Chapter 10: True Family
At the Sunrise Spectacular, Frida Kahlo's opening dance act was just starting. The dancers emerged from the papaya, and some of the dancers snuck backstage. Those dancers were really, Miguel, Gabby, and their family members in disguised.
"Good luck, nino." said Frida to Miguel. "Gracias, Frida." said Miguel. In an empty room, everyone took off the costumes, and went over the plan. "So everyone remember what to do?" asked Mama Imelda.
"Find De La Cruz." said Tia Victoria. "Get Hector's photo." said Papa Julio. "And send Miguel and Gabby home." said Esperanza. "Everybody have their magnolia petals?" asked Mama Imelda. All the skeletons held up a petal.
"Then let's go." said Hector. They left the room, and looked around for De La Cruz. "We don't even know where De La Cruz." said Mama Imelda. "Someone say my name?" asked a voice. She looked in front of her, and saw De La Cruz.
"Don't I know you?" he asked her. Mama Imelda took off her shoe, and whacked him in the head. "That's for killing my one true love!" she shouted. "Que?" asked De La Cruz, as he put his head on right.
"She means me. Wait I'm your one true love?" said Hector. "I don't know. I'm still angry at you." said Mama Imelda. The others appeared, and tried to tackle De La Cruz. "Guards!" he yelled as he ran.
Security guards in black outfits came and tried to get rid of them, but they fought back. Mama Imelda whacked some of them with her shoe, Tio Oscar used Tio Felipe's arms as nunchucks to fight off the guards.
Dante and Carina bit some of them, and when Gabby got surrounded by a few of them. She impressed Miguel by showing off some of her good karate moves (thx 2 gr8white8395 for that suggestion).
"Gabby." he just said. "Mi Papa and Mama had me take karate lessons when I was a younger." she answered. "That's my granddaughter." said Esperanza. Mama Imelda managed to get the picture, but when she did she realized she was standing on De La Cruz's rising platform.
It went up, and took her onto the stage. Everyone was looking at her confused, and Mama Imelda looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Miguel, Hector, Gabby, and Esperanza hurried onto the side of the stage.
"Sing, Mama Imelda, sing." whispered Miguel. Mama Imelda gulped, and slowly started to she sang, Miguel gave Hector the guitar, and he began playing. Mama Imelda was enjoying herself, until De La Cruz and his guards came into sight.
She slowly kept singing as she quickly tried to make her way down the platform, and over to the other side. De La Cruz grabbed her by the arm, and tried to get the picture, but they fought over it, which to the audience looked like dancing.
Mama Imelda managed to stomp on his foot, which caused him to let go of her. She hurried over to Miguel and Hector, and gave Miguel the photo. "Now Miguel, I give you my blessing to go home and..." said Mama Imelda as the petal started to glow.
"I know, not play music." said Miguel. But Mama Imelda said something entirely different. "Never forget how much your family loves you." she said. "And Gabby, I give you my blessing to go home, and keep being the wonderful girl you are." said Esperanza as her petal glowed.
But just as the two were about to take the petals, De La Cruz pushed Esperanza and Imelda out of the way, and grabbed the kids. "Imelda." said Hector, going over to her. He put the kids over his shoulders, Carina fell out of Gabby's bag.
He ran over to the edge. Their families hurried towards him. "Don't come any closer!" De La Cruz yelled. "Leave them alone, Ernesto. They're just kids." said Hector. "They're a liability!" De La Cruz shot back.
"They're living children." said Esperanza. "They'll ruin everything." said De La Cruz. Getting an idea Tia Victoria and Tia Rosita used some camera equipment to film De La Cruz, and broadcast it on the screens on stage.
"So what if I stole your songs? They made me a real musician." Said De La Cruz. "Hector's the real musician." Said Miguel. "You're nothing but no good stealing murderer." Added Gabby.
And with that he threw the two off the edge. "So what? Now I have an audience waiting for me." Said De La Cruz leaving them. He went on stage and tried to sing, but everyone booed and threw food at him, and called him a murderer.
