Caray, Caray!

(this was an episode without Los Burque!)

We start with Soledad entering the room where Hugo is holding Eloisa.
- Excuse me for interrupting, says Soledad. Eloisa guiltily lets go of Hugo and says,
- Soledad, it’s not what you think.
- You don’t have to give me an explanation, says Soledad awkwardly.
- I was simply thanking your husband for being concerned about me. He doesn’t want me to marry Arturo because he is a very violent man, says Eloisa .
Soledad says that she agrees with that advice. Hugo asks her what she wants and she says that she just came to thank him for letting Dr. Max treat Aurora. She leaves. Eloisa says,
- Soledad is angry with me. I will talk to her. Hugo replies,
- No, that’s not a good idea. In addition, you should stay away from Soledad from now on. Eloisa protests that Soledad is her only friend. Hugo replies that her friendship is not sincere and since she’s already done a lot of damage, Hugo suggests that she leave. She leaves.

Soledad returns to her room and slams the door. Ursula asks her what is wrong. First she says nothing is wrong and then she tells Ursula that she saw Hugo embracing Eloisa. She claims that she doesn’t care but Ursula says that her attitude indicates that it does bother her. Soledad reluctantly admits that she doesn’t understand why what Alcides does or doesn’t do affects her. She admits that is seemed very strange that Alcides would be so affectionate with Eloisa. Ursula is amused.

Hugo refuses to let Lucas invest in the mine and he won’t give him an explanation. Lucas concludes it is because Alcides doesn’t like him.

At the Obregon house, Antonia is on her way out with a suitcase. Ester asks to forgive her for what she said. Antonia responds that if Ester it is best for her brother, she will leave the house. Ester doesn’t reply. Antonia says that if Ester doesn’t want to hear the truth from my mouth, you will have to suffer the consequences. Ester asks what she is talking about.
- Time will show that I am right. And when you realize that you were wrong, it wll be too late, says Antonia cryptically. Ester says that Antonia is frightening her. Antonia goes on to say that she will stay at the house but she taking a vow of silence. From now on not a single word will come from her mouth. (Great, now that she has useful information, Antonia is going to give everyone the silent treatment like a 6-year old. It will be nice not to hear her talking about sin all the time though.)

Marina asks Dr. Max if he is sure that she is pregnant. He describes her symptoms and the fact that she has missed her period – what else could it be? (We didn’t need a doctor to tell us that!) Marina remembers her night of passion with Boris when Fabio attacked and nearly killed Hugo. (That’s not when she got pregnant though or she’d be 6 months gone.)Marina asks Dr. Max not to tell Boris. She wants to pick the right time.

Boris tells Hugo that he can’t understand why he wouldn’t let Lucas invest in the mine,
- If your intention is to take vengeance on the Obragons, this is the moment to leave them without a cent.
Hugo remembers overhearing Ester and Manrique at the velorio again. He says,
-Because Lucas wasn’t that involved. Besides when Lucas spoke to me, I felt that he loved his daughter very much.
- I guess you don’t feel the same way about Ester, responds Boris.
- Ester is a cold and calculating woman – says Hugo – It was probably she and Soledad who had the idea to deceive and use me.
- I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes – says Boris – On the one hand, you want vengeance and on the other you want to help Soledad.
Hugo replies – I still can’t understand how a person with such a generous heart could be so calculating and deceiving.

In the Love Nest of Perversion, Beatriz tells Alcides that she told him to be quiet. Dr. Pablo says to Alcides that he must have survived the explosion in the mine. Alcides responds that he did survive the explosion but he lost his memory and was wandering around without knowing who he was or where he belonged. Beatriz says that destiny put Alcides in her hands to pay for all the damage that he has done to her. Dr. Pablo tells her that it is humiliating to keep Alcides chained to the bed like this. Alcides points to the keys of the shackles and asks Dr. Pablo to release him but Beatriz points the gun at him and tells him not to move. Unwisely, Dr. Pablo tells Beatriz to calm down and that she isn’t a murderer. She says that was before and things have changed. She shoots and kills Dr. Pablo.

Jose, father of little Aurora, thanks Hugo and Soledad for helping his family. They are better. He asks Hugo to forgive him for stirring up trouble at the mine. He will get the workers to come back. Hugo thanks him and invites him to get some food from his kitchen.

When they are alone, Hugo tells Soledad that he wants to talk about what she saw in his room between Eloisa and him. Soledad claims that there is nothing to explain. He can do what he likes in his life. Hugo says that he thought she was jealous.
- Jealous? Me? – laughs Soledad – Alcides, don’t you remember we have an agreement? The only reason I am here is to protect my daughter from your enemies. – She moves to leave.
- Who are you fooling? – asks Hugo – Of course it affected you to see me with Eloisa because you are not indifferent to me. Why don’t you let your heart speak? Why don’t you tell me what you feel?
- How vain you are, Alcides – she says – I’m not going to answer your question because it doesn’t deserve an answer. You can do what you want , think what you want, it really doesn’t matter to me.
Hugo says that he detects aggression in her words and doesn’t understand. He has treated her with respect. She apologizes and says,
- I know that you have really changed and that lately you have been very involved with me and my child. But I don’t want you think that I could ever have anything with you because that could never happen.
- Not for you but for me, yes – says Hugo.
- What are you saying? – asks Soledad.
- At first I was interested in you only as a trophy that I could take from my brother but now my heart is telling me something different. It is telling me that I love you.
- You can’t be in love with me! – says Soledad.
- Can we forget the past for a moment? – asks Hugo – We have been given an opportunity to form a family. I’m sure that with a little luck (con tiempo y el ganchito – this is what Alcides has always said about getting Soledad to love him. Did Hugo say it on purpose?) you can come to love me as much as I love you.
- My only family is my daughter – responds Soledad – and my only interest is finding a cure for her disease. Then Soledad tells Hugo that she wants to raise money to build a hospital in San Marino. He thinks that is a great idea and promises to help her.

Eloisa tells Paquito about how Alcides behaved in the clinic and with Soledad. Paquito says that Alcides was acting like Hugo. Maybe this man who is passing for Alcides is really Hugo de Medina? Eloisa asks whose corpse is in Hugo’s grave then? Paquito says getting a corpse isn’t a problem. Eloisa can’t understand why Hugo would want to pass as Alcides with all his enemies and problems. Paquito says that he doesn’t know but they have to confront him. Eloisa says that she already did that. She kissed Alcides and the kiss wasn’t the same. It was cold and distant. Paquito doesn’t want all the details.

The next morning in his study (they managed to have a night without a crisis!)Boris asks Hugo what he should do with all the money they collected. Hugo says that they will use it create a hospital and Boris should look for a suitable site. It will be a good way to help Soledad in her charitable work. Marina knocks and comes in to say that Arturo is downstairs and wants to speak to Alcides. Hugo leaves and then Boris follows leaving Marina alone with the money. She picks up the bundles of cash and fondles them. Boris comes back in and he is very disappointed in her behavior. He accuses her of thinking of robbing Hugo. How could she do that when Hugo considers them part of his family. Why is she so ungrateful? Marina says,
- I have a good reason. I’m pregnant!- Boris is impactado. He asks why she didn’t tell him before. Marina says that he is only interested in Hugo. Boris says that isn’t so and she is important to him too and much more now. He says that he won’t say anything to Hugo about the money. They should get married. Marina asks if that means they can leave here. Boris says that first he would have to find someone to take care of Hugo.

Arturo is concerned about his investment. He doesn’t think the project should be left in the hands of ignorant peasants. He suggests that they hire people from nearby towns. Fine, says Hugo, but it will at your expense. That doesn’t go over well with Arturo. He says that Alcides will have to respond if there are more problems. He isn’t losing another penny.

Lucas tells Rebeca that Alcides wouldn’t let him invest in the mine and wouldn’t give him a reason. Rebeca has a brilliant idea. Lucas can give his money to her and she will invest it on his behalf. Alcides will accept an investment from her. Lucas thinks that is a great idea. (So now Rebeca will either steal Lucas’ money or invest it in a scam. Either way it’s lost.)

Eloisa wants to postpone the wedding (for the following day) once again. Her excuse is that she really, really wants Soledad to be her matron of honor and Soledad says that she can’t do it with all that is going on. Arturo is says just get someone else. Eloisa pushes but Arturo is adamant. Eloisa goes to Plan B. She pays Hercu-less to arrange an accident for Arturo before the wedding.

Soledad and Hugo are celebrating Boris and Marina’s announcement of Marina’s pregnancy. Boris says that they want to formalize their relationship by getting married. Soledad is happy and offers them their house for the reception. Boris says that isn’t necessary but Marina leaps in to accept. Soledad and Marina can arrange the whole thing.

At the jolly Obregon dinner table, Ester asks Lucas about his plan to invest in the mine. Lucas hesitates but then says that it is a done deal. He is a partner. Ester says that she hopes he hasn’t done something crazy (futile hope, Ester). Apparently anxious for more scolding, Lucas ask Antonia what she thinks about it. She doesn’t respond and Ester says that she does not want to speak. (If looks could speak, though…)

Hercu-less puts a rattlesnake on the road in front of Arturo’s horse. The horse shies and throws Arturo. He kills the snake but has chest pains and passes out.

Ursula tells Marina that she is a viper spreading venom everywhere even while Soledad plans her wedding. She doesn't deserve it. Soledad comes in on this discussion. She wants to go shopping for the wedding with Ursula and Marina can watch the baby. Ursula doesn't want to go but Soledad insists. Ursula gives Marina dagger looks. After they leave, Marina says that Soledad is such a fake.

Eloisa and Gladis are in Arturo’s bedroom. Eloisa fakes sympathy that this happened on her wedding day. She asks for money to pay the caterers, etc. Arturo refuses saying that if they haven't done anything, they shouldn't get paid. They can come to him for payment. A grumpy Arturo wants to be alone but Gladis wants to discuss something first. She has found out that Arturo has fired the detectives who were looking for Beatriz. Gladis believes that Arturo just didn’t want to pay for the detectives any more. Arturo agrees that this was so. He suggests that Gladis should just forget about Beatriz. Gladis says that she will never forget her daughter. Arturo says that the fact that she ran off with Fabio makes him doubt that Hugo actually raped her. Gladis slaps him. Gladis says that when Beatriz comes home, she should get her share of the family inheritance and she, Gladis, will make sure that happens. Arturo suggest that Beatriz is really crazy but Gladis doesn’t believe it.

Beatriz comes in from burying Dr. Pablo.
-It was your fault that I had to kill him- she says. -Pablo was a good man and a good doctor. Poor guy.
Alcides says, -Why are you blaming me? I didn't ask you to kill him.
-You've only brought disgrace and death to my life – she says and gets her gun and points it at Alicides.
Alcides says, -Beatriz please don't shoot, don't shoot. I turned into the man you wanted. Look at me. I'm Hugo. I turned into Hugo for you. – We can see Beatriz's loca brain struggling to compute.

