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achitka · 1 year ago

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Doors (Chapter 46) Caja de Recuerdos

(Box of Memories)

The holidays be upon us. It's just past midnight and I somehow managed to get through almost another day - go me. Anyway, on with the show: Pepa gets stuff, Tuli's issues are definitely becoming more apparent, Isabela is not all that sure that being a shut in is working for her anymore, Luisa is the bomb diggity and Dolores - good god, but I love that woman. She is very helpful at stripping everything to its component dialogue. Makes my laziness a little less obvious. Hope you all enjoy.

Pepa sat surprised and staring at what her mother had just handed her. When she had told her earlier that she wanted to help her with the family history she was working on. Pepa never imagined she would give her all this. She knew about this box of photos and had feared it had been lost in the breaking. Her fingers twitched, and she noticed her mother’s small smile before she returned her attention to their guest. She stared at the box of photos and began to gently lift them, being careful not to take them out of the box. Pepa had wanted for years to see the photos that were now, right here in her lap. She paused when she came upon a photo of her father. He was sitting, pen in hand, looking thoughtfully at papers strewn across a very ornate desk. It actually reminded her of the one in Bruno’s room. She wondered if it was taken at her parent’s old home.

She flipped through a few more and paused on another of her father. He was working on a piece of furniture, but had turned back to face the camera, so she couldn’t’ tell what sort of furniture it was. This was actually something Pepa did not know about her father, and she realized that that was the norm. The pain that was always evident when Mamá spoke of him caused herself and her siblings to stop asking questions.

Others were of everyday things like the afternoon market, photos of various buildings and landscapes, usually with one or both of her parents. Some were picture post cards of faraway places. Pepa resisted the urge to dump them into her lap, and had completely lost track of the conversation between her mother and Rodrigo. Bruno had alluded to her before supper that Rodrigo was probably the one related to their mother and the actual focus of that first sponty. He told her that it wasn’t until he completed the sketch that he realized his error. Before the breaking, Bruno had often taken his spontys at face value and disregarded them once they ended. Now that he’d taken to sketching them, something their mother would not have allowed when they were younger, he could get a second opinion. She was relieved that it was Rodrigo, and not Señora Vargas, who was related. Her brother had gone back through the bulk of those sketches and found that Rodrigo was in a lot of them. That’s what sent him out on the patio to wait for Bubo and that also meant that José, Tuli and Bubo were relations as well, distant, but still family.

It was almost overwhelming, and Pepa could feel the cloud forming and started to fidget. Not wanting to rain on these precious items or their guest, she excused herself to go to the table that was a few meters away behind the sofa. She put the box on it as she sat down then began to pick up each photo, then carefully turn them over to see if there were any names or dates written on them. There were a total of seven pictures related to the wedding. There were a few group pictures that showed two pairs of smiling older people. She flipped one of them and read the names of what could only be her abuelos. Some were a little faded, but the people in them could be easily distinguished. Julieta and Bruno came over then, and even though she wanted to snatch all the pictures away, she didn’t. They were just as curious about their family as she was. The three of them looked over at their mother, who was now speaking with Tuli’s Tío. Luisa and Tuli were gone, probably to her room.

They returned their attention to the pictures and Bruno said in a whisper as he pointed, “Pep, you look just like this lady here.”

Pepa flipped it over and read, “Pepita and Sixtos Madrigal – Pedro’s parents” She appeared much younger than in the wedding photos and her hair was very light, but since there was no color to the photos, she couldn’t really say whether the woman was a blonde or was a red-head like her. This was a box of questions, that was for sure. Julieta was looking at another photo of the woman, who Pepa thought, was the same woman in the wedding photos. Julieta turned it over and her eyebrows went up. Bruno was choosing photos, reading the backs and replacing them.

“What are you looking for, Bruno?”

“Just seeing if any of these people have my name.”

Bruno continued to search further into the box, now passing them to Pepa, so she could add them to her growing number of piles on the table as Julieta watched. Bruno got almost to the bottom of the box when he paused and took out a picture of what appeared to be a sleeping child of maybe one or two. He turned the photo over and whispered, “Bruno at rest – October 1884” he set the box down as he handed the picture to Pepa and said, “I don’t think he’s sleeping.”

Pepa and Julieta both looked closely at the photo. The sister’s exchanged glances, and Julieta said, “I think you’re right about that, Bruno.” The handwriting on the back was unfamiliar, and Pepa thought it was likely her abuela’s. She nodded and handed the photo back to their brother. He looked at it again, then gently set it on the table with the others. When the husbands appeared, Pepa got excited all over again as she showed Félix the small piles. Agustín stood behind his wife as she held up the photo of the woman identified as their tía. It was such an odd thought that they even had any. Did she have any on her father’s side? That her mother had a sister who was still alive really made Pepa want to leave the Encanto and meet this person. This also made her wonder about those doors in the tower. Now that her mother recognized a few of them, the possibilities were so enticing, so many left to explore. She was quite looking forward to finding out about that yellow one. She just hoped that nothing would happen between now and noon to keep them from that.

