Caray, Caray!

Raq hopes her husband doesn't find out about the money she gave Feo. (Really? I thought she was just joking when she offered him a check! What an idiot!!) If he does, she'll make something up. Right now all that matters to her is that he leaves Hacienda St. Agustín and dumps Gabriela! She never wants to see that woman ever again!

Gabi is wondering how she and Feo can continue living together now that they're alone. He has the perfect solution: They'll get married! There's no problem - he'll divorce Sofía. It won't look bad because everybody knows there was nothing between him and Sofía, especially now with her having a baby with some baker. They'll be able to walk down the street and hold their heads high.

Juan, Oscar, and Jimena pray in the hospital chapel for Sofi.

Grandpa and Eva wonder how it's possible that Sofi could have fallen down the stairs when she's never done that before. Eva says Sofi said that she and Gabi had had a difficult conversation and that's why she wasn't paying attention on the stairs and fell. Grandpa still finds it suspicious and is sure Feo was involved in some way.

Well, yes indeedy Feo does have Raquel's check. He admires it in his mirror and gloats to himself about how easy it is to dominate women, especially single women. Gabi will give him everything she owns, same as Raquel. And thanks to the document Grandpa signed, he'll have EVERYTHING!

Gabi admires her neckline in the mirror. She's sure now that Feo loves her. (What is she rubbing on herself? Is that Vicks Vaporub?) She looks at an old family photo and brags to Bernardo that she'll never think about him again because Feo is better than him in EVERY WAY. "It's like you never existed." Don Feonando tan divino!

Grandpa finds Feo chuckling over some documents and wants to know why they're so funny. While Feo tries to think of a good answer, Grandpa snatches them out of Feo's hand and is impactado to see his signature on a power-of-attorney document ceding all control of his interests in the hacienda and his own bank accounts to Feo. Realizing that he was tricked into signing, Grandpa tears up the contract, but Feo has the notarized original hidden away. "Now you are the owner of NOTHING!" He laughs in Grandpa's face.

(If Grandpa searches the room for the original, what are the odds he'll find one of the little notes Bernardo left behind?)

Fuzzy2 brings Sarita back to the convent in Grandpa's motorcycle/sidecar and promises to let her know of any news about Sofía. He tells her he's singing at the Tumbao ("those who have heard me say that I'm not too bad") and asks if she'd like him to sing for her now. "If you want," she answers shyly. He sings for her, and she likes it!

The doctor tells Juan that surgery was successful, but the baby isn't moving, and he's worried that it's already dead. Juan and Mr. & Mrs. Dimples are impactados.

Grandpa threatens legal action (Feo laughs that Grandpa can't afford it). He's going to tell everybody! He's sure that when Gabi finds out... Gabi shows up. She does seem shocked when he tells her that that Feo tricked him into signing a blank page and cheated him out of all of his stuff. However, Feo has a great explanation: he did it for her! (Grandpa's lips are moving, but no sound comes out... I can't read lips... I bet it's good, though.) He tricked Grandpa to make for all the ways he made Gabi miserable. He just did it to give Gabi what's hers. (Note that she doesn't actually have any of it.) It was justice! Gabi is okay with this.

Eva is listening at the door. Grandpa's lips are still moving. Maybe he's praying. He calls Gabi and Feo a couple of hyenas. Before he can leave, however, Gabi has some more news for him: she and Feo are getting married. They smooch yuckily in front of him.

Sofía is asleep, recovering from her surgery. Juan says he doesn't want to lose her. He prays to his mother to help save Sofi and the baby. He flashes back to when his mother was pregnant with Libia, and later after she was born, they sang to her together. Juan sings the same song to Sofi and his own baby.

Sofi's belly glows right through the blanket and a few notes play on the Libia Robles-Reyes Memorial Glockenspiel. The sheet over Sofi's tummy begins to move... indigestion? Or is the baby trying to cover its little ears? Juan keeps singing just to be sure. There's more glowing & glockenspiel.

The doctor can't explain it, but he confirms that it's true: the baby is alive. Juan says it's a miracle of love. He tells unconscious Sofi that he loves her because she's so brave and strong.

Grandpa does not take the news of his daughter's impending nuptials well. He says they're immoral and he's sure they've "understood one another" for a long time. Feo shrugs this off and says they haven't been hurting anyone. (Gabi simpers in his arms like a swoony teen.) He didn't have anything with Sofi and now they're getting married to avoid gossip. He'll ask Sofi for a divorce. Grandpa says then at least one good thing will come out of all this - Feo will be leaving Sofi alone. He presses the point about how happy she is with Juan, who has awakened love in her, "something that you two will never find!"

Grandpa wheels out of there to discuss with Eva, who has overheard the whole thing. Their suspicions about Gabi and Feo are confirmed. Eva says she also heard that Feo took all of Grandpa's things. "Well, that's what he thinks," Grandpa answers smugly. Never bet everything on just one card, he tells her. He's got some extra-secret savings that sucker Feo doesn't know about. But for now he wants Gabi and Feo to go on thinking he's destitute. He'll have a great surprise for them. He who laughs last, laughs best!

Juan tells Mr. & Mrs. Dimples the good news about the miraculously reborn sound-activated baby. They give thanks to Juan and Oscar's mother. Jimena gives thanks to her father; they don't react to the mention of Bernardo. Juan tries to get them to go home. Oscar seems eager to leave for some private time with his new wife, but Jimena insists that they stay with Juan. Oscar only sulks for half a second. Then he joins Juan and Jimena. It looks as though the three of them have crowded together on a little coffee table in the hospital waiting room rather than on any of the more comfortable-looking chairs or sofas.

"Now what?" Gabi asks Feo. He promises to file for divorce tomorrow. She is all over him like a crazy lady on a con artist.

Quintina, Hortensio, Eladio, Rigo, and Pablito wonder how Sofi is doing. They want to see her. Quintina considers making the trip on the motorcycle, but Hortensia reminds her (and us) of the new truck Grandpa got for her after he and Quintina had the accident in her old one. They all decide to go together, except Pedro has to sing tonight at the club, so he'll borrow the motorcycle again and join them later. (Quintina tells him it's not a horse, so careful with the spurs.) This scene is so silly that the director chose to fast-forward some of it for us. Whee!!! Pedro decides to ask Sarita if she'd like to go too.

The Mother Superior (superior to Gabriela in EVERY WAY) reminds Fraulein Sarita that she's free to go out and see Sofía whenever she likes, because it's a convent and not a prison. Again, she does not sing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," but here comes Pedro... Fuzzy2, do you take requests? I bet he sings it during the commercial. He offers to take Sarita to Puebla after his gig at the Tumbao. The Mother Superior very heartily agrees with this idea. (She doesn't exactly shove Sarita at Pedro, but I think she knows a sign from God when she sees one.)

Rosario is visiting Original Fuzzy to tell him she heard he's been reacting to people and she's feeling lots better herself and hopes he'll keep fighting so that they can run away together. He wiggles his finger in agreement. She's glad to have this sign that he heard her.

Eva excitedly tells Grandpa that Rosendo's going to take them to Puebla right away. They're glad because they're worried about Sofía.

Sarita is at Pedro's show at the Tumbao. Will he sing that mountain-climbing song? No, the song begins "To make you happy, I'm going to get out of your life, and in this letter you'll find my painful poem of farewell." The nun-in-training looks out of place at the table of honor. Benito sees her through in the crowd and glances from her to Pedro and back again with a confused look on his always-confused-looking face.

Raquel gets a letter from her husband. Ricardo's coming home soon! She dreads telling him that the boys didn't marry the Elizondo girls.

However, the next piece of mail is even more disturbing - it's a citation to meet with some lawyers in Puebla to clarify some matters pertaining to Hacienda Uribe. The property's "legitimate owners" have filed a lawsuit!

Bet she's not so worried about telling Big Ricky about the non-weddings now, huh?

At the hospital, Juan pulls Oscar aside to tell him that Grandpa found some paperwork about their property, and he's initiated legal action and promised to support them to the end. But even if he backs out, they'll fight for their land on their own until they get it back.

Crabi and Feo get amorous. Oh, it is hideous. She turns out the light, but I can still see. Feo hesitates and turns the light on. He raises the unsexy question of whether she really wants to marry him? Will she be strong enough to face the disapproval of her daughters? She's much too horny to do much more than promise to disown all of them if necessary to be with him. With this promise, Feo turns off the light and gets back to work.

Juan is mumbling and/or singing against Sofi's belly. She's just conscious enough to have her hand on his head, but her eyes are still shut. Fr. Tadeo shows up - not sure how long it takes to get from Serdan to Puebla by donkey - and prays for them. A tear slides from Sofi's closed eyes as she caresses Juan's forehead.

So now it's a regular family reunion at the hospital. Half the pueblo is there now. They cheer at the good news. Eladio wants them to serenade Sofi; Grandpa reminds them that they're at a hospital. He offers to treat them all to a big meal of mole and whatnot after they talk to Juan. They all cheer him and jokingly warn him not to try to back out of it.

They are surprised that Fr. Tadeo is there too and ask how he got there. He seems confused by the question. Pablito, the cheeky monkey, asks if he came over on the donkey; the padre laughs at the question but doesn't answer! (Grandpa again reminds them that they're in a hospital.)

The padre repeats that Sofi and baby are okay, and says that tomorrow "la dan de alta," which I'm not sure what that means, maybe that she'll be back up to snuff? Oscar wants to see Juan now. The padre tactfully tells him that maybe Juan and Sofi should be alone for now.

Eladio gets loud again, Grandpa shushes him again "or else I'll withdraw my supper invitation." The padre says yeah, the hospital will kick them out, so maybe they should just go eat now. Grandpa looks in his wallet and finds a 50 peso note, which at this moment converts to $4.92 in US money. (Google 50 MXN in USD to get a timely conversion.) I don't know much about restaurant prices in Mexico, but something tells me they'd better find a place that doesn't charge extra for sharing.

Feo recalls Anselmo and later Rosa telling him that Luisito is his child, so he gets out of Gabi's bed in the wee hours of the morning to watch the boy sleep at Grandpa's cottage (it looks like Rosario is staying with him). Feo muses that even though he's his own flesh and blood, he doesn't feel anything for him.

Wait - it's not even dawn yet in Serdan, yet the gang at the hospital is going out for a big mole feast?

Juan watches Sofi sleep and thinks about how a child is the greatest blessing any human being can have, etc. etc. The child will totally change his life. A child is the face of love! Etc.

We're not having our mole yet. Grandpa is telling Tadeo how Feo tricked him out of all his money and property, and Gabi supported Feo. Tadeo doesn't seem surprised and says Feo is capable of anything, but Gabi mustn't go against her own blood.

