Chapter 23: Rats
17 years before Encanto
The townsfolk began to arrive to celebrate, gathering around Dolores, who smiled up at them as they showered her with attention and questions.
Pepa took Felix's hand and leaned into him. Life experience had taught Pepa's heart to go into a panic when people crowded around her like this. Felix gently kissed Pepa's face, whispering reassuring words to her as he slowly rubbed up and down her back. Pepa closed her eyes against him.
Seeing a cloud floating over their heads, Alma turned to Pepa.
"Clear skies, mija." Alma gently reminded her. "You don't want to make today hard for Dolores, hm?"
Pepa took a shaky breath, eyes still closed as she stroked her braid. Felix gave Alma a look, then waved at the cloud, wanting to spare his wife the pressure of having to do it herself.
Isabela noticed that Tía was upset, so she came over, vines lifting her gracefully up like a swing so she could look Pepa in the eyes. Felix smiled at the sight of their sobrina, gently encouraging Pepa to look.
"Hola, Tía." Isabela smiled from her swing.
Pepa peered out from Felix's embrace, and watery eyes meeting Isabela's.
"You look beautiful today." Isabela's voice was sweet and genuine. She held out closed hands for Pepa. "I have a present for you. Want to see?"
Pepa's expression softened as she nodded and leaned in. Isabela opened her hands and flowers appeared, the smells and colours soothing Pepa. Isabela put them into Tía's hands and Pepa brought them to her face, closing her eyes as she slowly breathed them in. Above her, the cloud disappeared.
"There you go, mi vida." Felix encouraged, kissing Pepa's head. "Aren't we lucky for our little angel."
"Very lucky." Pepa smiled, and Isabela glowed with pride.
Isabela loved feeling so special and helpful, and felt very protective of her Tía. While her own Mama was busy with work, Tía always had lots of time for Isabela.
Their gifts were linked, the rain and sunshine helping Isabela's plants to thrive, while the flowers calmed Pepa's storms and brought back the sun. Isabela loved spending time outside with her Tía, enjoying nature together.
Dolores watched her parents with Isabela, feeling very hopeful. It wasn't long now until she would be able to help her Mama like that too.
"Good luck today, Dolores." Maria Guzman smiled, one hand on her crutches and the other holding hands with her little son.
"We hope you like your gift." Mariano said in a confident voice.
He offered Dolores a hug and she took it, making a peeping sound as she did so.
"Are you excited?" Mariano asked and Dolores nodded quickly. He grinned. "That's good. I'm so happy for you."
Maria exhaled a little and Mariano noticed that her legs were starting to shake, so he took her hand again.
"Let's go sit down, Mami." Mariano suggested with a smile. "I can get you a hot drink."
"Thank you, mijo." Maria gave him a grateful smile as Mariano gently led her away. He glanced over his shoulder to Dolores.
"Good luck, Lola." He gave her a wave.
Dolores smiled and waved back.
Casita seemed excited that everyone had gathered to watch, it's tiles clattering and waving in excitement.
"Yes, Casita." Alma laughed, stroking the balcony railing as she watched the crowd below. "Now's your chance to be as dramatic as you like."
Casita bounced the railing to nudge Alma, and she grinned. It then made a big show of banging it's shutters like a drum, and rolled out tiles like a red carpet leading to the stairs, glowing door waiting at the top. Candle glowed in anticipation.
Little Dolores skipped out into the foyer and Casita turned lamps onto her like spotlights while everyone clapped and cheered.
Dolores grinned, looking out at the crowd and feeling very seen. Usually it was Isabela that got all the attention, but this time it was Dolores' turn to be special.
She saw her Abuelo and family from Papi's side all cheering and trilling for her in the crowd, holding out hands to clap as she passed them by.
Dolores giggled, a spring to her step as she high fived them all and reached the stairs. She saw Tio from Mami's side waiting there, he and his rats watching proudly.
"Go get 'em, kid." Bruno smiled, giving his niece a little fist bump while the rats squeaked from his shoulders.
Alma couldn't feel prouder as she held Candle, standing by the door and watching as their confident little girl make her way up the steps to get her magic.
She glanced proudly at Pepa, and as their eyes met Pepa's expression softened, a sentimental rainbow appearing over her head. Alma smiled at her daughter, then turned back to Dolores.
