Part of the secret's out!

Before I enlighten my visitors on what's been happening, allow me to wish you all,Baraka D' Sallah and a very Merry Christmas. After the holidays , we'll all feel bummed out as we have to get back to our jobs full time , so we just have to have fun while we still can.

What's been happening...

Cat tried to run away after hearing Joaquina's on turning her over to Carmelo in exchange for money but the shameless woman told her son to keep watch over her.Not sure her feelings for Romero is real love, Martina broke up with him. At the capital, Jessica made her testimony but since there was no witness when Carmelo threatened her, it did not stick and the son-of-a-bitch(which he is, literally), was allowed to go. Cat got out with the help of Tonio's father and got into more trouble after she accepted a lift from the diabolical Toni, just returning from taking Joaquina to present her as his mother(which of course he didn't accept), after they'd gotten to her house, she drugged the unsuspecting young woman and placed a call to Adela, who in turn told Carmelo on his way back from Joaquina's house(she had told him Catalina was there and got furious on discovering her husband had helped her escape). Sebastian and Romero had been there earlier on to visit her and Magarido had told them what had happened. Carmelo found Catalina in Toni's house and dragged her back with him , amidst threats. Cat and Alicia however planned another escape; to hold on Alicia's wedding to Luis. Sebastian, not knowing about the plan at first, went to the penthouse to rescue Catalina but, to Carmelo's malicious delight, she said she had to stay with her(ugh!) husband until the child was born. Edwardo later on told him what Alicia and Catalina had planned and the matter was discussed at her house. Sylvia, who had gone into a coma following complications from the ill-advised liposuction died in her sleep, to Ricardo's joy and Edwardo's sadness; the latter organised the funeral, while Ricardo went off to celebrate(he's such a pig!).

Tonio was dismayed that Joaquina had told on Catalina and confronted Toni but the woman denied having any part of it. Romero is visited by a music producer who wants to sign him up as a new singing star, which he accepts. Alicia calls Luisa to tell her the plan was in place but alas! Adeal heard the whole thing on the extension. Alicia and Luis get married in church and the reception is held at her house. During the party, while Carmelo was fooling around with the other young men, Cat slipped away and found Sebastian waiting for her as planned but couldnt get away as Adela had tampered with the engine earlier (bitch!), so Carmelo caught them and threatened to stab Catalina in the womb if anyone tried to stop him from taking her away. But at the last minute, Petra convinced Carmelo she was on his side and was allowed to go with them to the penthouse and serve as a maid(in actual fact to look after Cat and pass secret messages to Sebastian). Poor Cat recieved a few slaps from that beast for 'making a fool of him',forced to kneel down and apologise(which she did through gritted teeth) and made to sleep in the same bed as him(her pregnancy saved her from being raped). As for Adela(though she really didnt care)got lots of insults from Sebastian and Gustavo, who gave her a slap(probably the very first) and declared that their marriage was over.

Out of severe worry, Sebastian goes to the penthouse to persuade Cat to run off with him again, but she was now far too scared for their child now to risk it and urged him to go before Carmelo came out of the shower, Sebastian managed to steal a kiss from her before the idiot could come out and see that.

Romero scolded him for putting Cat and their child at risk but Sebastian was beyond caring ; he was anxious to get her away from Carmelo once and for all. The body of Don Lupe was found in the river by two workers and after an autopsy, is confirmed as Don Lupe's. Toni was of course banned from attending the Mass and protested loudly she cannot be stopped from entering the church, so it was limited to not allowing her flowers to be used or allow her to place anything on casket, to her fury.Adela and Carmelo quarrelled; he refused to give her anymore money or buy her her precious casa at Las Lomas,calling her an opportunist and complained that her alligence to him had been very expensive. She threatened to tell the police that he had kidnapped Don Lupe but got laughed at; she HAD NO PROOF!

Tonio decided to go to see Cat to confirm that Joaquina had really betrayed her,giving a lift to Josepha and Rufina who felt it was now time for them and Petra to finall fixed the mess the and made, by finally telling the whole town who's son was who.

Sebastian managed to see Cat(who slipped away from Carmelo) while Romero distracted Creep Carmelo and told him that Don Lupe's body had finally been found.

While waiting for Cat to return, Toni overheard ther three women say that he was not Toni's son. After he angrily confronts them, Petra admits that he was the Perez's son and had only lied to "protect someone." But before he could ask anymore questions, Carmelo returned with Cat and ordered them to leave.

Adela had a fight with Ricardo who refused to share his inheritance with her. After he left, she (who had bought some lottery tickets the day before) checked the newspaper to see if she'd won while the others watched Romero on TV. To her joy, it confirmed she'd won the grand prize!

'I'm the Queen!' she shouted then grabbed her arm and cried out in pain...

She fell,a vase of flowers fell on the tickets... in her confusion she grabbed them and the wet paper crumpled in her hands....

Ricardo enters the lawyer's office full of arrogant confidence that he's Silvia's universal heir but the lawyer tells him someone else was coming for the reading of the Will.

After being ordered by Carmelo to prepare to accompany him to the town for Don Lupe's funeral Mass, Cat and Petra went to the kitchen to wash up, only to find Adela on the floor, mouth twisted and eyes wide open...

WHAT NOW?

What's been happening so far...

Don Lupe was overjoyed at the sight of his (ex) daughter-in-law, who was naturally amazed and confused but soon pulled herself together & calmed him down, promising to notify his children immediately.

Lupe told her everything that had happened to him under the wicked Carmelo and expressed how wrong he'd been about her, calling her 'a good girl' but she brushes it aside, urging him to save his breath and them managed to come up with an excuse to stay in the hospital after slipping away to call Sebastian, who almost fainted at her startling news and got there with his sister and Romero; just in time for the old man to give them all(yes, including Catalina) his blessing before dying; a lot of crying from the young people. 

Carmelo(who found out from the nurse who again called the penthouse looking for Catalina that his 'father' was in the hospital) went with Marcelo to kill Don Lupe but upon hearing he was already dead, stole the body, drove to the town and dumped the body into the river (Allah punish una, a million times!) and went back, Carmelo went back to settle things with Catalina, whom he'd seen snogging Sebastian at the hospital only to be forced to make a statement to the head of security at the hospital(what he really did is shamefully tell a pack of lies) and got back to the penthouse where he received the beating of his life from a very angry Sebastian and got bashed on the head with a vase by Gustavo when he stupidly tried to stop his 'wife' from leaving with Sebastian, even Luisa joined in by tackling him to the ground when it looked like he was going to hit Gustavo again,daring him to beat her. Out of fear of Carmelo's threat to kill her, Jessica ran away from home and found sanctuary in the church.

Toni cried and cried over the death of her Lupe as she called, 30% out of Love, 70% because she was unable to make him suffer for rejecting her and vows to make his children's lives a living hell, especially Sebastian's, despite threats from Josefa that she'll tell every one who the REAL father of her son is... an American anthropologist who had passed through the town 20 years ago! So Carmelo is not even a full blooded Mexican, (HA! HA!) but now, Tonio assumes since HE is Toni's son, Carmelo is then his foster parents real son. Carmelo is now hunting for Cat with the threat to have her baby taken away by the law if she didn't return to him, so now she's hiding out, in Tonio's foster parents home, after being taken there by Sebastian and Tonio. 

