Caray, Caray!

Friday: Gabriel tells Don Eugenio that he’s going to go wait at the school to tell Paloma what happened to Padre Juan. Padre Juan meanwhile is out cold at the hospital and Dr B is there calling for blood as Chris has lost so much. He hopes there is some on hand, or they will need a donor. Emiliano gets to the school first and tells Paloma and Lili. Gabriel comes up with his dad and they all discuss the news. The fellows ask Paloma which one she wants to go to the hospital with. Don Eugenio looks hard at his son and realizes he’s fallen for Paloma.

And now, a fresh new week of Real del Monte adventures in a fresh new year:

Paloma wonders how they all found out. Em heard from German, and Gabriel and his dad heard from Carlota. Paloma wonders what they were doing talking to her and Gabriel said his dad wanted to put in a good word for him so she’d calm down.

Em points out that they’re wasting time. Indeed. Why is Paloma so interested in how they found out when Padre Juan’s life could be slipping away at any moment? Anyway, she thanks Gabriel and picks Em. Don Eugenio puts his arm around his son’s shoulder.

At home, Rufi is praying to the Virgin for Padre Juan. When she’s done, she puts her hands in her apron pockets and discovers the two matching Inaki engagement rings that she found. Where to hide them? She decides to hide them in the vegetable basket and starts moving the produce around.

Luz comes into Rafa’s office and smiles understandingly which she likes to do when other women have fled in tears because she is the radiant queen of Rafa now. She says let’s be honest – it hurt, didn’t it? (Meaning his argument with Camila.) He says the last thing he expected was for Camila to show up at the office.

Luz, still smiling, says It’s obvious that there is, or has been, something big between you two. Rafa says Camila’s about to marry someone else. Luz says that must be hard when your heart belongs to someone else. Rafa says nah, she doesn’t love me anymore. Luz says oh, come on. I could tell that there’s nothing left between you and Diana, but it’s obvious that you feel more for Camila than you care to recognize.

Rafa says I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Luz says don’t worry. I’ve only known you a few days – it’s illogical to think that you didn’t have anyone before me, or that I didn’t have anyone before you. Don’t you want to run after her, to tell her that there’s still a chance? Rafa looks thoughtful.

Now we see Camila walking a leafy street and flashing back on seeing Luz come into Rafa’s office. Who do you love, Rafael? she wonders aloud.

German is at the nurse’s desk when Carlota comes flying in, distressed and wanting to know how Chris is. German says not good – he was stabbed. It happens a lot in prisons.
Carlota says she wants to go see him. German says visits are restricted. I don’t care! I don’t care! says Carlota, frantic. Bribe somebody! Get me in!

Back to Rafa and Luz. He says to her that most women would be upset and would pack up and leave. Luz says the thing is if somebody is with me, it’s because they want to be, and if you want to go with her, yes, my pride will be a little bruised and it’ll hurt a little, but better now than later.

Rafa says I am where I want to be. Really? says Luz. Really, says Rafa.

Tearful Camila, standing in a window of her shop, is debriefing herself with sympathetic Monica. She tells Monica You have no idea how it hurt to see him happy with someone else. He didn’t love me like he said he did. Monica says you know men, they can’t stand to be alone, so they grab onto someone else. Camila says Rafa’s not like that.

It wouldn’t mean that he doesn’t love you, Monica assures her. Camila says he’s already with someone, and maybe even sleeping with her! Monica says well, I’m not a guy so I don’t really understand how they do that, but there’s no doubt that Rafa really loved you.

Camila says it’s a good thing I chose Orlando. He’d never pull anything like that. Never.

German comes back into the hospital waiting room and tells Carlota that it’s going to cost a load. Whatever! Whatever! she says, urgently. German says I didn’t know Padre Juan was so important to you. Carlota says I don’t pay you to think, just to act. German says okay, there’s a nurse waiting for you at the end of the hall.

Are you sure nobody else knows about Chris? Carlota asks. German says not now, but somebody like Orlando could find out. Carlota says make sure nobody visits him but me. She runs off down the hall and we see Orlando show up in the waiting room. He asks German how Chris is.

Inez has received her not-secret-anymore admirer, Juancho, in her living room. Hat in hand, he says that he doesn’t want to be precipitous, but he doesn’t want to wait any more years to declare his intentions. He drops to one knee, proposes, and pulls out a little red box which he opens to reveal a ring. Inez stares, takes her glasses off and looks heavenward. Dios mio! she says gratefully. She faints dead away onto the couch.

