Caray, Caray!

⦁      Gustavo has been seen kissing Chole at the exclusive restaurant he normally frequents when rubbing elbows with the upper cruds...er...crust of society.  Fernanda tells him not to bother explaining (or introducing) Chole to her; it's his wife he needs to explain things to, not her.  They leave.  

⦁ At the same time in another part of the city, Willie meets up with Connie at a different restaurant where they discuss the terms of payment for that 3 million worth of blackmail bucks.  He's considerate enough to allow payments till "every single centavo is paid in full."  And then he makes her pay for the meal before she races off in a huff.

⦁ Natalia tells Vicente he's being released soon but he refuses to call a truce.  He reminds her he shouldn't have been held in a cell--like a common criminal; he's an honest man, not like her husband.  That stings like a slap in the face she wasn't expecting and didn't deserve--and he knows it.  But, she agrees with him that, yes, he is a man like few others.

⦁ Back at the house, Valentina gets her fortune told by Teresa. Tere's on target telling Tina she has a really bad man in her past who's caused her trouble.  He is a merciless man who is out to get even.  She needs to be careful.  He's been looking for her and knows where she is. Even though she hides, he is going to find her.  However, on the brighter side of things, there's a man who will help her.  He might in fact turn out to be the love of her life.  And, it seems that currently, he's in a heap of legal problems.  

⦁ Speak of the devil...Mario is trying to read a book during free time in the jailhouse.  Mario's new bunk buddy comes looking to chat a bit.  Bunky tells Mario he's been looking for his girlfriend who left him in Alcapulco and with a scar on his face.  Mario tells him his hard-luck story also.  Bunky tells him if he were him the first thing he'd do is find the dude who screwed him over and make him pay d.e.a.r.l.y.  

⦁ Tina suggests that Tere should advertise in the barrio and charge for Tarot readings.  She'd earn a pile o' pocketable pesos.  Tere sort of likes the idea.

⦁ When Chente gets home, he apologizes to Claudio for losing his temper that way.  However, he is happy to keep the wall up and each to his own, thank you very much!

⦁ When Chole and Tavo arrive back at the boarding house, she's full of remorse and shame being caught out together and that his wife's good friend witnessed the two of them swapping spit.  Tavo doesn't mind.  He reminds her that he's in this relationship for the long haul and will wait however long it takes.  

⦁ Back at Chente's, Nata plans to make a celebration dinner as a means of calling a truce with his family.  Claudio is all in for the gourmet delights she's about to whip up.  

⦁ In the living room a bit later, Chente lays down the law to his brothers.  From today on Nata's family is off-limits. He's still burning over being accused of attempted homicide.  Juanga says it's going to be difficult for Pepe2 since he's already got the hots for Regina.  Chente tells Pepe to cool it and be careful about that.  If he falls in love with one of those women it means he's betraying the Ramirez family.  

⦁ While cooking takes place in the kitchen vicious Vulga comes visiting to supposedly pat Chente on the back for standing up to Sra. High and Mighty.  He admits, though, that Nata seems to show a bit of remorse.  La Vulga reminds him that he shouldn't allow himself to be continually trampled on by the likes of La Nasty de Nata.  Ah, Vulga!  Unbeknownst to El Innocente de Chente,  Vulga has a second, more malignant reason for visiting.  With a saccharine, schmaltzy smile, she asks if she can go upstairs to say hi to sweet little Benji and give him a little present to cheer him up.  "--Of course!"  (Cue the 'Jaws' theme music.)

⦁ The minute Vulga walks into the room Benji starts whimpering.  What's the nice present Ms. Olga has for him???  She pulls out a toy gun and he's so frightened he wets his pants.  She laughs at him for crying and then reminds him he'd better not tell anybody about this.  She reminds him that she's a witch who will cast a spell so Magos will die any time she's tired of her.  Then she leaves chocolates as the present he's supposed to have really gotten and hides the toy gun in her purse on her way out.  (Now this lowlife female is just sick, taking pleasure in tormenting a 6 year-old little boy.  We already assumed her elevator didn't go all the way to the top.  But I suspect it travels quite a few subterranean floors in the opposite direction...and on a regular basis.)  

⦁      Andrea tries cooking frijoles for supper.  Poor, dumb Omar smiles and suffers through, at least till Mami and Papi Hadad arrive with fancy takeout. (I have no sympathy, let alone patience, with this "love nest" scenario between a snide, high-school dropout, and a college senior.  (I suppose not all college guys are mental majors; some apparently remain mental midgets.)  FF>>FF>>

⦁ Back at Chente's, Great Grandma Magos finds Benji crying in the closet.  She notes his wet pants and takes him to get cleaned up and to change his clothes.  

