"Iván." "We're back on the key now." "Just the two of us." "The islands of the Caribbean are hotbeds for stories of love and hate, stories that take place all over the world, but here they are colored by the blue sea and sky, the hot sun, the white sand, the warm breeze and the salty air." "This is one of those stories." "Stay with me, damn it!" "Don't you die!" "What day is it?" "It's a good day to take your picture, don't you think?" "I can always count on you to help me see things in a better light." "Before the operation I was scared, very scared." "It may sound crazy, but all this has made me see things the way they really are." "Everything is so clear now." "If only I could..." "Do you remember the first time you saw me?" "I was yours from the very first bite of cotton candy." "Come on, throw it hard!" "Come on, you can do it!" "Oh, God, you're as bad as a sack of shit!" "Come on, do it right!" "You see?" "That's the way to do it." " Hey, I won that!" " No way!" "It was me, I knocked over the cans!" "Well, okay, but you have to buy me a cotton candy." " All right." " See you later." "Give me a big one." "Give me another one." "Want some?" " What's your name?" " Iván." "Hello, I'm Julia." "For me?" "Thanks, my name is Matilde." "Iván, Kike, come on, come on!" " But why did they leave?" " Because their friend called them." "That is such a cute boy!" "Caught you!" "Help me!" "I have a leg cramp!" "Keep still or we'll both drown!" "You need to find Iván now." "Go." "Lie down." "You're white as a ghost!" "You saved my life and I broke your nose." "And I broke yours." " You're going to be my brother." " Oh, come on, you're my brother already." " I mean blood brothers, like in the movies." " Forget it." "I'm not cutting my veins." "We're already cut." "Blood brothers." " Blood brothers forever." " Forever." "Iván!" "Iván, your grandmother died." "I can't believe that you don't know where he is." "I don't." "I've looked everywhere, and he's nowhere to be found." "Missing for two days and you don't know where he is?" "Daddy, Tito's dog is eating the garbage." "Damned dog!" "I'll be right back." "Take these to him." "He likes them a lot." "Feeling better?" "I miss Grandma a lot." "Have you seen Julia?" " Why do you ask?" " No reason." "That girl has something that makes her different from the others." "I don't know if I'm in love, but I like her." " Me, too." " What?" "You, too?" " Well, that girl's going to be my girlfriend." " We'll see about that." "Several generations later, most Puerto Ricans born in the Big Apple are striving to keep the values and traditions of their island nation." "Many look forward to returning to their ancestral homeland in retirement." "Unfortunately, not many realize their dream of returning to their Island of Enchantment and remain trapped in the labyrinth of the city." "Tune in to TV Latina tonight at 8.. 00 p. m." "Eastern Time for Sandra Gutiérrez's special report," ""Swallowed by the Big City.." "A Puerto Rican Reality. "" " Wait, wait, wait!" " Calm down." "You're crushing me!" "careful!" "You're going to ruin it." " It'll be ruined if I'm not in it!" " This photo is of a couple!" "What couple?" "You're not a couple, we're a trio." "Come on, everyone say bil¡!" "The house that Matilde set up for us is ready." "How is Culebra?" "Okay." "Can you imagine?" "Her father's grocery store is now a supermarket." "It's called Econo Matilde." "Iván, the kids will arrive soon." " You can still call the whole thing off." " No." "My bones will never warm up here." "There's no going back." "That's precisely what we're doing, going back." "Are you worried about what we might find?" "What about you?" "Aren't you?" "Dear Matilde, thanks for finding a house for us." "It's a pity you'll be traveling when we get there." "Honestly, I don't know what will be worse, getting through Iván's last few months or facing the day I finally lose him." "After I pulled him out of his hole, now it's he who gives me strength." "He only talks of being buried on his island." "At least we'll be home and maybe closer to Kike." "Iván yearns for it so much!" "Only time will tell, and there's not much of it left." "Love, Julia." "Hi." "I finished organizing the bathroom and the kitchen." " Everything is almost ready." " Thanks." "Well, I saw some hooks on the porch and I thought that maybe we could hang a hammock and rest a little while." " What do you think?" " I don't think we'd rest." "You see, hammocks bring back good memories." " I shouldn't have insisted." " Relax." "Just forget it." "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" "Yes, I'm sure." "You should." "You could get some fresh air, a bit of sun, a change of scenery." "But you need time for yourself." "How many days have you been cooped up with me here?" "Go take your photos and tell me all about it when you come back home." " Are you sure?" " Yes!" "Okay, see you later." "When I come back, I'll bring you