Miguel stared up at Tulio, absolutely drenched in sweat.
His heart was throbbing and he was so hot that he was gasping for air.
"Where am I?!?!" he asked, forgetting where he was. "Who are you, where's Gabriella?!?!"
Tulio looked at him strangely. "Do you remember anything?" he asked.
"I don't know," he answered. "I remember the baker in the street, then I blacked out, and there was a women smearing stuff all over me. The rest is just a blur." He looked up at Tulio and squinted. "I think I remember you too. But I didn't get your name."
Tulio smiled. "Well then allow me to introduce myself." He stood up and made a pose each time he said one of his names. "My name is Tulio... Rodrigo... Dela Rosa... Saldovar!!!"
Miguel couldn't help but laugh at the boy's vain. "It's nice to meet you. My name is-"
"Miguel! I already know. Are you from England? Which part?"
"Reading." he replied.
"Where are your parents? Did you get lost in the market or something?"
Miguel's smile faded and he lowered his head. "They're dead."
Tulio winced a little from guilt. "Sorry...." He decided to change the subject.
"If you're from England, why do you and your sister have Spanish names?"
"Well, my father was a Spanish sailor, and he married my mother, who lived in England." Miguel sighed. "He was a great man. I remember we used to go to the beach and go fishing before he went to the docks. He played the mandolin to me when it was time for bed. I even learned how to play after he died." Just then, he realized something. "MY FATHER'S MANDOLIN!!!!!" He had forgotten all about it during the journey. What if the robbers had stolen it? He jumped off the bed and ran out the door.
"Miguel!" Tulio yelled. "Wait! Miguel!"
Miguel ran to the barn as fast as he could. He was still very weak and his head began to pound with all of the unexpected excitement. Miguel threw open the doors and ran inside, causing the chickens to squawk in alarm. He hopped into the cart that was tied up and started digging around the clothes and blankets. Finally he found it. He hugged it to his chest and sighed in relief, then jumped off and went outside.
But then he began to totter as he stood. His vision once again blurred. He swayed dizzily before, once again, falling.
* * * * * *
Miguel slowly began to come around. He felt something cool and wet on his forehead. slowly he opened his eyes to see Rosie, Tulio, Gabriella and Marcel the baker.
"Miguel! Your okay!" Gabriella cried, swinging her arms around his neck and nearly making him pass out again.
"Gabriella, stop!" Rosie said, gently unhooking Gabriella's arms. "You must be gentle. He's not feeling well right now."
Marcel leaned over Miguel. "Hmm. I guess that bump on your head was more severe than I thought. I suggest that you not go outside anymore without someone else with you until it goes down."
"Yes sir." Miguel said, wincing a little.
"Children, come here!" Marcel yelled out side.
When they all got inside, he said, "I want all of you to take heed in being gentle with our guest. He is very sick and should not have any stress right now. You're allowed to talk to him a little, but not too loud. And you must be quiet so he can get some rest. That goes especially for you two." He pointed at two twin boys, about five years old with short black hair, one missing a tooth. "Is that clear?"
"Yes, Father." they all said.
"Tulio?" Marcel asked, turning towards him.
"Yes, Father." Tulio replied.
"All right then. You may talk to him now if Miguel wants you to."
Miguel nodded and the children crowded around him.
"Let me introduce you to my brothers and sisters." Tulio said. "This is Lucy." He pointed to a six your old girl, with black hair that went all the way down her back. "These are the twins, Francisco and Ferdinand, but we just call them Paco and Ferdi. And this is Amelia." Amelia was two years old and she was hiding behind Tulio, peering a little at Miguel.
"Hello." he said, and she quickly jerked back behind her brother.
"Mama said that you fainted!" Paco sneered with a hole in his mouth.
"Yeah!" Ferdi chimed in. "I thought only giiiiirls fainted!"
"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU LITTLE BASTARDS!" Tulio yelled, causing the twins to run outside, giggling. "Sorry about them. I think they're adopted." Tulio quipped, smiling.
"That's okay. I guess I shouldn't have been running.... Wait, where's my mandolin?"
"Oh, Father put it over here." Tulio ran over to the table and took the mandolin. "Hey, what do these initials stand for?" Tulio asked, pointing to the letters J.B.C.
"Oh, those are my father's initials. Juan Bolivar Cervantes."
Tulio's eyes went wide. "Your father was Juan Cervantes?"
