Episode 53: Hunting And Haunted!

Consuela seems to be on the run, not only from the ripening harvest of her past evil seeds, that she had sown, but also after new evil deeds that she must commit. What an unusual race! It is difficult enough to walk on a tight rope, but Consuela is surprisingly running on a tight rope. When, and not if, she would fall, is a matter left for conjecture.

While the harvest of her evil schemes to prevent Luisa Fernanda from her legitimate inheritance is gradually ripening and haunting her, because, now L.F has arrived in the Alcantara 'palace'. Solozano is her next hunting target. She wants him to take the rap for the 200,000 Dollars robbery of steel workers payroll money from the Safe. So she instructed her 'ally-in-crime' tonite- Luis Alejandro Montero, to help.

Consuela Alcantara is a spectacle to behold. Scheming, to her, is like food. She lived by it, and I'm afraid, she would die by it. She thrives in contraptions. If she should be starved of strifes, she may suffer malnourishment of intrigues and die of inactivity. From the cradle, she had laid hold of an unusual vice called envy, the mother of bitterness and unforgiveness. She has never striven to be good in any other thing or vocation in life, but subtlety.

Slippery and sly, she has acquired a skill that none of her adversaries, in her forty-year sojourn in life has ever outwitted. I beg to say that she is a ruler and principality in the territory of mischief. Every molecule of her blood has been saturated with hatred that is sufficient to go round everyone that knew and ever associated with her closely. The seed of jealousy permeates every fibre of her being. She is a walking poison, seeking for every friend to permanently disable, and every enemy to utterly kill!

Having rode roughshod over every one that ever crossed her path, even if innocently or by mistake. She has acquired a confidence that dares THE LAW OF RETRIBUTION. She forgets that this irreversible law is the 'farmer' that preserves and nurture the seeds we planted yesteryears into bountiful harvest in later season of our live. It is a universal law without any exemption. From Amelia, Pedro, Rigo, Don, L.A, etc all have tasted her poisonous fangs at different times.

Consuela disarmed the suspicion of Rigo with a victim's crocodile tears, putting her head, like a baby, on Rigoberto's shoulders and accusing Rigo of never having loved her, saying: "... how could you ever thought that I would lie about Amelia's death? Perez is the most commonest name in the whole world, if Luicito were to be my dead niece, I would have been happy to adopt her a my own daughter, since I never had a child of my own. How could you think of such wickedness about me. You and my father never loved me, it was Amelia that you cuddle always." Rigo was softened, and she vowed that she loved Consuela, asking her to weep no more.

By the time L.F. resumed work the next day, Consuela called her and warned her not to trust Rigoberto. She said Rigo was not happy and is jealous of her, for taking her job in the house. That L.F. should be careful, because Rigo is very nosy, and might want to ask her about her past and background, in order to use the information to harm her. She urged her to only talk about the present with Rigo. She also warned her not to be too friendly with Rigo, because she is a psychotic i.e mad, at times.

L.A. threatened Andreina to pack her few 'rags' and leave his apartment, calling her a cheap slut. She swore to him that nothing happened between Leopoldo and her, saying, she was in sorrow throughout her stay in Cancun because, she thought he had gone back to reconcile with his wife, Marissa. They reconciled after he told her he was in police costody all that night because of being arrested and detained for attempted homicide.

Carlos Eduardo's joy of graduating as a doctor was dampened and cut short because L.F declined to go out and celebrate it with him. When he got home, he met Jennifer de la Cunning and his mom in a big festive mood, opening Champaigne bottle to fet with him. Vanessa was told about the of Carlos graduation by Rigo. She practically flew to Carlos' house to be part of the party. A warfare of words enued between Vanessa and Jennifer over who has a right of being Carlos girlfriend at the party.

Jenny threatened Vanny that it won't be difficult for her to get rid of her (Vanessa), as she did with that little school girl, Luisa Fernanda. Vanny replied that Carlos has not told her that Jenny was his girlfriend and that Jenny was the real usurper. Moreover, she said that Luisa Fernanda was her best friend, and that Jenny was only lying, using L.F's name to dissuade her from loving Carlos. Jenny warned her that she could be a very dangerous emnemy for Vanessa to contend with, and therefore she would deal viciously with Vanny more than she did with Luisa Fernanda. She told Vanessa that until a while ago, L.F was Carlos' girlfriend before she (Jenny), dealt with her.

At that point, Vanessa became unsettled, and rushed out of Carlos house and ran home crying. The next day, she was ready for battle, waiting for L.F. to resume work. When L.F eventually arrived, Vanessa pounced on her with all her anger, pouring her vituperations on her for betraying her by befriending and 'stealing' Carlos Eduardo from her. At that moment, Carlos Eduardo entered the Alcantara's house unnoticed, and listened to the bitter outpourings of Vanessa on Luisa Fernanda...

What do you think would happen? Would he carry on the pretentions or would he puncture the balloon falsehood that Vanessa has nurtured for over a year? Would he boldly come to the rescue of Luisa Fernanda and tell the TRUTH, once and for all, to Vanessa? Next episode would tell.

Meanwhile, Carlos had told his mother to cancel any graduation party because he was in a miserable emotional shape due to his problems with L.F. Marissa too agreed with him because of her own personal sorrow of booting out L.A from her life. She pleaded once again with Carlos to withdraw the case of attempted homicide against L.A. because she felt the man has been sufficiently humiliated by her throwing him out of the house, evicting him from his office accommodation and canceling his credit cards. Carlos reasoned with her, and agreed to withdraw the case.

Pedro was regretful and sorrowful to learn from L.F's mouth that she had to suspend her schooling till next semester and find work now to raise money for his hospital bill. He aid he won't allow her to drop out of school to pay for a shrink. He was further depressed when she told him that she had gotten a good job of taking care of "Vanessa's grandfather" Mr. Fernando Alcantara.

As soon as food was brought to him to eat after L.F and other visitors left, he escaped through the bathroom from the mental hospital.