Caray, Caray!

Still outside of the church, Esperanza becomes aware of Ernesto's kidney problem and confronts him about it. He says it does not matter; because her well being is all that matters to him. She is worried that he put himself out too much for her day and night. She insists it is her turn to support him. She will be with him and do whatever is necessary. He did not do all that he did so that she would do something for him. He did it for love and totally selfish reasons: he wants to be with her. No discussion for her: she will be with him and as they overcame the cancer they will overcome his illnes. Ernesto, who has not stopped smiling throughout this whole exchange, thanks her and asks if he can give her a kiss. They kiss right on the lips. (The scene would have been much better if Pato, Pedro and Luca were not like a Greek chorus of grinning goons in the background.)

Anastasia is at the Gallo house talking to Erasmo who is holding Luquita. She is all excited about the prospects of working at the Instituto Palacios even though she will have to leave Luquita in a nursery for half the day. Erasmo is happy because it would free up their afternoons to see each other. She should go to the interview and see if the job is something she would like. Anastasia thinks about how she was so hard on Luca's secretaries and now how she might be a secretary just like them.


Salma is arguing with Viviana again. She wants to go to a party in the middle of the week. Viviana tells her she is not going. Salma's response is if she does attention to her grandma why would she pay attention to Viviana? Salma wants to know if Viviana is planning on locking her up. Viviana says she will if she forces her to until her father shows up. Adrián appears in the background watching it all. Mario has so much work but if Salma keeps it up her father will put a stop to it. Salma is not impressed. Her father has never been able to stop her from doing anything. Adrián joins the fight telling Salma she should not be talking to his mother that way. (I still can't get my head around Adrián having to live with his rapist) Salma has a solution: don't bother her and she won't bother them. (Didn't work for Adrián) Adrián knows she wants to go to one of Paulo's parties which are not known as the most wholesome activities. She could not care less, she is into having fun in a big way which is something Adrián knows nothing about. Viviana tells her enough is enough and to go to her room. Salma will go to her room but since she will not be going to the party she will be listening to her music at full volume so they better get some cotton to put into their ears. As Salma storms off, Adrián tries to get his mother to breathe deeply and relax.

Ricardo and Cristina are still in their crowns dancing around the living room. He calls her Cenicienta (Cinderella). She says no, she is more like Blancanieves (Snow White). Since they have three little dwarves already, it would be a question of them hurrying up and getting four more. She would love to have children with him. He agrees they better hurry up as he dips her and kisses her. They soon notice Abril fast asleep on the floor in the hallway still in her princess costume. Aw! Rodrigo and Selena are fast asleep still costumed against the opposite wall. It is bed time. Ricardo and Cristina wake the kids up enough to get them into bed.

At the church, Esperanza, Ernesto, Pato, Luca and Pedro all are inside kneeling and praying. Esperanza gives thanks to la Virgen de la Paz for her second chance at life. She is planning on taking advantage of her life to the fullest. While she is delivering her monologue to the Virgin, Anya comes in with a big smile for Pedro. Ernesto quietly gives his thanks for the Virgen saving Esperanza. His prayers were answered in spite of everything he had done: terrible sins, the murder he committed and the other he ordered. He knows there is no forgiveness and he has to pay. He knows that the opportunity he has been given to be next to the person he loves most in the world is going to end. In spite of this knowledge, Ernesto is still smiling.

At the mental hospital. Ciro the orderly comes to Tracy's room to give her her evening medications. She wants to know about the guy who was taken to the regular hospital. He is still there. Ciro needs to see that Tracy has swallowed her medications. She washes them down with a glass of water. She then starts complaining about her stomach and asks that Ciro bring her something. He wants to know about her children but it is stomach medication first. He leaves. She waits and wonders if her children miss her or if they have forgotten her . . .

