Caray, Caray!

The episode opens at Adolfo's funeral. It is pouring rain, Jacinta stands alone at the grave surrounded by flowers from the local families, Remedios in a white plastic rain poncho walks out with an umbrella to protect Jacinta as she cries by the grave. Only Jacinta, Remedios and two employees from the hacienda are present. Either nobody came to the funeral (my vote) or the scene is post-funeral.

Magda is sleeping as Veronica (Me, myself and I) enters with her dolls ... Me, myself or I scolds, "I have to fix what you did, only you would think of stealing Jacaranda's ring." "She deserved it. She’s a witch." "It's all because of that stupid Veronica. If Jacaranda discovers that you put her ring in the doll we'll really be going to the fair (we'll be in deep doo-doo)." "I don’t want her to lock us in the closet or to beat us again. (Looks at ring.) What are you going to do?" "Give it back to her? No! She would know we lied. I’m going to put it where she’ll never find it." Drops it into toilet. My precious...

Maite say Magda looks better. This will soon change as Maite spies Adolfo's obit in the paper. She tries to hide it but Magda, seeing the shocked look on Maite's face grabs it, reads it and breaks into tears.

Manola has made another happy trip to Ensenada, this time to share the local newspaper with Unibrow. First the news of Adolfo's death: He can't believe it. He wants to speak to Gustavo to find out the details. He regrets what happened to Adolfo, and in spite of all that happened he forgives him. God is the one in charge of judgment. But Manola's not done yet. There's just one more thing... she shows him the article and picture of Maite getting busted in the brothel. He doesn't believe it's true and he doesn't wish to discuss Maite with Manola.

The whores console Magda, she can't believe Adolfo is dead. He is the only man she has ever loved. Maite tries to console her. Magda says she will never be happy again.

Victor is back from Turkey. He asks Maite why she feels guilty about Adolfo's death, it was an accident. She says if she hadn't allowed him to think she was working as a whore in the brothel things might have been different. Victor tells her she can't know that. Adolfo's accident might have been due to a mechanical failure. The most important thing now is for Maite to get her daughter back. Maite agrees, without Adolfo Valeria is doomed to be by Jacinta's side. (If only she knew what a dud dad Adolfo was.) Victor teases her; he's irritated because she didn't tell him she was arrested. Maite tells him he was preoccupied with his mom's illness, and anyway why did he come back so soon? He says he told his mom about her and she’s dying to meet Maite. They snuggle. He teases her about them being "together." She laughs. Then he says he spoke to his mother many years ago. She knows what he is and she accepts him. (So I guess he’s gay? Did we already know this?) Maite says why wouldn't his mom accept him, she has every reason to be proud of a son like him. Victor says Maite's daughter will be proud to have her as a mother. Then he gives her a necklace, I guess it was her mother's necklace that she had to pawn? He managed to buy it back from the pawn shop, and what better time to wear it than on the day she goes to retrieve her daughter. They plan to get Valeria when she leaves school...

Maite sees Valeria in the schoolyard. She tries to approach her but a guard stops her. Maite demands to know why and she wants to speak to the director. What a surprise, Jacinta is in the director’s office and tells Maite she cannot see her daughter and that a judge has determined she can't have Valeria due to her immoral conduct. She has lost all rights to her daughter.

Unibrow can't understand why Manola is showing him the article about Maite. Displaying a stunning lack of logic, Manola replies "Because once and for all you should forget about her." Unibrow accuses her of just trying to bother him. He says she is beautiful and attractive, the dream of any man, but she is wasting her time with him. "Perhaps not," she replies, "I've always liked you. Nobody needs to know..." The poor schmuck tries the "but Nutria is pregnant" line. So Manola turns it into a "Congratulations" kiss, a long, disgusting one. "What good is love?" she asks. "You saw how the love of your life ended up." Another kiss. FUG (Unibrow's friend Dionisius aka Fat Ugly Guy) catches them just as they finish their kiss. Then Nutria and the boys show up. Two-faced Manola congratulates Nutria on her happy news. For some reason Unibrow insists on having Manola to lunch. FUG disapproves.

