Caray, Caray!

Tuesday, December 9

Santos and Gonzalo (with DB listening outside the door)-

G: Are you in love with Marisela Barquero?
S: What kind of stupid question is that, Gonzalo? How could I be in love with that child. My God! If I am... If I am sleeping with her mother. (Outside, DB is relieved.) I told you. I am in love with Barbara. She is the woman that I want to share my life and even if she weren't, I would never have anything with Marisela. I took that girl in to protect her, to help educate her. That girl is sacred to me.
G: But this morning it bothered you when I brought up the subject.
S: True and I am still annoyed because it doesn't seem appropriate that you, who are my age, are fixated in a girl who could be..
G: Who could be my daughter? Santos, there isn't that much of a difference. And why are you protecting your relative this way? It's me, Santos. I'm not a stranger. Why does it bother you so much?
S: How could it not bother me if what you just suggested is a depravity?
G: I don't recognize what I am seeing in you. You have all the characteristics of a jealous man.
S: I am only being careful as if I were any parent.
G: No, Lorenzo Barquera knows that I like Marisela and the only thing he did was laugh himself silly at the rejections that she has given me. And I'm sure that he wouldn't oppose our romance.
S: You're wasting your time. Marisela is not going to accept you.
G: You see that is what I'm referring to. You are betting that Marisela will reject me, as if you had some interest in her. No Santos, you aren't convincing me. This jealousy is not normal. You feel something for your cousin.


Lorenzo, Cecilia and Marisela-
C: Be serious. Would it be so hard to fall in love with Gonzalo?
M: No, if he had shown up before Santos, it would have been very easy. It's too bad because it would have been nice to be the girlfriend of a man so.. what do you call it when someone is the way Gonzalo is, what is he, then?
L: Agreeable?
C: Handsome (buenmozo)? Intelligent? Manly (varonil)?
L: You really like this boy, don't you Cecilia?
C: For goodness sake! I am giving alternatives here to Marisela.
M: But I can't love him. Santos took my heart first and didn't leave a place for anyone else, not for second or third place. Santos... has taken up the whole thing.


Santos and Gonzalo (with DB listening outside the door)-
S: Affection. Affection is what I feel. I want to protect the girl who has been mistreated her entire life. Look, this girl has been so abandoned that it broke my heart the first time I saw her, Gonzalo. I care about her, yes, I care about her a lot, I will always love her like my little sister.
G: Fine. You've cleared that up. Now to the next thing: will you help me with your cousin, yes or no?
S: Again with the same subject! Do I look like a pimp (alcahuete) or what? No, I won't help you. Anyway, you don't have time for such things, Gonzalo or have you forgotten that you are being hunted. It's time to plan your escape.

DB comes in with the coffee and aspirin for Gonzalo. She tells Santos that he doesn't have to worry about Pernalete coming back to Altamira. Santos says that he doesn't trust Pernalete and there is still Melendez and the political police. He tells Gonzalo to return to Altamira and they will prepare for the rebels to cross the frontier tonight. When they are gone, DB says that she doesn't trust the 'capitalino' Gonzales but she will make the effort to smile at him. She calls for Juan Primito.

Cósme and the Poet wish that they didn't have to leave. They want to settle down with their terneras. At the Sandoval house, Carmelito tells the terneras that the rebels must leave Altamira that night. Melesia and Josefina are upset and run out. Genoveva tells Melesio that Josefina and Melesia just met these guys. He should tell them to stop being so foolish. Melesio tells Genoveva that he won't do anything. His granddaughters have been bitten by love (están picadas por el amor) and one never knows how severe the bite (mordedura) is.

In the bar of the hotel, Pernalete, BP and Danger are talking about the cattle they are stealing from Don Encarnación (DE). Mujiquita is also there. BP mentions a fine Angus bull (semental) of DE's but says that it is well guarded. Danger asks if BP is stupid. The bull bears the brand (marca del fierro) of DE and if they take it, he will know right away. Pernalete asks how they could be accused of robbery if the bull appears in someone else's corral. "Speak of angels," (hablando del rey de roma, literally, speaking of the king of Rome), says Pernalete as Antonio comes into the bar. An officer comes into the tavern who has been sent by Melendez to guard the river to prevent the rebels from crossing.

