"Hey." "I want to ask you a favor..." "I want to make a mold of your face." "A mask?" "I've got everything ready." "Take off your shirt and lie down there." "I got this technique from a poéte maudit..." "A guy who wound up blowing his brains out..." "Blake, Ithink. or Silva..." "One of those guys..." "They made a death mask of this poet." "Don't move." "This technique was invented for corpses, and corpses don't move." "Hello..." "He||o, Susana, it's me." "Hello, are you all right?" "It's midnight." "|" "Know, but I called yesterday and today and you never pick up." "Have you listened to my messages?" "No." "No" " I had to do two shifts at the pool and I'm exhausted." "Are you alone?" "Of course I'm alone..." "It's noise from the street." "Hello." "Hello." "Isax'as?" "Hello, Susana, I can't seem to reach you." "I'll call back tonight, okay?" "Things are going very well here, faster than I thought." "Miss, are we going to swim on our backs?" "Have you been practicing?" "Great!" "Laura?" "Here!" "Ready to swim?" "Yessss!" "Goggles everybody!" "Ready!" "And IN!" "" ...which does not just darken this Wednesday morning, but is very disturbing, anxiety-producing for us all, and is a sign of this very delicate situation of public order our nation is going through." ""Colonel Gonzalez, welcome, good morning." "Tell us, how long are we going to be under these threats?" "What information do you have that you can share with us?"" "Good morning, don Rodrigo." "Come in." "Good morning, Rodrigo." "I'm Susana." "Isaias has told me so much about you." "Well, nice to meet you." "go on, go on, please." "No, no, I'm done here." "I've finished." "You met Rodrigo?" "He's not just a piano tuner, he's a composer, too..." "How are you?" "I don't compose anymore, or play." "Ijust tune." "You can't imagine Rodrigo's studio." "It's beautiful." "Really?" "Play something for us, please." "No, no, Isax'as should be the one to try it out." "No, no way." "Well, let's leave it for another day, then, I'm going to be late." "I'm going with you." "Ididn't hear you come in." "The music is loud." "That's Borrero, right?" "Yes, it's beautiful, you were right" "He's got talent, but he's not himself." "Don't move, I'll be back." "Is something wrong?" "It's a curse." "It always happens to me the first time." "It's not that terrible." "The whole world is turning in that direction." "Now the money is coming from China." "Russia, Singapore..." "Which is why I'm waiting for confirmation from Shanghai. ." "As soon as I hear, we'll be moving there." "I've been traveling a lot recently for this." "So with what happened, I felt...imp0tent." "I'm all right." "Thanks to Rodrigo." "Excuse me." "I owe you an explanation." "Yes, I really do." "Excuse me, the people at work call at all hours." "I've got to go." "Please, Rodrigo, stay, have another whiskey." "No, really, I've got to go." "Well. then..." "Goodnight." "Calm down, calm down, calm down." "Move on, move on, move on." "Next, come on..." "No sir, calm down, calm down." "It's not police abuse, ma'am, calm down." "Check the car, check..." "Hello, Rodrigo." "Let me Know..." "It's closed, I'm busy." "What's up?" "How are you?" "Good, g00d...busy." "Can we talk?" "No, there's nothing to talk about." "Yes, there is." "Why don't you come to dinner tonight at my place." "At eight?" "I'm a great cook." "Carmen!" "Here in the kitchen, but I can't find a thing." "Sorry I kept you waiting so long, I thought you'd given up and left" "No way!" "You think you can get rid of me that easy?" "My God, our first prize here in Colombia... and you've got it back here in the kitchen." "So?" "Woody Allen doesn't even pick up his Oscars." "Yeah, but Woody Allen is still directing and writing." "So tell me." "How are you?" "Good, good." "Really?" "Yes, yes." "I'm eating well, sleeping well working." "Everything's good." "And you're composing?" "Then you're not good, goddamn it." "| get it." "You just want me to be useful to you again." "That's part of it, yeah!" "No, it's that I worry." "I love you, I've loved you since you were a Kid." "And I think I have the right to ask." "After all, I'm still your agent..." "Or have you fired me?" "No, no, never..." "All you have to do is, on your business cards, put "Agent:" "Piano Tuner."" "It's not a bad idea." "We'd both earn more money." "You know something?" "Yesterday a woman flirted with me." "Really?" "That's great!" "What did you do?" "Did you flirt back?" "I don't Know, I felt strange." "I'm not sure I've got any desire for a relationship." "Rodrigo, enough, you need to get past your damned mourning forget Valeria, she's not in your life... and get rid of that suffering-genius look on your face." "Good