Alma knelt down, her face warm with love. "Are you ready to get your magic, mi vida?"
Dolores put hands to the candle and nodded, bright eyes glittering against the flame as she smiled back at Abuela.
"Come on, then." Alma chuckled, hand to her back as she led her over.
Dolores touched the handle and her door glowed. She stepped back to see an image of herself as an adult. Her face lit up into a big smile.
"She looks like your Mama." Pepa whispered to Felix, who nodded proudly, both of them admiring the picture.
Dolores looked down at her hands, attempting to make flowers, just in case.
The town erupted into applause, but something wasn't right. The sounds got louder and louder. Dolores gasped, then stumbled and fell.
Alma quickly caught Dolores in her arms, kneeling down to hold her granddaughter, while Dolores looked around in confusion and fear. The pain hit her head again and she peeped, covering her ears with her hands because her head was hurting from all the screaming sounds.
"What's happening to her?" Pepa's voice filled with worry as she and Felix rushed to their daughter's side.
"I don't know." Alma admitted, glancing at Candle, who flickered.
"Baby?" Pepa put both hands to Dolores cheeks, while her daughter trembled, tears streaming down her face as she held tight to her ears. "What is it?"
"My head." Dolores whispered. "It's hurting."
"Julieta!" Felix shouted to the crowd. "Come quick!"
At the sound of Papi's loud voice, Dolores sobbed, making a squealing sound in pain.
Julieta ran over, many of the townsfolk hurrying up the stairs with her, all clamouring and speaking over eachother in concern. Dolores gasped at the sounds of overlapping voices and footsteps.
It started to rain as Pepa panicked, clouds appearing and thundering.
Dolores took one look at the clouds and screamed, which only make Pepa thunder more.
"What is it?" Alma asked, her voice soft now.
"The storm." Dolores gasped, wincing at the thunder.
"Pepa." Alma turned to her daughter with pleading eyes, and Pepa broke into tears, wind spiralling and whistling fast through Casita. Felix hugged Pepa, stroking her face and whispering comforting words while she sobbed.
Julieta reached the top of the stairs, hurrying over to Dolores' side.
"Look at me."
Dolores turned at the sound of Tía's calm voice.
"You're okay." Julieta gave her a smile of encouragement. "Here." She gently slipped a hand under Dolores' head, the other bringing an arepa to her mouth. "This will help."
Dolores ate it, staring into Tia's kind eyes as she waited to feel better again.
"How do you feel?" Julieta checked.
Dolores took a shaky breath, slowly taking her hands off her ears to check, then immediately felt overwhelmed by sounds. The roar of whispers through the crowd, rain hitting tiles, donkeys braying and kicking outside, the river running in town, overlapping breathing and heartbeats all around her.
Dolores whimpered, putting hands over her ears again. She shook her head.
Thunder crashed again and Dolores screamed out in pain.
"Pepa, just stop!" Alma shouted, which only made Dolores cry more.
The clouds thundered again as Pepa sobbed, panicking for her daughter while Mama continued to shout at her.
Dolores hid against Julieta, hands pressed tight to her ears. Isabela came over and held onto her cousin like a lifeline. Dolores turned to Isabela with desperate eyes.
"Why doesn't Candle like me?" Dolores sobbed. "Why did it hurt me?"
Candle flickered next to them, it's light dimming in sadness and it's wax running. Casita shuffled it back and out of the way, tiles clacking in an attempt to reassure it.
"I'm sorry." Isabela gently stroked Dolores face, making flowers for her, but it didn't take away the hurt.
"Eat some more." Julieta encouraged, bringing another arepa to Dolores' mouth. "We're going to go inside your room, okay? Maybe there's something in there that'll help."
Alma nodded in approval as she saw Julieta pick up Dolores, opening the door for them as she and Isabela went inside.
Pepa tried to follow, cloud still thundering, but Dolores screamed in protest. Alma put a hand to the doorway, blocking her daughter.
"It's the clouds, Pepa." Alma told her. "You need to get rid of them first. You are hurting your daughter."
Pepa's face crumpled and her heart broke. She covered her mouth, head dropped in shame as dark clouds poured over her.
Felix and his family gathered around Pepa in the rain while she sobbed. Milo gently stroked her hair.
"I hurt our baby." Pepa's voice came out soft and broken, unable to look at him.
