Caray, Caray!

I knew that tonight’s episode would be very emotional, as each cast member would find out about Charly’s HIV, and we’d see the reactions of Meño, Santiago, Lucía, Isabel and many others. Well, wrong again. As you will see, only one new person knows, and that person is none of the above. So how did our writers fill up the hour? Let’s dive in and see.

Okay, remember how Isabel said she had something in the basement to help Santiago with his blues? Some of us thought it might be wine. Isabel drags Santi to show him just what it is.

We revisit Candy consoling Charly after telling him he has HIV, and Meño entering, asking what’s wrong. Last night we saw Charly tell his Dad he was going to die. So tonight he tells him all about the tests, the HIV….NOT! Actually, when Meño asks what does he mean by saying he’s going to die, both Charly and Candy fumble and stutter, and then honest, helpful Candy tells Meño that Charly was fighting with Lucía. Yeah, that’s it. Right. Meño doesn’t believe it, though, but his phone rings, and he goes to answer.

Now it’s time for some scorned women tips. Margarita (Pat’s Mom) has moved in with Alicia (and of course Pat has moved out), and is in her pink satin robe. Alicia is sitting on the couch in her jammies. Upon hearing of Alicia’s woes, wise Marg informs her that when men are in crisis, they just look for more beds (with women in them, I guess), and of course when men are not in crisis….same thing. Alicia is consumed with jealousy (me carcomen de los celos, jealousy is apparently always plural). Marg opines that Ali is letting her anger cloud her judgment, whereas, she, Marg, has NEVER been mad at Arturo! When Ali questions why Marg is leaving Art (and Marg admits she knows Art and Gregoria aren’t really lovers), Marg reminds Alicia that it’s all just a big game. She wants half of Art’s money, doesn’t care that much about what Art’s doing, just wants money, and some peace. She gets up to get the tea that phantom maid Eva hasn’t brought them, as Alicia muses that she also wants peace….but she wants all the rest, too!

Charly is freaking out, and Candy comforts him, but he wants to be alone. So she exits his room, sits down, and cries on the steps. Gregoria comes in, and Candy tells her the sad news…NOT! She says she needs some air, and walks outside, shutting the door, leaving her mother worried, but without a clue as to what is wrong.

Okay, we FINALLY see what Isabel had in the basement. It’s a dreamcatcher (atrapa sueños), that belonged to Santi’s Dad. It looks like a multi-colored mobile, little circles, sort of native-american looking, with feathers hanging down, and a little birdie in the middle. Santi says it’s half psychedelic, and he doesn’t smoke the same thing Isa and Dad did, back in the day, what’s the deal? Well, Isabel’s Dad trapped her with it, and since Candy is Santi’s dream, he can do the same. How do you use it? Isa says you use it with good vibes, Santi again wonders if one has to smoke something to make it work. No, says Isa, just don’t force it, just let it work, and you’ll be able to trap your impossible dream.

Back at Candy’s house, Gregoria and Meño are both concerned. When Meño hears that Candy was crying, too (as well as Charly), he thinks maybe Charly is involved in drugs again, and goes to confront him.

Meanwhile, Candy, who was going out for some air, has teleported all the way to Pat’s apartment, where she actually does tell Pat the truth, that Charly has HIV. Pat calms her down, and pledges his aid. Candy is afraid that Charly has already had relations with his novia, Lucía. She’s worried that maybe Charly didn’t “take precautions”. Pat agrees that it’s a terrible thing for Charly, but Candy does have to ask Charly about it, and if Charly didn’t take precautions (in this episode, just about no one uses the word condom, they all use euphemisms), Lucía will have to get tested. Candy doesn’t want to think about this, but Pat advises calm, they’ll think it through together. He brings up the fact that Lucía is Santi’s niece, and Candy says she’s more like his daughter, and that REALLY scares her, how could she tell Santiago? Pat understands. Candy then asks if PAT takes precautions (tu te cuidas?). Pat does (whew!)

Meño (with Gregoria right behind) has knocked on Charly’s door to find out what is really going on. Charly still denies any big problem, and is really sleepy now. Meño, however, is not to be deterred. He tells Charly he’s his father in the bad times as well as the good, gives him a little kiss, and says that in the morning, Charly can tell him the truth.

