Caray, Caray!

Now we have capitulo 53. I wll try to fill in 54 with more detail on Wed. for posterity but meanwhle thanks for all the help to fill in events.

From last week: The great rescue is underway, Carlos and Jero leave a perplexed Matilde saying they are going out. The orange negligee and ecru neck brace clad Renata climbs painfully into her bed, instantly asleep. Arely springs her poolside wine and kisses ruse on Augustin. Next we see feet approach the unlocked gate, and pass through closing but not locking. The camera slowly pans over to sleeping beauty just as Jero wraps her in her blanket and she weakly protests, don’t take me as he sweeps her out of the door only to meet the business end of Ezek’s polished shot gun.

Meanwhile back at casa MonteLoco, Roberta continues her harangue about her poor sweet Mamie missing. Her acting is having its intended effect on Pappy Gonzo and to a lesser extent on Consta y Honorio y Matias, but when Gonzo says perhaps Fina’s doctor will have a better idea of where she may be, Roberta asks what does her doctor have to do with anything. Gonzo sputters while Consta says, it’s time to tell Roberta the truth. He tenderly delivers the news that her mother doesn’t want her to know that she is suffering from a brain tumor. Roberta in her finest staged whine of distress says “no puede ser” it can’t be, my Mommy can’t be this ill. She blames her mother’s behavior on her fear that Gonzo is ready to leave her for that rat Regina. But this isn’t true is it? Gonzo assures that room that he only went to Regina to help her fly the gravely gored Antonio to a city hospital for lifesaving treatment, nothing more. Roberta with her pretty face twisted by its accustomed spite, spits out that her ma’s disappearance is totally his fault, he should have been concerned only for her every whim not the Rat Regina’s Agonized Antonio. It’s all your fault, she runs up the stairs.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Jero with his pretty face twisted by spite spits out to rifle toting Ezequiel that he has come to rescue HIS wife and he isn’t leaving without her while Renata’s ecru collared neck flops painfully and the men argue the finer points of trespass –vs- rescue. The gun goes off scaring the waiting Carlos and interrupting the kissing Arely and Aug. It even wakes up the drugged Renata who insists that she does not want to leave or be rescued. Jero leaves in a huff, Aug looks vaguely pleased, Renata looks devastated but firm.

In a restaurant, Fina gets a blink blink, it’s a text message from Roberta that Gonzo has arrived from the cucaracha Regina. Satisfied grins light the room. Said cucaracha at the hospital tries to get information from the nurse on Antonio without success. Mama and Inez worry but Inez discusses her conversation with Isidro that their son is worried about Antonio but is doing okay with his father. She shares that he is so brave about the coming bone marrow transplant treatment without complaint (sin queharse). She also dreads the month of isolation he will face and they will have to endure. Regina and her mom console Inez and are sure the treatment will be a success, Inez responds that the same will be true of Antonio so his goring will soon be a memory with only a scar (cicatriz). Isidro and hijo who assures his pappy that he is no longer afraid of having leukemia but he at first thought it was his fault that he had done something bad. He has learned from films that the bad people are usually the ones that die of an illness but he doesn’t believe it anymore. Isidro tells him that illness and death are parts of life and it is an opportunity to distinctly know the value of life and to discover his mission in life. The sweet scene ends with father and son exclaiming that each is the best son/father in the world and they love each other. Nice relief from the rancorous scene at MonteLoco.

Fina returns with feigned innocence at everyone’s concern that she disappeared. She baby talks that she doesn’t know where she went, why is everyone in such a shortstwisting mood? Well, Roberta announces that they were just excited to share the engagement of her and Matias whom she squeezes in a half hammer lock of luvvvvv… Fina goes up to dress up acting quite confused, Gonzo goes to call the doctor to tell him Fina returned, Consta wants to clear out but Roberta begs them all to stay as a family to support her poor Mom she hugs a reluctant Matias again in front of all while a saddened Adriana looks on.

