Romulus, My Father Page #3

#Ooh, yeah, Im a wild one

#Im gonna keep a-shakin'

Im gonna keep a-movin', baby...#

Turn it off!

(Turns music up louder)

(Turns off power)

You don't love Muti

and you don't love me!

Never believe that I don't love you.

(Squawks)

Surprise.

Oh, happy birthday, darling.

Happy birthday.

Muti, my birthday's not till Sunday.

Oh, well, it's nice to be early.

We get to spend some time together.

Hmm? Mwah!

Where's Susan?

She's at home with Mitru.

Is everything alright, darling?

Yep.

So everything's really alright?

Cristal.

My love.

Oh!

Can I give you a hand with all that?

No, thank you.

Everything's under control.

Imagine, in America

they have machines,

labour-saving devices

to do these things.

Still, we settled for here.

And here we are.

There's more to life than cooking.

Raimond was conceived in a graveyard

and look at him. Full of life.

(All crunch their food)

It's delicious.

Y... Mmm.

No peeking.

There we are.

You spelled my name wrong.

Oh, sorry. (Laughs)

It's R-A-l.

(Christina sings in German)

(Trails off singing)

Happy birthday, darling.

Now you can blow out the candles.

And make a wish.

And don't tell anyone what you wish.

Or it will never come true.

Muti! What are you doing?

KNOCK AT DOOR:

(Knocks louder)

Do you want a cup of tea?

Muti?

(Panicked) Papi!

Papi!

What's the matter?

What's the matter?

Arghh!

What's wrong with her?

How many you take?

How many you take?

How many? How many you take?

OK, stay with your mother.

Talk to her.

Don't let her go to sleep, OK?

Where are you going?

Talk to her, don't let sleep, OK?!

Keep talk.

Muti.

RAIMOND:
Um...once upon a time,

a time...

..a long time ago...

Wake up!

..there was a tree.

It had leaves

and they were all new and green.

It had...silver branches

and a bird would come every day

and sing in the tree.

It would sing and sing and sing.

It was...it was a bloody good singer,

this bird,

but...but it was only small and brown

and...and then this woman,

this beautiful woman

used to come and listen to it

and...and...um...and...

..and they were very happy.

And that's the end of the story.

Muti, are you awake?

Open your eyes!

Muti! Muti!

Come on. Come on!

Wake up.

RAPID FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

(Grunts with strain)

What do I do?

Stay here, Raimond.

(Pants)

Thanks, Tom.

Orloff, down.

She's going to be OK.

I wanna be with her.

No, Raimond, you can't.

I can. She needs me.

BABY SCREAMS:

A little more. A little more.

No, no, no. Come on.

(Screams)

OK.

(Susan continues screaming)

(Soothingly) Hey.

Ill do it. You go.

I can do it. I can do it.

I can do it.

I can do it. Thanks.

Thank you.

Here, just a little bit.

SUSAN:
Mummy!

Come on. Come on, Susan.

Mummy. Mummy.

(Wails)

Come on.

Come on.

Mummy! (Sobs)

She wants you to feed her. Here.

CLATTERING:

(Christina moans and pants)

(Man grunts)

(Christina moans)

Oh! (Cries out)

(Cries out in pain)

(Christina whimpers) Stop! Stop!

Stop it!

(Man grunts) Shut up!

(Susan cries)

Shh. Shh.

(Mitru yells)

(Christina screams)

(Hammers on door)

Hey!

HEY!

Stop it! Get off her!

(Hammers on door) Get off her!

(Mitru continues yelling)

(Christina screams)

Stop it. Stop it!

Muti!

Hey.

(Kisses)

Have they found the car?

Muti.

Have they found the car?

What car?

The one that hit him?

No, darling.

Mummy, Mummy.

Cristal, Ill have more soon.

Anything else you need or...?

Could you just stay

for a little bit longer?

No, we have to go.

OK.

Ive gotta go, Muti.

You go.

Ive gotta go to school.

It's alright.

(Chuckles)

What?

'Bye, Papi.

Go on.

DOOR OPENS:

Excuse me. Gaita.

How smart you look.

I got a job

as a shoe polisher in a factory.

Can you imagine?

Your mother ending up

as a factory worker.

Where's Susan?

She's in a home.

A good home, just un...

..until things get a little better.

But she sometimes visits

and stays with me.

You haven't written to me for ages.

Im sorry.

Let's cheer this place up.

Hmm?

CROONER BALLAD PLAYS

Come on.

I don't want to!

Darling, Ive been thinking Id like

to come home to you and your father.

I really miss you.

Id like to try again.

Raimond.

Please.

Please.

I have to go in now.

'Bye, Muti.

'Bye.

Excuse me, sir.

Um...if my moth..

..if my mother calls for me again,

could you please tell her

that I don't want to see her

for the time being?

Mm-hm.

(Shouts inaudibly)

(Susan cries)

(Weeps)

Papi.

If you touch the metal

with your fingertip,

it turns to dust.

But here it is

in the heart of the fire.

Hey.

Gaita...

..eat your soup.

HAMMERING:

HAMMERING SEGUES INTO BELL RINGING

The bloody house is falling down.

Remember the letters in my trunk...

..with the photographs?

That was Lidia.

She's a good person,

good woman.

I think if I ask her

to come out here,

that she would maybe come here

and stay.

And...we could adopt Susan

and she could come

and live here as well.

We would have to fix up the house...

..make it nice, you understand?

But she lives on

the other side of the world.

And you haven't even met her.

Yes, but I am sure

she's a good person.

A boy needs a mother.

Come on, Orloff. Good boy.

Give.

Here you go...

Hora!

She's married. Hey, listen to me.

(Romulus grunts and roars)

She's already married.

(Grunts)

Look at me.

Gaita!

Hey!

(Roars)

So Lidia was just tricking him.

METALLIC HAMMERING

Come on.

Why didn't she tell him she was

already married to someone else?

Why would someone do that

to someone else?

I don't know.

But he sent money

for her whole family to come out.

Gaita.

Gaita!

Come on, stop it. Hey.

(Snarls)

Arggh!

Papi!

(Squeals) Papi, it's me.

It's me. It's me.

(Whistles)

(Sobs quietly)

Listen, I have to get us some money.

I can't stay off work any longer.

Can I come with you?

No, Fritz, not possible.

Working in a factory 6 hours a day,

what would I do with you?

Hmm?

Will you be OK?

Yeah.

Things change, but our life is

what our thoughts make it.

No, keep it.

It's yours if you want it.

JERRY LEE LEWIS RECORD PLAYS

SONG ENDS, TURNTABLE CLICKS

You're a really good driver.

Could you turn...

could you turn right here, please?

MAN:
Come on, boys.

There you go.

Papi?

(Whispers) Papi?

Papi.

Papi?

DISTANT BRASS BAND PLAYS

'THE SILVER STARS ARE IN THE SKY'

NURSE:
Are you alright, love?

BAND CONTINUES PLAYING

'THE SILVER STARS ARE IN THE SKY'

'THE SILVER STARS ARE IN THE SKY'

CONTINUES PLAYING

(Fires shot)

CAR ENGINE IDLES

Raimond.

Raimond, wake up.

What's happening?

Let's get out of this bloody place.

How did Mitru die?

He hopped on his bike

and he rode to Pioneer Tower...

..and he climbed

all the way to the top.

And then he jumped off.

But you know what he did first?

He put a knife in the ground,

pointing up,

just to make sure.

Just to make bloody sure.

(Both urinate)

We sleep here.

Papi! (Voice echoes)

(Faintly) Over here.

Start the engine.

Remember?

For luck.

(Blows)

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