"The Greek Fllm Centre, Vassllls Stathoullas... and Ellas Yannakakls present a ﬂlm by Ellas Yannakakls" "ALE MAYA" "You're getting hairs on my dress." "Don't worry." "You know I always remove them." "You're very pretty today." "You'll be a queen one day." "You were with Ioanna until now?" "Yes, we were talking and lost track of time and..." "And you didn't think of me waiting?" "Our guests?" "It ls New Year's Eve." "1960 AD DIS ABEBA, EIT-IIOPIA" "Your presence does me great honor, Minister." "The honor ls mine." "Thls way." " You know my wife." " Welcome to our house." "And this ls our birthday girl, my daughter." "Very pleased to meet you." "My best wishes." "You're glowing." "You know that?" " I'm glowing In the dark?" " Yes." "I haven't seen you before." "I live further south In Harar." "Thls ls my first visit to your house." "I've never been to Harar." "You must come." "Hello." "Good morning, Isabella." "I Imagined you'd be home at this hour and..." "Who's calling, please?" "It's Dimitris." "I'm not working on Saturday." "Would you like to go for a stroll In the bazaar?" "Yes, but..." "My father won't let me go alone." "You're not a close acquaintance." "He is acquainted with my family." "Yes, but..." "I'd very much like to meet you." "I'm sorry but I must hang up now." "When may I call you again?" "My brother's coming from London next Sunday." "We're all going to the club at night." "Come there." "Today I am happy for two reasons." "Hrs!" "because one of our own, a true giant..." "achieved the impossible." "The Marathon runner Abebe Blkllla won the gold medal... at the Olympic Games In Rome and what's more ran barefoot." "We couldn't be more proud of him than If he were Greek." "The second reason I am happy ls due to the fact... that after almost a year I have my son with me again." "I drink to their health!" "And to my daughter's happiness." "Harry, welcome." "Welcome, son, welcome." "Dld you see who's sitting at table with Isabella?" "Yes, I did." "I've never seen him before." "I thlnk he's from somewhere In the south." "My father had the bakery next to the Jewish restaurant." "It's a drycleaners' now." "He left Greece when he was 16... and worked there for many years before he managed to buy It." " So you remember the bakery?" " That's where I grew up." "And after that?" "After that I ﬂnlshed school here, then I got a job... working for an Armenian who had a fuel business In Harar." "That's why I had to leave here." "Now I've taken over the business." "I come to Addls Abeba quite often." "Are you thinking of staying In Harar for good?" "What do you plan to do?" "I?" "I don't know." "Anyway I'm never leaving here." "Isabella, I'm serious." "There are many who dream of a marriage with you... from the finest families In Addls Abeba." "They will start coming to call on us... and I'd like you to choose from among them." "You used to say you'd let me pursue my studies If I wanted." "Why not let me go to Athens, to the School of Flne Arts?" "The School of Flne Arts?" "You're grown up now." "You know that?" "As disagreeable as that may be." "Anyway." "You'll go to Athens either with me... or with the man you marry." "I don't know who's putting these Ideas In your head." "Either way you'll marry someone worthy of you... not the baker's son." "Why do you say that?" "Do you really believe I don't know what's going on?" "Everyone In Addls Abeba ls gossiping about you... about the things you do and about me!" "I haven't done anything." "I have nothing to do with all the things they're saying." "In any case... tomorrow we'll start getting callers." "Serious gentlemen." "You may choose whomever you like." "I couldn't walt any longer." "I had to see you." "That's why I gave you the note." "I didn't want to upset you." "I want us to meet." "When I speak to you you'll understand." "I want us to have a talk." "It's not very often you ask that of me." "It's about Isabella." "We've become a spectacle In the community." "Enough." "Why all this concern with Isabella?" "She's my daughter." "And you've decided about her life as well?" "How can you do that?" "Decide about other people's lives?" "I see you've begun to assert your views most strenuously." "At any rate..." "What's Important Is that the time has come to settle this." "And I don't like what's been going on lately In the least." "Slnce you