"LOVE BY MISTAKE" "Good morning." "Good morning." "Could I get your autograph?" "Oh, yes." "Elizabeth." "A PLACE UNDER THE SUN." "After writing a book like this you can die, can't you?" " Have a good day." " Thanks." "Julio!" "Munuñi!" "Let me look at you." "You put on weight." "Where's Milly?" "They should declare a World No-Salsa Day." "I don't even notice it." "It's Like the heat." "Milly could've left her thesis for ten minutes." "She knows I Like her meeting me." "Poor dear." "She and Judith are working Like mad." "She wanted to, but they're in a race against time." "This heat!" "The heat in this country works overtime." "It never takes a day off." "No!" "Turn that shit off!" "Just keeps getting bigger." "Well, you've been away for two months." "A man's hand is what's needed." "I'm glad you noticed." "I spoke to a builder, but I was waiting for you." "It's nice to be missed." "All right." "I think what I brought will cover it." "We have to check the ceiling." "It's falling apart." "Two windows have rotten wood, the kitchen needs painting and the car still has that noise." "Hey!" "It can all wait until my next novel comes out." "When will that be?" "You dyed your hair." "Fifty-nine minutes and a half!" "No, madam." "I noticed at the airport." "Not true." " It's true." "I did!" " You didn't." " Don't lie." " I did notice." "Come here, you." "Lord!" "That'll be Milly." "She always has good timing." "Someone's been calling and hanging up all morning." "Hello." "Oh, it's you." "Who is it?" "Yes." "Well, I'll tell you later." "Yes, yes." "In half an hour by DHL." "Bye." " Who was it, Julio?" " They're a pain in the ass!" "It's Rodriguez." "If I don't report to the Writers' Union today, they'll flip." "Oh, Julio, come on!" "What can I do?" "I've got to go." "Wait for me." "What about Milly?" "She's not here." "I'll see her tonight." "STOP" "Asshole!" "Shithead!" "Spanish cocksucker!" "DHL, Madame Silvia" "Hello." "Look at Daddy!" "Say "Hello, Daddy"!" "How are you, Daddy?" "It's the neighbor's baby." "She's at the tax office." "Our affair lasted like two fish on ice, or whisky on the rocks." "All this stuff wouldn't even fit on a hard disk." "It's a miracle!" "Well, I just got back from the Vatican." "Like them?" "I said I wanted flat heels." "I'll Look Like a hooker." "This is for underneath and this is the dress." "Put it on." " Go on, put it on!" " No, Julio." "Please, come here." "Right." "Tell me about Europe." "Europe..." "For the conference in Berlin they asked me to sit in Goethe's chair." "Will they publish the novel?" "Yes, yes." "Two big publishers are after it." "One in Italy and another in Spain." "I'll hook one of them." "I was so anxious this morning." "I didn't know what flight you were on." "But your wife always answered the phone." "I've got to go soon." "I'm meant to be with Rodríguez." "But you're coming tonight." "Don't ask me that." "I just can't." "I haven't even seen Milly yet." "She was with her friend Judith." "Judith?" "Judith is at Camagüey University." "Milly must be with that man." "What man?" "I don't know." "Some strange guy, around fifty." "What man?" "I don't know." "I think he's foreign." "He picks her up at the faculty sometimes." "Didn't your wife tell you?" " Hello." "Good evening." " How are you?" " Nice to see you." " Same here." " Bye, mom." " Bye." "Have a good time." "Bye, dear." "Have fun." "Shadows will be swept away like dust unsettled when a window is opened." "Music in the air will again paint colors on embracing bodies." "Not the chaste silence of the dead, but a carnal touch," "moist and alive." "And now... a poem from my own pen:" ""The Pain of a Tear"." "What is it?" "Julio del Toro is with us!" "Please, a round of applause!" "Were you going to hide there all night, maestro?" "Read something for us." "Julio del Toro is the author of that classic novel," ""A Place For Two", winner of a Casa de las Americas award." "Good evening." "No, I wasn't planning on reading anything." "I'm finishing my second novel." "Superstitious, Like all writers." "Then read from "A Place for Two"." " Look..." " I have a copy in my dressing..." "It's "Under the Sun"." " The novel's title..." " You're ridiculous." "I'll never forgive you for stalking me Like a jealous pimp." "How old is he?" "Seventy?" "No, sixty." "He's the age that he is." "I'm going to marry him." "Shit!" " I'll get you a towel." " Yeah, and a T-shirt." " How old is he?" "Fifty-nine?" " Fifty-eight." "But if a man eats Spanish beans, ham, and cheese all his life, that