"After all, she is your mother, isn't she?" "Well, I guess it's really none of my business." "You're alright, so why worry about mama?" "Here, drink this, signora." "It'll make you feel better." "There, you see?" "Your husband will be home soon." "I have to go." "See you tomorrow, signora." "What a ball breaker that dame is." "Eugenia, your mother is sick." "Yeah, I know, I hear her." "There's a bag behind the kitchen door, would you bring it?" "Come on, mother, pull yourself together." "No thanks, she'll be all right now." "You better go lie down." "So sorry." "It's really just a case of nerves..." " One of your schoolmates?" " Her name is Nicola." " A boy's name?" " Yes, I know." "Like me..." "My husband, you know?" "He wanted a boy, too." "A man-child..." "Why don't you try again, you might make one." "You know how foolish men are, they only want to reproduce themselves!" "Come on, mother, I still got a lot of studying to do." "Arrivederci, come again soon." "Eugenia doesn't spend enough time with boys and girls of her own age." "Finish it, will you?" " Good evening, doctor." " Good evening." "They're upstairs." "Thank you." "Oh Emilio!" "Go on!" "Get out of the room, will you?" "Go on!" "Calm down." "Hey, Eugenia!" "Don't say that I've been ill, please!" "Turn off the light!" " Ciao, papa." " Ciao." "Is everything okay?" "Don't pay any attention." "Eugenia!" " It's finished." " What about the questionnaire?" "I'll do it later." "You better go, it's late." "Let's meet before school tomorrow morning, okay?" " Hey, are you still here?" " What do you do if they call on you?" " That science guy will flunk you!" " Don't worry about me, ciao!" "Ciao." " Thanks." "You eat it, nothing for me." " Come on, sit down." "Would you like a cooked meal?" "What is it, you feel bad?" "L'll fix you a bowl of soup, it'll be ready in a minute." "No, no, it's better if I don't eat anything." "I have a bad taste in my mouth." "Obviously too much smoking." " What's this thing?" " A belt." "I better not eat." "It'll only give me heartburn, I'm sure." " I'll be right back!" " Where are you going?" "Oh no..." "You want me fat?" " What's this, force feeding?" " Eat!" "Fatten him up for the kill?" "Not bad." "Did you make it yourself?" "You pleased?" "You saving it?" " You're a classmate of Eugenia's?" " Yes." "We'll be ready for you soon." "I'll tell him that you're here." " Doctor?" " Yes?" "The next patient is a young girl, your daughter made the appointment." " Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier." " All right, let her come in." " The doctor will see you now." " Thank you." " Good morning." " Good morning." "Sit down, please." " I hope it's nothing serious." " It hurts back here, especially when I touch it." "Obviously a wisdom tooth." "Ah, a wisdom tooth!" "Very good." "Now that you have made your diagnosis of the case..." "So now, with your permission," "I'll make my own." "Open your mouth." "Don't be afraid." " Hold still." "Hold still." " Don't move." "I haven't even touched it!" "Now..." "There we are." "Open your mouth." "Open it." "That's it, that's it... don't move!" "If you don't stop squirming, he can't see anything!" "Can't you give me an anesthetic?" "Why do it the hard way?" "There's nothing wrong, why do you want an anesthetic?" "You give me Novocain, or I'm leaving!" " Do as you please!" " What does it cost you?" "Give me the Novocain, please." "I can't bear pain." "As a future mother you should be able to bear a little toothache." "Well, it makes you wonder how they're ever gonna survive having a child..." "I suppose you've dropped them all over the place!" "Be good now." "Prepare the injection." "You can go back to the office, the young lady has promised to behave." "If I need you, I'll call you." "Happy?" "Open your mouth." "Open it." "Wider." "Just relax." "Don't stiffen up." "I assure you, you'll feel absolutely nothing." "Calm down." "Calm down..." "Hold it... there." "Didn't hurt, did it?" "In a couple of minutes, you'll be all right." "What's the matter?" "Don't you feel good?" "I'll lower this chair." "Take a deep breath." "That's it, breathe deeply." "The belt is too tight." "Hey." "Hey, hey, hey!" "Don't you feel better now?" "You'll be all right." "What are you doing?" "Nicola!" "Are you out of you mind?" "!" "You don't know what you're doing!" "There are people out there!" "Nicola!" "What are you doing?" "What are you doing?" "Nicola." "Open your eyes." "Come on." "Nicola." "I'm sorry I insisted, but I can't stand pain of any kind." "I will need to come back, will I?" " My turn, doctor?" " Yes, come in." "I've been waiting two hours." "Of course, now that I'm retired my time isn't worth much." "But today, I promised the wife to take her to the movies." "If I don't take her, I'll never hear the end of it." "Something else:" "A dentist waiting room really puts the fear of god in a person." "I was a chief accountant at the ministry of public works, and I tell, our waiting rooms aren't... ?" "?" "?" "...not