"THE EDUCATION OF A FAIRY" "He'd been chatting with the giant the whole evening." "They had danced and talked." "The inexperienced fairy was worried." "Her groom was not very smart." "So she decided to ask the old fairy for help, but she took forever to come because she rode a broomstick that didn't work too well." "Know what the old fairy did?" "How do fairies fuck?" "What?" "Do they fuck like the rest of us?" "No more stories today." "Go to sleep." "Fairies have a very complicated sex life." "TWO YEARS EARLIER" "Mom." "Yesterday I saw an American warship." "Grandpa took me." "They land planes like mine on it at a thousand an hour." "Don't be a nuisance, Raul." "Captain Tordesillas and his crew welcome you aboard this McDonald's..." "Excuse me.... ...this McDonnell Douglas jet owned by Air Wing Inc." "en route to Barcelona." "Mom, she said McDonald's!" "For safety reasons and to avoid interference with our instrumentation..." "I shot him." "Mr." "Azpilicueta?" "Follow me, please." "Have you got a car?" "No, have you?" "Let me give you a ride." "Please, it would be a pleasure." "This way." "Are you a singer?" "No." "Come on, Mom!" "Where are you headed?" "It's okay, I have time." "They'll wait for me." "The head office, sir?" "Or shall I stop at the hotel?" "No, take us first to Ferran Agullo St." "It's me, Azpilicueta." "Nobody came to pick me up!" "Absolutely not." "No talking on the phone while driving." "Not with me in the car, especially not with kids." "Has it been a long time...?" "Don't feel sorry for me." "We were divorced." "I barely knew him." "He was always on duty." "He died for Italy." "He died for nothing." "I'm single." "Is your father dead too?" "Yes, he is." "Was he a war pilot too?" "No." "Then what was he?" "He was a natural father." "What's a natural father?" "A father with a different last name." "His job is to make children for women who don't want husbands." "Like professional parents." "What are you telling him?" "The truth." "They take you to movies, for strolls, amusement parks..." "They're more fun." "Why didn't I have one?" "What do you do?" "No, please." "You first." "I'm an ornithologist." "You know how a carrier pigeon finds his way home?" "He breathes in odors as he flies and follows them back in the opposite order." ""The Olfactory Map."" "I've proven that when deprived of smell they can't find their way back." "What do you do?" "I'm into toys." "You make toys?" "I used to." "Ever heard of "Snow White's Mirror"?" ""The Smile of the Wolf"?" ""Our World"?" "I have that one." "This morning, at exactly 10:50 A.M.," "I fell in love." "With two people at once." "Very kind, thank you." "Here's your carrier pigeon." "Did he catch a cold on the way?" "I hope not." "But with all this rain, his Olfactory Map..." "Here's the message." ""Sorry I can't come, but you don't exist." "You got out while Raul was still asleep so he made up the story that you were an elf and that you'd vanished." "For my own part, though I know you're real, I won't see you because I shouldn't." "I hope you understand."" "I'm so sorry you couldn't make it." "I really am." "You may stand." "Ingrid, do you take Nicolas as your husband?" "I do." "Nicolas, do you take Ingrid as your bride?" "I do." "They're very smart." "They like white wine." "But we don't know if they distinguish colors." "Crows are really great." "Though crows have their problems too." "That's it!" "Now I understand!" "It's of no use to them!" "What is?" "A plastic bottle to crows." "What bottle?" "They recognize everything:" "the tree, the boy, the nuts... 100% correct on the test." "I show them any other photo twice and they peck three times." "Except with the bottle." "Now I know why." "Why?" "It's of no use to them." "Great!" "Of course." "It's of no use to them." "Great." "They don't need the tractor either." "So?" "But they recognize it, dammit." "I love you, sweetheart." "Me too, but that's no explanation." "Maybe the tractor" "bothers them." "Of course!" "Yes!" "You're the love of my life." "You deserve a prize." "I do?" "Sorry, son." "It's the golf course." "Our dogs eat the poison they use." "We can't move our property anywhere else." "And we can't not have dogs..." "HERE ALSO LIES CAPTAIN C. ROCCO DI