Caray, Caray!

Clutching a colorful chicken to her ample bosom and leading her reluctant burro, Filemón, who has a turkey and a second chicken strapped to his back, la Indía Maria takes a moment to catch up on the local gossip with Santa... ¿Qué? I look back up at the paused TV screen... yes, that's Santa, a burro, Indía María and a healthy handsome hen... did I miss something?

"Do You Think We Could Get Jobs Posing Nude In Mexico?"

Wait... confused? Yeah, so am I. Thinking that someone may have been diddling with my drink, I gaze at the half empty pony glass from which I've been gently sipping some Gran Centinario Añejo. Looks OK... smells right... a cautious taste with just the tip of the tongue... Hmmm tastes fine... smoky, a bit of an astringent but gentle bite, hints of vanilla and cinnamon... let's move on.


María's been out of the loop and says that she has heard that José Antonio has changed... gone over to the dark side and has been cheating Maricruz.  Santa tells her that's not the half of it... Maricruz is in jail in Mexico for killing a man for painting her naked. María is shocked and wonders if we all wouldn't be better off as burros. She gives that impish smile of hers and hugs Filemón.

Now this is more like it... We join Maricruz in the prison visitation room having a little chat with an old friend... Doris. Doris reveals that she is paying for Maricruz's lawyer. She comforts Maricruz by telling her that she doesn't have to worry about her daughter or Octavio. She will look after the both for the next... ummm... 40 years or so and that Lupita'll make a great big sister for the other children that she and Octavio will soon be having,

"Did I tell you? We're going to marry in a few days and move to Isla Dorada."

Reassured, Maricruz thanks her and goes back to her cell. She tells Doris that she won't really be needing the lawyer that she has been paying for.

"Save the money and spend it on you and Octavio."

Meanwhile, on a damp prison patio Carola and Carmela discuss a way to welcome Maricruz to her new home. Maybe during lunch.

Alone in her cell, Maricruz doubts Doris' good intentions for coming to visit,

"She came solely for that, to rub in my face that she is paying for my lawyer as if it were charity and that she is going to marry Octavio. That she will marry him and they will move far away."

Yup... that's pretty much the way I heard it.

She clasps her hands to her forehead in frustration and anger. She really doesn't like the idea of Doris as Lupita's stepmom.

Carmela and Carola have planned a little welcome surprise for Maricruz at lunch. A bunch of the other girls have agreed to pitch in. Maricruz has been a bit standoffish and they want to make her feel like one of the guys... or see her dead. Whichever works best.

María and Santa continue their gossip. María imagines how things might have turned out between Ramiro and her if he had only stuck around a little longer. She thinks that she and Santa might yet snare a man if they go to Mexico where there're more to choose from. Both agree that Maricruz is almost certainly innocent. María gives Santa the chicken. No mention of José Antonio's accident. María is seriously considering a trip to the big city. She tells Filemón not to worry, she doesn't plan on riding him there... she'll take the bus.

"(I Wonder How Much They Paid That Rat?)"

As Doris, who is sitting outside the prison in her car suspected, Octavio arrives in a cab to visit our caged bird.

"I knew it, I knew that he would come to see her."

She doesn't think that, after their little chat, Maricruz will be in a mood to see him.

♫ And She'll Have Fun Fun Fun Till Her Daddy Takes The T-Bird Away.♫

Octavio asks the guard in the visitors' room if he may visit Maricuz Olivares or María Alejandra Mendoza. The guard informs him that she has just visited with a lady and has gone back to her cell. She'll check, She asks his name,

"Octavio Narváez."

Maricruz is still pouting about Doris marrying Octavio and becoming Lupita's stepmom. Maybe something she should discuss with Octavio, don't you think? Well, think again buckeroo. When the guard announces her visitor, she looks wistful... we even hear a few notes of their piano theme...

♫"Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen"♫

But first let's look in on José Antonio. As most of us hoped... he looks bad.

Suffer You Bastard!

The Dr. examines him and confirms that he is in terrible shape. He tells Ester who is weeping at his bedside that things are grim and it'll be 72 hrs. before we know if he'll even live. Worse, he may end up being an invalid. If he survives he'll likely spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

"...The Good News...There's A Sale On Wheelchairs At Walmart."

Do I hear weeping out there? Thought not.

The guard remarks that he's very handsome and when Maricruz tells her he's her daughter's daddy, she guesses that the child must be very beautiful.