Back at the hospital, the nurse tells Carlota she’s going to have to disguise herself in a nurse’s outfit the nurse will provide. The nurse says don’t forget you’re putting my job at risk. Carlota says don’t forget I’m paying you very well.

Em and Paloma are strolling towards the hospital. Paloma says it’s not fair what happened to Padre Juan! Em wants to know why Gabriel and his dad would want to talk to Carlota and Paloma explains. They stop and he smiles. She wants to know why. He says he is on the same page as Carlota for a change – he doesn’t want anybody coming around Paloma.

Don’t be so self-centered says Paloma. Em says I mean it. He strokes her face and says One day we’re going to be together. Paloma pulls away and takes off.

The Eiffel Tower! The Paris airport! Airplanes taking off. And in the waiting room, the white-haired lady in her wheelchair looking sad and grim. In her mind, an old conversation between a man and woman (her?) replays.

Man: You have your future. Just brilliant. This will ruin all your plans.
Woman (weeping): I know, but I just can’t give him up.
Man: It’ll be hard at first, but you’ll get over it.
Woman: Do you think he’ll hacer cargo (I couldn’t find a meaning for this – maybe “take responsibility”?)
Man: You have to do it. You have to think of yourself.
Woman: I’m so confused.
Man: You made a big mistake and if you don’t do what I say, you’ll be making a bigger one. I won’t give you anything more, understand?
Woman: All right, I’ll do it - my way.

Carlota, in her nurse’s cap and mask, and plenty of eye makeup, comes into Chris’s room. She closes the blinds to his room and slowly pulls her mask away. She approaches his sleeping form. She speaks softly to him: You have to get better! Now you’re not a priest, and there’s no Macarena, the way is wide open for us. Nobody will ever come between us. You have to live - we have a future waiting for us, just you and me. She gets weepy. I’ve always been ready to do anything for you. Even if it costs me my fortune, I’ll save your life. She strokes his face, weeps, and begs him to live.

Sometimes it’s really handy to be unconscious.

Back in the Paris airport, a Spanish-speaking couple are looking at a newspaper, and the wife reads to her husband the scandalous story of the fallen priest, Padre Juan Cristobal. Our white-haired lady overhears and says excuse me, but I couldn’t help overhearing. Where is Real del Monte? They tell her it’s about a half an hour from Pachuca.

She calls her helper over and says something to him, but the captions have disappeared and the violins are scraping madly, and I can’t make out what she said. Anyway, he nods and says Very good, madam, or words to that effect.

The hospital again. A doctor comes into Chris’s room and Carlota quickly puts her mask back on and turns away and fiddles with something on the tray. The doctor, who, like all telenovela hospital doctors, doesn’t seem to know the nurses personally, asks if blood has been located for the transfusion. Carlota is startled and says she doesn’t know. She asks if he gets a transfusion, will he have a better chance of survival?

The doctor, maybe distracted by pondering how his stocks are going go up in 2010, doesn’t think about how any real nurse wouldn’t ask a stupid question like that. He patiently explains that Chris was bleeding a lot and needs blood. What kind? asks Carlota. It’s in the chart, the doctor says, handing it to her and leaving. Carlota flips through the chart, apparently finds the blood type, and looks up, having realized something.

If you don’t know what’s going to happen next with this, you’ve failed Telenovelas 101. Sorry.

The two padres arrive so now we have in the waiting room Paloma, Rufi, Padre B and Padre M, Emiliano, Orlando and German. They take a blood donor poll. Em gave within the last 6 months, so he’s out. Paloma’s a minor, Orlando isn’t a match, etc. Padre M says he’ll ask the congregation – there are plenty who believe in Padre Juan and would like to help. Padre M says he’ll go, so Padre B can stay and lend comfort to Chris.

Rufi says let’s all go to the chapel. They all agree, except Major Sinner German who says he’ll wait here. Maybe he’s afraid he’ll get struck by lightening if he gets down on his knees all hypocritical. But any bolt flaming towards the Real del Monte hospital wouldn’t aim for pikers like him, it’d zap Carlota. That I’d like to see, her with her hair standing on end and her body like an x-ray.