After the commercial, it’s morning. Candy is trying to bury herself in work to get through the day, but it’s not working. Chayo enters with news that there's a new client, she wants all the services, but it’s strange, because the woman is great looking, great body, why would she need help? Candy says maybe she needs self esteem, help her out. We see the woman, who has long, luxurious hair, and is wearing a low cut blouse that exposes just about everything. She also has tight jeans which hug some terrific hips and legs, and Chayo thought bubbles how can this woman feel bad with such a body?

Santi thinks it’s time for some magic, and brings the dreamcatcher to Candy’s office. Of course he doesn’t realize she’s not feeling very magical at this moment. But no matter. He sings a song like an Indian pow-wow, passes the dreamcatcher next to her, and proceeds to explain how it worked for his father to trap Isabel, so he hopes to make his own dream come true with Candy. His playful mood doesn’t work, and when she tells him it’s nice, but some other day, he realizes something is wrong. When he asks, she tells him the entire truth….NOT! She doesn’t say a thing, so he says he won’t pry, but count on him for full support, and then, he does a little native dance to bring good spirits, which does get a bit of a smile from Candy.

The kids are apparently at lunch break from school, as they’re wearing their little blue uniforms and eating snacks. Chava (remember, his Mom was sad, so he wanted to give her a present) dreamt that he gave his Mom the keys to a car. Only the keys, not the car. Anyway, he forgot the rest of the dream, but Rocío asks if he has decided what to give his Mom for real. No, but he does know they need to get the money first. Beto asks if they can polish windshields again, but no says Chava, first of all, Dad (Pat) would be mad, and also, they don’t get much money from it. Rocío says the people driving are very cheap (son muy codos). So Chava has another idea, to be a boss of some sort, and the kids rush off to their next adventure.

Meño enters Charly’s room to have that morning chat, but Charly is not there (he’s actually hiding), so the chat will have to wait.

At the Institute, our guapa gal with the low self esteem says as a child she was an ugly duckling (patita fea), and hid from view. Chayo says just like in the movie, you became a swan (cisne). Right, but the gal feels bad inside. Well, Barb the psychologist can help. Great, and guapa girl then has a confession – her real problem is that she’s always attracted to married men! At this, Chayo’s face falls.

In Santi’s office, he’s still holding the dreamcatcher, as Hortensia enters, and asks if it’s something to get rid of flies. No, explains Santi, as he absentmindedly holds it in front of Horti, it’s something you hold in front of the woman you love, to trap her, which prompts Horti to lean in for a kiss, which she doesn’t get, but as she leaves, she starts chanting the pow-wow incantation.

Candy is putting back the photos on the wall of her office (Marissa destroyed it the other day), and as she mounts the picture of Charly and Meño in the chef hats, she thinks to herself, just when Charly was getting along better with his Dad, and getting to know him (conocía) and when she says that word, she remembers Lucía!

Chayo comes in to describe the new client, saying that when she heard the guapa gal say she likes married men, Chayo wanted to cut her to pieces (descuartizarla), but when the gal said she suffers because she knows her amantes are not really hers, but belong to their wives, Chayo was surprised that she actually felt pity. Can you imagine, the wife pities the amante? The office phone rings, Chayo runs out to get it, while Candy, still in distress, having not said more than two words, calls Charly, asking him to come to the Institute.

Back to the kids. Now they want to be bosses of something, but can’t figure out what. Rocío reminds the boys that they are now the owners of the restaurant! Okay, they’ll go there, be the bosses, get money, and Chava can buy his Mom a car to cheer her up. Off they go!

Charly has come to Candy’s office. She asks if he has had relations with Lucía. He answers yes. Well, this is delicate, but did you use precautions? He hesitates.

Guapa gal is having a consult with Bárbara. Apparently, although Guapa no longer feels ugly on the outside, she still feels ugly on the inside, and goes with married men because she doesn’t feel capable of really getting any man to love her. Bárbara (sounding a bit new-agey), tells her she must learn to love herself.

Charly admits he didn’t use precautions with Lucía, but they only did it one time. She can’t have contracted the disease with only one time! Candy then asks how many times did Charly have sex with the neighbor who gave him the HIV? Only once, chokes out Charly. You see, you see, says Candy, you have to tell Lucía, she has to have tests done, and Santiago has to know, and you have to tell your Dad. Charly is overwhelmed, says wait, wait, let me just tell Lucía first. Maybe she didn’t get infected. God hears you, says Candy.

