"Puebla, Mexico. 1932." "That year, many things happened in Mexico" "For one, I met Andres in one of the cafes under the arches" "Where else?" "In Puebla everything happened in the arches" "From courtships to assassinations as if no other place existed" "Aren't they a bunch of assholes?" "Who?" "Say yes." "I can see in your face you agree" "Yes, but who are you talking about?" "All these people, who else?" "Of course I agreed" "For me "all these people" were the ones from Puebla those who acted as though they owned the city" "Not us, the children of a campesino who stopped milking cows because he'd learned to make cheese" "Not him, Andres Ascencio who became a general through luck and every brand of cunning short of being born into a name with a coat of arms" "That man scares me, Catalina" "What are you scared of?" "I don't know." "He is too old" "Yes, but I like the way he stares" "And I like his hands" "Later, an explosion and heavy gunfire confirmed what I had told them all along" "General Rosas ordered us to flee and he ordered us to flee" "It was stupid!" "So I did something I would never forgive from a subordinate" "I gave a counterorder" "And we charged against the Federales at full gallop" "There were only eighteen of us..." "In the blink of an eye, he won us over" "Even my father accepted him despite the horrible things we heard about him" "That he had many women was a criminal and a madman" "That we would regret it" "And we did regret it but that was many years later" "At the time I was fifteen and dying for things to start happening to me" "TEAR THIS HEART OUT" "There is a beautiful beach called "Catalina"" "Have you ever been there?" "No, I've never seen the ocean" "What is it like?" "It's black at night" "Clear during the day" "It's never still." "Like you" ""Dear Mama and Papa, don't worry I've gone to see the ocean"" "The General said he wanted to take me to see the ocean" "Actually, I went to get the fright of my life" "I had seen bulls mount cows but the erect cock of a grown man was different" "What are you afraid of?" "Nothing" "Then why are you staring at me like that?" "I'm not sure that will fit in me" "Of course it will, girl" "You just let yourself go" "No one's going to eat you if you don't want to" "Look, you're nice and wet" "You don't feel anything" "Why don't you feel something?" "I did feel something" "But at the end I didn't get it" "But it's the end that matters" "Why don't you teach me?" "Teach you what?" "well, to feel" "That's not something someone can teach you." "You learn" "Come on" "They are fucking bastards" "They think Pallares is going to take the governorship from me with speeches" "He's an idiot" "He must not be such an idiot if you're so worried about him" "Of course he's an idiot!" "And why are you butting in?" "And who asked your opinion?" "You've been talking about it for four days" "I've had enough time to form an opinion" "Listen to our little senorita!" "She doesn't know how babies are made but now she wants to tell generals" "Are you all right?" "Yes, I'm fine" "Go to sleep" "My parents welcomed me back without question or comment" "They were not secure about their future and had five children" "So they decided to celebrate that the ocean was so beautiful and the General so kind that he took me to see it" "What do you want?" "I want know how to feel" "No one comes here for that" "You are too young" "I don't want your mother to come complaining to me later" "Get out" "So you don't feel, either?" "What?" "Well, do you?" "I only wish I'd had the guts to ask that question" "Look, we have a little thing here" "You feel with that" "Pull your skirt up" "We call it "the bell"" "But it must have many other names" "When you're with someone think of it as the center of your body" "Think that all good things come from right there" "How you think with it, hear with it and see with it" "Forget that you have a head and arms" "Put yourself there" "And see if you don't feel something" "Cati, what's wrong with you?" "And yes." "Everything was there" "Why haven't we seen Don Andres lately?" "He's busy trying to beat General Pallares" "According to EI Sol" "Aguirre and the Governor support Pallares" "Did you have a fight?" "From your home to mine Cielito Lindo there's but a step..." "Take that step, Cielito Lindo don't make me beg" "Are your parents home?" "Tell them I've come to get all of you so we can go get married" "Who?" "Me and you, but we have to take the others" "You haven't even asked me if I want to marry you" "Who do you think you are?" "What do you mean who do I think I am?" "I think I'm me, Andres Ascencio" "Stop arguing and get in the car" "Wake up, Gordo, sign" "That's what you're here for" "Or did you think you were here just to eat my tamales?" "No, no, write "De Ascencio", senora" "Did you write "De Guzman"?" "No, child, that's not how it works" "I protect you, not you me" "You become part of my family" "You become mine" "Yours?" "Don't ever tell me that no one in your family put on airs at our wedding" "Chino, tamales for everyone" "Red tamales, sweet tamales green tamales" "And hot chocolate for everybody" "I want an orange juice" "No, no." "Don't upset things" "You'll have tamales and hot chocolate like everyone else" "I can't have breakfast without juice" "What you need is a good war" "Then learn to eat breakfast without juice" "Where do you get you can always have juice?" "Papa, tell him that I have juice in the mornings" "Bring the girls her orange juice" "All right, have your juice" "You'd think you were a gringa" "Don't think you'll always get what you want" "Life with a military man isn't easy" "Start learning that" "And you, Don Marcos remember she is not your little girl anymore and that at this table I have the say" "Well, congratulations." "Thank you, compadre" "Congratulations my