doesn't matter." " That's not Marx's fault." " Here." "You're good at throwing in the towel, aren't you?" "Keep it down." "The whole block will hear." " They don't need me to tell them." " What's your problem?" " That he's Spanish or he's your age?" " He's not my age." " He's thirteen years older." " Oh, I'm sorry." "My problem is you." "You're my only daughter and I love you." "You don't, or you wouldn't treat me Like a child." "I'm in love with Noly not because he's a Spaniard, but I Love that he is." "And I'm going with him." "Did you think I'd stay here all my life?" "You bought the thing." "I'm amazed how you had it all worked out." "Who cares what Julio del Toro thinks if some dashing old man who studied with Franco" " is chasing the Queen of Sheba?" " His name's Manuel Iznaga." "He lives in Madrid, works for a record company," " and is divorced with no children." " That's what he says." "Stop it, Julio!" "Milly isn't stupid or a hooker." "The man seems serious." "He's in Love with her." "You think I don't care about my daughter?" "Know what?" "You're not marrying that guy." "You'll get bored first." "You know what a 60 year old smells Like when he wakes up?" "No." "Do you?" " Julio..." " I hate you!" "And she calls him Noly." "Have you got an aspirin?" " No." " Paracetamol?" "Neurofen?" "No." " I need a pain killer." " Do you know what I need?" "A man who loves me." "It's that simple." "Not a jerk who uses me Like a rag and then bawls about some Spaniard fucking his daughter, or vice versa." "That's cruel." " I Love Milly above everything." " Isn't that a fact?" "And that Noly is 13 years older than I am!" "Poor soul, Listen to him." "Who the hell am I to fee sorry for you?" "Mother Theresa of Calcutta?" "Your daughter..." "Don't give me that Look!" "She knows what she wants." "It's more than you can say." "I Love you." "Yeah, Look how much." "Do you think I'm a fool?" "Well, yes I am." "You know why?" "For being in Love." "You want things to stay as they are." "That cow covers your P.R.," "I'm here for sex and to be the Wailing Wall." "Treat me bad." "I Like it." "I've been humoring you for two years, Julio del Toro." "What?" "I don't know how Italians can eat this." "They put more things into it." "Miriam uses rosemary..." "What the hell to I care what Miriam puts in spaghetti?" "All right." "Look..." "Milly won't leave the Spaniard." "You can bet on it." "The calf wants to spread her wings in Europe." "That's what we need." "If he wants the calf, he may as well take the cow too." "Why do you talk Like that?" "Besides, you know I can't do that." "Oh, no?" "Hey!" "You Look thinner." "Keeping trim." "In Europe, only tenors are fat." "What's all this cleaning?" "Half of the literature in this country just gathers dust." "And the other half?" "They're going to publish my new novel in Spain." "Who?" " It's a surprise." " That's great." "Julio del Toro, superstar." "You're the man I need." "I work for Cubavision and I need a cultural story." "You won the Casa Award twenty years ago, right?" "No." "Ten years." "The Writer's Union is planning a tribute." "I'm in charge." "My name's Ana." "Glad to meet you." "It's a pleasure." "May I have your number?" "I'd Love to interview you." "Tomorrow." "Have you read my novel?" "No." "But I will right after this one." "THE NAME OF THE ROSE" "It's funny." "When I spoke at the Pompidou in Paris," "Umberto Eco was lecturing in the next hall." "It's a shame to miss that." "Noly wants to talk to you." "Here comes the sermon." "Sorry about last night." "No." "I can't help being your father." "Or seeing you as a child." "I won't understand till I have kids and it's for my own good, right?" "Oh, Dad." "Milagros del Toro." "When you buy a watch, don't be fooled by cheap ones in the window." "My boyfriend's a Rolex." "Fifty-eight year olds aren't called boyfriends." "Since your watch has run down..." "Sorry, Dad." "I didn't mean that." "Where did I fail you, baby?" "Where?" "Come on, Dad." "Tell me a story." " Come on." " No, no." "Hey, give me that!" "Damn it, give me that!" "You'll Like Noly." "You'll see." "He's a learned man." "He knows a lot about literature." "And he knows lots of people." "Come on, Dad." "You know what, Julio?" "I've had a lot of jobs, but there are two things I'll never be." " First a politician..." " No, no." "I don't care if you're Mayor of Madrid or heir to the Bourbons." "That's not a problem." "The second is a sex tourist." "Look, this hadn't happened to me in a long time." "I simply fell in Love." "I