Miguel looked at him strangely. "Yeah, why?"
"Where am I?!?!" he asked, forgetting where he was. "Who are you, where's Gabriella?!?!"
Tulio looked at him strangely. "Do you remember anything?" he asked.
"I don't know," he answered. "I remember the baker in the street, then I blacked out, and there was a women smearing stuff all over me. The rest is just a blur." He looked up at Tulio and squinted. "I think I remember you too. But I didn't get your name."
Tulio smiled. "Well then allow me to introduce myself." He stood up and made a pose each time he said one of his names. "My name is Tulio... Rodrigo... Dela Rosa... Saldovar!!!"
Miguel couldn't help but laugh at the boy's vain. "It's nice to meet you. My name is-"
"Miguel! I already know. Are you from England? Which part?"
"Reading." he replied.
"Where are your parents? Did you get lost in the market or something?"
Miguel's smile faded and he lowered his head. "They're dead."
Tulio winced a little from guilt. "Sorry...." He decided to change the subject.
"If you're from England, why do you and your sister have Spanish names?"
"Well, my father was a Spanish sailor, and he married my mother, who lived in England." Miguel sighed. "He was a great man. I remember we used to go to the beach and go fishing before he went to the docks. He played the mandolin to me when it was time for bed. I even learned how to play after he died." Just then, he realized something. "MY FATHER'S MANDOLIN!!!!!" He had forgotten all about it during the journey. What if the robbers had stolen it? He jumped off the bed and ran out the door.
"Miguel!" Tulio yelled. "Wait! Miguel!"
Miguel ran to the barn as fast as he could. He was still very weak and his head began to pound with all of the unexpected excitement. Miguel threw open the doors and ran inside, causing the chickens to squawk in alarm. He hopped into the cart that was tied up and started digging around the clothes and blankets. Finally he found it. He hugged it to his chest and sighed in relief, then jumped off and went outside.
But then he began to totter as he stood. His vision once again blurred. He swayed dizzily before, once again, falling.
* * * * * *
Miguel slowly began to come around. He felt something cool and wet on his forehead. slowly he opened his eyes to see Rosie, Tulio, Gabriella and Marcel the baker.
"Miguel! Your okay!" Gabriella cried, swinging her arms around his neck and nearly making him pass out again.
"Gabriella, stop!" Rosie said, gently unhooking Gabriella's arms. "You must be gentle. He's not feeling well right now."
Marcel leaned over Miguel. "Hmm. I guess that bump on your head was more severe than I thought. I suggest that you not go outside anymore without someone else with you until it goes down."
"Yes sir." Miguel said, wincing a little.
"Children, come here!" Marcel yelled out side.
When they all got inside, he said, "I want all of you to take heed in being gentle with our guest. He is very sick and should not have any stress right now. You're allowed to talk to him a little, but not too loud. And you must be quiet so he can get some rest. That goes especially for you two." He pointed at two twin boys, about five years old with short black hair, one missing a tooth. "Is that clear?"
"Yes, Father." they all said.
"Tulio?" Marcel asked, turning towards him.
"Yes, Father." Tulio replied.
"All right then. You may talk to him now if Miguel wants you to."
Miguel nodded and the children crowded around him.
"Let me introduce you to my brothers and sisters." Tulio said. "This is Lucy." He pointed to a six your old girl, with black hair that went all the way down her back. "These are the twins, Francisco and Ferdinand, but we just call them Paco and Ferdi. And this is Amelia." Amelia was two years old and she was hiding behind Tulio, peering a little at Miguel.
"Hello." he said, and she quickly jerked back behind her brother.
"Mama said that you fainted!" Paco sneered with a hole in his mouth.
"Yeah!" Ferdi chimed in. "I thought only giiiiirls fainted!"
"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU LITTLE BASTARDS!" Tulio yelled, causing the twins to run outside, giggling. "Sorry about them. I think they're adopted." Tulio quipped, smiling.
"That's okay. I guess I shouldn't have been running.... Wait, where's my mandolin?"
"Oh, Father put it over here." Tulio ran over to the table and took the mandolin. "Hey, what do these initials stand for?" Tulio asked, pointing to the letters J.B.C.
"Oh, those are my father's initials. Juan Bolivar Cervantes."
Tulio's eyes went wide. "Your father was Juan Cervantes?"
Miguel looked at him strangely. "Yeah, why?"
