "Come here..." "Last week, a woman jumped from the eighth floor." "I've never done this operation." "You scared?" "I remove his bladder and make another from a bit of intestine." "Cancer?" " Hard?" " Yes, but I'll manage." "I can do better than my old prof in Bucharest." "You eat fast!" "It's nerves..." "I'm impatient." "The patient is such a great guy." "He's been here for 4 years." "I love him." "Do I operate or not?" "Ask him about it." "It's his decision." "I'm going to school." "Pray for me." "What do you want to do with them?" "I've told you." "A behavioral study." "I want to show the special vocations that one can cultivate through intellectual training, at a tender age." "How tender?" "These gifted children should receive a privileged education." " That means an elite?" " If you will." "On what basis does one consider them gifted?" "What do you mean by an elite?" "The ones who jumped her!" "C'mon girls, that's enough!" "Why don't you at least tell us about the rape?" "Go on, tell us!" "C'mon!" "Tell us about the rape!" "Titi, what's it like over there?" "You barely made it back..." "your pressure..." "I always had low blood pressure." "I'm vegetarian." " Do you have the notebook?" " No, I forgot it." "Go get it immediately!" "What'll I do with you Titi?" "Butusina'll kill me..." "Doctor, you know why I can't die?" "I have something important to do here, and I can't leave before." "It's in the blue book, everything is explained in there." "What is it, Titi?" "I don't have time to explain." "Go get it now." "Don't worry, I've got it." "How do you feel?" "You're being paged." "I have no time." "They're not looking for me." "but for this!" "It's all that's left of Titi." "They came for you." " Who?" " A man." "Who was it?" "He waved a Securitate badge in front of my nose." "What do you suppose is in here?" "I've gotta go." "Where?" "My super kids!" "Look over here!" "Your turn, Dudu." "Dudu, I haven't taken your picture yet." "Come back!" "What do you want to be?" "A writer." "Not enough to want, you must be talented." "but I am..." "Do you write?" "I wrote 22 poems with rhyme and 10 without." "And also my memoirs." "You're joking!" "Memoirs are for later." "Not for me." "I described my father's and mother's lives, what happened to me in Paris..." "You were in Paris?" "What do your parents do?" "My father is a turner and my mother is..." " Your mother..." " is a housewife." "You hesitated?" "I meant that she's also a princess." "What?" "Yes, initially she was a princess." "Her ancestors were princes, one of them reigned for four and a half months." "So you have noble origins?" "but Dad's a gypsy." "When lands were divided, he had to arrest her." "She wanted to hang herself, he saved her, fell in love, left the Party, married her..." "Wait Dudu, I'm lost!" "Did you read this?" "Yes... in my memoirs." "To top it off, these three-bit tales are all true." "Listen to what Titi wrote." "He wanted to be the prophet of a new religion, the founder of a new moral order." "What?" "Once he was better, he wanted to go to his home in the country to found a school for officials." "You're joking." "No, I'm not." "That's what he wrote." "I swear." "He wanted to seriously train about a dozen disciples, after which he wanted them to spread his ideas." "Just like Jesus did." "Exactly!" "In other words, he hoped..." "Your Titi was quite a dreamer." "You had to operate?" "It was the only hope." "Look, he's an idiot, but he's the school inspector's nephew." "We couldn't have class unless he enrolled." "Listen to your Titi." "Why is he "my" Titi?" ""The apostles would all be young and receive a Spartan education:" "reveille at 4 in the morning, then gymnastics until six o'clock, jogging, chopping wood, cutting hay, and so on." "Thirty minute meals in total silence, vegetarian food, possibly some cheese and some milk." "Then, classes until noon."" "Well, well Titi." ""bedtime, at 9 o'clock, after a walk and a collective chant of our hymn "Wake-up Rumanian", and of the oath taken for their entrance into the world." "They'd contact the Adventists and Transcendentalists..."" "Nela, d'ya hear this!" "An Adventist's son." "He's a math genius, but he has lice." "I'll go see him." "To hell with this mystic!" "Who is it?" "It's me, Doctor, Ms. Gica." "What is it?" "There's someone who wants to see you." "I'm naked." "He