Saturday, May 01, 2010
Salvaje, 04/ 30/10: Who Does Juan Think He’s Kissing?
Capítulo 51:
[“What lies lurk in kisses.” --Heinrich Heine]
As we return to deal with the family affairs (and I do mean that loosely) at Finca del Mar, Renato is telling his mama the changes in workloads and duties for the workers that he is going to make. The idea is to keep the people strong, well-fed, and productive rather than overworked beasts of burden who can barely manage to carry their load. He will have Regi oversee an artisan workshop for the women that will also bring in additional profits on the side, something muy advanced for the age, and the kids then will have more time for schooling. Leonarda is truly scandalized and worries that Ren and Juan’s new-fangled ideas will take them to the poorhouse. Ren says he isn’t asking her permission; he’s simply letting her know what’s up. He’s already approved them. Needless to say, Mama is muy disturbed that somebody actually has a bigger pair than hers now.
As Ren leaves the office, Arcadio slinks in. Ren eyes him suspiciously and asks if he wants him or his mother. The Orca slavishly says he’s there to speak with Leona. After Ren leaves, Arcadio informs Leona that Regina been in the basement passage ways again to develop more of her photographs. Leona is upset that Regi isn’t using the place she set up for her in the attic. “Regi’s intelligent enough that sooner or later she could figure things out and get suspicious.” She asks what he did with Maria del Rosario. Orca tells her he did the usual: tied MdR up and gagged her, threatening to kill both Mirta and MdR if either of them made any noise. Leona moans and groans at the trouble it causes her keeping on top of things with him. Dunno. Maybe this kvetching turns the Orca on, because he immediately whispers in Leona's ear that he wants her to visit him later for another nighttime nookie-fest. Leona refuses, saying she’s gotten his job back for him and so nookie nights with him are now a thing of the past. He says no way and not so fast! Their little goosing get-togethers are forever and always. If she doesn’t believe him, well he’s got a letter that will be more of a threat than just parading MdR around for everyone to see. She wonders what letter he means. Orca shows her the letter he found in Constanza’s trunk which accuses Leonarda of having poisoned her. So now Leonarda is at his mercy and will have to do whatever he orders her to –and that means givin’ him more of what he’s lookin’ for.
Aimee is back upstairs in her room remembering tackily trying to kiss Juan in the tack room and him rejecting her. Clemencia comes in to check on Aimee. Aimee says she wants to rest a bit. Clem asks why, since she hasn’t done anything today to make her so tuckered. Aimee says she just would rather not see people when so much chaos abounds throughout the house. Just then Regi races in to tell them that she just found their mother’s trunk full of interesting things and wants to look through them. Aimee has no interest in useless old pieces of junk [cachivaches= knickknacks/ junk], so Regi and Clem head down to the basement to check things out without her highnass.
In the basement, Orca returns to find Jimena waiting on Regi to return with Clem. He suspects her of trying to steal something out of the trunk, but Regi and Clemencia show up and she’s off the hook. Clem mentions that the lock’s been broken on the trunk so the key Sra. Constanza gave her years ago is no longer necessary. Regi and Mena say the trunk was already opened when they found it. Clem starts poking through the stuff to find the letter that was to be given to her daughters. Clem looks suspiciously over at Orca. “Who could have taken it?” Orca looks a little sheepish and asks what use a letter would be to him. Clem looks accusingly at him and is definitely not convinced.
Back at the manse in Veracruz, Rod sends Rosenda home with a few gold coins for her special sheet turn-down service. He says he’ll send for her the next time he’s in the mood. For now, she’s got to leave before the servants show up. Rosenda obeys and kisses him sensually on the cheek, adding she’s hoping he’ll be sending for her again ve-r-r-ry soon. Rod’s face turns to stone.
Back in the finca’s basement, Leona has come to see about the opened trunk. Clem tells her the trunk’s lock was broken and Constanza’s letter to her daughters is missing. Leona, acting cool as a cuke in cold storage, asks if Clem knew what was in the letter. Clemencia says she hasn’t the slightest idea. Leona “orders” Orca to look for it everywhere and says she’s sure it will turn up soon. Regi introduces Mena to her. Leona pretends not to mind their friendship and gives it her blessing. She wants Regi to promise not to go anywhere else down there. She is to use only this room because it would be too dangerous to go traipsing through the rest of the basement. Regi promises enthusiastically. Leona’s played her cards right and her secrets are safe for now.
Meanwhile, Renato comes upstairs and finds Aimee in their room. After a little turtledove chitchat he asks her why she doesn’t seem to like Juan. Aimee tells Renato that there is just something about the man that makes her uneasy and mistrustful of him. Ren says it seems Regi doesn’t like the guy either. Aimee tells him she thinks Regi is simply pretending to throw off their suspicions, but she is certain that Regi and Juan have been seeing each other all along. Ren insists they have no proof of that unless perhaps Regi’s said something to her. Aimee insists that she knows her sister and therefore what she says is true. Regi is involved with Juan. She can see it in her eyes. Ren thinks she’s possibly making false accusations and Aimee pretends to be greatly offended. When Ren defends Regi and her good works for the people of Paradise, she lets her jealousy show. “You seem to be enchanted with her! --Well, anyway, for her own good she should go back to the convent to avoid temptation and sin.” (Aimee knows all about this kind of sin.) The aforementioned accused walks in on the two of them unexpectedly. Regi excuses herself for interrupting them. She’s there to speak to her sister. Ren kisses Aimee good-bye and kisses Regi’s hand politely before excusing himself so the two women can chat alone.
Once Ren is gone, Aimee continues to lord her control of him over Regi. She cruelly teases her sister about feeling “heavenly” when Ren kissed her hand. Regi accuses Aimee of being jealous of her but says not to complain. After all, Ren loves Aimee, and she has no intention of betraying her. “Enjoy your perfumes, your oils, your lace, and your silks. Leave me to my misery and misfortune. We won’t cross paths again because we are going our very different and separate ways.” (Methinks she’s just politely told Aimee to stuff it.) Aimee sniggers condescendingly as Regi leaves in tears --no sisterly love loss there on Aimee’s part.
That night at Juan’s, Gabriel comes in with news that the price of wood continues to fall and that the company has lost thousands of pesos. Gabe asks if he shouldn’t tell his business partners about this. Juan doesn’t want them told yet. “Just keep buying their shares and investing in wood.” “—But your lawyers in Spain are very upset.” He tells Gabe to calm them down and tell them he has a strategy in mind. Juan is, in fact, very happy to see that the price of wood continues to go down because Rodrigo Montes de Oca is at the point of going broke. Gabe is worried about how angry MdO will be when he realizes it was Juan who took him to ruin. Juan doesn’t care and says he wants MdO to suffer so much that he can’t eat or sleep. “It should consume him slowly, just like my father’s pain consumed him—or have you forgotten that I am a man without a country or a family thanks to him? I don’t understand you who always search for your ties to family and love. Ties that I have never had!”
Samuel comes looking for Servando in his tent. Fulgencio wants a meet with him. The only thing Samuel will tell Servando up front is that there’s a lot of money for him in it.
Aimee is still in her bedroom staring lovingly at herself in the mirror. “Juan will never leave me because he will never find another woman like me!”
Juan asks Gabe if he thinks there’s something his enemies can do to hurt him. Gabe says he’s simply thinking of something unexpected, something like love. Is he sneering at love also, asks Gabe? Juan doesn’t want to talk about love right now.
Eloisa and Feddie are finishing up in bed at her seamstress’s house. Feddie wants to leave and head to the casino before Fulgencio gets back and realizes she’s been gone. Eloisa tells him Fully’s no threat. “The old fart couldn’t kill a fly.” Feddie thinks to himself, “If she only knew how vengeful and vile her husband really is.”
Servando and Samuel arrive at the gunrunners’ cave and Fulgencio makes his dramatic appearance. Fully offers Servando a job working for him if he can prove his ability with a knife. He needs a strong man who doesn’t ask questions. In exchange he offers his protection and a boat-load of money. Fully puts him to the test. He has Servando and one of his gargantuan goons go at it in the cave. If Servando wins the knife fight the job is his. If he loses, he’ll be thrown to the sharks. Servando wins by throwing knives into the goon’s stomach and heart, killing him almost instantly.
At the casino, two of the three hookers do another version of their strip-tease which is very “warmly” received by the politely panting male patrons.
Meanwhile, our fourth little hooker, Rosenda, returns to the finca and comes into the kitchen. Clemencia is waiting for her. She asks if Rosenda has been fooling around with Don Rod. Rosenda tells her to mind her own business and threatens to tell everything she knows about Aimee and the others if Clem meddles any further regarding her doings with Don RamRod. Rosenda then leaves the kitchen and runs into Leonarda by the stairs. Leona wants to know where she’s been all this time. Rosenda lies, saying that she’s suddenly got religion and has been at church in town. Leonarda tells her she doesn’t mind her going as long as she takes care of her household duties first. She sends her upstairs to tell Aimee that dinner will be ready in a few moments.
Aimee is still admiring herself in the mirror when Rosenda comes in. Aimee reminds her of the time Rosenda offered her assistance. She asks if Rosenda can get hold of one of Regina’s old habits. She offers Rosenda any jewel of hers she chooses if she can find a habit for her. She wants it that same night. If Rosenda passes her “test” then fine, otherwise she’ll kick her out on her ass-ets. Rosenda assures her she can stay mum and will be able to help.
Fully’s next “test” for Servando is to rob Feddie’s house. He gives Servando a makeshift plan of the mansion’s layout and tells him where Feddie hides his cash. Servando agrees and leaves on his mission. Once Servando’s gone, Fully tells Samuel that he wants to make sure Feddie remains peso-less and dependent on him.
Eloisa comes home with her cover story ready. She complains to the housekeeper that she has a migraine after spending the whole day at the seamstress’s house. She refuses dinner and goes upstairs to bed.
Feddie has lost all his cash tonight playing poker at the casino. The horn toad has been eyeing Fifi on stage and decides to ease the pain with the kind of evening “intervention” Fifi is best known for. They arrange to meet at his place in a few minutes.
Back at the finca after dinner Rosenda appears and signals Aimee “mission accomplished”. Noel suggests a game of chess with Renato. He wants to beg off to spend time with Aimee, but Aimee, having plans of her own, tells him tonight she’ll let him and his father enjoy themselves because she’s not feeling too well. Aimee, Regi and Leonarda say good-night to the men and go their own way.
Aimee is ecstatic to find the novice’s habit ready and waiting for her on her bed. Rosenda comes in and says she has kept her word. Aimee has her choose something out of her jewelry box and Rosenda chooses the locket that Ren (I think) gave her years ago. She starts to object, but when Rosenda gets snippy, she figures what the hey.
Regi is in her bedroom, suspecting that something’s up with Aimee. She doesn’t want to believe that her sister would actually to try to see Juan again. “She wouldn’t be that foolish or careless! Besides, Renato would surely realize!” In the end she figures the only thing she can do it try to relax and go to bed.
Back in town, Feddie and Fifi start to get frisky in the bedroom. A badly timed and muy intrusive ring at the front door from Rodrigo, who’s bored and eager to chat, interrupts them. Feddie tells her to stay put and not to step foot outside the bedroom.
Rodrigo mentions he was interested in seeing the house Feddy and Regi would be living in. He asks to see some of the handcrafted furniture from Italy that his parents accumulated and displayed in their bedroom. Feddie gulps hard but manages to think on his feet. He replies that unfortunately the furniture was too moth-eaten [estragos del polilla] and so he sold it off. Feddie offers to take him on a tour of the house (minus the bedroom) instead, and Rod accepts.
While Feddie’s in the living room, Fifi starts rummaging through his drawers looking for some sort of document but she doesn’t seem to find what she is looking for. She stops to check her watch and realizes how late it is. She tells herself that she has to leave and get back to the casino immediately or Mme. Marlene will realize she’s been gone. She puts on her cape and races out through the back hallway.
After the house tour Rod compliments Feddie on the way he’s restored the house to its earlier beauty and advises him to continue being subtle and persistent with Regi until she finally comes to accept him. Feddie agrees to and says he is certain she will eventually realize he loves her sincerely. (Viewerville offers a major eye-roll here.) Rod reminds Federico that the wedding with Regi will bring together two fortunes: his and his daughter’s inheritance from her mother which she will receive on her wedding day. It’s much more than whatever Rod is going to give him as a dowry. The dowry, he adds, will consist of half his shares in the wood enterprise. (Viewerville enjoys the last laugh on that one!) Feddie’s eyes are big as saucers impactados.
Out back of Feddie’s manse, Servando grabs Fifi from behind and holds a knife to her throat.
Back at the finca Noel takes a break from the chess game. He looks out the window and sniffs in the sea breeze, but then has a start when he thinks he sees a shadow of someone in the garden. Ren comes over to look with him.
Juan, meanwhile, is going stir crazy at home. Gabe’s little talk has left him antsy. He leaves the house.
Ren is starting to have negative thoughts after Noel’s mention of the shadow passing through the garden.
Servando warns Fifi not to look at him and says she’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t raise a ruckus. He asks if there’s anyone in the house. She nods that there is. He says he thought he might have made a mistake about the house. He then covers her eyes and gives her one of those disgusting, signature kisses of his before climbing over the wall and disappearing. After a few minutes the frightened Fifi climbs over the wall herself, in a hurry to return to the casino before being found out.
The Fopster, meanwhile, points out to Rod that it should be evident that he has no economic problems and thus will not care in the least to touch a centavo of Regi’s fortune. “She herself is the most valuable of all.” (The smell from the sh!t he's slinging here is so strong it's suffocating!) Rod says he realizes that to be the case and once Regi is married off he will cease to fret over her. He talks Feddie, then, into joining him at the casino a while. Feddie goes to his bedroom supposedly to get his cane and hat. He looks for Fifi In the bedroom, but eventually decides that she must have already left. Feddie races out through the back hallway with his cane and coat.
Back at the finca Renato can no longer concentrate on the chess game and tells his daddy that there are many things about Regi that are now beginning to worry him. He reminds Noel about the time she snuck off to the caves. They don’t know why she would have gone there in particular, but several things he’s “discovered” about Regi’s actions are beginning to frighten Ren. Noel asks him to clarify. Ren says he cannot be sure but he thinks Regina and Juan have something going on together and he thinks she went to the caves that time to meet Juan. Noel asks if he can prove it. Ren admits that he can’t. Noel tells him not to mention the business to anyone unless he can.
Juan enters the love cave and hears someone rustling around in it. He turns around and sees “Regina” standing there. “Santa Regina! This is the last thing I needed right now! What are you doing here?” “Regina” tells him meekly that she put on the habit again because of her impending “great sacrifice”. He’s totally confused. She explains that she is ready to sacrifice herself by “surrendering” herself to him [entregarse = polite euphemism for sexual intercourse] in exchange for him leaving her sister Aimee alone. Juan spouts jibberish as “Regi” inches towards him. He doesn’t understand a word she’s saying, he tells her, though it seems Juan’s actually struggling to keep his knees from turning to jelly as the heat from her simply being near him continues to melt his resistance. He tries valiantly to resist her upturned face and gentle kisses for all of about a second or three.
An old Chinese saying states that “kissing is like drinking salted water: you drink and your thirst increases.” Juan’s definitely been thirsting in the desert for quite a while now and eventually he lets his lower half convince his upper half to go with the proverbial oasis-like flow. --Someone else has also said that “a kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition.” It remains to be seen if Juan recognizes which volume he’s currently reading.
Labels: salvaje
El Clon 53, Fri., April 30- Lucas & Jade can't escape seeing each other; Natalia can't escape from Alej; Zamira can't escape from growing up
Cris meets Lucas in a bar. His gaze is riveted to Jade's pendant around Cris' neck. He asks her where she got it.
'It's a long story (historia patria),' she says. She tells Lucas that not long after she opened the bar, a girl came in wearing it and Cris was blown away when she saw it, ('quedé muerta y sepultada,' literally, 'became dead and buried,'). She traded the girl's tab at the bar for the pendant. Lucas asks to buy the necklace (collar) from Cris for whatever she wants. He tells her it that it belonged to his Jade.
Jade is afraid to see Lucas again because she knows it will hurt. Latifa tells her to just laugh it off the same way she does when she sees Said who was originally going to marry her. Jade points out that it's not exactly the same. Jade spent the best hours of her life with Lucas. She is afraid that the happiness she hasn't had for so many years will return upon seeing Lucas.
I guess Ramon isn't Gloria's son because he calls her 'Doña Gloria.' He must be just an employee at the restaurant. He tells Gloria that he overheard ('escuchar sin querer,' 'listen without wanting to') Mohamed's kids saying that Mohamed's brother is a millionaire. Gloria reminds him that he was not supposed to get involved with that rabble (gentuza). She says that if she catches him snooping around them ('husmeando,' from 'husmear,' to scent, get wind of, pry into) she will cut out his tongue, chop it up and cook it ('te corto la lengua y me la como en picadillo').