As Gabby and Miguel fell, they held onto each other. Dante tried to pull them both up, but he couldn't. Luckily Pepita caught them both, but Hector's picture fell out of Miguel's hand. When they got back up to the ledge, Carina ran into Gabby's arm, and licked her face.
Miguel saw that Hector was starting to fade. He hurried over to him. "Hector, your photo I lost it." he cried. "It's...okay, mijo." Hector said quietly. Then everyone noticed the sun was starting to rise, and Miguel and Gabby were looking more like skeletons.
"We have to go now, Miguel." said Gabby. "But I promised." said Miguel, starting to cry. "Go Miguel, you have our blessing, no conditions." said Mama Imelda. "Me too, Gabby." said Esperanza. "I'll make sure she remembers. I promise." Said Miguel.
Mama Imelda and Esperanza gave the kids the petals and in a flash they were both back in the Land of the Living in De La Cruz's mausoleum. "What time is it?" Asked Miguel. Gabby pulled out her cell phone and checked the time.
"5:30." She said. "I have to make sure my Mama Coco remembers Héctor." Said Miguel grabbing the guitar. "And I have to get home. Good luck." Said Gabby. The two hurried out of the cemetery and hurried home.
When Gabby got to her mansion she snuck in and luckily her family was still asleep. She and Carina scurried up to her bedroom and quietly closed the door. She threw off her clothes, and changed into her pajamas.
Then she crawled into bed, and Carina snuggled up beside her, and they both fell asleep.
Miguel hurried back to his house, and as he did his family members who'd fallen asleep on benches woke up, and saw him. When he got back into his family's ground, he tried to get to Mama Coco's room.
But his Abuelita got in front of him. "Where have you been?" she asked. "I need to see Mama Coco, por favor." said Miguel desperately, trying to get by, but Abuelita kept blocking him. "What are you doing with that?" asked Abuelita when she saw the guitar.
She tried to grab it, but Miguel dodged her went into Mama Coco's room, and locked the door. Mama Coco was just sitting there in her wheelchair with a blank expression on wheelchair with a blank expression on her face.
"Mama Coco, your papa I saw him. Do you remember him, your papa?" He asked. But she didn't say anything. Then he picked up the guitar. "He used to play music for you on this. Remember?" He asked.
But it was to no avail. Then Enrique unlocked the door and the Riveras came in. "What are you doing to this poor woman?" Asked Abuelita going over to her mother. Miguel began tearing up he couldn't make her remember Héctor.
"Miguel apologize to your Mama Coco." Said Abuelita. He was about to then he saw the guitar and remembered the last song Héctor sang to her. "Mama Coco your papa would've wanted you to hear this." Said Miguel.
He picked up the guitar and sat down next to her. Quietly he strummed the guitar and started singing Remember Me. At first Abuelita tried to stop him, but Enrique held her back when they saw what was happening.
Mama Coco had perked up, and started singing along with Miguel. When he finished she smiled. "Mi Papa used to sing that to me." She said. Miguel smiled. "He really loves you Mama Coco."
Still smiling she opened her drawer and pulled out some envelopes. "I kept the letters he sent me when he was away. Poems, songs, and telling me how much he loved and missed me and Mama." She explained.
The whole family couldn't believe what they were hearing. They thought Mama Coco's father just got up and left the family, but he stayed in touch with them all along. "I even saved this." said Mama Coco, giving Miguel a small piece of paper.
Miguel took it, and saw that it was the ripped piece of the full picture, Hector's face! The family was delighted, Mama Coco had perked up, and they finally knew the truth about their family.
Back in the Land of the Dead, it looked like Hector was just about to fade away. The others were looking sad, waiting for him to go, when suddenly, he stopped glowing orange. "What's happening?" asked Papa Julio.
Hector slowly sat up, and held his head. "Hector, esta bien?" asked Mama Imelda. "(Groans), I think so. What happened, one minute I'm feeling weak and tired, and the next I feel better than ever." said Hector.
"Miguel." said Tia Victoria. "He must've made Mama Coco remember you." added Tia Rosita. "He does keep his promise." said Hector, smiling.
That's chapter 10, plz review, and thx guest reader diana for the suggestion.