"How much is it so far?" "$8 and 25 cents." "OK." "How much?" "$1 1 .30." "How much is the meat?" "$ 3.05." "I'll leave it." "I only have $1 1 .50." "But it's $ 1 1 .30." "But I need to get matches." "How much are the matches?" "$ 1 .20." "I don't have enough." "Sorry, but I need the matches." "l've already rung up the meat." "Can you take the detergent out?" "I've rung up the detergent too." "l need to get the matches." "What do I do?" "And..." "I need..." "What was it?" "l will have to open it." "What's the matter?" "l didn't know the meat..." "was so expensive." "How much do you have?" "I have $ 1 1 .50." "But it's only $ 1 1 .30." "But I need to get the matches and they're not in there yet." "How much are the matches?" "$1 .20." "What are you leaving out?" "How much is the detergent?" "$ 1 .15." "And the sponge?" "It's 40 cents." "So?" "Ok, you can leave the meat out." "$ 9.45." "I dropped my coin there." "Here." "Thanks." "THE MAN WHO copied" "My name is André." "It was my father's name." "It was he who chose mine." "My mom called me Zinho." "But my father always called me André." "Later he gave up and started calling me Zinho too." "I live in Porto Alegre, in the south of Brasil." "I live on this street, Presidente Roosevelt Ave." "Roosevelt was a president of the U.S." "He was married to his cousin." "He invented the Roosevelt Doctrine." "But I had no time to read about that." "I don't know what a doctrine is, I think it's a bunch of rules." "It sounds like an old lady's name." "Granny Doctrine." "From my bedroom window I see a club, the Gondoliers." "There's a gondola on its roof." "I don't know if there ever were gondolas here." "I work in this shop." "I'm a photocopier operator." "When the machinejams you remove the paper." "And throw away the copy." "Usually you only have to press these two buttons: start, stop." "I should stop or the Blob will catch me through his mirror." "He says the mirror is for our safety." "The Blob thinks I'm a sucker." "Considering what he pays me, I guess he's right." "The Blob's name is Mr. Gomide." "Mrs. Blob is called Maria." "She comes to the shop to look at magazines and get money." "Little Blob's name is Rodrigo." "Or Diogo." "They call him Guigo." "He likes the light in the paper cabinet." "Don't." "This is important too." "Leave him, André!" "The paper must be very dry." "Or it gets stuck together, Mrs. Gomide." "Get the boy out of here, Maria." "Come Guigo, don't touch that!" "Good, Mrs. Blob, off you go." "l'm going." "Bye, little blob." "When the paper runs out, you open the drawer... and put in the paper." "First you loosen the paper." "Hold, fold, loosen." "Once more." "Then you put the paper here and close the drawer." "Then you choose lighter or darker." "It's best to leave it in the center." "Right, Blob." "In the center." "You tell her how many copies." "You put the original here." "If it's a book, you hold it." "When you press this button you are saying: go ahead, baby." "And off she goes." "This light is the best part." "OK." "Now you know all you need to know to do what I do." "Photocopier operator." "Big shit." "That's what I tell girls if they ask me." "Only if they ask me." "So what do you do?" "Me?" "I'm a photocopier operator." "What's that?" "I operate a photocopying machine." "Like..." "Xerox?" "Yes, but it's another brand." "You make photocopies in a firm?" "No, no. ln a shop." "Cool." "Very cool." "Start, stop, the paper with the light, the drawer... button in the center, how many copies, and go ahead, baby." "How many brain cells do you need to do this?" "It sucks." "It's for the money." "I work with illustrations." "I've sent some material to a magazine." ""Material"." "I don't think she bought that one." "Girls are smart." "When I'm not working, I stay home drawing." "It's fun because it's useless, except as a pick up line." "But it's never worked yet." "Girls are very smart." "Girls can tell a photocopier operator in seconds." "No girl dreams of spending her life with a photocopier operator." "Or traveling with a photocopier operator... having children with a photocopier operator." "At least I have never met a girl who dreamt of that." "She's not home yet." "She lives with her father." "I think it's her father, must be." "By the look of their furniture, they can't have much money." "But her father works, he has a uniform." "His shirt has those things on the shoulders with buttons." "Maybe he's a cop." "Or a public health agent, who kills mosquitoes." "Maybe he's a public health agent." "She's arrived." "Beautiful." "She goes straight to her room, I think she eats out." "Sometimes she gets something in the kitchen." "Only sometimes, almost never." "She always arrives after 1 1 and goes to her room." "I think she goes to night classes, she carries books with her." "Her window is covered with paper, but for a small gap." "There are 3 stickers on the window." "A smiling face, a drawing, dolls." "A piece of paper with 4 dots of glue." "A postcard, maybe." "Sometimes she stops and looks at it." "It must be a photo." "She had blinds, but they rotted away and were taken down." "Venetian blinds must be expensive." "In the wardrobe I can only see clothes." "She has 2 pajamas, tonight she's chosen the white one." "I can only see part of the wardrobe." "She often leaves the door open." "It has a mirror." "Depending on the angle of door, I see a different part of the room." "There's a flowery eiderdown on the bed." "A tapestry showing a girl." "A TV, but I only see its glow." "She watches movies till late." "A brush with a wooden handle." "A teddy bear." "A red ladybird." "There is a lamp by the bed." "A small table, a white vase." "That's it." "That's all." "I earn two minimum wages, $ 302 a month." "After the discounts, 290." "The price of tennis shoes." "I don't spend on transport, I walk to work, I never go out." "My mom buys the food, I pay half the rent." "2 bedrooms and a maid's room, if we had a maid, a very small one." "Living room, bathroom, kitchen, for only $380, including fees." "That leaves me $ 100." "I pay half of the TVinstallments, a 1 4", remote control." "$ 64, I pay $ 32." "I get left with $ 68." "I spend on silly things:" "amagazine, a beer, a pen, clothes." "To buy my binoculars I had to save for one year." "You see the bridge from here." "Every day it lifts to let a ship go through." "It's really fun to be far away and see someone from up close." "Sometimes I read magazines at work." "But mostly I read stuff that photocopy." "I can only read a few lines from each sheet." "Better than nothing." "Shakespeare and Cervantes died on the same day: 23rd of April 1616." "They never even met." "Cervantes was buried in a common grave." "I don't know what common grave means." "What difference does it make?" "One of these days there was a Shakespeare poem." ""When I do count the clock that tells the time." "And see the brave day sunk in hideous night. "" "When I behold the violet past prime." "And sable curls, all silver'd o'er with white." "When lofty trees I see barren of leaves." "Which erst from heat did canopy the herd." "And summer's green all girded up in sheaves." "Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard." "Then of thy beauty do I question make." "That thou among the wastes of time must go." "Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake." ""And die as fast as they see others grow." ""And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defense. "" "The girl's here to get her work." "Thanks." "I didn't get it." "I didn't even read the last line." "I don't know what bristly means." "I haven't mentioned