La Hija Del Jardinero ("The Gardener's Daughter")
Episode 1: When Misfortune Knocks
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 travelled 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 formalise the marriage.
Episode 2: Rejected daughter, Rejected baby
Immediately after the "arrangee 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 facinating 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 fom medical college by this time. marisa decided to throw a big gradution party for her son and sought the sevices of an expert gardener to prepare and ready the lawn for the party. This 'expert' happes to Pedro...what happens at the next episode? I grip my tables to watch how the mystery would unravel.