Caray, Caray!

DB tells Marisela that she shouldn't talk that way about her own mother. Marisela replies that DB isn't her mother. When she tried to be a mother, DB lied to Marisela, used her and made her feel miserable. Now it's too late and Marisela says that she doesn't want anything to do with DB. DB leaves and Marisela dries her tears and tells Cecilia that she will never cry for her mother again.

Santos tries to tell Antonio that taking the job as Gonzalo's secretary is crazy and is a trap. Naturally, Antonio concludes that Santos doesn't believe he is smart enough to do the job. Santos tells Antonio that Gonzalo has changed a lot and cites Gonzalo's actions in locking Santos up to keep him from Marisela and giving Antonio the job that should have gone to Andres.

After sex, Pajarote asks Genoveva if her balloons exploded. At first, she says only a couple did and then she admits that many, many, many balloons exploded. They decide to get back at their friends by pretending to hate one another while meeting secretly for passionate sex.

Antonio says that he doesn't think Gonzalo has changed. He tells Santos that he thinks Marisela has made the right decision. Santos protests that Marisela is the love of his life and Antonio reminds him that he said the same thing about DB a few months ago. Santos claims that DB deceived him. "And you got her pregnant," replies Antonio. Antonio urges Santos to accept that he made a mistake and live with it the way Antonio is paying for the mistakes he made with Cecilia. Santos refuses to admit that he has lost Marisela. Santos tells Antonio not be angry with him but he warns him to be careful with Gonzalo.

Gonzalo offers to take care of the money that Marisela received from DB for the hacienda. Wisely, Marisela says that she will run her own life.

Lucía thanks Cecilia for being so generous and friendly to her since she knows that Cecilia still loves Antonio. She thanks Cecilia for respecting Lucía's marriage vows. Cecilia expresses some doubt about Antonio's new job but she tells Lucía that Antonio is an honest man and that is what the government needs.
We get to see Toñito, the cutie.

Melesio tells Antonio that he knows about running an hacienda not a government. He thinks it is strange that Gonzalo would hire him and not Andres who fought with Gonzalo in the underground. Andres tells Antonio that he doesn't bear any grudge. Andres says that he is a little disillusioned that Gonzalo didn't choose him.

Santos demands to be let out of prison but Mujica says that he can't do it. Santos tells Mujica that Gonzalo isn't the same person that they knew at the University but Mujica thinks that Santos is blinded by jealousy.

Cecilia, Toñito and Casilda bid the travellers farewell. Cecilia reminds Marisela that she has to come back for the mass baptism of all the babies that have been born so far. Gonzalo suggests that won't be possible but Cecilia tells him that Marisela is the godmother of all the babies. She has to be present. Mujica comes to the boat launch, "Commissioner, you say what time we can release him ," says Mujica. "Release whom?" asks Marisela. "Release the mooring lines, of course," says Gonzalo hastily and hustles them into the boat. [If he can figure it out, Mujica now has proof that Gonzalo is trying to deceive Marisela.]

DB comes to the jefetura and demands that Santos be released. Pernalete refuses until Mujica returns and gives the ok. Santos just walks past DB without a word.

Melesio tell Gervasia and Altagracia that Antonio is too sane and sincere for the political life. The terneras tell him that Antonio isn't that far away and he will come back to see his child.
"And the child's mother," says Melesio, "her above all." Genoveva and Pajarote do their performance for the terneras who conclude that their plan failed.

Santos arrives too late at the boat launch and Cecilia tries to convince him not to immediately go after Marisela and bring her back by force if necessary. Santos tells Cecilia that Marisela is making a terrible mistake in going to work for Gonzalo. Cecilia says that he is wrong. She says that Marisela couldn't stay and be his wife and have his children when he got her mother pregnant.

In a very cute scene, DB is in church praying to the Virgin. She barely knows how to cross herself. She tells the Virgin that she isn't complaining but she notes that the Virgin didn't do the whole thing. She got pregnant but she lost Santos. "What will it cost me to get him back?" she asks. The priest comes over. He forgives DB for all the times she has humiliated him but says that only God can forgive big (gordo) sins. DB allows as she has some pretty big sins on her tab.

Cecilia tells Santos that if he would just analyze the situation like the sensible and just man that he is, he would give up the idea of going to harass (acosar) Marisela. At first Santos denies that was what he was going to do but finally he admits it. Cecilia tells him that Marisela needs time to think about what has happened. Santos says that if Marisela goes away from him, he will lose her forever. Cecilia reminds him that Marisela could have gone much farther away but she didn't. Cecilia tells Santos that Marisela still loves him and if he acts more intelligently than he has so far, he can get her back.

