Cap. #18
We make it back to Sonora just as Alex and Ivan meet for the first time at Geraldo’s. Turns out they have the same interest (Surprise!) in Soccer and Mathematics and the same winning personality. Viewerville waits for the earth shattering and overpowering “call of the blood” but is sorely disappointed. We’ll just chalk it up to Van’s biorhythms being out of sync.
At the restaurant across town, Anthony starts discussing business right away. He asks who owns El Socorro. Carlota mentions that she inherited it from her dead husband and proudly states (gawd knows why) that her daughter, Lucrecia, runs it. Juan Jaime puts in his two cents worth--and that’s all it is worth! “--In the state the ranch is in, it just goes to show that women have no head for business.” Carly turns out to be a real Comeback Queen, though. “—If that’s the case, then why are you in the same straits we are here, begging charity [limosna] from Anthony also?” “—Oh, my situation is not the same!” Yeah, just like a man, she clucks. Tony interrupts the verbal sparring and says he has the utmost respect for the feminine intellect. Juan Jeil-me is quick to agree then (see the brown on his nose there?) and asks Carly to lighten up; it was just a little joke [chascarrillo]! Tony allows himself a mini roll of the eye and things simmer down.
Back at Grandpa Gerry’s, Van and Lucia have just left. They should have stayed for dinner, she says. Van didn’t want to cause a bother for them, although he did like seeing Gerry again. He chokes up suddenly. Seeing Alex got him thinking about his son and that they’d be practically the same age now. Lucia then gets a peck on the cheek and he asks if she’s still going to meet him as planned. She says of course. He drives off.
Lucia goes back inside Gerry’s and explains why Ivan didn’t stick around for supper. She mentions how the tragedy with Merry Piece and losing his son had destroyed his life and broken him in two. Gerry asks what about Mari Paz? She told Ivan all sorts of stories—none of which were true. BTW, the news is that she’s left the Meandragon Stalag to move back home and is getting a divorce.
Van is waiting for Tony when he returns from the Curiel business lunch and tells him about meeting Alex who is bright and very likeable. He’s even the same age his son would have been. Tony reminds him he’ll have other children. Van agrees, but says it doesn’t necessarily make the pain stop. Tony says it’s about time he realized that his son may have never been born or that he died. True, but the need to know is what’s driving him now, says Van. Anyway, he’s also got to speak to Celia about what she knew concerning his mother’s pregnancy. He was certain the baby-daddy was JJ Mondragon, cuz he never knew Mama to date or to discuss another man in all the years they lived together. Tony suggests that there were times she probably did spend away from him, either on her days off or while he was at school or with friends. She just might never have thought to discuss this with him. Van naively considered that she’d always have spent that time with her friend, Celia. Tony sniffs as if to say get real!
Talk turns to Tony’s business lunch with Carlota and Lucrazia. He’s decided to help them out despite Van’s being against it, especially since Carly offered her house as collateral.
LuScreechia, meanwhile, is giving Mama holy Hell for putting their house up as a loan guarantee, especially since Sr. McGuire wasn’t asking for any guarantees. Carly says she wouldn’t take advantage of his easy-going nature that way. She couldn’t accept his financial support as if it were a gift! Lucre-zia says hey, if the guy wants to give away his big bucks then let him? What’s the big problem? Carly says she’s too decent to play that way! Lucre-zia is quick to remind her mama that she wasn’t so decent when it came to letting her boyfriend knock her up all those years ago! Carly tells her to can the trash-mouth for a change. Speaking of smart-asses, in walks Merry Piece wanting to know what the yelling was all about. Lucre-zia says it had to do with her abuela offering the house as collateral for the ranch. She adds then that they had lunch with the senior McGuire and that he’s going to help them out with a loan for improvements. Happy, happy! Joy, joy!