Romina is at the marble front desk of the luxurious hotel where Samuel is staying. Apparently he isn’t in. Romina accuses the lady behind the desk of not giving him her messages because he hasn’t called. The lady protests that she did. Romina asks for pen and paper and leaves him a note: What’s up with you? What’s up with the furniture for my baby and the check I gave you?

She thoughtbubbles Don’t make me think badly of you like other people do.

Orlando goes to Camila’s shop and tells her he’s been trying to call all morning. She checks her cell and finds out the battery died. He tells her that Chris has been stabbed in prison and has been thrown out of the church. I just came from the hospital. But I have a question for you: Where were you before you came to the shop this morning?

Diana is at Inez’s and Inez is showing her her ring. Diana says he must be a thief, because he doesn’t have any money. Maybe it’s his mother’s or grandmother’s ring. Too bad you got a used ring! He does have money, Inez enthuses. He wants to buy me a house in Mexico City. Diana wants to know what they need two houses for. Inez says they’ll be traveling back and forth a lot. Too unsettled, says Diana disapprovingly. Inez says she’s thrilled. Give me a hug! Diana does, frowning.

Diana says you ought to be congratulating me: Samuel gave me a little kiss. They hug again. Inez says we were kissing for hours. Diana says how many hours? The whole afternoon! says Inez. Diana grimaces with envy.

Camila tells Orlando that she stopped by the ceramics factory. She says she had business with Joel and saw Rafa just for a minute. Is Orlando going to start up with his jealousy thing again? No, he says, I just know that Rafa is seeing someone else and didn’t know if you knew. I do, says Camila. I have decided to make my life with you and Rafa has the right to make his life with whomever he wants.

In the little coffee shop, Gabriel, Don Eugenio and Luz are toasting her new romance. Don E. wonders why Gabriel can’t just let go like she does and fall in love. He says no, he’s too intense, too guarded. Luz says she was that way too, but she learned that nothing is forever. She just lives each day as if it were her last. Gabriel says I ought to learn to do that. Luz says See? There’s a reason why we are all here together.

Angelica alone at her desk at work thinks she ought to sue Dario for plagiarism. But who would believe her? A lightbulb goes on over her head. Miriam! The same thing happened to her and nobody believed her, least of all me, so in love with Dario. How can I locate her? Maybe the Writer’s Association. She grabs the phone.

Back at the café, Don E asks what it is Luz wanted to ask him. Turns out she’d like his help exporting Rafa’s ceramics to Europe. Gabriel says you have the connections! Don E says sure, why not? But I want something in return. I want you to teach Gabriel to live like you do, to enjoy life, and not just through his art.

At the publisher’s office, Dario is being interviewed while the publishing lady looks on. The interviewer says what really struck her about the book is that the female characters were so well rendered, it seemed like a book a woman had written. The publisher lady looks pained. The interviewer says Does this represent a change in your style?

The nurse holds up a bag of blood while it courses into Chris’s veins. His eyelids flutter. Dr B. says they were so lucky to find a donor. Chris wants to know what he’s doing there and Dr. B explains. He tells Chris who all is in the waiting room, worried about him. Dr B leaves and the nurse says you are really lucky that that woman was able to give blood for you. She saved your life.

We hear Carlota say Now you have my blood running throughout your body. Chris’s eyes and the camera turn to the bed next to him, and there is Carlota, her cat eyes smiling, her blood flowing directly his way apparently.

German takes this opportunity to hit on Paloma. In the waiting room, he asks her if she has a date for graduation. No, she says. He says I’ll take you – people will talk if you go without a date. Paloma says I don’t care. German says Romina is coming with Em – you’d feel a lot better with a date.

Why? says Paloma. To make Romina jealous? I know you two used to go out. No, says German, it’s just that you shouldn’t have to go alone. No thanks, says Paloma. I’ll be fine alone.

Chris is pulling at his transfusion tube. He begs the nurse to take it out, but she restrains him. Carlota comments that it’s the way God set things up. Chris says leave God out of this. Dr B comes in and restrains him too. Chris says Why did you have her give me blood? I don’t want anything from her. I’d rather die. Carlota says your place is here on earth. Chris says let me die.

To be with her? says Carlota.

Don Eugenio is about to head out for Mexico City and among much laughter and affection, he says goodbye to Luz and Gabriel. He hugs Gabriel and tells him to listen to Luz, and live a little.

