Eleni Page #2

Well, in that case...

Gentlemen!

Nikola!

- Nikola!

- Yes!

He's alive! Your father is alive!

America! We're going to America!

(BO YS CHEER)

(EVERYONE GASPS)

(THEY CHATTER AND EXCLAIM)

- Can I go, Mana?

- Whoa.

Yes, go on.

(ELENl) Georgia...

Ana, for the baby.

Open it!

- Open it!

- Where's she going?

- What was that?

- Probably dollars.

There's no telling

how many in one envelope.

"My dear wife,

"my dearest daughters,

"and you, Nikola,

"my son whom I have not seen..."

(CHATTERING)

"Business was good, then it was bad,

and soon I think it will be good again.

"I will start looking

for a house for us all.

"I have become a citizen of America..."

- (ELENl) lmagine that!

- He's not Greek any more?

It says,

"I have become a citizen of America.

"I am no longer a foreigner

"and I can now vote for President

and Mayor of New York.

"Eleni, my beautiful and loving wife,

"take good care of our children while

I work and save money for our home.

"All of you live in my heart.

"And soon I hope to see and embrace...

"...and embrace each one of you.

"I kiss your eyes

and those of my angel children.

"I, your loving husband, write this."

How will I speak to Father

when we go to America?

What do you mean?

I'm worried.

He's been there a long time,

and maybe he only speaks American.

- Maybe he forgot Greek.

- No, I wouldn't worry about that.

I think we should go there soon,

just in case.

Why don't we surprise him?

"Hello, Father, here we all are!"

(ELENI LAUGHS)

It's a long way, you know.

It's across the ocean.

You have to have an invitation.

When you get to America, they say,

"Who invited you to come?"

Like to a wedding.

But if he loves us,

why doesn't he send us an invitation?

Because he's saving all his money

to build us a fine house

with enough rooms for everybody.

I know the problem:

There's too many of us.

- You have too many children.

- No.

I need all my children.

But when we go to America,

will Father call you

"my beautiful and loving wife"?

- What, like in the letter?

- Yes.

Well, I hope so.

Maybe you will only love him.

And you won't love me any more.

No.

I will always love you.

Why?

(BO YS SHOUT)

Nick!

Hey, Nick, here it is.

I never forget a funeral.

He died of cancer a few months ago.

- Did you know him?

- Yeah, he was my school teacher.

- Is this a coincidence or what?

- What?

All these dudes were Civil War criminals.

I'm thinking about doing an article

on their return to Greece.

Oh, yeah? I already did that story.

It's been out for a while.

You haven't read it?

I did.

- Yeah? What was wrong with it?

- Too general.

- Too general for whom?

- For me.

- Were you really born in Greece?

- Yes.

That explains your sunny

Mediterranean personality!

This guy insists on talking to you, Nick.

He saw you on TV.

That's great. The bureau chief of

the "New York Times" is a TV personality.

Lay off. Who is it?

He says you grew up together.

His name's Antoni Makos.

Hello?

(WHIRR OF MACHINERY)

This is my old friend,

Nikola Gatzoyiannis.

(MACHINE STOPS)

We grew up in the same village.

We used to have sword fights,

remember, Nikola?

We saw our first aeroplane together.

And now he's an American.

Nikola!

I thought we were going to talk

about old times.

These are old times. I didn't know you'd

seen my mother when I came here.

I'm sorry I mentioned it.

Go on. You said you were drinking

water at the spring.

She looked at me, you know, in that way.

What way?

(ANTONl) You know what children

meant to our mothers.

They see a boy who's not even theirs

and they look at him in that way.

That's how she...

You're an educated man.

Why do you think

our mothers loved us so much?

I have children of my own,

but I find it hard to...

Do you have children?

Did my mother say anything to you?

No.

- Do you go to Lia often?

- I don't go back now.

I went back once a few years ago.

Spent the night in loannina.

- I saw that man.

- What man?

That guerrilla who led the prisoners

to the execution site.

- Are you sure it was him?

- He said he was stationed in our village.

Do you know his name?

Tasso Levendis.

He didn't remember me.

Does he still live in loannina?

Don't know.

When I saw him,

he was in a bar, pimping,

offering me women.

(CLANGS)

Listen!

Listen!

Listen!

The government is warning

all the people in this area

that we can no longer protect you.

Communist guerrillas are advancing.

Civil war has begun.

Father, what should I do?

You? What are you afraid of?

You're a woman!

It's me they'll kill first.

They know I'm for the King.

Long live the King.

Goodbye.

- Mother, should we go to loannina?

- Who'll look after your home?

- It's your duty to look after your home.

- Yes, but my children...

These aren't Germans,

Turks or Albanians.

They're our own people.

They won't harm women and children.

Lukas?

- Lukas, are you staying?

- Yes.

My wife has convinced me

I'm too worthless for the communists.

If they kill me,

it'll prove how wrong she is!

It's finally come to this.

We've been invaded by everybody.

Now we're being invaded by ourselves.

Go. Go quickly.

(ECHOES) People of Lia!

People of Lia!

You have nothing to be afraid of!

We have come to liberate you...

...in the name of the new Greece!

Everybody in the house.

(DOGS BARK)

Out!

Everybody out! Out!

- Come on, Mother.

- Come on!

We won't see you in any harm.

Outside!

Everybody outside!

Spiro. Thank God it's you.

Major Spiro Skevis,

Democratic Army of Greece.

I have the honour to inform you

this village has been liberated.

Your house has been chosen

to be the HQ of the Army of Liberation.

You'll be out of the house

by tomorrow morning.

But Spiro, don't you remember

when Katina brought you here?

I remember.

Be out of the house

by tomorrow, Americana.

(INAUDIBLE)

It's only a house.

It's just stone and mortar.

And wood and glass.

All of you were born here

and so that makes it special.

Memories make it special.

But we can take those wherever we go.

Some day,

we'll all be together like this,

all packed and ready.

And instead of moving to Grandmother's,

we'll be leaving across the ocean

where your father is waiting for us.

It will feel just like this.

We'll take our belongings

and our memories,

and we'll leave this house for ever.

But we won't be sad,

because we'll all be together.

That's what's important.

We mustn't be sad tomorrow.

Take 'em in there!

Animals and food stay behind.

I have a family to feed.

I have an army to feed.

Anyone hiding food will be shot.

Those are our orders.

- I will obey your orders.

- Mana, what will we eat?

One thing more, Americana!

All your able-bodied men have fled.

I need soldiers.

Each household will volunteer their

eldest daughter to fight for the army.

Olga, you will have the privilege.

Spiro...

Major Skevis,

I gave you my house and food.

But Olga knows nothing about fighting.

Please, I beg you.

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