"FROM chico BUARQUE'S NOVEL" "I'mdizzy." "first DAY" "It must be somethingimportant." "lheardthe doorbell ringseveraltimes." "It's too earlyforme." "It waslight when lwent to bed." "lthinklknow that face... fromsome distant and confusingtime wayback... whenit still belongedto adream." "But ldon't understand." "It'suseless." "I'mdefinitelynot openingup." "I'dbe capable of dyinghere insilence..." "Become astandingskeleton, facinghisskeleton." "I'llgo backto bed. lthink he willeventuallygive up... convincedthat no one ishome." "Nowit looksclearto me, that he'sbeenseeingme allalong." "Disregardingthe distortion ofthe peephole... it'sstillsomeone familiar, but difficult to recognize." "It'ssomeone, who shook hishead,scratchedhisnose... andwithdrew from myfieldofvision." "lknowit'ssomeone who was withme alongtime ago... but whomlshouldn't have seen... whomldidn't need to see everagain." "lknewhe'dbe back." "What 's up, man?" "Igot awaythis time, but he won't stopchasingme." "Godknows why." "Number 6?" "A fellow here says he's madam's brother." "All right, fine." "You're the first pedestrian allowed." "Lowdown bum!" "They're pictures of my trip." "Have you seen mom?" "Mother has been lonely." "She won't have servants." "There's a cleaning woman on Tuesdays and Thursdays." "But mom hardly considers daily help companionship." "A nurse would be best for mom." "But mom thinks nurses become too intimate." "Mom might fall and break something." "She can't see a thing beyond her nose." "It 's amazing how old someone can get overnight." "When father died we thought she would collapse." "What nonsense!" "She continued riding horses at that ranch she loved." "Last year mom was still riding!" "The best thing for mom would be a nurse." "But mom thinks nurses become too intimate." "It 's time I got ready to go out." "Don't forget mother." "It'snot such adissembledbody... one whichhandsare most eagerto touch... not to seekout the flesh, but to graspthe movement itself?" "Mother?" "Don't worry, mother." "I'm just fine." "I GO TO THE station with TWO PACKS OF bills..." "which THE BANK cashier GAVE FOR THE CHECK." "Brialuz." "Brialuz!" "NOW I SEE THE HANDS BELONG TO THE MAN... lN THE CHECKED shirt AT THE BUS station." "Whenlleft the ranch forthe last time... five yearsago,lmust have left the gate open... andno one everclosedit." "That disturbsme." "Foramoment this wide opengate... seemsso impenetrable to me." "I'mnot enteringaplace... but leavingallthe others." "Asifthe valleysurroundedthe worldandlcame from the outside." "God bless you, my boy." "God bless you!" "If your father were here now... he'd come in laughing... he'd strike my hair... kick the stool... and say:" ""Get up, you rascal!"" "Your father shouted at the servants... cursed them, sent them away... took them back in, fired them again... but at his funeral they all showed up!" "Excuse me." "My wife died two years ago." "I'm very sick myself." "My children are gone in the world." "Only the small ones stayed with me." "The others left." "Strangers started taking over everything... the barn, the caretaker's house... the guest house." "And they hired outsiders." "They pulled down the stables... and ate the horses." "The strangers are just waiting for me to die... before taking over the house." "That 's why I sleep in the storeroom... the grandchildren spread around the living room and bedrooms." "I'm going to stay here for awhile." "What 's that for, boy?" "What 's that for?" "I'll go and get the children out of your room." "They don't bother me." "SECOND DAY" "Get out!" "Out!" "I told you to get out!" "Who are you?" "What are you doing here?" "You have five minutes to scram." "Eversince lcame down from the mountains,somethingsaid..." "I'denduplooking formyex-wife." "Not here." "Let 's go to the café." "I'll be right back." "Don't you get varicose standing in a boutique all day?" "What do you want?" "I think I'll have a pizza." "What do you want from me?" "l'm in real trouble." "l