Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Doña Bárbara - Wed., Feb. 18 - The verdict is in

Santos allows DB to spew her venom about how Marisela killed Meléndez for way too long.

It appears that Dr. Dumb has disclosed extremely personal information about another patient to Cecilia without remembering her relationship with Antonio, The doctor is surprised when Cecilia gets pale and then he remembers. [Presumably, this is a way of not only letting Cecilia know that Lucía is pregnant (Lucía could tell her that) but that the pregnancy is dangerous to Lucía's health. So do we think Lucía going to die having the baby? If that is so, we have to go another 7 or 8 months into the future with the story.]

DB keeps on with her lies about Marisela. DB tells Santos that if he wants to continue with the trial, she will disclose the truth and Marisela will be arrested. Finally, Santos has had enough and he hustles her out of the room.

DB seems to think that once Santos knows about Meléndez, he will feel differently about Marisela. She says to Santos, "And does it seem just to you that this murderer gets [the hacienda] after what she has done, after she has killed a man?" Santos asks DB for a detailed explanation of what happened.

Meanwhile Marisela is telling what happened to Genoveva. "What is Santos going to think of me?" says Marisela, "He will think that I am like her, like Bárbara and I can't deal with that."

DB tells Santos that Marisela lied to him and deceived him. She will trick both of them. Santos tells DB that she blackmailed Marisela into refusing the hacienda. "Yes," says DB, "I did it and I did for you. She wanted El Miedo and she wanted to stay there with you, Santos. I won't permit that. You are mine and you will come back to me when you realize what kind of woman she is."
Santos tells DB that it is a little late to try and deceive him again. He is sure that Marisela acted in self defense. DB says that he can be blind if he wants to but she is going to denounce Marisela and send her to jail. Santos starts to walk out and DB asks what he is going to do. "I'm going to do the one thing that I have done all my life, DB: put the truth and justice ahead of everything. That is what I am going to do!"

Bartolo is boring Altagracia and Gervasia until María Nieves comes in and then she is all smiles and says that Bartolo should ask Melesio for her hand in marriage.

Lucía tells Antonio that she is sure that nothing bad will happen to her with the baby because it is the fruit of their love and will be her continuation if she isn't here one day. That way, Antonio will never be left alone. Antonio points out that she is talking like something bad will happen. Lucía says that she is only thinking about the worst thing that could happen. She is sure that it won't happen.

Cecilia tells Toñito that he is going to have a brother or sister with whom he can run and play. He won't feel so alone like his mother.

Santos tells Marisela that she acted in self defense. Marisela says that DB will say that it didn't happen that way. Marisela thinks she should forget her claim to La Barquereña. "That is what DB wants," Santos tells her, "to make you afraid, to push you down. You have the right to what is yours." He asks about when she refused La Barquereña and Marisela tells him how DB threatened her. Marisela tells Santos that she is relieved to have told him. She asks if he believes her. "Without any doubt ('con ojos cerrados,' literally, 'with closed eyes,') Sunshine." He says that he is glad she feels free and she will be even more free when she lets the truth come to light. Marisela asks what he means. "You believe in me, right?" says Santos, "You believe in my judgement (criterio)?" "Without any doubt," replies Marisela. "That's all I needed to know," says Santos.

Melquíades tells DB that she looks like a queen. DB says that this will be her big day when she triumphs over all the traitors.

Santos and Marisela comes to see the judge. He scolds Santos for initiating what we would call an ex parte communication with him, i.e, without counsel for DB being present. Santos says that the situation is exceptional. He gives the judge Marisela's declaration about what happened with Meléndez. The judge says that he has never had a situation like this. He postpones the hearing until the afternoon and says that he will have to consult come books.

Don Encarnación continues to blame Antonio for Lucía's pregnancy. Lucía swears to her father that Antonio didn't know about her medical condition. Antonio asks why she didn't tell him. Lucía says that she didn't want to frighten him. What would he find attractive about a fragile, sick woman? She tells them that she is happy and they should be happy for her.

At 00:21:25, we see Santos and Andres alone at table;


At oo:21:49 they are talking to Marisela who we never see in the same frame.

Obviously, they were shooting around Genesis' shoulder problem.

The judge didn't postpone the hearing to consult legal treatises, he wanted to get instructions from El Sapo. El Sapo says that he shouldn't have been bothered for this and tells the judge to initiate an inquiry into the Meléndez matter but as far as the hacienda ownership case, he should follow instructions.

