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achitka · 2 years ago

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Doors (Chapter 34)

Travesuras de Madrigales

I've decided Antonio is my favorite Madrigal...such a fun kid. And apparently pants are trending in the Encanto. Pepa has increased her skill set and Bruno asks folks uncomfortable questions.

I am not sure how this got so long - so quickly... ummm yeah

Travesuras de Madrigales

Antonio walked with Paola up the stairs toward his room, and he heard Fura say, “Do not fear, Tuli. You are safe here. The Elegida will keep you from harm.” Paola looked at the rat but did not respond. This was confusing for Antonio since he did not know anyone by that name, but figured Fura must be talking to Paola. Were they the same person? Maybe. His friends often only referred to Mirabel as Elegida. They never said why, but that didn’t really matter. He opened his door and Paola’s eyes went wide at the sight.

“Before we go inside,” Antonio said, “There are a few things you should know. The animals that live with me are my friends. They’re not pets, so you should be polite when you talk to them.” Several birds flew down and chirped excitedly then flew out the door over their heads and Paola ducked. “It’s okay, they’re just going to get breakfast,” Antonio said.

“Can you really understand all of them?” Paola asked.

“Yeah, that’s my Gift. Don’t worry, none of the animals here will hurt you. But there are a few that are really big. Like Nadia, she’s an eagle.” And he pointed up to the bigger tree. “Chipsi,” he said pointing to the capybara, “she’s mama to those pups over there and Parce, he’s a jaguar.”

And as if responding to his name, the jaguar padded silently over. He stopped a few meters away and Paola moved behind Antonio and asked, “You’re sure he won’t eat me?”

“Pretty sure. I mean, he’s never eaten anyone,” then Antonio added “that I know of. He did tell me once that humans are stringy and don’t taste good,” Antonio said this as he approached the big cat that was now laying nearby. Paola adjusted her flower crown as she came out from behind Antonio. After wiping her hands on her shirt, she reached out to Parce. The jaguar gently pushed into it, and Paola smiled, gently scratching Parce’s head. The next half hour was filled with walking and questions about what kind of animal is this, what in the world is that, until the pair were standing in the bedroom portion of Antonio’s room.

“Your room is so big, Antonio,” Paola said as she looked all around, “Don’t you get scared being alone in here?”

“I’m never alone,” Antonio said, “Plus, I have Parce. He’s my best friend, next to Mirabel, and he’s loads of fun. And I got little Parce too,” he said, and reached into a nearby hammock and pulled out a stuffed jaguar. “Mirabel made this for me,” he said, and held it up to Paola.

She smiled then paused as she examined the toy closer and said, “Aww, Toni, he’s missing an eye…”

Antonio looked at the toy and frowned, just as his mother came in, she had a tray of cookies with some milk in cups. She set the tray on the small table and Antonio put the toy back in the hammock, then immediately ran over to it. “Thanks, Mamí,” he said, stuffing one in his mouth.

“You’re welcome, Toni. But haven’t you forgotten something?” she asked, a small cloud forming.

“Oh right, sorry, Mamí,” Antonio said as he put three cookies on a plate and took them over to Paola. She was staring wide-eyed at the cloud over his mother’s head. Antonio handed her the plate and cup and Paola said, “Thank you… Señora Magical.”

“It’s Madrigal, and you are also welcome, Señorita Paola. Toni, I have to leave for the meeting now, so come give your Mamí a hug,” she said and knelt down. Antonio did, squishing her twice as hard as normal, and his mother’s cloud winked out of sight. She kissed his forehead and said, “I’ll see you in a little while.” Antonio released her and nodded. His mother stood up then and knelt in front of Paola and touched her arm and said, “I’ll see you as well, Señorita Paola?” Paola nodded, and Antonio’s Mama added, “You kids stay out of trouble.” And together they watched his mother head for the door.

“Your Mamí is so nice,” Paola said as she sat down to dunk her cookie in the milk.

“Yeah,” Antonio said as he put a few cookies on the other plate, grabbed his cup and sat next to her. A small band of coatimundi chittered at them, and the kids watched them play in the branches above them. Antonio pointed at each and told Paola their names. Gina, Rachel, Gigi, Gwen, Juanita and Juli. Paola asked how he could tell them apart. He told her it was by the markings on their faces.

“So they’re all girls?” Paola asked.

“Yep, no boys allowed. Gina’s the Abuela and Juanita is her hija. The others are her nietas.”

Paola finished her milk and sat on one of a pair of swings and said, “Your family definitely has some strong magic. Not like mine. My family’s magic is weak. I can only talk to rats.”

“What? That’s amazing, Paola!” Antonio shouted as he jumped onto the other swing. “No wonder Fura likes you so much. Have you always been able to talk to them?”

“Yeah, I guess… I learned how from my Papá before he, ummm… went away,” Paola pushed the ground with her feet to make the swing glide a little and asked, “When did you learn to talk to all of these animals?”