Of course, says Lucrazia, Juan Jeil-me arranged the business lunch and he had requested that Mari Paz would return to David until the McGuires went back to The States. It ain’t a gonna happen—not now, not never! Fageddabowdit! MP says she’s already seen a lawyer and started the paperwork [tramites]. She’s way smarter than Mama, she brags, cuz instead of begging for money from Old Man McGuire, Merry Piece is planning to marry El Guapo de Ivan who, seemingly, is now eating out of her hand! LuScreechia refuses to even hear of it! It’s not her choice, says Merry. She’s already decided and that’s that!
Back at the hotel, Ivan’s discussing the possibility of marrying Mari Paz now. Tony warns him against giving her false hopes. He says naw, he only wants her to get divorced in order to embarrass the Meandragon’s socially. Sure it will be a nasty thing for David since he likes the guy, but poor ol’ Dave isn’t able to consummate the marriage anyway, so…. As for MP, when she had the chance to marry him, she refused to marry the son of a servant and now that he’s got money and social position, he refuses to insult his mother’s memory. Well, asks Tony, if Van doesn’t care for her, why did he say she could decorate their new digs then? Oh, she offered to on her own, he explains, and in any event, he let her know in no uncertain terms that Tony would be the one to say yay or nay about it. Van doubts her tastes and Tony’s will mesh anyway.
Speaking of the Queen of Roma, Mari Paz calls the suite looking for Ivan but he tells the desk to tell her he’s not in. “—Darn! See? She’s after me every time I turn around! Whatever I felt for her isn’t there any longer. I’m wise to her now!” Tony says, well, he’s interested in helping Carly. She’s nice, intelligent and he likes her. Besides, he is interested in what she’ll tell him about her granddaughters. Van chuckles and Tony blushes. (Riiiiiight.) “--Oh, so you don’t think I can handle it, huh?” Van tells him to go for it and then they hug. Tony then has a question for ivan: if he learns that another good man has adopted his son, knowing that the boy would consider the other man his father, would Ivan take him away from that adoptive family? Van says he hasn’t a clue, but what is certain is that the boy doesn’t stop being his son also.
Meanwhile, Saul and Antolin are shootin’ the breeze. Saul is griping about Lucia having the nerve to dump him after he’d deigned to make her his girlfriend—even with her family’s financial social standing a few rungs above ground floor level, too! whoever the sorry son of a buck she’s got her eye on just better watch out!
Over at Gerry’s, Carolina is worried that he’ll tell Ivan the truth about Alex. Gerry doesn’t know what he’ll do at this point. Carolina reminds him that it’s Alex they need to consider first. He’s been with them his entire life! He’s always known Gerry as his father. Ger says seeing Ivan again has made him think about Alicia and why she never told him she was pregnant. “—that she would rather die than cause me problems! It still hurts like heck!” Carolina tells him not to dwell on it cuz all he’ll do is torture himself and there’s nothing to be done for her now. He shouldn’t blame himself like he does. Besides, he’s done a great job with Alex. Gerry’s sense of guilt is overwhelming, though. He’d like to tell Ivan Alex is his son, and not to worry; that he’s fine and doesn’t lack for anything, and that his life is brimming over with love.
At the same time, on his way to Arcelia’s, Van watches boys playing soccer in the street and remembers the day when he and his mother first arrived in Alamos.
He shows up at Celia’s and tells her he’s there to ask about his mother’s love life [vida sentimental]. She clams up and says Alicia never mentioned anything to her, ever! Best to leave it alone. What’s to be gained? Justice, says Ivan.
Back at Gerry’s, Carolina’s figures that the best thing is to leave things as they are in hopes that Ivan manages to resign himself to never knowing anything more about his son. No good to tell Lucia the truth either because she’s attracted to Ivan. Yes, answers Gerry, lost in thought. He was always interested in Mari Paz rather than Lucia, though’. Well things change, says Carolina. If Lucia ends up with Ivan then perhaps they’ll have their own family. Ivan would be near his son without their need to tell either of them the truth. Gerardo isn’t really convinced that’s a good idea.
