My Dearest Señorita (Mi querida señorita)

- -

- Did it hurt her? -What?

No. Not at all.

She never cries. She doesn’t even wake up when I change her. Hm?

You know, it doesn’t hurt her.

It hurts you though.

You’re ashamed of her.

My daughter…

PAMPLONA, NOVEMBER 1973

Mmm. You’re so beautiful.

- -

If you helped me give her a bath and held her in your arms,

you’d be over this nonsense.

Look at her. Look.

She’s such a darling.

I don’t want her like theirs.

You don’t know what their lives were like.

It’s been 40 years since you’ve seen either of them.

What do you know about anyone’s life?

But I know what her life will be like.

Wherever her mother is, she’ll have her home.

What are we going to do?

We’ll follow the doctor’s recommendations

as soon as we can.

She’ll never know about it.

No one will ever know.

She’ll have a normal life. Perfectly normal.

You’re going to stop being so squeamish.

You’re going to love your daughter and start behaving like a real father.

Will you be able to do that?

I already love her.

And I’ll do whatever I have to.

I’ll do anything for you, my love.

Your mother will always be here for you.

Always…

MY DEAREST SEÑORITA

-Hello, Miss! -Hi, Miss!

Hey!

DE JUAN ANTIQUE SHOP

PAMPLONA, DECEMBER 1999

“Our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain.”

This means that if Christ hasn’t really risen from the dead,

the Church must remain silent.

Yes, Javier?

But, miss, is clapping for the Pope considered a sin?

- -Not at all, my dear.

But it’s not what we mean by the fourth commandment, either.

So it’s okay if I clap when I see him on TV?

-’Cause I like him a lot. -

Yes, clap as much as you feel like, Javier.

But you’re not obliged to.

Keep in mind that the commandments are obligations for all of us Catholics.

Okay, I was worried.

-Thank you very much, miss. -

Well, you don’t need to worry and we’re at the end of class.

Remember to practice your parts for the carols.

The show is soon.

-And leave the room tidy, please. - Bye, miss!

We have breaking news on the Wanninkhof case.

In an exclusive interview with a reporter from this station,

family members maintain that whoever killed the 19-year-old girl

must have been someone close to the victim.

Yeah, they say it’s the mother’s best friend,

the one with short hair and a face like a pitbull.

Grandma, that’s just people gossiping.

-Hm. -How can you say that?

Well, I’m not saying she’s guilty for sure,

but she’s making things worse for herself, isn’t she?

That frown she always puts on her face, it makes your blood run cold.

And she’s not very ladylike.

But Grandma, couldn’t you say the same about me?

I’m not exactly the most ladylike person either.

That family is already suffering enough

without having to worry about a killer living with them.

There’s no way you look like that woman. Come on!

I’ve never heard such a load of nonsense.

You have such a nice clean face, the face of an angel.

So that’s it!

We’re just supposed to send all the ugly, unfriendly, unladylike women to jail.

-Is that it? -

-Until we run out of-- Ah! -

Grandma? Grandma? Grandma?

Grandma?

Hold on, I’m coming.

Adela, sweetie… What happened?

-Grandma, don’t move, okay? I’ll get help. -

Just great. And it had to be you, didn’t it, Adela?

-Here we are. -I’m sorry.

For God’s sake, look at my car! You pushed me right onto the sidewalk!

-I’m really sorry, I-- -Snap out of it!

Look at my car. You see that?

You see the damage you caused?

I’m terribly sorry, Begoña, I got distracted talking to my grandma.

Your grandma’s with you in the car? Are you serious?

I’m gonna call my brother because I’m a nervous wreck now.

-Thanks to you! -Hello.

We’ve just had an accident.

On Duque de Ahumada, close to Cortes de Navarra.

An elderly lady.

Please come quickly.

Hello? Can you hear me?

Are you okay?

Yes, I’m fine. Is my grandmother okay?

Don’t worry, we’re looking after her now.

Let me take a look at you.

I said I’m fine! Leave me alone, please.

You won’t let me check you, so it’s your responsibility

if there’s anything wrong, okay?

Grandma?

The police will take me to the hospital right behind the ambulance, okay?

-I’ll be there with you. -Yes, dear. Yes. Yes.

Don’t worry, Adelina, I’ll go with your granddaughter.

FLEUR JAEGGY SWEET DAYS OF DISCIPLINE

Attention please, paging Dr. Gonzales.

You are needed in the surgical ward, unit 4.

I didn’t know you were back.

Since September.

I know I should have come by to say hello,

but I’ve been practically buried alive.

My father is giving me control of the company

and I’ve been trying to catch up.

So you’re not going back to London?

I would have stayed in a heartbeat.

But I always knew it would turn out like this.

I was hoping that my father, the workaholic,

would put off retiring, or not retire at all.

But no.

How was your life there?

-Were you happy? -

Yes.

It’s a city that goes on forever.

Not to say anything against Pamplona or the life we have here,

but the truth is our Pamplona, your world and mine,

is very small.

We don’t see more than ten streets and a hundred people.

And then, of course, you get to London,

and the world is enormous.

Then you have to come back.

Then you have to come back.

All right, Adelina, make sure you do what the doctor told you.

Go for walks, but slowly,

and always have someone with you.

Oh, my granddaughter!

Oh, I see. She’s so tall and pretty.

Well, then, off you go with her.

Where have you been?

Good evening.

Did Grandma get back okay?

I asked you where you were, Adela.

I decided to walk back.

And you just left your grandma?

Dad, everything’s fine. I was a little agitated and wanted to get some air.

It’s no big deal.

You young people think you can do whatever you want, take no responsibility.

-You don’t worry at all. - Adela, your father is right.

The responsible thing was for you to come straight home.

I just took a little walk. I’m sorry.

There’s some dinner ready. Heat it up for yourself.

And let’s not dwell on this. What’s done is done.

…emergency committees have been set up for every local branch

of the federal government and every public sector office,

but we must approach the dreaded prospect of the Y2K bug calmly.

The most important thing is not to panic.

Hey, they’re ringing the doorbell. Can someone get it?

Hi there, I’m Isabel Goñi, the physiotherapist.

I’m here to see Adelina Arrán.

-Yes, this is… This is it. Come in. -May I?

Okay.

God, this gets heavier every day. Like hauling a corpse around.

- -

-And you are? -Adela, I’m sorry.

-Nice to meet you. -

It’s that way.

Down there? Let me just…

Sorry it took us so long to come to the door.

No, don’t worry about it.

And my coat? Where do I leave it?

- I’ll put it here for you. -Here?

I’m Isabel. Pleased to meet you.

- -Yes.

-Come this way, if you’d be so kind. -Sure, I’ll just take this off.

Sweetie, could you grab my bag from the floor there, please?

Adelina, here’s the physiotherapist. Her name is Isabel.

Oh my goodness, Adelina, you’re still in bed?

As soon as I’m done setting up the table, we’ll get you out of there.

Because it’s not good to be lying down all day.

I should think I ought to rest after the accident.

I’m 88 years old, dear.

Well, that’s exactly my point.

If the doctor didn’t tell you to stay in bed, don’t do it.

Our bodies are very lazy, they like to do nothing.

Oh…