understand you want the best for Milly." "I'd fee the same way." "Let me see..." "Milly... is in Love with you too," "and I've no right to interfere in her feelings." "That decision does you credit." "What is it?" "I didn't want to be disturbed." "Tell him I'm looking for a rock band." " He doesn't believe me." " Yeah." "Salsa, political "guaracha", hip hop..." "Here, get rid of him." "Call security if you have to." "They're mercenaries and opportunists." " He can't see you." " How come?" "Those people are fucking up music in this country." "Political guaracha, shit!" "If my brother heard that..." "Is your brother in the music business too?" "No, he's in publishing." "He's a manager at Tusquets." "What is it?" "Know what?" "I've no calling as an experienced fifty-something." "I love that your daughter doesn't expect me to lead her." "Yes, she's self-confident." "She takes after me." "Sure, and your wife is extraordinary too." "You don't even understand yourself, Julio." "Do you see any problem in them getting married?" "He seems Like a serious, upright man." "And he's good to Milly." "We even spoke about literature." "His brother's a writer." "You're supposed to be happy." "Yes." "Of course I am." "Hey..." "Did he say if they're leaving soon?" "No." "He said he wanted to have an engagement party." "Julio is a good man." "He's a real fighter." "But this house could be falling on his head and he wouldn't notice." "You'd have to tell him." "But he has a gift for making up stories," " for charming you with words." " Does he still do it?" "This won't take any more." "People don't see that this country is always a hotbed of music." "Good afternoon." "That's why..." "Oh, Julio!" "Silvia, my father and my fiancé." "Nice to meet you." "You Look Like the fiancé." "No." " No, he's the fiancé." " Yes." "How silly of me!" "Dad, this is Silvia, my architecture professor." "I asked her to check the wall." "The what?" "Oh, of course." "You shouldn't have bothered your teacher." "It's just a little crack." "No, no." "It's quite serious." "That's a main wall." "Whatever you do, do it quickly or things may get out of hand." "That'll be mom." "She always forgets her keys." "Are you nuts?" " What's this here?" " Stop it!" "I'm Silvia." "He knows about us, right?" "It's from Spain." "Milly and I are going to Old Havana." "Care to join us?" "Where's Milly?" "She's out with Manolo." "The car broke down again." "I had to leave it at the hospital." "Don't Look at me." "It's a miracle it runs." "It's a Lada, you know?" "If I sang salsa instead of being a gynecologist I'd have a Nissan." "Some writers are springs and others are mills." "Julio del Toro is a mill." "He writes little, but so did Juan Rulfo." "What do you know about his new novel?" "Julio has kept it secret for the moment." "But the good news is he's reading a chapter at the tribute." " Where was it?" " In a book by Milan Kundera..." "Sorry, it's probably banned here." "We especially read banned writers." "And books by Cuban emigrants?" "Some artists only become known after they leave." "It sounds Like a recipe." "Well, the book's called "Life Is Elsewhere"." "Haven't you ever thought that..." "Life is always elsewhere." "Don't you come here looking for utopias and black girls?" "Hello, everyone." " Hello, Manolo." " How are you?" "Hello, Rodríguez." "Hello, Julio." "Silvia!" " You Look fabulous." " Thanks." "I want to be Like you when I'm older." "And wear dresses Like this." "Kids today are hopeless." "Come on, Noly." " When are you getting married?" " Soon." "In Madrid." "Silvia's the coolest teacher in the faculty." "You'll see her dancing Like crazy soon." "I bet." "And don't call me Noly." "It's Manolo." "Okay, my love." "I wish you all the best with this crazy kid." "I want to see Barcelona and the Gaudi things first." "I owe that to this lady." "Can you see us in Madrid, away from my parents at last?" "Away from your parents?" "Yes." "You haven't told me about the wedding dress." "What is this hide and seek?" "You're bouncing around Like a ball." "I was looking for you." "That nice journalist, Ana, called." "She can't come." " I'm sorry." " It's all right." "This is..." "Silvia, right?" "Milly's professor." " She was checking the crack." " I see." "I've told Julio he should do something, but he waits until it's hopeless." " Yes." " Nice to meet you." " Shit, what is this?" " Calm down." "We've got a generator." " You piece of shit." " Hey!" "Miriam isn't leaving." "You're nuts." "It's the men's room." "We may be