Ramon seems to be a little gossip monger. Alej shows up at the restaurant and Ramon tells him that Victor (el asesino) bought Karla a car. Alej says that he isn't interested. Alej tells Gloria that his first day at work was a nightmare. His boss (jefa) is a brat (mocosa, literally snotty), spoiled (engreida), badly brought up (mal criada) and a daddy's girl (hijita de papá y mamá).
Natalia complains to Leo about having to have a chauffeur. She says that she is 18 and doesn't need a bodyguard (guardaespaldas) breathing down her neck (detrás de mí soplándome la oreja,' literally, 'behind me blowing in my ear'). She makes no headway with Leo at all.
Alej says that he can't stand working for Natalia and wants to get another job. He doesn't want to be anyone' slave for money. [He might think differently if he got into David's line of work - still a slave but better hours and more money.] Gloria sees a business opportunity and gives Alej a menu from her restaurant to give to his employers before he quits.
There is a party for Said's family at Mohamed's house. Mohamed complains to Ali about his neighbor Gloria's business. He says that not only is she a woman, she is out of control (desbocada), extravagant and everyone's favorite bad thing - an exhibitionist. He doesn't want his kids growing up seeing her bad example. [You should have stayed in Morocco, then.] Prince Amin pipes up and says that when he grows up he wants to run his father's store and go to Morocco to get a wife. Jade points out that there are lots of women in the US. Latifa replies that when the time comes, she and Mohamed will go to Morocco with him and find a nice religious wife.
Jadiya tells Zamira that she can't wait to get her first period 'cause her Daddy will load her up with gold. Zamira replies that gold is horrible and an ugly color.
Alicia makes points with Albieri by sewing the buttons on a shirt that he wants to wear to the party.
Latifa discovers that Zamira got her her first period. Latifa thinks Zamira should be happy about this development because she is becoming a woman. Zamira begs Latifa not to tell Mohamed because she doesn't want to have to wear a veil. She doesn't want to go to school dressed like an extraterrestrial. It's bad enough what she has to wear now. Latifa agrees to say nothing Mohamed for time being but says that it isn't something she can hide forever.
Albieri and Luisa arrive at the party.
Lucas makes his pitch for Cristina to Leo. Leo says that Cristina ruined his marriage with Sofía and their night in the hotel never should have happened. Lucas asks Leo why he doesn't accept that he adores Cris and can't live without her. Leo tells him to fix the problems with his own wife before giving advice about Leo's love life.
Ali says that when he read that someone claimed to have created a human clone, he thought it must be Albieri's work. Albi says that he doesn't believe the claim because no proof has been provided and anyway it isn't the first human clone. Albi denies that he has any actual knowledge that a human clone has been created while thinking to himself how much he wishes that he could confess everything (deshogar) to Ali.
Latifa and Jade explain to Luisa the whole milk-sibling reason that Latifa couldn't marry Said.
Latifa and Jade try and teach Luisa to dance.
Rosa refuses to let Natalia go out with her friends without Alej. She won't lie to Leo saying that lies have a way of being discovered ('la mentira tiene patas cortas,' literally, 'the lie has short legs')
Alej's former girlfriend shows up. She knows he didn't set up her fight with Karla and she tells him that she still loves him. Alej is saved by the Rosa's call summoning him to work.
But when Alej arrives at the house, Natalia is in her jammies and says that she has changed her mind about going out.
Marisa returns from her art opening. Just like years ago, Lucas is fondling Jade's pendant. Fortunately, he doesn't let Marisa see it. Marisa says some nice things to Lucas but he has left the room. She calls David for some consolation sex.
Estela is back in town and looks much better with what is clearly her own hair and without the weird wig. Dora shows her their new place. She says that she will buy stuff little by little so that it will be furnished when Daniel comes home. [And what makes you think that a 20-year old who has lived on his own wants to come back and live with his mama and grandma?] Dora tells Estela that Albieri doesn't know about this place but she did tell him that Daniel was in Miami. She says that Albieri has contacts who can put Daniel's picture in the newspaper or on television. [We know how likely that is to happen.] Estela has a recent picture of Daniel that she is going to put up all over town and find Daniel without Albieri's help.
It appears that Clara's son, Fernando, is going to be an intern (practicante) in Leo's business. Clara gives him a lot of advice on how to behave to which neither he nor Escobar pay the slightest attention, much to Clara's annoyance.
Natalia gets no support from her mother in her campaign to get rid of Alejandro.
Said shows up unannounced at Leo's workplace. Lucas tries to bolt without success. Roberto introduces Said to Lucas and they stare at each other like junkyard dogs.
Jade, meanwhile, wonders where Said is and whether he has seen Lucas. She gets Jadiyah to call him but aside from finding out that Said is in a meeting, she is none the wiser. Lucas is sure that Said was talking to Jade. When Leo finds out that Said's family is in Miami, he invites them to dinner at his house. Said looks at Lucas and says to himself that it was Lucas' fault that Jade never loved him.
Alej tells Rosa about his mother's restaurant and gives her the menu. He doesn't get to finish his lunch before Natalia announces she is leaving.
Rosa asks Marisa's help to organize the dinner for the Moroccan delegation. Marisa suggests a Moroccan dinner. [Why wouldn't you do something typical of the US for these people from Morocco?]
Albieri and Luisa are showing Ali around his lab. Way back when he was in Morocco with Lucas and Diego, Albieri defended the Islamic culture as different but not bad. Now he he all snarky and critical.
Once again, Mohamed announces that their family will be blessed with a visit from Nariza and once again, Latifa is able to contain her excitement at this news.
Said returns to the hotel and tells Jade that they are going to have dinner at the Ferrer house tomorrow. Jade is impactada. Said asks Ali, and Mohamed and his family to go to the dinner as well. Ali looks worried. Jade tells Latifa that she hasn't had to courage to ask Said if he has seen Lucas.
Leo is enchanted with Marisa's preparations for the dinner. Lucas fondles Jade's pendant and says that he has to find a way to get out of going to the dinner.
Natalia escapes from Alej.
Tío Abdul tells Nariza to behave in Miami because she will be setting an example for her nieces and nephews. As usual, Nariza replies that the children have mothers and no one cares about what she wants.
Zamira introduces Jadiyah to reggaetton (the 'baby baby' song we've heard a thousand times). Prince Amin scurries by obviously hiding something. The girls surprise him putting money in his piggy bank (alcancía). 'Caught you! (¡Te pillé!) says Zamira. She says that she knows that he is stealing cards (cartulinas) from their Dad's store and selling them for himself. She says that she will tell Mohamed. Amin says that he will tell that Zamira was dancing to forbidden music and teaching it to Jadiyah.
Alej is sure that he has lost his job but Rosa agrees to cover up for him.
Marisa taunts Lucas about not wanting to go down to the party because of the Arab theme and decorations. Lucas says that he has bigger problems than her party decorations.
The guests arrive. [Why does Alej need to be in the house when obviously Natalia isn't going anywhere?]
Jade arrives at the party. She looks like a giant creamsicle.
Lucas and Jade see each other.
The credits roll.
'It's a long story (historia patria),' she says. She tells Lucas that not long after she opened the bar, a girl came in wearing it and Cris was blown away when she saw it, ('quedé muerta y sepultada,' literally, 'became dead and buried,'). She traded the girl's tab at the bar for the pendant. Lucas asks to buy the necklace (collar) from Cris for whatever she wants. He tells her it that it belonged to his Jade.
Jade is afraid to see Lucas again because she knows it will hurt. Latifa tells her to just laugh it off the same way she does when she sees Said who was originally going to marry her. Jade points out that it's not exactly the same. Jade spent the best hours of her life with Lucas. She is afraid that the happiness she hasn't had for so many years will return upon seeing Lucas.
I guess Ramon isn't Gloria's son because he calls her 'Doña Gloria.' He must be just an employee at the restaurant. He tells Gloria that he overheard ('escuchar sin querer,' 'listen without wanting to') Mohamed's kids saying that Mohamed's brother is a millionaire. Gloria reminds him that he was not supposed to get involved with that rabble (gentuza). She says that if she catches him snooping around them ('husmeando,' from 'husmear,' to scent, get wind of, pry into) she will cut out his tongue, chop it up and cook it ('te corto la lengua y me la como en picadillo').
Ramon seems to be a little gossip monger. Alej shows up at the restaurant and Ramon tells him that Victor (el asesino) bought Karla a car. Alej says that he isn't interested. Alej tells Gloria that his first day at work was a nightmare. His boss (jefa) is a brat (mocosa, literally snotty), spoiled (engreida), badly brought up (mal criada) and a daddy's girl (hijita de papá y mamá).
Natalia complains to Leo about having to have a chauffeur. She says that she is 18 and doesn't need a bodyguard (guardaespaldas) breathing down her neck (detrás de mí soplándome la oreja,' literally, 'behind me blowing in my ear'). She makes no headway with Leo at all.
Alej says that he can't stand working for Natalia and wants to get another job. He doesn't want to be anyone' slave for money. [He might think differently if he got into David's line of work - still a slave but better hours and more money.] Gloria sees a business opportunity and gives Alej a menu from her restaurant to give to his employers before he quits.
There is a party for Said's family at Mohamed's house. Mohamed complains to Ali about his neighbor Gloria's business. He says that not only is she a woman, she is out of control (desbocada), extravagant and everyone's favorite bad thing - an exhibitionist. He doesn't want his kids growing up seeing her bad example. [You should have stayed in Morocco, then.] Prince Amin pipes up and says that when he grows up he wants to run his father's store and go to Morocco to get a wife. Jade points out that there are lots of women in the US. Latifa replies that when the time comes, she and Mohamed will go to Morocco with him and find a nice religious wife.
Jadiya tells Zamira that she can't wait to get her first period 'cause her Daddy will load her up with gold. Zamira replies that gold is horrible and an ugly color.
Alicia makes points with Albieri by sewing the buttons on a shirt that he wants to wear to the party.
Latifa discovers that Zamira got her her first period. Latifa thinks Zamira should be happy about this development because she is becoming a woman. Zamira begs Latifa not to tell Mohamed because she doesn't want to have to wear a veil. She doesn't want to go to school dressed like an extraterrestrial. It's bad enough what she has to wear now. Latifa agrees to say nothing Mohamed for time being but says that it isn't something she can hide forever.
Albieri and Luisa arrive at the party.
Lucas makes his pitch for Cristina to Leo. Leo says that Cristina ruined his marriage with Sofía and their night in the hotel never should have happened. Lucas asks Leo why he doesn't accept that he adores Cris and can't live without her. Leo tells him to fix the problems with his own wife before giving advice about Leo's love life.
Ali says that when he read that someone claimed to have created a human clone, he thought it must be Albieri's work. Albi says that he doesn't believe the claim because no proof has been provided and anyway it isn't the first human clone. Albi denies that he has any actual knowledge that a human clone has been created while thinking to himself how much he wishes that he could confess everything (deshogar) to Ali.
Latifa and Jade explain to Luisa the whole milk-sibling reason that Latifa couldn't marry Said.
Latifa and Jade try and teach Luisa to dance.
Rosa refuses to let Natalia go out with her friends without Alej. She won't lie to Leo saying that lies have a way of being discovered ('la mentira tiene patas cortas,' literally, 'the lie has short legs')
Alej's former girlfriend shows up. She knows he didn't set up her fight with Karla and she tells him that she still loves him. Alej is saved by the Rosa's call summoning him to work.
But when Alej arrives at the house, Natalia is in her jammies and says that she has changed her mind about going out.
Marisa returns from her art opening. Just like years ago, Lucas is fondling Jade's pendant. Fortunately, he doesn't let Marisa see it. Marisa says some nice things to Lucas but he has left the room. She calls David for some consolation sex.
Estela is back in town and looks much better with what is clearly her own hair and without the weird wig. Dora shows her their new place. She says that she will buy stuff little by little so that it will be furnished when Daniel comes home. [And what makes you think that a 20-year old who has lived on his own wants to come back and live with his mama and grandma?] Dora tells Estela that Albieri doesn't know about this place but she did tell him that Daniel was in Miami. She says that Albieri has contacts who can put Daniel's picture in the newspaper or on television. [We know how likely that is to happen.] Estela has a recent picture of Daniel that she is going to put up all over town and find Daniel without Albieri's help.
It appears that Clara's son, Fernando, is going to be an intern (practicante) in Leo's business. Clara gives him a lot of advice on how to behave to which neither he nor Escobar pay the slightest attention, much to Clara's annoyance.
Natalia gets no support from her mother in her campaign to get rid of Alejandro.
Said shows up unannounced at Leo's workplace. Lucas tries to bolt without success. Roberto introduces Said to Lucas and they stare at each other like junkyard dogs.
Jade, meanwhile, wonders where Said is and whether he has seen Lucas. She gets Jadiyah to call him but aside from finding out that Said is in a meeting, she is none the wiser. Lucas is sure that Said was talking to Jade. When Leo finds out that Said's family is in Miami, he invites them to dinner at his house. Said looks at Lucas and says to himself that it was Lucas' fault that Jade never loved him.
Alej tells Rosa about his mother's restaurant and gives her the menu. He doesn't get to finish his lunch before Natalia announces she is leaving.
Rosa asks Marisa's help to organize the dinner for the Moroccan delegation. Marisa suggests a Moroccan dinner. [Why wouldn't you do something typical of the US for these people from Morocco?]
Albieri and Luisa are showing Ali around his lab. Way back when he was in Morocco with Lucas and Diego, Albieri defended the Islamic culture as different but not bad. Now he he all snarky and critical.
Once again, Mohamed announces that their family will be blessed with a visit from Nariza and once again, Latifa is able to contain her excitement at this news.
Said returns to the hotel and tells Jade that they are going to have dinner at the Ferrer house tomorrow. Jade is impactada. Said asks Ali, and Mohamed and his family to go to the dinner as well. Ali looks worried. Jade tells Latifa that she hasn't had to courage to ask Said if he has seen Lucas.
Leo is enchanted with Marisa's preparations for the dinner. Lucas fondles Jade's pendant and says that he has to find a way to get out of going to the dinner.
Natalia escapes from Alej.
Tío Abdul tells Nariza to behave in Miami because she will be setting an example for her nieces and nephews. As usual, Nariza replies that the children have mothers and no one cares about what she wants.
Zamira introduces Jadiyah to reggaetton (the 'baby baby' song we've heard a thousand times). Prince Amin scurries by obviously hiding something. The girls surprise him putting money in his piggy bank (alcancía). 'Caught you! (¡Te pillé!) says Zamira. She says that she knows that he is stealing cards (cartulinas) from their Dad's store and selling them for himself. She says that she will tell Mohamed. Amin says that he will tell that Zamira was dancing to forbidden music and teaching it to Jadiyah.
Alej is sure that he has lost his job but Rosa agrees to cover up for him.
Marisa taunts Lucas about not wanting to go down to the party because of the Arab theme and decorations. Lucas says that he has bigger problems than her party decorations.
The guests arrive. [Why does Alej need to be in the house when obviously Natalia isn't going anywhere?]
Jade arrives at the party. She looks like a giant creamsicle.
Lucas and Jade see each other.
The credits roll.
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Mujeres Asesinas 2, Thursday, April 29: The case of the damaged daughter of the two-timing taxista.
Tonight, Sherlyn is "Laura, Confundida" (Laura, confused).
Present: Laura, a goth girl with heavy black eyeliner and a lip ring, sits in the interrogation room with Capellan and says "It's my fault." She claims to be responsible for the deaths of both Miguel and her mother.
Flashback: a man and woman struggle and a gun goes off.
Present: Capellan is confused about Laura's claim to have killed her mother. Laura doesn't clear up the confusion, she just keeps saying it's her fault. Capellan knows Gerardo's behind the two-way glass. She gets up and leaves the room to go talk to him while Laura starts crying, sending a stream of charcoal tears running down her cheek. Gerardo says he doesn't understand and everything is back in the lab, so what's she talking about. Capellan doesn't know, but that's what she needs to find out.
Que emane, says Gloria, like blood from an open wound. Or like the black tears of a goth girl.
Past: Laura's parents are arguing. Dad, Jorge, is played by David Ostrosky, who apparently had a part on ENDA, which I didn't see. Mom, Claudia, is played by Patricia Martinez, who was Maruja in Querida Enemiga (IMDB is wrong about which Patricia Martinez is in this role, but trust me). Claudia is griping at Jorge about having forgiven him before about being with another woman. He makes excuses. It's a "Clauda's lines" "Jorge's lines" situation. Laura gets tired of hearing it and says she'll heat up some dinner. She gives him a kiss and he asks for a "besito de esquimal" (Eskimo kiss). Mom gets in one last barb and then leaves. Laura tells dad she's tired of Mom's griping, always the same story. Dad says that's just the way she is.
