The Pain I tried to Hide
As Isabella and Mirabel were laughing playfully in the main room outside the casita, a loud booming voice was heard angrily growling over them. " What is going on?!" the two girls turned to see Alma walking in to notice colors and flowers, as well as plants of all different kinds covering the Casita and it confused her.
Mirabel immediately went up to her, hands out as though prepared to defend her sister despite everything she had said about her, despite everything she used to think. " Abuela, it's not what you think; it's okay... we can save the miracle, the magic!" she exclaimed happily.
Truth be told, Alma wanted to be happy she found the way to help her and the family... she wanted to, needed to tell Mirabel how she truly felt about her and yet she couldn't get past her stubbornness and perfectionist mindset. " What are you talking about? Look at our home, look at your sister!"
Mirabel kept trying to explain what was really happening, and Alma was still too stubborn to listen; little did she realize it was about to be her biggest mistake if she didn't control herself. " No, look she needed me to do this, and the candle burned brighter... the cracks faded; I don't need a gift to save us... it's more than that!"
Before she contain herself, Alma exploded. " You have to stop this, Mirabel!" she screamed as Mirabel and Isabella froze; none of them had ever heard Alma raise her voice like that ( but secretly, it even shocked Abuela herself) yet, in her stubbornness, she continued her tirade despite the voice in her head warning her to stop while she was able.
" The cracks started with you, Bruno left because of you" ( No what are you doing?!) she thought deep in her mind... she knew she was doing the wrong thing deep down. " Luisa's losing her powers, Isabella's out of control because of YOU; I don't know why you don't have a gift, but it is not an excuse to hurt this family!"
Then Alma froze in horror. Wait... Did I just say that? Tell me I didn't just say that! She took one look at her granddaughter, the one she used to encourage... the one she called " a wonder" and glanced in shock; unfortunately, it was too late.
Mirabel glanced down in deep hurt, and confusion as Alma stood frozen in fear unsure of what to do. " I will never... be good enough for you." she said with such pain in her voice that it caused even Alma to quiver slightly. " It doesn't matter what I try, does it!"
" Wait, Mirabel I didn't-" Alma said in a panicking tone no one had ever heard before as she tried to step closer to her; now, Mirabel slapped her hand away. " Was this all I ever was to you, Abuela... just some failure?!" she cried.
" Mirabel, I-" Alma said her lip starting to tremble as Mirabel pushed her away with such force that even the Casita itself rumbled. " I was never good enough for you, and it didn't matter what I did!"
" All I ever wanted; in fact, all any of us ever wanted was to be loved and accepted as we are, but that wasn't enough for you was it?" Mirabel snapped with such anger that she didn't even realize how angry she was. Alma glanced towards her family, then away in fear, and shame as Mirabel continued.
" Luisa isn't strong enough for you, Isa isn't perfect enough for you... Tio Bruno left the family because everyone else, including you saw only the worst in him when all he was trying to do was help the home and town!"
Alma tried to stay clam, but everything ( including her family) was falling apart around her. " If Bruno cared, why wouldn't he have shared what he saw?"
" Because I would be seen as being just as worse in your eyes, what part of that don't you get?!" Mirabel said, now screaming in pain and anger. " You don't care about me, Abuela and ever since I didn't receive a gift you looked at me as nothing!"
" Mirabel, that's not true!" Alma said in an almost pleading voice.
" Really? When was the last time you said you were proud of me... when was the last time you hugged me... when since had you ever said you loved me?!" Mirabel shouted out, her voice on the verge of breaking as Alma glanced back in horror finally realizing how much damage she caused.
" Mirabel-" Alma tried to say only to have her push past her and run out of the house. " Mirabel, wait!" Alma cried as the house began to shake: it was happening... the very fate she was afraid of was unfolding before her eyes, all because she cast Mirabel away.
Mirabel turned to notice this, and ran back to the courtyard of the Casita; she had to get that candle! " Casita, help me up there!" she cried as the rails turned into a ladder which she quickly climbed onto; Isabella immediately summoned one of her flowery vines and tried to swing but the door faded, and with it her gift, sending sprawling to the ground.
Camilo tried to follow suit, but his disguises faded just as he jumped; Alma watched with horror as the entire room began to collapse onto itself. What had she done... how did she let it get so far out of hand?
The animals in Antonio's room ran as quick as they could out of the door just as it collapsed on itself as the scared five-year-old was retrieved by Felix, who was rushing towards the exit. " Antonio, come on; we gotta get out of here!" he shouted.
