THE RICH ALSO CRY: THE REST OF THE STORY SNIPPET 1

The first telenovela to hit Nigerian T.V was 1979 Los Ricos Tambien LLoran; what we know as The Rich Also Cry; starring Veronica Castro as Marianna and Rogelio Guerra as Luis Alberto. It’s a telenovela we’ll never forget; Marianna and Luis Alberto almost forced apart for good no thanks to his awful cousin who trapped him into marriage- Esther, played by Rocio Banquells; the real-life daughter of the show’s director, Rafael Banquells- who was also in front of the camera as Father Adrian, the family’s priest.

After several months of angst, the telenovela ended with Marianna and Luis Alberto’s wedding. Or, so we thought.

The Rich Also Cry is one of the oldest and longesttelenovelas so maybe NTA decided to end the story there so as to move on to the next one, which was Tu O Nadie; No One ButYou. But we are entitled to know the rest of the story; long or not. Hence, I’ll be posting snippets of the remaining part of The Rich Also Cry and draw your own conclusions! 

After the wedding reception, Luis Alberto and Marianna spent their honeymoon at the cabin he bought specially for her. Over dinner by candle light, Luis tells her how very happy she’s finally his wife after all the trouble they’d experienced, it felt like a dream. They toasted each other and enjoyed the rest of their time together.

Sometime after they return from their honeymoon, Luis Alberto had to go on a business trip and at the same time, Don Alberto and Mrs. Elena are moving to Europe. But Marianna couldn’t see them off at the airport as she’s not feeling well. Luis Alberto offered to postpone the trip a few days but she urged him to go, she would be well soon. He kissed her goodbye while Don Alberto and Mrs. Elena do so as well; wishing her speedy recovery.

A few minutes after their departure, Marianna is informed she has a visitor and she gives instructions to the servant to send whoever it is up; she’s too weak to go downstairs.

Her visitor turned out to be Leonardo, her ex fiancé; who came by to see how she was doing and to give her his sincere congratulations on her recent wedding and asked for Luis Alberto (Give me a break, seriously?  How do we know he’s not just using a ruse to see the woman he’s clearly not over one more time? And he never liked Luis Alberto!)

Marianna thanked him graciously, exchanging pleasantries but all of a sudden feels very dizzy and collapses; Leonardo caught her just in time, calling her name anxiously as he lowered her on the bed.

Unfortunately, Luis Alberto walked in and, needless to say, absolutely furious on seeing his former rival holding his wife. (How many Nigerian fans remember this guy’s very hot temper?). He glared at Leonardo and then at Marianna who was slowly coming to and surprised he was back. Luis Alberto didn’t fly to Brazil because the flight was cancelled due to bad weather. Luis is very angry, accusing them both of using his absence to sneak around behind his back. Refusing to listen to Leonardo’s explanations, he threw him out. Marianna tried to follow but another wave of dizziness stopped her. Ramona (Esther’s mother and now Marianna’s personal maid) hurried in anxiously and Marianna tearfully told her what just happened. Ramona is dismayed and advised her to convince Luis Alberto it was a misunderstanding. Luis Alberto came back, ordering Ramona out. He coldly told Marianna that he didn’t want to see her in the house when he came back from Brazil. Marianna protested her innocence but he still wouldn’t listen to her; as he’d heard Leonardo address her as ‘my love’ when he was trying to wake her up. Marianna protested she’d fainted, she didn’t know the reason.

But Luis Alberto is adamant, saying she was a liar like Esther! Marianna was even more upset; reminding him she broke up with Leonardo to be with him. The stupid man told her he was going to sleep at a hotel that night and he never wanted to see her again. He walked out, leaving poor Marianna in tears.

She was unable to sleep that night, Luis Alberto’s words running through her mind.Ramona and the housekeeper Maria came up to console her, assuring her Luis Alberto would come round and apologise to her. Marianna suddenly began wriggling about as though in pain and Ramona told Maria to call the doctor.

The doctor arrived and after hearing about Marianna’s weakness and fits of dizziness, told her what was wrong with her.

Marianna is pregnant!

WHY THE GENDER BIAS IN ADULTERY?

