Caray, Caray!

Let’s pick up where we left off!  Abelardo bolts down the stairs of Aldonza’s apartment building, exits and crosses the street, five-gallon gas can in full view.  He stops and calls Sev to tell him the job is done.  Sev is pleased and instructs him to return to Santa Lucia.  When Sev takes this call he is already at the Police Station and goes in immediately to talk to the Chief, who greets him warmly.  Sev has stopped by to inform the Chief that a nasty rumor is going around that he is involved in Padre J’s accident.  No alarms go off for the Chief that he’s not heard this “rumor” before.  Sev reminds the Chief he has had problems with this family making false accusations before.  The Chief remembers.  Sev has come to get the Chief’s assurance that he will do everything in his power to do a thorough investigation and make sure the ravings of Aldonza don’t soil his sterling reputation and honorable name.  The charges are all the more painful as everybody knows nobody loves and respects Padre Jeronimo more than him and his family.  The Chief assures Sev he will look into the matter with the ultimate care and attention to the law.  Sev leaves and the Chief wears a look I can’t quite figure out; determined pissivity?  “Here we go again?”

Eman stops by to see Cris in the study at Las Animas.  He wants to get the afternoon off to go see Padre J and to see if he has a message for Aldonza.  Cris does not but invites Eman to sit down.  Eman tells Cris he’s going with Mari again.  (Again?)  Whoa, Cris can only imagine how Lola’s going to feel when she finds THIS out!  Well, then she’ll know how he felt when he found about Goose, or Duck or whatever his name is.  Ah, here’s the real reason Cris wanted Eman to sit down:  Cris gushes profusely his love for Aldonza.  He can’t judge her, he loves her.  When he’s alone he imagines her with him, enjoying her company, building a family with her.  He sighs that this is just a fantasy that will never come true.  The hard part is accepting that Aldonza is not the woman he needs even though loves her with all his heart despite everything that has happened.   Ah, where is his beloved now?

Why, she’s at the Police station to denounce Sev’s involvement in Padre J’s accident.  She is surprised that the Chief already knows!  Chief demands to know if she has proof!   Aldonza counters that Sev threatened Padre!   She has to admit she wasn’t there.  He’ll interview Padre J when he’s able to talk!  Aldonza asks sarcastically what kind of law they have in this town.    The Chief reminds Aldonza that everybody knows about the feud between Sev and her Mother and the false accusation that he burned her huerto.  Aldonza argues that the two events are not related.  Chief says yes; she’s trying to keep the feud alive by inventing all kinds of charges against Severiano.  For her information the kind of law they have demands proof for accusations.    She says he’ll have it when her Uncle can speak and then they will see if he will believe a beloved and respected Priest or a man whose only merit is having money!  She turns on her heel and strides out. 

Pru sits with Cande and has just told her Padre is not showing much improvement.  Pru offers her sage prediction as she chomps on tea and cookies:  The whole thing smells bad.  Padre has spent many hours in a coma and one of two things will happen; he will either die or spend the rest of his live as a vegetable.   Cande tells her to stop spouting nonsense.  Pru continues.  Well, there’s one consolation:  the relationship between Cris and Vale is healing.  Did Cande know they were going to the movies that night?  Yes.  Well, too bad Padre’s accident interrupted that, but the relationship will recover.  Cande waves her hands in exasperation and escapes to go refill the cookie plate.

Aldonza is back with Adelina at the hospital now.  Aldonza tells Adelina that she went to the Ministerio Publico to denounce Sev and they dismissed it!  Adelina thinks it’s a shame but they must have proof.  To that end she asked Joaquin to do some investigation.  The important thing now is that Tio get well!  Aldonza answers her cell.  Uh oh.  From her face and her “no puede sers” we know what she’s just been told.  Her Mother’s apartment has burned! 

Renato and Pato are having café al fresco.  Pato sure has taken getting canned pretty good, sheesh!  “What’s your name, who’s your Daddy, is he rich, is he rich like me?”  Yeah, Pato’s like, things happened the way they should have.  This is a worthy sacrifice because he did it for love.   Next Pato looks in the camera which creeped me right out and said that love is the most sublime emotion anyone can have and it doesn’t come around everyday.  He might as well have finished the verse I started and said “It’s the time of the se-ee-son for loving!”  Anyway, Pato counsels that he forget about Sylvia who doesn’t want anything else to do with Renato.  She’ll get over it.   Renato’s cell phone rings.  We know who it is.  Aldonza.  Que?  Goes Renato. 

Cris sits outside the stables staring out into the distance but pretending to be reading a horsey book when Vale saunters by.  She asks Cris why is he so pensive.  He’s worried about Padre J.  Vale is good at guilt baiting Cris and when he begs her pardon she comes off so magnanimous and understanding.  She does this with the missed movie.  Although he excused himself through her father, it was SHE that he invited.   Well, she’s got just the cure for worry about Padre J.  They should try for the movie again.  He can’t just spend his whole day thinking about Padre!  Cris, a little sterner look in your eye and crooking your neck a little more sharply and that would’ve been a WTF look you just gave Vale.  Need to practice!

Renato tries to calm Aldonza down.  Aldonza KNOWS Sev did it!  That apartment was her patrimony!  Aldonza is not listening, she proclaims through gritted teeth that Sev is going to pay!  Renato asks why she thinks Sev did it and she tells him of the slimy parking lot conversation when Sev threatened that what happened to her Tio wasn’t the end, that he was going to make her life a living hell.   Renato offers to go to the D.F.  as her legal representative and look into the fire so she can stay there with Padre J.  She asks about what Sev told her about his job.  It’s true.  Abelardo came and talked to his boss and Sylvia and told his boss about the suit she has against Sev.  She is so sorry; she never knew things would go this far.  He asks her please not to worry, Abelardo showing up at his law firm proves that Sev does have something to do with the apartment fire.  She continues to fret but he tells her please, he’ll do anything for her!  He will look into the fire though it will be difficult to make anything stick without proof but it’s worth a try.  Pato, the faithful sidekick is ready to go, like NOW!

Mari stops by her Mom’s store to tell  Lola that she going to give Eman a chance.    Puh-leeeze, Lola could care less what  Eman does; she’s got a boyfriend from the Capital.  Awwww, Mari wants to be friends!  Mari extends her hand; she and Lola share an unenthusiastic shake with plastic smiles which dissolve as soon as they part.  Mari wipes her hand as she walks away and Lola sends visual daggers into her back.