Now we have a scene somewhat parallel to the earlier one between Alicia and Margarita. This one is between Pat and Arturo, as they have some man talk in Pat’s office. So, how’s it going, Dad? Better than ever, assures Arturo. My hair hasn’t fallen out, I’m still a liar, I haven’t lost my vices (mañas), and my disguise as a strongman is still working. Pat wants to know why Art hasn’t mentioned his wife. In fact, Art hasn’t really talked about her since he told Pat about the business with Clemente (Candy’s Dad)’s death. Answer, Art doesn’t want to show weakness. Pat feels that it takes bravery for a man to admit weakness, and show feelings.

Bárbara is now discussing the case of Guapa gal (whose name is Jazmin Ruelas) with the Institute ladies. Her case is different from any we’ve had. She doesn’t need makeup, clothing tips, or any of that. She needs to feel valued, and we’ll help her with that. Chayo still resists, how can they befriend someone’s amante (and I and probably some other viewers, are starting to get a little suspicious here about just who Guapa is). But when Soledad asserts that maybe the one of them with the biggest gripe about the client should be the one to overcome the client’s problem, Chayo agrees that it’s her job, she’ll help the woman, but Soledad owes her one.

Back to Arturo and Pat, who asks his Dad if he ever told his wife that he loved her. Art dodges, says he married her. Pat continues, asking if Art ever told any woman he loved her. Art doesn’t want to answer. Pat is being kind and respectful, just wants to get to know his Dad, and reminds Art that Art has never told Pat he loves him, either. Arturo says son, a man is master of his silence (un hombre es dueño de su silencio). Pat has heard his Dad say this many times, often adding, and prisoner of his words (y preso de sus palabras). Forgive me, son, says Art, but telling a woman you love her is delivering to her your freedom. Pat disagrees, says that when a man tells a woman he loves her, he wants to give his freedom, to let her see his fears, and this makes him even more of a man. Well, nice words, replies Arturo, but you and I are very different. I know, says Pat, and that’s okay. And you know what? I love you, Dad. I love you a ton (un chorro). Art can’t bring himself to say it out loud, but he puts his hand on Pat’s to let him know he feels the same way.

In the restaurant, it’s mariachi practice time (it’s midday, and no customers have arrived yet). But as soon as they get started, who should enter but Donato, accompanied by our 3 little musketeers. Chava asks if Zamora and Toño can take care of them for a bit. Z and T beg off, saying they have to wait tables (they’re actually afraid of taking care of kids), but when the 3 kids say porfa a few times, Z and T can’t resist those cute little faces.

Cut to Chayo’s house, where all the ladies are preparing a nice dinner for Jazmin. Chayo doubts Ed will show up, he’s probably with his amante, and although she and Ed both live in this apartment, they lead separate lives, Ed is her ex-husband now. Doorbell rings, and it’s Jazmin.

The mariachis are serenading the kiddies, singing about the moon, a cat, a fun song. Rocío asks at what hour do they actually start working? They ARE working. Okay, what time do the customers arrive? Zamora doesn’t know, because he doesn’t have a watch. Well, do they have some of Meño’s clothes? Why that? The kids want to be bosses, and work here in the restaurant. By the way, how much do bosses earn? Again, Zamora has no idea, because he’s never been a boss. Beto says he once acted like the boss in his Dad (Pat)’s office, and when the kids ask how much Pat earns, Beto doesn’t know, but it must be a ton or heap (chorro, same word Pat used earlier). Rocío says bosses earn muchisisisisimo dinero! All right, Z and T go off to find a few of Meño’s handkerchiefs, so the kids can be bosses.

It’s night now, and Pat and Candy are dining in an upscale restaurant (maybe in his hotel). Candy can’t go home, can’t face Meño, who would know she was hiding something. She tells Pat how she did talk to Charly, and unfortunately, Charly did have relations with Lucía, and didn’t use protection. She reminds Pat that they two of them didn’t use protection either, that’s how Chava was born. Pat agrees, but no one taught them about all this, they were young and wanted to live intensely. But of course, they could also have died intensely. Candy wonders if Art ever talked to Pat about all this. Pat remembers Art saying that when HE was young, everything (like gonorrhea) was curable with antibiotics. But now with AIDS, one could die. He’d then say “Hay que tirar el gol con calcetin” (you have to score the goal with a sock, which I guess means a condom, so Art did actually give Pat some advice on this). Pat muses that his father really does love him, in his own fashion.