evening, sir, glad to see you." "Who are you here to see?" "Susana Mejw'a." "Who may I say is calling?" "Rodrigo Borrero." "Miss Susana..." "Mr. Roberto Borrero is here to see you." "Rodrigo." "Rodrigo Borrero." "Sorry, sir." "Rodrigo Borrero." "Yes, of course, right away." "Go right up, Mr. Borrero." "I haven't thanked you for what happened the other day." "Don't worry, your fiance' did." "What happened...is not any big deal." "Isaias is like a child, he needs me." "Yes, of course, friends." "I better go." "No...wait." "A few words from me will cure you." "Once I had a boyfriend with a much worse problem than yours." "Talking to me about another guy is not going to help." "I'm not talking to you." "Your head is the problem." "I'm talking to this...down here." "So as I was saying, this friend of mine," "I called him The Eunuch, he was the most romantic man I've ever known." "A magician with words." "I wrote you a poem:" "Body of woman, white thighs..." "And me not saying anything, Rodrigo..." "You resemble the world..." "Just listening to him." "Me, Who talk more than a soccer announcer." "I don't want to hear this." "But it was just words. lots of Platonic love." "lots of passionate letters... not even a word about sex... and me imagining the worst, a mutilation, or something like that, an accident when he was a boy... like in Vargas Llosa's "The Cubs"..." "have you read it?" "After a long night... of exquisite words..." "| cornered him ...closed my trembling eyes, and | yanked his pants down," "and when I opened my eyes," "Nothing!" "What do you mean, "nothing"?" "Nothing was missing." "I mean his. instrument was normal..." "His right testicle hung down a little farther than the left one, like most men." "He pulled his pants up, pulled his belt two notches tighter than it needed to be." "I never saw him again." "He thought I was some Kind of wild woman..." "A few days later, my disarmed Don Juan disappeared." "Some days..." "I wake up with this you're touching flooded." "Iwalk. and something slippery..." "rubs between my legs." "| feel like a tunnel that needs to be filled." "Good morning." "No...wait." "What did you do?" "You drank them!" "The water, my lenses were in there." "Oh." "I didn't realize..." "You didn't feel anything?" "Now I'm blind." "Don't go crazy, Rodrigo." "That's what you wanted you didn't want me to see you, you want to leave me in the dark." "Don't be silly, please." "Just buy a new pair of lenses and that's it." "Accidents are just accidents, nothing more." "Everything happens for a reason." "There are no accidents." "Susana..." "There's no such thing as an accident." "Well, yes, you do seem blind." "That reminds me of somebody." "No, no, Idon't want to hear any stories about other guys." "It's too weird." "Really." "He was blind." "Really?" "I thought you weren't interested." "You can't start something like that and stop." "Sometimes what you can't see can be sexier." "Homer was blind from birth." "His eyes were white, but he was a genius with his fingers..." "Its was my first time." "Ididn't want to be a virgin anymore." "But I was terrified of being seen naked." "I could reach orgasm from him touching my body it was like" "stripping me naked without taking my clothes off..." "Like being naked but not being naked, without his eyes boring through me..." "So...| was cured of my virginity, and of the fear of being seen naked." "So lovely that the first time we made love..." "It was all so dark." "then dawn came, and you saw me at full light." "| used to be affected by smells." "I was terrified that women would have some smell." "But I learned to enjoy it." "Here, at this point," "is the true smell of guava." "I like the way you look in those glasses." "youlook ldon'l Know intellectual?" "No, not that." "Retro..." "Like Mastroianni in "La Dolce Vita."" "Oh!" "Mastroianni!" "Hey, man, what's wrong with you!" "What's with you?" "!" "No, forget it, forget it." "Everything's all right." "Asshole son of a bitch." "Let's go, let's go" "Good morning." "Morning." "I'm going to sit down." "Look, here's the prescription." "I'll call you." "You can have a seat." "I'm hereto pickup this order." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "You know him?" "More or less." "What do you mean more or less?" "Either you know him or you don't." "Well, I haven't seen him in a long time." "But we were together, I mean together." "So say hello." "You embarrassed to be seen with me?" "Oh, Rodrigo, please." "Tell me." "Here?" "Now?" "Please, Susana." "The guy was a god, a swimmer, you can tell from that body... he's got." "His skin was soft, like yours, but his muscles were harder." "Rounder than yours, ...a stomach like a scorpion's, a body like Calvin Klein's models." "I hope the bastard drowns." "Rodrigo please, it was a long time ago, won't happen again." "Why not?" "Because we were very young we'd heat up the water in the pool," "I liked his clean smell, like chlorine..." "I'd wait for him in a skirt, without underwear, ready..." "At the slightest opportunity," "I'd sit on top of him." "It was long ago, I left him accidentally." "Next, please." "Are you fine?" "Whatever..." "But I don't like what I'm thinking." "Am I a liberal or a caveman?" "Or both at once." "Like most men, in fact." "I got it." "If I were a woman, I'd be a whore." "Adamn whore." "Then, why do | judge Susana?" "Tell me." "How can I not judge her, she's had more lovers than I've had." "The Bible says, something like" ""the lips of a harlot are like a honeycomb dripping hohey, come not nigh the doors of her house"" "You're jealous of the past, and that's ridiculous." "From what you tell, that woman is with you, body and soul." "Ask her to stop telling you things, that's all." "Plus, she's being honest with you." "I'm terrified that, that I become one of her stories." "The Piano Tuner." "The Thwarted Musician." "The Irredeemable Pessimistic, The Paranoid, The Hypochondriac..." "You're just like your dad, look at you." "Hello?" "You all right?" "Yes, but I'm scared to death, the noise was terrible, my heart is racing." "Don't move, I'm on the way over now." "This city is sick, Rodrigo." "This fucking violence is going to Kill us." ""Calls from people near the neighborhood La Macareha, I repeat," ""...rep0rting a loud explosion." "Let's hope there are no fatalities."" "Are you the girl in the photo?" "Yes, ...and I love it." "I met the photographer when he came to the pool once." "He wanted to take some photos." "| always said no, not in a million years..." "But one day I got curious, so I went to his studio..." "But he wasn't there." "He wasn't there?" "But I went back." "Did you sleep with him?" "Oh Rodrigo, please." "I want to know." "Only once." "And afterward we looked into each other's eyes and we knew it will never happen again." "Excuse me." "Sorry." "along time ago I lived near a monastery and every day I'd see one of the seminarians climb the hill ...sweating." "You can tell me this story later." "But you're going to like this one, ...it's really funny." "Father, can I give you a lift?" "No, thanks, I prefer to walk." "Oh, come on, Father, get in, you'll get there faster, and you'll be able to save a soul on the way." "What's your name, Father?" "Jose'." "Jose', like Joseph the carpenter." "From that day on, I started picking him up often." "We didn't agree about anything, but we became friends." "We'd talk about everything, the Big Bang. chance, Darwin..." "He'd told me that God had given the order for the Big Bang, created evolution and invented chance." "I played the devil's advocate." "So why did God create us with sexual desire and then the Church turns around and call it a sin?" "No, Susan, it's not a sin, you're mistaken." "Sex has its place within the boundaries of marriage." "You're like Eve, introducing doubt and mistrust into my tranquil paradise." "I realized that he was a pure spirit, I had to talk to him with reserve, as though he were a saint." "Father, sex is the only foretaste of Paradise." "Susana, for the love of God, we're in God's house" "He had taken some intermediate vows, he wasn't a priest yet," "he hadn't taken his final leave of the world yet..." "He wanted to do that with me." "Oh God!" "Now he's in a Cloister." "He hasn't been outside in years." "He also took vows of poverty and silence." "Are you all right?" "No, wait, I'll drive you." "No, no, it's all right." "Hello, Oscar." "Have him come up." "Thank you." "And this suspense?" "What's going on?" "I'm not going with you to Shanghai." "I want to live here for the rest of my life." "Iknow I should have told you before, but... forgive me, okay?" "It's that piano-tuner." "That loser." "Awolf in sheep's clothing." "If I walk out that door you'll never see me again." "No, no..." "I love this song." "Shall we dance?" "No no no." "Why not?" "No, no." "No, I can't." "Let's dance here." "I've never been any good, Susana." "Please." "Did you see how well | dance?" "Where did that guy come from?" "I don't Know but he wanted to dance." "That's it, I've had it." "Ciao, thanks." "Ciao." "What are you afraid of?" "Old age or death?" "A miserable old age, ...without you." "What about you?" "Because everything's over." "Or not, and then, ifthere's a hell, they'll be calling my name there." "Well, before you die |'|| to take you to paradise." "Paradise is in Nuqux'... gray and dense, although you