Gardener’s Daughter

The soap began with a wealthy family of a father (Fernando Elcantara) and two sisters (Amelia and Consuela), who had the misfortune of death of their mother at tender age. They were raised by an elderly nanny into adolescent. Amelia, the older sister fell in love with a fellow undergraduate- Luis Alexandro Montero (but from a poor family background) in the same University. The younger sister was envious of Amelia in all things, including the choice of boyfriend. She confessed to the old nanny that she hated her sister and that her sister was her enemy! She however never let Amelia know of this smoldering hate.

Amelia second misfortune, after her mother’s death was to become pregnant for Luis Alexandro, who denied both love and responsibility for the pregnancy. This guy was a schemer who only preteded to love her because she came from a wealthy family. He dumped her immediately he met another ’sugar-mummy’ rich ’sucker’, an older but widow lady Marisa Gómez Ruíz (a single mother of a 6-year old boy), who inherited a banking conglomerate fortune from her parents. The young lad- Carlos Eduardo never liked Luis Alexandro and never regarded him as a worthy replacement for his late dad.

Marisa proposed sudden marriage to Luis A. and he agreed, obviously because of her wealth. They signed the dotted lines and went for 6 months honeymoon in Spain. Amelia’s father- Fernando, who was a disciplinarian kicked her out, upon learning of the pregnancy. He wrongly thought that Pedro, the house gardener was responsible and therefore sacked him too. Amelia insisted that Pedro should take her to Luis A’s house. When they got there, they were told that Luis just got married that day, and has just traveled to Spain for his honeymoon. Amelia was stunned and crushed by this unfortunate news, but Pedro assured her not to worry and that he loved her and would protect her.

Pedro and Amelia proceeded to the church cathedral to meet Pedro’s elder sister who is a catholic nun, for refuge. She offered Pedro the job of church gardener, but told them it is impossible to live in the church premises except as husband and wife. So they agreed to the “marriage of convinience” and went to the nearest registry to formalize the marriage.

Immediately after the “arrange wedding” between Pedro and Amelia at the Marriage Registry, it became clear that the new ‘couple’ would be two parallel poles that would never meet, no, not even on the ‘matrimonial bed” (they never slept on the same bed together),…till death do them part! The next eight months till Amelia put to bed were months of excruciating poverty. She lived with unpacifiable bitterness, a bitterness that tore her to shreds and pushed her into unforgiveness…unforgiving Luis Alaexandro, for jilting and dumping her. This overflowed unto Pedro too…unforgiving Pedro for loving her while she felt nothing for him…The rage of this bitterness almost swept the innocent, new-born child, Luisa Fernanda into adoption at a motherless babies Home. But for Pedro’s love and strong counsel, tempestous Amelia would gave given the new-born baby the same treatment she received from her own father- REJECTION!

After the honeymoon and return from Spain by Luis and Marisa, Luis summoned Marisa’s attorney to draft document that would make him an executive Board member of his wife’s chain of conglomerate, but the lawyer(who never hid his disdain for Luis), told him that the pre-marital aggreement signed by Luis forbid him to join his wife’s businesses except in the case that she become handicapped by illness or infirmity. This revelation was a crushing disappointment for Luis. the second one followed in succession when he demanded of his wife to bear a child for him as a fruit of their marriage. Marisa simply told him that she had no cervix or womb, as thiese had been cut off after the birth of Carlos Eduardo, her son and only child, because of complications during child-birth. hahahah…a case of “cunning man die, cunning woman bury him”.Hope resurged for Amelia when Pedro suggested that she goes to visit her father, thinking that the man would forgive her because of his new grand daughter. they went and were disappointed. they were insulted and thrown out by the insolent Fernando Elcantara. The man declared with a boiling passion, saying: “…Amelia is dead in my life and dead women don’t give birth to babies…”
…18 Years Later…
the baby girl has now become a most fascinating and most beautiful and most brilliant damsel
in her Mission school. She became best of friends to a rich girl in her class. the rich girl later turned out to be her step cousin- i.e. the step daughter of Consuela, Amelia’s younger sister…both of them did not know this until the tail end of soap.

Carlos Eduardo, the only son of Marisa was also graduating from medical college by this time. marisa decided to throw a big graduation party for her son and sought the services of an expert gardener to prepare and ready the lawn for the party. This ‘expert’ happens to Pedro…what happens at the next episode? I grip my tables to watch how the mystery would unravel.

This telenovela began rather too early to recompense the evil doers- Consuela Elcantara, Luis Alexandro, Don Fernando Elcantara.