darling" "Congratulations, Cati" "All right, lazybones" "What are you doing there pretending you can think?" "I'll be waiting for you downstairs" "I'm counting to three hundred and then I'm leaving" "One, two, three, four" "Two hundred ninety one two hundred ninety two two hundred ninety three two hundred ninety four two hundred ninety five two hundred ninety seven two hundred ninety eight two hundred ninety nine" "What a slowpoke!" "Good morning, Boss" "How about a little race?" "Alright" "You are beating your butt against the saddle" "Stand on the stirrups when your horse runs" "I'm trying" "You don't know how to ride" "You do not know how to cook and you did not know how to fuck" "What have you been doing all these years?" "Just playing" "But I can learn, you will see" "Put everything in the mortar" "Like this, see?" "Is it true there is a moment when you should close your eyes and pray a Hall Mary?" "If you're all as ignorant about everything as you are about this, I don't know how you'll ever get married" "We cooked it together" "You mean the Munoz sisters did it together" "Sir, at your command" "General we have an arrest warrant against you signed by the region's commander" "You are removed from your post and under the jurisdiction of a civil court" "What is he accused of?" "Murder" "But what do they mean they are taking you?" "Where are they taking you?" "You have not killed anyone, tell them" "Don't worry, sweetie I'll clear this up" "I'll be back in a little while" "Save my dish with molito" "Lieutenant, notify Colonel Campos and Mr. Mike Heiss" "Yes Sir" "Andres Ascencio Dominguez in jail accused of murdering Quirino Mendez" "What's going on here?" "Sit down" "Hi" "Chop this fruit" "Back to work" "So you are crying for your charro" "I was afraid they'd cut it off" "Why did they arrest you and why did they release you?" "Because they are bastards and because they are stupid" "You should have seen the way those bitches at my cooking class were staring at me" "You are gorgeous" "Just wait till I'm the boss around here" "Here we are going to plant plum trees and all those lands belong to Mike Heiss" "When I become Governor we're going to flood this valley and we're going to build a dam" "It's going to be quite a sight" "I like it the way it is" "You are going to like it better you'll see" "And what about the people who live there?" "They'll have to move somewhere else" "The dam will electrify the whole city" "What this country needs is progress" "What business do you have with Mr. Heiss?" "I don't live with you to talk about business if you want more money just ask" "Last one there is a sissy" "Andres kept me tucked away like a toy he talked nonsense with and screwed three times a week" "Sometimes I convinced myself he was right" "Congratulations!" "Why did I care where he got money that paid for the house the horses, the chocolates and all the things I wanted" "I was a child" "You son of a bitch!" "And what are you lacking?" "Are you not well fed?" "Are you not well fucked?" "Get in the car" "And what about you?" "Are you not well fucked?" "What the anger" "What's with the dying dog face?" "Let me see" "You have cow eyes" "Are you pregnant?" "Hello" "Catalina, you look pretty" "Don't tease me" "I mean it" "I always knew you'd be beautiful when you were expecting a baby" "All I see is this hump I'm growing and I always have heartburn up to my nose" "No, Catalina, get down" "Don't worry" "It's nice" "May I?" "Pablo soothed my anxiety during those last months of my pregnancy and I relieved him of the virginity he hadn't left in some brothel" "Ever since I got pregnant Andres has not touched me" "He hasn't even come home" "What an asshole" "Yes, and I'm so horny I can't even think" "It was the only good thing about my pregnancy" "That and the twenty bouquets of red roses" "Andres brought me two days after I gave birth to Checo" "Verania was two months old and I had my breasts covered with stretch marks when Andres arrived with one of his surprises" "I formally announce the candidacy of General Andres Ascencio for constitutional governor of the state of Puebla" "Congratulations, comadre." "Thank you" "Now they'll see who's boss around here" "Children, say hello" "Octavio and Lilia" "They were living with my mother in Zacatlan but now I want them to go to school here" "I want them to go to school here" "They are my oldest children, Cati" "Well, get acquainted" "We have work to do" "How are you?" "Good" "How old are you?" "Nineteen." "And you?" "Twelve" "Can I call you mom?" "If you want to" "Where did you get those children from?" "From my first wife" "Are there others?" "Just these two, for now" "I meant women" "Her name was Eulalia" "She wasn't pretty but she had a church virgin's smile" "I met her in Mexico City in the early days of the revolution" "You couldn't find any food money was worth something one day and nothing the next" "Her father had a stable and I moved in with them so we could help each other" "She helped me deliver milk" "Then she got sick during the typhus epidemic" "I sat and watched her die unable to do anything but put wet towels on her forehead" "There was no surviving that disease" "Especially without money" "El Gordo became my children's godfather" "What do you think of that Mrs. Governor?" "Why didn't you ever tell me?" "Because I didn't feel like it" "For several years I believed every word of that dramatic and heartwarming story" "I venerated Eulalia's memory" "I wanted to have a smile like hers" "Then I found out that during that time Andres had a good job under Victoriano Huerta the traitor of the revolution and that the children's mother was alive and well in Veracruz" "After Andres's nomination we traveled all over the state" "What do you think?" "Was I any good?" "Yes, the people love you" "What this state needs is education and progress" "I