Hacienda-
Soledad is very happy with the stuff that she and Ursula bought for the wedding. She says that Boris and Marina will be very surprised. Ursula is sullen.
Soledad says, -What is the matter? You like events like this and you're not happy.
-I'm happy for Boris but Marina doesn't deserve it.- In comes Marina - What are you doing here?- says Ursula. -You're supposed to be watching Aurora.
- Aurora fell asleep. I came to get a bite to eat.-
Soledad goes to check on the baby.
Ursula says, -I told you stay with the baby at times.-
- Such a fuss for a little baby- says Marina. -Let's see what you bought.-


Soledad comes into baby's room and she isn't there. She panics. Hugo has the baby in his room. He is playing with the baby and talking to her (so cute)
-Who is the prettiest baby in the city? Who is it? It's you.- He kisses the baby and she grabs his hair. -Ouch, let go, let go. Do you want to leave me bald?- He ties up his hair like Hugo (ah, this is how it happens) - You and I are going to be great friends. What a beautiful smile you have! - Soledad comes in - God was inspired when he made you two.
Hugo says, -I didn't know you were here. – She has a flashback to happier days when she and Hugo were watching children in a park. She says,
-Can you imagine it? Our house filled with little kids, happy like we were when we were kids.
Hugo responded, -That would be nice but I don't want our children to have my childhood.
-Why do you say that? asked Soledad. -You grew up in a family that loved you a lot, your house, your family, you had everything.
-Things weren't that simple- Hugo said. -I experienced a very painful event when I was a child and it didn't let me be happy.
Soledad comes back to the present and thinks, It can't be. It's Hugo, my love. They embrace, kiss.
- This shouldn't have happened- says Soledad. -Forgive me. It was a mistake.
Hugo responds, -It was nice. You see we can start over again.
-No, It was simply an impulse. I don't know how it happened. Forgive me.

-You and I know that wasn't true. You were trembling in my arms. You wanted this moment as much as I did. Why are you denying your true feelings? Why?

Hugo says, - I have never spent so much time with our daughter.
- That was what affected me- says Soledad. –Why is your hair like that? That’s how Hugo did his hair.
-Do I remind you of Hugo?- asks Hugo.
-Are you going to continue to torture me? – says Soledad –with all your scolding.
-It was just a simple question.- says Hugo feigning innocence. –What does it matter how I do my hair?
-Yes- says Soledad. – it bothers me. I can’t avoid it.
Hugo can’t resist saying, - Your conscience won’t leave you in peace, then?
Soledad goes off on him. She says that he can think whatever he wants – that she was responsible for what happened to Hugo that his ghost is persecuting her, whatever. Just leave her in peace. Hugo says that she should calm down.
Soledad says that she can’t calm down. What does he want? For them to be husband and wife? When all he does is scold her all the time.
Hugo says that she is right and asks her forgiveness.
Soledad responds that he always says the same things and he always ends up making her feel bad. She takes the baby and leaves.

In the Love Nest of Perversion, Alcides begs Beatriz, - Don't kill me. I did everything you wanted me to.
Beatriz says, -Promise me you won't do anything crazy.
-Of course, I promise.
- Promise that you'll stay here with me.
-I promise. I'll stay with you as long as you want.
- I'll fix up this place and make it our home.
-I promise. Please release me. Let me prove to you that I'm a good man. I'm Hugo, your Hugo. I’m the one who loves you.
Beatriz unchains him. –Kiss me, - says Alcides. She does and he hits her and takes the gun saying, - Your time has come, you crazy devil.

Hugo, Boris and Soledad are in Hugo’s study. Boris says that Hugo seem very thoughtful. He asks if something happened. Hugo says that he kissed Soledad. Boris congratulates him on the success of his plan to make Soledad fall in love with him. Hugo says he wishes it were a year ago when he thought he had found happiness. When he thought his life was going to be different and love was going to save him from death. – This vengeance is only bringing bitterness- says Boris. Hugo says that sometimes when he sees how fragile Soledad is, he wonders if he is doing the right thing. Now Marina has to put her 2 cents in. She says that Soledad is cunning and ambitious and is always three steps ahead of men.

Ursula is excited that Soledad kissed Alcides/Hugo but Soledad sees it as betraying Hugo’s memory. Ursula says that the situation was very confusing. Anyone who saw Alcides with his hair pulled back would think it was Hugo.
Soledad says that when she saw Alcides being so sweet with the baby, it was like she was looking at Hugo and that reminded her of what she had lost when he died. Ursula suggests that if Alcides is acting like Hugo, then Soledad should pretend he is Hugo and get some happiness in her life.

Labels: la traicion

Alex and the brunette have thrown pebbles into the Pool of Bottomless Sorrow. They tell each other how sad they are. Alex introduces himself, but the brunette doesn’t want to give her name. She walks off.

Dios mio! - Braulio has found Mili passed out on the chair in the foyer. He smells alcohol on her, wakes her up and wants to get her out before anyone sees. Too late – Luci is on the stairway and tells him not to touch her. Connie is coming down the stairs – Luci tells him look at that – she’s blotto, you’ve got to fire her because that’s one thing I can’t tolerate in my house. I guess only one lush per household is some kind of city code. Connie says he’ll take appropriate measures.

Alex joins the brunette at her new spot by the little pool. Oddly, she is wearing a turtleneck on a sunny day. He says he is worried because she looks really upset. You have no idea, she says, and walks off again.

Braulio is giving Mili some hot coffee to work off her drunk. Her little cap is still not pinned down straight. Mili protests that she didn’t drink, but Braulio says appearances sure indicated the contrary – a bottle, the smell, etc. Mili says it was probably a trick of Luci’s. Braulio says maybe.

Alex is just getting into his giant black car and the brunette approaches him and apologizes – she thought he was a fast guy. He invites her for coffee – she is hesitant. He says he’s going to a café nearby so she knows where he’ll be if she wants to join him.

The servants are lined up in the foyer – Mili’s cap is still not pinned down. Connie with Luci at his side is telling the servants that there have been a lot of problems with them lately and what he’s going to do is dock their pay for each infraction in the future. Luci butts in and says that what caused this was one of them getting drunk last night and sleeping in the foyer. Mili speaks up – I wasn’t drunk! You can’t produce even one witness who saw me drinking. Karla speaks up – I did!

Mili lunges at her - I’ll kill you! Connie orders her to the study immediately. Karla smirks. In his study, Mili says to him do I look like a drunk to you? He sees her cap unpinned and her hair a mess and he shrugs. She said it must’ve been your wife and then Karla. He tells her look, don’t challenge Luci’s authority in front of the other servants. I think he tells her that it was Luci who wanted her disciplined.

Luci in her room is talking to Karla, asking her to help get rid of Mili. Karla is all for it. Mili has been summoned apparently. (She still hasn’t pinned her cap down – isn’t there a mirror in the bathroom?) Luci tells Mili she’s getting docked 50%. Mili locks the door from inside and turns on the two – you’re a couple of cockroaches she says. You tricked me because you want to drive me out – well, I’m not going! Karla grabs her arms from behind and holds her – hit her, she tells Luci. Lucy strokes Mili’s face and then omygawd! she actually does slug her. You’ll pay for this says Mili and she runs out the now miraculously unlocked door. Karla smiles big at Luci.

Alex is having his coffee in a rustic coffee house – there’s a deer head on the wall. The brunette comes up to him. He smiles.

In the dorm, Mili is telling Lina and Gloria what happened with Luci and Karla. They offer to help her, but she says leave it to her – amazingly, she seems in good spirits. Karla comes in – apparently she hadn’t considered what would happen to her in the dorm after what she did. Mili, Lina and Gloria descend on her; she backs up to the wall. Mili tells the other two to go on out, she’ll take care of Karla. Karla plasters herself to the bedstead, looking scared and Milli tells her off and then grabs her hair and beats her up. Lina and Gloria listen outside the door to the thuds and shrieks.

Vale is walking on the lawn with her girlfriend Barbara who is advising her that she can have a fling with her chauffer, but love – no way. It’s probably just a sexual attraction, she counsels, so just have a one-night stand and dump him the next day. No, says Vale, I feel….things. My parents would catch heart attacks if they knew. I have to be strong – but oh, what kisses! Those lips! I have to distance myself from him – but how?

Just then Bobby pulls up. Vale goes over to him and says I need to talk to you and she makes eyes at him. He looks eager to oblige.

Lina and Gloria outside the door of the girls’ dorm notice that it’s getting quiet in there and they decide to go in. They find Mili, who now looks like a madwoman with her hair a mess, cutting up one of Karla’s favorite dresses. Karla, also tousled, is on her bed begging no no not that one! The girls laugh, Karla wails.

Outside Morgan is washing the car and Vale vamps by. He opens the car door for her, but she says she doesn’t need him – she’s going for dinner and movie. Here comes Bobby looking triumphant and Vale gets in his car, giving Morgan a look.

Back at the coffee house, Alex is again asking the brunette’s name and she says Bruma. He’s never heard that name before and she says actually that’s the name of her little dog who died a little bit ago – it’s been a bad year. She and Alex are smiling, which is pretty amazing considering they’re both supposed to be in deep dolor. She says it’s been a year since she separated, but her divorce became final yesterday.

Morgan is in the kitchen going nuts and Horacio is trying to calm him down. Vale will be mine Morgan swears, showing an impressive set of teeth.

Connie comes into Damien’s office and asks where Alex is – Damien says maybe Andrea knows. Connie helps himself to a drink and offers one to Damien who accepts, saying I thought you were still mad at me. Mad? laughs Connie evilly. I’m furious, but I’ll pardon you if you help me out. I know you voted for Alex because Luci put pressure on you – I’m not going to ask what pressure. Now I want you to put pressure on Alex to resign – interested? I’ll make it worth your while – wait’ll you see the check you’ll get. They toast.

Mili is talking to Regina in her room. Regina is urging Mili to take Connie up on his offer to pay her studies. Mili says she doesn’t want to take his money and Regina says then she’ll pay. Mili says no – she doesn’t want to be beholden to anyone. Regina says she’s stubborn, but says the studies aren’t super expensive and Mili could pay out of her wages. Mili says ha – Luci has cut them in half due to my “drunken” episode. Que? says Regina.

Over at the Rodeo, a guy I think is the owner is congratulating Morgan on all the money he is making – Taco Naco was a great idea. Don’t forget about me, says Horacio who is helping to count the money. But it was Morgan’s idea, the guy says, he has a head for business – put your money in the bank and over time it’ll grow. We can buy houses says Horacio – I’ll get one for Socorro and me and you can get one for you and Vale. Morgan considers this happily.

Vale and Bobby are at dinner – he is talking happily, but she is in dreamland, thinking back on good times with Morgan – the dance lessons, the time he pretended the car was broken down out in the fields, the kisses. She remembers telling him that he is the craziest guy she has ever known. She repeats this out loud and Bobby says Que?