Grandpa says that's not even the worst of it - but Eva cuts him off before he can tell Tadeo about the wedding bells. She tells him that Gabi tracked her down just to let her know that Rosario isn't her child, and then Eva told that to Sofi, and then Sofi immediately took off for the hacienda. Therefore, she feels guilty. Grandpa also thinks it's impossible that Sofi could have fallen down some stairs she's used all her life (I'm here to tell you it can be done).

From the look on Tadeo's face, Eva and Grandpa realize he knows something. They goad it out of him. He swears them to silence and reveals that Gabi screamed at Sofi that she wasn't her mother. (The look on Eva's face is priceless... actually, it's kind of neutral but I'm going to say it is because it should be.)

Sofía wakes up. Juan tells her the baby's safe. They pray their thanks. "Our love is strong enough to save our child," Sofía sighs.

Next time:
Eva's ready to claim another daughter.
Gabi puts on a white outfit and turns into Bridezilla.
Feo acts like a jerk.

Labels: Fuego

I'm filling in for Ferro tonight. He's got a meeting and I have a phone conference to handle....so this is just on one viewing...feel free to add and correct as you see fit, amigas y amigos. Gotta say though, I love this new Lorena...plenty of spunk and then some. Bring it on!

Rehash: Sister is visiting Chef Hawt and she's liking the new , improved Ernesto as well. I'm thankful to whoever has softened your heart, she adds, as she bites into one of Lorena's muffins. And then the scene switches to our villaness Sara, smooching with Alonso while also relishing her new car. Lorena and Maruja see them outside the movies. Maruja suggests going to a different theatre but plucky Lorena sucks it up and says she'll stay. And, as it turns out, Sara has thought of a better way to celebrate her new wheels than seeing a movie and off she goes with Dr. 'Slow to a big seduction scene, complete with jazzy music. (but that's later...hang on)



First...a non seduction scene with a miserable Rossy, sunburned to the max, and a confused and not very helpful Julian. He wants her to forget about the burn, get dressed and they can go out. After all, they can't just stay here cooped up....particularly if there's going to be no romance. Is that ALL you can think about!? screams Rossy. The evening isn't going well.

And outside the theatre a worried Maruja asks Lorena is she's feeling alright. Lorena admits it was tough, but things are what they are, and seeing Sara kiss Alonso just makes it even clearer that she must forget him. (of course we know this won't happen but still...)

Julian's gone out to get something to make Rossy feel better and suddenly realizes he's been robbed. (I assume Chalo did this, right? I was out of town last week but I seem to remember reading something like that.) He starts back to the hotel but suddenly two lovelies recognize him and insist he come over to meet their dad, who's a big fan.

Pops keeps asking Julian if he knows who he is and finally, with a few hints, Julian recognizes him as Ricardo Muño Galvo (I may have mangled that name, sorry) who was a soccer star in the 70's.

Woo woo....now we have the big seduction scene that was previewed...Sara slinking around in an off the shoulder white robe, flashing a leg and then pouncing on Alonso, flashing a lot more and heavy duty kissing ensues. I do like one-lipped kisses and this seems to be their style. And can't say that our good doctor put up any resistance whatsoever.

Lorena and Maruja are arriving home, chatting about the funny film they saw when they see Zulema waiting outside for them. Lorena is gracious in greeting her but then starts to leave, assuming she only wants to see Maruja. But no...Zulema wants to talk to them both.

And now here we are with our lovely couple "après l'amour" and Sara's mumbling on about not living with her parents anymore because Lorena has turned them against her. Alonso looks irritated. She quickly apologizes for bringing up Lorena's name. He's surprised that she can go back to live with her grandmother but she assures him she's forgiven everything and isn't living in the past. He's impressed with her noble heart. (Gag me with a spoon!) I know sex can make you stupid but really!

Okay...back to Zulema. She's finally getting a clue that Sara's a bad person but convinced it's because she hasn't had a chance to inculcate good values. They all agree that not only did Sara move in on Alonso, taking advantage of Chalo's lies ,but that she also convinced Zully to fire Lorena. The truth's out...at least partially. Lorena admits that even in the orphanage Sara was always ambitious and money was important to her. Maruja encourages Zulema to make every effort to "straighten Sara out" because a "madre es siempre una madre".

Now we see Sara flouncing in the mansion after her steamy session with Alonso. Hortensia is awaiting her and wanting to know where's she's been. She doesn't buy the coincidence that Sara is with Alonso just by chance, now that he's broken up with Lorena. I know you, Sara...you get what you want, when you want, gloats Hortensia. (Granny is obviously proud of Sara's ruthlessness...a chip off the old block!). And are you still friends with that "pelapapas".? No. She's a bad loser, I broke off our relationship. (Even better in Granny's eyes)

Scene change to Acapulco. Julian is four sheets to the wind and singing...badly. Chalo is watching gleefully from another table and finally oozes over to say hello. And of course plant his little seed of doubt about Julian's chances in further contests.."El plato a la boca a veces se cae la sopa" (many a slip twixt the cup and the lip).

A little montage showing the night has passed, day has dawned and Julian staggers in the room, massively hungover to a furious, calamine-lotioned Rossy. He sweetly tells her she looks like a clown and then passes out on the sofa.

Now we've got Diana, remembering Bruno's passionate (money-induced) kiss and saying to herself, Vasco doesn't deserve this. Phone rings and it's Vasco himself, telling her he misses her and why hasn't she come to visit. She pleads work and whatnot but promises to stop by soon. Diana doesn't miss having Sara around at all and both she and Vasco agree the harpy has no heart if she scoops up Lorena's ex the way she has.

Zulema is now lurking outside the mansion and intercepts a furious Sara in her hot new car, determined to straighten her out, per Maruja's instructions. Sara's having none of it, and besides, there's no time for this twaddle, she's invited her new beau over for dinner at abuela's house.

Fast switch to the lesser house where Omar and Diana muse over Zulema's strangeness lately and wonder where she is.

Well, Zully's still determined to get to Sara, this time following her right to the door and pounding on it. Hortensia arrives on the scene and orders her out. Zulema fires back with...You took my daughter away from me once and now you're doing it again!

Sara deftly turns everything around, putting Zulema in the wrong. You're always taking Lorena's side and turning against me. Her relationship with Alonso was over before I started going out with him. Get away, I don't want to see you again! (well at least that last part was sincere)

Upstairs Vasco and Jaime are having a little father-son chat about Sara, her new car, her raise in salary and her manipulation of everybody. Vasco thinks someone should put her in her place but Jaime advises him to not intervene.

Okay, enough of this. We see Lorena out in the street, deftly dodging cars and selling her muffins right and left. She's happily counting her wad of bills when a mugger assaults her and tries to steal her cash. Biff bam boom, she fights him off and when someone else comes up behind her she slugs him a good one too....and then realizes it's her prof Ernesto.

Whew, you've got quite a punch, he says, laughing...thank God you didn't kick me, I'd be in the hospital. He invites her out to eat and promises to buy the dozen and a half muffins she has left. What more could a girl want?

At Zully's house we have some wishful thinking going on. The reasoning goes thusly...we've got to go ahead with denouncing Hortensia and Jaime to the police. If we put them in jail, Sara will see that we're right and she'll stay with us. (ay yi yi, delusional thinking at its worst!) They have to pay, they conclude, but Zulema sadly tells Omar that Sara takes more after Hortensia than her own parents.

Hortensia is worried about Alonso coming to dinner, and whether or not he'll judge her, knowing Sara's background but the little villaness assures her there's no need to worry.

Doorbell rings, and a chippy Barbara goes to answer it, whining, All these servants in the house and no one to answer the door! It's Arturo, drooling at the sight of the mansion and all the fine furniture and looking forward to having something just like it. He's here for a meeting with Hortensia and Barb brushes him off with nary a kiss.

Now several brief scenes. First Maruja and Greta are at Valeria's house, having dropped by unexpectedly. I'll compress here and just add that first, when they ask for her, Valeria's kid says... But mom doesn't have any friends. Valeria arrives and they have a good time chatting until blondehartlotmotherinlaw shows up and snubs one and all. This leads to a lot of mother in law jokes including Valeria's "She's good people. Her only defect is she's breathing."

A mini scene with Don Toribio and Paula who is grumpy. Not sure of the significance of that.
And then a series of scenes with Bettina and her new flame, pretending to ignore each other and indulging in kid-type flirting (he bounces a basketball off her head at one point....cool!) and asking for her e-mail address. She tells him if he's smart enough he'll figure it out. He has her name, her address and her birth date....now go figure!

Hortensia, Jaime and Arturo are talking about the new project concerning a very important client. Arturo wants to get on it right away but Granny tells him to consult Jaime's projections.

Hmmmm.....here's what I've been waiting for. Lorena and Chef Hawt at the same table. They're jostling around trying to feel the terrain...is it friendship? mentoring?..something else? She's chiding him about his ogre-like demeanor. He protests that he's strict but fair. She mentions that he COULD be nicer when shazammm....it's another one of those discarded novias ready to cause a public scene.

You won't take my calls but you have time to eat with this little blonde, screams the discarded one. There's nothing between you and me, he snaps and whoosh, she throws a glass of wine in his face.

We break for an ad and then... Lord have mercy....our little Lorena gets in the act, saying nothing goes better with wine than pasta and dousing the intruder with both vino and noodles. Yowsa,. Ernesto tells the astonished waiter to put everything on his bill and then smilingly invites Lorena to be his bodyguard. (Mmmm...now that could help a girl forget her ex, doncha think?)

We're back at Evil Acres where Alonso is dining with Hortensia and Sara...a far more boring meal than the one we just saw. Jaime has decided to eat upstairs with Vasco, because he's uncomfortable with Sara and her new conquest. Barbara comes in and as usual, disagrees. Sara's an adult, she can do what she wants! Yes, but there are limits, replies Jaime.

Now at the lesser house, a chippy little lawyer is reluctantly agreeing to represent Zulema and Omar against Hortensia although it's obvious he thinks it's a bad idea and a difficult case, especially since it involves family members.

And in Acapulco, things still aren't going well. A famished Rossy has ordered room service, complete with lobster, not realizing Julian doesn't have a centavo. He says he was robbed, she thinks he's spent it all on booze and women.

And speaking of women, Big Sis is visiting Ernesto again, teasing him about his womanizing ways. She's heading a new campaign for a perfume for men....seductors to be exact...and that leads her to ask Ernesto why he's such a "mujeriego". She realizes that there could be many reason. That's right, quips Ernesto, we're not robots. But he hedges when she asks him directly....what made you this way? (Guess we'll have to wait to find out.)

Rossy now arrives home, leaving Julian to explain why he can't pay the dinner bill. Maruja is horrified and heads off immediately to try and rescue Julian, leaving Rossy crying to Lorena that it's more like Julian's her kid rather than Rossy.

