Caray, Caray!

The guy at the Ministry of Agriculture, whom JJ thought he had in his pocket, has just informed him, Ivan and Camilo that they have found NO reason to sanction the McGuires. JJ can’t believe it! Isn’t it the obligation of the ministry to protect the interests of the ranchers? He can’t believe they’re taking the side of these abusive gringos! The ministry guy tells JJ not to get his panties in a bunch. The Director made his decision based on the facts and evidence. The McGuires look well intentioned to them. They all have to work together for the good of the state. Ivan suppresses a sh!t eating grin while JJ sputters and stutters about his friendship with the director. They all get up and JJ says he’ll speak to the rest of the ranchers and we’ll see how this all turns out. The ministry guy says they’re here to serve him. “Sí, como no!” (Yeah, right!) JJ walks out. The ministry guy knows JJ wasn’t happy because he’s a proud (orgulloso) man, but he’s also a man of business, so he’s pretty sure he’ll come around. Once they leave the office, Camilo tells Ivan that he’s sure JJ will do something against them to hurt them (perjudicar), so they better stay alert.

At home, JJ bitches to the family. What’s new? Esther tries to tell him what’s done is done and to accept it. He tells her to shut up. How pleasant, no? He sends the women off so that he can speak to Saul. Once Pinky and The Brain are alone, they start chatting over a bottle and shot glass of tequila. JJ says they need to do something that will have the suspicion fall on the McGuires and not on him. They have to burn the harvests (cosecha) of the ranchers that are supporting JJ. Saul’s little mind is blown by the deviousness of his father’s brain. He takes a swig of tequila. JJ says he’s actually going to put his trust in Saul, but he doesn’t want any screw-ups. “Show me that you’re worthy (digno) of being my son.” Saul takes another swig of tequila in response.

At the pool hall later, Saul enlists Antolin’s help in the plan.

Ivan calls Carlota from the inheritance lawyer/notary’s office to ask after Lucia’s health and if he can visit her later. He gets a positive response to both questions. The lawyer comes in and tells him they want to take care of this business as soon as possible. Ivan wonders what would happen if he renounced the inheritance. If Ivan doesn’t take possession of his inherited portion of the hacienda, then it could be seized (incautar). Ivan then supposes that he could GIVE the lands away to someone. Of course! (Claro!) That’s exactly what Ivan wants to do then.

In the hospital, Carly tells Lucrezia that she thinks Maripaz is actually telling the truth about the blackmail. If it’s true, then Lucrezia’s even more sure that Ivan should take responsibility. Carly thinks it would be pretty easy for Ivan to deny it all. Well then, so can they! Carly doesn’t think it’s the same. She knows how people are with their malicious gossip and how they would treat Lucrezia and the girls. And Lucia has her career! Lucrezia refuses to use part of the loan money. Carly again suggest selling the house and moving to the ranch. Lucrezia refuses since this would be a big old red flag to everyone that they have gone bankrupt (bancarota). Carly wants Lucrezia to choose. Either accept that everyone will soon know MP had a baby at 19, or sell the house to pay off the blackmailer. Lucrezia is sure sooner or later Ivan will pay. And what about Anthony? Has Carly told him about it yet? Carly’s hissing no at Lucrezia when in walks Mark #1, Ivan. Lucrezia plasters a fake smile on her face as Carly takes Ivan off to see Lucia in her room.

The nurse is reporting a drop in Lucia’s temperature to her. She’s feeling better. Carly comes in and announces Ivan who comes in a second later. He’s all smiles, quite different than the last time they spoke. He asks how she is, and she tells him she’s better but still has a bit of fever. She’s more worried about how much work she’s missing and how Gossipy School Head Olga is taking it. They give us some PSAs about standing water that could have attracted the Dengue carrying mosquito that bit her. He tells her that they’ve finally moved (mudar) into their new house. She’s genuinely happy for them. She’s even happier to hear about the new dog and they start chatting about Bruno the Golden Retriever.

In the reception area, Lucrezia’s actually hoping the two squabbling love birds have reconciled. If Ivan is dating either one of her daughters, surely he’ll step up and take care of the blackmail problem. Carly thinks it best to just wait for things to take their own course (tomar curso). Camilo comes into the hospital waiting room eager to see Lucia, but is visibly disappointed to learn Ivan is with her. He decides to leave. Lucrezia’s none too pleased that her youngest daughter is attracting all these low class bums (pelados). Carly tells her Camilo’s a good kid and he and Lucia are friends. Lucrezia scoffs.

Ivan asks Lucia to forgive him for how jerky he acted the other day. She doesn’t want to talk about it. Ivan thinks they eventually have to talk about it, even if it’s not right at this moment, but when she feels better. Even if she doesn’t believe it, he considers her a friend- his only (girl) friend. He wants to say something else to her and is taking advantage of the fact that right now she’s too weak to hit him and chase him off. It doesn’t matter to him what has happened in the past, or what might happen in the future. He’ll NEVER stop loving/caring about her. They both get a little teary and he kisses her on the forehead before leaving.