Eva, played by Monika Sanchez (who was Mili's mom, Rosario, on Al Diablo Con Los Guapos for about five seconds, and Silvana on Amar sin Limites for way too long) is getting a little girl ready for school. Jorge comes in and is addressed by the moppet as "Daddy" and by Eva as "mi amor." Dad requests an Eskimo kiss before the moppet leaves. Eva walks the kid out the door and Jorge fixes them each a coffee. When Eva comes back in, she asks if his wife's bugging him again. "She says I'm cheating on her! I know I am, but what a I supposed to do about it?" Eva's unsympathetic. She's told him before to leave the cow. "But when I talked about divorce, she said she was going to kill herself!" Eva's take is that people don't threaten suicide, they just do it if they're going to do it. Jorge worries about his daughter, and Eva reminds him he has more than one. His rationale for Eva being mistress instead of wife is that she's stronger, she can take it.
Claudia cleans up the bedroom and starts to go through the pockets of a pair of Jorge's pants. Laura sees her and sits her down on the bed. She asks why Mom treats Dad like she does. "Dad's not cheating on you or lying to you!" But Mom is convinced he has another woman. Laura gives up and leaves.
Present: Capellan asks why Laura feels responsible for her mother's death when she didn't kill her. "Because he cheated on me." "Who? Miguel? What did he have to do with your mother's death?" "Miguel cheated on my mother. Jorge cheated on me. Miguel cheated on my mom. No, no." If that made no sense whatsoever, even after rechecking the names appearing so far in this recap, then yes, you're on the right track.
Flashback: Jorge sits at the dining table in his official home reading a car mag. He and Laura talk about the rough day he had. He's almost about to be able to pay the down payment on a taxi. He shows her a picture. Claudia isn't too excited about that. She'd rather he were a tire store manager like he used to be. Laura explains, for what's probably the millionth time, that when cars don't sell, neither do tires. Laura reminds Jorge that it's her birthday in a month and Jorge teases her about talking economic crises and then asking for presents. Claudia is upset that he won't get his ONLY daughter a present, because she is the ONLY one he has, that she knows of. Laura gets up from the table. Claudia tells Jorge that she married a store manager, not a taxi driver. "And I married a tender, sympathetic woman, not you!"
Jorge and Eva are in bed together. He needs to leave and she tries to wheedle him into staying. Seriously, what does this guy have that either of those women could want? They aren't a bad looking pair of babes and they so could do better than Mr. Part-Time Lover. Jorge says he's got to go or he'll have missed too much work and get fired. He'll be home late, after the moppet is in bed. Eva reminds him she needs money for shoes for the kid and he says he'll give her money, assuming he makes any. Eva rolls her eyes and rolls back in bed at mention of the taxi.
Present: Moran and Aranda are doing their respective things. Gerardo is analyzing the wounds--3 to the lungs, one to the heart. He asks how they're doing and they both try to talk at the same time and then get kind of giggly about it and Gerardo busts in to tell Moran to talk first. The blood from the "desarmador" (screwdriver, and it's the same whether you mean the tool or the drink) matches the victim. Aranda adds that the fingerprints match the accused. Gerardo says the wounds are from a screwdriver, so therefore…. Another "no, you first" match ensues. Gerardo says whenever, he and the young man aren't in a hurry.
Flashback: Claudia reviews an Avon catalog in bed. Jorge joins her and she shows it to him. Jorge is shocked she'd go selling door to door. Claudia says he drives a taxi, so what's the big deal. He starts to tell her, but the phone rings. Laura says she'll answer it, but Jorge gets so freaked out that Claudia freaks out in turn and they both go running into the kitchen. Laura is sitting there, eating some Ben & Jerry's out of the carton. She says it was a wrong number, and Claudia, predictably, freaks out. Laura looks at Jorge and says "It was a wrong number, right dad? Right?" Jorge leaves without answering and Laura cries.
The next morning, Eva admits that she did call. She's tired of him talking about "my house" and "my daughter" when he's got two of each. Jorge hands her some money for Jazmin's shoes. Eva is shocked. "What? How much do shoes cost, anyway?" He shows her his empty wallet. Cry me a frickin' river, dude. He also mentions that Laura's birthday is coming up and he doesn't know what to get her. Like this woman's going to care. She reminds him she needs a watch. "Oh, so now you want a watch?" NEED, she says.
Laura makes plans to see a movie with a friend for her birthday. Jorge comes in and talks to someone on the phone about covering a shift, or rather, not covering a shift. He goes into the kitchen and Laura takes the opportunity to check out a jewelry box that's half sticking out of his bag. It's a watch with a matching necklace and earrings. Laura is thrilled. She puts the box back in his bag.
Present: Capellan looks morosely at the computer as it analyzes fingerprints. Moran sent her the records for the dad. Capellan takes a look. He has an arrest record. According to what I can read, this is Jorge Mendoza Cervantes, Mexican citizen, married, taxi driver, incarcerated 6 of October, sentenced to 18 years for homicide, died 28 of March from pancreatic cancer. And in a couple of weeks when I get my new reading glasses, I might be able to read even more of that, but for now it's enough.
Past: Laura walks down the street and looks in the window of a restaurant. She sees Dad, Eva and Jazmin sitting at a table together, and Dad and Jazmin giving Eskimo kisses. Jorge starts talking to Eva about some opportunity he's really excited about. Laura walks in and stands by the table. Jorge doesn't see her. Laura notices Eva's watch, and Jazmin playing with Jorge's keys. Eva tells her to put the keys down. Jazmin asks "dad" if she can play with them. He finally figures out what Eva's look means and turns around. He, rather stupidly, calls Laura "hija" (daughter) and asks her to sit down with them. She leaves without saying anything.
At home, Laura rips up her dad's car magazines. Claudia comes home and is very confused. Laura tells her she hates her dad. "I saw him!" Claudia wants details. "He has another woman, and he has a daughter." Claudia takes this as a sign that Laura hates her. "He has another daughter. She's younger than me. I saw them together, by chance." Claudia wants more details, but at the same time, she thinks Jorge can't have another daughter, and Laura just hates her and is saying this because she hates her. Laura cries and says she does hate her mother, she hates her dad, she hates them both!
Eva brings Jorge a drink and tells him not to be so upset. Jorge doesn't want to go home, but Eva tells him he has to. "She was going to find out sometime." Eva says she's not going to kill him, she already knew he had another woman. She has no sympathy for him, having been through worse, and had to do it alone. Jorge is worried that Laura saw them. "Both your daughters saw you, Jazmin is just a girl, but Laura is a young woman." And now we find out that Jazmin already knew, because Eva believes in telling her the truth. "I'm not like you, a hypocrite!" Potato, potatoh.
Jorge makes his way quietly into his official house and sits at the dining table, trying to figure out how he's going to talk his way out of this one. Claudia walks in and orders him out of the house. OK, problem solved. But no, Jorge wants to talk. Claudia says for him to get his stuff and get out. But he doesn't want to go. Claudia says he's going, like it or not! He makes her sick! Laura comes in and Claudia tries to send her to her room. The parents hurl all sorts of nasty remarks at each other as Laura keeps watching and crying. Claudia goes into the kitchen and grabs a two-pronged fork. She stabs Jorge in the arm with it and he screams "You're crazy! I'm going to turn you in! You're crazy!" (first crazy "loca", second crazy "desquiciada" which is more like unhinged, out of one's senses) and when Laura comes near him he tells her to go to her room, it's all her fault. Oh, no he didn't! Claudia goes back into the kitchen and comes back out with a gun. Laura is cringing in the doorway, crying and freaking out. Claudia tells Jorge she's going to kill him, and then she'll kill his whore and her daughter. They fight over the gun and Claudia ends up getting shot. Laura freaks out some more and cries over her mom's body.
8 years later: Laura has gone goth. She tells a nice-looking boy it was all her fault. Dad ended up in jail and now she lives with her Tía Olga, so Olga can look after her. This is the soon-to-be-dead Miguel, played by José Luis Reséndez, currently playing David in Tormenta en el Paraiso (which show I'm am SO OVER already, just put it out of its misery) and who will soon be playing some other pretty boy in Camaleones (which will at least have stuff blowing up and therefore will keep Mr. 5ft more interested). Miguel wonders if she ever saw her dad again. She hasn't gone to visit him in jail and hopes someone killed him there. She figures the other daughter visits him. Laura ribs him about acting like a psychologist. "I could use one. Or better yet a psychiatrist. My mom's dead, my dad's in jail, and I'm crazy." She stops freaking out Miguel for a minute to give some guy a box of balls, not a euphemism, so he can play some pool. Miguel tells her he can't go out with her tonight, he's got to work on a car before tomorrow. It's a taxi. Dun, dun, dun. "What are you going to come up with next, that they changed your shift?" He's confused, and makes the mistake of calling her "loquita" (little crazy girl). He takes it back. Laura says she's got to get back to work, but she'll call him tomorrow. He asks for an Eskimo kiss "like you showed me." He can't figure out why she gets upset about this.
(Hey, what's this new show, Tiempo Final? And when are they actually showing it, because I don't see it in my listings. And more importantly, what crack are they smoking over at Uni?)
Miguel works on a car and his buddy, Luis, makes cracks about Laura's mental state. Luis is played by Ramón Valdés, last seen by me as Chamuco on Guapos. The phone rings and Miguel asks him to tell them he's not there, figuring it’s the guy calling about the taxi. Of course, it's actually Laura, but Luis is a dumbass and doesn't figure that out. Miguel also doesn't worry about it and says if it's important they'll call back. They keep working on the car.
Laura paces the living room, talking to herself. Tía Olga comes in, wondering what's up. Laura tells her that that idiot told her he'd be working late on a car and now he's not in the garage. Olga wants her to ease up on this guy. It's only been a month and she's already harassing him. Laura goes off to look for him and Olga just sighs.
Luis is ready to leave and checks with Miguel to make sure it's ok. As he's leaving, he runs into Laura, who asks him if he's being an "alcahuete" (procurer, pimp, i.e., is he covering for his friend). Luis is confused, but leaves anyway. Laura gets after Miguel about Luis telling her he wasn't there. She grabs him by the shirt and says she doesn't like being lied to. He yells back that he's not. When she gets upset he apologizes and suggests she go heat them up some coffee. Near the coffee pot are some car magazines. Laura looks uncomfortable.
Present: Tía Olga tells Capellan that she was right, Laura was getting very paranoid, everything bothered her, she thought everyone was against her. And when Olga gave her the message that Eva called, she accused her of making it up to bother her. Capellan wonders why Eva would call Laura.
Eva tells Capellan she called to tell Laura her dad was dying of cancer. She said Laura "me mando al diablo" (literally, "sent me to hell"; i.e., she blew her off).
Flashback: Laura is cleaning up a pool table when Eva walks in, asking if Laura works there. Laura is shocked to see Eva. It takes Eva a minute to recognize Laura, she's changed so much. "Why would you recognize me? My dad never introduced us." Laura wonders if Eva sees her dad. "Once or twice a month. Your sister, Jazmin, also visits. She's 18 now." Eva tells Laura that her dad is dying from pancreatic cancer. "And? He's finally going to burst. I'm his daughter, I can say what I want. Everyone dies. My mom died. He's dying. You're going to die. And Jazmin." Eva walks out and Laura says to herself "and me. And everyone."
Present: Eva can't believe a child would talk about her father like that. Capellan says no child could believe her father could kill her mother.
Flashback: Miguel and Laura eat burgers. Miguel talks about how he wants to save up money for a really cool garage, which is why he can't take her out for nicer dinners. He notices she's not listening. Laura says maybe she doesn't give a crap what he's talking about. She starts wrecking his place and he calls her an imbecile. She starts running Claudia's lines, and he, without knowing it, starts running Jorge's lines. He grabs her to keep her from hitting him and keeps repeating her name, Laura, until she seems to realize that he's Miguel. She cries and hugs him.
Present: Olga talks to Aranda over coffee. She tells her that Laura was doing strange things, like moving things around for no reason, spying on her while she's on the phone. "Sometimes she calls me aunt, and sometimes she calls me Mom." Olga suspects she's bipolar. Aranda explains that we've gone way beyond "bipolar" here. "Is she…crazy?" Aranda says she's manifesting symptoms of schizophrenia. "Her reality is fragmented." Olga thinks that makes sense.
Flashback: Laura is ripping up magazines in the living room when Olga comes in and asks what she's doing. "I hate him. I hate him! I already forgave him so many times and I'm not going to forgive him again. What do you mean what did he do? You're my sister and you don't know what he did?" Olga reminds Laura "I'm your Aunt Olga. Who are you talking about?" "I'm talking about what Jorge did to me. Jorge my husband. My husband." Olga is freaking out and tells Laura that Jorge is her dad and she's not married. "Jorge my husband, no, I'm with Miguel, Miguel my boyfriend, my husband, Jorge, Jorge's my boyfriend, Jorge's my dad." Laura cries and rocks back and forth as Olga tries to comfort her.
Present: Capellan tells Gerardo that if they can demonstrate that she commited the crime in a state of "enajenación mental" (insanity) that they can have her declared "inimputable" (not responsible). Gerardo thinks that responsible or not, this girl needs to be locked up or get treatment. Capellan wonders about the cause of her schizophrenia. Flashback to the night Claudia died. "She could have inherited it from her mother, but her father didn't help much." Gerardo agrees.
Flashback: Laura is cleaning up at the pool hall when Olga comes in to tell her that Eva called. Her dad is dead. Laura starts to cry, and then kind of laughs. "Of course. I thought the air smelled a little cleaner today." Olga says there will be paperwork now, and she'll go with her if she wants. "I'm not going. As far as I'm concerned, he can rot. Let them bury him, burn him, get rid of him. Let that whore Eva and her daughter go."
Luis is on the phone with his girlfriend. Miguel makes fun of his lovey talk. Luis tries to play it off like she's just some chick, whatever. Miguel claims he broke up with Laura cause she's kind of nuts. "Oh, and she didn't have a problem with that?" Miguel has to fess up. "What am I supposed to do? She gets crazy for any little thing. Last time she almost destroyed the garage. Next time she'll kill me." His cocky smile fades.
Present: Dead!Miguel's body bag is being zipped up. Gerardo tells Aranda and Moran that they can't do anything else, couldn't have been easier. Moran offers to carry the evidence box for Aranda, but she says she can carry it on her own, "Lieutenant." Gerardo summons Moran to give him advice. "What are you playing at? Never mix love and work. You always lose at something, and losing always hurts." Hm, but haven't you ever…? "Do as I say, not as I do." He smiles at the dead guy and keeps zipping.
Laura tells Capellan "If you don't help me, I'm going to end up going crazy!" Capellan says she has a clinical disorder, it's treatable, and she's going to be able to control it. Too bad it's the reason Miguel died, and no matter what she says to the judge, Laura committed a crime and Capellan needs to know how it all went down.
Flashback: Luis tells Miguel that he's going to get some dinner. He agrees to bring back some tacos for Miguel. Laura walks in after Luis leaves and Miguel, hearing the footsteps, thinks it's Luis, back already. Laura says hello and Miguel quickly gets out from under the car he's working on. He offers to get cleaned up so they can go get a coffee. She's upset that he wants to get coffee since she thinks it means he has something to say. She gets on him for the phone always being busy. He tells her that Luis has a girlfriend now and he's always on the phone. She, of course, thinks it's him on the phone. She's seeing his face flash back and forth with her dad's as he says "You're upset because I didn't call you and you're right, but sometimes that's just the way things are." He says maybe it's time for them to break up, because she's "prendida" (lit up, lively, etc.) and he's more "tranquilo" (calm). She grabs a screwdriver and says she'll take the calm out of him.
Present: Capellan asks how she took the calm out of him. "With a screwdriver." Laura kind of laughs and then repeats it. "I had to punish him, for everything he did to me and to my mother, and because I wanted him to be quiet. I wanted them both to be quiet." She keeps repeating that she wanted them both to be quiet.
Flashback: Laura tells him she'll take the calm out of him. "You know how?" She stabs him in the arm. He calls her stupid and crazy and says he'll send her to jail. She tells him she'll send him to jail for killing her mother. "What are you talking about?" She says he killed her mother and stabs him again in the chest. When he collapses onto her, she stabs him a few more times in the back. The bloody butterfly flies away and she stabs him a few more times, just for good measure.
"Laura Mendoza was declared incompetent and completed a sentence of six years in the psychiatric wing of the women's prison. To date she has had two suicide attempts."
Present: Laura, a goth girl with heavy black eyeliner and a lip ring, sits in the interrogation room with Capellan and says "It's my fault." She claims to be responsible for the deaths of both Miguel and her mother.
Flashback: a man and woman struggle and a gun goes off.
Present: Capellan is confused about Laura's claim to have killed her mother. Laura doesn't clear up the confusion, she just keeps saying it's her fault. Capellan knows Gerardo's behind the two-way glass. She gets up and leaves the room to go talk to him while Laura starts crying, sending a stream of charcoal tears running down her cheek. Gerardo says he doesn't understand and everything is back in the lab, so what's she talking about. Capellan doesn't know, but that's what she needs to find out.
Que emane, says Gloria, like blood from an open wound. Or like the black tears of a goth girl.