Luis Alexandro hit Luisa Fernanda while driving on high speed and she was taken to the hospital where Dr. Carlos Eduardo Gomez attended to her. Neither of them (biological father and daughter) knew that they were blood relatives. Carlos‘ best friend, Augusto, a fresh graduate attorney suggested that Luisa should file a suit in court for injury and damages against Luis Alexandro, so that the court can make him to pay her…this was a fertile idea that both Liusa and her best friend Vanessa agreed to, even though her injury was minor. They thought that the compensatory money would be enough to finance Luisa Fernanda’s trip with the rich girls for their graduating class crise to the carribeans.

Consuela was conscripted by her father, into a ‘marriage of convinience‘ with a rich man whom she does not love and after 18 years of marriage, the marriage has been fruitless, as Consuela was certified barren. Thank God, the man already had a daughter (Vanessa), by another woman before he married Consuela. what a harvest of the evil she had sown by scheming her elder sister Amelia, out of her heritage from their father.

Don Fernanda Elcantara became worried and anxious at old age of not having any grand-child to inherit his great fortune. He asked Consuela if it is still possible for her to have a child. She replied her father harshly, that he should not remind her of her impossible case and thereby insulting her. She said that her husband is happy with her in her condition. Don Fernanda kept quiet and with a sad countenance…secretly must have been regreting sending Amelia with his grand-child out of his life some 18 years ago.

Consuela accidentally met with Luis Alexandro at a fast-food restaurant where they exchanged greetings and addresses. When Alexandro asked after Amelia and what became of the prgnancy, Consuela lied by telling him that Amelia aborted the pregnancy.

It appears that the law of karma has begun to catch up with every wrong-doer in this telenovela, so early, (we are just in episode 4 out of 180!). Last episode, it was Consuela’s reaping of barreness; Alexandro also got into trouble for running over Luisa Fernanda with his car, this time it is Don Elcantara who was almost choked up to death with smoke in an elevator, after his meeting with Alexandro in the lawyer’s office.

Marissa begun a desperate but futile lobby for the reconciliation of Luis Alexandro and her son Carlos Eduardo, by elisting the support of Rosario, the old house keeper, who nursed Carlos from infancy to adulthood and also the alliance of Jennifer his fiance.

Since Don Elcantara seemed confused and unconvinced to sell the family house at Hacienda, Consuela persuaded him to follow her to meet with ‘one of the best lawyers’ in the country for proper advise. This lawyer happens to be Luis Alexandro. Don Elcantara was reassured by Alexandro that he would get in touch with the Constrution company (the buyers) to ascertain the true cost and determine if their offer was right and best. The old man left but Consuela refused to follow him back lying that she wants to go visit another friend of hers. The truth however was that she waited behind to chat up with Alexandro to see if she could catch up or rekindle on her old love for him.

When Alexandro asked her again about what became of Amelia’s pregnancy, she re-affirmed her wicked deception of episode 3 that Amelia aborted the pregnancy. Alexandro concealed his disappointment. Consuela blamed him for ‘dumping’ her for Amelia two decades ago, but Alexandro replied that what he had for her then was ‘puppy love’ and that it was Amelia whom he really loved, but for the ‘untimely’ pregnancy which almost distrupt his academic career.

Amelia and Pedro had a disagreement: while Pedro wants Luisa to go on the graduating class cruise organised by the childrenof rich families, even if she had to be sponsored by her rich best friend- Vanessa. Amelia was opposed to it for dignity sake.

Luis Alexandro asked his secretary to call again the house of Luisa Fernanda, this time it was Amelia that picked the phone and was astonished and breathless to hear that her ex lover that jilted her Luis Alexandro would like to speak to her about her daughter Luisa Fernanda. At this point, her thoughts went wild, thinking that the man is now ready to reconcile with her and accept the responsibilty of true fatherhood of Luisa Fernanda. She harsly commanded Pedro to leave the palour because the call is a discrete and doesn’t want him to hear it. Iiut was Pedro’s turn to be shocked- to be ordered out of his own house because of a discreet call? In the 18 years of their hopeless and fruitless ‘arrangee-marriage’ this is the first time his ‘wife’ Amelia would be recieveing secret phone calls. he foolishly obeyed her and went out without even eavesdropping.

The call actually turned out to be an exposee of the accident and suit filed by Luisa against Luis Alexandro. Her heart was beating rapidly and just before the call was transfered to Alexandro she cut the phone for fear of what to say and not wanting Alexandro to discovere her identity. she went straight to Luisa school only find out that the teacher had not seen her in class since the day started. This infuriated her the more and she later went to accuse Pedro for spoiling Luisa.

