Caray, Caray!

Oh, just look at all that beautiful blue water!  We're in Maratea, Italy, complete with lovely stucco houses with orange/red roofs.  Livia Brito in a wedding dress rides down a narrow street perched in the sunroof of a tiny blue car, waving happily.

Voiceover: Fiorella is my elder daughter.  I don't know a sweeter, more lively girl.  Everything is a party for her.  She always has a song on her lips and her eyes shine (resplandecen) with light.  She lights up the world with every step she takes and she makes everyone who knows her smile, no matter how bitter they might be.  But no one could be unhappy at her side, because Fiorella is like a spring breeze, a tree full of flowers, a laugh bubbling under the surface (a flor de piel)--a bellissima muchacha italiana (beautiful Italian girl)--full of life, who dreams of marrying and being very happy at the side of the man she loves.



The car deposits Fiorella in front of a church and everyone proceeds inside.

Voiceover: But above all, Fiorella is muy soñadora (a big dreamer).

We see Fiorella working in some kind of bridal shop and being scolded about cleaning instead of dreaming.  They're giving us the full on classic Disney Cinderella--she wears a scarf and an apron and dances around with her mop and I'm expecting to see mice and birds come in any minute.

Voiceover: And besides being a dreamer, she's also a hard worker.  But she's got a job where she's treated badly, paid badly, and she puts up with it to provide for me--I'm sick--and her sister Gianna who has a heart condition.

Fiorella pretends to kiss the mop and I spy a butterfly pin on her apron.

The voiceover turns out to be her father, Mario, writing a letter back at home.  He admonishes Gianna to speak Spanish.  Yes, they're in Italy, but her grandmother came from Mexico, and he was born in Mexico and they came to Italy at the beginning of the second World War.  "One day, you'll thank me for insisting you learn Spanish!  You never know when you'll need it, bambina mia." (my child)  Maybe sooner than she thinks.  Vittorio is a friend of his in Mexico.  Mario helped him and hopefully Vittorio can help him now.  Gianna says she's right there to help her dad with whatever he needs.  She asks if he's taken his medicine, but she hasn't taken hers.  She ran out, but she tells him to chill, she'll get more when Fiorella gets paid.

Mario goes on to write that Gianna is 18 and sick.  She has a big heart, which sounds poetic, but is endangering her life.  She needs medical care, and even though Fiorella's taking care of them both, he confesses to Vittorio that he's scared.  Since his wife died, Fiorella does all the work.

Fiorella arranges some bride and groom figures on a sample cake and rides her bicycle through the streets.  She gazes longingly at some flowers in the shop and starts to pray.

Mario: Things are going to change, for the worse.  I don't have a lot of time left.  I know I'm going to die and I don't want to leave my daughters alone.

Fiorella fusses over a sick Mario.

Mario is looking over some old papers and photos.  There's a picture of a younger Mario, Mrs. Mario, Fiorella, and Gianna.  He puts it into an envelope with the letter and asks Gianna to mail it.  Fiorella is home from work and here's your first Italian lesson:  Ciao Papa!  (Hey, dad!)  Come stai? (How are you?) Tutto bene? (It's all good?)  Fiorella brought home the bride and groom figures from this afternoon's wedding.  There's even frosting on the bottom.  She adds it to her collection and gets ready to watch "la mia telenovela" (yep, you guessed it, "my telenovela"!  Italian adds what sounds to my ear like an extra article so it's literally "the my telenovela").  Mario insists on Gianna mailing the letter now, before dinner.  This gets Fiorella's attention and she asks why he doesn't just email his buddy in Mexico…he doesn't have the address.  Well, never mind, Fiorella will mail it and Papa will have to fill her in on what happens on her telenovela while she's gone "E molto importante!"  (It's very important!).  Not that she can pry herself away from the TV so easily.

In Pueblo Dos Rios, it's very, very green.  Eloisa has been widowed for a month.  She tells a priest she can't get over her husband's death.  It's as if it just happened.  As if half of her had been ripped out and she scoffs at the idea that time heals all.  "Ha!  I'll be dead before that happens."  He's sure she has plenty of reason to live.  Well, really just one--her grandson Pedro.  He runs the company and he lost his mother when he was a child.  And his dad's a total loser.  So Eloisa and Maximo (her dead husband) raised him.  Now he's un hombre ejemplar (an exemplary man), but he's so busy working he's only had one really serious girlfriend who he almost married.  Plus he's had bad luck with women, but soon she's sure he'll find the love of his life. Throughout this we've seen Pedro at the office, riding steeplechase (is that how you say it?  He steeplechases?), standing in a passed-out-drunk blonde woman's apartment looking upset.

