*15 years later*
Miguel and Gabriella stayed with the Saldovars, becoming part of the family. Gabriella had grown into a pretty nineteen year old with a quick wit and a smart mouth. But she was still the very sweet girl that she always was. Her biggest soft spot was Tulio; with whom she'd had a crush on since the day she had met him. She, Lucy and Amelia became best friends, and their favorite thing to do was tease the twins.
Tulio had grown even taller than his father, with the same long face and wavy hair, except his ponytail had grown past his shoulder blades, had grown a soul patch and was very thin. He had gotten a job at a manor as a worker, but his owner was very cruel to him and he would often come home every day sporting a brand new bruise. One time he had even gotten punched so bad that he had to go to a doctor. He wanted to live somewhere on his own since because he was nearly thirty, but he didn't get much money from the manor. So he lived with his family still.
Miguel had grown into a very handsome man. He worked on the farm and in the market with Marcel, and had grown pretty buff from lugging milk buckets and pushing plows and picking wheat from the garden. His golden hair had grown to his shoulders, and he had grown a beard. Sometimes when he was at the market, girls would come over just to swoon at him.
"Hey Miguel, how come your not married yet?"
"Miguel, you are soooooo cute."
"I can make you happy Miguel. I'm a good cook and I love children."
Miguel would always answer, "Sorry ladies, but I'm very busy right now. Maybe you all can come again another time." And they would always return.
* * * * * *
Miguel awoke with a start one late night. He had heard a loud thump outside and a few chickens squawking like mad. Slowly, he got out of bed, not waking anyone, and took out his gun from behind the cabinet. He went out the back and came over to the front yard.
He saw a figure slouching at his waist, and he was coughing uncontrollably. Miguel squinted and saw that he was holding a knife in his hand. Miguel walked over slowly towards the stranger and cocked the gun at the man's head. "Drop the weapon and turn around slowly." he said quietly.
The figure turned around slowly and took his hand off the knife. Except it didn't fall to the ground. Miguel could now see that it had been plunged into his chest, and he was gushing blood. His face had been beaten so bad that Miguel couldn't see who he was from all of the blood and bruises.
"Miguel-" was all he said, and he fell to the ground. It was Tulio.
* * * * *
Miguel, Gabriella and the Saldovars sat outside the house, waiting for the doctor to emerge. Out of all the worried expressions on everyone's face, Miguel looked the worse. He had seen too many deaths in his life. His father, his mother, Carlos. It killed him to think that his best friend might die too. He prayed over and over to God to let him live. He didn't think he could take another death in his life or in his mind.
The doctor finally came out of the house, smiling. "Senor Saldovar? Your son is going to be just fine."
A wave of relief swept over everyone, and the girls started to cry with joy. Miguel stood there, with no expression on his face. It shocked him so much that his wish had come true, and it was overwhelming for him to be absolutely petrified at one moment and overjoyed the next. Finally, he cracked a smile and his eyes brimmed with tears. "He's alive?" he asked, whispering like a child would.
"Yes, he's going to be just fine. The knife didn't go very far and it missed all of his major organs. But don't put him to any work until I come to take the stitches out. Now, who would like to see him first?"
Before anyone could raise his or her hand, Marcel said, "I think Miguel wants to see him the most."
Miguel looked at the large man, a little guilty that he should see Tulio before his own family could.
"Go on boy, we'll be patient."
As Miguel started to walk in, the doctor grabbed him by the arm. "Just to let you know, Tulio was very nervous about being sewn up, so I had to get him very drunk. Adios!" And with that, he mounted his horse and left.
* * * * * *
Miguel walked in to see Tulio lying in his parent's bed. Tulio opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hey! You got the door opened!!" he slurred.
Miguel used all the strength inside of him to keep from bursting out laughing. "Hey Tulio, how are you feeling?" He sat down beside Tulio very gently.
"I got stitches!!!!" Tulio yelled, grinning and pulling up his shirt to reveal the bloody stitches on his chest.
"Ew gross! Don't show me that!" Miguel yelled, turning away and wincing.
"Baby." Tulio said, and then started to burst out laughing. "Oh God! Ha ha ha!!! Have-have you ever noticed that *HIC! * Your hair makes you look like a girl?. Ha ha ha!!!!!!"
Finally, Miguel couldn't hold it back anymore. He started to cry.
Tulio face changed to a concerned expression. "What's the matter? Geez, I was just kidding!"
"You c-could've died!" Miguel sobbed, tears spilling all over his face and shirt. "Your my best friend in the whole world. I-I c-couldn't live with another person dead in my life." Then his face turned to venom. "Who did this?" he hissed, but still choked up.
Tulio looked up as if was trying to remember. "One... of the stable hands at the manor... We got into a fight and then he stabbed me. But he was drunk and he didn't know what he was doing. He ran away after he did...."
Miguel cried out painfully, his eyes stinging from all of the hot tears. He buried his face in his hands, embarrassed that he was crying like a baby.
But Tulio patted his back soothingly. "Listen Miguel, I'm alive. There's no need to be sad. I'm alive."
Miguel tried to stop crying and took many long breaths to calm himself. Then he smiled. "Your right. I'm so glad your okay." And with that, he gently hugged him.
"Miguel, what's come over you? Ha ha ha ha!!!!!!" With all of the serious talking, Miguel had almost forgotten that Tulio was drunk.
"You should get some rest, Tulio. And drink plenty of fluids."
"Hey, I have had PLENTY to drink! Hee hee hee!" Tulio retorted, smiling. Miguel turned and started to leave. "Miguel!" Miguel turned around to face Tulio.
"I'm still here." Tulio smiled.
Miguel smiled back. "I know." And with that, he left the room to let Tulio go to sleep.