don't picture it that way." "And behind, flowing down into the ocean, dozens of cold, crystalline streams, running over rocks, with rivulets and waterfalls." "The brightly colored woodpeckers... and lethargic river shrimps." "Creeks burbling under tall, tall trees as old as Nature, and as thick as canoes... tall as cliffs... casting the shadows of giants." "At night, it's scary in El Choco, there are storms with dense, rippling curtains of waier, and more water, and more water..." "I was dreaming we were there, an old couple, in a cabin on the seashore," "listening to the rain..." "Making love..." "I've got a perfect story for this dish." "Damn." "No no, Idon't want to hear any stories." "Not today, okay?" "It's about birds." "Ijust want to have a quiet dinner." "Please." "It's about an ornithologist." "Okay." "Tell me the story of the ornithologist." "One day, I went to the" "Museum of Natural History," "Reflected on the glass" "I saw a man who, ...instead of the birds, was looking at my ass." "I ignored him and started to move on to other displays, but the guy never took his eyes off me and then he came up to me and he said." "Watching birds in a museum is very nice, but in nature they're something else." "How's that?" "It's like seeing photos of people making love instead of making love in person." "I didn't like that confident little tone of voice he used, but..." "One day I'm going to take you to the forest where you can really breathe and the birds are happy." "But for now, let's go for a coffee." "Yeah, sure... you don't drink coffee." "But I did before, and let me finish." "The ornithologist told me that his imitation of the currucutu was better than the currucutu-ers themselves." "CurrucutL'J?" "What the fuck is that?" "Silly..." "Well, I learned a lot about birds, but the most impressive was when he showed me his..." "Instead of a normal bird. he had... a bird of paradise... long, thick, majestic." "I've never seen another specimen like it." "All right, that's enough!" "Hi, Pacho." "How are you, Susana?" "Look, someone left this for you." "They didn't say." ""Hello." "Susana... you don't know me, but I swim too." "When you get out of the water is just when I'm going in..." ""..." "For months I've been watching you, but secretly, because I didn't want you to see me watching you..." ""I want to be your friend, but I haven't had the nerve. at least till today..." ""I don't want to scare you or think the wrong thing ...it's just that you fascinate me, the way you talk, walk. swim..." ""I love to watch you get out of the pool..." "Anyway, I want to be your friend." "Tomorrow I'll be in the Cafe Pasaje around six..." "If you come." "I'll be very happy..." "I'll be the one with short hair and blue eyes, so you can recognize me."" "Everything all right?" "Is something wrong?" "That skirt, is it new?" "You like it?" "Where were you?" "I've been waiting for you." "Iwas shopping." "What did you buy?" "No, I didn't buy anything, because I decided to wait for a sale..." "Who have you been with?" "Why all the questions?" "You know what?" "I better go." "But why?" "Weren't you waiting for me?" "Not anymore." "What did you come for?" "I've got to tell you a story." "I don't want to hear more stories about lovers." "Period." "This one wasn't a lover." "He was my husband." "Now it turns out you were married." "I'm listening." "The same day I met him he told me he wanted to paint me." "I fell madly in love, ...and I married him without thinking." "It was a hasty desicion, like all of mine..." "I was happy, but everything comes to an end." "He spent all his time painting and I was paying all the bills." "He cheated on me and I took my revenge." "How beautiful these patios are, I love them." "Yes, I'm happy to be here." "And I'm even happier." "That was in Mexico, in Tepoztlan." "And you gorgeous, as always." "I'm not surprised the Argentine lost his head over you." "You woke up in a flirtatious mood, huh?" "Let's have breakfast." "Come in." "Welcome." "Good morning." "Good morning." "I think I've died and gone to heaven." "Atrick to keep you coming around more often, even if it's just for breakfast." "Carmen. how wonderful..." "When am I going to meet her?" "What do you mean "who?"" "Susana, you fool." "No, no, what for ...?" "Plus, we're not doing so great right now." "Well, I've got to meet her because she's the one who turned you into a different person." "Into what person?" "Susana." "Hi, Rafael." "Susana." "I'm here in La Sabana, with Carmen, tuning her piano." "I'll see you tomorrow." "Igotta g0." "Don't ask me why and don't be angry with me, but I got to go." "It doesn't matter." "What doesn't matter?" "It doesn't matter if you