Caray, Caray!

Alina and Luba, nursing the unconscious Emilio, were startled by a knock. It was only Vera. Luba asked her to put some powder in Thelma's tea. Vera was afraid to do it but finally agreed.

She took the tea to Thelma, who whined because there was no honey in it, then went to sleep. (Luba drugged her so she wouldn't go to Emilio's room during the night and discover Alina there.)

Vera went outside and saw Thelma's Aunt Rebeca sneakily discarding Thelma's red dress in a trash can. When Rebeca was gone, Vera retrieved the dress and decided to keep it, saying, "All the women will envy me."

Orlando went into Emilio's room, startling Alina so much that she broke a glass. Orlando assured her, "I've always respected you," and promised not to tell anyone she was there. "I don't want Thelma to humiliate you. Count on me for whatever you need. This will be our secret."

Jose got drunk and told Felicia, "You make me feel much better." He said he wanted to go to sleep, but Felicia kissed him. Of course, since this is a telenovela, Jose immediately hallucinated that he was kissing Mariana. He said, "Mi amor, it is you!" and started taking off Felicia's clothes.

The next day, Jose was upset and told Arcadio he hadn't meant for it to happen. Arcadio just laughed and said, "You are a man," that Mariana would never know.

Santos's mother, Carmen, told him he should stay far away from Maximo. Santos said he wanted to be near Rosita and would kill Maximo if he bothered her. Later Carmen told her friend Chela she was afraid Maximo and Santos would kill each other.

Thelma woke up from her drugged sleep and told Vera she would go see Emilio after she bathed. Vera raced to Emilio's room and warned Alina that Thelma was on her way.

Before leaving, Alina told Emilio, "I love you." To her surprise, he mumbled, "I love you too, Flor." Alina exclaimed to Luba, "Did you hear him? Emilio, open your eyes!" Luba had to drag her out of the room.

Then somehow Luba disappeared and Alina was alone in the hallway with Donkey/Tonqui/Don Quixote or whatever that dog is named. Hearing Thelma approach, she slipped behind a door to hide, leaving Tawnkee in the hall. It turned out she was in Angel's bedroom. He saw her but didn't say anything.

Thelma found the dog and went into Angel's room to ask, "Whose dog is this?" She didn't notice Alina standing behind her, plastered against the wall. Angel said it was Flor's dog and he would take care of it. Thelma snapped, "I don't like animals! I hate animals!" and left the room, leaving Dahnkey behind.

Angel told Alina he knew about everything (Emilio's illness, her almost-marriage to Emilio, etc.) He asked, "Do you think Emilio is going to be OK?" Alina admitted, "I don't know."

She said she loved Emilio with all her soul, then apologized to Angel for saying it. He said, "Don't worry about me," adding that he knew women like strong, macho men like Emilio.

After Alina left, Susi came into Angel's room wearing a tight white outfit. She said, "You look very sad." Angel replied, "How difficult it is to love a woman who loves someone else."

Thelma and Rebeca visited Emilio and heard him mutter, "Flor, I love you too." Thelma said, "Emilio, my love, it's me, Thelma." Emilio muttered, "I don't want to marry Thelma, no no."

Meanwhile, at Marianita's school: Marianita's friend Juanito was singing to cheer her up when she suddenly passed out.

Mariana visited Marianita in the hospital. Her doctor admirer (I'll call him Dr. Love) explained that Marianita was having a reaction to chemotherapy. Mariana said despairingly, "I've spent years listening to the same. The cancer keeps coming back. By God, what do I have to do?"

Back at Don Loco's hacienda, Adela told the suddenly-awake Soledad that Alina was alive. Soledad diagnosed, "Alvaro is loco," and Adela agreed. Soledad said she was glad that Alvaro thought she was loco, too. "I want him to suffer the way I've suffered. Will you help me?" Adela said, "Si, Señito."

(Wouldn't it be smarter for Soledad to try to escape from Don Loco's evil clutches? After all, Adela has the house keys... but I guess sticking around and pretending to be insane is a good plan, too.)

Later Soledad prayed for Alina's safety, saying, "I'm not important. What matters is that she is all right."

After learning from her father that Rosita was at home, Maximo went there and found her dancing while she swept the floor. He said, "Dancing and hard-working!" Rosita told him her father was at the hacienda. Maximo said he'd come to see her.

Meanwhile, Carmen was telling her friend Chela about her bad memories of Maximo. "Maximo was enamored of me. I did not want to give myself. I wanted to marry the good one, but this man no longer wanted to make me his."

In a flashback, she remembered waking up one night and hearing Maximo shouting outside her house, "Carmen, open this damn door! I found out you're seeing another man!" He broke into the house and shouted something like, "I wanted to do good for you, you didn't want it, now I'm going to do bad!" then raped her violently.

