Mother!!!!" Miguel screamed, immediately dropping the knife and
running to her aid.
"Sh-sh-sh-sh." she whispered. "I don't want Gabriella to know. It's all right, sweetie!" she called into the bedroom. "I'm right here. Go back to sleep."
"Good night, mummy." the little girl said calmly, and no sound came from the room after that.
Miguel helped his mother into her walk into her room and put her to bed. "Who did this?..." he said, pure venom in his voice.
"No one that you should know of, Miguel... I'm sorry." Miguel was shocked at hearing this.
"Sorry? For what?"
"I'm sorry that you... and your sister... had to live in the life that I gave you.... It wasn't supposed to be this way."
"You're a wonderful mother, it's not your fault Father is dead. You are going to feel better, I promise. I'll make you breakfast in the morning too. You don't even have to get up!"
His mother smiled at the nine year old boy. "You are so much like your father was. Always caring about everyone but himself... It amazes me the way you turned out." She coughed a little and, after catching her breath, spoke again. "Have I ever told you about El Dorado?"
"No. What's that?" he climbed onto the bed as his mother put her arm around him.
"Well, when we were first married, your father told me about El Dorado. Legend says that it is the most beautiful city in the world. All the buildings and streets and even people jewelry are absolute pure gold. There are exotic animals, plants and people there... and they all live in peace and harmony."
Miguel smiled in wonderment as his mother told them this. "Someday, I going to go there!" he said, leaping off the bed and twirling around the room. "I'll be a sailor too, just like my father. I'll take you and Gabriella with me. We'll go to El Dorado, explore everything we see, make new friends, bring gold back here, live in a big big big house, and never have to worry about money again!"
His mother laughed. "Wow! It looks like you've got everything all figured out!"
Her smile faded a little. "Miguel, what I'm saying is... El Dorado may seem like heaven... but if you still remember the people that you love and have people who care about you... you're already there. And no matter what happens to me... just remember... that I will always love you..."
Miguel rushed back to her and hugged her. She smelled of perfume and flowers. He loved the way she smelled. Once when he was little, he poured the rest of her perfume in a bowl and mixed it with his favorite flowers from the garden and gave it to her. Although his father scolded him afterwards, she still took it and thanked him for it. Miguel started to feel a little ashamed about feeling embarrassed about what his mother did. But he knew that she loved both of her children with all of her heart, and that would never change.
"All right, young man. It is way past your bedtime. Go to bed this instant!" she said, grinning. Miguel jumped off the bed again and ran to the doorway. When he got there, he ran back and kissed his mother on the cheek.
"Good night, Mother."
"Good night, my little mandolin boy." He then went to his room and got into bed. He felt a little uneasy. Although his mother seemed to be all right, deep down he knew that something was wrong.
* * * * * *
"Miguel! Where's my milk?!" Gabriella said, waiting impatiently at the table with her eggs.
"Just a minute Gabby!" he said, frying the last of the eggs for his mother.
"Where's mommy, Miguel? I thought you said SHE was going to make breakfast today."
"Well, Mommy's not feeling well right now, so I'm making breakfast today. Here's your milk. And don't play with your food!" Gabriella stopped twirling her fingers in the yellow yolk, but started again when Miguel left the room with the tray of eggs.
"Knock knock! Room service. I made the eggs just the way you like 'them, Mother! POST!"
Miguel put the tray next to her on her bedside table and shook his mother's shoulder.
"Wake up, lazy! The eggs will make you feel better!"
His mother just laid there, eyes closed, eyes shut, but very pale.
"Mother?" He touched her cheek, which felt very cold. He jerked his hand back violently at the touch.
"Mother! MOTHER!!" he screamed in her ear. Nothing.
A horrible pain swept over Miguel. It felt as though someone had punched square in the stomach. He slowly sat on the ground and sobbed silently. He had never felt this bad since his father died. His throat felt as if it was slit open, and sobs racked his little body.
"Miguel?" came a little voice.
Miguel jerked his head up to see little Gabriella, holding her little Juany.