Evidently smarmy little Chalo is also back from Acapulco and is groping Sara and her new car simultanously. Who'd you sell your soul to? he asks...and then gets into drive the snazzy vehicle. She wants him to at least open the door for her; he laughs and says, use your little mitts, "mi reina". They start smooching in the car and we see the hands of someone else on a steering wheel, obviously watching them. Could it be Alonso? Could it?

Of course there's an ad at this pivotal point. And when we come back, it's to Lorena and Rossy. Lorena's patting her down with gobs of calamine lotion and blowing on her skin to try and cool it. Rossy's more interested in getting the hot details of her luncheon with Ernesto. Doesn't he turn you on a little? Rossy asks.

Now another hot scene...hot in the angry sense. Monica is incensed over the budget Ernesto is demanding for the kitchen and staff. If she doesn't like it, he'll quit. Dad arrives and intervenes...yes, it's a lot...but give it to him. She won't have it! So Ernesto suggests that she could quit! Hey, that's my princess, says Dad, after Monica flounces out. But he and Ernesto are obviously happy with the agreement.

Now back to Sara and Chalo and the yummy car. He wants to go to Cuernavaca. She nixes that but is happy to get into some steamy smooching with him.

And our observer?....none other than Arturo. Grinning like a jackal and musing, Who could have guessed? You have a lover too.

The End....but for once, the previews look good. Arturo has snapped a picture with her cell phone and now he has the goods on our witch. Let's see how he uses it.

Labels: enemiga

Ruth forgets her dream and no one guesses that instead of protecting her evil husband and his psychopathic lover, Grabi might be being threatened by them. Then Los Reyes and their wives/girls make the situation worse by deciding to leave Grabi to her own devices. Meanwhile poor Grabi has to try and keep Don Martín from provoking Feonando.

I guess they've finally run out of bedrooms at the Hacienda because Sarita and Ruth have to share a room.

Labels: gavilanes

Good evening Guapistas. Welcome to a hopefully drama-filled episode where at least one thing gets resolved…or maybe that's too much to ask yet :)

The review of last night is pretty short: Sor Catalina is ready to bury her parents' ashes, aka, the place where Macarena's money is probably hidden and Madre Superior is dying.

Mili and Rocky come home. Rocky confirms with Mili that he won't say anything to Valeria. As he goes upstairs, Alejandro comes in. Mili asks how it's going with Floreenda and tells him that Hugo won't give her a divorce. Instead of consulting a lawyer, she wants to give him time to change his mind, since she's treated him so badly. *sigh* Self-flagellation isn't a pretty trait in anyone, St. Mili.

Gloria and Lina review the love spell. They have to get a picture of Chamuco. No problem, right? Well, Gloria left out the part where she has to put the pictures together at the hour of Jupiter of Venus with the sign of Leo ascending and when the moon is in Leo with a benefic aspect in Venus OR when the ruler of the seventh house forms a triangle with the ruler of the first house. Lina tells her she's nuts. What's the big deal? That's probably next Tuesday, right? No problem! Mili comes in, but won't tell the girls what's going on. Lina offends her by saying that Gloria's gone more nutty than that fruitcake Luciana. Mili gets defensive and says Luci's not crazy, startling Lina.

Valeria and Rocky smooch in her bedroom. She wonders why he looks tired, but then gets distracted by telling him she's been looking at wedding dresses, with Braulio's help. Rocky doesn't get excited about the picture she shows him. She asks again what's wrong, but he just hugs her and says everything will be fine.

Ramses comes to visit Constancio in his office. *sigh* Constancio never learns. He offers Ramses a drink and Ramses asks for some fancy spring water. Since Constancio makes a face, he says to forget it. He declines Constancio's offer of a cognac, too. Constancio makes him an offer he can't refuse…but wait, first he wants to get to know Ramses. Ramses says that he's only a model for now. When his dad, Seti I dies, he'll take over all of Egypt. Er, that is to say, the family business. Constancio offers him an opportunity to get experience in the business world. He says he needs a personal assistant and he'd be willing to pay a good salary. He promises Ramses won't be locked up in the office, he'll be working out of Casa Belmonte, where he can hang out by the pool all day scoping out Valeria. Ramses needs to think about it. Oh, honey, don't strain those two remaining brain cells--you might need them later!

At Club Macarena the lady herself, in a blue bustier, sings yet another sad love song. What happened to the red dresses? I liked the red dresses. The crowd doesn't seem to mind. Hot damn, Sheyla's got some pipes! Liz Torres gave an interview once talking about how a big body gives you a nice strong base from which to sing out. Macarena doesn't have quite enough of a base, however, to withstand the arrival of Mono Salazar! In the words of Gloria--"achis, achis!" She calls "Monito?" into the mic. She tells her bouncer to call the cops because he's here to kill her. He comes up on stage and she threatens him with the mic. They both do that heavy breathing thing that usually ends up in rabid face-sucking.

Lina apologizes for what she said about Luciana. Mili says she's just tired, is all, and they'll see each other tomorrow. La Floreenda Esa comes in, requesting an audience. Mili's on the defensive. Florencia just gently corrects Mili that her name is "Florencia" not "Floreenda." Mili doesn't back down, though. Flor says Alejandro loves Mili and always will. She's tried to get Mili out of his heart, but three years out of Mexico and a nameless baby girl haven't done it. Um, maybe if she'd actually named the baby? She says that Alejandro loves her more than ever now and she's tired of fighting a losing battle. She says she took Alejandro from Mili and now she's giving him back. Nu-uh, there's no takebacks! I mean, way to treat a man like a piece of meat. Now Mili's the one staring, with a slightly heaving bosom. But I don't think the script is going in that direction. Commercials. Florencia says "he's all yours now" and Mili gets offended at her talking about Alejandro like a pair of shoes…hm, but what kind of shoes would he be? Mili says "he's always been mine, you just didn't want to accept it." Mili's pissed that Flor is doing this now instead of doing it earlier. Flor doesn't even know if she loves him anymore, but Mili and Alejandro do love each other. She's tired of coming last on the list. She wants to be the only woman in some man's life. I'm not Flor's biggest fan, but Mili just keeps being nasty, asking why, etc….just let it go, girl. Let the crazy lady feel like she's being generous and then go get your divorce and live happily ever after with Blondie. Flor says she knows she got what she deserved and she's sorry that she never realized that Mili was innocent. She's going to leave and take the baby with her. Um, yeah, I don't think Mili's going to go for that.

Ramses is intrigued by Constancio's proposal, but he's not sure. Constancio sells it--flexibility, pay, time to keep being a model. Constancio says his job description is to keep his schedule, remind him of appointments, type some letters, go to some business dinners, go to social events…oh, Ramses likes that last bit. He confirms that he can use the pool and tan whenever he wants to, but he's also worried that Valeria won't like it. Constancio makes like a rug and says it was Valeria's idea. Ramses thinks if he takes the job he can convince his dad that he's responsible. He accepts the job. Loser.

Bodies are flying at Club Macarena. Mono is laying waste to anyone who gets between him and Macarena. She's behind the bar throwing anything breakable she can find at him. He complains that she took his money and betrayed him. She denies having the money and points out that if she did have it, she wouldn't be singing in a filthy rat-hole of a place, wearing such a skanky outfit. That's what she means, anyway. Although, I don't think the outfit's so bad…I just didn't like the color. They both get a little teary. Mono kneels on the floor and cries for his money. He sobs about how he still remembers her body and she's his goddess. Aw, see, Mono really is a sensitive man after all. Macarena makes him look her in the face and tell her again. He complains about the skankyness of the outfit, but she apparently doesn't like it either. What, would she rather be wearing a muumuu? They hug and cry. She actually looks like a tiny woman next to him. He says he was dying without her. She kisses him and the bouncer comes up and tries to bust it up, but Macarena has to explain that it's all good. Bouncer guy goes away and they hug and kiss some more.

Mili cries to Flor about taking the baby away from Alejandro. Flor just calmly explains that the law will give her the baby. She says that's the price for Alejandro getting rid of her. Mili's upset about her talking about the baby like she's something on sale at the grocery store. Flor says she's said all she wanted to say and walks out. Mili seethes.

Gloria tries to talk to Chamuco. She compliments his produce. No, that's not a euphemism. Socorro asks him for a joke, but he's not in the mood. Chamuco asks if she's heard the one about the girl who told the guy she was pregnant when she wasn't. Heh. Lina comes in with her camera, asking Socorro to pose. Then she tries to get a shot of Chamuco, but he refuses, saying he's all dirty and no wonder girls laugh at him. They all talk him into it and Lina gets her shot. He makes a joke about them using the picture for "brujeria." Now, the literal translation is "witchcraft", however the two words aren't necessarily interchangeable, as both words have multiple meanings and he's probably referring to traditional folk magic that's more common in Mexico rather than a more organized set of beliefs and practices originating from European traditions, i.e., Wicca. Anyway, Chamuco leaves and Gloria crows about having what she needs for the spell. Socorro advises her to wait before taking the film to get developed rather than leaving right on his heels, that way he won't suspect.

Back at Club Macarena, Macarena disappoints me greatly by wearing a muumu. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. At least her voice hasn't suffered with the wardrobe change. Oh, oh, oh! Mono's singing with her. He's not that great, but I'm enjoying the moment. Wow, she's really short. They sing a song about waiting for each other. The bouncer applauds, but he seems to be the only one left. Macarena tells him to come take the microphones. Mono pulls out a chair for her so they can sit at a table together. He says he hasn't had a woman the whole time he's been locked up…until last night. Oh, I see, that's why she's so happy. Uh, and also that now it's the day after. Mono asks about the money. Macarena says she didn't know what to do when he got caught, so she put the money in with her parents' ashes. Ding, ding, ding! Score a point for all of us who saw that coming. She says she had to roll the bills up tight, but they fit. The problem is, only her sister Catalina knows where the ashes are.

Sor Catalina puts dad's ashes, then mom's, into a crypt. An nice young man puts the door on. Padre Manuel says it's better this way and he'll have a plaque put up with their names on it. Sor Cachete encourages Madre Superior to talk to Padre Manuel right there and now. MS is pissed off.

Mono is surprised to hear that Macarena has a twin. Macarena says she's only had one lead, but the guy took off. Mono guesses it was Damian and remembers that Damian said she was a nun. He's going to go get the info from Damian. Macarena thinks it's funny her sister became a nun and she's glad that now Mono knows she didn't betray him. She says she's happy he's out now, so she can eat him all up. Mono asks if that's just a saying, but she denies it.

Gloria is wrapping up the pictures of her and Chamuco with an entire roll of red ribbon. At that rate, they'll not only end up back together, but married and popping out a kid every nine or ten months. She reminds Socorro and Lina that they have to wait for the hour of Jupiter or Venus, etc. but she forgets the rest. Socorro and Lina both think she's nuts. Socorro jokes that they should call information and ask about the hour.