Past: Laura's parents are arguing. Dad, Jorge, is played by David Ostrosky, who apparently had a part on ENDA, which I didn't see. Mom, Claudia, is played by Patricia Martinez, who was Maruja in Querida Enemiga (IMDB is wrong about which Patricia Martinez is in this role, but trust me). Claudia is griping at Jorge about having forgiven him before about being with another woman. He makes excuses. It's a "Clauda's lines" "Jorge's lines" situation. Laura gets tired of hearing it and says she'll heat up some dinner. She gives him a kiss and he asks for a "besito de esquimal" (Eskimo kiss). Mom gets in one last barb and then leaves. Laura tells dad she's tired of Mom's griping, always the same story. Dad says that's just the way she is.
Eva, played by Monika Sanchez (who was Mili's mom, Rosario, on Al Diablo Con Los Guapos for about five seconds, and Silvana on Amar sin Limites for way too long) is getting a little girl ready for school. Jorge comes in and is addressed by the moppet as "Daddy" and by Eva as "mi amor." Dad requests an Eskimo kiss before the moppet leaves. Eva walks the kid out the door and Jorge fixes them each a coffee. When Eva comes back in, she asks if his wife's bugging him again. "She says I'm cheating on her! I know I am, but what a I supposed to do about it?" Eva's unsympathetic. She's told him before to leave the cow. "But when I talked about divorce, she said she was going to kill herself!" Eva's take is that people don't threaten suicide, they just do it if they're going to do it. Jorge worries about his daughter, and Eva reminds him he has more than one. His rationale for Eva being mistress instead of wife is that she's stronger, she can take it.
Claudia cleans up the bedroom and starts to go through the pockets of a pair of Jorge's pants. Laura sees her and sits her down on the bed. She asks why Mom treats Dad like she does. "Dad's not cheating on you or lying to you!" But Mom is convinced he has another woman. Laura gives up and leaves.
Present: Capellan asks why Laura feels responsible for her mother's death when she didn't kill her. "Because he cheated on me." "Who? Miguel? What did he have to do with your mother's death?" "Miguel cheated on my mother. Jorge cheated on me. Miguel cheated on my mom. No, no." If that made no sense whatsoever, even after rechecking the names appearing so far in this recap, then yes, you're on the right track.
Flashback: Jorge sits at the dining table in his official home reading a car mag. He and Laura talk about the rough day he had. He's almost about to be able to pay the down payment on a taxi. He shows her a picture. Claudia isn't too excited about that. She'd rather he were a tire store manager like he used to be. Laura explains, for what's probably the millionth time, that when cars don't sell, neither do tires. Laura reminds Jorge that it's her birthday in a month and Jorge teases her about talking economic crises and then asking for presents. Claudia is upset that he won't get his ONLY daughter a present, because she is the ONLY one he has, that she knows of. Laura gets up from the table. Claudia tells Jorge that she married a store manager, not a taxi driver. "And I married a tender, sympathetic woman, not you!"
Jorge and Eva are in bed together. He needs to leave and she tries to wheedle him into staying. Seriously, what does this guy have that either of those women could want? They aren't a bad looking pair of babes and they so could do better than Mr. Part-Time Lover. Jorge says he's got to go or he'll have missed too much work and get fired. He'll be home late, after the moppet is in bed. Eva reminds him she needs money for shoes for the kid and he says he'll give her money, assuming he makes any. Eva rolls her eyes and rolls back in bed at mention of the taxi.
Present: Moran and Aranda are doing their respective things. Gerardo is analyzing the wounds--3 to the lungs, one to the heart. He asks how they're doing and they both try to talk at the same time and then get kind of giggly about it and Gerardo busts in to tell Moran to talk first. The blood from the "desarmador" (screwdriver, and it's the same whether you mean the tool or the drink) matches the victim. Aranda adds that the fingerprints match the accused. Gerardo says the wounds are from a screwdriver, so therefore…. Another "no, you first" match ensues. Gerardo says whenever, he and the young man aren't in a hurry.
Flashback: Claudia reviews an Avon catalog in bed. Jorge joins her and she shows it to him. Jorge is shocked she'd go selling door to door. Claudia says he drives a taxi, so what's the big deal. He starts to tell her, but the phone rings. Laura says she'll answer it, but Jorge gets so freaked out that Claudia freaks out in turn and they both go running into the kitchen. Laura is sitting there, eating some Ben & Jerry's out of the carton. She says it was a wrong number, and Claudia, predictably, freaks out. Laura looks at Jorge and says "It was a wrong number, right dad? Right?" Jorge leaves without answering and Laura cries.
The next morning, Eva admits that she did call. She's tired of him talking about "my house" and "my daughter" when he's got two of each. Jorge hands her some money for Jazmin's shoes. Eva is shocked. "What? How much do shoes cost, anyway?" He shows her his empty wallet. Cry me a frickin' river, dude. He also mentions that Laura's birthday is coming up and he doesn't know what to get her. Like this woman's going to care. She reminds him she needs a watch. "Oh, so now you want a watch?" NEED, she says.
Laura makes plans to see a movie with a friend for her birthday. Jorge comes in and talks to someone on the phone about covering a shift, or rather, not covering a shift. He goes into the kitchen and Laura takes the opportunity to check out a jewelry box that's half sticking out of his bag. It's a watch with a matching necklace and earrings. Laura is thrilled. She puts the box back in his bag.
Present: Capellan looks morosely at the computer as it analyzes fingerprints. Moran sent her the records for the dad. Capellan takes a look. He has an arrest record. According to what I can read, this is Jorge Mendoza Cervantes, Mexican citizen, married, taxi driver, incarcerated 6 of October, sentenced to 18 years for homicide, died 28 of March from pancreatic cancer. And in a couple of weeks when I get my new reading glasses, I might be able to read even more of that, but for now it's enough.
Past: Laura walks down the street and looks in the window of a restaurant. She sees Dad, Eva and Jazmin sitting at a table together, and Dad and Jazmin giving Eskimo kisses. Jorge starts talking to Eva about some opportunity he's really excited about. Laura walks in and stands by the table. Jorge doesn't see her. Laura notices Eva's watch, and Jazmin playing with Jorge's keys. Eva tells her to put the keys down. Jazmin asks "dad" if she can play with them. He finally figures out what Eva's look means and turns around. He, rather stupidly, calls Laura "hija" (daughter) and asks her to sit down with them. She leaves without saying anything.
At home, Laura rips up her dad's car magazines. Claudia comes home and is very confused. Laura tells her she hates her dad. "I saw him!" Claudia wants details. "He has another woman, and he has a daughter." Claudia takes this as a sign that Laura hates her. "He has another daughter. She's younger than me. I saw them together, by chance." Claudia wants more details, but at the same time, she thinks Jorge can't have another daughter, and Laura just hates her and is saying this because she hates her. Laura cries and says she does hate her mother, she hates her dad, she hates them both!
Eva brings Jorge a drink and tells him not to be so upset. Jorge doesn't want to go home, but Eva tells him he has to. "She was going to find out sometime." Eva says she's not going to kill him, she already knew he had another woman. She has no sympathy for him, having been through worse, and had to do it alone. Jorge is worried that Laura saw them. "Both your daughters saw you, Jazmin is just a girl, but Laura is a young woman." And now we find out that Jazmin already knew, because Eva believes in telling her the truth. "I'm not like you, a hypocrite!" Potato, potatoh.
Jorge makes his way quietly into his official house and sits at the dining table, trying to figure out how he's going to talk his way out of this one. Claudia walks in and orders him out of the house. OK, problem solved. But no, Jorge wants to talk. Claudia says for him to get his stuff and get out. But he doesn't want to go. Claudia says he's going, like it or not! He makes her sick! Laura comes in and Claudia tries to send her to her room. The parents hurl all sorts of nasty remarks at each other as Laura keeps watching and crying. Claudia goes into the kitchen and grabs a two-pronged fork. She stabs Jorge in the arm with it and he screams "You're crazy! I'm going to turn you in! You're crazy!" (first crazy "loca", second crazy "desquiciada" which is more like unhinged, out of one's senses) and when Laura comes near him he tells her to go to her room, it's all her fault. Oh, no he didn't! Claudia goes back into the kitchen and comes back out with a gun. Laura is cringing in the doorway, crying and freaking out. Claudia tells Jorge she's going to kill him, and then she'll kill his whore and her daughter. They fight over the gun and Claudia ends up getting shot. Laura freaks out some more and cries over her mom's body.
8 years later: Laura has gone goth. She tells a nice-looking boy it was all her fault. Dad ended up in jail and now she lives with her Tía Olga, so Olga can look after her. This is the soon-to-be-dead Miguel, played by José Luis Reséndez, currently playing David in Tormenta en el Paraiso (which show I'm am SO OVER already, just put it out of its misery) and who will soon be playing some other pretty boy in Camaleones (which will at least have stuff blowing up and therefore will keep Mr. 5ft more interested). Miguel wonders if she ever saw her dad again. She hasn't gone to visit him in jail and hopes someone killed him there. She figures the other daughter visits him. Laura ribs him about acting like a psychologist. "I could use one. Or better yet a psychiatrist. My mom's dead, my dad's in jail, and I'm crazy." She stops freaking out Miguel for a minute to give some guy a box of balls, not a euphemism, so he can play some pool. Miguel tells her he can't go out with her tonight, he's got to work on a car before tomorrow. It's a taxi. Dun, dun, dun. "What are you going to come up with next, that they changed your shift?" He's confused, and makes the mistake of calling her "loquita" (little crazy girl). He takes it back. Laura says she's got to get back to work, but she'll call him tomorrow. He asks for an Eskimo kiss "like you showed me." He can't figure out why she gets upset about this.
(Hey, what's this new show, Tiempo Final? And when are they actually showing it, because I don't see it in my listings. And more importantly, what crack are they smoking over at Uni?)
Miguel works on a car and his buddy, Luis, makes cracks about Laura's mental state. Luis is played by Ramón Valdés, last seen by me as Chamuco on Guapos. The phone rings and Miguel asks him to tell them he's not there, figuring it’s the guy calling about the taxi. Of course, it's actually Laura, but Luis is a dumbass and doesn't figure that out. Miguel also doesn't worry about it and says if it's important they'll call back. They keep working on the car.
Laura paces the living room, talking to herself. Tía Olga comes in, wondering what's up. Laura tells her that that idiot told her he'd be working late on a car and now he's not in the garage. Olga wants her to ease up on this guy. It's only been a month and she's already harassing him. Laura goes off to look for him and Olga just sighs.
Luis is ready to leave and checks with Miguel to make sure it's ok. As he's leaving, he runs into Laura, who asks him if he's being an "alcahuete" (procurer, pimp, i.e., is he covering for his friend). Luis is confused, but leaves anyway. Laura gets after Miguel about Luis telling her he wasn't there. She grabs him by the shirt and says she doesn't like being lied to. He yells back that he's not. When she gets upset he apologizes and suggests she go heat them up some coffee. Near the coffee pot are some car magazines. Laura looks uncomfortable.
Present: Tía Olga tells Capellan that she was right, Laura was getting very paranoid, everything bothered her, she thought everyone was against her. And when Olga gave her the message that Eva called, she accused her of making it up to bother her. Capellan wonders why Eva would call Laura.
Eva tells Capellan she called to tell Laura her dad was dying of cancer. She said Laura "me mando al diablo" (literally, "sent me to hell"; i.e., she blew her off).
Flashback: Laura is cleaning up a pool table when Eva walks in, asking if Laura works there. Laura is shocked to see Eva. It takes Eva a minute to recognize Laura, she's changed so much. "Why would you recognize me? My dad never introduced us." Laura wonders if Eva sees her dad. "Once or twice a month. Your sister, Jazmin, also visits. She's 18 now." Eva tells Laura that her dad is dying from pancreatic cancer. "And? He's finally going to burst. I'm his daughter, I can say what I want. Everyone dies. My mom died. He's dying. You're going to die. And Jazmin." Eva walks out and Laura says to herself "and me. And everyone."
Present: Eva can't believe a child would talk about her father like that. Capellan says no child could believe her father could kill her mother.
Flashback: Miguel and Laura eat burgers. Miguel talks about how he wants to save up money for a really cool garage, which is why he can't take her out for nicer dinners. He notices she's not listening. Laura says maybe she doesn't give a crap what he's talking about. She starts wrecking his place and he calls her an imbecile. She starts running Claudia's lines, and he, without knowing it, starts running Jorge's lines. He grabs her to keep her from hitting him and keeps repeating her name, Laura, until she seems to realize that he's Miguel. She cries and hugs him.
Present: Olga talks to Aranda over coffee. She tells her that Laura was doing strange things, like moving things around for no reason, spying on her while she's on the phone. "Sometimes she calls me aunt, and sometimes she calls me Mom." Olga suspects she's bipolar. Aranda explains that we've gone way beyond "bipolar" here. "Is she…crazy?" Aranda says she's manifesting symptoms of schizophrenia. "Her reality is fragmented." Olga thinks that makes sense.
Flashback: Laura is ripping up magazines in the living room when Olga comes in and asks what she's doing. "I hate him. I hate him! I already forgave him so many times and I'm not going to forgive him again. What do you mean what did he do? You're my sister and you don't know what he did?" Olga reminds Laura "I'm your Aunt Olga. Who are you talking about?" "I'm talking about what Jorge did to me. Jorge my husband. My husband." Olga is freaking out and tells Laura that Jorge is her dad and she's not married. "Jorge my husband, no, I'm with Miguel, Miguel my boyfriend, my husband, Jorge, Jorge's my boyfriend, Jorge's my dad." Laura cries and rocks back and forth as Olga tries to comfort her.
Present: Capellan tells Gerardo that if they can demonstrate that she commited the crime in a state of "enajenación mental" (insanity) that they can have her declared "inimputable" (not responsible). Gerardo thinks that responsible or not, this girl needs to be locked up or get treatment. Capellan wonders about the cause of her schizophrenia. Flashback to the night Claudia died. "She could have inherited it from her mother, but her father didn't help much." Gerardo agrees.
Flashback: Laura is cleaning up at the pool hall when Olga comes in to tell her that Eva called. Her dad is dead. Laura starts to cry, and then kind of laughs. "Of course. I thought the air smelled a little cleaner today." Olga says there will be paperwork now, and she'll go with her if she wants. "I'm not going. As far as I'm concerned, he can rot. Let them bury him, burn him, get rid of him. Let that whore Eva and her daughter go."
Luis is on the phone with his girlfriend. Miguel makes fun of his lovey talk. Luis tries to play it off like she's just some chick, whatever. Miguel claims he broke up with Laura cause she's kind of nuts. "Oh, and she didn't have a problem with that?" Miguel has to fess up. "What am I supposed to do? She gets crazy for any little thing. Last time she almost destroyed the garage. Next time she'll kill me." His cocky smile fades.
Present: Dead!Miguel's body bag is being zipped up. Gerardo tells Aranda and Moran that they can't do anything else, couldn't have been easier. Moran offers to carry the evidence box for Aranda, but she says she can carry it on her own, "Lieutenant." Gerardo summons Moran to give him advice. "What are you playing at? Never mix love and work. You always lose at something, and losing always hurts." Hm, but haven't you ever…? "Do as I say, not as I do." He smiles at the dead guy and keeps zipping.
Laura tells Capellan "If you don't help me, I'm going to end up going crazy!" Capellan says she has a clinical disorder, it's treatable, and she's going to be able to control it. Too bad it's the reason Miguel died, and no matter what she says to the judge, Laura committed a crime and Capellan needs to know how it all went down.
Flashback: Luis tells Miguel that he's going to get some dinner. He agrees to bring back some tacos for Miguel. Laura walks in after Luis leaves and Miguel, hearing the footsteps, thinks it's Luis, back already. Laura says hello and Miguel quickly gets out from under the car he's working on. He offers to get cleaned up so they can go get a coffee. She's upset that he wants to get coffee since she thinks it means he has something to say. She gets on him for the phone always being busy. He tells her that Luis has a girlfriend now and he's always on the phone. She, of course, thinks it's him on the phone. She's seeing his face flash back and forth with her dad's as he says "You're upset because I didn't call you and you're right, but sometimes that's just the way things are." He says maybe it's time for them to break up, because she's "prendida" (lit up, lively, etc.) and he's more "tranquilo" (calm). She grabs a screwdriver and says she'll take the calm out of him.
Present: Capellan asks how she took the calm out of him. "With a screwdriver." Laura kind of laughs and then repeats it. "I had to punish him, for everything he did to me and to my mother, and because I wanted him to be quiet. I wanted them both to be quiet." She keeps repeating that she wanted them both to be quiet.
Flashback: Laura tells him she'll take the calm out of him. "You know how?" She stabs him in the arm. He calls her stupid and crazy and says he'll send her to jail. She tells him she'll send him to jail for killing her mother. "What are you talking about?" She says he killed her mother and stabs him again in the chest. When he collapses onto her, she stabs him a few more times in the back. The bloody butterfly flies away and she stabs him a few more times, just for good measure.
"Laura Mendoza was declared incompetent and completed a sentence of six years in the psychiatric wing of the women's prison. To date she has had two suicide attempts."