one of those pastries you like." "What do you mean, you're staying?" " Yes, I prefer to stay here." " No, no, no, you are not staying." "No." "But you can go." "I'll wait for you here." "No, come on, let's go, Iván." "Let's go." "You'd let me go to town all alone?" "No way, get up." "We'll have fun." "Excuse me." "Is Joaqu¡n in?" " Joaqu¡n?" "Which Joaqu¡n?" " Joaqu¡n Ayala." "Oh, that's right, Joaqu¡n did live here." "But he moved from Culebra about 25 years ago." "Six people owned this house before me." "What about Gilbert, his brother?" "Poor guy." "He died of pancreatic cancer about a year after his wife passed away." "But you don't need to worry." "You still have a lot of years ahead of you." "It's us older ones who go first." "Thanks." "Let's go." "Have a good day." "Hello." "Do you live here?" "What about him?" "He died?" "Everybody has died here." "And I'm next in line." "Matilde!" "How good to see you!" "I came as soon as I got off the plane." "You look gorgeous!" "You, too." " Here, this is for you guys." " Oh, it's beautiful!" " You look great." " Thanks, you, too." "Listen, one of these nights we'll go crab fishing." "Remember?" "You used to love it." "Isn't it pretty?" "The local artisans make it." "You'll be fine, you'll see." "I had forgotten that even on cloudy days, everything is brighter here." "Yes, this is a good place to come to die." "Wake up, Iván." "Wake up, Iván." " Hey, what's the matter with you?" " What?" "You didn't like it?" "Did you get wet?" "If you don't get up, you'll be stuck in that hammock forever." "They've been a couple of homebodies since they came back." "I bring them the groceries, we walk." "He doesn't have much time left, does he?" "No, it's a matter of months." "Why don't you get it off your chest?" "As you used to say, they weren't a couple, you all were a trio." "So much hatred." "What really happened?" "A lot of things, Matilde." "Seems strange that you don't know." "That was such a long time ago." "Yes, a long time, but it still hurts as if it were yesterday." "Okay, one, two, three." "No way." "I'm applying for admission to the Marine Academy, and if I'm accepted, I'll become a big ship captain." "Nothing ever happens around here." "That's the best thing you can do." "Go ahead and become a captain." "Well, I want to travel the world because I want to take a lot of photographs." "Of what?" "Of life, of everything." "I just want to be happy, have a family right here on my little island of Culebra." "Well, I want to be the best bil¡distributor in the world and have branches in brazil and Panama, but with headquarters here, in Culebra." "Fill it up!" "Fill it up!" "Let's toast to the best bil¡in Culebra!" "No, no, to the best bil¡in the world!" "Come on, heads up!" "One, two, three." "Don Iván!" "I'm Wilfredo Ben¡tez." "Do you remember me?" " Yes, Wilfredo, you're the son of..." " The son of Doña Carmen." "I didn't want to bother you, but Doña Julia asked me to catch some lobsters for her." "I have some traps nearby and thought that maybe you could help me." "What do you think?" "I can't, I'm not well." " Come on, you look great." " Not quite." "Recently I had surgery and..." "Yes, I know, but it's been over three months." "Come on, let's go." "The sea will do you good." "You'll get some fresh air and keep me company." "The sea is a widow, but she's also a saint and can heal anything if you let her." " Come on, let's go." " You had this all planned, didn't you?" "Let's go." "It's going to rain, and the sea gets like a barracuda in heat." "Seems like I have no choice." "I'm so glad you could leave your job early today, honey." "You smell like codfish fritters, corn fritters, plantain fritters..." "I brought the whole diner with me." "Really?" "Let me check." "Codfish fritters." "Yeah, yummy!" " Julia." " What?" "Hold it, I haven't finished." " Corn fritters here." " Julia." "I must tell you something." "That you love me, you adore me, and you can't live without me, and you smell like fritters!" "What's the matter, Iván?" "Is something wrong?" "What?" "It's from the Army." " And what does that mean?" " They're drafting everybody." "But is it..." "Are they drafting you?" "You're not everybody, Iván, you're my boyfriend." "Look at me." "I'm coming back." "I won't die over there." " Promise me you'll come back." " I promise." "Oh, my God!" "Will you wait for me?" " Yes." " No matter how long?" "Okay, we're safe." " How do you feel?" " Better." "I told you." "The sea is a widow, but she's also a saint." "Let's take a look at this trap." "I think it's full of lobsters." " Here, hold the gaff for me." " What's the matter?" "Looks like it's tangled." "I'll go see if I can shake it loose." " Is it very deep down there?" " I don't know, about 18 feet." "It doesn't matter." "Wait for me here, I'll be right back." "My foot is caught!" " What?" " My foot is caught!" "Help me!" "I have a leg cramp!" "Keep still or we'll both drown!" "Willie, cut