Caray, Caray!

Santos comes up behind DB and asks what 'truth' (verdad) she is talking about. "The only truth that is in this room, my love," says DB, "is that the Colonel, to protect his authority, arrested a poor old woman. This is the truth that he doesn't want to be known. Isn't that right, Colonel?" "Is this the truth that the Doña wants to be known?" says Meléndez. I am agreeable. I will release the old woman. Wait outside" "Thank you, Colonel," replies DB, "One day I will repay the debt." Santos asks what she is hiding and DB says that she isn't hiding anything.

DB tells Santos that nothing is the matter. She is tired from her trip and then she found out that Meléndez had arrested Eustaquia. A guard brings out Eustaquia. Eustaquia tells DB that she shouldn't have come. DB says that she couldn't not come if these imbeciles had so little shame that they would arrest an old woman. Eustaquia says that sitting on the cot in the cell all day has given her lumbago. Santos won't leave it alone. He tells DB that Meléndez said that he would only release Eustaquia if DB came to see him in person. He asks what is the big interest that he would have in seeing her. DB replies that he only wanted to meet her. She asks if he thinks that because she is Santos' woman that she doesn't inspire passion in other men.

Gonzalo and Cósme are worried about Andrés. His fever won't go down and they don't have any more water to make compresses. At that moment, Marisela comes in. She tells them that Eustaquia told her how to find them after she was arrested.

On the truck ride back to El Miedo, DB tries to make Eustaquia more comfortable but Santos is still picking at the scab. "Don't think that you convinced me with what you said about Melendez. I'm sure there is something that you haven't told me. What did he want?" DB says that she told him and she asks if Santos is jealous. He denies that he is jealous. DB tells Santos that she found out from the doctor in the Capital that she can't give him a child. Santos takes her hand and says that he is sorry.

Meléndez curses the primitive communications in the town. He can't send a telegram until the next day. Pernalete asks what is going on and Meléndez tells him that it isn't any of his business and call him a busybody (mequetrefe). Pernalete is shocked at being addressed so rudely.

Marisela tells Gonzalo and Cósme that Andrés needs medicine and Gonzalo says that he needs a doctor. At that moment, Antonio comes in through the secret passage. The rebels point their weapons at him. "Relax guys," says Antonio, "If you react like this when I'm bringing food, what would you do if I was bringing rum? Don't fill me with lead yet."

Santos, DB, Eustaquia and Melquídes return to El Miedo. Leon and Tigre tell DB that apart from the guards being at El Miedo, the only thing that happened was that Marisela came in and hasn't come out. They suggest that she snuck out of a window at the back of the hacienda and tell DB to check her belongings, Marisela is very crafty. Santos gets angry and tells the vaqueros to leave. Eustaquia tells DB and Santos that Marisela is in the cellar. She told Marisela where to bring food to the rebels. Santos is shocked that Eustaquia exposed Marisela to such danger. DB assures him that Marisela isn't an idiot. She has Guaimarán genes and won't be caught that easily. Santos says he will go to the cellar and check things out.

Santos comes into the basement and says that there are so many people there, it looks more like a fair than a hideout.

DB puts Eusatquia to bed. She confirms to her that Meléndez is here. She says that the affair of the students is an excuse. He has come for her. She has seen it in his eyes. DB says that Meléndez fears her. Eustaquia tells her not to be too confident. Meléndez is very conceited (crecido). He is more puffed up than a toad (más hinchado que un sapo) and he believes that he has God tied by his beard (que tiene a dios agarrado por las barbas). "But he fears me," DB tells Eustaquia. Melquíades says that some kinds of vermin are more dangerous when they are afraid. They shouldn't fool around with this. They should kill him right away. DB tells him no.

Antonio says that they should leave the cellar one at a time to avoid suspicion. He prepares to go back through the passage. Gonzalo thanks him for coming to help them. Marisela says that she will go with Gonzalo. Santos tells her not to be stupid. The workers at the hacienda saw her come in. They have to see her go out. Santos tells Antonio to tell the people at Altamira that Marisela is spending the night at El Miedo. Marisela protests but Santos says that he is the one giving the orders. Santos says that he will get some antibiotics or bring the doctor. Gonzalo thanks Marisela for coming and says that she is his only light in all this darkness. He kisses her and Santos irritably tells them to stop the pretentiousness. He tells Marisela to leave with him. "We're not leaving one at time anymore?" asks Marisela innocently. Santos tells her to go upstairs right now.

