Caray, Caray!

Capítulo 166: Mostly dark. Often violent. And very, very bitter.
La casa es un manicomio y mi papá se casa. (Our home is a madhouse and my father’s getting married). – Lucas

Operation Air Escape is proceeding apace:
Nazira and Samira try to contact Latifa in Fez for news about Mohamed. But the servants at Alí’s house are told to ignore the ringing phone. The conspirators -- Zoraida, Alí and Latifa -- are racing time to spirit the sleeping Mohamed out of the house before Abdul arrives. And they are right to hurry; for at that moment Abdul, Yaser and the would-be novia Zuleika are making their way to the house…

So Diana and Clara know each other, it seems. Diana is on Clara’s side (who wouldn’t be?) and has told her where Rogelio is having lunch today. Clara and Caro are going to the restaurant in the hopes of a casual meeting…

Enrique tells Lucas that he’s not referring him to another lawyer – he’s going to represent him himself. When Roberto joins them in Lucas’s office, Enrique says:
Quiero comunicarte que a partir de este momento, somos adversarios.
(I want to let you know that from this moment, we are on opposing sides.)
Not good news for Roberto.

Rogelio is seated alone, reading a French newspaper, when Clara and Caro spot him in the restaurant. Rats! Here comes Malicia and she’s kissing him! Caro tells her friend to stay cool and they take a table behind the couple. Malicia and Clara are positioned back to back but Caro and Rogelio can look right at each other. Rogelio is very aware of Clara– he can’t stop looking at her – even before Malicia says:
¿Te diste cuenta de quienes están detrás de nosotros?
(Did you notice who’s behind us?)

Whew! By the time Abdul, Yaser and Zuleika get to Alí’s house, the only trace left of Mohamed is the lingering scent of his panic. Zumaya explains that his doctor ordered the family to transport him home immediately. The increasingly cozy trio decide they will follow Mohamed to the Land of Haram. Oh dear.

Back in the restaurant, Clara seeks a moment’s refuge in the ladies’ room. But Malicia follows her and attacks: How’s Fernando? Is he still using drugs and getting in trouble? And Clara tells her:
Nos robaron, una trepadora de quinta que se obsesionó con el papá de Fernando y eso a él le afectó mucho – tú sabes, una de estas prostitutas que le gusta vivir de los demás.
(We were robbed by a low-life social climber who became obsessed with Fernando’s father; and that affected him a lot – you know, one of these prostitutes who like living off other people.)

Malicia pushes all of Clara’s buttons telling her she should go to Paris with a man like Rogelio -- he is so good in bed. And Clara fires back:
¡Usted es una trepadora, una zorra asquerosa, barata , inmunda!
(You are a social climber, a disgusting cheap whore, a filthy thing!)
And she slaps Malicia in the face as hard as she can. They stare at one another for a few seconds. Then Malicia slams her back. The battle escalates. The screams can be heard in the dining room. Caro and one of the waiters rush in to break up the fight.

Malicia runs back to Rogelio and tells him that Clara accused her of interfering with her reconciliation with Escobar and then attacked her for no reason. That doesn’t sound like Clara, says Rogelio.

Jade is standing outside the school waiting for Jadiya. Lucas comes up to her. She tells him to go away; she can’t risk being seen with him. He begs her to meet him at their apartment – after that, he promises, she won’t see him again. [Apparently no one has told Lucas that there are still 17 episodios left].

Jadiya comes out and Lucas slips away.

When Jade and Jadiya get back to Said’s house, Jadiya’s friends Aime and Jamil are waiting. Nice Rania smiles and says she invited them over. Jadiya thanks her sweetly and the kids go off together. Jade asks Mariam to pour her some tea. No, says Nasty Rania:
Yo no tengo que compartir el té contigo. Tú no eres esposa de Said.
(I don’t have to share tea with you. You’re not Said’s wife.)
When Jade threatens to tell Said how she is being treated, Rania tells her smugly that Said knows all about it and has agreed that she doesn’t have to share the table with Jade.

Jade retreats to her room, and throws herself on the bed. It’s all Lucas’s fault! Then she gets up again, puts on her veil and heads out the door.

We see Lucas waiting in the apartment.

When Said gets home, he asks after Jade and Jadiya. Jadiya is here, says Mariam, but Jade went out. The Naz joins him and delivers the Odaliscas Walking All Over You rant and needles him about bringing Jade back into the house and then treating her like a servant. He sings the Can’t Get Her Out of his Heart blues followed by a chorus of When she shows Real Remorse I’ll Marry her. The Naz rants the No Husband rant and threatens to resort to a temporary marriage.

Honestly, someone should put bells on those sisters. Rania slips in silently and sees that Said is back to his veil-fingering veil–sniffing ways. He’s at it again! she laments to Amina. And as usual, Amina tells her to pretend she doesn’t notice.

When Said asks Rania where Jade is, she says that she left without saying anything – just like she always does. She shouldn’t go out without asking my permission first, he says. When he leaves, Rania pouts:
Yo nunca salgo sin pedirte permiso antes.
(I never go out without asking your permission first).
[I guess the little jaunt to Fez doesn’t count.]