"No one taught me. La Candela gave me my Gift a year ago on my fifth birthday, and I just could. But then the magic candle went out, and our house broke, so I lost it. I was really sad then."

Paola was clutching her cookie and asked, “Your house broke?”

“Yeah, something happened to the magic candle. I don’t know what, but I knew it had something to do with Mirabel and Abuela fighting. They don’t fight anymore.”

“Oh, did the candle come back?”

“Nope, it melted down to nothing and went out.”

“Then how?”

“Mirabel.”

“But Mirabel said she didn’t have any magic.”

“She just says that cause she didn’t get a Gift, but Mirabel’s always been magical. I think she’s the most magical Madrigal cause she always finds a way to help. You needed help, and she found you. I don’t know why you ran away from the people you were with on the mountain, but you must have had a good reason, right?” Paola didn’t answer, so Antonio finished up saying, “Anyway, once Casita got rebuilt, I got my Gift back because of her. So, I guess it all worked out.”

Antonio started swinging again, only this time he pumped his feet, so he would go higher. Paola started swinging as well and before long a brief contest started as to who could get the highest. There was much giggling and Antonio decided now would be a good time to practice his super flying jaguar pounce and got ready to let go of the vines, and he shouted, “Paola, watch this!” He launched himself into the air and Parce, who had been quietly watching nearby, leapt up and Antonio landed gently on his back.

Parce chuffed and Antonio said, “Sorry, Parce, I’ll make sure to warn you next time, but can you catch Paola too?” Parce said of course, and Antonio shouted, “Paola!”

“What!”

“Your turn!” Antonio yelled. Paola didn’t answer, and her expression was on the terrified side. “Come on, it’ll be fun!” Antonio said, waving to her.

“I’ll get hurt!” She shouted back.

“Nah, Parce says he can catch you. Just do what I did!”

“I can’t do that!” she shouted back and stopped pumping her legs. She slowed enough that she was able to a stop and said, “You are a dangerous boy, Antonio Madrigal.” Fura, who was sitting again on Paola’s shoulder, agreed with a loud squeak.

Antonio shrugged; he knew what he was doing. Parce chuffed and Antonio looked behind himself to see his father had come into the room, and Antonio wondered how long he’d been watching. He actually wasn’t supposed to be doing what he just did. His Papí was never one to yell, but he did not look at all pleased, and that was just as bad as far as Antonio was concerned. His father turned his disapproving gaze onto the jaguar, and Parce promptly sat down, causing Antonio to slide off. Antonio got up and looked up at his father.

“Toni, please do not encourage others to try dangerous tricks that you are not supposed to be doing.”

“It’s not a trick,” Antonio crossed his arms and said sullenly, “It’s a super flying jaguar pounce.” His father said nothing, and they stood there in silence until Antonio dropped his arms and said quietly, “Sorry, Papí.”

“It’s okay. I know you were just trying to have fun. However, Son, you have to learn that your Gift can be dangerous for others who are not familiar with your friends.”

“Okay. I won’t do it again.”

“Thank you. So, how would you two like to go into town?”

Antonio immediately perked up, but Paola looked extremely nervous but put on a brave face as Antonio climbed up on Parce, and he held out his hand to her. She took it, and Antonio pulled Paola up behind him as his father said, “The rule about not running in the house applies to Parce as well.”

Antonio rolled his eyes and nodded. “Okay, Papí, we’ll wait ‘til we get outside.”

“Very good, Toni. Make sure Paola is ready beforehand. Don’t want a repeat of what happened to Juancho.”

Antonio remembered then, he didn’t mean for Parce to take off so fast and Juancho fell off and got hurt. Luckily, Tía was nearby and saw him fall, so immediately came over and gave Juancho a sweet. Antonio felt terrible for days. Juancho was mad at him for a whole week. Not to mention the scolding, he’d gotten from his parents and Juancho’s and said quite seriously, “I won’t Papí.”

“Excellent, let’s go.”

Once outside Casita, Antonio turned and waved to the house. Casita waved one of its shutters at him, and Paola turned and waved as well. “Can I go faster now, Papí?”

“Yes, I’ll meet you at the oak. Don’t wander, Antonio, and stay out of the woods.”

“I will,” Antonio agreed and turned back to Paola and said, “Make sure you hold on tight to me, or you’ll fall off.” Paola's expression turned from worry to fear, but she nodded and did as he said. “Let’s go, Parce!” The jaguar started forward at a good speed, and Paola gripped him even tighter. Antonio let out a laugh as they bounded through the town. There were a lot of people around the Church, so Parce took the longer route to the tree. The jaguar expertly avoided all the people milling around and came to a halt by the oak tree. Paola slid off the jaguar and sat on the ground. “Dios Mio, that was scary.”

“You okay, Paola?”

She nodded and slowly got up as Antonio hopped off the jaguar. Parce let out a low growl and Antonio turned to him and said, “Okay, I’ll see you after lunch, Parce.” And gave the jaguar a hug. The big cat pushed him with his head then turned and walked toward the river.