He says farewell to Carly and Lucrezia and asks to be informed when Lucia is taken back home the next day. Lucrezia convinces Carly to go home to rest, and Ivan to take her. When Ivan excuses himself to take a call, Lucrezia pressures Carly to put the squeeze on Ivan about the blackmail money. Ivan comes back before Carly can argue. Lucrezia then gets a call from JJ who invites her out to eat. She actually refuses so that she can stay at the hospital with Lucia. JJ decides to come by the hospital to have coffee with her instead.

At the new McGuire house, Carmen is being a pain in Camilo’s butt and needling him about being Ivan’s slave and loyal dog, there to wait around until Ivan shows up or wants something. He tells her to show more respect since he’s her big brother and to stay out of his business. Carmen thinks it’s shameful that instead of being the big boss and out giving orders, Camilo is just sitting around waiting for orders like a mere employee! Camilo points out, that is exactly what he is, and there’s nothing dishonorable about that. And she’s an employee too! But she didn’t study YEARS (like he did) just to be this. This ticks Camilo off and Benito has to jump in to prevent the siblings from getting into a full on fight. He takes Camilo’s side and tells Carmen there’s nothing wrong with the work Camilo has. She tells him to shut the hell up. If she keeps acting this way, Camilo threatens to have Ivan fire her. Well, she’s friends with Ivan too! If Ivan was such a good friend to him, why he would have him as a servant? Camilo actually grabs her this time, but Benito once again breaks it up and separates them. “I only say what I see!”, she says. Camilo can’t take anymore. He leaves, saying they’ll talk at home that night. Carmen then starts yelling at Benito and one of the maids. Benito’s not having it. “I am NOT your employee! I work for Mr. Anthony!” He explains how he met and helped Ivan when he first went to the States. He leaves the kitchen too and points out that her brother has more manners than she does. Carmen calls him uppity (igualado), then turns her ire on the cook/maid. She tastes the food and calls it gross (guacala), despite the cook explaining it’s Toni’s special no salt diet. After Carmen storms out, the cook doubts the chances of her lasting in this job long.

Ivan’s dropping Carly off at her front gate and telling her abut Toni’s new dog, his love for dogs, and how they met when Toni was walking his dog and was assaulted. She invites him in for a talk.

At the hospital, Lucrezia wants all the deets on Lucia’s conversation with Ivan. She doesn’t understand what all they have to clarify and why they haven’t reconciled. After all, the whole MP apartment matter is clarified. She explains that they are now convinced that MP is being blackmailed for real, and they have no money to pay. She wants Lucia to convince Ivan to pay up. “Please daughter, help us.” Lucia claims exhaustion and looks it. But it’s her family, not the Dengue, that’s weighing on her. Lucrezia leaves her to rest.

At Casa Curiel, Carly tells Ivan she knows she’s not his favorite person in the world (santo de tu devoción). She’s done terrible things against his mother and then against him. It wasn’t just her, but also her daughter, Ivan points out. As well as her son-in-law, who knocked up his mother and is responsible for her death. He starts to get worked up into one of his angry rants. Carly says she understands his pain, but Gerry has always been a good man. Ivan has convinced himself that Gerry didn’t want to divorce his wife and marry his mother because she was a servant. Carly tells him he’s mistaken (equivocado). Gerry and Lucrezia hadn’t gotten along for a long time and he had asked her for a divorce many times. And now she knows why—because he was in love with Ivan’s mother. Ivan has set his mouth into an angry little scowl and refuses to accept this. Men of that class only take up with a servant to amuse/entertain themselves (entretenerse), not to make those women their wives. If Teodoro could marry Carly knowing she was carrying another man’s child, why couldn’t Gerry marry a woman like his mother? “You weren’t a servant. You were a young woman of society.” “But I was dishonored/not pure (deshonrada).” Ivan’s not buying it. Carly points out that social classes never mattered to Gerry, unlike Lucrezia. He only stuck it out (aguantar) with Lucrezia, who was always berating him, all those years because of his daughters. And then one day, all of a sudden, another love came into his life- the love of Ivan’s mother. Ivan wonders then why didn’t he say anything at the time? If he had, then they would have avoided the tragedy of his mother’s death. Carly urges him to speak to Gerry to find out why. Man to man. Face to face. (Hombre a hombre. Frente a frente.)