liked the campaign" "We went from town to town, listening to the peasants' demands for more land their claims for justice the miracles they wanted" "During my government the Revolution will bring you justice" "You are always so refined." "Welcome" "How dare she?" "Mr. Governor" "The Revolution triumphed!" "We have a lot to do and from tomorrow on we will get to work" "But today, we are here to celebrate" "I would like to take this opportunity to announce that this lady my wife will be from this moment on the president of public welfare" "I have enough work with the children the dinner parties, the houses" "What do I know about that?" "Remove me from that position" "I can't, you are my wife and that is what wives are for" "Don't think everything is screwing and singing, Cati" "Besides, I'm bringing my daughter Adriana to help you" "Your daughter Adriana?" "Yes, she's fifteen and she's moving in with us" "And who is her mother?" "Another saint?" "And who is your mother?" "Leave her alone!" "I don't mind" "Her name is Ofelia and we live in Tezuitlan" "I'm working on it" "That's the way it is" "Throw them out" "Here you go, Mr. Heiss" "Thank you." "Excuse me" "Ma'am they are calling for you from the orphanage" "When I saw how those children and the insane women lived" "I suddenly felt like the Nurturing Mother of the people of Puebla" "I wanted to sack nurses and doctors" "No one could stop my merciful deeds except my husband, of course" "You're exaggerating" "Not one more cent for the orphanage or the hospitals" "And the new building is plenty for the insane women" "But those children are starving and they live covered in urine" "And the insane women sleep on the floor" "Those women have never slept higher than that" "Do you think there are wealthy loonies in there?" "The rich ones are out on the streets" "Or with you" "I don't have any more money, Catin" "That imbecile, Aguirre had the bright idea of nationalizing the oil companies and now he's realizing that we have to pay for them" "Where the hell are those documents?" "That goes to the living room" "Yesterday you promised a fortune to the Charro Association..." "Tomorrow I will send Gonzalito with some cash for the orphanage" "As for the crazy women we'll have to wait and see" "Are these the documents you were looking for?" "Thank you very much" "He's so jealous" "He won't let me go anywhere alone except the market" "He thinks I'm there now" "I don't know how you can stand that" "I have a lover" "We see each other twice a week at a little room he rents above the market" "I spend two hours upstairs while a woman does my shopping" "We fuck like gods" "Excuse me for interrupting" "It's fine, would you like to join us?" "I am Mrs. Gonzalez the owner of the house on third street the one your husband wants to buy" "The house is not for sale" "Not for the money your husband wants to pay nor for any other amount" "I am begging you, ma'am it's all we have" "I don't know what you're talking about" "The governor warned my husband he'd rather buy it from him than from his widow" "I don't want to become a widow over a house but please understand he gave us three days to move" "So, besides being slow the woman is also a snitch" "I am paying the value they declared on their tax forms" "I wouldn't want to think they are deceiving the government" "And what do you want that house for?" "Why do you care?" "I want it for a reason" "Just tell her you don't know anything" "I don't" "There you go" "See you tonight at the insane asylum" "I'm only going to make sure they let you leave" "Come in" "How do you want it, Catita?" "I do not know, Guera" "Just different" "I would have liked to be Andres's mistress" "To wait for him in silk nightgowns and shiny shoes" "To wake up late, and not have to deal with public charity" "Besides, everybody either pities or sides with mistresses" "No one considers them accomplices instead, I was the official accomplice" "It was your hair, Cielito Lindo that made me love you" "Now that you're bald, Cielito Lindo" "I love you no more" "I look awful, don't I?" "You're gorgeous" "We're throwing a dinner party at home tonight" "So, what else is new?" "You have a dinner party every other day" "Yes, but tonight everyone will laugh at me" "Since when do you care what people say?" "What's important is that you feel happy" "But I'm not happy" "What's bothering you?" "Come on, just look at how beautiful the sky is" "Would you like to be my sweetheart?" "Your sweetheart, but not your wife" "That's why I don't like young maids" "I told her to be careful around those factory workers because they are very irresponsible" "But she didn't listen" "She had to go and be a slut instead" "That's how these people are" "And afterwards, oh yes, the tears flowing" "So I told her, "listen Lucina as long as you keep doing a good job, you can stay here but when you start to show you're going straight back to your town" "Poor thing" "Catalina, the things you say" "You're such a politician's wife" "What did your papa think of your haircut" "I know his opinion is very important for you" "He came over for dinner on Wednesday and he couldn't stop talking about you" "My father had dinner at your house?" "Of course." "He's your husband's representative in his business with Julian" "Hasn't he told you he's going to be rich?" "No" "Short hair really suits you Catalina, really" "Thank you" "I don't believe it, but tell me Martin is it true that the president is already looking for his successor?" "No, it's too early for that" "It gets late pretty early" "Excuse me" "May I have a word with you?" "Is it urgent?" "Yes, it's a simple matter" "Well, we shall see what the little lady's simple matter is" "Excuse me" "What's wrong?" "I don't want my father to get involved in your business" "That's what you interrupted me for?" "Why did you cut my