One can say that I have stumbled over a childhood memory in the form of Don Diego de la Vega aka Zorro. It's really damn great. This entered my head so I made a story out of it.
Like everyone else Don Alejandro de la Vega had shown up to witness the death of El Zorro. It was an event he did not really enjoy, in fact nearly nobody present enjoyed the fact that Zorro had been captured and would be hanged in a matter of minutes. Most people here were there to witness the death of a man who had saved them countless times.
Sergeant Garcia, who had always chased the outlaw eagerly was not at all joyous over the capturing of the man. First of all it had not been him who had captured Zorro and the truth was that the Sergeant owned Zorro his life, more than once even.
People had been protesting, demanding amnesty for their savior. Don Alejandro had not done the same, knowing that it was useless. Like he had predicted the people got nowhere, soon an armed battalion of soldiers had surrounded the crowd with loaded weapons, on a discrete distance, but the crowd knew that if someone protested more people would die.
El Zorro, in his turn had been uncharacteristically quiet. Normally he always had a word of polite scorn to spare for the Magistrado and his men, not today. Did he sense that his end was nearing? Perhaps, yet that had never made him go silent before. Don Alejandro hoped that the man was making up a plan, a plan to escape.
Capitan Toledano had however made sure that no such thing was possible. In fact, the object of Zorro's death had already been laid around his neck by a very somber Sergeant Garcia. Looking around Don Alejandro was certain that less than half a dozen of people were actually glad to see Zorro on the gallows. The capitan was not among them, although the man was an outlaw not even the capitan, commandante of Los Angeles, could deny that Zorro had done a lot of good for the pueblo's people.
As the capitan read the charges Don Alejandro looked around. Wouldn't someone aid the man? Did he not have an accomplice? Did he not have yet another bright plan? Don Alejandro caught himself wishing that they had caught an imposter, but everyone present knew that they hadn't. The black stallion was bound close by, for everyone to see, but too far away to be freed.
Don Alejandro felt his heart clench as the capitan fell silent. The capitan and the sergeant exchanged a glance and sergeant Garcia took of his hat. "Capitan, should we not remove his mask first?" The Sergeants tone was careful, as if he was afraid to be scolded for his suggestion.
The capitan did not scold him. He turned to the man in black on the gallows. "Would you prefer to die as yourself?" capitan Toledano asked the man, his tone of compassion sincere.
The masked man shook his head. "No, Zorro is who I truly am. I want to die as the man I am, not the man people think I am." With those words he raised his head a little higher, became a little more certain. Don Alejandro sighed, the outlaw had accepted his fate.
That the capitan had been able to get El Zorro on the gallows was based on one thing only. He had not wasted time, no delays, no time for Zorro to make up a plan. The capitan was not one for shows, but for results, and that would be what in the end would cause Zorro to loose his life.
Capitan Toledano made the final gesture, ordering Sergeant Garcia to pull the lever and end the life of the infamous but beloved fox. "Perhaps he has some final words", Sergeant Garcia said, twisting the hat in his hands nervously.
"In fact I do", Zorro said, before the capitan could answer, "after I've said them don't hesitate to pull the lever, Sergeant, there are few people at who's hand I'd rather die than yours." The masked man smiled reassuringly at the somber soldier. Then he turned towards the capitan. "My final words are mostly for you, capitan", Zorro said, taking the capitan by surprise. "You are the most just and loyal commandante this pueblo has seen for a long time. Please, my dying wish, do not get corrupted like so many before you. I want to be sure I leave Los Angeles in good hands."
Most people present bowed their heads. El Zorro truly was their savior, protecting them from the corrupt and cruel. Don Alejandro didn't know on who it was hardest, on the people to watch their hero die or on Zorro who could no longer protect the people he clearly cared about. Where the hell was Diego, he too owed Zorro a lot, why wasn't he here?
Then Zorro looked out over the crowd. "To one of you, I'm sorry I lied, the one I mean will know in due time who he is. To all of you, thank you." Zorro bowed as far as he could with the noose around his neck. "That is all I have to say."
"Sergeant", the capitan ordered and to everybody's surprise he removed his hat too, a sign of respect to the dead. The sergeant threw the masked man a look and whispered, "I'm sorry." Then he pulled the lever. For a moment Don Alejandro hoped the had made a mistake in constructing the gallows, but it functioned just fine and in a second El Zorro was no more.
"Honor his wish", was the last thing the capitan said, "no one is to remove his mask until time shows who was Zorro."
Don Alejandro sighed once again deeply. The woman cried and their men embraced them in comfort as they with somber expressions looked at their fallen hero. Don Alejandro saw no point in remaining, he decided to go home and tell his son what he had missed. Not even Diego could remain indifferent to the events of the morning.