want to marry her off, at least let her choose." "Thls man seems really Interested." "He loves her!" "I remember his father whining to me about losing the bakery." "I saved him then." "Dld you ask her what she wants?" "She's too young to make such a decision... about her future." "I don't intend to jeopardize her happiness." "That's why see that you talk some sense Into her." " Thank you for coming down." " I have something to tell you." "I see you..." "I don't know how to say It..." "I see you only as a friend." "You mean you don't feel the same way I do." "I understand." "My father's preparing to marry me off." "And what are you going to do?" "I don't want to get married..." "to anyone!" "I don't know how things turned out this way." "Everyone's talking as If there's something between us..." "and that's not true!" " Are you sure It's not true?" "When we met I felt I'd known you for years." "I couldn't imagine that you also..." "I don't share your feelings." "Don't you understand?" "If you must someone your father will Impose upon you..." "I propose you follow me." "I won't lay a hand on you If you don't want me to." "Even If he cuts you off without a cent, I'll provide for you... forever even If you never see me again." "You have my word." " What's that you're holding?" " A sketch I just ﬂnlshed." " Why did you bring It?" " I don't know." "May I see It?" "What ls It?" "A lake?" "It looks like Lake Alemaya In my neck of the woods." "I'll keep It as a pledge that you'll come with me." "In a week I'll have gotten the permits." "I'll wait for you at Alemaya." "A close friend of mine will drive you there." "We'll get married." "Don't worry about your family." "When we're married they'll accept It." "Even your father." " I can't leave my father." " I'll call you In a week." "Remember everything I said." "Hello." "Isabella." "Everything's set." "Sotlrls Ptolemeos ls coming to pick you up In his car at 10." "You can trust him completely." "Do you hear me?" "Yes." "I've taken care of everything." "Don't take anything with you... so as not to arouse their suspicions." "Isabella, do you hear me?" "What's wrong?" "Pack your things." "Tomorrow you leave for Athens." "You'll never see Ethiopia again." "ATHENS A FEW DAYS LATER" "He said the wedding will take place In one month." "He also said that he will transfer ownership... of this house to you so that you can live here." "He says you can't come back to Ethiopia after what's happened." "I can't believe you'll be living so far from me." "Are you sure you've made the right choice?" "Thls man seems dlfﬂcult and harsh, like your father." "He was the only young man available." "And you'll marry him because he's young?" " Yes." " But you don't love him!" "What does it matter?" "Dld you love Daddy?" "Dld you ever think how you found yourself from France..." "marrying someone In Africa?" " Those were different times." "Do you forget that he had you locked up for three years... before presenting you to the community." "It's from Dimitris." "Open It." "He's leaving Ethiopia." "He sold everything and he's going to Canada." "Isabella... he writes here that he's leaving you his entire fortune." "He's also sent a copy of his will." "Thls cigarette case... he's had your name inscribed on It... as a memento..." "ISABE ILA ALE MAYA of the day you were to get married." "I'll write him a letter." "I'll thank him." "And I'll send everything back to him." "If you want me to, I can take care of everything." "We're In Greece, here, far from you father." "Don't go on." "THIRTY-FIVE YEARS LATER" "ONE YEAR LATER" "They gave me something for you." " For me?" " That Dimitris Papayannls..." "Remember that affair you had with him then..." "He asked me to give you this letter." "He's In town for a while..." "at the Intercontinental." "He left It at the front desk for me." " He's going to call you." " You gave him my phone number?" "How dare you?" "Who gave you the right?" "I didn't think you'd mind." "Besides, It's all water under the bridge." "The man's extremely polite and appears very successful." "I didn't see him." "We spoke on the phone." "He's got a refrigerator business In Canada and..." "What's that you're saying?" "Listen!" "I thought It's something you'd want." "Besides, you're a widow now." "So... see you tomorrow." "After so many years I preferred not to call you