Caray, Caray!

In my time zone, Tontas’ start time was moved for a presidential speech. Just in case you missed recording it because of a time shift, you can see tonight’s episode on YouTube at that link. It’s called Cap 45 because US and Mexican numbering don’t match.

In his office, Raul apologizes and agrees not to interfere with Candy’s personal life. He begs her to return to writing the column. She will accept his apology if he keeps his nose out of her personal life. “Fine,” he agrees, “and how about if you and I get married, huh?” Candy asks if he knows a good divorce lawyer instead. I’m wondering, why does she need a divorce? She was married for, what, two hours? It seems like an annulment would be a slam-dunk.

We knew it was coming. Now that Candy is alive, where does that leave Alicia? She tries every way she can think of to keep Pat. We might hear these points countless times in coming months, so here is the list. I think I’ll refer to them by item number.
Alicia’s pleas.
A1. Alicia begs Pat to forget about Candy in the name of their marriage.
A2. Alicia doesn’t want to hear his rejection because it hurts so much. But Pat’s on a roll and if he is going to talk this out with Alicia, now is the time to get it all said. Besides, he wants to give all the reasons so Paula can include one all-encompassing list in her recap.
A3. Alicia loves him desperately and she’s given herself to him completely.
A4. Alicia was there for him when Candy destroyed his life. She conveniently avoids the fact that it was she who instigated that crisis.
A5. They plan to have a baby together, but he says that plan has changed.
A6. Alicia gets down on her knees and begs him to stay. And begs and begs.

Pat’s answers.
P1. He doesn’t love Alicia, and she has always known that. Candy is the only one he ever loved.
P2. Pat can’t get Candy out of his head, and he never will.
P3. Pat says our relationship died long ago; it’s time to bury it.

Pat informs her that he’ll be sleeping in another room starting tonight. As he goes upstairs and Alicia breaks down, she fixes on one thought. The one thought that began the journey to her destruction when she fixated on it eight years ago. I hate you, Candy. I hate you.

In the restaurant, Sven and Ole are singing “Volver, Volver,” which is not only a Vicente Fernandez song, but also a Jaime Camil Short Short film. Ole is so flat that Sven tells him “higher,” so Ole stands on a chair. Meño brings in Charly and Lucía, and Charly thanks Santiago for help in the ‘recent unpleasantness.’

Santiago is agitated because Candy was alone with Pat. Candy reminds him that he’s getting married. He says he just needs her friendship and support because Paulina is coming back to Mexico. Considering how much Santiago supported Candy in her most frightening crisis, of course she offers him all the friendship, comfort, and support he needs. And if you believe that, I’ve got a bridge for sale. Instead, Candy snottily asks if he’s still in love with Paulina. Santiago turns it back on her. “The question is, are you still in love with Pat?” She doesn’t have an answer for that. As for the support Santiago needs, obviously Candy believes that support is only a one-way road, and all roads lead to Miss Center of the Universe.

At the institute, Ceci tells Candy that she’s gay and loves Candy, but then is called out of her fantasy. Back in reality, Candy asks Ceci if she is gay as Meño supposes. Ceci denies it.

Marissa shows Rocío a book of animal babies and points out that mamas always take care of their babies (hmm, don’t some hens attack another hen‘s chicks?). Roc asks whether she can have two mamas, and Mar tells her no. But no worries. Paulina gave birth to her but Marissa didn’t abandon her, making it obvious, at least to a seven-year-old, who the better choice is. Marissa also takes the opportunity to compare herself to the pretty chick in the animal babies book, and she compares Paulina to the ugly frog.

On Thursday’s recap, I listed all the burdens Santiago carries. In tonight’s show they continue to weigh him down, and a few more get piled on top. He is struggling because Paulina is coming (Burden #B-9), and he’s trying to decide what to do. He can’t keep her away because she is, after all, Rocío’s mama (Burden #B-2). His angst is interrupted by a call from Pat (#B-8). “If you kiss my wife (#B-5) again, you’ll have me to answer to.” Santi asks whether this is a lesson in jealousy, or Pat wants to push him around, or what? Pat admits that he’s lost and confused, he’s getting separated, and he just needs a friend to talk to. But one who doesn’t kiss his wife. Santi hangs up on him.

Santiago returns to talking to his therapist (Donato) about Paulina. He starts, “I’m so troubled..” but changes his tune. “No! I’m not troubled at all! I’m a manly man. We just won’t let her in the house! Punto!” As he leaves, Donato comments, “Your neuroses are proceeding nicely, Señor.”

Pat catches Santiago in the stairwell and invites him to a night of strip poker (póker de prendas) with three young ladies. Santiago agrees that they shouldn’t cancel and break the ladies’ hearts. Yes, he’ll attend. They go off together like a couple of 12-year-old boys who just discovered their dad’s stash of Playboy. They don’t realize Candy has been listening. I found this scene totally implausible. Santiago desires no one but Candy (remember his patient Raquel with the boxer boyfriend?). Why would he agree to be set up? Even Pat just broke up with Alicia and Soledad because Candy is back. I’ll accept that Pat might go for it. But not Santi. Ni modo. Willing suspension of disbelief.

Isabel is planning the wedding with Don and Tina. Jaime informs her that his son refuses to come to the wedding.

At the clubhouse (lionera – lion’s den), Pat and Santiago hear the doorbell and race to the door. Santi practices his sexy looks. In walk Bárbara, Candy, and Isabel dressed like saloon girls. Isabel asks her son which piece of clothing she should remove first if she loses. Pat thinks it’s entertaining but Santiago is scandalized. He goes to look for more clothing because he knows his mother is a good poker player. Then they engage in some man-haters vs. chauvinists banter. Santi tries to cut the evening short, but his mama overrules him. In the next scene, the boys are down to their tee shirts, Pat has already lost his pants, and Santiago loses his pants next. Notice we see Jaime Camil’s thighs but not his calves. Never his silly calves. The girls haven’t lost anything yet. Pat tries to quit but Isabel won’t let him.

Meño puts Chava to bed because his mama is out playing strip poker. Chava is glad to have Charly back home, and he admits that in the hospital he was afraid of dying. When Chava asks, Meño admits that he will die one day. Charly pulls him aside and warns him that it had better not be for a long, long time.

Paulina arrives at Santiago’s house, and Donato lets her in. HEY! I thought he was supposed to keep her out! Paulina asks Don if she remembers him, and he answers, “After all you did, who could forget?” Rocío is thrilled to see her, and Pau wastes no time; she starts right in telling Rocío how much she would love New York. Rocío’s mother puts her to bed. Her loving, adoring, attentive, affectionate mother who didn’t even have three minutes to talk to Rocío any time in the past seven years. We were wondering who would become the evil villainess in this novela, the kind you’d like to sink your teeth into. Would it be Alicia or Marissa? Well my money is on the dark horse. Pau asks Rocío how she feels about the new baby, and Roc is worried that her papa won’t pay attention to her anymore. Pau suggests that Roc come live with her in New York. It’s a perfectly normal suggestion, since Pau can’t stand to be apart from her beloved daughter (whom she hasn’t bothered talking to in seven years). Lucía steps in like a mama bear in training, with all the grit she inherited from her abuela, and she sets Paulina straight. “It’s hard when all you have of your mother is a photo.” Marissa joins the girls’ night out in, dragging Pau’s suitcase, suggesting that this is the time for her to leave. Rocío introduces her as Mama Marissa.

CHICK FIGHT! Complete with hair pulling. Santiago has been so worried, wondering who would keep Paulina away, and the ruby slippers have been right under his nose. Marissa throws out Pau, along with her suitcase, and the two trade insults, arguing which one is trashier. Santiago walks in along with his mother, and he looks at the woman he hasn’t seen since the day she crushed his soul. She acts like she just got back from a business trip, glad to see her husband again. She tries to wheedle an invitation from him to stay at the house, but Mama Bear runs interference. “At this house there is no room for you. It’s better if you leave now.” Santiago speaks not a word, except to congratulate his mama and novia for a job well done. Sorry to disappoint you, friends. No staircase of death tonight. Maybe death took the elevator.

At her house, Candy and Bárbara are rehashing their poker night. Barb thinks Candy was playing with fire, spending the evening with her two suitors. Candy says her next column will ponder what a woman does if she likes two men. More man-hater rhetoric. Barb asks, point blank, which one she loves. Candy tries to dodge, but must confess that she loves Santiago.

Back at the casa de lágrimas, amid strains of Kany Garcia (I love her music), Chayo is again waiting for Ed to get home, while she stares at the roses that were supposed to demonstrate how much he loves her. Ed tries to sneak in and she pretends to be asleep.

Candy lies in bed pondering the pains of life. Pat sits alone doing the same. Santiago doesn’t have as much time to feel sorry for himself. His daughter needs some lovin’ right about now, and she knows where to find it. Her papa leaves no doubt how much he treasures his princesa.

In the morning, Candy reassures Chava because of his fears of death. Since he doesn’t want to get up for school, she calls him “flojito” (lazybones).

Chayo is pouring her heart out to Candy. “Ed came home at three, smelling of perfume. Why does he hurt me like this when I love him so much? What am I doing wrong?”

