By Achitka
Dolores
Staring at the colors of the glowing door in front of her, Dolores frowned and let out a small, pained squeak. Why was this so hard? She should be happy, right? The party goers had all gone home, but whispered voices still floated up to her unbidden. While she had long since learned to ignore them, the relative silence of the past year was gone, and she missed it. For whatever reason, she felt like if she accepted this room, she'd be cursed.
"Dolores?" a small voice asked, and she felt little arms wrapping around her legs.
Startled, she looked down to see her youngest brother Antonio staring up at her. He was without his usual entourage of animals, and she wondered how he had gotten that close without her hearing.
"Yes, Tonito? What can I do for you?"
"Nothing, you just looked like you wanted a hug," he said and squeezed a little tighter.
She had the feeling that he was just as tense about the doors as she was. Antonio had let slip earlier that he thought he heard a wall crack. It had not, and she tried to reassure him then that everything was safe, she would hear it if it did. But that wasn’t what he needed at the moment, so Dolores smiled and asked, "Do I?" She felt his nod and reached down and lifted him up. "Ah, little brother, you were right about that. Thank you. Have you been in your room yet?"
"No, I'm still kinda worried about what will happen," he said quietly. A large yawn escaped as he rested his head on her shoulder. "Do you think it will be the same as before?"
Dolores paused and looked at her own door. There was nothing there yet, a blank slate. I wonder, she thought and nearly jumped out of her skin when a gentle hand came down on her other shoulder. She turned and found her mother looking at her with concern. This was the second time someone had come upon her unawares.
"Are you alright, Doli? You seem a bit on edge." Pepa touched her arm and moved to take the now sleeping Antonio from her. "You look troubled."
Dolores eased Antonio over to their mother and answered, "I'm…okay?"
Her mother adjusted her youngest and gave her daughter an appraising look as her father rounded the corner.
"Ah, you found him then, mi vida." He said with a grin.
Pepa smiled the way she always did around her father and nodded. Dolores hoped she would be that happy with Mariano. For the longest time, she did not think there was any hope of that happening, then it did. Of course, it did take Casita crumbling for that to happen, but it did. She was pulled back to the present when she heard her mother say, "Just in time, Félix. Camilo was asleep on the sofa, so can you take Antonio to our room; we can sort out their rooms tomorrow?"
Félix glanced at Dolores and then back to his wife, nodded and gently took his son.
"Good night, Dolores," he said.
"Good night, Papá."
Her father and brother disappeared around the corner, and Dolores realized her mother was watching her closely.
"What?"
"Tell me what is bothering you, Dolores."
"Bothering me?"
"Yes, you've been standing here, staring at this door, for a while."
Had she been? Dolores turned back to the door. Colors randomly popped in and out of existence as it glimmered in the darkness that had settled over Casita. "Mamí, what if," Dolores fumbled. "What if I don’t…" she trailed off.
"Want to?" her mother finished for her.
Dolores nodded, and at the same time she was ashamed for thinking it.
"You know, after 45 years of dealing with random weather, I too was secretly happy that the magic was gone." She smiled when Dolores squeaked. "I was finally able to do what other people could do without worrying my 'Gift' would spoil things. And now that it's back, I find I have more control than before. And I've realized I actually missed the chaos of it."
Dolores was shocked by this statement, and it must have shown on her face because her mother laughed and said, "I see you missed it too."
After a moment, Dolores smiled and nodded. Turning back to the glow, she asked, "Mamí, what do you think I will find inside?"
Pepa only shrugged and said, "When you first got your Gift, I was horrified. I was afraid it would be too much for you. You were so small, and I was angry with the miracle and Mamá for putting such a heavy weight on you. Tasking you with knowing everyone’s secret burdens, I could see how it pulled you down sometimes. Yet, despite that, you grew into such a graceful and kind young woman. This time, though, Casita feels different. Casita seems more in tune with the whole family, Mira especially. Hopefully, that means you'll have what you’ve dreamed of; a quiet place to rest."
Dolores realized that was precisely what she was worried about. "Yes, that sounds wonderful." Dolores replied and was surprised by her wistful tone. Casita previously created a room based solely on her Gift. Back then this had been fine since she, like her whole family, were expected to use their family Gifts to help the community and be available for Abuela. She frowned as the memories she held of tossing and turning while she fruitlessly attempted to shut out the creaks and cracks of Casita's failing walls. The constant worry of keeping Tío Bruno's actual whereabouts a secret. She hated secrets. There had been far too many. These thoughts threatened to overwhelm her, and she took a small step back. Her mother's hand on her arm was all that was holding her in place.
Could it be true? Even though it appeared everything about Casita had changed…had it? There was only one way to find out. She took a deep breath and let it out slow. Taking in a second, she grabbed her mother's hand and straightened her shoulders. "Right, let's do this."
Reaching out, Dolores grasped the doorknob. Just like when she was small, she immediately felt the surge of magic. Its warmth cascaded over her then rushed back into the door, making her eyes go wide, but unlike the first time, there was no crash of overwhelming sound. If anything, everything seemed quieter? Still, it felt right and calmed her nerves. Casita truly was whole again, and she paused to look at the door before she walked into her room. It looked the same, but something was different in a way she could not put into thought.
Her mother nudged her forward but was still holding her hand as Dolores abruptly stopped again. This was nothing like her room had been before. She took an unsteady step forward, and soft grass sprouted under her feet. There was gentle music playing softly, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. Delicate yellow and red petaled flowers surrounded the bed, and she could swear she could just make out the sounds of crickets. With each step, she saw something new and could not suppress her excitement as she realized, "Mamí, it's so…quiet."
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Pepa released her daughter's hand and watched as Dolores moved about, inspecting this and that. Her daughter was so happy; this was how it should have always been, she thought. Pepa smiled at the light drizzle her moment of anger had conjured. That was the past, she reminded herself, and the rain fizzled. Dolores moved just out of Pepa's line of vision, to the other side of her bed, and let out another squeak. "It's just so beautiful…" Pepa heard her say as her voice trailed off.
"Just like you." Pepa said.
Camilo
The day had been exhausting, but he had done it. He managed to get through the whole party without shape changing even once. He wondered if anyone even noticed. It was a lot harder to do than he expected, but it was worth it. A whole year of not shifting or being able to, made him realize he had relied heavily on it in social situations. He had even made actual friends with other kids his age in the town. Mirabel had helped with that the most. She seemed to know everyone’s name. Seriously, how did she keep them all straight?
He discovered quickly that he really wasn’t made for working on buildings. He and tools never got along and after a few ‘accidents’ his father suggested he help keep an eye on the kids who were too young for school. That was something he was good at, and it was fun to gather them together, putting on little shows for them. His Tío Bruno noticed this and gave him a few ideas for shows that he had written down. The parents of the Encanto would sometimes drop off a little one while they were working on rebuilding the Casita. It did not hurt that the children idolized him, of course. He had even managed to talk a few of the older kids into helping him with his shows when they weren’t busy with chores. It surprised him how enthusiastic they were. He had thought that he needed his Gift to do all those things. It was a revelation to discover he could still help people out and make friends, just being Camilo.
He yawned mightily and decided he would just go to bed. Moving quickly down the darkened hallway, Camilo felt suddenly uneasy. Someone or something was behind him. He was sure everyone had gone home. He rounded a corner and stopped to listen for whoever or whatever it was. But there was nothing, like they'd stopped moving at the same time he did. Camilo took one small step and heard its echo around the corner. Startled, he took a quick step back and lost his balance and realized too late he was much too close to the stairs. He screwed his eyes shut, he was falling, and nothing would stop that. Camilo braced himself for the pain he knew was coming.
THUD
Whatever had been following him grunted in a satisfied fashion, then hands were on him, and Camilo lashed out.
"Hey, hey, Cam it's okay… Camilo!"
Wait…he knew that voice…he knew that voice.
"Are you alright? Open your eyes. It's okay, it's just me, Mirabel.
Camilo opened one eye, focused on his cousin, and almost went limp with relief. Just a dream…just a dream. Still, it'd seemed so real. "Mira, you did not happen to see anyone hanging around…"
"No, but I was headed to the kitchen and saw you sleeping on the sofa…"
"Sofa?"
"Cam, you fell off it. That's why I came over here." She said, as she adjusted her glasses, which he saw were slightly askew.
Camilo hoped he wasn't responsible for that and sat up, letting out a nervous laugh, "Thought I fell down the stairs."
Looking back at Mirabel, he could see her look of concern and felt a moment of embarrassment that turned him crimson. That flared to anger and then back to embarrassment. Camilo sighed. Probably best to put it out of his head. He stood and thankfully Mira pretended not to notice any of it as he helped her up off the floor as well.
"Hungry?" she asked, smoothing her skirt. "I was headed for the kitchen after all."
"Snacks? Yes…race you," he said and took off at full speed.
"Hey!" Mirabel shouted, but he heard her laughing and running behind him. There was a rule about not running in the house…usually. Both rounded the last corner at a dead run and skidded to a jarring halt (only thanks to Casita) just in front of Abuela. Startled, Abuela set down the small tray of tea and polvorosas she had been carrying with a slight clatter. "What are you two doing?" she asked in an amused tone. Still, Camilo and Mirabel immediately straightened.
"Sorry, Abuela," both said simultaneously.
She seemed to be waiting for more, and Mirabel said with a nervous laugh, "We were going to get some cookies..."
Abuela nodded and said, "Please don’t run through Casita," she said and was smiling as she retrieved her tray. “It's dangerous,” Abuela then calmly walked past them, "Dios Mio, what a menace." She moved into the hallway they had just vacated, all the while chuckling to herself. Camilo glanced at Mirabel. She was looking just as weirded out. A year ago, they would have been in for some serious tongue lashings. First from Abuela, then from their parents. So different.
"That is still unnerving." Camilo said when he was sure she was out of earshot.
Mirabel nodded in agreement. "I know, but in a good way? I'm certainly not complaining." and shrugged. "Come on, let's see if there are any more cookies."
Walking into the kitchen, both immediately spied the platter with the left-over sweets piled upon it. The snack foray was interrupted by Mira's mother, who walked into the kitchen from the opposite side.
"Please wash your hands, hijos."
Both stopped dead and turned back to the sink. How could she know they had not? After washing, they turned back to find Mira's mother was already gone.
They looked at one another…unsupervised snack time? This was an unexpected dream come true. There was a clatter of tiles behind them, and Mirabel just sighed. She turned around and picked up the small plates Casita had provided. Really small.
She handed him one, along with a cup that Casita had conveniently filled for them with lemonade. They sat at the table and Camilo stacked his little plate seven high. Mirabel took three and made a show of eating them with tiny bites.
"So," Mirabel began, "You been in your room yet?"
Camilo paused for a moment in his eating and shook his head. "I saw Dolores standing in front of hers, not sure if she went in though." Camilo knew that Dolores wasn't all that thrilled about the magic coming back. But she was so happy about Mariano that she did not seem to care. Mariano, of all people? "She probably did." Camilo said as he replenished his cookie stack. "What about you?"
"No, I’m not really expecting a whole lot and to be honest, I'm a little afraid to touch it."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Me too…"
Mirabel finished her last cookie and took her plate and cup to the sink. "I wonder if Hernando is available..." Mirabel gave a snort at her private joke and said, "I'm going to see if I can find Tío Bruno. There is something I want to ask him." She watched him snitch four more onto his plate and remarked, "You're going to make yourself sick."
"Nah, I will be fine. I'm a growing boy."
"If you say so, primo. Casita, do you know where Tío Bruno is?" There was an answering clatter of tiles and she replied, "Oh." She turned and headed for the door nearest the plaza, and absently waved as she disappeared around the corner.
Alone and full of sweets, Camilo wondered absently who Hernando was. He downed the last of the lemonade, gathered his dishes, plopped them into the sink and headed for the back stairs to the upper level. His room had always been right next to Dolores’s and as he passed it, he saw the image of his sister etched into the wood and paused. Was she smiling? He walked up to 'his' door and just stared. Glancing over, he saw Antonio's was still blank too. Where was he? His brother had let slip that he was worried about the walls cracking. He had tried to reassure his little brother, but Antonio was one stubborn little kid. Getting and then losing his Gift within a few days was super hard on him. He was back to whisper talking again, like he lost his voice.
Camilo returned his attention to his own door and froze. Did he really want to do this? He had only just gotten used to not being able to shift. He could just walk away from it, not that it would change anything. There was a creak in the floor near him, and he looked over to see his father approaching.
"Hey Papá," Camilo said absently.
His father did not say anything, just came up and put a hand on his shoulder. They both stood and stared at the colorfully glowing wood for a while. His father broke the silence as he said, "You did well tonight, Camilo."
"Huh? I did not do anything." Camilo said, turning toward him.
"Exactly." His father said and grasped his other shoulder. "You did not shape-shift at all. It was nice to see you having fun. Your mother and I were very proud."
Camilo smiled at the praise, did a double take, and asked, "Wait, don’t you want me to use my Gift?"
"Of course, Son, but for needed things."
Camilo thought about this, but wasn't coming up with anything that his Gift would actually be needed for, so asked, "What kind of needed things?"
"You'll know." His father sounded very confident about this and turned him back toward the door. Camilo, however, was not so sure. As if sensing his distress, his father continued, "Camilo, you've always been so giving to those around you. Working to make people smile and help them with their burdens. All you need to remember is that we all love you, just as you are."
Camilo smiled and nodded. Maybe it really would be okay. With his father's hand on his back, he gathered his courage and grasped the doorknob. The sudden rush of magic felt weirdly okay, and Camilo smiled as the magic flooded back into the door. Almost like it was trying to get to know him. Really weird, but nice. He walked into his room and paused to take in what he saw before him. It was actually a good size. Nice furniture...carpets. He hated getting out of bed onto a cold floor. He let out a relieved sigh. The thing he most feared was not present in his room.
"This is nice," his father said. "You know, it reminds me of my old room. Good size bed, nice mattress. Very nice."
"Yeah, it is." Camilo said as he lay down on his bed. Why was he so tired? "It's perfect Papá."
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Félix waited for Camilo to be fully asleep and removed his sandals and ruana. His boy was getting big, but he managed to shift his son into a more comfortable position. Before he headed to the door, he noticed the lack of mirrors and wondered if it was Casita or Mira's influence on Casita that had brought about that tiny miracle. Camilo really did not need to practice; he could shift in his sleep if he chose to. Félix stopped at the door and looked it up and down. It was the same as before, but he noted the difference in Camilo's expression, etched so clearly. He chuckled to himself and wondered if Camilo would notice. He grunted with satisfaction and closed the door.
In the past, that face had worn a mischievous grin that exuded confidence. Confidence he knew Camilo did not feel when he was just himself. That smirk was gone, replaced by a smile of a shy young man, learning to be a confident one.
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies...And as expected a story of sorts popped in there. Sorry it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes are overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
Isabel & Luisa
Sitting in what used to be the Candle Room and was now the Casita's library, Luisa sighed as she gazed into the night sky. She wondered where she should go from here. She definitely did not want to go back to the place she was before. Sure, she was 'strong' again and truthfully, she enjoyed working and helping the town. But, chores, chores, and more chores, not so much. There were new things she wanted to try. Things she was eager to learn about. Things she realized she stopped doing because of the workload she had taken on. She was excited when Casita was finally finished. She was looking forward to spending time with the books their family had collected over the years. So full of stories of other places. Places outside the Encanto.
She spotted a shooting star and made a wish for something…different.
Looking over, she noticed Isabela's faraway look. She sat on the balcony rail, looking up at Tío Bruno's tower. Or what was his tower. Luisa really had no idea if he was going to move back up there. She hoped not. Mira had told her about it, she said it was a lot of sand and far too many stairs.
"I still have a hard time believing Mira went up there. But she must have. That girl is nothing if not tenacious. But why would she?"
Luisa cringed inside; she was the one who sent Mira up there to look for that vision in the first place. Mirabel did not even know about it before that. Her thoughts were interrupted when Isabela said, "You know that Tío gave me a vision once."
That was something Luisa had not heard.
"Really?"
"Yes, he said my power would grow and the life of my dreams would be mine someday."
"Wow, I remember everyone saying Tío Bruno's visions were always full of awful stuff."
"Never actually awful, more really obvious stuff that people would ask about and then blame him for the answers. Anyway, in the image he showed me, I did look really happy about something. Which was weird because I was throwing things; my hair was messy, and I was most definitely not behaving perfectly. So, I showed it to Mamá, and she tilted this way and that then stopped and looked at it more closely. She showed it to Papá, and they both smiled and handed it back to me. Mamá told me that it was a wonderful vision and I should remember to be kind to Mirabel. A weird statement since I've always been kind to my sister."
Luisa's jaw dropped, and she stared at her sister. She never understood Isa's treatment of Mirabel. Sometimes she acted just like Abuela, though being perfect with Mira around was no small feat. Still, she said, "I don’t think that's wholly accurate, Isa."
"No?"
"No."
"You're right, so around the same time, Dolores told me how she thought Mariano Guzmán was the most awesomest boy ever, and could I please stay away from him? I agreed, of course, and this was not hard for me since I've never been able to see him as Dolores does. Skip ahead a few years and I find out that Abuela has decided I should marry Mariano. I just did not know how to react to that. Dolores had to know it wasn't my idea…maybe she did, but either way, she wouldn't speak to me for months. I wondered if this was really a part of what Tío Bruno meant. I mean, it broke Doli’s heart, but at the same time, it made Abuela so happy. I just wasn't sure about any of it, and I thought Tío Bruno maybe lied to me."
"I don’t think Tío knows how to lie." Luisa said, remembering their first conversation. "It's good then that Dolores and Mariano got together." Luisa said.
"True, that boy deserved far better than to be stuck in a hopeless marriage with me. I think the part that makes me the saddest is that I would have done it. Done something I couldn’t take back for Abuela and the family." She fell silent for a time, and Luisa shifted in her chair. "Anyhow, back to my story; after the dinner from hell and Casita started cracking, I was content to let Abuela deal with Mirabel and went to my room to sulk and feel sorry for myself." Luisa snorted at this statement and Isabela laughed, "Yeah, not a golden child thing to do. But seriously, Mirabel, it seemed, had once again made a shambles of my life. I thought maybe I'd done something wrong because I was not actually unhappy. I was relieved. I was clearly missing something, and looked at the vision again, if only to convince myself that all that practiced perfection had not been for nothing. Only this time I was lying on my bed. I held it over my head and saw the vision moved a little when I tilted it. I never realized that's what Mamá was doing."
Luisa leaned in a little. "They can move?"
Seeing her disbelief, Isa said, "Yes, I mean think about it, Mamá grew up with Tío. She's probably seen more than a few of his vision tablets. And you know what I saw off to one side and barely visible if you did not get the angle just right?"
Luisa shrugged.
"It was Mira.” Isa fell silent again and heaved a sigh, then said, “But at that point I was so angry with her and her earlier antics, I ignored it and did not think of it again until the magic came back. I know now what that vision was showing me, the thing I missed completely, was that she had become all but invisible to me but was still looking up at her big sister with wonder in her eyes, even after seeing my imperfect self...even after…” she frowned and added, “Every time I think about it, I want to go find her and hug her.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. I think we all just assumed she was fine, she had no worries, no responsibilities, no expectations from Abuela. I will admit, sometimes, to me at least, it seemed like she was in the way, like she needed constant protection. I don’t think any of us tried very hard to include her in the things we were doing, well, except Mamá.”
“You at least did not treat her like she was a problem that needed fixing.”
“Do not be too hard on yourself, Isa, you had a lot going on. My stress was bad, but you…you had Abuela watching your every move since you were practically a baby.”
“I guess, sometimes, I feel like I should have tried harder.”
“No one’s perfect, Isa, and Mira certainly doesn’t hold it against you. Probably the most forgiving person in this family.”
“I feel like I owe her so much, Luisa. Mira opened my eyes to my potential. I want to do so much more with my Gift. I see now why magic can’t sustain food crops. You've seen what happens to my flowers if I’m not paying attention. After a while, they melt. Now I know there's so much I need to learn about the plants I grow, so I can strengthen them. I feel like I'm sixteen years behind what I should be able to do."
When the magic went away, Isa confided to Luisa that she felt cheated. She had barely come to grips with the fact that she could do so much more with her Gift. So much more than she had been led to believe. Then in less than an hour it was all gone. But that one afternoon had piqued her curiosity. In the aftermath of it all, when they weren't working on rebuilding, Isabela quite literally spent all her spare time studying plants. Free to just be herself, she talked to the farmers, backyard gardeners and any poor soul who had a houseplant about said houseplants. She worked in the fields, so she could see for herself how plants went from seed to dinner. No one ever seemed to mind, since a smile from her older sister was enough to get even the crankiest folk to tell her everything she wanted to know. Isa was Isa and that was that. Luisa was envious but not surprised, she just wished she had a quarter of Isa’s confidence.
It was really getting late, and Luisa let out a massive yawn.
Isabela dropped off the rail and gave her a gentle poke. "Here I am talking your ear off, and you look ready to drop. Wanna go check out our rooms?" she asked.
Luisa started, "That's right, our rooms are back," then she groaned and thought, they were back. "You wanna go first?"
"I can if you'd like," Isabela stood and coaxed Luisa off the wicker chair she had been sitting in. "I was a bit worried about it before," she said as they walked down to the second floor, "but now I'm excruciatingly curious to see if anything's changed."
They took the long way around to see if anyone else had been brave enough to go in. They passed by Dolores’s door and noted it was mostly the same, but her image was changed just a little.
"She’s smiling," Luisa said happily.
"Guess that's what love does to you." Isa said. "She looks so beautiful."
They moved a little further down and saw Camilo's door was also changed. The pair studied it for a bit.
"More grown up?" Isa offered.
Luisa nodded. "He is sixteen now. Did you notice that he did not shape change at all during the party?"
"I did not," Isabela said. "Impressive."
Antonio's door was still blank, so they rounded the corner and noted the nursery door that had always led to Mirabel's room looked the same. Definitely a nicer color than before, though. Isa touched it lightly and a line of jacarandas sprouted where she placed her fingers before moving on. As they came to her door, Isabela barely slowed before grasping the doorknob. She let out a small gasp as the magic washed over her and pushed back into the door. Isa looked at it, smiled and pushed it all the way open then went inside.
Luisa, however, stopped and took it in. The face was the same, but Isa's dress was no longer covered in cute flowers. Instead, there were all sorts of growing things on it, as well as some being faintly represented in the background. Maybe these were the ones Isa was still learning about.
She turned and entered her sister's room and gaped. Isabela's room was enormous. There was a bedroom like area, but the rest was devoted to plants of every size and shape. Some Luisa had never seen before. It kind of felt like Antonio's room had been, but he had a literal jungle for his many animal friends to stay in. There were no animals here, just the soft buzz of insects.
"Tomorrow is going to be so great!" Isa shouted. "Now let's have a look at your room."