see." "Some people are following me." "So what?" "They might kill me." "Forfourandahalfyears llivedwith this woman." "ishut myselfawaywithher." "Breakfast inbed." "Telephone offthe hook, ignoringthe outside world." "ltooksome jobs she arranged... fellsickon the second week andstayedat home." "Duringthe last yearshe was the one to go out to work." "I'm pregnant." "You've sunken lower than I thought." "I'm sorry but I can't see how I can help you." "As time went bylgot used to the ideaofason." "Betterstill,adaughter... who theysayismore attachedto the father." "leven thought ofgiving the girlmysister'sname." "I got rid of the baby." "Are you satisfied?" "Are you?" "Are you satisfied?" "Are you satisfied?" "Are you?" "Are you?" "Are you satisfied?" "Are you?" "Are you?" "Are you satisfied?" "Are you?" "Are you?" "Are you satisfied?" "Are you?" "Are You?" "That was whenshe stopped "lovingme more thananything"... asshe usedto say." "I need to find somewhere to hide." "I see." "I think I'll go to a hotel." "Sounds good." "My clothes are at your place." "I've already packed them." "I'll have it delivered later." "I can't check in with no luggage." "Get your suitcase and... and leave the keys under the mat." "Myonlyfriendusedto live there, in the ContinentalBuilding." "lflwent up,I'mnot evensure he'dtalkto me." "It'sasurprise to findhimunchanged." "The same shirt outside his trousers... the same coffee stain belowhiscollar... the same tic ofbitingthe tongue whenhe dislikessomething." "It WOULDN'T BE MY friend, BUT A COPY, which ANNOYS ME..." "Excuse me!" "My son!" "Excuse me, coming through." "What time was the body found?" "Did he use to receive young men?" "Say that you recognize my son!" "Live at the Continental Building." "Where's the TV?" "Aren't I going to be interviewed?" "What was the suspect doing at the crime scene?" "What do you mean suspect?" "What crime scene?" "My son came to see me." "He was arrested when he entered." "If he were the suspect he'd have run away." "Why would asuspect run towards the crime scene?" "How long have you worked here?" "15 years at apartment 2O4." "Everyone knows who I am." "That bastard knows my son... but won't defend him because he's a racist." "Get the stretcher." "Excuse me." "Live for you." "Stay tuned." "Do you have anything to declare... about what happened last night at the Continental Building?" "Was the victim homosexual?" "l don't know." "l never saw anything." "They arrested my son... because he didn't have his papers." "My son was coming back from the beach." "Going to the beach isn't a crime." "No one goes to the beach with his id in his trunks." "Was the fag an artist?" "Who knows?" "l think he was a gym teacher." "This is the suspect 's mother." "He's not a criminal!" "My son's a decent boy!" "l didn't get it, battery's out." "Damn!" "I can't believe I missed that." "Change the battery quickly!" "Imagine my son, so weak, strangling a gym teacher." "Could you please repeat the previous sentence?" "It was very strong." "He's not a criminal!" "My son's a decent boy!" "He's honest and hard-working." "The criminal!" "He's coming!" "Quick!" "Bastard!" "Kill him!" "Murderer!" "junkie!" "Murderer!" "Fat fuck!" "l'll kick your ass!" "Fat bastard!" "junky monkey!" "Piece of shit!" "Fuck you!" "Excuse me, coming through." "Fag!" "Don't push." "Kill him!" "Kill him!" "COULD THOSE HUGE FEET BE MY friend'S?" "If I COULD, I'D SPEND MY life in STEAM." "Get out of here!" "Well-restedandbathed... lcouldwander around untiltomorrow." "But aman withno commitment, carryingasuitcase... iscommittedto the suitcase'sdestiny." "It forcesme to walk askew andinahurry." "just a minute." "Name." "He's not on the list." "Nor on mine." "Excuse me." "What list are you talking about?" "I just want to leave the case at number 6." "What 's in the suitcase?" "Certainly." "Let him in, he's with madam." "I'm verygrateful." "The suitcase founditsdestiny... andlfinallygot ridofit." "Don't you recognize me?" "Your sister's