The South Page #4

---

(phone rings)

Have you eaten?

No. Not yet.

Don't wait for your father.

He'll be late.

Estrella!

What?

The phone!

Will you pick this up for me

at the pharmacy?

Don't forget.

I hardly slept last night.

Estrella!

Coming!

Casilda will give you some money.

Who is it?

Who do you think?

The same guy. "El Carioco".

[a resident of Rio de Janeiro]

I'm not here!

You tell him!

Go on.

What do you want?

Nothing, just to talk to you.

This morning I waited an hour for you.

Where did you go?

I went the other way.

Why? Weren't we going to meet?

Yes, I know we said we'd meet, but...

You didn't want to see me, huh?

No.

But why not?!

Look, because I'm sick of you, and all the stuff

you keep writing on the walls.

Who do you think you are?

Me? Whoever you want me to be.

You invite me to the movies,

you take me to the gardens,

you give me a kiss...

And so what?

What do you mean, so what?!

Estrella, you've got me all wrong

you don't know me

I'm capable of anything.

Do you know why the girls

call me "El Carioco"?

Well if you don't,

you will soon!

(hangs up)

(I love you)

Hello.

You're leaving already?

If not, I'll be late.

See you later.

See you later.

This is from Milagros,

you can read it.

When my classes got out

that time of day when the lights come on

and there's still a light glow in the sky

I liked to go walking alone

in no hurry

through the streets of the city.

I never forgot Irene Rios.

I kept looking for her

on the movie posters.

But I never found her again.

It was as if the earth

had swallowed her up.

I often passed by the photography studio.

In the window, among the photos of

wedding couples, communions and soldiers

was my portrait.

Can you give me a light?

Thanks.

Most nights before going to bed

I would write in my diary.

Today when I reread the pages

from those days

I see just how much I'd come to accept

my father's crisis

as an intractable fact of daily life.

Maybe thats why theres nothing in it

that warned of what would happen afterward.

Although my father did something then

he had never done before.

He came to find me one day

when my classes got out

and took me to lunch

at the Grand Hotel.

That fall day a wedding

was being celebrated

In one of the hotel salons.

(Here's to the band!)

(Here's to the wedding!)

(Here's to the bride and groom!)

I saw you this morning.

Where?

You were walking in front

of the Oriental with a boy.

Oh, yeah... Miguel.

They call him "El Carioco".

He's a little crazy.

Is he dangerous?

No, he just draws on walls.

Ah! Yes. I think I've seen one of his drawings.

He's so annoying!

Is it true what he wrote?

I don't know.

He says so.

But I think he does it for the attention.

But its nice, isn't it?

Wanting attention?

Telling the whole world what you think.

Well, it depends...

I would like to be able to.

Why don't you?

Because I'm not "El Carioco".

You realize we never talk seriously?

And that's my fault, right?

I guess so.

Mind if I order another drink?

Okay with me.

Why do you have to drink so much?

Are you going to give me a hard time?

No, just asking.

Your coffee.

Your cognac.

Thank you very much.

Why did you bring me to eat here?

I don't know, it just occurred to me

suddenly, and I thought you'd like it.

Yes, I do.

But why else?

I wanted to make peace with you.

But we haven't...

I know, I know, this time

we haven't fought

but... I noticed last night

when you got in late

I don't think I handled myself very well.

Sure you don't want to ask me anything?

No.

Well, I in contrast, would like to ask you

so many things...

Okay. Ask away.

No, that's okay.

No, no, ask me.

One thing - maybe its silly -

I've always wanted to ask you,

and never had the nerve:

Who was Irene Rios?

Irene Rios?

The artist.

You knew her, didn't you?

No. I knew a woman who was a lot like her.

But Irene Rios, no.

What a letdown. So..

Why did you write her name

so many times?

I used to do that?

Yes, don't you remember?

No.

I do remember.

Once I found a piece of paper

one of your envelopes

on which you'd written her name over and over.

It seemed a bit strange to me

I didn't know who she was

Neither did Mom.

Until one day, I saw her name on a movie poster

"Flor de la Sombra"

(Flower In The Shadows)

I saw it.

Was it good?

I left before it finished.

I know. That afternoon

I was walking by the cinema

and I saw your motorcycle

so I thought, I bet he's inside

I waited for you outside

hiding

it was so cold out.

When you came out, I saw you

and I followed you down the street

until you went into the Cafe Oriental

I could see you were writing something

a letter

Then I called you

through the window

You remember?

You took me home on your bike.

That's right.

I'll be right back.

Would you like something more?

No, thanks.

How's the wedding?

Same as always.

Keep it.

Thank you very much.

I have to go.

Now?

It's time.

What class do you have?

French.

Why don't you leave it for another day?

You really want me to skip class?

Yes.

Really?

Yes!

I don't understand you.

And when you were this high

didn't you understand me then?

Dad, you can't compare.

Listen.

You remember that paso doble?

You don't remember.

"En el mundo"

We danced it together

Yes.

The day of my first communion.

I'm going.

Are you staying?

Yes.

Goodbye.

Be careful with "El Carioco".

Thanks.

I left him there

sitting by the window

listening to that old paso doble.

Alone and on his own.

Could I have done more for him

than I did at that moment?

I always ask myself that.

Because that was the last time

I ever spoke to him.

Before leaving the house

he emptied his pockets.

Among the things he left in a drawer

was a small telephone receipt.

Thats how I discovered that,

on the last night of his life

my father had called the south

to a number I didn't recognize.

I took that paper and kept it

without telling absolutely anyone.

Estrella.

Estrella.

Why are you sleeping up here?

I was cold.

Why don't you go to your bed?

Its not made.

Go on, I'll make it up for you.

No, leave it.

It won't take a second.

A few days later, I fell sick.

Alone, shut up in my room

the hours were interminable.

Always everything on the floor!

What time is it?

Almost twelve.

I'm going to get up.

Don't even think about it!

You know what your mother said!

But I'm better now!

No! You stay there

and don't move!

Milagros' voice came from the south

to rescue me

Once she found out

what had happened

it didn't take much

for her to convince my mother

to let me spend some time

down there to recuperate.

She had good reasons

I needed a change of climate

for my health

And anyway, neither she

nor Grandma Rosario

had seen me in so long.

The night before leaving

I could hardly sleep.

(car horn honks)

Estrella! The taxi is here!

Although I didn't look it

I was very nervous

At last, I was going

to see the south.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes