[Chapter 6]
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Mirabel decided to go back to the pharmacy the next day. After all, she had abandoned her job without the slightest explanation. However, before she could cross the threshold she saw herself carrying a heavy box.
"Camilo?" she asked. Camilo almost dropped the box, but he held it fast enough "What are you doing?" Mirabel asked. "Please do not kill me. I thought you would like to get your job back, and I have been working here during the days when you were sad" answered Camilo. He seemed ready to get slapped, but all he got was a big hug.
"Thank you very much for everything, Camilo. I don't know what would become of me if you had not been with me in this disaster. Mirabel said. She received the box from Camilo's hands, the apron, as well as a couple of instructions and returned to her work.
A couple more days passed. She could feel her relationship with Bruno cooling down very slowly. If this was her mom's goal, it was working. Mirabel remembered that cabin in the middle of nowhere, the poor Mrs. Rosario and her sick son, and decided that the death of that girl was too much. However, her gentle dad didn't seem capable of that, he wouldn't hurt anyone. Mirabel didn't know what to think. She needed more information, but no one seemed willing to give it to her.
In the midst of all those doubts, the Ruiz Díaz party arrived. Mirabel found out that it was a parranda vallenata, since that family came from the Caribbean coast. Mirabel had barely met a couple of people from there, since they used to avoid the cold of her region, and her town was not the most attractive place for outsiders.
Mirabel soon realized that Julieta was right. Her dark and heavy clothes wasn't suitable for Encantos's climate. She talked to Julieta about it over breakfast, and it turned out that getting clothes in Encanto wasn't an easy thing either. She had to order the clothes or have them made, for which she also had to order the fabrics.
"I will make a short trip to Manizales in a couple of days" said Agustín "if you wish, we can bring clothes, or fabrics, as you prefer". Mirabel thanked him and got ready for the trip that would take place the next Monday at four in the morning.
"Mirabel" her grandmother said as she went that night to speak to her father about the trip. "I'd like to show you something, if you have a moment." Mirabel nodded and followed her grandmother to a non-magical attic on top of Casita. Alma walked over to what appeared to be a table covered in a white sheet.
"I bought this for your fifth birthday. A friend told me that it would be excessive to give it to you the same day on which you would receive your gift. It would be best to wait for Christmas, since I had not bought anything so expensive for any of my grandchildren. Unfortunately, you did not receive your gift, nor did you spend Christmas with us, so it stayed here" said her grandmother. "Open it, amor, it's yours"
Mirabel pulled back the sheet and found it to be a brand new sewing machine. Her grandmother wasn't lying, it was really expensive. Even the machine she had left behind wasn't new, all the machines that arrived in distant towns like hers were second hand, and the transportation must have cost three times the price of the machine.
" It's imported, then, it made a boat trip, and it was brought up here by horse," explained her grandmother, "but I don't regret it, I still remember how quickly you learned to use my old machine, I taught you in an afternoon. Your mom didn't think it was possible to teach a little girl, but we quickly showed her how wrong she was. If anyone deserved a new one it was you" said the old lady. Mirabel had never seen her so excited, especially when it came to Mirabel, for whom she seemed to feel nothing but disdain.
"Thank you very much señora Alma, I'm sure I would have loved to receive it as a Christmas present. It is invaluable," Mirabel said. "Grandma, my dear, I am your grandma and you can call me that" Alma replied, while she looked at her with glazed eyes. Mirabel had already gotten used to the fact that every time she had one of those awkward episodes with her family, they ended up complaining about Bruno. However, her grandmother remained silent. "I'm so sorry, this is very strange to me," Mirabel answered. "Don't worry, I'll ask Luisa to take this to your room" Alma said.
Mirabel thanked her one last time and left. Even if she frequently called that woman grandma. Alma Madrigal was, along with Isabela, the most distant relatives to her. Mirabel had been raised by Miss Maria, who had fulfilled everything that would be expected of a true grandmother. Even her letters were full of love that Mirabel couldn't help but respond to. Alma Madrigal was the opposite, a woman hardened by time. She carried each of her fights on her back. However, her problem was that she seemed to force her family to carry them with her.
"Dad" Mirabel called at the door, "can I come in? she asked. Suddenly, Bruno quickly opened the door and gave her a big hug. "Mi mariposita" he said as he buried his face in her hair. Bruno separated from her and looked at her affectionately, "I thought that after all Julieta told you, you wouldn't want to talk to me again." Mirabel felt her eyes fill with tears.