hair?" "I'm begging you, Andres." "Calm down, calm down" "I'll see what I can do, crybaby" "Now stop it or you'll look ugly" "And that's not how it goes" "The thing is to look pretty sweet, impeccable" "Politically, it's a difficult situation" "Yes, but we can't allow some ignorant peasants armed with machetes to decide the future of the state" "The dam will provide electricity for the entire city" "And we congratulate you for that" "What worries the president is the bloodshed" "Well, yes" "But it was done to protect the interests of the Revolution" "The army tried to draw them out but these people were armed they attacked my men" "What else were they supposed to do?" "In that case, defend themselves" "But wasn't there any other way?" "They were offered lands in a different part of the state money to start their crops They were better off" "What they wanted were the lands next to the dam" "They didn't want those lands what their leaders wanted was to see how much would they get from us and we don't negotiate like that" "I congratulate you for the work you have done" "We haven't seen so much progress since the times of Don Porfirio" "Do you feel nostalgic?" "Actually I do" "Things were different then" "Right, she was twenty then, now she is sixty" "To my wife;" "because she is getting more and more beautiful" "And smarter, also" "Good night." "Have a good night" "Thank you very much." "I had a delightful time" "This is your home" "Pleased to meet you" "Goodbye, Martin" "You're so obvious, Catalina I fell like slapping you" "And you're so subtle" "I don't have to be subtle" "I am a man and you are a woman and when women behave like goats in heat wanting to fuck every man who make's their belly button tremble they're called whores" "I'm going to have a cold bath" "Who told you they wanted those lands?" "They came to see me about a month ago and asked me to speak with you" "What did you tell them?" "What could I tell them?" "To find another way" "That I couldn't speak to you about it that you wouldn't listen" "And if you kept quiet for a month why did you have to be a knowitall tonight with Martin Cienfuegos sitting at our table?" "Because that's how people are" "Until it touches you, you don't feel it" "Don't talk about things you don't understand, Catalina" "I want my father out of your business" "I got him into the most harmless deal you ever heard of" "I don't believe you" "And neither do I believe your story about the dam" "But you do believe I really like you with your short hair?" "All right, all right" "I'll get him out of it but I don't want him complaining later" "That's not going to happen" "I almost forgot how gorgeous you are" "After that small triumph my failures began" "Every other day someone would come and ask me for help with Andres" "Who would have believed that I only heard rumors" "I knew nothing" "Maybe I didn't want to know" "But along with the houses, the servants the luxury, also came the bits of evidence that put together could not be ignored" "It's about my father" "He went to the movies three days ago and hasn't come home" "And what do you think?" "Where could he be?" "There was a disagreement between your husband and my father" "Catalina, would you ask the Governor about him?" "if he knows anything about him?" "Can you believe the CTM is nominating my idiot compadre for President of this country?" "Haven't they seen his face?" "He is a beefsteak with eyes" "What this country needs is a President with balls" "Not a fucking asskissing fat man" "What's wrong with you?" "Why don't you say something or ask questions?" "Give me ideas, that's what you're here for" "You're like a sleepwalker" "Do you have Mr. Maynes?" "Mr. Maynes?" "Why would I?" "Because he's winning a lawsuit against you, and you can't pay him off" "Stop receiving everybody, Catalina" "Do something useful" "Maynes." "Give me a fucking break" "He must be with a sweetheart" "I have more important things to worry about" "What is it Guera?" "Mr. Maynes, Catita" "They found him in a basket last night hacked to pieces" "Hello, cutie" "Please take me to my parents' house" "Excuse me Ma'am" "My orders are to take you home" "Open the door, Catalina I'm not in the mood for this shit" "What happened to your shirt?" "I went to Mexico to meet EI Gordo and the asshole wouldn't see me" "It just so happens that on the way back, they shot up my car" "They killed Captain Rojas" "I'm being accused of God knows how many crimes and it turns out that the only lawyer I have a disagreement with has been chopped to pieces" "They want to screw me!" "They want to fuck me because they know I'm close to Aguirre" "But they don't know who they're dealing with" "Why are you looking at me like that?" "I had nothing to do with Maynes's death" "Who killed him then?" "Damn" "You seem so smart sometimes and then you start talking like a woman" "Don't you realize there are more important things going on?" "Do you think I'm going to play such a dumb move right now?" "These people are capable of that and more" "Take off that dress." "I want to see your tits" "I'm not your imbecile!" "Get out of my way, Andres!" "Let go of me!" "I told you to let go!" "Damn it!" "It's getting harder to fuck you than some village virgin" ""The frauds and the crimes of two cheerful compadres" "Andres Ascencio and Rodolfo Campos"" "Good morning" "Have you seen this?" "I'm going to count to ten and then you will see EI Gordo walk through that door" "And I'll be walking out the other one, with the children" "And where would you go?" "I need you now more than ever" "I'm going to be president even if the fucking Gordo doesn't like it" "I want to leave" "You're my wife." "This is your home" "You don't want to go anywhere" "I do want to leave" "I am not afraid of you nor attracted to you anymore" "Well, you've never been afraid of me" "And