Hamam: The Turkish Bath Page #2

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- I don't know.

- I'm leaving in a few days.

- It's all old stuff.

I tell you they sold everything,

there's just the old stuff left.

Are you saying we sold

Madam's things?

We're not thieves!

I'm going to kill him!

Zozo, let's not get into this now.

Sorry for the argument. When

do you want to see Madam's things?

As soon as possible.

I need to leave soon.

- Join us for dinner tonight.

- No, have dinner with me!

You'll join us, and that's it!

I will.

- Francesco's here.

- Good evening.

Excuse me, it'll be a minute.

- Thank you, you shouldn't have.

- Not at all.

- Osman, show him the house.

- I'll do it.

Madam slept here for a year.

And did she die here?

Inside are Madam's things.

Hi Memo, this is Francesco,

Madam's nephew.

- This is my brother.

- Ciao. I'm Mehmet, or just Memo.

- Francesco, a little more.

- No, enough.

Bon apetit.

Osman, the boy hasn't eaten a thing.

Maybe he didn't like it.

- Don't you like our food?

- I do, but I had too much of it.

No, you ate so little...

Have some more of this.

Leave him alone.

Let him eat what he wants.

Oh no, not again. Osman,

you've got to do something.

What can I do, my sweet?

- How is your father?

- He's dead.

I'm sorry, we knew about your mother,

not about your father.

It's been two years now.

See Osman, he died a year before Madam.

- Are you married?

- Yes, my wife works with me.

- What do you do?

- We have an art studio,

we organize exhibits

and do interior decorating.

- She's an architect too.

- Oh, I see.

Any children?

Mom, this is an interrogation!

- Please excuse me, we're curious.

- No, you're curious!

Excuse me.

Hello?

- Dr. Di Mattia?

- Yes, speaking.

I called for that matter of...

- Sorry I can't right now.

- I'll call you back tomorrow morning.

- Alright. See you.

See you.

...I'm sorry.

But, why didn't you keep the hamam open

after my aunt's death?

When Madam got sick, the hamam

was already closed.

We all had our own jobs,

and no one was coming here anymore.

Times change.

Where you're sitting now,

is where Madam sat.

After eating she would prepare her cigarette

and teach us Italian.

You reminded us of her.

In the last ten years

she sold many things.

She'd put her cigarette there

and smoke from the ring.

How strange.

That's my father.

And that's me.

- Can I have a look?

- That's me.

There's so much stuff,

books, clothes,

table ornaments, Lalique things...

You don't have to sell everything.

Keep a few things.

In fact, that's what I'll do.

- How's the apartment coming?

- Alright.

We should finish by next week.

Are you sure you can handle it alone?

Yes, don't worry.

When are you going to close the deal?

I don't know.

The lawyer's making me waste

a lot of time.

He's trying to wear me down

in order to make me lower the price.

Now he says I need a certificate

from the Ministry of Culture

because the Turkish bath

is part of the artistic heritage.

See? Things got complicated.

Imagine if I had gone!

So glad I didn't!

RETURN TO SENDER

Francesco, tea is ready.

- I'm coming.

- Did you find it?

No, it's not here.

Maybe I know where it is.

Dear sister,

I left with a lump in my throat

and it's still there.

I knew I'd never come back.

I wish we hadn't parted

so bitterly,

but you preferred it that way,

and I understand.

I hope that you read

this letter, at least,

and maybe one day,

when the grudge is over,

you'll reply to me.

Istanbul is what

I was searching for.

I've been here only for a week,

and it already takes my breath away...

I wasted so much time

before getting here!

It feels like

it was waiting for me

in silence, while I chased

after a tiring and useless life.

Things flow more slowly and softly here.

This light breeze

dissolves my worries

and makes my body vibrate.

I finally feel like starting over.

I met her at a party

at the embassy.

She never told me

how she came to Istanbul.

She looked beautiful.

She was also very tall, like you.

She talked and talked.

It was a pleasure to listen to her.

I was told that she had been

the lover of Hikmet, the poet.

See that painting?

It's beautiful,

I noticed it coming in.

Well, it's not beautiful,

but he gave it to her.

And Anita gave it to me

shortly before her death.

She had valuable paintings,

but sold them all to pay the creditors.

Did she have many debts?

The money her husband left her

didn't last long,

and Turkish baths were

already out of fashion.

- Was she married?

- Yes,

to Ender, the king of coffee.

They separated after 20 days.

"Ender" means "rare" in Turkish.

He was quite an extravagant fellow.

After the divorce, Anita invested

part of the money she got

from her husband in the hamam.

a very "ender" thing

for a woman, in those times.

The old times

are the best of times...

Thinking of my life,

I see it as a long holiday,

and find myself

looking back like a fool for hours.

Some more cognac?

No, thanks.

Did my aunt ever speak

to you about my mother?

She didn't like to speak about the past,

but I think that

- she was very attached to her.

- And about me?

- Did she ever speak about me?

- Yes.

I knew she wanted

to leave the hamam to you,

but she made up her mind

after your mother's death.

But have you sold it yet?

- Not yet.

- What are you waiting for?

- They're making me waste much time.

- Be careful of those people.

Make a quick sale and leave.

- Did Anita ever speak about my father?

- No.

I'm sorry about that certificate,

I don't know where it could be.

I'd like to leave the valuable

things of my aunt to you.

You must keep them,

she wanted you to have them.

- No, you were her family.

- Don't say that, because...

You were saying?

...because we have our memories

of Madam, and you don't.

Tomorrow I'll meet the buyer,

in the afternoon.

Have you ever been in a hamam?

Have you ever been in a hamam?

No.

She came to get me,

I must have been six.

I remember I was scared.

I didn't want it, she laughed.

She held me tight.

We were alone in the hamam.

She started to bathe me.

I felt pleasure,

and I can still smell

the scent of the soap,

the scent of the heat and the steam.

Then I slept in her arms.

She caressed my head

saying "you're my child".

So she taught me hamam,

she taught me to love everything,

the tradition,

she taught me how to wash,

how to give a massage,

and give relief to the flesh

in order to relieve the soul.

Is it true that Turkish women

shave themselves completely?

- You mean up in front?

- Yes.

Many of them do.

Sorry we're late.

We got stuck in the traffic.

- Where's the certificate?

- He could not find it.

Very well. We agree on the price?

- Yes madam.

- Take out the contract.

Give it to the lady, please.

Miss, send the notary in please.

Mrs. Filiz is buying the whole area,

to build a big trade centre,

hotels, restaurants, a market

and a tennis stadium.

Zozo, I have another appointment

in fifteen minutes.

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