In his office, Pat and Alicia talk about the success of his art business. He has a new product that he expects will sell well, but it’s better if Alicia doesn’t see it. In the artist’s workshop, she discovers that it’s a painting of Candy in a feathered headdress. The “Aztec Princess.” Somehow I never imagined Aztecs with pointy noses, fine bones, and fair skin. But what do I know? Ali marches into Pat’s office and chews him out for humiliating her like this.

Paulina pushes her way into Santiago’s office and suggests that she take Rocío to live in New York for awhile. “Request denied. She stays here in Mexico with me.” She sashays to his side of the desk and makes her most convincing argument with a very suggestive kiss, and suggests that he lock the door. He wants to resist but his emotions are in too much of a tornado; he can’t pull himself together. He obviously has a weakness for her.

In Pat’s office, Pat and Ali scrap back and forth about who is at fault and who is a fool. Review their positions listed above.

Bárbara alerts Candy that her mother called. Santiago is at her house, and he’s not doing well.

Candy finds Santiago waiting at her house. He says, “Paulina came back, and there are things that cannot be removed, because if they are removed, it hurts even more. The past came back. And what’s happening to me is a little like what’s happening to you with Patricio. I need advice because.. I used to be so sure.” I think (other opinions welcome) that what he’s saying is that he never resolved his feelings about Paulina, he just buried them. Now that she’s back, his feelings have come back to haunt him. Along with asking her for help, maybe he comprehends that Candy is going through the same difficulties, and maybe he hopes the two of them can work through it with each other’s help. Remember that for a long time now, he has been working at healing her.

He is interrupted by Alicia at the door. She begs Candy not to destroy her life again. She destroyed it once when she couldn’t dance anymore. Now Pat is all she has. If Candy doesn’t leave him alone, Ali doesn’t know what she’ll do (but the implication is muy grave).

Alicia leaves, Candy is impactada, and Santiago has something to say. “I know this is a very bad time, but it’s the right time for me to say, you and I have to give “us” a chance. Santiago gives Candy a kiss.
Not a kiss that says, “Hey, Baby, you’re hot!”
Not a kiss that says, “You’re wonderful and I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Not a kiss that says, “Can’t you feel how much I love you?” nor even, “Can’t you feel how much you love me?”
Instead, it’s a kiss that says, “Candy, we were made for each other. This is our moment, and we must seize it because what we can have is too profound to miss.”

What could possibly move Candy to reject an appeal like that? Chava comes down the steps, sees them kissing, pushes Santiago away with all his 45 pounds of might, and says, “Don’t kiss my mama. I already have a papa.”

Tomorrow: In front of Alicia and Gregoria, Pat tells Candy, “The only one I’ve ever loved is you (#P-1).”

Labels: Tontas

Yep, Gabi's kicked out of church for reals. She slinks out of the church, mortified by the parishioners' shocked stares. The Padre prays for forgiveness for failing to save her soul.

The doctor gets the bullet out of Feo and seems to be writing him a prescription when Feo knocks him out and leaves.

At the Robles Reyes hacienda, Rigo thinks it would be cute if his little baby boy fell in love with Juan's little girls. Quintina smacks him. Pablito thinks it would be neat to be in-laws. Quintina smacks him too. There's more small talk of this nature and I have to get up early tomorrow, so please forgive me for skipping some.

Saul comes in, looking for Juan. He wants to say thanks and bye - he's moving out. Pablito doesn't understand. Quintina explains that the guy's had enough of Hortensia's nagging. The others try to talk Saul out of it (Rigo specifically mentions making up after a fight as one of the pleasures of marriage). Rigo and Eugenia make out and Quintina says "hey, don't count money in front of poor people!" Heh. Hortensia asks Saul to reconsider. Rigo says she'll have to promise stop scolding. Saul gives in. Whew, thank goodness that's resolved. Now we can have a happy ending.

Feo stumbles into the cave with Libia's crypt and has happy flashbacks to her death.

One of the gossip sisters tells Juan and Sofía about the scene at church. Juan covers his mouth, stifling laughter at the news of Gabi's excommunication.

Gabi goes home from church, thinking to herself that she made Feo leave her and now she's alone, she has nobody now, not even God. Feo watches from afar and thought-bubbles that Gabi won't be able to bear being alone.

Nabor is cleaning up when he knocks over the St. Francis statue and the pedestal it's on, revealing Feo's Big Bag o' Swag hidden inside the pedestal. He gapes at the cash, ignores a big envelope, and opens the little box without hesitation. Aforementioned gossip sister shows up and admires the necklace. She invites him over for churros and chocolate tonight with her sister and Tio Vicente. She promises that it will be "very intimate." He refuses to commit!

Fatima and Rosendo apologize to Gabi and say they don't know where Ruth is and haven't seen her in a few days. Maybe she left. Gabi wonders if she ran away with Feo.

Dr. Montes reports Feo's assault to the authorities. That's right - he goes straight to the Padre. (Evidently, he too has given up on the comisario.) After he treated Feo, Feo knocked him out and took off. If he's not careful, his wound will go gangrene.

With atypically impeccable timing, Juan shows up with his brothers and explains that Gabi shot Feo.

With even more coincidentally perfect timing, Nabor shows up with Feo's bag of goodies. The brothers recognize it immediately. The Padre sends the doctor and Nabor out. Juan is eager to see what's in the box. Oscar doesn't recognize the necklace, but Juan certainly does. He refreshes their memory - "our mother's necklace, I gave it to Libia for protection." (It didn't work!) He has a flashback of giving the necklace to her. She says she gives thanks to the Virgencita every day because Juan has been like her father and mother. He's the best brother in the world!

The guys realize that there's only one way the necklace could have ended up in Feo's safe. The Padre has a flashback to Feo's "confession" of killing her. The guys are all fired up for justice. The Padre protests, but nobody's in the mood to listen.

Gabi sulks by the pool with her "daughters" and her best girl, Brandy. Her daughters try to get her to cheer up and fight, but Gabi grumbles that everyone has betrayed her, including them. (Gabi's lines.) The girls deny. (Girls' lines.) She claims that the Reyes don't know how to love. They know only vengeance and attacks. They'll rot in hell. More Sofía's lines. Gabi takes off in disgust.

Feo goes to church, hoping to grab his money and go away. He pauses before the statue, takes off his hat and crosses himself, and looks for his bag. It's gone. He won't be able to go!

The Reyes Brothers get their guns ready for another formal declaration of vengeance. They all talk to the camera, so you know they mean business.

The girls think all the stress on their mother can't be good for her health, but they can't get through to her. If only she had listened to Sofía, none of this would have happened. Jimena says Gabi had it coming to her. Sofi says it was Feo too. She confides that Juan thinks Feo is the one who raped her. Sarita seems particularly upset. Sofía indicates that she's a strong woman now and he can't hurt her any more, but he's also messed with their mother and it's all his fault. Sooner or later he'll pay for all he's done.

The brothers visit their sister's tomb and bring her up to date. They swear vengeance again and leave. Feo comes out of hiding again and says "let's see who hunts whom... I'll swear too!" He purposely steps on her grave on his way out.

Quintina takes her guys on the road. Like, literally the actual road. The dusty trail. A pickup truck on a country road. For a fee, ladies can have their pictures taken with a couple of guys. It's one of those things with a life-size cartoonish picture of a swimsuit model, and then there's a hole where her face would be, so you stick your face there, presto you're a swimsuit model. Life's too short to recap this foolishness in greater detail.

The guys ride around looking for news of Feo's whereabouts.

Feo sees a guy in town who's about the same size as him. He muses that this guy can help him with his plan.

Eva tells the Padre that she was happy when Ruth agreed to be her daughter and run off together, but then Juan swore that Sofía is actually her daughter. She found her crying and she said that Feo raped her. (All the Padre can say to this is "have faith and more faith.") Eva says she has faith, but she's still afraid. And she's also worried about Ruth. If something happened to her, she's sure it was Feo's fault.

The guy Feo noticed in town is now dead in Libia's tomb. Feo says he was damned just by crossing his path.

I feel I should mention that the moon is full.

The brothers visit the sisters at the hacienda and report that Feo killed their Libia. It's going to be a long night. Hugs, kisses, blessings, "be careful." The guys gallop away. Eva comes out and tells the girls that nothing bad will happen. Sarita tells her the guys will kill Feo. Jimena says she doesn't wish any harm to anyone, but Feo's got to pay for what he's done. "He deserves the worst of punishments!" Eva agrees, but urges them to calm down. Sofía says how great Eva is and gives her a kiss. Eva thought-bubbles happily that Sofía's her daughter, no matter what Gabi says.

When the guys said it was going to be a long night, clearly they meant a different night, because it's already morning. Feo has rigged a time bomb out of a kitchen timer, some duct tape, and way more circuitry than should be needed for a bomb. He leaves it in his truck with the dead guy in the driver's seat. Then he makes a big scene in front of Rigo and the other workers, thought-bubbling that he's setting a trap. Rigo sends a guy to the house to tell Juan. Feo takes off on his horse.

Meanwhile, the guys tell Quintina they couldn't find any trace of him last night; Juan yells at Franco for hoping he took off for good.

Gabi, drunk and distraught, looks at old photos of men who never loved her: JJ Robles, Bernardo, Ricardo, and Feo. One by one, she hears the latter three say (in her mind): I don't love you, and I will never love you. (JJ's picture doesn't say anything) Not one of the men in her life ever loved her, she reminds herself. Time for another drink. She tears up the photos and throws them on the desk, but don't worry; those photos looked surprisingly fresh. I'm sure she can crank out another batch on the inkjet printer tomorrow.

