Notes: I did not like the idea that the Rivera's in the Land of the Dead had to smash the guitar in order to break the curse. That doesn't make much sense to me. In a story of redemption and forgiveness, breaking a part of someone that you're going to be forgiving them for is wonky. In this story, it will be similar to the Coco story except Miguel will need to be forgiven for taking the guitar. I will also be treating the guitar as Hector's since Ernesto stole the guitar and thus is not the actual owner of the guitar. The beginning and some parts, later on, will be the same as the movie but a lot more will change once Miguel is cursed. This story won't be updated that often since it takes a while to go through and put accents on everything. I don't speak Spanish well, so I have to double check what I write to make sure it's correct. I also listened multiple times to the quotes in the movie and added commas when Miguel pauses for a bit in his story, so some of it's grammatically incorrect.
Disclaimer: I do not own Coco, but I do own a copy of the DVD which I used to make the story accurate.
Miguel sat on his knees. He was in the Plaza Santa Cecilia with his shoe shining kit shining a mariachi's shoes. Miguel's family were shoemakers and so Miguel often offered to shine shoes in order to help out. In reality, he liked the freedom he got by being allowed to stay out by himself. This wasn't the first time that Miguel worked in Plaza Santa Cecilia. He would sneak out here whenever he got the chance in order to listen to music and learn about it from musicians who were willing to chat with him. Any tips he got he saved and spent at stores or stalls for his Ernesto de la Cruz collection.
Maybe this guy would be willing to let me ramble to him? My family is always the worst on Días de Los Muertos. I can't even go 5 minutes without being reminded about family this and family that. I just want to play music but all I hear about is how they expect me to be like the rest of them!
"Sometimes, I think I'm cursed. 'Cause of something that happened before I was even born. See, a long time ago, there was this family. The papa, he was a musician. He and his family would sing, and dance, and count their blessings. But he also had a dream. To play for the world. And one day, he left with his guitar and never returned.
And the mamá? She didn't have time to cry over that walk-boy musician. After banishing all music from her life, she found a way to provide for her daughter. She rolled up her sleeves, and she learned to make shoes!
She could've made candy, o-o-or fireworks, or sparkly underwear for wrestlers?! But, no. She chose shoes. Then she taught her daughter to make shoes. And later, she taught her son-in-law. Then her grandkids got roped in. As her family grew, so did the business! Music had torn her family apart, but shoes, held them all together! You see, that woman? Was my great-great-grandmother, Mamá Imelda. She died way before I was born. But my family still tells her story, every year on Días de Los Muertos. The Day of the Dead! And her little girl? She's my great-grandmother, Mamá Coco!
She calls me Julio, but actually, my name is Miguel. Mamá Coco, has trouble remembering things. But it's good to talk to her anyway, so I pretty much tell her everything.
My abuelita? She's Mamá Coco's daughter. Abuelita runs our house just like Mamá Imelda did. I think we're the only family in Mexico who hates music! And my family's fine with that. But me? I'm not like the rest of my family! I know I'm not supposed to love music… But it's not my fault!
It's Ernesto De La Cruz's, the greatest musician of all time! He started out a total nobody from Santa Cecilia, like me! But when he played music, he made people fall in love with him. He starred in movies, he had the coolest guitar, he could fly! And he wrote the best songs! But my all-time favorite, it's Remember Me.
He lived the kind of life you'd dream about! Until 1942, when he was crushed by a giant bell. I wanna be just like him. Sometimes, I look at De La Cruz and get this feeling, like we're connected somehow! Like if he could play music, maybe someday, ah-ah-I could too! If it wasn't for my family."
Miguel's shoulders slumped and he stared at the man's shoes in sadness.
I don't know how much longer I can take this.
"Aye-aye-aye muchacho! I asked for a shoe shine! Not your life's story." The mariachi said exasperatedly.
"O-o-oh yeah. Sorry!" Miguel quickly grabs two brushes and starts brushing his left shoe. The man begins to play his guitar.
"It's just that I can't really talk about any of this at home, so…"
The man looked down at him.
"Look." Miguel looked at him.
"If I were you? I'd march right up to my family and say, 'Hey! I'm a musician! Deal with it!'" The man made motions with his hands while he talked.
Miguel chuckles, "I could never say that." He went back to brushing.
The man looked at him again.
"You are a musician, no?"
Miguel frowned, "I don't know, I mean… I only really play for myself."
"Ahhh. Did De la Cruz, become the best musician by hiding his sweet, sweet skills? No! He walked out onto that plaza, and he played out loud! Oh, mira, mira. They're setting up for tonight! The music competition for Día de Muertos. You wanna be like your hero? You should sign up!?"