Pilar and Hugo are in bed in the dark, cuddling. She asks him if he still has feelings for Mili and he says he feels something. She says she’s scared he’ll go back to being obsessed about Mili, but he says don’t worry, my mind is a blank when it comes to the past. Pilar says it would be best to get out of the house where Mili is, and away from the father that Hugo hates. I hate him? he says, surprised. Let’s go to Europe, says Pilar. That’s a good idea, he says – start a new life, have new adventures, make new memories – with you. They start to kiss and they go into soft focus.

Regina and Mili are in Luci’s room and Regina is telling Luci off. It seems Regina’s hair gets bigger every time we see her. She says she has Mili’s back. Luci says I don’t know why you support her, she so uneducated, so gauche, and now she got caught drunk. Regina fires back: The only drunk in this house is you! You drink on the sly and haven’t overcome it despite all the help and support you’ve received.

Connie comes in – what’s happening here? Luci says your mother has come in here just to insult me – ask her to leave. Regina says I’m glad you’ve come, a great injustice has been committed against Mili – your wife set her up to appear drunk. Mili says, she put something in my tea. Luci says liar and leaves. Regina tells Connie that if he doesn’t get Luci under control, she (Regina) is going to insist that she leave the house. I’ll take care of her, says Connie, but you have to take care of Alex. Already he’s wrecking the company – some of the workers are bringing a suit. I know, says Regina, he fired them but then he reinstated them. Mili interjects: But he fired them again and they’re out on the street - your grandson has changed!

Mili’s right says Connie. He’s turned into a despot – you should drop by the office and see how he treats his subordinates. I can’t believe it says Regina. You should see how he treats everyone – me included, Connie tells her. You know why he let those people go? Because they wouldn’t respect his new authority and instead of getting a dialog going, he fired them. He just wants his ego massaged – he’s really changed, thanks to you.

He of the reportedly needy ego has arrived in his room – he flops on the bed and flashes back to his conversation with the brunette – he looks dreamy. Oh, Alex..no! Regina comes in, looking stern and says she wants to talk to him. She tells him he’s lost his soul – what he did to those workers is so bad, it doesn’t even have a name. But…he says. She says I’m very worried about you, I’m afraid to lose you. Alex says I’m under pressure, but Regina says if you keep this up, I’m going to insist that you resign.

I don’t want you to turn out like your father, Regina goes on. He became infatuated with power and he was lost forever. I’m not like that, says Alex. You are about to lose Mili – don’t you care? Regina asks. She fell in love with a different Alex. And she’s right – you seem to think you’re king of the world. Regina leaves. Alex looks tearful.

Regina meets Connie in the hall – did you hear, she said? Yes, says Connie, you should have asked him to resign right now. Regina says that every person deserves a second chance. Connie is exasperated.

Alex goes out into the hall and sees Mili on her way to tell Regina good night. She is very formal with him. He asks if she will come into his room so they can talk but she says ha! So he suggests the garden – she reluctantly agrees. He offers his arm, but she shoves him off and starts off alone.

Morgan is pacing inside the front door and Socorro asks where Horacio is – Morgan says he’s still at Taco Naco, and that he (Morgan) wanted to run home to see Vale when she comes back from her evening with Bobby. Well, it might be quite late says Socorro– you intend to spend the whole night here? She goes off and Morgan paces some more. Headlights! He tries to peer through the obscured glass. He stands inside the door, arms crossed, tapping his foot like an angry father. Vale comes in and he demands to know what she’s doing out so late. She reproaches him for speaking to her that way. I’m tired she says. Morgan demands to know how it went. Oh, it was the best date of my life, she says – Bobby is sooo romantic!

Out on the steps of the fountain, Alex is holding Mili’s hand and asking her not to treat him that way, to please understand that his back is to the wall. She keeps her head turned up and away, trying to look blasé. Alex says I want to be president of the company and to marry you – don’t ask me to choose between the two, because I can’t. I never asked you to give up your work says Mili.

I have to make tough decisions says Alex. Inhuman ones, corrects Mili. It’s not easy says Alex. I need your support to carry on, don’t abandon me. What does it take for you to forgive me? I know, says Mili, saucily. Live one day like me, or like the workers you let go. Think you can make it one day? Sure, says Alex. Okay, says Mili, I want you to be butler for one day, uniform and all, then I’ll see if I’ll forgive you or not. (There are positions a lot more humble than that – what an odd choice. Maybe it’s just to set up some future hijinks for our viewing pleasure.) Alex smiles and wags his head indulgently.

Connie is sitting on the side of the bed getting undressed and Luci is upbraiding him. He says I told you I’d keep Mili away from you and I will – don’t keep messing in with her. I’m sick of these discussions. Luci pleads tomorrow is our anniversary dinner – I’d like to have that one day in peace. She lists the friends she has invited – he is surprised about one couple. He’s in construction like you, she says. Well, says Connie, I hope you can get through the evening without getting drunk and putting on scenes. I hope you behave well with Alex, Luci says.

Morgan is at the kitchen table, flanked by Gloria and Lina. He is rabid – he is just sure that Bobby spent the whole time kissing Vale. Mili drags Alex in and says I present to you the new butler. They all try to think up a good butler name for him, one that’s plenty ridiculous. They come up with Agapito, said with a whistle. Alex doesn’t look happy about it.

The real butler comes in. Mili informs him that he has tomorrow off. Braulio says that he hasn’t had a day off in 20 years. Mili tells him about Agapito and explains you gotta whistle when you say it. There is only one butler, says Braulio, plus tomorrow is the big dinner. Everyone cracks up except Alex and Mili says it’s going to be a great job for Alex. Doop-dee-doop cartoon music plays.

It’s still dark and Mili goes into Alex’s room and throws a uniform on the bed – get up! He wants to know what time it is and she says 5:30. He says he never goes to the office until 10:00 (unlikely hours for a guy in the construction biz). She tells him it’s time to get to work. Mili keeps pulling his covers off and tossing pieces of uniform at him.

We can see in the kitchen window – the girls are dismantling Braulio uniform piece by uniform piece while he protests and Socorro enjoys the scene. Braulio says they lack respect. They button up a nice casual shirt on him. What does a person do with a day off, Braulio asks. We’ll show you, they say. They give him hip bumps and he even bumps back a little.

Luci is coming down the stairs, Karla in tow. She calls Braulio, but Mili tells her she has the name wrong. Mili calls him – Alex hustles in, and says you rang? Luci’s mouth drops open. Tubas happily fart in the background.

Outside, Gloria and Lina are trying to get the very stiff Braulio to recline in a lounger. Braulio has a cloth hat on to complete the outfit. He says in all the years he’s been there, he’s never used the loungers – the girls shove him down and he jerks and flails like he’s getting electroshock.

Alex explains to his mother that it’s an important experience for him – he needs to see what it’s like to take orders. Karla whispers to Luci that it must’ve been Mili’s idea.

Luci takes a fit – she says he’ll lose authority with the servants. Okay, says Alex, shall I serve coffee at the office, or go work at construction? Mili is very cheeky throughout and I’d be tempted to fire her myself, frankly.

The girls have put some sunglasses on Braulio and he’s struggling less. In fact, he says it’s kinda nice. They bring him a can of soda and at first he refuses, but then he opens it. They offer him magazines and he is starting to get into his day off. Maybe I’d like a telenovela with a happy ending he says.

Hugo is telling Vale that he won’t make the dinner. She remarks that they don’t see much of him and he says it’ll be even less since he’s going to Europe which he figures should help his art. Luci says no fun to go alone and he says ah, I’m not going alone. Luci seems happy for him.

Alex is doing his butler bit – complete with one eyebrow up. He holds his hands in front of him like praying (does Braulio do that?) Luci says you can’t be a butler in front of everyone tonight so knock it off. Apparently she has invited someone rich with an available daughter. Just think, she says, how wonderful if you could marry her – the joining of two giant fortunes. Alex does a slow blink and… freeze frame.

Avances: Uh oh – the available daughter is the brunette he met earlier. Tu? she says.

Labels: guapos

[This is my last Pasion recap--and my last recap for awhile. Thanks for all your splendid comments and help. It's been a wild ride and I have various thoughts on the show which I will post to Cheryl as she requested. On with the show!]

We start way back with La Paisana’s arrival , with the little orphan boy. Paco runs right over to him and gives a ball to the bewildered child. Like any other toddler, he’s already learned his first word—“no!” when they try to get him to give it back. Camila hands the little boy off to Ines, while Paisana gives her Foreman’s logs which contain his dealings with LaFont, which Foreman had promised Ric.

Next we get the dramatic carriage scene with Ric, Mario and LaFont chasing the carriage with Lis, Fran, Clotilde and the baby. LaFont shoots at the carriage and wounds the driver which causes the carriage to careen dangerously. (I agree with Jardinera—it’s amazing that LaFont hit the guy at all). Ric jumps aboard heroically and gets control over the horses and stops the carriage. Al demands that Lis give up the baby but she refuses and Al tells her to never come home then and she’s pretty much OK with that. He demands the papers of Ric and Ric throws them at him. I am not sure if he catches them and drops them or lets them flutter away in the wind. (Either way, seems like he would be wanting to make sure that they were destroyed or at least verify that they were in fact the docs, not just some scrap paper or something.) He rides away like the devil he is. Ric then demands the baby of Lis and she gives him up to him. Mario tends the wounded driver.

Ric holds the whimpering baby while Fran complains that “They wanted to kill us!” “They wanted to kill us!” referring to LaFont, I guess. Ric ignores her and asks Lis simply “why? Why?” Lis explains choking through tears that she thought he was dead and she wanted something to remember him by. And she says that for sure Camila would have gotten rid of him. He asks how she did it and she tells him the whole story—Fran took the money to the midwife, who substituted the baby with a dead one and gave Ric’s baby to the dead baby’s mother to nurse. Then when the baby was 2 months old (weaned?) they brought him to her (Lis). She finishes up that she did it for his sake (the baby’s).

Ric notices the elaborate pearl necklace with a cross around her neck and asks her where she got it. She tells him it was a wedding present from her husband. He says nothing but obviously recognizes it from his collection.

Fran breaks in to make a pitch for letting them go. She says if he denounces them, they’ll go to jail or worse, end up back with evil Al, who will kill them for sure. Ric asks Mario about the condition of the coach and Mario says it’s drivable. Ric tells them to go now. He turns away from the women, to hug his son close. Lis bursts into tears and reaches out for him once last time but he steps away from her and Fran and Mario drag her away from him. She yells that she always loved him, she never meant to harm him and “that woman that you chose is bad! She never loved you. She doesn’t deserve you!” Mario gets her to step up into the carriage. She keeps screaming “I love you, Ricardo!” over and over and Mario taps the carriage door after he puts her inside and gives a sign to the driver that it’s time to hit the road.

