Caray, Caray!

We begin with Sergio threatening Soledad that if Don Loco finds out that Elias tried to break Soledad out of her barn-jail; he’d have no mercy, “It’s certain that he’d kill him, Senora.”


At the Sugarcane plantation, Alfonsina and Don Loco are laying on a bed in Alfonsina’s place, Don Loco fully clothed, smoking a post sex cigarette and Alfonsina wearing nothing but the sheet. She’s complementing him on his prowess in the sack. DL asks her whether in all this time (since their last fling) if she’s had another lover. She says no, and DL says, a bit sarcastically I think “So you've stayed faithful to me until now?” Alfonsina rolls her eyes and says, “Yeah, well who with?” as if nobody is better in the sack than Don Loco. Apparently Don Loco buys THIS flattering explanation and starts asking her if she’d like to move to Sierra Escondida with him, when suddenly someone jiggles the door handle to Alfonsina’s bedroom. DL puts his cigarette down and looks at her suspiciously “Who could be visiting you at this hour?” Don Loco shouts out and opens the door with his pistol loaded. A figure ducks behind a wardrobe. As soon as Don Loco and Alfonsina go back to the bedroom, Hugo comes out of hiding and carefully lets himself out of the apartment.


In Puebla, at the Devil’s Cave Cabaret, Coral is surprised to see Emilio.


Back at la Rinconada, Thelma is rounding up the entire household and staff. Ifigenio, Castulo, Don Max, the SA, Vera and Orlando. Thelma accuses Ifigenio of not having said anything. “You’re always hanging around outside!” Ifigenio has an alibi, he’s just come back from dropping off Emilio and Angel, in San Mateo with the carriage. Don Max backs him up. Jaime comes in at that moment and Thelma accuses him. Jaime explains he was out dumping trash. Thelma doesn’t buy it. “At this time of night?, what a coincidence!” Jaime tries to act innocent and asks what happened. SA says “Flor escaped from the house.” Don Max chimes in repeating Thelma’s contention that it is a strange coincidence that he went to dump trash at the same time Flor was escaping. Jaime looks uncomfortable.


Back in Puebla, Emilio tells Coral that he made a promise and he can’t go back on it. Coral tells him that principles can’t control what the heart feels. Emilio explains that he’s going to just make sure that Alina is protected and then he’s going to set up his brother with her. For himself, he’s going to dedicated himself body and soul to his child. “And Thelma? asks Coral. Emilio gives her a look and takes a swig of his booze. Coral says “Boy, you are in trouble.”
Gaspar has been left in charge of the wounded Elias in Luba’s cave. Elias is moaning and starting to move around. Gaspar complains aloud that he doesn’t know what to do and his mother is gone. He remembers that she went to the Hacienda Montellano to check on Soledad. He runs out of the Cave.


Luba has already left Soledad and is with the witch Macario. Macario is explaining to her why the curses haven’t worked on Thelma yet. “That woman’s heart is rotten. She is hollow like a doll (muñeco—pretty close to muñequita, I’d say. Gaspar was right all along!!) . That’s why it’s hard to put a curse on her. Luba isn’t satisfied. She asks him to remember all the stuff he taught her and find a curse that will work on Thelma. This woman is bad bad! She has to leave the Hacienda! Macario is doubtful. “Maybe this woman with the white skin won’t be frightened with curses.” They have a discussion on what to do next. Luba waves a black wax candle around. At the conclusion they decide to throw an even more dreadful curse on Thelma, one that may drive her crazy. Luba says “Crazy!” and blows the candle out for emphasis. [I am sorry but what is the deal with these curse ideas of Luba? First she wants to put a curse on Thelma to make her go away from the Hacienda when she’s already leaving. (And then she can’t leave) Now she’s putting a curse on Thelma to make her crazy, when she’s already crazy. Ay Luba!]