directly." "I heard about your husband's untimely death." "It must have caused you great grief." "All these years I always had news of you." "I know that thank goodness you have two sons." "I don't want to create any problem for you." "All I want ls to meet you." "I'm off." "Hello." "Isabella..." "Who are you calling?" "I imagine Harry gave you my letter and..." "You have the wrong number." "Isabella, don't you know who I am?" "I told you, Slr, there's no such person at this number." "All I want ls to talk to you, to see you for a while... for an hour." "What's up?" "Who was that?" "Nothing." "A rather persistent gentleman." " Whom was he calling?" " A woman..." "I don't know..." "He had the wrong number." "Come In." "I was waiting up for you." "I couldn't sleep." " You're soaked." " I'm OK." " What's the matter?" " What's the matter?" "What's tormenting you?" "What's wrong?" "If you don't talk to me with whom will you talk It over?" "You'd better go to bed, why don't you?" "Is the problem with Katerina?" "She's pressuring you to live together." "Why don't you answer?" "What ls It?" "When you're this way you look like an old man." "That's the way I look too." "You mean I'm like you." "What do you mean?" "I thlnk It's awful that a man like you... should be so dependent on his feelings." "Yes, It really ls awful." "What's the problem?" "That you live at home with us?" "Very well then." "Get up and go." "But I don't think that's the solution." "If something happened to you I don't know what I'd do." "What could happen to me?" "How will you manage with the expenses?" "I don't know yet." "What will you do?" "WIII you get a loan?" "I might." "All these years you never asked how we made ends meet." "I couldn't bring him to just any hospital." "He must feel the way he did In the old days." "I couldn't make him feel degraded." "Is he aware of the ﬂnanclal situation?" "After the stroke his mind tends to wander." "He thinks we have lots of money In the bank." "But even before the stroke... sometimes he acted as though we were filthy rich." "Why have you never told him the truth?" "Would you?" "Have you ever thought what will become of me..." "If something happens to Dad?" "I don't want to die." "Didn't you always say you'd live to be 120?" "Don't you remember?" "Do you remember you'd take me to buy you clothes?" "You were 15-16 years old..." "We'd go around for hours until you picked what you wanted... what you had your mind set on." "That country was paradise." "I never imagined I'd ever leave there." "That's where I wanted to die." "Here I was always like a stranger." "Why dredge up all those memories now?" "I know your marriage was not a happy one." "Even though you never said anything." "Perhaps I wasn't a good husband to your mother either." "But things were different then." "Dlfﬂcult..." "She never forgave me for packing you off to Athens." "Your mother was beautiful." "But I..." "You know... before... before your mother... there was another woman..." "She had two children from a previous marriage..." "Her husband had left her." "She was a wonderful woman." "You loved her?" "I loved her." "Why did you break up?" "That's the way she wanted It." "I didn't want to leave her." "She believed I should marry a white woman... that no one would condone such a relationship." "And you never saw her again?" "NO." "But I always sent her money..." "until she died." "I'll come by again tomorrow morning." "It's freezing cold In here." "Is that grandfather's rlﬂe?" "Does this thing work?" "I don't know." "The plaster casts you make." "Is that me?" "Grandfather." "Harry." "Mother." "Grandfather's buffalo." "So It was you who took It!" "He was really attached to It." "If he saw what you did to It!" "He lost so much the last thing on his mind was the buffalo!" "So..." "Talk to me!" " There's someone." " Someone." "What?" "A woman?" "A man!" "No, a doo!" "Do I know her?" "Is she pretty?" " What's her name?" " Soﬂa." "Sofia..." "Sofoula..." "Rlght." "And?" " We're going to live together." " What?" "Are you mad?" " I'm negotiating work." " What work?" "Selling bananas?" "No, man." "A permanent, regular job." "Selling bananas permanently." "Well I'm not staying here any more." "I've heard that before." "TWO YEARS LATER" "When did you speak to Costas?" "Yesterday afternoon." "Why?" "I keep calling him but there's no