  

Somehow or the other, one half of a couple strays and has an affair. When caught, the usual words of defence are "It didn't mean anything." Two results, either the wounded party either ends the marriage due to breach of trust or all if forgiven (usually with a certain amount of difficulty and it's more about forgiving than actually forgetting because during a likely future argument, it's bound to be used to rub the cheater's face ) or filing for a divorce. 

In this country when a man gets caught having an affair, there would be a buzz but he wouldn't exactly be condemned, oh no. The woman would turn a blind eye because she doesn't want to start over or a family meeting will be held... where she would be persuaded and advised to give her husband another chance. After all, men are men and the children must not suffer from a broken home. Then how come a woman is caught cheating, she is condemned and called everything from a harlot to a slut? Why is she more of the sinner, more than the men? Adultery is Adultery and no matter the gender; the person has done a bad thing. 

I’m not going to go into the reasons why there are cheating husbands and cheating wives, it’s the way society handles it that bothers me. Society is more judgemental towards the woman than the guy, like it’s the husband’s privilege to have a mistress but more than ready to stone the woman with insults. Like I said earlier, the guys always get away with what they do, even after they get caught. In most cases, after the mistress winds up pregnant, the family intervenes and the wronged woman is presented with her ‘junior wife. In other cases, if a guy happens to bang someone else’s wife, the wife protects him rather than tell on him because for sure her husband will get a real beating from the man he made a cuckold and it’s more about preventing her children from being fatherless than actual loyalty from him. It’s not like he deserves it anyway.

But a cheating wife is made a pariah. She’s a prostitute, a harlot and a slut. She’s prosecuted by the family and sent packing and for a very long time, she’s publicly gossiped about, more than a cheating husband. She is not protected nor shown any loyalty, she would probably be cursed.

Most countries are male dominated, like Nigeria. When it comes to something like adultery, the men are well protected because... well, because they are men after all. Women are not because they are the second class gender, they are expected to be the epitome of virtue and patience and being otherwise reduces them to be lower than the dust. A cheating husband should get as much judgement like a cheating wife would and his act not to be taken lightly and he should not be allowed to get away with it. If society would condemn a cheating wife, then the cheating husband should be treated that way. While cheating wives are called names like 'tramp', 'slut' or 'ashewo', what are the cheating husbands usually called... 'dogs'? Ironically, it sounds more like a compliment than an actual insult.

Seriously, am I the only one who thinks than when it comes to marital cheating, the guy gets off lightly? 

WHAT'S BUZZING RIGHT NOW!

We're still getting over the news of rapper Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's wedding in Florence and I hope it works well for them. This is Kanye's first marriage and Kim's third- her previous marriage to  basketball player Kris Humpheries ended  72 days (lord knows why) after the wedding.after she began dating West and had their little North, I was wondering if they would actually take the plunge and walk down the aisle. Well they are Mr. and Mrs. now and I hope they'll be very happy.

However there's another new bride, Lisa Niemi who just got married to jeweler Albert DePrisco. Lisa Niemi is the widow of actor Patrick Swayze (Ghost, Dirty Dancing) who died in 2009 from pancreatic cancer.While Patrick is no doubt missed, life of course has to go on. The happy couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in Florida, the bride reported decked out in a dress designed by Oscar de la Renta. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness as well.

WHAT TO EXPECT SOON...

Angelina Jolie in Maleficent 

I've seen Angelina in dark roles before, the one I find memorable is her role in Girl, Interrupted where she played Lisa; a manipulative sociopath with a very nasty temper. But for her to be cast as the evil fairy  from the  Sleeping Beauty tale, I honestly didn't see that coming but I honestly can't wait to see it. I don't know much about the movie's plot but from what I gathered, it is a live action adaptation of  Sleeping Beauty, only this time the story is  in Maleficent's point of view. Maleficent's origins will be shown and why she decided to curse the 'Sleeping Beauty'- Princess Aurora. But apparently, something or someone just might change her mind. After watching Once Upon A Time, I'm prepared for anything in this movie.

