Caray, Caray!

Capitulo 128

Hey folks, I’m getting ready for a massive trip, so no vocabulary, I’m afraid. I won’t be here next week, so I hope some kind soul can chip in a short summary or discussion thread. Stay strong, people! We’re in the home stretch!

Continued from last week, Rosendo is threatening JM with a comically-oversized gun. Overcompensating much?

Back at Los Cascabeles, Lummy tells the girls about Rosendo’s shirt covered in not-so-freshly-squeezed Nazario DNA. The gang is shocked to hear that Rosendo’s shirt tested positive for human blood, and that the sheriff is getting the blood sample compared to Nazario’s DNA. Lummy tearfully says that the sheriff warned her and Crisanta to keep quiet about the matter, lest Rosendo get suspicious and flee.

Valentina laments that Lummy didn’t share everything sooner. “I couldn’t,” Lummy sobs, collapsing to the ground, “my life turned into a nightmare on that day!” Benita picks Lummy off the floor and comforts her before leading her away.

Valentina and Gaby are disconsolate. “Lummy lived a silent nightmare,” Valentina says, but “I’ll make sure he pays for his transgression!”

Back in town, Rosendo puts down his gun, declaring that he’s just as dangerous without it. “Then we’ll see who comes out of this alive,” JM says grimly. No! Run, you big sissy! Unless JM’s challenging him to a strip-off, the answer is Rosendo!

JM gets in a few lucky punches, berating Rosendo for killing his father. Ros lands a few blows of his own, saying that old geezer was going to die anyway. Just then, Sab and the cops arrive to subdue JM. Sabino begs him to calm down, but JM keeps struggling and lambasting the cops for not catching his father’s killer. He finally throws off the sheriff and moves toward Rosendo.

Sabino begs him to think twice, but really, JM hasn’t thought once during this entire encounter. Rosendo plays the victim, threatening to press charges against JM for disturbing him at his own house. JM counters that if Rosendo won’t admit to killing his dad, he’ll beat the confession out of him! Sabino begs JM to leave in honor of Federico’s memory. The sheriff lets him go and JM stalks off, furiously peeling off his jacket. Rosendo, keep yelling insults and maybe the pants will go next!

The sheriff warns Rosendo not to provoke JM further. “I’m a reasonable man,” he says, “and I don’t want any trouble with the law.” Rosendo picks up his gun and goes back inside his house, leaving Sabino and the sheriff shaken. JM’s just committed a grave error, the sheriff says. Sabino blames the police: why did they tell JM that Rosendo killed his father? The sheriff says he was just doing his duty, but Sabino says they’ve riled JM horribly. The sheriff grabs Sabino where it hurts -- his flannel shirt -- and begs him to make JM see reason. He says he’ll arrest Rosendo soon enough.

Inside, Rosendo seethes over JM. “You’ll learn to respect Rosendo Gavilan!”

At Los Cascabeles, Benita assures Lummy that Valentina will make that “chuchumeco” pay for what he did to her. Benita comforts Lummy again. “A weight has been lifted off me,” Lummy smiles tearfully. She asks Benita what a “chuchumeco” is. Benita says where she comes from, that’s what they call the most infamous, most vile excuses for human beings. Obviously, Rosendo qualifies.

Meanwhile, Valentina is consulting with Don Ernesto by phone. He says that after so much time and without physical evidence, a rape charge would be hard to prove. Valentina is devastated, and Gaby is furious that Rosendo will go unpunished after raping a young girl. Valentina tells her that Ernesto suggests filing rape charges against Rosendo only AFTER he’s jailed for Nazario’s murder. Then he’ll have extra years added to his sentence.

“For now, all we can do is support Lummy,” Gaby says, and help her get past this and recover her self-esteem. Valentina asks Gaby to use her psychology expertise (?!) to help Lummy. Say what? Gaby’s an elementary school teacher! She teaches kids long division and to not eat paste! Gaby says she’ll do what she can.

Changing topics, Valentina says Don Ernesto is in the capital trying to find ways to spring Tizzy. He’s very optimistic, Val says, and now she feels optimistic, too.

Visitors suddenly come calling to Los Cascabeles -- it’s Alonso and Santiago! Val greets Santiagito with a big kiss.