Valeria finds Ramses sunning by the pool. He tells her he's working for her dad. She doesn't believe it. He says he's daddy's new personal assistant. Valeria says she's going to go clear this up right away.

Bobby and Rocky are decorating the new office. Some moving guys come in with a desk. Rocky jokes about having a hot secretary. Now he wants his name in much bigger letters on the door. Bobby turns the sign around and sees that it says "Ricardo "Rocky" Juarez, Director of Projects and Only Love of Valeria." Well, you've gotta give him points for enthusiasm. Bobby's not feeling it. He says Rocky can't hang it. Rocky's also made one for Bobby: "Bobby Senderos, Vice President and Lina's Main Man". Do I even want to know what Alejandro's says? Bobby doesn't like this sign either and says it's not professional. Bobby vetoes getting a look at Alejandro's. Awwwww. Bobby has to explain about professionalism. The Cliffs Notes version, of course. Rocky lets slip that he's meeting Mili to go somewhere, but covers before he says it's "To visit my future mother-in-law in the hospital where she's detoxing." He leaves and Bobby hides the signs behind a painting.

Valeria comes in, in a robe, to chew out her dad. Um, you might have more of an impact if you got fully dressed first. I'm just saying. She complains that he's never needed a personal assistant before. He tells her she's being capricious and it'll pass. He says he's giving Ramses the opportunity to learn about business and reminds her that he no longer has Bobby and Alejandro to publicly humiliate. Valeria still insists that he fire Ramses. Constancio says he can't and he can't send him to the office either. Valeria accuses him of doing it so she has problems with Rocky. Constancio plays dumb. Valeria finally insists that Ramses be told not to come near her.

Alejandro comes downstairs and runs into Mili, who is off to visit Luciana, but lies and says she's going to visit Sor Cachete. She asks where Florencia is and Alejandro says she didn't come home last night and left him a message that she and the baby are at Marisela's apartment. Mili breaks it to him that Florencia is going to leave him and is going to take the baby with her. Mili begs him to go after her and not let her take the baby away from him. Alejandro is impactado.

Braulio can't resist the sight of a shirtless Ramses and comes over to chat about skin care. And ogle his chest. Ramses announces that he's the new personal assistant of Constancio. Braulio flirts with an oblivious Ramses. Valeria comes back, throws a towel at Ramses and tells him to go do some work. She wants to tan and he's in her spot. Ramses says she's afraid that the chauffeur will get mad. Valeria says that he's not a chauffeur anymore (no more uniform?) and that he's just gone into business with her brother. Ramses seems slightly surprised, but his face doesn't really move, what with all that Botox he's probably already had.

Alejandro calls Marisela's apartment and asks to talk to Florencia, but Florencia won't talk to him. Gloria comes up to ask Alejandro about finding the right hour for the spell. I hate to break it to Gloria, but what she's looking for is going to take some math. Alejandro finally says that he knows what the hour is…it's the hour to run away! And he does. Gloria pouts.

The Doc breaks it to Mili and Rocky that Luci is doing better, but is still detoxing. She's back to her old, crabby self. He still thinks it's best not to tell the family until she's better. He won't let Mili in to see her, even though she begs. A nurse comes looking for him. Mili decides she's sneaking in. Luciana's tied down, begging for a drink. She's still got a nasty black eye. She asks for drinks and mutters about some barking dogs and then orders everyone out before asking for more alcohol again. Mili gives a desperate, fast-talking pep talk. Luciana takes the opportunity to insult Mili some more and tell her she'll end up alone, just like her mother. Then she goes back to screaming about the worms that are eating her from the inside. The doctor comes in to hustle Mili out of the room and say "I told you so!" Meanwhile Luci says she's thirsty and asks whoever she's seeing not to take the bottle.

Alejandro goes over to Marisela's apartment, but she tries to say that Flor isn't there. Flor finally comes out of the bedroom and tells Alejandro to go see the baby. She says she's confused and being with Rigoberto is making her question who she should be with. She tells him if she leaves, she's taking the baby with her and asks him what she should do.

Monday: Ramses gets on Rocky and Valeria's nerves, Flor and Alejandro have words, and we are promised big stuff happening as we are in Ultimas Semanas.

Labels: guapos

As for Sofia, from the moment she was taken to the clinic to rest she has had nothing but one visitor after another upsetting her about one thing or another. Now she has Augie looking glum and Sarita sighing and pacing the room all the while telling her to relax and that the baby is going to be fine. Sofia (I wonder how) senses they’re lying and says they must know something they’ve been trying to hide from her. She wants the truth about what the specialist has told them. Augie tells her “Don’t worry. Calm yourself. Be strong. You will probably lose your baby--but calm down and things should be fine.” Sofia of course is now anything but calm and relaxed. She immediately begins to thrash from side to side, wailing and moaning and pleading desperately for God and the virgencita to save her child. So much for all the lip service about rest and repose.

In Franco’s room across the hall the doctor tells Juan, Oscar and Pedro that he’s leaving them alone with Franco as long as they remember not to disturb or upset Franco. (Dunno, does this include shaking his bed so hard Franco nearly falls off the mattress? Juan wasn’t quite clear on that the last time he was in there with the comatose Franco.) Juan and the other two are excited at the fact he’s beginning to come out of his coma bit by bit. They act like the rubes they are, monkeying around, laughing and shaking Franco’s oxygen tent trying to get him to wake up and finally start speaking again. (I guess Juan gave up on shaking the bed.) Franco raises all his fingers and half of his hand in a subconscious response. They cheer.

Meanwhile, Sofia bravely asks Sarita and Augie not to tell Juan she now knows the baby is in danger of being lost. She thinks he feels bad enough and she doesn’t want to destroy his hope of being strong and encouraging for her sake. (I’ve stocked up on Kleenex cuz it’s obviously going to be another one of those episodios.) Sarita and Augie promise not to say a word to him about it.

Padre Tadeo returns and Quintina tells him that the specialist has confirmed Sofia may lose the baby. She adds that the one bright spot in the middle of this dark tragedy is that Franco is beginning to regain consciousness.
===========

Speaking of dark tragedies, Jimena returns to the hacienda with Fernando and Mama. Mama tells her she’s glad she chose her over Oscar because she, the presumptuous self-centered witch, needs her more than he does. Jimena looks anything but happy with her decision. Just then Fatima hands Fernando an envelope. It has the results of Gabi’s medical tests. Fernando tells Gabi that it seems she is worse off than they thought. Gabi is impactada and has to lean against the railing. He hugs and comforts his shocked MIL and turns to Jimena, asking her if she realizes how right her choice to return was since now her mother needs her more than ever. Jimena guiltily runs over to Gabi to give her a big hug, but her mama’s only thought is for Feo. Gabi holds out her free hand behind Jimena’s back and stares at him like a doomed lover.

Back at the clinic in Rosario’s room, Rosario and Eva are discussing Gabi’s last conversation with Eva. Rosario finds out that Gabi told Eva she really wasn’t Rosario’s mother. Rosario mentions that Ofelia never thought she was either. The two decide they feel like mother and daughter and that’s enough for them. They hug. “Mami.” “Little Daughter.”

In Gabriela’s bedroom, Jimena is plumping up Gabi’s pillow. Gabi is complaining that she can’t possibly be as sick as the tests say she is (but we can certainly all hope). Jimena tries to calm her down by saying she’ll be fine with the proper treatment. Our favorite harpy can only scream at Jimena that no, all she needs is to be left to live in peace! Immediately, though, she changes her tone and begins to whimper. She says she is surprised that Jimena, as rebellious as Sofia, actually chose her over that Oscar. Not to worry, though, Jimena will soon forget that filthy vulgar person. Jimena stares at her, helpless to do anything but listen to cruel and selfish outbursts.

Meanwhile at the clinic, Oscar tells Juan that Jimena preferred her mother over him and he’s moving back home. He is upset that he couldn’t please the old bag but he’d had his fill of her humiliating him constantly. To think , he says, he used to dream of being a hacienda owner. How idiotic! The most painful thing though, he adds, is that he’s had to leave his Jimena because in the end she refused to leave with him. They agree that love can really hurt at times.

Finally Sofia gets a little down-time. Alone in her hospital room she remembers her mother’s shocking confession that Sofia was actually Eva’s daughter; then Gabi’s bedside retraction and her begging Sofia to be forgiven. “I only told you that because of your rebelliousness; it was just the first thing that entered my mind to say. Please, please forgive me, Sofia! I really am your mother!” Sofia wonders which is the lie and which is the truth. (I’m secretly hoping there is a special place in Hell for people like Gabriela.)

Out in the patio area Pedro and Sarita discuss Franco’s progress. He asks her if now that he’s regaining consciousness she will be leaving the convent. Sarita’s expression suddenly turns stern and the prude in her sourly says she is determined to enter the novitiate. Nobody and nothing will ever get her to change her mind. (Sounds like she’s trying to convince herself right alongside everybody else, God included.) Pedro, still hoping for a chance to dazzle her with his own charismatic self, is bummed to hear it.

Now Padre Tadeo is visiting with Sofia. He tells her that it pains him to hear that Gabriela has lost her sense of morality. (By now this should not be quite such a revelation, Tadeo.) Sofia says she doesn’t know what to believe about who her actual mother is. Tadeo says he’s a witness to her having followed the commandment about honoring one’s parents, so right now all she must do is worry about the baby.

Back at the Hacienda de los Horrible, Gabi is in her room painting another one of her “Night Gallery” entries ( http://www.nightgallery.net/episodes.html ) while gloating to Feo over her little staged scene of “repentance” at Sofia’s bedside. She oh-so-gleefully describes how she begged Sofia to forgive her and the way the overly-gullible Sofia naturally bought it hook, line and sinker. Fernando holds back a minute then asks her when she is going to tell him who Eva’s daughter really is. She only giggles and teases with, “at the right moment,” before girlishly flitting back to her aghast-erpiece. (Ok. Ok. I’m making a special effort here not to throw my shoe at my TV. I’m biting my tongue and squeezing back a scrrreeam of gutter frustration with my couch pillow. --I need a shot of reposado and fast!) Fer decides to take a different tack and tries his own brand of emotional blackmail on the Widow Elizondo.

Fernando grabs Gabi in a big show of sexual desire (all done in silhouette behind the canvas) and then suddenly breaks away from her with impeccable timing. He complains she still doesn’t trust him and he is so upset at her that he feels like leaving immediately and never coming back. Gabi is negatively impactada and begins her signature mewling and whimpering. She begs him never to go. She covers his two faces with incessant kisses and says she doesn’t care if everybody else leaves her but not him. Please, not him! Just then they’re interrupted by a knock at the door. It’s Fatima with the news that there’s a visitor downstairs who says he’s a friend of Don Fernando’s. Fatima seems rather nervous and uncomfortable when she enters and looks at the two of them together there, but it’s not clear if it’s because she notices the collar of Gabi’s blouse is untied.