you'll be attracted to me again" "I do not think so" "You're not going anywhere with the children" "Catalina, try to understand" "There are widowed presidents but none divorced" "And I'm going to be president" "I do not think so" "Hello, comadre" "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine" "Thank you, Fito" "Andres is in the living room." "Excuse me" "Aguirre has chosen him" "They'll announce it tomorrow" "Fucking Fito" "The goddamn Gordo!" "My compadre, the idiot president of Mexico" "Can you imagine?" "Hard to believe" "At least he knows that if I go down he's coming with me" "He wants my help with the election" "What will you do?" "He promised to endorse me for the next term" "And what about the newspaper?" "Just gossip" "We'll sort it out" "He offered me a cabinet position" "This shit is over" "You will like Mexico City, you'll see" ""Rodolfo Campos presidential candidate. "" "Two days later, the editor of The Avante was found dead" "They said he had been mugged" "Get him!" "We also heard that members of the party had to "save the revolution" by stealing the ballot boxes where Fito was losing" "The candidate from the opposition had to leave the country" "And Congress declared EI Gordo's landslide victory" "Buy yourself something nice" "That was around the time my father died" "I must have been a real wreck because Andres suddenly became very affectionate with me" "He wanted to take me everywhere indulge my every whim" "I became unbearable and the worse I got the more indulgent he became" "We're losing the pulse here you're not following me" "What can we be thinking about that's more important than this?" "Who let you in?" "I'm a journalist" "I wanted to interview you" "Unbelievable" "Can you sit a little further back, please?" "You distract us" "Are you done?" "I'm done" "From the sixteenth, please" "What thieves!" "And what did you do?" "Empty out the stores?" "No, I was listening to music" "You must have found a marimba in the Alameda" "Why are you so tacky, Cati?" "The speech I wrote for Rodolfo is fucking sensational" "Cordera's communists won't know whether to shit or go blind" "I wrote that from now on democracy must be understood as the accommodation of class struggle within the bosom of the law" "And since we are the law they're screwed" "I was waiting for our interview, ma'am" "Carlitos?" "My boy!" "Do you know each other?" "Sit down" "I snuck into a rehearsal" "Why did you let her in?" "She let herself in" "She said she was there to interview me" "What a little liar" "Why didn't you tell him" ""l came in because I felt like it?"" "I was scared" "Afraid of him?" "He's just a pup" "He was twelve during the war" "His father was my superior officer" "When he was a kid we took him to see the hanged men" "We made him stand under the posts so he could see their purple faces and their tongues hanging out" "How awful" "Weren't you scared?" "Terrified." "But I wasn't about to show it to a couple of bastards like my father and your husband" "Cheers, Carlos" "Here's to the pleasure of meeting you again" "Cheers, General" "I see you're not keeping very good company" "Well, they are waiting for me" "Bon appetit!" "Look at that" "Rafael Cordera, a leader of workers who has not worked a single day of his life" "Hurry up, Checo!" "Are there any cute boys in you class?" "Mom!" "Are there or not?" "Two, but they're very rude" "You take after your mother" "You are acting weird, Mom" "See you" "Hurry up!" "You'll be late" "Ma'am" "I was unfaithful long before I lay a hand on Carlos Vives" "I liked the way he moved his hands and how others obeyed him without stopping to think" "How he got into people's minds... into my body as I sat there and listened into my eyes following his hands" "So, who's taking whom to get ice cream?" "I am taking you" "You're the one who likes ice cream" "I prefer whiskey" "How did you know I like ice cream?" "Don't you have ice cream when you're nervous?" "Yes, but I'm not nervous now and who told you that?" "My spies" "They also told me you are here to the rehearsals for reasons other than the music" "Well, they told you wrong" "Senora" "We'll walk" "See you back at the National Palace" "No, I 'm not going back without the senora" "Then wait here because we're taking a walk" "Catalina, a bunch of drunkards" "Hello Hi" "Is she mute?" "No, she is from Puebla" "Why so elegant?" "Don't answer" "Catalina is a journalist." "Then she must be dangerous, Vives" "Only when I have to" "I like this building" "Why don't you ask your General to buy it for you?" "He is buying everything else" "Why not the building if you like it so much?" "Go to hell" "Do you want me to believe you don't know who Ascencio is?" "Of course I do" "But you don't care as long as you have everything you want, do you?" "Is that what you think?" "No?" "What did you do?" "I went to another rehearsal" "And how's Vives?" "I told him to go to hell" "Why?" "What did he do?" "He treated me like an imbecile" "I told him I liked the Sanborn's building and he said I should ask you to buy it for me" "You like that building?" "It reminds me of Puebla" "Andres bought me the building and I fell in love with Carlos" "Flowers for your lady?" "How much?" "Heads or tails?" "Quick!" "Tails!" "Not even at your swearing in, Compadre" "Look at him, what a clown" "It's a pity that among us we don't do that bowing thing" "It would have a great effect" "He's a genius" "He's so handsome" "That's something on which we can all agree" "His musical talent is almost beside the point" "Let's go" "That's what I say" "It's not like he's a bullfighter" "You'd think he'd risked his life out there" "I cursed the day I told Carlos my father used to sing" "Cielito Lindo to me all the time" "Suddenly, the orchestra was my father whistling to me in the morning" "Rafael, allow me to introduce you to Martin" "Do