CASTELGRANDE" "I know my father isn't there." "Not in Milan, either." "They buried an empty coffin with an Italian flag." "Make no mistake." "He disintegrated." "That's the magic of aviators." "When they die in the air, they disappear." "The flight shortens" "their trip to heaven." "They take the plane?" "That we don't know for sure." "Opinions vary." "But yours, at least, will have his favorite smokes and a dog at his side." "Better than nothing." "I've thought it over and the answer is no." "You don't want me to adopt you?" "Pladevall is a boring name for a kid." "I prefer Rocco di Castelgrande." "Yeah?" "Why?" "It's hard to pronounce." "I have to explain to people it's Italian and that I can be a viscount, like Grandpa." "Was your father a viscount or just natural?" "No, he wasn't a viscount." "I have my mother's last name." "Remember natural parents don't give names." "I like you being natural too." "Okay, that's fine with me." "But I'd like you to hold on to the papers because maybe in a few years, before you get divorced or become a viscount or a natural or whatever you decide, you might change your mind and want me to adopt you." "I doubt it, but okay." "But Pladevall..." "Of the things you've taught me, which is more important?" "Riding a bike or listening to the trees?" "You can do both." "You don't have to choose." "An owl in an incubator learns to sing like the bird that cares for it." "So?" "I don't know." "But they won't let Mom prove it and she's pretty upset." "Isn't Ingrid great?" "Murderer!" "Ogre!" "Are you nuts or what?" "He eats fairies." "He's picking mushrooms, silly." "You said warlocks disguise themselves as people picking mushrooms and eat fairies in omelettes to get their powers." "Okay, but not all of them." "Only some." "How can I tell the difference, smart guy?" "When you're older I'll teach you how." "Fairies too?" "Fairies too." "You see?" "This tree was about to fall and the giants propped it up." "You're right!" "Trees propped up by giants make more miracles by feeding on their strength." "If you hug them tightly you can wish for anything you want." "Anything." "This was our cave." "Girls and adults were not allowed." "Only extraterrestrials." "The ones on TV, with their pinkies in the air." "We needed the aliens to free us from those trying to make us study and wash our hands and stuff like that." "Nico, can I call you Dad in front of my friends?" "Okay." "But only on even days." "Do birds really think it's an owl?" "Yes, of course they do." "They're dumb." "No, they focus on the shape." "Look." "When it flies like this, the birds see it and think it's a hawk." "And they hide." "But if it flies the other way, they think it's a goose with a long neck and they pay it no mind." "Excuse me, sorry to interrupt." "I was wondering if my Olfactory Map comes through here or through here." "I got lost." "TWO YEARS LATER" "You snore." "You snore a lot. it's awful." "I've never snored before." "It's unbearable, I swear." "You should sleep in your studio." "Don't be ridiculous." "You're joking..." "Want to hear that snoring that bothered you so much?" "I'm turning 40 soon." "I'm sorry to hear that, but right now you're acting like a spoiled little girl." "No, it's not that." "I'm glad you still want to sleep with me, but I'm afraid someday..." "It's been beautiful." "Intense, passionate..." "I'd rather stop now, with nice memories." "Why do I have to listen to this crap?" "What are you talking about?" "Why would we stop?" "We're happier than ever." "Things are great." "I married you for life." "Nicolas, we have to separate." "Well..." "Need anything from the supermarket?" "Nothing." "We don't need anything." "How are you paying?" "What?" "Cash or charge?" "Excuse me." "How about stopping by after your shift, gorgeous?" "No, I can't." "It's your loss." "Too bad for me." "Can I go back to work?" "This is a serious infraction." "Private conversations at work are prohibited." "I'll look the other way this time." "Isn't that nice of me?" "You give me such a hard on..." "I'm horny as hell." "Is there someone else?" "Besides, you can't decide for the both of us." "There must be someone else." "If there is, take your time with him." "I don't care, I'll deal with it." "But