Speaking of Thelma, we are back in the great room at La Rinconada where Jaime has been doing a poor job of lying to save his skin. He reminds Don Max that it was Don Max who opened the gate for him and that he even mentioned that he was doing it alone because Vera’s back hurt. Don Maximo agrees that he remembers that discussion. SA helpfully says that she believes Jaime. Thelma relents. She changes tactics. She orders all the servants to organize to go out, find Flor and drag her back to the hacienda. The servants scatter. Don Max leaves after complaining about how Alvaro is going to be pissed if he finds out that Flor escaped. SA twitters and flutters her fan. Orlando is angry at Thelma and blames her for threatening Flor and making her decide to escape. He announces that he’s going to make the most of this opportunity “to make Flor mine.” He leaves Thelma alone to complain about how Flor is going to pay for all she’s done to her.


Luba and Macario are working on the super curse back at Macario’s cave. She stands behind a forked branch or horn like an antenna as if to direct her hatred better in Thelma’s direction. Macario agrees that he’ll do the spell tomorrow night. Why can’t he just do it now? Maybe he has to run to the store to get the ingredients?


At the Montellano sugarcane planation, Don Loco is putting on his leather coat. Alfonsina is still dressed in her sheet. She complains that she was hoping that DL would spend the night with her. DL says he wants to take a walk. Alfonsina asks him “aren’t you afraid to walk around at this hour?”. DL answers macho-ly that anyone outside at night should be afraid of HIM. Moreover, the only ones who should be afraid of him, are those who try to be dishonest with him (jugar chueco=to play crooked, dishonest). He grabs her by the hair and asks her if she’s being dishonest with him. “No, Patron! How could you think that.” DL tells her to pack her stuff, that she’s going with him to Sierra Escondida in the morning. Alfonsina starts to object, saying that his wife is there. DL gets angry at the mere mention of Soledad and yells at her, once again the stupid …[help me out here. It sounded like “otra vez, la burra en trigo” the donkey in the wheat? Sounds like he was insulting her, no matter what he said, for resisting his demand that she come with him to SE). Still grabbing her by the hair, he shuts her up and demands that she get ready to leave tomorrow. He goes out and Alfonsina looks around disgruntled. If she and Hugo have a plan, they may have to move it up.


Alina is in her new hiding place, the empty cave, with Tonkey. Santos stands outside guarding with a shotgun. He hears something and yells “who’s there!” Thank God it’s Rosita because the only thing Santos would have had on his side was stealth. Rosita runs into the cave and greets Alina. Santos follows and they have a little kissy face session. Alina remarks that it’s good to see them together again. She still hopes that she and Emilio can be lovey-dovey like them someday.


Back in Puebla, the raven haired Coral and Emilio are still talking and drinking at the Devil’s Cave. Coral is consoling him over his woes and she tells him that she will always be there to help him, however she can. “And my life is about to change!” Emilio looks surprised. Coral gives a big grin. “I’m about to marry…a rich man…of the upper class!” Emilio does actually look somewhat impactado, although there is no impactado music or camera work.


At la Rinconada, Thelma is storming into her spacious room, trailed by the SA. She’s still carrying around her new best friend, the whip and hitting things at random with it. She’s fuming that she must get Flor back. SA asks her why she doesn’t just let Flor go, as far away as possible so that she’ll be long gone by the time Emilio gets back. Thelma angrily insists that she wants Flor under her thumb while Emilio is gone so that she can express all this rage and hatred she has for her. She rants that she has to get her back anyway because Orlando wants her and Orlando has too much over her.


Now we are over to Soledad locked in the barn at Hacienda de Loco. She’s pacing around in the dark. Not only has Adela not been able to do her hair, apparently she hasn’t had a change of clothes or a shower since Don Loco left. Her white sweater looks like she rubbed a burned stick all over it. She picks up a crowbar and tries to pry off the door, to no avail. She complains aloud that she’s going to go crazy trapped in there. (Yeah, Lady well you should have thought of that when you were skipping out to visit Elias every other day.) She prays to God to help her.


DL is going through some old clothes while packing to leave the Sugar Cane plantation. He comes across an electric blue evening dress of Soledad’s and he remembers a happier time when they were rolling around in bed. (Again, he’s fully clothed and she’s the one wrapped only in a sheet. What’s the deal, does he have a chicken chest or something he doesn’t want us to see?) They are laughing. Back to the present and DL has a tear rolling down his cheek. Of course his sadness is replaced quickly by rage and he vows to make Soledad suffer the way he suffered when he found out she cheated on him. (I guess that’s the plan with Alfonsina. ) As usual, he finishes up by ripping the nice dress to shreds.