Mario turns to Ric after they’ve gone and asks “did you find out…?” Ric kneels to the ground with the baby and sobs: “It’s my son.” His tears turn to joy and he laughs and says to the bewildered baby “You’re OK! You’re OK.” Mario kneels beside him and helps him hold the baby.

Back in San Fernando, Col. Jose Maria Valencia is a man on a mission. He and a group of soldiers stride up to the government house. They meet Ascanio outside his office. The Col. asks him if he is the intendente named by Don Jorge Mancera. Ascanio says that the post was offered to him but he never accepted it. The Col. asks why “pangs of conscience?” Ascanio remains silent. The Col. continues that he’s come to investigate the veracity of some permits for importation. Ascanio ushers him and the men into his office.

Over at Mansion Mancera, the Manceras (Sofia, Jorge, Santiago, Fortunata, Ursula and Tita) are having a nice birthday dinner for Sofia. Jorge is up walking around with a glass of wine and expansively tells his wife that he has her to thank for opening his eyes about Santiago. He says he’s proud of his son and pats him on the shoulder. Santiago looks less than enthusiastic. Jorge next turns to Ursula and says that he’s also proud of her. All of her faults she’s inherited from him but he knows that along with those there are a lot of good qualities within her as well, thanks to her mother. (Sofia smiles proudly.) He tells her she’s free to pick who she wants to marry, only that he be a good father for Tita. Ursula smiles broadly and claps. (Tita looks happy at this news too.) He thanks Fortunata for the fine meal since she apparently organized it. Jorge remarks that it’s been years since they’ve had a family dinner, without guests. Sofia agrees and thanks them for it.

Back at the government house, the col. stands over a crown official wearing a powdered wig who examines the accounts. He pronounces the docs forged. The Col. asks Ascanio if he noticed this and Ascanio says he did. The Col. asks why he didn’t report it and Ascanio says “Report it to whom? Don Jorge?” The Col. nods and announces that they will go arrest Don Jorge Mancera and Alberto LaFont. He leaves. The crown official says he’ll stay and keep on examining the records. Ascanio follows the Col. to LaFont’s house. There he tells Manuela that they are looking to arrest her Dad. She tells him that he’s not there, she doesn’t know where he went. She asks him if he was the one who turned in the documents. He says no, although he is responsible. Manuela tells him not to worry, it had to happen. They embrace. The Col. comes into the room and orders half his men to stay there and the other half to come with him to arrest Don Jorge. Manuela sobs into Ascanio’s shoulder.

The Col. and his men show up mansion Mancera and he announces loudly to the guards at the door that he’s there to arrest Don Jorge Mancera y Ruiz for fraud against the crown. They open up immediately and inside we see the Mancera family still enjoying their meal. Jorge tells them that that very morning he awoke to a good feeling about the day (not just because it was his wife’s birthday) no, he woke up thinking about the new day and the future in front of them. (Fortunata says that sometimes that happens to her too) He tells them to raise their glasses in a toast to the family and he calls them each by their title, wife, daughter, son, niece and granddaughter and they clink glasses. All of the sudden, we hear the magnified sound of his heart beat and see him grimace in pain and clutch his left arm in the unmistakable sign of a telenovela MASSIVE CORONARY. He grabs at the table, pulling the cloth and goes down before his shocked assembled family. Even Santiago cries out “Papa!” and kneels beside him. “His heart isn’t beating!” he says. (Sofia’s look is anguished.) “He’s Dead!” says Santiago unbelievingly. Ursula screams “Papa!” His whole family runs to him, crying and screaming, including Tita. The female servants come in, one drops a tray in surprise and they too begin crying. The male servants, come in and make the sign of the cross. Finally Col. Jose Maria comes in and upon seeing this tragic tableau, doffs his hat out of respect for the dead as does his lieutenant. A flood of tears and wails ends the scene.

Ric finally makes it over to Justo’s house where he is greeted by Paco. Paco tells him that his cousin arrived. Ric says, yes, I’ve brought your cousin. “No,” says Paco. A lady came and brought him and Aunt Camila says he’s my cousin. Ric then says this is also your cousin! Inside, Cami is with Ines bathing baby Mijo—short for “mi hijo” (That’s what LP called him since Ric hadn’t given him a name). He is chatting up a storm, saying “mama.” Camila explains to Ines about his Mother dying in the plague and her intrusting him to Ric. Ines makes appropriate noises. Camila remarks that the baby still seems afraid. (He looks more rambunctious to me.) In any event, he starts to scramble away when they put him on the bed and they have to catch him. She picks him up and gives him to Ines when they hear a knock at the door and Ric says it’s me. Camila is excited and runs to the door—instantly impactada by the sight of baby Pedro in Ric’s arms. “You did it!” She exclaims and takes the baby from him and kisses him. She breathlessly asks if he’s really their son, “if it’s him.” Ric says “Yes, it’s him.” Ric says Lis “told him some things.” “Later,” he says, “he’ll tell her.” The coo and fuss over the baby, while Ines tearfully stands back and watches the happy scene of the reunited family.

Meanwhile, LaFont rides back to his house. While still on horseback in his own courtyard, soldiers, led by the lieutenant, surround him with guns and announce his arrest for fraud. La Font is impactado.

Next we see that Camila has found Conchita and is having a talk with her. She tells her about Ric’s house on the edge of town, that it’s big and if she wants, she can come there to live with them. And Ric is back and he has the baby! Now for the bad news. She asks Conchita if her baby was full term. Conchita says yes and Cami explains to her that the baby they have was premature. She gives her the rest of the story—that Auxi switched babies so that Cami and Ric’s baby would have a wetnurse and so that she could later give the baby to Lis. Conchita isn’t listening or buying any of it. She insists that they are trying to take her baby away from her. She collapses on the ground crying. Camila promises her that they can take care of the baby together but she wanted her to know the truth. She thanks her for taking care of her baby and nursing it. Conchita wails that it’s not true. She says her baby can’t be dead but she sounds like she’s softening up. Camila holds her and tells her she knows what she’s going through.

La Font is now in a jail cell in San Benito prison, propped up on his crutches. He’s also lost his stylin’ eye patch. He claims that He was only following orders—the orders of Don Jorge Mancera. Col. Jose Maria tells him unfortunately for him, Don Jorge isn’t available to corroborate his story. “He passed away.” La Font is impactado—“He’s dead….how?” He asks. Col. explains the heart attack. LaFont laughs sardonically and says “the bastard (maldito) escaped!” The crown official points out that he may have escaped jailtime but not the fiery furnace of hell. LaFont spits in disgust at the official’s religious reference. The Col. asks who else was involved in the fraud besides Uriel, Mateo, Marcellino and himself. LaFont says without hesitation that Santiago knew and covered it up.

Santiago is with Ofelia telling her of Jorge’s death. Santiago remarks that by dying this way, he saved himself and his family the disgrace of being arrested. Ofelia asks after Sofia and Santiago says that she’s inconsolable. He himself came to feel real affection for him. Ofelia says she understands and says at least he was able to make his final days happy.

Ascanio is with Manuela who is upset and wants to know what will happen to her father. Ascanio explains that he’s in prison. She wants to go visit him and he says tomorrow he’ll see what he can find out. Ascanio says he feels guilty but Manuela assures him that it’s not his fault. He says what he really means is that her pain is also his. She says that although LaFont never been a good father and she knows that he deserves what he’s getting; it’s still making her very sad. He tells her to be strong and accept fate. She says “At least I have you.” He tells her that she can always count on him. Always. They kiss.

At Ric’s country estate, Cami and Ric are settling in for the night. Cami asks about Lis and Fran and Ric says that they went on to Veracruz and from there, they will probably sail to Mariana. They won’t lack for money because he saw that they brought their money chests with them. Ric says that tomorrow he must go to San Benito and turn himself in as he promised. Cami says maybe not for long—she shows him the logs that Foreman gave to LaPaisana. Ric looks them over and is pleased. He says it’s his salvation. He says “Thanks John!” There’s a knock at the door. It’s Mario. They start to make out anyway but Mario insists through the door that they come into the great room quickly, there’s something going on. When they get there, Ofelia is there with Vasco and she tells Camila that Don Jorge died and they’ve arrested Santiago. Cami asks why and Ofelia says they don’t know.

Ric and Mario ride again. Ric complains that he’s exhausted. Mario urges him on saying it’s the last swig from the bottle. (jalón)

The visit is to Ric’s padrino, the prelate. Ric explains that Santiago had nothing to do with the criminal activities of his dad. Don Gaspar says it’s a problem that he knew about it. Ric points out that it was his father. Don Gaspar says just relax and wait. They’ll get to the bottom of it. Ric says that there are two anguished families waiting. Don Gaspar asks if he found his son and Ric smiles and says yes. Gaspar is happy to hear this. Ric takes advantage of the moment to hand over Foreman’s log that has details about the stolen silver and the money paid out. Gaspar is excited when he looks at it and exclaims that this is Ric’s ticket to complete freedom. Ric turns the subject back to Santiago and says that although he’s never been a fan of his (santo de su devoción) Santi’s not guilty and it’s not just for him to pay for something he didn’t do. He turns away. Gaspar asks about Lis and Fran. Ric says he let them go. He bids his godfather goodnight and leaves. Gaspar returns to his bedtime reading of Foreman’s log.

Speaking of Lis and Fran, they’ve arrived at an inn in Veracruz, now in the darkness. The carriage driver says that he’ll go find out if can catch a boat for La Mariana tomorrow. Fran urges him to come back soon. She turns to Lis and tells her to stop crying—Ric let them leave, they should be grateful. Fran says that she wants to get out and see if they have room at the inn. Clothilde says she will get out too, she has to pee (desaguar). Lis is left alone and crying. As the women leave the carriage, dark figures lurk around. As soon as they are out of site, A band of cutthroats descend on the carriage. One of the men gets inside and begins to assault Lis while another drives the carriage away. Lis struggles and the rapist ominously tells her not to worry—in a little while, she’ll be dead. In her struggle, she drops her doll which rolls under the wagon wheel. A little while later, Clotilde and Fran come back discover the missing carriage and broken doll. Fran screams frantically for Lisabeta and clutches the broken doll. “Lisabeta—don’t leave me!” she cries. (Boy her face looks scary in the moonlight!)

Ric has returned home and explains the case against Santiago. They’ve accused him of covering up the fraud complicity. Cami says that he’s not guilty of complicity. Ric says there will be a hearing and judgment. They will have to see what happens. Ric asks if she is going to Don Jorge’s funeral. Camila says yes, for Dona Sofia’s sake. Ric says he’d like to go to but he wants to stick around to find out what happens with the hearing. He tells Camila to give his condolences to the family. They agree that what’s happening with Santiago is a great injustice.