Back at Valeria's school Maite says it's a lie! She works in a restaurant and leads a good life, a life she has been building for her daughter. Why does Jacinta continue treating her like this? Jacinta says she blames Maite for Adolfo's death. It happened the same day he went to Mexico City to find Maite and sources report he was a crazy man when he got into his car. Maite screams it's not her fault. Jacinta asks Maite who in the hell does she think she is? She's an insignificant waitress who thought she could be a Vallodolid. Maite will pay for her sins because there is a divine justice that nobody can escape. (Jacinto should be very afraid if she believes this.) She's going to make sure that Valeria finds out not only did her mother kill her father, but also what sort of woman Maite is. She shows Maite her picture in the paper and the article reporting she's a whore. Maite is dragged off screaming. She runs to Victor's arms and he tries to convince her not to give up.

Back at the hacienda, the two little girls come home from school and run to Remedios to brag about their academic exploits. Jacinta paces angrily in the background. When they scamper off the wash their hands for snack time she screams at them not to run, she's told them a thousand times not to act like savages. Remedios asks Jacinta what's eating her. "Adolfo's assassin showed up at the school and tried to get her daughter."

Nutria has prepared lunch, it's the Unibrow family with guests FUG and Manola. She says she has found out about the vineyard situation at the Valladolid Hacienda through Teodoro who works there. All is not well and it has gone from bad to worse. Many people are selling their vineyards cheaply because they can't afford to maintain them. FUG says the vineyards are "going down with the train,"i.e. will be lost unless something is done. This makes the price of grapes go down. But it's also a good time to buy land. Manola is interested that Unibrow might be coming back to Aguascalientes. Unibrow says he wouldn't mind having a little ranch. The love of the earth is a good legacy to bequeath to one's children. Manola say Gustavo is always saying the same thing. FUG says Unibrow should get some land, vineyards are healthy there, it's an excellent zone for grape cultivation, but Unibrow isn't sure he wants to go to Aguascalientes. FUG is talking about forming some sort of cooperative? Manola says Gustavo is president of something-or-other and can help them get started. Uni will think about it.

Victor and Maite go to the Hacienda to see Remedios who doesn't want to talk to Maite. She asks if Victor is her boyfriend and snidely comments "but of course you must have many boyfriends." Maite explains to Remedios what happened at the brothel, she's not a whore, she was just delivering a birthday cake to a little girl. Remedios cannot be swayed, she's not sure she believes Maite and she's beginning to think that perhaps the hacienda is the best place for Valeria after all.

Jacinta is in a funk and Federico, teary-eyed, is trying to console her. She says that Adolfo was respected at the ranch and will be remembered as the last remaining Valladolid heir. Federico says the worst pain is that Adolfo died without leaving a grandson to carry on the family ancestry. "And all because of that waitress he could never forget," snarls Jacinta, "who, by the way, appeared at Valeria's school today to take her away." Federico is shocked. Jacinta said she suspected such a thing might occur so she was ready for her. Luckily Valeria didn't see her mother. Federico agrees that Maite has no right to see Valeria, especially since she caused Adolfo's death. (Is he really starting to believe this???) Day after day Adolfo suffered because of her. He hates what she has done to Jacinta, to such a good woman, and so pious. Jacinta will never forgive Maite for causing the death of the only Valladolid heir. Federico says who knows, maybe Adolfo has had an heir by visiting a brothel? He kneels at her feet, says she can count on him in any capacity. He hopes she will forgive his audacity, but he has always viewed her as a second mother. She says she will find tranquility in the thought that if she can't have her own son she has Federico. She can count on him. That thing about busting Maite in the brothel worked out excellently. Her lawyer assures her that she will have full custody of Valeria. To be safe she intends to send her to Canada when she gets out of kiddie school. She holds Federico's hand and he gets all teary-eyed.