friend." "You were a boy." "Do you like it straight?" "No?" "You can't trust your brother-in-law's drink." "Shit!" "If I'D KNOWN THERE WAS A PARTY, I'D HAVE SHAVED." "Man, you were right." "Absolutely right!" "Amazing!" "What time is it?" "lflwent into mysister's bedroomnow,no one wouldsee me." "like no one saw me the first time." "It wasSunday." "I'dcome to paymysisterasurprise visit." "We need an armored car." "Especially in Brazil." "And these kidnappings?" "lt 's not so bad." "I'll do a plastic surgery, you won't recognize me." "Passion fruit, mango, tropical fruits." "I can't believe you don't have lemon." "ldon't know why, it occurredto me... that mysisterwantedme to lookinherbedroom." "lsawmyselfclimbing the large staircase." "Icame,not onmyfree will, but almost beingpushed... asifshe hadremoved frommypath... family, friends,servants..." "On that Sunday, the messybeddisgustedme." "lhadseenenough." "I WAVED TO THE PEOPLE AT THE POOL..." "BUT I DON'T think MY sister EVEN noticed." "That 's him!" "That 's the one we were talking about." "Always the same." "In every respectable family there's a nut case." "He's a bit of an artist." "Aren't you, brother-in-law?" "He has a house near our ranch... but he won't go there, because the neighborhood's gone downhill." "They say you've let it become a den for bums." "Go and see for yourself." "I've never been there." "My wife hates the ranch." "If you allow me a confidence:" "she's interested in selling it... which is impracticable, due to the present irregularities." "I'm tired of complaining..." "everything lights UP." "NO ONE is in THE ROOM." "I GO straight TO THE CLOSET." "Hi!" "Shit!" "Trouble!" "So excited?" "Look!" "Look!" "Don't you know me?" "I'm very loving!" "I'm very loving!" "I'm crazy!" "Come here, come here!" "I'm very crazy!" "I'm really crazy!" "I'm very crazy!" "Very crazy!" "third DAY" "Theylookjust like wax." "Like myfather'scrossed handsin the coffin." "It can't have rainedso much duringmychildhood." "lsee myselfasaboy andthere's the rain." "lrememberwhen we went to the ranchbycarwithmyparents... andthere's the rain." "I can smell your head." "It 's the smell of my hair." "It 's the smell of your head." "It 's the smell of my hair." "It 's your head, because you're always changing shampoo... and the smell is always the same." "You're just a child and get everything muddled." "It 's your head, I know." "So what does it smell like, then?" "You see?" "I told you." "But the truth is, I've never forgotten." "I've smelled the heads of many women... and never felt anything like that." "NO ONE SEEMS TO mind seeing A DEAD MAN THERE." "This time lknew I'dbe wellreceived." "It'sasifthe cow were askingme:" ""So?" "What do you think?"" "Great merchandise!" "It'sasiftime hasstoodstill... maybe because I've waitedin the cow's time." "We don't deal with this stuff." "It 's good merchandise." "We can do business." "Come back another day." "Did you hurt yourself?" "Watch out, boy!" "You must be careful with these people." "Your mother hasn't been back... but when she does, there'll be a lot of trouble." "FOURTH DAY" "The alcohol stingsmycheeks." "ican't helpthinkingabout myfriendfive yearsago." "Probablyfeelinghe's beingremembered... he turns withaglint inhiseye, disturbingme again." "You're useless!" "You should give up the land... even if you have to face up to your own family... which is also totally useless." "Iimagine myfriendreceiving boysat the apartment." "Iimagine myfriendreading Rimbaud,andthe boyon the sofa." "All laws are useless!" "All governments are useless!" "The endlesspoetry, the boygoingmad... fetchingaknife from the kitchen..." "The land belongs to the peasants!" "The land belongs to the peasants!" "But from that point on... myimagination loses the thread." "WhenRedhead sells the jewels... mycut shouldbe enough forseveralmonths." "Maybe lcouldtravel." "Get to knowEgypt..." "Morocco... go to Europe." "THE girl disappears SO SUDDENLY I ALMOST FEEL