Episode 23: Spare Me Your Explanations

Every destination is always shaped and paved by directional steps. Amelia is a product of 18-year divine mercy under the roof and protection and sacrificial care of Pedro. Amelia amazes me. She is trying to do the impossible, to be more catholic than the pope. If yesternite I described Luis Alejandro as an ingrate to the kindness to the goddess of Love; Tonite’s episode revealed Amelia as an ingrate to the loving kindness of the God of mercy. Amelia has chosen and begun to take non-gratuitous steps towards a destination, which, only the God of recompense would determine.

Pedro defied Amelia’s order to terminate his gardening contract with Marissa. As he entered Marissa’s office, he met Amelia standing before Marissa and taking instruction from her boss. Marissa happily introduced “Mrs. Amelia”, her secretary, to Pedro Perez, who takes care of her garden at home. An ungrateful and stone-faced Amelia shot out her hands in formal greetings, as if she never met or knew Pedro (her husband and benefactor of 18 years) before. Pedro decided to 'play along', by formally greeting her without acknowledgement or prior recognition. Marissa told Pedro that “Mrs. Amelia" would henceforth supervise all the gardening contracts of the bank awarded to Pedro.

Pedro, was the object of gossip between Amelia and her friend, Lupe. Amelia was angry with Pedro's decision to take up the gardening contract from Marissa. When Lupe wondered aloud why Amelia didn't like it, saying "...is it because he would be seen as a gardener?" Amelia derogatively replied, saying: "...no, he would be seen by employees as one of the HIRED SERVANTS in the house ofMarissa". As a woman, I felt ashamed with the vain pride of Amelia. How could she possibly described the financial breakthrough of a man who catered and cared for her for 18 years as hired servanthood. The first payment for the contract was big enough to send Luisa Fernanda on a Carribean Yatch cruise, which could only be afforded by rich parents for their graduating wards! How much is the salary of this "glorified-messenger", decorated as Personal Assistant/secretary, that makes her to denigrate the honorable and dignified labor of her husband?

Pedro received the rudest shock of his life when, innocent Lic Ordonez (who didn't know that Pedro was the 'out-going' husband of Amelia), came into Amelia's office, just as Pedro was about leaving and asked her out for a dinner date again tonite, Pedro was startled, and looked straight into Amelia's eyes. Amelia looked back spitefully at Pedro and answered Ordonez tartly in the affirmative.

Carlos tapped Jennifer on the shoulder at the graduation ground. Jennifer was surprised that Carlos was there. She mocked him, saying that, he had come for the graduation of his 'little girlfriend'. When Carlos accused her of coming to ruin the day for Luisa Fernanda, she said she had come for her sister- Carolina’s graduation and not for Luisa’s ruination. At that moment he received an emergency call from a weeping Consuela, who told him that Don was choking and was about to die. He said in his heart; "...why today, of all days". He turned back and left, to attend to the emergency. As a lover, this great guy was conscientious, as a medical doctor he was kind-hearted. What a great combination of virtues!

After reviving the old man, he asked him who aggravated his condition again this time. Don told him that it was the anxiety of not finding his daughter that is aggravating his condition. Don, upon the insistence by kind-hearted Doctor Carlos, told Carlos the whole story of how and why he cruelly sent her packing out of his house some 19-20 years ago and is now desperately seeking her and his grand daughter to tell them that he is sorry.

By the time Carlos rushed back for the ceremony, it had rounded up. Augusto told him how Luisa got all the glamour, honor and the glory at the ceremony, receiving the Medal of Honor for Academic Excellence. By that time, Luisa had ran home, out of fear of being molested, after one of the nuns identified Jennifer as the furious lady that came looking for her recently. She miscontrued Jenny to be a lawyer sent after her to destroy her as threatened by Luis Alejandro Montero when he lost the case in court to Luisa.

Carlos Eduardo was mad with Jennifer, thinking that Jenny must have told Luisa Fernanda that she was "pregnant" with his baby. Maybe that was why Luisa went home without waiting for the group photographs.

As Luisa got back home with Pedro, she shared her sadness and hurts (concerning Carlos' unexpected absence at her graduation ceremony) with him. Pedro said it may have been due to a medical emergency. Luisa was not convinced, she told her father about their encounter with a Gypsy at the park who foretold her future: about a secret in her life that would change everything. She faced Pedro and asked him: "...father, is there any secret that you and mother are hiding from me?" Pedro was evasive, he simply told her not to believe superstistions. Luisa held on to her faith in what the fortune-teller told her. She further told her father of the absent-minded and distant attitude of Carlos in the last few days. She thought aloud that Carlos Eduardo may no longer love her, and maybe that was the secret that the Gypsy was talking about.

