The City of Your Final Destination Page #2

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and get him to send me away.

Where would I go?

Where would I go?

That's all in the past.

Yes, it's strange.

Everything's easier.

But now

when some stranger arrives...

Is he young and handsome?

It depends

what you mean by that.

Can you find any more teaspoons?

How can we just send him away?

Tell him,

"Good-bye; go home"?

We're not.

We're even letting him stay

in the house.

We're being very friendly.

But then he might start to

think we've changed our minds.

That's his problem.

I can be friendly

without changing my mind.

Well, he must have come here

with such hope.

Let's think about this.

A biography would stimulate

interest in Jules' work,

and that is something that we,

as his executors,

should encourage.

Anyway, let's not make

any hasty decisions, shall we?

My decision's made,

and it's not hasty.

And Arden, for her own reasons,

is on my side.

You are, aren't you?

Yes, you are.

So that's two

against one, Adam.

Well, I refuse

to be guided by anything

as stupid as democracy.

[crickets and frogs chirping]

[clicking and rustling]

[whispering]

Portia.

Mustn't disturb him.

Are we gonna whisper

all night?

Hmm?

He's come a long way.

He must be tired.

[dishes clinking]

[chirping continues]

[water dripping]

[squeaking]

[pipes rumbling and knocking]

[water sloshing]

[squeaking]

[spraying]

[dramatic opera music]

[hose spraying]

[telephone ringing]

[opera music continues]

Hello?

[distant opera music]

Hello?

I would like to speak

to Omar Razaghi, please.

Dee!

- Omar?

- Hi.

How did you get this number?

You don't sound like Omar.

Are you eating something?

Yes, bread and honey.

What?

Honey.

Darling, I miss you too.

But you won't be away long.

What's it like there?

I guess they're all pretty old.

I only hope they're not senile.

Well, it might take longer

than we thought.

Can't you stop eating

for a minute?

We have a very bad connection.

I told you to get a cell phone

when you went down there.

It could have come

out of the fellowship money.

[high-pitched beeping]

Are you there?

Dee?

Omar?

[fax machine beeping

and whirring]

Dee, are you there?

[beeping continues]

Hello?

[beeping]

click!

[electronic whirring]

Thank you for the bread

and the honey.

It was delicious.

It's from our own bees.

You know anything about bees?

Bees.

I know they live in an apiary,

a word derived from apis,

which is Latin for "bee."

This is not

very interesting information.

[laughs]

[loud opera music]

I can't believe it.

You read a book and you think

all about the place,

but you don't really think

that it exists,

let alone that you'll be there.

Let me help you with that.

Oh.

[giggles]

[indistinct speech]

[opera music continues]

Coming here, to Ocho Rios,

was like coming

to my first home,

the first I ever had.

My parents were divorced,

and I went back and forth

between them.

No one really cared.

They both died in plane crashes,

two different planes.

He was on his way to Prague

for one of his

not very successful films,

and Mother

was going to Hong Kong

to get married...

again.

All the years in America,

my parents wanted to go back

to Tehran,

but it never worked out.

What did they do?

They were doctors,

pediatricians.

They died

four years ago.

First my mother, then my father

after a few months.

So we're both orphans.

I think I was born an orphan.

I was 18 when Jules

first brought me here.

That was ten years ago.

I was 18 ten years ago.

You and I are the same age,

born at the same time.

We could be brother and sister.

Twins.

Only twins

can be born at the same time.

Oh.

I am Omar Razaghi.

Yes, I know who you are,

my friend.

You're the biographer

who showed up

in spite of our letter.

And what are you giving him?

Oh, what-tea?

Oh, really, Arden,

you'll have to give him

something better than that

to compensate

for his long journey here

and back.

How about some champagne?

Champagne?

At this time of day?

Well, is there a special

time of the day for champagne?

Well, if so, it is now.

Hmm?

You're flirting with him.

What?

When you start opening up

the beautiful secrets

of your past-

"I was born an orphan"-

that's flirting.

Caroline,

try not to tease and provoke.

Oh, come on.

How often do we have a guest,

even an uninvited one?

I may not

make it back tonight.

Why not?

Business,

as you know perfectly well.

I know your business

perfectly well:

antique furniture,

and some of it not so antique.

We need to raise some cash.

I know.

Land taxes are due

next month.

You have all this land;

you pay big taxes on it.

- Mm-hmm.

You don't try

to make it work for you.

Sorry to spoil your mood,

but try and be sensible.

I'm willing to be sensible,

but can you imagine

the other two

ever agreeing to anything?

I mean, look what's happening

with this

foolish little biography,

which, for all I know,

could be to our advantage.

But Caroline's only pleasure

left in life

is to say "no" to everything.

And as for poor Arden,

well...

I wish you had more of a life

of your own.

I do have.

Yeah.

It saddens me.

I think I was wrong

to bring you here.

Sorry.

Hey.

[speaking Spanish]

Hola!

Ah.

Hello, darling.

Champagne.

[sighs]

Is there a little drop

for me left, do you think?

- Ah, the guest.

- Hello, sir.

Mr. Ragazi

received our letter,

but as you see,

it did not discourage him

from coming to visit,

so now we're all having a party.

Oh.

Well, then we must show

Mr. Razaghi-Omar, may I?

- Oh, please.

- Omar.

Yes, we must show Omar

what fine hosts we can be

if, by some miracle,

a guest is washed up

on our lonely shore.

Huh?

What do you say?

A picture show.

Yes, why not?

Portia proposes a picture show.

Her one and only picture show.

[hums a tune]

Go and show uncle Omar

where the projector is.

Ocho Rios pictures presents...

the Gunds.

Ah.

[sighs]

This is very unwise,

as if we're suddenly

his collaborators.

Well, we're not

showing him anything

he doesn't already know, are we?

After all, Jules' book

was not exactly reticent

about our family affairs,

was it?

Champagne.

I'll get you a glass.

So...

how are you, my dear?

Peachy.

Peachy.

Our parents brought

all this film footage

with them from Germany,

and they used to sit

and watch it

the way we're doing now,

drinking champagne.

When they had to leave Germany

and became refugees,

they were allowed

to settle here,

in Uruguay

on condition

that they bought all this land

and developed it for a mine.

My parents

always traveled in style,

even when they were fleeing

Mr. Hitler and his Nazis.

Always traveled first class.

We lived here

the way they had done in Europe.

We lived in the past,

their past.

They didn't want to know

about the present,

any present anywhere.

South America's

very good for that

if you're a rich foreigner.

That's my grandfather.

They never

spoke German again...

[dramatic piano music]

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