can come back tomorrow." "It's the man from before." "Talk to him." "I know what he wants:" "Titi's notebook." "They saw me take it." "May I come in?" "You may not." "Please wait until I put my pants on." "Titi preached to patients." "He was being followed for a while." "He was crazy about politics." "You don't know how much I miss him." "He was a gem." "Who is it?" "The good guys." "In that case, come on in." "No names." "I know who you are." " How?" " I'm a clever boy." "It's about the patient's notebook." "You see?" "He entrusted me with it, I was just reading it to my friend." "There's no danger, only naive and utopian ideas." "Yes, but if they spread, who knows..." "No risk of that." "Here's what I propose:" "I'll finish it and bring it to you tomorrow morning, on one condition, you give me back the original." "Otherwise..." "I will submit your request to my superiors." "How should we proceed?" "I'll leave it with the hospital guardian." "I want it from you in person." "See you tomorrow at 3 p.m." "Perfect." "Excuse me." "Good evening." "Good bye." "Good evening." "There's a note." "It's Titi's last wish:" "to be buried religiously in his village." "He knew he'd die..." "Oh that Titi!" "Move let the doctor through!" "Comrade Director Butusina is waiting for you now." "He said that?" "You tell him to kiss my...!" "These are birca Constantin's relatives." "That is, Titi's." "He told me he had none." "We are his only relatives, and we've come to bury him." "You're on his...?" "His mother's side." "Cousins?" "Grandparents?" "Cousins." "Are you first cousins?" "No, but we're cousins." "You never visited him?" " Yes we did." " When?" "I have never seen you here before." "We seldom came, we have kids and a farm." "Go next door, my secretary will give you the paperwork needed, and then come back." "Mitica, we decided that this case wouldn't be operated on!" "The committee and the head surgeon also agreed." "I was obliged to inform the patient's relatives that he was operated on without his consent." "Forced by whom?" "Who forced you, Butusina?" "It's not your conscience." "That's taking your bullshit too far." "Calm down." "Go to hell, goddammit!" "You have the papers?" "How do we transport him without a car?" "I'll call the funeral parlor." "How much?" "I'll take care of it." "The coffin too." "Are a coffin and transport fees a fair exchange for a man's life?" "I don't think so!" "And how much do you think?" "Hundred thousand and we're even." "Take it, it's all I have left." "In instalments..." "You know what?" "Get out of here!" "Get out!" "Why?" "Just leave!" "Get the hell out or I'll punch you, assholes!" "Where are you - doing your nails?" "Suzi, bring me a candle." "Titi look who's here!" "The prosecutor wants to see you." "He can wait!" " Comrade Doctor, you..." " He can wait in the hall!" "Excuse me!" "Suzi, guard this with your life!" "They won't find it here." " Comrade Doctor..." " I'm listening." "You have committed an unthinkable act." "Your blows have disfigured a man." "You can no longer practice medicine." "At best, you are a punk or a hooligan." "One moment please!" "If you're calling me a hooligan," "I'd just as soon deserve it." "You are finished Comrade!" "What a disgrace!" "You got a cigarette?" "Hold on!" "What's it to you?" "It's my suitcase." "What next?" "The photos?" "They're mine." "You're crazy!" "They have a search warrant." "They showed it to me." "Madam..." "He was arrested." " When?" " An hour ago." " Suzi came and told me." " Why?" "I don't know." "They took him away in a blue van." "Seems he beat up one of them." " You know what else?" " What?" "They killed his dog, the one for his experiments." "They poisoned it!" " lmpossible." " Why?" "Subject of inquiry." "While under investigation or on trial, he can't have visitors." " Even his lawyer?" " His lawyer can." "It depends..." "Tell him I'll sit on the sidewalk and stay as long as it takes until I'm let in." "With a sign around my neck!" "No loitering!" "The militia also controls the sidewalk?" "What's going on?" "Move it!" "Faster!" "You'll be sorry!" "That's enough!" "Move it!" "Comrades... do you hear?" "Enough!" "Are you deaf?" "Turn around!" "Turn towards me!" "Turn like that!" "Had enough?" "Go on, take a hike!" "Go away, bitch!" "Get out of here!" "If you start up again, I'll throw you to the