The next morning, Santiago is giving his testimony in the hearing. He says that he found out about his Dad’s illegal activities but he believed that his Dad could make it right, (following the parable of the good shepherd, bringing back the lamb that had gone astray.) The Col. points out that his Dad’s sin isn’t a little one but grand theft against the crown. He asks whether Santiago shouldn’t have considered it his responsibility to turn him in instead. Santiago says that it would be hard to turn in somebody who gave him life. The Col. asks whether, if instead of (conveniently) dying, Don Jorge had gone on robbing caravans, if Santiago would have continued to support him. Santiago says he wouldn’t have supported him, because he never had. Gaspar asks if he would have turned him in. Santiago says He doesn’t know but he doesn’t think so.

Jorge’s funeral is an elaborate affair. He’s laid out in full dress on a bier surrounded in flowers. All the townsfolk are there and the padre says that Don Jorge left them and they aren’t there to judge him, only to say goodbye. He’s a member of the human family and they should all pray for his soul. Sofia and Ursula are silently weeping. The padre announces that Don Jorge’s body will rest in the church of San Fernando. (A crypt in the church rather than burial?) More shots of the townsfolk, Ursula, Sofia and Fortunata. The priest says the “Our Father” in Latin. A shot of the Darien extended clan in black, looking sad.

Back at the hearing, LaFont is giving his testimony. He’s standing on crutches but he’s got a rope around his neck. He says that he knows that he is guilty and will be judged but this guy he says, indicating Santiago, is a “sanctimonious hypocrite!” spitting out the words. He relates how after Santiago was recognized as Jorge’s son, he turned to a life of dissipation and vice, just like the rest of us. Jorge escaped judgment through the back door but “this one is as guilty as I am and deserves the same as that wretched pirate!” LaFont is screaming now and claims that the only reason that Ric isn’t going to hang is because he’s Don Gaspar’s godson. (Way to go bouffy! Insult the most powerful guy in the room). The representative of the crown tells him to pipe down. La Font yells that he knows that they are going to kill him but if he has to go, he’s not going down alone. He wants to take Santiago with him, in place of his father (that disgraceful coward!) who should be standing there with him. After this outburst, the Col. commands the guards to take the prisoner away. Even then LaFont continues screaming insults at Santiago and tells him that he’ll be waiting for him in Hell.

Don Gaspar has been pretty much grimacing all the way through this.

Next we turn to the mourning Mancera women. Ursula kneels before her mother and says she knows that she’s never been a good daughter. Sofia says she would have preferred her character to be different—but if she was happy….(being a ramera). Ursula says that she hasn’t been happy either. She would have preferred to have found a man like her Father. Sofia asks “in what sense?” Ursula says somebody refined and educated—who made her feel protected and safe. Fortunata adds that he was always a gentleman. She asks her mother if she loved her father and Sofia says very much, in spite of everything, she loves him still. She tells Ursula that they will have to resign themselves to this disgrace. Ursula asks her mother if she loves her. Sofia replies unhesitatingly that she has loved her since the day she was born. Ursula laughs and cries, as does Sofia and Fortunata.

Santiago is in jail when he gets a visit from his mom, Ofelia. He tells her that she shouldn’t have come, even if it is a great consolation to him. He tells her that he told the truth at his hearing and now must await judgment which he will accept. He did wrong, out of jealousy and pride. And he feels guilty about the death of Camila’s child. Ofelia fills him in on that—they found the baby. It’s the child that he baptized with Lis. Santiago is emotional at this news and drops to his knees to thank God. Now at least he has one weight off his conscience. He adds that he would hate to leave her and his baby daughter but if it’s his destiny to die here, let the will of God be done. Ofelia and Santiago embrace. Tears roll down her cheeks while he sobs on her shoulder.
Next we skip ahead to the charges being read by an official in the town square. Don Jorge and LaFont are guilty of the robbery of the crown’s silver and contraband. Santiago is guilty of the cover-up. Capital punishment is indicated for LaFont and will occur within 3 days. For Santiago, 10 years of breaking rocks at San Benito prison. All of the properties of the LaFont and Mancera families will be confiscated. San Fernando will get a new Lord. The families are stricken. Cami who is there with the baby asks Ric to do something. He says he will.

Candida is out in the crowd and spies her Aunt Clotilde, who is trying to disguise herself with a shawl over her head. Candida asks what happened, she thought she had left town with the ladies and Clotilde explains about the carriage robbery and kidnapping of Lis. Fran went crazy and had no money so Clotilde decided it was time to head back home. She warns her niece not to tell anybody she saw her and sneaks away.

Ric has gone to plead the case of Santiago to his godfather. He complains that they are punishing him for following the commandment about honoring his Father. He asks why the pirates who did plenty of bad stuff could get a pardon, but not Santiago who was trying to do the right thing. Gaspar explains that the pirate pardon was an act of diplomacy—piracy was a problem that affecting a bunch of different countries economies and ending it benefited them all. Ric romantically asks why isn’t the fate of one man as important as the fate of a bunch of economies? And why should Santiago pay (such a heavy price) when plenty of corruption (porquerías) happens all the time today. Don Gaspar tells Ric that he’s right. Ric says “Do something…OR I will.” Don Gaspar gets angry at this and tells him not to dare risk his freedom again. Besides, says Gaspar, this guy was your rival, he persecuted you and tried to steal your woman. Ric says he might have tried to do the same in his shoes and besides, he saved Ric’s life once. Ric begs him to save Santiago from hard labor.

Next we see Don Gaspar in Col. Jose’s office telling him that he’s not in agreement with the sentence on Santiago. He says that he’s sure that LaFont’s motivation was revenge in implicating Santiago. The Col. agrees that , with Jorge being dead, LaFont decided to attack his son. But the law is still the law. Gaspar says that there is a law above the law of man, the law of God, where they weigh virtues like compassion and piety. He thinks it’s wrong for them to use the obviously motivated testimony of a demon like LaFont. Even if Santiago is weak, it’s not right to make him pay such a heavy price. Col. Jose complains why didn’t he speak up during the trial? Don Gaspar says simply that the wise man knows when to go back and fix things.

It’s execution day at the San Benito Prison. In a blowing wind, Manuela, Agata and Ascanio wait for LaFont to come hobbling out. He does and pauses to curse his daughter “and her next 6 generations” of offspring. He hobbles away leaving the women in tears. The soldiers make him kneel before a big tree stump and bind his hands. Manuela screams and tries to run forward but Agata and Ascanio restrain her. LaFont makes muffled screams like some kind of animal. An executioner in full medieval attire (black balaclava) comes forward with a giant axe. He orders two soldiers to pull the ropes binding his hands so that they cross around the stump (to expose his neck). With a mighty chop, LaFont’s head goes flying and blood spurts across his still crossed hands. Manuela wails, “Father!” still held tightly by Ascanio. Ascanio looks stoic.

------------------------
Next time: GRAN FINALE!

Labels: Pasion

From last night: We get to see 'Torpete' sit on tacks one more time. Ivonne goes under the knife. Juan is impactado when Paula tells him she's going to Vancouver to see if CL is really dead.

Paula insists that this death thing could just be another of CL's dirty tricks. So far nobody has argued this theory with her. Juan tells her the trip could be perilous, she needs a man to go with her. He offers his services but then quietly recoils when he hears they will go by plane. He thought bubbles he's never been on a plane. Well, it couldn't be more dangerous than the bus, he silently reasons.

Paula calls Marely and tells her Juan will be accompanying her because it's a good idea to have a man along. (Excuse me while I hurl.) "A man...or Juan?" Marely pointedly asks. The result: Marely is out and Juan is in. Again.

La Doctora tells the group (Fernando, Pastor, Juan and Paula) that Ivonne's surgery went well and the next step is chemo. It will be difficult, Ivonne will be moody and she will have her ups and downs. (Not like we could tell a difference or anything.) Fer breathes a sigh of relief and flashes a big smile at the camera.

Juan drags Juanito home because he's in a rush to leave with his palomita. He explains to Nidia and Juanito that it will be a short trip. Juanito will be in good hands with his 'abuela'. "No, with his mama," corrects Nidia. Juanito asks "what about Topete" and Juan tells him to keep letting him know he's not welcome.

At the market, Angarita advises Kike to go out and reconquer Yadira. If he plays the mouse he'll get eaten alive; it's time for him to be the cat, to lie in wait! Kike shakes his head, no offense but he's not convinced that Angarita is the best one to give love advice. Yadira sneaks up behind them and asks if they're talking about her. No no no, they stumble all over themselves, they are talking about chayotes/squash, no squash/chayotes, no chayotes AND squash. Yadi is smug and happy to once again be the center of attention.

Fer and a weepy Pastor are with Ivonne when she wakes up. Fer has a surprise, a huge bundle of balloons from him and Juan! Pastor weeps with renewed vigor.

Paula fretfully waits for Juan at the airport. He finally arrives with a stuffed pack on his back. He's nervous about flying so they cross themselves and run to the plane. They're actually kind of cute in this scene.

Meanwhile, in the Apartment of Perpetual Solitude, Lonely Laura waits yet again while we hear Juan thought-bubbling, "and what was I forgetting, what?" Laura yanks the cloth off the table and sends the placesetting for two flying across the room.

Break to a commercial of Eduardo Yanez doing his signature yell, summing up Laura's sentiments exactly.

Juan and Paula are on the plane and he is a nervous wreck. He is in the middle of talking himself down from hysteria when Paula shrieks his name and sends him reeling. She holds up a newspaper, "Campeoni Bankrupt" shouts the headline. Paula is forced to admit that Juan was right all along. Juan thought bubbles that the only "quebrar" he cares about is the breakdown of Juan and Paula; he's sure they'll never leave the plane alive. He screams in his head as the plane takes off.

Pastor visits Angarita for some brother time. Angarita tells him that since he left he's been down in the dumps. He wants Pastor to move back in. He likes it when Pastor is around. Pastor hugs and hugs his brother. Anga tells Pastor to take it easy or people (what people?) will think they are a couple of "Bleeps". Yes, it was actually bleeped out! Anyway, the brothers are happy again.

Juan, now in a cold sweat, fans himself with his hankie. He insists to Paula he is NOT afraid of flying, he's just a little nervous because he has huge respect for God's earth and skies. Paula compliments his stubborness over the Campeoni deal. He saved their bacon.

Speaking of stubborness, Juan decides to bring up the subject of Casa Cachón. He wants to buy the house and pay off the debt. Paula doesn't like this idea, not one bit. No way will she allow him to go in debt for them. Stubborn Juan has another idea, she can kill two birds with one stone. The house can be in her name and Alirio and Nidia will have to cough up the money and pay a monthly mortgage! He looks mighty pleased with this idea. Paula not so much.

Over at Casa Cachón Nidia hopefully surmises that if Paula and Juan click then maybe Paula will open her heart and they'll get to keep the house, true? In war and love and the conservation of life all is fair. Marely gets testy and says Nidia is only thinking of her own interests and doesn't care about the feelings of others. Once again Marely is left behind, this time by both her sister AND the man of her dreams, and now her meal is ruined too.