"Please, tell me that you didn't do it" asked Mirabel who would have wanted to beg him. "Mirabel, I swear I didn't know anything about the existence of that girl. I have to admit that I keep secrets, but this is not one of them." Mirabel believed him just because she wanted to, but she couldn't be convinced. Mirabel gave him a hug and she fell silent as he cradled her as if she were a child. "Julieta already showed you her truth, now let me show you mine," Bruno said seriously. He took her by the hand and pushed her out into the hallway. Mirabel had never noticed the photos on the wall, there was one for each member of her family. The images reflected her grandmother happy and proud of her as she posed with a child by their respective door.
"What's this?" Mirabel asked. "These are photos of the day when each member of the family received the gift," Bruno replied. Mirabel looked at them, and immediately realized that she was not in them.
" I don't have a picture," said Mirabel, who immediately understood that her father wanted to prove a point, and those images spoke more than a thousand words. "I have to be honest, the reasons that led me to take you with me were not completely altruistic, but I swear I did it with the best intentions. I knew that this house would not be good for you, I have to confess something, the truth is that…"
"How dare you, Bruno?" said the booming voice of her grandmother across the hall. Mirabel looked up. "I guess I've made my peace with you taking her away, but I won't forgive you if you use your influence over her to turn her against us," her grandmother said. Bruno's face hardened. Her dad had never been a man of strong emotions, sometimes Mirabel had the impression that life happened to him without him showing any real emotion. She was the only one who could provoke a true smile, or an expression of sincere, passionate affection. However, she was discovering that this family was also capable of provoking a reaction from him, especially his mother.
"Mirabel has to understand that I didn't kill anyone," said Bruno. "Besides, we can stop pretending you care about her, because you don't," he replied. Her grandmother's face filled with anger as she crossed the hall to stand in front of him. "How dare you? she asked angrily. "Mirabel is my granddaughter, and I want the best for her, I have always loved her. But you know that I have an obligation to this family, to this community. You know better than anyone the conditions in which we arrived in this town, we have to protect each other" she said. Mirabel was overwhelmed by the intensity of that conversation, and she wondered if all this was for her ears, or belonged to a private conversation between mother and son.
"That boy, Mariano, and Julieta, are right, you and your granddaughter Isabela are two peas in a pod. It's hard to know when you love and when you hate, because the two emotions hardly make a difference to you." Bruno said with that hard expression full of intensity. "All my life I have played by your rules, Mom. I have settled for being the black sheep of the family because everyone expects me to be the bad one, but the situation with Mirabel is different. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, the only person who has ever loved me."
"Bruno, I beg you..." sighed her grandmother, on the verge of tears, as she gave Mirabel a quick glance. That request hit her like a thunderbolt, she didn't know how she hadn't seen it before. Her grandmother was his accomplice, she had to be, that was the only way Bruno had been able to get her out of Encanto without any problem. Her grandmother was the last person to see her after her disappearance, she kept defending Bruno against everyone because she knew that everything had been her fault.
Mirabel ran back to her own room and locked herself in there, until dinnertime. She didn't eat anything, as usual. Then she reached her dad at his bedroom door.
"I need to talk to you," Mirabel said. "Not now, mariposita, I'm dead, and tomorrow we have to go to the party and…" Bruno replied, however, she didn't allow him to continue. "It has to be now, dad, this is very serious." Bruno watched her for a few moments. "Come here, I don't want this conversation to become public domain" he said referring to Dolores' gift. Mirabel sat on the couch in her dad's room.
"I need to know the truth," Mirabel said. "I already told you that…" Bruno started. "I'm sick of your lies, Dad!" Mirabel interrupted him again, she had no patience for listening to the same half-truths. "I know you did not act alone. Leaving this town is almost impossible, I bet you had help, I'm sure Alma Madrigal was the one to blame, "she said. Bruno's eyes widened, he sat down next to her and covered her mouth.
"I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion, but no one must know, ever, Mirabel," Bruno said. Mirabel looked at him in surprise as he withdrew his hand from her lips very slowly. She already knew that family well enough to know that this revelation had the potential to destroy them. Julieta and Agustín would never forgive Alma, and frankly, something told her that Isabela and Luisa wouldn't either. Mirabel didn't know Pepa well enough to know how she would react, but one thing was certain: she wouldn't be pleased either.
