Mikra Anglia Page #4

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Your mother spent money

on fancy doorknobs, fancy tiles...

...fancy balcony railings,

but scrimped on the ceiling.

Let's fix it.

Now that we can afford it,

Mr. Halas.

But how? Tear up the whole house?

No matter how much you pay me...

...single boards don't become

double boards.

Good-for-nothing carpenter.

Murderer...

In Andros mattresses are only

dented on one side... the woman's.

They come and go like visitors.

When Artemis comes it's as though

my whole schedule is disrupted.

The children are very shy with him.

He's a stranger in his own house.

Say, Mina. It looks as if Savvas has

forgotten the way back to Andros...

Something, something

must have happened.

What happened is that

which happens to all of us.

Married almost 30 years...

...and I still haven't worn out

a pair of sheets with him.

Your daughters, your grandson...

they are all well?

Moscha will be giving birth

any time now.

And your sons-in-law,

they are well too?

One left, the other's coming.

Hello Savvas.

Look...

Savvas, it's your Daddy!

It's your Daddy!

It's true!

Wind it up.

Can you wind it up?

Shall I show you how?

Go away!

- Savvas!

- Take it easy.

Shall I give you a kiss?

Will you give me a kiss

now I showed you?

It was washed up by the sea.

You're the gift of my life.

How about it? Shall we move?

You must have gotten over

your old fear by now...

Why not your mother here...

...and we move to the other house?

We'll be by ourselves.

Not by ourselves... by myself...

...in those rooms...

...by myself.

Between those walls that...

...by myself...

...since you men are always away.

Yokohama, Japan, 12 March 1937.

My dearest Moscha.

Our household is constantly

on my mind. Are you all well?

Before I open each one

of your letters...

...just to be on the safe side,

I make the sign of the cross.

I hope both you and your sister

loved the exotic kimonos.

I don't think Spyros...

...cheats on me

with Japanese women.

With Polish women, Englishwomen.

I rule it out.

When he comes home he has such

longing for a female body... for me.

He undresses me and takes me in his

arms and kisses me and squeezes me...

...on the lips, my breasts,

my legs... with such passion...

...such passion.

He can't get enough of me.

It's freezing!

You're burning up with fever.

Spyros and Moscha, Miltos-Marie.

Louis-Katina, Giannis-Kiki.

From my tangerine tree.

It's their photographs we married.

And they, ours.

Time goes by with photographs.

1932, a memento from the christening

of Savvas junior.

1934, our Christina in the baptismal

font at the church of Aghios Giorgis.

1934...

...a memento naturally from the

1st birthday of your niece Mersina.

A letter dated the day

before yesterday.

"My dearest Spyros, our Christina.

A little doll with her doll.

Our daughter adores unripe damsons

and, like you, meatballs... "

But how would he know about it?

Today you say goodbye to me

and to Argentina.

That was it...

I entered like a thief...

...for two hours...

...that was it...

So that the child remembers them.

He's riding round the port

on his bicycle.

He didn't want you to kiss him

for the last time.

That's life Angelita.

- That's life.

- That's life. I understand.

You must go back home.

I must.

It looks as if war will break out.

Your shirts. Your things.

Everything you had in the house.

Now that they saw me on the ship...

...tongues will wag anyway...

I want you to stay here.

I want to leave alone...

...and count the steps

as I go down...

Angelita...

The keys.

You're not coming back.

You're not coming back

to our house.

It's yours.

The house is yours.

The deed.

They brought it to me

late yesterday.

You've also grown old

with me, my dear.

It was nice.

It was nice.

Turn up the volume!

So the people opposite

can hear too!

Orsa!

Come upstairs quickly!

Spyros is here!

My little Christina!

The money's adding up.

For the big step.

What sort of step?

Step by step with my girlfriends.

The bountiful seas!

You mean a house in Athens?

In Piraeus?

Hello, sister-in-law.

It's 10 o'clock.

Time for bed!

That's all I care about.

Will you stop it!

Go to bed!

At once!

That's more like it.

Andros, with your jasmine...

...I wouldn't change you

for anything.

Yes, but you'll be leaving again.

You like the high seas, Captain.

Your words.

A fire in red...

A fire in red!

A fire in red!

A fire in red.

I had it sewn for you...

for you...

I had it sewn for you.

I had it sewn for you.

I stay awake all night

and I don't breathe.

I stay awake all night

and I don't breathe...

My girl! My girl!

Wipe her forehead. She's

drenched in perspiration.

Push, Orsa, sweetheart.

Come on, be patient.

The water's ready.

I'm going to boil some more.

- Midwife, give us a hand.

- Annezio, boil the cloths.

Mersina, go to your godmother.

Christina! Go play with her.

I need four towels.

The water's ready.

I'm boiling more.

Come on, Orsa! You've done

this before, my girl.

Wipe her brow. She's sweating.

Come on, girl.

You've had another two.

Push, sweetheart. Push!

Everything will be all right.

Squeeze my hand.

As much as you like.

The Virgin Mary is with us.

With pain. With pain!

What is it, baby?

What is it? A girl!

A girl. Another girl!

A little girl. A little girl.

The good mother's child

is a girl!

Well done, little Orsa!

Spyros, send Nikos a telegram

with the good news!

Nikos, dear Orsa

has borne a daughter.

Mother and child

are in the best of health.

Heartfelt congratulations.

Nikos, congratulations

on the birth of your daughter.

Mother and child are well.

You've become a father

for the third time.

I envy you.

Nikos, beautiful little Orsa

has had a third child.

Her eyes like black pearls.

And her hair, which was not

been cut since her schooldays...

...flows in waves

over the entire double bed.

Is the prize for fidelity

worth a single penny, I wonder?

All these years...

All these years alone

and faithful...

What's the prize?

What?

Ah, Mina, Mina...

A whole bunch of grandchildren!

Woman!

I'm back to Andros.

They're here at last!

Nothing more.

Britain and France

have declared war on Germany.

Your husband arrived just in time,

Mina.

He's lucky he managed...

How did Mrs. Hadoulaina put it?

England... what exactly did she say?

Captain Savvas, here's your

other son-in-law, Spyros.

Good to see you.

And yet, you're late...

You're too late.

Your mug.

It's been waiting for you.

You've settled in nicely on

dry land son, isn't that so?

And you must be proud

of the house Mina built.

The agony of separation is over.

Be mindful... even now.

The two Orsas in my life,

my mother and my daughter...

...they make the best coffee.

It's the loneliness that calls

for a pot of coffee.

The loneliness...

I want us to live here.

I thought you brought me here

to pick up some things.

For Christ's sake,

I don't understand you, Orsa.

Weren't you the one who said...

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