WEDNESDAY EPISODE ON WHAT LIFE TOOK FROM ME EPISODE #66 The Peace Talks Victor opens the door to Montserrat and then quietly steps out of the room, leaving her alone with Alejandro. Why did you come to Aguazul? she asks Alejandro. He wont answer -- he owes her no explanations. How did you find out José Luis was here? Alejandro smiles bitterly. He should have known that was the reason for her visit. Yes, she admits, Angélica came to see me. Why do you want to see José Luis? His rage is growing. Does she still have to ask that? YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHY! he shouts. But Montse, now angry herself, retorts: No, I DONT know! He has a score to settle with that desgraciado José Luis Álvarez, he says, and he is going to make him pay for all the harm he has done. If Montse came to save JL, she can save her breath. Montse braces herself against all his vitriol. She pleads with him, her voice just above a whisper: José Luis is married, his wife is very sick, it isnt right ( no es justo )... Alejandro shouts her down. HE knows whats right and whats not. He knows very well that Montse and that bastard ( infeliz ) JL planned everything together. Montserrat repeats Alejandros cruel words to Angélica -- she and JL were just waiting for Angie to die so they could be together again. Where did he get an idea like that? What kind of woman does he think she is? The lowest, the most despicable -- the worst of all women! She sold herself to him. And JL married Angélica for her fortune... Montserrat can only listen in silent despair, shaking her head. Montserrat poisoned his soul, took his dignity and his pride. And now she wants him to spare JLs life? WHY THE HELL SHOULD HE? Because, she says softly, his wife is... Because his wife is dying, he says. Montse nods sadly. Well HE is also dying. Inside. He is dying of rage and fury and pain.* And José Luis has to pay for that with his life. [*Note to Alejandro: Lauro died. Angélica is dying. You are just a self-indulgent SOB who never learned to cope with strong emotions.] But José Luis did nothing to you! Stop lying! Who does she think shes talking to? He knows all her tricks. He warns her to leave -- he is so angry now, he might snap and kill her too. He turns his back on her and walks to the other side of the room. Montserrat tries one final time: If you ever felt anything for me, I beg of you... Then she looks around, and realizes she is talking to an empty room. She walks to the door, defeated. Now we see that María has been listening and watching from the doorway. She is smiling. Pedro and Nadia are getting ready to entertain (in a Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf kind of way) This is an important night for Pedro. The Party bigwigs are coming to talk about his candidacy for state governor. Everything has to be perfect. Why cant Nadia understand that? Her only job is to look beautiful and set a beautiful table, but she has failed at both. Her dress is crap ( una porquería)! Wheres the black one he told her to wear? The table setting is crap! Why did the maid do it when it was her job! Pedro yanks the cloth off the table, and all the dishes and glasses and silverware crash to the floor. He sends the terrified maid to the kitchen and orders Nadia, also stunned by his outburst, to reset the table properly and then change her dress. He watches her pick up the cloth and then kneel to gather up the broken dishes from the floor. And if that wasnt bad enough ... María follows Montserrat out of Alejandros house. Her hostile voice cuts through the dark like a knife: You wont be able to stop Alejandro from confronting your lover. And I hope José Luis ends up dead. But if it happens the other way around, Ill take away what you value most -- not your lover, but the child you had with him. Montserrat wheels around to face her tormentor: María wont dare go near her child -- if she knows whats good for her! Montserrat walks away into the night. Casa Mendoza Carlota explains that Montserrat has gone to see Alejandro to try to talk him in from the ledge. She and Graciela fear that Ale and JL are going to end up killing each other. Surprisingly, Graciela doesnt seem to think this would be a good thing. [Grumbles are heard here and there on The Patio -- Didnt the monkey writers have Graciela looking for blood a few episodes back?] Casa Valverde Josefina finds Adolfos visit unseemly. After all, her husband isnt home. Wait a minute...he said he was going to get a drink with Adolfo. If Adolfo is here, who is Dimitrio with? Virginia! Thats who! Dim and the Arechiga girl are having a very adolescent make-out session in the car. (You can almost smell the Clearasil.) Hes pressuring her, shes resisting -- but not too hard. And then it happens. In the heat of the moment, he murmurs Josefina. Say what? Ginnie is out of the car in a flash while Dimitrio cries out absurdly: ¡Soy disléxico! Casa Medina Enough time has passed for Nadia to have picked up the mess, reset the table and changed into a different dress. She has also recovered her poise as well as, dare I add, a certain ironic detachment in the face of her crazed husbands anger. She is playing the piano, perhaps to pass the time, but Pedro yells at her to stop. Where are the dinner guests? Nadia wants to put things away -- it is clear that no one is coming tonight. But Pedro insists they are merely delayed. Theres no way they would stand him up! Not on