Pepa looked up as Casita shifted some floor tiles at the clock and realized it was later than she thought. Julieta glanced up at Camilo’s room, then touched Pepa’s arm. Pepa nodded as she set the picture she was holding back on the table and headed for the kitchen. She quickly put together a tray with a plate of cookies and some really weak coffee that was still fairly hot. She quietly dropped it off and noted Mirabel appeared a bit tired and Camilo was concentrating on something with his eyes shut. Not wanting to disturb them, she exited and headed back to the courtyard.

Julieta and Agustín were gone, and her mother was speaking quietly with Bruno. Rodrigo and José were discussing the two photos Rodrigo was holding as they waited nearby. Félix was going through the piles, being careful not to mess up her ordering system. She joined him and put a hand on his shoulder, and he said, “These will make a nice addition to the ones you were working on earlier, Pepi. Probably a good thing you haven’t placed any in the book yet.”

“Yes, but I am thinking now I should draw up a family tree as well.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, mi vida,” Félix said, “I’m going to make sure Antonio found his bed. Tuli is still with Lulu?”

“Yes, she’s looking after her while Mirabel helps Camilo study.”

“I wonder how that’s going.”

“From where the piles were when I dropped off some snacks just now, it looks like they are about finished.”

“Very good, I’m off. I’ll see you upstairs, mi vida?”

Pepa blushed and said, “In a few minutes. I’m going to help Mamá see our guests off.”

He nodded, and she watched her husband head for the stairs. She turned back to find Bruno had vanished, along with the picture of that sleeping Bruno. She sighed and began placing the photos back into the box. When she was finished, she replaced the lid, tapped it twice, then went to join her Mamá.

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Tuli absently pulled at her locket as she walked with Luisa up the stairs. She wondered if Luisa really did have a collection of stuffed animals in her room. It didn’t make any sense to her. Mirabel’s older sister was really nice, but she was really tall and super strong, so why would she need that? They reached the door and Luisa smiled as she opened it. Tuli went in and was surprised when she looked down to find fluffy clouds surrounded her feet. The floor was covered end to end with rainbow clouds, that billowed softly toward the other side of the room. Tuli noticed then all the shelves and bookcases were crammed with every kind of stuffed animal she could think of in between the books.

“Wow! Señorita Luisa, you weren’t kidding,” Tuli said as she let go of her locket to reach down to touch the cloud that was flowing gently around her feet. This caused Tena to slide off her shoulder and disappear into the misty covering. “Oh no! Tena!” she cried as she dropped to her knees and began frantically searching. Reaching down into the cloudy flooring, she found it was deeper than she was expecting, since her knees had remained on top. She was starting to panic and was searching desperately when Luisa touched her shoulder. Tuli continued searching and said tearfully, “Tena’s gone, and I just got him back.”

“It’ll be all right, Tuli” Luisa said,” and Tuli looked up at her. “Don’t worry, Casita can help with this,” and she asked the house, “Casita? Can you help us find Tena?”

A cloudy floorboard poked itself up out of the top layer a little ways away, and the stuffed rat appeared draped over it. Tuli let out a sigh of relief and gently took the rat with shaky hands as she said, “Thank you, Casita.” The floorboard plopped back into place, leaving behind a small smiley face that appeared just above the surface for a moment, and this made Tuli giggle. She then held up Tena and waggled a finger at the stuffed rat, saying, “Don’t you scare me like that again, Tena.” Tuli paused as she remembered what her Tío said about being afraid when she ran away. Was he as scared as she just was? She decided she didn’t want to think about that, then hugged the rat to herself.

“You okay, Tuli?”

Tuli nodded and said while looking around, “I’ve never been in a room that was so… soft.”

“Best room ever,” Luisa said and did a quick twirl. This made the clouds puff up around her, and Tuli placed Tena back on her shoulder as she nodded in full agreement. She glanced back at Luisa’s door. She’d noticed in Isabela’s room that the image appeared on both sides. She’d examined Isa’s door when she went to get the scarf from Mirabel’s room, and noticed then that Isa’s door was very crisp and clear. Luisa’s picture looked a little fuzzy, and she wondered why there were animals in the background. They weren’t always there, so that made it all the stranger. Maybe it was because Luisa felt the way Tuli did. Stuck in the middle of being who she really was and who people thought she should be. But who wouldn’t want to be super strong?

Luisa had Tuli come sit on the bed as she gathered a number of the plushies from around the room. She piled them up on her bed, and Tuli arranged them in neat lines as Luisa told her their names. While she was doing this, Luisa told her how she used to collect the donkeys after they would get out of their pen in town. She was demonstrating how she would pile them up on her shoulders, and Tuli said, “I think you’re making that up.”

Luisa smiled and said, “If only.”

