Caray, Caray!

David confronts “Mario” in his bedroom. “Are you or aren’t you my papa?” FaustiMario is stunned into silence. He ponders his options for a few seconds and then decides now is the time to come clean with David. Like some sort of horror movie, he begins to remove his mask to reveal what lies beneath. However, instead of a horrible monster underneath the glasses, wig, false teeth, beard, mustache and latex nose and wrinkles, David finds not his father, but Gabi’s!

Horrified, David backs as far away as possible into the wall, his mind racing and unable to compute what he’s seeing. “My God! What is this? Why are you dressed like this? Where is my papa?!” Faustiago begs him to calm down and let him explain. Meanwhile, Gabi is wearing a hole into the carpet pacing in the living room, knowing that something very strange is going on with David and Don Mario.

Faustiago continues to remove his disguise, but locks the door firmly before giving David the explanation he demands. He first informs David that his father, Mario Genovés, is dead. David is wide-eyed, and teary-eyed, impactado. “Muerto?” Faustiago explains that Mario did indeed die in the car accident. David refuses to believe, so Faustiago suggests he bring Abelardo in to verify all he is saying. David wanders into the living room like a zombie and requests that Abelardo accompany him. He unconvincingly tells Gabi that nothing is wrong and everything is fine when she inquires.

Abelardo confirms to David that Don Mario is indeed dead. David’s grief knocks the wind out of him and forces him to sit down. He starts to weep. “And, he, he was my father?” Abelardo answers him truthfully.
A: He loved you as if he were.
D: Then, whose child am I?

Abelardo tells him mostly the truth. He says David is the child of a lady who used to work in the house. She left when David was just a few weeks old. As Don Mario and Señora Alicia could not have children, they fell for little David, cared for him as their own and registered him as their child. David is practically hyperventilating with grief and shock. Abelardo tells David how much his father loved him. When David asks where he is buried, he tells him he’s been laid to rest in a dignified tomb. Whenever David wants to, Abelardo will take him there. David then asks for an explanation of why Faustiago is there. Abelardo hands the mic over to Faustiago for that explanation.

Faustiago explains that he’s there because Mario obligated/forced him to be. He tells David his real name and that he used to be an actor. The theatrical company he started with was owned by Adolfo Ávila. There he met and fell for a beautiful dancer named Márta Saldívar. However, she got involved with a rich man who was married…who had a son. A look of shocked realization comes over David’s face.

In the living room, Gabi continues to fret to Juli about what could possibly be going on in the bedroom. She saw that look on David’s face and knows it can’t be good. Juli thinks they are just discussing business, but Gabi has another theory. She thinks they might be arguing because Gabi asked David to get them their own house, away from his family. Juli sees no problem with this. If that is what’s causing the problem, then Mario will just have to deal with it (aguantar). Gabi has a right to have her own home! They both go nervously quiet when a downcast Ale arrives home. They do a bad job of lying that everything is ok. Ale goes to Bertha’s room to see if she can get the 411 from her about what’s going on. Princess Bertha doesn’t know, and she doesn’t like not being in the know. Their uncle is acting like a man possessed (con miles demonios), and those b!tches (she said viejas, but that’s what she really meant) continue to ingratiate themselves with him. Ale knows something must be wrong by the looks on the faces of Gabi and Juli.

Back in the bedroom, the revelations keep coming at David like a tsunami.
D: This woman had a child by my father?
F/S: Yes. It was a girl.
D: And where is she now?
F/S: That child is my daughter, your wife, Gabriela.
D: Qué?! Gabriela?!

David is shocked into standing position this time. He asks if Mario knew Gabi was his child. Faustiago explains that Mario found out shortly after his wife died. When she died Mario came back to find Marta to marry her, but by that time Marta was married to Santiago and had another child by him, Juli. David wants an answer to THE question. Why is Faustiago passing himself off as Mario? Faustiago explains it’s because of that darn death clause in the contract with Adolfo. Faustiago goes back to speaking about the Marta love triangle. He explains that when Mario came back into Marta’s life, Santiago’s heart was destroyed, he was eaten up with jealousy. He didn’t think it fair that Mario was trying to take her from him again. He could feel that she was about to abandon him. He started fighting with Marta all the time and made life impossible for her.

Around the corner, at the newly renovated house, JJ is deep in thought about Ale. Limon, in one of his favorite spots- behind the bar- tells JJ he thinks it best if he and Caramelo move out, so that JJ won’t continue to have problems with Ale. JJ won’t hear of it. Limon and Caramelo are his only family. (What about Elsa?) They can’t leave him alone. Plus, Limon and JJ are partners and will be working together (on whatever it is they eventually decide to do). Limon doesn’t know how he can help JJ in his new business since he doesn’t know how to do anything, not even how to write. JJ doesn’t think reading and writing is part of the job description for a right hand man (brazo derecho). (Yeah. This will be a really successful business.) Plus, JJ completely trusts Limon and would trust him with his life. Limon is touched by JJ’s words.

Caramelo comes running in. She has examined the bedrooms upstairs and still wants to sleep in the little house (servants’ quarters) attached to the main house, where she and Limon used to sleep all those years. JJ gives in and Caramelo runs off cheering her victory. Limon also asks JJ if he can stay in the rooms in back, in the casita. That way he won’t feel like such a freeloader (arrimado) and Ale can feel more comfortable in the house. JJ reluctantly agrees, and gives Limon the job of being in charge of the whole house. He also wants them to go furniture shopping so that Limon can furnish the rooms in the little house exactly as he’d like.

They toast happily to their new business and home arrangements, as we cut to a very unhappy looking Ale sulking on her bed. She’s obviously given what Mina said some thought, and is feeling bad about her harsh words with JJ. She swallows her pride and picks up the phone and calls him. Her sweet, “Hi. It’s me.”, is greeted with a grumpy “Qué pasó? Dime.” She tells him she’s calling to ask how he is. JJ’s in brat mode and tells her he’s fine. In fact, he’s with Limon and Caramelo and they’re about to go buy furniture for their BEDROOMS. Ale tries to be a good sport about it and says that’s great. JJ agrees, abruptly tells her he’s got to go, and hangs up on her while she’s in the midst of saying goodbye. (Wow. He is nearly giving her the full Elsa Cold Shoulder Treatment.)

Back at the Manse, Faustiago has told his story, and David wants to know if he did indeed kill his wife Marta. Faustiago jumps up in horror. He assures David that he did not kill her. David wants to know who did then. When Faustiago says that Mario was also there that night and saw her, David gets defensive wondering if he thinks his papa murdered her. “No, no.” Faustiago explains that this is just what Mario told him, and gets Abelardo to back him up. Faustiago got the blame for the murder, mainly because everyone heard the big fight he and Marta had earlier that evening. And then Adolfo saw him over her body and accused him of the crime. Luckily, Yolanda came and warned him and he had time to flee with his baby girls. It was all these years later when he returned to the capital that Mario saw him and recognized him. Faustiago explains how sick Mario was, and David learns for the first time that his father had a brain tumor. “Me obligó a tomar su lugar.” (He obligated me to take his place.) David is shocked to hear his mild mannered father threatened Faustiago with jail and with telling Gabi the truth, if he didn’t go along with this plan.

David wants to know why his father partnered with Adolfo in the first place. Faustiago explains how Mario was the first to find Marta dead. Adolfo and Yolanda found him over her body and accused him of killing her, despite his protests that he had only just arrived. Then Adolfo offered to “help” him by not saying anything to the cops and sending Mario away quickly. He later threatened to tell the cops and it was in this way Adolfo blackmailed Mario into the infamous contract. Faustiago didn’t know until recently that Mario was even there that night. He then explains about the cufflink that Mario found in Marta’s hand. They believed it was the killer’s and it was their only clue to the identity of the killer. Mario gave it to Faustiago, but it was recently stolen when someone broke into his apartment. David has Faustiago describe the cufflink and immediately realizes that it sounds like Carlos Avila’s ring. That bit of new info leaves Faustiago impactado.