you know each other?" "How do you do?" "Andres." "Excuse us Catalina" "It's all set." "We're meeting at the..." "I'm well, and you?" "It's good to meet you..." "Excuse me" "I'll see you in a minute" "Maestro, that is the music we need to hear..." "Congratulations" "Thank you" "Catalina" "Thank you, you made me cry" "I'm leaving, Brother" "Congratulations again" "Thank you, thank you" "Rafael Cordera" "Catalina de Ascencio" "Of course, pleased to meet you, ma'am" "Excuse me" "How did it go?" "Fine?" "It was very important for you to meet him" "What did you arrange?" "Nothing specific" "No games, Brother" "What do you want me to say?" "The lady knows her husband is a national disgrace" "You're in his way, he wants you out" "You're the only one who can mobilize the workers" "If we strike a deal with Cienfuegos we can screw him" "They're willing to do anything" "They're in politics to do business" "They create laws as it suits them at their convenience" "They have everything on their side." "It's very difficult" "But we have to fight back." "Or are you tired already?" "It's not about that" "Can we talk tomorrow?" "Are you afraid to die?" "I'm not afraid but I don't look forward to it" "See you tomorrow" "Thank you for your discretion" "How do you know I'll be discreet?" "I just do" "What a country, Catalina!" "Those who aren't afraid, are bored" "Are you afraid?" "I was bored" "Not anymore?" "Not anymore" "What do you want to do?" "Whatever you want" "What do you want to do?" "I want to be with you, lots of time" "Where will we go?" "To the ocean" "Let's go, then" "What time is it?" "I don't know" "Why can't we just die right now?" "Because I still have lots to do" "I've never conducted in Vienna" "Will you take me to Vienna?" "If they invite me" "First the war has to end" "And I have to become a better conductor" "By then, you won't love me anymore" "I love you right now" "The General is asking for his wife" "He said she would surely be at the garden" "Let's go" "There you are" "Excuse me" "Let's bring the party home with us" "Tell Juan to get Tonita so she can sing for us" "You're drunk" "Darling, in this country you have to be either drunk or insane" "And most of the time I'm insane" "Tonight, sanity tried to take over but I couldn't let that happen" "Carlos, let's go" "Is your friend the communist coming?" "Listen, Carlos is a great artist" "And a friend of this family" "You have political talent don't waste it" "How about that?" "The boy's got nerve" "After enduring the sorrow" "I felt when you forgot about me after I gave you my wounded heart you have come to see me to let me know about the pain you are feeling because of a love just like the one you gave to me" "I shall not be able, to forgive you or give you?" "Shut up, Catalina, you're ruining it" "You're ruining everything with your yelling you must know, a dead love does not feel resentment and if you want to rebuild the ruins you created yourself you will only find ashes of what used to be my love" "Tear this heart out with one last kiss of love tear this heart out take my heart" "tear this heart out and if you should feel the pain" "it will be because you can't see me, for if I leave" "I'll take away your sight with me" "Wonderful, Tona." "My compliments" "Thank you, Tonita" "And what about the two of you?" "Do you love each other or are you going to?" "Goodbye, sister" "Thank you very much, Tonita" "See you" "Thank you" "Tomorrow?" "Tomorrow" "Hey!" "It is already tomorrow!" "Have mercy on a constipated drunkard" "Get up" "Or you'll feel worse later" "What were Cordera and Vives talking about last night?" "About the concert" "What else?" "Cordera told Vives that everything is all right" "He said the assembly is about to elect a leader" "Don't beat around the bush" "Tell me what they said about Cienfuegos" "Cordera didn't want to talk" "Most likely because I was there" "If you want to live in Los Pinos remember and tell me what they said" "They speak in code" "General, if I ever hear them speak about something important" "I promise to recreate the conversation" "Yesterday they didn't talk about anything important" "Are you going to the bullfight?" "Yes, Garza is fighting." "Are you coming?" "No, I don't like bullfighting anymore" "What sacrilege" "I don't need to go and witness crimes" "You have beautiful feet" "I never noticed before" "Like a Japanese girl" "Good morning" "Hello, Conductor" "You beat me." "Sorry" "I like to be here by myself" "I can leave if you want to" "No, come" "Teach me how to play this" "I'm tired of meeting you in secret" "Why did you have to go and marry General Ascencio when you were sixteen?" "I do not know why I did anything when I was sixteen" "I'm almost twenty eight" "I want to be in control of my life" "I want to live with you" "I want you to take me to New York and introduce me to your friends" "I want to tell General Ascencio everything" "Are we going to see each other on Friday?" "We're going to Puebla, for the weekend" "What a pity" "You don't care." "What?" "Of course you don't" "You get yourself laid and send me back to another man" "Faggot" "I'm giving a concert in Cholula" "Revueltas music at the main plaza" "We're playing Revueltas" "Cordera is coming, Cienfuegos the people from the CNC" "That's why your husband is going to Puebla" "See you on Friday?" "Are you coming to the concert?" "It's not a concert it's a political meeting" "Concerts are political meetings" "Why in Puebla?" "Don't provoke him, Vives" "You'll ruin everything" "Don't worry" "Are you going to show me the place where you were born?" "How do I look?" "And Javier?" "Wasn't he the love of your life?" "Guillermo is nice" "No." "He's a son of a bitch" "He's been stringing Georgina along for years and now he leaves her to be with you" "You're very young and pretty" "And you happen to be Andres