. . . Just at the same moment Ricardo and Cristina are putting the kids to bed. Rodrigo wants to know why Ricardo is sad. That is why Selena planned the whole king and queen thing. Nope, Ricardo is not sad at all. As a matter of fact he is very happy because he is going to marry his queen. Rodrigo then has a question from out of left field: is it bad if he thinks about his mother some times?

Back with Tracy: she is pacing and asking Ciro why he would want to know about her the "worst mother in the world." She suddenly hits her foot/ankle on a metal chair and squeals with pain. The next thing she is on her bed taking the stomach medication, writhing in pain from her foot/ankle "injury" and telling Ciro she was the worst mother in the world because she preferred gorillas to her own children. She continues with the fact that she could never trust her husband because she always knew he was in love with another woman. She thinks she should kill her, Esperanza, too.

Back with Ricardo and the kids, Ricardo is explaining about where Tracy is. Rodrigo asks if they are curing her of her "head" problems (that is an understatement). Ricardo explains that she is in a hospital for people that have problems with their mind. Rodrigo needs an explanation. Ricardo gives him one. Rodrigo wants to know if they are helping her. Yes, they are. Ricardo asks if Rodrigo misses her. The answer is not really, is that bad? Rodrigo says whatever he feels in his heart is not a bad thing. Rodrigo remembers his mother on the loose with her gun shooting Ricardo. Ricardo explains that was all because she wasn't right in her head. She isn't evil. She only has to get well.

Tracy is talking about her children. The boy was okay but the girl was insufferable. One day she was so fed up with her that she slapped her hard enough to send her flying. Ciro listens with a very serious face. Her name is Selena and she cannot stand her. Tracy got pregnant so Ricardo would marry her but no, Ricardo never did love her. She tried to get him to love her even 20 percent of what he did Esperanza but that never did happen. That is why she is going to have revenge on Ricardo. She is going to kill him. She is going to put five bullets in him. Then she will have to choose between killing the new girlfriend Cristina or Esperanza. Maybe she will just kill both of them.That makes her smile. Yes, that is what she is going to do: kill both of them. She repeats it over and over looking happier and happier as Ciro seriously looks on.

With the kids in bed, Ricardo and Cristina get to talk. He tells her the banquet people called and tomorrow they have a food and wine tasting. There will be four courses: appetizer, soup, main course, dessert and three choices for each course. Cristina says they will have twelve portions so they should come "rolling" out after all that tasting.

Still at the church, Esperanza is talking to Ernesto about how the doctor ordered another round of chemotherapy. When all is said and done, Ernesto has come to the conclusion that they really do not know what exactly helped Esperanza. He starts to push her out in her wheel chair.She prefers to think it was the love of the people who do love her. Ernesto agrees. Esperanza says in reality it is impossible to know what treatment did the trick or was it all of them together: a cocktail of love, the will to live, medicine, weevils, rattlesnake, genetically modified virus and the most important of all a precious hand extended to them from heaven above. Anya cannot get together to visit with with Pedro.She has a pharmacology test tomorrow and she has to pass it. He has a fine idea: he will stay awake with her and help her study. He finds pharmacology interesting but no, he does not want to study medicine. Anya is not making him an indecent proposition, but they do have to study at her house. He is ready to go and see it. She says it is a real hole in the wall.

Luca and Pato are still in the church thinking about their wedding and start rehearsing their wedding vows. They both say "yes". Luca says now that her mother is better . . . Pato finishes with, yes, they do have to talk to her. Luca wonders what she will say. Pato tells him he does not know Esperanza very well. She will not have changed her opinion. She will still be against them getting married so they are going to have to talk to her and then talk to her some more. Pato tells him they will fulfill their dream of getting married no matter what. They kiss.

Back at Viviana's, Salma turns up her speakers really high and sneaks out barefoot to go to the party.