“Where’s he going?” Paola asked.

“He’s going to find some food.”

“Then that means…”

“Yeah, but I can’t tell him not to hunt.”

“I guess that makes sense,” then she asked, “Does that mean he doesn’t eat the animals in the town?”

“Yup.”

“Oh.”

“Toni!” a girl’s voice shouted to him from down the street. Antonio turned to see Cecelia, Alejandra and Juancho running toward them. Alejandra was waving and carrying a fútbol with her. She halted in front of Paola and blinked, then said, “You’re not a boy.”

Paola frowned and tilted her head. Fura squeaked from her shoulder and Alejandra backed up. Antonio introduced Paola and explained the rat on her shoulder was one of his Tío Bruno’s friends. The girls relaxed and cooed at Fura’s shiny black coat. The rat was fully fluffed out, and it seemed to Antonio that she looked a bit upset, so he included they should be very gentle with her. Cecelia and Alejandra nodded, then turned to Paola and wanted to know where she’d gotten the pants.

“But your girls, why would you want pants?” Paola asked.

“Why not?” Alejandra replied, “I saw Luisa and Isabela Madrigal when they were going to the meeting,” Alejandra leaned in and said, “They were wearing pants and if they can wear them, I think I should too.”

Cecelia leaned in and added, “And some of the ladies who came last summer have short pants too.”

Juancho came up next to Antonio and took a sip of his coffee. He shook his head and said, “This is all they talked about on the way here.”

Antonio looked away from the three girls who all had their heads together and said to Juancho, “Yeah, girls are weird. Who cares if they wear pants?”

Juancho choked on his coffee and said, “Toni, girls shouldn’t wear pants, it's unnatural.”

Antonio looked at his friend and said, “You gonna tell my primas that?”

Juancho paused in his drinking and lowered his cup, saying, “Nope.”

Antonio was already bored with waiting for the girls to finish their gossiping and said, “We gonna play or what?” All three girls turned to look at him. They were frowning and Antonio said, “Can we at least have the ball?” Alejandra realized she was still holding it and tossed it to him, then all three turned back around to continue their conversation. More kids arrived to wait outside as their parents were going to the town meeting, and there was a definite split among the children as the boys were playing fútbol and the girls of various ages were talking in groups. Paola was being dragged around by Alejandra from group to group, and Antonio felt bad for her. But while Paola seemed a little startled by Alejandra’s occasional outbursts, she looked like she was enjoying herself. There was a short break for lunch of sandwiches and juice, then back to the playing.

The afternoon stretched on and Antonio, after several fútbol matches, decided he was tired. He was lying under the tree with Juancho when the girls sat down with them. When the topic of where Paola was from came up, Antonio noticed she really didn’t want to talk about that. So, he changed the subject by telling them about his brother’s adventure the previous night. Tío Bruno said that it was always easier to tell a story, cause sometimes the truth was just too unbelievable. Paola also listened intently because she had passed out at one point, so was probably curious to know what happened after that. The others turned to her for confirmation of Camilo turning into a jaguar, and Paola nodded and said she was afraid she was gonna get eaten.

Antonio noticed his brother and Mirabel were now leaning against the building where his father had been earlier. “Come on, you guys,” Antonio said as he waved for his friends to follow. Camilo straightened seeing that many kids charging at him, but he smiled when they surrounded him and Alejandra said as she grabbed his ruana, “Camilo, Camilo, Antonio said you turned into a jaguar last night.”

“Did he?” Camilo said, looking at Antonio with a small smile, and Antonio realized the extra details that he’d added to his story were a bit much.

“Yes,” Juancho asked, “Can you?”

“Can you really turn into a jaguar?” Cecelia asked breathlessly.

“No.” Camilo replied, and they all turned toward Antonio. Antonio looked at his brother as a nervous grin crept onto his face. “But!” Camilo announced, and they turned back to him, “I can do this,” he said arms outstretched and gave a little hop.

Alejandra and Cecelia both screamed, Paola looked ready to faint again, and Juancho dropped his coffee. Antonio just smiled, seeing the jaguar disguise he didn’t get to see the night before, and said, “See!”

His brother returned to himself, and Mirabel elbowed his arm. “What are you doing? Why are you scaring them?”

The kids immediately calmed down and Camilo said, “Come on, they’re fine. You’re overreacting. Nobody’s dead.” Parents arrived to find out what all the screaming was about, especially after the day the children had yesterday. They laughed at Juancho’s explanation, which included him spilling his coffee. Antonio looked around and noticed there were several others that had started moving toward the group and tugged at Mirabel’s arm.

She noticed the people then, and Mirabel let out a sigh and said, “This is why you lunk head.” And gestured to the folks nearby.

Camilo turned and saw the crowd gathering and said, “Oops, forgot about that. Sorry Mira,” He spread his arms then and said, “Okay guys, show’s over. Definitely, time to go.” Camilo shifted to Mirabel, then back to himself, and began herding the children and their parents away from their prima.