Oh lordy so much sickness: back at the ranch, Augie Doggie is promising Renata that Jero will never again enter his hacienda without his prior authorization! Renata is beaming that she felt the love from jero’s rescue attempt and Arely assures her he really showed his love but Augie insists with finger wagging that it only showed that this domineering man was asserting his rights over his wife whom he regards as his property which he intends to control (and he should know, no?). Augie shifts to assuring her she only has to ask for anything at all that she needs. Renata thanks them both pointedly for all they have done for her but Augie strong arms Arely so he can get her out of the room too. Arely weakly submits. Renata looks pensive while in Augies office he questions Ezek to discover how this breach of security occurred. Ezek insists he had checked the locks and alarms but it was turned off, he thought he was encountering a robber. Augie shakes fingers again that Ezek is to question every worker to find out what they saw and he is determined to find out who was the TRAITOR here, he and Arely share stern looks.

Back at La Bonita, Matilde and Manuela want to know what happened that he tried to rescue his wife but Jero wants to go sleep and demands that there be no gossiping (chismes) over this event. Matilde walks away seeing Jero hold his head in his hands. For once she seems to realize that she isn’t significant here.

The MonteLoco diningroom becomes a macabre scene of family dining. Fina feigns sensitivity while rubbing in that now even Adriana’s appearance as Honorio’s daughter must make the barren Consta feel a bit family like. Ewwww, indigestable conversation, eh? The blessed Adriana adds that Renata is missing from this family gathering and she must want to know of the impending marriage of her dear sister. Gonzo promises to call Renata, her cell phone might be missing but Fina settles the unknown by insisting that the lack of contact from Renata means that she doesn’t care about any of them and has no interest in how they are doing, period. Consta says perhaps Renata did not get the messages to call home. Fina says it’s obvious that Renata is merely showing her lack of love for the family. Roberta doesn’t miss a beat in assuring her auntie that her mom is always right and Renata is showing her lack of concern in their lives. (Shudders and a sense of dread for dessert, anyone?)

The doctor delivers the news that Antonio is barely out of danger but his situation is still grave. Mama wants to know when they can go in to see Antonio. Doc says the first 72 hours are critical for his recuperation they need to see how the medications are taking hold maybe they can visit him tomorrow.

Sunlight shines on the vineyard while Lazaro and Cari stroll among the vines. He chants about cariño, Cariña and he confesses his true love for her. He asks if she can imagine how their love and life could be as we are whisked into a dream sequence of the lovers in embrace being serenaded by the romantic Juan Luis Guerra right there in the vineyard.


53, Part 2:
Renata finally reaches Adriana and the worried friends make plans to share all the strange happenings in both hacienda and city. Renata promises to tell of her problems but first must beg Adriana to tell no one but to get some information for her that she will send her by email.

Manuela serves breakfast and some motherly/womanly advise with Jero. She wants to counsel him as though he were her son. He agrees to humor her. She lets him know that women want to be the boss of their own life and be the property of nobody. She asks if she should stop or go on. Go on, he says. She observes that with his attitude, every time he acts like he owns Renata he pushes her further away. He sees this but can’t stand the fact that she has fled to the hacienda (arms) of Augustin. She adds that if he loves Renata he needs to change his tactics or Augustin will win her away. Manuela notes that Renata has so much dignity. Augustin looks thoughtful and understanding for the moment but we know that might be an illusion.

Egad, Alfonsina is seeking counsel again from the Padre who thinks she is continuing her strange fantasies. Apparently she doesn’t have a lot of insight either but goes on to tell Padre that she was pretending that her story of lust and unfaithfulness was a fantasy with telenovelas (seems plausible to me) but in reality she really has committed sins with a real doctor and has betrayed her marriage and her best friend. Padre is muy impactada to learn that it is his idol, Dr. Alvaro. She slept with him and betrayed her friend Carina.

Carina is escorted by the love besotted Lazaro who promises to come back to pick her up from Augies that evening. As he drives off Dr. Sleeze sidles up to see if she has made up her mind to come back to him. Definitely NOT, and quit pressuring me, she returns. Meanwhile the Padre is becoming as purple as his prayer shawl and declares that it would be a disaster to make a public revelation of all this slimy sin but she must promise to never, never do it again. It will take much penitence to erase this grave sin. She adds that she didn’t love him but Alvaro forced her to continue to do the nasty.

We find out that Adriana seeks out Matias to have him find out how much of a fortune Jero has since he knew him in

Arely tells Jero that the hacienda is now being guarded carefully. He worries that Renata risks danger but Arely says you are the one who is in danger. Augustin will be the most dangerous of enemies. (No kidding! Some of us already have suspected this.)