I don't want to split up." "We'll have to tell Raul." "Don't worry, I'll do it." "I'll find a way." "No, please." "Let me talk to Raul." "My friend Narcis Mompo says that during wars journalists matter more than pilots because more of them die and they keep the rest of us informed." "His father's a journalist, you know." "Offer yours some sausage." "No, he said no." "Today they bombed hell and a lot of devils got killed." "He deserves a medal." "Let's see." "By the powers invested in me, I declare you" "Knight of the Air." "Here, put this on." "Me?" "By the so and so powers I declare you Knight of the Natural Fathers." "Go wash your hands." "How was Barcelona?" "Fine." "Boring." "Running around all day." "Don't say anything to Raul." "Let's wait." "Why?" "Just because." "You changed your mind?" "No." "I don't know what I want." "When will you know?" "I need to know approximately the day, the hour, the second..." "I love you." "You're playing with me." "You're leaving me because you love me?" "I'm hurting myself as well." "Why doesn't Dad sleep with you?" "Are you angry" "with him?" "No, why?" "He snores, that's all." "I snore too." "The men in this house snore." "We like to." "You should snore too." "What does this mean?" ""Face the world with ambition, clear objectives and never flee conflict."" "What?" "What does that mean?" "Who told you that?" "Narcis Mompo's dad wrote it on a sign and posted it in his bedroom." "They are such buffoons..." "And they say fairies don't exist." "And irresponsible." "Fairies don't exist?" "First of all, what fairies do you mean?" "Which fairies?" "The fat, clumsy ones with magic wands who turn pumpkins into carriages?" "Of course they don't exist anymore." "But what about the others?" "The ones who get up every morning to go to work or study at school?" "Where would mankind be without fairies?" "Fairies are everywhere, but they hide because they're afraid of Mompo and all the others out there like him." "But Narcis..." "Your friend Narcis may be great at Nintendo, but he's absurd being" ""with clear objectives"" "and ambition and what else?" ""Never flee conflict."" "Right." "I'd like to see that." "That's enough." "We need to find a fairy quick, Dad." "Just to make sure." "Monica Sanchez." "Come through." "Closer." "I heard you're surprised your boy doesn't want to see you." "What can I say?" "That's life." "He's all right, if that worries you." "Even better than all right." "You get my drift?" "He's got another thing going." "He's getting his." "He asked for a different girl." "Straight up." "Hello." "Hello." "Are you collecting them?" "What?" "The slippers." "You bought three pairs last week." "You're a physiognomist." "I remember the people who buy odd things." "Weird stuff, huh?" "Very weird." "Stuff for loners and weirdos." "Loners and weirdos." "I can explain." "I don't trust rubber mats, so I use the slippers in the shower." "But they get moldy." "They rot in three days." "There you have it." "Of course, Mr. Pladevall." "You know my name?" "Oh, you saw it on my card." "Being a cashier isn't very stimulating." "So I memorize clients' names, even how many articles." "Yours is unique." "It's Iraqi, Sezar." "But they misspelled it." "It's strange for a woman." "No, it's... resounding." "Nicolas Pladevall!" "It's me, Pere Mompo." "His son and mine are good friends." "And your son can sure use someone like Narcis around." "To wake him up." "When can you bring your wife for dinner?" "Get rid of that scooter." "It'll just give you more trouble." "You're lucky I was still there." "It's my wife's car." "She's out with her friends." "They're in Barcelona, at the theater." "They enjoy that." "Sounds great." "Thanks for giving me a lift." "There was nobody left there." "No, sweetie, thank you." "I'm glad you finally decided to be a team player." "There is no team." "My scooter broke down, that's all." "What are you doing?" "Easy, honey, I'm not an ogre." "Shall we go back and start your scooter?" "It's in better shape than my balls." "You can't fool me, college girl." "You can't fool me." "I didn't finish school, little Arab, but I ain't stupid." "Know what that means?" "It means I know you're horny and you made up all that about your scooter" "because