Caray, Caray!

Good news and bad news tonight. Let's do the good news first since there's so little of it. Rafa has landed in clover. His new boss doesn't believe in yelling, doesn't believe in pressuring folks when they're new on the job, just wants Rafa to feel "part of the family" and promises that everyone will be collaborative and helpful. And there's no anthem to sing at the sales meetings! Just one step down from heaven, I'd say.

Over at Auto Siglo, it's one shaky step up from hell, as the new sacrificial lamb Zetina (sounds too much like Medina, right?) is about to find out.

But let's go back to the beginning, where a shaky Jaime is chugalugging champagne and trying not to leer at a frustrated Vicky, looking muy fine in a hot pink bra and black bikini bottom and garters. When next we see him, he's under the covers, plump shoulders on full view as well as a sad little patch of chest hair. Completely nude? Looks like it. But did they do the deed? Vicky maintains they did and that he managed quite well in spite of being completely drunk. Our timid galan perks up a bit at this and even thanks her for the compliment. Meanwhile Vicky is working the "poor little woman seduced by a lusty male" bit for all she's worth. Gosh maybe she should tell her brothers....or her dad? Whaddya think? Final decision. It will be just their secret--to spare Jaime's life.

One bedroom scene behind us. Now we have a quartet. Split screen shows Rafa, Alejandra, Jorge and Marcos all tossing and turning in their beds. Not much sleep for anybody tonight, evidently.

Next morning Alejandra is having breakfast with Tia Rosario and trying to explain why she's not ready to commit to Marcos. Tia wants to know why but Alejandra doesn't have time to explain. She's gotta get to work. And the last thing she needs is pressure!

Parallel breakfast showing Rafa with mom and Julieta. And it's little sis' birthday so he's planning on a special celebration tonight. Doorbell rings. It's the reference letter. He's off to his new job, after a brief blessing by Mom. After he leaves, Julieta notes that he's in love. Nope, sez Mom, he's CRAZY in love. Indeed. And not with VickyVicky, alas.

Right outside the door, he bumps into a slinking, guilty-looking Jaime....who swears he wasn't with Vicky last night. Rafa shares the sad news that his attempt to talk to Alejandra failed. Marcos was already there serenading her and she invited him in. Guess we'll have to wait a little longer for our two lovers to reunite.

Meanwhile, there's always Vicky. Who appears suddenly and wants to know where the hell Rafa was last night. And how could he stand her up like that!? He escapes in Pepeto's car but not before his work pal gives Vicky the new office number. Looks like poor Rafa will be besieged at his new job as well.

Chavez is as much of a pain as Vicky. He's hammering on the door bright and early to find out how the reconciliation went. Marcos has had a sleepless night. Gosh, this bodes well. Rolling around in the sheets with Alejandra? Not hardly. She needs time. To decide. And that's what we have the least of. But can't force her to go back with me. Well, did you talk to the family? Chavez prods. Yeah. They were happy to see me but I think I blew it when I told old Jorge Alejandra is still reluctant to marry me.

And now we meet the latest lamb to be slaughtered at Auto Siglo. A hapless bloke named Zetina, Efraim Zetina, he of the sweaty palms and nervous mannerisms. No confidence. And that was before Alejandra, Marino and Ramirez started pounding on him. Painful to watch, really. As was Alejandra's humiliation by Beltran. He's continuing to subvert her authority, handing over her duties to others (like the loathsome Marino) in order to "cover his back". She stands up for herself, but all in all, it was a miserable beginning for both the new salesman and our hapless heroine.

Let's compress all these painful scenes and just tell you that Zetina's training resembled a boot camp run by sadistic sergeants. Alejandra puts him through his paces, coming on like a super-sexy (is she channeling Claudia?) empty-headed dame, looking for a new car (to be paid for by her rich husband). He stammers out a few technical details about the car and she delivers a punishing reprimand. He'll never sell to that kind of woman unless he appeals to her emotions. Immediately she has a vision of Rafa, and how he'd make the pitch. Emphasizing how secure and safe she'd feel in the car. The comfort, the luxury of the interior, etc. Poor Zetina. The worst is yet to come. Once he lands in the hands of Marino, he presents a picture of hell where the least careless mistake will get him a knife in the back. Only the strong survive here, he warns. We're gladiators. We'll eat you alive. And your bosses and superiors won't talk to you. They'll YELL. Got that? So toughen up. Don't flinch when I yell at you. Control yourself.