That night, Juan Jeil-me wants to know if Esther spoke to David and got him to agree about sticking it out with MP. Nobody knows if she agreed or not or, if he’s moving back in or not. He calls up Lucrazia to find out. Lu tells him Merry Piece can’t be persuaded. She’s already seen a lawyer and put things in motion. He threatens to wreck Lucrazy’s financing with Tony McGuire if Merry Piece goes ahead with her divorce plans. Lucrazy snickers and says she doesn’t think so; McGuire’s too taken with her mama and a divorce probably isn’t going to make or break either of them; after all, he’s an American with such liberal ideas that he even adopted an illegal, didn’t he? JJ asks what the heck she’s talking about. Lucre-zia chuckles at herself and hangs up on him. She’s just dumped a percussion grenade under his belligerent backside and she can’t wait for it to explode!
At the other end, Juan-Jeil-me puts the receiver down, barks for his dinner, and walks out of the room without a word. Saul and Esther heard the conversation. Saul can’t believe MP’s actually divorcing David (not to mention defying their bad-ass Papa Bear that way). He’s also curious to know what illegal Mexican his dad was talking about. Esther doesn’t know and doesn’t care and goes back into the kitchen in a huff.
Lucia now tells Carly about her plans to go with Ivan that weekend to Guaymas to find their old housekeeper. Carly doesn’t approve of the two of them going up there un-chaperoned. Lucia, if she wanted to help, could just as easily give him the names and addresses and let him go himself. Just then Lucia gets a call from Saul. He’s trying to get back together and wants to see her the next day. She lies and says she’s going with some gal pals to one of their houses in the country. He starts giving her the third degree about how she’s getting there and who with..... He offers to take her and she snidely says thanks but no thanks. He snidely suggests it’s probably a group of guys and girls! She yells back that it’s none of his business who’s going or not and slams the receiver down. Carly dislikes Lucia’s making Saul jealous. Lucia asks what’s it matter? They aren’t anything to each other now!
Afterwards at supper, LuScreechia also has a fit about Lucia leaving for the weekend with her “girlfriends” and wonders whether Saul knows or not. Lucia politely says she’s old enough to do what she wants and Mama knows that she and Saul have broken up. LuScreechia wants Carly to back her up but she won’t. “--The girl’s grown up. She has a job and she earns her own way now. Time to let the young ones fly away from the nest.” Lucrazy says, yeah, wasn’t MP a perfect example of that? Lucia reminds her Mama that she’s NOT Merry Piece.
Saul walks into one of Antolin’s favorite watering holes and offers to pay Anto to spy on Lucia.
Antolin plays P.I. for pesos and watches as Lucia gets into a taxi. He follows her and, with a sh!t-eating grin on his face, sees her meet up with Ivan, who takes her bag and stashes it in his trunk while she gets into his car with him. “—Jo-joooo! Saul won’t like this one itty-bitty bit!”
Camilo meets with Tony to discuss his working for McGuire Import/Export. He presents a contract to Cam who is completely blown away by the salary he’ll be getting. Tony points out that he will be Van’s right-hand man and will earn every bit of it.
Arcelia is so excited when she finds out. They do a happy dance. Cam suggests buying her some new furniture or a stove, and possibly even a new house. She says furniture’s fine, but she’s not moving. Sylvestre bought her the house when they were first married and she couldn’t possibly sell it. He should move out and live somewhere really nice if he wants. Cam doesn’t want to leave Mama’s. They decide to eat out to celebrate since he has the afternoon off.
Tony gives Carly an unexpected call and invites her out to eat. He’d like to chat. It’s pleasure, not business—unless she’s afraid of town gossip. She glances up at the picture of her dead hubby and decides she’ll ask him to eat at her house. He wants to talk to her alone. She says no problem. Lucrazy’s at their ranch since it’s payday [el día del raya] and MP’s on her way out and will be leaving in a little bit.
Merry Piece tries calling Ivan’s hotel suite again, in the meantime, but is shot down by the desk clerk. She decides to call David instead.