Back in the waiting room of the clinic Juan is encouraging Oscar to stay and fight for Jimena. He shouldn’t give up on their love, he tells Oscar. They tried to break up Sofia and him, he says, but they couldn’t do it because they had a real love.

At the hacienda it turns out that El Coyote is the unexpected visitor. He’s come to Gabi’s home with the intention of convincing her hacienda to participate in the Chili Pepper Festival, a longtime tradition, he explains (which Gabi, having lived there for the last two and a half decades, should know about by now); he is inviting them to try for the cash prize at the rodeo at his boss’s hacienda.

As El Coyote drives off he’s thinking Fernando will manage to convince Doña Gabriela to agree to the contest since Fernando is drawn by the smell of the money he could win there, and Gabi does promise Feo to think seriously about their entering.

At the little clinic Oscar is still talking to Juan about his problems living with Jimena’s mama (definitely a barking bitch desperately needing a muzzle). He tells Juan that he saw Gabriela and Fernando kissing. He knows they are lovers because he saw them kissing each other with his own eyes. They’ve been trying to hide it but it was obvious from their movements and their [beady] little eyes. Juan is impactado from this smarmy revelation and he advises Oscar that they shouldn’t tell anybody that they know about this. Oscar says for sure he’ll keep quiet about it, particularly when it concerns Jimena or her sisters. Juan smiles as he mulls over the possibilities. “This is a powerful weapon we can use if they meddle with any of the Reyes’s. We are going to put them in their place!” (High five for Oscar!)

Juan returns to Sofia’s room a bit later and urges her to cheer up. He assures her he will always be there for her and together they will overcome whatever happens. She thanks him for his love (sensual bread-making lessons being the added bonus here) and his support. She reminds him (and us for the umpteenth time) that it is only with him that she feels wholly protected and loved. He mentions then that the good news is that Franco is beginning to recover, and they both agree everything will be just as great as before, if not better, while both purposely avoid discussing any possibility of her losing the baby.

While Crabiela goes off for her beauty rest, Feo sneaks over to Raquel’s place to do some fast talking about why he felt he was forced to return to live with Gabriela as her lap-dance dog. Fer has the gigolo’s jig down to perfection; he swears to Raqui that he only went back to live with Gabi because he has no money to live on his own. Raqui calls his bluff and offers him whatever amount he feels he needs to make himself financially “independent” of her rival. She takes out her checkbook and says she will write him a check on the spot, but being a betting man he doesn’t accept it. It would seem he feels his odds are better off with his mitts on the Widow Elizondo’s fortune rather than messing around with a rich man’s wife, and he leaves.
==========

At the same time Oscar has returned to the hacienda and is in Jimena’s room stuffing his things into his drawstring bag. He sniffs at her heart pillow and tearfully draws in her essence, thinking of the way it could have and should have been between them. Suddenly Jimena comes in. She is surprised and overjoyed that he has returned to her. No, he says, he’s leaving her forever and doesn’t want to burden her any longer. She begs for him not to leave her. She loves him soooo much. He cannot leave her. Please don’t leave her. They hug. He breaks down and begs her to leave with him and to come live with him at Juan’s cozy, love-filled digs. She cannot, alas, because today the results came back from her mama’s tests and they confirm she’s very ill.

Oscar tells Jimena that he loves her too, but he doesn’t want to pressure her so he’s giving her back her freedom and says she should stay there with her mother. He picks up his bag and gets ready to leave. Suddenly Jimena decides she’ll leave with him. He’s elated to hear this and says they can go anywhere she wants, his place or anywhere. Let’s go! Just then Mama appears out of nowhere and angrily demands to know just where they think they are going.

Mama immediately marches Oscar downstairs to her office (Bad Boy! Baaad Boy!) She shuts the door and unloads with a slap upside his head. Oscar takes the first blow and stays quiet. “If you decided to leave then do it alone! Jimena’s not moving from here!” she screams at him. She tries for a second swipe at him but he blocks her. “Jimena is my wife and she is leaving with me! Got it?” He throws her off him and she regains her balance. “We’ll see about that!” she yells back at him and goes to her desk, grabs her gun out of the drawer, and points it at him. “If you’re going, do it alone. Otherwise they’ll be taking you out of here feet first!” It is a momentary checkmate for Oscar.

Back at the hospital Sofia begins getting strong pains in her belly. After taking what seems forever for Juan to figure out he’s got to go for the doctor he leaves. Sofia begs the virgencita to save her baby.

We beam back to Gabi and Oscar in the office at the hacienda. Oscar dares Gabriela to pull the trigger. “Come on, right here in the heart. Just realize that even dead I won’t stop loving your daughter.” Feo enters after hearing the commotion and asks what’s going on. “This damned loser wants to take Jimena off with him, but I’m not going to allow it!” Gabi explains. Fernando tells her not to involve herself. “This trash isn’t worth you dirtying your hands over.” Oscar answers the insult. “There is just no doubt you are just alike. The perversity you share makes you find each other and… to mate with each other.” Fernando growls and sneers, “What are you talking about, you miserable bastard?” “—Just what you heard, ‘Boss’, so don’t pretend.” Still aiming the gun at him Gabi snipes back, “Don’t you talk about Fernando that way. You don’t compare with him. Next to him you are worthless!”

Oscar agrees he does not then says anyway, he does understand. She has to defend him, since, well, it can’t be otherwise. “You have to defend a son-in-law,” he says, “or rather, a better way of putting it, your lover.” Both are impactado because they know they’ve just been BUSTED! Fernando starts to lunge at Oscar, but thinks better of it. Oscar looks at him with fained innocence and there is now a twinkle in his eye. “Sorry, ‘Boss’, but well, I saw you two kissing in a way…well, that just wasn’t the way a mother-in-law and a son-in-law do. So, well then, how do you talk to me about morality if YOU are trash, ‘Boss’? You are lovers. You …are… lovers.“
=============

Meanwhile, back in town at the clinic, the doctor examines Sofia. We suffer another time warp disorientation as the doctor checks the readings off his monitoring equipment and tells them the obvious, one more time, only this time it’s with feeling: the baby’s life is in danger, serious danger. Sofia and Juan share a look of extreme angst as the doctor’s words literally boomerang around the room. “It’s most likely that she’ll lose it,” he adds. Sofia urgently needs to be transferred to Puebla City to the hospital there where they can operate. The two of them begin to wail and moan, panicked, that they can’t lose the baby, not their baby! They look toward the statue of the virgencita (which looks ominously black and from this angle like it’s got its back to them and is not currently receiving prayers). Despite the fact that all that they can do is to wait for nature to take its course, Juan encourages her not to give in. “Fight for him!” says Juan. “Fight and don’t give in!”

Back again in Gabriela’s office, Oscar apologizes for offending Feo and her, but well, the two of them are always criticizing and offending others and it just seems to him that it’s a bit of the kettle calling the pot black. He quotes (appropriately enough, from Matthew) “You see straw in another’s eye but not the stick in your own,” then makes it clear to them that Jimena is his wife and that nobody will prevent him from taking her with him. He guarantees them that although he knows the truth he will not tell Jimena to avoid seeing her suffer and because he loves her.

“So do we have an understanding?” Oscar asks them. Gabriela has no other option but to resign herself to the situation. She puts down the gun and they follow Oscar out into the hallway where Jimena appears with her suitcase. She tells them she’s leaving with her husband. Gabi want’s to know if she is sure about this, but Jimena says it’s her obligation to follow the man she loves. Mama warns her she’ll regret going off to live in a pigsty and abandoning all the luxuries she’s accustomed to, and besides, she doesn’t do “work”. Oscar corrects Gabi and says that Jimena is not going to work. Gabi says well, she is used to living like decent people.

Finally Gabi has had enough and shoos the two of them off saying she’s certain Jimena will be back in no time. When Jimena comes to give her mama a kiss good-bye, Gabi (I guess the writers were still in the Easter Story mode here) screams “Judas” at her. (Could they be any more conspicuous with this script?)

Back in town, as the ambulance arrives for Sofia, everyone there is suffering a crisis of faith. As the attendants rush to wheel her out, despite its being an emergency, everybody but everybody stops her and wishes her well, and she is listening to and thanking each and every single solitary one of them. She even takes time to have Padre Tadeo say a blessing over her. Finally Juan and the doctor appear and scream for everybody to let them get rolling already.

As the ambulance races off with Sofia, Sarita turns to the image of the virgencita in the garden and silently prays. Pedro taps her on the shoulder, crosses himself, and prays alongside her.
=========

Across town, Oscar carries Jimena over the threshold to his overly humble abode. He promises that here she will find happiness and love despite the small size. (I say sure, until she wrecks her nails the first time she does dishes and gets blisters on her hands from scrubbing the floors. Dunno, maybe he figures that Sofia and Quintina are there and will do it for her.) They end up in Oscar’s bedroom doing what newlyweds normally do.

In Puebla City Sofia’s doctor has to literally block and tackle dufus Juan to keep him from pushing all the way through to the operating room just to be with his Sofia. Eventually he finds his way to the waiting room and paces seemingly hours, waiting for word on Sofia and the baby.

Back at Reyes Central, Quintina and Pablito accidentally barge in on Jimena and Oscar still nekkid in bed. Quintina asks why he didn’t put a “Do not disturb” sign on the door or, “Oscar Working” or even, “Danger, High Temperatures.” (I figure a simple lock on the door would do.) He tells them it’s his house and his room, so knock next time. (Is that a sock and a boot-top I see on the otherwise nekkid Oscar in that scene? Damn, what kind of contortion act was it to get out of those tight jeans with his boots still on? On the other hand, maybe Jimena likes it with his boots and socks on –just sayin’.) Before popping back out, Quintina informs Oscar that Sofia was rushed to the hospital in Puebla City in an ambulance.

Jimena and Oscar now race off to the hospital where Juan is still pacing. Juan tells them about possibly losing the baby and says he’s frightened he may lose both the baby and Sofia. Oscar encourages him to stay strong for Sofia’s sake.

Gabi and Fernando are back in her office mulling over what happened earlier in the day. Feo tells her to stop moping around about Jimena’s having left. “Remember that before all this we were thinking that it was better to stay here alone.” Gabi says that she needs someone there to take care of her now that she is sick. (Ever heard of a live-in nurse?) Feo gallantly says he will be there for her but Gabi says nothin’ doin’. That’s impossible after what Oscar told them now, that he knows about their relationship. Gabi figures that Fernando will have to leave the hacienda since people will gossip about them. Fernando wonders if she’s throwing him out again, but Gabi says no. However he cannot stay there any longer. Feo says, well then, if she is worried what people will say, then they will just keep people’s mouths shut the best way possible. They’ll get married. (I think that means that Sofia will finally get her divorce, if not a full out annulment, by default.) Gabi is thrilled to hear him say the magic words: “Do you want to marry me, Gabriela?”