A field hand warns the guys that Feo was trespassing. They ride out to investigate. Rigo says he lost sight of Feo for a moment, but there's his truck! Feo hides in some bushes and gloats in anticipation, "they fell into my trap."

Gabi continues to sob at her desk about the pain of loneliness. She takes out her gun and wishes she didn't have a heart so she couldn't feel. She pulls the hammer back and slowly turns the gun on herself. Unfortunately, she's interrupted by the girls. "Go away or I'll shoot. You never loved me. Now you can stop pretending." They beg her not to do it.

Juan and Franco cautiously approach the truck while Oscar stays behind to cover them because he can't run yet. They vaguely see a hat through the windshield, but there's glare from the sky and they can't make out his face. He's not moving at all. On Juan's signal, Oscar shoots at the middle of the windshield. The man in the hat doesn't move. Juan smells a rat and tells the guys to get back. As they do, the truck blows up. (Feo responds with a comically exaggerated "shucks! foiled again!" gesture of defeat.)

Gabi seems earnest in her desire to be dead. Sofía tries to talk her out of it. (They've had similar conversations before, just without the gun.) Gabi finally puts the gun down, sobbing. Jimena and Sofía escort crazy Crabi to bed. Sarita lags behind, contemplating the gun thoughtfully.

The brothers watch the flaming truck and conclude that Feo has killed himself to escape justice. Juan is frustrated that Feo and Ricardo didn't have to pay for their crimes. Franco points out that if Juan hadn't thought so quickly, they all would have been killed. Juan thinks it seems like Feo set them a trap so they'd die with him.

Feo gloats to himself that now that they've given him up for dead, he can attack them without anyone ever suspecting him.

Eva meets with Soledad at the convent. They have a long, repetitious conversation in which they conclude that Gabi is a liar and that Sofía is definitely Eva's daughter, based on how Eva was always nice to Sofía and Gabi never was. That's all the proof Eva needs.

The brothers tell the sisters about Feo trying to lure them out to his truck, which then blew up but they didn't get hurt and only Feo died. Then the sisters tell the brothers about Gabi being in a bad state. Gabi shows up with a big fresh-squeezed brandy, and I keep thinking maybe she'll take another tumble, but she doesn't. Juan tells her that Feo is bien muerto, blown to bits. Gabi numbly mumbles that this can't be true. Franco says Feo blew up his truck with himself inside. Gabi gets all upset, and we fade out with a dim vision of Feo floating over her left shoulder.

Mexico airdate: 15 de octubre

Labels: Fuego

Maurice and Cecilia are overjoyed to hear that Marisela will return to fight for La Barquereña.
"The valient Marisela that we all love has returned," says Maurice. Marisela says that she is afraid but Cecila tells her that true courage is when you get past your fears and move forward.

DB tells Eustaquia that she can't move forward. She has never felt so alone. She tells Eustaquia that if it weren't for her, she would have died right now and no one would care. Eustaquia tells her not to talk about death. DB says that all she has left are these four walls and this land (uh oh!).

Santos tells Carmelito that he is going to take up his life, his projects and his dreams again. Pajarote runs in to tell Santos that Antonio is getting married right that minute.

Melesio and all the terneras show up for the wedding and congratulate Antonio except that Genoveva asks what the rush is. Santos arrives and Antonio tells him that it is important that Santos came even though he doesn't support Antonio's marriage. Santos replies that what is most important is that Antonio is his friend and if Antonio gets married, then Santos is happy for him. Lucía and Don Encarnación arrive and Mujiquita starts the ceremony.

DB seems to have gotten over her grief pretty quickly and now she is angry. She tells Eustaquia that she doesn't want pity from Eustaquia or anyone. She'd rather they hate her. "I'm going to make it so that Santos hates me, and then make him come begging to me. I want to see him begging at my feet. I won't forgive him. I'll have no pity for him." Eustaquia is shocked.

Santos tells Antonio that DB and Santos have broken up.

Fausto comes to Josefa's whorehouse and Josefa decides to service him personally. Federica tells Pernalete that Josefa has taken on the job of finding who Fausto is and what he is doing here.

At the wedding reception, DE tells Santos that Antonio is going to take his place in the Cattlemen's Association. He says that doesn't want to fight anymore with friends and people that he likes, such as Santos. He tells Santos that his relationship with DB has put them at odds over the thefts of his cattle. Santos tells him that he and DB aren't living together anymore and DE says that is good news.

Marisela tells Cecilia that she isn't coming back for Santos. She is only returning to reclaim La Barquereña. Marisela asks Cecilia not to tell anyone that she is coming back. She wants people to know that she is back when they see her there.

Federica asks Fausto if it is true that he represents a company that is going to invest in El Progresso. Fausto replies that this will be a very rich town when his boss is the owner (dueño) of the whole region. Pernalete asks (translated by Federica) how that can be possible when the region already has an owner and that is DB.

BP asks Melquíades why he is following him. Then BP finds out that DB has returned to El Miedo. "So they are fighting once again," says BP.

DB comes to Antonio's wedding reception to talk to DE. DE says that he doesn't have anything to say to her. From now on, his hacienda is in Antonio's hands and what Antonio says goes. "Then let's talk, Antonio," says DB. Antonio has that deer in the headlights look. Melesio tells Santos not to worry. Antonio can handle DB.

Antonio refuses DB's offer for the hacienda. DB says that DE is near ruin and no one would offer more than she. Antonio says that she is wrong but anyway, he isn't selling.

Santos asks DB why she came to ruin Antonio's wedding reception. DB says that she sees that he is so happy to have been freed from her to celebrate. DB says that this isn't the end. His friends will regret having humiliated her. She says that he will pay for all the harm he has done to her, all his insults, his suspicions. He will ask forgiveness but it will be too late. Too late because she will have made him suffer where it hurts him the most. Now he will see who Doña Bárbara really is.

DB leaves the reception and returns to El Miedo. She tells Eustaquia that something is strange is happening in the llanos. Nothing is going like she wants it to. She tells Eustaquia that she ran into Santos by accident and was so angry at seeing him having a good time at a party, she 'let her devils out' ('dejé salir mis demonios) and threatened him. She wonders what is happening to her. Is she going crazy? Why would she threaten the man she loves?

Meanwhile Santos is wandering around Altamira saying how different the house would be if he could hear Marisela's laughter and her steps. He flashes back to DB accusing him of loving Marisela and to kissing Marisela. "At least know I can think about you without feeling guilty," he says.

Marisela says goodbye to Maurice and thanks him for all he has done for her. "Be quiet, don't says silly things," replies Maurice, "In the end, I didn't do anything. You did it all yourself. You learned to fly and bloomed. And look at you now - a beautiful, strong woman. It seems that the only thing I did was to put a little fertilizer on the ground, no more." "Don't be so sure of yourself," replies Marisela, "because innocent, litttle flowers can have thorns." Maurice tells her that such thorns are not for hurting anyone but for defense and she should use them intelligently.

Maurice asks Marisela if she is returning to the Arauca only for the land or to fight for the man she loves. She says that she doesn't want to talk about Santos. Maurice says that she has to face it - she will meet Santos in Progresso. She shouldn't try and deny it - she loves Santos. Marisela says that she loved Santos and that she can't love him. Maurice points out that those two statements are contradictory. What if Santos leaves DB? "Nobody leaves DB," says Marisela, "She is the devourer of men and Santos let himself be devoured by her a while ago." Marisela promises to write to Maurice. He says that he hopes so. Her letters will be the plot of his next novel - Love with Thorns.

Melquíades comes to see DB. She says that things are getting out of control and she needs him now more than anything. Melquíades says that he is at her command. She wants him to be vigilent and watch out for anything strange. She says that their enemy is powerful and skilled. He is to tie up and bring to her the first suspect.

BP tells Fausto that DB and Santos has split up. Fausto says that is good news for his boss: divide and conquer. BP asks for and gets some money from Fausto.

Marisela, Cecilia and Toñito are on bus on the highway that Santos had built. Marisela says that Santos continues to be the man she has always admired - the dreamer. A strong man, ready to fight against obstacles. Cecilia tells her that Lorenzo was that way when she fell in love with him. "Then DB came and turned him into what we all knew," says Cecilia, "I hope that woman doesn't do the same with Santos."

Lucía tells Antonio that she is very happy. Fausto interrupts their breakfast and asks if Antonio has thought any more about his offer. Antonio replies that he has and the answer is no. Fausto says that they are missing an opportunity to get a lot of money. He says that the offer still stands. Antonio says that he doesn't like that guy.

The terneras are arguing about who has to go down to the river and do the wash when Marisela appears and says that the place sounds like a madhouse. They have a joyful reunion. The terneras fill her in on the situation with Antonio and Lucía. Marisela says that he has to go now but will come and talk to them every day.

Melquíades is following Fausto.

Marisela reunites with Juan Primito at La Chusmita. She tells him that she won't leave him alone again.

Los Mondragon bring DB her half of what they got for selling DE's stolen cattle. She tells them to keep it. They thank her and she reminds them that with her everything has price. She says that she has a job for them and if they do it well, she will double their money. Leon asks who she wants them to kill. "Some poor little cows," replies DB, "I want you to poison all the water where the cattle drink at La Chapparal. There shouldn't be one cow left standing. I want to see the Matutes totally ruined."