Luba is rushing back to the cave, with Gaspar trailing behind her. She is scolding him for having left Elias alone. Gaspar isn’t taking this scolding lying down. He tells her he knows she’s lying. She wasn’t coming from the Hacienda. She was coming from Macario the witch’s cave. He wants to know why. Luba looks menacing.


Out in the night, all the servants of la Rinconada and apparently some workers too, are running around with lit tree branches, as Chris pointed out, like the villagers looking for Frankenstein’s monster. These branches must have some special property since they only burn at the tip and never consume the wood, as if they had their own fuel supply inside. Dopey Jaime immediately confesses to Ifigenio that he knows where Flor is, she’s hiding in a cave. Ifigenio is shocked, shocked to find out that Jaime was involved in the escape. Just then, Castulo finds the cave. J&I decide that they have to figure a way to stall them from finding her.


Back in Luba’s cave, Gaspar is still confronting his Mama over being at Macario’s. Luba is defiant. “Yeah Yeah, I went to see Macario. “ Gaspar shifts from foot to foot uneasily. “But Macario is bad!” Luba fibs that she went to see Macario to consult him over how to treat Elias. She checks on Elias. She worries about what will happen if Elias dies, that she’ll be blamed again just like with the chief’s son. She has an orange flashback to the chief screaming to a bunch of villagers with lit branches that she killed his son with her herbs and that she’ll end up killing all their children. They have to BURN her! I guess that explains the lit torches in broad daylight. In this flashback, Luba is lurking around the perimeter of the group, unnoticed. She turns and runs away saying “Gaspar, we have to leave! We have to escape from here.” Back to the present, She’s panicking and tells Gaspar to bring water.


At Alina’s cave, Santos is concerned that Rosita will be missed at la Rinconada. He goes to get water. Alina tells Rosita she’s worried about her mother and wonders why she hasn’t to visit her. (Recall that Soledad made a big pretense of being OK so that Alina wouldn’t try to rescue her again). Rosita, ever optimist about other people’s problems says “Oh, I’m sure she’s fine. When you see her you can ask her.” Rosita asks her if she will go look for Emilio. Alina shakes her head no. “If you could have seen how he treated me the last time I saw him….Emilio doesn’t love me anymore.”


In Pueblo, Angel is in the hotel room, crunched up on the couch, looking like the Unibomber in his hoodie when Emilio comes in from a night at the Devil’s cave. Angel says he couldn’t sleep and he’s surprised to see Emilio coming in so late. Emilio explains that he met with Coral, who is so entertaining…Emilio goes off to bed. Angel thought bubbles that if Emilio was with Coral, this means that he really has forgotten Alina. Yup. Keep telling yourself that, Angel.


Back in SE, the villagers, I mean the servants and workers out hunting for Alina have found the cave and are starting to gather around it. Jaime , the dope tells Ifigenio aloud that that is the cave that he hid Flor in. Meanwhile, Santos takes note of all the torches heading his way. He runs inside the cave with the two women and Tonkey and makes like he’s going to defend it like the Alamo with his shotgun. Alina kicks out the flame from the campfire. She urges the trigger happy Santos not to shoot anyone. If he does, he’ll be in trouble with the law and Alina doesn’t want that. Castulo is leading the search party toward the cave when Ifigenio stops him, telling him to be careful, that there are coyotes and other wild animals that shelter in the caves at night. If he “goes blundering in there, he’ll be torn limb from limb.” Castulo looks skeptical. He wants to see what’s in the cave.