answer." "He said he'd be there waiting for the wedding invitations." "So?" "He might have been held up somewhere." "What's the problem?" "He didn't sound very well when we spoke yesterday." "Hello." "Where were you?" "Is Sofia there?" "You had an argument?" "When will she be back?" "Yes." "Is everything all right?" "Yes." "He's here." "You want to speak to him?" "What brought that on?" "Are you sure you're all right?" "All right." "All right." "You will call me tomorrow morning, right?" "Good night." "What did he say?" "He told me to kiss you... and also that he loves us very much." ""Don't look for me anywhere and don't try to contact my family." "Your love became unbearable and It was suffocating me." "I repeat." "Don't look for me."" "Our love became unbearable to Sofia..." "Tell me!" "What can I do for you?" "I'm sorry for disturbing you." "The name's Papayannls." " I've come about the apartment." " The apartment?" "The real estate agent..." "I was expecting you this afternoon." "I couldn't walt any longer." "I was afraid someone else might beat me to It." "It's not that much In demand." "Anyway, here's the key." "Go and take a look at It." "It's right above." " I'll be up myself shortly." " Flne." "Well?" " Have you seen It?" " Yes I have." "It's very nice." "You saw the bathroom and the bedroom?" "Everything?" "Yes, yes." "I like It." "I'll give you the deposit." "You're very quick." "Do you know what the rent ls?" "Yes, the real estate agent mentioned it." "No problem." "Just a minute!" "I'd like to know a few things myself..." "who I'm letting It to..." " Of course." "You're right." "I had a business In Canada for many years... and now I've decided to return." " What sort of business?" " Refrigerators." "I see." " You have no family?" " No, not any more." "What made you decide to come back?" "I've been thinking about It for years." "Don't worry." "I can pay a year's rent In advance." "Is that what they do In Canada?" "That won't be necessary." "I want the rent every month." "And any damage Incurred ls, of course, your responsibility." "I'm not footing the bill for any repairs and..." " Of course not." " Flne." "There's some furniture but most of It ls junk." "I don't need anything." "I have everything." "Curious... you don't have an accent." "My second husband lived In America for 15 years... and he had acquired their way of speaking." "God rest his soul." "So... tomorrow..." "we sign the lease." "I imagine you'll pay the real estate agent's commission." "Yes, yes." "I'm on my way there now." "Who lives In that single family home opposite?" " Why?" "Do you know them?" " No!" "No!" "I just remember the house from way back." "They had a vast fortune In Ethiopia." "Then they lost It." "She had a failed marriage and last year she lost her son... he committed suicide." "That's what having lots of money does to you." "Beautiful house." " You're leaving?" " Yes." "I've left the things on the kitchen table..." "I put the rest In the frig." "Do you need anything else?" "No." "Don't speed." "There's also a letter for you from Itetu." "You read It." ""Madame Isabella"..." "She says she asked a Greek to write It for her." "She only found out about Costas now." "She can't believe that a boy like him could do such a thing." "Don't go on." "She says she should be with you now." "She had you In her care since you were a child... and she's not with you at a time like this." "She says she was wrong to go back." "Does she write anything else?" "She tried to come back when she found out... but the authorities wouldn't give her a visa." "There are very few Greeks left... and generally things are dlfﬂcult... she asks what I'm doing, If I'm taking care of you." "She says she thinks of us all the time..." "She won't call you." "She knows you wouldn't want that... but If you could ask me to write to her..." "She thanks you for the money you send her." "That's about It." "Kisses, Itetu" "Here, let me have It." "I'll throw It away." "You were told I'm an Invalid?" "Not at all." "It's just that It's no trouble." "OK." "If someone offers you something you should accept It, as my first husband would say." "Papers and photographs from the past." "I don't want them any more." "And these to wash down the bitterness." " Is that medication?" " Yes." " Nothing serious I hope." " Well I can't throw them away." "Dld