At the meeting of the Cattlemen's Association, Santos introduces Antonio and Lucía. One of the members of the Association says that he is concerned about cattle robberies on the highway. Mujiquita is reporting that his investigations into the thefts have so far been unsuccessful when Genoveva comes in to tells Santos that Marisela has returned.

Juan Primito fills Marisela in on what is happening with the folks at El Miedo. He tells her that DB and Santos have fought, don't care about each other any more and that DB has returned alone to El Miedo. He asks if Marisela is happy with his news. "You're still in love with Don Santos, right?" he asks. "I ask myself that question every single day," replies Marisela, "and do you know what the answer is?" "No, niña, tell me," says JP. "I'm not going to tell you, Mr. Gossip." answers Marisela.

Josefa and Federica tell Melquíades that DB invested in their business and he can ask them anything he wants. He wants all the information they have about Fausto. They tell Melquíades that Fausto is a lawyer who represents a corporation that wants to buy everything in Progresso and invest in the town. Melquíades asks who Fauto's boss is but the women don't know.

Casilda is excited to hear from Cecilia that Marisela has returned. Cecilia tells her that now that Marisela has returned, they need to plan Toñito's baptism. Casilda says that she will arrange everything.

Marisela puts flowers on her father's grave- (it still just has a wooden cross. Couldn't they have gotten a proper stone by now?)
M: Here I am, Daddy. I have put my trust in your last wishes. I have needed you so much. I miss you so much. Sometimes at night when I am alone in my room, I close my eyes and I see you smiling. I remember when we were dancing at my birthday party and when we were so poor, you and I, alone at La Chusmita. We were so happy in spite of everything. Papa, why does life separate those who love each other? I know that if people didn't die, there wouldn't be room for everyone in this world but there are people so evil that they don't deserve to live and so many good people like you who are gone. But even though you aren't with me physically, papa, I feel your presence in my heart. I feel your presence at my side every time I have a problem, when I am happy, or cry ... or laugh. Papa, I read the letter you left for me and you are right. That is why I am here. Because I am going to fight for the land of our ancestors. I'm going to fight to get La Barquereña back and you will be so proud of me, papa, so proud.

DB comes to see Fausto. She asks who he is and what he is doing in Progresso. Fausto starts his usual response that he is a lawyer and he represents... "El Sapo," interrupts DB.

Lucía and Antonio have come to see the priest to set a date for their church marriage. Cecilia comes in and says that she didn't know the priest was busy. She was coming to set a date for the baptism of her baby. "Of our baby," says Antonio turning around. He introduces Lucía to Cecilia as his wife. She is impactada.

Marisela asks Lorenzo if he likes the flowers she brought - his favorite daisies. She says that now that she is back, she can come and see him, bring him flowers so that he doesn't feel alone.

Marisela looks up and Santos is there, "Marisela, my sunshine has returned," he says, "You've come back."

Labels: barbara

Onelia comments to Balbina how quiet it is in the house. Balbina tells her that Rocío & Juan Miguel are out and Mayita is upstairs, playing with Cuate. Onelia comments about how much time Mayita spends upstairs and then she says that Juan Miguel must be at the jail visiting the murdering governess. Balbina is quick to inform her that JM is actually at the theatre with a his friend (amigo). Onelia is surprised to hear this--- since when has he had any interest in the theatre?, he never would go with my daughter--- and then Balbina tells her that Marichuy is the principal actress. Onelia sputters in shock.

Juanmi and Marichuy stare at each other in the corridor of the theatre. JM says--other than the casual passing they had on the street, it has been so long since they’ve seen each other. It seems as if years have been centuries, when compared to the little time they were actually together. At least for me, he adds. MC asks him what he’s doing there and he says he came to see her. MC launches into how no one should be allowed to see her and after her performance, she needs to rest. She heads into the dressing room and JM touches her on the shoulders as she attempts to walk away and asks her to wait. She says you know at times I’m “pelada y corriente” (specific meaning anyone?); to which he answers yes and then he lets her pass him to go to the dressing room.

MC slips into the dressing room, and Olga is there. She’s excited about the amount of flowers that people have sent to Marichuy. She gushes over all the attention that MC’s getting---the flowers, the applause, the standing ovation. MC can’t seem to enjoy it all because JM’s just outside her dressing room door. She tells Olga he’s there and they talked. Olga decides to go check if he’s still there, but he’s gone. She informs MC of this and then questions why MC is so affected and MC says the shock of it all. Then MC wonders how he knew where to find her. Olga reminds her that he knows her stage name, so it is logical he found out that way. MC starts to look at the flowers—she’s gotten some from Amador and a small bunch from Olga. She gives her friend a hug in thanks. There is a beautiful bouquet and MC reads the card and is very affected. Olga asks if the flowers are from JM, but MC reads the card aloud to answer that question “I wish you luck, your mother”.

JM comes home and speaks to himself so that the viewers are let in on what he's thinking....he says that she looked beautiful, but she’s changed. She’s more of a woman, more steady and harder. He thinks how she warmed to the applause and shouts of the crowd, but she was short with him. She’s now someone else, someone he barely recognizes.

Isabel and Estefania read the paper, which is full of praise for Marichuy. They discuss what Amador’s motive is, working with MC. Isa comments that he treats MC like she’s an angel, but that she, herself, just can’t see it in MC. The conversation switches to Ceci and her recovery and that Stefi doesn’t know how she’s doing. Isa prays that Ceci will succumb to her injuries. Stefi hopes she’ll then be the heir to the Velarde fortune. Dollar signs dance in front of Isa's eyes (well not really, but you get the point).

JM reads the paper and sees pictures of MC. He notices a telegram on the table and Balbina tells him it is for Leopardo/Omar.

Isa and Stefi discuss how they sent a telegram to Omar with information on how to find Marichuy.

Omar opens the telegram and is happy to see the info on how to find Lirio(MC). JM questions who sent it to him. Omar doesn’t care. JM wonders if it could be some sort of practical joke. Omar is sure that’s not the case, at least his heart is telling him it isn’t so. He wants to leave right now to find Lirio. He asks JM to accompany him.

Ceci wakes to find Stefi hovering over her bed in the hospital. They discuss how today Ceci is feeling much better and how the doctors have been astonished at her improvement. Ceci questions Stefi about MC’s theatre debut. Stefi tells her that it appears that MC was quite the success. Ceci’s delighted to hear it. Stefi can’t seem to fake enthusiasm as well, but she does tell Ceci that all she cares about is Ceci getting well.

Cande and MC pour over the papers. Cande’s happy to see that MC was received favorably. She tells MC she’s getting as much press as the stars, like Shakira and then does some chest adulations for emphasis. MC laughs. Cande is happy to think how green with jealousy Casilda will be when she sees the papers (she’s assuming that Casilda reads) and how MC’s success will bother Isa and Stefi too. They have a good laugh thinking over what might be their reaction.

Casilda (curlers and all) are at the news stand and she sees the papers, but comments to her friend that she won’t waste the money on buying them. She’s obviously jealous.

MC and Cande discuss the flowers she got from her mother. MC says is her mother thinks a gift of flowers is going to make her offer up forgiveness, well her mother is mistaken.

Patricio goes to see Ceci in the hospital. Ceci tells him she’s feeling better, she heard the news about MC’s success. Pat is upset to think that Ceci is only getting well because of MC and not because of him (basically he's being a whiny baby, jealous of his own child).

Omar and Juanmi arrive at MC’s door. Cande opens up and Omar is delighted to see “La La”. JM is shocked to see it is Cande on the other side of the door. Omar sees MC and rushes to her, spouting out how he’s finally found Lirio. MC looks over Omar’s shoulder and sees JM standing there. After the commercial break, Omar shows MC the telegram and goes on about how he’s been going crazy looking for her everywhere because she left without talking to him, how he returned to the hacienda to find her gone. She left when they were supposed to get married. A pained look passes over JM’s face. Omar tells MC he needs an explanation, why did she leave that way, why did she run away. MC has tears running down her face and Omar continues to insist on finding out why she took off. He wants her to look him in the eyes and tell him the truth. She can’t get the words out, and Omar wants her to know his anguish. He pulls JM forward and says that his friend can attest to his looking everywhere in D.F. for her and how crazy he was to find her. MC can’t look him or JM in the eye. Cande offers physical comfort to MC and provides a barrier to the intense onslaught from Omar. Finally he slows down and questions if there is another man, is there someone between us? MC looks at JM.

Pat bemoans to Stefi about how he feels about Ceci wanting to live for MC. He tells Stefi how he’d prefer that she were his real daughter. He adds that MC has caused nothing but pain for Ceci since she’s entered their lives and as far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t want her back in their house ever again. He was happy to hear nothing of her and now she’s returned as some sort of actress. Stefi assures Pat that she has faith that MC will not return to interfere in their lives again.

MC can’t answer Omar’s demands and she leaves the room. Cande begs both men to leave, now is not the time for them to be there. They actually listen and leave, both with their heads hung in sadness.

Onelia reads the reviews in the paper, and throws out some insults about what passes as an actress today. She asks Balbina if JM read the paper yet. Balbina’s not sure, but she thinks he did. Onelia is upset to realize that JM now knows how to find MC.

