Antonio
Parce made steady progress through the treetops, leaping from branch to branch. Antonio clung to the jaguar's fur with both hands and gripped his back with his legs. His eyes never left the jungle floor.
I can smell him, Parce said. He is close.
"Faster, por favor," Antonio whispered. "Before he gets too far!"
Parce growled and picked up the pace. The wind whipped Antonio's face, whisking his hair back. Leaves and twigs hit his cheeks, scratching him.
So intent was he on the ground below that he didn't see the low branch until it was too late. It caught him across the chest, knocking the breath from his body.
For a moment he felt nothing but air.
The jungle was a dark green whirlwind as he fell. He hit the ground at an angle. He heard a sickening crack as his leg folded in the wrong direction.
Antonio screamed.
Parce was by his side in a second, nuzzling him. I'm sorry, cub, he said. I'm sorry.
Antonio whimpered in response, tears streaming down his face, and reached up to pat his friend on the nose.
Parce suddenly looked up, growling low in his throat. El hombre rata, he said.
"Tío-Tío Bruno?" Antonio whispered.
His uncle's face swam into view.
"Sí, Toñito," Bruno said gently, crouching down beside him. His nose was wrinkled in dismay and his ears were pressed against his head. "What hurts?"
"My-my leg!" Antonio gasped. "It wasn't-it wasn't Parce's fault."
Bruno eyed the jaguar as he took off his ruana in one fluid motion and folded it in half, gently wrapping it around Antonio's broken leg. Parce chuffed at him before nuzzling Antonio for a second time.
I will tell the Madre, the jaguar said. Antonio nodded. Parce disappeared into the trees.
"He's-he's going to tell Mami I'm okay," Antonio said. He was so tired all of a sudden. His leg really hurt.
"Ah," Bruno said. He tried to smile. "Parce's a good friend, isn't he?"
"The best."
Bruno began tearing strips off the bottom of his already ragged shirt, tying them around the folded ruana to hold the fabric in place. "Sana, sana, colita de rana," he sang softly. "Si no sana hoy, sanará mañana—"
"Mami sings that sometimes too," Antonio murmured.
Bruno smiled again, but Antonio could tell it wasn't a happy one. "Your abuelo used to sing it to us when we got hurt as kids," he said. "Though, after your tía got her Gift, he sang it less."
"That makes sense," Antonio whispered, wincing when his leg was jostled a little too hard.
"Sorry, sorry," Bruno said, wincing himself. He finished tying the last strip of cloth. "C'mon, mijo, let's get you home. I bet Julieta has a cup of chocolate santafereño with your name on it."
Antonio felt his tears rush up again, unbidden, and his throat felt tight. "But-but then you'll leave again!" He reached for Bruno.
Bruno met him halfway, scooping him up in thin but deceptively strong arms. "Hey-hey, no, it-it's fine," he stammered. "You don't gotta worry about me, Toñito—"
"I don't want you to go!" Antonio fisted his hands into Bruno's shirt and bawled.
"Oh, no-no, niño, please don't—"
Antonio felt Bruno freeze and he looked up, sniffling. One of Bruno's ears pricked up, and his gaze was fixed on something Antonio couldn't see. He recognized the body language—many of his animal friends did the same thing whenever something wasn't right.
Usually when they were being hunted.
Suddenly, Bruno gasped, his grip on Antonio tightening, and his eyes glowed green. Antonio only saw it for a second, before his uncle shook his head and the green disappeared.
"We have to move," Bruno whispered.
He took off. He was fast, almost as fast as Parce, and it felt like no time at all before they were out of the jungle and running through neat rows of coffee trees, a light dusting of snow already melting into the ground.
Antonio hiccuped, his fingers digging into Bruno's shirt.
"Mami…Mami's worried," he whispered.
Bruno didn't respond to that. He slowed to a stop, sniffing the air.
Antonio shivered.
"Julieta?" Bruno whispered. Suddenly, he was shouting. "Julieta—Lieta, I need you!"
Antonio heard someone cry out. He shifted and saw Julieta standing a little ways away, a horrified expression on her face.
"What happened?" she whispered, staring at Bruno.
Bruno didn't meet her eyes.
Julieta closed the distance between them, reaching for Antonio.
Slowly, carefully, Bruno tried to pass Antonio into her waiting arms. Antonio clung to him, shaking his head, but Bruno gently pried his hands away.
"Time to be brave, hombrecito," his tío whispered to him, transferring him to his tía before backing away.
Antonio sobbed, shaking his head. He didn't want to be brave. His leg hurt.
Julieta held him close, rocking him a little. "Oh, Toñito—what happened?"
But Antonio could only lay his head on his tía's shoulder and sniffle miserably. He closed his eyes, his words all spent.
"He fell off Parce and broke his leg," he heard Bruno say lowly to Julieta. "I'm just bringing him home before—"
Antonio cracked his eyes open, and saw little lights moving around in the distance.
"Julieta, please."
Julieta's brow creased. "It really is you, isn't it?" she asked, her voice small.
Bruno's breath hitched, and he looked at Antonio.
Antonio reached out a hand for him. "Tío Bruno," he whimpered. "Stay."
Bruno stepped back and shook his head.
"I can't, I—" He cut himself off. His hands crept up to twist the ripped hem of his shirt, and he looked at Julieta with somber eyes.
Julieta slowly nodded. "They're looking for you. The whole town is calling for your head."
"I know. I can't—I can't stay. It'll only…make things worse."
"Just—come back," Julieta whispered, clutching Antonio tighter. "When it's safe. One of us will come and find you, I promise. It'll-it'll probably be Mirabel." She laughed a little, but it sounded hollow.
Bruno shook his head ruefully. "She's stubborn. Like you."
Antonio heard a shout, and some of the lights in the distance turned toward them. "Tío Bruno, look!"
Bruno did. The lights were closer now, and Antonio could hear voices calling to one another.
Julieta reached out a hand and gently pushed on Bruno's chest. "Go," she whispered. "We'll come for you just—go!"
Bruno took a deep breath. "Goodbye," he whispered, and then he was gone.
Antonio whimpered, turning his face into his tía's chest. She murmured comforting words into his ear as she carried him back to the house, but he didn't look up again until he heard his mami cry out—
"Oh, Antonio, bebé, mi corazón," his mami said, tears streaming down her face. Her cloud was snowing above her but she scooped him up in her arms anyway, mindful of his wrapped leg. Julieta quietly stepped away; he saw Agustín follow her.
Mirabel's face appeared at Pepa's side, her eyes big and wet behind her glasses. She had an umbrella in her hands, and held it up above the three of them to block the snow.
"Toñito, what happened?" Mirabel whispered.
Antonio glanced up at his mami.
"No, no, it's okay, I told them everything," Mirabel soothed, running a hand over his tight curls.
Before he could answer, Julieta returned, holding out a lightly steaming arepa con queso. "Here, Toñito, eat."
Antonio took a bite and felt a brief twinge as the bone in his leg knit itself back together—but then it was over and he could move his leg without pain. He leaned back into his mother's chest as she fussed over him, munching on the arepa and feeling sleepier by the second.
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was upstairs. His mami was tucking him into bed, humming softly. Her cloud had stopped snowing. He thought he heard Parce purring somewhere in the room.
"Mami?" he whispered.
"¿Sí, Toñito?" she whispered back.
"Mami, will Tío Bruno be alright?"
Pepa kissed his forehead. "Hush now, bebé."
Antonio couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, and he let himself be dragged backward into sleep.
Translations:
1. El hombre rata - the rat man
2. Si no sana hoy, sanará mañana - if you don't heal today, you'll heal tomorrow; the other half of the Sana, Sana song
3. Mi corazón - my heart
