All About My Mother Page #7

He's dead.

I only came to Barcelona

to tell you.

I'm sorry.

The baby!

Where have you been?

Haven't you taken

Sapic out yet?

- You weren't here.

- I'm here now.

He's hungry.

- The bottle's heating.

- Will you get it, please?

Come here.

Vicenta, don't let my husband

come in here, please.

He's convinced

the baby's yours.

Yes, I know.

He's very jealous.

I told him

the baby was yours.

I don't dare

tell him the truth.

He wouldn't understand

anyway.

If only he were mine.

What is it?

Who's that woman?

It's Manuela,

the new cook.

She's been with us

four days.

We've fixed up this room

so she can be here with her child.

Remember?

I told you.

- How old are you?

- Thirty-eight.

- How tall areyou?

- Five seven.

All right.

Now you can go

for a walk.

Go on.

There you are.

- The bottle, ma'am.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

No, no.

We're going to eat now.

Yes?

Don't tell anyone

about the antibodies.

Do the nuns know?

All right.

ONE MONTH LATER:

Hello, Lola.

Take him.

What did the doctor say?

He's fine.

You can see-- he's normal.

You're with Dad.

- Can I give him a kiss?

- Of course.

My son, I'm sorry to leave you

such an awful inheritance.

Don't say that.

There's no reason why

he should develop the disease.

This is our Esteban.

You called him Esteban too?

Thank you.

He wanted to be a writer.

This is his notebook.

He took it with him everywhere.

He wrote this

the morning of the day he died.

Read it.

''Last night

Mom showed me a picture.

Half of it was missing.

I didn't want to tell her,

but my life is missing that same half.''

Keep reading.

''This morning

I looked through her drawers...

and found

a bundle of pictures.

They were all missing

a half.

My father, I suppose.

I want to meet him.

I have to make Mom understand

that I don't care who he is...

or what he's like...

or how he behaved towards her.

She can't deny me

that right.''

Keep the picture.

Thank you.

I don't like just anyone

kissing the baby.

Who was that woman

in the bar with you?

That woman is his father.

What did you say?

That was his father,

and he's very ill.

That monster is the one

who killed my daughter?

Don't think about that,

Rosa.

There are people who think

children are made in a day.

But it takes a long time--

a very long time.

That's why it's so awful to see

your child's blood on the ground.

A stream that flows for a minute

and yet costs us years.

When I found my son...

he was lying

in the middle of the street.

I soaked my hands in his blood

and licked them.

Because it was mine.

Animals lick their young,

don't they?

I'm not disgusted

by my son.

You don't know

what it's like.

In a monstrance

of glass and topaz...

I would put

the earth soaked by his blood.

Keep kneading.

The sadness should go

into your hands.

Work. You have to work.

- You don't notice my cold?

- No, it's fine.

Come on.

You shouldn't be in here.

Hello.

I've got a bouquet

for Agrado and Huma Rojo.

- Really?

- Yes. Sign here, please.

- You sure it's forAgrado?

- Yes, it says so.

Here.

Know why they call me

Agrado?

I've always tried

to make life agreeable for others.

Right.

''Dear Agrado and Huma:

Running away once again

with no good-byes...

though I know how much

you like them, Agrado.''

The situation with Rosa's parents

is unbearable.

The grandmother is afraid

a scratch will infect her.

I'm taking Esteban where he won'tbe

surrounded by hostility.

Agrado, you know

how much I love you.

Take good care

of yourself and of Huma.

I'm sorry to miss

the opening...

but I'm sure the homage to Lorca

will be a great success.

I'll write toyou...

but it's better

you don't know anymore.

Oh, and tear up the letter.

Your Manuela. ''

TWO YEARS LATER:

I'm coming back to Barcelona

after two years...

but this time

I'm not running away.

I'm going to an AIDS conference

organized by Can Ruti.

My Esteban has neutralized

the virus in record time...

and they want to study

his case.

I'm so happy.

May I?

Hey, she's mine too!

You look beautiful!

Your hair's gotten so long.

- And so has yours.

- No, this is a wig for the play.

Wait, your earring's loose.

I'll fix it.

Learn, you animal!

An animal, but who

takes care of you like I do?

It's great about your son!

So he's neutralized the virus

practically overnight.

Yes. Esteban's case

proves the virus can disappear.

They're still trying to find out why,

but it's a miracle.

I knew it.

How I prayed for that child.

Why not stay with us

while you're in Barcelona?

Of course.

We're staying

with his grandparents.

Rosa's mother

is looking forward to it.

She's changed so much.

- Third call, five minutes.

- I have to go.

You've got Esteban's picture.

Lola gave it to me

before she died.

I was keeping it

until you came back.

Keep it.

Thank you.

And Nina?

I have to go.

Nina got married.

She's back in her home town.

She's got a baby too.

It's fat and horrible.

Really, really ugly.

I'll see you later.

''To Bette Davis,

Gena Rowlands, Romy Schneider...

To all actresses

who have played actresses...

to all women who act...

to men who act

and become women...

to all the people

who want to be mothers.

To my mother.''

I N ORDER OF APPEARANCE

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