the rope!" "Thanks for the knife, but there's a lobster down there that looks delicious." "You saved my life." "Look." "Cayo Pescao." "My great-grandmother used to tell me that people from the Caribbean were brought to this key." "Sick people, people who were dying." "An old healer called Nando lived there." "He said people recovered their health." "Even the crippled walked." "That's what my great-grandmother used to say." "I used to go there when I was a kid." "Hey, Whiskers, give me a quarter, please." "Don't have any cash." "Oh, you wouldn't even help your own mother." "Here, take it and scram." "I don't want to see you around here!" "Get out of here!" " Iván, don't forget your lobster." " No way." "Hey, whose boat is that?" " Would you sell it?" " Are you interested?" "We can talk about it." "How much?" "That's a good question." "Look what we caught!" "Are you boiling water yet?" "Great!" "He said that people recovered their health." "Even the crippled walked." "Come on." "Come on, don't be afraid." "Come on!" "Here's your food." " It looks delicious." " Looks tasty!" "Here's your food." "Enjoy it." " Thank you." " Thank you." "Let's eat, honey." "I'm so hungry I could eat a shark." "Oh, I love seeing you like this." "Your bones are warming up now, aren't they?" "Are you okay?" "Would you let me help you?" "Julia, help me." "What's going on?" "What happened, Iván?" "I saw her like this and I couldn't leave her there." "What are you going to do?" " Sixteen." " How old?" "Sixteen." "How long have you been hooked?" " Don't you go to school?" "Or work?" " Okay, enough." "Then how do you get money for your fixes?" " A lot of people come to Culebra." " Have you received any kind of treatment?" "From anyone?" "The priest, once, but I'm not into church stuff, you know?" "To get ahead in life, you gotta quit using." "What for?" "To live, to feel good about yourself." "Wouldn't you like to travel and see the world, to feel clean inside and out?" "Because if you go on like this, you're going to die soon." "It's your decision." "We're willing to help you." "If you need us, you call us." "Day or night, any time." "Do you understand?" "It's very easy for you." "You come here to get a suntan." "Don't you realize that we don't even have a movie theater here?" "Old people get drunk and the young ones get high." "As simple as that." "If you don't believe me, ask my dad." "And who's your dad?" "Kike." "There are clean clothes on the sofa." "Thanks, ma'am, I'll bring them back later." "If we bring the horse to the water, we must make him drink." " Don't get excited." "You won't be able..." " Yes, yes, here I will." "I could live on this key forever." "Kike, you look strange." "Are you feeling all right?" "Iván, don't think of this as a gift." "It's a loan." "You have to return it to me when you come back from Vietnam." "Take care of it." "You take care of her." " Hi, Kike." " How are you, Pepe?" "Here, checking out the horse races." "Machito, bring Pepe something to drink." " Cheers!" " To good luck." "Machito, I brought you the coconuts." "Hey, Kike!" " How you doing, Iván?" " At last!" "No, no, no, don't get much closer." "I have the flu." "You could catch it and you..." "Don't get closer." "How are you, Pepe?" "I'm glad to see you." "Would you like a soda?" "That must be a joke." "Look, I gotta go." "I have to go fix an engine." "Give him whatever he wants, but you're not leaving." "Machito, hit me again." "Maybe I'll get rid of this cold." " Cheers." " Cheers." "Hey, how are the races going?" "Don't you have five minutes to share with me?" "Relax, in Culebra we have plenty of time." "What's the rush?" " How's it going?" "Did you lose already?" " Hey, that's bad luck!" " Hey, you're hitting the bottle hard, huh?" " Don't lecture me, Ivancito." " Give it to me!" " Hey!" "Hey, come here, Kike." "Have a drink with us." "I'm just a friend who's concerned about you, you know?" "Yeah?" "Well, you're going to concern yourself to death." "Maybe." "I didn't want to say that, you prick." "I didn't want to say that." "What was that all about?" "I would have never imagined that he was going to react that way." "After so many years." "Forget about Kike." "Kike is Kike, and that's not going to change." "Besides, it's not good for you to get upset." "I don't know how to deal with him." "Resentment and booze have left him deaf and blind." "But I'm telling you, I won't give up." "This place is a nightmare." "Nobody knows who the real enemy is, them or us." "Working here as a medic and keeping my men alive is my only reason for dealing with the madness of this war." "It's a pity, because besides all the killing, this looks so much like our Yunque rainforest." "Sometimes I see your eyes looking at me through grenade smoke." "I try not to think about anything else but you." "Do you think about me?" "Even though your picture is creased, I look at it every day." "It's the only thing that