Caray, Caray!

Filthy Flor/Alina thanks and hugs Gaspar. The camera can barely see around his bulging triceps as Flor waves goodbye and begins her journey to San Mateo.


Emilio tells Orlando that when he went to look for Flor he was horrified to find Thelma instead, and Thelma told him that she married him in "articulo de muerte" (on the deathbed). In reality it was an "articulo de traición," an article of betrayal, a betrayal by Orlando, Thelma, Flor, by all of them. Orlando says Emilio is disrespecting Thelma, she is carrying his child. Emilio insists that Thelma was always interested in him but their relationship was never serious. She is using the child to ensnare him because she couldn't get him on her own. Maybe she's not lying about the child but he wishes it could be different. She's not the woman he wanted to marry or have a child with. The only one he has ever wanted has disappeared.

Sergio takes Don Loco (who is wearing a cowboy-shaped rain cap over his cowboy hat) to the bog where Flor was trapped. Don Loco thinks Flor has perished so he slugs Sergio and aims his pistol at him. Sergio begs for his life and sinks to his knees where he sees footprints. "The idiot Gaspar must have rescued her," he says hopefully. We now see that Sergio has been holding his rifle the whole time. What a wimp. How unfortunate for us that Don Loco and Sergio didn't shoot each other when they had the chance.


Blanca, who is having a very bad hair day, tells Elias that Don Loco has hidden Alina/Flor in a cave somewhere. Blanca couldn't get more details because everybody is afraid of Don Loco. For some reason they decide Soledad is the only one who can help them find Alina and off they go. Maybe Adela can help Blanca with her hair during the visit.

Luba is cleaning cobwebs off the ceiling of the cave with a big stick when a furious Don Loco enters, whacks her with his riding crop and demands to know how Flor could have escaped yet again. Thanks to Gaspar helping her escape she has fallen into the bog and can't be found. Luba is impactada.


Don Loco says if some animal has eaten Flor then Luba will be responsible. Why? Because Luba is a stupid idiot. He makes a crashing exit, knocking over all her shelves on his way out. "Alvaro Montellano," she vows," you're going to pay, someday you're going to pay and I'm going to kill you! Oops...sorry about that Virgencita," she says to her shrine, "but that jerk just busted all my stuff!"

Filthy Flor wanders by a river and splashes a few drops of water on herself. She has to clean herself and search for Doña Carmen.


Orlando tells Emilio not to blame Flor. He doesn't know for sure if Thelma paid Flor off, nobody heard what was said between them. Flor was helping him. They would be married if Alvaro hadn't arrived. Emilio doesn't seem to hold a grudge against Alvaro although he is the one who injured Emilio and stopped the wedding. That man really seems to hate Flor. They go on with the same old conversation they always have, Emilio steeped in self-pity and Orlando working all the angles. Emilio says he will return to being the Emilio Valtierra from before, whatever that means. Somehow I don't think it means an improved Emilio. Maybe he will be the singing Emilio.

There is a knock on Soledad's door. Blanca enters. I'm confused, I thought Soledad was locked in. Oh right, the kidnapped walk freely, never mind. Blanca's hair looks better! Her whole face looks better. Adela must have attacked her with a curling iron and makeup bag on her way upstairs. Blanca says Elias is downstairs, she told him everything. They want to know exactly where Alina is. Soledad says they should ask Adela. They must be very careful or Don Loco will suspect her "madness" is feigned. Oh, I just thought of something, of course Blanca got spiffed up because she's visiting her hubbie's old flame. NOW I get it.


Elias paces downstairs. Don Loco enters and is surprised to see him. Don Loco looks angry but Elias throws him off by thanking him for his hospitality to Blanca. Blanca told him about Soledad's unfortunate mental illness. "Yeah, too bad about that," says Don Loco," you can't see her, she won't recognize you. Tell me all about the work you are doing on the highway."

Luba has been busy; the cave is tidied up after hurricane Alvaro blew through. When Gaspar gets back to the cave Luba sees his dirty knees and asks what happened, where's Flor? Gaspar says he rescued her from the bog and she's on her way to San Mateo. Donkey is outside pining for her and Gaspar is sad too. Luba says she is also sad, she'll miss Flor but at last she'll be free. She holds Gaspar's head and says, "Son, I hope one day you and I will also be free."


A slightly cleaner Flor shows up at Carmen's restaurant. "Don't you recognize me? I am Alina Montellano," she tells a stunned Carmen. We don't know if Carmen is stunned to see Alina or stunned to see a smelly bog woman in her cafe.

Santos is happy. He got a job with the new highway, will make lots of money, and can take Rosita way from the odious Don max. They share a mutual hate-fest over Don Max. Santos says Flor will be sure to find his mom in San Mateo, everybody knows Doña Carmen Garcia.


Carmen is glad to see Alina/Flor but wonders how she got all the way to the puebla. Alina asks if she can telephone her godparents. The phone rings three times and Alina hangs up, there is no answer. Carmen suggests that Flor go to her house to clean up. You can't blame her for not wanting swamp girl in her cute little cafe.

