Caray, Caray!

Welcome all! I'm not promising to do this regularly - we really need a whole bunch of new recappers if you want to see this novel get Caray coverage! - but I thought I'd start us off anyway and see if we get any more volunteers.

Though most of the cast showed up tonight, I'll only mention the ones that moved the plot forward.

A beautiful wedding, the kind our telenovelas usually end with. A big white limo with flowers, lots of applauding extras, big church, long loving kisses, a fabulous vacation in Hawaii...

Wake up Alejandra, it's just a dream! She snaps back to reality -- at her desk in the car dealership ... she and her fiance are having a civil ceremony tomorrow and the big church wedding on the weekend -- and then the trip to Hawaii. But there's an awful lot to be done in the mean time.

Alejandra has spent 2 million pesos on this wedding, money she doesn't exactly have. She's not worried, though, because some florists in the next town have just promised to buy 19 trucks; she'll go by this afternoon to get the signatures (and the hefty commission).

Her travel agent tells her several times she better not be late to the airport for the Hawaii trip or she'll lose the whole 301,720 pesos.

Her boyfriend Marco, this is what we know about him so far: (1) he doesn't comb his hair; (2) he might like Alejandra's father to die and leave her moola; (3) he is indigent, and a moocher; (4) he has extravagant tastes; (5) he informs his empty booze bottle, "You don't know what I'm capable of."

Marco talks her into seeing a big luxurious apartment. With her wedding expenses, she doesn't really have the money for it. But the real estate agent pushes her hard: he'll give them a great price, but only if she signs today and comes up with the money. She's worried, but after her fiance walks out she signs with the guy - as a big big wedding surprise for her soon-to-be-hubby.

About Alejandra, we know (1) she is pretty, but cold-blooded when it comes to her career, and to the people who work under her; (2) she is very organized and expects all her plans to be carried out to the letter; (3) she is a workaholic living beyond her means; (4) she has a friend, Susana, who does not like Marco; (5) she has a father, Jorge, who has a bad heart but she doesn't seem to know about it because Marco talked to the doctor and is not sharing information (if she knew how ill her dad was, she might postpone the marriage, endangering Marco's meal ticket).

She will get a honking big commission from the florists, but not till tomorrow. She she needs the money today, as a deposit on the house and to pay the rest of her big boda expenses. She asks her boss for an advance and, although he does a happy dance when he hears she's sold 19 trucks, he will not give her an advance until the customers have signed on the dotted line. So she secretly mortgages her father's house, just for a day. If all goes well, she'll pay off the banker tomorrow and get the deed to the house back.

Things don't go well. The florist doesn't have the money today. He'll have it tomorrow - but that's too late, she needs it now. She leaves his house furious. Driving home in the rain, she wonders how she'll juggle this. Her cell phone, just out of reach, keeps ringing...

---

Let's turn our attention to Rafael now, who, like Alejandro, is a salesperson. He is suffering troubles similar to hers but less upscale ... He has high self esteem; he talks happily to himself as he prepares for his day of selling unneeded merchandise to any customer he can scare up.

As Alejandra drones on giving a lecture to the sales staff at the car dealership, he's stuffing his inventory, bras and panties and dvds, into his sample case.

In contrast to Ale's selling of cars in a sterile, pale wasteland, Rafael is a seller of every messy little whatever he can get his hands on. He lives with his mother and sister and tries to keep the family afloat financially. He has just managed to scrape up money for overdue bills and puts it in ma's hand - but then sis tells him her university bills are due tomorrow!

He visits an office building. The gatekeeper is inclined to throw him out - salesmen are not welcomed - but he sweet-talks his way in and shows his wares to a bunch of giggly dames who love his undies (especially after his lively demonstrations of their effects on men) but have no money today, he'll have to come back later.

His friend/business associate Pepeto complains about the booze Rafael sold him - a couple of the bottles were awful. He introduces Rafael to his cousin. The cousin says he'll buy a batch of undies - and will pay tomorrow.

But Rafael needs his sister's tuition money today. Feeling safe because the cousin has promised the dough, Rafael gets a loan from a guy (I think he knows him) with all the stuff in the house as security. Ie the little family will lose everything, even their big flat-screen tv, if he doesn't get the money back to the guy by tomorrow. (At a 10% interest rate.)

But the cousin doesn't come through with the money! So Rafael goes to the cousins store. He's indignant to see all his stuff for sale there. Since he hasn't been paid, he starts stuffing the bras in a black garbage bag - then the cousin and a couple goons show up, beat him up and throw him first out of the store and then head-first into his car.

Like Alejandra, and in fact right behind her, he's driving home in the rain, wondering how he'll juggle this. He keeps trying to call home...

So they're both worried and irritated...

Alejandra, distracted by her money woes and the incessant phone calls, driving erratically, reaches way over to get her phone. As she wobbles, Rafael (in his not very safe car) starts passing her. A truck comes right at him. He veers back into her lane. She soars off the road! Her car rolls many times and bounces to the bottom of the hill!

People do not survive a fall like this but the previews indicate that she does.

Labels: dinero