you want it." "Take me home." "Don't fuck around." "You can't leave me hanging." "It wouldn't be fair." "You want me to force you?" "Where should I stick it, you bitch?" "Why are you making me do this?" "Goddammit!" "Goddammit!" "Why do I have to force things?" "I have a wife, a daughter." "Look how hard I am." "It's a joyous occasion, take a look." "Are they stupid?" "I'll kill them." "You wanna see?" "Stop!" "He's crazy." "Come here." "What are you doing?" "Have you no shame?" "Shame for what?" "For being a whore!" "Were you gonna fuck him?" "Fucking your boss!" "No, I wasn't!" "You'll kill her!" "That's for Kateb." "You'll kill me over that scumbag Kateb?" "SIX MONTHS EARLIER" "May I?" "Good news?" "Hopefully." "Where are you from?" "I'm Algerian." "I'm from all over the world." "Any city with cash to be made." "And girls." "Girls like you." "Or even less attractive." "Why are you in Spain?" "I'm going to Paris." "I'm passing through." "My grandparents were Spanish." "Republicans." "There aren't any left." "There's a king." "But there were." "You know a lot." "You're smart." "You like my singing?" "Three months... four months tops." "You know I can't stay any longer." "You'll stay as long" "as I say." "Police!" "What's going on?" "Kateb!" "And no laughing." "Laughing, sneezing, coughing, lifting weights and running are all really bad for broken ribs." "And you have three." "If you can keep from laughing and sneezing and all that, they'll heal themselves." "What's your profession?" "Cashier." "There's no danger." "I don't laugh much, but I have to pass heavy cases of bottled water across the bar code reader." "That hadn't occurred to me." "Well, don't worry." "I'll sign an injury leave and fax it to your work." "Thank you very much." "Do you live alone?" "My partner is away." "Well, I'm leaving too." "Or do you want to talk?" "What really happened?" "I fell down the stairs." "I advise you to quit fooling around and file a complaint." "Thanks for the advice." "In case you change your mind..." "Send the fax to Mr. Matarredona, the store manager." "I will." "Hello?" "Franz?" "It's Nicolas, Ingrid's husband." "Nicolas Pladevall, the toy man!" "I'm planning a surprise party for Ingrid's birthday." "Luisa, what are you doing here?" "Preparing your party, of course!" "What's wrong?" "I had no idea." "Can I help?" "No, thanks." "Entertain your friends." "Was bringing them a good idea?" "It was a great idea." "Tonight's story isn't a fairy tale, it's really happening." "I fell in love with you and your mom on that plane, that will never change, even if Ingrid meets someone, even if you spend all your time with Narcis Mompo and lose interest in my fairy tales." "I'll always be your second Father, even if your mom finds a third." "And we'll see each other whenever you want, as long as you want me to keep being... your natural father." "Going to the supermarket?" "How do you know?" "You always have that expression when you do." "You want me to stay?" "Bring raspberry vinegar to braise the meat." "You're the love of my life, bird lady." "What?" "If they're out, get the cider-flavored." "Sure you want me to go?" "You want a piece?" "It looks good." "Too much fat." "Children need to grow, not get fat like pigs." "Okay, let's begin the story." "Plug in the mosquito-killer." "Right, okay." "So..." "Once upon a time at sea, near Corsica, a family of dolphins named Alcaraz..." "Like the pharmaceutical?" "Yeah." "Well, we don't know." "Dolphins name themselves after ships that pass." "Do you mind me talking while you read?" "No, it's all right." "Okay, once upon a time there was Mrs. Alcaraz," "Mr. Alcaraz and Alcaraz Junior." "Mrs. Alcaraz told her husband," ""Honey, dolphins don't all sleep at the same time." "Someone has to stand guard." "We need a new family member." "Another father..." "I'm not a kid anymore." "How do you recognize them?" "Who?" "Fairies." "How do you recognize them?" "It depends." "On what?" "On the person." "Every girl you know could be a fairy." "How can I tell?" "Do I need to ask them for three wishes?" "For example." "If it doesn't work, I'll look fucking lame." "Not as fucking lame as when you cuss like Narcis." "What age do girls start" "being