CHEATED" "Evenso,lhope Redheadtakeshis time." "ldon't mindbeing suspendedin time." "The finest stuff..." "home-made." "The boss took to you." "My brother, who knows the market best, told the boss... this suitcase is worth twice the jewels." "But my brother, who knows the boss better... thinks that if you get more of that quality... next time the boss may pay you two suitcases." "But I, who know the boss still better, can guarantee... that if you don't want your ass kicked... you'd better not show up here." "fifth DAY" "Watch out!" "Watch the suitcase!" "My goodness!" "Imust get rid ofthissuitcase." "This suitcase isn't yours." "junkie!" "In the storeroomof mymother'sapartment... there'sacloset with myfather's things." "lflstuffthe case in, mom won't evennotice." "Young master!" "Young master!" "Good sons always come home!" "Let me carry it, young master." "Let me carry it." "Do you remember your father, young master?" ""Why would niggers listen to horoscope programs?"" ""Niggers don't have star signs!"" ""Niggers don't have star signs!"" "Let'ssuppose mother won't answertoday." "She isprobablyreading a fashionmagazine." "Icould leave the suitcase right here." "Soonerorlatermom willhave to open the door." "Let'ssuppose momgets a letterfromSpain tomorrow." "Suspicious, the doorman maycallthe cops, the firemen." "It 's gas, careful with matches!" "I need help." "Help me here!" "Go!" "Quick!" "We have to break the door down!" "The tools!" "The door is locked." "The suitcase wouldbe opened in front ofthe inspector." "The doorman wouldmention myvisit, which would indict me." "Alllcando is leave the suitcase at myfriend'sdoor... andget down before he seesme." "Afterlmarried, myfriendusedto lookme up... but lneverknew what he wanted." "Hello!" "Hello!" "Hello!" "One thing that really annoys me is when I answer the phone... and no one speaks on the other end." "Could be mother." "No." "It 's always him, it 's his silence!" "Whenhe opens the case... myfriendwillknowit was me andhe'llwant to thankme." "But he'llneverfindme." "Caretaker!" "Caretaker!" "Caretaker!" "You'll see!" "How did it get here?" "No idea." "lt fell from the sky?" "From up there." "Up where?" "l didn't see." "What do you mean?" "lmaybe seeingthings." "lmaybe seeingthings... more clearlythan theyreallyare." "I'mstartingto get used to thissilent company." "It'slike beingwith someone in the family." "A youngeruncle." "THE DOOR'S GONE, BUT I DON'T FEEL like going in" "You, wait!" "Stop!" "Let him go." "You can let him go." "I'm not going to my sister's house." "Quiet!" "Faster!" "Turn on the air-conditioning full blast!" "Maybe she remembered the othernight... whenshe grabbedme aslgot out ofthe closet... andthen,abandoned her in the darkness." "lfeelthat when we go in she willtellmysister:" "Your brother stole the jewels!" "At the party,she couldn't have seen the jewels inmypockets." "Maybe she didn't realize who she wasgroping." "Inanycase,lcouldthrow myselfonher,suckherlips... andgive herakiss. lcould stickmyhandunderherskirt... anddo it allquickly, right here." "Did she call?" "No." "She should call today." "l don't think so." "She was really nervous at the airport." "But in Paris she'll soon recover." "Fifteen-love." "Shit!" "Out!" "Fuck!" "Come on, let 's go!" "Good ball." "Shit!" "Here!" "Game!" "Break ball!" "Break point!" "Thirty all." "Game!" "Dinner is served." "Excuse me." "Poor devil!" "Hidrólio!" "Madam?" "Nothing, nothing!" "Excuse me." "l thought Hidrólio had gone deaf." "He lost his sense of smell." "They don't know if it was caused by the gun blows... or by the psychological trauma." "Super effective." "Vodka makes it stronger." "I FOLLOW THEM, BUT THEY GO in THE SAUNA..." "AND quickly CLOSE THE DOOR TO KEEP THE STEAM." "Serve the girl first." "I had two interviews with the girl's psychologist." "She advised me to speak with her frankly." "Even asleep, she somehow registered... all the events on the night of the robbery." "The girl needs to work her