Now we pop over to the canefields where Hugo is drowning his sorrows alone with tequila at whatever the dive is that is located in that area. If we ever knew it, the name escapes me. He thought bubbles how his blood is boiling with rage at Don Loco for trying to steal his lady, Alfonsina. He thinks of DL and Alfonsina kissing and his face is contorted with rage. He takes another hit of tequila. A worker named Genaro comes up to him and asks him for a loan. He’ll pay Hugo back in work or whatever. Hugo pulls out a thick wad of cash and asks Genaro if he wants to make a bunch of money. Genaro looks wide eyed at the money and is interested. Hugo tells him to sit down. “What are you willing to do for this money?” “Are you willing to kill?” (Please, THIS IS THE PLAN? Asking an amateur who just needs the cash to pull off an assassination? It will be a miracle if Hugo doesn’t get killed instead when this guy wimps out and finks on him). DL is one bad, crazy dude. If you can’t go pro, Hugo, don’t even think about it).


In his hotel room, Emilio is looking out the window at the moonlight. “Alina if you only know how hard it is for me to give you up” he says clutching the heart necklace again. “My one, my only love.” If he really wants to forget her, not carrying around that necklace everyplace he goes might be a good first step. Of course he doesn’t really want to forget her. He orange flashbacks the first time he asked her to marry him, next to the river. Back when he was only marrying her to try to avoid marrying Thelma. He urges himself to forget her again and puts the heart necklace in the bedside table, slamming the drawer shut.


Speaking of Alina, Castulo has remembered that he has a gun with him so why should he be afraid of the wild animals Ifigenio is trying to scare him with? He’s going in. Jaime chimes in that there’s no way that Flor came all the way up here…and if she did…poor Flor! He makes like she was eaten by these same wild animals that Ifigenio was talking about. Castulo loses his excitement for exploring the caves and turns around to announce that they’re giving up the search for the night and heading back to the house. Castulo looks grim about the prospect of telling Thelma they failed to find Flor.


Sure enough Thelma is ticked. Castulo suggests that they will have better luck in the morning. She dismisses all the servants except for Castulo. She tells him she wants to set a trap for the servants, whom she is sure are lying. Castulo makes like he’ll be glad to do it, with some advance payment. When he leans over to kiss her, she pushes him away, reminding him that she knows that he raped Rosita. (What about all of her crimes? What a nitwit Castulo is. Apparently his brains are in his pants.) Thelma tells him her plan, first, she wants Castulo to announce tomorrow morning that he’s captured Flor and is bringing her back to the Hacienda….



In Puebla, Angel has arranged to see his doctor that afternoon. Emilio in his dress blues is going to the base to talk to General Ochoa.


Back in SE, Alina is waking up in the cave. Santos who seems to have taken caffeine pills to stay awake all night rushes in and scares her. While they are still doing this chitchat, Jaime shows up and tells Santos that he can relieve him from guard duty. He’s told Vera to tell everyone that he’s gone to San Mateo for provisions. Rather than sleeping, the jacked up Santos wants to move from this cave or better still, spring Soledad. Alina is worried and tells him to be careful of Sergio, who is “very dangerous.” She tells him to go find Elias, that he will be able to help him.


(Speaking of dangerous Sergio!) Soledad and Adela are having one of their now infrequent conversations in the barn. Soledad is filling her in on how Sergio didn’t kill Elias, that Luba and Gaspar found him and Luba’s fixing him up. Soledad easily convinces Adela to go to Luba’s cave to find out how Elias is doing.


At Luba’s cave, Luba is changing the bandages on Elias’ wound. Luba sticks some moss on it. Gaspar isn’t buying the explanation that Luba gave him about going to Macario for advice. She knows more than Macario about curing people. Luba tells him to stop bugging her and let her work on Elias.


Near the canefields, Don Loco is leaning over the edge of a pine bluff. It is apparently the same bluff where DL’s daddy committed suicide. It looks steep but apparently Papa Loco died from road rash as he rolled down the less steep part of the cliff. Ugly way to go. Who should pop up but Genaro. (Does anyone recognize this actor? I swear I’ve seen him somewhere before. ) Geraro points his gun in the general direction of Don Loco.


At La Rinconada, in the kitchen Vera is helping Rosita pack some food for Flor in a basket. Vera exclaims that she hopes Flor can leave the cave soon. She doesn’t like it that she has to stay there. Just then, Thelma storms into the kitchen and demands to know who the food basket is for. She’s certain it’s for Flor. For some reason, Rosita just freezes and says nothing, looking pretty darn guilty. Vera tries to cover for her by saying the food is for Rosita’s dad, Don Braulio. Thelma grabs the basket and decides to accuse her of stealing food instead. She threatens to throw them out if she finds out that they are stealing from the kitchen again. Thelma tells Vera she wants to see all the servants again in the great hall. Vera tells her that Jaime is in town getting provisions. Thelma says, then when he arrives, tell hm to come. She huffs off.