Paola pulled Antonio behind Mirabel, and she whispered, “Why are all these people here?”

“Cause Mirabel is magical,” Antonio replied as if this should be obvious.

Paola gave him a look and Antonio shrugged. Mirabel turned and took their hands as she said, “All righty, time for us to make a hasty retreat.” She then started walking with them in the direction of Casita.

There turned out to be far more people in the plaza than usual because of the meeting, and Antonio wondered if they were going to be able to get home. They hadn’t gone very far when Mirabel released Antonio’s hand and waved to someone he couldn’t see. His prima Luisa appeared next to them and picked up all three and began walking calmly away from the crowd. Mirabel on one shoulder, Paola and Antonio on the other. Antonio noticed there were extra big marigolds popping out of the ground between them and the crowd. Paola’s head was turning back and forth as the plants continued to appear all around them. They were just large enough that people would bump into them then wander off in another direction then the plants would fade away like they’d never been, and Paola whispered, “Is the cactus lady making those?”

“Yeah, my prima Isabela must be nearby,” Antonio said looking around for her.

"She's amazing," Paola whispered.

Luisa continued on for a few minutes, then stopped just past the edge of town. She set them down and said, “Looks like we’re in the clear.” She turned and waved to someone over the dispersing crowd, and the rest of the surrounding plants faded away. Paola turned to Luisa and said, giving her leg a hug, “You saved us. Thank you, Señorita Luisa.”

Luisa looked indulgently at Paola as she knelt and straightened Paola’s flower crown. “You’re most welcome, Señorita Paola,” Luisa said, then turned to Antonio and asked, “You okay Toni?”

He nodded and Luisa straightened. She looked over at Mirabel and asked, “So what happened?”

“Camilo decided to be showy,” Mirabel replied, “otherwise they likely wouldn’t have noticed me.”

“Maybe,” Luisa said and let out a laugh. Antonio waved to Isabela, who was still standing at the edge of the Church steps. She waved back, and Antonio turned to ask Paola a question when he noticed she’d disappeared behind Mirabel’s skirt again. Paola was looking past to and watching Isabela as she spoke to someone Antonio did not know. That person was looking in their direction and Paola seemed almost frightened, and he wondered why.

Luisa continued to walk with them toward Casita and said to Mirabel, “I was gonna tell you this at lunch, but I forgot. Anyway, you don’t have to make any shirts for me. Papa said he and Abuelo would take care of it. Can you give them my measurements?” Luisa noticed Mirabel’s frown and added, “It’s not that I don’t want you to, it’s more that you need to focus on other things right now, and I don’t want to stress you out. Camilo was right about that.”

“Yeah, sure, okay,” Mirabel said.

Antonio noticed that even though Mirabel was nodding and smiling, he could tell she wasn’t happy. Mirabel really enjoyed making things for their family, so Antonio said, “Mirabel, my tiny jaguar has lost one of his eyes. Can you fix it for me?”

She smiled and said, “Of course, I’d be happy to. Just bring him to my room after supper.”

“Okay,” Antonio said as Parce reappeared. Antonio offered Paola one more ride around the town before going into Casita. She said no thank you and grabbed hold of Mirabel’s arm.

His prima nodded and said, “There are a few things me and Paola gotta do.”

So, Antonio went for a short ride. When they got back, he found Paola in the kitchen with his Tía Julieta. Paola was standing on a stool, bouncing a little as she used a wooden spatula to help flip arepas. She was also now wearing a dress. He climbed off Parce, who wandered out of the kitchen. Tía had previously asked Parce to not come in the kitchen when she was cooking, so the big cat went into the courtyard to lay in the afternoon sun.

Antonio pulled a chair over to the counter and his Tía paused as her eyes ran over him, and she said, “Please go wash up, Antonio.”

Antonio looked at his hands and realized they were pretty dirty from playing fútbol, so he hopped off the chair and ran to the bathroom. He scrubbed his hands and face, then saw all the dirt still in the sink. He grabbed a towel, wiped up the dirt and went to put it in the hamper. He opened it and noticed something small and shiny and picked it up. It was a small locket and Antonio opened it. He did not know who the people inside were, so he figured it probably belonged to Paola.

He ran back to the kitchen and discovered Paola wasn’t there anymore. He asked his Tía if she knew where Paola went, and she said that she’d gone back to his room to take a nap before supper. Antonio was feeling a bit tired himself, so he left his Tía to do the same. Antonio walked back into the courtyard and waved to Parce, and together they headed up to his room.

He came into his room and Parce immediately turned to the right. He walked a little further on that side, and they found Paola looking for something under a bush, and she looked frantic. Antonio pulled the small locket out and said, “Paola?”

She pulled her head out of the bush, dislodging her flower crown, and Antonio could see she’d been crying.

“Is this what you’re looking for? I found it in the bathroom hamper.”