Meanwhile, on the way to Guaymos, Lucia (in a muffled sound-track that sound-editing should have caught and is irritating to the max) tells Van about missing school the year when her sister was pregnant, and that she was forced to stay there with her. She also mentions her parents’ divorce. It wasn’t her daddy’s fault. He and Mama just never got along. (Puhleese! Nobody but nobody gets along with your mama!) Mama never had any respect for Gerry and always put him down. He couldn’t stand country living and eventually had to sell his parents’ house in Mexico City, but than eventually bought a small construction company. Ivan and she both agree he’s a great guy, and that Carolina is a terrific S-I-L who takes wonderful care of the house, and both Alex and Gerry, despite not being able to see.
Merry Piece has a quick chat with Grams before leaving for the club. Carly asks how she’s paying for all the stuff she does. MP brags that she’s still got David’s credit card and his car, but then, as far as she’s concerned it’s fair compensation for the rotten state of affairs-–both literally as well as figuratively. Carly tells her it’s a bit shameful. (Ha! Might as well speak to the hand.) Carly wants to know if she’s got designs on Ivan now. Merry Piece isn’t about to give her the satisfaction of telling her just so she can race back to gossip about it with catty Lucia!! Carly knows when she’s been bested and gripes under her breath once MP struts out the front door.
Back at that dive of a corner bar Anto likes so much, Saul sits down to get the goods on Lucia. Anto couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he told him she left town with a guy! Yeah, who? Anto drags the telling out about as far as it will stretch without snapping: “--she took a taxi. She waited for the car of all cars.” Saul’s patience does snap! “--With who? A new beau????” “--Calm down! Calm down!” She got out with her suitcase and greeted the guy with a kiss, he threw her suitcase into the trunk and she got in. “--On the mouth? ON THE MOUTH?????” He couldn’t tell. “That damned two-timing wench!” “--Who’s the dude? Do you know him?” He sure does! It’s the gringo. “--Gringo? What gringo?” “—Ivan.” “--Anthony McGuire’s son?” “--That’s what they say.”
Saul is WTF impactado to find out lovely little lame-brained Lucia would actually trade him in for that moron [papanatas = simpleton, dupe, dope]! Saul’s got to stop it somehow. Anto asks how he figures to do that, cuz if he complains to the dude his daddy’s financing is likely to go down the drain along with the family jewels. Nope. Ol’ Saul is screwed seven ways from sundown [entrampado=stuck in muck to the eyeballs]. Saul refuses to accept that. He starts banging his fist on the bar. No way is he going to stand around and let this happen! Antolin hides a sly grin behind his shot of tequila.
Tony shows up. Carly asks if he’s there for the deed to the house. He says there’s no hurry for that. He’s only there to chat. They talk about why neither of them got married again and the fact that she was widowed back when Lucrazy got married. Tony gives her a quick backgrounder then on how he first met Ivan.
Meanwhile, Merry Piece meets David at the country club. He tells her that the bank called to tell him his credit card was maxed out [hasta el tope = full up to the brim]. She goads him. In her best baby-talk impression she says he could get money from mami and pay it off, right? No. Better--he gone to a headhunter with his degree in business [licenciado en administración] and handed them his resume. He dutifully asks her again if she’ll give him another opportunity. Not. A. Chance. She’s already seen her lawyer and started the paperwork.
David, still very slow on the uptake, thought Merry Piece would do what his papi had ordered them both to do. Ha! No. Way. In. Hell. Merry Piece is not keeping up any front for Daddy-Dearest. What’s more, if he doesn’t want the truth coming out about what happened–or rather, what DIDN’T happen on their wedding night--then he’ll get off his duff and meet her at the lawyer’s office to sign the papers ASAPP! Why did she agree to marry him then, he asks. He was the only one with money, position and a family name, she tells him, and she really liked him, bottom line: who cares about a family name if the family’s flat broke and his dipstick is too? David insists it’s only a psychological hang up. MP doesn’t care and she doesn’t believe him, anyway. So, now when is he coming to the lawyer’s office with her? We see a touch of anger display on those babied baby cheeks of his. “--Whenever you want!!” Victory. Time for a celebratory cerveza or, better yet a “—Martini, please!!”