Marichuy cries on Cande’s shoulder. She’s upset to realize that JM and Omar are friends, that Omar’s been saying in the castle.

Omar is mad at how Lirio received him. He wanted answers and things are worse than they were before he found her. He notices that JM is quiet and he questions his friend about it. JM says he had nothing to say.

Blanca wonders what’s going to happen in court today. She realizes that she’s got to have the charges dropped or they’ll go after Juanmi as well. She needs to save him. She feels the key to her success is finding someone from before who knew her as Ivette. She thinks of Omar and questions where he can be found. What meaning did he have for Ivette and why is he the only name she can remember. Her lawyer arrives and tells her that Balbina’s to be in court today to testify. He tells her that Juanmi hasn’t arrived for the hearing yet and every other day he’s been here. He wonders what’s going on and Blanca says he’ll probably arrive later.

Omar says that now he knows where to find Lirio, he’ll go back and talk to her. He speculates that Lirio might have been hesitant to talk because he’d brought a friend along. She was probably ashamed.

At the hair salon, Isa’s getting her hair colored. Stefi fills Isa in on Ceci’s improvement and the conversation she had with Patricio. Out the window she spots JM and Omar talking. She continues to spy on them and notices the anguished look on Juanmi’s face. They wonder what’s going on between them, did Omar get the telegram?

Marichuy laments that this is a terrible situation—that Omar and JM know each other. She wonders if Omar’s mentioned the baby to Juanmi and she questions what she should do. Juanmi can’t find out about the baby. Amador arrives with the wolf and ends up scaring Cande out of the room. MC comments on the dog (perro) and Amador says he’s no dog, he’s a wolf (lobo). MC picks up the baby protectively. Amador raves about how successful the performance was. He questions if she saw the papers and fails to notice that MC is upset. He reminds her that the actress is nothing without the director, so she’s nothing without him (he has the classic abusive personality).

Juanmi and Omar return to the castle. Omar questions who sent him the telegram. They had to know not only where to find Lirio, but that Omar was staying at Juanmi’s house. Omar asks JM what he thought of Lirio, isn’t she nice and pretty. JM thinks to himself that all that time MC was hiding out and she never mentioned his name to Omar. She hid, using another name. JM realizes that his friend is in love with the same woman he is and he vows to hid that information from Omar rather than let him find out. Just then a light bulb flashes, JM remembers Omar telling him that Lirio was pregnant (he conviently forgets the part about what Omar said about her husband and that relationship, if he did remember, he might be able to process things and discover that one and one do indeed equal two---but then we'd be at the end of our novela and I predict we've still got a bumpy road ahead).

MC tells Amador she’s got a problem and then fills Amador in on the visit she got from Omar and Juanmi. Amador assures her that those men aren’t the boss of her (subtext, I am), but hastily adds that her only boss is her art. He notices the pictures of himself that MC covered up and he questions what happened and that ends the discussion (because it is, after all, all about Amador).

Omar thinks that he’s got to go see Lirio now, without JM. He has to see her again. Juanmi asks Omar about his story with Lirio. Omar is only too happy to talk about it and he fills JM in on how they met and how at first she was timid and how soon they began to get along. He tells JM that she blossomed before his eyes. Omar remembers how scared she was the day he discovered she was pregnant. JM asks about this in more detail. Omar tells him that he was there when she gave birth, he delivered the baby. JM questions if the baby was alive and Omar says yes, a healthy baby boy. He goes on a bit about how MC/ Lirio took to motherhood.

Stefi and Isa are in the car and Stefi gets a call on her cell. It is Israel.

Cande comes in to talk to MC and she’s upset, too upset to get the words out. She finally tells MC that Juanmi is there to see her. MC says to tell him to go away and not come back. Cande goes out and tells him that Marichuy doesn’t want to see him. JM threatens to go look for her in the other rooms of the apartment, but then MC comes out and says she’ll give him a minute. Cande leaves them alone and JM questions who’s apartment this is? MC says it is Amador’s. This upsets JM and he wonders what significance Amador is to MC. She says he’s her director. JM laughs bitterly and says that she doesn’t need a director because she is a brilliant actress both on the stage and in real life. He says she’s always been a liar, but he didn’t come there to talk to her, he came there to see his son. END OF EPISODE (with no previews for Monday night).


Vocabulario
alabanza-praise
asombrar- to amaze, astonish
consagrar- to establish (artista/profesional)
escabullierse- to slip away
escenario- stage
susto-fright

Labels: Cuidado

Sinopsis

The love of Fernanda Elizalde and Eduardo Juarez is born in childhood, but social classes separate them. Eduardo is the son of Soledad, the cook of the Elizalde’s, Fernanda’s family. Eduardo is sent off to study out of the country and Soledad intercepts the letters her son sent to Fernanda.

Fernanda grows up and turns into a beautiful woman. Disillusioned in light of Eduardo’s silence and absence, she gets engaged to Damian, a young man of her social station. Eduardo returns without notifying anyone in order to see his dying mother. She tells him the reason that he has been kept away. Inside the Elizalde family lives a viper named Barbara Greco whose end is to cause harm, and because of ambition, she hasn’t hesitated in committing the worst crimes. Soledad dies and Eduardo swears vengeance against Barbara. He appears before the Elizalde family the day of Fernanda’s wedding, under the identity of Franco Santoro. Everybody thinks he’s a millionaire ready to become a partner in Syndicated Dairy Products, the Elizalde’s company.

Fernando feels an immediate attraction for Franco, but she doesn’t suspect that she’s dealing with Eduardo, whom she believes to be dead. Eduardo begins his plan for revenge, but it will be difficult since Barbara is the puppet of Artemio Bravo, a mysterious individual determined to destroy the Elizalde’s.

Labels: manana, synopsis-cast

Permalink posted by Jardinera654 @ 6:27 PM 3 comments

Santos translates for DB the part of Danger's diary about how she planned to kill Orestes Prieto because he was providing evidence to Santos and he was planning to initiate a lawsuit to get El Miedo. Santos says that now it all fits together: the poison dart and the wound that Dr. Arias found on Orestes. DB says that the whole thing is lies. Santos reads her another passage about Danger selling cattle stolen from Altamira. "What, you don't have anything to say to me?" says Santos to DB, "Thief, murderer," he calls her. Melquíades is listening outside the room. Santos reads to DB what the diary says about how DB fooled Santos when he came looking for the body of Orestes Prieto's father. DB gives a signal to Melquíades. Since she really doesn't have any other choice, DB continues to deny what is in the book. She takes the familiar position that Santos always accuses her of everything. She says that if Danger wrote those things, maybe was creating an alibi (coartada) for himself. DB asks if Santos is going to denounce her to the authorities. She says that she can prove that she is innocent.

Marisela asks how Cecilia knows about the last wishes of her father. Cecilia tells Marisela that her father wrote her a letter on the night of her birthday party and asked Cecilia to give it to Marisela when the time was right. We have some flashbacks. Marisela says that she misses her father so much. Cecilia says that she does, too.

Antonio says that he and Lucía should get married tomorrow or even today. Lucía asks why Antonio is in such a rush to marry her but she is happy.

DB tells Santos that she won't listen to another word. He is just looking for an excuse to get rid of her so that he can take up with Marisela. DB says that she will go to the authorities and tell what she knows and she won't be responsible for the effect that her confessions will have on "his adored Marisela." (Is she threatening to accuse Marisela of murdering Meléndez?)

Maurice comes home and has a happy reunion with Cecilia. Marisela runs off to read her letter.

Santos and DB:
What does Marisela have to do with all this?
DB: Everyone will find out when the time is right and then we will see if you have the courage to call me a murderer. (Then DB says, "No escupas para arriba, Santo Luzardo," does that mean something like, "don't spit in your eye?").
S: This time I'm not falling into your trap. So stop with the ridiculous threat against Marisela. As for you, I doubt that you have the courage to hand yourself over to the authorities for an investigation.
DB: I thought you knew me better, Santos.

Melquíades is digging up the place where Apolinar Prieto and the horse were buried. He says that if DB comes to harm because of Santos, the next poisoned dart will be for him. BP comes up and Melquíades asks him to help DB by digging.

Cecilia tells Maurice about the mysterious visit of DB to Marisela before her birthday party and Marisela's surprising rejection of the gift of DB's hacienda. Marisela comes in and says that she refused the hacienda because she killed a man.

BP asks Melquíades why they are digging and Melquíades says to just dig. DB doesn't like questions. BP laughs and Melquíades asks why. BP wont't say.

DB comes to the police station followed by Santos. DB wants Mujiquita to go with her and Santos and let her prove that Apolinar Prieto isn't buried where the horse skeleton was found. Santos says that if she is so willing to dig up that grave, he is certain that Prieto's remains are no longer there. He doesn't want to play her games. DB says that he has accused her so he has to go with them.

Marisela tells Maurice and Cecilia about Melendez' death (with flashbacks) and DB's threat to accuse her of murder if she accepted the property. (Recappers are happy when the characters rehash things we already know about.) After hearing all this, Cecilia says that DB is despicable. She tells Marisela that she has to return and claim what is hers. Marisela says that she can't do that.

Fausto pressures Don Encarnación to accept what he is offering for DE's hacienda.