Santos and Marisela-
M: What have I done that you don't want to talk to me, Santos? Have I done something wrong? Have I behaved badly with you? Why won't you talk to me? Don't you want to call me 'my sunshine' (mi sol) anymore?
S: I don't know. You are right. Look, Marisela, I can't remain silent. We have to talk and the time has come for us to have a serious conversation. First, I want to beg your pardon."
M: Why do you have to ask my forgiveness?
S: Because... well, I hadn't realized that you aren't that same dirty, unkempt girl that I found up a tree. Now you are very different, Marisela. A girl in bloom about to turn into a woman, my sunshine. You are so beautiful. I would have liked to always see you as a girl but I can't do that anymore. Look, Marisela, I didn't realize it but men already look at you and fall in love with you and ... you are lovely, Marisela. You have grown up in body and in soul and because of this I know that soon you will leave my side.
M: No, if you don't want me to, I will never leave your side.
S: No, Marisela, listen to me. Look, this has to happen even if if breaks my heart and yours.
M: Why Santos? I want to be at your side. I don't want to ever be separated from you.
S: Listen, Marisela. Don't make this more difficult for me. You don't know how this hurts me. I care about you (Yo te quiero). I care about you very much but I don't love you (no te amo).
M: Why, Santos?
S: Because I love someone else and you know that very well.
M: No! It's a lie, Santos. You don't love her. You don't love her. What happened is that you are bewitched, Santos.
(We can see that Juan Primito is listening)
S: No my sunshine. Witchcraft doesn't exist. It's a fairy story, it's backwardness (atraso). What I feel for DB is real.
M: No. That witch doesn't deserve you.
S: Don't speak that way about your mother. Your mother deserves my love and compassion. Your mother is...
M: That isn't my mother!
S: Ok. If you want to deny it, you have your reasons. She has changed, my sunshine.
M: She will never change. She has no heart. You know it. You know it!
S: Marisela, listen to me. DB will be a better person only if she is by my side. Didn't you see how
she agreed to give you La Barquereña?
M: She hasn't given me anything and she will never be a better person. Don't you understand? You are deaf and blind. She will always be the same criminal, murderer and thief. She will always be the same woman with no heart and no feelings. After all we have gone through because of her, how can you defend her, love her?
S: Because love can also pardon and understand, my sunshine. Look, Marisela, I want you to forget these things in your head. You aren't in love with me. All right? You don't love me. It's all a child's illusion, nothing more. You have your life ahead of you and very far from me, my sunshine.
M: You are unjust and cruel but if you want me to forget you, all right. I'll forget you.
S: No my sunshine, don't go, my sunshine!

Marisela goes running into the house. Cecilia tells Lorenzo that she will go to her. This is a woman thing.

Lorenzo goes out to ask Santos what he said to Marisela. "I think I broke her heart with what I said," replies Santos, "but my heart, Lorenzo, hurts like I was a condemned prisoner (condenado)." Santos tells Lorenzo that he destroyed Marisela's illusions. Lorenzo says that he did the right thing. Santos replies that he isn't sure. He hopes Lorenzo will forgive him for what he just did because he will never forgive himself for the tears of Lorenzo's daughter.

Cecilia and Marisela-
C: My child, try and be calm.
M: He told me, aunt, that he didn't love me as a man. That he can never love me.
C: It was that. Then, so much the better.
M: How can it be better, aunt?
C: Because it's better. I promise you. You now know what to believe in from the beginning and you don't have false illusions. Now you are free, my child.
M: Free for what? To suffer like a condemned person? I don't want to be free. I don't want it.

Lorenzo, the vaqueros, Santos and the rebels discuss their plan for crossing the river that night. Carmelito comes and tells them that the police are patrolling the whole river and there is a full moon that illuminates everything.

Juan Primito returns to El Miedo and DB anxiously asks him what he heard. JP says that Santos told Marisela that he dosn't love her. He loves another. "Who?" asks DB. "He loves you, mi Doña," replies JP. DB is as excited as a girl. She says to Eustaquia over and over that Santos said that he loves her, not Marisela. Then JP tells DB that Marisela was crying and Santos said, "Don't go my sunshine!" "my sunshine!" says DB, "He called her my sunshine?" DB is annoyed that Santos never called her anything like that.

Santos and the others decide to disguise the rebels as cattle herders and move some cattle across the river to higher ground during the day. They will do it tomorrow.

Cecilia tells Lorenzo that Marisela won't stop crying. She asks Lorenzo to talk to her.

Marisela says to herself that she is jinxed becuase the man she loves more than anyone in the world doesn't have eyes for her. She says that Santos doesn't love her. Why did think that he felt something for her? She flashes back to when Santos said he would call her, 'his sunshine'. Lorenzo comes in.

DB watches while Santos sleeps and dreams about kissing Marisela. The next morning DB tries to get Santos not to go with the rebels to the border. She is afraid something will happen to him. He promises that nothing will happen.

