Patria

"SUNDAY MORNING"

Come on.

"Spots". When are they letting you out?

-Saturday. -Do you want to earn five euros?

It depends on what I have to do.

Drop a letter in the mail.

That's ten euros.

Here's one from your town.

Fuck...

He has a truck company next to the river, close to my dad's garden.

I didn't know he wasn't paying.

Bastard!

We could start with him. We know him and he's easy to locate.

First we have to see where he goes, at what time, with who and all that.

Maybe you don't like the thought.

Since he's from your town, it changes things.

What? I don't care where the enemy's from, not even if he's family.

-If we have to hit him, we hit him. -Okay.

I was in that house all the time when I was a kid.

I won't do the monitoring.

The town knows me and it would be too risky.

Start the car.

Go in and ask for Patxi. He's the waiter.

If he's not there, just leave.

-I'll wait for you here. -Okay.

-All done. -Patxi is the fucking boss.

-A fucking cool guy. -Start the car.

You can tell me on the way.

He's going to get us a flat in town.

"Hi Bittori..."

Hello?

-He wrote me a letter. -What?

Joxe Mari wrote me a letter.

Can you take me to the cemetery?

Mom, don't you see it's pouring?

I have to share some important things with dad.

Mom, please...

C'mon, will you take me or do I call a cab?

I'll go. But it'll take me an hour. I still have some patients.

-That's okay. I'll wait for you. -Ok. See you later, Mom.

There he is.

-Let's go! -Where's the nurse?

Her name is Aranzazu, Mom. She's not coming in the end.

They changed her shift at the hospital at the last minute.

-Where you taking all that? -I told her already,

-but she wouldn't listen. -How could I not bring

food to Nerea the time we go to Zaragoza?

To Nerea and the whole neighborhood.

It's not that much. Don't be so sure. Listen.

The squid I prepared last night, tomato sauce,

green beans, which, by the way,

-were 280 pesetas/kilo. -Shit.

I asked him if they "played music".

Tolosa's baked beans and some cold meats.

You should've told me sooner, I could've brought a truck.

-Is our daughter starving? -Keep your mouth shut.

-Why do I have to shut up? -Because you're not her mother.

-Wow! -And because I say so.

Mom, I think that if we show up directly at her place,

Nerea will think it's a cleaning inspection.

Being clean never killed anyone.

I know, Mom, but she has roommates

and we can't barge into her flat like we were

-a bunch of inspectors. -I didn't said that!

What if she has a visitor?

Why would she?

I told you she knows we're all going until Thursday.

Maybe I wasn't clear enough. I mean an "intimate" visitor.

What intimate visitor? Are you dumb? I just told you...

-C'mon, c'mon. -Stop messing around with me.

Put the radio on.

Mom...

-Hello. -Hi.

Hello. Can you fill it up, please?

-Want some coffee? -No, I'm fine.

-Fill it up? -Yes, please.

Somebody stuck chicken livers in our mailbox on Friday.

It was disgusting, and stinky.

Mom doesn't want you to know so you won't worry.

If I could, I'd force you to leave town. Today.

-On our way back from Zaragoza. -But you can't.

They won't take me down.

It's the townspeople, who else? Kids.

But if I catch one, he'll have a story to tell the rest.

Dad,

why don't you bring the company here?

Look at these fields, so peaceful.

The highway's close, you'd be in the Basque Country in no time.

-Why not? -Isn't it all a bit dry?

But you can breathe here.

There's also air, employees and mechanics in our town.

And drivers. I don't know anyone here.

I won't bother you anymore.

If something serious were to happen to you or mom

-I'd never forgive myself. -Don't be a fatalist.

Your mother was right. I shouldn't have told you.

You can pay inside.

I'll go pay.

Hi guys.

Good morning. You're Patxi's friends, right?

-Yes. -The house is close by. Come in.

The guy who lent us the room is at the target's company.

-What's his name? -Andoni.

He's a troublemaker from the pro-independence union.

This is the bedroom. It isn't very big.

It's more than enough. But I need the keys to the flat.

Take these.

-I'll show you the flat. -What else can you say about him?

He doesn't have a fixed schedule. You know he's the boss.

He'll start and finish whenever he feels like it.

But he always takes the car: a red Renault 21,

San Sebastian license plate 2711-CF.

Patxi, from Bar Arrano, has paved the way for a while.

No one in town will do anything for him right now.

Andoni says he wakes up freaking early.

At 1 to 1:30 he goes home for lunch.

-Around 3:30 pm he goes back to work. -Andoni knows everything.

He can't stand him. He'd kill him himself if we let him.

The fight isn't about that or destroying whoever we dislike.

If it were, I'd shoot down Andoni right now. I can't stand him.

Okay, don't get upset. Let Patxo explain.

We can get him when he comes in or out of his house.

The first thing he does is cross over to the garage.

I know that. I've been in it a thousand times.

Shut the fuck up!

On the bridge he'd be an easy target. He has no way out.

It'd be super easy to kidnap him.

Yes, but we need infrastructure. Where do we put him?

And Txato would recognize me with his eyes closed.

He knows my voice. Forget it.

I didn't say we would do it, only it would be easy to.

Then explain yourself better.

We have to hit him when he comes from or goes to work.

He hasn't missed a day of all of the days I've followed him.

I don't know, I think...

-What? -It's very easy, Joxe Mari.

We do it and leave without trouble. What else do you want?

I see the rain. You won't guess what comes to mind.

That it's raining like the day dad was killed.

How did you guess?

-Are you sure you don't want company? -No.

Then I'll wait for you here.

As you wish, but it'll take me at least half an hour.

I'm finally here. You wouldn't believe how hard it was.

It rains like the day you were killed.

Strange how the mind works, how the memories come and go.

I was listening to the radio this morning,

they were talking about the football match and so...

Do you know what I've been thinking about all day?

About when we all went to Zaragoza to visit Nerea.

Do you remember?

That was the last time the four of us were together.

I'll buzz you in.

Hi.

Coming!

-Good morning. -Hi.

-Hi, Mom. -Hi.

-You can leave the bags there. -Hi love.

I'll show you the flat.

Watch out, 'cause they'll check if it's clean or not.

-Here we go. -I'll show you my room.

I think I liked the other one better.

-Yeah, this one's closer to campus. -I guess.

This is my room.

It's really nice.

-You know how to pick, sis. -Where are your roommates?

Not here. They see their parents some weekends.

Just like you do.

I'll show you the rest of the flat.

The living room is here to the right.

The only snag is the old TV, sometimes it doesn't work well.

Good, less distractions then.

-If you ever need anything, you know. -Always the same.

-You're being repetitive. -Don't listen to her, Dad. Thank you.

I'll show you the kitchen. It's awesome.

Okay. Come in.

This way.

What?

We should find a place to eat.

-Yes, we should. -The game's at 5 pm.

Wait a moment, it's not even 12:30 yet.

I want to swing by Pilar's Cathedral to pray.

Of course, "sister Bittori".

Is that the miraculous one, Mom?

No, that one's the French one, Lourdes.

-What's this one do? -What a question.

-She's also miraculous, but less. -Like little miracles?

-Don't be silly. -You had it coming.

"Little miracles" sounds good. Little miracles.

-Dad... -Ask someone.

Even though you picked on me, I went in and prayed to the Virgin.

What are the odds,

if someone had told me that just a few days later,

at the sight of you in your coffin,

my faith would explode like that, just like a soap bubble,

it's unbelievable.

Oh boy! I'll get to the point. I have news today.

Obey and you'll be fine.

Get out.

You'll untie yourself easily.