this night. Maybe the Party has changed its mind and isnt considering you as a candidate, suggests Nadia. That would give you a lot of pleasure, wouldnt it? replies her husband. Frankly, yes. Pedros phone rings. He answers it anxiously and hears Nadias suspicions confirmed: he is out of the running. Theyve picked some fool named Carvajal. We had to wait 66 episodes for it, but at last -- Pedro murders his first cellphone He lifts the phone in a smooth arc and hurls it forcefully to the floor. [Even the Russian judges are impressed.] Casa Valverde -- A lie is exposed Dimitrio crawls back home and pours himself a stiff drink. His lies are on autopilot by now. He tells Josefina he was out with Adolfo. Josefina calls him on it -- Adolfo has been with her since Dim left the house! This is Adolfos cue to step forward. Josefina walks away, leaving these worthless sons of Peter Pan alone together. Addie warns Dim that Fina suspects he is seeing another woman. Dim should watch out -- or Fina just might give him a taste of his own medicine ( pagarte con la misma moneda ). Casa Arechiga-Álvarez Montse reports back to Angélica. Does Alejandro want to kill him? Angie asks fearfully. Montses only reply is her tearful silence. The women hug. Casa Medina -- An Indecent Proposal Pedro ruminates (but then doesnt he always seem to be ruminating, working something over and over in that tight mouth that never fully opens.) He suspects the Party picked Carvajal over him because hes a family man. Well if the two of them have no kids, its for Pedros lack of manhood ( por tu falta de hombría ), says Nadia (who is remarkably aggressive tonight for someone living alone with a crazy man). Here Pedro shows he has the pragmatic soul of a politician. He tells Nadia that if she was going to follow Montserrats example and get herself a lover, at least she could have gotten pregnant by him. He sucks on his pipe and then blows the smoke into Nadias face. She can still get pregnant and give him a child. How, when he never touches her? She has his permission to rut with Victor Hernández as often as she likes, as long as she is discreet about it -- and as long as the child that results of their congress is hers and Pedros in the eyes of the world. Nadia is revolted by the suggestion. Pedro is sick! He pokes her in the forehead, Graciela style. Think about it! Casa Mendoza Montserrat tells Graciela and Carlota that her efforts have failed. Alejandro hates her and is out for revenge. What is she going to do? Casa Almonte Macario, who has been watching JLs house all day, reports to Alejandro that the lieutenant has not returned home. Montserrat, however, paid a visit to JLs wife. Alejandro puts the worst possible spin on that: How can Montse pretend to be that poor girls friend? Is there anything she wont do for money? He curses the day he saw her on that dock, the day he fell in love with her. Casa Valverde, The Bedroom Dimitrio almost admits he has been behaving badly, but he excuses himself immediately: He is so very angry. It turns out he is not the only one. Josefina, in her deceptively mild way, says she is tired of his attitude. When Dim starts blathering about his mothers financial problems, Fina cuts him short: Why do you treat me so badly? Thats just the way he is, Dim tells her. He promises hell do better... Josefina is skeptical. He has had several months to get his act together, for them to have…er... Does he think shes ugly? Dimitrio seems to make a decision. He says they are going to give it a try. He tells his wife to slip into something comfortable and lets go for broke ( vamos por todas las canicas. ) Josefina is thrilled. She goes out to change. Dimitrio sits alone and sighs. Casa Mendoza Graciela, Carlota and Montserrat agree on only one point: Alejandro and José Luis must be kept apart. Graciela is sure that her daughter can use her beauty and charm to tame her husband. They should get him to come to their house -- alone -- the following night and let nature take its course. Montserrat absolutely refuses to go along with this plan. She has already humiliated herself enough. Graciela is undeterred. If Montse wont call Alejandro, shell have to send him a message in her daughters name. Gracie grabs Montses phone and locks herself in the study. Casa Valverde Dimitrio talks aloud to himself as he awaits Finas return... she is repulsive...but shes a woman...so many things in play...a man must face his destiny...maybe shes wild in bed (una fiera en la cama)...and if I liked it.. . Josefina comes back, managing to be overdressed in her short silky nightgown and robe. Does Dimitrio notice her long gorgeous legs? He pushes her down on the bed, casts off his shirt and dives in. Casa Mendoza Montserrat tells her aunt that she cant do what Graciela is asking. But as soon as she goes up to bed, Graciela gets busy composing a text -- it has to be irresistible, she says. Carlota doesnt like this at all. Even if she manages to get Montse and Ale in bed together, the fall-out will be horrendous. It will prove to him that Montse will do anything to save his rival. It will make things worse! But Graciela ignores Carlota. Te hace falta Jesús , she growls at Carlotas withdrawing back. [At every table on The Patio, glasses are raised -- Salud!] Was it good for you? Dimitrio lies beside Josefina. He is out of breath, laughing, covered in sweat. Never in his life has he felt what he feels now. Josefina smiles