Labels: asesinas
Friday, April 30, 2010
Gancho Friday April 30th Almost Heaven
Well, who’d have thunk they’d be able to put all the air back into that balloon? But they did, and in the process, they’ve filled up a whole bunch more balloons with a helium-like substance, lifting our hearts and our spirits, as every single plotline has taken off! So much was packed into this episode. Everything we love about our novela was on display, from humor to disguises, from boxing to life’s lessons, and of course, they left us with some MAJOR cliffhangers. The Gran Final promises to be Maraviguau!
We begin with Laverne and Shirley (‘s ugly big sisters), namely Beto and Mauricio, disguised as damitas to get close to La Monita, currently staying in a women’s boarding house.
Beto hopes this brilliant plan will both save La Monita and possibly get him a little time with some cute señoritas to boot.Meanwhile, Aldo has found out that Luisa’s been defying Mau’s rules, and has been hanging out with the junior king of smooth, Andrés. Aldo thinks Andy’s equal to his scummy buds, the ones who tried to assault Estre, and reads Luisa the riot act. As big brother, she’s forbidden to leave the house. Luisa first pleads, Andrés is different. He’s noble (oh please. Ricardo in Pasión was noble, Andrés, not so much), tender, and he really loves me, not like Ivan, who just played with my feelings. Aldo says he’s in charge, and Luisa has to obey. Luisa bounds upstairs, screeching that Aldo’s telling her what to do is OVER.
Beto’s enjoying his muchacha status, showing Mau how to behave like a girl by shaking his tatas as Mau goes over to save Moni. Too late! Hissabel returns, she can’t find the headache pills, and Moni has to show her where they are. That’s fine with Beto , as he tells some of the girls how thin their waists are, how nice their boobies are (like a box of little surprises, un estuche de monerías, which can also mean a jack of all trades), until Mau quickly pulls him aside to put a halt to Beto’s hot hands, saying quieta (or keep still, or down, boy, in the feminine, of course). Beto reminds Mau they have to separate Moni from Hissabel (whom he sometimes calls Blancanieves, or Snow White, and sometimes Chabela, which I think is a nickname for Isabel, as it was used for the Isabel in Tontas.) The lady in charge shows them to their quarters.
Arnie and Rolu have dropped Xime off at her apartment, wanting to know which of them she’s picked. Arnie says don’t keep us on tenterhooks (en ascuas). She can’t decide this fast, and it breaks her heart (se me estruja el cora) to see them like this, but she has a plan. She’ll have a romantic dinner with each guy, and then decide. The boys flip a coin (se echan un volado), and Rolu wins – he’ll go first. They’re excited, but Xime gets a phone call, and it’s from the hospital. Jerónimo is dead! The boys rush to console her.
Cut to a wanted poster, El Chueco, a dangerous drug trafficker, as Paula and Cristian take note.
Paula’s excited, if they caught this guy, that reward money would be a godsend (caería de perlas), especially now that she’s going to be a mother! Cris faints.In Hissy and Moni’s room, the television is broadcasting the same wanted poster, if you’ve seen this person, he’s armed and dangerous, report him immediately. Hissabel breaks out into uncontrolled laughter, she’s loving this. Moni doesn’t understand what the joke is, but she’s happy her Mom is finally enjoying herself.
And now we’ll see why, as we see Jero from the back, ready to have the plastic surgeon take off the bandages. The doc tells him it’s not important how handsome he is, just that no one will ever recognize him as Jerónimo Sermeño, who is now dead. How’d he pull that off? Simple. He also did some plastic surgery on a cadaver, made it look somewhat like Jerónimo, switched the papers, switched the bodies, and voilá! So no one will come looking for Jero. Jero is pleased to no end, ready for the bandages to come off, let’s see that new face. The doc unwraps slowly, gives Jero a mirror, and he likes what he sees (a guy with a crew cut, that unshaven look, a strong nose, and a big smile).
Too bad Jero hasn’t seen that wanted poster, he’s got El Chueco’s face!Aldo’s not doing too well in playing with Dany. She wants him to put on a Beast face, remember, she’s Beauty.
Teresa comes downstairs frantic, Luisa’s gone, and she took all her clothes! Aldo knows she went with Andrés, says he’ll handle it, please don’t call Mau, but Terry nixes that, Aldo drove Luisa away with his harsh scolding, and Terry calls Mau anyway. Dany points out Aldo doesn’t need to put on a beast face anymore. He IS a beast!Luisa arrives at Andrés’s apartment, suitcase in tow, tearfully explaining she left home after a big fight with her brother. Can she stay here?
Betita has another brilliant idea. He calls a couple of girls over, how about a pajama party tonight!
He urges Gertrudis (Mau) to tell them what games they always play at these parties, like pillow fights, in our underwear, but when he mentions something like hide the stick….Mau has to put a stop to this again. Besides, he has to return to the D.F., Luisa’s having problems. Beto offers the Fantasmovil, but Mau says he’ll hire a small plane, and Beto has to keep an eye on Moni and Hissy – don’t let them out of your sight, no matter what!Xime is mourning her dumbro (hermanolfo), unaware that right next to her is the new an improved dumbro, sporting black glasses and a pink ascot to go with his crewcut. As he listens, she bids farewell to her bro, telling him three things: Una, she’s the owner of Club Maraviguau, Dos, the day after tomorrow, Sal and Gabirú are getting married there, and she might get married too, to one of the Klunders, and Tres, she’s brought Jero’s secret smother cushion, which she dumps into the coffin. Too bad you can’t attend the grand opening, she tells the box, and leaves. You’re wrong, says the new Jero after she leaves, I WILL be there!
Rolu has the first date with Xime, at a quiet table inside Club Maraviguau. He declares his love, and kisses her hand. He wants to know if she picked him, but she’s not sayin’.
As Moni makes short work of Monstruo, the latest challenger, Betita, cute behind his fan, gets hit on by a hopeful guy. However, when Betty lets out one of his/her classic stinkbombs, even some furious fanning can’t hide the fragrance. Hissabel, sitting nearby, recoils from the smell, thinking it reminds her of Nieve’s son. Meanwhile, Monstruo has run out of gas, and Moni lets him have it with a monstrous roundhouse uppercut. The monster’s been mashed.
Andrés really does seem to be noble, as he tells Luisa that she can stay here tonight, but tomorrow morning, it’s back home where she belongs. And don’t worry about the sleeping arrangements. He’ll sleep on the floor, no problem. However, there’s a knock on the door, and it’s Mau. He’s furious. He tells Andrés he spoke with his parents, they gave him the address, and they’re also on their way here. He’s in big trouble. He firmly escorts Luisa out.
Time for Arnie’s romantic dinner with Ximena, pretty much a carbon copy of Rolu’s. They’ve poured the champagne, and Arnie pours out his heart. He loves Xime, so much. He never thought he could have a relationship, with all his problems, but then he met her, and she changed him, completely. Xime extends her hand (just as with Rolu), and Arnie is able to kiss it, having conquered his fears. So, has she chosen him? Xime gives him the exact same answer as Rolu. He’ll have to wait.
Moni’s so glad she beat that Monstruo, this is great, but can’t they stay in this town overnight? No, says Hissy, it’s better we leave now. They get in the car, head off into the night. Luckily, the orange Fantasmovil is right behind.
Mauricio has a fatherly talk with Luisa, who thinks it was all so unfair (injusto), that nothing happened, and she’s not a little girl anymore. Mau agrees she’s not a little girl, but at 15, she’s not a woman, either, she’s an adolescent. And he understands how she wants to fight with the whole world sometimes, and that’s okay. But can she just try to understand him a little? He might make mistakes, but she should be patient with him. And he understands how she feels in love, but she has to take things step by step. It may not be time for the next step. But always remember, she’s the most important person in the world for him. Thank you Daddy, she says. For what? Just for being my Dad, I love you. They hug. Mau points out she still does have to be punished for what she did, sneaking out. Her punishment? For a while, no boys. For how long? she asks. Until you turn twenty-five, he says, not letting her see his grin, and he walks upstairs. Ten years? That’s no fair! complains our reprimanded rebel.
Day dawns, and Beto’s got a brand new bag. With mustache, a cowboy hat and an amazing shirt with fringes hanging off the sleeves, he’s a total vaquero. He assures Mau by phone he has his eye on Monita, who’s being told by the local bar owner that there ain’t no fighters in this town. Dang.
The entire neighborhood has assembled, as Coni tells them she has an announcement. She’s returning the vecindad to them! Each one of them will get a deed to his or her apartment, this is what Valentina wanted. Marcos has brought an attorney, who will take care of the paperwork. Paula then says they can all buy things for their new homes with their “Coppel” credit cards, just as she’s doing (apparently a shameless product placement).
Gabi’s ecstatic. Tomorrow, finally, in the new Maraviguau Restaurant, she and Sal will get married. And this time, NOTHING can go wrong! Ah, but in the background, who’s observing this tender scene? Loriloca!
Ximena is again telling her two beaus how great they both are, Rolu for his passion and his looks, and Arnie for his tenderness, and the bravery he’s shown in overcoming his fears. She’d really like to have them both, but that wouldn’t be possible. Would it? They both shake their heads. Okay, in that case, tomorrow, in the Mariviguau Bar, in a double wedding (Gabi and Sal being the other), she’ll announce the winner, and marry him!
In the cantina, Moni’s attired in her pink boxing outfit, excited about tonight’s fight, apparently they DID find someone in this town. CowBeto (whom Moni thinks is a “norteño”, or northerner) turns out to be the MC, thrusting his stuff out as he introduces the invincible Monita with a hilarious nasal accent.
Then he introduces the challenger, “Old doll hair, Sermeño”, and Moni can’t believe her eyes. Good evening Monita, he says. He’s come to win the championship from her, and he’ll bet everything in this fight, even his life. Beto takes off his mustache, to Moni’s amazement, as Mau relates that the two of them have been following her from town to town, and finally caught up with her. Let’s talk. No, Moni wants to fight. Fine, says Mau, but if I win, you come with me, and without your Mom. You’re on. Mau swings, Moni ducks, Moni punches him in the gut. But he’s quickly up, and this time, instead of punching, he rushes forward, and kisses her!Marcos has to admit, Coni (wearing a fetching white off the shoulder traditional Mexican blouse) really can’t cook. At all. Cesar agrees, he really doesn’t want to go right back to that hospital. Nieves starts to echo this until Coni stands up, and lets loose. She is not that perfect little cook and cleaner they want, and if that’s what they demand of her, forget it! She’s trying to change and be a better person, but this is too much, she doesn’t deserve to be treated like this! This has finally done the trick, as Nieves begs Coni to calm down, she’ll be the mother Coni never had. She’s teach her, she’ll be patient with her, and eventually she’ll be a good cook. Coni humbly thanks her, and the two go off to buy some more food.
This leaves Marcos and Cesar, who decide it’s time for a talk. Hombre a hombre.
Moni pushes Mau off, warning him not to kiss her again. He does, anyway. Hissy has a fit, telling Beto that he and Mau are not going to interfere with their plans. Beto pulls Hissy aside, tells her they know about the poisoning attempt, Coni gave her up, and the police want her for attempted murder. How you like THEM apples! He gets out his cell to call the cops, and while he’s dialing, Hissy takes a bottle, and SMASHES it onto his head! A second later, Moni connects with Mau’s chin, and Hissy grabs Moni, we’re leaving.
It’s the big day at Bar Maraviguau, people are rushing around making final preparations, Lalu exclaiming that these “express weddings” in the Sermeño family are going to kill him. And where’s the guy in charge of the food? Right here, says La Nueva Jero, now with a BIG scarf, playing the role of a gay french chef. Lalu’s immediately smitten, as Jero tells him the food’s gonna be “to die for”. After Lalu goes to tend to other matters, we see Jero wasn’t kidding. He’s got a handy can of powder, looks as if he may poison the poisson. On his way out, he bumps into Paula. Our clever sleuth never forgets a face. She thinks, oh my God, it’s that dangerous druglord!
She grabs a phone.Arnie and Rolu are both looking sharp in their suits and ties, each convinced HE’LL be the one. Rolu proposes a pact. Whoever loses, agrees to give up Ximena forever. Arnie, not backing down an inch, shakes on it. The brothers hug.
Nieves is looking nice in her green outfit, trimmed with feathers. Her two gentlemen bid her to sit down.
M: Nieves, the time has come for the three of us to talk about what’s happening.
N: From your faces, I can imagine what this is about. Cesarín, I love you a lot, and you, too, Marcos.
M: But in reality, you don’t want to be with me or with him.
C: What you want, is to be on your own. You don’t really love me, Nievecita.
M: Me, either, Nieves. I represent the love of your youth. But you left that behind years ago, I don’t belong to your present.
C: Me, neither. If you accepted my company, it was only because Beto left Mexico, and you didn’t want to be alone, but as soon as he came back, everything changed (she nods).
M: You’d get the same from me, from him, from whomever. For you, the most important thing in your life is not a companion to share your twilight years.
C: The most important thing for you is your children, La Monita, and your Betito (Nieves tears up, nods). It’s with them you want to be, they’re the ones you want to give all your love to.
M: You never needed a man at your side Nieves, and that’s not going to change.
N: From the bottom of my heart, what I desire is to dedicate myself to my children, and later….to my grandchildren, when they arrive, when they fill this house with joy. Just as Constanza was not born to be a housewife, I wasn’t born to be anybody’s wife, that’s not my style. I’m a free soul and thank you both so much for understanding.
C: Nievecita, this very day I’ll leave the house.
M: Me too. I’m going to share with you the affection of our children, and our grandchildren when we have them, but nothing more, now is the time to leave the past behind. Okay? He shakes Cesar’s hand.
Nieves silently assents, eyes brimming with joyous tears.
Our guests are arriving at the Club, and we see Cris and Paula, he in a dark suit and red striped tie, she in a gorgeous deep blue gown. He tells her the cops are waiting for his signal, since this guy’s really dangerous. Rolu and Arnie are sweating. Sal looks at his watch, all we need is the brides, right? Well, here’s one of them, Ximena, breezing in wearing white gloves and a nice gray dress. And here’s our other novia, a white veil hiding her shy face, as Sal greets her, Gabriela, my love. She flips back the veil, here I am, but it’s Lorenza!!!
I’m ready to get married. Uuuuyyy!And our fair Gabi is bound and gagged in some back room, struggling with her ropes, trying to call for help!
Moni’s in her motel room, lying across the bed in red pj’s, moping. She tells her Mom it really affected her to see Mau. Well, you have nothing to talk to him about, chides Hissy. But shouldn’t I even listen to him? she cries. I mean, they’ve been following us this whole time, he even put on gloves to fight with me, and all I’ve been thinking about is anger. She decides to go out for a walk.
Hissy looks in the mirror. La Momia betrayed her. No way will she end up in jail. She sees her pallid reflection telling her, you must kill Valentina. And Constanza has to die, too. Time is running out. She dials Coni, who picks up, and is shocked to hear her voice.
And so ends our penultimate episode. The table is set. The gun is cocked. The conductor has raised his baton. And now our Magnificent Man of Medicine and Mirth, Don Carlos, will thrill us with the towering conclusion of Un Gancho Al Corazon.
Vocabulario:
Un estuche de monerías – a jack of all trades, someone good at lots of things, literally something like a box of coins
¡Quieto! – down, boy (to a dog), or keep still
En ascuas – on tenterhooks
Estrujar – to squeeze
Echar un volado – flip a coin
Caería de perlas – would be a godsend, pearls would fall
Labels: gancho
Dinero #77 & 78- 4/29/10: When a Recommendation Letter is a Love Poem or The Rumor Mill is Ready for Business and Hiring New Staff
From yesterday:
Rafa has taken his bouffanted mom and sis to a fancy restaurant to treat Leonor for her birthday. As they celebrate, the Refri guys and their wives spot Leonor’s hair and Rafa and begin to make fun of Leonor. Rafa goes over to set them straight.
Tonight:
Rafa gets right up in lead Refri guy’s face (old Grabby) and asks what is causing them to laugh so much. The Refris then insult Rafa and his family, wondering how an elegant place like this could have let in such people. Rafa sneers at them and wonders the same thing. He points out that the two ladies are his mom and sister, and that they are far more intelligent than any of them. He brings up the lewd, cheating behavior of the Three Refri Stooges in Puerta Vallarta, and their wives get all upset again. “You swore it wasn’t true!” Rafa lets the wives know that these guys act like dogs in heat when they see a woman. This really sets the wives off and one of them even throws her drink on her husband. They storm off and Grabby grabs Rafa’s lapels. Rafa pries Grabby’s hands off, smoothes himself down, and notes that HE’S not the only liar there. He then tells them that the next time they want to make fun of someone, look a little closer to home.