DB is concerned about the delay in proceedings. She asks her lawyer if the judge is buyable [methinks that if DB were up on her game, she would have explored this option earlier]. The lawyer says that the judge's reputation is that he can be bought. DB tells her lawyer to do it whatever it costs.

Marisela tells Genoveva that she can't see herself as the owner of El Miedo. Just thinking about it gives her the shivers (escalofrío). Genoveva tells her that she should think about what she can do to make staying there nicer - planting flowers and painting the rooms with pretty colors like birds. Marisela says that she isn't sure. The place has bad vibes after all the horrible things DB has done there. Genoveva says that soap and water and a blessing from the priest will get rid of that. Marisela says that it isn't only that. She continues to feel bad about putting DB out in the street. Losing El Miedo will be a big blow to her after losing Santos. Marisela says that DB is crazy about Santos. "Just like you," replies Genoveva. Marisela says that she has renounced Santos. Genoveva tells her not to follow Cecilia's example and give up her true love. "Besides," she says, "Santos is crazy about you." At that moment, Marisela receives her daily rose and love note from Santos.

DB's lawyer goes to the judge and offers him a bribe. The judge says that his decision isn't for sale.

DB's lawyer tells her that something strange is going on. The judge can't be bought.

The judge calls for the parties to make their closing arguments.

Antonio comes to see Toñito. Cecilia congratulates him on Lucía's pregnancy. Antonio starts to say that he would rather it were Cecilia who was carrying his child but Cecilia tells him not to go down that road. Then Lucía turns up. She is jealous, of course.

DB's lawyer gives his closing argument. He says that Marisela refused the gift of the hacienda when it was offered to her and there is no evidence that she was pressured to make that decision. Therefore, the property transfer document should be declared null and void.

MN tells his buddies that Bartolo is going to asks Altagracia to marry him and then he will lose her forever.

Carmelito overhears Altagracia telling the other terneras that she is leading Bartolo on to make MN jealous and force him to declare his feelings for her.

Andrés makes his closing argument. He says that DB is known throughout the Arauca for her sleazy business dealings. Then he points out the the property transfer deed signed by DB has no expiration date and this means than it is valid when Marisela signs even if it is a year later. He asks the court to declare that Marisela is the rightful owner of La Barquereña. The judge calls a recess before giving his decision. DB is furious with her lawyer because he didn't raise the Melénedez issue. The lawyer says that wouldn't have made any difference. Out in the hall, DB tells Marisela to withdraw the claim for the hacienda or she will accuse Marisela of killing Meléndez. Marisela tells DB that she won't withdraw the claim and she won't let DB blackmail her anymore. Marisela goes on to tell DB that she already gave a written statement to the judge about how Meléndez died so DB's blackmail won't work. DB tells her lawyer to do something. He says that there is nothing to do. They have to wait for the judge's decision.

Pajarote tells the despondent MN that it is two weeks since his pineapple (Genoveva) has been in San Fernando and he misses fighting with her. Carmelito tells MN that he has some interesting gossip about Altagracia. MN is all ears.

Bartolo manages to offend Melesio while asking for Altagracia's hand in marriage. Melesio tells Altagracia that marriage is a serious matter and she had better not come crying back to him. Once the priest gives his blessing, he won't accept returns of used merchandise. The vaqueros turn the tables on Altagracia. Instead of being angry with Bartolo for getting engaged to Altagracia, they congratulate him and tell him to never stop talking to Altagracia. That is what she likes.

Antonio asks DE if he is still mad at him. DE says no. He says that he should not have let Antonio marry Lucía but it all happened too fast. He says that Lucía is in a hurry to live, to feel things, to be happy as if she knows something that he and Antonio don't know. Antonio says that with God's help, everything will be ok. DE says that Antonio doesn't really believe that but he asks Antonio to make her happy and never let her cry for anything to do with him. Antonio promises that from now on, there will only be laughter for Lucía.

The judge starts to give his decision and refers to the long-standing hatred between the two families, mistreatment and abuse of power. DB interrupts and tries to tell the judge about the Meléndez matter but the judge tells her that the case is closed. She continues to speak. The judge says that there are laws and procedures that she has to follow. The judge tells her to shut up, sit down and listen to his decision. The judge rules for Marisela. There is a sensation in the court.

