It had been days since Miguel had even seen a town,
or for that matter, EATEN. He had offered Gabby the rest of the food that
was in the cart, leaving him nothing. Instead of riding on the mule, he
walked next to it, figuring that way his stomach wouldn't hurt as much. It
was also very hot and the sun blazed throughout the day. Miguel's skin had
roasted into a blistering red and it often stung to the touch. His eyes
were blurring because of the pain. He found that he couldn't really
function much longer. Suddenly.....
"Miguel, look! I see a city! A big one!" Gabriella squealed with delight.
Miguel walked over to Gabriella to see in her point of view. Sure enough, through the trees, was a large city. Miguel suddenly felt much better. The knot in his stomach seemed to shrink and his skin felt much cooler.
"We made it!" he cried out, scaring the poor mule half to death with the unexpected loud noise.
"Is this were we're going to stay, Miguel?" Gabriella asked, with a big smile on her face.
"Yes. But first: Let's go eat!"
* * * * * *
Miguel walked through the streets, looking at everything around him. The houses were tanned with red tiles, men were drinking tequila and wine at the local pubs, and children were running everywhere, either playing marbles or watching numerous cock fights. He then spotted the market place in a wide, crowded street. Everywhere people were screaming at each other, trying to sell jewelry, eggs, vegetables, fruits, candy, fish, clothing, livestock, toys, and all other kinds of merchandise.
As he walked along, he spotted a man selling bread. He looked about fifty and was very tall with a long nose and wavy black hair. He was a little round, but he seemed to be harmless. Miguel and Gabriella walked over to the booth, their mouths watering from the sweet smells of rolls and churros.
"Excuse me sir, may we please buy a loaf of bread?"
The man looked at them for a second, then smiled. "You two are from England, eh?"
Miguel was a little taken aback at this comment from someone he had never known. "Why yes. It's because of our accents, huh?"
The man chuckled. "Yeah. I like English people. They seem to be so proper about everything, which is exactly opposite of how Spanish people are." He then started to laugh heartily, as if he had just told the funniest joke ever.
Miguel gave a small smile, not knowing how to react.
When the man stopped laughing, he picked out a nice loaf of bread and handed it to them. Miguel then walked to the back of the cart and looked for the bag of money Lily gave him the day he left. He looked all around the cart, turning things over, rummaging through all the blankets. Nothing.
"The robbers." he said, feeling tears well up in his eyes. The knot returned to his stomach, but now he seemed to feel like someone dropped a hundred pound sack on him.
Miguel looked up at the man and tried to tell him he had no money. "I- " was all he could manage. He ended up with a small squeak in his throat. Then, once again, his vision began to blur. Everything was moving so fast and it seemed to be getting hotter by the second. He swayed a little on his feet and fell to his knees.
"Hey! Are you OK, kid?" the man asked, although he seemed to miles away. Before he could answer, the swirling stopped, everything went black, and he fell. The last thing he heard was the loud BUMP! he made when his head his the cobblestone ground, and he was out.
----------------------------------------
Miguel woke up with a horrible pain in his stomach and his head. He winced as he touched the large bump on his forehead. As he opened his eyes, the sunlight made him feel worse. His stomach would not stop churning either. Finally, he couldn't hold it in much longer. He sat up, crawled to the other side of the cart, and retched violently onto the ground. Since he had not eaten, it tasted of only stomach acid, and his throat burned as it came up.
"Wait a minute," he thought. "Why am I in the cart? Wasn't I on the ground?" He looked over to see the baker steering the little mule, with Gabriella by his side.
The baker looked behind him and smiled at him. "Well, I see you've woken up. I hope you don't mind me driving your cart, but I'm just taking you two to my house to fix yall up."
Miguel felt very uneasy by this. "That's okay sir, you-" As Miguel tried to sit up again, he felt a sudden urge of nausea and had to lay down again.
The man quirked an eyebrow at him. " Ha! You, my son, are not fit to go off by yourself again. Look at you. You look like you haven't eaten in days and you can barely even sit up!"
Miguel thought of this for a moment. True, he was very sick, and both he and Gabby needed a shelter. "Okay sir, we'll stay. But only for a while. Oh, and about the bread. I'm sorry, but-"
"Oh forget about that measly bread already! When we get to my home, you kids are going to have a real home cooked meal! And we'll get you some medicine for that horrible sunburn too."
Miguel still was reluctant, but his stomach and skin were screaming "YES YES YES!" Besides, he seemed nice enough........
* * * * * *
About an hour later, they reached the baker's house. It was small, but it seemed very homey, with red tiles and a rather large garden in the back. There was also a barn, and Miguel could hear chickens, horses and cows making all sorts of noise inside.
As they pulled up to the house, a women stepped through the door. She was thin and short, with long wavy black hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked about 35, but she was very pretty.
"Marcel, who are your little friends?" she asked, peering curiously at the unfamiliar children. "Rosie, this is Gabriella and Miguel and they are from England. Miguel here was very sick so I took them home."
Rosie put on a look of sympathy as she came to Miguel. "Oh, you poor boy. Have you eaten? You're so skinny!"