Luisa was a little taken aback by Isabela's enthusiasm as her sister grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind her. She marched right up to Luisa's door and released her hand. Luisa stared at it for a moment and looked back at Isa, who was doing her best to keep from opening it herself.
"Mis hijas, getting ready for bed?"
Luisa looked past Isa to see her mother approaching with Mirabel in tow. They both stopped nearby, and Isa said, "Luisa was just about to open hers."
Luisa looked back at the glowing door and felt that eye twitch and took a deep breath. Mirabel must have noticed because she said, "Before that, Isa, can you show me your room? It's probably the prettiest of all."
Isa was about to say something and noticed her mother looking at her in that way that said, yes, you should go. Isabela let out a soft sigh and said to Mirabel, "You're gonna flip." And the pair went a little further down the hall. Luisa watched as Mirabel's eyes went wide as she stepped into Isa's room. There was a small click as the door shut behind them.
Looking back at her mother, she said, "It's pretty impressive in there Mamá, you should go take a look."
"I would prefer to see yours first, Luisa. Isa's...well, I can see it another time. Probably when I will have to go save Mira from Isa's newfound zeal."
Luisa let out a small laugh. Did her mother just make a joke?
"Good, a smile from mi pequeña niña. Are you ready?" she asked and put a gentle hand on her arm and gave it a little squeeze.
"Yes," Luisa decided. She put out her hand, grasped the knob and turned it. She did just as Isa had done and let out a small gasp as the magic swept through her. It was different from the first time. It felt warm and so much friendlier? She did not look at the image, since she assumed it would be the same as before. Nothing about her Gift had changed, she was just really strong Luisa again.
Expecting to see the hard stony surfaces of her previous room, she was surprised, first by the flooring. It looked soft and fluffy? Like a layer of clouds had been laid out for her to walk on. She stepped tentatively forward and found they were weirdly solid clouds. Every step pushed the mist a little further. Luisa was fascinated by this. This was something out of a dream. She moved further in and part of the cloud coalesced into a bed. It looked to be the softest bed ever. Colors bled into the mist from the bottom up. Furniture manifested out of the walls, all in a myriad of pastels. Every shelf held several books and a plushie or two.
A garden path meandered away from the bedroom to an archway that led out to an area full of different exercise equipment. She heard her mother's soft gasp of astonishment and looked back at her. She was smiling. Luisa realized she was too as she sat on the now fully formed bed, glancing at the archway she felt a moment of panic.
"What's troubling you, mija?"
"Mamá, you don’t think I'm going to have to… you know… do as much?"
"No, no one expects that of you anymore. You just need to set clear boundaries and stick to them. Gift or no Gift, you've done enough for ten lifetimes. You have your whole life in front of you to work, Luisa, if that is what you want. But Daughter, you also need to enjoy the rest you've earned. We are all here to help."
Luisa nodded and hoped that was true.
"I also brought you something," her mother said as she sat on the bed next to her. She reached into one of the many pockets of her apron and pulled 'it' out.
Tears immediately sprung into Luisa's eyes as she gently took the small, somewhat battered, dusty green box from her mother. "Mamá, I thought it was lost for sure. Where did you find this?"
"I did not. Your father brought that to me. Books were not the only thing they found when they were clearing the debris of Casita. He was saving it for a special occasion and set it aside. He found it again this morning and gave it to me to give to his little Lulu."
Luisa stroked the lid of the box. She had gotten it as a present from Tío Bruno the day of her Gift ceremony. This was always one of her favorite things from those days. She lifted the lid and read the little card inside.
'Hernando The Brave
Guardian of Luisa
Strongest of The Madrigals'
Tío had really nice handwriting. She lifted out the small green hooded doll and smiled at the memories that flickered in her head. She and Hernando went on many a grand adventure as she better learned how to handle her Gift. That is, until her chore list left her no time to do anything else except chores. But the little man always had a place of prominence on her bedside table, until seeing him reminded her of all the things she wanted to do but would probably not be able to. That was when she put him back into his box and she thought, her future.
There was more she wanted to ask, but she was exhausted. As if sensing her tiredness, her mother rose and stepped lightly across the cloudy floor. "Good night, Luisa. I think it's past time for me to collect Mira from Isa. I will see you in the morning."
"Good night, Mamá," Luisa said and lay back, holding up the doll. Maybe the future would be fine. "Welcome home, Hernando, I've missed you."
Julieta closed the door and smiled as she looked at Luisa's image. It was similar, but she could see that it was somewhat out of focus. Luisa was still unsure of who she wanted to be. And that was okay. Always the most dependable and sensitive of her children, she determined she would keep an eye on that.
As she walked toward Isabela's room, she heard the muffled sound of raised voices through the door. "Dios Mio, these two will be the death of me someday." She said to herself and then knocked on the door, hard. The voices went silent, and Julieta opened the door, what she saw caused her to burst out laughing.
| Author Notes | Fanfiction Based on the Disney film 'Encanto' The initial chapters were character studies...And as expected a story of sorts popped in there. Sorry it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes are overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
Triplets (part 1)
Bruno stood near the patio wall, hearing but not listening to his sisters and their husbands as they sipped wine and chatted about the magic’s return. Pepa sounded happy but also, for a change, at ease. Julieta was, as always, calm. Félix and Agustín were laughing uproariously about…something. Bruno looked out over the peaceful town of the Encanto and felt something he had not for an entire year.
Dread.
The magic was back alright, and he was not at all sure that was a good thing. At least for him. He really had no desire to see the future, whether for himself or anyone else. It was nice to just be Bruno. Not Bruno, the harbinger of doom. He had lost ten years of his life because of his Gift, and now that he had his family back, that was really all he needed.
It was so quiet, and then he thought, why is it so quiet. Looking back, he saw them all watching him. When they were young, his sisters often did this as if assessing him for some incoming trouble. After those two got married, their spouses did it as well.
“What?”
Félix and Agustín had gotten up. “Good night, Bruno,” they both said and waved as they headed toward Casita. Pepa downed the last of her wine and said, “I’m going too. With any luck, Félix will be able to track down Antonio before me. Hopefully, he did not decide to sleep in the forest. It almost seems like he’s afraid it will all come down again.”
Julieta nodded as she got up and joined Bruno at the wall and said, “I’m sure the magic coming back is really starting to sink in for all of them.”
Pepa nodded, “Irony at its best,” and asked, “Have either of you seen Mamá?”
Bruno and Julieta both said no.
“That woman has become like a ghost. Popping up randomly.” Pepa said this with a note of sarcasm laced with exasperation. Bruno smiled and noted that not even a glimmer of a cloud formed. Only one day, and she really was getting better at controlling it. Or maybe it was that lack of expectation to control it. Either way, it was nice to see.
“She did say she wanted to relax from here on out and enjoy her grandchildren.” Julieta said. “I guess she really meant it.”
Pepa gave her that look, then shrugged and walked off in the direction of the dining room.
“So, how is your story coming along?” Julieta asked.
“Almost done-” Bruno did a double take, “How did you know about that?”
“I overheard Dolores telling Isa about it a few weeks back.” He must have been frowning because Julieta added, “What? They must be great. They were giggling like kids. It was nice to hear.” When he said nothing, she sighed and turned to look at the town. Bruno also looked, and his brow furrowed, imagining what might be required of him tomorrow. That lot had had ten years with no one around to tell them the obvious. He could feel his agitation building.
“You know, Bruno, I’ve been thinking. I need to ask-” Julieta began, but Bruno cut her off.
“I’m not reading anyone’s fortune, Juli…” He trailed off as he focused on her surprised expression. He realized his tone was harsher than he intended, and he was getting angry for no good reason, “Sorry, sorry, I just… I just really don’t want to do that.”
“Bruno, I wasn’t going to ask you to,” Julieta smiled and said in her motherly calm way. “I know that I’m going to be busy catching up on some things…the favor I wanted to ask of you is to help keep an eye on Mira,” she held up a hand to stop his response, “I know she’s all but grown, she’s still very young. If that front door is telling us anything, it’s that she’s going to be more important to our family now and in the future. She’s going to need someone to talk to. Someone who is not her parent, and I’ve noticed she’s developed a special bond with you. Which, quite frankly, I am a little jealous of.”
Bruno sighed, that was not at all what he was expecting. As far as he could tell, Julieta and Agustín had done a fantastic job of supporting Mirabel. Another thought occurred to him, and he asked with a bit of nervous laughter, “You’re not just trying to keep me from disappearing again, right?”
Julieta’s smile vanished, and she let out what sounded like a growl, “You’re a grown man, Bruno Madrigal, you can do as you wish. Your ‘disappearing’ as you call it, never helped anything. Use your Gift or don’t, no one is going to force you.”
At that moment, Julieta sounded so much like their mother and even though he knew it was irrational, Bruno angrily snapped back, “You know why I left, and you know-”
Julieta leaned in as she cut him off, “Did I, Bruno?” There was real anger in her eyes, and Bruno took a small step back. Juli never got this angry. She made a sweeping gesture and continued, “You vanish, and all I got for that was ten years of wondering what was so bad in that vision that you freaked out and ran away. The best part and my personal favorite Bruno were the ten years of watching my child be shut out of her abuela’s heart. I’m not as totally convinced that our mother would have excluded Mirabel the way she did,” and she punctuated what followed by pushing his shoulder with her finger, “if… there… was… more… information.”
Bruno realized at that moment what his sister really meant was if she had had more. It truly had not occurred to him that he should have shown her. With that realization, he felt a moment of guilt for the trouble he had caused her. He had no real answer to that. It was his mother’s request, but could it have been different? There were times when he would be sitting at his little table, listening to his family’s goings-on, that he thought maybe he had been a little hasty. But at the same time, he was very sure he had no way of going back.
Julieta took a long calming breath before continuing. “You might as well know; I did have a chance to see that vision before your rats came to take it away. I saw how it shifted and changed. Cracks moving in and out of sight. Mira told me later that you yourself said that her future wasn’t set. Bruno, it wasn’t just the town and Mamá thinking the worst. You were as well. If Mira had not managed to pull you back from the lonely place you put yourself… I shudder to think of how much worse that whole day would have been.”
His continued lack of response made Julieta turn away. She flicked a small stone off the patio wall as she said, "I'm sorry Bruno, if you don’t think you can do this, I will find another way. I wasn’t going to ask, but I'm just so worried about Mira. It’s true, Casita's been rebuilt, but it still haunts her. I think she wonders what she could have done differently to have kept it from happening at all. I don’t want the town and Casita to consume her every waking moment, like it did ours."
Checkmate.
Bruno scrubbed his face and let out a groan, “Alright Juli, I will do it, but you know I'm not good with other people.” By 'other people', he meant the townsfolk, “You're sure you still want me to do this?”
Julieta relaxed and said, "You don’t have to be good with other people. You're good with Mira, Bruno. You've always been good with her and the rest of the children." Bruno smiled when she patted his arm. "Just do what you can if you see her pulling away or just trying to do too much."
There was a loud clatter of tiles in the dining room, and the pair broke off their conversation as Julieta went to find out what was happening. Bruno leaned back against the patio wall, still somewhat unsure if this was a good idea. Julieta was usually right about such things. He had always been awed by his sister. Juli was a fantastic herbalist and healer. He had worried about her during the last year and was not surprised that most of her 'cures' still worked. Just not nearly as fast as they did with the magic, which caused her no small amount of stress. She never stopped working at strengthening her recipes to improve the outcomes.
And like her mother, Mirabel tended to gravitate toward those around her who were in need and was very good at finding ways to help them help themselves. It was not completely lost on him that she purposefully pulled him into situations he would have otherwise avoided.
There was a squeak nearby and Bruno distractedly pulled a stale arepa out of his pocket, broke off a piece and offered it to the rat waiting hopefully on the wall. The rat took it, and Bruno was immediately assailed by additional rats that had gathered. He smiled as he sat on the floor and broke off several more pieces, making sure each got one, and his thoughts drifted to his unfinished novella. So, they liked his stories, did they. Maybe he should write an actual novel. The Encanto could use a few more books.
Julieta returned shortly thereafter and sat down next to him. While the rats gave her a moment's pause, this was really nothing new. Bruno had always had pet rats. Granted, there were a lot more of them now. She reached into her apron and handed him a stack of cookies. Pepa appeared and dropped down next to them, ignoring the scattering rats.
"So did you find Antonio?" Julieta asked as she pulled out more cookies and passed them to her sister.
"I did. He latched himself on to Dolores, who was busy staring at her door." Pepa said and popped the whole cookie in her mouth.
"Did she open it?" Bruno asked.
"She did," Pepa said, sounding delighted. Julieta and Bruno were both leaning forward waiting to hear how it turned out. "It was…exactly what she needed; I think."
Julieta let out the breath she had been holding, and Bruno managed a small smile. "That's wonderful," Julieta said. "Did you see any of the others?"
"No, Camilo was asleep on the sofa, so I left him there. When I left Dolores’s room, he was gone, but his door was still blank, and I decided to leave it to Félix. I thought I heard Isa and Luisa upstairs. Otherwise, all was quiet in La Casa Madrigal. So, what are you two still out here talking about?"
Bruno frowned, but Julieta did not miss a beat, "Novellas. Bruno's almost finished his latest." She ignored Pepa's curious look and said, "Oh, I did see Mamá as she was leaving the dining room. That's when I saw Camilo, he was with Mirabel in the kitchen."
"Cookies?" Pepa said as she ate another.
Julieta nodded and laughed. There was an additional clatter of tiles and Julieta said abruptly, "Well, I'd best go check on my own brood."
Once she was gone, Bruno asked, "So Pep, how well do you speak Casita?"
"Not well at all. Juli was the only one of us that ever caught on to that. Why is Casita ratting you out?" Pepa chuckled at her pun.
"I could have sworn I heard 'something Bruno is' then I lost it."
"Maybe someone is looking for you."
"There is a scary thought. How are you all so calm? Aren't you the least bit worried about tomorrow?"
"Truth?"
Bruno nodded.
"I'm terrified." For a moment, a tiny thunderhead appeared and shot innocuous lightning bolts, frightening the rats. She waved it away and continued, "Not for me, mind you, but for the kids." She looked at the cookies still in his hand, "You going to eat those?"
Bruno shook his head and offered them up.
Pepa said, "I don’t want them…all" and she took one off the top. "You need to eat more. You're a bag of bones."
"I eat," Bruno said, a little more defensively than he wanted to.
"Uh huh. I don’t think even Juli's food will keep you alive if you don’t start taking better care of yourself."
"Why are we having this conversation?"
"I'm just concerned for my baby brother's health." She was trying to sound nonchalant, but the light drizzle that started gave her away.
"Okay, I will work on it," he said and took a bite of one of the cookies.
Pepa smiled and broke off a piece of her cookie. She was going to offer it to the rat that had crawled up on Bruno's knee but stopped when he said, "You shouldn't feed them these," he said and lifted the rat onto the floor.
"Oh, why not?"
"They have chocolate on the bottom. It won't kill them, but it will make them sick. You don’t want sick rats."
"Oh, well, I will remember that."
Bruno yawned mightily. It had been a long day. Félix reappeared, and Pepa smiled and rose to join her husband. "Good night, Bruno, sleep well." Pepa said as she and Félix disappeared into Casita.
Suddenly curious, Bruno walked into the kitchen and asked, "Casita, was someone looking for me earlier?"
Casita responded with a short clatter of tiles.
"Mirabel?" he was surprised he understood that. "Do you know why?" Casita answered with what could only be interpreted as a shrug. "Hmphfth. Do you know where she is?"
There was a tremor in the tiles on the floor near his feet. They were leading out into the courtyard, so Bruno left the kitchen and looked up at the second floor. Several of the doors were now sporting figures, and he saw Julieta walk into Luisa's room. The door closed and Bruno noted the tiles were leading him toward the stairs. He went up, and the tiles were indicating the rooms where he had just seen his sister enter. That made sense, so he started toward Luisa's door. He was so intent on the tiles, he did not notice Pepa's door now held an image. As he passed Isabela's door, the tiles clattered loudly just in front of it. "Here?" he asked. One tile clacked a little in reply.
Bruno examined Isabela’s door and smiled. He knocked, and it was shortly opened by a very excited Isabela. Clearly, she had been expecting someone else because she pulled up short and said, "Tío?"
"Your mom is still next door."
"Oh, well, you need to see this too!" She grabbed his hand and all but yanked him in. Bruno looked around in astonishment.
There was another knock at the door and Isa opened it to find her father standing there. She pulled him in as well, and Agustín was just as dumbfounded as he had been.
"Isn't this great, Papá?" Isa said and twirled once.
Agustín nodded and gave Isa a hug and said, "This is pretty impressive, Isa." He then sat on the bed next to Mirabel, and Bruno sat on a stool near a desk that was already covered with papers. Behind that were shelves and shelves of potted plants. Small gardening tools were hung haphazardly on the walls. Did Isa even need tools? So much chaos, but this room was weirdly familiar.
Isa was busy showing her father all the different things she had noticed. Bruno saw that Mirabel was sitting with a fixed look that told him she's already heard all of this. He was pulled back when Isa grabbed his hands and said, "Thank you, Tío, your vision was right. I've never been so happy."
Bruno was a bit taken aback; he was not used to people thanking him for his Gift. He knew that Julieta and Agustín never once said anything disparaging about him to their children, nor ever allowed them to join in with the Bruno hate fest. It was then that Bruno remembered where he had seen all this before. Isa's vision from twelve years ago. The vision itself had shown him this room. He generally did not do visions for family, but Isa was very good at getting what she wanted. Probably still was. He had relented and when he gave her the tablet, she was confused. The image, while it showed a joyous Isa, it was not a perfect Isabela. Bruno remembered that Mirabel had been in that one as well, but it would have been hard to tell if you did not know what you were looking for.
Later that month he had also done one for Dolores that had led to a huge misunderstanding with Dolores and then Pepa. Overall, just a horrible day. After that, he swore off doing any more for his nieces and nephews.
There was still another knock on the door, and Isa opened it to find Abuela standing there. Isabela's smile slipped a little, and she unconsciously straightened.
"May I come in, Isabela?" Abuela said in a tentative way Bruno still found odd. He also still found it hard to believe she would be able to keep this act up. No one changes that much.
Isa came back to herself with a small start. "Of course, Abuela." And guided her in. Bruno noticed the hesitant way his mother stepped across the moss-covered tile floor. To him, she seemed a little unsteady, it was pretty slippery stuff. Like everyone else, his mother gasped at the sights all around. Isabela still smiled, but wore a look of concern that made Bruno think she was going to start straightening things.
"This is quite a room. So many plants." Abuela said, smiling. "Isa, I know it's late, but I was so curious as to that flower you used to dye your hair and clothes. What is it called?"
Isabela let out a nervous laugh. She gestured and several of the plants with closed buds appeared around them. "These?" she asked. Abuela nodded. "I'm not sure of the name. I just remember seeing them in a book when I was small."
"You grew this from a picture? That is so clever, Isabela. It's wonderful to see how you have grown." Isabela was a little taken aback by the compliment and blushed. Clearly, his mother's approval was still very much desired by Isabela.
"Well," said Mirabel as she hopped off the bed, "Your room really is wonderful Isa, but it's getting late, and I'm going to go to bed."
Isa looked disappointed that Mirabel was leaving.
"That's a good idea. I will join you." Agustín stood, and the pair started for the door. Bruno decided he should probably go as well but stopped mid-rise when Agustín tripped and pitched forward with a yelp, bumping Mirabel, who lost her balance and cried out as she landed headfirst in the plants Isa had just grown. Isa exclaimed, "Oh no!" as the plants burst, sending a shower of color into the air. She and Abuela took a step back, both slipped backward, and Bruno dove to break his mother's fall. Everything went quiet as the rainbow of colorful dust settled. At that moment, the door opened again to reveal Julieta. Abuela looked at all the color smudged faces and smiled. Julieta surveyed the scene for a moment, then Mira sneezed blue, and Julieta burst out laughing. It did not take long before all the colorful people in the room were cracking up.
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies...That being said a story of sorts popped in there. Modifications have been made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
Triplets (part 2)
Pepa glanced up at Camilo's door as she and Félix walked through the courtyard to the steps. He described Camilo's room in amazing detail, but she was surprised when Félix told her that Camilo had gone right to sleep. That wasn't like him, but she was feeling a bit sleepy herself. She decided Juli's polvorosas were made with a bit more chamomile than usual. Well, at least he was in his room, chances were good he had eaten a fair number of those cookies, so he would sleep until morning. The sound of a door opening made Pepa look up in time to see Isa all but dragging Luisa toward her door. Earlier that evening, they'd talked about all the changes in their oldest children. So full of energy and so different from the woman she had been just a year before.
How Isa's initial disappointment in losing her Gift was soon supplanted by a seemingly inexhaustible need to learn all she could about plants. She was even helping her mother with the herbs she grew for her recipes like when she was little. Isa was always a bit of an overachiever and would be fine, Juli said. She was more concerned about Luisa falling back into old habits and Mira.
Pepa remarked how please she was that Dolores’s confidence had grown since she had started dating Mariano. It had been a bit of a shock to find out that Isa never wanted to marry the man picked out for her by their mother. But then Agustín was not their mother’s first choice of husbands for Julieta. Probably the only time Julieta flat out told her mother she would not do what she wanted. Pepa knew that Juli was secretly in love with Bruno’s best friend. She thought about her own husband and felt a shiver. How much would Isa and Dolores have lost if Isabela had gone through with that.
But looking back, there were signs there was tension between the cousins. Born within weeks of one another, they were thick as thieves as children. All but inseparable. After Mamá announced Isa would marry Mariano, they rarely spoke to one another directly and no longer spent time together. This was concerning at first, but Isabela had played the part of dutiful granddaughter to a tee. Doing it for the family, knowing Dolores was smitten with Mariano. Dolores too had said nothing, burying her unhappiness because she knew she could not change it. Still, Mamá had been very set on Isa marrying Mariano and no one except possibly Isabela and Dolores knew that it was not a good thing.
While Pepa initially had not considered Mr. Guzmán as a match for Dolores, her daughter did. The way she talked about Mariano made her nostalgic for the days when she and Félix had nothing better to do than wander alone about the Encanto, so after some discussion, she and Félix decided they would not interfere. Both Dolores and Mariano were happy with that outcome, so why not? She did wonder if Mariano really wanted five babies. Probably not. She had learned later that it was Mariano who had rallied the townsfolk, first to help look for Mirabel and then to help rebuild the Casita. All in all, he seemed a very nice man.
As she and Félix neared the stairs, she heard Julieta then Mira followed by Isabela's voice but could not hear what was said. Everything went quiet by the time they got to the top. She looked at her door, so beautiful as it shimmered. So many more colors than before. Out of nowhere, Pepa was struck by a feeling of supreme anxiety; what would tomorrow bring? For the family, especially the children? Before the downpour her fear inspired could start, she heard the familiar whoosh of an umbrella opening, felt the comforting squeeze around her waist and let the rain fall. She relaxed and Pepa looked up. Huh? Stopped already? Too bad, she thought as Félix released her to close the umbrella. Pepa turned to her husband and said, "Promise me you'll never lose that?"