Ascencio's daughter" "Don't you realize you're a business deal?" "She's your daughter when it suits you" "When it doesn't she's our daughter" "You brought her home and talked me into being her mother" "Now she's your daughter" "Because right now she needs someone to ensure her future not someone to wipe her nose" "I won't let you marry her off against her will" "Don't worry." "She'll marry who she chooses" "Mr. Pena and his wife are here" "Yesterday, your friend Vives drew a crowd of fifteen thousand for his concert" "Cordera and Cienfuegos were there agitating the people" "If they screw us on our territory you can forget about the presidency" "Don't worry, Vives is coming to dinner on Saturday and we'll set him straight" "What you have to do is tell Memito to go straight to hell" "Gently, nothing unpleasant but send him straight to hell" "What will I tell papa?" "I'll handle him" "Now" "Let's pretend I'm the bride" "Pretend I'm marching with your orchestra playing the "Wedding March"" "to marry you" "I can't conduct and be the groom" "Pretend you can" "You wait for me there" "You're mad Catina" "I take you as my lawful, wedded husband" "And I promise to be faithful" "For better or for worse, in sickness and in health" "To love and to cherish you every day of my life" "You have that down to a tee" "I promise to be faithful to you with a husband or without to love and to cherish you" "You may kiss the bride" "You should be ashamed to do these things in God's presence" "You're on the altar" "Go and do your dirty things at a stable" "God likes love, we just got married" "That's not love, it's pure lust" "Get out!" "Spirits from purgatory!" "It must be nice to have a grave that smells like this" "When I die make sure they bury me here" "You're going to die in New York" "Or Paris" "When you're old" "You won't care what your grave smells like" "When I do die, I want my grave to smell like your body now" "Let's go" "It's almost two" "If I'm not home for dinner my husband will kill us" "Leave him" "Come to live with me" "I only wish" "So what's the problem?" "Can I bring my twenty children?" "If you want to" "There are widowed presidents but no divorced ones" "That's why you stay" "Give me a break, Vives" "Let's go" "That's bullshit" "Their only problem is that they let Cienfuegos lead them" "But why are you interfering?" "Let the workers decide who they want" "No." "You're the one who shouldn't interfere" "Stick to your music and your intellectual thoughts" "Devote yourself to difficult women if you like but stay out of politics" "You have to know what you're doing" "I'd never try to conduct an orchestra but I assure you it's a lot easier to move your hands in front of a bunch of mariachis than to govern a mob of agitators and sons of bitches" "The era of military men and caciques like yourself is over" "The Revolution is over" "You did what you had to do" "Cordera and Cienfuegos have new ideas and the people support them" "Besides, they're my friends" "And what about me?" "I'm not you friend?" "See, Deputy Pena?" "This is the thanks I get" "You agree, don't you, Catalina?" "Or has the artist convinced you?" "You'd say that just to spite your husband" "Women, Deputy they're not what they used to be" "Just look at mine" "And when I say mine I mean you, Mrs. Ascencio" "The others are only anecdotes" "Necessary, but not indispensable" "Excuse me, my dear Poncho" "My wife and I have some urgent business" "I promised to take them to the fair" "You are a model mother but promises don't cost anything" "Just look at how many promises I've made" "Promise them you'll take them at six" "Excuse me" "Did Carlos tell you where Cordera and Cienfuegos are meeting?" "No" "Go to sleep" "Should I send you anything?" "This afternoon you're going to stay in bed with your husband" "Because as a spy, you're worthless and you're starting to like the role of girlfriend too much" "Why do you want me to stay?" "So you can do me the honor?" "You haven't touched me in months" "Distance becomes you" "You're gorgeous" "And Conchita?" "Don't ask tasteless questions" "It's a simple courtesy" "I'd like to know how the women you sleep with are faring" "You've become so vulgar" "Since when are we so refined?" "You must have learned that from Ibarra's niece" "They've always been so distinguished" "Do you still keep her at the ranch?" "The poor thing" "She must walk among the stock and the peasants with a veil over her face" "Isn't she bored?" "She had a daughter" "Are you bringing her here?" "No, she doesn't want to" "She's a good mother" "It is incredible how beautiful you still are" "No wonder you have Carlos panting after you" "Carlos is my friend" "And so are Victoria, Pilar and the others" "Yes, but I don't fuck Carlos" "Say that again?" "I'm not fucking Carlos" "That's good to know" "Because you're my woman" "Don't you forget it" "Carlos took Checo and Verania to the fair they'll meet you there" "Are you coming?" "Are you alright?" "All right" "What happened?" "They took Carlos!" "Andres!" "What's wrong?" "Someone took Carlos" "Who'd want to take him?" "He probably went where I told him not to go" "He was with the children" "He took the children with him?" "With whose permission?" "They said he was taken at gunpoint" "Your children have a vivid imagination" "Put them to bed that's what they need" "And what are you going to do?" "Start the game, of course." "I have the double six" "He'll be back" "I'll call Benitez and have the police look for him" "Ma'am, General Ascencio is calling you" "Serve him dinner, please" "He wants you to come down" "He said to tell you that the governor is here" "And senor Carlos?" "No, senora, he's not here" "I'm very sorry senora" "Did they kill him?" "Did Juan tell you?" "Ay senora!" "Apparently they found him" "There's your flowery grave, imbecile" "Do you remember