Vanessa’ Dad who happens to be the husband of Consuela visted the school to see his daughter, it was a great opportunity for presentation of the trip and Luisa’s case. The man agreed to sponsor Luisa.

Luisa Fernana got frightened and desperate because of phonecall to her house by Luis Alexandro’s secretary last episode. She didn’t want to let her parents to know about the scam she and vanessa were planning to get money out of Alexandro for the cruise, using the car accident as excuse. So she collected the address of the Physician- Dr. Carlos Eduardo Gomez from Vanessa, and went srtaight to his house to plead with him to ask his ‘father’ -Luis Alexandro to forget the case and not to call her phone number again. While they were still talking in Carlos’s car, Jennifer, Carlos’ fiancee appeared and she immediately became jealous with suspicion that carlos is having an affair withis young school girl Luisa Fernanda.

Carlos was captivated and facinated with the supersonic beauty, confidence and the impeccable intelligence of this young school girl- Luisa Fernanda Perez and had uncosciously fallen in love with her. He carried her in his car to school and met Vanessa there too.

Consuela, the evil architect, planner and master-mind of the misfortunes of Amelia, lighted a match-stick of amorous fire with Luis Alejandro Montero, which? later exploded and consumed her in this Mexican telenovela. Yes it led to her death! But we would have to wait for quite some time before we get to that episode.

After Don Elcantara was rescued by firemen from the smoking elevator, he was attended to medically by Dr. Carlos Eduardo Gomez Ruiz who, coincidentally was just entering the buliding with a mission top come and talk Luis Alejandro Montero out of the suit filed by Luisa. The oldman was grateful to him and exchanged complimentary cards with each other. Carlos went thereafter and walked straight into Alejandro’s office…, and what a heck…he caught Consuela with his step-father in an amorous kissing session.

The ‘couple’ quickly separated and Consuela went away while Carlos tongue-lashed Alejandro, calling him a coward that lacks the moral courage to divorce his mom- Marissa Gomez Ruiz, but rather prefer to sustain adulterous relationship with strings of women outside his matrimony. He walked out angrily and jammed the door on Alejandro’s face.

Pedro Perez confesses his 18-year lie to his sister, the catholic nun. That he is not the true father of Luisa, and he had sacrificed his whole life, in the hope that Amelia would one day love him. That he had never shared any conjugal relationship of a husband-wife relationship with Amelia.

Augusto, the lawyer friend of Carlos was went to visit Rigobert- the old house-keeper of Don Elcantara, who happens to be his god-mother and who sponsored him through university. He told her of his gratitude and promised to take care of her as soon as he begins to earn money. He told her of his first case which he filed on behalf of a ‘rich’ young lady whom he intends to marry. He mentioned her name as Luisa Fernanda Perez. the old house-keeper mused over the name and thought it to be Amelia’s daughter, but she dismissed it because she knew Amelia and Pedro aren’t rich anyway.

Now Amelia scolded Luisa after she confessed the detail of the scam against L.A. and warned her not to tell her father about it, at that point Pedro came in and heard them, so he challenged Amelia on what she was hiding from him. Amelia lied to him that it is about Luisa’s escapades in school. She later taught Amelia to lie to Pedro that she was sick and want Amelia to take her to the hospital. This would be a perfect excuse for Amelia to encounter her old flame Luis Alejandro Montero at the court-room tomorrow. her plan was to rekindle her flame with L.A. and tell him to forget about the case and that Luisa was his daughter whom he abandoned the pergancy of 18 years ago. That was her plan, but we would wait to see if it works out in tomorrow’s episode.

Nana, as the old house keeper of Marissa was fondly called by Carlos, warned Carlos not to reveal the infidelity of Alejandro to marissa asit would cause her untold pain, he agreed with the old woman.

Pedro confided in Juancho- an old gardener colleague, that he suspected Amelia of infidelity, citing the example of secret phonecall she received. Pedro was very saaaad. He explained to Juancho that Luisa was not his true daughter and there has never been any conjugal affair between him and Amelia. Juancho advised him to employ the services of private detective to trail Amelia’s movement if he wants to prove her infidelity.

Rigobert- the old house-keeper in Don Elcantara’s house had a confrontation with Consuela over the draging of Don to L.A. for counsel. she wondered aloud why L.A. of all lawyers in the city. Consuela simply told her that she doesn’t know any other lawyer in the city and besides, it is an oppourtunity to find true happiness with the man whom she had always loved. At that point Rigobert warned her that she is playing with fire. Consuela also warned Rigobert that she should not interfere in her love life and should never tell her husband and father.