dogs!" "Hello, Miss fuck-everything?" "The Queen of Whores..." "How'd you like me to put my pickle in your pussy?" "You wanted to see me?" "Only for 15 minutes." "With pleasure." "Can I invite you for a beer?" "I'm thirsty!" "Thank you, but do you think we can still get a beer at this hour?" "In theory no. but for us, surely." "And maybe even a sardine or two." "Have we met before?" "So, where did we meet?" "I'm not telling, guess." "I always thought, though I may now change my mind, that prosecutors were the meanest, most inhuman of all civil servants." "Why is that?" "because you give the heaviest sentences." "That's not true." "It's out of professional obligation, but we never break the law." "Even the man you executed for a ton of meat?" "He wasn't sentenced for stealing, but for sabotage against the state." "Let's go to my place." "Too drunk for your wife." "For my mother-in-law!" "Go on, take a shower." "Why that scar?" "Like in the movies, I fell in a ravine with a girl." "I let her drive and we almost died." "You know how they saved us?" "They had to blow torch us out!" "That's life." "I'm going to shower." "Listen..." " What's that for?" " I just wanted a souvenir." "Who are you?" "You said you knew me!" "Why the photos?" "I told you, I wanted a souvenir." "I need to call." "I don't have a phone." " You wouldn't..." " Stop!" "Either I slap you or I wake the neighbors." "What do you want?" "Well then." "I'm Dr. Bostan's wife - you arrested him yesterday." "Know why?" "because he kicked you in the ass." "I agree that's bad." "but if you were a real man, you'd have hit him back." "Instead, like a lout, you arrested him." "What now?" "To the Party, the head prosecutor, the Central Committee and, you got it," "to your wife!" "In exchange?" "Withdraw your complaint and free my husband." "Give me my clothes, it's late." "Need some help?" "I want an answer in two days, no later." "Well?" "I can't do anything." "Why?" "The whole town knows about his case:" "the chief prosecutor, the Secretary..." "Butusina told me he wants to destroy him." "I can't do anything." "I beg you to believe me." "I can't retract it now." "I can only smooth things out at the trial, and ask the chief prosecutor to go easy." "So you can't get him out?" " What'll he get?" " A year and a half..." "Go!" "No, it's my treat!" "I'm leaving." "but one thing..." "Send the photos to the Party, the C.C., the Securitate, to whomever, Gorbachev, the U.N., but not my wife!" "You scared?" "Yes." "She would make my life miserable." "In a year, I'd be suicidal." "I kept one... to show to Mitica." "He has a great sense of humor." "Then I'll rip it up." "believe me?" "Well my kitten, the wicked mouse finally found you." "What's his name?" "Mitica?" "Give him a kiss from me when you see him in prison!" "Up yours, bitch!" "Is that so, my kitten?" "The Comrade Colonel wishes to see you." "Tell him to kiss my ass!" "If you weren't a doctor you'd get it for that!" "Get what, Marinica?" "A serious beating." "Let's go now that I'm awake, let's see why he dares to wake me." "Have you ever been called a son-of-a-bitch?" "Son-of-a-bitch?" "Not since I was a kid." "Well, for me the first time was at 7:15 this morning." "Why?" "because of you." "Who?" "The 1st Secretary." "Drop it." "Why did he insult you?" "Wait, I'll tell you." "You operated on a woman tonight?" " For what?" " Perforated ulcer." "You know who that was?" "The 1st Secretary's wife." "So?" "He asked who the best surgeon was." "We told him it was you." "And he decided you'd operate." "but no one told him you were in prison." "Go on." "Afterwards he wanted to thank you." "That's when he learned you were only let out of prison for the operation." "He calls in the prosecutor, and says to us:" ""So this is how you treat a doctor of his stature, instead of thanking him because he is here and not in Bucharest!" "All this because he kicked a worthless prosecutor, a rotten scoundrel whom we should have fired long ago." "This is who you lock up, idiots?"" "And then?" "The prosecutor appealed the case, two hours ago you were retried while you were sleeping and you were acquitted." "Try and say there's no democracy here!" "What do you want?" "My thanks for not making me clean the toilets?" "Fine, drop it." "Do you have bags downstairs?" "Marin!" "Go get the doctor's bags, you idiot!" "Go