Marinez." "She'd gone out to pay a bill." "She sells magazines, pencils, erasers, glue." "Hot." "She knows she's hot." "She wears really tight pants." "I have to lie down to put them on." "I imagined the scene, her lying down, legs up... trying to fit into those tight pants." "I'd better not imagine it, I'm way out of her league." "She had a German boyfriend, he wrote to her twice." "He's German but he lives in Der Haagen, Holland." "Der Haagen means "The Hague"." "Hay?" "Hague." "The name of the town, in Holland, where he lives." "It would be like "the Brasilia"." "Get it?" "The Hague." "Der Haagen." "Oh." "I said "oh" to stop the conversation." "A poor father is destiny." "But a poor husband is stupidity." "She's hot and a philosopher too." "Poverty is... either destiny or stupidity." "Right." "Destiny or stupidity." "In my case, a bit of both." "My father left when I was 4." "This is the destiny part." "I was watching cartoons on TV." "The set was a house cut in half so you could see inside it." "I saw a book cover like that." "Will you keep my mail for me?" "He didn't get many letters, it was mostly bills and junk mail." "I kept everything in a shirt box." "When it got too small I put it all in a shoebox." "Then in 3 boxes, split into bills, ads and letters." "One day I was talking to my fat schoolmate Mairoldi." "I said I didn't think my dad would come back." "I don't think my dad will come back." "Did he go on a trip?" "Yes." "When?" "7 years ago." "He started laughing, a lot." "He went blind on one eye." "That's the stupid part." "That was my last day at school." "I got thrown out." "I didn't want to go anymore either." "While my mom watches soaps on tvi stay in my room, drawing." "One-Eyed Zack lives with Granny Doctrine." ""You have to pay attention in class."" ""Pay attention to what the teachers say."" ""lf you don't understand something, ask!"" ""Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil on April 22nd 1500."" "Why?" "Duh..." "My mom drags her slippers from the bathroom to the kitchen." "She opens the cupboard, gets a glass, closes the cupboard... opens the fridge, gets the water bottle, closes the fridge... fills the glass, only halfway... opens the fridge, puts the bottle away, gets the glass... opens the filter, fills the glass... drags her slippers from the kitchen to the bedroom and says:" ""Goodnight, son, I'm going to bed." "TVmakes me so sleepy... "" "Goodnight, son. I'm going to bed." "TV makes me so sleepy..." "Goodnight, mom." "Then I go to the kitchen, get something from the fridge... and go to the living room. I turn the TVand watch a bit of everything." "I like it better with the sound off." "It's like a fire, or a lit up aquarium." "Only the light and the movement." "At 1 1 I get the binoculars." "A lot of people are still awake." "One thing I've found from watching the neighbors... is that fat people go to bed late." "I don't know why, it's statistics." "Among the last people to go to bed there is at least one fat person." "I'd like to know what music he listens to." "I've discovered another important thing." "If you want to see something with binoculars... you can't switch between windows." "You have to stay on one window and wait. lt's like fishing." "The most I've seen was her in undies and bra." "Shejust passed." "I had been waiting for nearly one hour and she passed." "I think it lasted about..." "2 seconds." "It was worth it." "When yourjob doesn't require you to think... you use the time to think about other things." "When I worked as a bagger at a supermarket... all I thought of was becoming famous." "I imagined being a famous footballer." "I imagined scoring brilliant, decisive goals." "In one of them I dribbled the back and kicked." "Right into the net." "Another one was a header, at the end of the match." "I also liked one where l caught it with the chest... and kicked, no chance for the goalie." "Then I ran with arms open... 44 minutes into the second half, the crowd going wild." "It's cool to run with open arms, you almost fall." "While at the same time you feel like hugging everybody." "I never saw myselfjumping and punching the air like Pelé." "It only worked with Pelé." "If anyone else did it he'd look like a queer." "Can you take the oil can from over the fruit?" "Sorry?" "Too heavy, it will bruise the fruit." "Put it in the box." "Sorry." "Or the fruit will get all bruised." "l've said I'm sorry." "No need to be angry." "I only asked you to take the can from over the fruit." "But I've put the can here, what more must I do?" "What's the problem?" "This boy." "I've asked him to take the can from over the fruit..." "and he got stroppy." "l said I'm sorry." "Please excuse us, he is a bit cranky." "Don't worry, it won't happen again." "Here I earn the same and I don't have to do any heavy work." "I don't think about being famous anymore." "Now I think about making money." "Lots of money." "It's wonderful!" "Look at this bed, full of cushions!" "I love this thing over the bed." "Dossal." "Dosser?" "No, Dossal. lt's the name of this thing, dossal." "When I see these rich in magazines, I think... the really rich wouldn't be showing off in a magazine." "The first time I saw Silvia... she was in pajamas, having breakfast." "She was eating a cookie." "She dipped the cookie in the coffee and ate it." "I fell in love." "I started to watch Silvia's place every day." "I knew what time she woke up and got back home." "One day I decided to find out where she worked." "There are people who never go out." "It's called panic syndrome." "I think it was in a student's essay." "They stay home because they can't leave the house." "The problem is you end up growing old." "It's best to face the streets." "I waited in front of her building." "It's called Saint Cecilia." "The Romans cooked St. Cecilia in a room but she didn't die." "Then they ran out of fun things to do and chopped her head off." "She came out, holding books." "She was wearing her red coat." "But her tights were blue, matching her skirt." "I think she was late." "I had to run too to be able to get on the same bus." "She went to the front of the bus." "I sat in the back." "She didn't see me, she was reading a book." "A person will never think she is being followed... if you are in front of her." "I saw it in a movie." "She went into a shop that was still closed." "I think she works there." "Silvia's. I still didn't know it was a coincidence." "I waited a while in front of the shop." "A coffee costs as much as a bus ticket, but I can walk back." "I read that a guy who drew some puppets on the wall became rich." "But he died soon afterwards." "You work your whole life to leave money to who knows whom." "He didn't even have time to have a kid." "The idea is to get rich fast, as fast as possible, and take off." "The problem is: how?" "I sent a story of One-Eyed Zack and Granny Doctrine to a magazine." "You can't do only what you want." "You have to do something that will get you rich!" "Why?" "Because, without money... you can't do anything you want!" "They never answered." "Then I sent one with a letter." "I asked for an answer or to get my story back... as other magazines were interested." "When I finish paying for the TV, I'll have $ 45 left every month." "If I don't spend any of it, in 10 years I'll buy a used car." "It's easier to buy a gun." "Andre, if you buy $50 of pot, you can resell it for $100, 150... lt depends on the state of the sucker." "I once sold a guy $ 10 of pot... mixed with lots of dried parsley for $ 100." "The guy loved it, he wanted more." "I tried it. lt tasted like pizza." "Man, with $500 you can buy cooler clothes and sell cocaine." "Coke is great business!" "Specially if you have a deal with the police." "You're wasting time at that shop." "Maybe." "But I don't fancy going tojail." "Like he did, many times." "Feitosa is crazy, he carries a gun." "He says I'm a wimp." "A sucker and a wimp." "From here it's OK." "Let's go up." "No. lt's OK here." "l'm going up." "You're such a wimp, Andre." "Hey, you!" "Get down!" "Wimp!" "Hey!