THURSDAYS EPISODE ON WHAT LIFE TOOK FROM ME EP 95 María answers the phone. Pedo* Medina has a job for her. She is to visit Alejandro in jail and find out whether he still has Joaquins suicide note. [Vocabulary note for The Patio: pedo, m. noun, means fart. The consensus in The Bunker of Ironic Detachment is that it will help NovelaMaven work through this episode if she thinks of twisted Pedro as just another stinking Pedo.] Dim and Addled -- A Study in Contrasts Casa Mendoza The young servant, Manuela, delivers a single long-stemmed red rose to Josefina, just as she has been doing every day. Who would have said that Dimitrio would change so much for you, remarks the girl, smiling. Josefina echoes her words: Quién iba a decir ... Casa Argüelles At that moment, Adolfo is having an eye --> mind experience. His mind is full of Fina, the only good person in his life, the person he went to when he needed a hug. And look who hes living with now. (Im talking about you, María!) He doesnt feel like eating. María can go out alone. Casa Almonte Montserrat returns from the funeral home. She asks Rosario if Macario and Padre Anselmo have arrived. Macario himself joins the women and tells them he took the padre to see Alejandro in jail. The visit lasted a long time. When he came out, he said that Alejandro had given him something very important and he had to get it out of the jail without the guards seeing it -- which he managed to do, just by the skin of his teeth. Montserrat is thrilled at this news. But why didnt the padre come back to the house with him? Because, explains Macario, Alejandro gave him strict orders to deliver it directly to Jose Luis. Oh no, says Montserrat, the padre has the only existing proof of Alejandros innocence. If it falls into JLs hands, all will be lost! Casa Álvarez-Arechiga The padre rings the doorbell. When no one answers, he peers in a window and knocks on it. Evidently no one is at home. He sits down on the doorstep to wait, hugging his Bible to his chest. Reclusorio Aguazul María visits Alejandro, as instructed by Pedo. She tries to soften him up a little in a marinade of manufactured nostalgia and deliberate misperceptions -- were so much alike, we both have a horror of being locked up... Oh and by the way, your wife went to visit José Luis, you cant trust those two... Alejandro stops her. He knows about Montses visit to José Luis. And he trusts both his wife and JL. Is it true that Don Joaquín left a suicide note? asks María. Who told you that? Padre Anselmo? asks our pretty hero, unaware he has just been outmaneuvered. He continues: I hope he also told you that my freedom depends on keeping the note a secret. María presses on: What does the note say? But she has gone too far this time: Its better that you dont know, María. She rolls her eyes for the camera. Breaking the wall of silence around Samuel Barajas. Nadia, the First Lady of Aguazul, sweeps grandly into the prison and says she is there on behalf of her husband. The Director of the prison is expecting her. She introduces the man accompanying her (really Victor) as her brother Adolfo. The Director is anxious to please in all things. She would like to meet with the prisoners and cheer them on with words of encouragement? He would expect nothing less of the Municipal Presidents wife. She will be escorted safely wherever she wants to go. Outside JLs house Padre and Montserrat at Cross Purposes The padre has tired of waiting. He hails a passing taxi and gets in. On the heels of the taxis departure, the huge Almonte van pulls up with Macario at the wheel. Montserrat steps out and knocks on the door. When no one answers, she figures that everyone must still be at Joaquíns velorio . This is a shock to Macario -- he didnt even know the man had died. They decide to head for the naval base. Surely Padre Anselmo would have gone there to look for José Luis. Victor and Nadia double-team the guard Nadia tells the prison guard that her husband specifically asked her to speak to prisoner Samuel Barajas. It concerns a very delicate matter that he has entrusted to her. The guard is not convinced. But Victor/Adolfo overcomes the mans reluctance with a mixture of menace and bribery. And soon they are face to face with the battered Barajas. Barajas repeats what he has been saying all along -- his only accomplice was Joaquín and he had never heard of Alejandro before the day he was arrested. Victor offers to return every penny of his money if Barajas promises to say nothing that would incriminate Alejandro. But all Barajas wants is confirmation that Joaquín Arechiga is dead. Nadia and Victor tell him that its true. Thats payment enough, says Barajas. Nadias husband can kill him before hell say anything else. And dead men dont talk, he says with a chuckle. M & M strike out again When Macario and Montserrat arrive at the Naval Base, they are told that Padre Anselmo has been there and gone. And no, he left nothing for JL. The old priest is hot and tired, but at least he has kept the precious note safe . Padre Anselmo gets out of his taxi and slowly climbs the steps to the Casa Almonte. He fans himself with his black felt hat. He opens his Bible and confirms that the note is still tucked inside. María steps out of the shadows of the porch and flashes a particularly lovely smile in his direction. He is just the person she was looking for. Casa Valverde and the Nouveau Beetch Sandro and Fabiola are drinking Tomáss good