you hear about the woman across the street?" "Her heart." "They called a doctor." "What happened to her?" "Calm down." "I heard It was a mild heart attack..." "She didn't even have to go to the hospital." " We women are tough." " How Is she now?" "Her gardener said she's over It." "Hello." "Who's calling?" "What's that?" "I thlnk It's time you took It up again." "You can't sit around like that all day." " How come you thought of It?" " I just did." "Good morning." "It's been many years since I last celebrated my birthday." "So what can I wish you?" "Wlsh me... a little happiness..." "If there ls such a thing." "A little happiness." "A small glass wouldn't harm you." "Better not." "To wash down the bitterness." "Yours wasn't a happy marriage either, right?" "It didn't last long." "Dld you love her?" " I was new to Canada and..." " Lonely, right?" "What was Canada like?" "Cold." "Have you ever been In love?" "I can take It or leave It." "It's all In the mind..." "marriage, divorce..." "love..." "I'll tell you my secret anyway." "Before my second marriage something strange happened." "I was walking down the street and someone stops me." "I look at him..." "Who ls It?" "What does he want?" "I say to myself." "He says to me:" "I'm Petros so-and-so from the village." "My first love!" "A real heart throb!" "I was crazy about him at the time." "So?" "He began calling me for a while." "And what did you do?" "Nothing." "I said to myself:" "Do I really want to get Involved now?" "Plus he had aged considerably..." "So much better to remain with the memory... of that adolescent crush." "Good night." "Rlght." "So..." "You sign here and on all three copies." "You're busy." "Walt." "We've almost ﬂnlshed." "Harry!" " You won't remember me." " Who are you?" "Dimitris!" "It's been so many years!" "I had a hard time recognizing you and you've grown a beard." "Yes." " Another tr")?" "No, no." " So what are you doing here?" " Tylng up loose ends." "You?" "I'm taking It to an expert to touch It up." "They don't know these things here... and may damage It out of sheer ineptitude." "Mr. Manizavlnos disposes of the finest craftsman from our parts" "Isabella?" "I know about her son." "Don't get me started." "All we've had ls disasters and grief." "You'd think we've been cursed." "How Is she now?" "How do you think?" "She's withdrawn Into herself, doesn't want to see anyone... only recently she's started painting again." "Painting?" "She still lives In her old home... only the neighborhood has changed now..." "Once It was..." "Now..." " Ready." " Good ." "I can see you don't need introductions." "You two know each other from way back, right?" "So, Harry, I found you a buyer." "30,000." "I'll give you the address so you can take It over yourself." "He's expecting you this afternoon." "I'll tell Isabella I saw you." "She'll be pleased." "No, no." "Better not saying anything." "Good evening." "I'm Elenl." " That's Costas' jacket." " That's right." "What an incredible cat!" "That's Polydourls." "The best thing that's happened to this family In 100 years." "What name Is that?" "It's a female Isn't It?" "Yes but when Costas found It, It was a tiny kitten... and he thought It was a male." "The name stuck." "Is It hungry?" "Yes, It's her dinner time." "May I feed her?" "If you don't mind that ls." "I adore cats." "Yes, her food's back there." "You mean you did all these paintings the last few years?" "Amazing!" "Why don't you have an exhibition?" "No, I didn't paint them to exhibit them." "You've been painting from way back, Isn't that so?" "Yes, since I was a child..." "In Ethiopia." "There's something childlike about your paintings... yet at the same time they're also stern..." "It would be wonderful If you did exhibit them." "What do you think?" "Stop mumbling and say yes!" "Yes!" "Anyway, I'd like to offer my services If I may." " I'm there with the books." " A blue-stocking." "Yes, a blue-stocking." "I do translations." "I work at home." "In my days It would have been inconceivable for a girl..." "to work like that." " What d'you mean "like that"." "Independent." "Whereas your only option was marriage, right?" "It was obligatory." "Incredible." "So how did you get married?" "I was married here In Athens." "I had met Glorgos' father on one of my trips... he wanted me..." "And you?" "Didn't you fall In love with