"Come on." Milo gently brought Pepa in for a hug, rubbing her back. "It's not your fault, hm? Not your fault. I don't know magic, but I do know one thing. You are a good girl, Pepa. And you did nothing wrong."
Pepa sobbed into his chest, fingers gripping his shirt as her body trembled under the rain.
"That's it." He encouraged, rubbing slow circles along Pepa's back. "You let it all out. Today was hard for you too, mija."
Alma saw Felix and his family watching her, their expressions making her feel guilty. Alma quickly pushed it down, her feelings of shame becoming defensive. The most important thing right now needed to be helping Dolores.
Alma closed the bedroom door, determined to protect her granddaughter, but also to escape the judgement. The moment the door closed, the room fell silent, the sounds from outside becoming muted by magic.
She headed over to the bed, where Julieta gently lay Dolores down, Isabela coming to the bedside with a worried expression.
Dolores sat up, seeming relieved by the silence. She slowly let go of her ears, looking around at her new room with curiosity.
She looked down at her hands, carefully rubbing fingers together and listening to the subtle sound it made. She ran a hand across her blanket, eyes quietly searching as she heard all the little fibres and bumps in the fabric.
Alma glanced at Julieta, who held a finger to her mouth. Alma nodded in agreement.
Few days later
Rain poured through Casita as Alma carried a plate of breakfast along the balcony. She glanced up at Candle, who sat on Alma's bedroom windowsill, flickering softly and dripping wax, almost as if it were crying. Casita shifted tiles, curtain slowly stroking Candle in an attempt to comfort it.
Alma entered Dolores room. Her granddaughter was softly playing her red guitar, but stopped as Alma entered, making a peep and turning with a smile. Nothing caught her by surprise anymore.
Alma brought the plate to Dolores' bedside table, putting it onto the towel they'd laid out next to a vase of Isabela's flowers. The towel muffled the sound of ceramic hitting wood.
Dolores put her guitar down, getting out her notepad and writing for Abuela. She held it up.
'Is it still storming?'
Alma nodded, and Dolores face fell. She wrote again.
'I miss Mami.'
Alma's expression softened. She reached for the notebook and Dolores passed it over, head in her hands as she waited. Alma held up her response.
'Try and go outside today? I can help you.'
Dolores made a peeping sound, then quickly shook her head.
Alma wrote again.
'We will try tomorrow. You need to learn to live like this.'
Dolores sighed in resignation.
The door opened, and Bruno entered. Dolores' face lit up into a smile.
With the exception of Pepa, everyone in family came to quietly visit Dolores throughout the day, though Alma could tell Tio was her favourite. He always knew how to make Dolores laugh, and was surprisingly good at communicating without speaking.
Bruno made a big show of tiptoeing in, then threw his arms out, striking a big dramatic pose, the rats on his shoulders doing the same.
Dolores giggled, covering her mouth to muffle the sound.
Bruno pulled out cards he had prepared, silently holding them up, one by one.
'Welcome to the morning rat show!'
Dolores bounced a little in excitement, while Alma hugged her close.
Bruno tossed the card over his shoulder, then took out the next.
'Today's episode proudly brought to you by Tio Bruno,'
He tossed it, then brought out the next card with a knowing smile.
'And Mami Pepa.'
Alma's expression softened and so did Dolores. Pepa helped write it?
'Your Mami wants you to know she misses you,'
He tossed the card,
'She loves you,'
Another card tossed.
'And she's sorry.'
Bruno smiled, holding up the last card. Dolores nodded, her lip trembling. A rat crawled over and kissed Dolores' cheek, then Bruno frowned and waved, pointing back to the stage he'd set up. The rat scurried over while Bruno wagged a finger at it, making Dolores laugh again.
The rats climbed up onto the stage and Bruno held up cards of written dialogue while the rats performed like a silent film. Dolores giggled at all the jokes and slapstick moments. Alma couldn't help but smile too, because she recognised her daughter's sense of humour in the way the dialogue had been written.
Once Bruno was finished, he and the rats gave a bow and blew kisses to Dolores and Alma as if they were addressing a large theatre crowd, then headed for the door.
Dolores leapt from Abuela's lap and ran after Tio, hugging him.
"Thank you." Dolores whispered. "Will you tell Mami I liked it?"
Bruno nodded, then exchanged a look of surprise with Alma, because it was the first time anyone had heard her speak in days.