Over at the Dastardly Domicile, Leo is awaiting the appearance of Adolfo. You’ve got to hand it to Adolfo, he can hide his shock and play the welcoming host to perfection. “Well, well. What a pleasure it is to see you in my home. What brings you here Comandante?” (Translation: What the hell are you doing here?) Leo tells him he’s there to ask him some questions. They sit down and Leo casually asks some pretty uncomfortable questions over his cup of java. He starts things off easily by first confirming that Adolfo used to be a theatrical company business owner. The next question nearly throws Adolfo off his game, when Leo asks whether he employed a dancer named Márta Saldívar. “Sí.” Leo then mentions her husband’s name, Santiago Guzman, who was suspected of killing her. Adolfo admits to remembering the man and wonders if they’ve caught him. They haven’t, but Leo wonders if Adolfo has seen Santiago or heard someone speak about him recently. “No. Of course not.” Leo points out that Mario Genoves also knew this dancer. Adolfo feigns ignorance and wonders why Leo is asking. “Did someone tell you that Mario knew Marta?” Leo continues his cat and mouse game, tells Adolfo that Adolfo himself threatened Mario recently with revealing the secret about Marta to David, and takes a sip of his coffee. “Me? I said that? I don’t recall.” Leo’s not buying this, and Adolfo is fishing for an excuse or explanation, when Carlos walks in. Leo stands and the two young men stare each other down. Likely remembering the hurt Leo put on him the last time they met, Carlos quickly slinks away upstairs.

Leo continues his interrogation of Adolfo. He asks how a man like him, who had no prior experience managing restaurants, ended up as Mario Genoves’ partner. “By blackmailing Mario about Márta Saldívar, right?” This finally sets Adolfo off. He hasn’t ever spoken to Mario about Marta, and whoever said he did is a liar. Leo gives one of his disarming smiles and says he will speak to Mario about the matter again. And if he’s involved in Marta’s death somehow, he’ll help him overcome any legal issues. This doesn’t make Adolfo happy, but he hides his displeasure and politely bids Leo farewell. As soon as Leo leaves, Adolfo calls Mario’s house demanding to speak with him.

“Mario” is still in his bedroom with David and Abelardo continuing his story of how he came to be there. David’s rocking back and forth and his brain is now starting to work overtime. He concludes that Adolfo must have been the one who arranged the accident that killed his papa. FaustiMario feigns surprise. Gabi knocks on the door to inform them of Adolfo’s call. David insists on taking the call. He tells Adolfo that his father is not at home, and from now on anything that has to do with his father, Adolfo will have to deal with HIM (David). Adolfo berates him, and tells David to pass the message on to his father that the police came to see him about you know who, and that he defended Mario and told them that Mario didn’t know the person. Mario better get in touch with him ASAP. Adolfo doesn’t realize that Carlos has been listening to Adolfo’s side of this conversation intently from the stairs. David doesn’t give a damn. “My father is NEVER going to speak to you again!” Click.

An uber-annoyed Adolfo turns around to find Carlos over his shoulder, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He’s enjoying the “interesting” conversation Adolfo was having. It sounded to him like his father and Mario are involved in something crooked (chueco). Adolfo demands he show some respect, and get the hell out! Carlos smirks all the way out the door.

Gabi’s moved from the living room, to wearing a hole in the floor boards in front of Mario’s bedroom door. Juli tries to calm her down, but Gabi is fed up with waiting and wants to know what’s been going on behind that door. She knocks impatiently and finally David emerges. He lies that everything is alright, while at the same time wiping away a stray tear. They were discussing the partnership with the Avilas. Gabi wants to know what Leo has to do with it. David puts on a happy face, and once again tells her it’s nothing to worry about. Leo came to talk to his father because the police are investigating Adolfo Avila. He’ll explain more later. Gabi looks more perplexed than before.

Inside the room, FaustiMario is heading back through the tunnel to the little house. Abelardo urges him to be careful, given that they now know Adolfo is a murderer and wants to add “Mario” to his list of victims (which he’s already accomplished). Above all, Abelardo doesn’t want Faustiago to confirm to David that they learned from Yolanda that Adolfo killed Marta and his dad. David would for sure go to confront Adolfo directly and cause more problems than they already have. Faustiago admits that he was on the verge of revealing that to David, but is in agreement not to do so. It’s best not to provoke (prevenir) Adolfo.

Outside the door, David tries to distract Gabi with kisses and with an evening out on the town with her and Juli. He tells them to go make themselves pretty and he’ll be ready in a bit. He returns to the room quickly before Gabi can get out the lingering questions still on her mind. Gabi doubts what he said was the whole truth, but Juli wonders why it wouldn’t be. Gabi’s not convinced.