Rafa heads back to his table, tells his mom and sis that they will not stay, and that they’re headed to a neighborhood restaurant for food they enjoy. And, yes, mom can take the flower centerpiece. They also take the open bottle of Champaign…both of which they place on the table of the neighborhood restaurant when they arrive. (Lol!) Rafa secretly requests that the restaurant mariachi band play Las Mañanitas and orders up a bottle of tequila. As they toast, the mariachi surround them playing Las Mañanitas and Rafa begins to sing one of the most beautiful renditions, of an already beautiful song, that I have ever heard. (I’ve always loved this song and prefer it much more than the boring Happy Birthday song we sing.) Leonor is all smiles and in tears at the same time as her loving son serenades her. She blows out all the candles on her cake and Rafa is so proud of his Jefa, he calls out “GOAL!” and strikes one of his signature happy poses.
Las Mañanitas
Estas son las mañanitas, que cantaba el Rey David,
Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti,
Despierta, mi bien mamma, despierta, mira que ya amaneció,
Ya los pajarillos cantan, la luna ya se metió.
Que linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte,
Venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte,
Ya viene amaneciendo, ya la luz del día nos dio,
Levántate de mañana, mira que ya amaneció.
This is the morning song that King David sang
Because today is your saint's day we're singing it for you
Wake up, my dear mamma, wake up, look it is already dawn
The birds are already singing and the moon has set
How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you
We all came with joy and pleasure to congratulate you
The morning is coming now, the sun is giving us its light
Get up in the morning, look it is already dawn
Mamma Leonor wants another song from her hijo, and he obliges by singing another beautiful song- La Gema. Leonor smiles and cries some more.
La Gema
Tu, como piedra preciosa
Como divina joya
Valiosa de verdad
Si mis ojos no me miente
Si mis ojos no me engañan
Tu belleza es sin igual
Tuve una vez la ilucion de tener un amor que me hiciera valer
Luego que te vi mujer yo te pude querer con toditita mi alma
Eres la gema que dios convirtiera en mujer para el bien de mi vida
Por eso quiero cantar y gritar que te quiero mujer consentida
Por eso elevo mi voz bendiciendo tu nombre y pidiendote amor
Que me hiciera valer
Con toditita mi alma
Eres la gema que dios convirtiera en mujer para el bien de mi vida
Por eso quiero cantar y gritar que te quiero mujer consentida
Por eso erevo mi voz bendiciendo tu nombre y pidiendote amor!
Ale sadly goes to bed. She slyly takes out one of the pictures of her and Rafa from the wedding, longingly stares at it, and almost kisses it, before stopping herself. She does give in to taking out Rafa’s yellow soccer jersey and curling up in bed with it. Rafa also goes to sleep thinking of Ale and looking at another picture from the wedding. “I can’t forget your kisses and your aroma. Alejandra, mi amor.” They both start to dream of their kisses on the beach and in the bed in the beach house. They dream about their slow dance at the last Refri dinner, but then they both awaken from the nightmare of Marco violently breaking them apart from dancing.
Ale shoots straight up in bed, looks at the clock, sees that it’s already 8:30 in the morning, and from reflex calls Rafa. Rafa picks up as soon as he sees it’s her, eager to hear her voice. “Hello? Ale?” She doesn’t say anything and hangs up. Leonor rushes in wondering how that woman could dare to call him when he doesn’t work for her anymore. Rafa assures her, it wasn’t Ale and she leaves. He looks sad and disappointed that Ale didn’t speak to him. At breakfast, Julieta and Leonor note Rafa is down. He tells them that he has postponed his wedding to Vicky until he can take care of his financial obligations. Julieta thinks the real reason is because Vicky is driving him crazy and because he doesn’t love her anymore. Rafa gets offended and leaves the table. When he’s gone, Leonor confides in Julieta that she thinks the real reason Rafa is in such ill humor and he postponed the wedding is because he’s in love with Ale! (Very perceptive Leonor. Points for you.)
They’re having breakfast at Ale’s house too. At least, Ale and Tia Rosario are. Jorge has decided to be a drama queen and has holed up in his room with the blinds drawn, refusing to eat. He’s even not eaten the meal from yesterday that he brought into his room. Tia wants to know if Ale has tried to call Marco (no), and admits that she did. She reminds Ale again of all Marco has done for them. Ale sarcastically says, yes, Marco is a saint.
Said saint is still in a depressed funk (literally, as he has been wearing and drinking in the same clothes for three days now). Chavez tells him he must regain his dignity. He mentions to Chavez that Tia Rosario called and told him that nothing happened between Ale and Rafa while they were pretending to be husband and wife to close the business deal. He doesn’t believe her. He also tells Chavez that Rosario said Jorge did not take the news well and is doing poorly. Chavez panics that their golden goose will kick the bucket before they’ve had the chance to claim their prize (the hacienda). He gets to work trying to set Marco straight and get him back on track with their plans. He puts on his glasses and puts his lawyer hat on. The lawyers on Law and Order have nothing on Chavez. He’s almost as good as Matlock, with the same kind of folksy demeanor.
Chavez sits Marco down on the witness stand (i.e. a dining room chair) and starts peppering him with questions about proof of Ale’s infidelity. Does the hotel receipt say they had sex? Was there video, photos, recordings, a witness? No, but Claudia told him something happened between them. And who is this Claudia? Uh…a friend. A friend who works for Ale and whom Ale can’t stand. A friend who has been in your apartment? Uh…yes. You’re a victim of Eros! Is she a trustworthy witness? Uhm… No more questions. Case closed! Marco starts to cry and Chavez needs a drink.
But Marco can’t let it go. Chavez reminds Marco that he has been no saint himself. “But I’m a MAN!” (Oh Marco, mi amor. You chauvinist you.) Chavez tries another strategy. This has now become a revival and Chavez is the charismatic preacher who will save Marco’s soul. “You have to go on an act of FAITH! BELIEVE that she is telling the truth. Believe in her. Hallelujah!” Marco, hand over his heart, has felt the spirit. He’s a new man (for the moment). “Let’s go take a bath”, Chavez urges. “Let’s?” Marco questions. “Uh, I meant you go take a bath.” (Lol!)
In the vecinidad, Rafa is calling Pepeto up to arrange to meet so that Rafa can get the rest of the sales money from the Panther. Pepeto wants him to come to his dealership to pick it up because he has a surprise for him. Rafa agrees, and as he leaves his house he runs into Vicky. This is a very different Vicky. She is very subdued (no squeaky voice), obviously sad and dressed in black. She says she’s dressed for mourning, and Rafa freaks out thinking someone in her family or that they know has died. No, she assures him, it’s our love that has died. (She and Jorge could form a club of drama queens.) Rafa tries to explain again that the wedding is just postponed and why. Vicky, like always, isn’t listening. She notes that ever since that woman came into their lives, they haven’t been intimate like they used to. (How in the heck did they ever manage that with the Brothers Grimm around?) She decisively tells him, “Today, you and I will make love like before.” This is said more like a military order, and Rafa looks perplexed and frustrated as she gives him a kiss, says she’ll call and stalks off.
In the sales meeting room of Autos Siglo, everyone is all atwitter with the news of Ale’s cancelled wedding, Rafa’s resignation, and the Refri deal that fell through. On top of it all, Ale is late! She comes in and begins the meeting, reminding the team that they just have two days left in the sales month to meet their goals. Beltran soon comes in and proceeds to rudely ignore Ale as he talks to the sales team. He wants to know who will bring happiness back to the Siglo home and thinks Marino is just the one to do it. Ale reminds Beltran that they need to replace Medina quickly, but Beltran thinks they were just fine before Medina and will be just fine without him. He continues to override Ale’s authority and demands that the reports be given to him directly. (What a jerk!)
After the meeting, Claudia and Rosaura continue to gossip. Rosaura would just love to be the bright star in her gossip circle, and juicy news of why Ale broke off her wedding would do just the trick. They are caught by Ale and Susana and Ale does a great sarcastic impression of Rosaura. “Honey!” Once Susana and Ale leave, Claudia begins to tell Rosaura her salacious version of things. (The rumor beast has now been unleashed. Let’s see where this thing goes.)
In her office, Ale is stressed and says her life is a disaster. Rafa calls, and she admits to Susana that she is not ready to talk to him. She doesn’t answer and looks even more stressed out. Susana gives her a massage and some good advice (what a wonderful friend!).
At ClauAutos, Pepeto not only has Rafa’s money (I’m surprised), but also lets him know that his jefe wants to speak with Rafa. Licenciado Antonio Gomez not only looks like a more reasonable guy than Beltran (time will tell), he is also offering Rafa a job as a salesman, with a better salary and commission than he made at Siglo and with the freedom to be the boss of his own time. He can’t believe Siglo let their star salesman go! Rafa can even take some time off before he starts. Rafa only needs time to put some financial affairs in order. No problem. Lic. Gomez has offered him an advance on his salary to take care of his responsibilities. (Is this too good to be true?) The only thing they need from Rafa is a clean medical exam (huh?) and a recommendation from his last boss. (Uh, oh!) Rafa doesn’t let on, but this is problematic for a number of reasons: 1) he’s going to work for the competition; 2) he didn’t leave Siglo on the best terms; and 3) Ale won’t answer his calls and they have lots of unresolved issues.
While Claudia has been spinning her tale to Rosaura, Ramirez has been trying his best to hear what they are talking about. He and Marino figure it must be about the jefa and they must know. Marino offers Rosaura an exchange of info. He’ll tell her who Clara in Accounting’s baby daddy is (as if he’s not the guilty party), if she tells him what she knows about Ale, Rafa, the cancelled wedding and the fallen deal. Rosaura thinks this is a fair exchange, and Marino then lies that Trapito is the father of Clara’s baby (sucker!). Rosaura is sufficiently horrified and titillated. She spills the beans about Ale and Rafa. “How do you know?” Claudia told me.” Marino later tells Ramirez that he doesn’t know who the baby daddy is (liar!) and gloats that he now has the tools to destroy Ale. They wonder how Claudia found out. Susana? Nah! Ale’s fiancé? Nah! (Silly boys.) Must have been Medina himself who told Claudia. (Really guys? Does Rafa seem like the kind of guy who kisses and tells?)
Ale and Susana are still speaking about the Marco situation in her office. Ale says she can’t get through to Marco and convince him she and Rafa didn’t have sex. But, she admits, she was unfaithful in her heart. Susana believes she needs a break from Marco, a change. She’s putting everyone else’s needs before her own.
Beltran barges into Ale’s office with no other purpose but to rub in her face that he is taking their important clients away from her and to once again blame her for the Refri deal falling through. It’s all her fault, since Rafa was a rookie. Ale wants to know what else she could have done. Her only choices at the time were to throw the deal out the window, or to let those guys have their way with her. He then insults her by saying that Claudia would have known how to handle the advances of those guys (I bet!) and closed the deal. Ale is insulted and announces it would be better for her to leave Siglo if she’s going to be treated this way. Beltran basically agrees and leaves her office.
Ale is seething with rage after this encounter, when Rafa calls. Susana urges her to answer, saying she needs to close this cycle in her life (my new agey friend from Colombia tells me this exact same thing all the time). “Thank him. Tell him what you shared was important. Don’t hide from him. See him at least one more time.” Ale thinks. When Rafa calls a little later on Susana’s office line, Ale decides to take the call. They both tentatively ask how the other is. They both downplay how much life sucks at the moment. Rafa then lets her know he needs a recommendation letter. She agrees and wants to know who to address it to. He hedges and tells her to just address it To Whom it May Concern. “If we see each other, I can explain.” Ale agrees and suggests a restaurant where they can meet at 5 PM. “Perfecto. One more thing. Have you seen my t-shirt?” Ale’s eyes go wide and she guiltily lies. “Nope.”
After they hang up, Ale gets to work writing Rafa’s recommendation letter. Later when Susana enters her office, she is touching up her make-up and fixing herself up. Susana gets the scoop on the call, the letter and the 5pm date. She is all smiles and wants to read the letter. Ale hands it to her, but is a nervous wreck, dropping and spilling things in the background, as Susana reads the letter out loud (we see some memories of Ale and Rafa moments). It is the most glowing recommendation letter I have ever heard. “One always smiles when near Rafael…I do not know a better human being.”
Ale is worried that it’s too corny. Susana disagrees. She thinks it’s not a recommendation letter. It’s a poem of love. Ale tries to downplay. “I just want him to get a job so he can pay me back.” But she cannot suppress her huge smile and good humor as she heads out of Siglo to meet Rafa. Ramirez and Marino are suspicious and call her a hypocrite for breaking the rule forbidding employee relationships (Marino’s don’t count because he’s not the boss.) The General overhears this part of the conversation and is brought up to speed on the latest gossip. Rosaura and Claudia gather and act like this is the first time they are hearing this news. The General doesn’t believe it and wants to know where they got this info. Rosaura and Claudia look worried for a moment, but Marino swears it was Rafa himself that spilled the beans. The General is scandalized, Rosaura looks relieved, and Claudia looks pleased that her evil little plan is working.
Rafa has taken his bouffanted mom and sis to a fancy restaurant to treat Leonor for her birthday. As they celebrate, the Refri guys and their wives spot Leonor’s hair and Rafa and begin to make fun of Leonor. Rafa goes over to set them straight.
Tonight:
Rafa gets right up in lead Refri guy’s face (old Grabby) and asks what is causing them to laugh so much. The Refris then insult Rafa and his family, wondering how an elegant place like this could have let in such people. Rafa sneers at them and wonders the same thing. He points out that the two ladies are his mom and sister, and that they are far more intelligent than any of them. He brings up the lewd, cheating behavior of the Three Refri Stooges in Puerta Vallarta, and their wives get all upset again. “You swore it wasn’t true!” Rafa lets the wives know that these guys act like dogs in heat when they see a woman. This really sets the wives off and one of them even throws her drink on her husband. They storm off and Grabby grabs Rafa’s lapels. Rafa pries Grabby’s hands off, smoothes himself down, and notes that HE’S not the only liar there. He then tells them that the next time they want to make fun of someone, look a little closer to home.
Rafa heads back to his table, tells his mom and sis that they will not stay, and that they’re headed to a neighborhood restaurant for food they enjoy. And, yes, mom can take the flower centerpiece. They also take the open bottle of Champaign…both of which they place on the table of the neighborhood restaurant when they arrive. (Lol!) Rafa secretly requests that the restaurant mariachi band play Las Mañanitas and orders up a bottle of tequila. As they toast, the mariachi surround them playing Las Mañanitas and Rafa begins to sing one of the most beautiful renditions, of an already beautiful song, that I have ever heard. (I’ve always loved this song and prefer it much more than the boring Happy Birthday song we sing.) Leonor is all smiles and in tears at the same time as her loving son serenades her. She blows out all the candles on her cake and Rafa is so proud of his Jefa, he calls out “GOAL!” and strikes one of his signature happy poses.
Las Mañanitas
Estas son las mañanitas, que cantaba el Rey David,
Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti,
Despierta, mi bien mamma, despierta, mira que ya amaneció,
Ya los pajarillos cantan, la luna ya se metió.
Que linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte,
Venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte,
Ya viene amaneciendo, ya la luz del día nos dio,
Levántate de mañana, mira que ya amaneció.
This is the morning song that King David sang
Because today is your saint's day we're singing it for you
Wake up, my dear mamma, wake up, look it is already dawn
The birds are already singing and the moon has set
How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you
We all came with joy and pleasure to congratulate you
The morning is coming now, the sun is giving us its light
Get up in the morning, look it is already dawn
Mamma Leonor wants another song from her hijo, and he obliges by singing another beautiful song- La Gema. Leonor smiles and cries some more.
La Gema
Tu, como piedra preciosa
Como divina joya
Valiosa de verdad
Si mis ojos no me miente
Si mis ojos no me engañan
Tu belleza es sin igual
Tuve una vez la ilucion de tener un amor que me hiciera valer
Luego que te vi mujer yo te pude querer con toditita mi alma
Eres la gema que dios convirtiera en mujer para el bien de mi vida
Por eso quiero cantar y gritar que te quiero mujer consentida
Por eso elevo mi voz bendiciendo tu nombre y pidiendote amor
Que me hiciera valer
Con toditita mi alma
Eres la gema que dios convirtiera en mujer para el bien de mi vida
Por eso quiero cantar y gritar que te quiero mujer consentida
Por eso erevo mi voz bendiciendo tu nombre y pidiendote amor!
Ale sadly goes to bed. She slyly takes out one of the pictures of her and Rafa from the wedding, longingly stares at it, and almost kisses it, before stopping herself. She does give in to taking out Rafa’s yellow soccer jersey and curling up in bed with it. Rafa also goes to sleep thinking of Ale and looking at another picture from the wedding. “I can’t forget your kisses and your aroma. Alejandra, mi amor.” They both start to dream of their kisses on the beach and in the bed in the beach house. They dream about their slow dance at the last Refri dinner, but then they both awaken from the nightmare of Marco violently breaking them apart from dancing.