DB tells Melquíades that he can't kill Meléndez now or tomorrow. It's too dangerous for everyone. She says that Meléndez is powerful and he can expose them. "Then, this one isn't going to pay for what he did, my Doña? I am ready to rot in jail for you, my Doña." "I know," replies DB, "I know and I appreciate it." She puts her hand on his shoulder, "I can only trust in you. Only you know the hell I live in because you are ready to go there with me in spite of everything. Don't worry Sorcerer (brujeador), no one is going to jail. We will do it when the time is right. 'Every pig has his easter' ('a cada cochino le llega su pascua,' I can't come up with an equivalent expression in English right now but you get the idea: bad guys get their just desserts) and he will get his. Go and rest. For now at least, that bastard won't come back and mess with me." Melquíades seems to be very affected by the fact that DB touched him. He almost smiles and wishes DB good night. Eustaquia urges DB to concentrate on making her man happy. She tells her to leave the country and not continue in this career of killings (carrera de muertes). DB tells Eustaquia to be calm. She's had a hard day.

Santos and Marisela-
S: Ok, it's true. It wasn't your fault; Eustaquia sent you to do it. Look, I'm not going to scold you for what you did, on the contrary, I congratulate you. You were very brave to help the guys. You did very well but now you have to forget everything that you saw tonight and not come back here. That's an order!
M: I won't obey that order.
S: Oh yes you will obey it. Of course you will obey it!
M: Why can't I come back?
S: Because it's dangerous, Marisela. Because things here are very bad for everyone, especially for the guys and I'm not going to put them at risk for the whim of a little girl. Already too many people know about the cellar. The only thing missing is a notice in the newspapers. That's why I forbid you to return to El Miedo.
M: Tell the truth. The fact is that you are jealous and you don't want me to come back and see Gonzalo.
DB comes up.
DB: But that's nonsense. Why would Santos forbid something that you want to do? If you truly want to see this man, no one can stop you. You won't allow it.
S: Bárbara, don't undermine my authority.
DB: What's the matter, my love? It just that you take your role as a father very seriously with Marisela. That's why you are jealous. She doesn't need you. She doesn't need another father.
S: The only thing that I'm concerned about is the danger that we all are in. That's all. I'm not jealous of anything.
Marisela says that she wants to leave but Santos says no. DB chimes in agreeing with Santos that the roads are dangerous. She sends Marisela to stay with Eustaquia. DB tells Santos to come to bed with her. "I don't know, Bárbara," he says, "lately, I don't know anything about you or about me." He walks away.

Antonio comes into where Cecilia, in her nightclothes, is stroking Lorenzo's cheek. He coldly delivers his message about Marisela being at El Miedo and leaves.

DB tells Santos that she prefers being scolded than his silence. Santos says that he doesn't want this silence between them but she has left him without words. All he wants is to love her but she won't let him. First, she invades his house and ejects his family. Once again DB denies that she did that. Santos continues that then she went to the capital without telling him and then he found her here having a cryptic conversation with that despot as if she were hiding something. DB begs him to stop. She's had a bad day and is exhausted. Santos says that he wants to love her and have a normal life but with her nothing is normal. DB says that she wants a normal life too including being able to give Santos children but she can't. To distract Santos from his suspicions, she plays the "I'm barren" card and he embraces her.

Eustaquia tells Marisela that there is a big world outside of El Miedo and Altamira when lots of men would die to make her happy - like Gonzalo, for example. Eustaquia tells Marisela to forget about Santos. He is her mother's man. Marisela tells Eustaquia that DB bewitched Santos and made him love her. Eustaquia replies that magic helps but if Santos didn't feel something, the magic wouldn't work. Marisela says that is a lie. Santos doesn't love DB. Eustaquia says that she doesn't like to see Marisela this way. "They are together now in their room, in bed, making love," says Marisela, "and I'm here alone. I want to die. I want to die, Eustaquia."

DB and Santos are making love but Santos is having flashbacks to events earlier in the day. He tells DB that he can't. There are too many questions without answers. DB asks why he thinks so much. He should just love her. Santos says that is the problem. He knows she loves him but she lies to him. He asks her again if she knew Meléndez from before. She says no and asks how and where she could have met him. She tells him to sleep.

Meléndez orders his lieutenant to have all the notaries in the capital questioned about whether DB left something with them. The search of the haciendas should also continue.

The next morning DB tells Marisela that she needs to talk to her and she should pay attention carefully.

Santos has his dream again about being in the pozo with a naked Marisela. He wakes up and wonders why he dreams about Marisela so much.

