The Telenovela Episode #2 RUN

RECAP: In last weeks episode Reina ignored her cousin Stephanie’s warnings and she finally made it to dinner at Rey’s apartment. Rey and Reina had a romantic dinner and the initial attraction they felt for each other only grew deeper during their evening together. Reina was torn between trusting her instincts and telling Rey everything about her family and keeping her Omerta. Rey felt like he had to protect Reina from someone or something and they could both feel it was a deeper connection then either of them cared to admit.

Reina got into Stephanie’s car and they started for the highway. Stephanie looked over at Reina and saw that she had a slight smile on her face. Stephanie couldn’t help herself and asked Reina…

Stephanie: Sooo… did you have fun? What happened? Tell me everything down to the last detail.

Reina thought that she could trust in Stephanie and told her everything. Reina told Stephanie about how when they were together Reina felt the pull towards Rey even stronger and how Rey spoke of the different places in the world with all their wonders. She told her of how Rey spoke about freedom as if it was something everyone should feel in their lives. Reina even told her about how she and Rey’s first kiss left her breathless.

Stephanie listened intently to all the details and it was in this moment when Stephanie knew she had to tell Gram’s everything. This Rey guy could end up being a real problem. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Reina allowed him to kiss her and the fact that he was talking to Reina about traveling and freedom was already too much. What was he trying to do?

Stephanie contemplated that Rey could be a decoy sent from one of the other families to win over Reina’s heart so she wouldn’t marry. If Reina married, the second her family received the mahr they would stand to grow more powerful. They would be gaining ports on the east, west and some of the southern coasts, not to mention land, and then there’s the money. The money alone would set them apart from the other families. Power was the motivation. Stephanie thought she had to say something to Reina before they got home and before she betrayed Reina’s trust by telling their Gram’s.

Stephanie: I’m glad you had a good time Reina. I just don’t want you to loose focus of what needs to be done.

Reina responds: I haven’t lost focus of anything, I promise. But what are the chances that I meet someone like Rey right now? It’s like a message from God, or no?

Stephanie was panicking inside. She knew damn good and well that if Reina was talking this way she didn’t have much time to talk some sense into her.

Stephanie replied to Reina: No! Reina it is not a message from God! Girl, you need to get you’r mind right.

Stephanie: What are you thinking? You have options between the four men that are waiting for you to choose one of them. You have the power of choice.

Staphanie: That’s what I call freedom! ( Stephanie laughs and nudges Reina to get a response.)

Stephanie looked over at Reina and saw that Reina was not amused at all. The slight smile that Reina had before was now gone as she sat listening to Stephanie. She now had a more serious almost sad look on her face.

Reina replied: The thing is Steph, I don’t want some man to buy me and feel like they own me for the rest of my life. The men Gram’s has in mind for me to marry have no respect what so ever for anyone other then themselves. What would become of me?

Reina knew her family was counting on her to marry for the money and benefits it would give them. The men were all from different backgrounds but they had money and ports and this is what made them viable options in the eyes of her family.

Looking back over at Reina Stephanie saw the swell of tears beginning to form in her eyes. Stephanie pulled the car over to the side of the road, put it in park and turned in her seat to face Reina. Stephanie put both of her hands on Reina’s face and she said..

Stephanie: Reina look at me. The man from Milan is not a bad choice, he will be gone most of the time so you will barely have to see him. When you do see him you can pretend for a little while that he is the love you think you want. The man from Cuba is older but that just means he will die sooner and you won’t have to pretend for too long. The man from Morocco is not bad on the eyes and you can grow to over look his personality.

Stephanie: You have choices and the power to choose. You get to help our family and this is what your destiny is. This man Rey has you all flustered and confused, talking about freedom and living your own life. He lives in an apartment in Brooklyn and he’s a chef, what real freedom does he have?

Reina was looking at her but she wasn’t really listening to Stephanie. She was thinking how she was going to tell her Grams that she decided she wasn’t going to marry any of the men she selected because she was already falling in love with Rey?

Frustrated Stephanie let go of Reina’s face and started the car. She couldn’t get through to Reina, but she knew someone who could. The rest of the ride home they rode in silence with the windows cracked enough to feel a breeze from the cool night air. Each of them emmersed in their own thoughts.

Once they arrived home Stephanie almost sprinted to the kitchen where Grams waited at the table with a cup of coffee and a bottle of Hennessy. Reina went to use the restroom and prepare her speech she would deliver to Grams. Reina looked in the mirror and practiced her little speech a few times. Each time she felt her confidence grow until finally she decided now is the time. Reina opened the restroom door like she was opening the door to a new life and adventure.

As Reina approached the kitchen she could hear the whispers of betrayal and deciept. She took a deep breath and entered the kitchen determined to speak her mind. This time Grams had to listen, there was no way that she wouldn’t be able to understand Reina’s piont of view. Gram’s and Stephanie were at the table with all four of Reina’s Tia’s. There was the aroma of liquore and tabacco in the air that was being blown around by the small rotating fan that stood in the center of the room. Everyone stopped what they were saying and just looked at Reina as she entered the kitchen.

Grams: I heard you had a good time and that you think it’s a sign from God. One night of fun isn’t going to harm anything as long as we are still on the same side. We are on the same side aren’t we Reina?

Before Reina even had time to answer Grams slammed her shot glass down and started to make her way towards her. Everyone else in the room stayed silent, their eyes waiting expectantly for the drama they knew would come.

Gram’s swayed a little from left to right and her silk night robe in her signature candy apple red color swayed with her. Reina could see that Gram’s was in rare form tonight. One too many shot’s of Hennessy. She knew that she had to be careful around her when she was like this.