Adela is afraid to show Blanca where Luba's cave is. Hell, Adela is afraid of frigging everything. Next scene.


Elias is in Don Loco's office. Elias tells Don Loco how great the new road will be, it will provide jobs plus people can actually get from point A to point B and back again. Don Loco argues against it, the highway will bring problems, he doesn't agree with the ridiculous notion of progress, and he doesn't like outsiders meddling in his business. Elias counters, "Why worry? There is nothing to hide in Sierra Escondido...or is there????" Don Loco scowls. Elias chuckles and raises his eyebrow. Elias = 1, Don Loco = 0.

Central America - Felicia, she of the busting out boobs and bubble butt, is taking food to Jose. Her brother, boss of the drug runners is very irritated by this. He doesn't want her hanging around with "those types." We don't know what type he means exactly, stupid? honest? stud-muffin? Felicia says she'll like whom she wants and she likes Jose, and just to be clear, she was his woman. (Did the nasty I think she means.) "Damn it," curses the brother, "how dare he!?!"


Don Loco is threatening Elias about the highway when Blanca enters and says Soledad is doing very badly. Don Loco runs out and Blanca tells Elias it is a ruse, they need to go right away.

Doña Loco is acting loca, yelling for her daughter, yelling a lot. Don Loco tells her to calm down, just a little while ago Soledad told him Alina was in her cradle and that's where she is. Doña Loco messes with his head, "Her cradle? But I thought she was a young girl?" Don Loco looks confounded. "Stay with me," she coos, laying her head on his shoulder. It's fun watching Soledad try to out-loco Don Loco.


Alina and Carmen are in the comandante's office. Alina must have borrowed some clothes from Carmen; she is wearing a fetching red skirt, white peasant blouse, and red wedge sandals. She tells the comandante she is the daughter of Alvaro Montellano. She has come to denounce her father for treating her badly and kidnapping her mother. The comandante needs to go to Sierra Escondido and arrest him please.

The comandante asks if she can prove the allegations. Alina says yes, there are many people who will testify against him. The comandante asks why no one has come forward before. "Because they are all afraid of him," she answers, without explaining why they would now be unafraid and would testify. The comandante says he will gather his men and go arrest Alvaro.


Sergio returns just as Adela is trying to sneak out to help Elias and Blanca. He says she has to stay there because he and the patron have to rush to San Mateo.

Don Loco is in the house yelling for Adela. Sergio arrives and says he is sure Alina is alive. They feel certain she has gone to town and they are going to find her.


Adela gives Elias directions to Luba's cave. I notice there is no warning about the whirlpool, I wonder if this will be a problem? Adela says the patron is in a hurry to go to town. Elias is suspicious about the reason. Blanca is to remain with Soledad while he searches for the cave.

Thelma is in bed. She isn't feeling better because she has a pain in her soul (what soul?) and Emilio hates her. She cries and says she will do everything she can to make him love her. She will be affectionate and understanding, she will be the woman he has always dreamed of having. I'm thinking...NOT!


Don Max has a surprise for Emilio, it's Coralita. Emilio seems genuinely happy to see Coral and takes her hand. Don Max cackles lasciviously and leaves them alone. Coral tells Emilio he looks much better. Emilio replies "don't let looks fool you, I'm worse than ever."

There is a full moon over Edelmira's joint. Edelmiro and Granillo are waiting for Coral and they aren't the only ones. The creep Jeremias is also waiting. Granillo doesn't like him (no kidding, dressed as a woman he beat the crap out of him just last week) and calls him ugly and stinky. Edelmira reminds Granillo that Jeremias is rolling in dough, he's the only store owner in the area. Jeremias fans himself with his wad of cash, possibly not the wisest thing to do in a sleazy strip joint.


Hoorah! Elias has made it to Luba's cave without falling into the whirlpool. Luba sneaks up behind him and puts her big old knife to his throat. She demands to know who he is and what he wants. Elias manages to convince her that he is there to help Alina. Luba says Alina is no longer there, she escaped and went to town. Elias is worried, he says that must be why Alvaro was in such a panic to get to town. Luba is impactada, her eyes dart around wildly.

Carmen's House - Alina tells Carmen that she is worried about her mother. Suddenly there is an official-sounding knock on the door. It is the comandante...followed by Don Loco! "At last I have found you," he says to a shocked Alina.


Don Loco and Alina argue about whether or not she is his daughter and whether or not her name is Flor or Alina. Same old same old. He says Soledad is very sick and Flor should return home with him. If she doesn't then he'll tell her mother that Flor doesn't want to see her.

Luba viciously stabs another hole in her table and tells Elias to sit down. She asks him why he's so nervous. (Uh, maybe because you held a knife to his throat and then jabbed it into the dining room table?) But no, Elias says it's because Don Loco may have gone to San Mateo to recapture Alina. Luba says, "poor Flor." "Who's Flor?" asks Elias.