"Lose what Pepi?"
"The Gift of reading my weather."
"Never mi vida." Félix once again put his hand around her waist, pulling her close. Pepa smiled warmly and thought, this is the magic she believed in and the only magic she needed. On impulse, she took his hand in hers, and together they opened the door. Pepa felt the tingle of the magic and was not surprised to see she looked almost the same. But now her door included the smiling figure of her husband.
"That was weird, Pepi," Félix said, holding her hand a little tighter.
"You felt it too?" she asked, all in a rush. That was new and totally unexpected. Was Casita trying to ease her fears? Their rooms were a little larger and the furniture a little cushier. She checked on Antonio, who was still asleep on the small bed Casita had placed there when Félix brought him here earlier. She wondered then why the door had not changed then…weird. This made her wonder again as to the true source of the magic. But that, she decided, could wait until morning.
Julieta got her laughter under control as she helped Agustín to his feet. Bruno was helping their mother to the bed, she looked disheveled but was still smiling. Isa was helping Mira up and whispered something to her that made Mirabel snort and the pair started to giggle. Both appeared to be fine, so she returned her attention to her mother.
"Are you alright, Mamá?"
"Yes, Juli," she said, but she looked tired. There was a squeak from one of Bruno's rats, and Abuela said, "You should check on Bruno."
Julieta turned to Bruno and froze. Bruno stood unmoving, face blank, eyes glowing. "Already? Agustín, help me."
Her husband immediately went behind Bruno and Julieta touched her brother's face and said in a gentle voice, "Bruno, can you hear me, hermano? Come back to us, Bruno. Despiertas."
Bruno blinked, and the glow faded from his eyes, but Julieta saw the pain and fear there before he closed them and collapsed. Agustín caught Bruno before he slipped too far. Both Isa and Mirabel rushed forward to help, but stopped abruptly when Abuela said, "Your father has Bruno well in hand. Come sit with me, and I will try to explain what just happened. Juli, you'll take care of Bruno?"
Julieta answered with a grim smile, nodded, and she and Agustín left. Once in the hallway, Julieta headed straight for her and Agustín's room. She did not slow as she grasped the doorknob and went inside. Agustín followed behind and placed Bruno gently on the sofa that was now just inside the door.
Bruno stirred but still did not wake, and Julieta knew that was not good. The longer he was unconscious like this, the worse it would be when he woke up. Agustín took the damp cloth Julieta handed him and sat next to his brother-in-law. He picked up the pillows that had fallen and put one under Bruno's feet, the other his knees. Pulled the blanket from a nearby chair and covered Bruno up to his chin. He then used the cloth to pat Bruno’s face, but the beads of sweat immediately popped up to replace those that were wiped away. His breathing seemed shallower than when they first laid him down and his skin felt cold, and Julieta felt a moment of genuine fear.
Her room had always had a series of small shelves and cabinets just near the entrance, and she had overseen the construction of them when they were rebuilding Casita. She had not had the opportunity to arrange her many herbs and premade remedies, but the boxes that they were stored in were gone. As if answering her unasked question, a small cabinet door popped slightly, and Julieta took the small pot it contained out and placed it on the counter. Two others were now ajar, and she removed the contents of those as well. Her fear eased a little, “Thank you, Casita.” Just do what you need to, Juli.
Though the room continued to fill out, Julieta was now completely focused on the task at hand. She heard Agustín grab some wood from a pile nearby and place them in the small stove there. They immediately caught. He took the small kettle, filled it with water and placed it on the stove. Julieta began adding ingredients to her mortar and mashed them furiously.
The kettle rattled to indicate it was ready. She picked up a spoon and removed some of the mixture, then gave it a sniff. Awful and definitely ready, she thought and put the spoon aside. She poured hot water into the mortar and gave it a swirl with her pestle. She poured the contents into a cup and left them to steep. Picking up the spoon, she turned and knelt next to her brother, she nodded to Agustín, who placed his hands on both sides of Bruno's head.
This was the hard part.
Julieta leaned over top of her brother and placed the spoon next to his nose. Nothing happened at first, but she knew this part could take a little time. Bruno suddenly jerked, but Agustín had a good grip on his head. She held the spoon in place until Bruno gasped. He coughed and sputtered, so Julieta put the spoon aside and Agustín released Bruno's head. Nothing to do now but wait.
The minutes seemed to stretch until, after a few groans, Bruno opened his eyes. He looked at her and his brother-in-law, and the look on his face was something Juli could only describe as pure anguish.
"Do not hold it in," Julieta said as gently as she could. She found his hands; they were still like ice. "Please, Bruno, let go of the pain. Whatever you saw, we'll find a way through it."
The door opened just enough to show Pepa's worried face. Though she had a cloud, there was no rain. She squeezed through the opening and closed the door quickly behind her, shutting her cloud in the hall. Agustín rose then and said, "I will go check on Abuela and make sure Mira gets herself to bed. He was out the door before Julieta could say anything, but she never needed to say anything. Bruno seemed to shrink in on himself then, there were tears in his eyes, but he still made no sound.
Julieta helped Bruno sit up slowly, and Pepa adjusted his blanket and sat next to him, taking his hands. She also noticed how cold they were and shot Julieta a worried look. "Are you alright, Bruno?" Pepa asked.
"I guess," was all he said in reply.
Julieta rose and strained the leaves from the drink she made earlier. She sat on her brother's other side and handed him the cup. Bruno took it with slightly shaky hands and took a small sip. He frowned at the cup, "Juli, this tastes like crap."
Julieta smiled, but noted his hands were no longer shaking.
Pepa said, "That's what happens when you scare her half to death. Questionable food. Should I ask why you and Agustín are covered in every shade of the rainbow?"
"You should see Mamá," Bruno said with the beginning of a smile.
"Mamá? You need to tell me what happened." She leaned in and looked at Julieta expectantly.
"I only arrived for the aftermath," Julieta said. "It was pretty funny."
"Bruno?"
Bruno then told a very colorful and likely extended version of what took place in Isa's room. Julieta could see why the girls had been so interested in his stories. He definitely could spin a yarn. He stopped when he got to the part where he had had that vision, and did not elaborate.
Pepa was giggling like a little kid, but said as she wiped a tear from her eye, "I am sad to have missed that. Sounds like prankster Casita has struck again."
"You don’t really believe Casita had anything to do with all that," Julieta said.
Pepa gave her the side eye and said, "And you think it did not?"
Julieta avoided answering by asking, "Is that what brought you here?"
"No, it was Bruno."
"Really?"
“Of course, why else would I be here?”
Bruno could feel the argument brewing between his sisters as he moved to put his cup down on the table that Casita quietly pushed in front of him and get out of the way. Julieta stopped him and said, "You should drink at least half, Bruno."
Bruno groaned, took another small sip, and asked, "You think you can add anything to help the taste? It's ...unfortunate." He looked down at the dark tea and gave a shiver.
"Fine," Julieta rolled her eyes and said, "I will be right back. Do not move."
When she opened the door, she stopped and fully took in the image, Bruno was guessing she had not had a chance to see before. Clearly, she was not expecting to see Agustín there, so when she did, she covered her mouth with her hands. Her expression changed, and she disappeared, probably to take in Pepa's door. Was Félix there as well?
"Bruno! Come out here!"
Julieta sounded very excited. That was not normal. He looked over at Pepa, but she only shrugged.
He set down his cup and got off the sofa. He tossed his blanket onto the nearby chair, and Bruno poked his head warily out her door. "What now?"
Pepa was right behind Bruno and ushered him out into the hall. Julieta gestured for him to come to where she was standing. Before he moved an inch, he knocked on the wooden rail five times, then once on his head. He made his way slowly to her, and she pointed at the doorknob. The embossed "B" made him take a step back. Why was that there?
Pepa poked him from behind, "You gonna open that or what?"
"Can I go with 'or what'?" He heard the thunder behind him.
"Pepa, please, he's been through enough tonight. Bruno, I just wanted you to see it. I think it's wonderful your room is back where it belongs. You don’t have to open it if you don’t want to."
"Then, where is Mamá's room?" Pepa asked.
"That is a good question," Bruno added as he took a few steps away, "Let's go look." Anything to get away from the glowing nightmare in front of him.
"I'm sure that can wait until tomorrow," Julieta said. "You can always sleep in the guest room, Bruno, no need to come up with excuses as to why you shouldn't open your door."
The way she said it, irked him. Did she think he was afraid to open it? He actually was, but the fact that Juli knew that…she shouldn't just say things like that and out of sheer stubbornness, he stepped forward and grabbed the doorknob. Bruno sucked in air as the magic swept through him and flooded back into the door with a force that made his hair tingle and his ruana flap. He immediately pulled his hand back as if burned. That was unsettling, and he wanted to be angry, but realized he was not even irritated. He almost felt comforted. Something about the magic had definitely changed. His reaction, however, caused Juli to jump back a step and frightened Pepa enough that she let loose another storm cloud.
"Bruno," Julieta said, coming closer, "I'm sorry, I did not mean for-"
"You know what, Juli, I'm good." What was Casita up to? He looked the door up and down; it was just about the same as before. With a shrug, Bruno opened the door and stepped in with a boldness he did not completely feel, but he did always say his real Gift was 'acting'.
Amazingly, there was only one area with flowing sand and no stairs at all. Just rooms that were similar to the ones that had appeared when he had first gotten his Gift. Like Casita had pushed a reset button. Much better furniture though and a window. He walked closer to it and saw there was a window box with the herbs he used to do visions. Near that was a small, dead looking potted tree. He snapped a branch off, and it immediately replaced itself with a new… dead looking branch.
"That's creepy," Pepa said, coming closer.
Bruno realized he forgot to close the door.
"But useful," Julieta commented.
"I really like this chair, Bruno," Pepa said behind him. "Didn't we used to have one like this?"
"Look at the size of that desk. This will be perfect for your writing." Julieta said with a hint of excitement.
Bruno, still facing the window, smiled. He had missed his sisters' pointless chatter so much more than he had ever be able to show them. The change in his mother, real or not, was nothing short of astounding. At that moment, his inaction of more than a decade weighed on him. More information… Julieta was right. Keeping things hidden was not only what caused all the problems they'd had in the past, but made them a hundred times worse.
He knew what he needed to do and was not surprised to see that Félix and Agustín were there when he turned around. Casita had a way of guiding people to where they were needed without you realizing that is what was happening.
"Close the door, Félix." Félix did, and Bruno gestured for everyone to sit down. "This concerns everyone in the Encanto, so I'm going to tell you what I saw."
| Author Notes | **Note** Remember a lot is happening concurrently...you know like real life. Now, as long as I don't forget where I put everyone... |
By Achitka
Mejores Amigas
Isabela could only watch as her parents took Tío Bruno away. The expression on her mother’s face was nothing short of grim. Abuela was looking down at her hands, which she had folded in her lap. Isa’s worry increased when she noticed Abuela was whispering something as she rubbed the locket she received from Abuelo all those years ago.
Mirabel was frozen in place, torn between following her parents or joining Abuela. Isa put her arm around her little sister and said as they walked toward the bed, “It’s going to be okay, Mira. Mamá is with him, and she can cure anything, right?” Mirabel’s brow furrowed, but she nodded and sat down on the bed. Abuela put an arm around Mira and whispered assurance to her as Isa moved to the other side. There came a gentle knock at the door, and it opened just enough to show Dolores’s worried face. That must have been what Abuela was doing earlier, calling Dolores.
While they talked more than they used to, she and Dolores were still not the friends they’d once been. Isa missed that. Truth was, they had not been to each other’s room since the whole Mariano thing started. Dolores looked at Isa questioningly. Isabela smiled and waved at her to come inside. Dolores slipped all the way in and closed the door behind her. She was wearing a nightgown with a light-yellow robe. Though her hair was in a bonnet, a few curls peeked out. She was doing her best to take it all in, then she noticed everyone was extra colorful. She let out a squeak, and Isa flushed when she realized what Dolores was reacting to. As she came over, Isa said, “I will explain all this later.” She made a giant toadstool for herself right next to the bed and guided Dolores next to Abuela.
Dolores still looked worried and uncomfortable. Isa sighed; Luisa had pointed out to her Dolores’s continued absence during the rebuilding, even after Mira had introduced Dolores to Mariano. Isabela thought that should have taken care of it. Mirabel did mention that maybe Isa should apologize too. Isabela dismissed this idea, since she was done with worrying about the things, she had had no control over. When nothing changed, Mira flat out told her if she truly wanted them to be friends again, she would have to start by covering the gap between them, whether she dug that hole or not. Isa loathed apologizing, but Mira had a point. She would have married Mariano if things had not changed so drastically, but she had been too afraid to speak up.
That’s it, Isabela scolded herself, quit being a baby and be the woman you dreamed you can be. Isa then adjusted her position, so she could hold both of Dolores’s hands in hers. Dolores now had a startled look, but she did not pull away. First steps are always the hardest.
Abuela said in a gentle voice. “I’m sorry to have dragged you from your bed, Dolores. But you need to know this as well. Now, where to start…”
“What happened? Was Tío having a vision?” Mirabel asked.
“Yes, it was a vision. What you saw is what he calls a spontaneous vision. Your Tío’s Gift, at least that aspect of it, has never been fully under his control.”
Isa could see now why Tío always seemed nervous and skittish around other people. With that hanging over your head, how was he even able to function? That was surely compounded with the townsfolk treating him like a leper. It’s also probably why he had rarely left the Casita, instead he would often stay behind watching over his nieces and nephew.
“That sounds horrible. It looked like it was hurting him,” Isa said.
Abuela’s expression was unreadable, she seemed to remember something at that moment and said, “I believe it does, but he’s never admitted to that, and I don’t know if he was ever able to discover what causes them or why they are so much more intense than his ‘regular’ visions. That’s why it was good your mother was here, Isa. Your Tío loses all sense of himself and his surroundings. Your mothers are the only ones who have ever been able to reach him when he’s like that. Over time, Julieta discovered the longer he slept after an incident, the harder it would be for your Tío to bounce back. It’s why he has so many rituals linked with using his Gift, and partly why he eventually shied away from using it. But don’t worry mi vidas, Julieta’s gotten very good at waking her brother up and chances are he’ll be up and around soon.”
“I wonder what he saw?” Dolores asked.
“Please don’t ask him.” Abuela said. “He will tell us when he is ready. The reason I have you here now is that these things mostly happen in three’s and can happen very close together. I would like it if you would keep an eye out, just in case. Isa, I want you to tell Luisa and Dolores, you can talk to Camilo tomorrow. Mirabel, please ask Antonio to check in with Bruno’s little friends. And if any of you see one of his pets, make sure it’s not trying to get your attention.”
They all nodded and Abuela sighed as she said, “I think I will be going to bed now. Thank you for-”
There was another knock on the door and Isa got up and opened it. For the second time that night, her father was there. He looked in at the collection of women and did not so much as raise an eyebrow.
“Papá, is Tío feeling better?” Mirabel asked as she rose from the bed.
“He’s awake and probably giving your mother a hard time about the taste of her tea.”
Isa found the tension in her shoulders ease as Mirabel smiled then and visibly relaxed. Abuela looked relieved as well and was also up. Dolores, however, stayed where she was. This made Isabela happy. She really wanted, no needed, to talk to Dolores. Once the three of them were out the door, Isa turned back around and found Dolores was right behind her.
“Tell me you’re not leaving too.”
“Actually, Isa, I was going to suggest we go to my room. It’s so much quieter.” Isa became aware of the insect sounds and agreed they were pretty loud.
“Sleepover?” Isa asked hopefully.
Dolores smiled and said, “Definitely.”
Miraboo
Mirabel headed toward her Abuela’s room, but stopped and stared at the door leading to her mother and father’s room. She looked at it, then reached a hand out and touched it. She felt a tingle that was warm and comforting to the touch, which surprised her. It had never felt like that before. She went further down the hall to Tía Pepa’s room and saw her as well as Tío Félix smiling back at her.
“Thank you, Casita, they’re so beautiful.” Mirabel said and smiled. Casita gently lifted the tiles below her feet. Abuela’s door was still blank, so Mirabel turned around to find her Abuela was missing. Only her father was there. Where did she go?
“Papá, where’s Abuela?”
“She went to bed Mira, you should too. It’s late, and we’ve all had more than our fair share of excitement for today.”
“But her door…”
“Look at the doorknob, Mira.”
Mirabel turned around and was surprised a second time. The embossed ‘B’ was not at all what she was expecting to see, but then that would mean, “Papá, why would Tío Bruno’s room be here, I thought his room was in the tower.”
“This is where it was originally.”
“But how did it move?”
“That’s a story for another day. I know you’re curious, but it’s not mine to tell. I’m sure your Tío will tell you if he wants to.”
“True.” she said, and Mirabel turned back and put the flat of her hand on the shining door. Nothing happened beyond the warm tingly-ness, but Mirabel’s apprehension welled up, and she rested her head on it as well and made a selfish wish for Tío Bruno, whispering, “Please Casita, welcome Tío back with care, I need him and tomorrow is his birthday after all.”
She tapped the wood five times with her finger and turned and started walking toward the opposite side. She stopped and turned back to look at the door again. Her father put his arm around her shoulder, turning her around, “Mira it’s late,” he said again as he walked along with her.
“Papá, do you think Tío Bruno is really going to be okay? He seems so...tired all the time.” She wanted to say weak, but that did not seem right either.
“Your Tío is far tougher than you think, Mira, he’s endured a lot in his life, and he’s definitely more stubborn than any of the Madrigals.”
They reached what had been the nursery door, and Mirabel smiled at the line of blue petaled jacarandas. They spelled-out Mirabel. She reached up and touched them lightly and felt the warm tingly sensation again and smiled.
“I wonder, perhaps your sister chose jacarandas because they are supposed to bring good luck,” her father said and smiled. Mirabel cherished her restored relationships with her sisters. They’d drifted so far away from her as the divide that separated them grew wider with each passing year. Now that the magic was back, Mirabel was once again the only Madrigal kid without a Gift. She desperately hoped that rift would never happen again. While the non-shininess of the door did not surprise her, it would be nice to see. She gave herself a little shake, thinking like that would surely lead to trouble. She really was content just as she was. Casita again gently lifted the tiles beneath her feet.
Her father gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and Mirabel turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Expecting to see the room as it looked after the rebuilding, Mirabel was stunned to see the room fold out before her. She took slow steps further into the room and with each she felt that warm comforting tingle between her toes. Was this what everyone felt when they opened their doors for the first time? Everything was definitely larger. From the bed to the window, to just the amount of space. The walls were pale blue, but at the bottom they showed the outlines of trees. The blue deepened gradually as it climbed up the walls. In the distance on every wall, she could just make out the mountains surrounding the Encanto. The ceiling itself was a cloudy night sky. She watched as the clouds moved across until the moon and stars peeked out from behind. She continued further in and saw that there were places for all her favorite hobbies. A desk sat to the right of the window. This room was perfect for her, except it felt a bit empty.
A door manifested to the left of her, and she approached it with increasing curiosity. There was a small iron knocker there. The sign below it said:
Please knock
She was just about to do so when her father said, “Corazón, you should come look at this.” He was looking at the inside of the door. She came back to the door and Mirabel asked, “Casita, what is up with this?” There came a sound of gently rattling wood, and Mirabel turned to the window and said, “What do you mean this was asked for? That explains nothing. Where’s Abuela?” The knocker on the door nearby rattled just enough to get her attention, and after a moment the door opened very quietly.
Abuela was there, in her bed, sound asleep. The door then closed just as quietly as it had opened. Guess it’s not as empty as she thought. She looked back at the door that led to the hallway. While the image still made no sense to her, it was beautiful. In the uppermost corner were a pair of hands. At the end of the fingers was a butterfly. Her father pointed to the opposite corner near the bottom. There she saw another pair of smaller hands lifting a much smaller butterfly. The midsection of the door showed a garden scene with a young tree at its center. This was overshadowed by the branches of a much larger and older tree…or maybe overshadowed wasn’t the right word. Sheltered? That sounded right.
“You look confused, Mira. Come sit down,” her father said, and sat on the overstuffed sofa near Mirabel’s new bed.
Mirabel reluctantly left the door, curled up next to him, and asked, “Papá, what do you think it means?”
“I think Mira, Casita’s trying to show you something important about your future.”
“Future? I barely got through today. This day’s already been weird. I’m still worried about Tío. Abuela said those spontaneous visions would happen again, and we should help keep an eye on him.”
“While that would be helpful, try not to make it obvious. I don’t think your Tío Bruno wouldn't appreciate all the added attention.”
“Okay,” Mirabel said and yawned.
“I also think it’s well past time for you to go to sleep. It’s already past midnight.”
“But…”
“No more tonight, Mira,” his tone was strict, but he was smiling as he rose from the sofa. He held out his hands and Mirabel nodded as he pulled her up. Her father pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head, “There will be plenty of time tomorrow to puzzle things out, Mira.”
“Okay, Papí, I will see you in the morning.” Mirabel almost made it to her bed when she asked, “Papá, did you know Tío before you met Mamá?”
“I did,” he said, opening the door to the hall. “But that’s all the answer you're getting,” he said, seeing her open her mouth for another question. “Go to sleep, Mira.”
Casita’s shutters gave a little shake and Mirabel gave in. “Well, if you’re gonna gang up on me. Goodnight Papá.”
“Goodnight Miraboo.”
Cuñados
Agustín closed the door and heard a commotion on the other side of the plaza. Bruno was standing stock still looking at his door. Pepa was behind him and Juli was off to the side. While it was good that Bruno was up and about, Agustín was sure Bruno wanted nothing to do with that door. There was the sound of distant thunder, his wife said something, and Bruno took a few steps back.
At this point, Agustín decided to stay put, getting in the middle of those three at times like these could be perilous. Julieta said something else, and Agustín grimaced when he saw Bruno’s shoulders drop. “Miércoles…” Agustín said under his breath.
“Ay, no,” Félix intoned at the same time next to him, causing Agustín to start, but he was so intent on the drama across the way that he did not respond.
Quite suddenly, Bruno stepped up to the door and grabbed the doorknob. Almost as if he were daring Casita to do something to him. The magic hit Bruno hard enough, his hair and ruana fluttered. He immediately pulled his hand off the knob. This caused Juli to jump back a step and Pepa let loose a brief shower. Julieta moved closer and said something else. Bruno only tilted his head slightly, gave the door a cursory glance, he shrugged, then immediately stepped forward and went in. Pepa and Julieta exchanged worried looks and, seeing as Bruno did not shut the door, followed him inside.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Félix said and turned around. “I see Mira’s got her own room finally.”
Agustín turned back to the door, “She does, and she doesn’t.”
“Alma?” Félix grunted.
“Yes.”