fairies?" "Eighteen, twenty..." "Have you met many?" "Well, I don't know." "They don't go around telling people "I'm a fairy."" "Why not?" "Is that a problem?" "No." "A lot of girls don't know they're fairies." "None of them know most of the time." "It's very hard work." "Once finished they forget all about it." "They get amnesia." "So to be a fairy again they need your help, by asking them questions." "Questions like you get asked at school." "It's called "educating fairies."" "Educating fairies?" "Yeah, the more they learn, the better." "To remind them what to do." "Okay, I get it." "Can you still contact them by hugging a tree?" "Of course, that's crucial." "But how do I recognize them?" "By the scars." "What scars?" "On their faces." "It takes a lot of concentration to overcome the amnesia." "So they scratch their cheeks to the point of wounding themselves." "Fucking lame." "What did I say?" "Sorry." "Let's just say they're..." "Could I make friends with a fairy and ask for a wish?" "Yeah, sure." "What would you ask for?" "None of your business." "So one day Alcaraz said to his son," ""It is done." "Your mother has met another dolphin, but it will be great because this way you'll always have a dad around when the other sleeps with Mommy."" "So Alcaraz Junior..." "Can't you see I'm asleep?" "Happy birthday, Ingrid." "Here, happy birthday." "Did you tell him?" "No." "I laid the groundwork." "Some day I'll explain everything." "Right now I can't." "I can't take it anymore!" "The party, all the people..." "Good night." "You want some?" "No, I'm tired." "I'm going to bed." "Keep me company." "We're leaving tomorrow." "No, I'm too tired, really." "See you tomorrow." "Good night." "There's another woman in my life." "I didn't think you suspected anything, but how long have you known?" "Since my snoring?" "We met at my dad's funeral." "She was his last companion." "We were inseparable the moment we left the cemetery." "She got pregnant right away." "But after six months she lost the baby in a bus accident." "Why didn't you tell me?" "Because I never stopped loving you." "To me she's just a beautiful memory, nothing more." "Nicolas, you think she's the reason we're separating?" "I can leave her if you want." "I don't want anything from you." "I'm not your prison or obligation." "I'm not an excuse." "We're not dependent on you." "I want you to fly, to be free." "Free?" "I too want to be..." ""a beautiful memory."" "Trust me, please." "Give me another chance." "Forget Beatrice." "Forget the future." "Whatever has to happen will, but in due time." "Please, forgive me for now." "I've nothing to forgive." "Don't think we're even now." "Then what do you want?" "To hurt me?" "What about me?" "Am I made of stone?" "Nothing hurts me?" "What was her name again?" "Beatrice." "Come." "Good morning." "Bon appetit." "Nicolas, thanks for last night." "Your story about Beatrice, be it a lie driven by love or true, was the nicest thing you could have offered me." "I know Raul gave you the adoption papers this morning." "You'll see I've signed them." "Thanks again for my birthday party." "You go out of your way to surprise me and make me happy and I..." "Though it may not show, I love both you and Raul." "Three broken ribs." "I have no record of it." "Unjustified absence." "The doctor sent you a fax." "I'm back two days early." "That's news to me." "I never got anything." "So take a walk." "You saw it happen!" "I saw what?" "You've a lot to learn about the labor market." "For example, our insurance policy doesn't cover broken ribs." "For your information." "And I'm giving you 8 days' notice." "I'm being overly generous." "Not that way." "The express checkout lane." "Your attention, please." "I accuse the store manager, Mr. Matarredona, standing at checkout line six, of attempted rape, refusing medical assistance and fleeing the scene of a crime." "If a police officer can hear me, I'd like to file a report." "Thank you very much." "When do you get off?" "Right now." "Nice car." "What's this?" "So they won't gash it." "They lose interest if someone beats them to it." "You bought it used?" "Almost, almost." "On April 13th, 1978, at roughly 6:30 in the afternoon, my dad made me buy it from him." "He gave me 100,000 pesetas