Next door, a battle-weary JM returns to Montesinos Manor. JM tells Leo he’s been tussling with Rosendo. Horrified, Leo demands to know why. “Because I found out Rosendo Gavilan murdered my father!” JM says. Leo is speechless.

Back at Los Cascabeles, little Santiago is charming the pants off Valentina (literally, Alonso hopes). He begs Valentina to teach him how to ride and she happily agrees, leaving Alonso and Gaby alone.

Gaby is stunned that Al could have such an adorable kid, and Alonso credits that to Brenda. Alonso says Santiago and Valentina have motivated him to become a new man. Gaby only hopes that’s true.

Over at Montesinos Manor, JM is furious that Leonor hired his father’s killer to be the Montesinos ranch manager. Leo feebly protests that she didn’t know, and besides, Rosendo only worked there a little while. “The time he spent here gave him a chance to gauge our economic problems,” JM says, “and that’s why he bought the lagoon property!”

Leo says JM’s talking as if she were to blame. JM whips off his hat and gets in his mother’s face. “You’re right,” he says coolly, “it’s not your fault Rosendo is such a villain.” “Son, if you only knew the truth!” Leo thinks to herself.

Back at Los Cascabeles, Valentina is showing Santiago the horses. She explains that Altanero was a rebellious horse until she came to the hacienda and they became friends. Danger! Danger! Hackneyed metaphor alert! She thanks Santiago for the drawing he did of her on the horse, saying that she keeps it in her bedroom.

Santiago says Valentina’s even prettier than he drew her -- no wonder his daddy is in love with her. He asks Valentina why she doesn’t love Alonso back, because he’s such a swell guy. Valentina desperately looks around for a hole to swallow her up.

Inside, Gaby thinks it’s poor form for Alonso to use Santiago to soften Valentina up. Alonso resents/resembles that remark. He insists he’d never use his son like that. “I came here to win Valentina without trickery or dirty dealings.” Al says JM made a huge mistake in knocking up Ivana; Valentina’s honor won’t let her marry him now, no matter how much she loves him.

Gaby grimly agrees, saying that Valentina’s already asked JM to stay away from her. Valentina’s very concerned about Ivana and the baby she’s carrying, she adds. “I told Valentina to watch out for Ivana,” Alonso says, frustrated. “Me too!” Gaby says, but Valentina’s always been willing to sacrifice for her family. Ivana’s taking advantage of that now to get her way, Alonso adds.

He hesitates before telling Gaby that Ivana’s been seeing Toledo … in private. Alonso says he caught Ivana in Toledo’s hotel -- he’s sure she was using her special form of persuasion (now with bonus gonorrhea!) on Toledo. Alonso intends to tell Valentina, but Gaby says she probably won’t believe him. She advises him to wait until he has solid proof that Ivana’s shtupping Toledo. Gaby excuses herself to get ready for her classes.

Outside, Valentina tries explaining to Santiago that adults’ relationships are complicated. Your father is a good man, Val says, but their time passed and now she’s in love with another man. Santiago just wants his dad to be happy. “He already is,” she smiles, “because he has you.” Filo brings out the horse, and Valentina and Santiagito slowly ride off.

It’s DEFCON 1 over at Montesinos Manor, where Leonor is begging JM to stay away from Rosendo. JM says he isn’t scared, but Leonor says he should be. She pleads with him some more. “If not for me, at least for your son,” Leonor says as JM scoffs. “He needs you alive!” Disgusted, JM stalks out of the room, leaving Leonor sobbing. My God, she says, please don’t let a tragedy happen!

At Rosendo’s bachelor pad, he’s still whittling his doorstop-worthy bust of Valentina. Zamarippa tries to talk to Rosendo about a passport or something, but he’s not listening. Rosendo is stewing over his encounter with JM, and now he wants payback. He’s going to hit JM where it hurts, and destroy him.

Zamp warns him to think things carefully. Rosendo waves his knife and tells Zamp not to tell him what to do. “That dandy will pay,” Rosendo seethes, adding that he’s going to teach JM a lesson he won’t forget.

At the hotel, Toledo is looking through some papers. He looks concerned.

Meanwhile, Valentina and Santiago are enjoying their ride through Los Cascabeles.