keeps me going." "I see your hair moving in the wind." "I kiss your smile." "I make love to you." "I imagine we are on the key, like before." "And I can feel you trembling as my lips caress all the curves of your body." "I can feel you right next to me." "Can you feel me?" "Take me inside you." "I want to stay there until I die." " Shit!" " What happened?" "Look at the letter I just received from Rafa." "The bastard tells me that he fell in love with a Chinese woman who bore him a child and he's staying heaven-knows-where back there when his tour of duty is over." "Oh, Lourdes!" "After all the cold showers I've taken." "Men are like cats, they scratch the hand that feeds them." "Let me see." "But how can that be?" "Rafa!" "The quiet ones are the worst." "And the same can happen to you!" " No, Iván is not like that." " Yeah, right!" "Julia, it's been a long time." "On this island loneliness eats away at you, and we age before our time." "So sit tight while you wait for Iván to come back." "Wow!" "How handsome, and you smell so nice!" "Of course!" "I'm visiting the booth of the prettiest girls in all Culebra." "Thanks, although I know you're not talking about me." "Julia, when do you get off?" "When the carnival closes." "What's the matter?" "Try to get off earlier so we can hang around for a while." "I can't leave until it closes." " Shit!" " But why are you getting upset?" "I don't know what would have become of me without you this past year and a half." "Wait for me." "What's that?" "For me?" "Matilde, look!" "It's beautiful!" " Now you can practice." " Thanks." "Okay, let me see." "Step back, you're too close." "Like this?" "With attitude?" "Do you like it?" "Thanks." "They are not saying anything to the families until they're sure about what happened." "For all we know he could be dead or captured, or maybe he deserted." "What about you?" "Don't you know anything?" "Neither Julia nor me." "For all I know, Iván could be dead." "Talk to you later." " Julia!" "Did Matilde tell you?" " No." "What?" " She didn't?" "Go ahead, read it!" " What's this?" "I was admitted to the Marine Academy." "I'll be able to get a captain's License." "Oh." "How does it work?" "Well, first there's this training in Santa Cruz for three weeks, and then I'll be eight months at sea." "When are you leaving?" " Next Saturday." " So soon?" "Yeah." "I'm about to become a captain." "How nice, Kike." "It's nice." "Congratulations." " I thought you would be glad." " Of course I'm glad." "It's just that I'll miss you a lot." "But I know it'll be good for you." "Hey, Captain!" "Well, I don't have anybody waiting for me when I return." "Oh, come on." "You know I love you both." " No, I don't." " Oh, yes." "What is it that you really feel?" "What's the matter with you, Kike?" "Iván knows I have feelings for you." "He knows." "I love you." "And I would stop loving you in a second if you asked me to." "Kike, what's the matter with you?" "Stop it, people are watching!" "It's your decision, you know?" "We are adults now, Julia." "We're adults." "It's time to cut the bullshit." "No, Kike, don't do this to me, please." "You're confusing me." "Come on, honey, I don't want you getting confused." "Okay, stop it!" "Hey, where are you going?" "Well, I dressed up for my farewell party." "How do I look?" "You look great." "I would invite you, but the guys are waiting for me." "No, wait, I want to go." "I want to go." " Hey, Sylvia, what's cooking?" " I'm here, like always." " Are you leaving?" " No, I'll wait for you." "Sylvia!" "Iván wrote!" "He's alive!" "He's alive!" "He's alive!" ""One day a squad of Vietnamese soldiers attacked us and burned our base camp. "" "When I have more time, I'll give you all the details." "No, no, go on, this is better than a soap opera." "Okay. "They captured us and moved us to their camp." ""While I was there my leg got infected. "" " Oh, no, he was wounded!" " Oh, Lord!" " Do you think he'll be all right?" " Shut up!" ""But, my love, I am so happy because I know I'll see you soon!" ""I'm writing from a base in New York. "" " News from Iván!" " Where is he?" "In New York." ""There are many opportunities for veterans here in New York." ""I want to hold you tight and kiss you all over!" ""You must come here as soon as possible. "" "Stop it, it's the best part!" ""I wish I could be there on my knee," ""roses in hand, to ask the question in person." ""But things are not always the way we want them." ""What's important is that you answer yes." ""Do you want to marry me?"" "Go ahead, throw it!" "No, it's mine, it's mine!" "I have such a beautiful girlfriend." "You'll see." "She has such eyes, and those lips!" "My dear Kike," "I can't find the words to tell you how confused I have been." "I know that you love me and that you want me to be happy." "Well, I've gone after the happiness I have waited for during these years." "I hope you'll understand and forgive me, if there's something to