Angered that Sebastian poisoned Cat's mind against her when she offered her own house to the young woman, Toni phoned Carmelo to snitch on the couple but before that bastard could call back, was arrested by the cops on suspicion of Amelia's murder and falsification of Lupe's Will. To his horror, he guessed that the person coming to the city to press charges against him could only be Jessica. Cat overheard Joaquina urging her disinterested husband(who is unhappy his real son is a criminal) to try and get money from Carmelo, since 'he's our son.'

Exactly when will this telenovela end? I thought it would be last week, now it's being prolonged, I don't want Cat to be forced to go back to that evil man, or she and Sebastian separated AGAIN ,or FAR WORSE, their baby stolen from them.
 I'm tired of this soap already.

End drawing nearer and nearer...

 The Porshe explodes with Amelia in it. Marcelo hides in fear and shock, as Panchito and the other workers hurry to the scene to investigate. Full of confidence, Carmelo sets off for Chucho's house to see Jessica. Sebastian is worried that the night's drinking may have affected the baby but Catalina reassures him. Petra advises both of them never to allow mistrust keep them apart. Sebastian lovingly kisses Catalina, vowing never to allow anyone or anything separate them again. The guards are getting bored with their current job, though they are being well paid. Cat tells Sebastian that Carmelo had gone out of the city and acting weird, as if planning something. The Governor of the town is at the scene of the explosion and they all recognise the car as Marcelo's but have no idea who the body inside is. While Chucho is out, Carmelo enters the house and threatens a very frightened Jessica to name her as his accomplice if he didn't take back what she'd confessed.Padre Dimitrio tells Panchito,Rufina and Mrs. Manola that Amelia had told him Carmelo wanted to kill her but wrongly figured she could handle him. Romero and Martina are on their way to see Jessica when Romero's mum tells him over the phone about the explosion.

The Governor tells Padre Dimitrio that it has been confirmed that the body in the car is Amelia.

Cat tells Sebastian that she had seen Amelia and Marcelo with Carmelo early that morning in front of his father's apartment and mentioned and had mentioned she was going to town.Petra sadly admits Carmelo was no longer the child she had raised; Gustavo remarked that people change and not always for the good.Cat worries about how Sebastian will get past the guards but he couldn't care less if they saw him and kisses her goodbye. They confront him outside but he coldly tells them to let Carmelo he'd been there as he wanted to talk to him.

Lupe begs 2 nurses to call Catalina at the penthouse and the maid takes down the message. Gustavo tells Petra he'll soon be allowed to go home. Cat tells Alicia and Luis the good news at the gym. Rufina calls Chucho about Amelia's death and Jessica is filled with terror that she might be next.

Carmelo is shocked when a very much alive and kicking Marcelo barges into the apartment with a gun but recovering fast, brings out his own.Reluctantly, they both put the guns down.Carmelo tells him that Jessica had confessed but the Law can't prove the Will is fake since they contain authentic signatures of Don Lupe and Chucho. Marcelo demands for half of the inheritance.The nurse tells an anxious Lupe that Catalina was not at home, promising to try again. Cat asks Luis to give her and her father a lift as he was going home that day. Eduardo, who had been listening the whole time, reluctantly congratulates her on being back with Sebastian. Chucho is certain that the explosion was premeditated, a homicide. Sebastian arrives and is told about Amelia.Jessica cries that Carmelo had come to threaten her earlier which convinces her he's the one behind Amelia's murder. Padre Dimitrio tells the Governor what Amelia had told him the last time he'd seen her and the Governor decides to have Carmelo apprehended immediately. Over pizza, the 2 criminals decide to go the bank to open a joint account.Panchito remarks about how jealousy and resentment towards Sebastian had blackened Carmelo's soul.Sebastian informs everyone that he and Catalina were back together finally and phones the penthouse to tell her where he was. Adela angrily snatches the phone from Louisa, orders him to leave her daughter alone and hangs up. Romero,Sebastian and Martina go back to the ranch to begin the search. Cat comes home to pick up clothes for Gustavo and Adela tells her that Sebastian had called to inform her that he was back in town with Amelia and had lied to her. But Cat doesn't fall for that trick and tells her that they had firmly reconciled, to her dismay. Carmelo and Marcelo decides to hire a P.I (private investigator) to look for Don Lupe before Sebastian finds him first. Tonio joins Romero and all the men in the town to look for Lupe after and and Toni are told about Amelia.
Josepha tells Toni that Carmelo was the main suspect and the woman calls him 'a murderer'. Josepha however calls him a 'tormented soul'. Toni realised that the only woman to have won the heart of a Mendoza was Catalina since Sebastian still loved her, wondering if she now knew of her rival's death and was happy about it. Josepha defends her by saying Catalina had good feelings. (But I'm sure Cat would be relieved, if not happy). Luis brings a basket of fruit to Gustavo but as the doctor found a lot of sugar in his blood, cannot eat them. He asks Catalina to take it to the sick man found on the street instead.Carmelo and Marcelo give a P.I Lupe's description.
Cat enters the room with the basket.
'good afternoon, can I come in?' she said.'I hope you're feeling better...'
She sees the patient and got the biggest shock of her life.
'It can't be...' she gasped, putting down the basket. 'Mr. Lupe!'

2 STEPS BACK AND 5 STEPS FOWARD!

TUESDAY...
Sebastian stubbornly did not believe Cat's story and left the place, angry and confused. She however followed him, afraid to leave him alone. Chucho tells Rufina, Panchito and Padre Dimitrio about what Jessica did and they get a suprise visit from Joaquina, Antonio's ,who wants to know what Petra did with her real son. Amelia overheard Carmelo's conversation about killing her. One of the bodyguards calls to inform him that Mrs. Catalina left the hospital 2 hours back and has'nt returned. Cat had traced her exhusband to Jessica's apartment and, to her distress, finds him drunk.He still calls her a liar who had made him suffer so much and dares her to drink the tequila he's drinking if she's really telling the truth. She drinks the whole bottle defiantly and they both weep over their misfortunes. Carmelo comes looking for her but when no one answers, he leaves. Toni offers money to Adela if she could find out from Carmelo where Lupe is but the shameless woman would not go against Carmelo(why should she, it wont pay her if she did, he's giving her lots of money). Antonio, Romero, Louisa and Martina confab on the next line of action against Carmelo.
Carmelo goes to Alicia's house in search of Catalina and ignores Petra who tries to talk to him. She sorrowfully wonders how he'll end. Martina and Romero find Catalina and Sebastian drunk on the floor, in each other's arms. Louisa triumphantly tells her mother what her visitors had told her, that Jessica had forged the Will and Carmelo might soon be arrested, much to her horror and fear. Creepy Carmelo is furious that Catalina still wasnt back, certain she's at a hotel with that 'idiot', wondering what Sebastian had that he didn't. My answer: PLENTY OF THINGS, INCLUDING RAW SEXUALITY BUT IN TERMS OF BEING LOGIC, A LOT MORE STUPID THAN YOU.
Martina and Romero give Catalina some coffee to sober her up(a pregnant woman should drink alcohol) and the latter offers to take her home. Cat enters and an irate Carmelo demands to know where she's been...