Back in Maratea, Fiorella has dropped off the letter.

In the DF, Vittorio reads the letter from Mario.  Mario wants Vittorio to help his daughters.  Mario has very nice handwriting.  Benito, some young guy who works for Vittorio, jokes about the encyclopedia someone sent him to read.  Vittorio asks him to find an express mail service. He's old-school, too, so no email for him.  Benito gripes that everything is "urgent" around there…the  new wines, the accounting, express mail…it all runs thanks to him, not the owner (Vittorio).  Whatevs, you young whippersnapper, get me an express mail service and get off my lawn!

In Pueblo Dos Rios, Pedro's father didn't show up at his father's memorial Mass.  Eloisa blames her husband for spoiling Pedro's father and making him into un inepto (an inept or incompetent person).  Pedro, on the other hand is a work of art.  Pedro can't believe his grandfather has been gone for a month.  Eloisa says the two of them are the only ones who miss him.  Some guy behind them complains that the will hasn't been read, and probably won't be at this rate, until Eloisa is dead.  Some other guy wonders what was left to him.  I'm going to ignore their muttering.  I'm sure we'll figure out who they are later, but for now, what we need to know is that granny is right and they're a bunch of vultures, the whole lot of them!  Pedro happens to be going to Italy soon, for business and he's got to schmooze some partners.

Mario is waiting for a letter from Vittorio.  Gianna wonders if maybe he's dead…I mean…people die.  Her mom died. Mario insists Vittorio is alive because he HAS to take care of them.  He owes him a favor.  Fiorella is late getting home, plus she's going to stop to get Gianna's medicine on the way home.

As I pause the recording, I see Fiorella in the shop, about to knock over a standing candelabra and think "So much for the paycheck."  Two of them go crashing down and despite Fiorella's plea of "me dispiace!" (forgive me!) she gets fired.  This was her last chance.  Her head is always in the clouds and she's a complete disaster.  Her boss refuses to pay her salary and the best Fiorella can do in retaliation is toss the dustrag at her before she runs out of the shop.

In the DF, Pedro tells the cranky guy from the funeral who was complaining about the will, Osvaldo, that the Italians are tough when it comes to business and have to be treated with respect.  They're about to close a really sweet deal and Pedro doesn't want to let anything get in the way.  Osvaldo complains that Pedro is bossy, but hey, that's 'cause he's the boss. He's just doing his job.  Osvaldo says that's going to depend on what the will says.  Eloisa calls Pedro, who takes her call immediately.  She praises him for being charming and then says they need to get the family together to read the will.  She hates getting together with "those people." He's the only one she likes and there are some things she has to tell him. He gets a call from someone named "Tania" on his cell phone and ignores it.  He's leaving for Italy in a few days, so they'll do the reading of the will after he gets back.  She starts harping on him getting married and giving her great-grandchildren soon.  And if he's not ready for that, then he'd better not be messing around with random chicks in either Mexico or Italy!  Osvaldo wonders what it was he said "NO" to so vehemently.  "She asked if I had a girlfriend."

Fiorella gets home extremely late and sniffly.  She denies anything happened, she's just tired.  Oh, the medicine…uh, she didn't get paid today…she, uh, was given some vacation time…she broke some things, it was silly…a long vacation.  She tells her dad not to worry.  She'll get a new job.  Mario's hand is cold and Fiorella tells Gianna to get the doctor.  Mario seems to be fading.

In the DF a blonde woman, the mysterious Tania, is high on something that's probably not life, and wearing an unfortunate two-layer skirt I'm surprised she hasn't tripped over already.  Pedro and his chauffeur get her into the back of his SUV.

Mario says the time has come.  Fiorella has to take care of herself and her sister.  One day she'll find out some things she won't understand, but she should remember that he always loved her.  All will be revealed at the proper time.  He tells her never to lose her buen humor (good mood).  In hard times, have faith that San Biagio (Saint Blaise) will care for her.  He gives her a necklace that was her mother's and then dies.  Fiorella and Gianna cry over him.

The doctor hands Fiorella the death certificate and asks about burial plans, but Fiorella has no idea…and no money.  He's sorry, but…nope that's it.  He's sorry and he's outta there.  Fiorella tells Gianna they'll be fine.  San Biagio will take care of them.