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Comments:
Great recap, Jean. An all-around exciting episode. DB's face when Marisela told her she'd confessed in writing to the judge was priceless! I am really enjoying Maria Nieves and the other vaqueros calling Altagracia's bluff. In reality she'd rather eat rat poison than spend her life with Bartolo.

We just finished a long and interesting chapter in the book, entitled The Veladas de la Vaquería, which I translate as the party after the roundup. The author describes that, due to the custom of not having fences, it's necessary for the haciendas to work together to round up all the cattle, several times a year. They are subsequently branded. Each hacienda sends its very best riders and ropers to impress the others. The vaqueros use their finest saddles and bridles and try to show off their abilities.

They start off at daybreak, with only coffee in their bellies. They will eat when the work is done. It's hard work, and some of the horses are killed. The surviving horses have trembling legs from fatigue.

During this roundup Balbino Paiba tries to make off with cattle belonging to a hacienda owner who did not show up for the event. Santos confronts him and wins the argument.

When all the Altamira cattle are in the corral, they care for their horses, washing and grooming them. Then the feast begins: carne asada, roasted yucca, fruit, and lots of aguardiente.

Then begins the music. The book is quite detailed about the "coplas" they sing, which seem rather like Mexican corridos, tales of valor by llaneros. A famous one concerns Florentino el araucano, a famous singer that legend says was challenged by the Devil himself and outsang him. You can find versions of Florentino y El Diablo on You Tube. And there is a whole web site for canciones llaneras. Pajarote and Maria Nieves are the stars of the show, MN playing the cuatro (a four-stringed guitar) and P maracas.

Then the dancing begins. They've been up before dawn, worked hard all day, but they dance like madmen. The terneras are there and other girls from other haciendas so there are lots of women and girls with whom to dance. But no one will dance with Marisela because she is related to El Patron and perceived to be above their station. Marisela is suffering and longing to dance with Santos, but he dances with others and not with her. Finally, she asks Pajarote to dance. He accepts with alacrity. What he says is "Muerto, quieres misa?" which is pretty funny. Would a dead man want a mass? Sort of like: "Is the Pope Catholic". Then he shouts to the other vaqueros that he's dancing with La Flor de Altamira, even though he's a rascal and doesn't deserve it. Make room, Make room!

It doesn't appear that Marisela's ploy to make Santos jealous works at all, as she discusses with Genoveva in the next chapter.

This was long, but those who read them have said you like them!
 

Thanks so much for the info on the next chapter of the novel, novelera. It's fascinating. If there aren't any fences and at least some of the cattle aren't branded, how do they know which cattle belong to which hacienda? Are the unbranded cattle the young ones so do they stay with their mothers? How does Santos know that BP is stealing cattle?
 

Thanks Jean! Thanks novelera! Really good stuff, I wish the telenovela could've had more of the book, but I suppose that's unrealistic. I hope you can answer Jean's questions, because they're mine too...
jb
 

Thanks Jean and Novelera. Does anyone know how much longer DB will run ? I've really enjoyed this novela.
 

Well, it will run at least through March. The schedule on NBC Universal Media Village shows that. Over on TW, they are saying that the novela was extended and will end in April or May.
 

Wish I could shed more light on it. I get the impression at times that Gallegos assumed his readers would understand why the llaneros do things. The first paragraph says they are going to gather up the dispersed herds and "proceder a la hierra de orejanos". Orejanos are completely unidentified, usually young, cattle. There are also some cattle that are "marked". In our class we thought maybe this was an ear notching or some such. But they apparently don't completely belong to the hacienda until they affix the brand (hierra). Maybe they just divide the orejanos proportionally between the haciendas; it doesn't really say how they determine who gets which ones.

I assume that after branding they release them onto the open savannah so that they can graze.

The chapter also alludes to the fact that Balbino Paiba is an expert in altering brands; apparently, putting another brand on top of an existing one so that you can't tell it's been changed. That was what he planned to do with the cattle he was taking away. But Santos stopped him. Santos knows he is stealing them because they are already branded with that hacienda's brand. Paiba tries to pull it off, telling Santos he's "authorized" to deliver the cattle. Santos asks for the letter of authorization, at which point Paiba accuses Santos of wanting to keep them. Santos calls him insolent and says that he plans to keep them for the owner and, if they don't come soon, to send a vaquero with the cows to that hacienda.
 

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