Caray, Caray!

This is my last "Fuego en la Sangre" submission. It has been a pleasure to be with you all these many long months. Since I am still missing Coyote, I submit one last picture of my neighbor Coyote, aka Ricardo. Since Ricardo Uribe, Jr. had the nickname (apodo) of Coyote, I have decided to give this little guy (or gal, I am still not sure) the nickname Ricardo. If we are going to recap Mañana es para Siempre, I have asked to move to Wednesday nights to accommodate my bilingual southwestern literature class homework schedule so I hope to see you all there starting next week. I am inconsolable over our loss of Nickster and Julie, what stellar writers and humorists. I hope enough recappers new and experienced step forward to delight us all with their talents and Julie and NIckster will come back to these pages before long.

So where were we: ahhhh yes, Gabriela Acevedo de Elizando, wearing a dramatic long black coat wrapped in a long black shawl both of which set off to perfection the extra large gauge noose the villagers have prepared just for her special event. She should have a swinging time out on the town tonight. Let's peak in to see what happens next. Ahh we get treated to a rehash of I love you Mama my true mama who loves me when the false mama didn't love me like a mama. Forgive me but I can't go there word for word but in my sentence are all the words that keep being said over and over. ¡Basta! Sofia sentences Gabriela to a life alone for her punishment. The three sisters together in their sensational ponchos pledge eternal sisterhood and a triple wedding to set the town permanently on it's end. They have a brief rehash of who owns the hacienda, it is still Sofia since Bernardo is still her father, but she doesn't care about this, the sisters can count on her forever. Doesn't Sarita seem even prettier than Rosario now that she has totally let her self out and her hair down, her beauty shines through. But this telenovela never did suffer from a paucity of pulchritude just of probable plot. But I digress and the villagers send the warning of their lynching plans, Gabriela flees the derisive laughter of her worst hallucination, Bernardo smirking from the grave and now the lynchers have got their hands around the grand villainess once and for all. How could this possibly go wrong? the torches are lit, the foolish villain stumbles around the dry ice forest and finally they close in. Oh the noose looks great, She is again accused of harboring the evil Feonando who tried to kill Padre Tadeo she is as evil as he is and since they have her, put that rope up on the tree guys!. The noose tightens, But wait, Mutton Chops, has apparently renewed his contract and arrives with sirens whining and guns blazing in the air. They have no proof, and besides if they persist, they will be guilty of attempted homicide he avers. Chief Mutton asks Gabi if she is okay, he is worried and will have her taken home. She spurns him with her usual snubs and wanders home assuring him she can get there alone.

Paddy Tad with new black color and a bit too much oil (in his hair not his frock) is chastising Fermin for inciting the lynching crowd when God should mete out his revenge. It is not Fermin's place to exact justice.

Miraculously, Gabi runs into Feo on the way home and tells him in tears of how awful the noose felt and how afraid she is but that is nothing compared to his plans to inter her alive to fool them all while he wreaks havoc and revenge on the Reyes brats. She wants nothing of it but she is short on allies so we shall see.

Sofia and Eva grin hug and pray to the Virgincita and before Bernardo's tomb altar, they pledge to be the best mother daughter team in all the land and forever and ever and ever. Here comes Sarita and Jimena, Again Sofia assures the sisters that she wants to be with her mother but she will never abandon them. They need Eva too who has been more like a mother than mother and so they talk to Bernardo while Eva assures Bernardo that she has his three strong daughters and will protect, love and respect them forever. They have found men to love them and protect them forever. The tomb gleams in approval although he doesn't make the same kind of appearance he has saved for Gabi's eyes alone.

Juan and Mutton Chops argue over the capture and punishment of Feonando. Mutton insists that the great wanted poster will bring results and keep the law in charge, without explaining where in the world has he been for weeks while the crime spree has spread without abatement from the short arm of the law. Ahhh, but others see the poster with the $500,000 peso reward for delivering the criminal Feo, And it isn't the grim reaper, but the graveyard guard with the one good eye that can see this looks like much more money than Feo has been offering him for keeping quiet.

(Mendigo perro), begging dog, swears Juan, let's go, the posters are everywhere, on every tree, the villagers read and learn.

The girls plan life with the Reyes and Eva included forever and ever and ever. Everyone smiles, like they used to cry, that is endlessly.

Fatima the housekeeper comes running in to tell them that Gabriela has left the hacienda. They all run off as though they were chasing after a good mother. Go figure.

The boys clean up by the old swimming hole as if they have been reading this blog, but alas, though we get shirts off there are no bare butt shots. Rats, foiled again.

Gabi is leaving slowly and dramatically with Rosendo carrying her luggage. She renounces being their mother as the sisters rush up to ask her where she is going.

The guard shows Feo the poster and the large reward and mentions how paltry Feo's payment scheme is in comparison. Feo promises more money than these miserable bums can offer. Feo adds that he needs not only his loyalty but his aid too.