Luba fills him in on Sierra Escondido's dirty little secret. Aha! That explains why nobody answered him when he asked about Alina! Elias snarls, grabs the knife and HE stabs the table.

Luba gets pissed. Only she is allowed to stab her table! She pulls out the knife and brandishes it at Elias, "Ehhhh??? NO!!" Elias wisely moves around behind the chair. Luba continues, "The patron is a fiera and nobody can calm him. He took a shot at Emilio Valtierra when he tried to marry Flor." Elias is impactado,"Emilio? The owner of La Rinconada? Tell me all about it." These two could be dangerous together.

Carmel tells Alina to stay with her in San Mateo. Don Loco says shut up, her name is Flor. Of course FlorAlina folds and decides to go home with Don Loco. Her freedom was brief but at least she got a new skirt, blouse, shoes and sweater out of the deal.


Angel tells Emilio that he should talk to Thelma. Emilio refuses. Rebeca the singing aunt tries to talk to Emilio about his wife. "My wife," he scoffs! Rebeca says yes, Thelma is his wife and is carrying his child. She is crying uncontrollably and in her condition it could be fatal. I'm surprised even the self-absorbed Emilio didn't laugh at that one. Rebeca gets nowhere and Emilio ushers her out of his room.

Don Loco pays off the comandante who says he and his men will keep an eye out in case Flor tries to cause trouble again. As Flor sadly gets on her horse Don Loco recalls when Alina was young, he was teaching her to ride. "Ah Alina, how I loved you, why aren't you my daughter? I adored you," he thought bubbles.


Luba and Elias compare notes and figure out that Don Loco has headed to San Mateo to look for Alina who has gone to San Mateo to call Elias and Blanca. Elias says if she doesn't return he'll go looking for her.

God help us, Emilio is STILL in his room having flashbacks of Flor. Now it's Angel's turn to visit. He says he's feeling better and intends to leave in a few days, he wants to see Flor. Emilio says he prohibits it. Angel says he'll do what he wants and Emilio can prohibit nothing. Angel says Flor is a good woman and he could give her everything. Emilio is impactado. heh heh


The comandante tells Carmen not to flap her yap about this FlorAlina business or her son Santos will pay the price.

It is nighttime and the road from San Mateo to Sierra Escondido is dangerous so Flor gets to spend the night in a hotel while Sergio and Don Loco stand guard outside.


Thelma has a fantasy that she drags Flor out into the great room by her hair. She throws Flor to the ground and violently whips her again and again with a riding crop. It was very convincing and the actress that plays Thelma now scares the heck out of me. Back in reality, Thelma has a crop in her hand and it bears her monogram. She says if Flor gets in the way of Emilio loving her she will have to kill her.

Auntie Rebeca enters and asks Thelma where she got the crop. Thelma says she got it when she was learning to ride. Auntie is concerned about Thelma riding in her condition. Thelma says of course she's not riding. Now she's going to use the whip to punish anyone who gets in her way. "You're crazy," auntie says, " you're not thinking of..." Thelma says yes, she would love to undo the face of that stupid Flor with this whip of hers. "You're crazy, crazy," Rebeca repeats over and over as she rushes out of the room.


Elias comes to Soledad's room where Soledad, Blanca and Adela are waiting. He tells them that Alina left the cave for San Mateo. "No Puede Ser!" the ladies exclaim, "Alvaro went to San Mateo!" All they can do is pray that Alvaro doesn't find her.

Alvaro talks to Sergio outside Alina's window. He asks Sergio what if he is wrong about Alina not being his daughter? What if Soledad didn't betray him with that foreman? But then he recalls shooting at Jose and Jose vowing to return for his daughter. Yes, Flor must be Jose's daughter.

Flor listens as Don Loco says he loved her more than life, when she was born he held her in his arms as if she were a part of him, he was full of pride for his daughter, but NO, he CAN'T love the child of another man, he must forget her. FlorAlina cries. Don Loco weeps as if he were the victim instead of an insane incarnation of satan. Flor prays to the Virgencita that her papa isn't bad. (What????) She sniffles on, he is tortured, he has a sickness, help him Virgencita, help him to see the truth.

Meanwhile Emilio asks the air "Flor, where could you be? My brother loves you so even though I was ready to dump you I now have renewed interest in you. I love you when I should hate you. God help me to forget her, I must forget her."


Advance for tomorrow: To the tune of Ase's Death Flor insists to Don Loco that she is his daughter and he knows it. She loves her papito. He is the person she most admired and looked up to, the person she looked to for care and protection. Don Loco weeps, but will he succumb? We're not holding our breath.

el pantano - marsh, bog
la locura - madness
fingido/a - feigned, pretend
menos mal - just as well, thank God
la cuna - cradle
apestoso/a - stinky, foul
espantoso/a - terrible, horrific
el fuete - whip

Labels: duelo