"The night your gift didn't manifest, Mom asked me for a vision, I gave it to her, and she wasn't pleased" Said Bruno who walked to his closet and with great difficulty pulled out a flat green board. "This is one of my visions," he explained. Mirabel looked at it. It was her, in front of the destroyed Madrigal house. "According to this vision, your destiny is to destroy the Madrigal house. The truth is that my visions are never completely clear, there are times when they show fragments of a moment in time.
"That's why Grandma wanted me to get out of here" said Mirabel who felt her throat dry and her eyes watery. "I knew that life for you in this house would be hell, that's why I offered mom the possibility of taking you with me, and giving you a good life, better than the one you would have in this house" her dad said, as seemed have added several years to his age in a few short moments. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"I have been the black sheep of this family for years, I know well how your life would have been here. I didn't want to leave you, I couldn't. I have told many lies, but my love for you has never been one of them", her dad said. "Why did you say your motives were selfish too?" Mirabel asked. Bruno took a deep breath.
"I think a part of me wanted to please mom. I thought that if I took you away, she would be proud of me, even once. However, I never thought that I would feel so much love for you. My girl, you are the only thing I have left, "said Bruno. "You were very cruel to mom," Mirabel replied.
"I know, Mirabel, I know," Bruno said. "Did you kill that girl?" Mirabel asked. "No, I would never do something like that, ever," Bruno answered. "My grandmother did it?" Mirabel muttered. Bruno sighed deeply. "I want to believe that it wasn't the case, but I don't know," her father said.
"What do my dreams mean dad? candles extinguished? the cracks?" Mirabel asked. "I have no idea, Mirabel. The magic of the house is capricious and unpredictable, and over the years we all understood that we know nothing about it, to tell the truth, it has played dirty on us on several occasions".
Mirabel took a deep breath and prepared to throw out one last question: "Did you do something with my memories?" Mirabel asked. Bruno bit his lip.
"Yes"
Mirabel burst into tears. Her grandmother and her uncle had come together to keep her away from her parents, her sisters and the rest of the family to preserve that house, that magic. Mirabel hated everything with much more intensity. Bruno took her in her arms and comforted her.
"I swear it's not what you're thinking," Bruno said. "Mom and I asked the miracle of this house to grant you some magic, we asked the miracle to give you something that would allow you to be happy outside of Encanto. That night, I took you with me while I slept, so I didn't know if the magic had taken effect until the next day when you woke up next to me, in the middle of the forest and with no memory of the past. Unfortunately, the magic of the house is capricious and unpredictable, it gave us what we asked for, but not in the way we wanted it" he explained.
"Dad, how could you…" Mirabel murmured between sobs. "I'm so sorry, mariposita, mi amor, please, I beg you to forgive me, I love you so much, and you are the only thing I have left." Bruno asked. "I don't know, this is too much, this is too much for me" stammered Mirabel who stood up. "Tonight I'll sleep, and tomorrow we'll talk, I'm not in the mood to argue."
Needless to say, Mirabel barely slept that night. She could not believe the guts of Alma Madrigal. Bruno's actions may have been wrong, but his mother had left him to bear all the consequences of his actions completely alone, not to mention that it was much more likely that she was the person behind the murder of that girl, since he could never have done something so horrible.
Mirabel didn't know what to think about her memories, maybe Bruno was right, and they hadn't measured the consequences of the magic, but she didn't know what to think anymore. She did not exchange another word with Bruno for the rest of the day, until it was time to leave for the party. Mirabel wore the same outfit she was wearing the day she arrived at Encanto, along with her butterfly hairpins. Bruno smiled when he saw her. "Beautiful, truly beautiful," said Bruno.
She barely smiled upon hearing that comment. Mirabel couldn't hate him. She couldn't, despite being deceived. Mirabel took her father's arm while the two walked towards the town, since the Ruiz Díaz house was in the heart of Encanto.
"Dad, everyone is looking at us," said Mirabel, who had never felt hated as she was at that moment. "They don't appreciate seeing us together, but it doesn't matter, they must get used to the idea that despite everything, I haven't been able to stop seeing you as my daughter," said Bruno, who gave her a smile. Mirabel returned it. The truth was that she hadn't stopped seeing him as a father either.
Mirabel and Bruno arrived at dusk to the party, which had already started. She wasn't familiar with that kind of music, that's why she didn't think twice before running towards the musicians. Mirabel stared at the vallenato accordion that the musician was playing at great speed.