him?" "NO." "You've never ever been In love?" "Love was never an option." "Besides it was this marriage that brought all that followed." "You mean Costas..." "Let's drop that now." "Costas has no problem about giving away his clothes." "Well he certainly has no such problem where he ls now." "Costas Isn't here." "Costas Isn't here." "He's gone for a stroll." "So where ls Costas?" "Costas Isn't here." "He's dead." "We buried him." "Move on finally!" "Have you ever wondered why Costas killed himself?" "Dld you read the note he left?" " Why are you doing this now?" " Just a minute." "No." "The note Soﬂa left him when she walked out on him... did you read that?" "No." "At least he did something." "He took a gun and shot himself." "The only act of dignity In this family." "And we're still asking ourselves "where's Costas?"" "What's gotten Into you?" "Why don't you cut it out?" "If there was someone In our midst, all these years... watching us, she'd consider It the most normal outcome." "What did you say?" "OK." "I've got to give Polydourls her vitamins." "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" "It's just a routine checkup." "Come and pick me up In three hours If you can." "What happened?" "Why have we stopped?" "Don't worry." "It'll start up again." "I hope so because I get claustrophobic." "What's going on?" "Why are we still stuck?" "It usually doesn't take this long." "There's also the janitor." "He'll realize what's happened." "And the battery of my mobile's just run down." "And I thought something might happen and I'd have no phone." "What's taking them so long?" "Where's the janitor?" "You stopped holding It?" "It will start bleeding again." "Finally!" "We almost suffocated!" "Come along." "The ophthalmologist ls also waiting for you." "Yes, yes." "I'll be right with you." "Good night." "Thank you very much." "Good night." "Thank you." "Good evening." "Am I too late?" "I see you're closing." "Ho, that's all right." "You have time." "Thank you." "Would you like a catalogue?" "The artist Isn't here?" "No, she Isn't." "She doesn't like crowds." "But If there's something you'd like to know, I'm her son." "Yes..." "You're her son..." "What do you think of It?" "I didn't expect... to see anything like this." "And these Ethiopian ones are..." "You're from there too?" "Yes." "Would you happen to know my mother?" "Not personally." "What's your name?" "If I tell her, she may remember you." "No, no, there's no need." "It was many years ago." "Ethiopia... ls very distant now." "I'd like to buy this painting." "Of course." "Just let me have an address and we'll send It to you." "No, no." "That Isn't necessary." "I'll come by myself at the end of the exhibition." "Just don't give It to anyone else, please." " I can pay for It now." " No, don't worry." "It's yours." "It was a pleasure meeting you." "Same here." "You look like your mother." "Everything all right?" "Yes, I made It In time." "When you think about It, we had blacks In Ethiopia... and we have blacks here." "Sometimes I wonder how we got here." "We had everything there." "We lacked nothing." "And when we came here... everything's gone from bad to worse." "I can't even breathe any more." "I've got heart palpitations..." "stomach trouble..." "They told me about a good psychic, you know... and I'm thinking of going." "Want to come along?" "I can see you're no longer In the mood for conversation." "I'd better go." "I heard that Dimitris Papayannls ls back In Greece." " How do you know?" " One ﬂnds out these things." " He's also a sick man." " What's wrong with him?" "It seems he has come back to die." "Diabetes... advanced stage..." "Anyway, let's see what we're going to do." "Hello." "How much Is he offering?" "Well, what can we do!" "I'll take It over myself later on." "Shall we stop talking to each other so formally?" "Yes." "I've heard a lot about you." "And now that you met me?" "It's the same feeling." "What do you mean?" " I've seen you before." " Where?" "Who ls It?" "May I come In?" "I realize I've taken you by surprise." "I never imagined we'd meet like this either." "I'm sorry about the mess." "I've taken up painting these past few years and..." "You used to paint then as well." "Your cat?" "It's Costas'." "It keeps you company." "How is your health?" "I was Ill." "Now I'm well." "When you called me after my husband's