and recites poetry. She turns toward him and kisses him, trying to start another round. But suddenly he bolts out of the bed, nearly naked, leaving Josefina bewildered. Where are you going? Arent I pretty? We are reminded of why we should care about Alejandro Almonte, this stupid, violent, abusive, murderous thug of a galán -- when he comes out of the bathroom wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. His phone sounds. He picks it up and reads this message: Mi amor, Te ruego que te vengas hoy en la noche a mi casa. Tengo algo muy importante que decirte, algo que necesitas saber. Por favor, no faltes. My love, Please come to my house tonight. I have something very important to tell you, something you need to know. Please be there. Casa Mendoza, the following day -- This is a job for SuperMom! Montserrat is trying to remember where she left her phone. [The monkey writers have forgotten that Graciela snatched it away from her daughter the night before. Seriously, guys, think about adding an elephant.] Carlota confirms her suspicions: yes, Graciela sent Alejandro a message in her name. Montse is upset. Now what? Even if she called Ale to explain that her mother sent the message without her knowledge, hed still explode at her. [Because lets face it, at this point he goes out and shoots at the sun every morning for daring to rise over his air space.] What can they do? Carlota thinks there is only one person who can get through to Alejandro. Montse agrees. Rosario is the only one who can prevent a tragedy. Montse finds Rosario in the nursery, where she is snuggling little Lauro and cooing to him about his daddy, and she tells her suegra that they must have a serious talk: Alejandro is in Aguazul -- and no, he isnt here to see his son. He is here to take vengeance on the man he thinks is the babys father. A hotel room somewhere outside Aguazul JL is anxious to get back home. Refugio is in no hurry. Without Esmeralda waiting for him, Aguazul means nothing. He asks his friend if it is Montse or for Angélica he is longing for. JL admits he cant stop thinking of Montse, especially now that he knows the story about her happy marriage was all a lie. Alejandro threw her out as soon as he learned the true identity of his foreman. And he knew she was pregnant! Is the baby yours? No, its Alejandros. Ojalá fuera mío . (I wish it were mine) Tell him the truth! Rosario is beside herself. They have to do something! If Alejandro kills that man, hell spend his life rotting in prison, just as she did. [The difference, of course, would be that Rosario was innocent. But she is his mother so well let it slide.] Montserrat has tried her best but couldnt convince him she has never betrayed him. In a way you did, señora... ventures Rosario timidly. But not the way he thinks! If even you have doubts about me... Rosario doesnt doubt Montserrat. But she can put herself in Alejandros place and understand why he would think the worst. That man was living in the hacienda and there were times he and Montse were alone -- she should have told Alejandro... Montserrat was only trying to talk José Luis into leaving. And if she kept silent about his presence, it was because she knew Alejandro would have killed him, had he known. She begs Rosario to tell Alejandro she is his mother. She is the only one who can keep him from becoming a murderer. Casa Almonte In a dazzling display of chutzpah, María complains to Victor about Joaquín Arechiga putting ideas in Alejandros head. They would have been better off staying on the hacienda. And after all the harm Montserrat has done him, how can Alejandro continue suffering for that woman? Victor reminds her that María did nothing to keep Arechiga away from Alejandro. And it is clear that Ale is still in love with Montserrat. María disagrees. Hes not in love ( enamorado ), hes bewitched ( embrujado )! And she hopes he ends up killing JL -- and Montserrat too. Victor points out it could go the other way -- Alejandro might be the one who ends up dead. Besides, if he did kill JL, hed spend the rest of his life in prison. María takes Victors words to heart. She follows Alejandro into his room and begs him to go back to the hacienda. He orders her to get out. He doesnt want to listen to her tonterías . But you could be killed! Doesnt she get it? He wants to be alone! Casa Valverde - Josefina loses her innocence Graciela pays a visit to her baby boy. Dimitrio is pleased to tell her that he has Josefina ready to do whatever he wants. And just how did he accomplish that? He didnt sleep with that creature, did he? Yes, thats exactly what he did. Graciela is shocked. He went to bed with that...thing? Lets face it -- it was time. But hed better take care not to make her pregnant. [Hey monkeys, wasnt that what Graciela wanted yesterday? Im telling you guys -- you need elephants for your team. Or lay off the pulque or something,] Wait...dont tell me youre in love with that monstrosity ( adefesio )? Dimitrio smirks and tells his mother not to worry. Graciela asks him to wish her luck -- she is hoping to solve Montserrats problems tonight. Graciela is gone. Suddenly Dimitrio becomes aware that Josefina is in the room. And she has heard everything. So thats why he did it? It was a sacrifice for him to make love to her? Dont come near me -- you make me sick! Tomorrow: The dreaded confrontation. Or not
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:10:22 +0000