Back at Casa de las Curiel, Carly discusses Mari Paz’s willful ways, the unexpected pregnancy, Lucrazia’s and MP’s wanting her to abort it, Ivan’s fight to change her mind and offering to marry her with All-Ears Tony. Carly knew, though, that MP wasn’t about to marry a servant’s son or allow herself to become a single mother in a small town to be humiliated by her friends. Lucrazy wouldn’t have allowed it either, but she swears she knew absolutely nothing about the brutal beating her demon-seed daughter paid for! Then came the baby and it’s disappearance. Ivan has always talked lovingly about her, though, says Tony. Yes? Well, she cared so much for Ivan when he was a young boy, she starts, then realizes she was about to confess the secret that Van’s Teodoro’s grandson and thinks better of it at the last moment. Tony tries to get her to tell her what she’s holding back. She says one day she will. (That definitely will be Must See T.V.!)
Lucia and Van arrive at the hotel (and get two different rooms, BTW). First they’ll eat and then they’ll start their search for Asuncion he says. FF>>
Cam tells his mama what a bad seed his bro, Antolin, is. Celia knew he hated school, but she never thought of him as a killer. That and more, says Cam. He pimps out women for rich guys, sets up poker games, and even sells drugs! Hush your mouth! Cam says Mama’s too bright not to have realized it before. She agrees, but then admits she wondered about the cars and apartment and such, and just didn’t ask because he was always good for a few much-needed pesos. Couldn’t Cam put in a good word with Ivan for his brother, to get him a decent job? Cam refuses. “—A leopard never changes its spots.” [Un árbol torcido nunca endreza = literally, a twisted tree never rights itself.] She can ask him, if she likes, but he’s not going to!
On the way to dinner, Lucia finds out how Alicia really died--from a botched abortion in the barrio, and not from some serious illness like her abue, Carly, told her. Ivan asks if she was ever aware of his mother’s going out with anyone, or if Cleto or Gloria or anyone else ever mentioned it. Lucia draws a blank. He explains then that with his mother dead and Merry Piece giving him the cold shoulder there was nothing keeping him in Alamos, and so, with Lucrazy ready to blame him for the murder of the worker she sent to beat him up, he decided to run away to the U.S. and start over. Lucia says she understands his anger towards her family now. (He looks skeptical—or maybe that’s anger. Hard to tell. Note to director: tell DZ to work on skeptical expression.)
Back in Alamos, Carly and Tony flirt a bit. She then feels brave enough to ask Moneybags McGuire why, if Ivan hates them so much, would he take Lucia to Guaymos with him to look for that servant? Tony is surprised to hear Van actually decided to go after all, and says he thinks Ivan obviously thought that her knowing the woman would help him somehow. Carly says Lucia is a beautiful, goodhearted, hard-working, and intelligent girl who has always been in love with Ivan. She hopes he’s not got bad intentions, because if he does, Carly is simply not going to allow him to hurt her. Tony tells her not to worry about that. He will make sure he talks to Ivan about it!
Merry Piece comes back home at that point and introduces herself to Tony. She immediately asks him to let her decorate his new house. Embarassed, Carly says she doesn’t have any background in decorating. MP says Judith has her degree in decorating and she says she has wonderful taste and a real knack. Tony tells her to present him with some formalized design ideas and that then, he’ll consider it. (If Judi has her degree in interior design, then he’s way better off with Judi instead of that pain in the patoot Merry Piece. Carly better be worth the ride!) Mari Paz flits back out again and Carly has to apologize. Tony doesn’t mind and chalks it up to youth. He does admit to MP’s being a little bit of a “free and easy spirit” [desenvuelta = also brazen, daring, forward –all of which Viewerville agrees apply] Time for dessert! FF>>
Back up in Guaymos, Lucia and Van find Asuncion right off the bat. (What an unexpected relief that is!) Lucia tells her she’s Carlota Curiel’s Lucia. Asuncion invites the two of them in with a hug and a huge smile and immediately asks how the baby is. Lucia and he exchange disappointed, knowing glances. It obviously wasn’t the housekeeper that took his son.
Labels: Fuerza
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