The rebels take sad goodbyes from everyone at Altamira. Marisela comes to see Gonzalo. First, she hits him and calls him stupid, a big mouth (bocón) and a gossip (chismoso). Then she hugs him and begs him not to leave. "Marisela," says Gonzalo, "but you detest me."
M: Yes, I hate you, I don't like you.. but I don't want you to leave. Please don't leave.
G: Are you crying for me? You don't want me to leave?
M: What is with you? Are you a fool (bobo) or and idiot (tonto)? I want you to stay. I need you to stay.
G: These tears of yours are the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in my life, Marisela.
M: Forgive me for saying such ugly things. The fact that I love Santos doesn't mean that I hate you. You are a very good man and I am a dunce (burra) who doesn't know how to say things.
G: Santos is your first love and your first love makes you act like an idiot. I understand. I just want you to know one thing, Marisela. I am only looking for one hope, just one. Please, don't forget me.
M: I will never forget you, Gonzalo. How can you think that I could forget that from the first day I met you, we have had so many collisions (tropiezos)?
G: Yes, you stepped on me, you fell because of me, I ripped your dress, you almost hit me with a bicycle... but I fell in love with you like an adolescent. As if it were the first time.
M: Oh Gonzalo! You are a disaster, just like me. We are a lot alike, aren't we?

DB decides Marisela is a danger to her. "He doesn't love her," she says, "but he cares about her and from concern to love is a small step."

Don Encarnación comes to see Antonio and asks if he is sure that the land and cattle that he has are his. He asks to see the deeds.

Andrés writes a poem to Melesia and the other terneras, including Altagracia, say that is so romantic. Maria Nieves overhears.

DB sends Melquiades to prevent Gonzalo from leaving.

Marisela tells Gonzalo to be careful. Gonzalo says that he is a natural risk taker and can't change. Marisela says that is ok. Everyone should be themselves.
"I am a fighter by nature," says Gonzalo, "and even though I know you are only thinking about Santos, I am going to fight for your love. You are the woman of my life. I will love you until I die."

Marisla hugs him and Santos tells him to let her go.

Wednesday, December 1o

Santos, the rebels, Maria Nieves and Pajarote take a final leave of everyone at Altamira and start the cattle drive. Melquiades is shadowing them. Their first encounter with the political police goes well. Santos shows them his identification, says that he is moving cattle to higher ground and he is allowed to pass.

Cecilia has to dismiss school because the passage in a book that she is using for verb-tense dication is about absent lovers and she and terneras dissolve into tears.

Don Encarnación (DE) comes to see Santos. He tells Cecilia and Antonio that he believes that Antonio Sandoval has stolen land and cattle from him.

Josefa tries to get back with Mujuquita. While she is in the hotel bar, Cecilia comes looking for Antonio.

Cecilia has come to tell Antonio about DE's accusation. They come close to reconciling but don't.

Federica gets the combination to her father's safe. Josefa comes over and tells her that Cecilia is with Antonio. Federica goes to Antonio's hotel room just as Cecilia is leaving. She gives Antonio the combination. He refuses to give her the promised advance on their honeymoon until he actually gets into the safe.

Mujiquita tells Pernalete that he has a toothache and runs to Altamira to warn Santos not to try and cross the border but Lorenzo tells him that Santos has already left.

DE tells Antonio and later Pernalete that the land that Pernalete gave to Antonio belongs to him and he will take the matter to court.

Santos, Pajarote and the rebels have to sneak past some border guards. Melquiades sees his opportunity and fires his rifle alterting the guards. The guards open fire. Gonzalo is hit in the arm but Andres is hit in the chest. Melquiades kills a guard who comes up to where the rebels are. The plan to cross the border is abandoned. Melquiades shows himself to the Altamira contingent and offers to cover their retreat.

(DB told Melquiades in no uncertain terms to make sure that nothing happened to Santos. Granted, Melquiades had a difficult task but by drawing the fire of the border guards, he put Santos in considerable danger and it was only by luck that he wasn't hit by the flying bullets.)

The cattle drive returns, not to Altamira but to El Miedo. DB checks out their approach with her binoculars. She sends Juan Primito to bring the news to Altamira and sends Leon for Dr. Arias.
(Badly wounded as he appears to be, Andres apparently was able to ride a horse.)

Marisela drives the praying terneras to El Miedo. Marisela embraces Gonzalo while Santos looks on annoyed and DB smirks.

Antonio opens Pernalete's safe and is looking at the deeds to his property when Pernalete comes in and demands to know what he is doing.

Labels: barbara