Tuli was still skeptical, so Luisa decided that next, they would play a game of balancing the stuffed animals atop their shoulders. Luisa managed to get ten donkeys on her first try, then picked up five more without losing any of the others, tossed them in the air and caught those as well. Tuli decided this would be easy, but kept losing one or two when she would reach down to get the next one. She was starting to get frustrated, and it took her several tries, but she was pleased when she managed to get her pile of donkeys seven high.

“Nice job, Tuli,” Luisa said, setting an extra one on top. The donkey pile collapsed, and both started laughing as they put the plushies back on the shelves and Luisa asked, “What would you like to do now?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I would watch TV, but I was only allowed to watch it for an hour. Then I would go to my room after and read. Tío was usually working, and he has a lot of books… Didn’t go outside much, and besides, I’ve never had many friends.”

“Me neither. Being super strong, I was afraid I would hurt someone accidentally. Once I was done with my chores, I was usually pretty tired, so I would stay in my room and read. But now, I have way fewer chores and,” Luisa said as she pointed to the archway, “I can go to the beach any time I want.”

Tuli could not help but smile. She loved the beach. She loved the ocean.

Luisa noticed her smile and asked, “You wanna go?” and she held out her hand.

“A real beach?” Tuli asked as she looked at the archway. Luisa nodded and beckoned to her again, so Tuli took off her shoes and said as she took Luisa’s hand, “I’ve always wanted to go to the beach at night. I bet the moon is twice as beautiful.”

Luisa nodded and said, “I like to watch the tide come in. Is peaceful,” and they headed across her room to the archway. “Careful in the dunes,” Luisa said. The sand was still warm from the earlier sun, and this felt nice on Tuli’s feet. Luisa pointed toward the shore and said, “I’ve been staying off the sand since there were some turtles nesting there.”

“Real live turtles? I’ve never seen one. Are they as big as the books say?”

“Yes. I even helped one fill in her hole to cover her eggs. Helping animals is why I want to be a veterinarian.”

“What’s that?”

“An animal doctor.”

“Can girls really be doctors?”

“This one will be,” Luisa said confidently. She helped Tuli up onto some rocks to better see the beach. Luisa sat down and indicated Tuli should come sit with her. Tuli did, and Luisa asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to be a ballet dancer,” Tuli said. “They’re so graceful, and I want to learn how to standup on my tippy-toes and be able to dance all night.”

“That’s amazing Tuli. I’ve only seen pictures of ballet dancers. I really hope you get the chance to do that. You know, Isabela is actually a very graceful dancer. She learned a lot from our Tía Pepa, and she would take lessons from one of the ladies in town. Maybe she can give you some pointers, without the cacti, of course.”

Tuli smiled, the cactus lady had turned out to be pretty nice. She’d believed Isabela hated her because of who she was. Tuli could see she was wrong about that and asked, “Luisa, do you think he’s having fun?”

“Who?”

“Bubo,” Tuli said and pulled at her locket.

“Hope so.”

“I think Bubo really likes Isabela. He was staring at her all during supper.”

“Yeah, that happens a lot around Isa.”

“Do you think she likes Bubo? A lot of the boys back in the city say girls won’t like boys who are short, like Bubo is.”

Luisa smiled and tilted her head then said, “I’ll be honest, my sister’s never shown an interest in anyone. That includes her former almost fiancé.” Luisa leaned in and added, “Isa did mention this morning that she thinks your primo is adorable.”

Tuli smiled and hoped she would be able to stay here with Bubo. If he had to leave this place because of her, Tuli would never forgive herself. Then Tuli said, “Wait, I didn’t know Isabela was engaged,” feeling a little confused, “How can she go on a date then?”

“Well, she was never actually engaged. It was actually more of a betrothal.”

“What’s that?” Tuli asked, she’d never heard that word before.

“Our Abuela had picked out a husband for Isa and made a promise to the other family that she would marry a certain person from that family. When the other family agreed, then Isa and that other person were betrothed, or just promised to one another.”

“People really do that?”

“Sometimes, but in the end, she didn’t get engaged because... Ummm, well… stuff happened,” Luisa said and shrugged.

“Was it because the house broke?” Tuli asked in an almost whisper.

“Oh, you heard about that?” Luisa asked.

“Toni told me about it,” Tuli replied, “He said it was because Mirabel was fighting with your Abuela.”

“I guess in a way that’s true, but it was a little more complicated than that.”

“Oh,” Tuli said and let out a yawn as she looked up at the moon. The moon was full tonight and it made the sand sparkle. Before the bad stuff happened, her mother had promised to take her to the beach at midnight so she could see the full moon. Tuli frowned and thought, just one more thing she would never be able to do with her Mamí. She felt tired and was a little cold, so scooched closer to Luisa who put an arm around her and Tuli said, “I really miss my Mamí.”

Luisa gave her a gentle hug as Tuli looked out at the water then closed her eyes, listening to it. She took a deep breath and the smell of the sea helped calm her already frayed nerves. Feeling a little better about the day, she opened her eyes to find her Mamí sitting beside her. Tuli blinked. Her Mamí looked just as she had before the bad people came. Tuli turned and realized that Luisa was gone. This made her a little anxious, but at the same time so happy, and she whispered, “Are you a ghost?”