Anya brings Pedro to her neighborhood which turns out to be poor just like her. That does not bother Pedro one bit. She grabs him by the hand and he reminds her of her "no touching" rule. It seems since they know each other better that the rules are changing. She talks about her overly busy schedule and he asks her if there is time for a kiss. It all depends on how long it is going to last. If it goes too long, will she give him a signal? She asks if she should "buzz". No, she can pinch him he decides. They kiss.

It is Paulo party time! Music, dancing, liquor and who knows what else!! Paulo grabs Salma as soon as she comes in so she can try some gin names after him. She wants something that is going to make her feel great and forget about everything and everybody He suggests they start with some weed. He has a little of everything at the party. She has never tried any but, hey, why not? What is the worst that could happen? She starts drinking the gin.

At Esperanza's, Pato pays a visit to her mother who is already in bed. The topic of discussion is Ernesto. Esperanza wants Pato to tell her the whole story about him and his kidney. Pato says that the doctor has told him that he needs a transplant. The wait is like three years so Pato wants to give him one of her kidneys. Esperanza tells her how dangerous the surgery is and also how dangerous it is living the rest of her life with only one kidney. Pato answers that Luca is doing it. Esperanza cannot imagine her doing something like that. Pato insists because Ernesto is her father. She just cannot let him die. Anyway, there are two problems to her providing the kidney: she does know know if they are a match and Ernesto said there is no way he would ever accept a kidney from her.

At Viviana's, she is knocking on Salma's door for her to turn down the music because Adrián cannot study. The key to the door was in the kitchen but it is gone. Luca is on the scene asking what is going on with Salma saying nobody can sleep with that going on and asking op if she is she having her own private party or what? Mario should be home for the office anytime. They turn around and Mario has arrived home and wants too now what is going on.

At the Paulo party we find out his father is in Spain so there is nothing to worry about. Paulo and Salma are smoking. He tells Salma she is going to get the munchies. She wouldn't know since she never has tried weed as she told him. They start talking weed gibberish that they can only understand and laugh at. The next thing they hit the dance floor and start making out.

Mario has no problem with getting into Salma's room and turning the music off. Viviana tells Mario that she wanted to solve this problem herself with Salma but that Salma is out of control. Adrián lets it drop that it looks like Salma went to Paulo's party. Mario just repeats "Paulo". (as if it were the name of a serial killer or something)

Ricardo and Cristina are sleeping together when Ricardo has a nightmare in black and white: Esperanza is crying in her bed asking Ricardo to forgive her and telling him she loves him. Her eyes close. He nervously asks if she is okay. Her eyes pop open. Not looking at him, she tells him she is not okay. She then jerks her bald head around to look at him (this is looking like a horror movie right now) and asks him if he loves her. Ricardo answers that he does not know. He repeats that he does not know. Esperanza sits up and tells him to kiss her. She gets up out of bed and steps towards him telling him all the while to kiss her. He retreats (as if she were a vampire or a zombie or something) saying No! No! At that point the dream ends with Ricardo shouting "no" loud enough to awaken himself and Cristina.He says he had a nightmare. Cristina says she knows that because he shouted out Esperanza's name several times. He hugs Cristina saying it is over now. He looks like he is going to fall back asleep but Cristina is awake and clearly worried.

For a little slap stick relief, it is early morning and Margarita is trying to wake up her mother in law Montserrat with a megaphone and everything from sales pitches to a siren. Margarita cannot believe it, she is just as sound of a sleeper as her son. The next try is with a Margarita rendition of "La cucaracha."Montserrat just snores through the song and the siren. When Margarita exits, Montserrat opens her eyes and declares that if Margarita thinks she is going to win this war she is mistaken. She better prepare for a counter attack.

At the party, Salma has a big surprise: Mario has come to get her. Paulo tries to keep him away but Mario pushes him out of the way to get to Salma. Salma says she is not drunk. Mario tells Paolo that this is the last time he will touch his daughter. Mario picks her up and carries her out. Paulo is happy that Salma has fallen into his trap.

At Margarita's, Montserrat is emptying out all of Margarita's wrinkle creams and replacing them with a "surprise".