Arriving at the hacienda he first entered the library where he had expected to find his son. Diego wasn't there. He searched some more parts of the house, not finding his son anywhere. Eventually he knocked on the door to Diego's room. It was opened by a very distressed Bernardo.
"Diego?" Don Alejandro asked, trying to get the question across using his hands. Clearly Bernardo understood and he shook his head. Did Bernardo try to tell him Diego wasn't there? Nonsense, where else could he be? A little harshly he pushed Bernardo aside and entered his son's room, expecting to find him asleep, but the bed was made. It looked as if no one had slept on it at all last night.
Bernardo tapped him on the shoulder to call his attention. He made a sweeping gesture through the air, creating a Z. It was a question, Bernardo wanted to know what had happened to Zorro. "He was hanged", Don Alejandro said and tried to show what he said. To his surprise however Bernardo did not need for him to make anything clear. The moment he had spoken the words the eyes of the servant went wide and his expression was horrified.
Don Alejandro was at loss, had the servant that was supposed to be deaf just reacted on his words. Bernardo sat down on the bed, his expression horrified. He made another Z in the air and mimicked a man being hanged. Don Alejandro nodded to confirm it. Bernardo shook his head and then, to Don Alejandro's great surprise, started to cry.
Don Alejandro's wonder increased. A little awkwardly he patted the mute on the shoulder. Yes, the women had wept over the death of the masked hero and the men had certainly not been happy, but to react this strong. Not even the women had.
Don Alejandro expressed his wonder using a creative amount of gestures. Bernardo was however to devastated to even pay attention. Eventually Don Alejandro shook him to attention and repeated his gestures. Bernardo wiped his eyes and stood up, took a book and pretended to read it, then took the guitar and pretended to play.
He was mimicking Diego, Don Alejandro understood. But why was that related to Zorro's death? Then, after having mimicked Diego Bernardo made another Z in the air. Don Alejandro shook his head, he didn't understand. Or perhaps he did, but did not want to understand.
Bernardo pretended to read some more, then made a fencing move. Then he pretended to play thee guitar and fenced again. He mimicked Diego and then Zorro, again and again and again, desperately trying to make Don Alejandro understand. The ranchero just kept shaking his head. He understood, it was crazy, simply insane, but he understood. He just wished he didn't.
"Bernardo, just tell me, is Diego Zorro?" he asked and made half an attempt to show what he meant with gestures but Bernardo already nodded. "You're not deaf", he stated. Bernardo nodded again and had the decency to hang his head in shame. "It was all a scheme", Don Alejandro said and vaguely noticed that his hands were shaking. "You only pretended to be deaf and Diego only pretended to be a pacifist. My son, my son is Zorro." He went silent for half a minute, then he looked up at Bernardo. "Was Zorro. He's dead. They hanged him and I was there watching."
Bernardo nodded and wiped away his tears, though it was no use, new ones replaced them instantly. He patted Don Alejandro on the shoulder to show his support and his own grief.
Things were slowly starting to connect in Don Alejandro's head, behind the shock of finding out that his son was Zorro and that it thus meant that his only son was dead there were a whole lot of different questions and realizations that arose. He turned to Bernardo, the only one still able to answer the questions. "Are you really mute?"
Bernardo nodded.
"And you knew from the beginning that my son was Zorro?" he asked.
Bernardo nodded again.
"So all the pacifism, all the cowardly running away, it was all an act to cover that he was Zorro. The only one standing between the commandante and the people … Diego. I was so disappointed, but I should have been proud, proud of having him as my son."
Bernardo kept nodding.
"I have to get my son of the gallows", Don Alejandro said suddenly and jumped to action. "Bernardo, for the time being it is best if you keep pretending to be deaf, for your own sake. Take a cart and have it ready, I'll change clothes and then the two of us are going to get Diego of those gallows. He deserves a proper funeral."
Bernardo hurried out of the room to do as he was ordered, still wiping away his tears. Don Alejandro was also about to leave the room when he stopped to look around. He had always thought that this room saw little else then a poet, philosopher and musician, but the truth was that these walls had hidden a hero. The room would be empty for the remainder of his life, Don Alejandro realized and it saddened him deeply. The pueblo might have lost a hero today, the hacienda a worthy heir but he had lost a son. He had lost the one single thing that meant most to him.
He did not have time to change, he spend a few minutes in the empty room that eerily accurately described the void in his heart. He hurried down to where Bernardo had put the cart to wait for him. Bernardo noticed the fact that Don Alejandro had not changed clothes, but he did not bring it up, not wanting to hurt the pride of the caballero.
With high speed they set of for the pueblo. The mood there was gloomy due to the events of the morning, but no one was quite as affected of the events as Don Alejandro and Bernardo. Bernardo had to wipe away threatening tears more than once. Don Alejandro kept his expression under close control, making sure none of his emotions showed, only his pride kept him from bending beneath the loss.