“The wives know yet?” Félix said and scratched his beard.
“I’m guessing no,” Agustín replied as he turned back to the plaza. “You having trouble with errant children too?”
“Antonio, woke up his mother to tell her what the rats, woke him up to tell him.”
“Ah,” Agustín said, “that’s going to be a challenge to navigate.” He looked at Bruno’s still open door and asked, “You think we should go over there?”
“Why not,” Félix said as he started in that direction. Agustín followed, and Félix added, “I’m curious to see what all the ruana flapping was about.”
“Well, let's at least hope there are not a ridiculous number of stairs. I don’t think my knees can take a climb like that anymore.”
They stepped just inside the door, and Bruno turned around and took both by surprise by not being surprised they were there. Instead, he said, “Close the door, Félix.” Once he had, Bruno gestured for everyone to sit down and said, “This concerns everyone in the Encanto, so I’m going to tell you what I saw.”
By Achitka
Antonio sat with Parce outside the patio walls near the wooded part of the Encanto. While he was excited that he could talk to his friends again, he also realized they were only his friends because of his Gift. His Mamí had made a point of having him spend some time with the other kids in the town. They seemed to like him without it too, except now they were a bit put off by Parce. He tried to show them that Parce wouldn’t hurt them, but Parce was a pretty big jaguar.
Now that everyone was gone, he had been doing his best to not be found. He did not have a room to hide in anymore, and Mira’s room was still empty. Parce suggested he just go to his old room. Antonio did not agree. He wasn’t completely sure that it was safe. What if Casita broke while he’s sleeping? Better to be outside, just in case.
Two of Tío Bruno’s rats were there as well, talking about the story his Tío was working on. Most of it did not make a whole lot of sense, but then the rats broke off when they noticed he was listening. The pair scolded him for eavesdropping, then ran off.
“You should not let those rodents talk to you like that,” the Jaguar he was leaning on said with disdain. Parce’s voice was very deep, accompanied by a low rumble. Deeper than it was a year ago. That made sense since he was bigger as well.
Antonio looked up at the sky and asked, “Why Parce? I was eavesdropping.”
“It’s not right,” was all the Jaguar said in response. The big cat’s head came up and Antonio noticed Parce’s ears swivel, “She comes.”
“Huh? Who?”
“Elegida.”
“Mira?” Antonio did not know why all the animals called his cousin that. He wasn’t all that sure what the word even meant, or even if it was a word. Parce had said it was something specialness…
“Oh, hi Antonio,” Mirabel said as she came around the side of the house, “I thought I might find you out here.”
“I was gonna go in soon,” he said, and got up to stand near her.
“Were you? Too bad, it is a nice night for star gazing,” she said as she sat down next to him, folding her feet under her skirt. “You know, I never got to ask what the Jaguar’s name is.” She tentatively reached out and Parce graciously moved his head beneath her hand. Mirabel smiled as she gently scratched behind his ears. “So beautiful.”
“His name is Parce,” Antonio said, happy to talk about his friend, “he told me he really likes when you and your Papá sing. And that he should stay away from the bees, and did you know that Camilo’s smell stays the same, no matter who he’s copying? And I’m going to ask Isa to grow some…”
“Hey, slow down there Tonito,” Mirabel said with a giggle, “You can tell me all about it tomorrow.” Mirabel pet the jaguar as she said, “Thank you, Parce. I really like my Papá’s singing too.”
The big cat regarded her for a moment and pushed back against her hand, closed his eyes as he laid his head down near her lap. The sun had dropped behind the mountains and Antonio heard the scattered words of the animals just waking up in the nearby forest. They were all jumbled together, and it was hard to pick out one voice over another. He had forgotten how alarming that could be. Parce told him to pay it no mind, but Antonio backed into Mirabel, and she automatically pulled him into her lap, giving him a reassuring squeeze. She was humming a familiar song he did not know the words to, and Antonio found he could sort the voices better when he wasn’t thinking about it too hard. Maybe that’s what Parce meant when he said to pay it no mind. He was glad that Mira had come looking for him.
Parce rose, and the jaguar looked in the direction of the cracked mountain. “There is something I need to check on, Antonio,” Parce said in his low rumble, and took a few steps away.
“What? Why?”
Parce did not answer the question, he simply looked back at Antonio and said, “Do not fear hijo, I will not be gone long.” Then disappeared silently into the trees.
“I wonder where he’s off to,” Mirabel said.
“He did not say,” Antonio said.
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be back soon. It sure is getting chilly. We should probably go in soon. If you'd like, we can get up early to pick some flowers for our moms’ birthday.”
Antonio smiled and got up from her lap. He yawned without meaning to and said, “That’s a good idea.” Mirabel got up, took his hand, and they walked to the door. Casita opened it as they approached, and Antonio noticed his brother asleep on the sofa nearest the door. He was twitching in his sleep. He then heard a squeak and looked up to see his sister standing in front of her door. He looked at his brother, then back at Dolores.
“Hey, you want to go get a snack?” Mirabel asked.
“Nah, I’m not hungry,” he replied, but stopped, still watching his sister.
Mirabel knelt next to him and said, “You alright Antonio?”
“Yeah. You think she’s scared?” he asked.
Mirabel’s gaze moved from him to the balcony where Dolores was standing, and she said, “She looks like she could use a hug.”
“Yeah, that would be perfect,” Antonio agreed. Hugs were just the thing to chase away jitters.
“Well, then what are you waiting for, hombrecito?” she asked and turned him in the direction of the stairs.
Antonio let out a mischievous giggle and headed for the stairs. He stopped again when he noticed Mirabel was not moving, “You’re not coming?”
“I’m going to the kitchen; I really do want a snack,” she said. “Besides, I think it would be better if it was just you.”
Antonio nodded and continued toward his sister. When he came around the corner, he was surprised that Dolores did not turn to face him. She always heard him coming. She must really be frightened. He wrapped small arms around her legs, looking up at her, and squeezed.
Dolores looked surprised to see him and asked, "Yes, Tonito? What can I do for you?"
"Nothing, you just looked like you wanted a hug," Antonio said and buried his face in her skirt while he squeezed as tight as he could.
"Do I?
Antonio nodded.
Dolores lifted him up and said, "Ah, little brother, you were right about that. Thank you,” she said, hugging him. “Have you been in your room yet?”
"No, I'm kinda worried about what will happen," he said quietly. A large yawn escaped as he rested his head on her shoulder. He was feeling sleepy just then and asked, "Do you think it will be the same as before?"
His sister did not answer, or at least he did not remember if she answered because when he lifted his head again, he was in a bed in his parents’ room. He knew that because he reached out and touched one of the raindrops on the wallpaper. They were wet, but did not drip, so cool.
“Hey Tonito!” a small voice shouted. Antonio sat up to find three rats lined up at the foot of the bed. “We did not want to scare your Mamá, so we came to you,” the first rat said.
“Brunito needs help,” the second one said.
“Needs his other sister,” said the third.
“He’s with the calm one,” the first said.
Alarmed, Antonio slipped out of bed and said, “Okay, I will go get her.” All three rats scampered off and Antonio made his way to his parent’s bedroom. The door was not all the way shut, so he pushed it quietly open. His Papá was a notoriously light sleeper and even though he did not think he was being noisy, he jumped when he heard his Papá say, “Antonio, what are you doing out of bed?”
“Ummm…Bruno’s rats came to get Mamá but did not want to scare her, so they asked me to get her. They said Brunito needs help, that he needs the other sister, oh, and I’m supposed to say he’s with the calm one?” Antonio said all this in a rush.
“Ay no,” his father said, and he gently nudged his mother and said quietly, “Pepi, wake up.”
“Wake up, mi vida.”
Antonio was getting nervous; the rats had sounded anxious and from the look on his father’s face, this was not good news. His mother blinked as she roused from her sleep. She noticed him at the end of the bed and turned to his father, “What’s going on, Félix?”
“Bruno.”
“Already?” A small cloud formed, and his mother quickly got out of bed. She gestured to Antonio and Félix added, “From what Antonio said, he’s probably in Julieta’s room, the rats did not want to scare you.”
His mother paused as she picked up her robe, she put it on quickly and picked Antonio up and gave him a squeeze. “Thank the…rats…Tonito for their consideration. I’m sure your Tío is fine.” She handed him off to his father, who was now standing nearby and was out the door.
“Papá, is Bruno sick?” Antonio asked.
“No, mi pequeño. Your Tío will be well in the morning.”
Antonio heard the correction and said, “Okay, I like Tío Bruno, he’s fun to talk to,” but why would Mamá be so worried. “Can I go see him?”
“No, it’s best we let him rest. Back to bed for you.”
“But I’m not tired anymore, and I have to go to the bathroom, and can I get a snack?”
His father regarded him for a moment, then shrugged and said, “Why not.”
They only stopped long enough to put on pants and his father picked him up, and together they headed for the stairs. Antonio saw his sister and brother’s doors had people on them. Across the way, his cousins were the same. This made him smile. Things were finally getting back to normal. Maybe things were okay.
Once on the first floor, his father set him down and Antonio ran over to the bathroom. They entered the kitchen, and he caught sight of the pile of cookies. “Can I have some of those?” His father nodded and picked up the small plate Casita provided. He put a cookie on it and Antonio could not hide his disappointment, “Just one?”
“You’ll spoil your breakfast, Toni.”
“But I helped Tía make them…”
His father grunted and added two more before lifting him and the plate to the table.
“Aren’t you going to have some?” Antonio asked after the first few bites.
“No, I prefer Almojábanas and don’t talk with your mouth full of food.”
“Okay,” Antonio said with a mouth full of food.
“I doubt that is what your elder meant,” Parce rumbled below him. Antonio looked under the table. Parce was there looking up at him.
Antonio swallowed the last of his cookie and said, “Sorry, Papá, I won’t talk with my mouth full of food anymore.” Antonio looked out at the plaza, then at Parce, who had come out from below the table.
“Papá”
“Yes Antonio.”
“Do you think it’s safe now, Papá? It won’t break again, like before, right?”
His father came over and sat down next to his son and said, “It’s safe, but it’s not what I think that matters.”
Antonio was still staring at the plaza and asked quite seriously, “Papá, what does egelida mean?”
His father raised an eyebrow and Parce huffed, and Antonio said, “I mean elegida.”
His father raised the other and said, “Chosen.”
Antonio smiled broadly, “Oh! Can we go see Mira’s room?”
“It’s very late, Toni, she’s probably asleep.”
“But can we walk by it?”
“Yes.”
Antonio got down from the table and onto Parce back. The jaguar kept pace with his father and stopped by Mirabel's door. Antonio looked up and saw her name written in flowers. The flowers shimmered and sparkled in the darkness, and Antonio reached up to touch them. He did not know Isa’s flowers could be so warm and tingly. They smelled nice too. He was glad to see his cousin’s name there. Things were gonna be okay.
Looking up at his father, he said, “I think I should open my door again. You’ll come with me?”
“Of course.”
Antonio let out a soft sigh, he was a little worried he would have to do it alone. The ‘A’ on the doorknob was the same as before, but the door itself was different. So much more colorful. Antonio looked up at his father, who smiled and gave Antonio a thumbs up. Parce looked back at him and Antonio said, “Okay, I’m ready.” He climbed off and decision made, he reached up and touched the doorknob. He giggled as the magic swept around him from his head to his feet, lifting him gently a few inches. It swept back the way it had come, and he giggled again at the magic whooshing back into the door. Antonio was still giggling as he looked at his hand, it was all tingly and warm like the flowers on Mira’s door. Parce nudged him gently from behind, and Antonio opened the door all the way and moved forward into his room.
His animal friends surrounded him just as they had done before, but only for a moment as they scattered toward the tree. That’s when he noticed there were two trees instead of one. He could almost make out a rope bridge hanging between the two of them. He was curious as to what kind of animal needed a second tree.
Antonio turned back to his father, “Papá, why do you think there are two trees now?”
His father knelt and Antonio came to sit on his knee and he said, “I don’t know Toni, was there something missing from your room before?”
“I don’t think so.”
“The eagles come,” Parce said this as if Antonio should have already known it.
“Papá, Parce says,” Antonio paused to let loose a huge yawn, “the eagles are coming.”
“Well, then perhaps you should leave your door open tonight, until all the animals find their way back.”
Antonio nodded and yawned again.
_______________________________
“Time for you to get back to bed,” Félix said and stood, picked Antonio up and placed him on Parce’s back, “You’ll make sure he finds his bed?”
The Jaguar growled quietly and turned toward the tree, he padded slowly toward the main tree and out of view. Félix looked at the other tree, that had to be the largest Jacaranda he had ever laid eyes on. There was a legend he was not remembering just then, but he was pretty tired too. He made his way to the hall, being careful not to step on any of the many incoming creatures.
In the hall, he noticed Agustín closing Mirabel’s door and heard a commotion on the other side of the plaza. Bruno was standing stock still looking at his door. Pepa was behind him and Juli was off to the side. While it was good that Bruno was up and about, Félix was sure Bruno wanted nothing to do with that door. But if he was already having visions, something was up. There was the sound of distant thunder, Julieta said something, and Bruno took a few steps back. Bruno was spooked, for sure.
Félix came to stand next to Agustín, to watch the drama unfold and decided to stay put, getting in the middle of those three at times like these could be perilous. Julieta said something else, and Félix grimaced when he saw Bruno’s shoulders drop.
“Ay, no,” Félix intoned at the same time, next to him, Agustín said under his breath, “Miércoles…”
Quite suddenly, Bruno stepped up to the door and grabbed the doorknob. Almost as if he were daring Casita to do something to him. The magic hit Bruno hard enough that his hair and ruana fluttered. He immediately pulled his hand off the knob. This caused Juli to jump back a step and Pepa let loose a brief shower. Julieta moved closer and said something else. Bruno only tilted his head slightly, gave the door a cursory glance, he shrugged, then immediately stepped forward and went in. Pepa and Julieta exchanged worried looks and, seeing as Bruno did not shut the door, followed him inside.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Félix said and turned around. “I see Mira’s got her own room finally.”
Agustín turned back to the door, “She does, and she doesn’t.”
“Alma?” Félix grunted, as if that front door did not confirm it.
“Yes.”
“The wives know yet?” Félix said and scratched his beard.
“I’m guessing no,” Agustín replied as he turned back to the plaza. “You having trouble with errant children too?”
“Antonio, woke up his mother to tell her what the rats, woke him up to tell him.”
“Ah,” Agustín said, “that’s going to be a challenge to navigate.” Together, they looked at Bruno’s still open door and asked, “You think we should go over there?”
“Why not,” Félix said as he started in that direction. Agustín followed, and Félix added, “I’m curious to see what all the ruana flapping was about.”
“Well, let’s at least hope there are not a ridiculous number of stairs. I don’t think my knees can take a climb like that anymore.”
They stepped just inside the door, and Bruno turned around and took both by surprise by not being surprised they were there. Instead, he said, “Close the door, Félix.” Once he had, Bruno gestured for everyone to sit down and said, “This concerns everyone in the Encanto, so I’m going to tell you what I saw.”
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies. That being said, a story of sorts popped into me head. Modifications have been made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry, it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
“First things first,” Bruno said as he turned his attention to the rats lining the furniture. “You lot need to keep this to yourselves. No telling, Antonio, ¿está claro? And if you don’t think you can, out.” Bruno waved his hand as he pointed at the small holes he noted in the walls. Several of the rats took off, disappearing through the niches until only three remained. He stared at them until they squeaked in defiance, so he turned his attention to the gramophone on the table near the door, wound the apparatus up and let the music play. He swung the speaker in the direction of the wall. “Casita, can you keep that playing for me for a bit?” Bruno said and sat down on the ottoman.
“Here’s the gist of it; There are a number of people coming. Maybe fifteen? Not from the path through the crack in the mountains near the river, but from the mountains behind Casita. They are a ragged looking group of mostly women and children. It seemed like they were trying to get away from something, but I have no idea what that might be. Maybe the unrest we heard about from the recent newcomers. They also can’t be far off, since I don’t think my Gift can reach any distance beyond the Encanto. Kinda freaked me out, and I will be honest, at first, I thought something bad was going to happen to the Encanto again, I say at first, because I thought one of the women was our mother.”
There was a collective gasp and Juli asked, “Are you sure?”
Bruno held up a hand and continued, “Yes, they are being led, and I kid you not, by an older woman that looks almost identical to Mamá, but it’s not her.”
“Then who is she?” Pepa asked.
“I don’t know,” Bruno hesitated, this was the part he was worried about. There was no way he would be able to tell them the rest without telling them that. He took a deep breath, wishing he had some salt, but continued and said as he shifted on the ottoman, “She must be related to Mamá, somehow. Sister or cousin, maybe?”
Dead silence. Bruno sighed, and Félix asked, “Why do you say that?”
No more secrets, he told himself and said, “I know I’ve always said that I did not know what the cause was for my spontaneous visions. That’s not entirely true.”
“Bruno, if you know what sets them off, why didn't you tell us? We’ve always wanted to help you with that.” Pepa sounded a bit miffed and a small thunderhead formed.
“Let him finish, Pepa.” Juli said, she sounded tense.
Oh, she knows, Bruno thought. The muscles in his neck and back were starting to tense, and he was unconsciously folding and unfolding his hands as he looked at the four of them and weighing his answer. “The main cause has always been Mamá.” The rats all squeaked in unison, and Bruno waggled a finger at them. “You lot best stop, or you’re going to have to leave.”
“And?” Juli asked, she was not looking at him anymore, but he could see she had a death grip on Agustín’s hand in her lap.
“And sometimes…other people…closely related…to me,” he stumbled through it and was met by more silence until Pepa deadpanned, “You mean us,” and pointed at herself then Julieta.
Bruno shrunk back, gave the barest of nods, and flinched at his sister’s reactions. This was why he never mentioned it before, he did not want to hurt them, never that. Pepa immediately started raining, and Julieta just looked so sad. She was probably remembering their earlier conversation, but Bruno knew she was right about all of it.
No more secrets.
“That’s not what’s actually important right now,” Bruno said, trying to smile his way through his anxiety. Low thunder sounded and Bruno added, “I promise to explain it better, once I have a better way of explaining it.”
Pepa crossed her arms and said, “You’d better, Bruno,” but the cloud disappeared as Félix patted her arm. “So, you’re thinking this woman is related to Mamá?” Pepa asked, leaning in.
Bruno relaxed a little and went on, “I don’t think the vision would have focused on her otherwise. I mean, when you think about it, Mamá never talks to us about her family other than her time with Papá. And we certainly never asked any questions.”
They fell silent for a time as the player reset itself. Once the music began playing again, Agustín asked, “So shouldn’t Alma be here?”
Julieta nodded but sighed, “She looked so tired earlier.”
“Did she eat any of your ‘cookies’ Juli?” Pepa asked.
Julieta shrugged, but looked a little embarrassed by the question. “Either way,” she said, “what can Mamá do about it?”
Bruno wondered how long it would take for his mother to appear. There was no doubt in his mind that she would. He looked up at the ceiling and saw there were branches running along the corners of the room. He had not noticed that before. Casita really had done a full reset of his room. He remembered with a touch of regret that they were one of the first things to fade as his mother’s opinion of him started to change.
What did Mirabel see in him that his own mother had not? It made him wonder how or even if that would affect his Gift. The fact that he did not feel the least bit nervous about having another ‘sponty’ as he referred to those visions was foreign to him. He watched Pepa fuss with the cuff of her robe, in the past, they would all have been drenched by now. She and Juli were talking like he had not just announced they were potentially the bane of his existence, and that made him realize that he was not sad. Content maybe? Bruno smiled when Pepa said, “She needs something to do besides killing her grandkids with kindness, anyway.”
“But we don’t want to worry her unnecessarily,” Julieta said.
“Bruno wouldn’t be having this type of vision if it wasn’t something we needed to know now.” Pepa said flatly.
“Tell us everything you remember Bruno, maybe there was something you missed,” Félix said.
“Yes, see if you can focus on the one you say looks like Alma,” Agustín offered.
They all seemed to be waiting for him to do something, so he picked a knothole in the branch above his and stared at it. The recording finished and Bruno tried to focus on what he had seen earlier. Lots of trees, mist, people…one turned and seemed to look directly at him, and everything went green…
“What do you think?” Dolores asked Isabela as they entered her room. Isa’s face broke into a wide smile as she took it all in. She was weirdly fixated on the small flowers near her bed. She looked back at her as if to ask, ‘Can I?’ Dolores nodded, and she watched as Isa went over and touched one and then another. This went on for several minutes until she nodded to herself as if she had figured something out and said, “Mind if I try a little experiment?”
Curious, Dolores nodded. Isabela came next to her and took her hand and guided her near the largest cluster. She knelt and indicated Dolores should do the same. “Okay, close your eyes, I want this to be a surprise.”
Dolores did, and Isa placed one of her hands in the flowers and held the other. For a moment, Dolores felt the warmth of the magic, which reminded her of the way she felt whenever Mariano smiled at her. There was a gentle rustle and Isa said, “Open your eyes, Doli.”
Dolores let out a squeak of astonishment as she took in what Isa had done. She’s thought her room perfect before, but now…scattered everywhere among the red and yellow were clumps of orange tulips.
“Isa, it’s wonderful. Tulips are Mariano’s favorite, and orange, when did you learn to do this?”
“Just now,” Isa said, there was a note of excited pride in her voice that Dolores was still not used to. So, wonderfully different. “Well, not exactly just now, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I was going to plant some in pots and give them to you later, but since I can do this, I decided why wait?”
“I don’t understand, what did you do that was new?”
“I let you pick the flowers. I’m glad you were thinking of Mariano when you did.”
“Was that the tingle…?”
Isa nodded and gathered both of Dolores’s hands as she said, “The truth is, I really needed to find a way to apologize to you and to Mariano for just everything that happened. If I had been braver, if I had told Abuela the truth when she started suggesting I marry him…but I couldn’t. I knew how you felt about him and I just… I just want your future with him to be everything you hope it can be. Seriously, you two make a great couple.”
Dolores hugged Isa hard and said a little tearfully, “I’m sorry too, I’ve missed my prima mayor hermana.” She looked around again at the changes to her room and hugged Isa even harder. She suddenly released Isa and let out a yelp.
(You lot need to keep this to yourselves. No telling, Antonio, ¿está claro? And if you don’t think you can, out)
“Doli, what’s wrong?” Isa said, concerned by the look on Dolores’s face.
“Nothing, just lost my train of thought there.”
“Something’s happening. You only get that look when someone says something unexpected.”
Dolores swallowed, “Tío Bruno, is telling the rats to leave his room.”
“Why would he do that?”
Dolores’s expression changed to one of consternation. “He’s going to tell our parents what he saw today, and he doesn’t want anyone listening in, so he’s playing a recording…” Her expression changed to one of smugness. “Well, Tío, I’ve picked up a few tricks in the last ten years.” What most of the family, aside from Abuela, did not know, was that Dolores could quite literally cancel most sounds she was not actively listening for. The recording, aside from being annoying, was a snap. She listened to her Tío, and wished she had not been so curious.