"Incredible" she said to Mirabel as she looked at him full of joy. "The one who plays the accordion is Oscar Ruiz Diaz. He is my great friend, he spent a few years in the army and now he is retired" explained Bruno. "Can we get closer?" Mirabel asked who suddenly felt like her old self, the one she was before she came to Encanto. "Of course,'' replied Bruno, who led her through the crowd towards the band.
Mirabel met Bruno's friend, who gave his father a big hug, despite the sideways glances that those present directed at them."Mirabel is very impressed by the accordion, she wants to see it, if it wasn't too much trouble" Bruno said .
"Of course not," said Oscar. Then, he showed her each of the notes. Afterward, he handed her the accordion and asked her to imitate some notes. Mirabel did her best and everyone gave her an applause.
"The little vallenata queen," joked Oscar. Mirabel went to the kitchen, where Matilde, Oscar's sister, was serving dishes of sancocho. Mirabel's mouth watered when she saw the food, so she did not hesitate to take two plates. It was the first time that she had eaten so well since she arrived at Encanto. She took one Arepa de huevo on the trays and left the kitchen while she ate it.
"Camilo, Camilo, Camilo" people shouted happily while in the center of the room her cousin danced with a girl. Apparently, he was in the middle of a dance contest. Her cousin stopped as he ran to her side while the public whistled annoyed."I thought your mom forbade you to come," Mirabel said. "Yeah, that's why I beg you not to say anything, only you and Dolores know, she knows everything, but I'll get along with her" answered Camilo. "I know it too," commented Bruno who approached them.
"Uncle…" Camilo practically begged. "I won't say anything, you don't have to worry about me," said Bruno. "Me neither," Mirabel answered. "Well, in that case, let's dance," said Camilo who pushed Mirabel towards the center of the room.
Mirabel could hardly breathe in that room packed with people dancing very close to each other. She didn't know how to dance that rhythm very well, but she quickly learned it, since it wasn't very difficult. The sound of the tambora, the guacharaca and the accordion marked the step while they moved to the beat of the rhythm.
Mirabel ran to the kitchen at the end of the song. She had a glass of water, another plate of sancocho and two arepas de huevo. She felt as if she had gone years without eating.
She returned to the living room, and for the first time she noticed the book shelves. Mirabel looked at the family photos and ceramic figurines, until she noticed a photo of a large group. Oscar Ruiz Diaz dressed as a soldier was in the picture, very elegant in his military uniform, along with doctors and nurses, including her mother and Dr. Calle. Mirabel would never have imagined that there was a time when they were friends.
"Excuse me" Mirabel said to Matilde who was passing by. "I was wondering what the story of this photo is." Matilde looked at her for a few seconds, "that was during a health mission in which my brother participated with your mother and Dr. Octavio Calle," the woman answered. "I thought mom couldn't stand him ."
"When Doctor Calle arrived in this town, Mrs. Alma Madrigal was very harsh with him. Before, we all depended on Julieta, but she was anything but kind to him," said Matilde. "I don't know when everything started to change. I guess it's because that man doesn't attend to everyone, he doesn't like Indigenous people, or people like my family, single women with children, or prostitutes, your Mom does take care of all of them. That's why it was so difficult for everyone when you disappeared. Doña Julieta took a year to recover, we didn't have a government's health post, and the only doctor in town was expensive and took care of whoever he wanted. It was a real tragedy for many, "she explained. Mirabel remembered that she had heard her mother complain about something similar, possibly, that was the reason.
"Anda, niña, you look like you've never eaten in your life" said Matilde changing the subject, "Do you want another plate of sancocho?" she asked her. "Of course I do," Mirabel replied before allowing herself to be led into the kitchen.
The party went on until Mirabel came face to face with the mayor's grandson, without her being able to remember his name.
"The famous Mirabel Madrigal," he said. He seemed fuller of himself now that he was surrounded by his group of thugs. "I wish I could say I remember your name, but I don't" she answered. Mirabel tried to slip away, but he intercepted her. "Here we go again," Mirabel complained as she rolled her eyes. "Only this time you don't have your dear family to defend you", he replied "Come on, Mirabel, you publicly humiliated me, there must be something you want in exchange for you helping me recover my reputation" he said. Mirabel remembered that this cretin was the mayor's son.