Her mother only smiled.

Tuli pulled Tena from her shoulder and said, “Look, Mamí! I got Tena back. Tío fixed him up, and now he’s just a pretty as he was… ” Her mother put a hand on her cheek, so Tuli stopped talking. Her Mamí would do that when Tuli was rushing and she wanted Tuli to listen. But her mother still didn’t say anything as she turned and held out her hands. Confused Tuli took them and climbed off the rock with her onto the beach. From somewhere, she heard her Mamí’s voice as she sang the first song Tuli ever learned.

Girls are already dancing

With their gloves inside out

And the moon goes without wings,

Goes without wings, without feet.

Oh, round-faced moon!

How from above you see,

Come dance in the circle

Two and two and two are six.

Together, they twirled in the sand and Tuli felt actual joy as she sang those lyrics with her over and over. Not even caring that her scarf had come loose when the song ended. Her Mamí gently touched her face again as she kissed Tuli's forehead and then turned toward the water. The moon was shining very brightly over the waves as her mother started toward that light. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t go with her, Tuli thought, and she took a step to follow. An abrupt darkness fell, swallowing the moonlight, and her Mamí disappeared. “No!” Tuli cried, “Please, don’t take her from me again! Please... ” the darkness continued to march toward her, and Tuli felt the inevitability of her demise.

Why was every good thing in her life always followed by something horrible? She knew why. She truly was a cursed child, and it would be better for everyone if she were dead. She should have done something to help her mother or died trying. Then at least she would be with her. Everyone thought so. She could see it in the looks they gave her. She felt cold inside and Tuli was down on her knees watching the approaching darkness. It continued to swallow everything around her. Light, sound… everything. She was stupid to think she could ever really be happy. Stupid to believe anyone other than people like Santiago wanted her to be this way. Stupid to believe she should try again. This was the way things were meant to be, she thought, she was a mistake from the beginning. Something akin to peace washed over her as she closed her eyes and let the gloom envelop her.

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Luisa noticed Tuli wavering next to her as she said, “I really miss my Mamí.” Luisa had put an arm around Tuli to keep her from falling off the rock shelf they were sitting on, giving her a gentle hug. When Tuli went completely limp, Luisa thought at first, she’d fallen asleep. So, she picked her up and headed back to her bedroom. Tuli’s stillness made Luisa nervous, so she laid Tuli on the bed and decided she wasn’t sleeping. She’d helped her mother with unconscious folks before, so she moved the pillow under Tuli’s feet and covered her up to her chin and asked, “Casita, can you ask Mamá to come to my room? I think Tuli’s fainted.” There was an answering clatter and Luisa nodded.

A short time later, Casita opened the door and Luisa’s parents came in. Her mother sat beside Tuli and flipped open her eyelids. This made her mother frown, and she said, “Dolores, I’m sorry to interrupt your date, but can you please go to Dr. González’s home and ask him to come to Casita? Agustín, can you get her Tío?”

Agustín left, and she said to Luisa, “Tell me everything that happened before she fainted.”

Luisa did, and her mother nodded and said, “Okay, mi vida, can you please get me some cool water and towels?”

Luisa nodded and felt a little relieved her mother had not requested the tub, so probably no fever. She passed her father and Tuli’s Tío as she made for the stairs. She got the requested items and found her Abuela, Tía Pepa, Mirabel, and Camilo in the hall. Since her door was open, she went inside and set the items her mother asked for on the nightstand.

“Thank you, mija,” her mother said as she wetted one of the towels. After placing it on Tuli’s forehead, she turned to José and asked, “Has Tuli ever fainted like this before?”

“Yes,” Tuli’s uncle replied, “but not for a very long time.”

Her mother nodded and asked, “When would you say the last time was?”

“At least four years ago,” he said.

José was sitting at the end of the bed holding Tena. When Fura appeared and squeaked questioningly at him, he looked at the rat, then at the stuffed one he held. They were all but identical. He gave Fura the barest of nods, and she scampered lightly up his arm to sit on his shoulder. Luisa figured that Tuli’s uncle, Rodrigo and probably Bubo all knew what the rats were saying. It was definitely a family thing. Fura was squeaking quietly, and Luisa wondered what the rat was telling Tuli’s Tío. His expression never changed, nor did he acknowledge the rat further. Just sat and watched Tuli sleep.

Her mother touched her arm and said, “Can you wait in another room, mija?”

Luisa nodded and asked, “If Bubo’s back, should I send him in?” Her Mamá looked to Tuli’s Tío. He nodded, so Luisa headed for the door.

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Isa felt Dolores nudge her with her foot and promptly stopped talking. She tried not to blush; she knew she was totally rambling. Bubo probably didn’t need to know all about the life cycle of the wax palm, and he did not seem to mind that she wasn’t actually giving him a chance to get a word in edgewise. She’d never talked this much to anyone outside of her family about things she actually cared about. Isa picked up her coffee and took a long sip. Dolores handed her a plate with a small pyramid of square, bite sized cakes she called pinafores. Isa set down her coffee and accepted the plate, which she set between herself and Bubo.

