Caray, Caray!

[An excellent episode. Usually in a novela, truths are told at the end and the misunderstandings that moved the plot along go away. Here, there is a general revelation of all the secrets concerning Cecilia, Antonio, Federica and the vaqueros and it creates nothing but problems. Since I had time, I put in some pictures for you, Chris Ferro.]

Santos tells Marisela that he cannot understand why Lorenzo and Cecilia have gone to San Fernando to get married or why Antonio went there also. He says the whole thing is absurd (un disparate). Marisela doesn't tell him the whole story.

"So Aunt Cecilia is pregnant," DB says to Federica. Federica says that just like with her, who knows who is the father of Cecilia's baby - Antonio or Lorenzo. DB says that Cecilia would never sleep with the drunk and the baby is Antonio's. "Do you think that all women are like you," says DB, "and display their boobs (se pone de pechito) for every guy who stops in front of you?" Federica pouts and says that she did all for love and now that Marisela knows everything, Federica won't be able to get Antonio. DB pays no attention. She realizes that Santos doesn't know any of this and she can use the information to help her relationship with Santos. Federica asks for DB's advice on what do. "Disappear (Esfúmate)," counsels DB, "You don't want to be here when everyone finds out you slept with the Altamira tribe." Federica whines that DB doesn't want to help her. DB replies that Federica has destroyed everything by herself. "You're up to your neck in it, girl." ["Estás metida en el fango, muchacha," literally, "You've gotten yourself in the mud, girl."]
Pernalete comes back and DB leaves saying that Federica has given her very good news.

Furious, Santos borrows Marisela's horse and leaves for El Miedo. He says that if Lorenzo and Cecilia didn't bother to tell of their plans, he isn't going to wait around and hear their explanations.

Marisela laments to Genoveva that she couldn't tell Santos the truth and now the fat's in the fire ("se va a armar la gorda"). Genoveva wasn't familiar with the phrase either and asks, "What fat person (gorda) are you talking about?" I looked it up and it has something to do with cannons.

Santos comes to El Miedo. DB says that she wants to discuss what happened in the capital, at the restaurant, about their child. Santos says that he doesn't want to talk about that. He has too many problems right here. Santos mentions Cecilia and Lorenzo's marriage. DB says that she found out about it when she met them in San Fernando. He asks why she didn't tell him. She says that she was going to tell him about that and about other things that have happened. "It's not right, Santos," she says, "it's not right that you are concerned about everyone at your hacienda and none of them have been truthful with you. None of them have been honest with you."

Antonio recall that he met Gonzalo in San Fernando and he tells him and his rebel buddies about his situation and that Santos doesn't know anything about it since he has only been occupied with DB.

DB says that she doesn't want to tell Santos the truth because he won't believe her and he'll get angry and say that it is her fault, just like he always does. Santos tells her not to play the victim and tell him why Cecilia and Lorenzo got married. DB says that Santos thinks that his aunt is a living saint but she isn't. She and Antonio have been lovers. Santos is impactado. He says that he doesn't believe it. [It's worth setting out the rest of the dialog to see how the person who has never stopped lying to DB about things like killing people, uses the Cecilia/Antonio situation to separate Santos from the people at Altamira.]
DB: I didn't make it up. They were lovers. What happened is that the business with Antonio and Pernalete's daughter destroyed their romance. I suppose that your aunt got in a fight with Antonio and ended up marrying that drunkard Lorenzo for spite. Frankly, your aunt is a very devious ("retorcida") woman.
Santos: Don't talk that way about my aunt.
DB: Sorry. I know you love her a lot. As far as I'm concerned, in spite of her bad treatment of me, I like her a lot. But what is really matters to me in all this is you. What hurts me is what they did to you because they slept together right under your nose and you didn't realize what was going on. Antonio Sandoval, who has so much to be grateful to you for, fell in love with her and she, the poor thing, all alone as she was, fell hard for him.
Santos: Lies, all this is lies. Then why did she marry Lorenzo?
DB: I told you - for spite ("por despecho"), because she likes to make life complicated. How do I know? To punish Sandoval. But if you want me to tell you the truth, I believe she did it to conceal her pregnancy. Yes, my love, you heard correctly. Your Aunt Cecilia is pregnant with Antonio Sandoval's child.

Cecilia and Lorenzo return to Altamira and Marisela asks them to tell her that they didn't get married but of course they can't. She tells them that Santos was very angry when she told him. She says that there is going to be big trouble and she will be blamed ("la que va pagar los platos rotos soy yo," literally, "the one who will pay for the broken plates is me.")

Back with Santos and DB, Santos says that he doesn't believe it. DB tells him to interrogate even the cat at Altamira because everyone there, including the cat, has been lying to him. "You will realize that I am one telling the truth," says DB. Santos leaves and DB has an evil smile.

Marisela tells Lorenzo and Cecilia that she had to tell Santos about why they went to San Fernando and she had to lie about why Antonio went there. Marisela repeats how upset Santos was and how she is jinxed ("bien sala' "(-'salada,' Marisela leaves off the ending) literally, "salty"). Lorenzo says that he will talk to Santos when he comes back. Marisela urges them to tell Santos everything but Cecilia says that Santos must never know that her baby is Antonio's. When Marisela asks about Antonio, Lorenzo says that he stayed in San Fernando. He tells Marisela that Antonio was very upset about the wedding and got drunk.