Pedro gets Tania back to the apartment he pays for and she whines that he didn't return her calls and he doesn't love her.  She can't be getting drunk like this!  Oh, she's crazy in love with him, but I think she just drives him crazy.  She passes out and he struggles to position her so she won't fall off the couch.

Fiorella accepts that infamous express mail delivery for her father and sobs to the guy that he got there too late.  Her father, Mario, has died.  Gianna hears it's from Mexico and offers to sign for it.  Inside is a letter from Vittorio with some money and an email address.  He asks Mario to write to him and says he'll always be grateful to him.  Fiorella pulls out the check and says it's enough to bury Mario next to their mother.

Fiorella and Gianna go back inside, where Mario is still lying.  Fiorella says his friend Vittorio didn't let them down and everything is going to be fine.

There are only a few people at Mario's funeral and Fiorella tells Gianna they were taught to have faith in San Biagio and everything would be fine.  A man approaches to give them his condolences and ask them to pay two months' rent on the apartment.  At the gravesite?!  Tackiest landlord ever!  When Fiorella pulls a wad of cash out of her purse, he takes the entire thing and says this is enough for now, but he'll need her to promise to pay the rest.  Damn, that's cold!  And that was the last of their money.  Fiorella prays to San Biagio to take care of them.

Tania wakes up to find Pedro sleeping uncomfortably in a chair.  She tries to get frisky with him, but…morning hangover breath?  Nope.  Pedro says he's tried to help her for the last year, but she has no intention of quitting drinking.  Tania makes excuses and whines about how it's Pedro's fault for not taking her "seriously" or paying enough attention to her.  She wishes he was proud enough of her to take her to meet his family, but he says it's waaaaay too early for that.  She promises this time, she's going to get sober and he'll take her to Rancho Los Angeles and be so proud of her.

Fiorella sends Vittorio an email to tell him that her father died and she and Gianna are grateful for the money he sent, that allowed them to give their father a proper burial.  Vittorio replies that he's sorry and Mario was a great guy who helped him when he wanted to make his way in another country.

Tania has gone to an AA meeting now.  We know this because there's a big sign outside.  Which is not really how it works, because: Anonymous.  Pedro tells her that he's going out of town for a week, but she doesn't want him to go…she needs him!  He knows that, so he wants her to go with him.  He sees this as a reward for her showing that she's serious about her recovery.

Fiorella writes to Vittorio to tell him that Mario's pension was enough to pay for a few debts, but she can't find work and Gianna needs medicine for her heart.  Vittorio says she'll find work soon.  If she were in Mexico, he would have hired her for the restaurant already.  "Mexico?  How would I get there?"  She sends Vittorio a picture of her with Gianna being silly.

A few days later, Pedro and Tania are checking in at their hotel.

Vittorio is waxing rhapsodic about Fiorella.  I hesitate to call him a dirty old man, but I'm sure Benito will get around to it soon enough.  He's awfully cheeky for an employee.  He teases Vittorio for falling for a girl who can't even make it to Mexico to visit him.  "She asked me to send a picture"  Benito tells him to go for it!  And then she'll want nothing more to do with him.  "Funny, funny."  Benito offers to let Vittorio send a picture of him (Benito) being all young and handsome (thoughts from the patio?).  "No, I can't send her my real picture.  She'll think I'm an old man."  Benito reminds him that he is.  He suggests sending a picture of Robert Pattinson or maybe Justin Bieber.  Uh, Pattinson?  Maybe. Bieber? Hell to the no!  Vittorio wants to send a picture of himself from back when he was young and studly.  Benito approves this plan, except the picture is too old.  Vittorio says he'll just send her a current picture and when she gets to Mexico he'll court her in the best way…the Italian way!  Except he accidentally pushes a button and I think he sends the picture.

It's been two months since Mario died and Fiorella can't find a job.  She hasn't been able to get money for Gianna's medicines.  But she does get the picture of Vittorio v.1970.  Seems like she's been falling for him, too, maybe, but she doesn't think she's actually going to meet him.  She tells Gianna she's got to find a job.

Pedro extricates himself from Tania to go do work stuff.  He won't even promise her they'll have dinner together.  Tania is tempted by a waiter with a tray, but orders a non-alcoholic drink.

Pedro is waiting by a fountain, paying more attention to his phone than anything else, when Fiorella, her bicycle, a bunch of flowers, and a basket full of bread all come crashing into his oblivious self.  She, at least finds this funny.  We'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what Pedro thinks.

Labels: mivac