He picked up one that was coated in dark chocolate and decorated with white and orange stripes and asked, “I wonder what flavor this is?” He broke it in half, smelled it and said with a smile, “Oh, orange.” He was also not shy about putting it back together and popping the whole cake in his mouth. Isa picked one that was covered with a light pink frosting and tiny blue flowers. She set it on her napkin and examined it. She was trying to decide what sort of flower they were supposed to be. Maybe they weren’t even real flowers, but damn they looked familiar. Isa did not like that she didn’t know and restrained herself since she found she wanted to go ask the baker. After taking a bite, she looked at her hand when she felt the slight rustle and almost sighed. Instead, she lifted her hand as she finished the small cake to examine the tiny flower on the end of her finger more closely.

“Do you know what kind of flower that is?” Bubo asked.

Isa didn’t answer right away. The light blue five petaled flower had a star pattern at its base. There was also a smaller yellow five petal-like arrangement at its center, and Isa said with a smile, “Oh, it’s a tiny forget-me-not.” As she said this, the flower grew to its normal size, and she showed it to Bubo, but he wasn’t looking at the flower. He was watching her. She smiled and lifted her hand a little higher, then Bubo remembered to look at the flower.

“I see she’s back to dropping flower petals everywhere,” a voice from a table nearby said. Isabela knew that voice, it was Lorena Ramirez. Isa looked over at her one-time friend as a twitter of laughter came from the two other women with her. She felt her vine sleeve sprout and closed her hand, letting the flower fall apart. She picked up her coffee in an attempt to keep herself from strangling them with vines but caught the look Dolores was giving her. As if to say, screw them. So, Isa set her cup down and regrew the flower. Bubo’s eyes flicked from Mariano back to her, and he asked as he adjusted his glasses, “Tuli was telling me that Cecilia’s mother has flowers like these growing in her backyard. Do they only come in blue?”

In answer to his question, she sprouted a variety of colors on her other fingertips. This time she brought her fingers together and grew out the stems. The stems wound around each other, and she handed Bubo the small bouquet. He gently took it and slowly spun it a few times to look at the different blooms. He even turned them upside down to examine how the stems were holding together and said after righting them, “I think I prefer these paler blue ones.” And after smelling them, placed it in his shirt pocket.

“I’m actually fond of the pink,” Dolores said, “It’s a shame they don’t come in orange, though.”

That wasn’t a natural color for this flower, but since she could, Isa repeated what she’d done earlier and produced a small bouquet of orange forget-me-nots then handed them to her prima. Dolores smiled then turned and gave them to Mariano. He accepted the flowers, and he also placed them in his shirt pocket.

Again, she heard Lorena, she was speaking just loud enough that Isa would hear her over the noise of the other patrons. Commenting on how sad it was that she could only grow tiny flowers now, otherwise she might faint. Isa’s vine sleeves had crept down to her elbows, and Dolores was tapping on the table. Mariano was watching her prima with a look that said, ‘Oh dear.’ Dolores abruptly got up from her seat, and both Mariano and Bubo paused in their rising when she said, “I’ll be right back.” She turned then and made her way into the shop and disappeared from view.

“Where is she going?” Isabela asked Mariano.

Mariano was looking in the direction Dolores had taken with an amused expression and replied, “She mentioned something about eggs yesterday… or maybe it was the day before.” Then shrugged.

That wasn’t an answer and Mariano continued to pretend he knew nothing when he caught her expression and to change the subject he asked, “Dolores tells me you’re working with the farmers to strengthen the food crops with your Gift. Have you had any success with that?”

Isabela was a little taken aback. The entire time they were ‘dating’ he’d never asked her anything about her Gift. But that world had been a very different place, and she nodded and replied, “I’m hoping that I’ll be able to help the plants ward off any diseases that might be in the soil.”

Bubo asked, “Is that the same thing you were doing in Antonio’s room?”

“Mostly, but in a more focused way. I know it would take too much out of me if I tried to do an entire field at once,” Isa said and picked up another cake bite. This one had a light green frosting and yellow dots. She liked the minty taste and asked Mariano, “So have you two set a date yet?”

“No, still waiting for Dolores on that one,” he said with a small smile.

“How’s your mother handling that,” Isabela asked.

“With almost quiet impatience,” Mariano replied.

“I bet,” Isabela said and laughed a little.

Dolores was on her way back, and she was holding a small plate covered with a napkin. She stopped next to Lorena and set the plate in front of her. Lorena sat back in her chair, as Dolores bent down and whispered something as Lorena slowly began to lift the napkin. She dropped it back into place and her face went white. She looked up at Dolores, and Dolores whispered something else as she tilted her head. Lorena looked back at the other women, who were murmuring to one another. Lorena glanced back at the plate, then toward their table, and Dolores patted her on the back and walked away.

