We Were Strangers Page #6

I went to visit my mother.

When I drove through the village,

the streets became empty.

People I had known as a child

hid in their houses.

My mother, in the hut where I was born,

looked at me with fear...

until I told her why I had come.

Then she cried.

I asked her why and she had no reason.

It pained me.

It is not good to meet that look

in your own mother's eyes.

And then I thought, why should it not be so.

If she were an enemy of el Presidente, I

would make no exception of the old woman.

Still, the truth is...

I am a man of sentiment.

You do not believe it? It is so.

I am easily moved.

A beautiful sunset

will bring tears to my eyes.

I like to feed the pigeons

in the old Cathedral square.

Must I drink alone, seorita?

I have told you, I do not drink.

You can make an exception tonight.

But you yourself said you do not approve.

That is right.

I do not approve of girls

drinking with strangers.

But in my case, it is different.

A man like Fenner might take advantage

of your drinking. But I am different.

I am a man of honor.

I am sure of it. Still, I would rather not.

But it would please me.

It would show me that you trust me.

Here, have a little sip.

I knew I had seen you before.

When I was a child,

there was a card with a picture on it.

It was your picture on that holy card.

Please do not go away from me.

I am only a little drunk.

Rum does not hurt a man like me.

Do you know what that is, a real man?

It is someone who's afraid of nothing.

I am afraid of nothing. I will show you.

A game of the brave.

The wheel turns.

If the double zero comes up,

tell my friends it was for love.

I have killed. I have taken men's lives.

Life means nothing to me.

Please, if you must take a man, take me.

I'll protect you.

Come, seor. Come on.

Tony, the thunder!

Now we can blast. It's safe.

Go ahead.

It's over. Forget him, China, dearest.

Everything's going to be all right.

Will it, Tony?

Will anything ever be right again?

- Yes, it will.

- When, Tony? How soon?

Tomorrow, when it comes.

The big tomorrow.

Tell me, Tony, about tomorrow.

There isn't much to tell.

We won't ask for more than anybody else.

We'll get married. We'll have kids. We'll live

in a free country and we'll be happy.

Will we, Tony?

Yes.

Shut up!

Maybe you'd better leave the house.

Stay away tonight.

Why?

We've come to the poor part of the cemetery.

Now it's going to be a nightmare.

The stench of death is like nothing else.

- Where are you going?

- I'm going to dig, too.

- Are you crazy?

- Perhaps.

I don't know what sanity is anymore.

- You can't go down there.

- I'm going to dig, too. You can't stop me.

- Is it my turn to dig?

- No, Ramon.

- Tell me when it's my turn.

- You won't dig tonight.

- Vicente Contreras.

- What about him?

I know him. At least I used to know him.

His son Tomas and I were boyhood friends.

I went often to his house.

Is there a doctor in the organization?

Bringing a doctor in is too big a risk.

It's a beautiful old house,

with fine paintings on the walls.

His two sisters, maiden ladies,

live there with him.

They wore long black dresses

with high collars.

Tomas and I used to play in the garden

below his father's study.

When Seor Contreras was at work

in his study...

his sisters used to caution us

about making too much noise.

One time, he overheard them

telling us to be quiet.

He leaned out the window and he said:

"It's all right. They don't bother me.

Let them make all the noise they want to.

"Children are supposed to be noisy."

Those are not the words of a wicked man.

Seor Contreras is weak, perhaps,

but he is not wicked.

I don't say his life should be spared.

As head of the Senate

he stands responsible for its actions.

He should have disavowed the Senate

and resigned. He deserves to die.

Easy, Ramon.

But not as much as the others.

I am happy that we have nothing to do

with that part of the plan.

What of Tomas? What of him, my friend?

He will never understand

why his father had to die.

"For what reason?" he will ask.

"Why did you kill him?

"He loved you like a son, Ramon."

- What will my answer be?

- Quiet, Ramon.

They will hear him in the street, Tony.

We'd better take him downstairs

where he won't be heard.

I don't say that he shouldn't die.

Only that it must be done quietly.

You are not to make any noise

when you kill him. Do you understand?

He is here, Toto. The fat one.

- Do you see him?

- I can see him now.

People who have not seen him think he

stands upright and is made of clean bones.

You want to kill me. Go ahead. Try it.

I know that you can't because I am dead.

He is fat and foul. His flesh runs.

You've got to do something about Ramon.

Get him out of here. Kill him. Anything!

I can't stand it any longer.

Something's got to be done about Ramon.

He's right, Toto.

Something's got to be done.

I'm going to tell Fenner. It's up to him.

We'll all go crazy.

What can be done?

He can't be moved from here.

He'd give the plan away in his ravings.

- I know a way.

- What is it?

Others who are innocent are going to die.

- Could you do it?

- Do what?

Kill Ramon?

We've got to do something.

We're all going crazy.

If you want to kill Ramon, go ahead.

Nobody's stopping you. Go on, kill him!

Seorita. Please, seor,

you must listen to me.

Seor, please. I have something to tell you.

It's very important.

I must tell you.

Seor, I have something to...

Please, you must listen to me.

Seor, please, listen to me.

Seor, you must listen to me.

They're going to kill Tomas' father

in the cemetery.

There's no other way. He must die.

- You're drunk.

- No. I truly am not. Believe me.

I've been often in his house.

He's not a wicked man. Only weak.

- Get away from me!

- Please, listen. It's very important.

Go on, leave me alone!

- I can't go back there. I can't take part in it.

- Let go of me!

Ramon!

Well, why did you come back without him?

You've got to keep looking for him

till you find him.

- What's the matter?

- He's dead.

If it was anyone's fault, it was mine.

How did it happen?

We were bringing him back, Guillermo and I.

He was walking between us.

He seemed to be calmer.

He spoke quite sensibly.

Then suddenly he broke away from us

and ran across the street.

There was a truck.

We did not even stay to identify him, Tony.

We left him there like a mongrel dog,

dead in the road.

He knew he was risking his life

when he joined us.

Yes, of course he knew.

And he was willing to die. But for a reason.

Not like that, for nothing.

- Chinita, get a hold of yourself.

- I can't.

I've had enough. I want to run away, Tony.

I want to leave this house, Cuba.

I want to live.

I don't care about anything else.

Take me away from here, Tony.

I can't do that, Chinita,

as much as I want to.

Why can't you?

Why are you so strict with yourself?

Because I started this. It was my idea.

Sure, the people may rise up...

and do the job themselves tomorrow

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