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "We'll jump off the bridge." "Come back here!" "I can get you a gun for $300!" "Or $500, if you want a pistol!" "With a gun I could rob someone and get money." "But that wouldn't solve the problem." "Unless I robbed someone with lots of money, so I'd only have to rob once." "When you start robbing every day, you end up getting caught." "The best is to rob a bank." "From my window I see a bank." "Before working at the shop I stayed home a lot." "I knew the bank's schedule, which days the armored van came." "How much money is there in one of those bags?" "Good morning." "Can I help you?" "No, thanks, just browsing." "If you need anything, just let me know." "Thank you." "Maybe she works in the stockroom, the office, or something." "Would her boss leave her in the back and this one out here?" "This one wears too much perfume." "Or maybe this one owns the shop." "l wonder if she wears perfume?" "Have you been helped?" "No!" "Can I help you?" "Yes." "ls it a present for your girlfriend?" "No, it's for me." "For my mother." "A nightgown, a robe?" "ls it a birthday present?" "Yes." "Maybe." "Look, this robe here is a very good deal, $ 38." "Look how nice it is." "Yes, nice." "What's your name?" "Silvia." "Oh, Silvia?" "No, I'm not the shop owner." "When I started here it was already called Silvia's." "Oh, it was a coincidence." "Yes." "OK, I'll have another look around, maybe I'll come back." "But this robe's nice." "Would you like to see a nightgown?" "No, lt's all right." "You can pay with 2 post-dated checks." "Can I?" "Yes." "Maybe I'll come back." "Thank you." "Thank you." ""Thank you"." "She said that as she folded the robe, it was an automatic thing." "$ 38..." "She must earn 10% commission, $ 3.80." "If she sells 10 things per day at about that price: $ 38." "Per month, $38 times 30..." "But it's not times 30, Sundays don't count." "Let's leave it at $ 500." "But she probably doesn't sell 10 things a day." "And maybe other things are cheaper than this robe." "Things like panties or t-shirts." "Marinez?" "Yes?" "How much do panties cost?" "I don't know, I don't wear them." "Why?" "Nothing, just curious." "I know..." "Let's say she makes $400." "On top of her salary." "It must be like mine, 200 and something... 600 and something per month." "Not too bad." "Marinez?" "What?" "I have some tickets for a bar opening." "Do you want one?" "What bar is that?" "It belongs to a friend of mine." "It's called "Mama Grave"." "You get 2 beers with that." "Can I bring a friend?" "OK, I'll get you 2 tickets." "And who are you taking?" "l don't know yet." "It didn't work out with Marinez." "I didn't want to take her anyway." "Silvia?" "Hi." "Do you remember me?" "I was here looking for a present for my mother." "Oh." "Did you find one?" "Yes." "But I should have bought the robe." "Have you sold it?" "No." "Do you want to see it?" "No, I just wanted to know if you still had it." "l do." "OK, so if I decide to buy it..." "l'll come back." "OK." "Silvia?" "Do you like beer?" "Beer?" "Yes." "Not so much." "Why?" "No." "No reason, just curious." "So I'll get going, OK?" "My lunchtime is over." "Do you like beer?" "Silvia?" "Do you like beer?" "Beer?" "I love beer." "Darling!" "How are you?" "Cardoso, this is Andre, he got us the tickets." "Nice to meet you." "Cardoso, at your service." "How's it going?" "Look, I'll get my first beer, OK?" "Excuse me." "Interesting place." "Yeah." "But I don't like these metal tables." "Once I put a glass of whisky on one of these... and it started to move by itself, because the table was wet." "It happens at home too, on the counter of the kitchen." "It's a physical phenomenon, attrition..." "Then the glass started moving." "I thought like, man, I'm so drunk." "And I was really..." "What?" "Drunk." "But not that drunk." "The glass was moving by itself." "So it fell on the floor." "It's a sad thing to see whisky all over the floor." "Hey, there's a free table there." "I don't like these tables." "And the name neither, "Mama Grave"." "They love giving English names to bars." "What do you do?" "Me?" "I'm a photocopier operator." "Oh, at the shop with Marinez." "That's right." "What about you?" "l work with antiques." "Furniture, china..." "Sorry to ask, but do you have to wear a tie to work?" "No." "Listen, you and Marinez..." "Hot, isn't she?" "Oh my God, oh my God!" "You two..." "We only work together." "That's all." "And you?" "l'll check her out." "I'll check her out." "She's hot, you have to play it cool." "A hot babe like that, guys dribbling all over her..." "You have to give her a hard time." "You'll see." "Hi!" "I've brought 3 glasses, the next beer is yours." "Will you help me?" "l only have one left... I drank one before you got here." "I'd like to make a toast to this meeting and..." "Well, I'm no good with words." "lt's OK." "Cheers." "Cheers." "My cellphone battery's run out." "I have to call a girl friend..." "He's cool, Cardoso." "But his perfume is horrible, did you smell it?" "And he's a lot shorter than me." "And did you see his tie?" "Yes, the tie is something." "Let's dance." "Come on." "Will you put it on that table for me?" "He thinks he's Mr. Cool." "Who?" "Cardoso." "Have you seen his shoes?" "They've been resoled." "The soles are totally different from the rest of the shoes." "No, I haven't noticed." "Let's sit down." "Now the beer has gone flat." "Oh, it probably has." "OK, I'll go get a beer." "Oh, and your friend?" "What friend?" "Weren't you calling a friend?" "Yeah!" "Well, she's sick." "lt could be better, this place." "l think it's cool." "Yes. I don't feel so much like dancing tonight, you know?" "Well, I'm going to bop till I drop tonight!" "Usually I dance til late too, I love it." "But tonight, I don't know... I bought a CD collection." "The Rock "Greistest Richards"..." "What?" ""The Rock Grei"..." ""Rock Greist"... "Rich"..." "There's... really cool stuff, like Elton John..." "There's BB King, Chuck Berry..." "Chuck Berry?" "Chuck Berry." "Has it got "My ding-a-ling"?" ""My ding-a-ling"?" "Probably..." "l love that song." "I'm sure. lt's 4 CDs, in a really cool box." "We could go by my place later, I'll show you." "OK. I'll come with you later." "Great, it'll be nice, it'll be fantastic!" "Now, let me tell you something." "l won't go to bed with you." "What?" "We're not going to have sex, Cardoso." "You never know that, do you?" "You don't get it. I know." "First of all, you smoke." "It's not because of the smoke, or the cancer... it's the taste I hate." "I was thinking of quitting." "And you're poor, just like me." "It's not personal, but I won't get horny." "Not enough to fuck you." "I got it." "You only fuck rich guys, then?" "No, not really, but I haven't met the guy yet." "l'm a virgin." "What?" "But you don't have to believe it." "Nobody does anyway." "Let's dance?" "You mean, you never..." "No." "Nothing, ever?" "No, no." "But I've done all the rest of it." "I never fucked." "But I've done everything, you know?" "But not fucking, not really." "I'll only fuck the guy who changes my life." "Or a real gorgeous hunk, like a movie star..." "Really romantic, funny... sexy..." "One