The bathing boys discuss that Feo has taken their happiness not only of Juan's girlie but their sister Libia too.

Rigo with his baby, wife, mother and step dad talk about their happiness of his when who should appear but the long lost brother back from his big job in the States but his mama called on the phone (where did she go to find one) and he is here to help. The most important thing is the family. like the patria, Mexico there aren't two.

The brothers show up at the hacienda insisting the sisters flee but they have their dream of white weddings like their father wanted and besides Gabriela has moved into the cabana so. Oscar urges that the Reyes submit to the white wedding dreams and the father's wish so they decide they can stay while the brothers will take turns guarding them. Then they ever so casually drop the news that last night the village almost lynched their mom. The ninny girls go all whacky (asusto). Gabi whines in her cabana. Over at the convent, Eva and Sofia meet with the Soledad. Soledad is thanked for bringing the truth in motherhood facts to light. They ask what they can do for her, she only wants prayers for the eternal peace of her son. She is now in full nun's habit and looks more serene than anyone else and assures them she has found peace.

In the kitchen eating large loaves of bread the Reyes and Rigo's family pledge eternal friendship and Juan assures Rigo that they will give him a small but sufficient parcel of land to farm themselves. The graveyard guard shows Feo how he can help him. He has a substance that by it self is harmless or just a sleepytime tea, but when mixed with alcohol can be quite lethal. This will do nicely muses Feo as he imagines Gabi with her perpetual snifter near her bitter lips. What a great helper our guard has turned out to be.

Oscar holds Jimena while she cries that it is painful to realize that you don't matter at all to your own mother. Oscar pledges that his love and devotion will be pledged to cure her of her wounds He will love her with his whole being. She says his love will protect her but she can't forget. Mirror, Franco pledges to always be with Sarita and give her all the love that her own mother withheld. She tells him that he has memories so sweet of his mother but she has memories so false. She wonders why her mother used her so, why she never loved her, why, why, why mama.

Juan and Sofia with all three babies who now look old enough to read, walk along the hacienda. They will be happy forever with the 3 munchkins and her mother, her mother, Juan her mother. your mother-in-law. oh they must mean Eva. What a night, what a night says Juan at the almost full moon.

Fatima comes back into the big house with a full tray of food saying Gabi doesn't want to eat. Sarita and Jimena worry that she will die of hunger. She shows us that it is more likely going to be demon rum or brandy. while she is tormented by the conscience of Bernardo who says she will never get over. The girls listen to her yelling outside. She never wants to see him return again, they think it is Feo but now, the cabana has been redecorated in red couches and chairs, and they enter while she screams to leave her alone and get out (fuera de aqui and largense). They leave and she turns to see Bernardo backed by the choral group singing accusations. Leave me in peace she begs the spector. But the ads come before peace arrives....

the boys are at the cave tomb pledging to give it a good cleaning and a better altar. Juan begs her to forgive them for not catching her killer yet. Oscar swears by this Reyesness and his brotherhood they will find out (hallar), Franco echos the sentiment. and Juan makes three they will find him, they will find him.

A disheveled Gabi faces a scruffy Feo and whines does he love her more than anyone else. He smirks yes, then she wants to know why he insists on this absurd plan she is so afraid of, he nods quietly and understandingly, with quite a full beard now. Glad we don't have scratch and sniff TV sets yet. She rants that he never loved her that she is so alone that he would love her dead, he nods she cries into the sofa, he waits then kisses her forehead and leaves her praying to her brandy snifter. Suddenly out in the yard, Gabi makes Rosendo promise to say nothing and not come near her cabana no matter what weird things he sees. He promises and she goes back into the cabana. Feo watches from behind the bush with his binoculars wondering how long he will have to wait for his great plan to be completed. Meanwhile the Reyes brothers mount horses and ride around in the forest still looking for Feo.

Last shot of the brandy snifter being filled, emptied, filled. As she is whining and crying, Gabi opens the casket that Feo has prepared and magically transported into the cabana. Gabi sits down to write a note, places all the money in the lining of the casket. drinks more then finds the cup, drinks the suspicious liquid. She is woosy but still resists the leather sleeves that put the washcloth full of ether or whatever Feo still had in his dastardly arsenal of intoxicants and she slumps unconscious.

Rosendo tells the girls that mama had a casket (ataud) delivered to the cabana and he thought they should know. Dr. Montes, happens to come and tells them he is worried about their mother and is especially so when he hears about the casket. Feo watches the doctor and ninny daughters rush off to the cabana and hopes doc will declare her dead. Suddenly the Reyes brothers show up at the hacienda and Feo shoots at the brothers, meanwhile inside the cabana, the doctor declares her dead. and just to make it sure we get the significance, the magic camera shoots her in sepia while the daughters stay in color. (cool effect usually seen only in ads but I'm just saying) So did I get a kill or not?? Mama, mama, mama. Adios amigos mios.

Labels: Fuego