Ale shoots straight up in bed, looks at the clock, sees that it’s already 8:30 in the morning, and from reflex calls Rafa. Rafa picks up as soon as he sees it’s her, eager to hear her voice. “Hello? Ale?” She doesn’t say anything and hangs up. Leonor rushes in wondering how that woman could dare to call him when he doesn’t work for her anymore. Rafa assures her, it wasn’t Ale and she leaves. He looks sad and disappointed that Ale didn’t speak to him. At breakfast, Julieta and Leonor note Rafa is down. He tells them that he has postponed his wedding to Vicky until he can take care of his financial obligations. Julieta thinks the real reason is because Vicky is driving him crazy and because he doesn’t love her anymore. Rafa gets offended and leaves the table. When he’s gone, Leonor confides in Julieta that she thinks the real reason Rafa is in such ill humor and he postponed the wedding is because he’s in love with Ale! (Very perceptive Leonor. Points for you.)
They’re having breakfast at Ale’s house too. At least, Ale and Tia Rosario are. Jorge has decided to be a drama queen and has holed up in his room with the blinds drawn, refusing to eat. He’s even not eaten the meal from yesterday that he brought into his room. Tia wants to know if Ale has tried to call Marco (no), and admits that she did. She reminds Ale again of all Marco has done for them. Ale sarcastically says, yes, Marco is a saint.
Said saint is still in a depressed funk (literally, as he has been wearing and drinking in the same clothes for three days now). Chavez tells him he must regain his dignity. He mentions to Chavez that Tia Rosario called and told him that nothing happened between Ale and Rafa while they were pretending to be husband and wife to close the business deal. He doesn’t believe her. He also tells Chavez that Rosario said Jorge did not take the news well and is doing poorly. Chavez panics that their golden goose will kick the bucket before they’ve had the chance to claim their prize (the hacienda). He gets to work trying to set Marco straight and get him back on track with their plans. He puts on his glasses and puts his lawyer hat on. The lawyers on Law and Order have nothing on Chavez. He’s almost as good as Matlock, with the same kind of folksy demeanor.
Chavez sits Marco down on the witness stand (i.e. a dining room chair) and starts peppering him with questions about proof of Ale’s infidelity. Does the hotel receipt say they had sex? Was there video, photos, recordings, a witness? No, but Claudia told him something happened between them. And who is this Claudia? Uh…a friend. A friend who works for Ale and whom Ale can’t stand. A friend who has been in your apartment? Uh…yes. You’re a victim of Eros! Is she a trustworthy witness? Uhm… No more questions. Case closed! Marco starts to cry and Chavez needs a drink.
But Marco can’t let it go. Chavez reminds Marco that he has been no saint himself. “But I’m a MAN!” (Oh Marco, mi amor. You chauvinist you.) Chavez tries another strategy. This has now become a revival and Chavez is the charismatic preacher who will save Marco’s soul. “You have to go on an act of FAITH! BELIEVE that she is telling the truth. Believe in her. Hallelujah!” Marco, hand over his heart, has felt the spirit. He’s a new man (for the moment). “Let’s go take a bath”, Chavez urges. “Let’s?” Marco questions. “Uh, I meant you go take a bath.” (Lol!)
In the vecinidad, Rafa is calling Pepeto up to arrange to meet so that Rafa can get the rest of the sales money from the Panther. Pepeto wants him to come to his dealership to pick it up because he has a surprise for him. Rafa agrees, and as he leaves his house he runs into Vicky. This is a very different Vicky. She is very subdued (no squeaky voice), obviously sad and dressed in black. She says she’s dressed for mourning, and Rafa freaks out thinking someone in her family or that they know has died. No, she assures him, it’s our love that has died. (She and Jorge could form a club of drama queens.) Rafa tries to explain again that the wedding is just postponed and why. Vicky, like always, isn’t listening. She notes that ever since that woman came into their lives, they haven’t been intimate like they used to. (How in the heck did they ever manage that with the Brothers Grimm around?) She decisively tells him, “Today, you and I will make love like before.” This is said more like a military order, and Rafa looks perplexed and frustrated as she gives him a kiss, says she’ll call and stalks off.
In the sales meeting room of Autos Siglo, everyone is all atwitter with the news of Ale’s cancelled wedding, Rafa’s resignation, and the Refri deal that fell through. On top of it all, Ale is late! She comes in and begins the meeting, reminding the team that they just have two days left in the sales month to meet their goals. Beltran soon comes in and proceeds to rudely ignore Ale as he talks to the sales team. He wants to know who will bring happiness back to the Siglo home and thinks Marino is just the one to do it. Ale reminds Beltran that they need to replace Medina quickly, but Beltran thinks they were just fine before Medina and will be just fine without him. He continues to override Ale’s authority and demands that the reports be given to him directly. (What a jerk!)
After the meeting, Claudia and Rosaura continue to gossip. Rosaura would just love to be the bright star in her gossip circle, and juicy news of why Ale broke off her wedding would do just the trick. They are caught by Ale and Susana and Ale does a great sarcastic impression of Rosaura. “Honey!” Once Susana and Ale leave, Claudia begins to tell Rosaura her salacious version of things. (The rumor beast has now been unleashed. Let’s see where this thing goes.)
In her office, Ale is stressed and says her life is a disaster. Rafa calls, and she admits to Susana that she is not ready to talk to him. She doesn’t answer and looks even more stressed out. Susana gives her a massage and some good advice (what a wonderful friend!).
At ClauAutos, Pepeto not only has Rafa’s money (I’m surprised), but also lets him know that his jefe wants to speak with Rafa. Licenciado Antonio Gomez not only looks like a more reasonable guy than Beltran (time will tell), he is also offering Rafa a job as a salesman, with a better salary and commission than he made at Siglo and with the freedom to be the boss of his own time. He can’t believe Siglo let their star salesman go! Rafa can even take some time off before he starts. Rafa only needs time to put some financial affairs in order. No problem. Lic. Gomez has offered him an advance on his salary to take care of his responsibilities. (Is this too good to be true?) The only thing they need from Rafa is a clean medical exam (huh?) and a recommendation from his last boss. (Uh, oh!) Rafa doesn’t let on, but this is problematic for a number of reasons: 1) he’s going to work for the competition; 2) he didn’t leave Siglo on the best terms; and 3) Ale won’t answer his calls and they have lots of unresolved issues.
While Claudia has been spinning her tale to Rosaura, Ramirez has been trying his best to hear what they are talking about. He and Marino figure it must be about the jefa and they must know. Marino offers Rosaura an exchange of info. He’ll tell her who Clara in Accounting’s baby daddy is (as if he’s not the guilty party), if she tells him what she knows about Ale, Rafa, the cancelled wedding and the fallen deal. Rosaura thinks this is a fair exchange, and Marino then lies that Trapito is the father of Clara’s baby (sucker!). Rosaura is sufficiently horrified and titillated. She spills the beans about Ale and Rafa. “How do you know?” Claudia told me.” Marino later tells Ramirez that he doesn’t know who the baby daddy is (liar!) and gloats that he now has the tools to destroy Ale. They wonder how Claudia found out. Susana? Nah! Ale’s fiancé? Nah! (Silly boys.) Must have been Medina himself who told Claudia. (Really guys? Does Rafa seem like the kind of guy who kisses and tells?)
Ale and Susana are still speaking about the Marco situation in her office. Ale says she can’t get through to Marco and convince him she and Rafa didn’t have sex. But, she admits, she was unfaithful in her heart. Susana believes she needs a break from Marco, a change. She’s putting everyone else’s needs before her own.
Beltran barges into Ale’s office with no other purpose but to rub in her face that he is taking their important clients away from her and to once again blame her for the Refri deal falling through. It’s all her fault, since Rafa was a rookie. Ale wants to know what else she could have done. Her only choices at the time were to throw the deal out the window, or to let those guys have their way with her. He then insults her by saying that Claudia would have known how to handle the advances of those guys (I bet!) and closed the deal. Ale is insulted and announces it would be better for her to leave Siglo if she’s going to be treated this way. Beltran basically agrees and leaves her office.
Ale is seething with rage after this encounter, when Rafa calls. Susana urges her to answer, saying she needs to close this cycle in her life (my new agey friend from Colombia tells me this exact same thing all the time). “Thank him. Tell him what you shared was important. Don’t hide from him. See him at least one more time.” Ale thinks. When Rafa calls a little later on Susana’s office line, Ale decides to take the call. They both tentatively ask how the other is. They both downplay how much life sucks at the moment. Rafa then lets her know he needs a recommendation letter. She agrees and wants to know who to address it to. He hedges and tells her to just address it To Whom it May Concern. “If we see each other, I can explain.” Ale agrees and suggests a restaurant where they can meet at 5 PM. “Perfecto. One more thing. Have you seen my t-shirt?” Ale’s eyes go wide and she guiltily lies. “Nope.”
After they hang up, Ale gets to work writing Rafa’s recommendation letter. Later when Susana enters her office, she is touching up her make-up and fixing herself up. Susana gets the scoop on the call, the letter and the 5pm date. She is all smiles and wants to read the letter. Ale hands it to her, but is a nervous wreck, dropping and spilling things in the background, as Susana reads the letter out loud (we see some memories of Ale and Rafa moments). It is the most glowing recommendation letter I have ever heard. “One always smiles when near Rafael…I do not know a better human being.”
Ale is worried that it’s too corny. Susana disagrees. She thinks it’s not a recommendation letter. It’s a poem of love. Ale tries to downplay. “I just want him to get a job so he can pay me back.” But she cannot suppress her huge smile and good humor as she heads out of Siglo to meet Rafa. Ramirez and Marino are suspicious and call her a hypocrite for breaking the rule forbidding employee relationships (Marino’s don’t count because he’s not the boss.) The General overhears this part of the conversation and is brought up to speed on the latest gossip. Rosaura and Claudia gather and act like this is the first time they are hearing this news. The General doesn’t believe it and wants to know where they got this info. Rosaura and Claudia look worried for a moment, but Marino swears it was Rafa himself that spilled the beans. The General is scandalized, Rosaura looks relieved, and Claudia looks pleased that her evil little plan is working.
Labels: dinero
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Corazon Salvaje 4/29/10 It's Raining Men--About Time!
Episode 50
We start with the swimming of Gabe and Mena. He tells her not to forget that she is beautiful and gives her a kiss on the cheek. He gazes into her eyes and touches her face. Very beautiful. So get over it already and do something about it. Wuss.
Clemencia is still visiting with Marlene. She is upset in general plus she didn’t like the news that Clemencia brought about Rosenda doing Don Rod. She tells Clemencia it is all about her past. Your past? I did the nasty with Rod and took some money. After that I left.
Rosenda and her boobs are pacing and thinking. I have to go with Don Rod. He will help me with my miserable life.
Leo is prancing down the staircase of death with Rod on her arm. (Yes that bow on your butt does make you look huge.) She is spouting her usual nonsense about bad luck and Renato and Aimee‘s marriage being doomed, doomed. Rod is sick of it and tells her to knock it off already. They will be happy and don’t you fret. We will have many grandchildren. She hopes that is true and continues her whining. She thinks it is very strange what happened in Aimee’s bedroom. Some kind of vengence she thinks. Vengence? Vengence? My precious little angel (snort)--I mean daughter, has no enemies. Ah, Don R, if you only knew. Maybe Renato--oh no, not my Renato. He has no enemies either. You get that out of your head right now. Ok, it will just be a mystery for now. We will be on guard every night. He goes over to the cabinet and pulls out a pistol. Wow! I feel so safe now. He’s going to sleep with it under his pillow. Be careful with that thing. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I know what I’m doing. Well, actually, that is debatable. She simpers and pouts. Do you need anything? Something refreshing to drink? I repeat. I don’t need anything. Really, I don’t. Nothing, nada, zip.
Clemencia is comforting Marlene. Now I understand why you disappeared. Marlene says she was only thinking of herself. I abandoned my daughter when she was very little. What can I do? I can’t give up this life. Felipe and the girls depend on me. They are like my daughters. But she is your real daughter. She needs you more than you know. I give her gifts but she doesn’t want them. Clemencia assures her that it is the thought that counts. I have to go. Things at the Finca are crazy. Marlene begs Clemencia not to abandon her daughter. (Yeah, like someone else we know.) and to watch over her. She promises. Marlene is so thankful.
Hot Rod and Leo are walking on the town when who should they run into but one of the Hos. Brigette, I think. Brigette says hello to Don Rod and tells him that she would just love to visit with him but she’s in a hurry because one of her friends is sick. I hope we will get to speak soon. Leo’s in the background giving her the stink eye. Her cleavage says oh yes I’m sure we will. I hope to see you tonight at the casino. We missed you the other night. Please don’t abandon us, grin, grin, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more. Leo is making the prune face my first ex-husband used to make when I said a bad word. (Sometimes I would secretly time him to see how long it would take him to make the face.) Hey didn’t your mom ever tell you your face would freeze like that? She wants to know what the heck he is doing with a woman LIKE THAT. She was way too familiar if you ask me says Leo. Well, uh, nobody did. Rod tells her that she works at the casino. I can only imagine what kind of job she does at the casino. The casino is a place for gentlemen to go and have some fun and get away from shrews like you, you hateful cow. Well I think you should come back to the Finca. He advises her not to raise her voice or there will be a scandal. I have my private life so just get over it. As you wish your majesty. He helps her into the coach because her nose is so high in the air she might trip. In the coach she thought bubbles--you dirty woman. If you think you will get your grubby little paws on Rodrigo you are sadly mistaken.
Orca is having a drunken tantrum in the dungeon. Hey, he looks like my second husband except he hasn’t smacked into a fish tank almost knocking it over. (Good old Stand Around Steve. Ah the memories.) He’s pretty pissed off about something. He rants drunkenly and crumples the letter in his hand. Hello, that is evidence. Good thing we don’t have smell-o-vision. Gag!
Remi and Juan are having a conversation by the river. Remi is worried what will happen when Juan comes face-to-face with Orca himself. Juan doesn’t look real worried about it. He used to be the administrator of the Finca. Oh yeah, I know. But now you are the administrator of the Finca. Ah, yes, I remember him. He follows the orders of Leonarda Montes de Oca. Remi kind of feels sorry for him. He wife went crazy and he lost his only child. She had a sweet voice. She wears a veil over her face. Juan looks shocked. The woman with the veil was the wife of Orca? Yes. Have you seen her? Juan tells how he saw her one time. Somebody must be confused. Nobody said her name but I am confused. Well, that’s ok big guy, with a bod like yours we won’t hold it against you. (Well, I’d like to.)
MdR remembers when she saw Juan. She touched his face and he said to her that she was dead. She remembers the painting that doesn’t look like JDD and how she thought he came for her. She asks Mirta if she remembers. She nods yes. She is upset because Rodrigo won’t help her. She repeats Juan de Dios to herself.
Juan is recounting his meeting with MdR to Remi. He needs to see her again. He asks Remi if he thinks Orca will let him see her. Remi looks doubtful.
Back at a little market Heckle (scar head) and Jeckle (Tia) are cackling about something. The towns people recognize them and begin yelling something. Heckle threatens town guy #1 with his knife. People start throwing fruit at them and run them off.
Gabe is taking a bath. Oh what a glorious day! Can I get an Amen Sista! He picks up a bracelet and thinks that he is sure it is the bracelet he gave to his Estrella. He remembers dancing with her on the boat. He looks confused as he stands up in the bath with soapsuds cascading down his hard muscled body. He still looks confused as he wraps a towel around himself. He remembers swimming with Mena and says again how beautiful she is. What a dumbass.
Back to town (damn) Ful is talking to the guy who got the job of spying on his wife. He wants to know what is up with Juan. The little roach scuttles off to do his master’s bidding.
Brigitte is back from picking up the tonic for Lulu. She doesn’t notice Marlene has been crying. But Felipe notices and rushes to her side to see what is the matter. She’s got bad news about her daughter. Clemencia came to tell me something serious about Rosenda. She doesn’t want her to repeat her mother’s mistake. Maybe I should look for another line of work. Felipe is aghast at the thought. He tells her that if she gives this all up she will have nothing to give Rosenda and she would have the same life that you ran from.
Rod is finally alone and he’s having a brandy and thinking to himself. He is happy that Aimee is married and he hopes that soon Regina will follow by marrying Fed. He thinks fondly of Brigette. Ah Brigette, soon I will see you. He stares thoughtfully into space. Rosenda appears. Uh oh. She looks very fetching in her blue gown. Rod is pleased to see her. Horny old goat.
Leo wants to have a talk with Aimee. Leo says she saw her dad. Aimee wants to know how he is doing. Fine but he is worried. Someone entered the house but nothing was stolen. They destroyed your bedroom. Aimee looks shocked. Leo says she is worried about her marriage. Aimee thinks to herself that it must have been Juan. He’s jealous. She smiles very pleased with herself.
Juan and Remi are still down by the river. Remi doesn’t think that Orca will let Juan see his wife. First, you will have to be his friend. Juan laughs like that’s not going to happen. What bothers me is that I can’t see the woman. Remi thinks that perhaps Juan is drawn to this woman because the loss of her son is similar to Juan losing his mother. Juan thinks it is possible. Your mother gave me all the love I needed at the time. The same as you. You took care of me. They take a trip down memory lane remembering when they used to fish and swim in this stream. Juan wants to go fishing. Remi doesn’t think it is a good idea. Juan keeps trying to convince him. ( Me, me, pick me!). They both take off their shirts. Oh yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about.