forgive." "Study hard, Kike, and move on." "All my love, Julia." "Julia's not here." " Where is she?" "At her house?" " No, she left for New York." "Iván resurfaced." "She left this letter for you." "All my love, Julia." "Kike, it's 5:00." "Stop drinking." "Come over to my house for dinner." "Look, I received a letter from Julia." "She asks me why you're returning her letters unopened." "She knows why." "She says she's very happy and she's going to have a baby." " She's overwhelmed with joy." " Really?" "Mom, did you hear that?" "Julia is pregnant." "They say that she has morning sickness but she's not showing." "Oh, I wish she could come for my wedding." "Then we could all have our picture taken." " Oh, yeah!" " I'd love to see her with a big belly." "Oh, I couldn't give birth so far away." "Who would help me with labor?" "Hey, I'll take this one, but it's pretty ripe." " What about the coffee and the tomato?" " Put it on my tab." "Do you have powdered milk?" "What couple?" "You're not a couple, we're a trio." "Come on, everyone say bil¡!" "Hello, Kike." "How are you?" "Okay." "I'm here shopping for Iván." "You know about his condition, don't you?" " Yes, news travels fast in a small town." " Excuse me." "Kike, can we talk?" "Julia, I didn't ask you to come back." "I respect your space." "Please respect mine." "I wrote to you, I explained." "Julia, please, all of that doesn't matter now." "What should matter are the people who love you, like Iván, like your daughter." "Don't talk about what you don't know, Julia." " That girl needs you, she needs your love..." " Don't meddle with my life!" "Iván is your brother!" "Really?" "Does Iván know?" " Iván needs you." " You lied to him, too, eh?" "We have enough problems already." "Iván is my life, and I won't let anybody hurt him." "Every time I thought about what happened with Kike, my head started spinning." "Especially when I thought of you, Matilde, because I knew you cared for him and I never wished to do you any harm." "You don't need to explain." "I understand you." "I fell for his charms, too." "Look, if there's something I've learned about life, it's that you must call things as they are." "I tell you, what Kike feels is no longer love, but obsession." " I loved Kike so much." " He's been feeding that hatred for 30 years." "He took that fishing job because he didn't want to face you two." "And you know the first thing he asked when he came back?" "If you were still pretty." "I don't know if coming back was a mistake." "Sometimes I feel it was, especially because Kike was one of the reasons we came back." "We wanted to make peace and be together like before." "And as you see..." "Well, Julia, it has worked wonders for Iván." "That's true." "He feels terrific!" "Iván is stealing everybody's heart around here." "Look what I've got, guys, nectar of the gods!" " Whiskers, you're a genius!" " Hand me the machete." "None of you can open a coconut without spilling the water." "Here, machetero." " Shit, you scared me!" " Why so nervous, man?" "I thought you were the spirit of one of the slaves who used to live here." " Slaves?" " Huddle up." "As the legend goes, way back in the time of Spain, a very, very strong hurricane hit this island just as a ship full of slaves from Africa was reaching these shores." "They say that it was shipwrecked on the reef." "The slaves were the only ones who survived." "Not a single white man made it." "Did they stay here to live?" "Yes, they lived here a long time, until they got strong." "That's not what I've heard, Pepe." "What my grandfather Yayo told me is that his grandfather told him that these people were a tribe of Indians from the eastern coast of the big island." "They decided not to be slaves to the Spaniards any longer, so they moved all their women and children" " to this key in canoes in one night." " Everybody, the whole tribe?" "The whole tribe in just one night?" "Well, you see, they had these huge canoes like cruise ships, with outboard motors." "Don't be stupid." "We're talking here about canoes made by hand from gigantic trees by the Indians." "And my grandfather told me that the Indians used to stand on the shores, and the Spaniards who went by couldn't see them." "They didn't have electronic navigation!" " I get goose bumps, I swear!" " Let's drink to that." "Do you want Iván to kick you off Cayo Pescao?" "That's right." "If you want to drink, you can go to Machito's bar." "I haven't had a drink in 20 years." "What I'm saying is that we should toast with coconut milk." "That's a good idea." "Iván first." " careful, you're spilling it!" " Come on, come on!" "When I returned to Culebra about a year and half ago," " I came to die." " Oh, come on!" "Cut the crap!" " I came to die, nevertheless." " You got a new lease on life." "Exactly, and along with that lease," "I made good friends who bring joy to these added days." " To friendship!" " To Iván!" "To Cayo Pescao, which is