who makes me forget everything and turns me into a lovesick fool." "Sorry to be so honest, Cardoso, but you're not him." "But don't you feel like it?" "Of course I do!" "So, what do you...?" "The same as you." "What?" "I masturbate!" "I had my beer and they were still dancing." "It was 10 to 1 1." "I got on the bus, she was there." "The bus was almost empty, I couldn't sit next to her." "If I sat in the back, she wouldn't see me." "I glanced back and then again... as if I'd taken a few seconds to realize it was her." "Hi." "Do you remember me?" "I guess so." "I went to your shop one day." "Look, I'll come by tomorrow to buy that nightgown." "Tomorrow is Sunday." "Then I'll come on Monday." "Wasn't it the robe you wanted?" "Yeah, the robe." "If I can't on Monday, I'll come before the weekend." "For the robe." "I don't know why I came up with that crap." "I think it was the way she asked that question... as if she didn't believe I'd pay $ 38 for the robe." "Now I'd have to get $ 38... or forget that Silvia exists." "But I didn't have $ 38." "I didn't even know how to get them." "Not before the weekend." "The first paper money was made in China, 1 1 th century." "The emperor decreed that a piece of paper was worth 1 kilo of rice." "Whoever didn't believe it got killed." "I thought of asking the Blob." "I'd have to tell him what the money was for." "I could tell him I had to buy a robe for my mother's birthday." "But he might meet my mother and congratulate her." "Goodnight, son, I'm going to bed." "TV makes me so sleepy..." "Goodnight, mom." "She would think I was mad, giving her a robe, out of the blue." "It would be better to hide it until her birthday." "I thought of asking Marinez, but it was too humiliating." "How then could I think of her putting on her pants... legs in the air, no panties, knowing that I owed her $ 38?" "And she probably wouldn't have $ 38 either." "I thought of asking Feitosa." "He wouldn't lend me, but he might give me some pot to sell." "Wimp!" "I'd mix it with parsley and sell to a sucker for twice the price." "But I don't know any suckers who'd buy parsley for pot." "That's when I thought of Cardoso." "He had money, he might want some pot... or he might lend me $ 38 until the end of the month." "Marinez?" "Can you make money with antiques?" "A dress worn by Marilyn was sold for US$ 1 .267 million." "A new one, exactly like it, must cost around US$ 500." "Cardoso wears a tie, he has a cellphone, he drinks whisky." "He must have $ 38 to lend me." "It was the best plan to get $38 that I could make in a few hours." "Excuse me, do you know Cardoso?" "In the back." "Cardoso?" "Just a minute, please." "Do you remember me?" "No, sorry. I quit smoking, I can't remember a thing." "We met at Mama Grave, I'm a friend of Marinez's." "You work with her, right?" "Yes, I work..." "Hi, how are you?" "You told me you worked..." "What?" "You told me you worked with antiques..." "So?" "Do you see anything new here?" "No, but I thought you had money." "But why did you think that?" "Because you were flaunting it that night." "So?" "a stunning babe like that..." "What would I tell her?" "I work in a place that sells old junk?" "You too, making out to be some..." "operator of..." "Right, photocopier!" "Photocopier..." "You'rejust the xerox boy, I know." "OK, but it's better than showing off in a shirt and tie." "I know what you want." "You fancy her, so you came for an explanation." "Me?" "Marinez?" "No, not me!" "Why are getting in my way, then?" "I'm not. lt was you with that antique bullshit." "It's only normal:" "giving the chick some attention." "Have you never tried to chat up a girl with this operator bull?" "Yeah. I have." "So, what do you want?" "I wanted to..." "I..." "Do you want to go for a coffee?" "Yes, but..." "Are you paying?" "Oh no, I have no money." "Oh, then." "Why don't we leave it for another time?" "I've quit smoking." "Smoking is a drag!" "Coffee... I quit yesterday." "When did I say it was?" "Today." "Today?" "No, it was yesterday." "Not one since yesterday." "Smoking?" "No, no more." "It's tough, coffee reminds you of smoking." "But I can't stop doing everything I like because I quit smoking." "Like, I like to smoke after..." "you know?" "I love it!" "The girl says:" "Let's make love." ""No, sorry, if I make love to you I'll feel like smoking."" "What's your problem?" "Two coffees, please." "I need $ 38." "is that why you've come to see me, to borrow money?" "I thought you had money." "$ 38?" "No way." "OK." "Alright, I'll find a way." "What do you need the money for?" "To buy a robe." "A robe?" "Yes, a chenille robe." "Sorry, don't get me wrong, but who's it for?" "For my mom." "ls it her birthday?" "Kind of." "$ 10." "No. lt has to be the robe." "What is it?" "Mothers love angels!" "They prefer angels to robes." "Grandmothers like robes." "l need $ 38." "You don't give up, do you?" "Come on, get the angel, just $ 10, you pay later..." "What angel is that?" "Does it have a sword?" "Then it's a guardian angel." "I liked the angel." "I made a wish: $ 38." "I need $ 38." "What's this?" "A color photocopier." "Now you'll have to wear a smock." "This one's more complicated." "It has lots of controls." "To protect your clothes." "It looks more professional." "The smock is horrible:" "hot, it pinches my neck." "But the machine is great." "It can even make money." "$ 38." "I could copy a $ 50 bill." "If I had a $ 50 bill I wouldn't need to copy it." "I can borrow." "Not the money, just the banknote." "Yes..." "Once Mairoldi lent me a bill of 10 at school." "My mom gave me two bills of 5 to pay him back." "He lent me one bill of 10, a blue one!" "I won't give him back 2 old red bills!" "5 plus 5 makes 10!" "What do they teach you in maths?" "I don't want to go to school!" "I'll explain it to Mrs. Bristly." "No!" "Not Mrs. Bristly!" "I don't want to go to school." "My mother took me to school." "She gave Mairoldi the 2 bills." "The money he owed you." "OK." "Didn't I tell you?" "Mairoldi is an idiot." "Will you pay this for me tomorrow, before coming to the shop?" "Sure." "And let's go, it's already 5 past 6." "Mr." "Gomide?" "Yes." "If you don't mind me closing, I could stay later." "To learn to use the machine, read the manual." "Come in early tomorrow." "But I have to go pay your bill." "What's this?" "It's an angel." "For my mother." "Birthday?" "No." "But I thought she'd like it." "It's a guardian angel." "This is the angel Gabriel." "Look at the sword." "ls it?" "She'll like it anyway." "Sure she will." "You can close the shop." "Just don't stay too late." "Last week our neighbors were robbed." "Be careful." "Sure, don't worry." "I looked for paper that looked like banknote paper." "The biggest difficulty is that you have to print on both sides." "And it's hard to make it right, one note on top of the other." "It took me about 5 hours to do it." "I managed to make a bill that looked very similar to real money." "But if you looked carefully, you'd soon notice it was a copy." "I can't pay Silvia with a fake." "She can get into trouble." "Or I could be arrested in her shop, and then it's all over." "I have to change the money." "The problem is where to change it." "Boy?" "Your receipt." "I think it was the angel who made me give the real note." "A bank is the worst place in the world to try to change this money." "I could try this bar." "I won't screw the guy, he's as broke as me." "And they don't like to break a 50." "What if he decides to check it?" "lotteries" "Here the money goes to one register." "It all gets mixed quickly." "Everyone's in a hurry." "And there's no