Now yesterday...(I ALMOST DIDN'T GET TO WATCH IT THANKS TO NEPA AND A FAULTY GENERATOR)

I'll say this for our Cat, she may be soft hearted but a coward? NOT AT ALL! She coolly faced him and said she had gone for a walk. He insisted that she had been with her ex husband but she denied it fearlessly and told him to prove his statement instead of slandering her; she marched off to bed with Louisa, leaving him simmering with rage.
Don Chucho decides to wait for Lupe to be found before taking legal action against Jessica. Mrs. Manilo, Romero's mother, comes with news from her son, that Catalina was carrying Sebastian's son, to their amazement. Amelia assures Sebastian that she was only sleeping with Marcelo to get info about his father and hopes he'll soon come to love her instead of Catalina.(pooh!)
Toni is beginning to doubt Tonio is her son since Adela pointed out he's darker than her and Lupe and asks Josepha for her opinion.Gustavo and Adela have a heated argument over Carmelo; he tells her he had stolen his inheritance, she is far mote concerned about getting some of it before he gets arrested. Lupe tries to tell a nurse to call Sebastian, Martina or Catalina but is far too weak. Carmelo orders Catalina to get herself tested for her illness and freezes in horror when she boldly hints it might be pregnancy since she  slept with Sebastian before stupidly marrying him.
At the hospital, the doctor questions the alcohol found in her blood and confirms her pregnancy in front of Carmelo, who orders her to have an abortion. She hotly refuses and demands a divorce, which is furiously denied, as he'll never allow her get back with Sebastian.Sebastian makes a formal complaint to the police and goes to the penthouse but only Louisa is there. Petra and Alicia show up and the three of them defend Catalina when he still proudly refuses to believe in her innocence. Carmelo shamelessly tells Amelia and Marcelo(not knowing Tonio is nearby) that he and Catalina where expecting a child, much to her anger and Amelia's malicious delight. Cat fakes a tummy ache and is taken back to the clinic where Carmelo threatens to kill her baby if she didn't obey him from now on and since she's his wife, the child legally belonged to him.After she leaves in disgust, Adela asks him about what he and Jessica had done to the Will. Filled with terror that Jessica had dared to confess, he stammers that it was a lie to set her against him.Jessica is visited by a boastful Amelia who is convinced Marcelo is taking her to where Lupe was and she'll finally score points with Sebastian.
Carmelo, meanwhile buys a bomb.
Adela is furious to find Sebastian at the penthouse and orders him to go but he hotly reminds her he was still the owner of the penthouse and will no longer hand it over to Carmelo since he had stolen his inheritance. She accuses him of lying to scare her and slaps Louisa when the girl contradicts the lie about Catalina's baby belonged to Carmelo.
Tonio questions his paternity and wants to return to the Navy. Amelia tells Padre Dimitrio that Carmelo wanted to kill her.
Sebastian goes to visit Gustavo and almost enters Lupe's room but a nurse tells him Gustavo was in the other room. He overhears Catalina telling her father and Petra what Carmelo is threatening to do. Finally convinced he tells her that he loves her and he'll defend her and their son and force Carmelo to divorce her. Speechless, Cat goes to him and they embrace in reconciliation at long last.
While Amelia and Marcelo aren't looking , Carmelo rigs up the car with the bomb. The 2 argue; Amelia tells Marcelo to find a girl of his own class, grabs his car keys from his jacket and runs to the car, enters, turns on the ignition then...
BOOM!

UNMASKED!

Man, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed yesterday's episode, by far it's was more fun than I ever had since Don Lupe's kidnap. Jessica cracked under pressure from her grandfather Don Chucho and confessed she helped Carmelo alter the Will but insisted to him,Sebastian, Martina and Romero that she had no hand in their father's alleged kidnap by Carmelo, which gave them hope that Don Lupe is still alive. However, it's the end of her budding relationship with Daddy's boy and her grandfather who, ashamed of her, gave her a MUCH DESERVED slap!
Don Lupe is still alive but clinging to life at the emergency hospital some kind Samaritans had sent him to(after he'd collapsed while waiting for Cat), which happens to be the same place Gustavo Negrete is recovering from the injuries sustained by Carmelo's boys; Carmelo shamelessly confirmed that he'd been behind the attack and hoped none of them would ever disobey him again.Cat however defied him by telling him she was staying the night with her father.After he left, she told Gustavo that she was pregnant with Sebastian's son, to his joy and Louisa's and Adela's horror. Carmelo overheard Marcelo urging Amelia to run away with him, if he'd had his gun, Carmelo would have shot them right there and then but sneaked quietly instead, vowing to get rid of both of them as soon as possible. When Amelia said she needed time to think about it, Marcelo confessed that Carmelo had asked him to kill her.
Cat managed to slip away from the bodyguard(who got his comeuppance from a nurse he tried to toast) to see Sebastian and told him the little she knew about his Dad. She also told him about his son she's expecting but typical of that prideful idiot, he refused to believe her,saying, 'how stupid do you think I am?' My own reply would be, 'VERY , VERY STUPID!'
It ended with Sebastian asking Cat, thanks to a slip of tongue from Alicia, about the 'deal' she had made with Carmelo.Tearfully, our Catalina finally told him the truth. Quoting Gustavo,
'if he doesn't believe you, that's his problem!'

PEACE OUT AND SEASON'S GREETINGS!

A Message From Danielle Steel

December 2007

Dear Friends,

December is one of the best months of the year, although it can be challenging for us all. It's a busy month for everyone, and sometimes we can feel lonely in the midst of all the excitement and fun, and things don't always work out as we hope or plan. But if we can't celebrate the holidays with family, hopefully we can with friends. And even among loving families, things can get hectic and overbooked. With a little luck, we get to spend the holidays with those we love, share meals, celebrations, and spectacular times. If we have the time, it's wonderful to share the gift of ourselves, and remember how much we care about the people close to us.

I have always particularly loved holiday traditions since I was a child. It's harder to organize as the kids grow up, but I cherish every moment we spend together. I hope that your holidays are full of love and blessings and the people that you care about. Happy holidays to all of you!!!

Love,

Danielle

P.S. You are always welcome to visit me at my home on the web:
http://info.randomhouse.com/cgi-bin21/DM/y/ewHP0Mx6Ij0V50H860EX

The end is near...

Firstly, thank you, Teeny for the kind message in the cbox, to be honest, I'd been thinking no one was interested in MY FAVORITE THINGS anymore and have been contemplating deleting my beloved blog. Some one asked me for the last few episodes of WHEN YOU ARE MINE some time back so click on this link, LAST TWO EPISODES OF WHEN YOU ARE MINE to read it. But as for the full story, I'll start posting it but I'm in the middle of my exams right now, so be patient. Okay?
Don Lupe has finally escaped his prison and it won't be long now before he's reunited with his children.Although, I'm a little disappointed, I wanted Catalina to be the heroine who finds him and helps him escape. I just hope the old man has heard enough from Marcelo to know that Catalina is not an opportunist but a very wronged woman. As for Sebastian, his punishment would be discovering he's been trusting and consorting with a liar and a traitor and I can't imagine how he'll react when he finds out the real reason why Cat had married Creepy Carmelo in the first place.
Poor Gustavo paid for trying to help Sebastian and Martina get their father back and free his daughter from the bondage of a marriage by getting beaten up by Carmelo's horrible bodyguards. But I don't think Creepy Carmelo would interested in that at all, because right now, his main priority is to find Don Lupe before he gets to his children who will waste no time putting him in jail for kidnapping and attempted murder. This will also affect Jessica, who helped forged the Will;if she's not sentenced to serve time in jail, she'll most likely be disbarred.
As for the couple, the ball will be on Cat's court; not if she will forgive idiot Sebastian or not, but how much time will pass before she does or how much time before Sebastian will swallow his pride and plead with her. PEACE OUT