And Zetina? Well, he flinches, he stutters, his palms continue to sweat, and frankly we find ourselves wondering if he'll even show up for work the next day. One of the salespeople counsels him to pray to San Judas Tadeo (the saint of hopeless causes) because that's the only way Zetina will be able to fill the gap left by the departing Rafa.

For Rafa, it's a different story. Goals? Well his new boss will wait to hear his goals and mission statement after he's gotten acclimated. Personal calls? Well, sure. Personal calls are permitted. (Dang. More access for our annoying Vicky.) And of course tomorrow he'll have that little advance to tide him over. As for the curt recommendation letter that Susana wrote, his boss merely smiles and says Hmm...very succint. It's all golden so far for our barrio boy. Well, except for his hallucinations of Alejandra, castigating him for jumping to the competition and dismissing his boss as a hopeless softie. No matter. This strangely complacent boss is thrilled when Rafa assures him that he's not waiting for clients to show up in the salesroom, or from working a list someone gave him. Nosireee...he's going to go out and hunt those lions in the jungle! Big smile. Great start. Maybe he can get poor Zetina a job there.

So what else happened tonight? Well, old Jorge had an apparent heart attack. He's unconscious when Tia Rosario goes in to wake him and since she's on the phone with Marcos, our skanky novio is quickly on the scene to get Papa to the hospital and try and save his investment. And with the luck of the villains, he intercepts the letter from the mailman announcing the lifting of the embargo on Jorge's hacienda. Double dang. More problems for our skank. Time to talk to partner in crime Chavez. He's as worried as Marcos. But thank God no one else but Marcos has seen the letter. More skullduggery to come, no doubt.

We have a brief scene where all the salespeople at Auto Siglo are doing their usual....NOT selling cars but dealing badly with their personal lives. Tuition isn't paid because Rosaura blew it on a new pair of shoes. Marino's having trouble keeping up with his seven wives and numerous children and school costs. Ramiro rears up and actually tells off his mother-in-law and vows to move out. But where will he find the money for an apartment? And they all decide they'll have to collect from Dandy to finance this brave new move. Stay tuned.

Mientras tanto, Alejandra gets the news that her beloved papa is in the hospital and begs for time off to go see him, even though it's the end of the month. Beltran grudgingly grants it but warns her to keep her cellphone turned on. After all, if they don't make their quota, it's not Auto Siglo who'll pay for his funeral...and he'll surely be the next to go after Jorge.

Big switch now. We're at the hacienda. Chavez is consulting with the groundskeeper who's sure there are ghosts haunting the place. He's seen and heard strange things. Maybe it's old Jorge's wife Maria Consuela, come back to punish us. Chavez dismisses these notions until something drops from the trees near their heads. Yikes. And then there's a strange rumbling sound. Double yikes. Chavez gets control. If you leave, he threatens the gardener, I'll tell everybody you're a no good drunk. That works. Poor guy shuffles off. And then Chavez starts to sweat. I don't know whether to laugh, cry or tremble, he muses. Man, this hacienda is causing me more problems every day.

Meanwhile, Marcos is at the hospital, playing the concerned fiancé, promising to handle all the costs of Jorge's stay and insisting on a private room for his would be father-in-law. Alejandra arrives, makes a face when she sees him, and promises to pay him back for all the costs, as soon as she gets her debt cleared up with Rafa. There's some reasonably cozy chitchat, with Marcos doing a little breastbeating, feeling guilty for his talk with Jorge after the serenade. Yes, he dashed Papa's dreams by telling him he and Alejandra hadn't made up...his erstwhile fiancée still needed time to think about it. Alejandra reminds him that all he did was tell the truth. Yes, but I should have told him a "mentira piadosa" (little white lie). (Sure Rafa, that's nothing compared to the whoppers you usually tell.) Some more palaver about hospital costs, insurance and finally Marcos decides he should be the one to collect the debt money from Rafa like always. This doesn't bode well. Alejandra leaves to go see Papa.