Labels: Fuego

With voice failing and eyes tearing up, Lorena recounts for Ernesto and the class how she learned to cook the dish she’s demonstrating (they made hundreds). She never refers to the orphanage clearly, but talks about growing up and learning to cook. She tells how her best friend, Sara hung out in the kitchen and ran to the oven to be the first to eat the warm empanadas, then saved some for night so they wouldn’t be hungry. [Ed. Note: Yum. Had my first one in Watertown, MA in April. Highly recommend them!] Lorena chokes on Sara’s name. Paty is mesmerized at the breakdown and Ern steps waaaaay out of character and comes around to gently take her shoulders as she breaks down crying. He asks her “what’s wrong?” and tells Paty to take her out and get some air. Some witchy chica complains that there are folks who’ll do anything to get attention. Ern chides her to be respectful. He looks back at the direction Lorena disappeared with concern.

Bruno tries to talk his way out of the doghouse with Alonso, looking surprisingly convincing with his “apologies.” He wants Al to tell Sara to tell Diana he’s really sorry and Di should marry him. If it goes like the telephone game we played as kids, by the time Di gets the info she’ll think Bruno wants her to disappear into the Amazon jungle. (Maybe someone should just tell him to do that and save time). Al’s not so sure it would work anyway, it’s just a tad late in coming, and it’s up to Diana. What’s more, he doesn’t want to get involved. He tells Bruno not to do any more of his nonsense and he’s telling Bruno this in good faith. Bruno sighs and nods.

Lorena and Paty finally make it into the sunshine, so maybe she’ll settle down a little. Lore knows she messed up in there, making such a spectacle. Paty says she doesn’t think anyone’s going to think much of it and even the Ogre was concerned for her. Lorena says she was remembering times with Sara, but Paty thinks it’s more than that. Lore can tell her what happened if she wants and Lore spills her guts—“she betrayed me, in the most evil way.” (How can it be so evil? Two birds with one stone—Alonslow off the A list and Sara is out of your hair, Lore. Most of us think that’s a good day’s work, there. Git ‘r’ done!) The whole story comes out—we were sisters, she knew how much the break-up with Alonso hurt and now she’s with him. Lorena hasn’t been able to cry about it until right now. Paty gives great advice, IMO. “Give yourself the opportunity to FORGET it (sacarlo, tear it out of your mind). Lore can’t hate Sara even though she wants to—still, her heart is broken. Paty hugs her.

Apparently life is good other places. Acapulco is hopping and Paradise Exists! Julián is going to take Rossy to heaven (not if Maruja finds out, you aren’t). Wide-eyed Julián and Rossy have entered the building! They give the driver a great PDA (Public Display of Affection, prohibited per my High School Student Handbook just before the Dress Code), but all the driver really wants is a tip. Julián shakes his hand instead. Julián thought it was all expenses paid. Nope, not the tips. With that prompt, Julián gives the guy an insult - some minimal coin. He sighs and leaves Julián getting it on with Rossy in front of an audience—two muchachas recognize Julián from the program. Rossy spits nails while Julián beams and acknowledges it’s really him. Rossy tells them he really came to rest when they want to ask questions. Julián chides Rossy—he has to oblige his adoring public. They are thrilled when he answers correctly and want autographs. No paper? No problem, just sign my back. Rossy is disss-gusted, tells him it’s an autograph and not a tat, and muses to herself that the pen should be a razor. They giggle; Julián asks if they other girl wants an autograph and Rossy shoos them off, with the muchachas grumbling about her. According to Julián it’s the price of fame and he can’t be ugly with the fans. Rossy storms off with him trailing, bags in hand.

But hold on, it gets worse. The desk clerks know who he is and call him by name, they’ve been waiting. Rossy rolls her eyes, that annoying pout pasted on for life. For her, it’s becoming a nightmare. One of the clerks wants an autograph and tells him what to say. The other asks if Rossy is his companion. She snottily asks if they see anyone else standing there. The desk clerks tell Julián what’s included—apparently not all. There’s only one room, for example. Sorry, no changes in the reservation permitted. What time is dinner? Well, it’s not included, either, only breakfast. Julián is dismayed. The second clerk wants an autograph for her Papá. That’s it. Rossy stalks off again and tells him to catch up with her. Julián apologizes to the clerk and tells her he’ll be back—“she” is just a bit tired.

Lore thanks Paty for listening and missing class to do it. Paty assures her they’re friends. Not everyone’s like Sara (thank heaven), double-faced. Lorena can count on her. Lore tells Paty she never had the opportunity to see that side of Sara; they grew up together, and everything was accepted and forgiven all the time. Paty tells her this situation with Sara is like someone died. The Sara she thought she knew died. Lore agrees. Paty tells her to “bury” Sara. (We should be so lucky, but the TN would end too soon for the contracts). Lore smiles finally and sighs, asking Paty’s forgiveness for causing her to lose time in class. No problem. Lore’s a little concerned about the others, especially Ern. Paty points out he behaved superbly—even sensitive; Lorena’s domesticating him. Me? Yep, Paty assures her. They return to class, Paty’s hand around Lorena’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, in the land of sun and fun, Rossy’s not having any. She hates Julián’s fame, throws something on the bed and then throws herself on the bed. Julián comes into the room, and with Rossy lying on the bed, handles the situation totally the way any other red-blooded male would—wrong. He whistles low and walks right past his pouting princess to the balcony, admiring the view of the ocean. Rossy grumps at him and he tries to get her to look with him, then sighs when she just continues to pout. They have a mild fuss about him being the Mexican Idol, the flirting, etc., as he comes to join her on the bed, telling her not to be angry. Would she prefer him to behave badly with his fans? She nods. He was going to ask her to go out for a ride, but should he ask someone else, he teases. With a few well-placed kisses he cajoles her into a better mood. (That’d do it for me, too, except that Julián is a lousy kisser, IMO.)

Rossy and Julián take in the sights of Acapulco in a horse-drawn carriage, with lots of balloons and flowers on it. They laugh, smile, and have tons of fun because the horses move way too fast for any muchachas to stop them for autographs and flirting. Out of the carriage, though, they let gawkers take photos of the genio from the television and his princess—with Rossy’s camera. They spend the day enjoying Acapulco now that she’s made her position on other muchachas clear. Even muchachitas come for his autograph—Rossy doesn’t seem to mind them so much.

At the lesser house the happy little family (minus Julián) discusses the state of the world. Omar can’t wrap his brain around Sara going back to Snorty’s house. Zulema tries to explain it away—Snorty is so nervous about Vasco’s situation. Omar really can’t buy that – he knows his Mami way too well. She has no feelings whatever. Diana chimes in that Vasco’s out of danger and recovering so she can’t understand why Sara went over there. Zulema tries again—even if we don’t like it, they have a strong bond. Diana isn’t buying this, because Sara’s the strangest person in the world. Omar notes that Diana’s been pretty strange herself lately, what’s up with that? Diana jumps up to escape—she’s not going there. Omar is left with Zulema, asking her if there isn’t something she should be telling him. Nope. Whatever would she be hiding, and why ever would she want to? Omar wants to go try to talk Sara into coming back and Zulema tells him to leave her alone for the moment. Sooner or later she’ll realize they’re her real family. Okay, so what’s up with Diana? Bruno asked her to go back with him; he wants to marry her. Omar is totally disbelieving this. For such a naïve guy, Omar has good instincts.

Diana’s gone off to her room and gets a call….she realizes it’s Vasco. She answers and he wonders why she didn’t go to see him. Diana lies and says she had to stay late at work. She makes excuses and he hears something in her voice. He wants to know what’s up, and why she sounds so serious. She’s exhausted. Smart girl, she changes the subject—how is he feeling? Fed up with his mother’s over-the-top stuff. She’s treating him like a baby. Diana is unsettled.

The cat that ate the canary—ooops, Sara—strides into the living room. Snorty asks if she’s gotten her things settled in. Sure, what little there is. Snorty tells her she’ll need Sara with her early and she’d better go rest. Anything special? Snorty’s not saying at the moment, so Sara concedes and thanks Snorty for letting her stay at the house again. (Sheesh, Sara does sycophant so well). She’s not ready to leave, yet, though—how about a hug? Snorty isn’t accustomed to showing her feelings (there’s a mild understatement—except for her total annoyance). Sara points out that she hugs Vasco. That’s different. But Snorty knows how to compensate Sara for her loyalty. Sara’s so much like herself, she’s sure Sara will like what she has in mind far better than hugs. Sara chuckles, no doubt agreeing mentally that they’re a lot alike.

Lorena is wasting time wondering why Sara did this to her, and Alonso, too. She’s determined it won’t destroy her.

Back at Ern’s loooovely apartment, his sister tells him how pleased Raimundo was with the TV interview—great PR for the restaurant. He’s happy and hopes it will bring new clients. Sis looks in all his cupboards and tells him he seems less than delighted. He tells her he really is and the blonde interviewer wasn’t too bad, either. She tells him he’s incorrigible. And she changes the subject as fast as possible—any panqués from his student? He brightens up and gets a little softer–probably thinking about Lorena—and says tough luck, he ate them all. She tells him she hates him. Ern tries to tell her about Lorena’s crying jag. Why did she cry? He doesn’t know, but it touched him—this little gal has suffered a lot. Whoa, since when has he been concerned about anyone else’s suffering? Ern winces and squirms a little into the commercial.

Ern wonders why his sis talks about him as if he has no feelings whatever. Well, that could be because he thinks of himself first, and second, and third. He huffs that he surely must be the biggest egoist on the planet, then. She just can’t imagine him worrying his pretty head about the suffering of anyone else. He retorts that he’s not made of stone and she fondly tells him the very hardest of stone. He changes the subject back to the interviews. They’re the most important. His face hardens up—that’s the Ernesto she knows. He glares at her.

Greta, Maruja and Paula moan that Raimundo hasn’t called any of them. Maybe he made a mistake copying a number down. Nah, not all three numbers. They argue about who he’ll call and the bell rings—it’s Valeria for her first male-bashing session—oops, card game with the girls. Paula introduces her—a friend of Alonso’s. Greta wonders if she’s divorced, too. Nope, happily married. (Well, it all depends who you ask, I guess). Gee, what a miracle, that’s almost an extinct species, Greta tells her. They joke and get ready to play Canasta for blood. Or frijoles, whatever. Just not money. Lots of laughs around the group.