proof that I gave them that bill." "I can make a $ 9 bet and take $ 41 change, real money." "I must ask her something, to distract her attention." "I've done that with a doorman." ""What's the date today?" "Do you know what the prize is?"" ""How much is a bet on 6 numbers?"" ""$9?" "Wasn't it $8?" "It's gone up?"" "Are you into angels?" "Sorry?" "I bought this for my mother's birthday." "It's meant to be a guardian angel." "But my boss said it's St. Gabriel." "I don't know much about angels." "I think it's an archangel." "It's St. Michael." "What's the difference?" "The armor!" "It's St. Michael." "Oh, I see." "Your mother will like it." "Thank you." ""Guardian angel, meek and mild, look on me, your little child. "" ""Bless me now, the day is done. "" ""Amen. "" "Hi." "Hi." "I'm here to buy the robe." "The robe." "Oh, for your mother!" "I have it in two colors." "I'll show you." "We have new nightgowns in, a little more expensive." "Would you like to see?" "l think I prefer the robe." "It was this one you saw, right?" "It comes in two colors: blue and violet, which do you prefer?" "Which do you think is prettier?" "I think I prefer the violet one." "OK, I'll get that one then." "Are you sure you don't want to look at anything else?" "No, thanks, I think that's it for today." "Will you pay cash?" "How much is it?" "It's $ 38." "I think I'll pay cash." "You can pay at the cash desk, I'll wrap it for you." "OK, thanks." "It's pretty." "If you want to exchange it, just bring the receipt." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Thank you." "That one was completely different." "She said "thank you" looking into my eyes." "She looked at me and said you." "But the best was ''you're welcome"." "You're welcome." "Welcome to a lot of money." "Welcome to a lot of things you could buy with that money." "Welcome to how you'll be treated after buying lots of things." "And now welcome to a sucker welcoming a lot of things." "Could you pass me the salt?" "Hi!" "Hi." "Thanks." "Do you always have lunch here?" "Often." "lt's good." "Cheap." "lt's clean." "I used to eat in a place near here that was dirty." "The weigh and pay?" "It's disgusting!" "And expensive." "Once I was helping myself to bean stew." "And I saw a wasp floating in it." "A wasp?" "A wasp, a bug, you know?" "I complained and the guy said..." ""lt fell in, what do you want me to do?"" "I said: "To replace the bean stew."" "He took the ladle, fished the wasp from the stew... threw it in the sink and put the ladle back." "He didn't even wash it!" "You could see that dust they leave floating by the sausage." "I see." "Imagine if I ate it?" "It could be poisonous." "I don't think they are, not these city bugs." "Yeah, but..." "Christ, in the beans!" "Right, in the beans is too much." "Can you imagine that gunge in your mouth?" "Do you work near here?" "Kind of." "What do you do?" "I..." "I do illustrations. I draw." "That's cool." "Well..." "Yeah. I've finished too." "I have to go back." "Are you going that way?" "No, that way." "Would you like one?" "No, thanks." "I'm not too crazy about figs." " Bye." " Bye." "She wears no perfume, she's not crazy about figs... she hates wasps in beans." "And her eyes twinkle when she smiles." "You can't see any of that through binoculars." "Go on, ask her to come out with us?" "I'm broke." "Just to the movies!" "Then we go to my place, order a pizza..." "No, I can't." "I have no money." "Just the movies and a pizza." "It's less than $15." "I can't, Cardoso." "Man, you really are poor, Jesus Christ!" "Have you only just realized?" "What's that in your ear?" "Oh, it's a seed." "Like, it squeezes a spot in the earlobe, you know?" "A seed of what?" "It doesn't matter. lt's to quit smoking. lt's "apucuncture"." "No, "acupuncture!"" "Yes." "No, you said "apucuncture", it's "acupuncture"!" "Acu!" "Right... puncture!" "How many days has it been since you stopped?" " What?" " Smoking?" "!" "Four!" "But I already feel like a different person." "I used to get breathless going up the stairs." "I had no stamina." "The difference is amazing, 4 days..." "Also..." "The taste of things..." "much more." "I know." "But I can't really say I don't miss it." "After eating, I have a coffee, that cigarette..." " l know." " The hell you do!" "I know, I quit smoking." "You never smoked!" "Shit, why did I quit smoking?" "Women are bad news, man!" "She isn't even that hot." "Her tits are too big." "Did she say the guy had to be rich and a non-smoker?" "Yes." "Then why don't you wait till you get rich to stop smoking?" "When she said she was a virgin... she also said that she had done everything." "Everything!" "So, when things are getting hot, you just go: shlurp!" "Go on, bring your friend along!" "With a girlfriend, women get saucy." "They want to show off, then we..." "Shlurp!" "Do you know what bristly is?" " Bristly?" "With t-l-y?" " Yes." "What was the sentence?" ""The white and bristly beard"." ""White and bristly?" We should look it up in a dictionary." "But there are comics for adults." " For adults?" " For adults." "The stories." "Do you know this one?" "No." "The drawings are cool." "l'll lend it to you." "Cool..." "What about your drawings?" "What about them?" "Won't you show me?" "I don't have anything like... good, finished." "Will you do one for me?" " Now?" " Yes." "No, not here." "Why not?" "Ah, because!" "OK. I'll draw you something." "Will you, really?" "Sure." "What do you want me to draw?" "I don't know." "Something you like." "Something that's nice to look at." "She arrived home holding the comic book I'd lent her." "I think she read it on the bus." "She entered the house, her house, with my book." "She walked to the kitchen, and came back reading my book." ""Something that's nice to look at... "" "Thank you." "Do you like it?" "I do. lt's very cool." "But look what I've brought you." ""Bristly..."" ""covered with short, stiff hair."" ""When he smiled, his sharp white teeth showed... through his bristly mulatto beard"." "Ribeiro Couto, "Largo da Matriz and Other Stories", page 47." "Do you want to marry me and get away from here?" "Sure I do." "Ribeiro Couto, "Largo da Matriz and Other Stories", page 47." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "So a bristly beard is a stiff beard." "So, where did you get that from?" "From a poem by Shakespeare." "A book of sonnets." " Do you like it?" " l only read that one." ""When I do count the clock that tells the time"" "It sounds like a clock." "But where does the beard come in?" "I didn't understand it at all." "I didn't even get to the end of it." "I have a present for you too." "My drawing?" "It's pretty." "It's me in my room." "Does it look like it?" "Yes, kind of." "I have a photo on the window like that." "I know." "What's the photo of?" "." "It's a photo of my mom on the Corcovado in Rio." " There's no TV in my room." " Oh, no?" "No." "I have an aquarium." "But the rest looks pretty much like it." "The bed, the lamp..." "Thanks, Andre." " lt's my birthday present." " Oh, is it your birthday?" "It was the week before last." "Congratulations." "I have something wonderful here." "This is a real antique, you know." "Put it here, it's a very delicate piece." "Man, this is from the last century, 1 400 and something." "It's a beautiful piece..." "you'll see, she'll love it." "A little box!" "Pretty..." "This is for her to keep her little knick-knacks, you see?" "Be careful." "It's like, it's a bit expensive. $100." "What?" "$100." "Do you think I'd pay $100 for a tiny little box?" "It's about age, not size!" "It's $80 for you." " No, $30." " What?" "You're underestimating