Miguel looks at the poster that was being hung up on the plaza stage, then goes back to shining the man's shoes.
"Uh-uh. My family would freak!"
Abuelito would sic la chancla on me for sure. My parents would yell and the rest of the family would probably hate me.
The man decided to use a different approach.
"Look, if you're too scared, then well, have fun making shoes."
Miguel cringed.
"Come on, what did De La Cruz always say?"
"S-seize your moment?"
The man looks at his guitar, then back to Miguel.
"Show me what you got, muchacho." He hands it over.
Miguel stares at it, dumbfounded.
No way! He really wants to hear me play?
"I'll be your first audience." He encouraged.
Miguel took it from him and held it with reverence. He looked at the man again, as though making sure it was alright. The man smiled and nodded. Miguel smiled in disbelief, but just as he was about to strum the guitar,
"MIGUEL!"
Miguel gasped in horror, shoved the guitar into the man's hands, and turned around. His abuelita was storming towards him, with his cousin Rosá and Tío Berto following close behind. Rosá and Tío Berto were carrying cempasúchil (pronounced sem-pah-sue-chill) flowers and baskets.
"Abuelita!" Miguel gave her a sheepish wave at being caught.
Oh no... What are they doing here? Abuelita never come by the plaza! I'm so dead!
"What are you doing here?!" Abuelita cried out.
"Umm, uh-uh-ahhh." Miguel hurriedly packs up his shoe shining gear.
Abuelita notices the mariachi and glares at him, taking her sandal off as she continues walking forward.
"You leave my grandson alone!" She smacks him with the shoe, knocking his sombrero over his face in the process.
Oh no. Please don't make a scene!
The man fixed his sombrero.
"Doña, please! I was just getting a shine!"
Abuelita jabs the shoe in his face.
"I know your tricks, mariachi! What did he say to you?" Her face softened as she looked at Miguel.
Miguel panicked.
"He was just showing me his guitar!"
Shoot! I shouldn't of said that.
His family gasped in shock.
"Shame on you!" Tío Berto glared at him from a couple feet away.
Abuelita advanced on the man, chancla still in his face. The man backed up on the bench he was sitting on. He was standing now and had his hands up in surrender.
"My grandson is a sweet little angelito, perrito, cielito." She looks back tenderly at Miguel, who is nervously smiling at her.
It turned into shock when abuelita shoved la chancla further at the man and he fell off the bench.
"He wants no part of your music, mariachi. You keep away from him!"
Now you know why I never said anything.
The man scrambles to back up, grabbing his guitar and sombrero with a yelp and runs off. Abuelita puts her sandal back on.
"Aye, pobrecito! Oh, estás bien mijo." She smothers Miguel in a hug.
After kissing his head a couple times, she grabs his shoulders and pulls him back enough to see his face. Miguel is gasping from lack of oxygen.
"You know better than to be here in this place!"
Her face pinches in sternness, "You will come home, now!"
Miguel watches her walk off in despair. Tío Berto gives him a stern glare before following abuelita and Rosá turns on one leg, sends a mocking smirk, and turns again to follow as well.
Stupid Rosá. Of course, she doesn't get in trouble for being rude.
Miguel sighed. He slung the shoe shining kit's strap over his head but as he is leaving, he notices some flyers for the talent show.
Maybe I can sneak out to play. Or maybe I can convince Mamá or Papá to let me go watch?
When he sees no one from his family is looking, he grabs one and stuffs it in the kit. He takes off after them.
"How many times have we told you, the plaza is crawling with Mariachis!"
"Yes, Tío Berto." Miguel monotonously replied.
Maybe if you just let me be happy you wouldn't find me to be such a bother.
As they are walking, they passed by an old blue truck filled with cempasúchiles. Dánte, a stray dog that Miguel looks after, sees the family pass by.
"Arf!" He smiles and chases after Miguel. Dánte starts to run around Miguel. Miguel tries to shoo Dánte away.
Can today get any worse?
"No, no, no, no!" He tells him quietly.
"Hah! Go away! You, go!" Abuelita takes her sandal off again and starts swinging it at Dánte.
Dánte managed to dodge every swing, before running off into the nearest ally way.
"It's just Dánte!" Miguel tried to assure her.
It doesn't stop Abuelita from throwing her shoe after Dánte.
"Yelp!" The shoe hit its mark.
I hope he's okay.
"Never name a street dog! They'll follow you forever. Now, go get my shoe."