In the plane's cockpit Juan the pilot is making out with Paula the co-pilot. No wait, it's Paula the stewardess. (Sexist!) He throws his hat off, but in the next scene it's back on. Bad editing. Back in the cabin Juan sleeps as Paula's head droops onto his shoulder. It seems they are having the same dream. I think it would be more clever if, in Paula's dream, she was the pilot and Juan was the steward but it's not my telenovela, so Paula is stuck being coffee tea or me. In their dream they kiss and kiss and kiss some more. Suddenly they both wake up with a start. Whew, they comment on how hot the cabin is!

The plane lands in beautiful Vancouver Canada. They are on a trolley arguing about Casa Cachón. Juan presses his case. What does she have against them paying her off in monthly installments unless she's taking the house for vengeance alone? Paula admits she's angry. Juan admits he wants to save the house for Las Cachón but he also wants to save Paula from a life of bitterness and vengeance. He says she already has everything, a name, education, career. He flatters her and she acquiesces. He thinks he loves her more than ever.

At the hotel Juan lobbies for a shared room, there could be spiders or wild animals. Paula says not on the fifth floor. Juan has to make do with an awkard goodnight peck on the cheek.

In a split screen he wonders if they share the same dreams. They both lean against their shared door as he considers that only a simple door separates them. He longs for the day when nothing separates them.

The next morning they stand on the dock next to the Fateful Ferry from which CL disappeared. A captain arrives with papers for Paula to sign. He's very sorry but all the reports point to the definite conclusion that CL fell into the water. "Your husband is dead." Juan makes a point to ask if there is a body. (Point taken Juan) The captain says no, but it's certain he's dead. Naturally Paula blames herself! I notice she doesn't whine as much in Canada as she does in Mexico.

Back in Mexico Pastor and Angarita eat breakfast and listen to the news. Flash! Cesar Luis Farell is dead! Pastor is muy impactado.

Paula wants Juan to take her away. I try to pay attention to their conversation but what in the hell is Juan wearing? Is it Paula's coat? It is a coat but it's way too small for him. Oh sorry, back to the discussion. Juan says it could still be one of CL's big jokes and he could be lying on a beach somewhere. Juan and his too-small coat comfort Paula.

The news spreads across the world like wildfire...

Over at Farell the lizards are gathering for gossip and comfort. The girls weep and lament. Pastor insists it must be a mistake.

At the hospital Ivonne and Fer also hear the news on TV. Ivonne becomes agitated.

Miami - Monica gets a call from the luscious Gustavo. CL is in the news again? Now what is he up to? She gasps, he's dead? It can't be!

Marely confirms for Pastor that CL is dead, that's why Paula and Juan went to Vancouver, land of the pines and tamarind trees. Pastor goes loco and snivels that the company is doomed. They'll lose business, contracts will be rescinded! A great man is dead!

Ivonne is in pain and Fer comforts her. She doesn't want his pity. He says what he feels isn't pity and he knows she still likes him because of how she acted when he was going to marry Marely. Even though Marely stood him up it turned out lucky for him. It wouldn't have worked out. He tells her they shouldn't throw to the wind the chance to be a couple, to have a family, to be happy. He kisses her forehead and promises to return after work.

Monica calls Marely for confirmation of CL's death. It's an absurd rumor, correct? She wants Paula to call her as soon as she returns!

The Doctora arrives to speak to Ivonne about a delicate matter. The operation was a success but in order to eradicate the tumor they had to remove one ovary and it turns out the other one was affected as well. The primary objective was to get rid of the cancer, even though the risk is that Ivonne might never be a mother.

It looks like there was no frolicking amongst the pines and tamarinds for Juan and Paula. (Hey, bait and switch!) They are already back in Mexico. Ana tells them that CL's death is all over the news.

Over at Farell, Marely and Julia are doing damage control on the phones, everybody wants to cancel the contracts! Fernando strolls in and sees the pandemonium.

Ivonne weeps in despair, she always wanted a child. The doctora says there is still a chance and she will do everything in her power to make sure Ivonne is back to 100 percent. (Well maybe 98% because she's down one ovary.)

Over at Casa Pomposo Lorenzo is still in a funk and refuses food and sherry. He locks the door and won't allow Pepita to console him. He wants to be alone.

At the school the kiddies are practicing their art on the whiteboard, i.e. drawing various diabolical representations of Topete. He enters and announces there will be a pop math quiz. He mistakenly thinks the class is under control, then he turns and sees the board. Who did it? Nobody? Fine, then the quiz will end five minutes early! He erases the board but finds that the eraser is epoxied to his hand. He demands to see their hands and spies ink on the hands of Flor, Juanito and Ruperto. Off to the the principal's office with the three offenders!

Juan arrives to the bedlam that is Farell. Pastor squeals that the company is going under, they are losing millions by the minute. Fer and Heriberto join the hysterics. Juan strolls to his office and asks for a cup of coffee.

Paula is back in Mexico so she reverts to extreme weep and snivel mode. CL's death is all her fault, wah! Ana comments that it's odd how CL caused Paula so much suffering and anguish and here she is lamenting his death. It's just not right.

The phone rings, it's CL's Notary/Lawyer. He needs to see Paula ASAP to reveal the details of CL's last will and testament.

Juan leads Pastor and Fer in deep breathing and relaxation exercises. It doesn't work. He tells them to throw money at the clients, every dog has his price. Fer says that won't work because they don't have the money, maybe if Paula called them... No No No insists Juan, she needs peace and rest. The phone rings and Juan, thinking it's a customer, answers with confident authority. Uh oh, it's Laura and she is majorly ticked off. She scolds him for not facing her. Gee, he was just about to call her. "Liar!" she yells. She goes through his list of excuses, yells at him for lying, tells him to just forget her, then hangs up on him.

Juan tells Pastor and Fer to get right on it, he wants the names, numbers and details of the customers he needs to call, and he'll call them as soon as he returns from a little errand he needs to run. Their jaws drop, how could he leave in the middle of this crisis?

Paula and Ana visit the Notary to hear CL's last wishes. The notary reads but CL's voice is what we hear: "I, CL, of sound mind and body, in front of Notary #56, Licenciado Melquiades Honrado, leave to my wife Paula Davila 100% of my shares of Farell Industries, and it is my arrangement that all my bank accounts in Mexico and abroad, and my apartment at Avenida Jesus del Monte #300 via Villa Flores #3, remain in the name of Sandro Arenas, whom my wife must locate and thereby deliver these assets."

Paula is muy, pero muy impactada. "Sandro? I don't know any Sandro!!"

Tomorrow: I think we meet Sandro Arenas. Please God, don't let it be CL's twin.


Achicopalado/a = Down in the dumps
Ajustar las cuentas = To settle the score (Lit. to adjust the accounts)
Estar en el acecho = To lie in wait for, to be on the lookout for
Hacer caso a = To pay attention to
Hipoteca = Mortgage
Quebrar = to break, break down, go bankrupt, etc.
Salvar el pellejo = To save one's skin, to save one's bacon

Labels: Juan

[We begin with the final scene from the last episodio, and a darned good one! --ed.]

On his way from the palace, Sancti runs into Ric and they argue. Sancti says “So, they pardoned all your sins.” Ric looks at him. “—God pardons those when you finally face him. But if you’re referring to the amnesty, then yeah, that’s right.” “ --Evidently ruffians have more luck than decent folk,” Sanctiago sneers. Ric jumps off his horse and lets him have it about leaving a woman like Cami. “--So you think yourself decent folk? Have you ever once stopped to reflect back on your life? You had a marvelous woman whom you lost by chance. Instead of searching the world over for her very quickly you found consolation in her sister’s arms.”

Sancti tries to justify that. “I thought she was dead!” Ric hisses at him signaling to shut his trap. “As soon as you saw that wasn’t so, despite her being your sister-in-law, you tried to get her to become your lover.” ”—I was just trying to protect her from getting involved with you roping her in with a false name in order to turn her into your whore!” “—Don’t you call her that again!” The two end up fighting in the dirt like a couple of boys in a playground brawl. All that's missing is the nanny-nannie-boo-boo!

Sancti spits out at Ric, “It’s true! You made Camila change!” Ric screams back, “If you lost her it was because of cowardice—“ “--because you are the spawn of Hell!” Sancti yells and rolls on top, choking Ric. Ric then pulls his knife on Sancti who stops short. “-- I’ve put up with way too much from you, but now I’m fed up,” Ric threatens him. The knife is now only a hairsbreadth from Sancti’s throat. Ric rolls out from under and gets up on his feet. “Perhaps you’ve caused the death of our child and if so you don’t deserve to live.” “—Do it then,” Sancti dares him in a weak attempt to have Ric put him out of his mysery. “Do it so Camila hates you for the rest of your life for killing me.”

Ric (oh so artfully) puts away his knife. “—No, Santiago,” he answers with a righteous shake of his gloriously dark locks. “If you’ve killed our child you will be the one she abhors.” Righteous Ric then gets back onto his horse and looks over at Sanctiago. “One of these days you’re going to have to learn that when you let a woman like her go, you lose!” (What a class act!! Be still my heart!) Ric’s figurative aim with a knife has been just as deadly accurate as the real thing. Sancti, now hyperventilating from a combination of rage, frustration and self-hatred, has been seriously wounded with the truth. Ric rides away as his horse kicks sand at poor Sour Grapes Sanctiago’s sanctimonious backside.

At the same time El Chino, Mario, Pablo, Guerro and Jesus are all escorting their share of the money from the last raid and making their way back along the road to San Fernando. El Chino explains to Mario that while they were in Puerto Paraiso word of the amnesty from the Spanish Crown arrived and they eventually signed the papers. Afterwards, he says, the news reached them that the Camila had sunk so Chino left his encampment to get to La Iguana to find out if El Antillano had survived. Mario replies that he did but is now being held prisoner. Chino says considering the amnesty there is no reason he should be in prison. Pablo then asks Chino if he’d seen his mother and Chino says yes, and that she’s pretty worried about him.
==========

Back in San Fernando at Cami’s former townhouse Lis is frantic, yelling to Fran that Ric is alive after all. Fran reminds her that she told her so but Lis isn’t in the mood. She tells Fran that Ric asked her about Pedro and she’s certain he suspects it’s his son. So, no matter what they’re high-tailing it out of there the very next morning.

Over at Justo’s Ric has just told Cami his plan to hand over to LaFont the incriminating letters in exchange for the baby. Cami is against it because she doesn’t want him to be sent to the gallows because of it, but Ric says he told her before that if he had to die then let it be for a good reason. The return of his son is as good a one as he could want. She says she shouldn’t have to choose between them and he should trust in the courts to get the baby back from Lis. Anyway, she doesn’t trust LaFont. Ric says he doesn’t believe in them even though she might.

At the prison the guards are marching the pirate prisoners to the rock quarry, beating them along the way with their whips just for grins. Mario is asking Pablo for the name of the colonel in charge but he doesn’t know. Just then they come to the top of the quarry. The pirates see them and yell up at them. Mario waves back and tries to signal for them to keep quiet.