"There is something you can do for me," Mirabel answered, while she bit her lip and hoped that it was not a risky idea. "You're the mayor's grandson, so could you show me something, something I've wanted to see since I came to this town," Mirabel said. "What?" asked the mayor's grandson who looked very curious. "The file of my disappearance". The boy widened his eyes in surprise. "You want something really hard to get, but I think it's possible, of course I'll still ask for something in return," he said.
"What?" asked Mirabel who was starting to regret it. "I want a kiss, but not just any kiss, it has to be in front of the whole town, in the square, in the middle of the day, during a market day, where everyone can see us." the boy replied. "I don't want you to believe you are a big deal, Mirabel Madrigal, because you're not, but your rejection was a terrible blow to my reputation. Besides, my grandfather wasn't happy with me either, so you should undo the damage you caused," he said. Mirabel bit her lip.
"Okay" she accepted as she offered her hand for him to take. They shared a firm handshake. "Do you want to dance?" he asked. "Go away," Mirabel replied. "Ok, ok, no file, no love, I understand," the boy answered, raising his hands in peace as he walked away.
Mirabel danced some more, ate even more, and had a great time. "Camilo, it's time to go back," Mirabel told Camilo. "Not yet, you two can go ahead, I'll follow you later" answered Camilo. "You'll get into serious trouble," Mirabel replied. "Life is too short to not face a couple of problems from time to time"
Mirabel took Bruno's arm as the two walked back to the Madrigal house in the middle of the night. The streets of the town were completely deserted, and the path up the steep hill seemed eternal. Suddenly, Mirabel heard a sound from the bushes, and was horribly surprised to see several men emerge from them. Mirabel recognized them all, they were guests at the party.
"I never have imagined that Bruno Madrigal would have the nerve to show his face in a public event, after what he did, and exhibiting the girl he kidnapped in public," said one of the guys. "You are not welcome here," said another. Bruno stepped between her and the men. "Your problem is with me, leave her alone." said his dad. "Sure, let her go, this poor girl already had too much, the problem here is you" replied another, Mirabel looked at him carefully and saw that it was Oscar Ruiz Diaz. Bruno grabbed her without any delicacy and pushed her aside. "Go away, go home" her dad said.
Mirabel thought about staying, but she quickly remembered the powers of her two sisters. They could easily help her. "Help!" Mirabel yelled as she ran toward the house. Suddenly someone stopped her by the waist. It was the mayor's grandson. "My name is Tomás Carranza, and you'd better remember it," he said. Mirabel tried to break free, but he held her back as he roughly turned her around. She saw those men beat her dad while she couldn't do anything to stop them. "Our deal continues, but this is my revenge," he murmured in her ear. Suddenly, everything stopped, and she fell to the ground as she felt her knees get scraped from the blow.
"I thought we were friends, but what you have done to your sister and her family is beyond forgiveness. I saw them, you left them destroyed, your sister couldn't even use her gift in a year, you don't know how much damage you've done to all of us, you not only took away their daughter, but you stole her love, get out of this town, you're not welcome here" said Oscar to Bruno who was still lying on the ground with a bloody face. "You may have escaped the justice system, and if it is not capable of punishing you, someone has to, compadre" murmured Oscar who wiped the sweat from his forehead and left, as well as the others.
Mirabel ran to Bruno's side who was lying on the ground, while he could barely breathe. "Papi, papi" repeated Mirabel. "Dad, please, let's get out of here, now I understand, I understand why you made that decision, please don't leave me" Mirabel cried.
Suddenly, she was alarmed to hear footsteps again. She turned around and saw Camilo who was watching them in horror. "Oh my God," he said. "Grandma, Mom, Aunt Julieta, help," Camilo yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran toward the house.
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Mirabel watched her mother's magic act immediately on Bruno's wounds. She knew perfectly well that the only reason Julieta helped her brother was because Mirabel and her grandmother asked for it, because if it had depended solely on her, she would never have cured him.
She spent the whole night with him, until the sun came up. She began to feel nauseous. Mirabel ran to the bathroom and vomited several times. "Mirabel, is that you, dear?" Pepa asked on the other side of the door. Mirabel confessed to her aunt that she felt very sick. She accompanied her to her room with the help of Camilo who gave her a hand when he got up.
"Julieta is away, and she won't be back until tomorrow, and Bruno is still recovering from that beating." Her aunt said as she watched Mirabel with a worried expression. "Doctor Calle would never attend to her if I go with her. Camilo, you will go to the office with her, "said Pepa while she lowered her tone of voice, "but it will be our secret".