MORE PROBLEMS FOR OUR CATALINA

What happened yesterday... Cat suddenly fainted at the charity concert; while Martina dashed off to find a doctor, Sebastian callously walked away since 'she has a husband to look after her', inspite of Romero's protests. Don Lupe suddenly had trouble breathing and a very worried Roberta administered oxygen to him , with Marcelo's reluctant help. Between gasps, he begged Marcelo to tell him about his children and why Cat had married Carmelo in the first place. But Marcelo first wanted to know why he'd never acknowleged Carmelo as his son. Lupe once again denied being his father but admited that the only woman he'd had an affair with outside his marriage was with Toni. Amelia confessed to the Padre that she's been sleeping with Marcelo but insisted it was Sebastian she loved, the bitch conveniently forgot to add that she'd been the one to ruin C&S's marriage in the first place. Antonio, although his 'mother' had told him Cat's story, has joined the list of men to fall under her spell; commenting on how beautiful she was and 'we really liked each other'. Toni scornfully could'nt understand what men saw in 'that woman, she's pretty but there's no spark.' Antonio refused to believe that she'd married Carmelo for his money when she loved Sebastian, Josepha defended Cat by explaining how Amelia and Carmelo had joined forces to ruin Cat's marriage. When Toni admitted she knew about the plots but never told the couple, Antonio expressed his anger and disgust.Meanwhile Antonio's family discuss the possibility of Carmelo being their real so and wonder whether to ask Petra, who is told that Alicia has invited her to her wedding. Romero is advised by one of the BOOM boys to mend things with Martina. The doctor Martina managed to find confirmed our suspicions, Cat is PREGNANT! But alas, both Martina and the diabolical Jessica were present when she was told. The 2 girls hastily pulled Sebastian(who came back to check on her) away as Creepy Carmelo came up. CC, wondering why she was sick all the time, ordered Cat to get herself checked the next day. Jessica at first attempted to stop Martina from telling Sebastian that Cat was pregnant but they tell him anyway, to his amazement. Sebastian is sure it was his child since Cat and Carmelo haven't been married for long but Jesscica maliciously suggested that she may have been sleeping wiht Carmelo before they married. Cat called Alicia to give her the startling news, Louisa overheard and dropped the cup of tea in her hand. Adela gets worried when Mary, the maid, suggests that Cat's illness could be as a result of preganancy and goes to warn her daughter; if it's true, she'd better not be pregnant for Sebastian or they'll lose everything. (you mean she will lose everything, shameless woman).

Just in, from Hollywood

First we have 'LIONS FOR LAMBS' directed by the visibly aged but still good looking Robert Redford(I first saw him in the role of the aloof tycoon in the 1974 adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY alongside Mia Farrow) who also stars along with Tom Cruise and the ever sweet faced Meryl Streep(Redford's co-star in the 1985 film, OUT OF AFRICA). The film is about a platoon of American soldiers fighting in Afganistan, a idealistic professor(Redford), a U.S Senator(Cruise) and a journalist(Streep), whose lives are interwoven.For more details, click on LIONS FOR LAMBS' PLOT.

Ageless Denzel Washington returns in AMERICAN GANGSTER, the true life story of Frank Lucas who starts his career as an unassuming chauffeur/righthandman to a drug kingpin but then becomes a druglord himself, starting his own empire after his boss suddenly dies from a heart attack. Lucas smmugled his drugs into the country under the nose of the U.S government by hiding them in the bodies of soldiers(killed in Vietnam) being shipped back home.Rugged New Zelander Russell Crowe plays Richie Roberts, the FBI Agent who brought Lucas and his empire down. For more details, click on
American Gangster's plot .

Trivia: In 1995, Denzel Washington & Russell Crowe starred in the
science fiction film VIRTUOSITY.

Jodie Foster's acting career started as a little girl, one of her early

roles was of Becky Thatcher in one of the adaptations of Mark Twain's THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. See her in THE BRAVE ONE, about a bereaved woman who turns into a bloodthirsty vigilante after she is severely beaten and her fiance(Naveen Andrews, THE ENGLISH PATIENT) is murdered by thugs when they innocently out for a walk with their dog. Full of grief at her loss, she buys a gun and goes round killing criminals at random as well tracking down the thugs who had attacked her and killed David. Terence Howard(who played Miguel D. Nuez' goofy brother in the classic sitcom, SPARKS as well as the villian in BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE) is the detective assigned to her case and who may have to make a big decision when he finds out the vigilante is actually someone he knows.

Also look out for the remake of one of the earliest of slasher films, John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, directed by Rob Zombie, though personally I don't understand why it's being remade since the original movie has about 7 sequels, making it Halloween pt. 1-8; part 8 being HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION, where 2 producers came up with the very stupid idea of having a reality show in the mass murderer's own childhood house. For more details about the original movies AND the killer, click on MICHEAL MYERS.

(Between him and Jason Voorhees, I don't know who gives me the shivers more).

Malcom Mcdowell(the villain in I SPY) plays the embattled psychiatrist Dr. Loomis(originally played by the late Donald Pleasance). Tyler Mane (Sabretooth in X MEN) is the 8th actor to don on the creepy mask of Micheal Myers and Scout Taylor-Crompton as Laurie Strode(originally played back in the 70's by a much younger Jamie Lee Curtis),Micheal's sister whom he has much hunger to kill.

TRIVIA: Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Janet Leigh, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO.

What should replace CATALINA y SEBASTIAN?

Since this telenovela is now showing signs of rounding up any time soon, (THANK GOD!), now the question is, what telenovela would replace it. Well, since I mentioned LA Heredera in

It's raining Telenovelas! post, some of my visitors expressed their wish that AIT should have shown this one, so maybe WE MIGHT get the chance of seeing it after Catalina y Sebastian wraps up, but on the other hand, people might get tired of seeing Silvia Navarro and Sergio Basanez for the third time. Personally, I want to see this telenovela which came out in 2004, about the love affair between Maria Claudia Madero Grimaldi and the company's pilot, Juan Antonio Bausista; this time Silvia Navarro is the millonairess, SO no hateful name of 'opportunist' tagged on her.

Or... how about the remake of NO ONE BUT YOU, which came out in 1995,

Acapulco, Cuerpo y Alma about the passionate love afair between Lorena and David Monltavo , who(FOR those who remember what happened between Antonio and Raquel in NO ONE BUT YOU) are 2

strangers who find themselves married to each other without having met before , all thanks to David's evil stepbrother's trick of getting David's estate for himself. But then the battle for David's wealth turns to the battle for Lorena, because Lorena and David fall in love with each other. What might put people is the fact that it only has 60 episodes but I would very much like it if AIT can get hold of this one and give us a treat by showing it.

PUT IT TO VOTE NOW!