Miguel and Gabriella stayed with the Saldovars, becoming part of the family. Gabriella had grown into a pretty nineteen year old with a quick wit and a smart mouth. But she was still the very sweet girl that she always was. Her biggest soft spot was Tulio; with whom she'd had a crush on since the day she had met him. She, Lucy and Amelia became best friends, and their favorite thing to do was tease the twins.
Tulio had grown even taller than his father, with the same long face and wavy hair, except his ponytail had grown past his shoulder blades, had grown a soul patch and was very thin. He had gotten a job at a manor as a worker, but his owner was very cruel to him and he would often come home every day sporting a brand new bruise. One time he had even gotten punched so bad that he had to go to a doctor. He wanted to live somewhere on his own since because he was nearly thirty, but he didn't get much money from the manor. So he lived with his family still.
Miguel had grown into a very handsome man. He worked on the farm and in the market with Marcel, and had grown pretty buff from lugging milk buckets and pushing plows and picking wheat from the garden. His golden hair had grown to his shoulders, and he had grown a beard. Sometimes when he was at the market, girls would come over just to swoon at him.
"Hey Miguel, how come your not married yet?"
"Miguel, you are soooooo cute."
"I can make you happy Miguel. I'm a good cook and I love children."
Miguel would always answer, "Sorry ladies, but I'm very busy right now. Maybe you all can come again another time." And they would always return.
* * * * * *
Miguel awoke with a start one late night. He had heard a loud thump outside and a few chickens squawking like mad. Slowly, he got out of bed, not waking anyone, and took out his gun from behind the cabinet. He went out the back and came over to the front yard.
He saw a figure slouching at his waist, and he was coughing uncontrollably. Miguel squinted and saw that he was holding a knife in his hand. Miguel walked over slowly towards the stranger and cocked the gun at the man's head. "Drop the weapon and turn around slowly." he said quietly.
The figure turned around slowly and took his hand off the knife. Except it didn't fall to the ground. Miguel could now see that it had been plunged into his chest, and he was gushing blood. His face had been beaten so bad that Miguel couldn't see who he was from all of the blood and bruises.
"Miguel-" was all he said, and he fell to the ground. It was Tulio.
* * * * *
Miguel, Gabriella and the Saldovars sat outside the house, waiting for the doctor to emerge. Out of all the worried expressions on everyone's face, Miguel looked the worse. He had seen too many deaths in his life. His father, his mother, Carlos. It killed him to think that his best friend might die too. He prayed over and over to God to let him live. He didn't think he could take another death in his life or in his mind.
The doctor finally came out of the house, smiling. "Senor Saldovar? Your son is going to be just fine."
A wave of relief swept over everyone, and the girls started to cry with joy. Miguel stood there, with no expression on his face. It shocked him so much that his wish had come true, and it was overwhelming for him to be absolutely petrified at one moment and overjoyed the next. Finally, he cracked a smile and his eyes brimmed with tears. "He's alive?" he asked, whispering like a child would.
"Yes, he's going to be just fine. The knife didn't go very far and it missed all of his major organs. But don't put him to any work until I come to take the stitches out. Now, who would like to see him first?"
Before anyone could raise his or her hand, Marcel said, "I think Miguel wants to see him the most."
Miguel looked at the large man, a little guilty that he should see Tulio before his own family could.
"Go on boy, we'll be patient."
As Miguel started to walk in, the doctor grabbed him by the arm. "Just to let you know, Tulio was very nervous about being sewn up, so I had to get him very drunk. Adios!" And with that, he mounted his horse and left.
* * * * * *
Miguel walked in to see Tulio lying in his parent's bed. Tulio opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hey! You got the door opened!!" he slurred.
Miguel used all the strength inside of him to keep from bursting out laughing. "Hey Tulio, how are you feeling?" He sat down beside Tulio very gently.
"I got stitches!!!!" Tulio yelled, grinning and pulling up his shirt to reveal the bloody stitches on his chest.
"Ew gross! Don't show me that!" Miguel yelled, turning away and wincing.
"Baby." Tulio said, and then started to burst out laughing. "Oh God! Ha ha ha!!! Have-have you ever noticed that *HIC! * Your hair makes you look like a girl?. Ha ha ha!!!!!!"
Finally, Miguel couldn't hold it back anymore. He started to cry.
Tulio face changed to a concerned expression. "What's the matter? Geez, I was just kidding!"
"You c-could've died!" Miguel sobbed, tears spilling all over his face and shirt. "Your my best friend in the whole world. I-I c-couldn't live with another person dead in my life." Then his face turned to venom. "Who did this?" he hissed, but still choked up.
Tulio looked up as if was trying to remember. "One... of the stable hands at the manor... We got into a fight and then he stabbed me. But he was drunk and he didn't know what he was doing. He ran away after he did...."
Miguel cried out painfully, his eyes stinging from all of the hot tears. He buried his face in his hands, embarrassed that he was crying like a baby.
But Tulio patted his back soothingly. "Listen Miguel, I'm alive. There's no need to be sad. I'm alive."
Miguel tried to stop crying and took many long breaths to calm himself. Then he smiled. "Your right. I'm so glad your okay." And with that, he gently hugged him.
"Miguel, what's come over you? Ha ha ha ha!!!!!!" With all of the serious talking, Miguel had almost forgotten that Tulio was drunk.
"You should get some rest, Tulio. And drink plenty of fluids."
"Hey, I have had PLENTY to drink! Hee hee hee!" Tulio retorted, smiling. Miguel turned and started to leave. "Miguel!" Miguel turned around to face Tulio.
"I'm still here." Tulio smiled.
Miguel smiled back. "I know." And with that, he left the room to let Tulio go to sleep.