Anya and Pedro are studying. He is asking the questions and she answers while she boxes. Out of no where she asks about his past girlfriends. She wants to hear about them. Pedro would rather stick with the pharmacology questions. That question does make Pedro more pensive and Anya is afraid she did something wrong. Not at all Is his answer but he has classes tomorrow so he better get going. Anya says that his past girlfriends must be a sore subject. He admits he has not had good experiences with women ( I immediately thought what about men? Too funny) but does not feel like talking about it right now. He kisses her on the cheek and is gone. Anya is left thinking that they always say that women are the strange ones? No way!

It is morning at Mario's house and the whole family is around the breakfast table. Mario decides to put his foot down and addresses Salma. It is the last time she is going to pull something like that: leaving the house when Viviana did not give her permission. They were all worried about her. She just has a smart mouth in return. He asks her if she does not realize that they are living in someone else's house. Salma says that is his fault. He is just being "kept" by his wife. Viviana defends Mario Saying that he is not a "kept" man, (geez, Salma makes him sound like "just a gigolo" even though he and Viviana are married.) Salma says he does not have the money to buy his own house or his own car even. She adds how her life has been filled with tragedy as of late so what is wrong with wanting to go to a party? If they just would have given her permission, she would not have had to escape. Mario has no idea how much she drank last night but she was gone. Then she was kissing that jerk Paulo. Salma remains defiant and dismissive and reminds them you only live once. Mario reminds her she has to live life correctly respecting the house, respecting Viviana and her children. Salma answers: if he doesn't like how she is behaving, he can just return her to her grandmother's house. Mario insists that that I s not happening. If she does not straighten up, he will be sending her away to a boarding school. Salma just rolls her eyes.

It is morning and Ricardo and Cristina and the kids are getting ready for school. Ricardo,asks if Cristina is okay. Cristina says after his nightmare she was not able to sleep a wink. Eventhough she knows she shouldn't be asking, she wants to know what Ricardo is feeling. She reminds him he called out Espranza's name. He says it was probably from his subconscious. (Is that an orange shag rug on the floor? It looks like an unpleasant memory from the '70's) Cristina needs to know what is going on in his heart. He is very angry with Esperanza for what she did and so he has not forgiven her.

At the Instituo Palacios. Silvana actually asks Salma when it was exactly she decide to lose the baby. (Did not know one had a choice) Salma has to tell her she did not want to lose the baby: it just happened that way. Silvana tells her about her plan to sell Salma's baby to get her hands on some cash and better her station in life. Salma looks shocked.

Esperanza has arrived at Cristina's office at school. She is "bewigged" and in uniform. It starts out very nicely with Cristina telling her what a miracle her cancer being in remission was. Esperanza tells her about future chemotherapy but that things will get better little by little. Cristina cuts to the chase and tells her she wants to talk about Ricardo. It is clear that that was not why Esperanza wanted to come there for. She has nothing to do with him. Cristina tells her the facts as she knows them: Esperanza renounced her love for Ricardo. She left him because of her love for him.Such a great love does not just disappear. Esperanza swears she doesn't love Ricardo. Cristina does not believe her and continues. Cristina says that she also believed Esperanza's lies but she knows she loves Ricardo because she said as much the night she said good bye to him. Esperanza says she is not any kind of a liar (I would beg to differ big time on that one)! She thought she was going to die. Cristina reminds her she is alive now. Cristina recognizes that Esperanza's love for Ricardo lives, too. After all of the denying, Esperanza finally gives in and tells Cristina that yes, she loves Ricardo. Cristina tells Esperanza that she merely used Ernesto to make it seem like she had broken up with Ricardo. Cristina does not let Esperanza get a word in. Cristina then tells her she is happy she is cured (like a ham?)but warns her that she and Ricardo love each other. She is asking Esperanza to stay away from Ricardo. There is silence until tomorrow.

Labels: sda