 

CARMELO'S DAY OF RECKONING... ROUND THE CORNER

Carmelo has done nothing but create more and more problems for himself; the worst one by marrying Catalina, just to ' bother Sebastian', then later on wondering out loud why Cat prefered 'that idiot' instead of him and what did Sebastian had that he did'nt. My answer to that question...PLENTY OF THINGS although I still think Daddy's boy is a jerk and a moron who needs to ask Cat for her forgiveness. Ever since the strange episode where Carmelo vehemently forbade his wife from coming to the roof and Sebastian's unexpected visit ,Cat and Gustavo became fully convinced that Carmelo is hiding Don Lupe and plans to sneak out of the charity concert to inform the police of their suspicions, and I sincerely hope the cops get there on time. And now that Don Lupe overheard Roberta and one of the guards discussing how Carmelo forced such a pretty lady like Catalina to marry him ; he's finally realised whatever her reasons, it wasn't for money.

Now, most people have asked me what will happen next. Well, from a comment I read in a website concerning this telenovela, and I quote... the last remaining chapters(episodes) were so full of deaths! One of them would be Amelia's who made the terrible mistake of driving Carmelo's car which was rigged with a bomb planted by Marcelo(yeah, there's no honour between thieves) and got blown up to oblivion. I got this from a neighbur's boyfriend who is from Benin Republic, apparently CATALINA Y SEBASTIAN aired there years back .

Carmelo, of course died too, not by Sebastian's hand like I hoped but by the police who caught up with him and blasted him down when he(so typical) tried to resist arrest. The only person who probably shed tears over him would be Petra who raised him but got no real love from that ingrate. At the last minute(according to Jonathan, the few things of CATALINA Y SEBASTIAN he could remember) was that Petra told him who his mother was, Toni(Antoinette) but alas, he refused to accept that vile woman was his mother and died a bitter death.

That's all I know for now , folks. When I get more info. , I'll let you know.

But back to the present, Jessica now knows, through Carmelo's disastrous slip of tongue, that he's hiding Don Lupe. It's no use her bluffing that he can't prove she helped him forge the Will since he plans on taking her down with him if she dared to open her mouth. Jessica is now like a rat caught in the corner, either way she tries to find a way out, she's still trapped. She's more horrified that Sebastian told his exwife about his suspicions; Cat of course has more to gain if she puts 2 and 2 together(and she already has) and be the one to rescue Don Lupe(AND I really hope the despised and so misjudged Catalina would be the one who rescues Don Lupe), it's either she and Gustavo leads the police to the penthouse attic or Cat might run the risk of going there herself after distracting the guards and set him free. Either way, I hope she or them(i.e the cops) get there before Carmelo moves Don Lupe again(unfortunately he'd overheard Gustavo and Alicia talking about their suspicions about him).

I got from a VERY,VERY RELIABLE SOURCE that Jessica broke down and confessed her crime to her grandfather and Sebastian after a lot of pressure, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE the look on that idiot's face when he finds out he's been consorting with a traitor and liar, I'm pretty certain she would cry saying, ' Believe me Sebastian, I did it for love, I did it for love!' (NONSENSE!)

What really concerns me is how Sebastian would get Cat to forgive him; it;s obvious to all of us viewers that she's pregnant and Sebastian stands to lose two precious things if he doesn't, quoting BoyzIIMen,

' gonna swallow my pride, say I'm sorry... stop pointing fingers, the blame is on me...I want a new life and I want it with you... I'm down on my knees, begging you please...'
PEACE AND LOVE.

Danielle Steel's Holiday Letter

Danielle's Holiday Letter

It has been a full and busy year for me, and I'm sure it has been for you too. I often say to you that we no sooner get through the holidays, when it seems like we are facing them again. That is true this year as well. As I always do, I worked hard and did a lot of writing last winter, and into the spring. Hardcover and paperback books came out, and a DVD of "SAFE HARBOUR" was filmed for release this fall. Writing wise, it's been a busy year! And I'm hard at work on new books for next year.

AMAZING GRACE is coming out in hardcover late this fall, in time for the holidays. It's about a major earthquake in San Francisco, 100 years after the big one of 1906, and in the aftermath four unusual people are brought together, each of them impacted by the earthquake. The book is about the events that come afterwards, and how their lives are affected and intersect. I hope you love it. It was a fun book to write, and it would make a great holiday gift. There will be another hardcover out in March, and I hope you like that one too! I always try to keep the subjects of the books different and exciting, and there is a good variety of topics in the books for next year.

On a personal level, it has been a busy year too. We've been blessed with the arrival of a new grandchild, and with four of my children still in college, they are constantly in and out of the house. We had a wonderful summer together, and now we're looking forward to the holidays, when everyone will be home to share the traditions we have enjoyed for many years. As they get older, things change somewhat, and the time with them is ever more precious. We no longer make brownies for their teachers, but make them for friends instead. We don't do the ice skating party that delighted them when they were younger, because they come home too close to the holidays and it's hard to jam everything in. But the rest of our Christmas traditions have stayed the same. Every moment with my children is precious, and I'm grateful that they all still come home for the holidays.

With all of them in college, I am traveling more, and have more time to write. But, I have to admit, I miss them enormously, and the days when I was running from soccer games to car pools to the orthodontist, and hardly had time to breathe (and had to do most of my writing at night, because the days were so full with nine young children at home). I really miss those days, but who wouldn't? But each age, each era, each time in our life has its blessings. They are growing up to be young people I not only love, but admire and respect, and they are very good to me.

The holidays are often a mixed blessing, for many of us. It's a time of taking stock, and a landmark which allows us to assess where our lives are, and where we wish they would be. It brings back memories of happy times, and sometimes sad ones. We miss those no longer with us, and seem to miss them more than ever on holidays. We still miss my son Nick. It's hard to believe that he has been gone for ten years, but we continue to do worthwhile, dedicated work in his name through our two foundations which fund organizations that help the mentally ill. The book about him, "His Bright Light" is still read around the world, and brings hope to people suffering from mental illness, and their loved ones and families.

The greatest joy is to share the holidays with those we love, either family members or special friends. It is a time of hope and love and sharing and generosity, but can also be a lonely time for many, and a disappointment when the holidays don't match up with our dreams or expectations. It's a challenging time of year for most of us, and not always as perfect and happy as we wish. It's hard too if our families are disrupted in some way, or far away. It's wonderful to be home for Christmas—but sometimes not as perfect as we wish. Real life intrudes. My hope for you is that the holidays are exactly as you want them to be, that you are surrounded by people you love and who love you and that they treat you kindly and well. I hope that your dreams all come true during these holidays, not just for the gifts you'd like to find under your tree (if you have one), but I hope that these holidays are peaceful, fulfilling, and full of joy for you. May everything you need and wish for be yours over the holidays and in the coming year. As someone wise once said, our friends are the family we get to choose. So whether you are with real family, or friends, I hope that these holidays are filled with blessings for you.

I wish you happiness, health, prosperity, peace and success in the coming year. May you be surrounded by good people, loving friends, and family, and may love and joy always be yours.

Thank you for reading my books, and for your kindness to me this year, and every year. And may you be blessed in all the ways that are important to you. Happy Holidays! And may the New Year be your best one ever!