When he returns to the room, Abelardo shows him the secret passage. The light goes off in David’s head. So many things make sense now. Abelardo is happy that Faustiago will be more at ease now that David knows. They make their way through the tunnel to the house, and David marvels at his father’s planning and decision-making skills. He’ll miss him so much. Abelardo agrees. Once inside Faustiago’s dressing room, David marvels some more, begs Faustiago’s pardon for being such a jerk, and thanks him. Faustiago won’t accept the thanks, since he didn’t do this voluntarily but because Mario obligated him. But, he’s happy that it happened, because soon the day will come when Marta’s killer will pay for his crimes. David is sure that it was Adolfo, and he will pay for that, and all the humiliations he caused his father. He hesitates when he says “father”, and Faustiago gently assures him there is no need for hesitation. Mario was his father. Mario was a true father to him, just like he (Faustiago) has been to Gabi. David thinks of Gabi. She’s the true heir to all of this and David wants to tell her the truth. It’s the right thing to do. Faustiago agrees she should be told, but this is such a horrendous tale, that Faustiago himself isn’t yet ready to talk to her about it. David agrees to follow Faustiago’s lead. In fact, from now on he will do everything that Faustiago tells him to do. The two men shake on it. But it’s obvious David can’t shake his sadness at knowing his father is no more.

The sisters are pretty in pink, but Gabi is still pacing the living room like a mad woman. Juli wants to know why she won’t believe everything is ok, like David says. Gabi thinks she should phone Leo to find out why he spoke to Mario and what’s up. Juli tells her she’s crazy for looking for trouble with David again, who is already bothered by her friendship with Leo. Let things be, now that things are good. Gabi admits she’s right, but she just feels that David doesn’t want to tell her the truth. Adolfo, like a desperate recently dumped boyfriend, calls the house again to speak to Mario. Gabi knocks on the door twice, but strangely gets no reply. Adolfo resigns himself to the news that Mario is not there. He will just have to try again later. Just as she’s wondering where David and Mario could have gone off too, David and Abelardo magically emerge from the bedroom. David says they just didn’t hear her knock, although Gabi points out that she knocked twice. (Right now David is probably wishing that he had a less inquisitive, airhead wife.) He hustles them out the door to dinner. Bertha emerges as they are leaving and learns there will be no one around for her to annoy at the dinner table. She decides to call up her sugar daddy, Adolfo, but it seems he also has a life like everyone else, and has left.

Upstairs, Susana checks that her two retirement packages/death warrants (the diamond filled shoe and the letter) are still safe. She reads Dora’s letter out loud:

Señor Mario,

I don’t dare tell you this in person, because I’m ashamed, but you have the right to know. I am David’s mother. I abandoned him in this house many years ago. I left him here because Maria, a woman who worked in your house at that time, told me that your wife could not have children. My husband had abandoned me, and I could not maintain/take care of David. I knew that you were good people, and that you would give him all that I couldn’t.

I also want to tell you that I know who killed Isabel, the young woman who worked in the Mirador Hotel eleven years ago. The blame was put on the young man, Juan Jose Victoria. But the real culprits were Carlos Avila, and another young man whose face I could not see. I hope you understand me Don Mario. If I remained quiet all these years it was because I didn’t want David to suffer, and out of fear that Señor Avila would do something to me.

-Dora

Susana is shocked that Dora is David’s mother. The diamond filled shoes remain in her suitcase, but she puts the letter in her purse. Meanwhile, David’s mama is descending the stairs and encounters Ale. Ale goes to speak with Abelardo in Mario’s study and finds him scouring all of Mario’s books. He’s looking for a VERY important letter that was put in one of the books. Abelardo tells Ale that the letter reveals the true identity of David’s mother, but he pretends he doesn’t know who it is. Mario left the letter to be given to David one day. When Abelardo noticed that the books had been moved around, he decided to look for it and now can’t find it. They call Dora to find out who last cleaned the room. They find out it was Susana, on Bertha’s orders. No, Susana did not tell Dora that she had found anything in one of the books, and she’s out since it’s her day off. Ale thinks they need to search for this letter. Dora’s eyes go wide at the mention of a letter. She asks Abelardo if it’s the one she gave Mario. He confirms this and Dora’s eyes go wider with horror and fear. No one can see that letter! Ale suggests that Dora search Susana’s room, while she searches Bertha’s. When Ale heads upstairs, Dora panics that she might find and read the letter. Abelardo assures Dora that although Ale already knows that David is not Mario’s blood child, he did not reveal that Dora is his mother. But if she did find out, Ale already knows the FaustiMario plan and was the one who constructed the tunnel. “What tunnel?” Seems Dora was left out of the loop on that one, so Abelardo explains.