seen." "Give them a microscope." "You're a microbe anyway." "Don't say that." " Miriam..." " Don't mention her." "Okay." "Manolo offered but she won't go." "It's not my fault." "Silvia, this is mad." " Why are you here?" "I'll call you." " Your daughter invited me, and I'm glad I came to see how useless you are." "Hamlet was a babe in arms compared to you." "You're fucking up my life, Julio del Toro." " Quiet." "They'll hear us." " You're going to hear me!" "You'd get second place in an dickhead contest." " Why not first?" " Because your dick  my beloved." "I'd like to be in Asturias all the time..." "Shit!" "I talked to my brother." "He's interested." "He asked if you'd sent the novel to other publishers." "No." "Know what, Julio?" "Nobody at the party is Like your queen and your princess." "Not even that Silvia." "Did you see her shoes?" "They're for a cheap whore." "Very cheap!" "Silvia." "Silvia, please." " Silvia!" " Let go of me." "I'm a cheap whore." "Don't listen to that drunk." "I can still convince Miriam to go." "Munuñi!" "Munuñi!" " Silvia!" "Silvia!" " Here." "Silvia!" "It's over, Julio del Toro." "Over!" "Here." "Here." "One more thing." "I'm going to sleep with the first man I come across." "Silvia!" "Shit, now that's all I need." "Need a hand, ma'am?" "What I mess with my Left, I fix with my right." "Shit, man!" " Car trouble?" " No." "I'm barking at the moon." "This is torture." "Go in." "You could get pneumonia." "Like some coffee or something?" "Well..." "Define "something"." "Something." "No, thank you." "I'm in a hurry." "I'm meeting a friend." "Okay." "Then I can't return your sweater." "You'll have to come for it." "Let's say Thursday night." "Your problem isn't men, it's clothing, right?" "No, really." "It was a funny way to meet but... something tells me you're not Like other men." "I'll wait for you." "It will be a pleasure, Milady." "Bye." "What are your future plans?" "The two big publishers rejected my work." "Now my only chance is with Tusquets." "What plans should I have?" "A tribute and a heart attack." "They only give tributes to those with one foot in the grave." "You won't say that on camera, will you?" "There's something else, right?" "I finished "A Place under the Sun" last night." "Poor thing." "But no way," "I beat you." "I spent last night alone in this armchair, wrapped up in self-pity." "Do you Like it?" "Yes." "Cheers." "... with my head full of demons." "Do you Like it hot?" "I love it." "Then you must try my speciality:" "Penne a la raviatta." " Penis?" " Yeah." "Yes, short pasta." "It doesn't matter." "I'm sure I'll love it." "And not knowing what to do with my life." "I learned it in Italy." "I didn't get a medal in gymnastics." "That was the death of a sportsman with a future and the birth of a masseur with a past." "I..." "I had a boyfriend who was a fencing champion." "Did you?" "But I Left him." "I broke it off because... he liked to wear his mask when we made love." "I'd rather have a masseur who can cook." "... until I arrived at a decision..." "Aren't you getting the phone?" "Hello." "Silvia!" " It's for you." " For me?" "For you." "Hello." "Hello." "Hello." "Julio!" "Are they still bothering us with those calls?" "What do you think?" "I'll treat you to a peach tea." "It's the best thing that's ever happened." "I heard that two years ago." "Silvia was Silvia." "But Ana..." "She smells like..." " I could eat her up." " Of course." "Love is Platonic cannibalism." "You can only own someone by eating them." "You're rather cynical today." "I can't be a good cynic." "I'm not married." "Miriam!" "With what money?" "With yours." "You don't say!" "The car's still at the garage." "Do you think that's for free?" "What will we live on if we use that money?" "I'm doing what you said when you came back." "The house is a wreck." "When the novel's published," " you'll see..." " That'll take time." "Manolo said he'll lend us some money." "It can't all be about Manolo." "No, Julio, no way." "Get the money now or I'll ask Manolo for it." " You know what your problem is?" " Excuse me." "Can I get some water?" "No, first tell him his problem." "I'll wait." "You'll cause an accident." "STOP" "I see it clearly now." "The third person doesn't work." "I'll rewrite everything in first person." "Will you let me read it?" "Even better, I'll write it here." "Were you in love with your father as a girl?" "No." "Mikhail Gorbachov." "No, seriously." "I'm trying to understand why you're doing this." "For humanitarian reasons." "Hey..." "Don't