Have we had a hospital scene before in this one? If not, here's the obligatory medical bit, oxygen tube in nose, sleeping patient, weeping visitor. The usual pleas to just get well, I'll never do anything to disappoint you again, guilty tears, and "I'll do anything to make you happy". Punto. Enjoy because for sure, there'll be a few more hospital stays for somebody before this is over.

That's the last we see of Don Jorge for now. And our last glimpse of Zetina is hardly more promising. Ramirez is promising to make Zetina a star salesman, heck! salesman of the month! All he has to do is buy German's theoretical books on the subject. Not for sale in any store, but for you amigo! A deal. And also four cassettes, headphones, a little carrying case...all this for just a little down payment. You can pay me the rest at the end of the month. Poor doofus. He's in for it now.

We find ourselves back at the hospital. Tia is heading for the tocador (powder room). In walks Karen with her uncle. Marcos looks nervous. But of course, neither Alejandra nor Tia are there to see the guilty confrontation. Seems Karen's uncle is having health problems and is there for a checkup. More confusing conversation with Marcos trying to avoid being alone with Karen. Seems he's looking for food for Chavez, who's also in the hospital and needs a hamburger. She sees through this lame story pretty quickly.

Alright. Another weird scene change. Guess we have to get used to them in this novela. We see our loopy hairdressers driving a van full of models. They're tootling along when they almost crash into another car. Driven by....mafia? Well, scary guys in dark glasses, that's for sure. They say they're bodyguards. And we're JLo and Madonna quips the blond hairdresser. Our buxom gal hairdresser (sorry...names?) quickly intervenes and excuses her lad as having a weird sense of humor. Eventually the corrupt cops arrive and more confusion ensues and the horde of skimpily dressed models pour out of the car.

Whoops. Now we're in a bar. Sleazy lawyer type, Enrique Quintana, is talking to another oily man about the hacienda and Jorge. He's heard that the embargo is lifted and old buddy Jorge will soon be in possession again. So now he needs to wangle getting hired so he can manage the place and take advantage of all the money possibilities there. When he calls Rosario and learns Jorge's had a heart attack, he's muy displeased to learn Marcos is on site helping out the family. Well, hope springs eternal. He'll visit the hacienda and find out who's in charge. The camera pans to another guy at the bar who seems to be listening. More skullduggery? Stay tuned.

Brief scene. Rafa in a taxi. Driver trying to keep him entertained, gives him a magazine with a bevy of beauties for him to look at. (Must be angling for a big tip.)

Back at the hospital, Marcos has gone up to the room with Karen and her uncle. Uncle is wheeled out to be examined and the two are left to clear up some old misunderstandings. She doesn't believe the story about Chavez being in the hospital and needing a hamburger. Nope. Marcos, you're terribly handsome but you're a liar. You have some real behavior problems. Are you getting help? He says he is. (Hah!) Well, she doesn't want to pressure him but when he's ready, he knows where to find her. Now, "adios". He starts to leave. Hesitates. Turns again. Hesitates. Turns back. Adios! Karen repeats. And out he goes.

Back to our strange traffic encounter. Insults are being exchanged. Cops are muddled. Innocence is protested. Models are swarming, tight little buns hanging out of even tighter short shorts. Rafa arrives on the scene. They swarm around him like hungry fish. Alejandra also appears on the street. Sees Rafa surrounded by babes stroking his arm and hugging like piranhas. "No es posible" she stammers. And there we end.

Vocabulary:

desvalida = helpless (what Vicky claims to be)
hombre recorrido = experienced man, a guy who's been "around" (what Vicky claims Jaime is)
empeñada = committed to, involved with (Tia asking if Alejandra is still involved with Rafa)
renglones = lines (a comment about the few short sentences in Rafa's reference letter)
escueto = succint (the letter)
San Judas Tadeo = patron saint of lost causes (perfect for Zetina)
descuidos = careless mistakes (what Zetina better not make)
mentira piadosa = lit. pious lie, little white lie
lengua larga = big mouth (supposedly Rafa for blabbing about his romance with Ale)
lanzarme al ruedo = jump right in, what Rafa's going to do in his new job
tocador = powder room

Dicho of the Day

Del árbol caido todos hacen leña lit. everyone makes firewood out of a fallen tree
real meaning: Everyone takes advantage of a person when he's down. (Could apply to Rafa, could apply to poor Zetina. You decide.)

Labels: dinero