on, hurry up!" "I take it out on whom I can." "He then takes it out on the prisoners, and so on." "There is no "and so on"" "since the prisoners have no one to take it out on." "They're the bottom rung." "You're wrong Doctor." "A hierarchy exists, even among them." "Two months ago, for example:" "two thugs screwed all the kids in one cell after roughing them up." "One of them was handicapped, he's in a coma!" "Freedom!" "Tell your superiors that the reason for my release is a disgrace!" "Good evening!" " Let me be!" " Why?" " It tickles me." " You nervous?" "We've never kissed, even though we've lived together for..." "For 7 days, 5 of which I was in prison." "So?" "Nothing." "I'm stating." "What do you want a ring?" "You know how much a coffin costs?" "Let's go." "Where?" "To get Titi from the morgue and bury him." "Did you forget his last wish?" "That's why I left the caves of lnquisition." "Titi, do you remember when you asked me to marry you, one night when I was on call, and I said:" ""Yes."" "And then we kissed like crazy all night long, in the morning I saw your chart..." "You're the greatest, bless you, and how about lending me 800 lei?" "Okay Doctor." "Titi, I'm taking you home." "That Titi!" "Look at that car following us." ""Falling in love with a woman is the final downfall of man, it is the vilification of his dignity."" "You see Nela, our Titi had read some Kierkegaard." "That's it, Kierkegaard!" "Do you morons know what Titi was reading?" "Kierkegaard." "Titi didn't know that he later fell in love, and committed suicide." "Poor Titi!" "Look at them tailing our asses." "The other kids make fun of my superkids, spit on them, trip them, don't let them join in soccer games at recess." "Today they hit Dudu in the head with a brick." "I lost my shit and hosed them down." "You do learn things from the militia!" "The idiots are still doing drills." "What's going on?" "Did you hear?" "I know you've been following us." "I'm taking Titi to the cemetery." "You're on a mission." "This idiot is stuck, why not help me put the coffin on your luggage rack so we can arrive by nightfall." "O.K., let's go!" "Can I ask you a question?" "Please." "If you're on a mission, why do you have a luggage rack?" "Doctor, of course we're on a mission, but in the country, one finds things... a bag of potatoes, some grapes, some plums..." "Look at our men!" "This is Radio Free Europe... lsn't our country beautiful?" "Want the priest to bury him?" "As you like." "Why not?" "He sings well and the people like him." "What people?" "At this hour?" "I'll ring the bell." "They'll come, there's a Korean film on TV." "A crowd in no time!" "Wait, let me ring the bells!" "You see Doctor, they're flocking in." "There's the priest on horse." "Get out of my way!" "What a man:" "he smokes, drinks, fishes, hunts, and finds time to bop the secretary!" "Hear his voice?" "He'll be singing ballads, drinking songs!" ""Open up the grave, digger", "Magdalena"... 2nd prize for "Songs of Rumania"." "He should have won!" "There's a spread at his home after this." "It seems his brain is sclerosed, so it stopped growing." "How old is he?" "Five." "How long does he have?" "Maximum of 20 years." "Woe is me!" "What a tragedy!" "Some Americans had wanted to study his case, but my husband, the priest, wanted to be paid in hard currency." "Now he wants us to starve him to death, but I can't bear it." "When I give him food, he laughs, he's happy." "How can I not feed him?" "If you get drunk and start to sing, shut the windows or the whole village'll hear you bray like a mule!" "If they talk politics, don't say yes or no. be ambiguous!" "Go take care of the soup!" "The Lord himself would drink!" "He'd drink, but there's not much left." "Doctor, something a bit stronger?" "You're doing fine..." "For now, I can't complain!" "A sly people:" "Rumanians cry that we've nothing, yet always manage." "Like my father said:" ""Everything works out!"" "As long as we have peasants, this country'll get by!" "but what happens after?" "Oh, but that's politics!" "No, it's not politics." "Listen to me." "There are only women left on the farms, the men all go into the city, but not for industry." "The majority, 90%, are day and night watchmen, in other words, we are the village, if not the country, with highest unemployment in Europe." "Drop it." "Enough of