Paola rushed over to him and took the small item and visibly relaxed and said, “Oh, thank goodness, Toni. I thought it was gone forever.” She popped the locket open and stared at the tiny faces for a little while.

“Are they your parents?”

“No, they’re my abuelos,” she said and sighed before she closed it.

“Would you like a string or something to put it on? That way you can wear it, and it won’t get lost again.”

Paola brightened and nodded, so Antonio went to his desk and rummaged through it until he found a passable length of string. He gave it to her, and she threaded it through the locket’s loop and tied off the ends. After she put it around her neck, she said, “Thank you, I’m sorry I’ve been so much trouble, Antonio.”

“You’re fine,” Antonio said with a wave of his hand. “Good thing Tía made me wash up. I’m gonna take a nap, though. All that fútbol wore me out.”

She smiled and Parce made a low chuff. Antonio turned to the jaguar and said, “What?” The jaguar answered with a low rumble, and Antonio turned back to Paola and asked, “You’re not a girl?” Paola froze in place. Smile instantly disappearing. The jaguar pushed him from behind, and Antonio realized he wasn’t supposed to say that out loud. He could see that he’d frightened her, and he said quickly, “It’s okay, Paola, you don’t act like a boy or even look like one. Parce likes to make sure I know stuff he thinks I should. He told me secrets were dangerous.”

Paola got right in front of him and said in an almost threatening way, “You’re not going to tell them, right?”

“I’m not going to lie to my family, Paola.” Antonio said and leaned back into Parce. “Besides, it’s a good bet my Tía already knows. She gave you the clothes you were wearing before, right? She’s a healer, and she was taking care of you last night when my brother brought you back from the woods and if she knows, then Tío Gus knows, and my Mamí and Papí, Abuela and probably Tío Bruno…” Antonio trailed off when Paola’s face seemed to crumble as she sat down on the floor, looking totally miserable. He sat in front of her and saw she was crying very softly. Fura was watching him from Paola’s shoulder, and she did not look pleased. Parce had told him secrets were bad, but Antonio decided if it hurt Paola this much to be a boy, then this wasn’t his secret to tell. “Paola, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. You got your reasons, so don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“You promise?” she asked, wiping her eyes and nose on her sleeve.

“Yes. I promise,” he said. “You look tired. Come on, there are some hammocks over this way.”

Paola followed, still looking very sad as she climbed into one and Antonio gave her a blanket. He climbed into one nearby and felt the hammock sway. Paola’s was gently rocking as well, and the pair promptly fell asleep.

He woke later to find Paola was sitting with Fura in her lap. He only caught the end of what she was saying, “…no, you can’t come with me. You belong here with Tío Bruno.”

Parce noticed he was awake and let out a yawn that caught Paola’s attention. She stood up and Fura ran over to a trio of rats, squeaked at them imperiously, and the three turned and ran from the room. Fura let out another squeak, and both kids burst out laughing.

“She’s such a beautiful dam,” Paola said as she knelt down to stroke Fura’s head. “I've never seen a full black coat on a rat before. I wonder if her kittens will be all black like her.” Paola said.

“Fura’s having babies?!” Antonio yelled as he rolled out of his hammock. Fura scampered over to him and squeaked. “Fura, why didn’t you tell me! We need to have a celebration!”

“Toni, she’s a rat…” Paola sniffled and seemed very surprised.

“She is also Tío Bruno’s favorite.” Antonio gently scooped Fura up and put her on Paola’s shoulder. “Let’s go find my Tío. He’s gonna be super excited.”

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

Isabela, Dolores and Luisa left the Church and were sitting on the steps talking about their new clothes. While Isabela liked hers, she really liked Luisa’s pants more.

“Gotta say Issa,” Luisa said, “That color…”

“I think Tío Bruno had a say in that one.”

“You both look very comfortable, but are they really?”

“Mine are,” Luisa said stretching out one of her legs, “Really nice how they give in all the right places.”

Isabela leaned into Dolores and said, “So, when you getting a pair?”

“Well, I’ll be honest, I’m actually more interested in the new skirt styles, you know, the ones that are in all those magazines?”

“Oh, the ones that go above the knee?” Luisa asked.

“Yes, but I’m not sure whether I’d actually be brave enough to wear something like that.”

“Mariano would probably appreciate them,” Issa said with a snort.

“He would,” Dolores said as she was looking across the plaza to where Mariano was standing. Isabela followed her line of sight and saw Mariano was animatedly speaking to Bubo Marquez. And she realized, they were watching them.

Bubo looked away when he noticed them looking in their direction and Luisa said, “Well those two became fast friends.”

“They’ve actually known each other since Señor Marquez got here last year,” Dolores said, “but we were busy rebuilding and Mariano and I weren’t dating then. I didn’t even know they knew each other until I asked Mariano about him at lunch. It is interesting that he leads the group of volunteers that have been watching the river, wouldn’t you agree, Issa?”