Ensenada: while the guys are fixing Nutria's car Manola spreads the gossip about Maite. She tells Nutria that at first Unibrow didn't believe it but now he is worried about Maite. She says she brought the newspaper to try to help Nutria. Manola tries to tell Nutria the history between Unibrow, Adolfo, how she was engaged to Adolfo and how "that woman" wrecked it. Nutria, apparently not big on gossip says she's heard it all before, and anyway, isn't Manola happily married with Gustavo? Isn't it absurd for Manola to keep bringing up Unibrow's relations with his ex who left him over seven years ago? Manola insists that Unibrow is still in love with Maite, she's sorry (NOT) but that's the way it is. Maite always was "una fichita", a nasty piece of work, who had to behave herself in the pueblo, but in the big city with nobody to watch her she became her true self. Nutria better be very careful in case Maite comes looking for adventure! (Funny, coming from her.) Nutria doesn't believe it, she trusts her husband, they have a nice family and she won't lose confidence in him, especially now that she is expecting. By the way, she is very annoyed that Manola has come to Ensenada to bother them with more news about Uni's EX-girlfriend. They get a little bitchy with each other, and Manola tells Nutria that getting preggers is the best weapon for winning the respect of any husband. Nutria says it's time for Manola to go.

Outside the guys are working on Nutria's car. The problem was only a loose battery cable so she is good to go to her Dr's appt. and they can take the other car to visit Don Benito's ranch (to tend to his sick colt?). The kids want to go with FUG and Unibrow. Manola says she has to go to meet her kid Rodrigo back in Aguascalientes so she leaves. For some reason FUG and Unibrow think it's fine to leave the hood open because "who would steal an engine around here?" They go into the house and Manola sneaks back to disconnect the brake fluid line.

At the Hacienda Valeria is sad. She still can't believe her papa is dead. She hopes papa knows she still loves him even though he's up in heaven. She asks Remedios why her abuela says her mama is bad. Remedios says her mama's not bad, it's just that Jacinta is worried about Valeria. Jacinta loves Valeria, she's just stern and carries a big stick so Valeria needs to study hard and be a good girl. Valeria asks will she meet her mother one day. Remedios says "of course, if it's God's will, of course."

Jacinta is back in the chapel and having a one-on-one with God. "First there was you, the only love of my life, then you gave me don Pedro. I had to be strong, very strong. And I managed to advance his property to my son, my Adolfo. Now he's dead and I am alone, without anyone. What's missing here is the presence of a man, a Valladolid. It's the first time since I came to live here that there has not been a Valladolid in this house." Enter Federico, rain dripping from his hat.

Ensenada: Nutria sees the men off, telling them to be careful. Unibrow says he loves her, "quiero", not "amo". All of a sudden his parents show up, they are looking for a ride to Reina's place. Nutria volunteers to take them because Reina lives close to her doctor. Things are not looking good for Unibrow's family.

Back at the hacienda we have YET ANOTHER conversation between Jacinta and Federico, the creepiest yet. He wishes he could ease her pain, he'll do anything for her, Adolfo was like a brother to him, how could his mother be such an ingrate after all Jacinta has done for them, oh the pain it causes him. Jacinta says she appreciates those who are faithful to her. He kneels (again!!) at her feet and says "I am only an employee and of course no substitute for your son, but nothing would make me happier than to have a place in your heart." He weeps. She pats his face and calls him son.

Nutria and her in-laws are in the car speeding along the road. Ahead of them a man gets a flat tire and his car is parked in the middle of road. (What? He can't pull off to the side?) Nutria's breaks don't work, she pumps and pumps, they still don't work. She screams! The car does a double endo and lands upside down, crushed and smoking.

P.S. Thanks Jean for your technical assistance.

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