politics!" "So that's the Rumanian peasant, creator of "Mioritza", backbone of the country?" "Go to hell, fools!" "I'll prove you're wrong, you fool!" "Listen." "Father, you say that we no longer have peasantry." "You're wrong!" "What would we do with them if there were more?" "They'd sit in the pub all day long, remodeling the world." "An excess work force." "bravo!" "You see no harm in putting the soldiers out to harvest?" "Leave me be!" "The students, their professors..." "You got it!" "Let me speak!" "The State benefits, and it teaches them that they must work for their daily bread." "I think it's an honor!" "I've never heard that one before!" "Never?" "Let me be!" "Go to hell with your politics!" "And whose fault is it?" "Americans!" "American pigs!" "They want to submit the whole world to their dollars and profits!" "They'll be in deep shit since no one will pay off their debts." "If everyone told the Americans to fuck off, they'd be flabbergasted." "You heard it here first, Doctor, and it's not over; you too, Father." "No one's more stupid than an American." "Doctor, were you born in the country?" "Peasant or intellectual?" "Peasant." "And how do you find today's peasantry?" "I can tell you about city people," "I haven't lived in the country since I was 10." "You all know full well that these men are from the Securitate." "Their mission?" "We're the only ones who know that, and we have no intention of telling you." "Right?" "See the luggage rack on their car?" "Well, they put it there so that they could bring back some grapes, some potatoes, a bit of wine, who knows, whatever they find!" "On the way here: they're James bond, the way back:" "they're a fruit and veggie store!" "There you have it: today's Rumanian citizen, and I refer here to the most privileged, a Securitate member." "Doctor, you're clever!" "Let's toast!" "It's not my style." "Father, sing or I swear I'll close down your church." "I'll close it due to an epidemic, so you'll be unemployed, off to the fields!" "Any requests?" "The traditional repertory," ""Magdalena"." "I'll shut the windows." "To hell with your followers!" "I'll arrest them!" "Go to hell!" "Assholes!" "bastards!" "Sons of bitches!" "Orthodoxy, to work!" "Hey, you're going to wake up the children!" "Have you gone mad?" "Warbler 2, this is Warbler 3!" "Answer me!" "Up yours, swine!" "It's one of our parachutists, blown over from the drills!" "He messed up my greenhouse." "He fell on my greenhouse!" "He destroyed my cauliflowers!" "Long live the Rumanian army!" "And the celery... and the cauliflower, and cabbage, everything!" "Damn batteries!" "If only hell were like this evening!" "Look what he's done!" "Long live the Rumanian army and the head commander!" "It's fine, we'll make another one!" "Long live the Rumanian army!" "Go to hell all of you!" "The pyramids are shit!" "The Semiramis Gardens are shit!" "The Colossus at Rhodes is shit!" "The Rumanian woman - mother and mistress, with her eyes, her lips, her breasts - is the wonder of the world!" "It was bound to crumble." "We defended our churches, our chest a shield against the Turks." "We were the shield of Europe!" "Meanwhile they were calmly building their cathedrals!" "To hell with their cathedrals!" "It wasn't the Turks who sent the mortar for the church." "It's the Turks who sent it?" "What mortar?" "Titi, I leave you in good hands." "To hell with the priest, his rabbit and his duck!" "Poor people eat less, but they live longer." "Yes, Comrade Secretary." "No, I'm a morning person." "We buried him." "Come on, let me undress you, silly." "It's obvious alcohol isn't your thing." "Next Sunday..." "I'm free." "I don't have a car, I've a bulgarian bike." "Others do?" "Well good for them!" "I'm thrilled." "See you Sunday." "The 1st Secretary invited us to lunch on Sunday to his hunting chalet." "You accepted?" "So that you can relive your golden past..." "Listen Mitica, don't fall in love with me." "You'll live to regret it!" "Lift up your legs." "Where's the notebook?" "I lost it." "Here it is!" "What an idiot I am!" "I'm sorry to disturb you..." "I like mornings." "before knocking, I heard that you were awake." "Dear Madam, please accept these flowers." "Thank you." "My dear, did you notice what a gallant colleague I have?" "My colleague will give you a letter with these flowers" "You'll receive the