Chris passes out again. Dr B asks the nurse to step out a moment. He then asks Carlota what she meant about Chris wanting to die “to be with her”? Who? Carlota says we all have our secrets and Padre Juan – make that ex-Padre Juan – is no exception. It’s not for me to tell his secrets. I know much more than he wants me to know.

Dr B says I’m going to have to ask you to not come to see him again when the transfusion is done. Carlota says but you’ll keep giving him my blood? Dr B says yes, without your blood, he would have died.

AHHHHH intone the bassos. They are supposed to be ominous but it always startles the bejeezus out of me when they suddenly come on.

In the waiting room, Padre B tells Em that he told Chris that Em is going to keep up with the social work and Chris is glad. Em says good, because he doesn’t want anybody’s life to fall down a rat hole from drinking.

Dr B comes in and announces Chris is out of danger because they found a donor. Paloma and Rufi are thrilled about the donor and Rufi says God bless the donor.

Carlota is holding her bent arm, and drinking orange juice, apparently done with the donation. She tells the nurse to leave her alone with Chris. The nurse says I can’t – doctor’s orders. Carlota says I paid you enough – obey MY orders. The nurse begs her to understand, but Carlota says I just want to say goodbye – it’ll take just a few seconds.

The nurse leaves, and Carlota comes and hovers over Chris. She tells him that his life now belongs to her and he will go along with her plans. She’ll show those photographs of him kissing her so people know there was something going on between them, plus she’ll make the photos be his alibi, and then they can go far, far away together. I want to be yours. She nuzzles him.

The nurse rushes in and tells her to get out quick – the doctor is coming.

Dr B is in the waiting room telling Rufi that Carlota was the donor and the transfusion saved his life. But Chris wanted her out of there and said he would rather die than take her blood. Dr B is puzzled by that, but Rufi doesn’t seem surprised.

Dr B says what’s between them? Or what was between them? Because there’s something more, isn’t there? Rufi says I promise one day, if we move with you to Mexico City and I feel more secure, I’ll tell you everything, about what a person will do En El Nombre del Amor.

Luz tries to convince Gabriel to live free – we never know when we might die. What about that nice Paloma?

At the hospital. German tells Em that he asked Paloma if he could escort her to her graduation, because, he assures Em, he wanted to help out by making sure she didn’t go with her art teacher. He tells Em she turned him down and is going to go alone. German’s going to go anyway – he doesn’t want to miss the party. Em says he wishes he didn’t have to go. German says Romina’d kill you. Em says it’s good Paloma’s going alone because he just couldn’t stand to see her dancing with another fellow. German says it’s going to happen one day, you know.

Dr B comes out and says visits are still restricted, but they can go in and see Chris. Paloma and Rufi hug, and Carlota peeks into the waiting room and then sneaks down the hall and out the door.

Paloma gets to visit first. She tells Chris that if he’d died she’d want to go live on a desert island where she would never love anyone again, so they wouldn’t die on her. Chris says you are the reason I want to live, I’m staying alive for you more than for myself. They hold hands. Paloma said when she heard he’d been stabbed, she thought her heart would just stop beating and never start up again. (She’s forgetting that actually she was standing around asking everyone how they’d found out, then discussing Carlota. After which she sauntered to the hospital. )

They talk of how much they love each other – Paloma is surprised she came to care for him so much, and Chris says he feels towards her as a father feels toward his child. He would give his life for her.

At the café, Gabriel tells Luz he just thinks of Paloma as a student. Luz says she has a special instinct and knows it’s much more. Luz says I want to tell you something, since I’ve known you and your father for so long. She strokes his face. I know your secret.

Everyone is visiting Chris now and thanking God for his recovery. Rufi says he needed to live to prove his innocence. Padre B says and that woman who gave blood for you is someone else who can help. Rufi looks like yuck. Dr B tells them too much visiting now. They all leave, but Chris asks Padre B to stay.

He asks him how he can get this hate out of his heart. He hates his blood donor. Padre B says don’t do that! Chris says it was Carlota. Padre B is impactado. I wanted to kill her, says Chris.

Avances: Carlota is in bed, looking at the photos of her kissing Chris. She rubs a photo against her shoulder lustfully. Em professes his love to Paloma and leans in to kiss her.

Labels: amor