While Héctor was preparing for his upcoming concert, there were people in Santa Cecilia who had joined the Santa Cecilia Community Choir. The choir gathered together at the church for their first rehearsal.
"All right, everybody!" the choir director, Patricia announced. "We have newcomers who joined us to sing for the upcoming annual Santa Cecilia music festival! Welcome Abel, Rosa, and Miguel Rivera!"
The rest of the choir gave a round of applause.
"Wow, it's such an honor to be here!" Miguel bowed. "A dream come true!"
"Yes, yes, yes," Patricia nodded, having heard it a million time before from all her students. She hands each Rivera child their music. "Miguel, you sing in the alto section, Rosa you're soprano II, and Abel, you sing with the tenors."
After the Rivera children sat in their assigned sections, Patricia gave another speech.
"As I have told you before, we are going to sing at the upcoming musical festival, and our song will be a tribute to Santa Cecilia."
Thirty minutes of warmups and singing later, it was time for a ten minute break. This was when singers help themselves to snacks from the snack table and socialize with each other.
Abel was not sure who to socialize with, because everybody was talking to one another. Then he sees a girl about his age, sitting by herself. She was looking through one of the songs that they had been practicing.
He took a seat beside her.
"Hola."
The girl turned to him. The first thing Abel noticed were her bright blue eyes.
"Hola, you must be Abel. Mucho gusto!"
"Likewise," Abel said shyly. "Come the llamas?"
"Me llamo Flora."
"That's a pretty name!"
"Gracias!" Flora blushed. "So how did you find out about our choir?"
Abel wondered if he should tell her the long story or the short version. Well, maybe not the whole story-who wants to hear the ancient music ban and his primo's trip to the Land of the Dead and how he brought music back to Mama Coco. It's not like she'd believed him anyway. So he decided to skip to what happened this afternoon.
"Well, it all started this afternoon when I saw...,"
Abel saw the poster that the choir was looking for new singers. His eyes sparkled and he grabbed e flier off the community bulletin board. He made a mental note to ask his parents permission if he could join. And maybe let Miguel and Rosa join, too.
When he arrived at Rosa and Miguel's school, Santa Cecilia prep school, he found only Rosa.
"Where's Miguel?"
"I don't know," Rosa shrugged. "Usually he meets me at the front entrance, at this time."
"Let's find him at his last class," Abel suggested. "He was in a free period right?"
They went inside the school, and searched for Miguel.
"There he is!" Rosa spotted him. Their primo was in a conversation with that familiar teenager.
"No, Chino, I told you already! I don't want to go to the Ernesto De La Cruz club!"
"Aw come on, Miguel! It will be fun!"
Rosa and Abel scowled. Why was this boy bothering their primo?
"Hey, leave my primo alone!" Rosa said, as she marched up to Chino. She poked a finger in his chest. "He said he doesn't want to go to your club, so beat it!"
"You're right," Chino smoked, lecherously. "How about you come over to the club meeting, Señorita? I can show you my manhood!"
Disgusted, Abel rolled his eyes. Seriously, what is with this dude? First, he bothers his cousin. Now he's bugging his sister, too?
"Hey! Back off you little Gollum!" He snapped, approaching the boy. "Neither my sister or my cousin are going to your geeky club! They have a previous engagement!"
"Oh yeah, Fatso?" Chino taunted. "What club, the no music club?"
Remembering the flyer quickly, Abel pulled it out of his pocket. "Yes, it is the Santa Cecilia Community choir! Remember guys, we have a rehearsal today!" He winked at his family, hoping that they got the message.
"Oh yes, Abel!" Miguel said, catching on. "How could I forget?"
"Yes, thank you for reminding us!" Rosa added.
Miguel turned to Chino. "Lo siento Chino but looks like I really can't go to the Ernesto club after all!"
"And by the way Chino," Rosa smirked. "You are a creep and I wouldn't date you!"
As the Rivera children dashed, Chino was left alone, seething. This isn't working! He thought. I need a new plan on delivering Miguel to Hilda and Ernesto without actually killing him! But how? I'll ask Hilda at today's meeting.
"Gracias for saving me, primos," Miguel sighed with relief.
"Hey, that's what family's for!" Abel smiles, shrugging.
"So tell me about this choir! They're looking for new singers!?" Miguel asked, smiling. He looked as excited as Abel.
"You bet they are!" Abel winked. "Now that the music ban is over, we can sing at the music festival!"
"I don't know, guys," Rosa frowned, wringing her hands. "We haven't sung before and don't we have to audition first?"
"Nah, the flyer says everyone of all experience is welcome," Abel answered. "No auditions."
"... And that's how it happened!" Abel finished.
Flora frowned. It seemed to her that they didn't care about music.
"So you guys signed up so Miguel wouldn't have to attend the other club?"
"Not exactly!" Abel said quickly, not wanting Flora to get the wrong idea. "That guy always wants Miguel to come, whether he wanted to or not. I signed us up for choir so he'd have an excuse for not going to that club. Besides, Miguel has always loved music."
"What about you and Rosa?"
"For us, it was a newfound interest. Embarrassing, I know!"
