Love In The Time Of Cholera Page #4

Now, it took Paris,

the city of love, to bring about

this blessed

transformation.

But here we are

amongst our dearest friends.

We are happier than

you can know to be here.

And furthermore,

we are overjoyed

to no longer

be two, but three.

The great purpose

of marriage has made itself clear to all

and we thank you,

our dear friends, for your warmth

and your congratulations.

Well, I was wondering

how long it would be

before you came begging me.

- What do you want?

- A job.

I gave you a job...

at Villa de Leyva

and you threw it away.

It is different now.

I want to be

rich like you.

I am not rich.

I'm a poor man with money

which is not the same thing.

Why do you

want to be rich?

So that I can be

someone in society,

I need... I need to be worthy

of a great lady I cannot stop loving.

Who is she?

Married?

Yes, but I'm waiting

for her husband to die.

Is he old?

No, but I'll wait

for however long it takes.

- You're crazy.

- Why?

Because insanity

runs in the family.

You take after

your father.

You never knew him,

my brother Pius.

You know what

his last words were?

He said "The only regret I have

in dying is that I do not die for love."

He said that?

- He really said that?

- On his deathbed.

Nevertheless, all his life he f***ed

everything in sight.

So...

you want a job in the River

Company of the Caribbean.

Yes, yes.

Well, are you any good

at, um, writing letters?

I think so, I...

I... I write poetry, too

I enter a poem every year

in the Poetic Festival.

I have never won, but...

So, you have a way

with words, huh?

- Yes.

- Good.

Perhaps you can tell me

what this means.

On my birthday last year

someone made

a speech in my honor.

He said I suffered

from lucid dementia.

Now what does that mean?

Lucid dementia

means you are clearly crazy.

I told you it

ran in the family.

Start tomorrow.

Clerk to the board of directors.

Tamales! Tamales!

Magic inks.

Very light blow.

Invisible ink

for your secret letter.

Sir?

I-I...

- I would like...

- You don't have to say anything.

Does she know

you love her?

Yes.

Yes, and of course,

she loves you.

Yes.

Do her parents know?

No, they don't.

What do you call her?

My flower.

My flower.

All right, this is

what you could say.

"My beautiful

and beloved flower.

Nobody can cut

the stem

of our love.

My life, my soul,

be strong.

Don't give up."

I baptize you in

the name of the Father...

"Don't give up."

I can't read or write.

- Don't worry, I can.

- I got this.

Would you read it to me

and maybe write an answer?

Yeah.

"My beautiful

and beloved flower.

No one can cut the stem

of our love.

My soul,

my life, be strong.

Don't give up

because our love is deeper

than the deepest ocean.

Emilio."

That's...

that's a wonderful letter.

That's a wonderful letter.

I know just what

your answer should be.

This must stop.

- This must stop.

- What must stop?

"Our coffee comes

in strong brown sacks.

Load well, but never

tire your backs.

Unload in Miami,

these coffee beans

and keep them dry...

...by any means."

- What do you call this?

- A-a bill of lading.

- A bill of lading?

- Yes.

- In rhyme?

Yes.

And this..."To James Robinson

and Company, Lombard Street,

London, England.

Beloved sirs.

I write with all

the ardor I can muster

to thank you for your exquisite letter

of 16th Aug.

My heart beat faster

as I read each word.

Oh, sirs, with all

tenderness at my disposal,

I kiss and embrace you

and sign myself, dare I say..."

"...Adoringly."

This is not a business letter.

This is a love letter.

Love is the only thing

that interests me.

Hmm.

Well, the trouble is

without the river navigation,

there is no love.

It must stop.

If you can't write

a straightforward business letter,

you will be put

to picking up trash on the dock.

But I need love.

Don Leo, I need love.

I need love.

Dona Blanca.

- Good afternoon.

- Dona Blanca, so nice to see you.

- You look wonderful, Dona Blanca.

- You know my daughter-in-law?

Yes, of course, Dona Blanca.

Oh, my daughter was

at school with her.

Yes, we paint at the park.

We met in Paris.

I thought her charming.

She has, alas,

a scandal in her family.

- Mother, please.

- Apparently, there is no law,

human or divine,

her father

has not ignored.

And now he's run away.

It's only to be expected

from mules.

She does not

eat eggplant...

and does not

play the piano.

But she is learning

the harp.

- Oh, do play for us.

- Yes.

- Oh, do, please, yes.

- I think not.

Serve the tea.

Well, what news

from the great world?

Don Leo XII of the River Company

says he's going to retire!

Oh, he's been

saying that for years.

And if he does,

who will succeed him?

- Oh, he has a nephew.

- An illegitimate nephew.

- Florentino Ariza.

- Mmm.

Do we know him?

I've seen him many times,

but I can't remember

what he looks like.

Yes, such an odd person.

Impossible to describe.

He's...

he's not a person.

He's a shadow.

Oh. You know him?

I have my period.

How odd.

Just yesterday,

I told my anatomy class

that married women

have their periods

as often as

three times a week.

When can we move

into our own house?

- Not yet.

- When?

Not until your mother dies.

I married a weakling.

Would you have been better off

with Florentino Ariza?

You don't see him...

but I do.

How joyless I am now.

Would I have been

happier with him?

Poor man.

Ah, I am Dr. Juvenal Urbino.

I would like

to see Don Leo.

He is having his siesta.

Please, wait.

Should be awake

in five minutes.

And you are?

His nephew and chief clerk,

Florentino Ariza.

Still asleep.

Please.

Would you like a coffee?

Do you like music?

I like the music

of Carlos Gardel.

I see.

Popular music.

Yes, but...

we must keep performing

the best music in our city.

We must import

the greatest artists

from Europe.

Hmm.

I am working on it.

And of course

the Poetic Festival.

That was my idea.

I... I started it some years ago.

Yes, I know, I know.

Ah, well, I hope

you will attend.

I mean to.

I may even enter a poem.

Really?

How amusing.

Of course,

one needs to...

raise money

for these things.

That is why I am

here to see your uncle.

Hmm. Hmm.

My wife

supports me in this.

I will say more.

My wife is the very

soul of my endeavors.

Without her

I... I would be nothing.

I adore my wife.

Thank God he's awake now.

Ladies and gentlemen,

damas y caballeros,

I welcome you

to the Poetic Festival.

As in years past,

this year's

Golden Orchid will be

presented by

none other than...

my wife.

Just in time.

And the winner of this year's

Golden Orchid is...

Wing Wu Peng.

What?!

It's a scandal!

What was the name?

It sounded Chinese.

It's impossible.

- Read his poem.

- Yes.

- "Your body is a holy garden..."

- Believe me,

my heart goes out to you.

I know you must

have entered a poem

because of how the flower

trembled in your lapel.

That's why I took mine off.

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