Back at the pine bluff, Genaro pulls the trigger….and MISSES! Of course he has stepped out into the open to fire so when DL wheels and draws he is a sitting duck. DL is a much better marksman than he is and he plugs Genaro with one shot. Another shot and he’s on death’s door. Hugo runs up and Don Loco is shaking the unfortunate Genaro trying to get him to tell him who paid him to do this. Hugo has panic in his eyes. Fortunately for him, Genaro dies before spilling the beans. DL is enraged and vows to find out who is behind this attempted murder.


Hugo tries to convince DL that there was no plot. Genaro was a drunk who needed money. “ He wanted to rob you, that’s all there was to it.” Hugo tells Don Loco that he had no family, that they all left this area many years ago. DL says he’s sure he’ll be able to argue self-defense but that he’ll have to go to the local police/Justicia to make his declaration. Hugo says not to worry, he can put the body in the river and then it will be investigated wherever it ends up. DL agrees that handling that way would be less trouble for him and he tells Hugo to take care of it. (Wow, a narrow escape for Hugo! Maybe he’s learned his lesson, like Bob Vila always says, go with a pro for the more important jobs). Hugo grabs the unfortunate Genaro by the belt and makes for the river.


Emilio is with General Ochoa, of the deep booming voice. Ochoa is complimenting Emilio on his decision to wed Thelma. “This speaks well of your honor.” Emilio tells him he’s set on starting a family. He briefs him on the highway construction. He says it’s almost done, Orlando is in charge of the wrap up. General Ochoa says that he has a special mission in mind for him but it’s too early to tell him about it yet. He tells him to go back to his work. As Emilio is walking out of the General’s office, he runs into Frank. Frank asks him where Orlando is. Emilio tells him that Orlando is overseeing the last stage of the highway construction. He’s going to stay there until the work is done. Frank asks “Until the work is done or until he gets what he wants.” Emilio is puzzled. Frank fills Emilio in on Orlando’s grand plan to get into Flor’s pants, one way or another. Emilio looks pissed.


Flor and Jaime are sitting in the cave. Alina is worried that Jaime is going to get in trouble because of her. Jaime tells her that all of them got into this mission to help Flor of their own free will. She gives him a hug. Just then a Jaguar (?) shows up and Tonkey starts barking his head off.


At the construction site Santos runs up to one of the Engineers who is surprised to see him. He tells him that Elias has disappeared too. Santos is puzzled but tells this engineer that he will look for Elias and that he will report back to him if he finds out anything. Santos scratches his head. “Where could he be?” “I’ve got to get Senora Soledad. Jaime will have to help me.”Emilio and Frank are still having their conversation outside Gen. Ochoa’s office. Emilio has explained that Angel is going to marry Floralina and Orlando knows it. Frank is doubtful that Orlando means well, “I know he’s your friend and all that.” says Frank. “I don’t think he’s going to be content just giving up what he wants.” Emilio insists that Orlando gave him his word that he would not pursue Flor. Frank says “whatever, if that’s what you want to believe.” Let’s get back to work. He leaves quickly. Emilio stands there, hat in hand looking troubled. He follows.


The jaguar approaches the opening of the cave. Jaime tells Alina to go to the back of the cave. He’ll shoot the jaguar. But NOOO the gun is JAMMED! Good think they haven’t needed it yet. Then a shot comes from somewhere else. It’s Ifigenio and Rosita with the food. He asks if they are OK.