Julietta and Agustin were pushed further away from the house, both reaching their hands out to their daughter. " Mirabel!, Mirabel!" Julietta cried hoping her daughter had heard her as Agustin followed quickly in sequence.
" Mirabel, you have to get out!" he yelled trying in vain to get her attention as they were pushed out of the doorway. Bruno saw the walls crumbling inside his hideout and quickly placed the metal bucket on his head while grabbing the rat and banging it against the wall with a yell, falling onto the ground just a few feet from the house.
After making sure he was okay, Mirabel climbed onward full of determination; she would either get the candle, or die trying! Just then, everyone noticed Alma stagger forward and try to force herself to run. Julietta tried to follow only to be pushed back. " No, Julietta stay with your husband!"
" Mama, you can't possibly get to her in time!" Julietta cried.
" I won't let my age slow me down, Julietta... this has gone on for far too long, and I cannot let her suffer for it!" Alma said bravely, her eyes filled with a determination no one had ever seen before.
" Mama, no don't!" Julietta cried as Alma briskly rushed as fast as she could back to the crumbling house where she saw Mirabel just above her, trying to reach for the candle. " Mirabel, leave it be... get off of there!" Alma cried.
" I can't Abuela, if you lose the candle, you lose everything you worked for; this is my only chance to make you proud!" Mirabel said determined as tears filled her eyes.
Alma tapped the crumbling wall of Casita, and climbed up the railing the same way Mirabel had though her pace was a little slower due to her age. " Mirabel, I would rather lose this house than lose anyone else in my family... especially you."
Mirabel turned to her abuela in surprise and shock as Alma gently took her hand. " Please Mirabel... don't risk your life because of me; Pedro wouldn't want it that way, and nor does anyone else."
To say she was shocked would be an understatement: she was flabbergasted that her abuela, the very person who accused her of being the problem was so adamant about her safety over the fate of her miracle... it was then she started to realize, and see her Abuela, the real Abuela who wasn't so afraid of losing what she was given.
Just then, the top of Bruno's tower crumbled off the house, and came straight towards her seconds before she could react, but Abuela Alma threw herself over Mirabel ( despite her age) as the roof tiles slid them off and onto the ground; the two huddled together with Alma wrapping her in a protective that was noticed by everyone outside ( even Bruno) as if losing her would mean losing her life!
As things seemed bleak, some of the furniture, and the two broken doors came above them as though they were shielding them from the falling debris like survivors hiding from a tornado and within seconds, the house was gone... but both of them were alive and unharmed one holding her youngest granddaughter tightly, while the other had her head buried in her shoulder as though waiting to face her end.
As the doors fell, Alma released Mirabel looking her over in hopes she was not injured too greatly ( not only because Julietta wouldn't be able to heal her like she once could, but in true hopes she was okay). Mirabel could only look up in shock at Abuela who had her tight in her arms as though she was five years old again. "Abuela... you... you nearly..." Mirabel gasped unable to complete her thought.
" It doesn't matter Mirabel... what does, is that you're safe." Alma said in a quiet and remorseful voice Mirabel had never heard her speak in.
Mirabel stood up, and gazed in horror at the remains of the broken house, tears coming from her eyes. " No... No..." she whispered as Alma gently hugged her close; she was exhausted enough that she simply submitted to it as Julietta ran up to them. " Mirabel!" she called stopping herself as she saw her mother and daughter embracing.
" Mama?" she gasped both in relief and shock at what she was seeing as Alma walked to embrace her daughter. " I am so sorry Julietta... I don't blame you if you can't forgive me." she whispered remorseful as Mirabel sat on the stone ground, head in her hands.
Immediately breaking away, Alma slowly and carefully approached her granddaughter hoping not to frighten her. " Mirabel..." she whispered gently as she looked up to see Abuela gazing at her not in anger, but instead, with compassion and concern.
" Abuela... I'm... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt us." Mirabel said in a tiny, broken voice no one had ever heard before as Alma hugged Mirabel close. " No Mirabel, this is not your fault... it's mine; every bit of it... I was just too blind to see it."
" I'm not the woman I used to be... I thought things would be so much more simple back then." she explained as Mirabel looked up in surprise; she had never heard this before. " You mean... back when you met, Abuelo?"
Alma nodded solemnly, and gently extended a hand to her youngest granddaughter. " Come with me... there's a story I have long been keeping from you."