THE RICH ALSO CRY: THE REST OF THE STORY SNIPPET 3

Weeping and half demented, Marianna wandered about and then she collapsed on the street. Some good Samaritans called an ambulance and she was taken away. Meanwhile, an exhausted Ramona returned home, unable to find Marianna whom she’d gone out to look for. At the Red Cross Marianna is very ill, refusing to eat anything given to her. The doctor urged her to think of the baby she’s expecting but in her dazed state, Marianna was cold, not wanting the baby to be born.  Left alone, she kept seeing Luis Alberto’s face and hearing his cruel words.

Ramona and Maria are very worried about Marianna. Ramona decided to call the hospitals and the police stations.

At the Red Cross, Marianna was operated on and her baby delivered, a baby boy. As the hospital was overcrowded, Marianna doesn’t stay there long even though the doctor tried to get her to stay longer; she is frail and clearly suffering from a nervous breakdown.

Back on the streets again, Marianna carried her baby about. Again she kept remembering Luis Alberto’s words and seeing his face. Upset again, Marianna moved to sit on a park bench next to a woman in a shawl. The woman was a lottery ticket vendor and she was not having a good day, having not sold a ticket. She offered a cigarette to Marianna but Marianna absently turned her down. The baby began crying and the woman asked if she could hold him. Still looking blank, Marianna allowed her to take him; the ticket vendor cooing over him, exclaiming how pretty he was. Marianna stared at her, asking if she liked her baby. The ticket vendor said she loved children but never had any. Marianna said she could have the baby and the ticket vendor chuckled, thinking Marianna was joking- she said the baby would be a very expensive toy. But Marianna didn’t appear to be joking (actually it was due to her illness she was talking that way); she said the woman could have him.

The woman stared at Marianna, wondering why she was saying such nonsense. Marianna said she didn’t feel well so the woman asked if Marianna would like something to eat. Instead, Marianna asked her to look after the baby while she went to get something.

‘What’s his name?’ the ticket vendor asked, still rocking the baby.  

‘Alberto,’ was Marianna’s reply as she blindly wandered off again. ‘Just like his grandfather, just like his father.... his father...’

The woman rocked the baby, noting his name. ‘Little Beto,’ she cooed at him.

Marianna was sinking further and further into her acute depression as she began hallucinating again, his words echoing in her ears again.

The ticket vendor was astonished to see Marianna was gone, looking here and there for her; baby Alberto still in her arms. She decided to wait for her.

At home, Ramona informed Father Adrian Marianna was still missing. Father Adrian reproached her for not locating him in Rome about the situation as the order would’ve given her his address. But Ramona had been so anxious about Marianna that she never thought of it. She had already called the police stations and hospitals to find her but not information. She was very worried Marianna must have had an accident. Father Adrian felt that if that had happened, she would’ve been taken to a private hospital or the Red Cross- the one place Ramona didn’t call. Immediately, Ramona brought out the phone book...

The ticket vendor, Chloe, was still waiting for Marianna to return. Her friend Felipa-another ticket vendor- came up, surprised to see a baby with Chloe. Chloe explained what happened, not wanting to leave the spot to look for ‘the girl’ in case she suddenly came back. Felipa jokingly remarked that maybe the mother had decided to give the baby to her.

Marianna suddenly sees a woman with a baby and gets hysterical, claiming the child to be his. People gathered as Marianna started screaming.

Ramona had called the Red Cross and she’d gotten info Marianna had given birth there. To her amazement, Luis Alberto entered the house; unexpected and fully bearded. He had business in Mexico so he decided to use his free days. He asked Ramona to call Marianna down; he wanted to talk to her. (Monster)

Ramona nervously told him Marianna was missing and explained in detail how ill she’d been since his quarrel with her. Luis Alberto was very disturbed to hear that Marianna hasn’t been seen in three days but he still didn’t, or didn’t want to believe the baby was his after Ramona told him about his son’s birth. Ramona begged him to listen, Marianna wasn’t Esther- the baby was his. If he chose not to believe her then he should speak with Father Adrian. There was nothing between Marianna and Leonardo, she swore on Esther’s memory she wasn’t lying to him.

At the psychiatric hospital Marianna was taken to, she could only give the doctor her first name; she couldn’t remember anything else about herself. The only thing she said was about her ‘lost son.’ She didn’t even know where she was.

Father Adrian gave Luis Alberto a good talking to and in the end, Luis Alberto realised he had accused Marianna on the basis of past lies and betrayals from Esther. He was now going to look for her and their son and ask for her forgiveness. Meanwhile, Chloe the ticket vendor is looking after Beto as she called him but felt she might still run into his mother. Her neighbour and friend Lupita decided to pawn her chain and ring so they could buy the baby a crib.

Luis Alberto finally tracked Marianna down and talked to her doctor. The doctor advised him not to ask Marianna about the baby just yet; Marianna’s dementia was probably caused by the baby’s birth- her condition could be post-partum depression. It was either someone has the baby or the baby died, hence the depression. Luis Alberto didn’t want to believe his son was dead but the doctor advised Marianna should be allowed to get well before she’s asked about the baby.