pity me!" "Why not?" "I'll be damned if I don't sue them!" "They'll see what foreign debt really is!" "What happened?" "Manolo went to buy plane tickets and ran into a bus." "He says that yesterday there was a Stop sign, but it wasn't there today and he drove on." "Shit." "Hey get it right, it was his fault." " Who are you?" " Leoncio Rocasolano." "It was a bus from Pinar del Rio, with a salsa band called Hard Sex." "Heavy Sex." "We play salsa, hip hop, political guaracha, and anywhere." "You'll hear from me, Heavy Sex." "What happened to you?" "Oh, nothing." "It's nothing." "Some moron on a bike." "I'd better stay with him." "It's a man's thing." "On the contrary." "Didn't you hear him?" "Milly stays, of course, and I'm a doctor." "Why do you have to take care of him?" "Are you curious about Spaniards?" "Very funny." "A naked Spaniard won't raise my blood pressure at my age." "Besides, I have to talk to him." " You're not going to ask him for..." " Hey." "The builders want their money by next week or they stop work." "We're playing the Casa de la Musica." "Ask for Rocasolano, right?" "Relax." "A magazine in Barcelona owes me for an article." "Bye." "Fresh air!" "Political guaracha!" "Fuck that!" "Political guaracha?" "Please..." "Ask the nurse not to let anyone in." "I'm the nurse." "Did you study music?" "Philosophy." "But I left it in fourth year." "Music is life at the max, man." "To get ahead in this world, you have to be a Marxist, an existentialist, and an obscurantist." "Know what?" "I never liked salsa music." "Salsa has its Shakespeares, its Cervantes... even its James Joyces." "And it's still pop culture." "I prefer classic rock." "We're not discussing taste." "Want me to tell you the truth?" "What I really dig is European folk music, flamenco singing," "Tyrolean songs, the "jota"." "But... you can live for two years with a salsa hit." "Who writes your lyrics?" "Do you want to go dancing at the Casa de la Música?" "With your foot like this?" "Don't promise more than you can deliver." "Was each of these traffic signs given to you by a different man?" "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says it:" "All men are equal." "A woman gave me one." "Want me to leave it all and stay here with you?" "Know what?" "Your wife is a great woman." "You'll only see that the day you lose her." "Write." "Munuñi." "SHARPEN MY PENCIL, BABY" "WITH YOUR LUSCIOUS SHARPENER" "Are you leaving?" "I am." "I'll be back late." " Very late?" " Very, very late." "Sit down." "The doctor will see you soon." " Thank you." " Welcome." "Silvia?" " Where's my doctor?" " She's on leave." "What's up?" "You look like you saw a ghost." "Ten weeks." "Are you sure?" " Silvia!" " David!" "This isn't what you think!" "I'll kill that slut!" "Let me explain!" " David!" " I told you so." "This is Diego." "Silvia!" "Why is she wearing my jocks?" "Heavy Sex... is honored with the presence of two great figures." "From Spain, our manager, Manolo Iznaga." "And from home, a great friend," "Julio del Toro, a great Cuban writer." "A kiss for you and your family." "Heavy Sex." "Since you're into salsa now..." "Julio, Tusquets take time in analyzing a book." "I never said it would be fast." "They're pros." "They have better lyrics now." "Know what?" "I don't care about lyrics." "Since Heavy Sex is leaving for Spain soon, we're going to play our hit over there:" ""Sharpen My Pencil, Baby"." "Will the prettiest nurse in the West Indies dance with me?" "If my father-in-law doesn't mind." " She's all yours." " A pleasure." "Sharpen my pencil, baby with your luscious sharpener." "If my lead is sharp, my tongue will feel it." "Milly is so vulnerable." "She needs guidance." " Like you?" " No." "Like Julio." "Your mom still looks great, doesn't she?" "She doesn't deserve what you're doing." "What am I doing?" "At her age women complain about what you don't do." "And being gross as well." "You know what I'm saying." "You should be ashamed." "Well, no." "She's the one who's disgusting." " She?" " Yeah." "Your lover." "The one you give things to, no matter what." "For it was with your pencil sharpener" "That I sharpened my lead one fine night." "Come on!" "Sharpen me!" "Mambo, mambo!" "Come on!" "Sharpen me." "I'm sorry." "I'm not good at dancing." "I've only a vague idea." " Want me to lead?" " All right." "I thought that slut was my friend." " You know each other?" " Are you drunk?" "Don't you remember she was my teacher?" "I found the red dress in the garage." "You didn't even have the balls