Mal negocio para los bandidos

[Michael30000]

Hola a todos,

In a scene in the movie Carne de horca, Juan Pablo loses a large sum of money at cards and comes back home.

- Juan Pablo, otra vez que pienses estar varios días fuera de casa avísalo.
- Palabra que pensaba hacerlo pero cuando quise darme cuenta...
- Ahórrate las disculpas puesto que te consideras dueño de tus actos. Ahora bien. Yo soy dueño de mi dinero no volverás a recibir ni un céntimo más.
- Aunque prometiera solemnemente...
- Incluso aunque cumplieras la promesa. Te aseguro Juan Pablo que si alguna vez cambias de vida no será por dinero sino por falta de de él.

- Hombre Juan Pablo. Me había dicho tu padre que no estabas aquí.
- Acabo de llegar.
- Aunque conoce poco la Biblia Juan Pablo practica como nadie uno de sus pasajes: La vuelta del hijo pródigo.
- Ahora bromeas, pero antes temías que le hubiera ocurrido lo que a mí.
- ¿Que le ha ocurrido Don Félix?
- Algo espantoso. Me ha tenido secuestrado la cuadrilla del Lucero que ahora merodea por estos contornos.
- Mal negocio para los bandidos y había yo de pagar el rescate de mi hijo.

I must admit I'm not sure what Juan Pablo's father means when he says "Mal negocio para los bandidos y había yo de pagar el rescate de mi hijo."

Bad deal (bad business/things will be bad) for the bandits and I had to pay a ransom for my son?

Does Juan Pablo's father mean that the bandits won't be happy if they kidnap my son?

What is also seems strange to me is the use of indicativo (y había yo de pagar el rescate) - the father talks about a hypothetical situation so what's the reason for using "había"?

https://my.mail.ru/ok/571130741592/video/10/413.html

The scene in question starts at 12.10.

Thank you.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

You're right.
Juan Pablo's father doesn't think highly of his son, so he thinks the gang would have bad luck to have him near. And on top of that, he would have to pay the ransom, so it would be a bad deal for the gang, who would be unlucky meeting Juan Pablo, and bad deal for the father, who would have to pay to get a son who costs him money all the time.

"Haber de (hacer algo)" is like "tener que (hacer algo)" or "deber de (hacer algo)", but it's a bit archaic as usage of the verb "haber".

"Había yo de", means "I would have had the obligation to (do something)".
My grandmother still says things like: "Has de lavar bien el arroz" (You must rinse well the rice), or "Habías de salir a tomar el sol" (You should go out and get some sun).
I might have said: "Y encima, habría tenido yo que pagar el rescate".

[aleCcowaN]

Mal negocio para los bandidos si había yo de pagar el rescate de mi hijo.

In addition to the way the verb haber is used here, already explained by Angélica, I would add that his father sarcastically comments what meager benefit the bandits would get if the father pays what he thinks his son is worth at the moment.

The use of imperfect (indicative) creates a parallel between what Don Félix just experienced and the hypothetical kidnapping of the "prodigal" son.

si había yo de pagar el rescate de mi hijo = (had my son been kidnapped and) were to be me the one who pays his ransom

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

You're right.
Juan Pablo's father doesn't think highly of his son, so he thinks the gang would have bad luck to have him near. And on top of that, he would have to pay the ransom, so it would be a bad deal for the gang, who would be unlucky meeting Juan Pablo, and bad deal for the father, who would have to pay to get a son who costs him money all the time.

"Haber de (hacer algo)" is like "tener que (hacer algo)" or "deber de (hacer algo)", but it's a bit archaic as usage of the verb "haber".

"Había yo de", means "I would have had the obligation to (do something)".
My grandmother still says things like: "Has de lavar bien el arroz" (You must rinse well the rice), or "Habías de salir a tomar el sol" (You should go out and get some sun).
I might have said: "Y encima, habría tenido yo que pagar el rescate".

Thank you very much, Angelica.

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Mal negocio para los bandidos si había yo de pagar el rescate de mi hijo.

In addition to the way the verb haber is used here, already explained by Angélica, I would add that his father sarcastically comments what meager benefit the bandits would get if the father pays what he thinks his son is worth at the moment.

The use of imperfect (indicative) creates a parallel between what Don Félix just experienced and the hypothetical kidnapping of the "prodigal" son.

si había yo de pagar el rescate de mi hijo = (had my son been kidnapped and) were to be me the one who pays his ransom

Thank you very much, aleC.