“Hmm? Yes, that is interesting,” Isabela said, trying to keep her features neutral. Luisa leaned in slightly and said, “So what sort of flower is that Issa?”

“What flower?”

“Behind you,” Dolores said.

Isabela turned and found a single flower growing out of a crack in the steps. She plucked it and held it out in front of herself and said, “It’s a Colombian Rose.”

“Oooooooo,” Dolores said knowingly. Luisa caught on then and stared at her sister. Isabela again tried to keep her face neutral but felt the heat in her face. “Well,” Dolores said, getting up, “I’m off to go stare at the floor in your sister’s room for a while before dinner.”

Mariano and Bubo were walking toward them, and that’s when they heard some children scream. There was a pause before several people headed toward where Camilo and Mirabel were talking to some kids and their parents. No one was moving quickly, but it was creepy nonetheless. Camilo and Mirabel separated, and Mira waved to them. Dolores joined Mariano and Bubo was talking to Abuela as she sat on a bench near the entrance of the Church.

Luisa asked, “I can go get them, but do you think you can keep them away with plants?”

Isabela was intrigued and said, “Don’t see why not.”

She must have had an unusually devilish grin on her face because Luisa said, “Nothing lethal, Issa.”

Isabela nodded and said, “Fine, if you insist. Pest repellent it is.”

She waited until Luisa had gathered up Mira, Paola and Antonio, then grew some unusually large marigolds. They were good for keeping away pests, she thought. The people would brush against them and turn another direction, returning to whatever they were doing before. She did not envy Mirabel this, that was for sure.

Still, generating so many plants so much larger than they should be was taxing. She probably should have picked something bigger to grow since increasing the size of any plant from its normal size used up more of her energy. Isabela wavered a little and felt a hand on her back. She remained focused on what she was doing until Luisa waved. Issa waved back, then waived to Antonio after Luisa set everyone down. Thank goodness, she thought as she let out a sigh and wobbled again. This time there were two hands supporting her, and she turned to thank the person and discovered it was Bubo. This made her smile.

“Are you okay, Señorita?” he asked as he released her, looking quite concerned.

“I’m okay, just a little woozy for some reason,” Isabela said, but she knew the reason and felt the heat rising in her face. This was so embarrassing and said as she wobbled again, “Kinda overdid it. I’ll be alright in a few minutes.”

Bubo steadied her again, this time not letting her go, and she heard, “Dios Mio, Isabela, are you okay, mi vida?” That was Abuela’s voice. “You stay put, young man. Don’t let her fall, please. Joseph, can you fetch Agustín or Bruno? I believe they are still in the Church.” That was Abuela Valentina. There was a pause, and Isabela wondered why everyone sounded so very far away. Her Tío Bruno appeared in front of her, looked her up and down then said gently, “Come on, Isabee. Time to go home.”

"Yeah, guess I'll go home, thanks for the help Señor," Isabela said, but she knew Bubo was the only reason she wasn't on the ground and looked back at her Tío. She squinted then blinked and asked, “Why are there two of you?”

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

“Tch,” Valentina said, “such a stubborn child,” she turned to Bruno and added, “I see you two have everything in hand. Alma let’s go we have clothing to gather. We’ll see you later this evening.”

Bruno nodded to his mother and was amused at her look of startlement. She was not used to people telling her what she should be doing. She gave his arm a squeeze, then nodded and turned and followed Valentina toward their shop. Bruno looked back to see a very startled Bubo Márquez and said, “Nice catch, Bubo.”

“Is she alright?” Bubo asked as he lifted Isabela into a more comfortable position.

“Yes. Just a fun side effect of the newly re-Gifted. Instant exhaustion.”

“That’s terrible,” Bubo said, looking at Bruno's sleeping sobrina.

Bruno tilted his head and said, “Everything has a cost, Bubo. Especially magic. Anyway, would you mind helping me bring her back to Casita? I am unfortunately a bit wobbly myself.”

“Oh, of course,” Bubo replied.

Bruno was actually fine, but it was easier to ask uncomfortable questions when the target couldn’t just walk off. “Great,” Bruno said, and he and Bubo started toward Casita. When they passed the edge of the town, Bruno asked as nonchalantly as he could, “So, Bubo, you know who Paola actually is, correct?”

Bubo’s foot caught, and he stumbled slightly then continued on and said, “I believe I do?” Bubo paused, then said carefully, “but she looks a bit different than I remember.”

“Yeah, kids grow up so fast these days,” Bruno said as they approached the house. He stopped, turned to Bubo and said as he took Isabela from him, “You don’t have to tell me, but I have the feeling she wasn’t just running from Doris and Inez. That would explain why I’m getting so many mixed messages from my spontys. Just so you know, we’re aware that Paola is not a girl in the traditional sense, and we have no intention of challenging her on that,” Bruno said.

