Caray, Caray!

Santos is calling Giuliano from a pay phone outside his hotel to let him know he’s alive and where he is, after all, the family lawyer is someone you can always trust.  Giuliano (El Oompa Looompa) happily takes down the address and later is seen talking to four henchmen and giving them the last best instructions on how they need to operate like real federales to get rid of Santos. Only that will make Godpadre happy. After hanging up, Santos passes by a sign where American ropa of finest quality is sold and decides to exchange his royal blue business shirt for something a little more americano—it looks like a leather jacket will be the thing.  He goes back to the hotel room and starts packing.

El Auto Hotel – Santos hears the police come knock, knock, knockin’ at the door of his Auto Hotel room.  He had already packed his brand new backpack and checks out through the window.  The “fake” popo sent by Giuliano look around but can’t seem to find him.  They go back outside.  Lo and behold, Santos is on the roof and they don’t see him.  He drops down to the ground and *then* they see him and start taking pot shots at him.  It’s a one sided firefight in the dark.  Santos sneaks up and knocks over one popo and then the other and takes off.  They fire and miss but chase him down an alleyway. Santos doesn’t have time to think how they might have found him since he only told Giuliano where he was.

Truck Yard – A long-distance hauler is about ready to pull out when what to his wondering eyes should appear but a face at the passenger side window crying help, help.  He’s not sure what to do, or what he can do, but apparently the honest earnestness of the face on the other side of the window convinces him that it will be ok to let him into the cab.

Garza household in L.A. – Altagracia tells an unbelieving Justo that Santos is VIVO.  Justo doesn’t believe her, especially when she tells him she just talked to him by phone.  He must think she’s lost her diamond marbles.  Justo feels that to clear his name, Santos must return to L.A. Altagracia is not of the same mind. She’s sure that it’s a set up to blame him for someone else’s bad deed.  Altagracia is convinced he’s innocent and Justo is of a mind to believe her.

Character says title of the telenovela out loud/Bingo Square filled –  Back to the truck. TOBWR (The Only Big White Rig) on the road at night is stopped by some federales (conjecture).  The driver, by name of Rigoberto (aka Choforo, lately of LVO) is sweating bullets, but hands over the keys for them to examine the load.  They flash their lights around, but see nothing but cargo. Santos is scrunched down behind something that looks like a partition.  They hand the keys back and Rigoberto stops sweating bullets. It seems that the Virgen was protecting Santos because that partition was the back of a large framed picture of Her Holiness.  

Rigoberto has lost his fear of the stranger with the strange story, after listening to the whole thing. Santos ends his story by telling Riggo that he’s been living a nightmare (viviendo una pesadilla). Santos doesn’t think Riggo believes him, but he does. Obvio, Riggo ruminates, someone close to you wants you dead.  It might be prudent not to stick around a border town—it’d be too easy to be spotted.  Meanwhile, Riggo has his own slight problem.  He has to go from Tijuana to D.F. by day after tomorrow and his partner got sick. It’s a very long drive. Santos is more than willing to accompany him (according to Google, it’s about 1750 miles) and share the driving.  Rigoberto is not sure this is all on the up and up, and does Santos even know how to drive one of these big rigs?  Santos laughs a confident laugh, but doesn’t answer yes *or* no.  [Aside: Whatevva.  Next we see him driving TOBWR, so I guess it was a yes.] While they are tooling along, Riggo tells him his life story and how he’s been married to the same woman for 40 years. His dream is to buy a little house for them.  He doesn’t see her often because of his job, but he’s still crazy about her.  If you could only see it, que bonito amor, he says.

The Mejia Magic Expressway gets them to D.F. in no time – They have plenty of time to chat, listen to good Mexican music, check the road signs as they pass Guadalajara and Morelia on Route 307 (just try to find that on Google) and finally see a sign they are close to D.F.  They reach D.F. and Viewerville gets a birds-eye short tour of Capital Highlights. Santos thinks this will be the end of the road.  Riggo planned to get a hotel room for the night but won’t leave him abandoned on the streets of a city he doesn’t know. Santos is sure he can get a room in a hotel.  Riggo is afraid Santos’ identity will be discovered when he tries to register and pay with wet greenbacks.

The room is great but it only has one bed – The problem is eliminated by Santos offering to pay for a room in a fancier hotel, if Riggo will register both of them.  Riggo is very impressed with the quarters. He’s only troubled by the fact there is only one bed.  He probably feels he doesn’t know Santos well enough to share cooties at this juncture.  Santos says the couch is fine with him.  Now so grateful for his trust, Santos gives Riggo his gold medallion.  Riggo doesn’t want to take it.  It’s too valuable, but Santos insists, reminding him that he wants to save up for that little house for himself and his wife. Santos hopes that their love will last their whole lives and repeats, que bonito amor.