"Very beautiful and very intelligent."

Maricruz adds with a smile.

But then, with Doris' words from earlier echoing in her head, she tells the guard to send him away. She never wants to see him again. Just like that. (These two, whatever their differences really should talk.)

The guard dolefuly delivers the message.

"Sorry."

As he sadly leaves the prison, still hidden in her car, Doris watches and gloats.

María has decided to leave Filemón with her friend, Román, while she's away. Since Román is a very clean person (bathes every 15 days or so) she is giving Filemón a bath. After sponging him of a bit, she opts for a full submersion and tugging on his leadrope tries coaxing him into the river. Well how cute is this? As she pulls, he balks, she falls back... wait for it... into the river.

♫What Do The Simple Folk Do?♫

Who could have ever seen that coming?

Lunchtime at the prison. Carola has arranged for everyone to line up for food just as Maricruz comes in.

 Woooo.

 Maricruz says nary a word.

Back at his hotel Octavio finds Doris waiting. She inquires,

"Where have you been?

Carola invites Maricruz to sit at the mean girls table. Maricruz declines. Carmela kicks over a chair. Woooo. Carola tells Maricruz not to be afraid,

"Sit down."

Maricruz quietly stands with her tray. The scary guard across the room insists,

"The Carola is offering you a good spot, or what, would you rather start a fight?"

Back at the hotel, Octavio admits that he went to the prison to see Maricruz but that she refused to see him. Doris seems pleased.

The guard approaches Maricruz and insists a bit more firmly. Maricruz quietly approaches the seat opened up for her when (wow, another surprise we didn't see coming) Carmela, who has stood up, gives her a little push from behind. Oops! Maricruz dumps her tray in Carola's lap. 

"How 'Bout Some Gravy With Those Mashed Potatoes?"

I doubt that came off exactly as planned. Oh well. Carola slaps Maricruz. Maricruz responds in kind.

Woooo! 

The fight is quickly broken up after a commercial break. Bad Guard scolds Maricruz. Nice Guard (not nearly as ... ummm... substantial) scolds Carola.  It gets sorted out... sorta... we are left with the two guards in a glaring match. 

Indía María  and Filemón arrive at the bus stop/station. Román is not there  yet so to keep someone from stealing him she tethers Filemón to the bus back bumper.
 

Now What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

She hurries to purchase her ticket.

In the prison cafeteria, opinions vary as to who was responsible for the little dustup. Maricruz joins her new inmate friend (Cira?) at her table. Cira bravely confronts Carola. I sense a great deal of negativity here.

María banters with the ticket agent. There is word play involving the word corrida which means bull ring but also bus route schedule in Mexico. He calls her a crazy old lady after she leaves. Boarding for her bus is announced. She tries to convince the ticket agent to store her burro until her friend comes for him.

Doris and Octavio chat about Maricruz, Lupita, the past and the future. Doris sums things up by pointing out that Maricruz is looking at at least 20 years in prison.

"Talk To The Hand."

Teresa, the hefty mean guard counsels with Maricruz. She explains that all are equals here in prison but that some are more equal than others. Carola is one of those. You have to go along to get along. Stuff like that. Maricruz asks God for strength.

Simona visits José Antonio's bedside. Ester explains the gravity of the situation.

Cira (the nice inmate) brings Maricruz a tray with fresh food. (Hers got spilled awhile ago... remember). She sits with Maricruz. They discuss Carola. Maricruz tells her that they were old friends before prison. Cira suggests that Maricruz nice-up and make a few new friends while she is here since it looks like she'll be staying awhile.

The nice guard tells Maricruz that she has more visitors. This time it's a quiet pregnant chick with a cute husband and an older lady with them. Maricruz correctly guesses that Solita is here. She joins them.

♫"(This Little Light Of Mine...)"♫

Ester tells Simona that she feels that God is punishing them for the way they treated Maricruz. Simona doesn't disagree and comforts her by telling her to be strong and stand by her man... Next!

They're all glad to see her. They think she's innocent. Nilda offers to help pay for a lawyer. Maricruz tells her that she's guilty so she doesn't need any lawyer... Next!

Well, time for a PSA. Don't... I repeat... don't tie your donkey to the back bumper of a bus about to depart. María chases after the bus dragging Filemón. (Anyone else flashing back to the dog in the movie Vacation?)

