Manolo and the Matador Part 4
Manolo had been taken to Maria's where his friends were trying to make sure he'd survive his stab wound. Near sunset, he awoke in agony and was extremely frightened when he didn't recognize the place he was in.
He looked to the right, and noticed Maria standing on her balcony, watching the fiery sphere settle down to sleep. Faintly hearing her voice, he listened.
"Please, let Manolo be okay; because if he dies now...then he'll never know."
"Know what?" he wondered
"Maria.." he weakly called.
"Manolo!"
She ran, and sat on the bed's edge. He was awake! Her cheer ended when she saw her best friend grasp at his wound where a towel was firmly wrapped.
"How much pain are you in?"
"It's like a Big Daddy bull rammed right into me."
"Don't worry; Joaquin already left to get you some medicine."
This news relieved him a little, but he was sure it wasn't going to save his life that was already fading. He may have woken disoriented, but he still remembered what exactly happened before the Paris poster taped to ceiling above him came into view. That's what solved it.
Maria had always wanted to visit Paris; so did he. When he was eight, he usually entertained the thought of taking her there for a special anniversary vacation. That's another thing that kept his chin up when he trained all those years...the dream of marrying her.
"Paris." he whispered.
"What?"
"Your poster. I remember you always mentioning what a beautiful place it'd be to visit."
"Yeah."
While she still stared at the poster, he took her hand and put it in his. She looked down at the sight she had only dreamed of, and blushed.
"Where's my dad?" he asked.
"Probably still at the stadium. I still can't fathom he'd run a blade right through you."
"Me neither. I thought we had settled everything; we shook hands, Maria! What's wrong with him?"
"Manolo, it's simple...he was telling you that, so he'd catch you blind sided."
Manolo looked away, from her. The recovering crack in his heart split open again. So much had happened in the last few months, it was just too overwhelming; the only thing now that'd reseal his heart was cement.
Yes, over the years he became just as rebellious as Maria and disobeyed his father on several occasions. But nothing he told his father would just penetrate his stubborn attitude and let him play with his guitar.
"You wanna be alone?"
"Sure."
After the door was closed, he allowed his tears to flow. He was gonna die, his father just tried to kill him, and his best friends will be alone once he's gone.
"Please help me." he said while staring towards the balcony.
"I will." a voice answered.
"Huh?"
He turned his head, and right next to him, Xibalba was standing next to the bedside.
"What if I told you, that you could die happy?"
"Wh-what do y-you mean?" Manolo coughed over the blood in his throat.
Xibalba vanished once again, and sent the Carmen illusion to the dying boy. He almost cried again when that beautiful, caring, woman appeared.
"Mama..."
"Hello, Mi hijo. I know how serious your wound is, and I promise you that I'll escort you into the Land of the Remembered myself, if you want to leave now."
H was in too much pain to wait any longer for Joaquin to return with the medicine; but he could stay a little longer to wait for one more thing.
"Can I say good-bye to my friends?"
"Of course."
At that moment, his friends ran in, and the illusion remained invisible to them, only Manolo could still see her plain as day.
"Manolo, good news! Joaquin just got back, and this'll help numb your pain without knocking you out."
"I don't need it."
"What to do you mean?"
" I'm going to die. There's no use in trying."
"No you won't! Just take this medicine to start the healing."
"Maria, I stopped healing three months ago when I was thrown out by my father."
Joaquin was slowly falling apart. He didn't want either of his childhood friends to die.
"C'mon Manny, your stronger than that. All you need is a little sleep."
"Forgive me, Amigo."
Both knew that he had given up; they just didn't want to accept this. If only Carlos would've been satisfied with a draw, than neither of them would've been harmed, and everybody would be sitting out on the porch, enjoying a delicious Mexican dinner made with love by the hands of Joaquin's mom.
Maria sat on the bedside once again. Manolo responded by reaching up and stroking the extra curls from her face. The whites of her eyes were being stained red by the newborn tears that escaped .
"No llores, honey." (Don't cry)
"What did you call me?"
"Te amo."
She cried even harder. He just said 'I love you.'
"I love you, too." she answered.
Her answer made him feel content. He then looked at Joaquin.
"Friends 'till the end." Manolo said.
"Friends 'till the end." Joaquin responded.
The room flooded with the tears of the three amigos.
"We're gonna miss you." said Joaquin.
Manolo then closed his eyes and left.
PART 5 COMING SOON