Isa touched her arm and Dolores started, “Doli, what’s happening?” Isa asked, her face a mask of concern.
“People are coming to the Encanto,” Dolores said, still listening.
“People have been coming all year…”
“No, these people are coming from the mountains behind us, and Tío Bruno thinks they may be related to Abuela or at least one of them.” She omitted the part about Bruno’s spontaneous vision triggers, “He says the woman looks just like Abuela.” Dolores realized then was that her Tío’s voice wasn’t nervous sounding at all. The only time she remembered it sounding that way was when he was entertaining himself in the walls with the rats. It made her wonder if he had ever been like that all the time. Or maybe it was because he was with his sisters. She wanted to go ask him and to show him she could hear him even with the recording. She knew it was childish, but Dolores poked her head out the door and gave a little squeak. “Isa, Tío Bruno’s room is back between our parent’s doors.”
“Oh wow…”
Alma woke with a start. She was breathing heavily and was sweating. She sat up and looked around, but nothing was out of place. A dream then? What was she just dreaming about… Juliet? It had been a long time since she thought about her sister. There was a gentle knock on the door, “Come in, Mirabel” Alma said.
Mirabel slipped in and stood by the door and asked, “How did you know it was me? I guess that doesn’t matter. Are you okay, Abuela? I was really feeling…worried about you… I couldn’t go to sleep, and I just had to make sure… I’m sorry, I know it sounds kinda dumb.”
Alma smiled at her granddaughter and said gently, “Do not be sorry for caring, Mirabel. It’s one of your strongest Gifts,” Mira smiled but was rubbing her arms as if a chill had taken her. So, Alma got out of bed and pulled on her robe, “Back to bed, Mirabel,” she said and took her hand, and together they walked into the next room. She guided Mira to her bed, waited until she climbed in and tucked the blankets around her. It was a bit chilly in here, so Alma pulled the shutters all the way closed, and the curtain dragged itself across the opening.
She was not surprised that Mirabel was already asleep, and wondered how many of Juli’s cookies Mirabel ate. For that matter, Camilo definitely wouldn’t have stopped at a few. One or two would make you sleepy. More than that and you’d sleep a good long while. Alma went to the door and noted the small changes. The small tree at the center was slightly larger, and the butterfly at the top looked about ready to take off. The one at the bottom appeared to be moving back. While it was good that Mira was growing rapidly, Alma knew it could not be too swift.
“I understand, Casita.”
Stepping into the hallway, she heard music playing faintly. “Are they all together?” there was a short clatter of tiles nearby and Alma started walking in the direction of her children’s rooms, when she noticed a head poking out of Dolores’s room.
Agustín was off his chair and next to Bruno before he could hit the floor. “Juli! Pepa!” Both women turned and Juli immediately went out the door, Pepa knelt near him and held his head in her hands. “Bruno, can you hear me, hermano? Bruno, can you hear me? Please wake up.” Bruno remained as he was, eyes glowing green, and Pepa saw him mouth was moving slightly and thought maybe he was speaking to someone unseen. The drizzle that had started when she knelt stopped abruptly as she thought, that’s new. Bruno gasped and came back to himself. The glow faded from his eyes, he blinked, and he looked at Pepa, and he had the barest of smiles.
Juli dropped the teacup and spoon upon seeing Bruno awake, making Pepa start and let go of his head. It dropped all the way to the floor with a small thud. “What happened?” Juli asked.
Pepa realized she just dropped her brother’s head and said, “Sorry, hermano,” He really was smiling and Pepa growled and gave his face a gentle shake. “This better not be one of your sorry jokes, Bruno Madrigal. Dios Mios, I think my heart will beat out of my chest,” she said as she took a few deep breaths. When she sat back, Félix was, of course, right where she needed him to be. She let her fear evaporate like the cloud above her head.
Julieta had picked up the pieces of the teacup and the spoon and was no longer in the room. Bruno got off the floor with Agustín’s help and sat slowly, if a bit shakily, into the high-backed red velvet chair. He was looking at the still open door. Pepa turned and saw Isa and Dolores there, looking nervous and confused. Guess the cat’s out of the bag now. Félix helped her up, she waved the girls in, and she and Félix returned to their spots on the sofa.
Juli returned and handed him another cup of her tea. She sat at the end of the sofa next to Agustín’s chair, leaving enough room on the sofa for Isa and Dolores, who sat down, both craning their necks to take in his room. Bruno took a sip of the tea and his hands, again, immediately stopped shaking. It tasted better this time too. Bruno took a longer drink of the tea and watched his still open door. The vision he just had was not about the lady in the forest, it was of this moment. Best get on with it then. He set down the cup, got up and went over to the door. They were all watching him, but Bruno moved forward, knowing full well there was something he needed to do. Something he had been avoiding for a long time.
Standing in the doorway, he put a hand on the door frame and tapped it five times with his fingertip. She was out there, just beyond the light of his room. She seemed hesitant to move forward, waiting for something. Bruno realized what that something was, and it was something only he could give her. But he needed something first, was it still there? He found it more easily than he would have thought possible. Right where he left it all those years ago… still there, not lost. That place in his heart that held all the love he ever had for her. At that moment, the wall he had created to protect himself from her started to crack. For there can be no forgiveness without love. He believed it now, she was not who she was before the breaking, and neither was he. Time for something different.
“Please come in Mamá,” Bruno said gently, holding out his hand.
She stepped forward hesitantly and took it and asked, “Are you alright, Bruno?”
“Yes, thank you,” he said.
She stepped in and looked for all the world like she was about to cry at the site of his ‘new’ room. She was one of the few that had ever seen it like this. Bruno guided her to the chair he had just got up from, and she looked at all the assembled faces, and she said to him, “I’m sure you know why I’m here, Bruno. What do you think we should do?”
That was not what he was expecting her to say. He reminded himself again, she’s not who she was and said, “Well, I can tell you, or I can show you. It’s up to you, Mamá.”
Alma did not hesitate, “Show me.”
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies...That being said, a story of sorts popped into me head. Modifications were made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry, it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
Alma sat back in the chair and waited and watched as Bruno set about collecting the 'things' he thought he was going to need. When Juli and Pepa realized what he was about, they both got up.
"Bruno, what are you doing?" Pepa asked, a storm cloud forming, even though she knew full well what he was doing.
"I'm doing what Mamá asked me to," he said and turned around and said to Agustín, "You might want to go sit with Mirabel. This might. No, it will wake her up," he said this in his matter-of-fact way and that caused Julieta's face to go pale.
"What are you going to do, Bruno?" she asked.
Isa was off the sofa and said to her parents, "I will go Papá, Doli can tell you if I need help with Mira."
Dolores nodded, and Isabela was out the door.
"Answer my question, Bruno," Julieta’s voice was now tinged with anger as Bruno continued his gathering.
Pepa answered with a note of fear in her voice, "He's going to do that," her cloud got noticeably darker.
"No discussion? Just like that?"
Agustín and Félix had their heads together, were speaking in low tones. Dolores, still sitting on the sofa, was hugging herself and her knee was bouncing in an attempt to calm her nerves.
Alma got up from the chair and put a hand on both Julieta and Pepa. Both turned to her, and she said, "Do not worry, mis hijas, I don’t believe we will see anything imminently troubling. Bruno, will you really need all that?"
Bruno looked at the small pile of things he had set on a small table near an alcove and shrugged. "I just want to be prepared."
"Maybe you should rely more on your own strength and not the things…"
"What are you saying, Mamá?"
Alma smiled and said, "Perhaps, given the current state of the magic, you should begin again."
Bruno, at first, did not appear to understand what she was getting at, but something caught his eye and he raised an eyebrow and nodded as he said, "Alright, I will try it your way."
"Santa Maria," Pepa said, threw her hands up in the air, a blast of hot wind made Alma and Bruno turn toward her and Julieta. "Were you two even going to bother to ask if we wanted to have any part of this?"
Julieta nodded in agreement, and she said, "Bruno, you still haven't answered my question. Why this?"
"Because, like you've always said, we are strongest together."
Julieta's eyes narrowed and she growled at him. Pepa put a hand on Juli's shoulder and said, "That's bullsh*t, and you know it, Bruno."
Dolores let out a squeak and the husbands were staring, mouths open, and Alma just sighed and said to herself, "Ay, no." She had forgotten how volatile Bruno could be, especially when he was dealing with his sisters.
Bruno paused and seemed to remember something and said, "Fine, will the pair of you, please assist with this vision. I will try not to let happen what happened the last time." Julieta's growl deepened and Pepa, arms crossed, teeth clenched, let loose a lightning bolt that hit the carpeted floor right in front of Bruno. "Let me rephrase that," Bruno said rubbing his arm while looking at the still smoldering spot on the carpet, "I won't let that happen again?"
Julieta spoke first, "No, no, and just no. I've had enough. Good night, Bruno," and she stalked out the door. Agustín got up and gave Bruno an apologetic shrug, then followed his wife. Pepa looked over at Félix, and he too rose from his seat and followed his wife out the door. Dolores, forgotten and alone on the sofa, eyes wide, got up and said, "I guess I will go get Isa," and disappeared into the hallway.
Bruno instantly relaxed, went to the door and closed it. He turned back to his mother and said with a wry smile, "Well, that was easier than expected."
"You know, Bruno, you could have just asked them to go."
"Maybe. But it would not have been nearly as fun. Besides, they've been babying me all day."
He went over to the table and started collecting items, and Alma said, "You won't need those, Bruno."
He looked at the items he was holding and slowly set them back on the table. He gave her a quick nod and opened the alcove door, bringing only the sand he had collected. Alma followed him inside, and again she felt the same pang of regret she had when she had initially entered his rooms. Bruno's original room had an area just like this. Open to the sky and not closed in as it had become in the tower. He had never really found any joy in using his Gift, perhaps there was a chance he would be able to start again. Alma realized she was rubbing her locket again and put her hand back in her lap.
Bruno completed his circle of sand and motioned for her to join him. Alma stepped over the sand line and Bruno helped her to kneel. He sat across from her and took a few deep breaths. His breathing evened out, and he opened his eyes and held out his hands. Alma took them, and Bruno's now glowing eyes closed as he focused on her need. Or at least that's what he had told her happened. The sand circle started to shake a little, but the dome that usually accompanied it did not manifest.
Bruno blinked once as the light went out of his eyes. "Something's off," he said, and looked over at the alcove door.
"Bruno," Alma said gently, "I think maybe you should..."
"What? You think I don’t know how to do this?" There was anger in his voice.
"Of course not, but-"
"But what, Mamá?"
Now impatience. Alma thought back to the boy who, before having a 'Gift' was content, slow to anger, sometime full of mischief. Able to sit and sketch for hours at a time, pictures of the Encanto's church, the flowers that grew around Casita or the clouds as they drifted. Pulling his sisters into his stories, so they could act them out for her before bed to cheer her when she had had a particularly hard day. So giving. It hurt her heart still to realize she had aided in pushing that out of him. Still, he surprised her when he rubbed his temples and said, "Sorry Mamá, guess I'm just a little on edge tonight."
"I'm sorry too, Bruno. I know that I have always been a source of unease for you." Bruno did not even try to deny that, just gave her a small smile. Even now, whenever he was around her, he would fidget. In the past, she would have had no problem calling him to order, but now seeing the room this new miracle had given him it made her wonder if perhaps Bruno would be able to find some joy in it, somehow. Perhaps, he needed what she had not given him back then. A choice. The power to say no and leave it at that. So, she said, "Bruno, we don’t have to do this tonight or at all."
Bruno did not appear to be giving her his full attention as he glanced over at the alcove again, and instead he asked, "Mamá, in that vision I had earlier, there was a woman. She was very similar in appearance to you. But I could tell that it wasn't you. Any idea who she is?"
Alma sighed and looked up at the stars. So stubborn. She thought back to the dream that had pulled her out of her sleep. "Perhaps my sister, Juliet. I believe I was dreaming about her before I came here. Can you remember her face well enough to draw it? You were always good with drawings."
"Not a bad idea," he said, and suddenly got up and held his hands out for her to stand. She took them and together they left the room. Bruno once again led her to the red velvet chair and went over to the desk and sat down and began hurriedly sketching. Alma yawned and adjusted her position in the chair.
Bruno let out a grunt and looked at all the papers in front of him. He had drawn everyone he could remember from the vision. He picked up the one of the older woman and turned to hand his mother the drawing, but stopped when he realized his mother was asleep. How long had he been drawing? He glanced at the clock. After three in the morning. Casita opened a drawer, revealing a soft blanket and some pillows. Bruno collected them and covered his mother to her chin, lifted her from the chair and put her on the bed. She was in fact light compared to the sand he had often used.
He looked then at the sketch he had made and held it up near his mother's face. Very similar indeed. While not being able to 'read' his mother did concern him a little, he had meant it when he said he did not want to use his Gift. But reading her had always been difficult for him. So many emotions tied to that one.
Still, drawing always relaxed him in a way that writing did not. He lost himself in those sketches, and his jumpy brain had an easier time focusing. As he sketched, he realized something important, and he was pretty sure he knew now what Casita had done when he opened his door. Previously, the magic had only considered his mother's needs when doling out Gifts and their rooms reflected that. This time it almost felt like the magic was learning about him and his Gift all over again, perhaps it was. Like adjustments were being made.
Casita while still responsive to his mother, was also different. There were things in here that were completely unrelated to his Gift. Like the desk he was sitting at. The paper and drawing items, the paints neatly stored with an easel nearby that window, and other little things he liked to do just because. Mirabel's influence on her family, Casita, as well as the miracle itself was not wholly unexpected. But the ways in which it manifested…so different. There was no way Mirabel could have known how his room looked in the beginning, but Casita did. Poor kid probably doesn't even know what's happening. Juli was right, Mira was going to need the support of all the Madrigals.
Still, these were all puzzles for tomorrow. Bruno gathered all the sketches and opened the center drawer to put them away, and stopped dead. In the drawer was a small child size teacup and in that was a crudely made rosary. Bruno stared at it for a long time before he carefully picked it up. An object from a time before he became the Encanto's prophet. Something he had made. Something he thought he had loved. Something he was sure was lost. This should not exist, yet here it was. Another reminder of something else he had put off for a long time. He returned the rosary to its teacup, set the sketches on top and closed the drawer, tapping his fingertips five times on the wooden surface. Genuinely tired, Bruno, snatched another blanket, curled up in the chair feeling better than he had for quite some time and quickly fell asleep.
Isabela stopped in front of her sister's door and carefully examined the jacarandas there. They looked different from when she had grown them earlier. The colors were deeper, and the flowers shone in the pale light of the hall. Isa had tried to imitate the design of Mira's name her sister had embroidered on her favorite mochila bag and had to admit it looked pretty good.
Isa quietly opened the door and went inside. Expecting to see Mira's room as it had existed before, her breath caught as she closed the door behind her. Isa pulled a blanket from the drawer that opened nearby, then sat on the sofa. Looking around at all the spaces Casita had created for Mira, it made her wonder what Gift her sister would have gotten if that door had opened for her. How lucky for her, it did not. Mirabel had developed so many other talents in her quest to gain acceptance that Isa felt that old twinge of jealousy that had fueled her previous interactions with her. But the animosity she used to feel was gone, instead all that remained was the love.
The door opened again, and Isa was surprised to see Dolores waving to her. Isa got up and went into the hallway.
"What happened?" Isa whispered.
"Nothing." Dolores shrugged.
"Nothing?"
"Tío was just trying to get everyone out of his room," she said and started toward her room. "I wonder what he did that got that reaction from our mothers."
"Clearly nothing they'd care to repeat," Isa snorted as she walked next to her.
"Well, our moms have been hovering around him all day, like he might break," Dolores said, rolling her eyes.
"We should just go to bed, parents are exhausting," Isa said, and Dolores nodded.
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies...That being said, a story of sorts popped into me head. Modifications were made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry, it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
Camilo heard the knock on his door, but he really did not want to get up yet. This bed was extremely comfortable. When the knock came again, he sighed, yelled “Enter!” and pulled his pillow and blanket over his head.
“Camilo, we need your help downstairs,” it was his sister’s voice and Camilo groaned, “Come on sleepy head, we need to have things ready before Mamá gets up.”
“Why?” In answer to his question, Casita tilted his bed just enough that he rolled with his blankets, out of it on the floor. “Hey!”
“Really, Cam, don’t tell me you forgot what today is?”
What was the date today? His mind raced through some possibilities, but nothing of note came to mind. He had kind of lost track of the calendar…so answered in a sheepish tone, “Maybe?”
Dolores sighed, “You forgot your own Mamí’s birthday…”
“Of course not,” Camilo said as he flung the pillow away, trying to sit up as he struggled to disentangle himself from the blankets. “I did not forget…it just had not occurred to me yet.”
Dolores made no move to help him and said, “You're responsible for the cake. You can make one big one or three smaller ones. That’s up to you, but you’d better pull it together, hermanito, or you’re gonna miss breakfast.”
He had half a mind to shout, but Dolores pinned him with a look that made him change his mind and go limp. Dolores nodded and was out the door. How did she do that? Camilo shifted to Juancho, a smaller child in the Encanto, and the blankets finally let go. He crawled out, stood up and shifted back to himself. Shape-shifting definitely came in handy sometimes. His foot was still tangled in the blankets, so he kicked it and stubbed his toe on the headboard. He grabbed a clean shirt, put it on and jerked his ruana over his head. Sitting on the bed, he looked around for his sandals and regretted ever sharing with his bossy older sister that he liked to bake.
Casita bounced his shoes to him, and Camilo stopped and smiled. Until that moment, he did not realize just how much he missed Casita and the little things it did for him. For everyone really. He was never one to talk to Casita but said, “Thanks Casita.” There was a short musical clatter of tiles that Camilo took as ‘you’re welcome.’ He put on his sandals and headed for the kitchen.
Mirabel woke a little before dawn, the way she usually did, sat up in her bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Not quite awake, Casita bumped her glasses to her and Mira put them on. As she focused on the room around her, her breath caught, it was real, not a dream. There were parts of her room she had not seen too clearly the night before, since it was late when she finally got up the gumption to go inside. Now that it was morning and the Casita had opened the shutters, flooding the room with light, Mirabel slowly looked this way and that. She broke into a wide smile as she flopped back on her pillow and followed the mountains up the wall. Their tops were cloudy, but the sky above her head was mostly clear. Mirabel did a quick double take when she noticed the wispy clouds above her were moving lazily across the ceiling.
“Thank you, Casita. Everything is just so beautiful and…and…,” Mira wanted to say perfect but couldn’t, that word scared her…it was, though. She sat up again and felt the tears as they fell down her smiling cheeks. The tears did not stop when she climbed out of her new bed and poked the mattress, so soft. She spun around happily, and Casita did its best to keep her from falling over things that she was not used to being there. There was a soft knock and Mira quickly grabbed her robe and said, “Come in.”
Luisa poked her head in, and she too was smiling, but it turned to concern when she saw her sister’s tears.
“Mira, what’s wrong?” Luisa asked as she entered and closed the door behind her.
“Nothing’s wrong, I just never…” Mirabel faltered and was a little embarrassed when her tears started up again, “Just never thought it could happen, you know?
Luisa took two steps toward her and swept her baby sister up in a hug. “Do not be sad, Mira. No one deserves this more than you.”
“I’m not sad, these are happy tears.” Mirabel said once Luisa set her down. “I’m just…”
“Overwhelmed?” Luisa offered as she looked wide-eyed at here room.
“Yeah.”
“I get that. My own room is so different, Mira. I can’t wait for you to see it.”
“Oh, what’s it like?”
“Nope, you’ll have to wait, ‘til you can see it in person.”
“Can’t we go now?”
“Wow, you are overwhelmed; did you forget what today is?”
Mirabel’s eyes went wide. “Birthdays! Oh my gosh! Oh Antonio, I promised to…”
“Slow down there little missy, Isa’s got that handled. Just wait ‘til she shows you what she learned to do with her Gift. Besides, I need you to help with breakfast. There is no way I was gonna let Isa help…probably poison us all.” Luisa laughed as she opened Mira’s closet, pulled out her clothes and laid them on the bed. “I’m gonna head downstairs, Dolores is already making the coffee and juice. See you in a few minutes.”
Luisa left, so Mirabel got dressed and pulled her unruly hair into a kerchief. As she was leaving, she noticed the picture on the inside of her door had changed. The little tree was a bit bigger. The tiny leaves she saw last night were now fully formed. There was no change to the bigger tree, and the butterflies were in the same spots as before. Papá had said Casita was trying to show her something about her future, but she still had no idea what. That made her look at Abuela’s door. It was open, but she was not there. The floor bounced her lightly and she remembered what she was supposed to be doing and hurried down to the kitchen.
Alma woke to the sound of several rats squeaking near her. She sat up and remembered she was in Bruno’s room. She looked out the nearby window, it was a beautiful day. So, she turned back to the high-backed chair and looked again at the rats atop it. They appeared to be waving at her, and Alma’s heart sank. She hurriedly got up and went around the chair. Bruno was awake, but his hands were shaking terribly and Alma remembered the teacup, it was here last night. Maybe there was still some draft left that Julieta had made the night before. She scanned the room until her eyes landed on the cup. She rushed over to it and saw that Bruno had not drunk all of it.
She picked it up with unsteady hands, almost spilling its contents as she came around in front of him and held the cup to his lips. Bruno took a sip, and the trembling eased enough for him to take the cup from her. He drank the rest and let out a relieved sigh and relaxed and said with a mirthless grin, “I’m gonna have to have Juli bottle that stuff.” Alma sat heavily onto the sofa and took a few deep breaths to calm her own nerves.
“I’m alright now Mamá, thank you,” Bruno said and stood up. He walked over to the desk and pulled out the sketches he had made the night before. He paused, looking at something there. He slowly closed the drawer and instead of returning to the chair, Bruno sat next to her on the sofa. Alma stared at him in disbelief but smiled and so did her son. It was a wry smile, but not a forced one. He handed her the sketches and said, “Sorry, I got a little carried away once I got started.”
Alma took them with a quivering hand, but she couldn’t really look at them. The tears were coming, tears for all the remembered pain she had caused him. There were not enough words for her to say, or even to try to mend that rift. She had all but broken her only son. Forgiveness was truly impossible. A tear dripped onto the paper, then another. Her head came up when Bruno put one arm around her shoulder and the other on her hands, and he said very gently, “We’ll get through this, Mamá. From the beginning, yes?”
They sat like that for a while until Alma took a deep breath and nodded. She handed him back the sketches and said as she dabbed her eyes and cleared her throat, “I think we will do this tomorrow. Your sobrinos are preparing a surprise for you and your hermanas this morning.” Alma rose from the sofa and said, “I am supposed to be helping them.” She paused as she looked at his door, what she noticed made her smile. She turned after opening it and said, “Ten un buen cumpleaños, Brunito.”