Carly asks Ivan if he loves Lucia. Ivan says yes, and Carly says she knows Lucia loves him too. They’re young and have every right to enjoy their love. Don’t let their (the older folks’) errors ruin their (Lucia and Ivans’) lives. “Marry Lucia; take her to the States; forget about us!” If he had found out his son had died, then he would have been able to be at peace. But then Lucia told him about the disappearance and he began to feel this anguish (angustia) about all the horrible things that could have happened to his child. Carly tells him she’s had all these fear too, but she’s also prayed to God that whoever took him did so to give him a good home and love, so that he wouldn’t end up in a foundling home where perhaps he would have never been adopted. “Then whoever did it knew of the baby and knew what you all intended to do!”

At the hospital, JJ’s giving Lucrezia his version of what happened at the ministry. Lucrezia wonders if he’s doing all of this just because the McGuires wouldn’t give him enough money for the hydroponics. JJ tries to act like he’s just protecting the interests of all the ranchers. He thinks Ivan hates him and is trying to destroy him. (BINGO JJ!) Lucrezia’s not interested in all this drama. She’s only interested in her ranch and she’s NOT going to give the money back. JJ’s fine with that. (We know he now has other plans for getting back at the McGuires.) But he sticks to the theory that Ivan hates him and will do anything to do him harm. He wants Lucrezia by his side. Lucrezia wants to know if he has some proof that Ivan wants to harm him. JJ wants to know if Lucia’s still dating Ivan. Lucrezia says she doesn’t know whether or not they’ll reconcile, so JJ says he won’t share his info, in case the rumors get back to her future son-in-law (yerno). Lucrezia gets worried about the rumors and wonders if JJ knows (about the baby blackmail). He obviously does not know, but claims he will be hurt if she knows something against the McGuires that she’s not sharing with him. She makes like Lady Gaga, and puts on her poker face.

Ivan returns home to his waiting, annoyed wife, uh, BFF, Camilo. Well, look who’s finally arrived! Ivan apologizes but claims his day got really complicated. Camilo wonders if the Curiels mentioned that he stopped by the hospital. Nope. (You’re not that important Camilo.) Ivan goes to see Toni, who’s having some quality time on the couch with Bruno. They discuss the inheritance.

Ivan returns to the living room, where Camilo is pouring himself a drink. Ivan thinks they should celebrate because Camilo has just come into some land! He’s the owner of a part of Ranch Socorro. Camilo thinks it’s a joke. Ivan explains how he first thought to reject the inheritance, but then he decided to give it to Camilo. Camilo tries to refuse, but Ivan insists. Camilo is like his brother. He thanks Ivan and gives him a huge hug.

Later that evening, Ivan and Toni chat. Toni wants to know why he chose Camilo. Ivan’s thinks that land was meant to bring a woman out of poverty- his mom. Since it can’t be her, it should be another poor woman- his madrina Celia. But then he thought it might end up becoming a source of discord amongst her kids, especially Antolin and Carmen, who he’s realizing is quite ambitious (in the greedy, negative context). So he decided it was best to give it to Camilo. Toni asks about Lucia, so Ivan updates him. He wants to know if Ivan made amends and made up with with her. He got the ball rolling and he’s going to continue to insist.

At the hospital, Lucrezia is continuing the nice, caring mother act, and pushing Lucia on Ivan. Lucia wants to talk about it tomorrow, when she returns home.

Ivan tells Toni Carly’s theory about why someone would take the baby, and his thoughts that it had to be someone who knew them and their plans- specifically Gerry. Ivan’s major proof- if Gerry was so in love with his mom and such a decent guy, how is it that he supposedly fell in love with, impregnated, and then married another woman all around the time before and after his mom’s death? Gerry has told him that he married a woman who already had a child but then they registered Alex as Gerry’s child, but Ivan thinks this is a lie. Toni thinks the only way to get rid of his doubts is to do a DNA test. Ivan knows. But how? Ask permission? Take Alex secretly to a lab? Toni doesn’t know. Ivan doesn’t understand why Lucia wouldn’t just tell him the truth about Alex. He would have been grateful (agradecido) to Gerry to learn that he had taken care of his son. Alex is a happy, healthy kid. Toni gives the same advice as Carly. “Talk to her. But don’t get abusive.”

Lucia’s getting a (nearly) clean bill of health from the doctor. She can go home tomorrow, but will have to rest and take her medication to get back to 100%. The doc tells Lucrezia to go home and get rest. She then starts getting lovey dovey with Lucia and kisses her. I am starting to have a different opinion of this affectionate, motherly Lucrezia, until she tells Lucia one more time to think about getting back with Ivan. Lucia looks like she’s ready to physically throw Lucrezia out of her room. “Ya mama!”

Camilo returns home with a celebratory pizza, as Carmen complains to Celia about him. Celia takes his side and doesn’t think Carmen should be so bossy (mandona). Carmen points out the HOURS Ivan had Camilo waiting for him. Just then, happy Camilo breezes in with pizza, wine and a huge smile on his face. Lechita is happy about the pizza. Carmen starts bitching at him, but before they can start fighting again, Celia tells them to cool it. Camilo tells them all about the inheritance Ivan has transferred to him. Celia and Carmen are open mouthed impactadas, and Celia rushes to hug him. Lechita doesn’t understand why all the excitement.