and said, "Sign me a check."" ""How much?" "100,000 pesetas."" "They were seizing it, so he sold it to me." "I never saw him again." "Two days later he jumped from the 5th story of his building as the doorman and police banged on his door." "He'd left a note on the fridge stuck with a magnet." "It said the gas didn't work." "What did he do?" "Whenever I asked my mom that, she'd say "he plays."" "How wonderful, I thought." "What a great job." "But she must not have thought so, because she put us on a plane and we moved to Argentina." "A year later she disappeared." "She ran off with a Brazilian plastic surgeon." "My nanny and I stayed in Buenos Aires until my grandparents here died and I inherited their house." "Do you play as well?" "I make other people play." "I invent toys." "I have a wife who I adore and who's about to leave me," "I'm crazy about her son and I can't bring myself to tell him she's leaving." "I even made up a story about me and another woman, which really happened but it ended 15 years ago when she died... pregnant with our child." "That brings us up to date." "I have a pretty story too, don't think you've won." "I was born in Algeria," "I'm writing my thesis on Andre Gide and I'm expecting a grant from the Sorbonne." "Meanwhile I came to Spain, my grandparents were Republicans," "I started working as a cashier to help out a friend in prison who loves someone else." "And I just lost my job." "That brings us up to date." "Screwing around again?" "He's a cop, you jerk." "Leave me alone or you'll end up like Kateb, screwing someone else while I take care of his fucking lizard!" "Bastards, bastards, bastards..." "I didn't have time to react." "You did the right thing." "Those two usually aren't very nice, depending on what they're on." "How do you know them?" "My boyfriend's in jail because of them." "They owe him so they're keeping an eye on me." "They gave me a stolen scooter to ride to work so I wouldn't meet men on the bus." "To think I came to Europe for this..." "Where do you want to go?" "Someplace you like." "I had somewhere in mind, but now," "I don't know." "You might think it's a trap." "At this point I don't even care." "To your future, Sezar." "Future?" "Are you hurt?" "It's okay." "I'll be all right." "What happened?" "I don't know." "Three broken ribs." "But I'm used to it." "An accident at work?" "Don't make me laugh." "I'm not allowed to." "Let's talk about something sad." "What are those scars?" "A little gift from the guy who raped me back in my village." ""Now you'll wear your veil, you filthy whore."" "That's awful." "Well." "It felt good to talk about it." "You don't mind, do you?" "No, of course not." "No!" "Sezar!" "Sezar!" "Sezar!" "Shit." "Shit." "Shit." "Good fairy," "I don't care if you're young or old, whichever of you is nearby and has less work to do, make my parents get along again." "Whatever the problem is, fix it." "If I have to stop snoring," "I'll stop." "Otherwise we're all really going to suffer." "Don't ignore me or act like you're too busy." "You know we can't flee conflicts." "I recognized you right away." "You have the mark." "What mark?" "The fairy mark." "From scratching too much." "You don't remember because you have... amnesia... asnemixa..." "Amnesia?" "That's it." "You've lost your memory." "You have, right?" "Yeah, I probably have." "That's normal." "Normal?" "You're a fairy, but you don't remember." "I have to educate you, start teaching you things." "I'm Raul Rocco di Castelgrande and when I grow up I'll be a viscount." "My dad told me about fairies." "Not the one with my name, he's dead." "My real dad." "He makes toys." "Santa Claus is a client of his." "Want to hear a secret?" "Santa Claus doesn't exist." "He's little Jesus dressed up as someone bringing gifts to non-believers." "Repeat back what I said." "Hold on, my mouth is dry." "I'll say it back to you so you see I'm getting it." "Your real father makes toys and he isn't dead." "Little Jesus wears a costume and you're a future viscount." "From Rocco di Castelgrande." "How does your dad know about fairies?" "They give him the ideas to make his toys." "I'll educate you." "How?" "Beats me." "Are you good at math?" "Average." "What's your dad's name?" "Nicolas