When she sat back down, Isa asked, “What was that all about, Doli?”

“An uncomfortable truth,” Dolores said.

Bubo and Mariano both had that look that said, whatever it is, we do not want to know, but Isabela wanted to know and decided she’d ask Dolores about it when they got home. Isabela noticed then that Lorena's friends were no longer at the other table. Lorena was alone, staring at the napkin. Lorena looked back in their direction, then back at the plate. Isabela looked at Dolores. She tilted her head and Isa realized Dolores had heard something, and Isa felt concern for this person she thought of as her former friend. After the breaking, it had been Isa who had pulled back from that relationship. There had been so many indirect piteous comments she’d overheard that she shut herself off from everything and decided she’d go to Lorena’s house tomorrow and see how she was doing. She watched Lorena turn back to the plate and wrapped the napkin around whatever Dolores had brought her, she then got up and left the café.

Still, Isabela wanted to relax and smiled at her prima who patted her hand, then, to Mariano’s delight, turned the subject to a possible wedding date. By the time they’d narrowed it down to a June wedding, most of the desserts were gone. In that time, Isabela had found out that Bubo was an only child, that he was not a fan of thunderstorms. Also, that before he left the city, he’d been saving money to buy a car. Isa had only seen pictures of automobiles, and they seemed a bit frightening to her. She still wanted to ride in one, though.

Dolores was finishing her wine when she let out a squeak and Mariano touched her hand. Isabela knew what that sound meant and asked, “Doli, what’s happening?”

“I don’t know, Luisa just told your Mamí that Tuli fainted.”

“Is she alright?” Bubo asked.

Dolores held up a hand as she closed her eyes, and everyone went quiet as she listened to what was happening in Casita. She opened her eyes and said, “Tía wants me to get the Doctor and bring him to Casita. She didn’t say it was an emergency, so I’ll see you two back there. Mariano, can you please help me with this?” She asked as she snitched the last pinafore, then was up from the table and on her way with Mariano in tow.

Bubo was sitting frozen, staring at his hands, and Isabela could almost feel the guilt. She got up and said as she took his hand, “Come on, Bubo. Let’s go help your prima.” He nodded, and together they headed for Casita.

Casita let them in, and Isa guided Bubo to the back stairs, and they walked around to Luisa’s room. Her sister’s door was open, but Luisa was standing outside talking to Mirabel and Abuela. Camilo and her Tía were headed toward the stairs with a tray. When Luisa saw them, she came over and told Bubo he should go in her room with his Tío to wait for the Doctor. Isabela joined her sisters and their Abuela, then went over to Mirabel’s room to wait.

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When the doctor arrived, he was carrying a small bag that he set on the end of the bed, then spoke to Julieta. She relayed everything she’d been told up to this point. He checked Tuli’s pulse and his eyebrows went up. He then pulled out his stethoscope and listened to Tuli’s heart and lungs. He sat back and reached down into his bag and pulled out a small envelope.

“Señora, do you have a small bottle?” the Doctor asked.

“Yes,” Julieta replied, reaching into her apron, “do you need anything else?”

“Just a small amount of water to dissolve this,” he said as he opened the envelope. He placed a piece of paper on the bed stand and poured a small pile of white powder from the packet onto it. Julieta put a small amount of water into the bottle she had with her, then handed it to the Doctor, and he said to Julieta, “These are smelling salts. They can be used to help wake up someone who’s fainted. However, when dealing with a child, it’s better to use much less than a full dose.”

Julieta nodded and the Doctor, with practiced ease, used the paper to put some of the powder into the bottle, the rest he returned to the packet. After closing it with the stopper, he gave the bottle a good shake.

“Señor Bubo,” he said and indicated where he wanted Bubo to sit so he could prop Tuli up. “I’m going to wave this under Tuli’s nose, and I’ll need you to keep her arms at her sides as best you can.”

Bubo nodded, but was still alarmed when Tuli’s head jerked back into his chest. The Doctor handed off the bottle to Julieta, and Tuli slowly opened her eyes. When she saw the Doctor, she cried out and jerked herself away in her effort to get out from under the blankets.

“Tuli, Tuli, it’s okay,” Bubo said, as he lightly restrained her, “I’m here. The Doctor was called because you fainted. No one will hurt you here.”

Tuli’s eyes darted to all the faces around her. She turned and Bubo smiled slightly. She blinked then nodded, and he released her as her breathing evened out. She saw their Tío and flinched.

The Doctor noticed this as well and said gently, “Now that you’re awake, Tuli. Tell me what you were doing when you fell asleep?”

“I was sitting with Señorita Luisa by the beach... ” she paused as she looked at their Tío, he nodded so she continued, “I was thinking about my Mamí because she promised to take me to the beach at night... but we never got to do that. I don’t remember much after that...”

The Doctor nodded and asked Tuli to open her mouth and as he continued on with his regular exam he asked as he looked at her neck, “I see you have a locket.” He touched the hand she was using to hold it, and she released it. He carefully brushed her hair back and nodded. “Try not to pull too hard on it, Tuli. You're cutting into your skin on the back of your neck.”