Carola and Carmela hold a debriefing after their less than successful welcome for Maricruz. Certainly Dominga (Nice Guard) and Teresa (Mean Guard) bear some blame. They agree that mistakes were made. Oh well, it's not like there won't be more opportunities over the next 20 or so years.

In a restaurant, Octavio consults with Maricruz's lawyer. He doesn't fully grasp the relationship dynamics at work here. He thought that Octavio is engaged to Doris and here is Octavio expressing hopes to reunite with his client. He tells Octavio that, what with Maricruz insisting that she's guilty and all, the best deal he can hope to get for her is 10 years. Sharp as ever, Octavio immediately recognizes,

"10 years is a lot, Licenciado."

And some of you have asserted that he has only one functioning brain cell. Doubters. Haters. Whiners. Complainers. Crybabies.

Octavio still has confidence in the lawyer.

Maricruz is in her cell with her bunkmate, Carola. She is trying to read. 

"(Hmmm... Fifty Shades of Grey, Chapter 2)"

Carola is busy taunting,

"I'm talking to you. What? Can't hear me?"

She's still worked up about having soup spilled in her lap and describes what she would have done if the meddling guards hadn't intervened,

"You wouldn't have a hair left on your head."

Woooo!

Maricruz responds,

"You too should be careful of me."

Woooo!

Next day we see Maricruz's lawyer approaching the prison.

Looks like the girls are having another meal. Carola is chunking bits of food at Maricruz who is sitting at a different table.

♫Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!♫

Dang, this is a really scary place.

Teresa tells Maricruz to move closer to the table. Dominga enters and announces that Maricruz has another guest waiting to visit with her. Heck, if this keeps up Maricruz will need a receptionist. Looking bored Maricruz asks who it is.

"It's your lawyer, Licenciado Navarro."

She gets up,

"I'll be right back."

He stands and asks her to sit. He wants a detailed account of the crime and pleads with her to be honest with him. She tells him that she knows that Doris hired him. She tells him that she's guilty and doesn't need him.

Meanwhile Alvaro is getting permission from the warden to visit Maricruz. Looks like she has a busy day of entertaining guests ahead of her. Permission approved but he'll have to get in line. Right now she's with her lawyer. He'll wait.

Maricruz asks her lawyer why she should trust him since Doris hired him. He tells her that he's an honest lawyer doing his job even though Doris does indeed want to see her in jail for a long long time.

While Octavio, who is alone in his hotel room, avows that he is even more convinced of his ex-wife's innocence, the lawyer is urging her to put her trust in him.

A frantic Aníbal is visiting Natasha. He wants his painting, Liberación, back. Alfonso removed Aníbal's signature, signed it himself, and has now sold it to some German guy named Von Klaus.  Aníbal, who is not thinking clearly wants to go to Germany, explain the truth of the situation and retrieve his masterpiece. Natasha reminds him that they had all agreed to help Alfonso out by each lending him a painting to display at his exhibition. Better that Aníbal paint another masterpiece. He doesn't see
how since he hs no money for paint, canvas, or other supplies. (I suppose he could use the money that the trip to Germany would cost.) Natasha offers to buy him the supplies that he needs. He just wants his painting back.

"Maybe I Could Convince Them That I'm Crazy."

He wants her and the other artists to back up his claim to the painting since otherwise no one will believe him. She explains that would be breaking some sort of artists' code and bring shame to Alfonso's memory,

 "We all swore..."

 he swears that he didn't swear nothing. She tries to get him to relax and offers to get him a warm drink.

"But Natasha, I can't rest, nor eat, nor sleep. Because... I killed Alfonso del Olmo."

♪ DUNG! ♪

Back at the prison, Maricruz isn't sure why but she believes lawyer Narvarro. Even so, she dismisses him as her lawyer because she wants nothing to do with anything tied to Doris. He's troubled but accepts her decision. He gets up and shakes her hand,

"Con permiso, Señora. Hasta luego."

♫Then You Do The Hokey Pokey And...♫

"Hasta luego. Gracias."

Next!

It's... Alvaro! He even knows the lawyer and greets him as he exits. They agree to talk later.

"Well,  Good Luck, But I've Already Tried A Tuba"

Maricruz is sitting alone at the visitors table with her head in her hands... she looks up... Alvaro grabs her hand and kisses it (sorry, no tuba)...

"Sorry But They Wouldn't Let My Tuba Come In"

She may not love him but she sure looks glad to see him...

"Alvaro!"



Carlos

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