"What's the matter? Can I have Mom's eggs if she doesn't want them?"
"Sh-sh-sh-sh." she whispered. "I don't want Gabriella to know. It's all right, sweetie!" she called into the bedroom. "I'm right here. Go back to sleep."
"Good night, mummy." the little girl said calmly, and no sound came from the room after that.
Miguel helped his mother into her walk into her room and put her to bed. "Who did this?..." he said, pure venom in his voice.
"No one that you should know of, Miguel... I'm sorry." Miguel was shocked at hearing this.
"Sorry? For what?"
"I'm sorry that you... and your sister... had to live in the life that I gave you.... It wasn't supposed to be this way."
"You're a wonderful mother, it's not your fault Father is dead. You are going to feel better, I promise. I'll make you breakfast in the morning too. You don't even have to get up!"
His mother smiled at the nine year old boy. "You are so much like your father was. Always caring about everyone but himself... It amazes me the way you turned out." She coughed a little and, after catching her breath, spoke again. "Have I ever told you about El Dorado?"
"No. What's that?" he climbed onto the bed as his mother put her arm around him.
"Well, when we were first married, your father told me about El Dorado. Legend says that it is the most beautiful city in the world. All the buildings and streets and even people jewelry are absolute pure gold. There are exotic animals, plants and people there... and they all live in peace and harmony."
Miguel smiled in wonderment as his mother told them this. "Someday, I going to go there!" he said, leaping off the bed and twirling around the room. "I'll be a sailor too, just like my father. I'll take you and Gabriella with me. We'll go to El Dorado, explore everything we see, make new friends, bring gold back here, live in a big big big house, and never have to worry about money again!"
His mother laughed. "Wow! It looks like you've got everything all figured out!"
Her smile faded a little. "Miguel, what I'm saying is... El Dorado may seem like heaven... but if you still remember the people that you love and have people who care about you... you're already there. And no matter what happens to me... just remember... that I will always love you..."
Miguel rushed back to her and hugged her. She smelled of perfume and flowers. He loved the way she smelled. Once when he was little, he poured the rest of her perfume in a bowl and mixed it with his favorite flowers from the garden and gave it to her. Although his father scolded him afterwards, she still took it and thanked him for it. Miguel started to feel a little ashamed about feeling embarrassed about what his mother did. But he knew that she loved both of her children with all of her heart, and that would never change.
"All right, young man. It is way past your bedtime. Go to bed this instant!" she said, grinning. Miguel jumped off the bed again and ran to the doorway. When he got there, he ran back and kissed his mother on the cheek.
"Good night, Mother."
"Good night, my little mandolin boy." He then went to his room and got into bed. He felt a little uneasy. Although his mother seemed to be all right, deep down he knew that something was wrong.
* * * * * *
"Miguel! Where's my milk?!" Gabriella said, waiting impatiently at the table with her eggs.
"Just a minute Gabby!" he said, frying the last of the eggs for his mother.
"Where's mommy, Miguel? I thought you said SHE was going to make breakfast today."
"Well, Mommy's not feeling well right now, so I'm making breakfast today. Here's your milk. And don't play with your food!" Gabriella stopped twirling her fingers in the yellow yolk, but started again when Miguel left the room with the tray of eggs.
"Knock knock! Room service. I made the eggs just the way you like 'them, Mother! POST!"
Miguel put the tray next to her on her bedside table and shook his mother's shoulder.
"Wake up, lazy! The eggs will make you feel better!"
His mother just laid there, eyes closed, eyes shut, but very pale.
"Mother?" He touched her cheek, which felt very cold. He jerked his hand back violently at the touch.
"Mother! MOTHER!!" he screamed in her ear. Nothing.
A horrible pain swept over Miguel. It felt as though someone had punched square in the stomach. He slowly sat on the ground and sobbed silently. He had never felt this bad since his father died. His throat felt as if it was slit open, and sobs racked his little body.
"Miguel?" came a little voice.
Miguel jerked his head up to see little Gabriella, holding her little Juany.
"What's the matter? Can I have Mom's eggs if she doesn't want them?"