Who has suffered more?
Jade joins Lucas in the apartment. She’s not there to listen to him, she says, she’s there to tell him what she is suffering and how much she hates him. It is his fault she is living like a servant in Said’s house just to be close to her daughter. It is his fault that she lost Said and Zein. Every time she has a chance at happiness, he comes along, ruins things for her and then leaves again.

Lucas tells her how unhappy he is, how his life has been a series of losses. And now his daughter is killing herself. How can he abandon her? He accuses Jade of being captivated by the clone and trying to relive their love with him. But how could she not have feelings for a copy of him? she asks.

I’ve loved you my whole life, he says. You never had room for me in your life, she retorts. He takes her in his arms. She resists at first but then they kiss, the music swells… and his cell phone rings. It’s Marisa summoning him home for a new Natalia Crisis. She stole a car from Lucas’s collection (I assume we’re not talking Matchbox here) to get money for drugs. Some weird guy called the house… I’m on my way, says Lucas.

And we see the tears on Jade’s face as she walks away from the apartment.

¡Estás hecha un manojo de nervios! (You’re a bundle of nerves!) says Consuelo to Hilda in the hospital waiting room. Miss K is in labor.

Roberto is worried, but not about the sKanks. He tells Lucia that Enrique will be opposing counsel if Leo proceeds with his suit. Well Enrique is the one who should be worried, says his adoring wife. When the maid, Rosario, comes into the room, Lucia asks her why Consuelo didn’t come to work. She’s with her cousin Hilda – you remember, she was here to see you. Lucia doesn’t remember. Anyway, says Rosario, Hilda’s daughter is having her baby and Consuelo is with them.

And back in the maternity ward:
Between pushing and breathing and screaming, Karla tells the doctor her baby will be named “Roberto del Valle Junior”. Hilda and Consuelo watch through a window in the door and they are already counting their money. The only son of Roberto del Valle!

Lucas gets back to Casa Ferrer and Marisa gives him the scoop. Natalia stole his car and gave it to these guys. He has until 6pm to meet their demands. If not, they’ll strip (desvalijar) the car. And Natalia will pay them what she owes, one way or another.

Lucas grabs the address for the rendezvous and heads out alone. He is met by two scuzzballs including the scary drug guy who ‘kidnapped’ Natalia earlier. They want $5,000 for the car. Your daughter took my drugs and she owes me the money, says the scary drug guy. Lucas must think he has wandered onto the set of Caso Cerrado because he says he doesn’t have to give them anything. After all, the car doesn’t even belong to Natalia.
A debt is a debt, they say. And without even waiting for a verdict, they proceed to beat the snot out of him.

Enrique to therapist: I know I hurt a lot of people and I have no one to blame but myself. I’m the one who decided to start using drugs.

The Zombies formerly known as Natalia, Paula and Fernando and the professional thief they’ve hired are setting up the robbery of the Ferrer house. It should be next week when Natalia’s grandfather is on his honeymoon. And yes, she has the combination to his safe.

Alej is training but he is distracted. His boss gives him a talking-to and he regains his focus. No pierdas tu norte, muchacho! (Don’t lose your bearings, kid!)

I’m afraid it’s true. Pablo has been Maliciated. As he and Diana lounge by the pool he says he’s worried about Alejandro letting himself be deceived by Nati’s lies. He’s not the only one being taken for a ride, says Diana. She can’t believe he swallowed Malicia’s story about Paris. That woman can explain the inexplicable, says Diana. She should give classes in manipulation – she’d be a millionaire!

Natalia shows up at Gloria’s looking for Alej. Gloria shoos her away telling her she’s going to scare her customers. If I were your mother, she says, I’d smack you so hard I’d leave your bottom black and blue (te dejaría el trasero negro.)

Enrique to therapist: Drugs aren’t the illness. They are a symptom of the illness. And the illness is dependence.

A bloodied Lucas returns to Casa Ferrer.

And an ambulance delivers the sleeping Mohamed to his home in Miami. Zoraida and Alí exchange small, conspiratorial smiles but Latifa’s smile is joyful and open. The Naz is enraged that Latifa is happy when her brother is laid out on a stretcher. She is deaf to Alí’s reassurances that Mohamed is fine.

Jade is back at Said’s house. She tells him she can no longer tolerate living there on these terms. It was your choice, he says. I want to live with you and be loved by you like before, says Jade. I don’t want to make another mistake, he answers. Let me prove to you that I mean it, she begs. And as always Rania watches and listens. [Bells! The woman should be fitted with bells!]

Awww… Karla had a boy! She holds him and Consuelo snaps photos.

Cris is packing a few things to take with her to Casa Ferrer, including her white cat figurines. Vicki fears a clash of styles with the brujas. Cris isn’t concerned. She’s willing to teach them about decorating.

Dora arrives. Cris tells her the lawyer’s not there yet.

And at Empresas Ferrer, Enrique lets Leo know he’s going to be representing Lucas. Leo is fine with that.

Lucas limps in and says he managed to get the car back. Enrique tells them they need help to get through this ordeal with Natalia -- either individual therapy or a group. You’re right, agrees Lucas. Count me out, says Leo. I’m not the one with the drug problem. When Leo leaves, Lucas says ruefully:
La casa es un manicomio y mi papá se casa.
My home is a madhouse and my father’s getting married.

In the final scene, Said is sitting alone in a restaurant and Zein approaches him. He wants to know if Said is still in love with Jade.

Credits roll

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