to..." "Hang on, we're talking about Silvia, right?" "Of course, who else?" "Milly, that's over." "I swear." "It's over." "I won't help." "Then I'll get another doctor for the termination." " Look..." " Don't you see?" "I've got the devil's seed inside me, Rosemary's baby." "You're on the borderline." "Termination now would endanger your life and nobody will take that risk." "The father is bisexual." "So what?" "Nothing." "That's normal, right?" "It's not common, but it's not abnormal either." "He was a man in bed, right?" "Let's say there's time, and there isn't, would you deny yourself the joy of motherhood because of" "one mistake?" "Who's that man?" " Bolaño's father." " And an admirer, maestro del Toro." "Come on, read fast." "If Manolo comes in" "I'll have a stroke." "The boss will never find out about your poetic streak." " Does the chorus start here?" " No, here." ""I dreamt your love story, pulsating under the sun."" "Isn't it a bit highbrow?" "Sharpen my pencil, baby with your luscious sharpener If my lead is sharp..." "Turn that off." "I'll write you a thousand poems..." "Hey, wait!" "What was I saying there?" "Imagine..." "We didn't need Milly then." "What do you mean?" "Do you still fancy me?" "Would I be with you if I didn't?" "You tell me." "All right then." "What did you want to say about your work?" "Don't ask if you're not interested." "You're the king of the universe." "Stop it, will you?" "Have you cheated on me?" "Don't start it, don't." "I don't want to hear that if I tell the truth you'll understand and forgive me." "No." "I'd never say that." "If I found out, I'd slap you and leave you." "Come here." "What matters is that we're growing old together." "Yes, Julio." "We're growing old and Milly is leaving us." "I still love you." "Munuñi!" "Munuñi!" "Everything was easier for that generation." "Nobody could write a book like that now." "Not even my father." "It is as if, in that moment, society and writers were the same age." "Only in that moment." "Forgive me." "It's like when somebody dies, you know?" "I don't like it either." " That's why I wanted you to see it." " No, you don't understand." "I love it." "At that time, Julio was... adorable." "You should think more about yourself, Miriam." "Years ago, when you finished, you had a heap of pages to show." " It's not transparent." " Yes." "It is." "I came to see you this morning." "You weren't in, or maybe you were." "They wouldn't open the door." "Let's celebrate." "Sensitive, attractive, thoughtful, learned." "And a great dancer." "We've run out of things to talk about." "I don't get it." "In the hospital we talked all the time." "Sure, you're both old." "I mean, the same age." "And the smell..." "Dad was right." " Expensive perfume." " Old man's smell." "Are you a genius?" "Yes." " Where were you this morning?" " Today?" "At the studio, editing a story." "I lent the flat to a friend." "Do I have to believe you?" "No." "Do you love me?" "You had your three questions:" "If I was a genius, where was I this morning and if you had to believe me." "Seriously." "Do you love me?" "Shit, why?" "Because it's killing me, you hear me?" "I can't go on making up meetings with writers and juries in provincial contests." "My wife will think that in the last 6 weeks literature is having a bigger boom than in the Spanish Golden Age." "And I can't leave her because you don't want me here all the time." "I don't know if you love me, admire me or pity me." "I don't know what the hell you're doing with me." "I don't know if I should be jealous." "I thought that love driving you mad was just a metaphor." "Don't go, my love." "Okay." "It's your turn now." "All right?" "What?" "I'll let you ask three questions." "I have nothing to ask." ""He had relinquished that right." "Happiness may be a myth, but unhappiness isn't." "I don't give a fuck about you, Skinny." "He slept in a sitting position, wrapped in a torpor of kerosene."" "Is that the version Tusquets accepted?" "No." "I asked for time to do some rewriting." "This is the final version." "Was it worth it?" " I'd have to read the whole thing." " All right." "As soon as Ana finishes it." "Ana?" "Of course." "Is that the part you're going to read at the tribute?" "No." "Yes." "What happened to that course in Jamaica?" "If my lead is sharp my tongue will feel it." "And I'll write a thousand poems." "Miriam..." "I left her." "Shit!" "This is the last place I thought I'd find you!" "Whore!" "I'm a friend, not a whore!" "Is there a woman in this film you haven't