Caray, Caray!

Fasten your seat belts. We’re gonna’ need a lot of Chunky Monkey for this one. If you like Tontas because it is a light, amusing novela, then I suggest that you watch old clips instead of Monday’s, because tonight there is no joy in Mudville. On the other hand, if you like novelas because you enjoy the catharsis you get from intense human emotion, then stick around. Have I got a show for you!

Note, I had to do most of this show without captions, so I’ll be grateful if you fill in anything missing or mistaken.

Chayo wonders why Ed got home so early; did his amante stand him up? Ed doesn’t want to start a fight at this hour; he wants to make love, not war. Yep, sounds to me like his amante stood him up!

At breakfast, Chava gives his mama the family picture he made in school.

In Santiago’s office, Ed (who is never in his own office) tells Carlos (the raggedy abandonado) his problem: his ex-wife is becoming friends with his amante. Sage Carlos dispenses the wisdom of the ages, or at least the wisdom of the fortune cookies: “Listen to your heart.” Ed decides, once again, to leave his amante and re-win Chayo (those two are apart and together more times than Ole Olson’s accordion!).

Candy shows Lulu her son’s drawing. Marissa comes in and says she decided to share that office with Candy. Candy declines and leaves. Mar destroys Chava’s picture, and says, “Oopsie! It tore!”

Why did Jazmin leave DF after she dumped El Cheque? Is it because she was heartbroken? Naah. I say it’s because all of DF (pop. 22 million) knows what a skank she is, so she had to invade new territory to find a fresh chump. More of her is out of her blouse than in it. She tells Counselor Chayo that her amante broke up with her, but she looooves him. Chayo points out that this is the perfect opportunity to make the break from dating married men. Just then, Ed calls Chayo. He wants to see her, but she doesn’t want to see him because she realizes he’s just on the rebound from another amante. Jaz says, “What a coincidence. Your husband dumped his amante, and my amante dumped me.”

Lucía wants to know why Charly is so upset. She’s afraid he wants to break up with her. He tells her, “No, I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you.” Then why is he so upset? “You have to have a test. A blood test. I tested positive. I’m HIV-positive.” Luc starts screaming at him to shut up, go away, disappear, never return. She runs away into the house, and Isabel comes out and looks at Charly as if to say, “What did you do to her?” Isabel calls Santiago and says he needs to come home.

Candy returns to her office and finds her son’s drawing torn up, with red horns, pitchforks and tails added to everyone.

Raúl tries to tell Marissa, “No, you can’t give your baby up for adoption.” He’s shocked by the idea. She doesn’t want to be a single mom; she just wants it to go away and forget about it. Raúl says it’s her son, but she says, “No, it’s my little problem, and I’m going to solve it.” He urges her to give the baby up to Santiago who loves him, or to Raúl, but she says no one will get him. Raúl threatens to renounce her if she abandons his nephew. Mar answers, “You don’t have a nephew. Santiago doesn’t have a son. You can go now. Goodbye.” Raúl finally realizes that Marissa’s mind has left the building.

In Meño’s room, Charly tells his dad, “I feel so alone.” Pop has the easy answer – it’s because you broke up with Luc. Try again: “Pop, I’m very sick.” Next easy answer: that’s because you’re always barefoot. One more try. “Papa, I have AIDS.” Meño’s world stops turning. His mouth moves but nothing comes out. He looks Charly up and down as if trying to force his brain to start working again.
Meño: Do you want to get something to eat with me?
Charlie: Didn’t you hear what I just said?
M: That’s what I always said to my father when I didn’t want to hear bad news.
Ch: Papa, I’m going to die.
M: And I covered my ears like this, so I couldn’t hear it. I don’t want to hear bad news.
They hold onto each other and cry together.

On the other side of town in Santiago’s office, Candy wants to talk about AIDS. He’s worried that Zamora is infected. “No,” she tells him, “not Zamora.” Santi is relieved. She explains, “The results were Charly’s.” Santi’s compassion goes out for Charly. She continues, “For that reason, Lucía also needs to be tested.”

The ground starts to crumble under Santiago’s feet as the avalanche begins to unravel. But even with the ground giving out from under him, he tries to ride it out. “No. No, because.. (he quotes from memory, something solid and reliable) because HIV is only transmitted by sexual contact or blood transfusion or (something I couldn’t hear). So…” Candy has to confirm that he’s right. The avalanche he was trying to run away from catches up with him, carries him away, and tumbles him into a heap. “Are you saying that they made love? And didn’t take precautions?” Candy reminds him that, although there is no cure, there are treatments. But being a doctor, he knows how rough those treatments are.

Santiago is clutching for someone to blame, starting with himself. He is tormented because he broke his oath to his brother to take care of Lucía, and he refused to talk to her about sex when she asked. Candy tells him it’s not his fault (agreed). She says it’s nobody’s fault. (Wait a minute! What is the message of this subplot? If you have unprotected sex, you could get AIDS. But if you do, according to Candy, it’s not your fault. There goes our Doña Mentira again.) Santiago keeps proposing who to blame, and Candy keeps finding excuses.
Santi suggests, “Then what about Charly?” No, he’s young and foolish. Young people don’t think to take precautions.
“Then was my daughter’s boyfriend seeing prostitutes?” No, it was a married neighbor in DF.
“Then that woman?” No, she got it from her husband.
“Then is it her husband’s fault?” No, he’s living in the US away from family, living an unsettled life.
So I suppose nobody is ever responsible for anything; everybody has an excuse. The problem is, if no one is ever responsible for anything, why should you bother to cinch up your calzones and behave like an adult? Oops. Off my soapbox.