a care in the world, and I bit into what was supposed to be a meatloaf, only I hit solid bone, and then crack!" "The bridge collapsed." "Emilio!" "Emilio!" "Yeah?" "I leave the dogs with you." "I'm gonna walk along the river." "It makes no sense going up there, you can't even get through." "And if she was a flower?" "Well, I suppose she would be a camellia." "Then it's Sandra!" "Oh no, the best she'd be is a stinkweed." "If she was an animal?" "Remember, this is your last guess!" "An animal?" "A little brown deer." " I haven't a clue who that might be." " Come on, Eugenia, it's you!" "So according to you, I'm a deer?" "Well done, Nicola!" "To me, she always seems to be like a little brown deer..." "According to me, neither of you knows what I'm really like!" "Why?" "Which animal are you?" "I don't know." "I guess I'm more like... a panther." "A panther!" " My little bunny rabbit..." " I bet you could eat some pie." "Mama just baked it." "It's for papa, you know that." "For us, I told him to buy little pastries." "If you want, you can have some of the pie tonight." "Might even save some of it for your friend..." "Apple pie..." "I baked one the first time Emilio ever came to my house." "Right before we got engaged." "He always said he married me for my apple pie!" "Of course he only meant it as a joke..." "It's the little things that matter to us." "So you disapprove too?" "!" "Here." "Come on." "I made that." "Eugenia went out, I guess I better leave too." "No, no!" "Sit over here, we'll wait for her to come back." "I'm glad you can keep me company." "Sit down." " You know how to crochet?" " Not enough to brag about it." "No?" "It's simple as can be, watch:" "First make a loop down, then make a loop up..." "Here, try it." "Tighten the thread." "That's right..." "That's right..." "Let that go, I show you something you'll be crazy about!" "Here it is!" "Look how lovely it is!" "Beautiful, isn't it?" "I was only... 20." "Come on, boy." "In there!" "You too." "Come on, get in." "Good dog!" "Have you come across any reports of unusual reactions" " to Novocain or procaine?" " What reactions?" "We know that they don't have an effect on certain people." "If that's the case, we have to use other local anesthetics." " Why the sudden interest?" " Oh, no reason." "Fact is, anesthetics are a double-edged sword." "One patient can be immune, and the next can suffer a respiratory arrest." "I remember a patient that went into a state of complete hysteria..." "My first concert." "It was also my last." "That night I was introduced to Emilio." "I'm afraid I might tear it." "I could have continued my career, yes, yes..." "Well, I mean that Emilio, that poor thing, wouldn't have objected, I'm sure." "It was just that..." "I wasn't up to it." "I don't know, it seemed to me..." "It seemed to me that I wouldn't have enough time left for him, that I'd neglect him." "Even now, every time I start playing the piano," "I'm overcome with the impression that I'm betraying him." "Do you understand?" "Mama!" "You disappeared, so I've been keeping your mother company." "She let me try on her favorite gowns." "Papa just got home." "Emilio!" "Take it off, quick!" "Put it in the closet!" "And you, what are you doing here?" "!" "Get out, both of you!" " Ciao, papa." " Ciao." " You didn't get anything?" " Good evening, doctor." "Not me." "In all the years he's gone hunting, he's never hit a thing, never!" "You shouldn't tire yourself out on a Sunday." "No, I'm not tired." "Only here at home." "It was so nice, so tranquil and relaxed." " Nicola was very good company." " Oh yes?" "Why is she always hanging around here?" "Poor little thing, she's lonely." "Her father is a diplomat, and he is away a lot." "So she lives with an aunt, she's really sweet." "She seems much more adult than Eugenia, much more mature." "What's more..." "She's so sensitive." "She seems like any other girl to me." "I suppose at that age, they're all alike." "Perhaps..." "Yet I feel she's different." "Maybe..." "Maybe because she is so used to being alone..." "Well, I don't believe that living with an aunt instead of living with a father makes anybody more intelligent or more sensitive than anyone else." "No, my dear, I don't really want it..." "You never seem to want anything!" "Don't bet money on that." "Ciao!" "Ah, Nicola!" "We're all going to Francesca's tonight." "Her brother's friends will be there, too." " Do you want me to pick you up?" " No, I don't want to go, but thanks." " You're still mad at me." " Oh, stop it, that's not it!" "I've really had it with this juvenile Latin lovers, they're so stupid!" "They're still wet behind the ears!" "And I'm not interested in babysitting, I can tell you that!" "See you tomorrow, ciao!" "Did you hear that?" "Mariella is bringing her parachute trooper tonight!" "Is he bringing his parachute?" " I can't go tonight, I have things to do." " Did Her Ladyship talk you out of it?" "Nobody talks me out of anything!" "I'm just tired of hanging out with