DB, Santos and Mujiquita comes to the place where Apolinar Prieto was buried. Santos notices that the ground has been disturbed. He says that it isn't necessary to dig. They will only find the bones of a horse.

Marisela and Mauricio-
Mau: I don't like to see you in doubt like this. Marisela, since you came here, you have taught me to see a different Marisela, strong and energetic, who doesn't fear anything and doesn't say no to anyone, including Santos Luzardo, your great love. What are you thinking about?
Mar: The hacienda. I was born there. It was so pretty. I got to know the world there for the first time... At that time, it wasn't 'El Miedo,' it was 'La Barquereña.' How I would have liked for my father to return to that hacienda.
Mau: Have you thought that you have to return and get back what is yours?

DE tells Antonio and Lucía that he is being pressured to sell his hacienda. Lucía asks him not to. She wants to raise his grandchildren there. She tells him that she and Antonio plan to marry very soon. Antonio says that he will work to improve DE's hacienda.

Santos and DB-
DB: We can't leave this alone, Santos. I'm talking to you. Don't ignore me. If you are convinced that I ordered that ground dug up, I want you to tell me so, to my face.
S: Why, Bárbara? The more that I want to believe in you, I can't. In every step you take, I find proof that you lied, that you only act for your benefit.
DB: You always believe in others, never in me. Hasn't it occurred to you that there are others who want to destroy me, that they are capable of whatever to see me fall, even digging up the ground so that you don't believe me?
S: Look Bárbara, no more traps, please. I want to love and believe in you. I wanted this to be a relationship of two people who fight against one and all. But all that is important to you is your deceits and lies. You don't want a companion, you want an accomplice and that isn't me.
DB: What are you going to do with that book full of lies? What do you want it for?
S: To understand how much you deceived me with your lies. Now, I want to find out exactly how stupid I was.

Santos leaves Altamira with Danger's book. DB tells Melquíades that someone is out to get her. It isn't BP; he's not bright enough. She guesses that it's El Sapo.

Fausto tells El Sapo (and now we see him) that DE has refused so far to sell his hacienda but his economic situation may force him to do so. El Sapo tells Fausto to pressure DE and then raise the offer. DB will find out and will want to get in on the bidding (puja). He says that then he is going to bleed her white (desangrar). El Sapo tells Fausto that he doesn't need to tell DB about his interest in La Chaparral, news like that spreads like wildfire ('pólvora', literally 'gunpowder.'). Fausto asks when El Sapo is going to show his face to his enemy. He says he will wait a little while. He wants her to surprise her.

Santos has gone somewhere and reads Danger's book all night. He appears to be impactado by what he is reading.

DB tells Eustaquia that Santos can't prove what Danger's book accuses her of doing. She says that Santos is a man of the law. He only believes what he can prove. He only the has the word of a dead man against hers. DB says that Santos loves her and will believe her rather than what some idiot says. Eustaquia says there are things Santos won't be able to forgive. DB says that she can't lose Santos because it would be like losing her own life.

Santos is at Melesio's house. He sits staring into space when Antonio comes in asking why Santos was looking for him. Antonio says that Santos doesn't look well. Santos, in fact, looks like he is going to cry. "I've just discovered," he says, "that I am the world's biggest idiot." He hands Antonio Danger's book.

Marisela has a flashback to when he overheard DB tell Eustaquia that she can't love her daughter. She wonders if she should go back and confront DB. She flashes back to when Santos kissed her. She wonders if she has the strength to return and confront him.

Santos tells Antonio that he has wasted his life and worst of all, he has lost his love. He says that he has to make very hard decisions. He can't let things continue because of what is in the book. He says that he has to recover and move forward. He can't let DB destroy his life like she had done with the others. "She isn't going to destroy me," says Santos.

DB says that she has to find out where Santos is and see if he can live without her. Eustaquia tells her that Santos isn't in the house and he didn't sleep there. Cracking her whip, DB demands to know where Santos is. She says that since Santos went to the Capital, he doesn't want to sleep with her anymore. Eustaquia advises her to not to behave this way, it will just make things worse but we can see that DB isn't going to take her advice.

Santos has a morning coffee at Melesio's house. He tells Melesio that he is going to have a hard day. Melesio tells him that if he knows what he is doing is right, it is will be ok. Santos replies that he is concerned about hurting other people. Melesio repeats that the important thing is that Santos is sure he doing the right thing. Santos says that sometimes one commits errors in thinking that they are doing right. Melesio says that everyone commits errors in their life and assures him that such errors can always be corrected.

Lorenzo's letter to Marisela-
My darling daughter. Only a few hours remain before your birthday party and here I am writing these lines that will wait until the moment that you are ready to accept my words. I have decided not to go on about La Barquereña. I know that it is useless because the more I would fight to find out what DB did to force you to to refuse your hacienda, the less you would tell me. Marisela, my beautiful daughter, I know that DB took advantage of your innocence and fragility to succeed in her objective. Don't you see that more clearly now, my love? She wants to look good in front of Santos and keep our hacienda at the same time. Surely, she threatened you with doing something as bad as hastening my death, isn't that so?
Marisela: Yes, papa. That's what happened.
Lorenzo: Fine then, I'm not among the living anymore, so she can't do me any harm. What is holding you back, now, daughter? The moment has come, then. Cecilia has the property transfer deed that DB signed. You only have to make it valid in order to have what should always have been yours. Tbe time has come, daughter. Fight! You be the guardian of my rights. Fight for the land of your elders, do it now, because if you don't do it, you will live like me, regretting that I never tried. This is the only inheritence I leave you, my love: to live life wisely and intensely and my thirst for justice, so go forward. You are everything and your enemy will tremble when she sees you standing in front of her, strong, beautiful and just. It's time for war, little daughter, and I says this not only about the hacienda but about everything. If you love and finally recieve love, don't turn and look back. Don't be afraid of what prejudiced, stupid people say. Don't let anyone tell you what is good and what is bad. You already know in your heart. Live each minute intensely because life is only an instant in the sun. Laugh and cry without fear and remember that you were, are and always will be my greatest pride. I adore you and I will be with you at every step.
Your father, Lorenzo.

Santos returns to Altamira and DB doesn't waste a second before laying into him for spending the night away from her. She says that Santos is the man who never makes mistakes - what is the next thing he is going to accuse her of?
S: It's over.
DB: What did you say?
S: You heard me perfectly well, Bárbara, but I'll repeat it: You and I are finished. (Lo nuestro se terminó).
DB: Really? We're done and that's it. Why so? Because you decided? What about me? This diary that certainly contains lies and filth that the gringo made up. You believe it because it turned up just at the moment that you saw her again.
S: That has nothing to do with it.
DB: It has everything to do with it. Do you think I am an imbecile, Santos? Since the moment she left, you haven't been the same with me, you haven't looked at me the same way, you haven't talked to me the same way. You've never talked to me the way you talked to her. You've never looked at me the way you looked at her. She.. she has been between us this whole year. Look, Bárbara, the only thing that has come between you and I this year and forever is this (he holds up the book). This disgusting history of crimes and thefts. The kind of barbarism that I have fought against my whole life. It's true that I wanted to forget to give myself permission to love you. Look, I turned my face so I wouldn't see. I covered my ears so I wouldn't hear... I began to drink to not think about the things that you were doing. Because I wanted to believe that you loved me enough to change. But you didn't do it, Bárbara. You didn't do it. You continued being this way and the fault isn't even yours. It's mine. Because I am gullible and conceited. Look, who am I to tell you how you have to live or what you have to do? Why did I get the idea that you were going to change just because you were with me? You are what you are and you can't change: always the wild animal and predatory tigress. Lorenzo Barquero was always right.
DB: You still believe that drunk?
S: Yes. I beleive him more than ever because he loved you. He always loved you in spite of himself.
DB: I never loved him. I never loved anyone. Only you. Do you doubt my love?
S: No, but that's the worst of it. Your love is killing me, Bárbara and for whatever reason, I still have a little sanity (cordura). I want to live, I want to be the person I was before. So, please, leave, go back to your place and let's continue with our lives.
DB: My life is you. Don't you understand? You can't leave me. You love me, Santos. What has happened is that stupid diary has confused you. The people who hate me have filled up your head with bad thoughts. But I know you still love me.
S: Bárbara, please, don't make this more difficult. Leave.
DB: I'm not leaving here. I'm the señora of Altamira. You promised me. I have your mother's ring. You gave it to me. You told me that you loved me. Where is our love? our engagement? The children that we will have. We will have children, my love. When they come, I will be good. A good mother like you want me to be.

Santos turns and walks away without a word. DB follows screaming that she won't leave. She is the señora of Altamira. Santos speaks to Carmelito, gets on his horse and rides away. DB grabs Carmelito and demands to know what Santos told him. Carmelito says that Santos told him that he would be in the hotel at Progresso until... "Until when!" demands DB. "Until you leave Altamira," replies Carmelito.

Eustaquia begs DB to leave Altamaira. DB says that she is sure that Santos will return when his rage has passed. Eustaquia says that her man has broken off their relationship. She shouldn't behave like a wretch. She should have some dignity and not beg for love from someone who doesn't want to give it.

Antonio asks Mujiquita to marry him and Lucía.

Watched by Melesio, the terneras and the vaqueros, DB loads up her truck and she, Eustaquia, Melquíades and Juan Primito leave Altamira.

Santos flashes back to various good and bad times with DB. Carmelito tells him that DB has left.