Sven and Ole drool as the new guapa waitress throws her ‘cheesecake’ at them. The kind that blinds them and robs their reason. Not the kind you eat with a fork. They spend most of the afternoon flirting with her, and she flirts back.

Chayo asks Ed whether he wrote anyone a note lately. He plays dumb, a role Ed was born for. She must be putting the puzzle together. She thinks that a guy who breaks up by e-mail is a louse and a desgraciado. Later Jasmine heads to Chayo’s apartment, but while still in the hallway, she sees Ed coming out of the apartment, so now she knows.

In the kitchen, Gregoria thinks the test results must be wrong. Charly is torn up because he just knows that if Lucía dies, it will be his fault; he will have murdered her (obviously Charly understands responsibility even if Candy doesn’t). Meño doesn’t argue that fact but looks for reasons for hope, such as new treatments.

The kids go to the restaurant to work as bosses, so Chava can get enough money to give his mom a car.

In her office, Candy accuses Marissa of tearing up Chava’s picture. Marissa divulges to Candy that she’s not going to keep the baby. Mar is ambiguous; her words could refer to adoption or abortion. I believe Candy assumes abortion. Mar says, “Can you imagine how much Santi will suffer? Do you feel bad now?” Candy asks why she’s doing this. Mar answers, “I loved Santi with all my heart, and he betrayed me, with you. So now I hate him with all my heart, and you too.”

Candy offers to take Marissa’s baby and raise him as her own. Mar answers, “You took my man, and now you want my child? You gonna’ take my nausea and labor pains too? This baby won’t be anybody. Santiago destroyed me; I’ll destroy him.” (She doesn’t say which ‘him,’ Santi or the baby). This is too much for Candy, on top of Charly’s HIV, and she faints. Marissa picks up the phone to dial 911, but she can’t remember the number. She leaves, wishes the unconscious Candy, “Hasta la vista, Baby,” and closes the door behind her. She tells Lulu that Candy is busy and doesn’t want to be interrupted. Lulu almost goes to talk to her anyway, but is distracted by a phone call.

At the house, Lucía is in full-scale panic-driven manic mode. She’s chattering non-stop so she doesn’t have to think or feel. Santiago tries to stop her and talk with her, but she escapes. Donato brings him up to date – Charly came to talk to her, she screamed and threw him out, and she’s been upset ever since. Charly calls her and she screams at him, “Muerate!” (Die!), throws the phone on the marble floor, and screams, “Die! Die! Die!” Santiago just holds her and lets her break down and cry. Poor Rocío sees all this; all she can do is stroke her sister’s face.

In the institute reception area, Jazmin rebukes Chayo for stealing her amante (I guess Jaz lives by the ‘honor among thieves’ code). Chayo is confused until Jaz says she saw her honey coming out of Chayo’s apartment. She tells Jaz, “You want him? Keep him!” Jaz doesn’t want him either; from now on she’s not going to accept a man she has to share. But since she lives in Telenovelaland, that requirement excludes 98% of the men in Mexico. And the other 2% are gay!

Soledad steps into Candy’s office and sees her passed out on the floor. She’s been unconscious for, what? 30 minutes? But Sol calls her name and she instantly revives and can sit up. Okey-dokey. Sol tells her that she has decided to let go of Patricio emotionally. Candy says she’d like to be alone right now. Would you leave someone alone right after they regained consciousness?

In church, Meño chews out God. Why did this happen to Charly? Why not me? Why did you abandon me? But then he softens and cries for his son.

Santiago wants to talk to his mama before he tries to counsel Lucía because he has always relied on his mother’s wisdom and support. But this time she needs his strength. She says he has no idea of the pain of losing a child. She had to go on without him, and she somehow made herself strong and believed that nothing would happen to her loved ones anymore. And now this. She feels old. Old and tired. Lucía lost her parents, and now this. Isabel says, “Don’t ask me not to cry. I’m crying for my granddaughter, my son, and myself.”

Pat takes Candy home and she tries to beg off; she wouldn’t be good company right now. Pat corrects her; he’s not here for company. He’s here to support her in any way she needs. Let me be the first to say, our little Patito is cleaning up real nice. He offers to take Chava for a few days, but she quickly refuses. Chava is her reason to go on.

Santiago gently tells Luc he knows she was with Charly, and she needs to be tested. She looks off into space and claims, “Me cuidé” (I took precautions). Santi probes a little harder, and she admits the truth with a nod. He gently tells her that she needs to be tested, and she loses her grip again. “I don’t want to. I can’t. I can’t be infected. I can’t have HIV. I can’t be infected, Tío. I can’t have AIDS. I swear it, Tío. I swear it. I don’t want to die.”

Roll credits.
Tomorrow, the radio program starts up. And Marissa and Alicia are plotting something.

Congratulations to Eleazar Gómez (Charly) and our favorite, Manuel ‘Flaco’ Ibáñez (Meño). They won the awards for best juvenile actor and best senior actor at the Premios TVyNovelas this weekend. It’s kind of like the Emmy Awards, but it only includes Televisa productions, and even within the Televisa family of shows, the judging is anything but impartial. Still, buen hecho!

Labels: Tontas