a bunch of kids trying to act like men!" "They're nothing but babies that dirty themselves and everybody they touch!" "Hey, Nicola!" "Do you want a lift?" "7000." "Thank you." "Hey." "Your change!" " Ciao, papa." " Why didn't you call?" " We were only doing our homework." " Do you know what time it is?" "10:30!" "You see?" "Nothing happened to her." "All your worries were for nothing." " What?" "I'm sorry, what did you say?" " What is it?" "Is something bothering you?" "I'll be right back." "He put me on the bed and started undressing me." "He was slobbering usual crap:" ""My love, you're driving me nuts!"" "I really don't know what to do with him!" "I have black and blue marks all over my body!" "My breasts, my neck, between my legs - they're everywhere!" "I really don't know what to do!" "Oh god, my father!" "Eugenia, open the door, now!" "Eugenia!" " Open the door, or I'll break it down!" " Not a word was true!" "Open up!" "Open the door!" "I haven't done anything!" " No!" "I haven't done anything!" " What do you mean?" "!" " You haven't done anything?" "!" " It was all made up!" "Eugenia..." "My little girl..." "I'm so ashamed of myself." "I told you I've made it all up, but you wouldn't believe me." "It won't happen again." "I promise it won't happen again." "Here." "Put this around you." "It's my fault, it was bad of me." "But the other girls are always telling stories like that." "And I didn't want them to think I was the only one..." "How silly we are!" "When I was your age, I had a mad affair with a lady who didn't even know I existed." "But if I didn't they think no one likes me, you know what I mean?" "It was the same for me." "It starts with a little story, but once you started, you have to continue." "My classmates were waiting for me in the morning:" ""Emilio!" "How did you make out last night?"" "I told them." "And how I told them!" "I lied like a trooper!" "Finally, I began to believe it myself." "I was wildly jealous!" "And I was terribly insulted if anyone dared cast any insinuations on the spiritual purity of the lady in question." " Then what happened?" " What happened?" "Of course..." "Eventually..." "I met a woman." "A real woman." " It was an awful let-down." " How can you avoid let-downs?" "Anyway, none of that stuff appeals to me." "I want to stay where I am right now." "With you." "You'll never make me go away, will you?" " I'll always be with you." " My little darling..." "You'll see how fast you'll fly the coop." "The minute HE comes along." "The minute you fall in love with a man." "And I don't want any young squids start chasing you." " I tell you, it's not important!" " Love has to be experienced, not just imagined." "I can still recall the day, I was only 22 when I first met your mother." "And we were..." "Put out the light, I'm sleepy." "?" "?" ", good night." "Good night." " Where are you going?" " I'm looking for some pills for Eugenia." " What's the matter, headache?" " No, she has menstrual cramps." " More likely a stomach, ha?" " No, she always has a bad time." "She manages to do everything her own way, even the way she eats!" "Imagine that, yesterday..." "Hey." "Yesterday I caught that stupid girl eating cold fish right out of the fridge!" " Is it as bad like this every month?" " Sometimes it's even worse!" "That stuff ought to help." " Just wait, the pain will stop soon." " It won't go on forever." "Nothing but indigestion!" "I made you a nice cup of mint tea." "If you could only break that bad habit of eating between meals..." "Here, take this." "Come on, drink!" "It'll help your digestion, you will see!" "Try to swallow it, you'll feel better..." "I'm not suffering from a stomach ache!" "All I got is what any cat has!" "What Nicola has, what that maid of ours has, must I paint you a picture?" "!" "Either you've forgotten it or it never happened to you!" "She's such a delicate little thing..." "In that, she really resembles Emilio, they both have a sweet tooth." "Would you believe it?" "Once, when she was a baby," "I found her just after she had eaten a tube of cocoa butter!" "And then, of course, it gave her such a stomach ache!" "As bad as this one!" "And yet she denies she's suffering from a stomach ache!" "She thinks she knows more than her own mother, can you imagine that?" "Does it happen to you that you have more urge during your period?" "Urge to what?" "To make love." "I don't know how to explain it." "The stronger the pain is, the more you think about sex." "Well, yes, I guess so." " Do you think about sex?" " Once in a while, yes." "You think about making love with someone special, one of the guys you like, or is fucking the only important thing?" "And you?" "I start thinking about making love." " Then I begin to imagine with whom." " But you really haven't done it?" " And you?" " Yes." " Do I know him?" " No." "It was our last summer in Vienna." " Not a boy?" " No, it was a real man." " You wanted him right away?" " Desperately." "Why?" "Don't you always want to make