For the millionth time, Ed is whining in Santi’s office. His novia cancelled their date (okay, now we KNOW what’s going on with the guapa gal!). And he has the right to be entertained. And at home, Chayo won’t even turn around (voltearse) and look at him. Santi’s not falling for this. He lays into Ed, Ed has a beautiful, sexy wife, who does everything for him, works, cooks, cleans, and he repays her by taking an amante? He calls Ed dirt, pitiful, and walks out.

Back at Ed’s apartment, the ladies (including Jazmin) toast with some red wine. A phone rings. It’s Jazmin’s, and they insist she answer. As all the ladies make disapproving looks (especially Chayo), she tells her mystery lover she’s sorry she couldn’t meet with him, she’s having an important meeting with some amigas, why doesn’t he go entertain his wife so she won’t be in a foul mood, the way she always is (lol). She kisses the phone and returns to the group, as Chayo looks as if she’s about to explode in her attempt to remain cordial and helpful.

Well, our jefecitos (I just made up that word to mean little bosses, hope I’m right), are all set for their new jobs. Beto has a green handkerchief on his shirt pocket, Chava a blue, and Rocío pronounces them muy guapo. No customers have yet arrived, and Zamora said he and Toño could pretend to be customers. The kids want to know if they’ll pay, like customers! Maybe not. Well, Chava knows what to do when real customers come in, he’s been watching his tio abuelo, and at that moment, two guapisima young ladies come in, the first customers of the day. Chava and Beto say all the right things, the ladies are seated, Zamora is jealous, but Donato arrives to spoil the fun, time for the kids (he calls them patroncitos, sort of like my jefecitos) to go home.

We then have a touching moment with Pat and Candy. He tells her he loves her, but of course she’s confused. However, she does want to distance herself a bit from Santiago, and get to know Pat a little more. This is great news to Pat, who suggests a trip to Paris. No, Candy isn’t ready for anything like that yet, she’s consumed with worry for Charly and Meño, she needs patience from Pat. Pat will give her that, and he’ll help her with anything, since all he really cares about is that she’ll be okay. He asks her to promise she’ll be okay, and she promises.

Okay, we sort of forgot about Marissa in this episode, no? We see Marissa and Alicia at Mari’s place. Apparently Mari asked Ali to visit, and Ali has no idea why, does Mari need help with a name for the baby? Nope, why don’t we talk about Candy? Ali is tired of thinking about Candy, until Mari points out “she destroyed us both”. As Mari adds a few more choice expressions of how Candy ripped up both of their lives, Alicia perks up, maybe this is the start of a new alliance, as they bump fists.

At Chayo’s, Jazmin feels a bit alone, since her family is scattered (regada, which is related to watering plants) all over Mexico. Chayo makes a snide remark, but the girls remind her to make Jazmin comfortable. Jazmin then gets a text message, and goes off to the bathroom to answer it. Two seconds after she’s out of view, Ed enters, HE’s also answering his phone with a text message. Ruh-roh! He sees the ladies sitting at the dinner table, and shyly greets them. Lulu informs him that they’re all helping out a patient from the Institute, whose name is Jazmin Ruelas (at this point, Ed’s smile becomes strangely frozen, as he struggles to maintain his cool at the revelation that his amante is THERE IN THE APARTMENT!). He excuses himself, lurches off to Chayo’s bedroom, where he starts praying feverishly, telling God he never prayed before, but now please help him, he’ll be a good Christian, what’s he going to do, with his wife and lover in the apartment at the same time!!

End of episode.

Next time: Marissa starts to take action against Candy.

Vocabulario:

Carcomer – to eat up or consume
Codo – cheap
Patita fea – ugly duckling
Descuartizarla – cut her to pieces
Mañas – vices
Un chorro – a heap, or a ton (a whole lot)
Voltearse – to turn around
Regada – scattered around

Labels: Tontas