Outside Sandy and Flippy’s house, Enshreiketa is waiting impatiently. She verbally assaults Sandy for getting hitched to a ne’er-do-well like Flippy. Sandy begs her not to speak ill of her husband, and offers to show Shreiky her wedding dress. Shreiky asks Sandy why she couldn’t marry a man with a name, a man with class (Horacio!?). Sandy rebuffs her mom’s spiteful commentary and asks her to help with her wedding, the happiest day of her life. Shrieky looks uncertain.

At Los Cascabeles, Alonso and Lummy greet Valentina and Santi as they return from riding. She offers to take Santiago to the stables tomorrow, and he suggests daddy accompany them. Valentina glances back at Al, who shoots her a hopeful look.

Suddenly, Toledo comes calling on Valentina. She agrees to meet him in her office while Lummy gives Santiago the grand tour of Los Cascabeles and the full rendition of where she got her name. “When I was born, there was a big storm, and. ….” Al’s left alone in the foyer, where he’s concerned about Toledo’s visit to Valentina.

Toledo tells Val he’s been studying Tizzy’s confession carefully. He says he’s found a series of inconsistencies in her statement that conflict with case evidence. He’s decided to interrogate her again. Valentina says he’ll surely realize that Tizzy is innocent.

She thanks him, since proving Tizzy’s innocence will be good for Ivana’s health … and that of HER UNBORN CHILD! Toledo is stunned. Not ordinary “novela stunned,” but “ready to barf into the nearest potted plant” stunned. “Are you saying Señorita Dorantes is expecting a child?” he says; Valentina’s surprised he didn’t know already. Doing a fantastic job of suppressing the dry-heaves, Toledo collects himself and bids Valentina goodnight.

He adds that he’ll be interrogating Tizzy tomorrow, and Valentina thanks him. She’s sure that Tizzy will be back home in no time. Toledo says he’s just doing his job (finally!) and leaves.

Outside, Toledo runs into Alonso. Al asks if Toledo’s told Valentina about his … encounters with Ivana. Toledo angrily warns him not to get the wrong idea; Ivana visiting him in his room wasn’t what Alonso thinks. Actually, it was exactly what Alonso thinks, plus a heavy dose of those off-brand Mexican Extenze pills.

Alonso smirks at Toledo, who quickly leaves. “As if I didn’t know what Ivana‘s capable of,” Al says. Just then Valentina happily bounds out and fills Al in on the latest Tizzy developments.

Over at Horacio’s store, Gaby arrives and sees Timo moping over his cash register. She asks how he’s doing, but he just waves his hand. Gaby sadly walks past him.

Meanwhile, Lummy shows Santiago around Valentina’s bedroom. Yes, Santi, this is the room that your papicito will never, ever enter! He happily spots his drawing. He and Lummy agree that Valentina is wonderful. “Do you think she’ll fall in love with my daddy again?” he asks hopefully. Lummy says that would be awfully difficult, because Valentina is in love with Jose Miguel.

Santiago wants to know more. Lummy says Santiago’s too young to understand these things. Yeah, the whole “pyromania” and “knocked up her cousin” bits are hard to put into preschool terms. Lummy says you never know what’ll happen when it comes to love. Never, she adds sadly, looking off into the distance. She thinks back to Timo’s accusations that she was seeing somebody else. Santiago asks Lummy why she’s crying. Lummy says she just had something in her eye, that’s all, and continues giving Santiago the tour.

Behind the store, Gaby assures Horacio that Lummy hasn’t seen -- or had intimate relations with -- any man, despite Timo’s assumptions. Horacio doesn’t buy it, noting that she’s been very rough with Timo lately.

“A few months ago, Lummy suffered a tragedy,” Gaby begins. An awful, unscrupulous man raped her! Horacio looks horrified, but Gaby’s not finished. That man was Rosendo Gavilan!

Horacio is furious at Rosendo‘s depravity. Gaby says that Lummy is destroyed; she feels dirty, and unworthy of Timo. Horacio says that Timo is hurting, and should be told the truth. Gaby disagrees, saying it’s not their decision to make. Gaby says with time, Lummy will surely move past the trauma. Only when she’s fully recovered should she tell Timo about her rape.

