The Mambo Kings Page #3

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That's it, it's finished.

I knew it. I knew it. I told you so!

Come on, will you?

Let's show them in Havana

what a couple of stars look like.

Smile, will you? We're in America.

No, no, I don't hear you.

I don't hear you.

Talk American to me, please.

It's not my language, American,

not my country.

Well, it's the only country

we got right now.

Now, come on, smile.

Smile. You want me

to waste another 25 cents?

Come on, smile. Smile.

It's all right? "It's all right."

It's okay? "It's okay."

Come on.

- We have to work.

- We're working our asses off.

- Talk to Perez. Please.

- No. Please.

- He's not like Luis.

- Haven't you learned anything?

Talk to him. Come on. Apologize.

What? You wanna kiss his ass?

No, we'll make a deal.

He'll slit both our throats,

the way Luis cut mine.

He cut more than your throat.

We should have stayed in Havana.

But stay for what? Some whore

who never even loved you?

- I'm not talking about Maria.

- The whore sold herself to another man...

I'm talking about us.

We don't belong here.

Get it through your head. She's not

waiting for you! It's a dream!

Now, how long before

you're gonna give that up?

How long?

And you, Cesar?

How long before

you give up your dream?

There's no dream, man.

It's our life.

- Come on, smile, will you? Come on.

- No. No, no.

This is your life, yeah.

I feel like a ghost.

Cesar is wrong.

We won't make it.

Even if we did,

that's not what I want.

I'd be happy writing music...

...playing love songs

in my own little club.

There is my dream.

A nice place where people could get

Cuban food and listen to good music.

- That's what I want.

- Nestor. Then do it.

Just open your little club. Do it.

Listen, why keep dreaming?

Make it come true.

Do you believe in me?

Oh, yes.

You do?

Yes, I do.

I didn't want

to come to America, but...

...my brother was right.

If I hadn't come to America...

- ...I wouldn't have met you.

- Wouldn't have met me.

Exactly.

Don't move. Don't move.

Stay like this.

Why are you laughing?

- Happy birthday.

- Thanks.

Thank you, darling.

Give me a rum there, straight up.

I need a Scotch.

Not bad for Montclair, New Jersey.

One hundred Seor Washingtons.

Life could be worse. There you go.

Swear to God.

Listen, Cesar, we gotta talk.

Mario's got this gig with Tito Puente.

Keys has got a shot with Machito.

We want to stick together, man,

but we're falling apart.

Can't you see that?

I don't want to carry

a bunch of losers either.

I'm going to Babalu.

- That ain't a real gig.

- Don't you tell me what a gig is.

- Hey, Cesar. Cesar.

- Yeah?

Manny and I wanna open a club.

Don't be a child, will you, please?

Mr. Vanderbilt says...

- What you know about running a club?

- He can learn.

Delores, it's men's business,

you know.

It's not your worth getting involved.

Men's business has you

playing in New Jersey.

- When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it.

- Think of the future.

- Who are you to tell me what to think?

- Don't talk to Delores that way.

- She's gotta fight your battles for you?

- Don't talk to Delores like that.

- Don't you teach me how to talk.

- She's going to be my wife!

Nestor.

- Go on.

- Sorry.

Sorry, Delores.

I know this is not the way

we were going to tell him, but...

Delores has consented to be my wife.

My God. I feel like an idiot.

No, you're not.

An animal, you're an animal.

Are you okay?

Yeah, you're okay.

- I have to talk to you.

- What?

Delores...

She's gonna have a baby.

Hell of a good reason

to marry her too, kid.

- Hell of a good reason.

- What are you saying?

- I love her. I love Delores.

- Is Maria out of your heart now?

Let's just thank God for that.

Okay, you know, Cesar...

- I was thinking about that. About Maria.

- About what? What?

I have written her many letters.

But she never, never answered them.

Anyway...

...I think Maria was right.

- I wasn't her destiny.

- Come on.

What the hell are we talking about?

A woman like that for you?

That's poison, kid.

Poison.

- But you really know now.

- What?

How lucky you are...

...to have a woman like Delores?

Yes, I know. I know.

Then what is this?

You save your pennies. You're like

a little hormiguita, opening a club.

I wanna have something

to show my wife and my baby.

But you don't come to me?

Yes, I do.

- I know it's...

- Well, come on. That is it.

A man without a family,

who the hell is that?

That's nobody.

- Do you know how much I love you?

- Yes, I love you too.

You don't forget that.

No.

Good work, kid!

Maria. Maria.

Dump it right on the scale.

Delores is on the telephone.

It's her time.

Delores! The baby! Come on!

- He's beautiful.

- Isn't he?

I got these for you.

I hope they're good.

Oh, Cesar.

Jane Eyre.

Crime and Punishment.

How did you know what to choose?

Fellow at the store, you know.

I hope they're good.

It's the most wonderful present.

Thank you.

I'm so happy for you.

Hey, let me see him.

He's a Castillo.

Look at the expression on his face.

Like a headache.

Look at this little angel.

- Good evening.

- Good evening. Good to see you.

- Miguel, good to see you again, friend.

- Welcome.

You remember Mike,

my business manager. Mike Wells.

- Good to see you.

- Always a pleasure.

Miguel, these fellows are fantastic.

I'd like to invite them to our table.

- Would you ask them to join us?

- My pleasure.

Thank you.

Desi Arnaz.

Oh, my God. That's Desi Arnaz.

- This is my manager, Mike Wells.

- Pleasure to meet you both.

- Hi, Mike, how are you?

- Mike, hello.

- I am so pleased to meet you.

- Me too. Me too.

- I'm Cesar Castillo.

- I am his brother, Nestor.

Oh, gracias, gracias. What a surprise.

- What a surprise. What a nice surprise.

- Please, sit down.

Mike and I wanted to

compliment you on your performance.

That was a wonderful song.

"Beautiful Maria of My Soul."

I have written many different

songs of the ver... Name.

Many different versions of the song.

Excuse me.

Have you written any other songs?

- Yes, a few songs.

- He's got a suitcase full.

- A suitcase.

- Suitcase.

So where are you fellas from in Cuba?

Las Pias.

That's the sugar-mill town

in Oriente, you know that.

So am I from Oriente too.

Santiago.

Guess you put a couple of Cubanos

together, we're all related, right?

That calls for a celebration.

You don't know how nice it is

to just relax for a change.

You are probably tired of dining out

with the Rockefellers all the time.

Rockefeller?

We get tired of eating

with them too, you know?

Do you fellas have un conjunto?

- Yeah. We're the Mambo Kings.

- Mambo Kings?

- Where have you been playing?

- We haven't played a gig in months.

- We are butchers.

- What a stupid thing to say!

But it's true, brother. It's true.

This kid, he worries himself to death.

I tell him, everyone starts this way.

- You don't listen to me. You no listen.

- That's how I got started.

- I did all sorts of things.

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