the piece." "$30?" "No way." "No deal." "$ 60?" "No, I'm going home." "Go home then." "And you're not taking the piece either." "I didn't have a $ 50 bill anymore, only a few tests." "A copy of a copy doesn't come out so good." "$ 50." "What?" "I'll give you 50 for the box." "No way." "$80 is as far as I'll go." "But you'd gone down to $60." "Then $60 is the minimum." "OK, but I only have $50." "OK. 2 beers." "No, wait!" "l'll give you tomorrow." "Can you break a 100?" "No!" "Wait!" "And the $25 I owed you." "I won't mess with you, man." "But when you gave me those $50 at the bar... I almost pissed myself laughing." "This is no antique, it'sjust a little box." "There's lots of them in the storeroom, man." "Take your $40, I'll sell it to you for $ 10, I'm your mate." "There'sjust one thing." "What?" "You know the $50 bill I gave you yesterday?" "It was a fake." "Are you crazy?" "I wasjust testing." "I didn't know you would use it." "What if the guy finds out?" "Did you do it yourself?" "." "Are there any more?" "No." "Only that one." "lt really looks real." "No, if you look closely you see." "Can you make more?" "No, it's difficult." "Why?" "It wastes paper." "It has to be done in the night." "And I don't have a $50 bill to copy." "Make a copy of a copy." "I've tried it, but it doesn't work too well." "Look..." "l think I can find the money." "How?" "Can you do it tomorrow night?" "Are you sick, man?" "Christ... I am." "Where's the money?" "Here." "Man, it's perfect, check it out!" "Cardoso?" "Those are yours." "Here." "See if it's good." "Yes." "It's very good." "Then what do you do?" "Cut them?" "What will you do with your share?" "I think I'll buy Silvia a present." "Will you go to her shop?" "No, I'll change the money first." "How's it going?" "Good." "What numbers did you pick?" "The first ones." "What?" "1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6." "Are you joking?" "You didn't!" "Why not?" "Didn't she suspect?" "Why?" "Nobody picks 1-2-3-4-5-6!" "It'll never be drawn." "The chance is tiny, like with any sequence." "lmpossible!" "They'll never draw these numbers." "As impossible as any sequence." "Now, what will you bet?" "2, 4, 6, 8, 10?" "Good idea..." "Pay attention." "Concentrate." "Shit, it's amazing that nobody notices." "Three bets of $ 9: $ 27." "$ 1 23 change." "Welcome to all you can buy with $ 1 23." "A sound system, books, clothes, CDs..." "Toys..." "Better!" "What is it?" "Roller blinds." "Blinds?" "Yes, for your room." "They must have been expensive." "No. I traded them for some illustrations I made." "Thanks." "They're very cool." "When's your birthday?" "lt's been already." "l'll give you a present." "lt was a while ago." "But I want to." "Thanks. I have to get back." "You're welcome." "It took her a whole week to put up the blinds." "I should have paid for that too." "But it can't be too hard, you just fix it with nails." "I think she did it herself." "But... what will you do?" "I don't know." "You can't tell her:" ""Your dad's a pervert."" "Or she would find it weird." "Yes." "You could hint it, just in passing:" ""Do you know that many fathers are perverts?"" ""lt's quite common."" ""You should put a towel like this when you shower..."" "But I think she'll find that weird too." "Yes, she will." "You could also get some guys to beat him up." "And while they're at it, tell him:" ""You're getting this because you're a pervert" and pow!" "But then he'll think it weird, won't he?" "You could also do this: marry her." "But to do that, you'll need money..." "Somewhere to take her..." "And money." "Real money." "That money you found won't do." "And do you have any idea where you could find real money?" "Yeah." "Give me half your salary?" "Sorry, I had to take my mom to the doctor." "There's lots of work for you." "And it's all for tomorrow." "OK, I'll stay late." "Thanks." "How long?" "I don't know yet." "It depends on the work." "More than a year?" "No, around 6 months, maximum." "I've always wanted to go to Rio." "Maybe you can come visit me on your vacations." "That will be a while." "Look... I've brought you a present." "Take it on your trip, read it." "It's marked on the page..." ""When I do count the clock that tells the time"." "Did you understand it?" "I did." "It's beautiful." ""When I do count the clock that tells the time." "And see the brave day sunk in hideous night." "When I behold the violet past prime."" "To sink here means to disappear, wither, die." "The withered flower." ""And sable curls, all wither'd o'er with white."" "When the hair grays on the sides." ""When lofty trees I see barren of leaves." "Which erst from heat did canopy the heard."" "The leafless tree... where the cattle used to go for shadow, when it had leaves." ""And summer's green all girded up in sheaves." "Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard." "The hay being taken away on a cart."" "Yes." "The white and bristly beard." "It's about time, Andre." "The passing of time." ""Then of thy beauty do I question make." "That thou amongst the wastes of time must go."" "That's..." "Yes, I get it." ""Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake." "And die as fast as they see others grow." "And nothing 'gainst time's scythe can make defense." "Save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence."" "What's that?" "It's a way of beating death." "Of deceiving time." "Breed." "Children." "I understand it." "It is really beautiful." "Thank you." "l have to get back to work." "OK, sure." "Silvia?" "Will you wait for me?" "I will." "Do you..." "Do you want to marry me and get away from here?" "Sure I do." "It may take about six months." "I'll wait." "I'll wait even longer, if I have to." "Take care." "Wimp." "Watch what you do with it." "And the bullets?" "There are five in there." "Only five?" "If you need five you're screwed." "But then, if you need one you're screwed." "Where were you?" "You didn't even see me get here." "Look." "The other guy?" "I'll be pointing the gun at one of them." "The other won't shoot." "What if he does?" "Then I'll shoot too." "Will you kill the guy?" "I hope not." "I'll stay in the car." "I've nothing to do with this." "If they catch you, I'll tell them I don't know you." "l only gave you a ride." "OK." "And if you shoot anyone, I'm out." "OK." "If it works, half the money's mine." "OK." "Just wait me with the car." "When?" "Tomorrow." "You get the car." "Money is only paper that people believe is worth something." "If nobody believes it, it's useless." "Here I go!" "What do you want?" "Good morning." "l'm doing a survey." "What?" "I'm doing a survey..." "for school, about music." "What survey is that?" "It's a survey about the kind of music people prefer." "Would you answer a few questions?" "You want to know my favorite kind of music?" "Yes." "Rock." "Rock?" "And do you have a favorite band?" "Creedence." "OK, thanks." "Drop the gun!" "Drop it!" "Drop the bag!" "Get in the car!" "Hurry!" "Come on, get in!" "Don't you see me?" "What?" "The parking meter, man." "I didn't have a coin." "Just a minute..." "Just a second." "Please." "A second more." "A lower bill." "Get a lower one." "I was thinking of getting my hair cut really short." "And selling the rest." "They pay $ 500 for hair like mine, you know?" "They've offered me $ 300." "But I didn't cut it." "I'll only have it cut for $ 600." "I wasjust thinking: my hair takes three months to grow." "If I cut it in the full moon and eat lots of carrots and cucumbers." "It's $ 600." "$ 200 a month." "$ 200 to grow hair?" "It's more than I earn here." "Occupation..." "Hair garden!" "Wait, let me