ours!" " It's strong!" "It's strong!" " Mother Nature makes a strong drink!" "Well, let's go fishing, gentlemen." "We're running out of time." "Whiskers!" "The matches!" "Hi, Aidita, good to see you!" "How are you?" "Good." "Are you eating well?" "You look skinny." "More or less." " Were you waiting for me?" " No." "Well, yes." "I came to ask you about Doña Julia." "She's at home." "Why don't you go say hello?" "I can't walk very well." "I'll take you, then." "She'd love to see you." "Besides, you can eat some fish with us." "They look good." "Why are you so nice to me?" "What do you want?" "For you who have it all, life is always a rose garden." "You think I have it all?" "I've been where you are now." "I know what you're going through." "Man, you're wasting your time." "Dear Matilde, things here have not worked out as I had hoped." "Carlitos!" "Iván is no longer the man I married." "I hardly know him anymore." "I finally got the scholarship to study photography, and he doesn't give a damn." "He's lost his will to live, Matilde." "If you come to this bar and you don't drink with us, you're a son of a bitch." " What did you call me?" " I said you're a son of a bitch." " Take it easy, man, it's cool." " This guy is a son of a bitch, isn't he?" "I wish I could get inside his head and rescue the sweet, compassionate man hiding inside." "He got used to mixing alcohol with the medication the doctors prescribed when he returned from Vietnam and now he can't stop drinking until he finishes the bottle." " Hit me, please." " The usual?" "The usual." "What are you doing?" "Go to sleep." "You know, Iván, Junior asked me today," ""Mom, when will Daddy come home?"" "And for the first time in my life, Iván, I thought," ""I hope he never comes back. "" " Julia, don't be a pain in the ass, okay?" " I'm getting fed up, Iván, I'm telling you." "Stay in the street." "Don't come back here." "Forget this house." "After I work my ass off all day for you, you don't want me to come to my own goddamn home to sleep?" "Lower your voice." "Don't get abusive with me!" "Abusive is you wanting to keep everything after I have to deal with this city all alone." "All alone?" "Bullshit!" "I'm the one who's been left alone raising your kids, putting up with your drinking." "I'm the one doing the cooking!" " You're a bastard." " Don't talk to me like that!" "You son of a bitch, don't you dare ever hit me again!" "You piece of shit!" "Julia!" "It's so sad to end this way, after so much love!" "Iván survived a war in vain to come to die in another." "If only he could let me find him, if only he could understand that he doesn't have to struggle alone." "Aidita, this is not going to be easy." "Listen to me!" "Listen to me!" "Remember what we talked about?" "Look at me!" "I'm all right, I'm all right!" " We're here to help you!" " I'm all right!" "Do you remember what we agreed?" "We agreed that you were going to quit and I was going to help you." "That's what we're doing now." "Listen to me!" "It's going to be tough, but you have to work with me!" "It's your fault I'm so fucked up." " Give me the tonic." " No!" "I don't want any!" "Listen, you're going to feel better." "You have to work with me." "Aidita, we want to help you." "Don't you understand?" "Let us help you." "No, I don't want your help!" "In this town everybody knows you're a..." "Drink it, please." "Listen, I'm going to die soon!" "I have no time to waste!" " We will not leave you alone." " I can't!" "Don't leave me alone!" "We won't leave you alone." "Take a deep breath." "I can't." "Don't leave me alone." "I can't." "Easy..." "Well, Pete, I'm going to stop this." "You'll see." "And what are we going to stop it with?" "With a legion of federal officers stationed all along the beach?" "It's much easier than that." "Look, we just have to choose one person and make an example out of him." "What would you rather do?" "Would you prefer to go house by house explaining to each one of them that they have broken a federal law..." "What's up, Machito?" " Get me drink, I'm burning up." " Have a beer on me!" "Look, the Cub Scouts are out of uniform." " Cheers." " I take back my offer." "Hey, is it true you're shortening the conch fishing season?" "I haven't heard anything about that." "Well, we're on it, but you know, the government is very slow." "Good morning." "I built this shack." "Are you Iván Mart¡nez Rosa?" " Have we met before?" " We've heard about you." "We're federal environmental inspectors." "We have been told that you're using this key without proper authorization." "Well, I come by once in a while." "I fish, cook my fish." "That's not illegal, is it?" "The problem is that it always produces garbage and other contaminants." "That's why we cannot allow visitors." "The small amount of garbage I produce, I take with me." "Besides, I don't use plastics or chemicals." "I'm like the Taino Indians." "Look, for starters, bonfires like this one are forbidden