MOST HANDSOME MEN OF THE SOAPS

                                                       

                                                PETER RECKELL 

                                              As The World Turns
                                                    Knots Landing
                                               Days of Our Lives
                                                  Venice: The Series
                                                      The Groove







                                               

                                                  SHEMAR MOORE

                                            The Young And The Restless





                                   

                                                       

                                            DRAKE HOGESTYN 


                                             Days of Our Lives



                                               

                                     


                                                       
                                               BRYAN DATILLO


                                              Days of Our Lives




                                             

GALEN GERING 

                                                     Passions

                                                                       

                                                   Days Of Our Lives

                

                                                    Venice: The Series 

                                                  

                                              KRISTOFF St. JOHN 

                                                    Generations 

                                              The Young & The Restless 

                                                      

                                                 SHAWN CHRISTIAN 

                                                    As The World Turns 

                                                     One Life To Live 

                                                     Days Of Our Lives

                                                            

                                                    Venice: The Series  

                                                 

                                                        

                                                 VINCENT IRIZARRY 

                                                       Santa Barbara 

                                                        Guiding Light 

                                                      One Life To Live 

                                                       All My Children 

                                              The Young & The Restless 

                                           

                                                    A. MARTINEZ

                                                  Falcon Crest    

                                   

                                                 Santa Barbara 

                                                    General Hospital 

                                               The Bold & The Beautiful 

                                     

                                           JASON WINSTON GEORGE 

                                                  Sunset Beach

                                               MICHAEL EASTON  

                                                Days Of Our Lives 

                                                Port Charles 

                                                One Life To Live 

                                                General Hospital 

                                                CLIVE ROBERTSON 

                                                   Sunset Beach 

                                             

                                                  ERIC MARTSOLF 

                                                       Passions 

                                                   Days Of Our Lives

                                               

                                            JOSHUA MORROW 

                                         The Young & The Restless 

                                     

                                                      LANE DAVIES 

                                                      Days Of Our Lives 

                                                      Santa Barbara 

                                               The Bold & The Beautiful 

                                                      General Hospital 

                                                          The Bay 

                                              DOMINIC ZAMPROGNA 

                                                  General Hospital 

                                             

                                                    JAMES SCOTT 

                                                     All My Children 

                                                     Days Of Our Lives 

                                             

                                                      RON MOSS 

                                             The Bold & The Beautiful 

WANNA BUY A WATCH?

 Late comedian Kenny Everett as Sid Snot trying to sell a watch to singer and actor, David Essex.

CAN YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR EX?

I came across this sentence on Twitter and it goes like this... the reason why ex-lovers remain friends is either because they’re still in love or they were never in love with each other in the first place. Is there a grain of truth in that?

There are breakups and divorces and if the circumstances are right, an ex wife can remain friends with the ex husband and the ex girlfriend can remain friends with the ex husband. With the ex married couple; they usually remain friends if the divorce was amicable. They could still be love with each other but are simply not compatible enough to live together and there are some couples- married or dating- are better off as friends than lovers anyway and manage to salvage their friendship after the marriage ends, not always though.

 But there are marriages which end badly with a bitter divorce, maybe because of adultery, a flaw on the part of the husband or the wife or  if it was an abusive relationship. If a woman ended things with an abusive, possessive boyfriend, she wouldn’t feel inclined to see him ever again; so friendship is out. With a cheating husband, the woman would most likely tolerate him if there are children involved.

But what about the case  where the breakup isn’t mutual; where the party- especially  the woman- is still in love with the ex? She could feel betrayed if the reason is because another woman and would be bitter about it. But would she be willing or capable of being merely friends with him?

There’s a friend of mine who had several boyfriends but there was a significant one whom she still regards as the love of her life. When she saw him again after they drifted apart, 15 years had gone by and she was devastated to see he was now married with four children. Devastated, because the moment she laid eyes on him, she knew she’d never stopped loving him. But being around him was very hard for her; all she could think about was what could’ve been and wishing it was. He was over friendly towards her but she was the opposite, she was distant; more melancholy than jealous. She was glad he was happy but also knew she couldn't be friends with him, the old feelings were still there and she couldn't pretend nor could she show them. For her, it was all or nothing and there was no way she would welcome an affair if it ever crossed his mind and it wouldn’t because he’s a committed family man. Friendship was out of the question, in her case.

Aside from the exceptional cases; where love but incompatibility was the cause and the decision to break up/divorce was mutual and amicable,   I don’t think women can actually be friends with their ex-husbands or lovers. There’ll always be the stabs of bitterness, the sad moments when they reflect on “what might have been” or resentment for their successors and that is a usual scenario. Based on these reasons, it’s probably best if they simply remain as distant as possible or just learn to tolerate each other if they have no other choice, but not actual friendship.