Camilo and Mirabel walked to Doctor Calle's house. She felt much better after throwing up, but she had a horrible feeling: Apparently, the Ruiz Diaz actually hated her dad. Could it be that she had been poisoned? She asked Doctor Calle that, but he answered with a discreet smile.
"I don't think it's poison, to be honest I think it's the case of a girl with a sensitive stomach, who has spent the last two months eating little more than one meal a day, and in one night she decided to have four dishes sancocho and six arepas de huevo" said the doctor. "You have indigestion from last night's excesses, that's all," replied Doctor Calle. Then he got up and turned on the radio.
"However, if I were you I would take care of myself a bit. I was quite surprised when I found out that Ruiz Diaz had invited Bruno Madrigal to their party. Oscar is a friend of your mother, and I wouldn't be surprised if the incident had been planned with the help of Mrs. Julieta." Said the old man. Mirabel stared at him, since that idea had already crossed her mind, after all, she didn't want Mirabel to attend the party, she probably knew what was going to happen.
"This is not a surprise. I know mom can be very dangerous," Mirabel said. "I know, it is not convenient to have her as an enemy," the doctor replied. Mirabel bit her lip and listened to the music coming from the radio. "Doctor Calle, can I ask you something?".
"Yes, of course," the old man replied. "Have you always been my mom's enemy? Since you came to town? she asked. "Y-yes, always, your grandmother didn't make things easy for me at first, but she eventually accepted me. Mrs. Julieta has not been so fair to me," he answered her. Mirabel didn't say anything, but she knew that was a lie. Julieta had a good relationship with him when he arrived in town, but she decided to keep quiet, after all, that didn't seem to be relevant.
Mirabel spent the rest of the day keeping her dad company while they both recovered. She still hadn't quite forgiven her dad for the confession she made to him, but she couldn't hate him either. Bruno had been an excellent father, even in his precarious condition in Encanto he continued to protect her. Mirabel felt between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, she had biological parents who adored her, and who had every right to feel hurt and betrayed, and on the other, there was Bruno, whom she couldn't stop loving, and who had done nothing but give her a truly beautiful life.
The only person she truly despised in the whole thing was her grandmother. She didn't understand what it was about that woman that Bruno and Julieta would go to such lengths to please her and obtain her validation. Of course, she barely knew her, but if she had grown up in that house, she would probably behave the same way. Mirabel also knew that the secret told by Bruno would destroy that family if she decided to reveal it.
"You got a letter" said Pepa without any kindness as she practically threw an envelope at her brother. Mirabel looked at the recipient and realized that it was Rogelio, his neighbor and his business partner in Tocama. Bruno read it silently as he looked more and more worried as he went on. "I think I'll have to go to Tocama" said Bruno putting aside the letter.
"I guess you'll take me with you" Mirabel said as she felt sick. However, he didn't reply. "Dad, I guess you'll take me with you," Mirabel repeated as she felt her voice break. Bruno took her hands in his, "mariposita, it's about the crops, Rogelio and I have to negotiate prices, we need that money, it'll only be a few weeks," he said, as she gave him a worried look.
"You can't leave me with these people" Mirabel replied, as she felt her tears cloud her eyes. "Dad, please, you have to take me with you" asked Mirabel. "Mariposita, I can't do it, I'll only take three weeks, mom will never allow it".
Upon hearing that, Mirabel felt an anger as strong as she had never felt before. If she thought better of it, her grandmother was to blame for everything. She had pushed Bruno to commit the madness of taking her away from her parents. She was the one who guided the behavior of her parents, the family, and the town, and she made Bruno bear alone the consequences of her actions. Mirabel thought of the dead girl, of her loss because of the candle her grandmother held in her room. Mirabel decided that she did not care about that magic, and if her destiny was to finish it and destroy it, she would gladly do so, because she did not owe that woman anything, but, for that, she needed a way to prove that she was to blame for everything, and Mirabel I would find it at any cost.
Hello everyone, the last two weeks I drove all over the Caribbean coast with my parents. Some friends there invited me to a parranda vallenata in their house, which explains this chapter. (By the way, the "vallenato king" exists, it is the award for the winner of the Festival de la Leyenda vallenata).
Thank you very much for your comments. I love to read your theories. They give me life.