Pladevall." "He's a great guy, with brown hair..." "But he's in bad shape because" "Mom doesn't love him anymore." "Why do you think I'm a fairy?" "Because of the mark and because I summoned you." "You summoned me?" "By praying, hugging trees, on the Internet..." "Your dad told you about the marks?" "He'd have recognized you too." "Why?" "You're like other women, but you're not like other women." "I'm not?" "What's special about me?" "Nothing." "But you're nice, not wearing high heels and you're skinny so people won't notice you." "What you have to do now is grant three wishes." "Why three?" "Because, shit." "Too many questions." "Do as I say and your powers will come back, you'll see." "Do you come here often?" "When I'm feeling shitty." "And to make wishes." "I do magic tricks." "I hold up small trees, hug giant chestnut trees, stuff like that." "Are you getting all this?" "I think so." "Good." "7 + 5?" "12." "I have to go." "No way." "You have to hide here." "Why?" "I haven't even given you back half your powers." "There are warlocks out there that eat fairies in omelettes." "Warlocks?" "Omelette?" "Don't talk about food, I'm starving." "No problem, I'll take care of that." "But don't go anywhere, okay?" "Promise?" "Do you promise or not?" "I promise." "Be careful, fairy." "Be very careful." "If you don't keep your promises, you'll cease to exist." "How long do I have to hide here?" "The time it takes you to grant my wishes." "What are your wishes?" "Because we need to get going." "Number one: to grow." "At least to 1,28 m, like Narcis." "Number two:" "that my Mom falls back in love with my Dad." "Number three:" "that my Dad meets another woman." "What do you mean?" "So that they'll be even." "Mom will continue with whoever she met, and Dad will have one of his own." "Otherwise it doesn't work." "Narcis's mother forced his father to leave the other woman and now all they do is fight all day." "You see?" "I have to grant all three wishes at once?" "No, the order doesn't matter." "But don't take too long." "Okay." "You can be my dad's other woman if you want." "That's fine by me, since we've already met." "I'll think about it." "Don't leave, all right?" "I'll be back in an hour and a half." "Do you like leg of lamb?" "Kiss." "You heard it all?" "I'm sorry, Sezar." "Why?" "You should be proud." "You have a great kid." "No, I mean for what happened before." "What happened before?" "My amnesia, remember?" "Sure." "We're close." "Obviously." "I swear I didn't want to." "It was my fault, forget it." "My fear has nothing to do with you." "Can you walk all the way to the crossing at Four Oaks?" "I'm fine, but I'm staying put." "You need an X-ray." "You hit your head." "Well, back at Algiers University, the police hit me at least 500 times." "Don't worry." "After you've had your head scanned." "But I couldn't call, my phone's gone." "I picked it up, I'm sorry." "I'm not going anywhere." "I haven't eaten since this morning and that leg of lamb was the best idea." "I've ever heard." "We'll eat, but after your X-ray." "What will Raul say?" "He'll think the warlocks ate me in an omelette." "This is an emergency number, not a restaurant." "Call back when you've set the menu." "False alarm, thank you." "If you want to save a life, go feed Kateb's chameleon." "What?" "Kateb's chameleon, you'll see." "What will you do with Raul?" "Grant his three wishes." "What else?" "Do fairies get their period too?" "I guess. it hasn't all come back to me yet." "Is yours the red or the blue advertisement?" "I don't remember." "You might be getting worse." "What's 8 + 4?" "Twelve?" "Better." "What's your breakfast?" "Croissants, scrambled eggs," "Chinese tea, fritters and papaya juice." "Hey, you're the fairy." "Just kidding." "Joy is more scarce, more difficult and more beautiful than sadness." "More than a natural necessity, to me it's become a moral obligation." "The truth is Raul's final wish, for us to be together, is the hardest for me." "Meeting him has made me want children, but without a father, you know?" "Not even a natural father?" "A true professional who knows his work, efficient, independent..." "Turn around." "The last dream I remember having last night is more like what I have in mind." "Not