Back in the U.S.S.A – Two Jailbirds are atwittering in the L.A. pokey.  Bruno, remember him? and Arnold, remember him? chat about their bad luck.  Arnold muses that Santos has more than seven lives.  Bruno is sure he’ll reappear.  He’s the kind that always takes responsibility (siempre da la cara).  Arnold is afraid that he could do them in and, if he does return, the Godpadre won’t be pleased and maybe, just maybe he’ll get rid of him (deshacerse de el—literally, unmake himself of Santos)…or am I mistaken.

Back on the Bad Streets of D.F. – It’s nighttime and all good children should be in bed.  Instead, Santos, that young, carefree millionaire, is taking an evening constitutional.  A hoodie and a pal with a knife accost him and want Santos’ wallet.  They see all the gold in them thar wallet, but Santos isn’t a willing participant in this little drama and fights off the two.  He does well until a third thug shows up with a gun and knocks him to the ground.  He’s about to be dispatched to el otro mundo when a saint’s night out saves him.  A religious parade is taking place (por favor, at night on a deserted street? Gimmie a break.) and the trio of assaulters depart hastily.  Santos comes to, alive but walletless.


Santos turns back to the barkeep again to plead his case and is shooed away again.  La Perla slowly moves toward him.  Santos begins to argue with the barkeep and threatens to report him to his superior. He whirls and bumps into La Perla, catching her in his arms before she falls. She holds the mike and begins to sing, “Que Bonito Amor.” Their eyes meet again and it’s all over but the boda for Santos and Maria. Oscar El Coloso watches them as she sings the very suggestive lyrics. Santos is mesmerized.
- - - -
Parte Dos
Some scenes have been combined to prevent whip-lash.


Jalisco Bar – Santos is still arguing with the barkeep over a little tiny thing like a long-distance phone call to who knows where and to whom and from some unknown bloodied testy guy.  No way, José.  La Perla approaches and wants to know what on earth is going on and on and on.  He tells her his sad story of being assaulted and robbed of his money.  The barman (who gets offended by the term) won’t let him use the phone and he needs to make this call.  La Perla says she’ll help and tells him to follow her.  All he can think of to say is she is so kind.  Swaying to the music they move past the stage and exit center stage.  It becomes obvious to all the staff and not lost on El Coloso that these two are really into each other. The staff teases El Col about the guy with Maria and he gets a little steamed around the cuello of his traje.  Santos and La Perla continue discussing his need to make this phone call to L.A.  Since it’s an international phone call, only the owner, Don Concho, can authorize such a call. Why L.A. La Perla wants to know.  He lives there and they are the only people who can help him. Come with me, says La Perla, I’ll help you.  Santos remarks on her kindness, are you always this kind? Where I come from it’s all about competition, no one helps you.  La Perla answers sweetly that here we still have open hearts.  She takes him to the Band room and tells the assembled ones this man needs their help.  El Mil Amores does the honors to introduce them.  For some reason, they never get around to Santos—he’s still unnamed and unknown.  El Coloso walks in on the group and plays Lucy to Santos’ Charlie Brown but it’s a handshake instead of a football.  El Coloso gets a big kick out of pulling his hand away each time before they can shake.  The good-natured [not] practical joke falls flat on Santos.  They begin to argue again when in walks the carbon copy of La Perla, dressed in red with raven hair, but somehow lacks the sweetness of La Perla.  It is Mirna, who has some power and authority over the staff.  She backs up El Coloso that Concho says no to cell phone calls. El Coloso tells Santos that he hasn’t been listening: No Phone Call. Punto. Coloso will show Santos to the door.  El Mil Amores steps in to break the logjam and sweet-talks Mirna into letting Santos make the call.  Santos thanks La Perla while Mirna shoos the Band out for another number.

Talking to the Suit and Dreaming of the Blue Prince – Mother Amalia is up late.  She’s standing near the gorgeous charro suit in the glass case. The man in the suit hurt her, but she still loves the suit.  She strokes the suit through the glass. [Aside: Viewerville is anxious to find out who wore this suit, what he did to Amalia and how much could she get for the suit—or, or, or maybe someone we know is going to be wearing it soon. Hmmm.]  Meanwhile, younger sister Paloma is having a sweet Quinceañera dream of her coming-of-age party.  She’s in a ruffled pale salmon ball gown, surrounded by handsomely uniformed cadets from the nearest military boarding school.  They march and whirl and dip and twirl around her and she’s the center of attention.  The music stops and there is one really good-looking lad on his knees before her.  It is Rodrigo.  She smiles contentedly in her sleep.

In another part of D.F. – Gloria (Rodrigo’s mother) is talking to herself, holding a photograph and saying that she wonders where Oscar is now and how much she wants to find him.