Finally Mario arrives at the prison barracks and asks to speak with the colonel in charge but says he doesn't know the man's name. The soldier informs him that the colonel's name is Jose Maria de Valencia. Mario is visibly impactado to hear the colonel’s name. Inside his office the colonel is told a Sr. Mario is there representing Ricardo de Salamanca. He gripes to the captain and says he wonders what lie this one has concocted for him. Mario is taken before Col. De Valencia and realizes he was right. He knows him personally. “How are you, Jose Maria?” The colonel turns around at the sound of his voice and is shocked to see it is his brother. He sends the rest of his men away and Mario and he share a bit of strained small talk with each other.

Mario asks if he’s going to listen or hang him now even though there’s an amnesty in effect. Then he asks about their father and if he ever forgave him. Jose Maria chokes back tears and tells Mario their father died 5 year ago, but he had forgiven him. He puts his hand on Mario’s and Mario also fights back his tears and offers his hand to his brother as well. The two pull back from any further display of emotion and Jose Maria asks for the proof that incriminates LaFont and Mancera in the theft and sale of the crown’s stolen money.

Mario explains that he brought proof, but he will not give it to him until he sees Ric. Jose Maria says he escaped and Mario has a great chuckle at his brother’s expense. Jose Maria tells him that if he was in Puerto Paraiso then his amnesty is canceled. Mario denies knowing anything about Puerto Paraiso and then asks if he plans on arresting him. Jose Maria avoids answering and asks again for the documents he brought. Again Mario refuses until he sees Ric is alive and well. He says he’s leaving then and dares his brother to shoot him in the back for it. As he races out of the office Jose Maria yells after him and the guards start to grab for Mario. Jose Maria stops them and yells to Mario that it would be best for both he and Ric to hand it all over to him now, but Mario turns around and asks if he’s ever heard of something called loyalty and camaraderie. If he has then he should understand why that isn’t going to happen just yet. Then Mario races off as his brother yells uselessly for him to come back.
=================

Sancti walks over to Justo’s after his dust up with Ric to tell him that his father has decided to give him back the concession for the store. They’ve overheard him tell Paco he was fighting and got dirty so Cami asks if it was with Ric and why. (Get real here, Cami. You have got to know the answer already. Is this an ego boost or what?) Sancti, exasperated with such a dumb question refuses to answer and leaves. Cami wonders with her father if the two despite irreconcilable differences might ever become friends.

Mario, El Chino, and company make their way towards San Fernando. They run into Ric on his way to San Benito prison and in a snit. Mario tells him that he did not hand over the letters yet since he’d escaped and Ric says to keep them safe for now. Mario tells him they’ve brought the money with them. He tells him to rent out the same house then they had leased before in San Fernando and rides off in a hurry.

Ric signals his men that he’s back as promised then goes in to the barracks to meet with Don Gaspar. He mentions he’s just had a fight with some fool and Gaspar laughs asking if the fool might actually have been Ric. Don Gaspar tells him that he’s found out what happened to his child. Antillano tells him about the deal he made with LaFont to hand over the letters in exchange for his son. Gaspar gets frustrated and tells him that with these letters he could get an additional pardon from the Crown for his participation at Puerto Paraiso, since the other crimes of piracy have already been pardoned. Ric explains that he’s not willing to risk LaFont warning Lis and the baby and her disappearing. Ric then tells Don Gaspar what he really wants is a pardon for his men who were only following his orders.

After Ric leaves Jose Maria has an afternoon sherry with Don Gaspar. He complains that if they let Ric trade out those papers for the baby they will be left empty-handed and unable to prosecute Lafont and Mancera. The archbishop suggests he should be patient long enough to let Ric work out a solution to the baby problem. Maybe if he searches the Mancera palace something will show up, some servant may decide to talk or something. The colonel says he’s got the permission to examine every corner of it and is certain that before Mancera agreed he probably had already destroyed anything compromising. Gaspar thinks something may still have been left unwittingly around there somewhere.

Gaspar then brings up the business with Ric’s men. He suggests the colonel let them sign the amnesty letter also. The colonel agrees, but as for Ric, Mancera’s daughter told him herself that Ric was seen at Puerto P. Gaspar says that maybe she might retract or say she was mistaken. Jose Maria says he wants to follow the letter of the law. The curate uses the kind of twisted logic only a consummate politician or diplomat could to suggest that if it took months for word of the amnesty to reach those parts that obviously the pirates wouldn’t have known they needed to stop their raiding. He adds that if he doesn’t have any proof they were actually at Puerto Paraiso, then by all means let the men go free and they’ll figure out something for Ric later.
==============

In town Mario sees Jime walking in the plaza and they embrace all smiles and kisses. She goes over with him to say hi to El Chino and then tells Mario about the papers that Ascanio recovered dealing with the contraband. She says she’s not really sure what they’re all about since she can’t read. He gives them over to Chino to have a look at them. Ascanio arrives just then and asks Jime where she got his folio from and what gave her the right. She says that she took them from his room, but she only did it in order to free him from being responsible for having to accuse Manuela’s father directly. After all he took them in order to give Camila anyway, but now has cold feet because of Manuela. She’s not beholding to anybody and what’s done is done. So Chino scans them and recognizes that they are the falsified importation permits that Jorge told him he’d come up with and Ascanio confirms it’s all been done in Marcelino’s own handwriting.

Late that night Antillano arrives and tells Mario he’s decided to exchange the letters with LaFont for the baby. He doesn’t know for sure if it’s his child, but he needs to know. El Chino, who has just told Mario he’s got a wife and two children back in Japan, tells Antillano not to worry, that he can understand and he should go ahead with his plans. They do not tell him about the folio of falsified permits they got from Ascanio though. Ric goes to bed and Chino suggests that since LaFont cannot be trusted and since he’s a pirate captain of equal rank not beholding to Antillano, he’ll hand over the falsified permits himself to the authorities and if Antillano gets mad they can throw the blame on him. Mario thinks it over.

Across town that night Sancti has a heart to heart with Ofelia and says he regrets ever having let Ricardo live, but she says he should never regret any good action he’s taken. She tries to make him see that if he and Cami were meant to be then God wouldn’t have put so many obstacles in their way. She tells him that once and for all he should recognize this and resign himself to the fact. Since he’s young he’s certain to meet somebody else eventually. (Yeah, Sancti. I’d say you’ve just about hit rock bottom. Listen to Mom and get over it!)

The conversation turns to Jorge and Sancti tells his mother about Jorge’s agreeing to return the store concession to Justo. He tells her that he still cannot bring himself to turn his father in to the authorities. All the while he is subconsciously twisting Camila’s old green scarf in his hands and looking as pitiful as all get out.

Meanwhile Cami is crying to Vasco and Ines over how worried she is for Ric exchanging those letters for the baby. On the one hand she wants to get her child back but on the other hand Ric could end up on the gallows if he doesn’t hand over those papers to the authorities and save himself. Vasco tries to console her and tells her he’s certain Don Gaspar will intercede for Ric and things will turn out for the good.

The next day early Lis and Clotilde are leaving LaFont’s house with a single suitcase. Luis asks them if they are going away and Lis says that they are only taking a few things over to her aunt at the other house. She asks about Al and the servant tells her he is feeling better and has decided to put on his peg leg and go for a ride. The two women head over to the other house then and Lis orders Clotilde to hire a comfortable coach for their journey since it will be a long one.

Al is looking for his new peg leg when Luis advises him that Ric is looking to meet with him. Ric shows him the letters and they agree to meet up in an hour at the inn in town in order to make the exchange. Ric leaves and Al asks Luis where Lis is. Luis tells Al that Lis has left and that she was going to see her aunt.

Across town, the men load up the baggage and chests of money onto the hired coach.

Ric goes to Justo’s to see Cami and tells her they’ll have the child in an hour. She is worried but Antillano tells her he’s always trusted in his luck and he trusts in it now. Things will turn out just fine. He won’t allow them not to. They kiss.

Lis gives Candida her severance cash and tells her that she’s not to tell anything to anybody about her leaving or where they’re headed.

Mario and El Chino decide to wait a bit to see if Antillano returns soon, but if he doesn’t Chino says he will go to San Benito with the falsified permits and hand them over. Mario is on edge and doesn’t know what to do. He is really losing it.

The women get into the coach with Pedro and head out. Candida, now with her little bag full of her clothes makes ready to leave the premises just as Al arrives yelling at the gate for Lis or Fran and Clotilde to answer and open up. After Al flogs her across the face with his riding crop, Candida tells him that Lis and the others left for Veracruz and took the baby with them. Enraged, Al gallops after the coach in hopes of catching up to it with poor Luis frantically trying to run on foot behind with Al’s crutches.

Ric sees the commotion and asks Candida what’s happened. She explains. Ric races back to his hacienda and yells to Pablo for his horse. Mario runs out of the house. Ric tells Mario what’s just happened. They ride off together to catch up with Lis and the baby.

Ursula, her daughter and Fortunata have a little birthday breakfast in bed party for Sofia.

El Chino introduces himself to Jose Maria and to Gaspar with the falsified documents. He explains that the permits were false because they were signed in San Fernando and not in Veracruz. Gaspar is happy to hear this because he now can now get that additional pardon for Ric.

Meanwhile down in the palace basement somewhere, Jorge picks through the jewels in the treasure chest that was stolen from Ric. He comes to wish Sofia a happy birthday and gives her her present, the jewel necklace and earrings that he took from Ric’s chest. (Charming, huh?). He apologizes for not having been the husband she always had hoped for but tells her that basically he has always loved her. He seals this loving sentiment with a light kiss and Sofia melts.

La Paisana finally arrives from Coralina Island and hands Camila the little boy Ric adopted during the plague. Pablo is excited to have another child in the family to play with. Pasiana also hands over Foreman’s personal ledgers that he promised and sent for Antillano. She explains it has all the transactions between LaFont and Foreman dealing with the stolen silver he bought from Al and Jorge, specifically how much they sold and what he paid them for it and when.

The coach gets a head start. Al catches up to it and races alongside. (Man, one-eyed, a peg-leg, no depth perception and rotten balance, I’d half expected a guy like that to fall off somewhere along the way!) Al threatens to shoot the coachman if he doesn’t stop. Mario and Ric are racing behind Al and trying to keep him from shooting at the coach. The driver speeds ahead at Lis’s command. The women are frightened. Al shoots at the driver and wounds him in the arm. (Great shot, Al, considering the handicap! What are the odds?) The horses bolt dragging the coach with the women and baby inside at breakneck speed. Ric races his horse ahead and jumps on to the coach, taking the reins from the injured driver and eventually pulling the coach to a halt.