red and comparing notes. Sandro licks his handsome chops over Pedo Medinas loathing for Alejandro and his willingness to prove that he is not really Benjamíns son. Fabiola says its pointless to keep pressuring Montserrat to fork over the two wills -- she only has copies of the documents anyway. They need to approach Licenciado Cervera directly. But does Sandro really think he can invalidate Benjamíns final will? It doesnt matter, he explains. Once it has been shown that Alejandro is not a real Almonte, the final document will be worthless and the previous will, naming her as the sole heir, will become effective. What happens to Alejandros wife and son in that case? The marriage will be invalid since she married someone who doesnt exist. And the son will be just another bastard named Gómez or Pérez... --Fabiola laughs appreciatively here-- ...or whatever that peasant Rosarios name is! Oh what a scandal for Aguazul! Sandro says Pedo wants to know who told Montserrat about Samuel Barajas. Fabiola promises to find out. And by the way, she says slyly, she met Lieutenant José Luis Álvarez today. Sandro notices how she smiles when she says this and he wants to know why: Because I swear to you that one day Im going to marry him. Sandro is irritated. He tells her to focus. Shes not here looking for a husband -- shes here to recover her inheritance. But she tells him to back off. She doesnt care about his extracurricular activities (with the widow Mendoza, for example) and theres no reason for him to meddle in hers. But hes not even your type! says the exasperated Sandro. Fabiola disagrees: José Luis is the most attractive man Ive ever seen in my life. Not only that, his wife is her godmothers sick daughter -- why the poor thing has her expiration date (fecha de caducidad ) practically tattooed on her forehead. When she dies, shes going to leave him a bundle. Sandro tells her she wont need it. Shes going to have all the Almonte money. For people like you and me, she says, theres no such thing as enough money. Joaquín Who? Carlota Mendoza and Ezequiel Bazurto (who has left his tropical colors at home out of respect for the occasion) arrive at the velorio for Joaquín Arechiga. EZ expresses his condolences to Amelia. He promises that if someone else provoked her husbands death, that person will be brought to justice. JL has been sitting quietly, observing this farce and listening to the EZ hypocrisy. Now he gets up and addresses the police chief: Even if it turns out to be your boss, Pedo Medina? EZ declares primly that he is on the side of justice. Carlota beams at her diminutive galán: Todo sería tan diferente en Aguazul si tú fueras el Presidente Municipal. (Everything would be so different in Aguazul if you were the Municipal President.) Algún día , Carlota, algún día , says EZ. Some day. José Luis asks to talk to Ezequiel privately. The two men step away together, leaving an opportunity for Graciela to strike out at Carlota. She hisses at her cuñada s bad taste -- how dare she show up in public with EZ! Carlota sees no problem with her behavior. She is a single woman ( soltera), after all. Solterona y quedada sniffs Graciela nastily. (An old maid, you mean!) At least shes not a recent widow accepting dinner invitations from a stranger, shoots back Carlota. Graciela is the last person to be giving lessons on morals. While the ladies are sorting things out, the gentlemen continue their discreet conversation. JL is surprised at EZs political ambitions. Does he really think that Pedo will back him? EZ knows very well that he will not. EZ would have to betray Pedo in order to get ahead. As he said, he is on the side of justice. If JL has evidence against Pedo, he should put it forward. No criminal, no matter how influencial, should go unpunished. EZ begins to walk away. Then he turns back and whispers to José Luis: This conversation never happened. (Esta plática nunca se dio) Making Lemonade into Lemons Gauzy drapes, palm trees, a brilliant sky, the shimmering heat almost visible. We hear María and the padre before we see them. He is sure that Alejandro will be set free and the real culprit will be punished. She supposes hes talking about Pedo Medina -- hes such a powerful man and very dangerous... The padre changes the subject abruptly. How has María been? Has that Adolfo Argüelles been bothering her? Oh no, and she owes that to Padre Anselmo! And her depression? Shes sad, alone. Alejandro and his wife wouldnt let her live with them. She has a little room in town. She didnt want to accept any money from Alejandro for a better place -- Montserrat might think she was taking advantage of him. Shed love to leave Aguazul and go back to the country, the hacienda... Padre Anselmo brightens. He offers to take her back with him when he returns home in a few days. María accepts happily. She picks up a pitcher of lemonade and offers to pour a glass for the old man, (who must, in fact, be sweltering in his long-sleeved black shirt and black pants). But how clumsy she is! She accidentally spills the lemonade all over him. He is distracted but cheerful as he tries to dry himself off -- he even jokes that at least he is a bit cooler. María hands him back his Bible. So lucky it didnt even get wet! Alejandro in Prison Eye --> Mind Im yours, my love. Hes wearing blue, not tan. Alejandro whispers aloud: Very soon, my love, very soon. Who Do you Trust? Padre Anselmo, Montserrat and Macario are finally