Caray, Caray!

Or, "Where's a Bucket When You Need One?"

They always say to accentuate the positive. If I do that with tonight's recap, it will be very, very short and Morónica will be the only character in it.

Here goes: Vero has Chucho arrested for visiting his daughter on her birthday, and then she keeps the necklace that Paty sent back to Rogelio and wears it in front of him and then makes him wear it and drives him crazy wondering how she got it.

That's it! Good night!

Okay, here's the rest:

Chucho attends Valentina's birthday party even though it violates his restraining order and gets him arrested. His innards churn painfully. Everyone cries and scolds Vero and tries to comfort Valentina. Eli takes Vale away with him (over Vero's protests, of course).

Alma angrily shoves Vero and they trade insults and then Vero calls her a cualquiera and Alma gives her a lame slap that doesn't look better even in slow-motion. Vero tries to strike back, but Alma stops her. She also warns Vero that Rogelio might be her ally for now, but he'll eventually betray her if he hasn't already. Vero vows revenge.

Fernando really wants to talk to Xochi (who stills wears Avon pink), but she refuses. She finds out that Díscua came to the office and was overheard telling Alma that Fernando must be told the truth. Angrily, she calls Alma, who is too upset about Chucho's arrest to talk about Díscua now.

Díscua takes the newspaper article to Rogelio's house and confronts him with it. He admits to planting the story, but says Díscua has to leave Fernando alone now because he's a married man and she's a brainwasher and a fanatic. She tells Rogelio that he just can't stand not being able to control Fernando himself. Rogue says no, Fernando's happy, he's with Sushi who's kinda ugly but she's smart and Fernando loves her. Díscua says she loves Fernando, and Rogue taunts that it's too late now.

At the police station, Chucho explains about the DNA test and how he couldn't let his daughter down on her birthday. They explain to him that it's against the law to violate a restraining order, so they had to arrest him. He can see his lawyer, but he still has to spend at least the next 48 hours in a cell. His innards churn painfully.

Eli takes Valentina to sleep at Chucho's house. Vero calls, and he refuses to tell her where they are and hangs up on her. Vale is probably trying to decide whether or not today's birthday party was worse than the one Mad Marta gave her.

Alma is allowed to visit Chucho, but only briefly. After the guard makes Alma leave, Chucho's innards churn painfully, again, and the accompanying cutesy sound effect is really getting on my nerves because that kind of pain is not cute at all.

Alma cries in her car because she can't help Chucho out of his trouble. Paty calls, and Alma says she's going to Chatita's to see Valentina.

Chucho's innards continue to churn painfully. He calls for help. The guard responds carelessly from a distance: you guys are always complaining and crying for your mommies.

Xochi tracks Díscua down to ask, doesn't your church teach you not to mess with married men? Díscua says that love is even more powerful than religion. She would have gone to Fernando sooner, but she didn't find out until the day of the wedding. She tried to hold herself back, but she couldn't. Xochi doesn't accept this, because she knows Díscua came to the office today looking for Fernando. "You're trying to take him away from me!" she accuses. Díscua wink-winks nervously. Xochi mentions the article about the fraud. Díscua blames that on Rogue. Xochi says Díscua's not the victim here; Xochi is. People have been mocking her for her entire life and now they're going to meet the real Xochi!

Virus and Rogue toast to Chucho's eternal suffering. Virus also proposes a toast to Alma's eternal suffering. Rogue hesitates, then shrugs and agrees. They drink to many years of bitterness and living hell for both Chucho and Alma, and to Chucho's death.

Chucho does look as though he's dying, in spite of the corny sound effect of his rumbling gut. He's writhing on the floor and sweating, his face turning a vivid color, and he's coughing up raspberry jam, oops, I mean blood.

Fernando talks things over with Alejandra and says that Díscua was his first love. Alex reminds him that he's married to Xochi and he mustn't break her heart.

Díscua tells Xochi that Fernando was her first love and they are united forever. (Thank heavens this is NOT true. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone ended up with their first love?) Díscua says she'll fight for Fernando. They agree to let him choose.

Chatita serves a nice-looking dish of something to Alma, who's too agitated to eat. Can I have her supper? Alma tells Chatita and Paty about Rogelio stealing Valentina's doll. Alma tries to call Chucho's lawyer, and he's not answering.

Vero wears the necklace in the bedroom. Stunned, Rogue wonders how she got it. She puts the necklace on him (just the way he put the collar on his dog) and asks, "are you ready for me? And ONLY for me?" She muffles his protests with her tongue.

Valentina is asleep. Elias sneaks over to Chatita's for a snack. Alma is worried because she can't get Delia on the phone and she knows Chucho's having stomach aches, too. Paty and Chatita and the chamberpot go to Chucho's to watch over the sleeping birthday girl while Alma sits with Eli and tells him how good he is for Paty.

Xochi continues to give Fernando the cold shoulder at home. She climbs into bed and tells him to "turn out la luz." I don't think he gets the joke.

Paty shares with Chatita her unhappy memories of her own parents' divorce. Chatita thinks Paty is just the person to talk to Valentina.

Early morning: Chucho is still on the floor, moaning and barely conscious, with blood dribbling from his mouth. The guard is just about to look into his cell when he is called away.

Panic washes over Chatita and Alma. They wake Eli to tell him they're going to the police station to check on Chucho. (Are all the phones broken? Never mind.)

Susana arrives at work very early, because she wasn't able to sleep. She and Pánfilo flirt.

Jess tells Cardenas it's time they picked a new wedding date. I guess her mother's doing better. Cardenas says he's taking the delay as a sign that they should wait and get to know one another better before getting married. What a concept! Jess frets.

Still at home, Rogue calls Susana and asks where she sent the necklace. Sue says she sent it to Paty, just as Rogue asked. Eavesdropping Vero gloats.

Xochi continues to rebuff Fernando until her patience wears thin. At last she blurts, "Díscua assured me she's not a swindler, and she's going to fight for your love!"

Paty talks to Valentina about her parents' divorce. She says the fighting got to be so bad that she begged her father to leave her mother, just to put an end to the fighting. Valentina says her parents broke up, but they still fight anyway, plus now she can't see Daddy Jesus either. Paty tries to cheer her up with some perfume. She has to go to work today - and she doesn't even know what today's job will be.

Chucho is unconscious. There's a little puddle of blood near his mouth. Alma and Chatita are hysterical with fear. He doesn't stir, despite their screams which would wake the dead.

Next time:
Chucho has an operation. WILL HE KICK THE BUCKET?

Labels: Manda