love?" "Is there anyone who doesn't?" "Right, Matthia?" "Here we are." "Papa." "Papa, it's four 0' clock." " It's four 0' clock." " Why didn't you wake me up?" " Where's my jacket?" " In the hall." "You must be getting old." "Falling asleep after lunch for such a along time..." "Well, I'm..." "I'm tired." "I am too." "Fact is, the whole family could use some rest." "Say, Eugenia." "Suppose we let mama go into a clinic for a month." "What do you say?" "What do you say, Papa?" "I have to give it some thought." "Come, Emilio." "I want you to see this." "This pavilion is my masterpiece." "Spacious rooms, soundproof so that nothing can even ruffle the tranquility of the patients, get it?" "There are times when I'd like to close myself in one of these rooms and let the rest of the world go hang, you know what I mean?" "But who can afford the time." "Elisa could relax here better than she could in her own home." "And she gets service that could hardly be provided in a private house." "For instance, full medical nursing staff on 24 hour duty, that patient's diet is strictly controlled." "Impressed?" "Emilio, what is it?" "Is something wrong?" "No, it's just that..." "I'm going through a strange period." "Nothing interests me at all, nothing attracts me." "I must be getting old." "But that can't be it, because I..." "I feel young, very young." "But it's a fact." "I might say, Eugenia seems like a mother to me." "I walk into the house, and I can't find Elisa..." "No, I can't." "I can't take a responsibility as heavy as that." "If I can be alone again without any family ties, but even the thought" " of that scares me." " Emilio." "Nobody knows you any better than I do." "You dramatize, you're a pessimist." "Stop worrying about it, rest a little." "Everything's gonna work out fine, bring Elisa here for a rest, and suddenly you will find yourself a new man." "Signora?" "Where are you going?" "I'm going to see the patient in room 141." " There's a telephone." " No, I must see her!" " No, you mustn't go out." " Oh please, only for a minute!" " Call her on the phone!" " But I want to see her now!" " You will see your friend later." " But I need to see her now!" " Please, doctor!" "It's important!" " No, you must observe the rules!" "Talk to me." "Why do you never talk?" "Talk!" "What's the matter, can't you tell me?" "You liked me out of your mind." "And now it's winter." "The elms lost all their leaves." "I'm growing old, growing old..." "Somber like a garden in the winter..." "It's gonna go right on being sad." "Plastic flowers won't bring springtime any sooner." "No, no, no." "Too bad, you can see they're fake." "Quick!" "Come on, do you want to strangle yourself?" "!" "Come here!" " What are you doing to our dog?" "!" " What am I doing?" "Ask him!" " You put him right down!" " Little son of a bitch!" " Wanna know what he did?" " Watch your language!" "You haven't heard nothing yet!" "Lady, I tell you, if I was a cop," " I knew want to do with this mutt!" " That'll be quite enough!" "Yeah!" "Oh, how sweet, you brought back my darling Matthia!" "Sorry for disturbing you, but my boss send me here because that mutt stole..." "Please, won't you come in?" "Would you like a cup of tea?" "No, thank you, but I've got something to tell you about that mongrel!" "What do you mean, this sweet little thing?" "He's still a puppy!" "Look, he ate quite a lot!" "He's had a good twelve, fifteen pounds..." "But he was only joking!" "Anna, bring a cup of tea." " You want a cup of tea, don't you?" " I'm here because this morning, this dirty dog you got there swiped a whole roast of veal out of the bag of one of Signora Bruletti." "And then the boss lost it, cause she is one of our best customers!" "And what's more, it's bad publicity for our market." "If dogs start swiping our customer's meat..." "Oh really?" "He didn't even know it was bad, and he won't do it again." "This dog is vivid and friendly, you're young, you should understand that!" "Signora, if we put the mutts in power, will they put meat on our plates?" "Anyway, what I was about to say was you can't let him run around off-leash, put a chain on him, tie him up..." "What?" "My poor little Matthia!" "Who has always had his freedom!" "Do you realize what you're asking me?" " No, I'm telling you." " He has a happy life." "Without schedules, without restrictions, and now I'm supposed to throw him in chains and tell him "freedom's over!" because there are people who don't want dogs to be free, is that what you're saying?" "!" "What can I say, you know the rules." "The boss told me to tell you if he even sees that dog again," " he'll turn him into hamburgers." " What?" "Yeah, he'll slice him up with a knife this long!" " Don't speak that way!" " Well, but you gotta..." "But you are too young to understand how monstrous this whole thing is!" "Stop it!" "You won't get me to go along with you on the quest of taking liberty away from anyone!" " Even for a dog, liberty is important!" " I'm not