me?" "Of course I remember you, girl" "A hand like yours is hard to forget" "How have you been?" "Alright, I guess" "What do you want?" "I don't want to feel anymore" "I'm going to give you some herbs people say they heal the pain of the soul" "Indians use them around here" "When you feel sad make yourself a tea" "But just use one, or a half and not very often" "Would you believe that a woman once died because she used three?" "Her heart stopped and nobody knew why" "That's how these herbs are" "Good, but dangerous" "Your father is here" "How are you?" "Good" "I saw the boy's motorcycle parked around the corner" "Don't be a pimp" "Aren't you going to sleep with me anymore?" "You have plenty of women to sleep with" "Catalina, that's bullshit and you know it" "You're my wife." "No one else" "Look at this photograph" "Mexico declares war" "El Gordo always has Cienfuegos by his side" "Looking very presentable" "Always sucking up to him" "He falls in every trap that idiot compadre of mine" "Just because he likes to pretend that he is refined and legit" "It's obvious that he wants him as his successor" "But he's more stupid than dangerous" "And this time he won't beat me to it" "He forgets who his compadre is" "And that my future inlaw owns the radio in this country" "This tea is the only thing that gives me energy" "Cienfuegos is going to take a beating today on the radio" "You're taking the best of my harvest" "I know" "I'm going to throw a real party for you" "Send your father my best" "What a waste, mi amor" "Such a body and such a mind with so much to learn and it's all going to waste in Memito's bed?" "That idiot Memito" "We will regret this for ever" "You're exaggerating, Mom" "I don't want anything to happen to Javier" "Like what happened to your Carlos" "I promise you nothing is going to happen" "What I want to know is if I have your support or not" "You know you have the army's support" "And my own" "Start to serve dinner, as I told you" "We need Campos to accept it" "There are ways of persuading him" "Counting us, General Ascencio has the support of eleven governors" "And Campos knows that" "If we get the CROM to join us he'll have no choice" "Kiss!" "Kiss!" "Goodbye, Son." "Have a good time" "I love you" "Lili, sweetheart, we're going in the other car" "Suitcases are in the trunk" "No, I want to go in this one" "Get down, we are going in the other one" "In that case, we'll each go in our own cars" "What?" "Lilia..." "Now that's a real woman" "We did it." "The CROM has confirmed they will endorse us" "Cienfuegos is screwed" "You're going to be the most beautiful first lady this country has ever had" "And you've earned it" "Don't think I don't know it" "I couldn't have done it without you" "You're smart as a whip" "Almost like a man" "You're still my sunshine" "I'm under your spell, bitch" "Come on, lazybones, we're late" "We have to be there at one o'clock" "I'm not going" "You have to come" "We need to recruit those sons of bitches" "I'll wait for you down stairs" "One" "Two" "Three" "Two hundred ninety six two hundred ninety seven two hundred ninety eight two hundred ninety nine" "Mrs. Catalina says you should go without her" "Wait for her, then catch up with me" ""Labor Union"" "Andres!" "Andres!" "We need a doctor!" "He needs rest" "It's just exhaustion" "Tomorrow you'll feel like a new man" "You bet I'll be a new man" "A stiff and cold new man and better rested, of course" "Everyone wants me to die you don't realize how much I'm needed" "This country needs men like me" "You'll see when you are stuck with Fito and that idiot Cienfuegos" "That son of a bitch will steal what's left of this country" "He will sell the "Angel de la Independencia"" ""Mexican souvenirs"" "Everything is going to be very modern and very nice" "God forbid we show our peasant roots" "Another Mecksikou" "It's such a pity I'm going to die" "Well, we are leaving" "It was about time, assholes" "Thank you" "I fucked up your life, didn't I?" "I'm only thirty" "Besides, they say widowhood is the ideal state for a woman" "I envy you" "Don't make me laugh, I have something important to tell you" "You're fine" "Didn't you hear the doctors?" "Those idiots don't know anything" "I'm finally going to come through for you" "I put everything in your name" "Even the houses where the other women live" "It wont be easy because they'll come begging and pleading" "Tell them to fuck off" "I want to be buried in my hometown" "Next to my mother's grave" "My stupid mother who loved Fito like a son" "People said he was poisoned at the meeting" "People said he had a weak heart" "A lot of things were said but no one did anything about it" "And everybody seemed satisfied" "I'm acquainted with his will" "I'll handle that so you won't have any problems" "I'll be counting on you not to have them" "What do you want me to do?" "Don't interfere" "Don't help me" "Don't negotiate with the other widows" "Other widows?" "What are you talking about?" "This isn't your wife you're talking to, Compadre" "I know who the other widows are and the children who have not lived with us" "I know who gets the ranches at the Sierra, the Santa Julia the Mandarina, the business with Heiss the moonshine business the bullfighting ring, the cinemas" "I even know who gets every watch and every cufflink" "My compadre couldn't have chosen a better woman" "I tried to remember Andres's face" "I could not" "I wanted to feel sorry that I would never see him again" "I could not" "I didn't want so many eyes staring at me" "I thought about Carlos" "Him I could remember" "Every detail of his smile and his hands" "And then, as a widow should I cried more than my children" "I was alone with no one to order me around" "I felt free" "So many things I wouldn't have to do anymore so many I wanted to do" "I was alone" "Enjoying my future" "Almost happy"