Carlos went home to prepare for the gala night organized for the graduands, promising himself that he would not miss that for anything... He went straight to Luisa Fernanda's house, and knocked. As he came in, wanting to explain the reason for his absence on the graduation ceremony, Luisa angrily spunned him, saying with a trembling and emotion-ladden voice: "...Spare me your explanations, I am not going to forgive you for what you did to me...", Carlos almost melted at the spot, because he was lost for what to say, thinking that Luisa meant the "pregnancy" of Jenny which he presumed had been disclosed by Jenny to Luisa.

"Helping" Andreina
Marissa, a woman of noble virtues, suddenly became worried about Andreina's troubled love-life. She raised the matter with L.A. She asked L.A. to help Andreina to get a stable boyfriend that she can marry. In order to avoid suspicions on his secret love affairs with Andreina, L.A. quickly agreed with Marissa's suggestion. Marissa drove home her desire by further suggesting that L.A.'s best friend and old university colleague- Lepoldo, is the best candidate for the romantic date, because the man is unbelievably still single. Marissa fixed a dinner in her house, inviting Lepoldo and Andreina to that dinner.

L.A. also called Lepoldo to his office to discourage him from honoring the dinner with his wife, saying it is one old maid of his wife that Marissa wanted to match-make him with. Lepoldo rejected L.A.'s advise, saying that as a bachelor, he has nothing to loose meeting anybody that Marissa may plan to introduce to him. L.A. is now in a tight corner, as he doesn't know how to wriggle out of the love-trap, about to be set for him. The stage seems set to emotionally toggle and stress Luis Alejandro Montero. The emotional schemer would be schemed and the romantic con-lover would be conned.

One tragic figure of tonite's episode that stands out is Heriberto Sotomayor. He never hid his contempt for his father-in-law, Don Fernando Alcantara. Rigo's cry for help to rescue a choking Don, bounced over him like water on the back of a duck. Saying, he could not miss his daughter's Vanessa's graduation for a dying man. This is one heartless and monstrous creature. Don himself is the creator of this monster. With his own hand, he picked him up from no where, moulded him into a 'son', whom he never had; made sure he married one of his daughters, Consuela, and...made the married couple to live in his house, under his nose. Stripped of all dignity, this slave-turned-son-in-law has become a treacherous monster, impatiently scheming, accelerating and waiting for Don's death. This tragicomedy is the result of parental schemes and manipulation of children to fit into the parents' fixation. Pity old don, reaping decades of his own schemes.

Facing increasing pressures from L.A., pressures which may expose him as ineffective in his career, the Private investigator/detective, Solozano, called Consuela for a meeting where he expressed his fears. Consuela despised him saying, if he had the nerve to take bribe to divert investigation at the begining, he should have the nerve to continue on that chosen course. She warned him never to call her for stupid issues like that again.

Episode 22: A Disappointing Secret That Would Change Your Life

Amelia toys with destiny. Having passed the first test of fate by heeding Lupe's advise not to resign from her new job, after knowing that her new boss, Marissa, was the woman who took away the only love of her life, some 18 years ago-Luis Alejandro Montero. She now takes fate for granted and latched on to a dead past that cannot fetch her victory in the present.

She believed a lie, a lie that emotionally swindled and jilted her 18 years ago, is the same lie she is dreaming about now. Luis Alejandro Montero is a lie, a constant lie that has not changed in 18 years. A prisoner of his own schemes, a parody of trajedy, a walking vanity, empty and lonely because his 'Prison Warder'- Marissa Gomez, has still not deeply trusted him in 18 years of 'imprisonment' called marriage, ...that is the man that Amelia is still dreaming and claiming that she still loves and would ever love.

Even when she knew that Lic Ordonez is making romantic advances at her, she murmured to herself that she does not like him, the only man she loves is Luis Alejandro Montero. The meeting of the board of directors of Metropolitan bank was an oppotunity to push her further and closer to her true destiny, alas! it was 'boycotted' by Amelia who, expectedly was to take note at ther meeting. She took excuse, asked Lupe to stand-in for her, ran away and threw the opportunity baby away with the' dirty bathwater', because of the fear of meeting Alejandro again. This is the full story of a woman that clung to a dead romantic lie called, Luis Alejandro Montero.