Horacio says that once Timo finds out he’ll want to attack Rosendo. But after that, Horacio says, Timo might drop those wedding plans. Gaby asks why. “In small towns we have traditional values,” Horacio says. “We want women to arrive at the altar pure.” Gaby is aghast at Horacio’s regressive thinking; they quickly leave the topic of Lummy and start bickering about city vs. country values.

Horacio finally squeezes Gaby into a tight bear hug. “I’m a macho, but a macho that adores you!” he says. Her protests quickly turn into playful tussling, ending with a passionate kiss.

At Montesinos Manor, Skankzilla rubs a pillow stuffed under her shirt. She notes happily that her Toledo-induced pregnancy will surely start showing soon. “Or that witch Leonor is going to get suspicious!”

Tere comes in and informs Ivana that Toledo is waiting for her in the living room. Ivana berates Tere for letting him in the door. She tells Tere to hustle Toledo into the study, hoping to keep Leonor from seeing him. “Toledo’s impertinence is already bugging me,” she says. She plans to get rid of him as soon as possible.

In Sabino’s office, Filo and Sabino finish talking about the birth of some new livestock. Filo leaves while Sabino finishes some paperwork. And … scene. If they’re this desperate for filler, we can expect to see Valentina at the DMV or JM picking up his dry cleaning in future episodes (that omnipresent leather jacket / male chastity jacket is definitely not machine washable).

At Montesinos Manor Ivana lashes out at Toledo for seeking her out. “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?” he demands.

Back at Los Cascabeles, Filo is intercepted by an insistent JM. Jose Miguel wants Filo to tell him the truth about Rosendo’s whereabouts the night of his father’s murder! JM roughs Filo up while he invents a tale about Rosendo Bo Peep helping him herd some livestock that night. JM isn’t buying it.

Next door, Ivana wants to know who told Toledo about her pregnancy; Toledo would rather know who fathered her child! “It’s the child of JM,” she replies, “And I’m very proud of this child because I love JM!” The kind of love that’s so strong, you just have to spread it around!”

Walking by, Leo overhears Ivana’s talking. Skankita Banana continues, saying that JM doesn’t return her love because he’s still hung up on Valentina. Outside the door, Leonor is outraged that Ivana is sharing such intimate details with some cop.

Meanwhile, JM threatens to beat the truth out of Filadelfio. Filo sticks to his lie, which only infuriates JM more. Valentina and Alonso stumble upon the scene, thwarting the imminent ass-kicking. JM drags Filo over to them.

Back at Montesinos Manor, baby-voiced Ivana is guest of honor at her own pity party. She says she’s doomed to pick up Valentina’s leftovers, rehashing the whole Alonso mess for Toledo. She adds that after Alonso betrayed her with Valentina, Oscar showed up merely to … enjoy Ivana’s assets.

It’s his fault her mother’s in jail, she says, noting that Tizzy will spend her few remaining years in a jail cell. Outside, Leonor shakes her head. Inside, Ivana lays it on thick, saying that she doesn’t even have JM’s love to console her in these trying times. Ivana waxes moronic on how she fell for him at first sight; knowing this, Valentina yanked him away from her! For JM this baby is the result of a night of drinking, but for her, it’s a result of her love! Just then, Leonor walks in and joins the party.

Next door, JM tells Val and Al that the sheriff proved the fire that killed his father was intentionally set. The only person who could’ve done it is Rosendo, but Filo keeps lying on his behalf! Filofax lamely repeats his lie to Valentina, prompting JM to question where his loyalties lie -- Rosendo or Val?

Just then Santiago and Lummy come out, and he’s very interested in meeting JM. The crowd basks in his cuteness rays before Valentina promises to take him riding again; she says goodbye by showering him with kisses. Al beams at Santiago’s effectiveness while JM glumly looks away. Al drags the kid off, leaving Val, Filo and JM alone.

Filo swears to Valentina that he’s told the whole truth, and Val dismisses him for the night. JM tells Val that Filo’s covering for Rosendo. “If that’s true, he’ll have to leave Los Cascabeles,” Val says.

At Montesinos Manor, Leonor inquires as to the purpose of Toledo’s little visit as Ivana quickly looks away. Toledo says he just came to give Ivana some good news: “There’s a possibility that Señora Isabel will go free!” Leonor angrily glares back at Ivana.

Labels: duena, stud