The soldiers come to inspect Don Encarnación's hacienda. Meléndez and Pernalete come to search Danger's place. Meléndez tells Danger and BP that the government is interested in knowing whether or not Santos Luzardo supports the rebels. He will pay handsomely for any information.

DB tells Marisela that if she wants to visit the rebels, she should come by the other entrance. Marisela replies that Santos forbid her to come back and was very angry. DB says that Santos was upset. She is family and if she is careful, there is no reason she shouldn't come and see the guys. It will make them happy and DB won't say anything to Santos. Marisela is suspicious and asks why DB is so interested in her seeing Gonzalo. She is pushing Marisela into his arms. "You fear me that much, Doña?" asks Marisela. DB says that she doesn't fear anyone, not Marisela or any other woman. She says that last night Santos slept in her bed, next to her and every night he makes love to her one, two, three... Marisela says that she isn't interested in that. DB says that she doesn't wish Marisela any harm. She thought Marisela was interested in Gonzalo. If that's not so, fine, let him rot in the cellar. DB tells Marisela to do what she wants. She is grown up enough for DB not to worry about her.

In the cellar, Andrés isn't doing well and Santos says that he will bring the doctor from the village.

DB says to herself how stupid Marisela is that she would think DB is jealous. Santos comes in and asks about Eustaquia and Marisela. DB says that Eustaquia is better and Marisela left very early. DB is annoyed that she would return on her own. He says that he will have to talk to her again. He tells DB that he is going to town. DB says that she is coming along.

Antonio tells one of his workers that it isn't right that the soldiers trashed the place in their search. Lucía comes up and says hello. Antonio walks away.

The terneras, Melesia and Josefina, are mourning their absent loves. Genoveva tells Melesia to stop crying or the river will flood. Melesia says that would be fine. She would drown and float away. Josefina says that Andrés told her a story about Ophelia, a woman who went crazy for love and drowned herself. Josefina says that Altagracia is jealous because María Nieves doesn't say nice things to her. Altagracia agrees that he doesn't says things, he does things ('no dice.. pero hace'). The terneras demand details. She says that MN groped her, embraced her and kissed her. She says he is a beast. Marisela comes to see the terneras and lets slip that the rebels are still around. She makes them swear that they won't say anything.

Santos goes to see Dr. Arias while DB and Melquíades go to do their errands. Meléndez watches them. "A pretty woman and an Indian," he says to his lieutenant asking if he remembers that. The lieutenant does not remember but Meléndez reminds him and then has a flashback of his interview with the two women who lived in the rooming house with Chepo who said that a pretty woman and an Indian left there with a big box. He realizes that it was DB and Melquíades that the women were describing.

Santos tells Dr. Arias that Andrés is not doing well. He has lost a lot of blood and has a fever. Dr. Arias says that he will prescribe a different antibiotic. When the coast is clear, he will try and visit Andrés. Dr. Arias is writing out the prescription with Guerrero, Meléndez' lieutenant comes in pretending to need to see the doctor.

In the hotel, Melquíades tells DB that hiding the rebels at El Miedo is going to cause problems. DB tells him that it is necessary to have them in her house right now and not to worry, no one would guess that that they are there. Meléndez comes into the hotel. DB tells Melquíades to leave her alone with Meléndez and think about what she told him yesterday and suggest something. Meléndez holds out his hand to Melquíades but he ignores it and tells DB that he will be waiting outside ready for anything. He leaves. DB tells Meléndez to say what he has to. She doesn't have much time. Her husband is expected soon. "Always in such a hurry, Barbarita," says Meléndez, "like that day when we raped you. You ran and ran but it wasn't enough, Barbarita, we caught you." DB says that he will pay for that. Meléndez says that she has a debt with him. He says that there is a little detail that he knows that will unchain this secret. He swears it.

Guererro tells Dr. Arias that if he is caught aiding a wounded rebel, it will be very bad for him.

Lucía tells Antonio that she likes him a lot and asks if he likes her a little bit.

Busy Guerrero has followed Santos to the pharmacy where he is picking up the antibiotics for Andrés. He asks if someone is ill at Altamira.

Meléndez asks DB how she is going to kill him like she killed his three companions. DB says what she told Meléndez yesterday was a bad joke. Meléndez tells her not to be stupid. Chepo told him that DB was following him but she didn't catch up with him and he got to repeat his treatment of her. "Let me ask you a question," says Melendez, "Do I get to repeat it too?" DB says that Chepo told her the same thing but not the other two poor slobs, they didn't have time. "You killed them," says Meléndez, "You killed Chepo and Tancredo Madura. Where is he? What did you do, Barbara?"

Labels: barbara