fantasies out." "I can still taste steel in the roof of my mouth." "With the time difference, your wife must be at the hotel." "She needs to relax." "Did you read what the papers invented about the dollars?" "The newspapers need to pad out the news." "No fun saying the thieves left here empty-handed." "No one keeps a million dollars at home." "Actually, no one uses safes anymore." "But, the next robbery... better welcome the thieves with a million dollars." "You're right." "Better than spending 3 hours with a gun in your mouth." "And your wife wouldn't have to search for jewels in the closet." "Do you prefer prune, chocolate, strawberry... or a ball of each?" "Did you know your sister told the thieves to take all the jewelry?" "This wasn't in the papers." "The whole town is talking about it." "Did you know the jewels had disappeared?" "Do you know what the criminals did to your sister in the closet?" "The sheriff has just arrived." "Serve coffee in the living room." "There he is." "Sit down." "In short, this is how things stand." "As soon as I heard, I came here in a car with asiren." "It was a break-in, with blood on the floor, stained doors... in short, signs of a crime committed by amateurs." "The sheriffdidn't sayso, but mybrother-in-law... tookthe chance to askfor help concerningthe ranch." "The ranch case is more serious than I imagined." "The trespassers are protected by the local police... and curiously, appear to be involved in the jewelry theft." "I'll personally lead an investigation tonight." "I'll give you a call tomorrow morning." "Let 's go?" "THE sheriff CALLS THE driver..." "WHO RUNS hopping ON ONE LEG." "Go fetch the local sheriff." "My leg." "Easy now!" "Come with me." "How are you?" "This is the plaintiff, the owner of the ranch." "The local sheriff will accompany you from now on." "Anyone copy?" "lrecognize himas the man who lookedlike anex-boxer... who was with the criminals in the trailer." "THE EX-BOXER BREATHES ALL MY OXYGEN." "Redhead!" "Redhead!" "Shit!" "Where is it?" "What?" "Where's the jewelry?" "I never gave a damn about this guy!" "I thought he was a cheap crook, aswindler, a nobody." "And now... I found out... he owns this ranch." "Anyway, he's not here to evict anyone... on the contrary... he's brought an interesting proposal for all of us." "He introduced me to the members of a big organization tonight." "Are you kidding me?" "I took the liberty of inviting them for a chat." "Do you recognize your sister's jewelry?" "The idiots tried to get away." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Come on!" "You come with me!" "Set fire to the whole place!" "Come on!" "Let 's go." "Enough!" "Mysisterandlusedto climb the rockin the late afternoons." "Wait for me on the rock!" "I'dspendthe night there... learningthat the night isgreaterthan the day... andthat dawnisnot the day beingbornon the horizon... but the night withdrawing into the depthsofthe valley." "LAST DAY" "That rumble followingme must be distant thunder." "But it could also be the truck... the taxi, the fleet ofprivate cars... him." "lftheyget to me, they'll thinkI'm tryingto runaway." "Seeingthe manin the checkedshirt there... fillsme withgratitude, idon't know why." "I'mno longer sure lknowhim." "In fact,lonlyknow him bythe checkedshirt." "Theysurelywon't denyme... a telephone call at the busstation." "I'll call... mymother." "lneedto take... a bath... washmyhair." "When my sister... getsbackfromhertrip... she'llpayme... six months... rent... ofanapartment." "lfmymother... doesn't answer..." "I'llwalkto... myfriend's... place." "He... won't... mindputtingme up... untilmysister... gets back." "If... my friend... has... died..." "I'llhave to knock... on my ex-wife's... door." "She... might... open... the dooracrack... andstick... her foot... behindit." "But whenshe sees... the blood... stainonmyshirt... she might... let me in." "Let me in." "I see nothing." "Eitherit's the tunnel..." "OR I'M DEAD." "CAPTIONS Bodyo" " AbezBoard"