Blast
Hello everyone! For those of you reading my stuff for the first time, welcome! And for those of you just joining me, welcome back! This one-shot idea has been on my mind for a while and I figured I'd get it out there! It takes place shortly after Miguel runs away at the beginning of the movie.
As always, feel free to read and enjoy!
The whole family stared after Enrique in shock, unable to believe what had just happened. It had started out somewhat innocently, but after a shocking argument that resulted in a broken guitar and Miguel running off, no one knew what to do.
"What. Did. You. Do." Enrique said in angry but controlled voice directed at his mamá, who was looking increasingly upset as her gaze floated towards the entrance of the hacienda. Like it or not, Elena Rivera had painted herself into a corner.
"Enrique, I…" Elena said, desperately trying to apologize. But Enrique wouldn't hear it, he was way too angry.
"Music ban or no music ban, you had no right to do that, Mamá," Enrique said, spitting out every word. "Gracias a ti, Miguel has run off and we have to try and find him."
Not wanting to wait for a reply, Enrique turned to face the rest of the shell-shocked family, "We need to spread out and look for Miguel. Check anywhere that you think he might go. I can check near the cemetery and Mariachi Plaza. Berto can you check with the neighbors?"
Luisa stood, saying, "I'm coming with you, Enrique. We can check with mis padres and see if they have seen him."
Enrique wanted to protest, Luisa being heavily pregnant, but his wife held firm. "I'm not weak and made of glass, Enrique. Our son is out there because we didn't listen to him. It's equally my fault as it is the rest of the family's. And we have to find him."
Giving his wife a quick hug, Enrique went back to the family and everyone spread out immediately to search. Elena remained by the entrance, dazed as she picked up a broken guitar string from the ground, twirling it between her fingers. Whether the matriarch wanted to admit it or not, Enrique was right. This was on her and her alone.
"Por Díos," Elena prayed. "Bring Miguel home safe."
As Enrique and Luisa entered the cemetery, people were busy visiting their loved ones' gravesites, leaving flowers and pictures, even food. Just the thought of it made Enrique's mouth water, but there was no time to dwell on that. Miguel was more important than a mere pan dulce.
"Miguel?" Enrique called out for the thousandth time that evening. "Come home! Where are you Miguel?"
Luisa looked almost desperate as she walked around, calling out her son's name as she felt her little baby kick inside her. It was almost as if the baby was looking for Miguel too, feeling her mother's worry.
Noticing a commotion over by the de la Cruz mausoleum, the two frantic parents hurried over, curious. The windows were open and people were flooding into the open doors. Going over to the door, Enrique gasped as he saw the caretaker of the crypt place the guitar back in its rightful place.
"Ay, niños today," the caretaker said to the crowd. "No respect for the dead! And who put all those petals there?"
Enrique, in shock, headed back out to the main cemetery as Luisa called out Miguel's name with a hint of desperation. Things were looking bleaker by the minute.
"Miguel, por favor!" Luisa yelled, clearly on the verge of tears. "Come home!"
By that point, multiple neighbors had come to assist the Riveras in the search, including Luisa's mamá Fátima and the Quesadas, the Rivera's next-door neighbors.
"Any luck, Enrique?" Guy Quesada called out as he peered into de la Cruz's crypt.
"No, Guy, we haven't found him yet," Enrique answered. "It's been nearly three hours, and no one's seen him."
At those words, Luisa's knees buckled, causing her mamá and Enrique to rush over to her. "Mamá Fátima, can you take Luisa back to your place?" Enrique asked his mother-in-law, despite Luisa's protests. "It's possible that Miguel headed for your house."
As his mother-in-law nodded, both mother and daughter headed back towards the house. Meanwhile, Enrique headed for the hacienda, determined to find his son.
The house had been in a frenzy as the family frantically searched for Miguel, looking everywhere he could possibly be. Gloria looked like she had been crying as Franco comforted her, clearly feeling guilty about what she had said to Miguel.
"Mamá headed out to the Plaza," Franco told his son. "She said she just couldn't sit around and wait. But I told her that I'll look after Mamá Coco. I don't think we should alarm her."
Leaving a brief message for Luisa in case she came back to the house, Enrique turned around and headed back out, straight for the Plaza
By the time Enrique arrived at the Plaza, it was quiet with the exception of two mariachis who were tearing into Elena Rivera like never before. And unbelievably, she was silent, taking it all in. These two mariachis knew Miguel well, knowing of his love of music and seeing him running around asking musicians for a guitar to borrow for the talent contest.
"BE IT ON YOUR HEAD, DOÑA, IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MIGUEL!" the first one yelled angrily.
"I don't blame Miguel for wanting to get away from YOU!" the second one said icily. "Tú y tu estúpida prohibición de la música!*"
Torn between wanting to stand up for his mamá but also wanting to prevent a fight involving chanclas, Enrique rushed over, yelling. "Basta!" as he maneuvered Elena away from the mariachis and back to the main hacienda.
"I'm still very angry with you, Mamá," Enrique said sharply. "But we can talk about this at another time. Right now, our priority is finding Miguel and bringing him home."
Elena nodded, knowing that saying anything about the ban and respecting Mamá Imelda's wishes concerning that musico would be ill-timed. Besides, as the mariachis told her for the 10th time that evening, it was her fault that Miguel ran off.
By the time the clock struck 4 AM, it was very clear that Miguel was nowhere to be found. Despite police being on the lookout, no one slept that night. Abel had volunteered to drive out to México City but his papá shot that idea down.
"Será como buscar una aguja en un pajar*," Berto said. "Plus, I don't really see Miguel going as far as México City. Not at night."
With the younger Riveras already in bed, the adults (minus Elena and Coco) stayed up, wanting to wait as long as possible for Miguel.
"The groundskeeper did say that he saw some petals on the floor, Enrique," Luisa said as she touched her pregnant belly. "And someone else swore that they saw Miguel vanish into thin air. And he's been gone for almost 8 hours now."
"So where in the world is he?" Berto asked. "He's got to be somewhere! People don't just vanish like that!"
Shaking his head, Franco said, "I don't care where Miguel is as long as he's safe and cared for. Music ban or not, we were way too hard on him and we need to listen to what he wants, not what we want for him."
As everyone decided to go and get some sleep, with the exception of Berto and Abel who volunteered to wait outside by the entrance to the Plaza in case Miguel came back, Luisa simply looked up at the impending sunrise.
"Por favor, Mamá Imelda," she murmured. "Watch over our boy and keep him safe."
Translations
*You and your stupid music ban
*It'll be like looking for a needle in a haystack