slept with?" "Milly." "What we need here is a man." "Good evening." "I'd like to live there, in that penthouse, with my child and a good man." "He's waiting for a chance from you." "I don't mean David." "David is not good and he's not a man." "He's more of a man than you think." "What do you know about him?" "Do you know he was kicked out of sports?" "Not because he wasn't good or because he was gay, but because he didn't condemn a girl who defected." "He's a masseur because all the doors closed on him." "Do you know what a kind of friend he is?" "You heterosexuals don't have a clue what a man is." "Fuck off!" "He cheated on me." "Don't deny it." "If it were with a woman, you'd forgive him, right?" "Now I wonder if you're good enough for him." " You smell so nice." " Will we see each other again?" "No." "But you know what?" "I'd forgotten how nice it was to be with a guy like you." "May I have a glass of water?" "I'm so hungry I don't know where I'll sleep." "What happened?" "What happened?" "All right, all right." "Forgive me." "I'm still the same piece of shit." "But I was crazy to see you." "IN THE MOONLIGHT" "This is... wonderful." "Really?" " Know what?" " What?" "I want you to go with me to the tribute." "I want everyone to see us." "Damn it!" "Hello." "Here?" "No." "It's your daughter and she sounds..." "Look..." "To what do I owe the privilege?" "What happened?" "What?" "The fucking asshole." "That damned Manolo dumped Milly and now he says he wants talk to me." "He doesn't know who he's dealing with." "Nobody shows contempt for my girl." "Nobody!" "I'll bust his head!" "The rebel inside me is coming out." "I'll kick his ass so hard he'll look like something out of Goya's black period." "And no tall tales from him." "I'm almost sure she was a virgin when he met her." "He has to be responsible." "Can you imagine?" "What will Miriam say?" "Don't worry, I'll call you when it's all over." "Trust me." "I hope you have a heart attack!" "Manolo!" "Hello, Julio." "So you don't want my daughter any more?" "So you're leaving alone?" "You're like all the others:" "Fucking in Cuba with your friend's daughters." "Is that it?" "No, no." "It's not that." "It's not that." "I'm staying in Cuba." "The firm has opened an office." "We're going on vacation to Viñales." "After we talk to you first." " We?" " Yes." "You and who else?" " Leaving her for some slut." " Stop that, Julio." "What are you doing here?" " No, no." " Look, Julio..." "Miriam, what the hell is this?" "We wanted to explain." "It's hard, but... we wanted to explain." "I know shit when I see it and you're shit." " And you're worse." " Insult me if you like." "But... things... things happen." "This... this is love." "Who do you think you are, Marcelo Mastroianni?" "I bet you don't have a brother in Tusquets." "You made it up to get my girl and now my wife into bed." "Rubbish!" "Of course I do!" "What's my brother got to do with this?" "Stop it, Julio." "I was the one who proposed." "What?" "Miriam, please." "I can change." "I had a lover but..." " Well, two..." " That's not important now." "Know what?" "You and I have something in common:" "We're only interested in women when they spread their legs." "Miriam, don't leave me." "Think of the three of us together forever." " You can't ruin the sacred family." " What doesn't exist can't be ruined." "I was ready to stand almost everything." "Your selfishness, your indolence, your gases when making love, even your writing salsa hits!" "I didn't tell her." "Did you think I wouldn't notice?" "Jesus!" "I was ready to play the good wife, but I won't accept betrayal." "What?" "You're stealing your daughter's husband!" "Milly won't forgive you." "Maybe." "But Milly doesn't love Manolo and I do." "Things are now as they should be." "What about your promise?" "You said on film that you'd never leave me." "That film doesn't exist now." " Miriam..." " Get off me." "Miriam..." "Shit, Miriam!" "You can't go with him." "That swine is just like me." "That's why I'm going with him." "Come on, Manolo." "Hello." "This is my second novel," ""In the Moonlight"." "The show must go on." "Enjoy yourselves." "Enjoy yourselves." "See a star of Cuban literature cry." "If this man is too modest to sing his own praises," "I will." "Julio del Toro is one of the great figures in Cuban music." "He is the author of lyrics such as" ""Sharpen My Pencil, Baby"," ""The Fan Dance"," ""Dead Letter"" "and "Cassava Girl"." "I'm proud to say that thanks to his lyrics," "Heavy Sex is going to the