Bubo looked from him to Isabela, but made no reply. Bruno was about to turn away, then remembered the other something he wanted to ask. It was clear that Fura was actively communicating with Paola. Bruno knew this because he’d watched Antonio when he’d listen and speak to Parce, so asked, “Did you know Paola can talk to rats?”

Bubo barely hid his surprise and only shrugged as Casita opened the door behind them. Bruno watched and waited a little longer as the silence stretched then said as he put a foot on the step, “Just a suggestion, Bubo, but you might not want to mention to your Tío that Paola is here. At least not right away, but given what we don’t know, it would be safer for her, I think.” Bruno shifted Isabela a little and added, “That is, if you’re planning to stay.”

Bubo seemed to catch his meaning but still said nothing, so Bruno nodded and said, "Thanks for the help, Señor, I got it from here." Then turned and went inside, leaving Bubo to contemplate just what he should do. Casita closed the door behind him, and Bruno placed Isabela in the hammock near the sitting room. He pulled out a blanket and draped it over his sobrina. He’d noticed how she’d gone out of her way to talk to Bubo at lunch. This was something she’d never done with Mariano. She was definitely interested in that one.

Julieta came in from the kitchen and Bruno said, “Your daughter fell asleep.”

“I see that,” Julieta said adjusting the blanket, “What happened?”

“She and Luisa were keeping the unwashed hordes away from Mirabel. Biggest marigolds ever.”

Julieta sighed and said, “Oi, well, hopefully she’ll wake up quickly.”

“Probably. I’m going up to the tower. Pep wants us to meet her on the other side of the path. Says she has something in mind to help you tonight.”

“Okay, I have a few things on the stove, so I’ll meet you up there in a few minutes.”

Bruno nodded and walked toward the stairs. He knew Julieta would never leave anything on the stove, but he did not need to turn around to know that she was fussing over Isabela. Something Issa would never allow if she were awake.

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

Pepa and Bruno were standing in a small glade just north of the Encanto, looking out over the town. It had been a long time since she had been up here, and it was interesting to Pepa that the path in the tower led here of all places. Julieta stepped out onto the grass from the tower in Casita, and she looked around and smiled as she came over to where they were standing.

“That was just weird,” Julieta said.

Bruno nodded and said, “I know, like walking through a sheet of ice without the ice.”

Pepa agreed and said, “Camilo didn’t notice anything, but he was moving pretty quickly on Parce.”

“It’s so beautiful up here,” Julieta said, gazing at the town.

Bruno turned and looked over at a gnarled oak that had a number of scars along its bark, indicating it had been hit by lightning several times.

“Wow, can’t believe it’s still standing after all this time,” Pepa said, moving closer to it.

“It was your favorite target when you were learning to control that lightning you are so fond of,” Bruno said, then added as he ran a hand over one of the scars, “Tough tree.”

“So, Pepa, why are we all up here?” Julieta asked as she too looked up into the tree.

Pepa sighed and turned away as she replied, “Fog.”

Her siblings looked at one another and Bruno said, “As I recall, Pep, that never went well.”

“I know that, but I want to try again. Mamá is set on retrieving those kids tonight, so we’re gonna need some kind of cover.”

“Oh, so you mean that fog,” Bruno said, sounding a little more nervous than he was when he’d gotten there.

“Okay,” Julieta said, “Don’t do anything, I’ll be right back.”

“You don’t have... to…” Pepa trailed off as her sister stepped out of view back into the tower.

“You know she always wants to be prepared, Pep,” Bruno said as his eyes wandered up to the dark cloud forming over her head.

Pepa nodded, and the cloud winked out of sight. She probably should have told Julieta what she was thinking, but she was almost afraid she wouldn’t come. That was ridiculous because Juli was always there for them.

When Bruno vanished after Mirabel’s failed Gift ceremony, they all knew that their mother would beg Bruno to do a vision, maybe see what it meant. Julieta was concerned, but Bruno had gotten into the habit of going missing for weeks sometimes. His door had been wavering a lot, but still Bruno always came back, and each time their mother would chastise him. And each time it would affect Bruno a little less. When he did not come out of his tower the following day for meals or anything, Julieta went to the tower stairs and could see the magical glow had left his door. Juli confided to Pepa once after he’d been missing for more than a week that he was getting up the courage to leave completely. After several days, she and Julieta made the long journey up those stairs, only to find the rope bridge had been cut. He really was gone this time, and they both cried for a long time as they sat on that ledge most of the day, looking at the door to that vision cave.

Now Julieta had not just Mamá but Mirabel to deal with, so the next day Julieta seemed to resign herself to Bruno’s absence and refocused on getting Mirabel back on stable ground. It was around the same time, that food started disappearing from the pantry. Julieta thought it might have been Camilo, but even with Camilo’s increased food needs, there was no way he was eating that much. Her sister had been responsible for the kitchen and pantry since she was a teenager and kept a pretty good record of what was in supply. This was another thing she stopped talking about, even to Mamá and since Pepa never paid attention to such things, she did not notice the ‘extra’ food Julieta prepared.