“Yes sir,” Tuli said and held on to Tena with both hands instead of grabbing the locket.

“Did you enjoy your supper?” the Doctor asked and Tuli nodded, and he continued, “Are you hungry now?” Tuli shrugged then nodded again. “Then perhaps a snack before bed then, eh?” Tuli smiled a little, then glanced again at her Tío. She shrunk in on herself, but it was clear the Doctor knew where she was looking.

The Doctor got up from the bed, then rummaged in his bag and pulled out a small bottle. He removed one small tablet from it and handed it to Julieta, saying, “After Tuli has a snack, crush this on some paper and put a small amount in some water. It will help her stay asleep. I don’t recommend using it more than a few days in a row, else she may become dependent on it.”

Bubo realized that their Tío had Fura sitting on his shoulder. He set Fura and Tena on the bed as the Doctor motioned to indicate that Julieta and her Tío should join him in the hall. Fura pushed her nose under Tena and brought the stuffed version to Tuli.

Tuli smiled as she accepted the stuffed rat and said, “Thank you, Fura.”

Fura squeaked in reply and scampered off the bed and disappeared into the cloudy floor. Tuli turned the stuffed rat in her hands and said, “I’m sorry I ruined your date, Bubo. I wish I could be... not like this.”

Bubo gave her a squeeze and said, “You didn’t ruin anything, Tuli.” he pulled the pillow out from under the blankets and placed it behind her. He moved around in front of her and said, “In fact, I think it went pretty well.”

“Really? Isabela wasn’t mad?”

“Nope, definitely a dramatic ending though,” Bubo replied and pointed, “I see you have Tena.”

“Tío brought him,” she said and held up the toy, “He looks almost brand new.”

Bubo took the toy and said as he hefted it, “Tch, I think Tío’s over fed him. He’s gained some weight,” then handed Tena back to her.

“You’re silly.”

“It is one of my many failings,” Bubo said and adjusted his glasses, “Abuela always said so.”

Tuli pushed back the blankets and looked around Luisa’s room and said, “This room is so perfect... do you think it would be okay if I sleep here tonight?”

Bubo was taken aback and replied, “Really?” then took a good look around and said, “It is pretty girly in here. You sure you don’t want to stay with Antonio?”

Tuli nodded and said, “I love Toni’s room, he’s so much fun to play with and all of his friends are nice… but it reminds me too much of… the forest… and I don’t want to keep you up all night like I did last night.”

“Well, that’s not up to me, nor would I be able to stay with you. You’ll need to ask Señorita Luisa.”

“Oh yeah, you’re a boy,” Tuli said as she pet Tena. She remembered she still had Mirabel’s rosary. She took it off and offered it to Bubo, saying, “Can you give this back to Mirabel for me? Tell her it helped a lot.”

“I’ll do that,” Bubo said, taking it and placing it in his shirt pocket. The forget-me-nots dropped onto the bed, and Bubo picked them up and showed them to Tuli. “Got these from Isabela. They are pretty, no?”

Tuli nodded and they both turned when the door opened again and their Tío came back in. The Doctor and Señora Julieta were gone, so Bubo decided Tuli really had just fainted. There was an uncomfortably long silence that was only broken when Tuli said, “I’m sorry, Tío, I didn’t mean to faint and make everyone worry... ”

He set the tray nearby and held up a hand. Tuli stopped talking and Bubo could see Tuli was terrified of what her Tío was about to say. She was now had a white knuckled grip on both her locket and Tena. He did not indicate that Bubo should leave, so Bubo remained where he was and put his hand on Tuli’s.

He sat at the end of the bed and asked, “You’re not in any trouble, Tuli. Are you feeling better?” Tuli nodded, then let go of her locket as she resumed petting Tena. Their Tío nodded and picked up the plate with a small jelly sandwich which he offered to her. Tuli’s anxiety was clearly visible as she took a few bites of the sandwich. She chewed it very slowly, then set it back on the plate. “Done already?” Tuli nodded again, and he then offered Tuli the cup of juice. Bubo wondered what his Tío was thinking, since this was nothing if not supremely awkward.

But then Bubo thought, maybe he was trying to understand Tuli. Not just the fact that she was a girl, but more importantly that she was a little kid who had been through far too much. He turned to Bubo and said in an almost conversational tone, “I know I said I would give you my answer regarding Tuli staying here in a few weeks. But... something important has changed, Bubo.” Tuli had her eyes closed now with her hands balled up in front of herself as their Tío continued, “After speaking with the Doctor, and Señora Julieta, I’ve decided it would be best for Tuli to remain in the Encanto.” Tuli’s eyes popped open, and she leaned forward “But,” he said, looking around, “She is to stay with the Madrigals. The things we spoke of earlier, Bubo, still apply, but I may have to return to the city sooner than expected, and this will give you more time to get things settled.”

Bubo was not at all sure how to respond to that and just said, “Yes, sir.”