sure, signora..." "What?" " Liberté?" " Liberty!" " Ah, liberty!" " It's the only thing that is important!" "To be able to make up your own mind, how you want to live and not have a chain around your neck!" "Go and tell that to your boss, explain it to him!" "Signora, I'm a guy who works at a butcher's!" "What can I explain?" "I'm not educated, my boss tells me what to do and I do it!" "He tells me to murder the mutt, I'll murder it!" "No, I'm not explaining anything, I'll leave that to you rich folks," " you've all been to school!" " No, no!" "You must explain!" "You must explain that any individual... oh, Emilio!" "What's this?" "What's going on?" "Nothing, doc." "I just came here to explain to the signora that that pretty little dog of hers swiped a whole roast of veal from Signora Bruletti." " Is that the proper way to do it?" " What do I know about the proper way," "I'm just a butcher's boy!" "Anyway, the signora wanted me to go and explain to my boss, and that will get me a kick in the behind..." " This be enough?" " Plenty, sure, doctor." " Thanks." "Arrivederci, signora." " Alright, go, will you?" " What happened, Elisa?" " Excuse me, signore, but this is the only kind of explanation that means anything!" "Thanks again!" "It's been a pleasure!" "Thank god that's all over!" "Emilio, tell me what you think about this." "It looks warmer, they're pretty, these colors, aren't they?" " You did this for me?" "Oh, sorry..." " No, don't worry, I'll fix that!" " You're late today." " I passed by Antonelli's new clinic." " I gave him a rundown on your health." " Oh, my darling..." "You always think of everything." "You'll see, winter will be over soon." "Yes." "Just a moment." "That does it." "The nurse will give you your next appointment." " Tomorrow at six o' clock, okay?" " Yeah, that's alright." "Good bye." "Signore Bersini is back again, shall I send him in?" "No." " Papa, what are you doing here?" " I was tired looking in people's mouths, so I said "to hell with it!" and walked out." "Oh, Nicola!" "Want us to drive you?" "Can we pass by her house, papa?" "If she's not afraid of dentists..." "No, thanks, I prefer walking home." "Oh come on, what are you, an athlete?" "Come on, Nicola!" " No, you get in the front!" " The guest always rides in front." " Anyway, what I was just saying:" " Listen girls." " That Sandra is the biggest bitch!" " I have an idea." "Wanna hear it?" "I think we all need to play hooky." "So I'm gonna take you to lunch, at a really good restaurant." "It's at the beach." " It must be cold at the beach." " What difference does that make?" "I didn't suggest going in swimming!" "Anyway, it's always nice there." "I'm afraid I can't make it." "My aunt's expecting me." " Eugenia, convince her that it's alright." " Certainly it'll be fun to go." "But can we finish our homework before we have to go to Susanna's?" "Forget the homework!" "I guess we better postpone it to some other time, papa." " Anyway, we can still drop her off." " The one time I was able to get" " free of that damned office." "This way?" " Yes." " I didn't think your office is so awful." " But you're still terrified!" "But papa is very good." "You take an anesthetic and you don't feel a thing." "No, no..." "There wasn't anything in that needle." "Just pure water..." "What's the matter?" "I only wanted to tell you that you don't need to be drugged." " I understand completely." " What do you understand completely?" "That if you want to, you can have any of your patients?" "You really think that you can still seduce anyone?" "Sure..." "The doctor has to bring love into it, to make him feel that he's a man." "What is this?" "I just wanted you to see that you don't have to pretend," " that I really do understand you." " What do you want?" "Just getting laid isn't enough for you?" "No." "This ass of a doctor is compelled to give lectures." "To explain it all." "Preferably with a background of sentimental music." "So I think I'll leave you now." "Because you really don't need me for any of that, do you?" "Don't sit on the floor, you'll catch a cold." "Anyway, what are you doing wandering around at this time of night?" "All babies are asleep at this hour." "And you?" "So I'm a baby according to you?" "Neither am I." "Go on, darling, go back to back, I don't want you to get sick." "Back to bed." "What are you waiting for?" "I wonder how many women there are in your life." "Only your mother, who else?" "Not even one mistress?" "Eugenia, whatever you're up to, skip it!" "Certainly, I can't deny in the past there were several." "Not anymore." "And then..." "Even if I wanted..." "Where would I find the time?" "If I was you," " I'd have mistresses all over the world." " Oh yeah?" " In Africa..." " Really?" "In India..." " Japan, and at the North Pole!" " Must be kind of cold there." "You'd go to bed with you pretty Eskimo girl in her igloo." "And she'll keep you warm." "But of course you run the risk of melting your love nest with the heat of your passion!" "That's fun, when