Al demands the baby but Lis refuses. He tells her pretty much never to darken his door again if she doesn't. (Not to worry, Al! I mean, gees, she's already packed her bags and headed out of town....) So he turns to Ric and demands the letters and Ric throws them at him. Al races off with them and I think throws them into some field on the side of the road then gallops away. Ric then turns to the women and demands the baby. Lis admits to buying the baby from Auxiliadora and explains how Fran bribed the woman. Just then Ric sees the necklace Lis is wearing and asks her who gave it to her. She answers it was from her husband on their wedding day. He knows it is part of the jewels stolen from him, but says nothing. Fran begs Ric to let them all go, otherwise they’ll end up in jail or Demon Seed Al will certainly kill them.

Ric agrees, turning his back on them and says they should go and that God might pardon them, cuz it’s plain as day from the look on his face that he’s never going to. He hugs the boy to him pointedly ignoring Liz while she screams and cries hysterically that she only took the boy because she knew its mother would just have gotten rid of him anyway, that he’s chosen the wrong woman and she’s the only woman who ever truly loved and cared about him. Fran finally manages to pull Lis off him and get her into the coach but Lis continues to scream at him through the window about her abiding love for him. Finally, mercifully, the coach pulls away, taking them along with Timoteo’s fortune into the sunset.

Mario asks Ric if he’s found him. Ric can hardly speak for the tears and emotion welling up inside him. (Passing around the box of Kleenex here.) El Antillano, totally overcome with tears of joy and relief gratefully looks to the heavens and says a prayer of thanks. He falls to his knees as exhaustion overtakes him and he marvels at his good fortune. He hugs Pedro and smiles at him. “You’re fine! Yes, you’re fine!” He turns to Mario laughing and smiling and nodding. ‘It’s him! It’s my son! My son!”

Labels: Pasion

Permalink posted by Jardinera654 @ 3:13 AM 84 comments

Laura threatens that Juan will be hers.

Marely tells that she’s not going away for fun it’s for business, they are interested in possibly exporting tamarinds. (Note they are drinking tamarind juice…) Juan thinks that’s interesting that he knows nothing of this as president. Marely says it’s a surprise because she wanted to talk to the execs up there first as Pau felt so bad about the Campeoni deal. Just then Juan gets a buzz and it’s Laura. He walks away from the table and they all comment since when does he take calls in private and Mar shouts since he’s got this new mysterious woman.

Laura wants to know where he is. He realizes he erased his disc completely and forgot her. He apologizes that he had another emergency with a friend, the same as this afternoon. He explains that his friend's boiler blew up and burned the house down, but luckily he is ok. Laura buys it all and tells him not to worry. He promises he’ll see her tomorrow.

Yadi comes into the departmento and Torpete (Nacho Topete) pitches a hissy fit, that she is coming in at the break of dawn, 11:00pm to be exact. He yells at her that she needs to tell him where she goes because he almost called the police and was afraid she was kidnapped or assaulted or worse. He wonders if she was drinking. She wonders what his problem is and says she was looking for work. He doesn’t believe it at this hour, she says she also stopped by to see her Mom and baby. He doesn’t believe she got work but she says she did and starts tomorrow morning. He asks where and then she realizes maybe she doesn’t want to say, but she does, the market.



At the Cachon house, Jito (Juanito) is getting put to bed, but asks Juan if he is going out with a new woman. Juan says just a friend, an acquaintance, why? Jito says, well, you went out with her yesterday, and now were going to again today. Juan assures him that if it was something serious Jito would be the first to know. Jito asks if he noticed how jealous Marely turned, red and swollen up like and apple. Juan remarks that this woman (Laura) fell from out of the sky and has a habit of calling when she leaves the biggest mark, like yesterday when he was with Pau and today with Marely.


Torpete of course says now Yadi’s trying to work with her ex. Yadi says no I’m working in a place where it just so happens my ex works. He prohibits it, but she says she’s a free woman and she’ll do as she wants and if he says anything she’ll acuse him of maltreatment etc.

Alirio is watching baseball. Nid asks if he’s going to turn it off but what he hears is “Come over here and plant one on me big boy.” Didn’t sound like that to me, but sometimes my Spanish isn’t so good. Wink…what follows next is a play by play on the tele and lots of rumbling under the covers. The announcer’s excitement at describing the home run is drowned out by the screams of Nidia as she poorly fights off Alibido. Sounds like he got his home run too.

Outside Juan’s “new” expensive car isn’t starting. Kike says he’ll bring them to the school. At the school Juan is chatting up the kids, he learns they don’t like Torpete either. He wonders if they learned from Lorenzo that injustice is the worst thing they can suffer. He says well, losing Lorenzo is a big injustice and they have done nothing but sit and make guacamole with their butt cheeks. He incites them to riot. They’re kids, of course they seize the moment to learn how they can misbehave.

Torpete shows up to school and Kike sees him go in. He asks the doorman if that was him and can he go in. The guy says no, it’s a school he needs to have a reason. Kike tells him that guy took his wife, so please let him in to talk to him. The guy must sympathize, because next we see Kike rolling up his sleeves and confronting Tope like a school boy in the school yard. He wants to fight him. Torpete says he can’t do this in front of his students etc. but Kike keeps his feet moving ready for a jab. He yells for him to take off his glasses. Tope runs into the rest room, smells something horrible in one stall, and moves to hide in another. Wimp.


Juan goes out and is surprised Kike isn’t waiting outside. Kike tells him why. Juan tells him that guy also took Lorenzo’s job, but he’ll get his, just wait. Kike wonders why Juan hasn’t told him about this mystery woman.

Tope then shows up in the classroom to find the kids chanting that they want Lorenzo back. They won’t shut up despite his screams.


At the office Pau comes back in a lovely new green silk shantung suit. She finds out from Marely that Ivonne went on vacation. She can’t believe what is going on at the business.

Ivy is at the hospital with Fer and she tells him that if everything goes ok with the operation she wants to try things with him again, but if they don’t go ok, she doesn’t want him anywhere near her, because the last thing she wants is him to treat her with pity. He agrees and takes her hand.

Pau goes in to talk to Juan and yell at him that he’s let Ivy back to work only to go on vacation. He tells her she’s actually getting an operation. Pau – on what? Juan – oh her tonsils. Pau goes into a tirade that he’s letting Ivy fib him again and using the company resources and how can he be so stupid, and when she sees him waffle, wonders what is he hiding from her. She continues yelling at him and finally he realizes there is no way out. He finally announces that Ivy has cancer. I think that reaction is the "cat’s ass mouth" look again.

Pau says if she knew she wouldn’t have fired her. Juan tells her he’s tried to tell her she needs to slow down and not rush to emotional reactions so fast. Juan says Ivy needs our support and her benefits. Pau scowls that he doesn’t need to tell her that.

Mutiny in the classroom continues as Torpete runs and tattles to the director, he doesn’t know how to deal with kids, his experience is with university students. Wah wah, the director goes in and threatens the children with expulsion and they eventually cave. The kids behave for a little while then.

Pau wants to know from Pastor where Ivonne is. She bugs him even though he explains that he was sworn to secrecy. She tells him she already knows the whole story and says she has to go apologize.

Yadi is working at the Abastos and that other guy (what’s his name?) is sweet talking her. Kike comes up and gives him a rough warning to leave her alone.

Fer berates Juan up and down for telling Pau about Ivy. Juan pulls rank, but Fer can’t believe that Juan could betray him this way. He really loses it for her. Juan finally tells him he had to spill because Pau wouldn’t leave him alone about Ivonne’s being on vacation and besides she’ll keep her word and not tell anyone. Fer snips back yeah, just like you did.

Heri is at a candy shop buying chocolates. The clerk asks if he wants a card too. Our country boy, today wearing the Master’s jacket and the Mexican version has matching pants I guess; doesn’t know what that is. After the clerk explains it’s to tell of your thoughts, he says ok, and takes it. Back at the office he makes a call because he needs help to write the card, but no one answers.

Pau tells Marely about Ivonne's situation who says Ivonne is a higado (pain in the neck) and provoked everything but certainly doesn’t deserve this. Pau feels bad and wants to apologize. marely thinks maybe she should leave it alone for now, but Pastor apparently agreed to bring Pau as he comes in and asks her if she is ready.

Pau knocks on the hospital door and a bitter Ivonne tries to guess who spilled the beans. Pau says it doesn’t matter, but she confirms not Pastor or Fer. Ivy razzes her that the whole world knows now, and she came on behalf the employees, blah blah. Pau says, nope came on my own and the few of us who know aren’t telling. Ivy cynically kids that surely she’s here because she’s so full of guilt, etc. Pau says yes, so there’s no need to make things harder. At first Ivy gives her lots of guff and tells her she’s strange. Pau says she feels bad and had to come and wish her well, and that they are the same because they both fight for what they want and have committed errors and neither one of them is happy, and it’s a shame they ended up enemies but she does admire Ivonne and she’s sorry, and all this isn’t fair to her and her job will be waiting for her when she is recovered. She proceeds to go out and Ivonne tells her to wait that she’s really afraid. Pau grabs her hand.

Now what I don’t get, is how Fer was at the hospital because it was so important obviously, then he’s back at Farell, only to go back to the hospital again. Juan goes too now that he knows and Mar wishes her well.

Heri reaches for his neurons to try and write words of love in his card.

Ivy tells Pau she’s afraid this operation will be for naught and that she’s going to lose her womanhood and won’t be the same. Pau asks if she believes in God, but Ivy says even if she does she hasn’t been connected for so long she thinks he won’t hear. Pau tells her not to think like that he always listens and that they should pray together because God won’t abandon them. Outside Pastor, snooping, is brought to tears.


Back at Farell the chismes are flying. Julia tells everyone she heard Ivy isn’t on vac, but is getting an operation. She thinks it is her face, her boobs, or her butt, but probably her boobs.

Pastor applauds Pau for her words, that they touched him deeply because he too is a lone warrior. He worries that if something like this were to happen to him that no one would be there for him. Pau hugs him and tells him he has his brother, but he reminds Pau that his brother doesn’t accept him. He says those that feel this sadness need to unite. They have a moment of tenderness. Pau says she spoke from the heart. He says he knows that and that this is what comes out of crisis, but sadly it’s temporary and once the crisis is over everything will go back to the way it was. Pau says that’s interesting, and just then Fer and Juan show up. Ivy gets rolled out. They all give her pep talks that she is going to be ok. Fer offers her a room of flowers, but doc says not permitted anymore. [Allergens?]

Back at school Juanito is pulling the old tacks on the chair trick. I can’t help but think of Road Runner stunts at this point. Profe stalls for a little bit then finally sits and the room erupts in laughing. He call them monsters!!

We see the doc get ready to cut a nice belly. Marely calls to get the scoop and Pau assures her things are ok so far and the trip is still on. Juan overhears and tells her she needs to cancel this trip, now is not the time for a business deal. Pau pulls him aside to talk and tells him, ok, that ‘s not why I’m going. I need to find out if CL is dead. Juan is impactado, huh????

Labels: Juan