Thank you so much for reading this small fic!
I dedicate it to Elletoria, and Rei Luna for helping me make this fic possible.
The Riveras practiced the performance at Frida's Warehouse every day after work. Papá Héctor seemed to remember all his songs except Un Poco Loco, Victoria thought as she watched her Mamá rehearse with him. Victoria sneakily looked at a page on the orchestra's stand, trying to read the notes on the page.
"Do you play any instrument?" Victoria turned toward the question.
"Still trying." She replied, "My husband loved Serge Gainsbourg.".
Her husband loved French music, they'd dance to Mon Manège À Moi at the dock, and humming La Javanaise in the kitchen.
"He composed lots of good songs." Gustavo replied, "Why don't you perform?".
"Because I played so splendidly that the audience gonna obviously run off the building." Victoria replied dryly.
"What about you sing? I can play.".
She didn't give him an answer, just walked away until the exhibition day. Gustavo performed the orchestral pieces, and then followed by her family after the 3rd hour.
Victoria looked at the stranded mic on the stage, and then the people that were looking at Frida's art. The theme of Frida's exhibition was "Memorias" both good, and bad, well cleared, and fading. She'd honor her forgotten husband then.
"J'avoue, j'en ai bavé, pas vous, Mon amour.
Avant d'avoir eu vent de vous, Mon amour."
She sang buoyantly as she heard running footsteps behind her, and then followed by a sound of Violín.
'Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson'
Gustavo joined her in the performing, and then Papá Héctor joined them on the stage with his strapped guitar.
'La vie ne vaut d'être vécue… Sans amour
Mais c'est vous qui l'avez voulu, Mon amour'
Julio took his place at the batería, and the twin blew the trumpets behind her, lamenting her grief along with her, supporting her. The people that were looking at Frida's art started to gather around the stage. The crowd should have sent her running, but she felt like she could take this… because she knows she's not alone. And with that, she'll end it here.
'Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson...'
The crowd clapped at the performance, and then they left the stage. Coco, and Julio held Victoria as she cried, still emotionally touched by everything. Héctor put the guitar away, and then Imelda pulled him into a hug.
"That was beautiful." Imelda said after they let go of each other.
"Thank you." He replied, "I know she still has a lot in her, but I hope singing it out helped.".
"It does." she reassured him.
"Héctor!" Frida called, "2 Minutes left, can you perform another song?".
"I'll go"
Everyone's jaws dropped at Imelda, some even had to literally pick it up from the floor. What would she sing? Héctor thought as he watched his wife grab a guitar, he hoped it's not about bad feelings that were caused by him, he already hurt her enough.
Imelda entered the stage along with the guitar, and took a seat on the stool in the middle. Testing the guitar sound one last time before she took a deep breath.
It's okay if our past can't be erase
Cause I had a great time with you.
I remember the old days
And I'm afraid cause I know I've fallen for you.
Victoria, Julio, Rosita, and the twins huddled behind the curtain to watch Imelda as Héctor carefully listened to every word she sang.
But it's okay, mi tonto
Because this time we're no longer alone.
I know this will be tough, but I'd rather face it all
Than just hiding behind the wall.
Imelda took a deep breath, and then turned to face him.
I wonder if I'm still worthy
After all that I did…
She turned away from him, and then looked down at the guitar she was strumming.
I need to be tough in the order to live,
But with our family I know I can be just me.
Héctor smiled at her love declaration, and the happiness she received from his love. They'd always have each other, and everything will be alright.
Estoy enamorada de ti.
Soy feliz de que tu también me ames a mí.
Estoy enamorada de ti.
Soy feliz de que tu también me ames a mí.
The song ended by the final strum, everyone still in tears as Imelda got up from the stool, and then walked toward the stairs. Héctor turned away from the stage, and then walked toward the edge of the building… staring at the horizon where the first ray of sunlight was peeking over.
Héctor wondered if that was the first time Imelda ever sang her love to him. She had opened up her most vulnerable confessions to him, and yet he felt something pulled him to come here. The place where the Final Death almost took him… the last place she… held him in her arms!
He felt a pair of arms wrapped around him, Imelda was hugging his back, looking at the dawn he was looking at.
"What color is the sky, mi amor?"
Imelda was worried when she didn't see him when she got off the stage, the worries faded away the moment she found him staring out at the purple sky that was turning red. Their familia remained silent as he stood at the spot he almost disappeared on Dia de los muertos.
That is forever the most horrible time in her death, and no doubt, for him too. If he'd remember those moments that happened here, it wasn't really a surprise, Imelda thought as she held him from behind, and whispered the first line of "Un Poco Loco".
Smiling at the sky that reminded her of his proposal, but instead, she felt him trembling in her arms, and then raindrops on her hands. Imelda immediately looked up at her husband, surprised by a sheen of dew in his eyes.
She turned him to look at her, and then held him gently, "Está bien… Está bien, mi amor.".
"I'm sorry." he sobbed violently, and then fell to his knees, "I'm so sorry.".
"It's ok, I'm here, mi amor." Imelda refused to let go of him, "I love you.".
She's not sure what he remembered, her best bet was his near final death, seeing how distraught he was. Coco knelt down to join the hug, and then followed by Victoria, Julio, Rosita, and the twin.
"We love you…"
"I love you guys too." Héctor sobbed in his familia's embrace.
"Let's go home, Papá." Coco wiped away his tears, and then the family helped him up.
"I'm sorry, Frida." Héctor turned to the artist who've been watching them with Diego.
"It's okay," Frida smiled back, "Vete a casa.".
The Riveras gathered their stuff as Héctor stared out at the morning sky with hope. Imelda walked to him after everyone was ready to leave.
"It's red," Héctor smiled at his wife, "You tell me that it's red, mi amor."
"I did," Imelda replied, "I'm in love with you, and I'm glad that you love me too.".
~ Rivera Hacienda, The Land of The Living.
Miguel returned home with Rosa, and the twin. All the adults were gathered in the living room, including his Mamá, and baby Coco.
"Is everything alright?" Miguel asked.
"This had arrived this morning," Enrique smiled, and moved away from the coffee table.
Miguel gasped, and dropped his backpack at the sight of the guitar case. They bought me a guitar! Miguel moved closer to the case, and then reached out his hand, opening the lid. The boy fell on his knee right at the sight of the white guitar… Papá Héctor's guitar.
He tried to bring it home, to where it belonged, but the police came to take it right after Mamá Coco's funeral. 'Ernesto might be proved a fraud, but this guitar is still a national treasure, it belongs to the museum.' The officer's words haunted him.
"They left a note, telling us to look behind the front velvet," Luisa mentioned as Miguel looked at the case lid.
It had a small slit line on the velvet, as if his great-great-grandfather tried to make a small pocket.
"They said there's a letter, so we think maybe Papá Héctor has something he wants you to say." Enrique smiled.
Miguel pulled a small letter out from the slit pocket. The paper was yellowed, and brittle, I'd probably need to put it in a frame after this, Miguel thought as he unfolded the paper.
Héctor,
I hope you like this one, the gold tooth calavera kinda reminds me of you. Coco, and the twin also helped me pay for this with their pocket money too when I planned to surprise you. So when you play it, I hope you know we love you, just like we know you love us when we hear you play. This guitar is our love for you, so don't leave us too long, claro? And don't you dare cry when you read this! Take care of yourself, and Never Forget How Much Your Family Loves You
Imelda.
~El Fin~