it's just the two of us." "I'd be happy if we could spend our whole life together." "And nobody else knew." "Tomorrow is my birthday." "What are you giving to me?" " What do you want?" " I want you to go out with me." " And we'll choose a present together." " I'm going to bed." "I'm nearly asleep." "I can't decide what to wear!" "Not even if you had an appointment with prince charming?" "Go the way you are!" "What's wrong?" "Alright, you mad because I'm busy, aren't you?" " Haven't we made a date?" " My father never has time for anything." "If I don't go today, there won't be another chance to buy a birthday present." "Well, maybe we can do something tomorrow." "Ciao, Eugenia." "Hey, I've got an idea!" " Good afternoon, doctor." " Good afternoon." " Eugenia." " Ciao, papa." " And Nicola?" " I posted her to look out, so I wouldn't miss you." " I brought her along to help me choose!" " Have you decided what you want?" " Yes." " Let's go." "Good afternoon." "I'd like to see the panty and bra sets you've got in the window." "Right away." " Which one, signorina?" " That one." "In the middle?" "Let's go inside." "Here we are, signorina." "This one is especially beautiful." "See?" "Look how sheer it is." "The color is really modern, Nile green." " It's very stretchy." "And the garter belt." " It's nice, isn't it?" " Aren't they beautiful?" " Except for the color!" "This color is very much a la mode this year." "It spreads like wildfire!" " They're nice, but not what I want." " Let me show you something else." " Oh no, you can't wear that!" " But it's pretty!" "Hey." "Look!" "You should take a look at this assortment." "New colors, new fabrics..." "Oh yes, the garter belt is very much back in style!" " They're selling like hot cakes!" " They're uncomfortable, but so sexy!" " I'm still not sure about the color..." " I like this one, you should take it!" " No." "I want something in pure silk." " This is pretty!" "Yes, right here!" "Look at this marvelous set." "It's quite spicy and yet very strong, I'm sure the signore would agree." " The signorina is my daughter." " Oh, I'm sorry!" "Such a young father, I complement you!" " This is very chic." " Did you hear that?" "I want everything!" " What about a garter belt in black lace?" " Yes, I just saw one a minute ago..." "Here it is." "Exquisite, isn't it?" "Yes, but is it like yours, Nicola?" "I want one exactly like yours." "I don't wear mine anymore, that kind of thing only appeals to old men!" "You're wrong, you wouldn't believe how many we sell!" " And even to teenagers!" " Do you like it?" "Listen, go try it on for heaven's sake!" "I assume there is a dressing room?" "Yes, certainly, the dressing room is in there, signorina." " And try some of this stuff." " This is the finest French lace!" " The stitching is done by hand!" " No, I want these!" " We'll be home a little later." " Oh, you're running already?" " I wanted to buy us a drink first." " But you made me hurry," " because you have an appointment!" " I don't mind keeping them waiting." "No, no, we go home, Nicola has to help me with my homework, ciao!" " Ciao." " Arrivederci, doctor." "Does this bus go as far as St. Peter's?" "Does this bus go as far as St. Peter's?" "!" "If it doesn't fall apart first..." "Thank you." "May I?" "I'm really glad I got this!" "I didn't expect such a present, and I owe it to you!" "If you weren't there too, my father would have bought me another purse!" "He's done that for years, it's become a nightmare!" " I even dreamed about it last night!" " You know what that signifies?" " Just think about it for a moment." " What can I say, a purse is a purse!" "But what is a purse?" " What is this, some kind of joke?" " Come on, what do you do with a bag?" " I don't know, you put things in it." " And a woman, what is she?" "A woman?" " Keep your hands to yourself, dirtbag!" " What, have you lost your mind?" "!" " I haven't done anything!" " I'm not making a scene!" " Next he'll jump at us on the street!" " What's wrong with her, she's crazy!" "What are you staring at, she show is over!" " And the conductor says nothing!" " ?" " ?" " Stop the bus, we want to get out!" "Hey, stop, will you?" "The signorinas want to get out, they don't like the company." " Would you calm down now?" " What, you should thank me!" "Sure, but you were exaggerating a bit, after all, it was just a poor old guy!" "A man like that, you only have to look him in the eye to put him in his place!" "Eugenia!" "Where are you going?" "!" "You know, Nicola..." "I wasn't even aware that so much time had passed." "If it wasn't for Eugenia's birthday!" "Listen to this record!" "My present from" "Emilio..." "My mother didn't want me to listen to it, she said it was immoral!" " What do you want, dear?" " I want to show them your wardrobe." "You don't mind, do you?" "Boys out!" "Come on, leave!" " Get out, all of you!" " No..." "Please, try..." "Please, girls, ?" "No, that one is Spanish lace!" "Be careful, or the thread will break..." "What a