Please don't see me as being harsh and judgemental on the character of L.A. A glimpse at his 19-year history that we all know shows that, even when Amelia saw him as her 'Prince Charming', the astute schemer was Tripple-dating Consuela, Amelia and Marissa at the same period in time. L.A. is an emotional hitch-hiker. Committment and faithfulness is not in his romantic dictionary. He is a love tyrant and an ingrate to the kindness of the goddess of love.

An emotional warfare is brewing between Marissa and her son Carlos. Marissa is one woman so sentimentally committed to the word- RESPONSIBILITY. Jennifer's phony pregnancy has thrown spanners into the smooth pathway of Luisa and Carlos; Now, Marissa is driven to pity for 'poor' Jennifer, and has even gone ahead of Carlos' consent to promise Jennifer that Carlos would return to marry her, and take responsibility for both pregnancy and marital ties. How she would actualise that remains to be seen on this telenovela.

The prime couple, Luisa and Carlos met again, and headed for the Amusement Park. While they were there enjoying themselves, they saw a fortune-teller who reads people's palms to foretell their future. Luisa dragged Carlos there because she is interested in their future together. The Fortune-teller, looked into Luisa's palm and predicted a turbulent future of disappointments. And also that, there is a well-kept secret that would change her future.

Carlos was not so enthused with the prediction, dismissing it as superstitious. But he was heavily weighed down with the burden of guilt, knowing that Jennifer's current 'pregnancy'
would certainly be a disappointing and betrayal blow for Luisa Fernanda when she finds out.

Pedro, a wonderful and loving father took Luisa out shopping, for her graduation ceremonial dress. He decked his 'princess' with high-taste clothes that even, Vanessa a rich girl, had to envy the dress. When they returned home they wered shocked to meet Amelia at home. She told them that her office was being fumingated, that was the reason for her early home-coming. Pedro knew instinctively that Amelia was lying.

Amelia went to her room without giving any regards to the new dress bought by Pedro for Luisa. Pedro followed her shortly into the room, to question her further about her purported office fumingation. He was shocked to see her wearing an earring that must have caused a fortune! He querried where she got it from, and she simply lied that, it was a gift from Lupe, her friend. Pedro boiled in anger and rebuked her for lying, saying that even Lupe could not afford that kind earring.

In the heat of the cross-fires of words between them, Marissa called the home of Pedro with intent to tell him to come and take up the contract of flowering all the branches of metropolitan bank. Amelia picked the phone and froze, when she recognized the voice of marissa, her boss, asking to speak with Pedro. Pedro assured Marissa that he would come the next day after the graduation ceremony of his loving daughter. Amelia launched another envious tirade at Pedro after he dropped the receiver. She asked him what he was doing with her boss, and where did he know her?

Pedro smiled, and told her that he had been working to plant and nurse a garden in Marissa's house for the past several months. Amelia became frightened and hysterical with this revelation. She demanded and ordered Pedro to terminate the contract now, and not to honor the appointment, nor have anything to do with Marissa again! Why, because, all the bank employees would know that her husband is a common gardener.

Pedro considered her reasoning as absurd and told her so. I want to shout out loud to somebody who can hear me and get Amelia's ear. This woman is frightened by a dead past that never really existed in the first instance. She doesn't want anybody close to her to have anything to do with anybody that is close to Luis Alejandro Montero. Let us wait to see if her bluff would get Pedro out of his own destiny path too.

Would Pedro listen and heed the 'order' of hysterical 'Sergent' Amelia? My fear for Amelia is that: if she refuses to let go, a dead past, she would forfeit the freshness and newness of the present. As she surrenders with amazing speed to that dead past, called Luis Alejandro Montero, what she secretly hope and thought to be a final destination would turn out for her to be a devastating destitution that cannot be reversed, because it would have been too late by then.

Don Fernando Alcantara has been discharged from the hospital, but this time, the symptoms of Alchemzier dieseas had set in...memory loss...etc. With a failing memory, would he be able to surmont the battle against his scoundrel daughter (Consuela), who wants to dis-inherit him and Amelia's daughter?

D-Day is here: Graduation ceremony. Luisa is the Best of the bests, among the graduating students. Carlos has promised to come, and Jennifer is planning to come too. Vanessa is expecting Carlos too. What wwould happen? A three-way battle for the soul Carlos' love by three ladies? Amelia continues her strings of bad-luck boycotts, this time, it is the boycott of her only daughter's graduation...