Remembering this, Carmen told Chela, "He is a bad man," that he lashed and kicked her when he found out she was pregnant. "And now my son is going to confront him. He's capable of doing harm to his own son." Chela said she should try to forget the past. Carmen said, "How can I forget? He marked me for life."

Back at Rosita's house, Maximo was telling Rosita that he loved her in a good way and wouldn't hurt her. Rosita protested, "I have a boyfriend and we love each other." Maximo sneered, "You love this starving Santos?" Rosita said yes, and Maximo grabbed her violently, yelling, "Then you are an idiot!"

Santos burst in, yelling, "Let go of her!" He said he was there to defend Rosita. Maximos laughed and said, "Defend her? You couldn't defend her from me." He left, cackling evilly and repeating, "Defend her! Hahaha!"

Later Maximo's good-looking minion Castulo offered to make Santos disappear forever. Maximo said not yet because if anything happened to Santos, suspicion would fall on him, so they would wait a little while.

Dr. Vasquez told Thelma that Emilio was much better, thanks to Luba's magical herbs. "This woman knows a lot." Later the doctor told Angel not to let Emilio know he was married to Thelma because that news could kill Emilio.

At the cave: Luba told Alina not to trust Emilio, all men were liars, etc. She reminded Alina that Emilio was married to "la tal Thelma" and she was pregnant. Gaspar, who had been napping, jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "I'm going to have a child?"

Luba snapped, "What stupid thing are you saying? Did you hear that, Flor?" Seeing the steam coming out of Luba's ears, Alina hastily left the cave, saying she was going to look for roots.

Gaspar asked Luba if simpletons' children were also simpletons. "Am I also going to have idiot children?" Luba shrieked, "Why the hell are you asking me that?" Gaspar said, "Tell me. Is my child also going to have a blow to the head?"

Pacing, throwing things, and screaming (very loudly) Luba said his children wouldn't be idiots, "You are a normal boy," and insisted that he wasn't going to have a child. Gaspar insisted, "I know it, I know it."

Luba demanded, "What is it you know?" and Gaspar said, "Senora Thelma is the little doll from the Devil's Cave. Her child is my child, Mama!"

Luba's mouth fell open. She knocked something over, breathing heavily and looking terrified, and said "No, it can't be." Gaspar said, "Si, Mama, si si." Luba roared, "I want you to tell me everything!" Gaspar said he tried to tell her before but she wouldn't listen. Luba hollered, "Now I am listening! Go ahead! Tell me!"

Gaspar told her about the Devil's Cave and his little doll. He finished, "And when I had her in my arms, my little doll said --" Luba interrupted, "Quiet! You don't have to tell me that!" She demanded, "Are you sure the little doll from the Devil's Cave is la tal Thelma?"

Gaspar said, "I know how to recognize. I recognize Florecita; Tonqui; you, Mama. I know who is who. She is the little doll, Senora Thelma is."

Luba said, "I tell you to be quiet!" It wasn't directly shown but apparently she slapped him. She snarled, "Don't repeat that! You're not going to tell anyone, do you hear? No one, because I'll kill you!"

Then she totally freaked out, kicking things and screeching, "I can't believe it, that you do this to me, I can't believe it, Gaspar!" Gaspar wisely chose to hide behind a piece of furniture.

(Luba was really spitting nails in this scene -- Don Loco would be proud. I know there's a lot of scenery-chewing in telenovelas, but I think Luba broke new ground. Along with a few vocal chords!)

Gasping and crying, she went to her picture of the Virgin Mary and said, "Forgive me, Mother." She hit herself on the head, saying, "It isn't fair, it isn't fair. I am a mother... Oh, what's happening to me? The hand burns me." (Because she hit Gaspar.)

She pulled herself together, wiped away her tears, and held out her hand to the cowering Gaspar, saying, "Gaspar, son. Come, sit down." Gaspar obeyed.

Luba knelt beside him and said, "Son, look me in the eyes. You are all that I have. I gave life to you." She said it hurt her to see him suffer, that he was a good man, and her hand burned because she had slapped his face. "I want you to know your mother Luba will defend you because you are more important to me than my life. Do you forgive me?"

Gaspar said, "Mami, Mama. I love you, Mamita," and they hugged, both crying. I think this was the best scene of the show so far.

polvos = powders
acomodo = job, arrangement
hacendosa = hard-working
fuetazo = lash
patadas= kicks
gallito = braggart
atolondrar = to confuse
raices = roots
cortina = curtain
vientre = belly, abdomen

(A question: Can someone explain why Adela always calls Soledad "señito"? It's not in my dictionary.)

Labels: duelo