Dora’s search of Susana’s room and Ale's search of Bertha’s room comes up empty. Ale sees Dora’s obvious anguish and tries to calm her by saying it was probably just thrown away. She asks Dora who wrote the letter, but doesn’t press when Dora says she can’t say. Ale reports back to Abelardo and tries to assure him as well that it probably is in one of the books, or was thrown away. Abelardo hopes so, since it could be used for ill if it fell into the wrong hands. (If only he knew.) Ale heads over to talk to Faustiago in the tunnel house. She compliments him on his amazing transformation into Mario. He chuckles in appreciation of the compliment. This is a man who has clearly missed working in his calling- the stage. She talks about how that first night when he showed up, they were all convinced he was Mario. She congratulates him once more and calls him a great actor. He gives her a little bow. She knows they haven’t had much of an opportunity to talk, but she lets him know that her uncle told her everything. Faustiago admits it’s been difficult with lots of frights (sobresaltos).

Ale asks him if he thinks her uncle’s death was an accident. He is completely honest with her. It was not an accident, he was murdered. So was his wife, and so was the young maid eleven years ago. And all of these deaths have something in common- Adolfo Avila. Ale wants to know how he’s so sure. Because there were witnesses. In fact, a witness that can prove JJ is completely innocent. Ale wants that person to come forward! It’s their obligation! Faustiago assures her that that person will do so. They are both shocked when the door bell rings. And Ale is even more shocked to find JJ on the other side of the door.

JJ’s come looking for Don Fausto, who he knows works there. Ale tells him it’s not a business, but instead a house that belongs to Don Mario who employs Fausto. She leads him away from the house and to his house to talk. Abelardo arrives to tell Faustiago about the missing letter. Faustiago is absolutely sure it was Bertha who took it.

At JJ’s house, Limon quickly makes himself and Caramelo scarce to give the squabbling love birds some alone time. Ale gets JJ to sit down and talk things through. She feels badly about what happened. She doesn’t want to offend his friends. She understands that he loves them and wants to help them. She loves him, more than he can imagine, and she doesn’t want to lose him. Ditto for him. But he thinks they are too different- like water and oil, and he’s really crude oil. She’s elegant, fine and educated. And even though he now has money and dresses nicely, he’s still coarse and ignorant. She assures him that she likes him just the way he is- simple, generous, caring, loving…They start to kiss and Ale is ready to be swept away by passion once more. JJ puts a halt to things, since Limon and la niña might return any minute. Ale suggests the perfect solution—they can go upstairs to his bedroom. JJ x-nays that idea too. Things are different here. Even though Limon was a homeless tramp, he’s pretty conservative. And la niña is still very young/little (chiquitita). Ale cannot believe he is rejecting her, again. She stands up and tells him the only thing that is chiquitita here is his brain! (At least she didn’t name another part of your anatomy JJ.) Then things really get nasty. He implies that the only thing wrong is her loose morals. He asks just how many guys has she “been with”. (That didn’t seem to be a problem for him when they were getting it on in the elevator, in the hallway, in the hotel suite, or on her desk, but whatever.) “How dare you!!!” She tries to slap him, but he catches her arm and asks, “That many?” (Tantos?) That really ticks her off and she catches him off guard with a well deserved hard slap with her left hand. She storms off calling him an imbecile, and wondering why that’s important to him. “You know what? The only one that I regret is getting involved with a guy like YOU. It makes me embarrassed/ashamed!” (me da verguenza) The squabbling love birds have turned into full fledged fighting cocks, staring each other down from opposite sides of the ring.

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