Santos comes back to Altamira and says to Cecilia that besides his mother, she is the woman that he venerated the most in all the world. He asks her to tell him that it's all a lie and she didn't have anything to do with Antonio Sandoval. Cecilia doesn't deny it and Santos says it is true then and that she is pregnant, too. Cecilia is impactada. He calls them hypocrites and liars. Lorenzo claims that the baby is his.

Gonzalo tells Antonio that they are fighting against the tyranny of the government. They are on the run and Santos offered them sanctuary at Altamira. They ask Antonio to take them there.

Marisela goes to see the terneras. They tell her that Melesio is worried about Antonio and she tells them that Antonio has been drinking for two days in San Fernando. Then Carmelito comes in to see Gervasia and Marisela tells Gervasia that Carmelito has something to tell her.

Santos asks if Cecilia has slept with Lorenzo, too? Cecilia denies that. Lorenzo tells Santos not to judge Cecilia. She is has the right to fall in love like him or anyone. Santos says that his aunt was perfect and now she isn't. Cecilia defends Antonio. She says he is the same friend to Santos that he always has been. He just fell in love with her. He tried to tell Santos but he was never available and then everything went to hell in a handbasket. Santos says that a man who gets two women pregnant at the same time isn't a friend, he's a traitor and so is Cecilia.

Carmelito sits down with Gervasia and tells her that before he got engaged to her, he did things that he regrets. As the other terneras listen from hiding,

Carmelito says,
I did things that men do without thinking. Things that right now are creating big problems for us - for Pajarote, Maria Nieves and for me.
G: What 'things'?
C: Federica Pernalete.
G: What does Federica Pernalete have to do with you and the other guys?
C: The three of us... we slept with her. (The terneras are shocked.)
G: At the same time?
C: No, no, separately but but it wasn't for love. It was a bodily need. She trapped us. We let her take us but at no time was there love. She talked and we... then we...
G: ..and you became sheep to be with her and now my uncle is paying the price because the baby she says is Antonio's must be by one of you three.
Carmelito gives the smallest of nods.

Lorenzo defends Cecilia to Santos but he is on his high horse about being the head of the house and being lied to. Lorenzo reminds him that he vowed to be a different kind of Luzardo (than his father). Marisela comes up and Santos chews her out too. He says that she lied and was a part of what was going on. He is disappointed in her. Even his 'sun' (mi sol) has failed him. Marisela tries to explain but Santos won't listen. He says that she knew about Cecilia and Antonio and said nothing. He rides off. Marisela tells Lorenzo that Santos will never forgive them for what they have done.

Lorenzo goes to see Cecilia. She says that she should have told Santos about Antonio from the beginning but she didn't dare. She agrees with Marisela that she is a coward. Lorenzo says that she is a marvelous woman who makes mistakes like everyone in the world but those mistakes shouldn't obscure her many virtues. Cecilia wonders if Santos will ever forgive her. Lorenzo says that there is nothing to forgive. He says that it's a question of understanding he knows that Santos will understand eventually.

Marisela is telling a baby rabbit that she always ends up fighting with Santos. The Altamira vaqueros come in and say they are sorry for what happened. She tells them that if they truly repent what they did, they have to tell Antonio the truth. They are the only ones who can prove that Federica's baby isn't his.

At the bar in Progresso, the three vaqueros say that Antonio is their boss but he is also their friend. "More than that," says Maria Nieves, "he's our brother." They say that Antonio will kill them when he finds out or at least throw them out of Altamira. They agree that they have it coming since they each believed that Federica had the hots only for them. "The truth is," says Pajarote, "she's not ugly but she really is a snob" ("no es fea, pero pesada sí es") and," he adds, "she's an animal in bed." The other two nod.

Josefa comes in. Pajarote asks her if there are other matresses to turn over and Carmelito asks if Federica is entertaining other clients. Maria Nieves says to Josefa, "tanto peca el que mata la vaca, como el que amarra la pata," literally, "he who kills the cow sins as much as he who tied up its leg," that is, as Federica's accomplice, Josefa is as guilty as she is.

Antonio comes into the bar.

Maria Nieves tells him that all three of them slept with Federica. "A few times," says Pajarote. "Many times," says Carmelito. Antonio starts to fight with them and they don't fight back. Each one tells Antonio to hit him, that he is the guilty one.

Meanwhile at El Miedo, DB is waiting calmly to see the result of what she has put in motion. She tells Eustaquia that she has never seen snow but she knows that an avalanche that destroys everything starts with a tiny snowflake that grows bigger and bigger as it comes down the mountain. The snowflake that she started to roll will end up destroying Altamira. "When Santos finds out what was going on around him," she says, "he will break off relations with everyone at Altamira and then he will be mine, all mine."

Gonzalo and his buddies arrive at Altamira. Gonzalo introduces Marisela to his friends as the future mother of his children. Marisela is impactada.

Back at the bar, Antonio has just about finished with the vaqueros who are not fighting back when Santos comes in. He call Antonio a miserable traitor.

Labels: barbara