Back at El Miedo, DB says, "I've lost everything, old woman. Without him, I have nothing, nothing." Eustaquia tells her not to say that. She has this house, her hacienda, her life. "But my life was him," she says, "only him. Without him, there is only this: an empty, dark house. Nothing. I am nothing. I have nothing."

The next morning Marisela tells Maurice and Cecilia that she will go back with Cecilia to the Arauca and confront DB. She will fight for her land and will get La Barquereña back. Cecilia is ecstatic. Maurice is sorry to lose his roommate.

Labels: barbara

Resumen del capítulo 192

First a bit of repetitious review:

At the Double E (Hacienda de las Elizondo y del escoria* ese, Escandón) Root gets the tables turned on her when she tries to goad Gabi into telling Sofia the truth about their relationship. Instead, Gabi outs Root for being the one who put the poisoned snake in her little girl’s bed.

Meanwhile, across the way at Ruh-Roh Central, the Double R (Hacienda de los Robles-Reyes), Juan’s in the kitchen telling his brothers he suspects they’re pretty near their sister’s murderer when dear, ditzy Eva runs in to tell them she’s leaving town with Root who has finally accepted her and turned over a new leaf. They can’t let Eva do something that bone-headed, especially since they now know Root is really Crabiela’s daughter. Juan takes pity on Eva and tells her the truth that Root is Crabi’s daughter and that Sofia is actually her daughter instead.
==========

When the news about Sofia finally sinks in, Eva is all happy-happy, joy-joy because she realizes that she never really lost her baby daughter at all. It was Sofia and, by the grace of Dios, she was with her all along. Of course, the first thing she wants to do is run off to tell Sofia the Big News but Juan and the bro’s hold her back. Juan explains that the padre wants them to wait till after he’s fully recovered and can arrange it properly. Eva says since she’s waited this long she figures she can wait a little bit longer. (Viewerville thinks we’ve all waited way too long as it is). She says she’s going to the church to thank the diosito instead and promises to keep mum.

Back across the way at the Double E, Sofia is screaming at Root to tell her the truth about the business with the snakes in her daughter’s bed. Tearfully Root begs for forgiveness and says she was out of her mind with envy. She didn’t know what she was doing. Rather than slap the sh!t out of the deserving slut, our saint-in-waiting, Sofia, listens to Root’s sad story about having always been envious of Sofia’s lucky life, her doting daddy and her sappy sisters. (Hmm. Nary a mention of the malicious matriarch in this confession?) She says Sofia will soon learn something that will change her life forever and if Sofia will just forgive her she promises she’ll never interfere with her or her family or Juan again. Saintly Sofia replies that it’s up to God to forgive her and she truly hopes he’ll give her the peace that she’s missed all her life long. Root hugs Sofia, who can’t quite manage to hug back, and looks like she’s afraid of catching cooties from her childhood frenemy.

In town, Padre Tadeo comes into the chapel to find Eva tearfully praying to the diosito. She explains that she’s crying tears of joy because Juan just told her that Sofia was her daughter, and that it was to keep her from leaving town with Root otherwise. He says no problemo and that they did the sensible thing. She promises to keep quiet about it like he asked (and so we now can wait another two weeks while this crappy storyline drags on). Eva tells the padre that she believes Root is not really rotten to the core; Raqui and Rico just raised her in a home without love. She’s certain she can get Root back on the right track with a little TLC.

Back in her bungalow boudoir, though, Root is readying things for another nookie-night with ‘Nando. After knocking back a glass of tinto, she takes out the (curiously clean) dagger and sensually rubs it between her bazoombas and over her mouth before hiding it under the pillow. (Ok. Ok. We’ll adjust our beanies here in Viewerville and pretend that Uni’s crack continuity crew didn’t really screw things up. –So… how many times now has Root smeared Feo’s fingerprints with her own, not to mention wiped the supposedly bloody thing across her mouth? I mean, that blade was in somebody’s guts just a few days ago! Blech!) In the meantime, Feo is up at the main house adjusting his (blood-red) shirt and tie and wondering to himself about the surprise Root’s got planned for him later that evening.

In the kitchen of the Double R, the Reyes’s have decided to plan a party to celebrate the night that Eva finally tells Sofia the truth about their relationship. Quintina walks in and tells them she’s excited for Eva over the news that Sofia turns out to be her daughter. Juan says likewise, that he’s just itching (“me quema las habas” – “the beans are burning me”) for Sofia to get the news. Quintina mentions that everybody’s ready to get married these days, even the Gossip Sisters. Oscar and Franco wonder who’d be crazy enough to be reeled in by those two but Quintina assures them that for every woman there’s a man (“nunca falta un roto para un descosido”, literally, there’s a patch for every tear). Anyway, they’ve set their sights on Tío and Nabor she says, as the two old maids are home flipping a coin to see who goes after Vicente and who goes after Nabor. (Yeah, I should know. Gettin' old's a b!tch, but hey. This is pathetic. FF>> Puh-leese!)

Upstairs in his room, Gabi watches Fer finish getting dressed and asks him where he’s going. He lies and says he’s got an appointment to talk over the sale of the harvest with Don Adolfo, but her antennae are up. She asks if he’s really going to see Don Adolfo. He tells her not to start with him again. He bluffs and offers to take her along. She declines and self-medicates with another gulp of her brandy. He tells her not to drink a lot and promises to come back early.

Across the hall Sofia tells her sisters about her latest run-in with Root. They all agree on how thankful they are that they had Daddy and Eva to rely on while they grew up. (Again, no mention of Mama.)

Feo arrives at the bungalow and Root has one last ride on the wild side. Feo finds the knife under his pillow while she is re-filling her glass of tinto. While he’s supposedly “lost in her charms” with her riding topside, she searches with her hand for the knife under his pillow but can’t find it. Just as they’re reaching the pinnacle of Passion Peak he stabs her in the gut. He pulls out the bloody blade and coldly shows it to her. “Is this what you were looking for?” She looks at him and it and then falls onto his chest, lifeless.

The next morning at breakfast Hortensia starts henpecking her hubby again. This time Saul has had enough and tells her he’s leaving and walks out on her. Hortensia begs Rigo to go after him but Rigo won’t and says he warned her. Quintina clucks and says this makes the fourth husband she’s run off now. Hortensia yells back that she wouldn’t know sh!t from Shinola, considering Quintina’s never even had a man. The two start punching away at each other till Hortensia bangs Quintina over the head with a frying pan and walks away in disgust. (Did I miss something funny here, or was this a bit too low-brow for a self-respecting high-brow?)

At the same time Eva is over at the bungalow looking for Root who is nowhere to be found, either inside or out. She has Root’s letter in her hand.

A while later back in town, Quintina is peddling more “pan”. It’s the beefcake special: buy the bread and she lets you make biscuits with the beef-cake. (Hubby says he’s more interested in where Quintina finds her fashionable eye-wear.)

Eva heads over to the main house. She runs into Crabi-Gabi outside and doesn’t lose the chance to rub her nose in the fact she now knows who her really, real daughter is and that it’s Sofia. C-G tries to put her off and still pushes the Big Lie that Root is her daughter, but Eva insists she knows Gabi is lying to her like always. Root is Gabi’s and Sofia is hers, period.

While Juan is baking the next batch of bread he just happens to notice Fer’s bottle of ether, and the dirty rag that came with it, that he has conveniently left sitting out on the counter next to his baking paraphernalia. He picks up the bottle and wonders what in the world Fernando would have it stored in his safe for since it’s not gold (i.e., jewelry?) or cash and since he’s not a doctor.

Back outside the main house at the Double E, Gabi is still trying to shovel sh!t at Eva but Eva just tells her to talk to the hand ‘cause the face ain’t listenin’. Gabi tries to run her off the property and not to think she can hide behind Sofia because Sofia just signed her over the hacienda again and it’s hers! Eva is like, who cares? Sofia certainly doesn’t because she’s not a material girl and, BTW, Eva is never going to forgive Gabi for the witchy way she treated Sofia all the while she was growing up. Gabi says well, have it her way. Sofia deserves Eva for a mother because she’s just as stupid as Eva is. So Eva hauls off and slaps the smirk off Gabi’s face. (Damn! Talk about a shot heard ‘round the world! Viewerville gets out of its chair to cheer.) Gabi actually sees stars for a second or three. Eva tells Gabi not to insult Sofia again. (Ok. Gotta admit a little hair-pulling here would have been nice, but who’s kvetching?) Unwittingly, Eva flaps the hand with Root’s letter in it at Gabi for emphasis. Gabi grabs the letter from her and asks what it is. Eva explains it was for Gabi in case anything bad happened to Root. Gabi says she’s keeping it since it was addressed to her anyway.

Upstairs, Feo has snuck back into the bedroom after apparently ditching Root’s body somewhere and he notices the file Gabi left on the bedside table. He noses through it and sees the document giving Gabi ownership of the hacienda again, so he decides he’s got to get Gabi to name him her heir as soon as possible now.

However, Root had another surprise for Fer in mind. Downstairs in her office, Gabi starts reading the letter she took from Eva:

“Dear Mama: If you’re reading this it’s because unfortunately my plans haven’t turned out as I’d hoped. So, as the sole act of my love for you, I want to confess to you that in fact you’re husband, Fernando, was my lover. Fernando and I were lovers and we enjoyed enormously having deceived you.