Pepa realized now what she had not back then. Just like Dolores, Juli always knew that Bruno was nearby and was choosing to be apart from them. This was something Bruno often said would happen one day. She also couldn’t tell Pepa because their Mamá now saw Pepa as the difficult one. Pepa also knew she would have likely outed her brother, as she was forced now to find ways to placate their mother. Though Julieta was saddened by the fact that Pepa went along with the whole not talking about Bruno thing, she did not judge.

Julieta, however, continued to mention their brother, though it was always in passing. As if to remind her and their mother that wherever he was, he was probably happier. That had led to Pepa’s senseless anger at the mere mention of his name, how dare he leave her here to deal with their mother alone. But of course, she was never really alone, Julieta made sure to remind her of that whenever the opportunity arose. Felix was her joy. He had given her three perfect children. So, it wasn’t until the house fell, and their mother returned with both Mirabel and Bruno, she felt the first pangs of regret.

What’s the first thing Bruno said to her after ten years in the walls? An apology for her overly wet wedding day. That meant he heard everything she'd said to Mirabel as she and her family tried to reinforce the no talking about Bruno rule.

Pepa looked over at Bruno, who had moved closer to the edge of the glade and was once again looking out over the town. Was he always that tiny? She walked to the edge of the glade and stood silently waiting for their sister to reappear.

Julieta stepped out onto the grass again and shivered as she stepped into the afternoon sun. Though the large basket on her arm was covered with a towel, there was the hint of chocolate in the air now.

Well, time to get to it, Pepa thought. Probably start with some mist. Mist was easy, she could make that with barely a thought because it was so much like rain. But this was going to be on another level. She’d never been able to localize fog, was an all or nothing kind of thing. There was also the dog to contend with. Pepa had seriously considered bringing Antonio along, but then they did not know if a dog loyal to its master would respond to Antonio or just be confused by it. There was also no time to test it. It was just one risk too many, so she decided this might be the best way to move forward.

Pepa thought back to the last time she did this. She’d studied a book on weather for weeks as she learned how to get it to change only in the places she wanted it to. She forgot the circumstances that prompted her to try to make fog, but it took enough out of her that she slept for two days straight. She’d thought about that failure over the years, and though she understood the mechanics of this type of event, she realized there were key elements that she’d left out of that attempt.

Hatred and fear.

They were the emotions she relied on the least. The ones she avoided at all costs. Anxiety she could deal with. Sadness was a snap compared to this. Before they got their Gifts, Bruno used to take every opportunity to frighten her. Just his usual jump scare nonsense. Post Gifts, not so much.

“So, what are you thinking, Pepa?” Julieta asked.

“Do you remember that time I almost got run down by that donkey cart? It frightened me so badly, and I was so mad at the driver that I inadvertently created a fog so thick the town came to a standstill? You couldn’t see more than a meter in front of yourself, and the silence was just awful.”

Again, her siblings exchanged glances and nodded.

“I want to create something similar to that, just need to figure out how to keep it from spreading to the whole town, and I don’t want to rely on those emotions.”

“Well, there was that time…” Bruno paused and looked at Julieta, she nodded, and he said, “You made something like that, but you weren’t afraid at all, and it only lasted for... what about an hour?” again Julieta nodded.

“I have no memory of that.”

“I am not surprised,” Julieta said and uncovered her basket as she sat in the grass and pulled some glasses and a wine bottle out of the basket.

“What happened?”

“You were very drunk,” Bruno said flatly as he sat next to Julieta and took the proffered glass, “Well, we were all drunk.”

“I was not drunk,” Julieta stated as she indicated that Pepa should sit and take her glass.

Pepa generally did not drink. She was ten times more volatile with any sort of alcohol in her. She had a hazy memory of Bruno getting his hands on a bottle of aguardiente when they were thirteen. Really was some awful tasting stuff as she recalled. She sat down next to her siblings, and Pepa took the wine glass from her sister. Julieta poured them each half a glass, and they toasted to a successful mission. Bruno snorted, Julieta and Pepa just giggled. After a few refills, Pepa was feeling good and smiled as the mist she’d started began to settle around them. She took another sip, and Bruno suggested she wait before drinking more to see how thick it got.

Julieta offered her a chocolate filled sweet bun in exchange for her wine glass, and they sat and waited. She and her siblings sipped their wine and discussed what to do about Bubo’s Tío. Based on the spontys he’d had today, Bruno was of the mind they should not let the people in the mountains know that Paola was in the Encanto. Bruno mentioned that Bubo showed up in his sponty and seemed to recognize Paola but had been reluctant to admit that. He pulled out his sketchbook and Julieta and Pepa looked at the sketches from his most recent spontys and agreed that they should most definitely hold off revealing Paola’s presence in the Encanto. He said he was going to do a vision when they went back inside. Pepa’s irritation with the whole situation was making her furious. To calm herself, she started to hum, but the mist still deepened, turned to fog and did indeed get very thick.

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