on our beaches." "Also, all the keys in this area have been classified as natural reserves, so you can't be partying here with booze." "I don't allow anybody to bring alcohol to this place." "Oh, you don't allow it?" "Let me see your property deed." "Don Iván, we came to examine the area because we've been informed that you're having private parties here." "Private parties?" "That's not true!" "The point is, we're not going to allow you to return to this key again, period." "But I only come for short visits from time to time." " But you already built a structure." " If you can call that a structure." "Iván, what's going on?" "These guys came to tell me that I can't come back here anymore." "Hold on, we're federal inspectors." "But we do no harm here." "What's the problem?" "You see, Pete?" "These people really have a good time here." "This man only wants to spend the last days of his life..." " Willie, Willie, they don't care about that." " Well, they should." "It's just that they give you a uniform and a gun, and you think you can come and push us around." "You're a couple of bullies!" "Luckily, they're peaceful people." "I appreciate it, but you can be more useful if you go back to Julia and tell her I'm going to be late." "You go, you go." "I'll stay here and return with Iván." " Are you sure?" " Yes." "Let us know if you need our help." "This man just wants to come here and spend some time..." "But let me explain!" "Aidita, come out here!" "Iván, give me back my daughter!" "Aidita is resting." "And mind your manners." "I didn't come to argue with you." "My business is with Iván." " And what business would that be?" " Aidita!" "I can take care of her." " Is that so?" " Yes!" "I don't avoid my responsibilities and I don't run away, Julia." "Ask her!" "I've tried, but she doesn't want to or can't do it." "I don't know." "So you gave up?" "What did you come back for, Julia?" "To fuck with my head?" "Does it bother you so much that I'm taking care of your daughter?" "Julia, you left me, you failed me." "What can I say?" "That's life." "You're great with excuses." "How convenient. "That's life. "" "Yes, that's life." "I just want Aidita to be all right." "Call her out here." " She's okay with us." "I guarantee you." " Call her!" "Let's go, Aidita!" " I'm not leaving, Daddy." " Let's go!" "No!" "I'm fine here." "I've never felt better in my life." "Mr. Mayor!" "Pitito, are you aware that Iván was kicked off the key?" "To tell you the truth, I wasn't." "Were you aware of that?" "First they kicked him off, and now they won't let us fish there." " That's the best fishing spot!" " I'm fully aware of that." "I have a family." "How will I feed them?" "Pitito, I make my living fishing and I have two small kids." "Why won't they let us go there?" "Because you have to go through the proper channels." "No federal law is going to stop me." "They can kill me, but I'm going back to the key!" "Yes, but we must take it easy." "We can't use violence." " What are you going to do?" " I'm meeting with the governor tomorrow." "I'll bring this up." "Write it down so we can include it in the agenda." "I promise you that tomorrow I'll have an answer for you." "I promise." "Tomorrow for sure." "Tomorrow." " What's your name?" " Iván." "Hello, I'm Julia." "That girl has something that makes her different from the others." " That girl's going to be my girlfriend." " You're going to be my brother." "What couple?" "You're not a couple, we're a trio." "To have a family, right here on my little island of Culebra." "Iván, your grandmother died." "I came to return this to you." "It's yours." "Weren't we blood brothers?" "Tell me something." "If you weren't dead, what were you doing in the war?" "Partying with the Vietnamese women?" "Where did you go?" "What the fuck are you talking about?" "You were in your war and I was in mine, trying to keep Julia's spirits up." "Nobody believed your tale about the prison camp." "So, why didn't you stay there?" "What did I do to you to deserve this?" " Didn't you want to talk?" " Yes, I wanted to talk." " Hear me out!" "Hear me out, damn it!" " We're talking!" "Julia had already forgotten about you." "And then" "something happened that we couldn't avoid." "Julia and I..." "Julia and I..." "Whose idea was it to leave for New York?" "Julia left to be with me because she loved me." " Ask Julia to tell you the truth." " What good is it now?" "Please, help me." "If the feds keep me off the key, they're going to tear out my soul!" "Then we're even." "For what it's worth, you are the person I've missed most in my whole life." "I don't know what happened and I don't care." "If I wronged you, I'm sorry, forgive me." "But I'm a man of my word, and you'll always be my blood brother." "There are more than 400 signatures here." "There are more than 400 signatures here." "Tell the Governor that all of Culebra is behind this effort." " Pitito, I'm counting on you." " Relax." ""Relax. "" "I