Domenica Montero capítulo 20

 Domenica Montero - Episode 20

This is summarized and abbreviated, and events may be told out of order!

We return to Domenica overhearing Prudencio telling Nana that Pedro is really Luis’s brother. Domenica interrupts them, all amazed, and Prudencio immediately mumbles a denial and tries to scuttle away, but Nana decides to admit the truth.

Dominica’s first instinct is to tell everyone, because Pedro deserves to know. But she also jumps on Mercedes’ blame for this, noting that Mercedes is all high and mighty for someone who created the circumstances that caused Pedro to be abandoned. (I think it’s a stretch to blame Mercedes - her faithless husband could have done something *far* better for Pedro than dumping him on Prudencio and throwing him a few pesos now and then. He didn’t even plan for Pedro’s care if he should die prematurely, which he did.)

Nana and Prudencio try to talk Domenica out of blabbing, noting how much harm it would cause, seeing how fond Pedro is of Mercedes. Domenica thinks that maybe she should just tell Luis so he can decide what to do - but when Domenica has a chance to tell him, she chickens out. She just doesn’t feel it’s her place.

Mercedes is still being a hard nut about signing that contract so that Luis can rent the land from Domenica, even though it’s probably Luis’s land. So, Luis hatches a plan to pay for the rent using only his own funds - which is a stretch, financially. Mercedes is pissed when she finds out, like she assumed he’d be forced to give up and plant somewhere else, or just sell the hacienda. How DARE he come up with another alternative! Then Lawyer Friend of Luis suggests that he use the money from the sale of his family hacienda and buy out Mercedes’ half. Mercedes is put out by this, but quickly agrees. 

Mercedes sees that Nana is friends with Prudencio, and demands, in a mixture or jealousy and distrust, that Nana not be allowed to visit Prudencio. I think she’s jealous because Prudencio says Nana is or was his novia, and I think distrust because Nana is so loyal to that “bad woman” Domenica Montero! Prudencio is rather defiant about that - he won’t stop being friends with Nana, so he’ll just have to go visit her at Domenica’s place! He punctuates his irritation by calling Mercedes “patrona” and leaves in a huff.

Domenica talks with Nana about Prudencio being her novio back in the day. Nana explains that when Domenica’s parents died (I think Domenica was 7), everyone had to go to the city and there was no way that Nana was staying behind without her niña. Nana doesn’t feel like she suffered and doesn’t regret choosing to care for little orphaned Domenica instead of having her own family with Prudencio. 

We have more scenes with Cosme’s secretary Blanca, who loans books to the scholarly daughter of Gabriel (Maria). She bumps into Cute Lawyer, who invites her and Maria out for a snack. While Cute Lawyer is chatting with Maria at an ice cream stand, few feet away where Blanca is sitting, Lawyer Friend plops himself at her table and makes himself comfortable. Poor Cute Lawyer can’t turn his back for a few minutes without some other guy coming along! Well, it was all for naught, Blanca soon has to leave to take care of her mother.

Pedro made amends with Bartolo, and all is good.

When Pedro finds out that Mercedes will sell her part of the hacienda, he is worried that she’ll leave. They discuss this at length. Mercedes invites Pedro to come with her when she goes to the city, he can get educated there and see many things! Pedro isn’t keen on it, but he’ll go if she’s there. I think it is resolved that after they get that vital bean crop harvested, that Pedro will leave with Mercedes.

Gabriel is revving up to have an affair with Kiara. She wants him to help conceal the fact that the women’s center is run by Domenica and her. She wants Gabriel’s help in promoting the place. Meanwhile, Maria suspects her dad is running around again and Gabriel’s wife is very sad too.

Kiara is treating Nieves a bit like a slave, but also offers Nieves one of her fancy designer outfits and promises to help give Nieves a makeover. I don’t trust this at all.

Generó and the other corrupt two are collaborating with a corrupt agricultural expert. He’s going to sabotage Luis’s crop. After about a month into the two month crop, I think what is going to happen is they’ll give an “overdose” of pesticides which will kill the crop along with the pests. 

Generó finds a replacement for Roque in Osvaldo’s “carrier pigeon,” a guy who works for Luis and who is paid by Osvaldo to send messages as well as reports on the doings of Adelaida (Prudencio’s granddaughter). This guy seems like he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, or bloody, as the case may be, so he’s hired by Genero on the spot.

Nana bickers with Prudencio and throws it in his face that the “unattainable” woman that he has long been in love with is of course Mercedes, and she wishes he’d just admit it. He gives a feeble denial.

It’s been a month, and Luis’s crop is going well. He and Domenica go fishing in their bathing suits at the favorite watering hole; they end up following the telenovela tradition of Kissing in Water, and that’s where we leave episode 20.