“Gracias, Mamá, lo haré.”
Alma returned to her room, but paused as she passed through Mirabel’s portion. Casita had made a point of reflecting all of Mira’s many talents in its construction. The floor, walls and ceiling were unusual, though. Alma could see the edges of the Encanto’s building peeking out from the edges of the rug, but she had no time to investigate that now. She went to her bedroom and changed into her regular clothes and went down to the kitchen.
Half expecting there to be chaos, she was pleasantly surprised to find everything was going smoothly. She watched from the door as Luisa directed the activity. They all did what she asked quite promptly. Alma noted Isa’s absence and was relieved. That one could not be left to watch over anything that would be eaten. She was likely with Antonio, as he was missing also. Mirabel was making arepa’s and keeping an eye on the sausages while they cooked. Camilo was ladling something into some baking dishes, while Dolores was cleaning strawberries and chatting with Luisa as she set the table. All in all, they did not actually need her, she was about to turn back to the plaza when she heard Dolores say, “Good Morning, Abuela.” The other’s turned, and they too smiled and said good morning to her.
“Come sit, Dolores has made your coffee already,” Luisa said and turned to pick up the cup Casita had filled. She set it delicately on the table that was near the window overlooking the patio. Luisa did a quick double take and said, “I mean, if you'd like to, Abuela.”
Alma came over to the small table and laid a hand on Luisa’s arm, “Thank you, Luisa. I think I will do that; you have everything well in hand, and the aguapanela smells delicious, Dolores.” She sat down and everyone returned to their tasks. Luisa moved over to the stove to check on the eggs that were boiling.
Alma sipped her coffee and she realized that Camilo was putting a cake in to the oven. She had not realized he had an interest in cooking. Eating, yes, but cooking? Once all the baking dishes were in the oven, he went over to where Mirabel was and snitched a few fresh arepas from the top of the stack. Mirabel waggled a wooden spoon at him, but she was smiling as she asked, “So what kind of cake is it?”
“It’s a secret.”
“Really?”
“No, I’m making a Tres Leches. Tía’s own recipe.”
“Oh wow, that one has so many steps, how do you keep them all straight without a recipe card?”
“With magic, of course,” and he quickly shifted from himself to Julieta and back again. Mirabel laughed, then realized the arepas were burning. She removed the finished ones and flipped the rest with practiced ease.”
Abuela lost track of them as she turned to look out the window and wondered again. Just how far away were the people in the mountains. Maybe they should search, but she knew without an idea of which way to look, it was likely they would not be found. She reminded herself that they could look for those answers tomorrow. Casita’s tiles were tapping a happy tune on the nearby windowsill, and Alma closed her eyes and remembered birthdays long ago with a mixture of sorrow and joy…it almost seemed like yesterday.
Julieta awoke to the smell of freshly brewed mint tea and smiled at the man who was ever so carefully setting it on her bedside table.
“Happy Birthday, mi amor,” he said, sitting on the bed next to her. “I’m going to tell you now; you are not allowed to leave this room until breakfast is ready,” Agustín said and helped adjust her pillows as she sat up. “I, too, have been told I also may not enter.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, I am to use all means necessary…” he leaned in close and added, “So you know what that means, right?”
“Do I?”
Agustín leaned in closer and said, “It’s time…to…make a sandwich.”
Julieta pushed him playfully and said, “You’re so weird.”
“Admit it, woman, you like weird.”
“So, I do.”
Félix awoke to the sounds of drawers being opened and closed with gusto. He sat up to find his wife going through the contents of several with little care to where things were landing. Luckily, Casita caught the tossed items into a basket and Félix got out of bed. His robe flew by, and he snatched it from the air and pulled it on. Pepa’s cloud was steadily getting darker, and she was just about to start on the closet when he asked, “What are you looking for, mi vida?”
There was a low peal of thunder. “My favorite hair tie,” Pepa said and opened the closet.
Félix gently took her elbow and turned her toward the mirror. Pepa paused long enough to look at her reflection, the cloud dissipating as she touched the tie in her hair. There was a knock on the door, so Félix opened it to find Bruno standing there with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Félix and offered the other to Pepa, who took it and settled onto the sofa nearby and said, “Thank you, Bruno and Happy Birthday.”
“You’re welcome, and Happy birthday to you hermana,” he said and turned to go, so Félix began to close the door, but Bruno stopped him when he turned around and asked, “Mass is still at noon?”
Pepa choked a little at the question, but nodded.
Bruno nodded, then left, saying, “Well, see you at breakfast.”
Félix closed the door and turned back to his wife, who was sprinkling into her coffee. He sat down next to her and Félix saw she was smiling.
“Did not see that coming,” Pepa said and took another sip of her coffee, making the cloud above her head evaporate.
Isabela, Antonio, and Parce walked along the wooded path just west of Casita. Parce was walking slowly, so Isa could keep up and help Antonio balance the foot long stick with a few sad-looking leaves on it. They stopped in a glade near a small stream and Antonio announced that Parce needed a drink. They sat under the large oak there until Parce finished. Isa took the stick from Antonio as he climbed back up on the jaguar.
“Thanks for helping me find this, Isa,” Antonio said, taking back the stick.
“You’re welcome, primo pequeño,” she said as she stood, “I’m glad I could help you out.”
“What’s the stick’s name again…plumberi…?”
“Plumeria rubra, and it’s actually a flowering tree.”
Antonio looked at the stick dubiously. “How big will it get?”
“If we take care of it properly, it will grow to be quite tall.”
“Why not just use your Gift to make it bigger?”
“Yes, I could do that, but then we would miss the chance to watch it grow and see all the changes it has to go through to make its beautiful flowers.”
“Oh, I never thought of it like that.” Antonio said and brightened. “I saw the flowers you made for Mira’s door last night. They were so pretty, and they smelled good too.”
“Thank you, Toni, you were up late then.”
“I was asleep, but Tío Bruno’s friends woke me up, so I could get Mamá.”
“Is that when you went into your room?”
“Yeah, that was fun too! When I touched the doorknob, it was like the magic was giving me a hug…and it tickled.”
“That sounds wonderful, Antonio.” Isabela said. Dolores had said, she was extremely nervous about opening her door and probably would have stood there until morning if her mother had not come along. When she finally did, she said that it felt like Casita or maybe the magic was trying to understand what she needed. Luisa said something similar. Isa was mildly jealous at that moment; she had just plowed into her room, barely stopping to look at her door.
They were within sight of Casita now, and she heard Parce let out a low growl. Antonio responded with, “Oh, okay, Parce.” And hopped off the jaguar's back. “I will see you after breakfast.” The jaguar huffed and disappeared back into the forest.
As they neared the house, Casita opened the door and both heard the clatter of activity in the kitchen.
“’Bout time you two got back,” a voice said nearby.
Isa turned and waved to her Tío Bruno and said, “Buenos días Tío, feliz cumpleaños.”
He was in the hammock near the door, swaying slightly as he balanced a mug of coffee, as Antonio’s coatimundi hopped off onto the floor and greeted her tiny cousin. Isa smiled when Antonio shoved the stick into her hands and ran over to Bruno.
“Tío Bruno, you’re better!” Antonio said, “I was really worried last night. Papá said you would be okay. I’m glad he was right.”
Bruno cocked an eyebrow and nodded. “I am,” he said as he swung out of the hammock and knelt, so he was eye level with him. “You did your Tío a solid last night. Thank you, Tonito.” Antonio was all smiles now. Bruno stood up and said to Isa, “I have instructions to collect my sisters upon your return. You have returned.” He turned to go and Antonio grabbed his free hand, Bruno shrugged, and the pair headed toward the stairs, Antonio regaling him of his morning adventures.
This was how Isa always remembered him. As a kind and giving man, who loved his family more than anything else. When he disappeared, she worried for months, then it was years. Slowly losing bits of her memories of him as she strove to be perfect. Well, back to the present, she thought, holding the cutting out in front of her. She wasn’t sure how, but she could tell there was still some life in this slightly dried up stick. Isabela was tempted to make it bloom, but decided against it. Instead, she set the stick next to a pot on a nearby table and attempted to create a garland of plumeria. It was turning out to be a little trickier than she expected.
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies... That being said, a story of sorts popped into me head. Modifications have been made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry, it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. |
By Achitka
Mirabel was finished with her cooking and asked Camilo to get the large platter from the cabinet. He paused as if deciding something, then pulled out the stool and retrieved the platter. He helped her put the arepas and sausages on it, accidentally ‘dropping’ one (into his mouth). Luisa was just finishing peeling the eggs when Mirabel spotted Isa as she entered the kitchen. Luisa immediately stopped what she was doing to head her off.
“Anything I can do?” Isa asked her.
“No, we are good, but you might want to go freshen up. You’ve got sticks in your hair,” Luisa whispered, “and Isa, where are your shoes?”
Isabela noticed Abuela then and touched her head and simultaneously looked at her feet. She turned red as she rushed out of the kitchen, leaving a trail of leaves behind her.
Luisa sighed as if a crisis had been averted and Mirabel wondered, had one? Of course, that meant if Isa was back, then it was time to get the food set up. Dolores was already up and putting out the bowls of strawberries and juice glasses on the table.
Mirabel placed the last of the breakfast food on the sideboard as Camilo was busy putting his cakes in the cold box after pouring his milk mixture over them. Isa returned minus the sticks and with new huaraches and Mirabel gently nudged Abuela who was still sitting with her eyes closed near the window. There was a squawk from Pico as he swooped into the dining room to announce the arrival of the honored guests. Abuela stood and watched with amusement as Antonio was talking up a storm while still holding his Tío Bruno’s hand, followed closely by Julieta, Agustín, Félix and Pepa.
“Feliz cumpleaños!” Everyone shouted together.
Pepa’s cloudburst into a rainbow as Félix pulled her closer and whispered to her. Julieta smiled as Agustín, gave her a peck on the cheek. Bruno, who had picked up Antonio, smiled as well as Antonio all but crushed his head in a hug as one of Bruno’s rats squeaked with delight. Casita joined in and clattered its tiles.
There were hugs all around and everyone got their breakfast and settled around the table. After a quick ‘Salud!’ everyone got down to the serious business of eating. Everything was quite loud for this being breakfast. Antonio once again reprised his adventure with Isa. Camilo laughed when he got to the part about the stick. Camilo turned to Isa, and she informed him that it was not just a ‘stick’ but a flowering tree. Antonio pulled on his brother’s shirt and whispered, “It’s a stick.” Camilo snorted juice.
Mirabel, who was sitting next to Dolores, noted that she had a curious look of surprise on her face. Her shock melted into a smile, and it made Mirabel wonder what was up. She got up to fetch a few boiled eggs and Casita clattered the tiles quietly near her, and Mirabel looked out the window to see Mariano Guzmán and his mother coming up the path. Mira glanced up at the clock and saw it was almost 11:30 already. Guess time does fly when you’re having fun. The wall clock chimed the half hour and Abuela said as she waived for everyone’s attention, “My goodness, look at the time. Let’s go, let’s go.” Everyone did, and this inspired a flurry of activity, almost as chaotic as breakfast had been. The table was cleared in record time and dishes were piled up by the sink as everyone rushed about getting ready to go out.
The front bell rang and Dolores rushed over to answer it. Casita opened its door and Mariano and his mother came in. Her Abuela took her shawl down from the peg near the door and greeted them while somehow managing to ignore the chaos of her family rushing about. Mirabel waved to them as she hurried to her room. She opened the wardrobe and Casita pushed a small drawer near the bottom open. Mirabel pulled out her mantilla. She fussed with her hair as she pinned the lace to her head. Mirabel had managed to salvage the much-loved item from the wreckage. Lace making was one of those hobbies she had first delved into, and she smiled at the memory of her mother gushing at how beautiful her handiwork was. Once upon a time, her mantilla had been a pretty blue that matched her skirt, but when Casita had fallen it got pretty beat up. The blue had faded because of all the yellow dust from Casita’s plaster and turned it to an odd green color that complimented her glasses. Fixing the tears had been one of the first things she did as she sat teaching the technique of making lace to her sisters in the evenings. Both were quick studies, and by the end of summer both had made respectable mantillas for themselves. Mirabel had always been a fast worker and after finishing hers, she got to work making one for Dolores, her mom and Tía Pepa.
She headed back downstairs as everyone appeared dressed for Mass. There would be no work today. No one was wearing the clothing that displayed their Gift. What she was not expecting was to see her Tío Bruno there. He had steadfastly declined going since returning to the family. Abuela only broached the topic once, and Bruno’s reaction to the request was not pleasant. She did not ask again after that, and Mirabel wondered what had changed his mind.
Her Tío Bruno came down, wearing the new shirt and pants her father had made for him. He was looking at Abuela. Mirabel could see how uncomfortable he was, and a look came into his eyes that made her think he would turn around and head back to his room. Abuela turned and saw him there, she smiled and returned her attention to Señora Guzmán and her Tío seemed to relax. Her father was grinning from ear to ear even before Bruno’s sisters started complimenting him on how well his clothes fit. There was a small bulge in his shirt pocket that he was alternately patting then ignoring. A tiny head popped out, and Mirabel struggled to remember the name of that one. Fura… that was it. He had given her that name because her fur was black as night and had eyes to match.
Camilo was standing off to the side as he leaned down to listen to whatever his little brother was saying. Her sisters joined her as they came into the foyer. The clock chimed the three quarters hour and everyone headed out the door. As she had always done, she turned and waved goodbye to Casita. Casita waved back, and Mirabel let go of the breath she did not realize she had been holding. This habit had not actually stopped after Casita fell. Every night while they were rebuilding, she would wave as she left, sometimes returning after everyone had gone home for the day. She would pat a wall or talk to the empty halls, hoping for an answer. None ever came.
That had been her biggest regret, losing Casita and why she had worked so hard to rebuild her home. She had never had a Gift to lose, but Casita had always been a true friend to her. Listening to her when she was lonely or just sad. Always offering a cheerful response. She had only had a crude understanding of the things Casita was saying at first, but as she got older and her family more distant, she understood Casita as well as her Abuela and mother. She had leaned heavily on Casita’s support, as it really was her best friend. Then Casita died and it was her fault. Isabela nudged her out of her thoughts.
“Hey, you in there?” she asked when Mira had not responded to her question.
“Yeah, Mira. You okay, you went all glassy eyed on us.”
“Sorry, guess I was daydreaming again,” she said, blinking back tears.
“Uh, no,” Isa said, “You’re upset about something.”
“Yeah, spill it, hermanita.” Luisa said.
“Can we talk about this after mass?” she asked, looking down at the street.
Her sisters exchanged worried looks, and each took one of her hands that she had not realized she had knotted up in front of herself.
“After mass,” Isa said gently.
“And don’t think we are going to forget about it,” Luisa added.
Mirabel nodded, relieved she wouldn’t have to explain that. Well, at least not right away. To distract herself, she looked around at the townsfolk and realized they were all watching their little group. There were murmurs from some of the closest. She glanced at Dolores, who was frowning. Mariano noticed too, but he did not have any experience having Dolores as a girlfriend with her Gift. Dating anyone could be stressful, but dating someone with magically enhanced hearing was gonna be the real challenge. She just hoped he would deal with it as well as her Tío and Father had. To his credit, Mariano took note and patted the arm she had looped in his. He did not know why she was unhappy in that moment, but it was clear he was concerned for Dolores. Dolores looked up at him and seemed to grip his arm a little tighter, relying on his support. It was then that Mariano proved to Mirabel that he was more than just a big dumb hunk. He must have figured out what Dolores was reacting to because he gave an uncharacteristically withering glance at the crowd around them and people actually stopped talking.
The priest, Señor Flores, was on the steps of the church, welcoming the parishioners as they arrived. As the whole Madrigal family moved past him, he smiled even more broadly. He no longer wore the toupee of years past, choosing instead to wear a biretta with his vestments. Her Tío Bruno gave him the barest of nods as he continued forward with his mother on his arm.
Mirabel and her sisters were sitting in the pew, with her father behind Abuela and Tío Bruno. Her Mom and Tía Pepa were sitting on either side of them. Tío Félix, Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio were in the pew behind with the Guzmán’s. The church itself was not large enough for all the folks that wanted to attend that Friday afternoon service. The vestibule was full, and the doors had been left open for those still outside. The Mass itself was pretty standard stuff, it was the announcement at the end that caused the stir.
As Señor Flores looked at Abuela, she nodded, and he began as he raised his hands skyward and said for even those in the street to hear; “Please join me in wishing the most blessed of birthdays to Julieta, Pepa and Bruno Madrigal. Feliz cumpleaños Julieta! Feliz cumpleaños Pepa! Feliz cumpleaños Bruno!” The crowd readily joined in, but there was a noticeable drop in participation when it came to her Tío. “My fellow parishioners, as most of you are aware, the Madrigal Family has had their miracle and magic restored to them through the grace of God.” There were murmurs from the congregants as he continued, “However,” he paused and waited for the quiet to return. “Some changes are to be expected, and the family asks that you keep your requests to yourselves at this time. Please bring any, and all, needs to any of the members of the Town Council. A meeting will be held here later this week, the time and date for which has not been set.” And before anyone could protest, he said, “Please bow your heads and receive the Lord’s Blessing…”
Mirabel craned her head around and saw Mariano take his hands down from Dolores’s hands that she had covering her ears. Camilo was giving Mariano an appraising look, as if deciding whether this person was worthy of his sister. Antonio was scrunched down also covering his ears, he had never been a fan of loud people and Camilo pulled him closer to help calm him. Isa elbowed her and Mirabel remembered where she was, and she quickly faced forward and lowered her head.
_______________________________
Isa nudged Mirabel, who was craning her neck looking at Dolores and Mariano. Mirabel faced front and blushed as she lowered her head for the blessing. Isa was about to do the same when she caught sight of her mother and Tía Pepa’s look exchange. She could not see what they were seeing, but it probably had something to do with Tío Bruno or Abuela. She could see the sadness in her mother’s face that just as quickly was hidden away. She had never wondered very much about her mother’s upbringing, but now…Isa decided it would be better to care about that later, and she too lowered her head.
_______________________________
Dolores covered her ears and closed her eyes to better shut out the shouts of the parishioners wishing the triplets a happy birthday. She felt hands, she assumed were Mariano’s, covering hers and opened her eyes in time to see Mira face front and lower her head for the Blessing. She moved her hands slightly, and Mariano took his hands away. She had been worried how he would react to her Gift, worried it would be too much for him. Of course, it had only been less than a day but so far, so good. She smiled up at him to show her appreciation, and he smiled back. Oh, what that smile did to her brain.
As she too lowered her head for the Blessing, she looked at the back of Mirabel’s lowered head and wondered how much of what was happening with the Miracle and Casita was due to her prima. When Casita fell, the silence at first was deafening, and it took time to adjust to the change. When it came back, she was genuinely afraid. But since the night, even before she had opened her door, she noticed her enhanced hearing was easier to shut down, easier to modulate. It was a welcome relief to say the least. Something she had wished for since she was five.
While she had never spent a great deal of time with Mirabel, whenever they were together, Mirabel would notice when she wanted to be left alone and would even go as far as to distract people away from her. Like her darling brother. Ah Camilo, he was growing up so fast. She paused in her thinking, ‘You sound like your Mamá.’
_______________________________
Julieta looked past her mother’s bowed head at Bruno and Pepa. He was looking straight ahead, face blank. Pepa turned and caught her eye and looked meaningfully at Bruno’s hands. Julieta leaned slightly forward, and when she saw the rosary there, she blinked. That should not exist. But there it was.
She clearly remembered the day four-year-old Bruno had finished it. He had spent more than a week working on it and had been so proud of it. She thought of their mother, how she had praised his piety with much love and kisses when he had given it to her for her birthday. But Julieta also held the memory of the day she, Pepa and twenty-year-old Bruno sat on the roof of Casita as he carefully, almost methodically took it apart. He had likely been up there for hours before Pepa came to get her in the kitchen. They climbed and sat on either side of Bruno while he worked. Ignoring them while mumbling; ‘Sana, sana colita de rana. Dame un besito para hoy y mañana’ the bitterness in his voice was palpable.
Their mother and Bruno were, more often than not, at odds with one another. Over the years, as a sort of punishment, their mother would ask Casita to shift his room to the tower. She knew that he hated that more than anything else. Each time he had relented and conformed to her wishes. Bruno’s room had moved no less than four times in the past six months, but this time, he flat out refused to do any more visions. So, it was this day his room moved permanently from the hall to the tower. To seal it, their mother had Casita move her own room between hers and Pepa’s.
She had banished him in his own home.
His hands were shaking now, and several of the beads he had spent hours removing bounced down Casita’s tiled roof. He watched them fall and became frustrated when several others bounced after them. She had wondered how he had gotten a hold of it. Obviously, he had entered their mother’s rooms and taken it back. Now he pulled the next one off and crushed the tiny clay rosette with one of Casita’s tiles and watched the wind blow it away from him. Pepa’s cloud started to drizzle, and she was stroking her braid in a vain attempt to make it stop.
Bruno looked at what remained and frowned. The anger in his face was clear, and Julieta thought he looked more like the image on his door than ever before. He had let his hair grow long, and he was angry most of the time. Pepa thought he did it to stop everyone telling him how much he resembled his father, and in the same breath tell him how much he was not like him at all. Bruno continued now with much less care as he crushed several more until only the wooden crucifix remained. He lifted the tile to bash that as well, but Pepa took the tile he had raised and Juli told him it was enough.
“It will never be enough Juli and I don’t know why you two can’t see that,” Bruno said barely above a whisper. He looked over the edge and got up, “I could jump…” he did not finish the thought as Pepa’s shower intensified. Bruno sighed, and his face softened back to the Bruno they were used to. He looked at Pepa and said with a small smile, “Just kidding Pep… I gotta go.”
He left then, and Pepa hugged the tile before putting it down. Casita bounced it back into place, and Julieta picked up the small cross. Pepa’s rain stopped, and Julieta finally felt the tears that were slipping down her face. He wasn’t kidding. She put the cross in her apron pocket and she and her sister made their way off the roof. They stood together looking up that staircase that led to the tower, aware that their brother’s door was wavering and Julieta feared Bruno would run away and leave them behind. She knew that if he ever did, she would not fault him for it, she refused to. Worse than that, she knew that she wanted to leave too.
Julieta was jolted back to the present when the organ began playing to announce the end of Mass. Bruno had already stashed the rosary away, and everyone stood to leave. The Blessing was over, so the Priest and altar boys processed to the back of the church. The mass of people standing in the vestibule and the steps parted for them and the altar boy took up positions on either side. The Madrigals, as a whole, made their way to the exit. Abuela stopped and thanked Señor Flores for the wonderful service. She rejoined Señora Guzmán, and together they walked toward her home without a backward glance. Dolores and Mariano headed in the opposite direction. Pepa watched them go with a look of sadness, and a wispy cloud formed over her.
