Chapter Sixteen – Meeting Luisa

(Music: brisk cheerful violins)

There is no sound or dialogue in this sequence of scenes.

Seiji and Shizuku walking up the hill to the antique shop. They meet Anna-Marie outside where a car is standing. They all get in and drive off.

Cut to:

A modern bungalow in the suburbs. It could almost be anywhere. Here with modern housing developments the Italian style is being slowly lost and corrupted by the influence of a more general 'Euro' style of architecture. The car pulls up.

Cut to:

Anna-Marie, Seiji and Shizuku walking to the front door. Anna-Marie rings the bell. A grey haired man opens the door and welcomes them in. Seiji and Shizuku bow. The man smiles, he is about 65 and his once good looks have faded under wrinkles and excess weight.

The door closes and we are left looking at a peaceful scene of the bungalow and its garden. A butterfly drifts past.

Cut to:

The back garden of the bungalow. A patio is roofed in by wooden beams open to the sky. A vine is growing up the side of the house, and across the wooden structure giving cool shade to the patio. There is a wooden table and chairs. An ancient lady sits centre of shot in a wheelchair. She has snow white hair drawn back from her face and a blanket over her knees. Her skin is brown and wrinkled like leather. Her eyes are small and watery. Seiji and Shizuku come into shot, Anna-Marie a little to one side. Anna-Marie says something and the lady looks at the two teenagers. They step forward and bow low. A conversation follows. The elderly lady becomes quite animated and holds out her arms. Seiji and Shizuku step closer and each holds a hand. By the time Shizuku has finished speaking the old woman pulls Seiji to her and hugs him.

Cut to:

The same garden. Later. Anna-Marie's uncle is serving coffee and pastries. The group sits around the wooden table in the shade talking animatedly. There is laughter, Seiji stands and does an impression of playing a violin. The elderly lady claps her hands together on her chest in happiness.

Cut to:

Close up of Shizuku.

Shizuku: "Madam Baroni, there is something I want to ask you."

Cut to:

Luisa in her wheelchair.

Luisa: "Certainly my dear."

The camera cuts back and forth between the speakers.

Shizuku: "The doll in the shop… well, grandpa… that is, I mean, Mr. Nishi has talked to me about it in the past. It's something he has mentioned more than once… Umm… He has a fond dream of having the two dolls together again. I mean, would it be possible for me to buy the doll from you?"
Luisa: "Buy the doll?"
Shizuku: "Yes, but I'm sorry I don't have much money."
Luisa: "My dear child, the doll is not for sale."
Shizuku: "I see. I'm sorry."
Luisa: "But she is yours."
Shizuku: "I'm sorry?"
Luisa: "The doll is yours. I'm giving her to you."
Anna-Marie: "Mother!"
Luisa: "Don't you 'mother' me with that tone Anna, the doll only hurts me now, it holds nothing but bad memories. I am going to let Shizuku send it to Shirou. He will get much more from it than I ever will now."
Anna-Marie: "But..."
Luisa: "Don't you 'but' me, either, you've been 'butting' me for far too long now. This is my decision. I'm old but I'm not senile yet."
Shizuku: "Thank you, thank you, Mr. Nishi will be overjoyed."
Luisa: "There's one condition, child."
Shizuku: "Yes?"
Luisa: "Shirou is a craftsman you say? A restorer of antiques?"
Shizuku: "Yes, he is very skilled. I saw an old clock once that he had repaired. It was like new."
Luisa: "Then you can have the doll and send it to Shirou on the condition he repairs it and makes it like new, so it and the Baron doll can be together properly."
Shizuku: "Of course! Of course! I'm sure that's what he would want too."
Luisa: "Good, that's settled then. Anna, when you go back to the shop, please give Shizuku the doll."