⦁ Connie decides to discuss her Willie problem with Tavo...er...sort of.  She lies that it is Sammie who's in trouble.

⦁ Back in the barrio...supper smells very appetizing.  Magos tells Chente she's going to check out what's cooking on the other side of the wall and join them for dinner.  He warns her not to.  She asks who is brave enough to try to stop her?  All three brothers hang their heads in fear.     

⦁ Once Magos walks in with Benji, Nata realizes he's been crying.  She hugs him and has Regi take him to help her make the salad.  Tere introduces herself as Nata's mother and the wife of the loathsome man who shut the door in Magos's face.  Magos mumbles something about how unfortunate Tere is being married to a drunk.

⦁ Connie tells Tavo that Samia is being blackmailed by her ex-lover.  

⦁      J2P2 jumps the wall and helps Magos set the table with their best set of dishes.  

⦁      Tavo says Sammie should tell the truth to Elias and then go to the authorities.  She cannot afford the scandal let alone lose her husband, warns Connie.  Tavo says well, if she pays that crook he'll never stop coming back for more money.  She will never get out from under.  Connie admits to still loving Tavo even if he never gave her children.  They decide to share the same bedroom again.  (Chole who?)

⦁ Juanga cannot suffer his hunger pangs any longer.  He jumps the wall next.  Only Chente holds out while the others chow down.  

⦁ And speaking of mealtime, Mami and Papi Hadad arrive at the sky view apartment.  Omi races into the kitchen and pretends to drop the frijoles on the floor.  Whoops!  As Andi begins to clean up the mess --OMG!  She is actually on her knees with a paper towel, wiping up the mess with her very own precious hands.  Sammie walks into the kitchen at that moment.  She blames Andi for the mess and when Andi tries to explain how Omi dropped things, Samie threatens her.  "--Don't blame my son over your incompetence."  (Amazing how around the Hadads Andi's mouth suddenly forgets how to work.)

⦁ Magos suggests Nata should try setting up her own restaurant.  Tere says she'll help her save up for it now that she's going to start doing readings at Chole's beauty shop.  Regi offers to help cook.  Magos says she'll be Tere's first paying customer.  Nata offers a toast to a clearer future that's beginning.  

⦁ Later that night, Benji has another nightmare about Vulga and the robber who murdered his mother at the bank.  Lucia appears like a guardian angel and tells him not to be scared.

⦁ Nata cannot sleep.  She remembers how Chente defended her that first day in front of the angry investors, and then the dance she shared with Chente in his bedroom.  

⦁ Meanwhile, Chente heads downstairs for a snack of that night's supper leftovers.  Nata races down and finds Chente about to heat things up.  She complains about his being on her side of the house but she says she'll heat up his food anyway.  While they wait she scolds him for not joining them at dinner.  Instead of swallowing his pride, he had another childish temper tantrum.  Why couldn't he just let it go? "--Why can't we just be friends? I've already offered you my apologies.  Didn't we dance together the other night, or did you forget?"  No, he didn't forget. He agrees he doesn't want to argue anymore either.  She waits for him to continue.  "--So why are you silent?"  He tells her how it fills him with awe how his child in only a few minutes saw how wonderful she was and as for him, he cannot stop noticing her eyes, her smile, how pretty she is.....He cannot allow her to worm her way into his heart!  Because every day that passes he falls more and more in love... And then Chente moves in closer and closer until they kiss.  Suddenly the daydreaming ends and Nata's handing him his plate of food from the microwave in her floppy robe and sloppy slippers.  He takes the plate of food up to his bedroom.  "--Oh, my god!  What's happening to me?"  He takes the picture of him and Lucia and holds it tightly.  He weeps.  "--Please forgive me."  

⦁ The next morning when Chente brings Benji to school, he asks his teacher about the bullying that supposedly has been taking place.  The teacher says they watch the children very closely there and there is zero-tolerance for bullying.  She agrees to be very attentive with Benji and watch for anyone that might be acting out.  

⦁ In Elias Hadid's sky view offices, he's chewing out the P.I.'s he hired to find Adrien Cantu.  

⦁ At the same time, Mario (whose looks and condition worsen every time we see him) asks his lawyer why should he even care about getting out of jail at this point.  All he can do is work a minimum wage job the rest of his life to pay off the debts that somebody left him with.  The lawyer assures him his luck will change once they find Adrien Cantu.  (I wouldn't be so sure. He's going to be as impoverished as dear dumb Mario once Pedro and Veronica are finished with him.)

⦁ And speaking of Ver, she and Elias come to terms on a price for information on where to find Adrien.  But she only spills the beans AFTER he deposits the cash in her account. "--Cao~, ba-bee."  She and Pedro then make hay while the Caribbean sun shines.

Labels: fortuna

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