same letter at school." "So that you'll never say you didn't know about Mom's health." "Now you know." "And if you want to see her one last time, hurry and come to Bucharest." "Marcela, your wicked little mouse." "While you're at it, ask Mom" " it would be a shame for you not to know " ""Mother why did father put his arm on the tracks?"" "You return?" "The day after tomorrow." "Want me to call?" "No, don't worry." "Ciao!" "Will you pick me up or is that... too good to be true?" "Why did you leave Dad?" "You knew full well he had cancer." "To punish him." "What did he do to you?" "Why open old wounds?" "I want to know." "When in 1958, after ten years of marriage, he was being considered for a very important post in the Securitate, he was asked whether I was Jewish." "And so?" "For months he terrorized me, waking me up at all hours to question me." "You had just been born, and I was nursing you." ""Speak!" "Tell the truth!"" "He began digging up my family tree, and found an ancestor of botosani called Meltzer." "I told him she wasn't Jewish, but Austrian but he was convinced I was lying." "He threatened to kill me." "He always had a gun on his night table." "So you swore vengeance?" "but I had to wait until you both grew up." "Why did he put his arm on the tracks?" "Out of fear!" "He was petrified." "When he received his draft order, he shit in his pants, he got drunk and put his arm on the tracks at the station." "And you must know one more thing:" "back when he was underground he was no hero." "His strong point was he knew how to take cover." "That's all." "Do you want to know what they did at their meetings in the attic?" "Drop it, Mom." "but don't you want to know what they did up there at their meetings?" "Why don't you want to know?" "Mom, it just doesn't matter." "Let's go inside, it's getting cold." "What is it?" "My father." "Since I couldn't donate his cornea to humanity, let's grant him his last wish:" "that his ashes rest under an oak tree." "You know," "Dad was a big patriot." "I know of a superb one." "We'll go tomorrow." "In the aquarium, the pike frightens the fish." "They want to get out, but the pike watches over them." "If one dares to escape the pike, "crack", he eats it!" "Crack!" "They took my Dudu." "Crack!" "And the Adventist." "Crack!" "Enter the ranks!" "Enter the ranks!" "Rest in peace!" "Good father, tyrannical father, cowardly father, dear, dear father." "Rest in peace!" "Surrender!" "Surrender!" "You're surrounded!" "You have ten seconds then we fire!" "Watch out." "Hands behind your head!" "Hold your weapons up!" "Surrender!" "You're surrounded!" "In ten seconds we fire!" "These children are hostages." "Doctor, I think that our luncheon scheduled for today is cancelled." " I think so too." " That's her!" "Let me introduce the First..." "I'm sure it's her." "I was telling your husband that our lunch this afternoon..." "Securitate bastards, fuckin' goddam shitheads!" "Pigs!" "Dirty pigs!" "Let me speak to them!" "You freed the big bosses, the trash of your fuckin' Securitate." "And you want us to pay for your failures!" "The clever ones in the sun and us in a hole, huh?" "You want us to pick up the tab, assholes!" "Give us the plane and we'll leave or else we die with the kids." "We'll go see the good Lord with them, since we're innocent too!" "Hey bastards!" "Surrender!" "Surrender!" "Drop your weapons, hands behind your head!" "Come out one by one!" "Come on you guys, surrender!" "Surrender!" "You 're surrounded, you won't escape!" "Only 1 0 seconds left!" "I'll pass him to you." "We're going to fire!" "Surrender!" "Shut up!" "Take the megaphone away from him!" "I understand!" "I understand!" "They're children, Comrade Secretary General." "Allow me to say perhaps I was not clear, they are only six to nine year old kids!" "Understood, at your command." "Hey, soldiers, hey guys don't shoot!" "Listen to me!" "Tell your commander to come here and talk to us, or we blow up the bus." "Stay back, over there, stay back!" "Don't shoot!" "Don't shoot!" "It is her!" "Don't shoot!" "Get down, you fool!" "Stay back or I'll shoot!" "Calm down." "Calm down." " I want to tell you something." " Go ahead." "I want to have your child." "I wonder what kind of kid we'd have." "We could only have an idiot or a genius." "Obviously, if it's normal, I'll kill it with my own hands."