Love,
DS

P.S. You are always welcome to visit me at my home on the web:
http://info.randomhouse.com/cgi-bin21/DM/y/evwJ0Mx6Ij0V50H860ED

ST. CATALINA'S SACRIFICE

I honestly dont't think I can take anymore of THIS CRAP much longer! Catalina is like a pincushion, more and more pins and needle stuck into her and she is yet to scream out in fustration and tear her hair out. I knew she would marry Carmelo for Sebastian's sake but it's so unbearable seeing Carmelo flouting her in front of Sebastian like a trophy, I REFUSE to believe he loves her and I only hope he won't do anything disgusting like raping her. And Sebastian, so full of stupid pride and self pity; refuses to see just how much poor Cat is suffering! I prefer their relationship in CUANDO SEAS MIA as Diego and Paloma, in that telenovela, Diego punched out anyone who dared say anything about his precious darling.Speaking of which, click on

CUANDO SEAS MIA'S FINAL EPISODES to read a recent post concerning that telenovela we all miss so much. I honestly wish(not for the first time that AIT had shown LA HEREDERA instead, i knew this one would be very tedious.

Any how folks, dont completely despair, 'cos I found out from a very reliable source that Cat's suffering wont be for very long...(I hope) she , the despised one, will be asked to team up in the search for Don Lupe and Carmelo, among others will suffer a humlitating death. The only thing is, will Cat forgive Sebastian immediately or he'd have to beg? I HOPE she makes him!

A Page From allAfrica.com: In memoriam...CYPRIAN EKWENSI

Headline: Cyprian Ekwensi Dies At 86

Link:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200711060995.html

I'll always remember Cyprian Ekwensi most especially for one of my favorite childhood books, AKIN, THE DRUMMER BOY, and much later on JAGUA NANA, JAGUA NANA'S DAUGHTER,SURVIVE THE PEACE and THE PASSPORT OF MALLAM ILLIA. Those books as well as the others he wrote were full of realistic characters and situations and will be the legacy he'll leave behind.Ekwensi will be sadly missed and on behalf of Nigerians, I pray for his soul to rest in Perfect Peace. AMIN.

LAST EPISODES OF "WHEN YOU ARE MINE"

A visitor left a message in my cbox sometime back , requesting I send her the last 2 episodes of WHEN YOU ARE MINE(Cuando Seas Mia), unfortunately, she didn’t add her email address, so Joweia, here it is, but remember to add your email address next time, okay? And for those who requested for CATALINA y SEBASTIAN, I’m working on it.


FINAL EPISODES:

Paloma found out that Diego was in jail and angrily berated Mariano for not telling her, more furious when he explained Diego sacrificed himself so that she wouldn’t go to jail instead. Paloma shouted that she would rather murder Fabian than see her fiancé in prison. Mariano reminded her Diego lied because he loved her.




Back in Don Manuel’s hacienda, Jeremy, Aurelio and Juancho discover his corpse in his bedroom. Wiping her tears; Paloma decided to return to Mexico, to rescue ‘that moron’, as she called Diego, in spite of Mariano’s protests.
However, Paloma’s fellow delegates insisted on celebrating the treaty she’d just obtained at the conference, so she reluctantly invited them all to her flat, where her mother, Soledad, eagerly attended to them. Paloma informed her on what happened to Diego and Soledad willingly agreed to go with her. Fabian found himself forced to fulfil Marcia’s desires to humiliate Barbara. Mariano informed Mr. Avellanada of Paloma’s intentions; she is strongly advised to remain in London but she refused to listen.
 Aurelio and Juancho also found the corpse of Josefina in Matilde’s backyard. Matilde demanded that Diana break up with Jeremy in exchange for Ricardito’s safe return. Harold finally asked Danni (i.e. Daniela, Diego’s younger sister) to marry him and she kissed him hard as a reply (looked like a yes to me).
The family, Avellanada and the other exporters arrive in court for Diego’s trial and Bernardo, Fabian’s brother, finally turned himself in as Fabian’s accomplice in the fictitious exportations. Feeling very cornered, Fabian ordered his lawyer, Maldonado to accuse Paloma of complicity with Diego. Jorge, the family lawyer, protested  that Fabian and his lawyer were making a mockery of the court.
Giancarlo, Soledad’s fiancé, joyfully welcomed Paloma and Soledad back. Soledad is angry at him for not coming to London like he promised but relented when he apologised and allowed him to place her ring back onto her finger.
He told Paloma that he called Inez’s house like she asked him to but no one picked up the phone. Paloma found out where the trial was being held and shows up, to everyone’s surprise, just as Fabian was demanding that the court summoned her to court and have her charged as Diego’s accomplice.

Paloma and Fabian have a face-off; she called him a dirty bastard and was restrained by Giancarlo from hitting him after Fabian insulted her and Diego.
 The judge kindly told Paloma to remain in court, as a spectator only.
 Jorge asked for a 2 hour recess, which the judge granted. Paloma marched up to Diego as he’s about to be taken away by a guard. She slapped him for lying to her then kissed him saying, ‘this is my way of telling you I still love you’, much to his relief.
Avellanada reproached her for coming back as she was putting her career at risk, but she impatiently shrugged it off. Fabian warns Avellanada that he’ll file a complaint against him if he didn't  remove Paloma from her position, sneering over her emotional display with Diego.
 Inez, Diego’s grandmother, expressed her happiness at Paloma and Soledad’s return, as Paloma’s presence will give Diego renewed strength. The 2 women were very sad to see Inez in a wheelchair. Soledad angrily said that Fabian ‘had no soul at all’.
Paloma and Barbara are called to testify, which turned out very ugly.
The local police suspect Jeremy of being Matilde’s accomplice in the murders of Don Manuel and Josefina’s deaths but agree to look for Matilde who had suddenly vanished.
Diego ordered Jorge not to involve Paloma in the proceedings and has a heart to heart with her after she’s allowed to see him. She tearfully scolded him for keeping her ignorant of the situation, reminding him they had sworn an oath in church; they’ll be together in good and bad times. Diego tenderly apologised for his action and laughed when she suggested that the judge should join them as man and wife right there and then.
Maldonado urgently advised Fabian to flee the country while he had the chance but he refuses stoically stating, ‘all or nothing.’
Danni told Paloma about how they were forced to burn the infected coffee plants at the hacienda, much to her sorrow.
 Avellanada received a phone call from the secretary of Agriculture, who ordered him to fire Paloma as the Mexican delegate to London and move away from El Cafetalero’s problems. The judge came out of her chambers, full of disgust towards Fabian. She told him she regretted not having enough evidence against him and sentenced Diego to 8 years imprisonment for fraud, much to Paloma and the concerned members of the family’s horror and Fabian and Barbara’s triumphant relief.
Fabian shouts ‘justice!’
Inez tearfully told him, ‘even if God forgives you, I’ll never forgive you.’ Of course Fabian didn't care. Paloma angrily protested but the judge who, though sympathetic, pointed out her that the evidence pointed against Diego.
But all of a sudden, Marcia appears, with the diskettes in her hand, the vital evidence against Fabian! A desperate Fabian tries to snatch them from her hand but Danni's boyfriend Harold barred his way. The disks are given to the judge, in spite of Fabia's protests.
 Barbara tries to leave the room but an angry Paloma thrashed her soundly before she’s forcibly pulled off. The judge ordered the guards not to let anyone enter or leave the room until she returned from chambers, where she checked the diskettes on her computer. When she came out at last...
She charged Fabian and Bernardo of the crimes they  accused Diego and Paloma, sentencing them both to serve time in prison. The family gave happy cheers and Diego kissed both Paloma and Soledad. A few minutes later, he gathered his things, signed the necessary papers and walked out to freedom. Outside are his family, he hugged every one of them before grabbing a very radiant Paloma into his arms.
Fabian silently changed from his expensive suit into the prison overall (every day for the thief, one day for the owner, Ol’ boy) after he’s booked and joins Benardo and Juan Manuel.
The family, joined by Aurelio, Lenore, Diana and Jeremy as well as Bernice’s baby, Ricardito, celebrate at Inez’s house. A distraught Angela came in to beg for her sons, to deaf ears. Inez and Juan Francisco blame her for the crime Fabian and Bernardo committed, the only thing that could help was for the 2 young men be allowed to serve their sentences. From hen forth, Angela on the other hand, was no longer allowed in the house or in the family. Juan Francisco declares everyone in the room his ‘new family’ after Paloma sits beside him and warmly kisses him on the cheek.