chaos..." "You shouldn't let her have her way." "I know, but it's Eugenia's birthday." "But they are all so pretty and so young..." "What are you trying to prove?" "!" "You think my idea stinks?" "This party was totally lame until..." "Doesn't your mother mean anything to you?" "!" "For her, these things are very important." "They're her whole life!" "You're butting in, aren't you?" "And whose mother is she?" "!" "So stop telling me how to live my life!" "Come on, don't be like that!" "Button me, will you?" "?" "Let's listen to some music of those days, let's go downstairs, everybody!" "No." "I got a better idea." "Girls." "My mother and her concert grand." "No, stop it..." "No one wants to hear a concert now..." "Too much time has passed." "Please, mama, it'll be my birthday present." "Can't you see she doesn't want to?" "What's the matter, can't you leave her in peace?" "!" "Alright, after all it's not much to ask, it's for her..." "Alright, mama, come downstairs!" "Come on!" " I don't want to go!" " Come along, dear, don't leave me!" "It's a little too much for me..." "You're playing the solitude scene?" "Want me to put out the light?" "Eugenia!" "Good evening." "Listen!" " I'll take it." " Thank you, that's very kind." "Can you put them over there, thank you." "Nicola..." "Don't cry." "I had so much fun tonight with those youngsters!" "About time." "What?" "I can't hear you with the water running!" "You know, at first I thought they were awful, and then they turned out to be such nice children!" " Eugenia!" "' Yes?" "Why all the disorder in here?" " Put everything away." " Sure, I'll do it in the morning." "Eugenia!" "I asked you to do it now." "And if the relicts of the museum of past and wasted years are left out for a night...?" "I will not tolerate this sarcasm regarding your mother!" "Pick them up." "Immediately!" "Foul on number 4!" "One on one!" "What do you have to ask me that's so important?" "If your ten days late, does it mean you're pregnant?" "But it isn't me!" "I want to know for a friend of mine, don't worry." "Eugenia, tell me the truth." "Come on, papa." "If it was me, do you think I'll be talking to you about it?" "I just want a professional opinion." " Who is she?" " One of my classmates." "I want to find out if there's a way to get rid of it immediately, without..." " Do you mind telling me her name?" " What does that matter?" "We speak of a mortal sin, not a mortal sinner." "I read in the paper that in America they got a special pill for that..." "That's a lot of nonsense!" "After ten days, there's nothing you can do." "You're saying that the only solution..." "is an abortion?" "I'll tell her." "Oh, I almost forgot!" "At four o' clock, Nicola comes to your office, please pick her up first, or we'll never get to do our homework, okay?" "Alright." "Norma?" "Please cancel all my appointments for today." "Thanks." " Doctor, doctor!" "They took him away!" " Yes, they just took him away!" " What is it, what do you want?" " They took him away!" " Took who away?" " Matthia, the dog catcher got him!" " I said to leave him alone!" " Go tell Eugenia, will you?" "You know how they get rid of stray dogs?" "They burn them!" " No, they shoot them in the head!" " No, they burn them with gas!" " I swear, I've been there!" " That's a lie!" " Good afternoon, doctor, am I late?" " But..." " The office is closed until tomorrow." " But I've been suffering for 10 days!" " I feel terrible, please do something!" " I'm sorry, I'm leaving right away." " But it'll only take a minute or two!" " I have to answer the phone." "Sorry, please call tomorrow and make an appointment with my nurse." "Yes?" "Eugenia, yes, I hear you." "What's wrong?" "What do you expect me to do, go to the dog pound?" "What do you mean, they won't give him to you?" "My darling, I'm still not done with my patients." "Show them the dog that is yours, and they'll hand him over." "What, you mean that Nicola's with you?" "You said she was coming to my office!" "I'll tell Norma to cancel all the other appointments." "You can expect me in half an hour." "He needs a health certificate with vaccinations." "Maybe he has rabies!" "That dog is healthier than we are, but we will give him shots again." " You'll get your certificate." " Thanks." "I'm only doing this because it's you, doctor." "I'll give you that, somebody cares about you!" " Eugenia told me the news, is it true?" " She told you what news?" "That you're pregnant." "It's only ten days, there's still hope that..." "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but as far as I'm concerned," "Eugenia won't be having any little brothers for the moment." "Well, fact is she never mentioned your name," " but I felt it was you." " You feel too much." " What's the matter with you?" " What, are you crazy?" "!" " Eugenia might see us!" " You can't always be the one to decide!" "Nein!" "Are you tired?" "Nein, nein." "And you?" "How did it go today?" "Beautifully." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "I'm just utterly famished." "I'm gonna raid the icebox." " And Eugenia?" " Eugenia?" "She's in her room, I guess." "I guess she was studying, I didn't hear her at all today." "Why no, not that one!" "The tall one, who was playing tennis!" "At his house, oh, and you should see that house!" "No, no, I found him!" "It wasn't his decision." "Man, did he go along with it!" "A tiger!" "He wanted everything." "No one's gonna stop him." "He started sucking my toes, my ankles..." "Down between my legs..." "He ripped all my clothes off, like he wanted to tear my skin off, too, he scratched and bit me." "He called me a dirty prostitute, a whore, in fact every name in the book!" "He classifies as a real force of nature..." "And who is this fortunate kid, what's his name?" "My father is here." "Yeah." "See you tomorrow." " Who are you speaking to?" " To Nicola." "And does Nicola tell you what's done to her?" "Are they the same as yours, or are they different?" "Mostly the same as mine." "What a sensational actress you'd be!" "What are you dressed up as?" "That shawl around your neck!" "Oh, this time..." "This time you weren't kidding." "This time the tiger was real." "Stop it..." "Cut it out!" "' Let me ' Stop it!" "Let me go, let me go, you're hurting me!" "Stop it!" "Enough!" "Enough." "Enough already." "It's late." "Late, late." "Elisa..." "Late." "Late." "Late, late." "Elisa, wait a minute." "You must go to sleep, my dear, and cover up!" "Cover up, or tomorrow, you'll have a cold!" " Let her go, will you?" " No, no, no, there's plenty of time, all the time in the world." "Close your eyes." "Close your eyes." " Close your eyes." " Stop that, will you?" "Leave her alone." "See?" "She's asleep." "I'm coming now." "It's our turn." "WW did you slap me?" "You never did that before." "You hurt me." "My face still burns..." " Little face..." "little face..." " Here, drink this." " Elisa, I beg you..." " You have big hands, haven't you?" "!" "All men have to have big hands so they can crush you!" "And overpower, oversee, and so they can poke around" " and go inside, inside, inside!" " Stop that!" "And they leave their marks?" "Hands..." "Hands that can hold a breast of a baby!" " Or of a whore!" " Come to bed." "I am your baby, I am your whore!" " Your baby is your bitch!" " What are you doing?" "No, no, no, come here, don't be afraid!" "I feel lots of things, you know!" " Let go of me!" " I play for you!" "You, my best audience!" "Yes." " Yes." " Touch me..." "Kiss me on the mouth..." "Your strong, savage, male smell..." "Hold me tight in your big, strong arms!" "Yes, yes, come into me all the way till you suffocate me, till..." "Your fingers on the piano are like butterflies!" "A bunch of roses with the best wishes for a long and splendid career!" "I hate you!" "Are you weeping?" " I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" " Stop it, Elisa!" " I swear I'm gonna walk out on you!" " It's enough to hate!" "So everything smells of wisteria, rose petals, jasmine, orange blossoms!" "18 years and 4 months..." "If we were married today..." " Yes." " Come, come..." "I want to give you a lot of children, all boys..." "All big, handsome cowards..." "All filthy pigs like you are..." "As hateful as you are..." "Because I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..." "A young lady just left these." "She asked about your wife." "She said she's a friend of your daughter's." "Nicola!" "Elisa is alright now, she's in the hands of the doctors." "And we're getting out of here, completely out." "It's a rotten feeling knowing I owe my freedom to someone else's suffering, but I have a right to begin again." "There won't be any more mistakes." "I have no time to waste." "Come." "You know how many years I've lived in this house?" "18." "And I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time." "You have any idea what a house is?" "What you need is the guts to insist that everything's okay." "And that there's no need to worry about anything." "This is the real revolution!" "Imagine what it would mean to a man to wake up and realize" " that he has nothing to worry about!" " You're tired, you must get some rest." "No, I have to finish packing the bags." " We want to get out of here." " No, we have time." "But it's for you, I didn't want you to have to stay here." "I owe you that much consideration." " In fact, I owe you a great deal." " Don't look at you watch, the important thing is for you to relax." "Don't worry about me." "I don't know yet whether to drive or take the train." "I'm completely happy driving." "Give me a cigarette, please." "This trip will last a few miles, I have to stay awake." "Funny, isn't it?" "Only here I can't manage to sleep." "Surrounded by all the errors of the past." "They're the only things in life that you use and then destroy..." " Oh, the hankies, I forgot the hankies!" " Please." "Please lie down." " The time is..." " How'd you like a big drink?" " That's a good idea." "Scotch." " I'll be right back."