The priest tries to hear DB's confession (how much time has he got?) but she doesn't know the ritual and he realizes that not only has she never made confession before, she hasn't made her first holy communion and probably isn't even baptized. DB tells him that Eustaquia told her stories of the Virgin and the God of the White Men when she was a girl before her life was destroyed. Now that she is pregnant, DB says that she wants to give up being the devourer (devoradora), the chief (cacica), the monster. She wants to be a dignified woman like Cecilia. The priest piously says that Cecilia has earned a place in heaven. DB says that is what she wants and asks him if there is a tiny little space in heaven for someone like her.

Gonzalo tells Marisela that she can live in the Governor's house. When she is concerned about living there alone with him, he says that she can invite a friend and she invites Antonio and Lucía to stay there too.

DB asks the priest why he can't just put some holy water on her and drive out the devil. The priest says that it isn't so simple for an adult convert. She has to learn the precepts of the church and understand the commitment they are making when they become children of God. He tells her that she has to study the catechism and he will give her private lessons. Gervasia comes in to talk to the priest about the mass baptisms of Sandovals and thus DB finds out about it.

In Cosme and Andres, Santos finally finds people who share his opinion of the duplicitousness of Gonzalo. From them he finds out that Marisela is going to return to Progresso for the big baptism. Santos tells Andres that he has to help him begin to reveal to everyone what Gonzalo really is. He says that as of this moment, Andres is the treasurer of the Cattlemen's Association.

Then we have a nice long dialog-free montage of scenes indicating the passage of time.

Juan Primito tells DB that Santos has gone to San Fernando.

Lucía and Marisela go out shopping for presents for the babies who are going to be baptized and they just miss Santos who has come to see Gonzalo. He has himself announced as the president of the Cattlemen's Association. Gonzalo jumps up when Santos comes into his office and asks what he is doing there.

Gonzalo appears to have every intention of just refusing to see Santos until Antonio comes in and tells them to act like grownups. Santos starts to make his presentation on behalf of the Cattleman's Association.

Coming home with their purchases, Marisela is quiet and Lucía says that she and Antonio heard her crying last night. She asks what Marisela would do if Santos showed up in San Fernando. Marisela says that she wouldn't pay the slightest attention to him.

In response to Santos' proposal, Gonzalo first says that they would have to be supported by economic studies, projections, etc. Santos replies by handing him a folder containing all that stuff. Gonzalo admits that the proposal is well done. He says that the government has its own projects but that doesn't rule out supporting other good projects. Santos says that he hopes so and that he hopes that the government and its representatives aren't going to betray the hopes that the country has placed on them.

Santos leaves and Antonio goes after him asking why he spoke to Gonzalo with such annoyance. Santos says that was how Gonzalo spoke to him and reiterates his belief that Gonzalo is traitor. Antonio still thinks that Santos just has personal problems with Gonzalo. Antonio tells Santos that he, Lucía, Marisela and Gonzalo, of course, are all living at the Governor's residence. Santos is annoyed.

DB has come to San Fernando.

Antonio assures Santos that absolutely nothing is going on between Gonzalo and Marisela. Santos says that he is sure that Gonzalo will try something. Marisela and Lucía come in. Marisela tells Santos that she assumes he came after her but he says that he came to town on behalf of the Cattlemen's Association. Marisela bids him good afternoon and walks out of the room. Gonzalo is watching through the door of his office. Gonzalo tosses Santos' proposal in a drawer and say that it will never happen.

At dinner, Marisela is quiet and tells Gonzalo that she has a headache. She excuses herself. Gonzalo says that this is Santos' fault. He says that all the progress Marisela has made is in the trash (en balde). Lucía says that she doesn't think Marisela has made much progress. She cries for Santos every night.

Alone in her room, Marisela says, "Santos, don't you care about me anymore? You wouldn't even look me in the eyes. You didn't even ask to speak to me." She gets out her copy of El Cid (Cantar del Mio Cid, in Spanish. Click the link to see the Wikipedia entry on the poem) where she has a picture of Santos and a pressed rose.

"Don't you love me any more?" says to the picture, "You probably came to San Fernando with DB and you're together in the hotel making love, kissing, happy about the child that you are going to have. Santos, oh Santos."

Meanwhile DB has bribed a maid in the hotel to let her into Santos' room. She holds his shirt and wonders where he is at this moment.

Gonzalo knocks on Marisela's door and asks if her headache has gone away. She says that it has and she has gone to bed. A masked figure sneaks into Marisela's room and grabs her.

Labels: barbara