"Not at all!" Flora assured him. "It's great to meet new talent!"
Then, break ended and everybody resumed the singing lesson.
When the Rivera children came home, they told the news to the rest of the family.
"You joined a choir?" Luisa asked, happily. "That's amazing!"
"I'm so proud of you, kids!" Tia Carmen hugged them.
Berto and Enrique joined the group hug.
"Wow, you joined a choir," Elena said, rolling her eyes, as she worked on making shoes. "How exciting."
"Elena!" Franco said, shocked that his wife would react like that. "What's wrong with them being in a choir?"
"Nada, nada at all!" Elena said, trying to flick him off. She turned her focus back on her leather.
"Senora Patricia said family gets to see the concert for free instead of the usual $15 dollars tickets," Miguel explained. "So would you guys like to come and see us?"
"Of course, mijo!" Enrique answered, happily. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"I'll come too!" Berto said.
"Yo tambien!" Gloria chirped.
Franco, Carmen also decided to come as well. Manny and Benny asked if they could come too, which Camren said yes, much to their joy.
"Mama, you'll come, right?" Miguel asked.
"Yes, I'll come," Luisa alas. "But when is festival concert?"
"Oh, it's in a few months! May 15th."
"Okay, I should have your sister by then."
"No, no Luisa!" Abuelita chided. "It's not good for a woman to do any rigorous activities, after pregnancy! Think how exhausted you'll be!"
"Oh Elena, I will only be sitting and watching my son sing-nada mucho."
"I still advise you to stay home!"
"Mama!" Enrique spoke up quickly. He didn't want his mama to start a fight with anyone in the family. "Why don't you come with us
and see your grandchildren sing?"
"No, I will not!"
Everybody groaned.
"But Abuelita, it will be fun!" Miguel protested. "This will be our concert ever!"
"The whole town will be there!" Rosa added. "There's going to be dancing and singing, churros, tres leches cake, games, prizes-"
"Did we mention tres leches cake?" Abel piped up. He and Miguel have a sweet tooth for their favorite cake.
"Cake or no cake, I am not going!" Abuelita snapped. She turned to leave.
"But mama!" Enrique pleaded.
"Mira," Abuelita showed her family her infamous angry look. "You all can go out and enjoy the festival but I will not be going at all!"
Before either Miguel, Enrique or Franco could say anything, Abuelita silenced them. "This conversation is over!" Then she opened the door, went outside, and shut it. Every body was silent. Not one Rivera breathes a word.
"...So no cake?" Abel asked.
Where was Mama Coco when this discussion took place? Well, Mama Coco had been taking her siesta. When she had awaken, her great-grand children told her about the choir. Unlike Elena, Coco was thrilled that they are doing something musical.
"Ah yes, I remember the Santa Cecilia music festival!" she reminisced. "Did you know that my Papa played in the music festival?"
"No manches!" her children exclaimed.
"Oh yes, Mama and I used to watch him play his guitar and sing at the festival. His voice was like magic. People adored him-more than Tio Ernesto. I also remembered watching him and Mama dancing together. It was like magic!"
"Sounds you had wonderful memories of it, Abuelita," Enrique commented. "Would you like to come with us and hear Rosa and the boys sing at the festival?"
"Oh yes!" Mama Coco exclaimed. "That would be fantastico!"
"Oh gracias Mama Coco!" Miguel thanked her buy hugging her. Abel and Rosa followed suit. "I wish Abuelita would come, too."
"Yeah, she didn't react so well," Rosa agreed.
"Even with the music ban uplifted, she still acts cold toward music!" Abel added.
"Give Elena time, children," Mama Coco assured them. "Don't forget, she grew up hating music."
"So did I, and I am open to it," Enrique said.
"And don't forget us, as well!" Berto and Gloria nodded.
"Yes, but none of you were under my Mama's eye like your Mama and Tia Victoria were," Coco reminded them.
"But what was she upset about music the most?" Miguel questioned.
His bisabuela's gentle face showed sad eyes.
"Oh, it was because music broke my legs."
The rest of the family blinked in confusion. "Aside from you Miguelito, I was a rebel!" The family gasped. They never knew that someone else other than Miguel, had rebelled the old music ban. "I never liked the music ban that Mam forced upon me. To keep my father's memory alive and because I love music so much, I always sneak to the plaza and dance to music. That's how I met your Papa Julio! One day, I danced a bit too wild. While I was doing a dance number inside the gazebo, I tripped, fell, and broke my leg!"
The family winced in pain, at the thought of a broken foot.
I was taken to the hospital and my mama was really sore at me! Julio and the girls were so upset when they heard what happens, that I apologized and promised to stop dancing!"
"Wow, that's so sad!" Miguel whispered.
"Yes, it was."
"Is that why Mama was so cold towards music?" Berto asked.
"Yes, I think she took it hard the most because she was closer to me than Victoria." She shook her head of those sad memories. "But the point is, give Elena time. She will open up to music, eventually."
What the family didn't know was that Elena had been listening to them from another room. She sighed. Why can't she open up to music like the rest of the family? Will she overcome that terrible memory of her mom's dancing accident? Time will tell, all she needed was to slowly introduce herself to music in small steps.