Grammys." "The Grammys!" "I dreamt your love story pulsating under the song." "Your name burnt my body." "I only want to see you again." "No fate gave me a carnation." "The sun dropped your love on my skin under the rain." "I don't know how to say goodbye, how can I explain the absence of your smile." "I feel you have wings." "Your hands have cured my wound." "Congratulations, Julio." "I wasn't aware of this wonderful ability of yours." "What's up, Julio?" "What's wrong with him?" "Somebody help us." "My name's Charlie Iznaga" "No." "You don't exist." "Perhaps, but the contract for the first edition of "Under the Moonlight"" "by Tusquets Publishers not only exists, but is dying for your signature." "My brother is another thing, but I appreciate him sending us your novel." "Did you like it?" "It has its ups and downs, but it's fits the market now." "Do you know how famous you are in Europe now?" "Parts of the book are almost as good as your songs." "Sharpen my pencil with your luscious sharpener." " Lf my lead is sharp..." " Nurse!" "Thank you." "We're not buying." "There are no kids here." "Come in." "Thanks." " It says "Daddy"." " I'm not touching it." "What do you want?" " I've been thinking." " Oh, yes?" "Since when?" "I want us to try again, Silvia." "That child is my life." "Well, that child and you." "No, please don't interrupt." "No, I wasn't going to interrupt." "I was going to yawn." "Don't be cruel." "What do you want me to say?" "Men make mistakes." "If you say so." "Diego was right." " Deep down, you're all the same." " Fuck you, David." "I'm no Messiah or saviour." "Do you want to be a husband?" "A father?" " Yes." " Very well." "But do you love me, David?" "Do you want to be mine and only mine?" "Well... the Flying Dutchman!" "How's the Queen of Sheba?" "Did she survive?" "So did I." " I want to talk to you." " Come in." "Thank you." "I brought you flowers." "Thank you." "You were saying." "I want us to try again." "I'm not going back to you." "Julio, listen to me." "I'm not going back to you or anyone." "People must pay for their actions." "And for what they are." "I want to marry you." " Are you feeling all right?" " I was sick... but it's the best thing that could have happened." "Now I see everything clearly." "I need you more than ever." "Of course." " The possessive thing." " No," "I don't want to own you." "I want to be yours and nobody else's." "Do you understand?" "I love you, Silvia." "I swear I love you." "Silvia, was it that night?" "Julio!" "You'll see." "I swear I'll fight for all the time we lost." "I'm only interested in you now." "In you and in my son." " Sorry, our son..." " Julio..." "Or daughter, whatever." "It's fantastic." "TWO YEARS LATER" "We've just received news that the Juan Rulfo Award, one of the most important in Spanish letters, has again been given to a writer in our country." "Ana Roque de Escobar, author of a disturbing monologue questioning concepts like happiness, love, commitment, has said that "Signs on the Wall"" "is her first story and is based on her experiences as a reporter." "The "orgasm" is almost ready." "Don't say that." "July will hear you." "Jesus..." "If he knows what an orgasm is, we should get a shrink." "Tell Daddy "I'm a brilliant boy and I feel up all the girls in the nursery"." " Want some help?" " No." "I'm done." "Milly is about to arrive with her boyfriend and I don't want you cooking when they do." "By the way," "Milly is enjoying her job." "Oh, yes." "She says the commission liked your project a lot." "It's my ideal building." "If she doesn't alter it, it will cause a storm in Havana." "You'll see." "You see..." "Life puts everyone in their place." "Milly graduated, she has a Cuban boyfriend..." "Here they are now." " Daddy!" " My dear!" " You look pretty!" " Thank you." "My boyfriend." "I'm David." "Another David!" "I'm Julio." "This is your house." "Welcome to the del Toro family!" "Thank you." "This is Silvia, my wife." "A pleasure, Milady." "Hey, come here." "Hi!" "He's so cute!" "He's so big!" "Sorry, but he doesn't take to strangers easily." "A stranger?" "He's his brother-in-law." "And one that will love him like a father." "Look, baby." " See what we brought you." " Oh, how nice!" "Look, July, how pretty!" "Thank you." "It's very nice." "Shall we eat?" "Yes." "You can't live on love alone." "Next week, Davy and I will invite you for lunch." " Is it real?" " Yes." "I'm sharp..." "Sharpen my pencil, baby..." "Dad, you won't recognize the house." "Davy's building a gym." " A gym?" " Yes."