Commandante Derecho’s office in L.A. – He finds out the body they have can’t be Santos Martinez because the DNA didn’t match.  [Aside: My they were quick with the results.  I guess the L.A. CSI has cleared out the backload now that they have their own TV show.]  Derecho will have to step up the search for this perp.

Garza household in L.A. – Justo has been going over the books.  Something doesn’t add up.  He learns the feds think Santos is guilty.  He’s wonders the same, but why did he become a fugitive instead of waiting for Giulio to work his magic and get him out on his personal recognizance.  Altagracia is absolutely sure he’s not guilty and someone has set him up (she’s a mom with a one-track mind to protect her chiquilino).  Justo swears he’ll work without stopping to discover who is behind this travesty of justice.  Wendy comes in on this and evidently has not changed her tune since yesterday.  She’s screeching about Santos being alive and a fugitive and learns that her parents helped him flee?  The man she loves is sitting in jail, the family’s name is mud and they still defend him?

Easily jimmied L.A. hotel room – Mike hears the latest about Santos on the news.  He’s not dead and that someone else, possibly a family member is protecting him.  Mike get “the” phone call.  It is very short.  It’s Santos who quickly tells him to call him back on the caller ID number.

Restaurant in L.A. – Giuliano is partying with two party girls, promising a really big party to celebrate, well, him.  He’s interrupted by a phone call.  It is Godpadre.  He doesn’t like how things went down.  It shows on Giulio’s face.  Yes, they’ll have to find Santos *before* the real authorities do.

Jalisco Bar/Easily jimmied L.A. hotel room – Santos thanks La Perla – again – for taking a chance on him. He’s truly grateful.  Poor thing, he can’t think of enough piropos to keep her there any longer.  She signs a chit for Elvira for the phone call and leaves.  The office phone rings and Elvira answers it.  It’s Mike calling.  Elvira hands the phone to Santos as if it might bite her. Their convo is suspenseful because at Mike’s end, Giulio has entered Mike’s hotel room, quietly, while Mike has his back to him, holding a gun and showing no hesitation to use it on Mike, but does stop to listen. At Santos’ end, Maria has come back and is standing by the door, while Santos has his back to her and she listens.  He lets Mike know that he’s in Mexico City, D.F. and not dead.  He tells him not to call Giulio.  Mike tells him that Giulio thinks he’s guilty and not to trust him.  Mike says he's going to turn himself in, but it would be worse for Santos because, having fled, he lost any protection the government might have given him.  Santos begins to wax poetic about this angel he met and how she extended her hand to him.  He describes her to Mike as a señorita that sings ranchero but has all these wonderful qualities, while Maria guiltily listens to him also tell Mike that she’s the only good thing that’s happened to him since this whole nightmare began.  She discretely moves away from the door and Giulio discretely leaves Mike's room and lets him live for another day.  Mike begs Santos to stay away, although Santos swears he won’t live his life as a fugitive.  Mike will wire him some money in the morning.  He tells Santos to move, Interpol is looking for him. [Aside: How is he going to collect the cash without either ID or giving himself away—for this I have to tighten the NW bolt on the Emilia-made beanie.]  Invent a past, Mike tells him, reinvent yourself, choose a new career and above all, hide the fact that you are a millionaire. Act and talk like common folk. Keep a low profile. Don’t trust anyone, not even that girl you just met.  He promises, but as Santos looks at a picture of La Perla in front of him, it’s obvio he won’t keep it.

Out front, Ruben shows up and approaches Maria.  She puts him in his place. Because of him, she lost a day’s pay and the salary increase she had been promised.  He needs to stay out of this bar on general principles—he means nothing to her and she resents his wife thinking they are lovers. He assures her that his wife Lorena won’t cause any more problems.  That’s not the point she points out. For Ruben, it’s is the point.  He’s obsessed.  He needs to hear her, see her.  El Coloso comes up and tells him to get lost.  Ruben laughs in El Col’s face.

El Coloso confronts Maria about Ruben and this new guy.  He’s tired of her as a magnet for men.  He’s going to run off every man that comes sniffing around her until she realizes that she belongs to him and he's the only one for her.  She sharply reminds him that she is not his *property* and they are only friends.  Fortunately, for Santos and Viewerville as a whole, there is a sigh of relief because Santos actually hears this part, which will encourage him to woo her and win her.  El Coloso heads on out to the stage, pushing Maria in front of him when perversely, Santos trips him causing him to fall flat.

Santos really doesn’t want to leave.  He can’t take his eyes off of La Perla.  He sits down at a stage side table and follows her with his eyes while she sings.  She sees him in the audience and sings to him. Santos is perdido in love.  Coloso sees how they are looking at each other.

Avances
Sorry—didn’t catch the avances.  I was scribbling too fast. I’m sure Coloso will make life difficult for Santos and Giulio will continue to fail at his latest instructions from the Godpadre.

Labels: QBA