Ickturo’s not out with the girls, though, he’s home with Mami and the kidlets, glued to the tele. Mami thinks she hears the little ones but he’s sure they’re asleep. Mami can’t understand why he permitted Valeria to go out. He didn’t. She said she was going out with friends and that was that. Mami talks trash about Val, same old, same old. Isn’t he worried where she is? With whom? Apparently not. He looks totally bored at the thought. But she got his attention—what does she mean? He should know better than anyone, right? He knows his wife. Well, she thinks she knows you well, also. He grits his teeth and tells Mami he’s watching the news. She’s just saying. Ickturo gets thoughtful.

Valeria apparently hasn’t lost her touch at Canasta. If they were playing for Big Bucks, she’d be rich. They chatter about the game, the partner pairings, and Val thanks them for the invite. Paula tells her they raise the families and dedicate themselves to family things, then the hubbies divorce them and they end up as lonely as dogs. Greta and Maruja second the motion and the game goes on, Valeria all smiles again as she gathers her winning beans up.

The evening breeze sways the palm trees in Acapulco and Julián carries Rossy into their room “like newlyweds.” He drops her—good thing it was near the bed. They get a few seconds of hot lead-in action, peel some clothing off each other, and there’s a knock at the door. A voice on the other side asks for Julián Ruiz. Of course he opens the door. Some reporter (looks familiar) pokes a microphone in and talks about Julián the genius. We note there’s a camera running because we’re getting the camera’s viewpoint and it’s a top-notch shot of Julián with his shorts loosened and Rossy draped on the bed in a bikini, sure to make Maruja spout steam. The reporter asks questions about his trip and Rossy warns him not to get involved with this chick. Rossy grumbles when the reporter grabs Julián, drags him away and shoots back that she’ll return him later. Not to be thwarted, Rossy puts the bar on the door so Julián can’t get back in later. She flops on the bed and pouts.

In the greater house, Barbara takes breakfast in bed and wonders why Sara’s back. If she’d grown up without a mother and found her, she’d never let her Mami out of her sight. Jaime asks if she’s staying forever, and Barb is sure because Sara’s brought all her stuff. She doesn’t like Sara one bit. (Get in line, Barb.) Why, Jaime wants to know. Well, for all she says she loves his mother, etc., she can’t be trusted. (Of course not, when she knows about your amante).

Snorty walks into a dealership full of shiny new cars. Sara is skeptical that she’s going to like the sporty models here. Snorty agrees she probably wouldn’t but the car is perfect for Sara. Sara is predictably jubilant.

Lorena’s out streetwalking again, and her wares are selling like hotcakes. Ern watches her from a way off, sighing fondly to himself.

Sara blathers about the wonderful surprise; she never imagined it! Snorty reminds Sara she promised to compensate her. Sure, but with a car?! Snorty makes some altruistic remark about Sara deserving it (hah). Sara asks if she can give Snorty a hug, which Snorty reluctantly tolerates but might even be enjoying a little. But there are strings; Sara has to follow through with her work, not like these last few days. Of COURSE! Even more now that Sara’s returned to the Big House. Viewers are blinded by the smile.

Lorena finds Ern waiting for her on the curb and they greet each other. Did he come for panqués? She apologizes for her bad spell. He’s okay with it, no explanation needed. And he didn’t come for panqués, he came to see if she was all right. Lorena frowns a little. She’s doing better, thanks. Ern waxes philosophical—everyone has negative times in life; what matters is that they don’t hinder us. Maybe he’s an ogre but her tears touched him. He doesn’t know her well but has the impression that she’s a fighter, one who won’t let stuff conquer her. She looks down shyly—really, he believes that? He assures her he does, but what others think of her is not so important; it’s what she thinks of herself, what she feels she’s worth. Lorena looks up at him thoughtfully, no doubt reflecting on his words and wondering qué the heck happened to the guy in the white coat—is this his good twin or something?

Ernesto continues with his pep talk. Only the worth one has for oneself will help one more forward. He urges her not to let anyone trample on that. The rest of the world can deceive you, but you cannot deceive yourself. Thoroughly bemused, Lorena nods and agrees that he’s right. She smiles and thanks him for saying all this to her. He smiles back and tells her to think on it, meditate about it. They’re just words, but he hopes they serve her well for the rest of her life. She assures him they will, and she’ll never forget that he bothered to come and talk to her. He tells her not to worry about it; the spirit hit him and he just did it. It pleased him to be able to help. She thanks him again. She hands him panqués and tells him they’re to thank him. They play the “please take ‘em” “no, I can’t, really” game for a minute and he finally ends up taking the panqués, which we all know he really wanted anyway. With a huge smile. She wants him to know how much good he’s done for her.

Sara couldn’t wait to show off her new car, and who better to see it first than Alonslow? She’s beat a path to his door. He asks what make her decide to buy it. She tells yet another fib; she’d been thinking on it and couldn’t afford it so her Granny gave her a raise. Right. Wouldn’t Granny be thrilled to know that her cash payment for the car was reported out this way by her Grateful Grandkid? They chat about the car, and Snortensia—whom he’s heard is pretty demanding. He tells Sara not to let Granny down. She offers Al a test drive and he wonders if she knows how to drive. She calls him a goofball and they go.

Maruja’s joined Zulema for a cook-fest. What’s up with Zulema-her eyes are all swollen. Zulema denies there’s anything but won’t make eye contact. It’s from peeling onions. Maru, all cheery, launches into chatter about their kids having so much fun in Acapulco. (We doubt it—the last thing we saw was Rossy sliding the bar across the door so the key won’t open it). They talk about how good the kiddies are for each other—before Rossy, Julián thought he was worthless. Maru tells Zulema it’s great to see how much they care about each other and Zulema is glad someone’s happy. Maruja tries to get it out of Zulema, but no luck. Maru says Zulema can trust her, but Zulema doesn’t want to talk. Maruja frets and sighs.

On the beach, Rossy exults that no one recognizes Julián (hat and dark glasses help). It’s a dream! Julián wants to dream together. Rossy finds a place and wants his help to put on the sunscreen; she’s got the skin of a princess and doesn’t want to burn. (Not just the skin). He doesn’t need any, but he’s thrilled to be of service. Nearby, we note that Chalo’s vacation has Very Coincidentally brought him to this exact spot at this exact time. (Remind me why he’s on vacation if he’s unemployed, etc.?) Chalo thinks this is Too Good to be True. Rossy and Julián go off to the water and the wheels in Chalo’s Little Brain turn. He looks around for a plan.

Zulema and Maruja almost have the orders ready for the day. Zulema continues to tell Maruja about how good Rossy is for Julián’s self-esteem. Zulema is confident he’ll make it to the finals of the game show, too. Maruja tells Zulema about Rossy’s resignation from Snortensia’s place, what brought her to the point of walking out, and the new work that Lorena dragged her into….oops. Maruja knows when to shut up fast. Zulema changes the subject to making deliveries.

Speaking of the Princess and King of Rome, Rossy and Julián frolic in the water. Chalo greasily takes it in from a balcony, the wheels still turning. Sliding back to his seat, he eyes a pretty chica moving into the chair next to him, and his umbrella. He offers to share his umbrella. She doesn’t want to burn, does she? No problem, she just gets dark. The chica smears on high powered oil with no sunscreen. He asks about it and she tells him it speeds up browning—she’ll look like she spent a month in Hawaii. (The grass is always greener, isn’t it? Here she’s in Acapulco and she craves a Hawaii tan. Sheesh). She asks if he’ll watch her stuff while she goes in a second. Well, of COURSE he will. Not just look at it, either. He’ll tamper. Which he does, in one of the silliest looking transfers of liquid matter we’ve ever seen. Still, as telenovela plotlines go, this method of switching the sunscreen for the tanning accelerator works. After all, the point is that Julián’s going to be frustrated for a second straight night when Rossy gets second degree burns with blisters. It’s almost better than having two rooms or Maruja coming with them. [Ed. Note: With any other guy, I’d say we’re getting a treat seeing him in this Speedo with a nice build, etc. But this is Chalo, and that smarmy “mi Reina” has forever wiped any impure thoughts out of your Recapper’s mind]. His shifty eyes scan the environment as he makes the swap. To cap off this latest success, he takes the money out of the wallet that was safely hidden right on top of the table. Back at his seat, he replaces the new novia’s bronzing accelerator on the table and spins his head around several times.

Lorena still moves around, selling panqués in traffic. Sara and Alonslow by some wild coincidence are sitting in this very same traffic. Alonslow registers that Lorena’s out here. She’s selling stuff in the traffic? Sara supposes so. Isn’t the street just a perfect place for her? Alonslow wants Sara to get them the heck out of there, and Sara wonders if he wouldn’t like to buy something from Lorena. Alonslow gets downright irritated and panicky (not good for a surgeon, IMO). They argue and Sara kisses him to get him calmed down. Apparently, the long light turns and they move on.

Lorena clearly has made some friends on the street; several apparently have standing orders—not just Ern. She moves around, selling and thanking folks, making small talk about their orders. She’s done for the day, it looks like, and counts her cash while remembering Ernesto’s words. It doesn’t matter what others think of us, but what we think of ourselves. Never forget what matters. She tells herself she’s important, she’s worthy, she’s capable, intelligent, she can’t think what else at the moment, but she’s going to follow through with all her goals. Lorena sighs and nods in satisfaction and finishes the counting.

The chica with the tan toasts spending time with Chalo and asks him what he does. He gives her a wishy-washy answer about his bidness and taking a vacation after some work he did here. She doesn’t ask what his bidness is, lucky for Chalo. Pobrecita, she notices her bronzing stuff is all gone and it’s so expensive. She looks at him charmingly. Chalo whips out some bills, tells her to go get herself another, and he’ll move their stuff to the other side where they’ll get more sun. She runs off for bronzing stuff and Chalo grabs up their stuff to move away just as Rossy and Julián return. Julián’s living for tonight—it’ll be the best of their lives. Rossy apologizes for the lockout the night before; Julián tells her if she behaves well all will be forgiven. They can enjoy without spies or anything. She puts the glasses on him—and no admirers. Rossy doesn’t want to burn, though, and Julián starts re-applying the supposed sunscreen. Chalo smirks.

Diana’s coming in to work with Bruno in hot pursuit. He wants to talk and she wants to work. He wants her to forget the past and go back with him. She spits out that she can’t believe he presents himself like this at her work, and he grabs her and kisses her. In the lobby. At her reception desk. In broad daylight. Good time for a commercial.

Diana finally breaks away from Bruno’s kiss and backs off. Was she actively engaged? Hm, could be. Don’t do that again, she tells him angrily. Bruno wants her to tell him she didn’t enjoy that, that’s she’s forgotten how good it is, that she felt nothing. If she can say that, he won’t insist more. She just shakes her head and glares at him.