Leo is surprised by Aimee’s reaction. She thought she’d be more upset about trashing her room. She’s upset but there’s nothing she can do about it. Now Leo wants to talk to her about her inheritance. She wants Aimee to invest in the wood because Rodrigo thinks it will go through the roof. Aimee says well, ok I’ll do it. Put all my money in it. Leo is overjoyed. You are disciplined and intelligent. Not like your sister Regina. We have too many problems with her.
Regina is taking pictures of Mena. Mena finally tells her that she and Gabe played like children. Regina is excited about the news. He said I was beautiful. I have to tell you something. Last night I was going to tell him everything but then the old hag came in and I couldn’t finish telling him. Regina doesn’t like the way her aunt treats her. Mena is used to it. She feels like sometimes she is really not that important. Regina assures that is not true and that Mena is important to her.
Over in Puebla, Mena’s grandparents (?) are reading a letter they received from someone who is looking for their granddaughter “Angela.” It could be that she is in Vera Cruz. Abuelo is frustrated because they can’t find her anywhere. Abuela says don’t worry we will find her. He says it’s been many years and he is losing faith that they will find her. They look for Vera Cruz on the map.
Jimena thinks that her Tia doesn’t love her. Duh. Regina says lets forget all this sad stuff. She pours a drink for Mena. Regina tells her that Juan is now the administrator of the Finca. Mena is sure that Juan is a good man and thinks Regina should give him a chance. He’s helped me many times because he was worried about me. Regina is surprised. Juan is a good man. He is alone and I believe that he has suffered a lot. Regina is thinking this over.
Aimee goes out to the stable(?). She is looking for Juan. Speak of the devil, Juan walks in and wants to know what she’s doing there. She says she’s waiting for him. He looks surprised. What do you want? She shuts the door. He thinks she should be with her husband. He wants to know why she married Renato. For money? He is convinced it is for the money. She’s toying with him. She says money is not important to her. She rubs against him like a dog in heat. He pushes her away. She wants to know if he is there because of Regina. He laughs, Regina? Poor thing. Aimee whines about how Regina is driving her crazy. But she doesn’t want to talk about Regina. Only Juan. She’s all over him again like white on rice. He pushes her away. Well, ok then. She kisses him. He says get lost. You are so yesterday. He stomps out. She thinks to herself that Juan will return to her arms. Juan rides off on his horse. He is not going to fall for it again. Finally!
Regina and Mena have gone to the dungeon to develop her photos. Orca catches them and says you know you aren’t supposed to be down here. Regina argues with him. She needs the dark. He says it’s dirty and he will take care of it. She says no, let me in. He wants her to wait a minute. He has to go be Suzy Homemaker and tidy up. He walks off.
Clemencia is getting her a$$ chewed by Leo. She’s been looking for Rosenda and can’t find her anywhere. Well? Clemencia looks uneasy.
Servando and Tia are at a tavern. They are hatching another crazy plot. Servando thinks it is too risky. Ful’s minion shows up at the bar. He eyes them suspiciously.
Rod tells Rosenda they have the whole day together. (I want to know how Rosenda got to the townhouse so quickly.) No one will bother them. He kisses her neck. Gag! More kissing. He starts to undress FF>>x2.
Back at the a$$ chewing, Leo wants to know where Rosenda is. Clemencia tells her she doesn’t know. (How did Clemencia get back to the Finca so fast?) Rosenda didn’t tell her anything. Leo grabs her arm.
Rod and Rosenda are doing the nasty. Ewww! I can’t watch. FF>>x3.
Orca is tying up Mirta and MdR. He says he will kill them both if he hears one peep out of them. He hides the trunk.
Aimee is still fuming about Regina.
Regina says get a move on already and unlock the door. Orca is feeding her a lot of bull. He opens the gate. Orca runs off to tattle on the girls to Leo. Regina notices there used to be a table for her but they can’t find it. Mena finds the trunk. Dun dun dun! They open it. Look at all the pretty things. Regina recognizes the doll and says this is the trunk that they’ve been looking for for so long. It belonged to her mother. She is so happy. She finds a box. Oh no! Remember what happened the last time someone found a box? It took forever for them to open it.
Renato tells his mom that he wants to talk to her about something regarding Juan as the administrator of the Finca. She doesn’t look too thrilled about it. He says something about women and children and a school. I don’t want to hear more. I’m sorry. That’s how it is going to be. He opens the door and Orca is standing there. Do you want to talk to me or my mother. Your mother. Orca checks to be sure no one is outside the door. He fills her in on the problem with Regina being downstairs doing her photography. She starts to freak out. She’s worried that Regina will start to figure it out. He comes up behind her and grabs her. Which of course makes the situation sooo much better. He wants her tonight. She threatens him with withholding “favors.” He brings out his one ace in the hole and mentions the letter. Leo looks worried. What letter are you talking about? He shows it to her but won’t let her touch it. He explains that it is from Constanza accusing her of murdering her. What do you think of that? Leo looks worried.
We start with the swimming of Gabe and Mena. He tells her not to forget that she is beautiful and gives her a kiss on the cheek. He gazes into her eyes and touches her face. Very beautiful. So get over it already and do something about it. Wuss.
Clemencia is still visiting with Marlene. She is upset in general plus she didn’t like the news that Clemencia brought about Rosenda doing Don Rod. She tells Clemencia it is all about her past. Your past? I did the nasty with Rod and took some money. After that I left.
Rosenda and her boobs are pacing and thinking. I have to go with Don Rod. He will help me with my miserable life.
Leo is prancing down the staircase of death with Rod on her arm. (Yes that bow on your butt does make you look huge.) She is spouting her usual nonsense about bad luck and Renato and Aimee‘s marriage being doomed, doomed. Rod is sick of it and tells her to knock it off already. They will be happy and don’t you fret. We will have many grandchildren. She hopes that is true and continues her whining. She thinks it is very strange what happened in Aimee’s bedroom. Some kind of vengence she thinks. Vengence? Vengence? My precious little angel (snort)--I mean daughter, has no enemies. Ah, Don R, if you only knew. Maybe Renato--oh no, not my Renato. He has no enemies either. You get that out of your head right now. Ok, it will just be a mystery for now. We will be on guard every night. He goes over to the cabinet and pulls out a pistol. Wow! I feel so safe now. He’s going to sleep with it under his pillow. Be careful with that thing. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I know what I’m doing. Well, actually, that is debatable. She simpers and pouts. Do you need anything? Something refreshing to drink? I repeat. I don’t need anything. Really, I don’t. Nothing, nada, zip.
Clemencia is comforting Marlene. Now I understand why you disappeared. Marlene says she was only thinking of herself. I abandoned my daughter when she was very little. What can I do? I can’t give up this life. Felipe and the girls depend on me. They are like my daughters. But she is your real daughter. She needs you more than you know. I give her gifts but she doesn’t want them. Clemencia assures her that it is the thought that counts. I have to go. Things at the Finca are crazy. Marlene begs Clemencia not to abandon her daughter. (Yeah, like someone else we know.) and to watch over her. She promises. Marlene is so thankful.
Hot Rod and Leo are walking on the town when who should they run into but one of the Hos. Brigette, I think. Brigette says hello to Don Rod and tells him that she would just love to visit with him but she’s in a hurry because one of her friends is sick. I hope we will get to speak soon. Leo’s in the background giving her the stink eye. Her cleavage says oh yes I’m sure we will. I hope to see you tonight at the casino. We missed you the other night. Please don’t abandon us, grin, grin, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more. Leo is making the prune face my first ex-husband used to make when I said a bad word. (Sometimes I would secretly time him to see how long it would take him to make the face.) Hey didn’t your mom ever tell you your face would freeze like that? She wants to know what the heck he is doing with a woman LIKE THAT. She was way too familiar if you ask me says Leo. Well, uh, nobody did. Rod tells her that she works at the casino. I can only imagine what kind of job she does at the casino. The casino is a place for gentlemen to go and have some fun and get away from shrews like you, you hateful cow. Well I think you should come back to the Finca. He advises her not to raise her voice or there will be a scandal. I have my private life so just get over it. As you wish your majesty. He helps her into the coach because her nose is so high in the air she might trip. In the coach she thought bubbles--you dirty woman. If you think you will get your grubby little paws on Rodrigo you are sadly mistaken.
Orca is having a drunken tantrum in the dungeon. Hey, he looks like my second husband except he hasn’t smacked into a fish tank almost knocking it over. (Good old Stand Around Steve. Ah the memories.) He’s pretty pissed off about something. He rants drunkenly and crumples the letter in his hand. Hello, that is evidence. Good thing we don’t have smell-o-vision. Gag!
Remi and Juan are having a conversation by the river. Remi is worried what will happen when Juan comes face-to-face with Orca himself. Juan doesn’t look real worried about it. He used to be the administrator of the Finca. Oh yeah, I know. But now you are the administrator of the Finca. Ah, yes, I remember him. He follows the orders of Leonarda Montes de Oca. Remi kind of feels sorry for him. He wife went crazy and he lost his only child. She had a sweet voice. She wears a veil over her face. Juan looks shocked. The woman with the veil was the wife of Orca? Yes. Have you seen her? Juan tells how he saw her one time. Somebody must be confused. Nobody said her name but I am confused. Well, that’s ok big guy, with a bod like yours we won’t hold it against you. (Well, I’d like to.)
MdR remembers when she saw Juan. She touched his face and he said to her that she was dead. She remembers the painting that doesn’t look like JDD and how she thought he came for her. She asks Mirta if she remembers. She nods yes. She is upset because Rodrigo won’t help her. She repeats Juan de Dios to herself.
Juan is recounting his meeting with MdR to Remi. He needs to see her again. He asks Remi if he thinks Orca will let him see her. Remi looks doubtful.
Back at a little market Heckle (scar head) and Jeckle (Tia) are cackling about something. The towns people recognize them and begin yelling something. Heckle threatens town guy #1 with his knife. People start throwing fruit at them and run them off.
Gabe is taking a bath. Oh what a glorious day! Can I get an Amen Sista! He picks up a bracelet and thinks that he is sure it is the bracelet he gave to his Estrella. He remembers dancing with her on the boat. He looks confused as he stands up in the bath with soapsuds cascading down his hard muscled body. He still looks confused as he wraps a towel around himself. He remembers swimming with Mena and says again how beautiful she is. What a dumbass.
Back to town (damn) Ful is talking to the guy who got the job of spying on his wife. He wants to know what is up with Juan. The little roach scuttles off to do his master’s bidding.
Brigitte is back from picking up the tonic for Lulu. She doesn’t notice Marlene has been crying. But Felipe notices and rushes to her side to see what is the matter. She’s got bad news about her daughter. Clemencia came to tell me something serious about Rosenda. She doesn’t want her to repeat her mother’s mistake. Maybe I should look for another line of work. Felipe is aghast at the thought. He tells her that if she gives this all up she will have nothing to give Rosenda and she would have the same life that you ran from.
Rod is finally alone and he’s having a brandy and thinking to himself. He is happy that Aimee is married and he hopes that soon Regina will follow by marrying Fed. He thinks fondly of Brigette. Ah Brigette, soon I will see you. He stares thoughtfully into space. Rosenda appears. Uh oh. She looks very fetching in her blue gown. Rod is pleased to see her. Horny old goat.
Leo wants to have a talk with Aimee. Leo says she saw her dad. Aimee wants to know how he is doing. Fine but he is worried. Someone entered the house but nothing was stolen. They destroyed your bedroom. Aimee looks shocked. Leo says she is worried about her marriage. Aimee thinks to herself that it must have been Juan. He’s jealous. She smiles very pleased with herself.
Juan and Remi are still down by the river. Remi doesn’t think that Orca will let Juan see his wife. First, you will have to be his friend. Juan laughs like that’s not going to happen. What bothers me is that I can’t see the woman. Remi thinks that perhaps Juan is drawn to this woman because the loss of her son is similar to Juan losing his mother. Juan thinks it is possible. Your mother gave me all the love I needed at the time. The same as you. You took care of me. They take a trip down memory lane remembering when they used to fish and swim in this stream. Juan wants to go fishing. Remi doesn’t think it is a good idea. Juan keeps trying to convince him. ( Me, me, pick me!). They both take off their shirts. Oh yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about.
Leo is surprised by Aimee’s reaction. She thought she’d be more upset about trashing her room. She’s upset but there’s nothing she can do about it. Now Leo wants to talk to her about her inheritance. She wants Aimee to invest in the wood because Rodrigo thinks it will go through the roof. Aimee says well, ok I’ll do it. Put all my money in it. Leo is overjoyed. You are disciplined and intelligent. Not like your sister Regina. We have too many problems with her.
Regina is taking pictures of Mena. Mena finally tells her that she and Gabe played like children. Regina is excited about the news. He said I was beautiful. I have to tell you something. Last night I was going to tell him everything but then the old hag came in and I couldn’t finish telling him. Regina doesn’t like the way her aunt treats her. Mena is used to it. She feels like sometimes she is really not that important. Regina assures that is not true and that Mena is important to her.
Over in Puebla, Mena’s grandparents (?) are reading a letter they received from someone who is looking for their granddaughter “Angela.” It could be that she is in Vera Cruz. Abuelo is frustrated because they can’t find her anywhere. Abuela says don’t worry we will find her. He says it’s been many years and he is losing faith that they will find her. They look for Vera Cruz on the map.
Jimena thinks that her Tia doesn’t love her. Duh. Regina says lets forget all this sad stuff. She pours a drink for Mena. Regina tells her that Juan is now the administrator of the Finca. Mena is sure that Juan is a good man and thinks Regina should give him a chance. He’s helped me many times because he was worried about me. Regina is surprised. Juan is a good man. He is alone and I believe that he has suffered a lot. Regina is thinking this over.
Aimee goes out to the stable(?). She is looking for Juan. Speak of the devil, Juan walks in and wants to know what she’s doing there. She says she’s waiting for him. He looks surprised. What do you want? She shuts the door. He thinks she should be with her husband. He wants to know why she married Renato. For money? He is convinced it is for the money. She’s toying with him. She says money is not important to her. She rubs against him like a dog in heat. He pushes her away. She wants to know if he is there because of Regina. He laughs, Regina? Poor thing. Aimee whines about how Regina is driving her crazy. But she doesn’t want to talk about Regina. Only Juan. She’s all over him again like white on rice. He pushes her away. Well, ok then. She kisses him. He says get lost. You are so yesterday. He stomps out. She thinks to herself that Juan will return to her arms. Juan rides off on his horse. He is not going to fall for it again. Finally!
Regina and Mena have gone to the dungeon to develop her photos. Orca catches them and says you know you aren’t supposed to be down here. Regina argues with him. She needs the dark. He says it’s dirty and he will take care of it. She says no, let me in. He wants her to wait a minute. He has to go be Suzy Homemaker and tidy up. He walks off.
Clemencia is getting her a$$ chewed by Leo. She’s been looking for Rosenda and can’t find her anywhere. Well? Clemencia looks uneasy.
Servando and Tia are at a tavern. They are hatching another crazy plot. Servando thinks it is too risky. Ful’s minion shows up at the bar. He eyes them suspiciously.
Rod tells Rosenda they have the whole day together. (I want to know how Rosenda got to the townhouse so quickly.) No one will bother them. He kisses her neck. Gag! More kissing. He starts to undress FF>>x2.
Back at the a$$ chewing, Leo wants to know where Rosenda is. Clemencia tells her she doesn’t know. (How did Clemencia get back to the Finca so fast?) Rosenda didn’t tell her anything. Leo grabs her arm.
Rod and Rosenda are doing the nasty. Ewww! I can’t watch. FF>>x3.
Orca is tying up Mirta and MdR. He says he will kill them both if he hears one peep out of them. He hides the trunk.
Aimee is still fuming about Regina.
Regina says get a move on already and unlock the door. Orca is feeding her a lot of bull. He opens the gate. Orca runs off to tattle on the girls to Leo. Regina notices there used to be a table for her but they can’t find it. Mena finds the trunk. Dun dun dun! They open it. Look at all the pretty things. Regina recognizes the doll and says this is the trunk that they’ve been looking for for so long. It belonged to her mother. She is so happy. She finds a box. Oh no! Remember what happened the last time someone found a box? It took forever for them to open it.
Renato tells his mom that he wants to talk to her about something regarding Juan as the administrator of the Finca. She doesn’t look too thrilled about it. He says something about women and children and a school. I don’t want to hear more. I’m sorry. That’s how it is going to be. He opens the door and Orca is standing there. Do you want to talk to me or my mother. Your mother. Orca checks to be sure no one is outside the door. He fills her in on the problem with Regina being downstairs doing her photography. She starts to freak out. She’s worried that Regina will start to figure it out. He comes up behind her and grabs her. Which of course makes the situation sooo much better. He wants her tonight. She threatens him with withholding “favors.” He brings out his one ace in the hole and mentions the letter. Leo looks worried. What letter are you talking about? He shows it to her but won’t let her touch it. He explains that it is from Constanza accusing her of murdering her. What do you think of that? Leo looks worried.
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