“You alright there, hermana?” Bruno asked.
The cloud above her head turned darker for a moment, but then quite abruptly vanished as Félix came up behind them. “I’m good, Bruno.”
He nodded and turned to Julieta, “Well, I’m off to do… something.”
“You could help with the dishes,” Julieta said with a tilt of her head.
“I could, but that would be unlike me,” Bruno replied as if that should be obvious.
Julieta smiled at him, “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said as Agustín handed her a small, wrapped package. “I made these for you this morning.” She passed it to him and added, “Each one tastes different, so please let me know which you like best.”
Bruno took it and hefted it. “I will do that. See you guys later,” he said, and walked away in the direction of the mountain split.
Agustín turned her around and put his head against hers and said, “You will not be doing dishes, mi amor.” And he looked meaningfully at his daughters, who were standing nearby.
“But…”
“They are three capable young women, and besides, they already volunteered.”
“Oh, then what-” she stopped when she caught the look in his eye. “More sandwiches then?” she asked with a shy smile.
“Definitely,” he said as he took her hand and guided her away from the church.
_______________________________
Pepa curled her arm into her husband’s, and she watched her siblings wander away. Looking back, she noticed Antonio all but falling asleep in Camilo’s arms. Félix went over and took him. Antonio seemed to wake up for a moment, then was right back asleep.
“So, if you don’t need me for anything right now…” Camilo said hesitantly.
“You could help with the dishes,” Pepa said with a tilt of her head.
Camilo shifted to his Tío Bruno and replied, “I could, but that would be unlike me.”
“Honestly…”
Camilo shifted back to himself and added, “There is something I need to talk to Mira about…for my show.”
In all the excitement yesterday, she had forgotten about that. Isa was giving him a look, but Luisa said, “We’ve got it covered, Tía.” Isa shifted her look from Camilo to her, and Luisa just smiled as she turned Isabela toward the Casita. “See you later Mira, let’s go Sis, the sooner we get there the sooner we’ll be done.”
Mira looked askance at Camilo. Clearly, she had no idea what he was going on about, but Camilo was looking meaningfully over at a group of kids their age, then back at Mirabel, and she said softly, “Oh yeah.” Camilo waved her over and Mira, now bereft of her sisters, left with Camilo for the other side of the plaza.
“Well, it appears the decision has already been made,” Pepa said to Félix, watching them go.
“It’s good they can have some fun away from the old fogies.”
“Who you calling old…” there was a roll of thunder and Félix said, “Juli and Gus, obviously.”
Pepa quirked a smile and they both looked around when they heard startled shouts. Parce was carefully padding his way through the crowd, and a few of the nearby townsfolk were reacting to the jaguar like he would eat them on the spot. The only way something like that would happen is if someone were silly enough to try to hurt Antonio. Pepa looked at her sleeping baby in her husband’s arms and shooed away the small thunderhead. Parce nudged her and Félix gently, she sighed and said, “Félix, let’s get him home before someone does something foolish.” And together they headed up the path toward Casita.
| Author Notes | When I began this story it was primarily dealing with those shiny new doors and what opening them again meant for the various family members. As often happens when I write, characters wander in, and say stuff I am not expecting. Then I have to deal with them. Now you get to, too. |
By Achitka
Luisa shortened her stride when she realized Isabela was falling behind. When her sister caught up, they entered Casita and walked into the kitchen, both stopped. Everything was clean. Not a dish or pot out of place…They looked at one another and said together while patting the countertop, “Thank you, Casita.”
Casita clattered its tiles and the sisters walked out into the plaza. “So now what?” Isa asked.
“Well, there was something else I wanted to show you,” Luisa said, “That’s why I asked Cam to take Mira with him.”
“Wait? What? You asked him and he did?”
Luisa looked at her sister, rolled her eyes, and said, “Come on, it’s in Mira’s room.”
They left the kitchen and headed upstairs. They reached Mirabel’s room, and Isa seemed surprised to see her flowers were still in place. Not a petal lost, she felt a moment of pride seeing how strong they were. Gone were the days of shedding flower petals wherever she went. Casita’s door below them opened, and they heard Tía Pepa and Tío Félix speaking softly. Looking over the rail into the courtyard, they watched as Félix put a sleeping Antonio into the hammock and covered him with a small blanket. Parce laid down beneath it and their Tío and Tía went to sit on the small balcony there. Luisa opened Mira’s door and ushered Isa in, being very careful to shut the door quietly. Once inside, Isa whispered, “So what was it you needed to show me?”
“Turn around,” Luisa whispered back and then asked, “Why are we whispering?”
Isa shrugged and gasped a little when she looked at the inside of Mirabel’s door. The depictions of the trees were very lifelike. “I was here last night; how did I miss this?”
“So, what kind of trees are they?” Luisa asked.
“The larger is an oak tree. The smaller is a jacaranda.”
Every detail was perfect. Isa could not resist and touched the trunk of the larger tree and pulled her hand back quickly.
“What’s wrong?” Luisa asked.
“Nothing. Have you touched it?”
“Just to open and close it this morning, but umm...did you feel anything, I mean just now.”
“I thought I felt…” Isa trailed off, taking a small step back.
“Like Abuela was watching?” Luisa asked.
Isabela’s eyes went wide, and she nodded as she took another step back. Luisa put a hand on her arm and gently turned her toward the door to their left. The door was open, and Isa again took a small step back. They both turned back to the door and Luisa asked, “You see now why I wanted you to see this?”
“Dios Mio, poor Mirabel.”
Casita pushed a couple of chairs their way and both sat down heavily. Neither said anything for a bit until Luisa shifted and Isa got up. She looked more closely at the door again. More specifically, at the larger tree. Some of the leaves were curling around the edges, and there were a few that had fallen, though Isa was sure they were not there before. She turned to Luisa and waved her over. Luisa got up and Isa pointed to what she was seeing. Luisa looked confused and when Isa looked again the fallen and curling leaves were gone.
“What am I looking for, Isa?”
Isabela said nothing, she looked back to Abuela’s door and said, “Nothing, I guess. Thought I saw some sick leaves. Probably just my imagination.”
“Are you sure?” Luisa asked, she turned Isa to face her and said, “I was only here for a few minutes this morning. But I kind of feel like this tree,” she said as she pointed to the larger, “and the butterfly on top are a representation of Abuela and the smaller tree and butterfly are Mira,” Her eye flicked to the two corners that held butterflies. “You see?” Isa nodded, “Right now they’re both in balance, a mirror of one another.”
“Okay.”
“When I came to get Mirabel this morning, the smaller was a few inches over the small hand, as if testing its wings. Mira was a puddle of happy tears because of her room, but the larger butterfly’s wings were drooping, and it was barely holding on to that fingertip. Abuela was not in here then.”
The curled leaves returned, and Isa pointed to them and said in a rush, “There, they’re back.” Isa refused to take her eyes off them, but Luisa again said she saw nothing. Isa blinked, and they were gone again, and she asked softly, “Why do they keep vanishing like that?”
Both sat back on the chairs to think it through. “Maybe it has something to do with your Gift,” Luisa said, “You are the plant goddess after all.”
“Luisa…”
“Yeah.”
“Never do that again.”
“Do what?”
“Call me a goddess. Do not even want to think about trying to live up to something like that.”
Luisa looked at her and said, “You got it, Sis, I will just refer to you as the crazy plant lady.”
Isa smiled, “That might even be accurate.”
“So, do you think you would know if a plant was sick?”
“I don’t know, I used to be able to see imperfections in the flowers I made, but I’m gonna need to try some stuff. Do some research. I’ve only been making other plants since literally yesterday.”
“True.”
“You know, Dolores was of the mind that the Miracle and Casita are tied to our sister somehow.”
“Camilo said something similar. He said when he opened his door last night it made him think of Mirabel,” Luisa sighed, “I’m more than a little worried about what this door means for our little sister.”
“Me too. I know what Abuela’s constant attentions will do to your head.”
“What time is it?” Luisa asked and looked at the clock. “Oh wow, it’s almost 3:30. Everyone’s going to be back soon.”
“Yeah, and we still need to find out what upset Mira, too.”
Mariano walked along the streets of the Encanto with Dolores on his arm and not a care in the world. Or at least that’s what he thought. She silently took his hand and guided him to an area some distance from the center of town. The glade they ended up in was fully surrounded by trees and brush. At one side, near a stream, there was a small building that held a few blankets and books. Mariano realized why she had brought him here; it was a quiet place. The sounds of the Encanto were distant and for him barely audible.
He reached over and spread the blankets on the grass, and together they sat. Dolores had not said a word since leaving Casita nor had she really smiled.
“Dolores?” Mariano started, but she held up a hand and closed her eyes for a moment. She took a few deep breaths and then opened them, seeming relieved about something.
“I’m sorry, Mariano, just needed a moment.”
Mariano nodded and said in a much quieter tone, “Do not be sorry. You’re still you, we just have a new thing to work through, and I will do my best to learn quickly. You are dear to me. If you ever need a quiet place to run to, wherever the place may be. I will follow you to the end of the world if needs be.”
Dolores smiled and immediately started crying. Mariano was horrified, had he done something wrong? “Dolores?” he whispered. She only cried harder, so Mariano decided the best he could do was wait and hold her close.
Eventually, the flow of tears stopped and Dolores pulled a hankie from her pocket. She blew her nose and dabbed at the tears still on her cheeks and said a little shakily, “You are such a good man, Mariano. I’m so lucky to have you…” She gathered up his hands.
Uh oh, he thought, maybe he did do something wrong.
“I know I said we should wait, but…” When she looked up and saw the look of concern on his face, she tilted her head and gently cupped his cheeks in her hands as she said, “Let’s get married.”
Mariano’s jaw dropped, “Wha…What? When?” he could not keep the excitement from his voice.
“Oh, not for at least a year.” Dolores said, “You’ve only had a few hours of the chaos that is my family. You’re going to need to spend a lot more time with them, now that we're all living in Casita again.”
“I dated your cousin for-”
“You dated Isabela when she was playing ‘Señorita Perfecta,’ Dolores corrected. “Probably the only one you’ve had any experience with, and that is not who Isa really is at all.”
Mariano’s head was spinning, he was so happy, but he nodded, “Well, I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone better.”
“You are so adorable, mi amor,” Dolores said and lightly kissed him, “We’ll need to start with my parents.”
“Uh…okay,” he was having trouble focusing, “Can we invite my mother along?”
“Yes, of course,” Dolores said and kissed his cheek, then added as she pulled away, “She makes the best buñuelos. I’m gonna need to learn that recipe.”
Mariano felt like the world had been taken from him as she moved away, then he remembered the token he had bought for her to celebrate Casita being finished. He cleared his throat with an effort and said, “Well, since we are engaged, I want to give you this,” Mariano reached into his pocket and pulled out a small broach. “It’s not a ring, but…” he held it out to her. It almost felt like it was his heart he was holding, and his hands were shaking for no particular reason.
Dolores picked up the broach and said, “It’s agreed then, the engagement is our little secret.” And she took off the choker from around her neck. She pulled the small charm from it, then threaded the broach on to it and replaced it.
“How does it look?” she asked, using her hands to frame it while turning her head slightly.
“It’s beautiful on you.” Mariano said and sighed.
Dolores’s smile slipped, and she turned her head a little more. Mariano had been paying attention. He had seen her do the same thing the night before when she heard something that concerned her.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I will tell you about it on the way back.”
“We are leaving?”
“Yes. Come on.” She held out her hand and he got up. They folded the blankets and put them back on the shelves.
“So, what’s happening?”
“We need to run a little interference for Mirabel. Ay, Camilo, why now.”
Mariano had no idea what was happening, but he trusted Dolores. So, he took her hand, and together they followed the path that led back to the Encanto.
“So, what is it you need to talk to me about?” Mirabel asked as she joined Camilo, who was already starting toward a group of teenagers.
Camilo paused as she caught up and said, “Costumes. I need costumes.”
“How many costumes?”
“Six, four for boys and two for girls.”
“That’s a lot of costumage, primo,” Mirabel said wryly.
“I know, and I meant to ask a lot sooner, but you’ve been so busy with Casita I kept forgetting.”
“Okay, but why all the others,” she said, nodding toward the group that was now moving toward them.
“They say they can help.”
“I know Bea and Bri can help, but David and Renzo?”
“They said they can get the material.”
“Okay, where are the actors?” she asked, and Camilo pointed to a group of kids playing under a tree under the watchful eye of their parents. “Oh, that’s right. Seriously, though, how long do I have to do this?”
“About a month,” Camilo said a little sheepishly, “Do not forget the Ramirez twins said they could help.”
Mirabel just sighed and said, “Yeah, with Bea and Bri’s help, we can probably get that done. Well, to start I’m gonna need some paper, a pencil or two and a measuring tape.”
“You got it, prima,” Camilo said and leaned closer to David and Renzo, they both nodded and took off. Bea and Bri came over then and stood near Mirabel, completely ignoring Camilo.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Camilo said as he tilted his head, narrowing his eyes with his most charming smile, Mira thought he looked a little creepy when he did that. The sisters did not respond, so Camilo said, “I’m going to collect the kids.” He turned and walked off in that direction.
Mirabel turned to the sisters and said, “Seriously, you two could at least say hello.”
“Sorry, Mira,” Bea said, “but Camilo said he would help us if we helped him, and now it looks like he may not do what he said.”
That did not sound like Camilo at all, “What did he promise to do?”
The girls looked at one another and said, “Kittens.”
“Kittens?”
“We have some, they’re too young to leave their Mamá right now,” Bri said.
“But we need to find homes for them,” Bea said.
“Camilo promised to take them,” Bri said.
“Really…”
Both nodded and Mirabel said, “You don’t need to worry. If Camilo said he would do it. He will. He’s mildly dependable like that. He sometimes forgets what he says, but my primo would never break a promise.”
“If you say so, Mira,” Bri said.
Camilo returned with the children in tow, each was carrying a small sack, and they were talking so fast, but there were only five of them. Camilo and had them sit in a row as David and Renzo also appeared, laden down with various items. They’d brought more than paper and pencils. They also had various lengths of cloth. They sat down, placing the items in front of them.
Mirabel leaned toward Camilo and whispered, “Kittens.”
Camilo gave her a look, then his eyes went wide, and he said, “Ladies, I almost forgot, when will the kittens be old enough?”
The girls smiled when Mirabel winked and said together, “In about a month.”
“Perfect,” he said.
Bea and her sister picked up the paper, pencils and measuring tapes, (they brought two) and set about measuring the kids.
“You said you needed 4 boy sets…who’s missing?”
“Antonio.”
“How’d you talk him into that?”
“I’m his big brother, I can talk him into anything.”
“Uh huh,” Mira said skeptically. She sat down near the boys and grabbed some of the paper while waving to Camilo to sit next to her. He did, and she asked him to describe what he was looking for while looking around for the pencil. David reached behind her and handed it to her. He was blushing and Mira took it with a quiet “Gracias, David”
Camilo noticed she was no longer paying attention and said, “David, now is not the time-” Camilo stopped abruptly when Mira shot him a look. David sat back, but they could hear Renzo laughing quietly in the background. Camilo cleared his throat and started to describe what he saw in his head. Mira could tell he was jumping from character to character because when she finished with her sketch and showed it to him, he said, “That is not what I’m seeing in my head.”
“Why not just shift, and she can sketch that,” Renzo said.
“Not sure I can,” said Camilo thoughtfully.
“No, you can, Camilo. Remember when we were smaller, and you shifted into Abue…lo-” Even as the words were leaving her mouth, Mirabel realized, too late, what she said. Camilo went completely still. Mirabel knew he was remembering Abuela’s tirade afterward. She touched his arm and said, “I’m sorry, Cam. I did not think before I said that.”
“It’s alright, was a long time ago. Anyway, might as well give it a shot. Juancho come on over here.” Camilo said and stood up.
The boy set down his empty coffee cup and stood in front of Camilo. He shifted, and Juancho laughed to see himself standing there. Camilo shifted a second time, but this time it was only the clothing that changed. The shirt was a little too tight and the pants too short, this sent Juancho into a real fit of laughter. Camilo shifted again, and this time it was too long. The fourth time, Camilo held his arms out, jumped a little off the ground and when he landed, everything fit.
“How’s this?” Camilo asked in Juancho’s voice.
“Not bad, primo,” Mirabel said and set to sketching the clothes. She made Cam/Juancho turn and stand in different positions. Regular Juancho mirroring the poses. The whole thing was just so darn cute. Overall, it was faster than him trying to describe it to her.
They worked their way through each of the five and as they were finishing with Cecilia, they heard a lot of people shouting. Mira turned in time to see Antonio on Parce bounding toward them. The other children huddled together as the big cat slid to a halt and Antonio said in a rush as he jumped off Parce, “I’m not too late, am I Camilo!”
“Right on time, hombrecito,” Camilo said and shifted to his little brother in full costume.
“Wow, I’m gonna look cool.” And he, too, mimicked his brother’s poses.
Parce had laid down next to Mirabel, and the twins came and sat near her. The other kids, while hesitant at first, also sat near her. David and Renzo came closer, but Mirabel was not paying attention to them, she was focused on getting the details of her sketch right. She smiled when she finished and started when she saw all the people around her. Alejandra touched her hand and looked worriedly at Parce and whispered, “He won’t eat us, right?”
Mirabel waved Antonio over and said, “Alejandra wants to know if Parce will eat her.”
Antonio looked horrified and Mirabel gave him a look and tilted her head toward Alejandra that said, I’m not the one asking. Antonio turned to Alejandra, and she repeated her question. He smiled and said, “No, he won’t eat you.” Cecilia asked if it was okay to pet him and Antonio said, “You can pet him, but you should ask him first.” He sat down next to Mirabel by Parce’s head and encouraged the other kids to come closer. They, of course, did, and several of the parents came over to check on their kids, who were now sitting very close to the 200-pound jaguar. Parce to his credit, paid the children little mind, only chuffing once when someone stepped on his tail.
It was getting crowded, so Mirabel scooched away, fumbling with her paper, and bumping into David. Then Camilo was in front of her holding out a hand, which she took, and he hauled her up. She wasn’t sure if Dolores had had a chance to tell Camilo about Tío Bruno. She had planned to tell Antonio about it while they were picking flowers, but that had not quite gone to plan. She wondered if Isa had mentioned it. “Hey Cam, did Dolores have a chance to talk to you about Tío?”
Camilo shook his head and said, “No, why, what’s up.”
Mirabel pulled him a few feet away from the pile of people admiring Parce and spoke in low tones. “Tío had a spontaneous vision last night.”
“Really? Camilo asked and said, “I’m assuming he’s okay, since he was a breakfast.” Mirabel nodded and told him everything Abuela said the night before. “Has there been any others?”
“Not that I know of, but I’m not with him all the time either. Either way, Abuela said we should be on the lookout and find one of our mothers if we see it happen again.”
Their conversation was interrupted by Bea and Bri who handed Mira the measurements and said, “We have to go.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks so much for your help today. We truly wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Camilo added as he briefly touched each one on the arm and said, “looking forward to meeting those kittens.” The twins smiled shyly and backed away, until both abruptly turned and ran off. Camilo was surprised by their reaction, and he elbowed Mirabel. “Why are they like that?”
Mirabel watched the retreating forms of the Ramirez sisters and said, “Cam, they be smitten with you.”
“No… both of them?”
Mirabel shrugged and added, “Well, actually I think it’s more just Brianna, she’s the one who asks the most questions.”
“Which one was Brianna?” he asked.
“The one that was on the left.” Mirabel answered, “She’s usually the one on the left, if that helps.”
“I don’t know, I feel like if I get it wrong…”
“Everyone does. Anyway, Bri plays with her hair when she’s nervous, Bea will cross her arms and look at her sister…”
“Mira! Camilo!” That was Antonio’s voice, and he sounded weirdly excited. The two of them turned back to see there were even more people surrounding Antonio and Parce. The jaguar was on his feet but not moving because of all the small children on his back. Parents were shouting, other people were jostling, and Antonio looked determined to keep them all safe.
“WHAT IS GOING ON!” a voice shouted.
There was a corresponding clap of thunder and most everyone went quiet. New thunder rolled as her Tía Pepa stood near the center of the plaza. Mira saw Tío Félix making his way toward Parce and Antonio. Her Tío led the jaguar away from the crowd and once free of them, the other kids who all looked shaken up were collected by their parents. Each thanking Félix or Pepa for the safe return of their kids. None blamed Camilo or Mirabel. The folks just gotten out of hand for some reason. Camilo apologized to each kid as they went by with their families. The crowd dispersed, and soon it was only the Madrigals standing near the old oak. David and Renzo were just out of earshot, both laden with fabrics they’d procured.
“You okay, Antonio?” Mirabel asked.
“Yeah, I was more worried about the other kids. It was Parce’s idea for them to climb up on him. He’s a really smart jaguar.” Parce let out a growl and Antonio patted his head.
“Mirabel?” her Tía asked, “Do you know what happened?”
“No,” she said clutching her papers, “we were just doing the sketches for some costumes and then there were people everywhere.”
“Camilo?”
“No idea, like Mira said, we were working on the costume designs and then ‘bam’ people everywhere.”
Pepa nodded and said they should all head for home. Antonio was about to protest, but Parce growled and Antonio mumbled “Fine,” and the pair turned to head home. Camilo turned to go, but Mirabel sat down and started arranging the papers that were starting to slip out of her hands. Camilo would have helped her except David came up then and handed him a stack of cloth, then knelt to assist Mirabel.
“Oh, hi David,” Mirabel said as she messed with her unruly pile of papers.
“Let me help you with that,” he said, and managed to catch a page that had escaped her.
Mirabel smiled and said, “Thanks, David.”
“Can I walk you home?” he asked.
“Yes,” Mirabel said, and together they started toward Casita.
Camilo opened his mouth to say something but closed it when he heard his sister call his name. He looked over, and she waved to him to come over to her. Well, David wasn’t a bad guy. Mira would be fine, he told himself. Dolores called him again, and so he went over to where his sister and Mariano were standing.
“Why do you do that?” Dolores asked.
“Do what?” Camilo replied while balancing the folded-up material.
Dolores sighed and turned him toward home. “Let’s go, little brother, you have cakes to finish.”
Alma sat on the veranda of Sylvia Guzmán’s home, sipping mint tea and enjoying buñuelos her friend had made the day before. A little stale, but still delicious just the same. Alma had never really made friends with the women of the Encanto prior to the breaking. She could see now how that was a mistake. She closed herself and her family off in her need to control everything happening around her. Everyone needs someone to talk to, even if that person does not completely understand. She had also reached out to Félix’s parents while he, Pepa and their family were staying with them during the rebuilding. They were delighted to have their son, his wife, and his children with them every day. Pepa took to full-time mothering in a way Alma did not expect. She spent her time getting to know all about them, Antonio most of all. Gaining and losing his Gift so quickly had been very hard on him. Félix encouraging her the entire time. She had clearly underestimated her daughter’s ability to raise her children.