like what you said." "I was making love with you... fully dressed but I felt nothing." "Me neither." "Ingrid!" "Ingrid!" "Ingrid!" "I love you very much." "Enough to leave me again?" "Enough to stay and wait." "Wait for what?" "Just wait." "If you're back for the same old crap, it's not worth it." "Did you sleep well?" "I met a girl at Narcis's house." "She plays alone all day." "I told her what you do and she wants to meet you." "She'll be in the woods this afternoon at four." "Will you go?" "Will you come with me?" "No, I'll leave you two." "I'll stay with Ingrid so the birds won't fly away again." "How are you, sir?" "Fine, and you?" "You have the boy's gaze." "He's not my father." "You have beautiful eyes." "And you're very handsome." "My wife came back." "Great." "Not quite." "Things haven't changed." "I don't know why she came back." "I don't understand anything." "This was in your house." "SORBONNE UNIVERSITY" "Can I help you?" "Can we talk?" "Of course." "I know your husband." "But you're not Beatrice." "No, Beatrice is dead." "Then she existed." "She existed but she died pregnant with Nicolas's child." "You know more than I do." "Sometimes it's easier to tell things to a stranger." "I'm here because I know he took Raul to the dentist." "How long have you known him?" "Since you started rejecting him." "He goes to the supermarket like it's a casino, to try his luck." "To kill time." "So the supermarket was you." "Anyway, it's all right." "No, ma'am." "It's not all right." "Your husband's about to kill himself." "It's not all right." "It's no way to treat a man who's in love with you." "You can't break up telling him to wait for you, offering crumbs, pushing him to infidelity so you won't feel guilty and you can't suddenly reappear just like that." "You should explain things." "Not make things worse." "Okay." "Can I talk now?" "I know this is hell for Nicolas." "My own hell began one month ago." "A vascular deformation in the brain." "Cancer?" "No, it's not cancer." "But it's not good, either." "Look, Ingrid." "I could die at any moment of a brain hemorrhage or end up paralyzed or blind or mute." "That would put me in a wheelchair with my husband and son full of life and energy." "Right or wrong, I decided to leave them with nice memories." "This week I had the final tests." "They can't operate and other treatments guarantee nothing." "We're all here temporarily." "I could get hit by a truck when I leave here." "Dying is one thing, not wanting to live is another." "I'm here." "I wasn't strong enough to leave them." "Nor am I strong enough to tell them." "What matters is you came back." "Yes." "But I don't know how we'll manage." "We were in love like kids." "Now we've grown up." "Things will be less beautiful, but more complete." "You're not going to tell Nicolas?" "I'll keep loving him." "Is there anything serious between you two?" "You." "Our lives crossed paths at the worst possible time." "We tried to help each other but we have different paths" "to follow." "Are you sure?" "I'm going to the Sorbonne." "It's been my lifelong dream." "I have a room waiting for me at the dormitory." "To life." "You're not going to die." "I know it." "Will Nicolas know how to find you?" "Is that a question or a wish?" "A wish." "Then don't worry." "Nicolas and Raul will always know where to find me." "What?" "I've grown half a centimeter in eight days." "Congratulations." "I can't take the credit." "Things happen." "Can I borrow her when I'm older?" "Who's leaving?" "Who's staying?" "Who gets more hurt by loneliness?" "Who gets more hurt by loneliness?" "Every corner of my life has something of yours." "Which is your path?" "Which is mine?" "Where did they meet?" "." "Where have they gone?" "Come on, take me along, this is no time to be alone." "Time is so short" "Who will pick up the wasted time?" "Your care is my cure." "My cure is having you around." "Let her care for your wings." "Your wings." "Come on, take me along, this is no time to be alone." "My five senses are yours." "My time is yours." "My hand is yours to hold." "My whole joy is yours to drink." "Come on, take me along, this is no time to be alone." "Come on, take me along, this is no time to be alone." "Take me along."