THE RICH ALSO CRY: THE REST OF THE STORY SNIPPET 4

After a few weeks, the doctor informed Marianna her husband wanted to see her. Marianna looked confused at first as though she’d forgotten she was a married woman. ‘My husband?’ she said.

The doctor affirmed that, explaining to her he’d been coming to see her and waiting for her to get better s he could take her home. Marianna’s face then lit up as she then remembered Luis Alberto. The doctor was pleased she seemed to understand and she did; she remembered Luis Alberto, her past and their son. The doctor asked if her son had died, thinking it was the reason behind her severe nervous breakdown. Marianna dimly remembered what she had done with the baby; handing him over to a complete stranger and looked very sad again.

Luis Alberto stared at Mariana, remorse all over his face. Marianna’s eyes lit up  as he walked up to her, his arms going  round her. He asked her to forgive him for the terrible way he’d treated her; now realising it was all a misunderstanding. Marianna was only too happy to, very glad to see him again. As far as she was concerned, the ‘misunderstanding’ never happened.

 Luis Alberto told Marianna he left Mr. Duarte in charge of their project when she asked about his work in Brazil; he wasn’t leaving Mexico again. He assured her they will find their son very soon; pleading she shouldn’t worry about anything, she needed to get better soon.

As Marianna continued with her treatment and counselling, her doctor told her he had ordered a search for the ticket woman but advised her not to tell Luis Alberto she gave their son away; that would surely put a dampener on their marriage and end it for good. Marianna’s reluctant to lie to Luis Alberto but the doctor felt it was best she didn’t say anything to Luis Alberto about it for now, that wasn’t the same as lying. When their son is found, then she can tell him the truth.

Luis Alberto finally took her home when she was better; Ramona and Maria filled with joy at her return. A blonde woman was present and she was introduced to her; her name as Sarah, recommended by Don Alberto and Mrs. Elena to be their child’s governess. Thinking their son was now found, Marianna hugged him; very happy and anxious to hold their baby. The three women looked very worried as Marianna and Luis Alberto went upstairs. Sarah was sure there would be trouble once ‘the nut’ realised the baby in the nursery wasn’t their son. Ramona scolded her sharply; angry she was addressing the mistress of the house in such a disrespectful way.

Luis Alberto watched Marianna apprehensively as she bent over the baby in the cot. It wasn’t their son; to put Mariana’s mind at rest and help her stop fretting he had adopted a baby from an orphanage, a baby girl. The three women entered the room, watching Marianna as she held the child in her arms. Then Marianna stared hard at the baby, noticing the tiny studs in her ears... it wasn’t Beto!

Luis Alberto hastily took the baby before Marianna could drop it, begging her to listen to him when she started getting hysterical again, shouting that wasn’t her son. The baby was an orphan and he felt he could make up for their lost son by presenting her with this baby girl. Marianna had fretted for their son so much that he feared for her sanity. This was a baby to love and take care of but she didn’t want her...

Marianna didn’t want him returning the baby but she simply couldn’t forget their son either, crying out loud and blaming herself for giving him away. Luis Alberto urged her not to say that again, but Marianna kept crying as the baby’s crying was tormenting her. Luis Alberto begged her to take the child, certain the child will stop crying if she held her. 

As he spoke, the innocent baby girl stared up at Marianna and Marianna calmed down, taking her from Luis Alberto and rocked her in her arms, promising to look after her but she turned down the idea of formally adopting her.

Some days later, Marianna and Ramona went back to the same corner where Marianna had run into the ticket seller but of course she wasn’t there. Ramona is worried about Marianna but Marianna stubbornly vowed she wouldn’t rest until Beto was found, even if it took years.

Some years later...

Marianna, Luis Alberto and Ramona sing a happy birthday song to their adopted daughter, now named Marisabelle. Marisabelle blew the candles on her cake, to a round of applause. Marisabelle is hugged by her parents; Luis Alberto first then from Marianna but there’s a little hesitancy from the girl at first as though she felt Marianna wouldn’t hug her, but Marianna did, warmly.

Marianna loved her daughter but her  obsession for her lost son was still strong.