death..." "I didn't behave the way I should towards you." "It's better that we didn't meet then." "I didn't want my children to ﬂnd out anything." "Besides, it was an old story that... that never began... that never ended..." "You have a letter." "You probably don't remember me, although we were neighbors for many years." "I am writing you this letter because it was the last wish... of Dimitris Papayannls." "He died a week ago... and I was at his side In the hospital until the end." "It ls obvious that there was a special relationship... between him and your mother." "Besides, he has left her... his entire fortune." "He asked me to Inform you of his death... and to send you this envelope." "I had made up my mind never to talk to anyone about this." "But when I met you at the exhibition..." "I felt you might understand." "I'm the man who wanted to buy.." "The painting of the lake." "I had said I didn't know your mother, but that Isn't true." "I saw her very few times In my life... but I believe I never knew anyone more than I did her." "A secret always tied me to her, without her knowing It." "Although we followed different paths..." "In a way I was always near her." "Thls cigarette case ls my wedding present to her... had she come to Alemaya." "I'd like you to give It to her now." "It was you who bought the painting of the lake wasn't It?" "But you never went to pick It up." "When they told me someone wanted It at all cost..." "I remembered that sketch I'd given you outside the house." "When I asked you to come with me." "That lake you painted ls Alemaya." "It was just a lake." "I didn't know Alemaya." "The first time I heard about It was from you." "Rlght here." "I was on the bank and I woke up." "You were beside me." "Your head was resting against me." "I looked at you." "You were still asleep." "You woke up... you looked at me... and you told me you never wanted that moment to end." "I told you that I felt the same way." "I've been going to Alemaya since I was a child... but I never saw how beautiful the colors are." "That's when I saw you for the first time..." "In my dream..." "I had that dream for years... before I met you..." " Before you met me?" " Yes." "The same dream with minor variations..." "You, me... and the lake." " Thls painting belongs to you." " Yes." " Drop by and see me." " I wlll." "You're here?" "I didn't hear you come In." "How are you?" " I'm ﬂne." " You're very beautiful." " Have you been painting?" " No." "I want to talk to you." "There's something I want to say to you." "I must speak to you first." "You must listen to me, both of you." "I don't know how to begin." "Many years ago, before I married your father... there was a man In my life." "At that time your grandfather believed I should marry... and the man decided we should elope." "Elope?" "He promised me he would never touch me until I wanted It... until I fell In love with him." "I didn't want to." "I didn't want to get married." "And this man, you never saw him again since then?" "If your father hadn't intervened In time..." "would you have followed him?" " I don't know." "What was he like?" "Courteous, good-looking... but even that I found burdensome." "Everything happened so quickly..." "I didn't know..." "Slnce then I had almost forgotten him..." "until he showed up again now." " When now?" " Thls morning." " What do you mean this morning?" "He showed up right out of the blue and paid me a visit." "What do you mean paid you a visit?" "What are you saying?" "What's the matter with you?" "What's this man's name?" "Dimitris." "He came to the exhibition and you spoke." "He's the one who bought the painting of the lake." " What are you saying?" " Walt." "I told him to drop by and see me." "I hope you don't mind." "Of course he doesn't, so long as you feel good about It." " Are you upset?" " I don't know how to say It..." "All these years I would have preferred he never existed." "But when he came today and spoke to me about the lake... and told me that..." "And you said he will be coming by to see you." "I asked him to." "You had something to tell me too?" "No, It's nothing Important." "We'll be running along now." "WIII you paint?" "Is there something you'd like us to bring you?" "No, I don't need anything." "ISABE ILA ALE MAYA" "Translated by Elly Petrldes" "Subtitled by Audlo Visual Enterprises SA"