October…

Juan Francisco and Jorge are with Diego in his office at Casa Blanca. A new El Cafetalero now exists and Diego is on the phone, making Casa Blanca’s first sale, to their joy. He hangs up the phone and hurries off to get dressed for his VERY long awaited wedding…
Barbara looks around the apartment, chain-smoking as usual. She longer owns the place as the men from the court have come to impound it.
Paloma helped a much healthier Inez into her room. Inez warmly referred to her, ‘Paloma, my child’ and reminisced on her own wedding to Diego’s grandfather, Lorenzo, so long ago. She asked Paloma to remove a box from the armoire and open it. Inside she found a simple but beautiful wedding dress and veil Inez had worn on her wedding, now it was Paloma’s.

Miguel’s new girlfriend, Christine ran away with his money and car, to his horror and disbelief. He now has nothing! (Serves him right!)
Angela visited a desolate Fabian in prison, urging him to eat the food she’d brought for him and read a letter from Barbara who has moved back with her parents; she has no penny to her name and the biggest irony; she was finally pregnant! Fabian softly utters, ‘my heir…’
Marcia talked on the phone with her parents, telling them not to worry about her anymore; she now knew what love was and the importance of loving one’s self. She hangs up as Padre Caesar and her new friends call her into the church to commence the day’s work.
At the Coffee Council, Mariano hurries in very flustered, full of work related concerns and notices that Marta was dressed in a beautiful strapped dress. Avellanada reminded him over the phone that today was Paloma’s wedding. Mariano looks depressed but agrees to be Marta’s date to the wedding. He picked up a can of coffee and said, ‘thank you Paloma, thank you for everything… I’ll always love you.’(Pooh, get a life, love is NOT dictated or forced!)

Paloma arrived in a horse drawn carriage- decked out in Inez’s dress, absolutely beautiful  and more so as she smiled and waved at the cheering family, friends and hacienda employees. A crazed Matilde appears, brandishing a gun at the bride, mistaking her for Diana and fires but hits Juancho, who, luckily was unhurt and she’s taken away, shrieking.

Everyone entered the church where the band is playing Ave Maria and Paloma walks down the aisle on Giancarlo’s arm towards an eagerly waiting Diego. They smiled happily at each other and take their places in front of the Padre.
Everyone present looks very, very happy; Soledad has happy tears in her eyes, Mariano, though looking resigned, joins Marta in placing the rosary of unity around the couple’s shoulders. The couple exchange their vows, with many words of love and the guests cheer and applaud as Diego kisses the bride after the priest declare them man and wife... at long last.

 They walk out, arm in arm and exchange a more sensual kiss…

THE END? (FIN) NOT QUITE... CLICK HERE!

A Message From Danielle Steel

November 2007

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving makes November a very special month, with friends and families gathering to give thanks for their blessings, enjoy each others' company, and open their homes and hearts. It's wonderful to share the holidays with one's family, but sometimes sharing it with friends can be just as special and warm and meaningful.

No matter how challenging our lives, we all have something to be grateful for, and it's good to be reminded of it from time to time. Sometimes in giving to others we derive the greatest and most unexpected blessings for ourselves. I hope that your Thanksgiving is all that you hope it will be, and that you share it with those who mean the most to you! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Love,

Danielle

P.S. You are always welcome to visit me at my home on the web:
http://info.randomhouse.com/cgi-bin21/DM/y/evhv0Mx6Ij0V50H860Eg
----------------------------------------------------------------------

LA USURPADORA'S FINAL BOW

LA USURPADORA finally ended last week Thursday(upper) on GALAXY TV, the climax being Carlos Daniel, finally free of his diabolical and prosmiscous wife Paola, married her more saintly twin Paulina(who HAD to be persuaded to marry him in the first place as she did'nt feel right about marrying her brother-in-law although she loved him). It also however ended on a sad note for Carlos Daniel's sister Estefania, who suddenly lost her mind after her horrible husband was thrown in prison for attempted murder and arson and her other brother Roderigo and his wife Patricia had to adopt her son.

Very strange how things turn out at the end of some telenovelas- in THE GADERNER'S DAUGHTER(LA HIJA DE JARDINERO) Luisa Fernanda married Carlos Eduardo, who most people around here don't seem to remember that he was her stepbrother,(her biological father, Luis Alejandro, was married to Carlos Eduardo's mother, Marissa) it disgusted my mum after I narrated the story to her but she hadnt been disgusted in NO ONE BUT YOU when Raquel fell in love with Antonio and vice-versa, who was her exboyfriend's stepbrother. Most of what happens in telenovelas cannot happen here in Nija but still... doesn't mean we don't enjoy the intrigue, right??

For all my vistors who requested for the full summary of CATALINA y Sebastian, it's going to take a lot of work and time but I'll do my very best.

THE RICH ALSO CRY...a trip down memory lane

CUANDO SEAS MIA' hit our screens in 2005 after a long telenovela hiatus, the last,until then the Brazillian soap, 'SECRETS OF THE SANDS'.
Since then, more telenovelas have been pouring in; a far cry from the time when the practice was a new telenovela was presented AFTER its predecessor wrapped up, the only exception being the period when 'THE LADY OF THE ROSE' aired on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 p.m and 'WILD ROSE' was shown on Mondays to Thursdays on NTA 10 , immediately after the 10 o' clock News.
Most people have probably forgotten THE RICH ALSO CRY(Los Ricos Lloran Tambien), the first global telenovela and the VERY first Mexican soap to hit our screens, back in the 90s. It's a Telenovela that will forever remain in our memories, mostly because of the Principal characters;
Marianna played by Veronica Castro (who happens to be a year older than my Mum... it's true, the telenovela was produced in 1979),Luis Alberto played by the handsome and very macho Rogelio Guerra(right), Augusto Bendico(who sadly died at the ripe old age of 83 on January 19, 1992) played the family kindly but no- nonsense Don Alberto who took the orphaned Marianna in and treated her like the daughter he and his wife never had, including encouraging her to be a positve influence on his wayward son ,Luis Alberto but at the same time protecting her from being taken advavantage of. There's also Elena, Alberto's wife (first played by Alicia Rodriguez then later by Marilu Elizaga). And last but not least, the woman THE RICH ALSO CRY fans hated so much and was a constant thorn in Marianna and Luis Alberto's flesh, Elena's niece, Esther played by Rocio Banquells whose diabolical action caused most of the action in the telenovela but reports indicated that most people cried when she asked for forgiveness on her deathbed.
The whole story began with the orphaned Marianna going to the big city to locate her late father's lawyer friend who had recently visited them at the ranch(after Leonardo's death, her stepmother Irma, threw her out) but ended up in the household of Don Alberto who insisted on adopting her as his daughter instead of hiring her as a maid, much to her suprise and much to the displeasure of his wife and their niece,Esther who saw the much more beautiful Marianna as a threat to her plans to trap her cousin Luis Alberto, into marriage.
Luis Alberto and Marianna disliked each other on sight, he was spoiled and arrogant and she was the only person besides Alberto who could stand up to him. But gradually, her maturity and beauty won him over and instead of viewing her as an object of lust, fell in love with her and started showing postive change. But the cold hand of Esther split them up; she accused him of raping her while he was drunk and was now carrying his baby. Meanwhile, Irma discovered that there was a hiddden Will, naming Marianna as the sole heir to the ranch and she sent her lover Diego to look for her and then murder her, BUT when he finds her Diego decides to seduce her instead and marry her for her money.