With all your daughter’s love….

Affectionately,
Root”

Gabi is push-me-over-with-a-feather impactada. “Devils! Devils!” She takes her revolver out of the drawer and runs out into the back yard (past a gorgeous pool, I might add) screaming like a banshee for Fernando. (Of course, Fer can’t hear a thing because he’s inside the house with the sound-proof windows.)

Sofia, meanwhile, pays a visit to Juan while he’s baking. After a little smooching and “boda” banter, Juan shows Sofia the bottle that he found in Fernando’s safe and puts it under her nose for grins. Sofia suddenly has flashbacks to that nightmarish night of her deflowering….. She tells him that she remembers that smell from when she was raped, that the man that attacked her put something over her nose that smelled the same way. Juan is furious (cuz he can at least put two and two together and most times get four). Why, then, the man that raped her was Fernando Escandon! Slowfia is appropriately impactada. Juan picks up his shirt and as he races out of the kitchen he grumbles that Fernando is going to have to answer a whole slew of questions from him. She begs Juan to wait and races out after him.

Gabi has given up the search and returns to her office, exhausted, to cry her eyes out over Fernando’s infidelities. Juan races into the yard now and finds Fer there. He immediately accuses him of raping Sofia and of course, Fer denies it and calls him crazy. Sofia shows up. Fer says that’s nuts because he was the one who rescued her that night. Juan tells him to stop pretending. Feo pulls another Bart Simpson and says he can’t prove anything. Juan pulls out the bottle of ether from his pocket and says he took it out of Fer’s safe. Ruh-roh! Then Sofia says she’s never forgotten that smell. Fer asks if it’s a crime to have a bottle of ether. (No, but it’s a damned strange coinkydink, don'tcha think?) Juan tells him he knows he put her to sleep with it so she wouldn’t recognize his face. Suddenly he and Fernando go at it with fisticuffs. All Hell breaks loose till Gabi runs out with her revolver aimed at Juan and tells him to get away from Fernando.

Round two of Zoo-world starts. Sofia shrieks in fear and jumps in front of Juan. Gabi tells her to get out of the way or she’ll shoot Sofia, too. Juan pushes Sofia behind him and warns Gabi not to shoot Sofia. In the middle of all of this hubbub Fernando keeps yelling and hopping around like a proverbial Mexican jumping bean, pleading for Gabi to kill Juan. “Kill him! Kill him! Kill him right now!” Juan screams back that he’s not afraid to die. “Shoot me! Since I’m not going make this wretched swine pay for his crimes! Why not?” He yells over at Feo. “You-u-u cowardly beggar!” That’s another cue for Sofia to jump in front to try to protect him again. Fer starts screaming that it’s all lies. Juan screams back that Fer’s lying but he knows it’s the truth. Gabi’s as confused as the rest of us and yells for somebody to tell her what Fer’s done. Gabi takes another emotional body blow as Juan tells her Fer was the one who raped Sofia.

Fer starts screaming again for Gabi to shoot Juan while she has him in her sights, but she suddenly turns the gun on him instead. “You’ve been making a fool of me the entire time! You traitor! You’re like a dog that bites the hand of the master that loves and feeds him!” (Go for it, Gabi!) He insists she’s just upset. She knows he loves her and nobody else. Gabi throws Root’s letter in his face and says it is a hand-written confession of everything. “She was lying!” he yells at her in desperation. Gabi yells back. “You slept with Root and made a fool of me. That’s why I’m going to kill you!” She aims, shoots high, and bags him in the shoulder. He falls to the ground just as Uni breaks to pay its bills.

When we return to the scene of …numerous crimes, suddenly Feo is up and running for his truck. Juan calls for Capricho (who must have been off flirtin’ with the fillies ‘cause it takes him a minute or two to show). Juan jumps on his valiant steed a few seconds later and starts galloping after Fer and the truck. Viewerville tightens its beanie and rubbernecks as somehow Juan and Capricho try to cut him off with a rearing horse tactic after miraculously arriving up ahead on the road only a minute later. Fer takes his semi-automatic and tries to shoot at them, but the gun jams and he throws it aside. Capricho, the real brains of this operation, can read the handwriting on the wall even if Juan can’t. He takes the initiative and gallops out of Fer’s way.

Juan and Capricho now race back after the truck and pull up alongside it in another maneuver that even Trigger and Roy (Rogers) would have marveled at. Juan jumps onto the truck’s roof. He lays flat and reaches down into the conveniently opened driver’s side window and then lamely tries to poke at Fer’s wounded shoulder and harass him (I guess) into stopping. No go. Fer suddenly puts on the brakes and Juan tumbles down over the windshield, off the hood, and onto the ground. Fer revs the truck back up and rushes to run him over but Juan rolls out of the way at the last instant. Fer puts the pedal to the medal and makes like dust. “He got away from us, Capricho! We’ll grab him later.” They head back to the Double R.

Back at the Double E, Gabi frowns and tells Sofia that Fernando never loved her and so Sofia must have provoked him and that’s why he raped her. With a sick sneer she adds, half to Sofia and half to herself, that now every time Juan touches her he’ll remember that Fernando was Sofia’s first. Doh!-fia (who as we all know is on the fast track for sainthood and soon to be beatified) is dumbfounded. She simply can’t understand how Gabi could be so callous and uncaring and says she’s no longer going to let Mama Cruel Shoes take advantage of her affections.

Gabi grabs at her chest as Sofia heads out to the pool to find consolation in the arms of Eva. Sofia tells Eva how cruel and insensitive Gabi was when she found out Fernando had raped her. “It’s as if she weren’t really my mother.” Eva has to bite her tongue to keep from telling Sofia that the b!tch really isn’t her mother at all, that she is. (Forget Eva! For crying out loud! I'll do it! Let me tell her all ready! Let me, pleeeeese!)

When Juan gets back to the Double R he tells Vicente and his brothers what just happened and that he’s got to find his gun and go looking for the brute. Sofia arrives just then and begs him not to go after Fernando. She’s afraid of what might happen and she doesn’t want him to risk it. Juan eventually gives in to her.

That night Feo sneaks into the clinic as the doctor is about to leave for the night. He forces the doctor at gunpoint, gansta’-style, to take out the bullet.

The next morning is Sunday and the Bishop is performing the mass. It was a rough Saturday night, apparently, for Gabi. She looks like Death warmed over (and just like one of those Santa Muerte statues from that Mexican-Gothic stall the other night, come to think of it). She comes up to partake of the Host but the Bishop recognizes her and stops cold. In front of the entire congregation of the faithful he calls her out. “Gabriela Aceveda, you are not worthy of receiving God, our Lord. You have played with the sacrament of confession, pretending to be repentant of your sins. Therefore, you are out of grace and in no way absolved. We’ve examined your case and from this moment on you are excommunicated, and as long as you do not repent and come back to the correct path you do not even have the right to enter God’s house!” Gabriela is shocked into silence and she’s furious.

Vocab:
*escoria = a person who’s the scum of the earth
“nunca falta un roto para un descosido” = there’s a patch for every tear
“me quema las habas” = the beans are burning me

Labels: Fuego

Permalink posted by Jardinera654 @ 5:06 PM 106 comments

Sorry for getting so far behind on this one. I was out of town last weekend.

Salvador escapes from Gaetana's house and is wandering along the road when he is hit by a car.


Gaetana and Camilo find Salvador unconscious by the side of the road and put him in their car. He wakes up as PJ/S. Back at Gaetana's house, PJ/S says that now he understands the sensations that he had dreaming about that woman. "Salvador Cerinza is reclaiming his body," says PJ/S.

He tells Gaetana that he is afraid. He will concentrate on his mission, "I came back for Isabel," says PJ/S, "and I'll dedicate every moment of this second chance to her." He wonders how much time he has left.
Ángela and Antonio come to see PJ/S in his office to ask him about his relationship with Valeria and the fact that he was apparently going to walk away from the firm. PJ/S says that he realized that it wasn't going to work out with Valeria so now he is concentrating on his work. Ángela is clearly embarassed that she made a fuss about something that doesn't seem to concern PJ/S very much. She leaves and PJ/S tells Antonio that he should be prepared for PJ/S to do strange things.

Isabel tells the police that she and PJ/S only had a business relationship.

Thurs. 1/27

PJ/S tells himself that he has to forget Valeria.

PJ/S (in his spiffy purple shirt) tries to explain to Simón what happened with him and Valeria and tries to get Simón to like him again. He doesn't have much success on either front.

Isabel tells PJ/S about her interview with the police. PJ/S tells her to relax. He will handle everything.
PJ/S plays the piano for Valeria.

Fri. 1/28

Felipe questions Cantalicia about Salvador before and after his supposed death. He wonders if the energy of some other person took over Salvador's body.
PJ/S supports Isabel's version of his relationship with her and Andrés in his interview with the police.

Valeria tells Abigail that she feels better because she knows that PJ is giving his midnight concerts for her. Abigail asks why she fell in love with PJ/S and Valeria says that it was because he was so much like PJ.

Walter forces Isabel to make him adminsitrator of the house again. No one can understand why she just doesn't get rid of him.

PJ/S threatens to reveal that Iniridia tried to marry PJ. She goes to the police station and withdraws all her charges against Isabel.

Labels: cuerpo