At her apartment, MP is confiding in Antolin (why?) and telling him the blackmailer called again. This is news to Antolin, who tells her he’ll find out who it is with his connections to the underworld (bajo mundo). He’ll put a stop to it. MP thanks him. He’s the only friend she has in this world!

At Casa Galvan, Carmen is green with envy. Camilo is sure Ivan did it for Celia. Carmen thinks that now Camilo won’t have to work and can live like the rich folks. (She really hasn’t been paying attention, has she?) Camilo’s not going to stop working. Mainly because the lands is in bad shape (fregada) and he’ll need money from working to invest in it. Celia says that Ivan is heaven sent (bendito), and now Camilo looks green with envy. (I’m starting to think that Antolin is the best of the lot with these Galvan kids. At least he admits he’s an amoral sleaze.) Carmen is not pleased that now that THEY are land owners, they still have to live the same peon life. Camilo wants them to go on working hard like before, wants no laziness out of Carmen, and does NOT want them to tell Antolin about the land/ranch. Naïve Celia thinks this could be an opportunity for Antolin to do some honest work and turn his life around. Camilo says he’ll think about it. They toast with the wine, and Lechita asks for some soda (refresco) so that she can toast too.

Antolin and MP continue their chat. She admits that neither her family nor Ivan will help her. Antolin wonders about the apartment—isn’t it from Ivan? MP spills the beans that it was Tony who got her the apartment because she was blackmailing her grandmother (she has no shame in saying this) over a family secret. She thinks Toni did it because he’s in love with Carly. Antolin chuckles over the AARP romance. Then he asks MP about the family secret. She’s not telling, but I’m pretty sure he knows he can get it out of her easily enough with a few mojitos. He takes his leave for now without the info though. She thanks him with a long kiss. He looks uncomfortable at the kiss, and wipes his mouth once on the other side of the door. “Viejas!” (Women!) MP thinks out loud. “Antolin isn’t bad. Too bad he’s a pelado (low class bum).”

At the pool hall, Antolin is pissed and demands to talk to Tubby Thug. Didn’t he tell him to leave MP alone? Gordo can’t stop thinking about those easy 4 Million Pesos. Antolin has something in mind that would have a bigger pay off. But he’s not telling Gordo until he sees he’s dropped this MP baby blackmail scheme. But if he persists, then he’ll be sleeping with the fishes before he sees one peso from his scheme. He knows Antolin doesn’t make empty threats. After Antolin leaves, Gordo mutters under his breath that Antolin needs to be careful of him too!

The next morning, Ivan is jogging with Bruno as Camilo arrives at the house. Ivan thought he would be late since he was surely celebrating the news of the ranch until late last night. Bruno starts barking and snipping at Camilo. Both he and Ivan thinks it’s strange, but Ivan chalks it up to the dog not being used to Camilo yet. Camilo retreats into the house.

Lucia returns home. Cleto tells her of a gift that came for her.

At Empresesas McGuire, the employees are buzzing and the phones are ringing. Ivan tells Camilo that he wants to personally deliver the check for the construction work to Gerry, since they still have some things to talk about. The new secretary tells Ivan that Mr. Mondragon is on the phone for him. JJ says he wants to make peace and they make plans to meet for lunch.

At Casa Curiel, Lucia finds the HUGE and HEAVY basket of fruit Ivan has sent her. In Lucia’s bedroom, Lucrezia presses Lucia once again to make up with Ivan. Lucia doesn’t want to make up with him just for gain/ulterior motives (interes). Lucrezia thinks she’s being selfish (egoista). She loves him, doesn’t she? It’s precisely because she loves him that she won’t do it.

The Curiel front gate bell rings. It’s Ivan! Lucrezia wants Lucia to freshen up (pasar patita de gato/use the little cat paw) and put on some makeup to look presentable. Lucia refuses and Lucrezia stomps out in a huff. Lucia IS concerned enough about appearances to flit around the room trying to find the perfect spot and position to receive Ivan’s visit. She decides on the chair closest to the door. When the door opens, it’s not Ivan who appears first, but Bruno, holding a single red rose in his mouth, which he delivers to Lucia. She is enchanted and smiling from ear to ear when Ivan comes in.

Dicho: “Quieres el oro y el moro.” (You want to have your cake and eat it too./You want it all.) What Carly thinks Lucrezia wants by not paying the blackmail money, keeping the house AND the ranch, and having Ivan pay the blackmailer.

Avances: Lunch between JJ and Ivan doesn’t go well. JJ shatters his precious mirror and reveals to Saul that Ivan is his bastard son. Ivan and Lucia make out.

Labels: Fuerza