together in the Almonte house. Padre Anselmo explains in his usual hyperkinetic fashion that Alejandro has instructed him to deliver a very important letter directly to José Luis. Montserrat reacts with atypical panic: Tell me you didnt do it! He tells her that, in fact, he still has the precious note, but intends to hand it over to José Luis as soon as he can. Montserrat repeats what she has been led to believe -- that JL is the enemy, that his goal is to hurt Alejandro. He is the last person to be trusted with the note. She begs him to give it to her. Then they can hand it over to Licenciado Cervera. The Padre is unconvinced. The note is safe in his Bible. He has to honor his promise to Alejandro. Besides, Alejandro made it clear that no one else should read the note because the contents could threaten the safety of the Arechiga family. ¡Aquí no hay nada ! Macario begins to jabber now, saying that maybe Padre Anselmo is right and... But it is just a ploy to distract him. As soon as the padre seems to be off-guard, Macario swoops in and grabs the Bible right out of his hands. (Saluggi!) Then he quickly flips through its pages in search of the note. But it is not there. The Padre is sure he had it when he arrived at the house. Then he was talking to María... ¡Ay, María! Montserrat and Macario realize instantly that she has stolen the note. (Saluggi!) Padre doesnt get it. María wants Alejandro out of jail too. Why would she take the evidence exonerating him? Montserrat sets him straight: María would rather see Alejandro in jail for life than living with Montserrat. The padre will go talk to María right away. Shes living in a little room downtown... No, Montserrat corrects him rather tartly. María is living with her boyfriend -- or whatever he is -- Adolfo Argüelles. Padre says thats not possible. Argüelles tried to take advantage of her and he himself had to protect her! Montserrat again sets him straight. Adolfo and María were an item when both were living in the hacienda. Doesnt he remember how they teamed up to steal Alejandros money? Finally Padre Anselmo realizes he has been had: ¡Ay Dios, no pude haberme equivocado tanto! (Oh God, how could I have been so wrong!) He sinks to his knees and weeps. How could he have been so blind? He begs Montserrat to forgive him. I think you missed a note When María returns to Adolfos place, she finds him and Pedo waiting for her. What happened? María says that Pedo was right -- Joaquín did leave a note. But Alejandro found it first and destroyed it. Now the note no longer exists. Pedo takes her story at face value. He leaves, muttering that Alejandro lucked out this time but hes wrong if he thinks hes getting out of jail. María smiles to herself. Hasta luego, licenciado , she says. Adolfo wants to know what the joke is. She tells him that Alejandro didnt destroy the note. It exists [here she pulls it out and shows him] and now I have it! Did Alejandro give it to you? I got a hold of it. (Yo la conseguí) Why didnt you give it to Pedo? Because it doesnt accuse Alejandro -- it accuses Pedo himself! What will you do with it? Keep it as insurance. If Pedo tries to hurt me, I have the weapon to destroy him. A Glimmer of Hope Nadia, Victor and Dimitrio report back to Montse that Samuel Barajas has not said anything to implicate Alejandro. And he has no intention of doing so. Montse is glad to hear it, but tells them the have an even bigger problem now. María has stolen the precious note -- the only proof of Alejandros innocence. Montse is all set to go after her, but Nadia and Victor talk her out of it. Victor reminds her that María is capable of acting out if she feels trapped. And Nadia reminds her that even Montses pregnancy didnt stop María from attacking her. Dim thinks Adolfo is their secret weapon. All they have to do is offer him a lot of money. And Dim himself is the perfect person to do the deal. Dim leaves to work on Adolfo. Nadia asks Victor for a little time alone with Montse, so he heads out for the factory. Now that the girls have a bit of privacy, Nadia asks Montserrat to return a favor she once did for her: stand by while she does a pregnancy test. Amelia, Angélica, and José Luis return home . Though Angélica is in rough shape, she doesnt want to see a doctor tonight. She just needs to rest. Amelia assures José Luis that she will stay with her daughter. JL goes out to take care of an important matter. Friends dont let friends pee on a stick alone. As the friends wait for the result to appear, Nadia says she has been feeling queasy for a few days. And yes, of course, if she is pregnant, only Victor could be the father. She has never been intimate with Pedo... The test is positive! ¡Estoy esperando un hijo! You have to tell Victor. No! And if Pedo finds out? This is what Pedo wants. He asked her to get pregnant by Victor and then pass the child off as her husbands. Shes ashamed to admit that she agreed to the plan. The worst thing about it is that she agreed to give up Victor for good ( definitivamente) as soon as she conceived. Victor wont just walk away, observes Montserrat. Thats what terrifies Nadia. She knows that Pedo is quite capable of killing Victor. Avances: JL tells Montserrat he wont lift a finger to set Alejandro free. He grabs her and treats her with something less than delicadeza. Pedo puts a gun to Marías head -- where is the suicide note?
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 07:24:10 +0000