take a look here." "Short hair, by the way, is much more practical." "thief RUNS AWAY ON FOOT with $ 2 million" "You never comb your hair, I know." "Look." "OK. lt doesn't look like you." "It looks like Romario." "No, the headline below." ""The new lottery."" "No, the other one." ""Drug dealer arrested with fake money."" ""Jeferson Feitosa was arrested yesterday... as he tried to pass a fake bill of $50 at a nightclub."" ""He had also other 5 bills..."" ""6 bills of $ 50..." ls he the guy you bought the gun from?" "And the fingerprints on the gun?" "Are his." "lt's alright then." "Did you realize they said the counterfeits were bad?" "No." "lt's here..." ""Badly made counterfeits lead drug dealer tojail."" "Without my help, your performance as a forger is terrible." "What?" ""The new lottery winner has not yet appeared... to receive his $ 4 million prize." "The numbers drawn are an amazing sequence of 1 , 2, 3, 4..."" "What is this, man?" "1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6." "Fucking hell!" "Shut up!" "We've won!" "We've won!" "Sing a song of sixpence A pocket full of rye" "What if we returned the stolen money?" "How?" "l don't know!" "By mail." "What for?" "I robbed a bank, I shot a guy." "Can you see my photo on the paper..." ""The new lottery millionaire"?" "So there's only one way." "You must give someone the lottery ticket." "Someone who knows how to deal with money, who's classy." "Someone you trust." "Someone you're absolutely sure won't screw you." "You're right." "Once again, congratulations for the prize." "Would you like some of the money in cash?" "$ 6,000." "For small expenses." "Yes, I think it's all settled." "Do you want to know the password?" "So, I want to know everything you've done." "The password is... 95, 65, 95." "They're my measurements." "Do you want to write it down?" "No, it's OK." "And what are we going to do with this money?" "With this money, nothing yet." "This is dangerous money, it's numbered." "And with the prize?" "Spend it!" "V-6 engine..." "Lovely." "3 valves per cylinder." "A lot of valves." "Side finishing in carbon fiber." "Excellent." "8 airbags!" "Wow!" "In the front and sides." "The windshield wiper turns itself on and off." "Good!" "'Cause sometimes your mind is somewhere else." "Man, this is the car!" "Do you have it in silver?" "Why is this shit silver instead of black?" "What's Rio like?" "is it nice?" "Yes." "I want you to go there with me." "Antunes won't let us leave like that." "He'll come after us." "We'll get married." "Even so." "What's the problem?" "I'll talk to him." "Will you?" "Yes." "You said silver." "l said black." "Let's not start this again it annoys me!" "But you said silver." "I said black, I'm wearing my black dress!" "Good afternoon." "Good afternoon." "Cardoso, at your service." "Marinez, my fiancée." "We'd like to enjoy the comforts of a Presidential Suite." "It is unavailable right now." "Do you have a reservation?" "What do you mean?" "I'll make one now then." "No, please." "It's not necessary." "We have 3 types of room, all very good." "Yes?" "What types?" "Luxury rooms, grand luxury rooms and a special grand luxury suite." "The special grand luxury." "As you wish." "Do you have any luggage?" "Yes, it's in the silver Mercedes." "I don't like black." "It gets dirty too easily." "Perfect." "It's a double bed, isn't it?" "Double King Size bed." "Double King Size?" "Double King Size." "It's very big." "Do you think he'll like me?" "I hope not." "Why?" "Antunes is a scumbag." "Your father?" "l take after my mother." "What kind of a scumbag?" "The worst kind." "Andre, Antunes, Andre." "How old are you?" "19." "What do you do?" "Andre draws." "For magazines." "He draws really well." "How did you meet?" "At the shop." "Andre came in to buy a present for his mother." "What are we drinking?" "Can I have a glass of water?" "No." "What's your name?" "Andre." "Listen here, Andre. I know it was you who robbed that bank." "It was you who shot me in the leg." "If I blow the whistle on you, you'll get what?" "15 years in jail?" "But I don't care about that." "I know you have the money." "I don't even want all of it." "If you want to marry Silvia, it's your problem." "But if I had your money, at your age... I'd find myself something better, much better." "I can't go to bed late." "New outfit, Andre?" "Your girlfriend?" "No, friend." "Good, then I can check her out." "Hot." "She lives at the Santa Cecilia, near your place, right?" "I read that you'd been arrested." "Yes, but I got out fast." "When you have friends, you have everything." "Like you." "You were my friend." "That's why I sold you that gun so cheap." "Six bills of $ 50." "l really needed the gun." "l know, I heard." "$ 2 million, very good." "They wouldn't let me go because of my fingerprints." "But I was lucky l had an alibi." "What do you want?" "What do I want?" "!" "The money." "Why do you think you're still alive?" "l'll give you the money!" "l know." "Let's get it!" "It isn't at my place." "Do you think I'm a sucker?" "Yes." "And a wimp!" "The money is at a friend's." "I'll give it to you tomorrow." "Do you think I'm a sucker?" "Do you think I'll run away?" "You know where l live." "Where your friend lives." "Right." "I won't run away." "Tomorrow I'll give you the money." "On the stairs, at the bridge." "No, it's too busy." "On the other side." "It's a bag full of money." "What time?" "1 1 o'clock." "1 1 :15, latest." "I'll wait till 1 1 :30. lf you don't show up, I'll go get you." "You, your mother and your friend." "Got it?" "l'll be there." "l know you will." "You've always been a sucker." "A sucker and a wimp!" "I KNOW it ALL." "I WANT TO SEE YOU." "NOW." "CAN I COME OVER?" "YES." "FLASH YOUR light 3 times." "NO, FLASH YOUR light 15 times." "Did he tell you or did you find out?" "He told me." "What did he say?" "That you were the robber." "That you had shot him in the leg." "And you?" "I said nothing, Andre." "That's when I understood your look in the restaurant." "He told you he knew, didn't he?" "Yes, he did." "He'll keep after us, Andre." "It's no use running away." "I think we'd better give him the money." "No!" "He'll just spend it all." "He'll get arrested and denounce you." "I'm not talking about the robbery money, but the prize money." "I'd rather kill him." "But he's your father." "So what?" "So you can't kill your father." "Why not?" "Because he's your father, he put you in this world." "Because without him you wouldn't exist." "Gratitude?" "is that it?" "Will I have to be forever grateful... to a guy who slept with my mother 18 years ago?" "He didn't want her to have me." "She didn't want me to be his either." "My mother was crazy about another guy." "A gorgeous guy." "She had a photo of him." "He was an artist." "He moved to Rio." "My mother thought I was his." "I think so too." "But he left." "She was engaged to Antunes." "She ended up marrying him." "My mother died very young, Andre." "At 41 ." "She smoked a lot." "You can't imagine what a scumbag Antunes is." "Can you believe he still spies on me when I'm having a shower?" "Yes." "Yes, I can kill him." "This money is yours, Andre." "Let's kill him and run away to Rio?" "Let's?" "What do you do besides drawing?" "And copying money and robbing banks?" "Silvia... I'm a photocopier operator." "I've always dreamt of marrying a photocopier operator." "I'll marry you!" "When, tomorrow?" "No, the day after tomorrow." "Why not tomorrow?" "I have to sort something out tomorrow." "You're late." "I thought I was being followed." "You've got it?" "Do you want to check it?" "Sure I do!" "lt's all there, I have