go, although it makes me sad. of course, because I never see you..." "I don't take it personally..." "But nothing that's happening in Bogota matters." "You know what Ernesto told me once?" "Blessed are those who haven't opened their eyes..." "Because once they do, they can't close them again." "I've got a good ear," "Iknow Susana's voice, she lied to me." "That's why I've got to go." "Have a good trip." "Drive carefully." "You've had a few drinks." "Good evening, don Rodrigo." "Miss Susana went out." "It's fine, Oscar, I have a key." "When she comes in, don't tell her I'm here." "I want to surprise her." "I won't say anything, don Rodrigo." "Hello, I'm not home, leave a message." "Hey, goose it's me." "I guess you went out with what's his name." "I knew it." "Call me." "Thank you." "I liked the movie. the wine was incredible..." "Thank you for the invitation." "Miss Susana, everything all right?" "Yes, everything's fine, Oscar." "Goodnight." "Goodnight." "You are even more beautiful." "Stop being such a flirt." "I'm going to get something to drink." "What a great collection of Cuban music!" "|" "Know." "It's wonderful, especially for dancing." "And those to come..." "This wine is so good." "What a nice song." "What a nice wine." "The wine is good for you." "I'm going to put on a song to dance." "Don Rodrigo, how did the surprise turn out?" "Susana..." "Susana..." "Did I wake you?" "I was a sleep, didn't think you'd arrive so early." "Are you all right?" "You seem strange." "Don't tell me you had this special wine without me." "Pilar came over last night, we went to the movies and I opened it." "You've got a message." "Let it go, I'll listen to it later." "Did you have a good day?" "Did you get her piano tuned?" "Hey, goose, it's me." "Well, I guess you went out with what's-his—name." "I Knew it." "Who's what's his name?" "What do you care?" "You come here smelling of booze and I don't ask you anything." "Susana, stop yelling." "Who is what's his name?" "No one..." "I swear he doesn't matter to me," "I swear..." "Ijust wanted some revenge for your lies," "I swear." "I love you, you, I love you...| swear..." "You're a whore... and I'm an imbecile." "I don't Know now I could stay with you so long when I always Knew what was going to happen." "You were the one that started it." "Why did you write these letters?" "To make fun of me?" "Is that what you wanted?" "If I'm a whore, you're a pig, a lying goddam pig..." "You wanted to play with fire, well there you've got it." "You wanted...to play with fire?" "Well there you have it!" "And yes," "I slept with another man." "I tested you and I was right." "| always Knew... you were going to be unfaithful." "You following me around like I was an..." "A pig!" "You're a pig!" "Why did you take that shoe?" "You took it!" "The poor thing had to leave barefoot." "Why did you take it?" "Poor thing, poor thing. poor thing..." "Pig, Pig:" "Pig!" "Whore!" "Pig!" "You're a whore." "Pig." "You whore!" "Pig." "Whore!" "Pig." "Lying whore." "Liar!" "Pig." "Whore!" "Lying whore." "Whore." "Pig." "Hey, could you spare me a cigarette, please?" "Hey." "I want to ask you a favor." "You can get cleaned up now." "First with paper towel, then with soap." "Put your face under the faucet so all the plaster comes off." "Look at yourself." "Come..." "I want to show you something." "Here are all of them." "Some you know, others you don't." "I told you about some of them in my stories..." "Some left, others I threw out." "The blind man, the ornithologist, the philosopher," "he looks like he's thinking, doesn't he?" "and this one is Isax'as," "Itook his mask the same night we went to the theater." "Here are all my dead men...al| of them." "And you're out in from of them all, Rodrigo, because I loved you more than anyone..." "But from this moment on... you'll never see me again. ever..." "From today on... no more kisses... stories... everything." "I don't want any questions." "There's your car." "It's best that you leave once and for all." "If your left anything in my apartment, I'll leave it with the doorman..." "And if there's anything of mine in yours, throw it out." "Nice song." ""Regrets, regrets"" "How much I owe you?" "14,000 pesos." "Here you are." "Thank you." "Have a good trip." ""Special bulletin We're reporting the disappearance of a small plane ...en route to the coastal town of Nuquw'." "The aircraft lost radio contact at two o'clock this afternoon in the midst of a heavy thunderstorm." "We don't yet have the full list of passengers but we do have confirmation that... among them..." "US." "Ambassador Peter Lord, the Senator Jaime Duque, and the music composer Rodrigo Borrero, the rescue team are working on"