“I can really stay?” Tuli asked.

“Yes, you can stay,” their Tío replied

Tuli got to her feet and asked again, “I really don’t have to leave?”

Bubo knew why Tuli was asking again. More than once she’d been told one thing only to have something else happen instead.

Their Tío then added, “You don’t have to leave.”

“Bubo, I don’t have to leave!” Tuli made a little jump.

Bubo nodded but wondered what had brought about this turn as Tuli rushed over to her Tío and gave him a hug as she whispered, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

-------------------------------------

A few minutes earlier...

Dolores was leaning against the window in Mirabel’s room as she watched Mariano head back home. Abuela had gone to bed saying she was tired. Isa was sitting on the sofa, being unusually quiet. She’d asked her what was on the plate she gave Lorena. When she found out what that was, Isa sat on the sofa and hadn’t moved from that spot. Luisa was half asleep reading a book, while Mirabel was surreptitiously watching the goings-on in the hall. Her mother and Camilo were still in the kitchen making a snack for Tuli, and her brother was telling her about his new job at the school and how he was looking forward to that. Dolores was now half listening to what was occurring in Luisa’s room. Half listening to the Doctor as he explained what was happening with Tuli.

Doctor (Julieta, has Tuli fainted before this?)

Tía (Just when she came to us. Camilo unintentionally frightened her when he discovered her in the woods. But we’ve all noticed she seems to get lost in her memories.)

Doctor (Señor José, would you say that this happened before she ran away?)

José (You are aware that Tuli is not a girl, yes?)

Doctor (That was not the question I asked.)

José (No, not to this degree.)

Doctor (I understand you are considering taking Tuli back to the city with you when you leave here?) another silence.

José (It is a possibility.)

Doctor (Well, then you may want to plan to be here for at least six weeks, possibly more. That child is in no condition to travel any distance at this time. They are under weight, traumatized and probably not sleeping as they should.) there was a pause and the Doctor continued, (Unfortunately, I have been in Colombia long enough that Tuli is not the first child I’ve treated with similar experiences. I am in no way parceling out blame here, but you need to understand how fragile Tuli is right now.)

José (So you’re recommending I abandon my sister’s child here?)

Doctor (Not at all, but I need you to see that it would not be in this child’s best interest to leave a place they feel protected after dealing with all that’s happened to them very recently.) There was another long silence.

José (I’m not against Tuli remaining here. However, my sobrino, Bubo, is not as ready as he thinks he is for this sort of responsibility.)

Tía (If that is the only obstacle, Tuli is welcome to stay here in Casita until Bubo is better prepared.)

José (That is very generous; nevertheless, I couldn’t presume to-)

Tía (It is not a presumption to offer a solution.) There was another pause and her Tía continued, (I am going to assume that your hesitation is actually tied to the fact that our family does not see a problem with how Tuli views herself.)

The silence stretched until José must have nodded because he said, (In a way, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accept it, but Bubo made the point that I should at least try to understand. Very well, Señora, I will accept your offer.)

Doctor (That’s good news. José, would it be acceptable for me to periodically check in on Tuli?)

José (Yes, of course.)

Doctor (I’ll come tomorrow, then every few days after that. Good night.)

Tía and José (Good night, Doctor.)

Tío Gus (Here’s the snack you ordered, madam.)

Tía (Thank you. Can you please take this to Tuli for me, Señor José?)

He must have nodded, since Dolores did not hear a response. She got up from the window sill and as she walked by Luisa, she tugged at her sleeve, indicating she should come out into the hall with her. She waived to her Tía after Luisa’s door closed behind José. She told her Tía that Tuli had asked Bubo if she could spend the night in Luisa’s room. Her Tía looked to her daughter and Luisa nodded.

“Well, I’m headed for bed now,” Dolores said, “Do you need anything else from me Tía?”

Her Tía was waving for Mirabel to join her and said, “Can you ask Isa to join us, please?”

Dolores nodded and smiled at Mirabel, who looked apprehensive. She went into Mira’s room and sat next to her Prima, nudging her arm. Dolores could see that Isa was having a time dealing with what she’d told her about Lorena. “You better not be blaming yourself for her situation, you know that right?”

“I guess, but it wasn’t until you ‘mentioned it’ that I realized just how much I’ve cut myself off from the town,” Isa said, "from my friends."

“You needed some space. That’s not a bad thing."

“Does Juan know?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?”

“No, not really. I want to go see her tomorrow... but not because of that,” Isa said as she tugged gently on her braid, “Maybe I’ll take Mirabel with me... ” Dolores just looked at her and Isabela added, “Probably not the best idea, huh.”

"I think you can handle it. Anyway, your Mamá wants you to come out in the hall.” Dolores held up a hand and added, “No. she did not tell me why. I’m going to bed. A night in town is always a bit much these days.” Dolores got up and pulled her prima up with her.

“Oh, okay, good night, Doli,” Isabela said then added, “Thank you, for tonight and... I had a wonderful time.”

Dolores nodded and headed for her room.

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