Miguel stared at her weakly, too tired to say anything.
"Rosie, help them inside while I put this mule in the barn." Rosie picked up Miguel in her arms and went inside, with Gabriela at her heels.
The house had a sweet smell of cinnamon and honey, and it was very noisy. There was five children running around, but they stopped to look at their mother holding a strange blond headed boy.
"Mama, who's that?"
"This is Miguel and he is very sick, so would you kids please do me a favor and be quiet little mice while I tend to him?"
The four littlest children left, but the oldest stayed. He was a tall, 12 year old boy, with the same wavy black hair as his father's tied up into a small ponytail in the back. He had his mother's blue eyes and thin features, and his father's long nose.
"Where did he come from?" the boy asked.
"Your father said he came from England. Poor boy, he must have traveled so far."
Miguel opened his eyes again to see he was inside. The darkness felt good against his skin. "Where am I?"
"Your in Madrid." said the boy.
"Madrid? Where's that?"
"Right smack dab in the middle of Spain." the boy said. Then he started to laugh. "You talk funny!"
"You watch your mouth, Tulio!" Rosie snapped. "Why don't you take Gabriella into the other room and introduce her to your brothers and sisters?"
Tulio sighed. "Okay. Come on you." Gabriella walked after him, with a smile adoring smile on her face, and held his hand. Tulio stared at her weirdly, but walked in to the other room and closed the door.
Rosie started to rub a foul smelling lotion on Miguel's legs, arms and face. He wrinkled his nose at the sour, rotten milk smell it had. "I know it smells Miguel, but it will soothe the burning." When she finished with the lotion, she walked into the kitchen and came back with a tray of soup, bread, cheese and milk. At first she had to feed him because he was so weak, but after he had a little food in him, he could sit upright and feed himself. When he was done, he lay back down on the bed and sighed contently. "Thank you, ma'am."
Rosie smiled. "What a polite little boy you are. Maybe you could teach my kids how to be like that. Well, I hope you feel better, sweetie." And with that, she left and brought some food into the other room for the rest of the children.
* * * * * *
Miguel drifted off into a deep sleep. But it was full of dark dreams of dead people. He saw his father staggering in the streets with his throat slit open and eyes bulging. He saw his mother pale and ghostly lying in bed, with cold feelings all around her. And he saw Carlos in the river, covered in blood and his tooth missing. Then he saw himself, drenched in blood. He tried to wipe it away, but it just stayed where it was, as if it hadn't been touched. Then he heard a thousand voices, unearthly voices, laughing at him. He screamed for them to stop, but they just grew louder and louder.
"STOP!! STOP!! GO AWAY!! LEAVE ME ALONE!! NO!! STOP!!"
Then he felt someone shaking him. He opened his eyes, and saw Tulio standing over him.
"What's wrong," he asked, "Are you okay?"
"Miguel, look! I see a city! A big one!" Gabriella squealed with delight.
Miguel walked over to Gabriella to see in her point of view. Sure enough, through the trees, was a large city. Miguel suddenly felt much better. The knot in his stomach seemed to shrink and his skin felt much cooler.
"We made it!" he cried out, scaring the poor mule half to death with the unexpected loud noise.
"Is this were we're going to stay, Miguel?" Gabriella asked, with a big smile on her face.
"Yes. But first: Let's go eat!"
* * * * * *
Miguel walked through the streets, looking at everything around him. The houses were tanned with red tiles, men were drinking tequila and wine at the local pubs, and children were running everywhere, either playing marbles or watching numerous cock fights. He then spotted the market place in a wide, crowded street. Everywhere people were screaming at each other, trying to sell jewelry, eggs, vegetables, fruits, candy, fish, clothing, livestock, toys, and all other kinds of merchandise.
As he walked along, he spotted a man selling bread. He looked about fifty and was very tall with a long nose and wavy black hair. He was a little round, but he seemed to be harmless. Miguel and Gabriella walked over to the booth, their mouths watering from the sweet smells of rolls and churros.
"Excuse me sir, may we please buy a loaf of bread?"
The man looked at them for a second, then smiled. "You two are from England, eh?"
Miguel was a little taken aback at this comment from someone he had never known. "Why yes. It's because of our accents, huh?"
The man chuckled. "Yeah. I like English people. They seem to be so proper about everything, which is exactly opposite of how Spanish people are." He then started to laugh heartily, as if he had just told the funniest joke ever.
Miguel gave a small smile, not knowing how to react.
When the man stopped laughing, he picked out a nice loaf of bread and handed it to them. Miguel then walked to the back of the cart and looked for the bag of money Lily gave him the day he left. He looked all around the cart, turning things over, rummaging through all the blankets. Nothing.
"The robbers." he said, feeling tears well up in his eyes. The knot returned to his stomach, but now he seemed to feel like someone dropped a hundred pound sack on him.
Miguel looked up at the man and tried to tell him he had no money. "I- " was all he could manage. He ended up with a small squeak in his throat. Then, once again, his vision began to blur. Everything was moving so fast and it seemed to be getting hotter by the second. He swayed a little on his feet and fell to his knees.