see you're celebrating the mess you made." "That's all I needed." "What did I do..." "Look, Daddy, everybody knows that you're responsible for all this." "Aidita, you're still clean." "Yes." "That's good, that's good." "And no thanks to you." "What about you?" "Will you keep on drinking?" "There are a lot of things you don't know about, so don't piss me off." "Don't piss me off!" " Daddy, I'm fed up with all this." " Fed up with what?" "I'm fed up with all this." "You argue with me, you argue with the whole world!" "I'm fed up with being the bad guy who always screws up." "I'm fed up, too!" "Oh, what a pity." "We have to feel sorry for you, the victim." "Look, Daddy, that's enough!" "And now to top it all off you're a traitor and a snitch!" " I don't know what you're talking about." " You don't know what I'm talking about?" "Everybody in town knows that you tipped off the feds so they would take the key away from Iván!" "I didn't do that." "Shit!" "I didn't do that!" "Look, people, I just spoke with the Mayor." "He was told that the Governor does not have jurisdiction over the key and he can't do anything." "Meanwhile, Iván is in a sickbed." "Well, they're wrong." "They are wrong." "We have to take matters into our own hands." "You, Ayala!" "You, Pedro!" "You, Benicio!" "We can't allow governments to tell us what we can or cannot do on our land!" "Look, the key is ours, and the time is now." "I mean, if we are real culebrenses, if we have courage in our hearts, we will claim that key right now." "The key is ours, damn it." "What the hell?" "Pete, Pete, stop that!" "Look!" "Stop that!" "Look!" "Here come those fools!" "They're looking for trouble." "Do not attempt to disembark." "Disembarking on this key is a federal offense punishable by law." "Attention, attention!" "This is your final warning!" "What are you doing?" "Are you crazy?" "There are children there!" "I'm warning you for the last time." "You cannot land here!" " Come on, get out!" "Get out!" " You're the ones getting out!" " Take it easy!" " This key belongs to all Puerto Ricans!" "This key belongs to the federal government!" "You're the ones who have to leave!" "Come on, arrest me!" "I'd rather die than leave!" "Don't worry, mister." "We're not "tres-passing!" We're "mucho-passing. "" "And we'll camp here until they give us the key back!" "Don't be afraid." "I won't leave you alone." "What a beautiful view." "What a pity you can't enjoy it." "THE KEY IS OURS!" "This doesn't look good." "Hey, Sylvia, what's up?" "Sure, I read the front page." "Oh, yeah, I think that's great." "Yes, that's what they should have done." "That's what I told them to do." "Don't worry, I'll handle this." "Very well, good." "Guys!" "I just received a call from the federal agency." "Everything worked out fine." "We won!" "Let's go to Iván's house and tell him." "Come on, let's go!" "We won!" "I told you to trust your mayor!" "Your mayor never fails you!" "I'm here to serve you, to defend you till the end." "And in the next elections, remember to vote for me." "I hope you'll be able to love again." " The key is ours!" " Yes, it is!" " The key is ours!" " Yes, it is!" "Friends, we rescued the key!" "Let's go get Iván!" "I'm going to be alone, Iván." "One step at a time." "Don't give up." "You'll never be alone again, Aidita." "Matilde, come here!" "Look who's coming!" " Kike, what are you doing here?" " I came to see Iván." "You must be crazy if you think I'II let you in." "Don't you ever give up?" "Let the man die in peace, Dad!" "I didn't have anything to do with all this." "Don't deny it." "I saw you with my own eyes." "You were talking to the feds." " I don't know what you're talking about." " Liar!" "To think that I've loved you all my life." "I don't know what the hell I saw in you!" "Matilde, you know me better than anyone else." "I'm running out of time!" "Let me see my friend, let me see him, please!" "Iván." "I'm here." " The key is ours!" " Yes, it is!" " The key is ours!" " Yes, it is!" "You did it!" "The key is yours, Iván, you did it!" "Blood brothers forever." " The key is ours!" " Yes, it is!" "Julia, we made it!" "We won the battle." "The key is ours!" "We've come here to share this victory with Iván." "He can come back to the key because the key is ours." "Thank you, thanks to all on behalf of Iván." "He's very grateful for all that you have done." "Thank you." "Of course!" "The key is ours!" "Iván." "We're back on the key now." "Just the two of us." "We're walking on the warm sand." "The sea is beautiful, as always, a dark turquoise blue." "The breeze is caressing our faces, our hands, our bodies." "The sun guides us." "We're on your key, Iván." "There's a place we all look for." "A place of innocence, of healing, of happiness, that may not exist, but the quest to find it is what keeps us alive." "To all the men and women who have fought and still fight for the harmony between human beings and nature."