However, Mariannna begins to date the son of Alberto's business associate instead, who is her father's name sake, Leonardo, as well as being closer to her in age , unlike Luis Alberto, who is 32,(she was merely 18). A friend of Diego and Irma-a ruthless gangster- sent a hitman but the man ended up killing Marianna's roommate instead, in their flat. Esther(after staging a miscarriage to cover her tracks) got pregnant for real by Diego and ran away, due to his and the fake doctor's blackmail but ended up very ill and the family learnt of her deceit but forgave her, including Luis Alberto and Marianna. Both Esther and her baby died and Luis Alberto and Marianna reconciled. The climax of the story was Diego killing his gangster friend, the discovery of the Will, and Diego and Irma's arrest.
The telenovela apparently ended with Luis Alberto and Marianna's wedding after she got back her inheritance from her even more diabolical stepmother Irma, but alas, NTA 10 didn't finish the story as they probably didn't want to shock us with what happened next...
Luis Alberto took over the business like his father had always wanted him to do- which meant he had to go on business trips. One day, when he wasn't at home, Marianna's ex-fiance,Leonardo, came to visit Alberto(at least that what he said) and while talking with her, she suddenly feels ill and faints, naturally he catches her to prevent her from falling on the ground. But at that same moment, Luis Alberto came home, saw Leonardo holding his wife and jumped to a VERY WRONG CONCLUSION. It turned out that the reason why Marianna had fainted was because she was pregnant but ALAS! Luis Alberto refused to believe the baby was his(out of jealousy) and refused to listen to Marianna's pleas; he stayed in Brazil attending to his business, leaving Marianna alone with Maria, Ramona and the other servants to console her. After several months, he sent a letter announcing he was divorcing her and Marianna threw a fit- she ran away and fainted on the street. She had her baby but due to the  shock of L.A's cruelty and the after effects of child birth, she lost her mind and gave her baby to a stranger- naming him Beto after his father and grandfather. 
A repentant L.A found her at a psychiatric hospital and begged her forgiveness, adopting a baby girl to make it up to her. But for years, Marianna could'nt

Marianna did'nt dare tell anyone but Marisabel later found out the truth & was distressed to discover she was actually adopted. Luis Alberto meanwhile gets very jealous and angry over Mariana's great affection towards young Beto and finally asked her for a divorce. Marianna then told Beto the truth and he was overjoyed the lady he was very fond of was his bio- mother. Luis Alberto entered the house just as Marianna and the children just finished having dinner; branishing a gun to defend his honour but Marianna & Marisabel revealed the truth to him just in time. She and Luis Alberto repaired their marriage after he tearfully apologised to her and begged her and Beto to forgive him.
I was absolutely shocked when I came across this info and just had to post it. Everyone who had watched this soap would of couse be on Marianna's side; i remember her as the epitome of virtue itself, why on earth Luis Alberto(who fought so hard to keep her loving him) would draw to such a conclusion in the first place but at least it ended happily at long last.
 


TRIVIA: The actor who played  the priest, Father Adrian, (Rafael Banquells) was not only  the director of  THE RICH ALSO CRY  but in real life the father of Rocio Banquells (Esther). 

 

8 Years memoriam...PILAR SOUZA

Stalwart fans of CATALINA Y SEBASTIAN would have noticed by now that there is a new and younger actress playing the character of Antoinette's maid, Josefa. The reason being that the lady who played her initially, Pilar Souza, died before this 1999 telenovela wrapped up, on July 18th, 1999, this year making it 8 years since she passed on. Pilar Souza made an impression in this telenovela and already I feel a void, now that she's no longer there, because Pilar's potrayal of the no-nonsense yet loyal maid of Antoinette was so realistic that it was quite a jolt to see another actress in her place and then experience the sad sight of her obituary at the end of that episode.
On behalf of the Nigerian fans of Catalina y Sebastian, I pray for Pilar's soul to rest in eternal peace, AMIN...

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

It's totally amazing how the good ones are so badlymisunderstood, lied against and unfairly accused ofcrimes they didn't exactly commit, whereas the bad ones are seen as "good friends" and epitomes of Virtue and Honesty in CATALINA Y SEBASTIAN; the whole state of affairs just pisses me off completely. Cat shed tears for Sebastian and Martina's (apparent) loss oftheir father, even calling him 'a good man' in spiteof his nasty and unfair attitude towards her yet getsblow beaten when she tried to offer her condolence. On the other hand, sickly sweet, EVIL Jessica (who is Carmelo's partner in crime of forging the Will) is the "decent one" whom Sebastian is parading as his girlfriend, just so that Cat would "show her truecolours" if she found out he was poor, then she (Jessica) will have him all to herself besides the money Carmelo promised her. If they only knew poor Cat just wants to lavish Sebastian with love and comfort as well as refusing to demand a share of his

inheritance like her parasite mother insists she does, but no…. she's labelled the enemy by everyone, except for Petra who is a witness to the contrast between her and Adela through observing the heated arguments and Panchito (who seems to unfailingly know how a person

is on the inside) who is still her most loyal friend. Mrs. Philomena has posted hints about how this stupid programme will end in TELENOVELA GARDEN but I hopes she soon posts Sebastian's reaction when he finds outhow he'd wronged the WRONG woman and kept the evil one by his side, he'll feel like a total fool and RIGHTLY so too!

Toni is another matter; the only name I can use to describe her is "a walking contradiction," I've never seen a more pathetic, Inhuman woman than her in my life. When I saw her weeping over Lupe's disappearance, I thought, 'finally, some human emotion' only to be later disgusted on discovering that the only reason she was upset was the idea of Lupe dying without fulfilling her revenge on him, at the same time (as Panchito gently pointed out) she had never stopped loving him yet bitterly hating him as well for refusing to return that love (na by force?)all of which has given her an unhealthy obsession.

Mrs. Philo's mention about Cat's absurd sacrifice disturbed me a lot, although I can't say I was

shocked; she loves Daddy's boy more than life itself,the only thing that exasperated me is that Sebastian only saw her action as a means of getting the Mendoza fortune instead of it being for his and Martina's benefit, once again adding 2 and 2 together and making 6. Heaven knows how this telenovela will really end because from what I'm seeing, Cat would have to be a real saint to forgive and overlook the injustices she had experienced at the hands of the Mendozas. The question of whether Cat is expecting Sebastian's baby or not or whether Lupe will survive

his ordeal and ask for her forgiveness as well as how the whole truth will eventually come out, only Timewill tell, I just hope we won't have to wait too long...