The closer Gram’s came, the stronger the smell of liquor became. Her eye’s were wide open and they were fixed on Reina. She had this cold wild eyed look in her dark brown eye’s. Gram’s face was drawn back tight held up and in place by her face tape. She had her hair pulled back in a towel she styled like a turban, her face was free of makeup and had the glisten from her serums.

Reina just stood there, her feet felt like they were cemented in place. Gram’s stopped just inches from Reina’s face and asked…

Gram’s: Reina did you sleep with this man?

Reina replied without thinking: Yes, I did.

Gram’s took a step back blinking her eye’s a few times, all the while she still had her eye’s locked onto Reina. Gram’s broke her briefly broke her focus off Reina as she looked at Stephanie with disbelief. Stephanie threw her hands up in the air as if to say “I told you” and they both focused back on Reina. Grams face changed from rage to that of a hint of possible compassion.

Gram’s: What do you think your doing? I know you think that you feel something for this man, but you will see that you choose to be with him you will live the life of sacrifice and you will be penniless. Love will turn to resentment and you will be miserable. The choices we have given you are stable, secure choices. It isn’t just for the families security but for your own as well.

With Reina’s silence her Gram’s grew enraged. Her silk robe was being blown around her by the fan behind her like big red flames of fire. Grams knew that Reina wasn’t going to be swayed by words. She stepped back and began to laugh at Reina’s resistance. ” Who does she think she is?” Gram’s thought Reina needed a reminder to who really pulls the strings in this family and she drew her fist back to punch Reina.

Reina saw it coming, it was in slow motion, Gram’s fist coming straight for her face her body still engulfed in silk fire. Reina knew she had no were to run and there was nothing she could do. So she stood as tall and as firmly as she could and took the punch as it landed on her left eye. Gram’s wasted no time and was already swinging again and again. Reina took the first punch out of respect but she blocked the punches that followed with her forearm.

Gram’s grew tired more from the physical exertion then the liquor and began to slow down. She stopped swinging and stumbled backwards. Stephanie was the first by her side to steady her followed by the four Tia’s. They got Grams back to her feet they escorted her to her room and put her in bed to sleep it off.

Reina was shaken but she was ok. She was proud of herself for not crying in front of Gram’s but she could feel the tears coming now. Reina went to her room and saw her reflection in the mirror. Her left eye was bleeding and it was already swollen with a purplish, blue color. Reina began to cry. She just wanted to call Rey and tell him everything that happened. As she picked up her phone the reality that she could never tell him everything set in. She couldn’t tell him for his own good. Reina went to bed with no certainty that tomorrow would be a better day. In fact she dreaded tomorrow.

As Rey woke up the next morning feeling happy and optimistic for the first time in a very long while. Reina was one of the first things on his mind. He grabbed his phone and sent her a good morning text before he got started on his day. She told him she would text when she got home last night but Rey didn’t hear anything from her since she left to go home. Rey waited to hear something all morning and afternoon. He began to get worried and text her again in the evening.

Reina saw Rey’s text but as much as she wanted to text him back she couldn’t. It was their custom that they sent each other pictures each day, how was she going to explain this black&blue eye she had? By the time evening came around Reina decided she was going to start to tell Rey everything about her life. She had this feeling as if she had to tell him. If he got scared and didn’t want to talk to her anymore she decided she would understand.

Reina called Rey and she explained the events from the night before after she returned home. She told Rey about the other three men who her family wanted her to marry and how she finally stood up for herself but her Gram’s chose violence instead of hearing Reina out. She did her best to explain things so Rey could understand.

Rey was pacing around his apartment as Reina told him what happened. His heart was racing and wanted to come get Reina , he knew were she lived. Each time Rey would ask Reina to let him come she would say no, that it wasn’t a good idea. Rey offered Reina to come stay with him. Reina declined because she didn’t want anything to happen to Rey. She didn’t want to cause drama in his life and she thought things would calm down soon but Rey just wanted Reina to be safe with him. This drove Rey crazy, why wouldn’t she just listen to him.

A month passed by with constant texts and calls from morning until they went to sleep. During this time Rey and Reina’s bond grew stronger and they could feel the pull to be together even more. Rey was still consistent in wanted Reina to come stay with him. In his time before or after work he would go by Reina’s house and stand on the street waiting and hoping he would get a chance to just say hi and see her.

Reina was still working on her mosiac restoration and Rey was still working in his restaurant but both of them had their minds on each other and what the future would hold. Reina was avoiding her Gram’s as much as possible and Rey was avoiding his partner increasingly more and more with each passing day. While they spoke on the phone one evening Rey had finally convinced Reina to let go of her family and come stay with him. They planned how she would get there by Uber and what day she would leave.

Reina was a nervous wreck the day she was to leave. She had packed a small bag, not too big so it could go unnoticed and she made sure she had some essential things for work. Everyone was still at home in the living room when the Uber arrived. Rey texted Reina to be strong and start her life and Reina took a deep breath, grabbed her bag and made her way quietly to the front door. She opened the front door as silently as she could and closed it just as carefully.

She waited a moment to see if she could hear if anyone noticed but all she could hear is the muffled sound of the t.v. Reina quickly walked out and opened the door to the Uber. The Uber driver asked her if she was ok and Reina reassured him that she was. Even though she was freaking out. What if her family finds her? It wouldn’t be hard to assume she went to stay with Rey. What would they do?

As Reina’s mind raced with thoughts of doubt and fear Rey was texting her that she would be safe with him and she could start her life. They could start a life together. Reina wanted to believe this and she had hope but she also knew her family and what they were capable of. The Uber finally arrived and Reina jumped out and ran upstairs into Reys arms.