Agustín’s family were not as welcoming. She could not blame them either, she had not welcomed their son into her family with the enthusiasm she had shown for Félix. She had often limited their contact with their granddaughters, even Mirabel. Another mistake she truly regretted. They were, however, very welcoming to their son’s family. Julieta was, very cool to her in the months following the breaking. While there was no outright hostility, she made it very clear that she would not force any of her children to spend time with her. Her workload did not decrease, it only changed from healing with magic food to using more traditional methods. Julieta also let her know that she and Agustín were considering not moving back to the Casita when it was finished. She did not want to think about that, doing so always left her weepy, a part of herself she did her best to ignore lately.
She was jolted from her thoughts when she felt someone touch her arm, she almost dropped the buñuelo she was about to put in her mouth. There was no one here beyond herself and Sylvia, who was on the other side of the small table they were sharing on the veranda overlooking the plaza. Alma dismissed it as her imagination. Alma covered her discomfort by pouring herself another cup of mint tea.
“Alma, are you alright?” Sylvia asked.
“I felt a chill, nothing to worry about,” Alma said, finishing the buñuelo. Sylvia nodded, but from her experiences with Alma, she could tell when she was holding something back. She took a sip of her tea...still watching, and Alma became aware of her friend’s scrutiny. Watching her over the rim of her cup. “What?”
Sylvia put her cup down and said, “Well, I don’t quite know how to put this. Now that the magic has returned, I’m a little worried about my Mariano’s relationship with Dolores.”
Here it comes, thought Alma, aloud she said, “They seem quite smitten with one another. What are your concerns?”
“Dolores’s Gift…” Sylvia started then faltered at the blank look she was getting from Alma, “What I’m trying to say is… I know you had other plans… husband-wise for her,” again she stopped, and she flushed. “I just don’t want Mariano’s heart to be broken again.”
Alma blinked, “What has that to do with Dolores’s Gift?” she was genuinely confused now.
“You know now that I’m saying it aloud…I’m sorry, Alma, I don’t know what I was thinking. Dolores clearly adores Mariano, and they do look so cute together.”
“Yes, she speaks of little else to her primas,” Alma said and gave Sylvia a reassuring smile and picked up her teacup again.
“Has she said anything about getting married?”
Alma choked a little on her tea and set the cup down. “Sylvia, they’ve barely been going out for three months. Let’s try not to rush them into anything.”
“Well, you can say that. You already have grandchildren.”
Did she ever, Alma thought, and for once, that did not make her feel anxious, angry or in any way unhappy. Being forced to let go of her expectations, her relationships with her grandchildren, though strained even now, she felt were slowly getting better. Though it was clear they all had a certain amount of anxiety that was tied solely to her. It’s not like she had anyone but herself to blame for it. Time is what is needed, time she was not sure she had.
She certainly did not fault Isabela or Luisa for avoiding her now. Isa, given her true personality, made Alma wonder how she had managed it for the length of time she did. She was grateful that Isa had managed to cast aside the wedge Alma had pushed so firmly between her and her sisters. Alma worried she had done permanent damage, but to her great relief the sisters had managed to move past her earlier machinations.
Luisa was a whole other problem. Alma had to admit to herself she used her Gift unmercifully without regard as to how it was affecting her granddaughter. In the days after Luisa’s Gift Ceremony, this list of things she wanted to accomplish got longer and longer, and Luisa’s Gift was always just what was needed. Julieta or Agustín had many times taken Luisa home so she could rest, regardless of what Alma had said about finishing her work. She had almost used her granddaughter up, body and spirit, it was no wonder the miracle died as it did.
“Alma,” Sylvia said, pointing across the plaza. “Isn’t that Camilo and Mirabel?”
Alma looked out over the plaza and saw them near the great oak. They were doing something with the children Camilo regularly helped care for. She thought a moment and said, “Yes, Camilo is preparing a play and the children are the actors.”
“Oh, that sounds like it will be marvelous, when will it be ready?”
“In about a month, I believe.”
“You must be so proud of him; he has always been a crowd pleaser.”
Alma did not respond; she had once thought his Gift to be useless. Never asking him to do things that were needful. Camilo found his own purpose within ‘The Family.’ Always doing what he could to support the townsfolk with their burdens. During the past year, she was approached by one of the Encanto’s oldest teachers. They mentioned that they were wanting to retire and asked if Camilo might be interested in an apprenticeship and take over some of the classes at the school when he was ready. Alma had dismissed the idea out of hand, never even bothering to see if her grandson would be interested in such a thing. Mistake #4,538,276.
Ay woman, what a mess you’ve created for your progeny. She made a mental note to talk to Pepa about it.
There were shouts heard and Alma stood to see what all the commotion was about. Just Antonio and his jaguar bounding across the plaza to where his brother was. Totally normal for a Madrigal. Mirabel, she noticed, was sitting on the ground working on something, not paying attention to the people around her. It disturbed Alma how readily they were drawn to her now. She would need to talk to Julieta about that. She had a disturbing recollection of the last miracle’s creation aftermath. How people were drawn to her and the candle. Only this time, Mirabel herself was the source. More people came and sat near her as Camilo helped his prima from the growing crowd. They moved a short way away, discussing something. Antonio noticed the crowd as well and was helping the other small children onto the jaguar’s back, not looking panicked at all. Then there was jostling, and angry shouts from people being pushed by those behind them. Alma was about to go out there but stopped when she heard Pepa shout:
“WHAT IS GOING ON!”
The corresponding clap of thunder caused most everyone to go quiet. New thunder rolled as Pepa stood near the center of the plaza. Daring anyone to move as Félix was making his way toward the jaguar and Antonio. Pepa’s aim with her lighting was pinpoint, and most people in the Encanto knew that. Félix led the jaguar away from the crowd and once free of them, the other kids, who all looked shaken up, were collected by their parents.
Alma sighed and sat back down. As she took another sip of her tea, Sylvia said with a snort, “You know Alma, it’s been downright dreary for the past year, and I’ve got to admit that life with the Madrigals is never boring.”
Alma smiled then, seeing the ridiculousness of it all, and let loose some genuine laughter.
Bruno Madrigal was making his way back to Casita by skirting the edge of town. Avoiding people was something he had become very good at. He paused when he noticed Mirabel and Camilo near the great oak. He backed into the shadow of a shop doorway to watch. Neither seemed aware of all the people who were stopping what they were doing and coming over to watch what they were doing. Antonio was there with Parce, pulling the other small ones up behind him. Smart kid.
Then chaos erupted, but that was quickly snuffed by Pepa. The thunder faded and Bruno relaxed, thankful that he would not need to wade out into that mass of townsfolk. Pepa could totally handle this, so he started back toward Casita. He came around a corner and ran smack into Agustín and Julieta, who were headed toward the shouting to find out what was going on.
“Sorry Bruno,” Agustín said, “Do you know what’s going on over there?”
“Crowd control,” Bruno replied, “Pepa’s got it handled.” He was about to leave, but Bruno remembered his promise to his sister. Knew he needed to let his sister know what he was thinking. He stopped and asked, “Juli, do you remember when we were little how sometimes people would follow Mamá around for hours?”
“Ay, no,” Julieta said in disbelief, “You’re not saying they’re following Mira.”
Bruno nodded and said, “I don’t even think they knew why they wanted to be near her.”
Agustín was listening, but his expression showed his anger. Anger for all things Madrigal.
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies... That being said, a story of sorts popped into me head. Modifications have been made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry, it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. When I began this story it was primarily dealing with those shiny new doors and what opening them again meant for the various family members. As often happens when I write, characters wander in, and say stuff I am not expecting. Then I have to deal with them. Now you get to, too. |
By Achitka
As Pepa watched the children heading back to the Casita the dark cloud that had lingered grew a little more intense. “Félix, I’m worried for Mira,” she said as she watched the people, most of whom were folks that had arrived in the Encanto recently, moving back to where the children had been sitting.
“How so, Pepi?” he asked as he too watched the growing crowd.
“When we were little, I remember that sometimes, folks would come to Casita and loiter outside. Other times, they would follow Mamá around town for hours. It did not happen often and eventually stopped…but it was...rather unnerving. Maybe that’s why Mamá kept such a short tether on us when we were younger. Never thought I’d live to see the day that would happen again.”
“You think that lot,” he said and gestured at the crowd, “are here because of Mirabel?”
“I don’t think, Félix. I know,” she said, and a short roll of thunder could be heard. “Almost all those folks are new here. They don’t have any experience with our Gifts, La Candela, or Casita. God only knows what sorts of stories they’ve heard.” Her cloud was sprinkling and Félix popped open the umbrella, he touched her arm to pull her attention away from the crowd.
“Come on, Pepi, let’s go home. We can discuss it with everyone then and come up with some sort of plan.”
“You’re right, nothing too worrisome has really happened…yet,” and she turned with him in the direction of home. By the time they reached the edge of town, her cloud had fully dissipated. She saw Juli and Gus out on the patio and wondered if they knew what was happening. Bruno was also there, he spotted her and Félix and waved to them to come around back to the patio gate, and Pepa sighed. They knew.
Pepa nudged her husband and tipped her head toward the patio, and together they headed for the gate. First, she noticed Julieta’s face was a mask of concern, and she was leaning into her husband. Juli was clearly just as worried as she was. Agustín just looked angry, and Bruno was dealing with his fidgets by feeding his rats bits of arepa. She wondered where their mother was just then, since she might have some insight into this. Maybe still at the Guzmán’s? If she was, she knew. Most days when not working on Casita she would be there on the veranda overlooking the plaza having tea and buñuelos. She saw Bruno taking a drink from a small bottle that he had pulled from his shirt pocket, his eyes were closed and Pepa wondered if he was having another vision. The knowledge that she and Juli were unknowing triggers for him made her heart ache. She heard the umbrella even as she felt the first raindrops falling.
Luisa happened to look out Mira’s window and saw Mirabel and a boy whose name she couldn’t remember coming up the path. “Isa, we need to leave, Mira’s coming.”
Isa came over and looked out the window, “With a boy no less, did not know she had it in her,” Isa smirked.
Luisa was already at the door, “Come on, Isa, now is not the time.”
Isa shrugged and continued to watch Mirabel, who was sitting on the grass a little way away from the edge of the path with the boy talking rather animatedly about something. Camilo and Dolores minus Mariano came up and Dolores caught his shirt and yanked Camilo back when he looked like he was going to go where Mirabel and the boy were sitting. Dolores then pushed him toward Casita. Isa smiled, good on her.
“Isa!” Luisa said in a fierce whisper. Startled, Isa turned to see Luisa giving her a look that said, come on already. Isa went into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Luisa had gone as far as the corner balcony. She waved at her to come to her, and she stopped her as she neared. Isa heard the voices on the patio below, and she and Luisa both sat down to eavesdrop on the conversation.
“I’m not sure what we can do about it,” she heard her mother say, “Probably the only thing that makes any sense is to keep a close eye on the people around her. If what Bruno says is true, Mira hasn’t realized it yet.”
“Why not just have her stay home for a few days until things settle down,” her Tío Félix said.
“And tell her what? She’s grounded?” her father said, and he sounded unusually angry. “No.”
“I suppose not,” Tío Félix agreed, “but-”
“But what, Félix,” Their father snapped. Isa and Luisa exchanged worried looks. Their father must really be angry, he never raised his voice like that. There was a pause as their mother said something in a tone low enough that they could not make it out. “I know, mi vida, this is no one’s fault, I’m just frustrated and…,” he did not finish the thought then said in a more reasonable tone, “I’m sorry Félix, you were saying.”
“No need for apologies, Mira’s already been through a lot. We all know that, but I’m concerned for our kids too. Especially Antonio, he hasn't had time to learn how best to use his Gift. And I worry that someone will get hurt. Not on purpose mind you, but… anyway Bruno, I’m assuming you saw what happened?” there was no actual answer from their Tío, so he must have nodded since Tío Félix said, “What do you think?”
Tío Bruno cleared his throat and said, “I think we’ll need more help than just us.” He stepped out from beneath the balcony and said in a louder voice, “Isa… Luisa, could you two come down to the patio please?”
The sisters looked at one another and Luisa shrugged and together they got up. She wondered how her Tío had known they were there. They looked over the rail to see their mother rubbing her temples, while their father was shaking his head. Tía Pepa’s cloud darkened and both made a beeline for the patio, running into Dolores and Camilo in the kitchen. Camilo made a shushing sound, but Dolores said, “Won’t help Camilo, Tío Bruno knows we are here too.”
All four walked out on to the patio looking sheepish and Tío Bruno said, “Who’s up for some espionage?”
“Bruno, this is serious,” Tía Pepa said from under the umbrella Tío Félix had once again pulled out.
“I know that. I’m sure we can handle it. The hard part will be explaining it.”
“Explain what?” Mirabel asked as she stepped through the patio door. Coming up behind was Abuela and Antonio. There was no answer to the question, making her take a few steps further and repeated it. “Explain what?”
Abuela came on to the patio then, holding Antonio’s hand, she sent him in the direction of his mother. Tía Pepa picked him up then and gave him a little squeeze. He hugged her back, causing the thunderhead to dissipate.
“Everyone is here, excellent,” Abuela said as put an arm around Mirabel as she guided her to her mother and said, “We need to have a talk about what happened in the plaza today.” Mirabel looked very confused and a touch nervous, but nodded. “Please everyone, sit down. Casita, some chairs please?”
Chairs shuffled out and Casita made a circle of them and everyone took one, except Tío Bruno, who was now sitting on the wall behind Julieta. He was reaching for something in his pocket, but everyone looked to Abuela as she said, “Now, where to begin… as some of you noticed, there were an unusual number of people in the plaza today. I was not expecting this to happen again, but it appears it will be an issue.”
“I don’t understand, what happened before?” Mirabel asked.
Abuela paused and rubbed her hands on her dress, Mirabel looking increasingly nervous as Abuela continued, “After the last miracle’s creation, I found that others would be attracted to La Candela as well as to myself. Nothing bad of note ever happened, but I will admit it made me very anxious and somewhat fearful. I understand now, what I did not then. Some of the people are a little unbalanced now that the magic has returned. I say some because it appears to be those who are new to the Encanto. We will need to give them time and perhaps a little space to adjust to our new situation.”
“So should we not go into town?” Camilo asked. Isa was surprised that he seemed to be taking this seriously.
“You can go into town, of course. Just be aware of the people around you,” Abuela said, and all the grandkids nodded.
“You should tell them to be aware at home as well, Mamá,” Tío Bruno added.
“Yes, that is true. There were a few that came to Casita as well. However, rest assured, Casita would never allow anyone to enter that is not supposed to be here.” Abuela said and sat back in her chair, adding, “Pepa, Julieta, do you have anything to add?”
Tía Pepa nodded and said, “Please make it a point to watch out for one another.”
Her mother said, “And let someone know when you are going out and how long you might be gone. You’ll save us all unnecessary worry.”
“Does this mean I can skip school?” Antonio asked from the edge of his seat. Tía Pepa and Tío Félix both said, “No, your brother will be walking with you, to and from.”
Camilo nodded.
“There is one more thing we need to discuss. As you heard at Church, the town council will be meeting in a few days and I would like for all the adults to attend. I want you to consider your time and how much of it will be made available to the townsfolk to do various tasks for them.” Abuela got up then and paced a short line. Her mother had slipped a hand protectively around Mirabel, her father was tapping his fingers on his knees, not looking at anything, but Isabela could see his lingering irritation. Luisa, who was sitting beside her, was looking stony faced as Abuela stopped in front of her and said, “Please remember, you are not obligated to work.” She was looking directly at Luisa now, “I know some of you have other pursuits you wish to follow. I encourage you to move ahead with those pursuits. So, if you have plans to do or be somewhere else, feel free to say ‘no’ to any request. I fully intend to support you in this. Before then, Arturo will be bringing whatever requests there are for us to review ahead of that meeting. Any questions?”
There was a long silence that seemed to stretch until it was broken when Camilo asked, “What’s for supper?”
“What are you making?” Mirabel retorted.
“Cake,” Camilo said and spread his hands in front of him as this should have been obvious.
“Cake for supper!” Antonio’s arms shot up, smile wide. “That sounds perfect!”
“No!” four voice said at once, curiously one was not Abuela’s, she looked as disappointed as Antonio, who dramatically laid on the ground and cried “Nooooooooooo!” But it was enough to break the tension, and they all started laughing as everyone got up and pushed the chairs out of the way. Tía Pepa bent down and tickled Antonio until he finally rolled away from her. Her mother, still chuckling, went into the kitchen followed by her husband, Camilo, and Mirabel.
Alma watched Camilo go, so she decided now would be a good time to talk to Pepa and Félix. “Pepa, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Pepa turned toward her, and Alma cringed inside at the look on her daughter’s face. Her smile now forced, rainbow gone, replaced by a thunderhead of instant anxiety. Sometimes it seemed like the consequences of her life would never stop jumping out at her, but she would not ignore them anymore. She knew she needed to do better and said, “I have news,” her voice sounded shaky even to her, “I was approached by one of the Encanto’s teachers a few months ago to see if Camilo might be interested in doing an apprenticeship there. Señor Gomez felt he would be well suited.”
“Camilo? Well, he always did get the best marks.” Pepa’s true smile returned, as her pride for her boy was clearly written there. She turned to her husband and asked, “What do you think, Félix?”
“He is excellent with children, mi vida,” Félix said, “and he has been talking about finding a position doing something useful. Can’t hurt to ask him.”
“Thank you, I really should not have waited this long, and I am sorry I did not bring this up to you sooner.” Alma was turning away and Pepa stopped her and gave her a gentle hug and whispered, “I know you’re doing your best Mamá, thank you for thinking of Camilo.”
Alma felt the gentle rain that sometimes fell when Pepa was happy, something Alma had not appreciated in the past. It was oddly calming, and she said, “No, thank you, mi vida.”
Isa was standing not far from where Luisa was speaking softly to Tío Bruno, and suddenly remembered what she was supposed to talk to her about this morning. Maybe, hopefully, Doli told her when they were making breakfast. Her Tío patted Luisa’s arm and said, “No need to worry sobrina, I’m doing well enough for me. I’m more interested to find out if you’re still planning to go to the city?” Luisa only nodded. “To the vet school?” She nodded again. “The Encanto could use a good vet. You could even hire Antonio, and he could get the animals to tell you where it hurts.” One of Tío rats made an appearance then. Squeaking as it ran to her hand and Luisa smiled at that and Tío said, “Good, ‘bout time I got a smile Lulu.”
Isa lost track of their conversation and thought again of the door in Mirabel’s room, as well as Casita’s new front door. It was not lost on her that Mira had been discretely waving to Casita while it was being rebuilt. Isa thought it was one of Mira’s weird habits that would eventually stop, but it never did. She never made a point of it because everyone knew how much she loved Casita. Was she still upset about Casita falling?
Someone touched her arm and Isabella jumped, causing a few tiny cactus flowers to pop from her hair. “You all right in there, prima?” Dolores asked.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you scared me half to-” Isa noticed the brooch, smiled, and leaned in to get a better look. Dolores leaned backward and Isa whispered, “So, when’s the wedding?” Dolores squeaked as she grabbed Isa’s arm, pulling her away from everyone else.
“How did…never mind, you can’t tell anyone, Isa,” Dolores said quickly, “It’s supposed to be a secret.”
“Why?” Isa asked. “I thought you hated secrets.”
Dolores gave her a head tilt toward her parents and Isa said still confused, “Okay, so when did he ask…”
Dolores blushed and said, “He didn't.”
“You…” Dolores nodded, smiling shyly. “Whaaaaa?” Isa asked, grabbing her arms, “I need details.”
“Isa, not now.” Dolores said, freeing her arms and looking around them quickly to see if anyone was listening.
“Fine, I guess you can tell me about it later.”
“Can you tell me too?” Antonio said as he popped out from behind Dolores’s skirt.
Isa sniggered and picked up her littlest primo. He was getting heavy. “You didn't look down.” Dolores had a look of utter horror, but she smiled and pinched his cheeks, saying, “Un diablito.”
Antonio giggled as he pulled his face out of her fingers. Tía Pepa came up then and said as she took Antonio, “That’s a beautiful broach, Dolores. A Gift from Mariano?” Dolores blinked and put a hand over the trinket. When she said nothing, her Tía added, “Anything else you want to tell me?”
Isabela was having a tough time keeping the laughter under control and ended up snorting. Dolores shot her a look, and Isa covered her mouth with her hands. Dolores was looking past her mother, eye contact was to be avoided at all costs, “I…ummm… I…” Dolores was never a good liar, just took her too long to come up with a good one. It was clear that her mother had already guessed what was going on when Isa saw the tiny rainbows jumping about in her Tía’s cloud. The frown on Tía’s face was a sham. She wasn’t the least bit mad. Isa now standing off to the side, surreptitiously pointed up, so Dolores could see. Her cousin’s eyes flitted up and Dolores relaxed a little and a small smile crept on to her face. Her father came up then, alerted by her mother’s cloud that something was up. Her Tía passed Antonio to her Tío and moved even closer to her. Dolores cleared her throat and said in an everyday tone, “I asked Mariano to marry me.” There was no reaction, so Dolores tipped her head the way she did when she was listening to something and said in a shy voice, “He said yes.”
Tía Pepa’s smile was instantaneous, her father was also smiling. The tiny rainbows grew and Tía Pepa turned quickly and pulled Abuela closer, “Mamá, did you hear? Dolores and Mariano are getting married!”
“What? Why, that is wonderful news. Congratulations, Dolores. We’ll need to have the Guzmán’s over for dinner to celebrate.”
Dolores still had her head tilted, and she rolled her eyes and asked, “Why not tonight, Abuela?” She took her abuela’s hand and went through the dining room in the plaza, with Isabela, Tía and Tío following close behind. Dolores leaned into Isa and said, “Mariano already spilled it to his mother.” This time, Isabela let out a full-blown laugh that took everyone by surprise. The doorbell chimed and Casita opened the door. Mariano, who looked jumpy as a cat, was there with his mother, who was looking very, very happy.
Mirabel poked her head out of the kitchen and said, “Time to Eat! Oh, hello, Mariano, Señora Guzmán…” Mirabel noticed Dolores’s doe eyed expression as she looked at Mariano and said, “Mamá, looks like two more for dinner.”
| Author Notes | The initial chapters were character studies... That being said, a story of sorts popped into me head. Modifications have been made to avoid the inevitable plot holes. Sorry, it is a vagary of my writing method. You should also note - a lot of these scenes will be overlapping and seen from multiple POV's - so if things seem jumpy at times, I suggest we blame Einstein - Apparently time can be funny like that. When I began this story it was primarily dealing with those shiny new doors and what opening them again meant for the various family members. As often happens when I write, characters wander in, and say stuff I am not expecting. Then I have to deal with them. Now you get to, too. |
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