"Hey! Are you OK, kid?" the man asked, although he seemed to miles away. Before he could answer, the swirling stopped, everything went black, and he fell. The last thing he heard was the loud BUMP! he made when his head his the cobblestone ground, and he was out.
----------------------------------------
Miguel woke up with a horrible pain in his stomach and his head. He winced as he touched the large bump on his forehead. As he opened his eyes, the sunlight made him feel worse. His stomach would not stop churning either. Finally, he couldn't hold it in much longer. He sat up, crawled to the other side of the cart, and retched violently onto the ground. Since he had not eaten, it tasted of only stomach acid, and his throat burned as it came up.
"Wait a minute," he thought. "Why am I in the cart? Wasn't I on the ground?" He looked over to see the baker steering the little mule, with Gabriella by his side.
The baker looked behind him and smiled at him. "Well, I see you've woken up. I hope you don't mind me driving your cart, but I'm just taking you two to my house to fix yall up."
Miguel felt very uneasy by this. "That's okay sir, you-" As Miguel tried to sit up again, he felt a sudden urge of nausea and had to lay down again.
The man quirked an eyebrow at him. " Ha! You, my son, are not fit to go off by yourself again. Look at you. You look like you haven't eaten in days and you can barely even sit up!"
Miguel thought of this for a moment. True, he was very sick, and both he and Gabby needed a shelter. "Okay sir, we'll stay. But only for a while. Oh, and about the bread. I'm sorry, but-"
"Oh forget about that measly bread already! When we get to my home, you kids are going to have a real home cooked meal! And we'll get you some medicine for that horrible sunburn too."
Miguel still was reluctant, but his stomach and skin were screaming "YES YES YES!" Besides, he seemed nice enough........
* * * * * *
About an hour later, they reached the baker's house. It was small, but it seemed very homey, with red tiles and a rather large garden in the back. There was also a barn, and Miguel could hear chickens, horses and cows making all sorts of noise inside.
As they pulled up to the house, a women stepped through the door. She was thin and short, with long wavy black hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked about 35, but she was very pretty.
"Marcel, who are your little friends?" she asked, peering curiously at the unfamiliar children. "Rosie, this is Gabriella and Miguel and they are from England. Miguel here was very sick so I took them home."
Rosie put on a look of sympathy as she came to Miguel. "Oh, you poor boy. Have you eaten? You're so skinny!"
Miguel stared at her weakly, too tired to say anything.
"Rosie, help them inside while I put this mule in the barn." Rosie picked up Miguel in her arms and went inside, with Gabriela at her heels.
The house had a sweet smell of cinnamon and honey, and it was very noisy. There was five children running around, but they stopped to look at their mother holding a strange blond headed boy.
"Mama, who's that?"
"This is Miguel and he is very sick, so would you kids please do me a favor and be quiet little mice while I tend to him?"
The four littlest children left, but the oldest stayed. He was a tall, 12 year old boy, with the same wavy black hair as his father's tied up into a small ponytail in the back. He had his mother's blue eyes and thin features, and his father's long nose.
"Where did he come from?" the boy asked.
"Your father said he came from England. Poor boy, he must have traveled so far."
Miguel opened his eyes again to see he was inside. The darkness felt good against his skin. "Where am I?"
"Your in Madrid." said the boy.
"Madrid? Where's that?"
"Right smack dab in the middle of Spain." the boy said. Then he started to laugh. "You talk funny!"
"You watch your mouth, Tulio!" Rosie snapped. "Why don't you take Gabriella into the other room and introduce her to your brothers and sisters?"
Tulio sighed. "Okay. Come on you." Gabriella walked after him, with a smile adoring smile on her face, and held his hand. Tulio stared at her weirdly, but walked in to the other room and closed the door.
Rosie started to rub a foul smelling lotion on Miguel's legs, arms and face. He wrinkled his nose at the sour, rotten milk smell it had. "I know it smells Miguel, but it will soothe the burning." When she finished with the lotion, she walked into the kitchen and came back with a tray of soup, bread, cheese and milk. At first she had to feed him because he was so weak, but after he had a little food in him, he could sit upright and feed himself. When he was done, he lay back down on the bed and sighed contently. "Thank you, ma'am."
Rosie smiled. "What a polite little boy you are. Maybe you could teach my kids how to be like that. Well, I hope you feel better, sweetie." And with that, she left and brought some food into the other room for the rest of the children.
* * * * * *
Miguel drifted off into a deep sleep. But it was full of dark dreams of dead people. He saw his father staggering in the streets with his throat slit open and eyes bulging. He saw his mother pale and ghostly lying in bed, with cold feelings all around her. And he saw Carlos in the river, covered in blood and his tooth missing. Then he saw himself, drenched in blood. He tried to wipe it away, but it just stayed where it was, as if it hadn't been touched. Then he heard a thousand voices, unearthly voices, laughing at him. He screamed for them to stop, but they just grew louder and louder.
"STOP!! STOP!! GO AWAY!! LEAVE ME ALONE!! NO!! STOP!!"
Then he felt someone shaking him. He opened his eyes, and saw Tulio standing over him.
"What's wrong," he asked, "Are you okay?"