Banshee Barb has videos to watch with Vasco. Hasn’t Diana called? Nope. Didn’t she call his cell? No, that’s why he asked about Diana. Barb is going to enjoy watching the films with him but Vasco wants to call Diana so she can come over and enjoy them, too. Barb sighs. What, no answer? That’s odd. Sure, she’s all busy at work, Barb tells him. Vasco gets an insight and asks if Barb or his Granny have said something to Diana. Barb denies it; how can he even think it? If she makes him happy, she makes Barb and Granny happy, too. Hah. Vasco is skeptical.

Diana’s voice breaks as she passionately tells Bruno that nothing can be the same between them. He gave her so much pain she can’t forget it, can’t pretend nothing happened. She tells him to go and he wants to show her he’s a changed man. He asks for an opportunity; the separation showed him a lot. Diana tells him she doesn’t want to hurt Vasco—what, that’s it, that Vasco won’t suffer? Heck, he’ll be all over it in a few days. Diana can’t ruin her life for Vasco. She retorts that it was already ruined by Bruno. He brings out the “father of your child” argument again and she tells him she’s going to work. Bruno tells her he was wrong, but it’s not too late to fix the mistake. He cares about her and wants to go back with her. She turns around and reminds him that if she told him she felt nothing for him, he wouldn’t insist, so here it is: she feels NOTHING for him. He doesn’t believe it. He’s going to keep after her because he loves her and she loves him. Almost believable. She tells him to just go, please.

Valeria brings Alonslow something in a Ziploc back she thinks he’ll love. Why’s he so serious? Well, he saw Lorena on the street. (Yeah, literally). He shouldn’t be telling Valeria, just forget it. Val insists he should; it’s been recent and these kinds of wounds don’t heal so easily. Alonslow has to change the subject; he never imagined Val would get on so well with his Sis. Val tells him what a great time she had. They’re all so much fun. The Club of Divorcees, he chimes in. Well, now they’ve added a happily married one. Val can’t remember when she laughed so much. She just realized she hasn’t really had friends since she married—in fact, Ickturo separated her from them one by one—he found faults with every one of her friends. (Folks, if she can figure this out, why can’t she figure out what a slime ball he is?) Alonslow wants to know if it was really Ickturo—no one has to like someone they don’t want to. She retorts gently that no one has to love anyone they don’t want to, either. She brightens up and tells him she’s going to nurture her relationship with the gals. They’re really funny and she got on well with them.

Speaking of one of the princesses of Rome, Paula has to chastise herself for thinking that this guy she met in a bar would call and give her a job. Bettina comes in wondering whom Mami is talking to. To the telephone! What? Paula explains sheepishly that she was hoping for a call about some work. Bettina wants to run to the stationery shop and get school supplies-markers and such. Does Paula need anything? No, so Bettina gets a few pesos from Mami and scoots off. The phone rings but it’s just Greta moaning that she hasn’t had any calls, either and reports that Maruja hasn’t. Paula thinks it’s a lost cause.

The boyz in the ‘hood have a pick-up game going. With a basketball. Bettina passes by and gets bonked in the head by the stray ball. A curly haired joven comes to collect the ball and apologize. Bettina scolds him—it hurts. He insists he asked her pardon. The other boys gather behind with huge grins of appreciation for Bettina. He offers to massage it for her. She yells at him to stop it already and the boys all whistle in unison. She looks around at them with a scowl and the boy with the ball asks if she doesn’t like them whistling. No, especially not brats like you and your friends. He looks somber but the others laugh and smirk. The boy with the ball tells Bettina she’s the prettiest girl he’s met and she’s even better when she’s mad. He gives her an air kiss. She looks a little disgusted but turns to go on her way smiling to herself. The boys oooooh at the interact as he joins the game again, grinning a little himself.

Night falls in the D. F. Fanny, Ernesto’s housekeeper, asks if this is all he wants for tea. He asks her “what, only one panqué?” He wants one of each flavor. But he told her to hide them, right? Right, but not to hide them from him, just from visitors. The bell rings, how timely. It’s a visitor. Ern welcomes his sister and asks if she’s brought the design of the logo for the new restaurant. Yes, indeed. The shoes come off, the purse goes on the sofa, the designs come out, and so does Fanny with the platter of panqués. Oops, bad timing. Sis is sooo excited that these are his student’s panqués, the ones she adores. She doesn’t wait to decimate one. His phone rings and he goes to answer it, after a moment’s hesitation when he thought to save his panqués. Ern’s sister is blissful with the corn panqué, but the carrot one is wonderful, too. She’s eating two-fisted. Fanny brings coffee—and gets a big compliment from Ern’s sister. Fanny’s coffee and the panqués are the best. Fanny slides a nervous look at Ern as she rushes back to the kitchen. Finally, Ern’s off the phone and tries to save his panqués—what, is she going to eat them all? They struggle over the panqués. His sister scolds him, she knows him and she’s sure he has more saved out. He tells her to buy her own; he’ll ask Lorena to take care of it if she wants him to. He looks anxiously at the panqué disappearing into her mouth. Sis doesn’t want the temptation in her house because she’ll get fat. Ern points out she’ll get fat eating them at his house, too. Sis tells him not to be so jealous of them. She suddenly asks if he knows why Lorena cried in his class. Of course he doesn’t, why is she asking if she knows him so well, she asks herself out loud. Ern is apathetic and these things don’t concern him much. (This is a Smart Big Sister. She knows that the best way to get something out of him is to tell him she knows he would do the opposite. He’ll tell her just to say “ha, see there!”) He sighs resignedly and tells her she doesn’t know him as well as she thinks, as a matter of fact he did ask. Sis smiles a little too smugly. “You??” He nods.

Maruja brings coffee for herself and a beaming Lorena, who reports that she’s not sure if it was what he said or the way he said it, but the words of her teacher hit her where she lives (llegaron al alma—they arrived at the heart). Maruja can’t imagine him being in plain sight on the street giving good advice like that after the trash she’s heard about him from Lorena and Paty. Lorena chuckles—imagine my surprise! He made your day, right? He left her with her spirits up in the clouds and she got the strength to keep fighting. [Ed. Note: this could be the most cleavage we’ve seen with Lorena. We are sure our male contingent will approve.] She was reminded of the old fellow she encountered when she had just arrived. Maruja teases that there’s nothing old about her teacher. They laugh at the idea. Maruja says he’s young and very handsome, but it seems he also has a great heart. Lorena acknowledges that after what he did, her idea of him has changed radically. She appreciates all his words. They smile at each other and Lorena looks off dreamily into the future.

Ern admits he talked with Lorena, not to ask her specifically why she cried, but to get close to her. You did that?? He tells his Sis he gave her some good advice. His sis is surprised; she never thought he’d try to cheer a student up. Could this one be someone special for him? He looks at her warily, arms crossed and uncomfortable. He admits, though, that he can’t deny she wakes up a feeling of much tenderness in him. His sister cautions him—he could fall in love with her. Ern tells his sister not to worry. The woman who can make him lose his head hasn’t been born yet. (Cradle robber!) His sister asks him who knows? But with all the girlfriends he’s had, she never imagined ending up the sister-in-law of one who sells panqués in the street. The thought kills her! He grins big time. (Another Smart Big Sister Ploy—suggest that this is just an awful thought and he’ll go after it like Michael Phelps after Gold). Then reality hits and he swallows hard at the idea of marrying Lorena. Or anyone.

Lorena is making records on a steno notebook about where she’s taking her panqués to sell. Maruja comments that she’ll have to be very organized. Lorena wants to help pay expenses for the house, and she has to pay for school. Maruja doesn’t ant her to pay for staying with them; Lorena insists she wants to. Maruja points out that Lorena sleeps on the sofa and that’s not a private room, so she shouldn’t be sharing costs. Lorena doesn’t care about that. It’s her way of showing appreciation and no one’s going to stop her. After about three rounds of this “no, you can’t share expenses” and “but, I want to show my appreciation” Maruja finally accepts. And asks Lorena if she can forget the accounting stuff for the moment to go to the movies. They can catch the last showing!

Ern is pleased with the logo designs. Very satisfactory. Sis is happy; Ern is the fiercest critic so if he likes them, probably Raimundo will. Ernesto tells her that he’ll be happy with whatever she selects. She thanks him for his support and apologizes for the disaster her kiddies made in the house the other day. And, she’s eaten all his panqués and he wasn’t mad with her. Something’s happening here. She studies him intently. He tells her he’s maturing. Of course. Well, whatever is softening up his heart, she appreciates it infinitely. Off goes Ernesto’s sister, shoes and bag in hand, out the door. Before the door is even closed he’s calling Fanny for his hidden panqués. She didn’t get the wrong idea and serve up all his panqués, right? Fanny beams. Of course not! She held back some for him. Well, bring them because his glutton of a sister ate all of the others! Fanny chuckles and rushes to get the panqués before the poor man starves. Ernesto talks to an absent Lorena—“I hope that you don’t keep on crying, Lorena.” (Ferro would approve).

Sara and Alonslow chat about her fascination with her auto and she grabs him for a public kiss. Coincidentally, they’re right next to the box office of the only theater in the D. F. Lorena and Maruja get a clear shot of the kiss.

Monday: Lorena asks Zulema if Sara scotched her work with Zulema and got her kicked out of the lesser house. Sara seduces Alonslow, who doesn’t necessarily need much coercion.

Jeanne

Labels: enemiga

Oops! It seems we don't have a recap for last night.

And I didn't pay a lot of attention because I was recapping something else, and some of what I do remember may be from Wednesday night. Sorry bout that. But here's what I think I remember, in no particular order; please feel free to fill in the rest:

• A Very Special Specialist declares that Sofia has a very good chance of losing the baby.
  
  
• Gabi visits Sofia at the clinic. Sofi says, "what can I do for you, ma'am?" Her cold words echo in Gabi's head and Gabi seems to becomes distraught. (I think this is supposed to be for real, but like I said, I wasn't watching closely.) Gabi becomes apologetic and swears up and down that it's not true that Eva's her mother; Sofi really is Gabi's daughter. Sofi really doesn't care anymore, and rejects her.
  
  
• While Juan is yammering about something in Franco's room, a miniature rocking horse toy begins to rock all by itself. Juan turns around and sees that Franco is wiggling his finger.
  
  
• Libia's flower glows like crazy. Did ET phone home? I don't remember what was going on in this scene and maybe it was Wednesday, sorry.
  
  
• Grandpa demands that the Uribes give the Reyes their land back. Raq gets all upset and refuses to explain anything to Benito.
  
  
• Jimena finds Feo holding Gabi in broad daylight. Gabi says it's because she's so miserable and he was comforting her... but what she really needs is Jimena. And not Oscar. So Jimena has to stay and Oscar has to go. For the sake of Gabi's well-being. Jimena agrees. Idiot.
  

Labels: Fuego