to go." "Wait." "No, I have to go." "Wait!" "What's this, Andre?" "Wimp!" "I may be a wimp." "But I'm not a sucker." "I said it was dangerous tojump." "Hejumped because he wanted to." "A sea lion, weighing over half a ton... was the attraction at Casino beach." "Fishermen believe it got lost in a current... or caught in a fishing net." "Mom..." "Mom, I'm going away." "Where?" "To Holland. lt's all paid for." "I'm going to be best man at Marinez' wedding." "Her fiancé sent us the tickets." "He's very rich." "When are you coming back?" "Soon. lt will be only for a few days." "But I'm leaving you the rent money." "Do you have warm clothes?" "Yes, I do." "It's very cold in Holland." "I have clothes, mom." "Good night, son. I'm going to bed." "TV makes me so sleepy..." "Mom?" "Good night." "Good night, Andre." "l couldn't find parking." "Open your mouth." "What?" "Do it!" "Cardoso." "This is Silvia." "I'm Cardoso, at your service." "Do you smoke?" "No." "Me neither." "Congratulations." "Well, we..." "Cardoso?" "We have a plan." "It's not very good, but..." "Let's give her father the money." "I mean, the robbery money." "I don't have half of it even." "And the police have the numbers of these bills." "He'll end up arrested." "So what?" "I mean, if we are not going to be here... lf he's arrested, he'll turn me in too." "We could give him some of the prize money." "No way, Andre." "He'll want more, he'll want it all." "So what's the plan?" "Silvia wrote a letter to Antunes as if she were in Rio." "She asked a friend to send the letter from Rio." "Cardoso will put the money in a bag and get a chicken." "What's the chicken for?" "Wait." "Marinez will keep Antunes in the bar for as long as possible." "Cardoso and I will go to Silvia's apartment." "l'll prepare the bomb." "Bomb?" "!" "Are you going to kill her father?" "He's not my father." "Even so." "He's a scumbag." "I don't want to kill anyone!" "Marinez, you only have to keep him in the bar." "So you think I could be a model?" "OK." "Go on." "What's the chicken for?" "You'll see." "We'll meet in the car and call the firemen." "A strong smell of gas..." "Then we take off to Rio." "Give me the keys!" "I'll drive." "You have them." "No, I gave them to you with the car documents." "Hello?" "Hi, honey, how are you?" "Who is it?" "Have you already forgotten me?" "We'vejust met at the bar." "Sure, sure." "I'm glad you called." "Tell me, are you on a cordless phone?" "No." "I don't have a cordless phone." "The connection isn't very good, where are you then?" "I'm in the living room, at home." "Oh, in the living room, great!" "I..., just a minute, OK?" "What happened?" "There's some people here." "Oh." "OK, then." "Bye." "Hello?" "What's going on?" "My jacket." "I haven't introduced you." "This is Cardoso." "Hi, I'm Cardoso, at your service." "What do you want?" "My jacket." "What?" "Wejust forgot thejacket..." "and a beer." "And the fridge plugged in!" "Plugged in?" "You know, it's a problem with the fridge." "What problem?" "ln the motor!" "Cardoso came here to unplug it." "Carefully." "Cardoso?" "Yes." "Carefully." "You should unplug it because it's leaking gas." "So we came here to get thejacket, the beer and to unplug the fridge." "What the hell you're..." "You should actually call someone to take a look at it." "Let's go?" "Let's." "Bye, Mr. Antunes." "Wait, young man!" "When will you sort out our problem?" "Tomorrow, for sure." "Let's go, Silvia." "You don't need to wait for me." "And now, how will you explain the food inside the washing machine?" "And the chicken?" "How will you explain the chicken?" "I won't explain anything." "I plugged the fridge back in." "Let's go?" "Besides a chicken, the police found... some of the money stolen from the bank on Roosevelt Ave." ""The chicken survived the blast."" "There's more about the chicken than the dead guy." "So, do you like it here?" "It's very nice, but a little crowded." "And it could have air conditioning." "Marinez, are you ever happy with anything?" "Mom, I put the rent money in the bank." "Next week you will be getting a new TV, like you wanted." "It's not so cold in Holland." "I'll be back as soon as I can or I'll bring you over here." "Love." "Mom... I met a girl." "You'll like her." "Her name is Silvia." "My name is Silvia Maria, but I dropped the Maria." "You don't know me but maybe you'll remember my mother." "Her name was Thelma, with an H." "She lived in the Santa Cecilia building." "My mother told me that Silvia came from savage." "And that I was like a shy wild animal, always hiding." "And I was always hiding, until I met Andre." "The first time I saw Andre... he was spying me from his bedroom window." "Well, I thought he was, but I wasn't sure." "I went to the living room, in the dark." "I saw him with binoculars, looking at my room." "I got dressed and walked by my window." "Very slowly." "Then I ran back to the living room to check." "He was really spying me." "The next day I woke up early and waited for him to come out." "I thought he was cute." "I followed him to work." "I went in, but he didn't see me." "He draws, he draws really well." "I've always wanted to go to Rio." "And it would be nice to have someone to go with me." "Traveling alone is boring." "A few days later I thought he was following me." "I ran to catch the bus, only to make sure." "And he was." "I thought he'd speak to me, but he didn't." "He followed me to work." "He waited a while." "Then he made up a present for his mother." "You can pay with 2 post-dated checks." "Really cute." "Maybe I'll come back." "Thank you." "He said "thank you", without looking at me." "I answered "Thank you", without showing my interest." "I thought he'd never show up again." "Could you pass me the salt?" "I started having lunch near his work, so that he could follow me." "Bye." "lt worked." "You may find it strange that I'm telling you all this." "My mom talked about you a lot." "She married Antunes, I don't think you met him." "Since she died I've thought of writing to you." "But I was little and I never had the courage." "She died when I was 1 1 years old." "I was left alone with Antunes in that house." "He always told me he didn't think I was his daughter." "I prayed that that was true, I didn't want to be his daughter." "I took a long time to realize I had to lock the doors." "Too long." "My mother told me that once you went to Rio together." "I have a photo of her on the Corcovado." "I think it was you who took the photo." "If only Andre had money to take me away to Rio... I changed buses to see if I'd meet him." "Then a great thing happened." "Do you want to marry me and get away from here?" "Andre found a job, made good money and asked me to marry him." "Sure I will." "We'll arrive in Rio on Sunday and I wondered if we could meet." "At noon, on top of the Corcovado, so we don't miss each other." "Maybe this sounds strange to you and you won't show up." "But my mother always said you were an artist." "If she was right, I think you'll understand my letter." "Silvia." "Paulo?" "Yes!" "You look just like your mother!" "Thank God you came." "Don't say that before Him." "I'll introduce you." "This is Andre." "Paulo, my mother's friend." "Nice to meet you." "This is Marinez..." "Hi, Marinez!" "I'm Cardoso, at your service." "P.S." "There are a few details I cannot or will not tell." "It doesn't matter." "In a letter things happen fast." "Everything seems to fit together." "Life is more complicated than a puzzle." "But I think that I managed to tell almost the whole truth." "And that's enough to give me some peace." "Now it seems easier to understand life."