While Luba is treating Elias, Orlando comes storming into the cave looking for Flor. Gaspar goes out to meet him and holds a knife to his throat. Gaspar tells him that Flor isn’t there. When he wants to look around, Gaspar complains that he shot at him so no coming into the cave! Orlando backs away, hand on holster. He leaves. Luba asks who it was, Gaspar tells her it was a bad guy. Luba finds it odd that he would be looking for Flor. “Could it be that she escaped from La Rinconada?” Gaspar shrugs his shoulders. She returns to treating Elias. Jaime is thanking Ifigenio for saving them from the Jaguar. Ifigenio brings the message that Jaime must go back to la Rincondada. Thelma is calling another Hacienda-wide meeting. The two men leave, with the shotgun and the two girls remain with the picnic basket. Yeah that is a good idea. Maybe they can attract some more animals into the cave.


Thelma is pacing around with her whip. She’s unhappy that the workers have not yet assembled in the Sala. Orlando comes in, also angry that he hasn’t found Flor. Thelma tells him she has a plan and to come down to the Sala with her to see her execute it. Back at Flor’s cave, she and Rosita are stewing about how much danger they are in in this cave. Santos comes in and gives her the bad news, her godfather Elias has disappeared. In spite of the danger she was just talking about, Floralina bolts from the cave and makes like she is going to search the whole valley personally to find him. Rosita screams, Santos runs after Floralina. When he catches up to her, Santos asks Alina what she thinks she’s doing. She can’t be seen. She has to hide. Flor insists that she has to find Elias. Santos convinces her to go back to the cave after promising to help find him and liberating her mother.


Thelma is organizing her big meeting. Vera tells her that all the men are present. Thelma says that they all have to go out again to look for Flor. Castulo announces that Thelma has no worries, he knows where the girl is.


At the sugarcane plantation, Hugo and Alfonsina are having a row. Alfonsina is wearing a dress so tight, and low cut it looks basically like it was painted on. Hugo is berating her for allowing DL to brow beat her into coming to Sierra Escondida. He complains that what she should have done is convince him to stay at the canefields. .Alfonsina tells him she didn’t have a choice, “he’s very stubborn when he gets an idea.” She tries to convince Hugo that she can do more to further their plans by staying close to him. Alfonsina tells him to be patient and calls him her only love. Hugo kisses and squeezes her and it looks for a moment like her gigantic breasts are going to pop right out of that extremely tight fitting dress. There’s a noise outside, it’s Don Loco. Hugo pretends that he is just telling Alfonsina about the murder attempt against Don Loco. DL asks Hugo about the body and Hugo tells him he did just as he said. Threw the body in the river and then called the police. “The police!” says DL, displeased. Hugo explains that if they didn’t call the police when a body washes up on the river on their land, they are going to look guilty. That is what an innocent landowner would do. DL agrees. DL asks Alfonsina to wait for him at his house. As soon as he leaves. Alfonsina turns to Hugo and murmurs something about Hugo’s dark side. Hugo gives a creepy smile.


At la Rinconada, Don Max is swilling brandy and plotting revenge against Castulo for raping Rosita.


Thelma is asking Castulo how he knows where Flor is, since he just announced he knows. Castulo claims that he paid someone a bunch of money and they told him. He refuses to give up his “source.” Thelma tells Ifigenio to prepare the carriage that they’ll leave in a half hour. She tells the rest of the servants to scram. When they all leave, Thelma shoots Orlando a look of triumph. Orlando doesn’t look convinced yet.


In Puebla, Emilio is shining his shoes and contemplating Frank’s words about Orlando not wanting to give up on his desire to make Flor his. Emilio is troubled by this but announces to no one in particular that Orlando can’t betray him, he just CAN’T! He remembers Orlando promising him. Tries to calm himself.


Back at La Rinconada, Thelma’s plot seems to be working. Jaime and Vera are back in their quarters yelling at eachother about who could have given Flor up. Jaime decides that it must be Ifigenio. Hapless Ifigenio walks in to try to alert Jaime to the fact that something isn’t adding up about the supposed bribed servant who revealed Flor’s location. Jaime doesn’t listen to him and just tries to throttle him. Doofus Jaime tells Ifigenio to stay put that HE will go check on Flor. Jaime goes out on horseback and a few lengths behind him is Castulo, trailing him to lead him to Flor. Jaime goes to the cave. Castulo sees where Flor is hidden.


Next time: Castulo decides to get paid in advance by trying to rape Flor. Is there any woman under 30 in SE safe from Castulo?

Labels: duelo