Caray, Caray!

La Ermita, donde Padre Lupe: Lupe is being transferred to a different pueblo? Gael is dismayed and outraged but Lupe is resigned. He’ll go to Mérida for the details.

At the reception desk of Doc Tovar’s consultorio, Begoña shrilly waxes theological: “¡Gracias a Dios, existen las clases sociales!” Because if there weren’t class distinctions, Paloma might feel entitled to become involved with her Quique. And that must NOT happen. (Oh and don’t tell my husband about our little chat, okey doke?)

Rural Health and Transplant Center: Doc discharges Toña (dar de alta) with instructions to take it easy. Her demon spawn has to stay a few more days. When doc leaves, Chente rejects his mother’s offer to stay with him. All he cares about is Gabino and Gabino doesn’t want to see him. “Hubiera muerto en ese accidente.” (I should have/Would that I had died in that accident!)

[Mutters on the Patio: Would that he had!]

In the Kitchen at Casa Castigo, Braulio fills Dolores in on Toña’s dirty tricks – Vicente isn’t his son!

La Dueña and her right bandanahand man at the Pro Ce:

Asunto 1: Alfabitch reproaches Gab for putting that criminal, Horacio, in her hacienda. Gab, who wields the pluperfect subjunctive like a pro, says:

“Si lo hubiera sabido – en mi vida! – no hubiera* atrevido a llevarlo a su hacienda.” (If I had known – why, never in my life – I would never have dared to bring him to your hacienda.)

[*Gab uses an imperfect subjunctive in place of a conditional for the auxiliary verb in the “then” clause. And so can you!]

Asunto 2: Gab is to see to Braulio’s liquidation. [Here Gab perks up.]

Asunto 3: Gab is to give half his salary to support Toña and Chente. Or he will be fired too. “Lo que usted diga, Señora.” (Burn in hell, you miserable bag of botox!)

Asunto 4: Complete the deal for Augusto’s land or return the money she gave him. “I’m working on it, Señora.” (Do you feel the flames now, you filthy old hag?)

Ingrid makes a brief appearance at Lupe’s house to thank Gael for beating up Gabino. She rejects his offer to help her break free of Gab, feigning concern for Gael’s safety. She has, she reminds him, already lost one child.

Maru may have lost her place on the “not stoopid” list when she blabs to Gab that Dam will be in Mexico until Monday.

Close-up of BandanaHand man: “Así que doña Alfonsina se quedó solita,” he gloats, rolling his tongue a little in a vaguely obscene and disgusting fashion. (So the doña is all alone.)

Get a Job! sha la la la ...sha la la la la ... ba dum ...

At Casa Castigo, the tía is an orange blaze of fury. She can’t find the check and Gabino is demanding Cielo Abierto. Now Elisa will have to pay Alfie with Steffie’s land and the two of them will be left with zilch. Elisa corrects her: The invernadero has been a success and with the profits of her harvest, she’ll be able to pay off Alfie and still keep HER land. It’s the Killer Orange who’s screwed. Maybe she should make herself useful, find a job even.

In Mexico, Florencia Landucci de Arango, pregnant or not, wants to toast her triumph. Her new husband’s expression says: “Just shoot me now and get it over with.”

Gael and Elisa at the Fonda in La Ermita: Stoopid Elisa blabs about the account in which Augusto supposedly put Gabino’s money and how she’s using it to pay Alfie. But OrangeSlush must not know!

[Even those at Gael’s table agree: The man can’t keep his mouth shut. Oh Elisa.]

Gael confides that he’s about to lose Lupe. The church is transferring him. Who knows why?

Hablando del rey de Roma ...

The bishop in Mérida tells Lupe to prepare to leave La Ermita in three months. Lupe begs for six. The bishop will consider it. But, he says -- subjunctively and imperfectly -- he doesn’t want Lupe to think of the transfer “como si fuera un castigo” (as if it were a punishment) or “como si lo fuéramos a mandar al fin del mundo” (as if we were sending you to the ends of the earth).

Lupe knows a transfer was in the works – but why the rush? The bishop admits that someone complained. Which is not to say he BELIEVED that person but ...

Lupe knows exactly who that rotten piece of citrus ... er ... person was.

Today is the day!

They are grinning at the Blue House of Shame! “Today”, announces Gabino to Ingrid, “is the day to say goodbye to Alfonsina Arango.” She will be completely alone in the house tonight. And Gabino makes it clear – Ingrid is expected to get her hands dirty. Or bloody.

Everyone wants a piece of Braulio [Scooch on over and make some room at the table, EJ, R la O and BL]

Toña, back in her room at the hacienda, mourns Braulio’s absence. Where IS Braulio anyway? Sharing a Blatant Product Placement with Quique: Their hearts may be breaking but their palates tingle from Tostachos, the chips with salsita y toda la cosa.

When Quique learns Braulio has been fired, he tells him he has an idea that might interest him ...

Meanwhile, Elisa has an idea for Braulio’s future – he could take Horacio’s place in the butcher shop. After all, B loaned H the start-up cash.

Enrique catches Paloma when she comes out of work. She’s pretty bummed out, not in the mood for dinner, though she’s very nice about it. She does let slip that Begoña came by earlier to yell at her for seeing Quique – and so did Flor, by the way.

Gweedo, alone in his hotel room, mulls over Ingrid’s offer to sell out Gabino and person(s) unknown so Gweedo can clear his name. He is surprised by Paolo’s visit. And even more surprised when he hears why he is there: The little momzer wants Gweedo to stand by him when he asks Sabrina for her hand in marriage.

A Mother with a sense of perspective:

Said Sabrina lolls in bed and pouts. She is glum because her dad disapproves of Paolo. Begoña brushes off her daughter’s concern and explains to her what really matters: Getting married before Alfonsina’s son does – otherwise Sabrina’s wedding will go unnoticed.

Hacienda Harango – “Qué pena con usted, señora”

Sickly Toña lets her patrona know she’ll be spending the night with Chente at the Health Center. In an uncharacteristic gesture of generosity (which may affect her circle of hell, one with decent help, perhaps), Alfie tells Toña to have the hacienda chauffeur drive her to the clinic. The driver can go home afterwards since she won’t be needing him tonight.

Outside, Gabino and Ingrid are lurking around the electrical boxes. Gabino pries one open noisily.

Inside, snug in her bedroom, Alfie yawns and begins to get ready for bed.

Outside, Gabino does something to the open power box.

Inside, the lights go out. Low, suspenseful chords play. Alfie lights a candle and curses the darkness. A noise sounds. “¿Paolo? ¿Eres tú?” She peers out and sees no one. More creaking. Doors slamming.

“Nada más falta que se haya metido un animal” she grouses. (Just what I needed – an animal getting in the house!)

She makes her candle-lit way down the hall. Startled when a shadow passes before her, she drops her candle. “Who’s there? Answer me!” She keeps moving forward, increasingly frantic, bumping into furniture.

Now someone pulls her hair and grabs her around the neck. “Ingrid!” says Alfie incredulously. Now Gabino comes from behind and hits her hard. She falls to the floor. “She recognized me!” says Ingrid in a panic. “No importa”, Gabino reassures her. “She won’t be able to tell anyone. The filthy BandanaHand aims a pistol at Alfonsina’s elegant head. We hear a click as the hammer is cocked.

Curls is over her panic now. She eggs him on: “Shoot her, Gabino! Shoot her!”

Labels: abismo

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