Arriving on the plaza he instructed Bernardo to drive all the way towards the gallows. Next to it stood sergeant Garcia who had received instructions to make sure that nobody could claim the body until they could tell beforehand who it was they were claiming. Don Alejandro ignored the soldier and attempted to walk up the gallows.
"Don Alejandro!" Sergeant Garcia called out, "you can't go up there. Capitan's orders, no one is to remove Zorro from the gallows until time tells who he is."
Don Alejandro took a deep breath to calm himself then he turned towards the sergeant with burning eyes. "I don't care what the capitan says, I have the right to claim the body of my son."
Sergeant Garcia looked highly disturbed for three seconds, then his expression changed to an uncomfortable smile. "But Don Alejandro, I is not Diego who has been hanged, it is Zorro."
If sergeant Garcia had ever feared Don Alejandro it was nothing to how he felt now. It looked as if the ranchero would kill him then and there for his remark. Nothing did however have time to happen since the capitan had seen the little exchange between the two. "What is going on here?" he asked and came to stand next to Bernardo.
"I am here to claim the body of my son, commandante", Don Alejandro said, straightening his back further. He looked capitan Toledano in the eyes as he spoke the words, he would not be ashamed over the deeds of his son, on the contrary.
"Diego de la Vega?" the capitan said incredulous, "he can't be …" The capitan looked at the somewhat eery figure hanging from the noose.
"One would have thought so, but it is true", Don Alejandro said, "Bernardo has confirmed it for me. He was in on it."
The capitan looked at the clearly grief-stricken servant, then at Don Alejandro and lastly at the dead man hanging from the gallows. Then he sighed. "I hope you are wrong, Don Alejandro, for your sake. I do not wish to cause you pain."
"It's the people that are hurt by this death, not me. They needed him more than I did", Don Alejandro said with clenched jaw. He was still not sure what he wished, if Diego wasn't Zorro he would still be alive, but at the same time it filled him with pride that it had been his son who had saved the people of Los Angeles.
The capitan sighed. "Let's have a look." He and Don Alejandro walked up the gallows together. The people on the plaza had started to notice the little scene at the gallows and stopped to watch. They still wanted to know who their savior was.
"Go ahead", the capitan offered and made a gesture towards the hanging man. Don Alejandro vaguely noticed that his fingers shook as he untied the mask. He hesitated a second before removing the mask.
The face underneath it looked remarkably peaceful for a hanged man. Don Alejandro knew it wouldn't last, a person that hanged too long was not a pretty sight. It was however not that what went through his head when he saw the face. Zorro without his mask was an odd sight, vulnerable somehow. That was not what concerned Don Alejandro either. The only thing that did concern him was that underneath the mask was the face of Don Diego de la Vega, his son.
"That can't be", the sergeant proclaimed, "Don Diego always gave me advice on how to capture Zorro."
"Did you ever succeed?" the capitan asked, almost scornful.
The sergeant opened his mouth for a quick reply when he realized that he indeed never had. He fell silent. Then, taking his hat of again, he spoke with a saddened voice. "But he told me it was okay."
"He kept his dignity until his last moment. I'm very proud of him", Don Alejandro said, still keeping his appearance under close control.
"Even though it is against my principles to be proud of an outlaw. I think you have every right to be proud of your son, señor", the capitan confessed, "I've never come across a bandit quite like him."
"El Zorro wasn't a bandit!" someone among the crowd called out, "he was a hero!"
"That's precisely what I mean", capitan Toledano sighed and put a hand on Don Alejandro's shoulder. "I give you the right to claim his body."
With Bernardo's help Don Alejandro got Diego down from the gallows and put him on the cart. Don Alejandro and the capitan exchanged a couple more words before Don Alejandro jumped on the cart. Bernardo was just about to drive off when sergeant Garcia called for them to stop. "Zorro's sword, I think he can have it now, right capitan?"
Capitan Toledano just nodded. There was no point in keeping it now anymore, he knew that there would have been a large deal of commandates that would have kept it to boost their own ego, but he felt no need for that. He felt a certain respect for the outlaw, if one read about the things he had done in the rapports, it was always saving the innocent from cruelty and making miraculous escapes. Don Diego de la Vega had been just and skilled.
"Thank you", Don Alejandro said and bowed his head.
"He really fooled us all", the capitan sighed and looked upon the face of the dead man. "El Zorro, I would have never guessed. It is quite amazing."
"It's not amazing at all", Don Alejandro said darkly. "It means I have never really known my son." Then he told Bernardo to go as he reevaluated his previous question, having found the answer. It was no longer a question on it being hardest on Zorro or the people, it was hardest on him, Don Alejandro. Zorro could no longer protect his people, the people had lost a hero, but he had lost a son.
Well, I know this wasn't the cheeriest of things, but I hope you enjoyed.
Do leave a review, pretty please.