Back at the hospital, Regina recounts that Antonio only reprised his toreador life to show is love for her (and the crowd yells, not such a wise method) and now Antonio’s life hangs in the balance. Inez sagely answers that nothing is certain in life but how do you feel. Regina confesses that she was ready to terminate their relationship but with his condition she can’t bring herself to end it. Inez knows she wouldn’t want to feel more guilty. (is anyone else getting the scent of inconvenient person here?). Regina kindly says that Antonio’s demonstration of love through the bull fight and the wedding plans is his way to get over the tragic loss of his family. Regina wonders when she can get out of this but Inez assures her that she will know when and can’t do it earlier or later than when the time is right. She thanks Inez for being such a good friend, what would she do without her. Inez urges her to go home to take a bath and change clothes.

Back to the harpy nest. Roberta wants to talk wedding dresses but Fina is in a snit. She knows that Gonzo is with her because he feels obligated not because he loves her. Roberta chimes in that it is equal to her situation with Matias but she can’t really complain as things are moving along. Fina still complains that Gonzo is more concerned with being at Regina’s side and this is not turning out as she intended. Roberta gives her a kiss and tries to cheer her up with the news that the photos she got of Consta and Chema are ready for exposing and ruining the marriage of her fox of an aunty when the good Honorio sees the evidence of Consta’s infanticide (killing the baby part of Chema? I guess). Oh no, no Fina insists that this is not the time to spring a side show when she needs all the attention on herself. In fact it is best if Roberta gives her the photos so she can control the timing, obviously not trusting Roberta to pull off such a dirty trick while she is still in training to be a bigger monster. She doesn’t want to disappoint stalker BFF but Fina puts her foot down that her fidelity is with HER.

Consta and Honorio show up at the hospital to check with Regina on Antonio’s condition. She was just on her way home to bath and rest since he seems out of the worst danger. Just behind them is Gonzo who swoops in with an offer to drive her to her bath… but she thanks him that he has done too much. If not for his efforts to transport Antonio, he would not be alive. She will never forget his kindness and Inez has loaned her car. But Gonzo begs to be her driver, C and H look a bit uncomfortable but his earnest look sways.

Back to the Baja, Ezekiel confides in Lazaro that he has nothing against Jeronimo but was following orders of Augustin’s. Lazaro says our bosses will have rows (broncas) but we should not have to fight among ourselves. You, Alfonsina, Carina, Matilde and I have been friends and love each other. We are not people to fight. Ezek, asks about Carina taking refuge at La Bonita with Jero’s permission when Augie drove her off, but Lazaro says in reality it was Renata who gave Carina permission to come there. The two continue to agree that they should not take on the fights of the two patrones.

Regina shows up at home and finds a box on the table that scares her but with her Mom, the box is opened to reveal the wedding dress. Mom worries about postponing the wedding while Antonio recovers. Regina cares only about him and her daughter. Mom goes shopping and Regina clutches the dress saying Antonio with such sadness.

Speaking of sad, Renata quietly creeps into La Bonita while their sad song ushers in Jero who comes forward eagerly, you have returned!. She places a hand on his chest. As they gaze sadly, we switch to a sad looking Augie who makes a phone call to Gonzo who is surprised to hear from him. He assures Gonzo that he is a great friend still of Renata and for this reason he wants to invite him and the family to the wine harvest (vindimia) of the Valley of Guadelupe to surprise Renata. He also wants to invite the family to stay in his hacienda Cruz de Amor to give Renata a thrill.

Renata looks anything but thrilled as she asks Jero why he pretended to be bankrupt and lied to her. He protests that it was only because he wanted to be sure she was marrying him for love. She answers that of course she only married him for love and she had great hopes of a full life loving but no she has been met with tricks and lies on his part. He says she lied first telling him she was named Adriana, but Renata isn’t taking this stupid line, let’s be adults, no this lie didn’t really hurt anyone but his lies are hurtful with evil intention. His defence is that he was sure she was after money and can she deny that she was ambitious (oh pleeeeze). You rejected real love why did you reject Rafa. She is surprised and demands to know how his dead brother Rafa has anything at all to do with their relationship. Gee, guess we are headed toward a big party.

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